Weather here in Tennessee November 17, 2010

How many of you love Tennessee weather?

I was raised in Maury County, Tennessee, and I am quite used to dealing with the fluctuating weather. You never know what the temperature is going to be. If a cold or warm front comes through, you don’t know how long the weather will last. I was telling my mother the other day that the weather was so crazy it couldn’t decide weather to be hot or cold.

At home the weather is not that big of an issue because I have all of my clothes. Since I live so close to home I didn’t bring all of my clothes up here. It was hard there for awhile to figure out my clothes situation. I went home to get some warmer clothes and I put all of my summer clothes up.

Closet at Lipscomb. 

Last week the weather was warmer and I had my warm clothes at Lipscomb and my other clothes were back home. I was too hot in my classes, but then when I came to the dorm it was freezing. We haven’t had heat in Fanning until this week and recently we haven’t had hot water either.  The National Weather Service is great about putting out accurate up-to- date information about the weather.

It’s been hard to figure out what clothes to wear because it’s been such ridiculous weather. I miss back home and the fires that we have in our hearth. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving and spending time with friends and family. I know at home no matter the temperature I’ll always be prepared. I suppose next year I’ll bring all of my clothes to Nashville so I won’t have this problem again.

Bonfires are a huge thing down in Carter’s Creek. There is always a fire somewhere. My brother has barn parties, and he always as a fire going out a little ways from the barn on Saturday nights.

Being up in the city has made me miss the simple things such as spending time with friends around a fire. I already have plans this weekend to see my friends from back home and have a bonfire and ride four-wheelers through the farm. I can hardly wait for my time at home.

My cousin Jake and his girlfriend at a fire back home.

Rule Number 11: Enjoy Tennessee weather, it always keeps you on your toes.

Life is a constant decision November 11, 2010

How many of you at the age of 10 wanted to be a teenager desperately?

I remember being that age and wanting to be 19 or 20 more than anything else in the whole world.  Now that I am 19 I would love to go back and be little all over again.

Growing up is not exactly fun.  It seems as if in each passing day more decisions are put upon my plate. From picking out my classes at Lipscomb University to figuring out whether I’ll go home to work the weekends, life is just a constant decision.

Not living at home has made me appreciate life it so much more.  I am mad at myself that I didn’t go off to college my freshman year. I feel like I was held back in the sense of getting the whole college experience.  I love my family and my hometown but getting out was the best thing for me. This experience has made me grow up so much more. Sometimes we make decisions for the wrong reasons.  We shouldn’t decide on something in the heat of the moment and we should be calm and relaxed.  Hasty decisions often aren’t a good idea.

Rule Number 10: Before you make any decision big or small, make sure it’s the right one.

 

This is signs pointing to different missions here at Lipscomb University.  Which one are you going to go on? 

From cousin to brother November 2, 2010

How many of you have someone that you look up to?

My third-cousin Jake and I grew up together in Spring Hill, Tenn.  I wouldn’t have traded growing up in that area for anything else in the world. My grandmother was at one point one of 16 children. Yes, that’s a huge family even in that time period. My grandmother and Jake’s grandfather are siblings.

I don’t have any first cousins. My aunt on my father’s side of the family and my uncle on my mother’s side both married extremely late in life and neither of them has any children. My brother and I are the only grandkids on both sides of the family.

Jake and I became extremely close my sophomore year of high school.  We went to different schools and were both country kids. He came with me to the basketball games, and we rode four wheelers and fed the cows together a lot.

This past year Jake got a girlfriend, and I was in a pretty steady relationship. I put our friendship on the back burner, and we weren’t as close. This summer I made the decision to come to Lipscomb University, and he was behind me 100 percent.

He is like a brother to me and isn’t afraid to tell me if he thinks I am doing something wrong. I am so glad that the two of us have fixed our problems and are back on good terms. I am so happy for him and his girlfriend.  I don’t think that he could have found a better match. I can’t wait to see what is in store for them.

Moving up to Nashville has made me realize and appreciate things so much more. This past weekend I saw Jake when I went home, and he stopped me from making a bad decision, or well he tried to stop me. Looking back at the past I know that Jake will always be there for me no matter how dumb I act, and I hope he knows the same from me. He goes to the community college back home, and he’s just a quick 40 minutes away if I need to go see my favorite cousin and best friend.

Rule Number 9: Remember family comes first.

Fall in a different place October 27, 2010

The changing of the seasons is something that I always look forward to. I can’t stand for it to be one season for too long. My favorite season is fall. Fall to me marks the beginning of the school year and the start of cooler weather.

Life is all about change, and I think that the constant change of the seasons is God’s way of keeping us on our toes.  Fall for me was different this year. I am used to being at home all the time and seeing the trees change out in the country. This year I experienced the trees changing from a different perspective.

I go home on the weekends to work, and I have a lot of time to think on the 45- to-50 minute drive home. Each week on my way home on Friday afternoons I would see the subtle hint of fall coming to Middle Tennessee.

The change of the trees represents the passage of time in my eyes. As each leaf falls off, time will pass, winter will come and out will pop a new leaf in the spring. As busy as we are we don’t stop and think about how fast time flies. What are we in a rush for anyways?

Rule Number 8: Don’t rush through life. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

This video by Kenny Chesney makes me realize how fast time flies by every time I hear it.

Readers, what is your favorite season of the year?

What season makes you realize how fast time really flies?

The people who make a difference October 21, 2010

How many people have made a significant difference in your life?

Have you ever sat back and thought about all of the different people that have touched you and made you who you are today?

Above in the pictures are a few of the people who have had a lasting impact through my journey.

I truly believe that God puts people in your life for a reason. The ones who don’t last too long in your life aren’t meant to be there, so don’t worry about the past.

My parents, grandparents and friends all have had a significant impact on my life.

My best friend ,Shelby, has been with me through it all. I can’t imagine the person I would be without her as my best friend. She has been patient and understanding in my struggling times and never gave up when the times were tough. I put our friendship on the back burner about a year ago because I had someone new in my life. Boys come and go, but friends last forever. Never again will I put our friendship aside. I learned that the hard way.

Dayton has been my best guy friend for almost four years now. We have had some rocky times like most people who have been close for a long time, but we always manage to fix our disagreements. I know no matter what I can always count on him to pick me up if I fall.

My father, Pop, is the strongest person I know. He has been through so much in his life, and it has defined him to what he is today. I look up to him and hope to be at least half the person that he is one day.

Nathan is someone that I became friends with about five years ago. We in a sense went through high school together, and there for awhile I don’t remember a weekend without seeing him. He joined the Marines a little over a year ago,and he is stationed in Japan. I have a new outlook on the men and women that serve our country because of him.

Cheyenne is a senior this year at my old high school. I am so proud of her and what she has accomplished so far. I in a sense took care of her my last few years at Santa Fe. She became a good friend of mine, and my senior year of high school would have definitely been different without her.

My Mama always knows the right thing to say. She’s not afraid that her advice will hurt your feelings because she knows what she is telling you is what you need to hear. She always stepped back and let me learn my lesson the hard way. If I ever have children, I’ll remember the lessons that I learned from my mama.

MawMaw and PawPaw are 82 years old and still going pretty strong. I couldn’t imagine a life without knowing these people. My grandparents have taught me so much about life in general. I am a lucky girl to live right down the road from them.

Growing up is hard. Sometimes I wish I was 6 again and playing outside in on the playground. Time flies by so fast. With a blink of an eye it’s as if a whole year has flown by. Moving to the city has definitely made think about the changes in my life, and I have learned to appreciate the little things much better.

Rule Number 7: Spend as much time as you can with the ones that you care about because you never know how much time is left.

Home Sweet Home October 12, 2010

Have you ever heard the saying you don’t appreciate something until it is gone?

The little things in life are the ones that mean the most.

As I am getting older all of the things I have heard in the past are coming together in my mind. I went home this weekend to the farm. As I drove the back way home with my roommate, I noticed how the trees were changing and that fall was well underway.

My mom prepared us a homecooked meal when we got home. I used to always want to go out to eat because my mom used to cook all the time. Every time I go home now I am craving some of her Tennessee cooking. She uses a lot of recipes from Miss Mary BoBo, a local legend from Lynchburg, Tennessee.

I am also missing helping my dad around the farm. He used to call me on his way out of Nashville and would want help with the feeding. These things that used to be simple now mean a lot to me. Rule Number 6: Don’t take the little things for granted.

What “little things” do you not take for granted?

God Has A Plan For You! October 4, 2010

I went to a community college my freshman year of college. I absolutely loved it there. I wouldn’t have traded my time there for anything. Everything worked out perfectly. I worked the weekends, went to school and spent my spare time with my boyfriend and family. My boyfriend and I broke up in March of this year. Instead of staying at home and getting my life back together, I added on the hours at work, and I took summer classes at my school. I stayed extremely busy and just tried to forget the past. I finally decided in June that I wanted to come to Lipscomb University. I thought a change of scenery would do me some good. In a sense, I guess you could say that I was running away. Luckily, God was with me when I ran, and he brought me to a college with people who have the same goals and morals that I do.

The setting of a private school is completely different than that of a public school. Don’t get me wrong I loved Columbia State, but there is something about Lipscomb that just makes you feel at home.

I do miss being back home in the country. I can’t look up and see the stars at night here in the city. At home you can see the stars, smell the nature scents and relax in the quiet.  You can’t do that here. Yes, I ran away.  I ran away from my friends and family, the ones that cared about me the most. I ran away because I was scared. Everything happens for a reason, I truly believe that. God doesn’t put you in situations that you can’t handle either. Turn to him in your times of struggle and he will take care of you.

Rule Number 5: Remember that God will always be there for you.

Country music always has a way of making you think. Tim McGraw’s “My Next Thirty Years” is a simple song that makes you think about the little things in life. This song got me through some rough times: maybe we all can learn a little bit from it.

I brought a little piece of my home up to the big city!

 

So readers, have you ever run away and tried to start over?