My new favorite

Lord I Believe

Lord, I believe thy power I own
Thy word I would obey
I wander comfortless and lone
when from thy truth i stray

Lord I believe but gloomy fears
sometimes be dim my sight
I look to thee with prayers and tears
and cry for strength and light.

Lord I believe but oft I know
My faith is cold and weak
My weakness strengthen and bestow
the confidence I seek

Yes, I believe and only Thou
Canst give my soul relief
Lord, to thy truth my spirit bow
Help thou my unbelief

WAR EAGLE HEY!

So these pictures are a couple of months old but I'm a little behind right now so maybe you could excuse that..please. I finally graduated from Auburn and never have been more proud to be an Auburn woman.
Wittel Women: Bridget, Catie Anne, and Kitch


Got to one CRAZY thing before leaving college, so steal a bike. Or at least THINK about it?
Legend has it that if you step on the Auburn seal, you don't graduate, you don't get married, have kids, your kids don't go to Auburn (horrible I tell ya).
And of course, the infamous Auburn graduation pose. This one is for the parent's of course.

If I Stand - Rich Mullen

If I stand, let me stand on the promise,
That you will pull me through.
And if I fall, let me fall on the grace,
That first brought me to you.

And if I sing, let me sing for the joy,
That has born in me these songs.
And if I weep, let it be as a man,
Who is longing for his home.


These words are the chorus to a beautiful song by Rich Mullen. I started singing it the other day, and had to find my cd to play it. In every aspect of our lives we are trusting and looking to God, whether it be when we're praising him on the mountain top, or struggling through the valley.

My dad has been preaching lately on how we need God's grace in practically every aspect of our lives. It's been a blessing to see just how truly dependant we are upon it. Grace to live, grace to die, grace to serve...

Praise the Lord for his abundant Grace!

In Remembrance

"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)"

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out in pride
For the red white and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself to what really matters

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

The greatest is love
The greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day




*Thanks to the following site for providing the lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/alanjackson/wherewereyouwhentheworldstoppedturning.html

Because I like it

A few things that make me happiest:
1. A crazy spiritual church meeting.
2. Reading and finishing a good book
3. Hanging out with real friends that understand and laugh
4. Playing at the farm
5. Reading my bible before bed
6. Exercising, yea i rarely do it but it makes me happy when i do
7. A long shower
8. no plans
9. Auburn football
10. someone i don't know saying hello to me and vice versa
11. cooking for friends
12. knowing the answer
13. a cool pair of shoes
14. accomplishing goals
15. talking about Jesus with someone
16. family time



* There are others, so we'll just call this an edited list ;)

Thanks dani for the idea. It made me happy just doing this.

A Farewell to a Pair Unlike Any Other

Last night I laced up my soccer cleats just as I have done many times before, preparing to take on the field and whoever may come my way. I haven't played in a couple of years. I played two seasons of intramural soccer while at Alabama, and before that, I was on the field every fall since third grade! I just can't describe the joy and excitement I feel when I'm on the field - I just know I belong there. I'm always ready to play.

A friend called me up yesterday wanting to know if I wanted to play, so as soon as I got home yesterday, I started looking for all my gear. Out of all the sports I've played, soccer has stuck with me, and so have these cleats. I have had the cleats above since middle school - that's about 10 years. They have been one of my favorite pair of shoes - comfortable, oh so right on my feet, worn in. They know me, and I know them. I've never even thought of parting with them...

But last night, after about 30 minutes on the turf (we were playing indoor soccer - something new for me), I noticed my right foot was hugging the inside of my shoe. After a while I could feel my foot sliding off of the heel. I tried to take no notice to it, and it wasn't until we took a break after an hour that I learned the awful truth...my shoe had completely ripped open on the left side. I could touch my foot. I was devastated, in a sense. These were my all-time favorite soccer shoes that had never left my side, that gave me confidence, that could pass, shoot, steal. They were proven.

I went to the snack counter and asked for some tape, which somewhat held the shoe through the second hour. I suppose looking back it should have been a bittersweet moment - wearing my 'Ole Faithfuls' one last time. But, I was caught up in the moment, and of course, now it hits me.

I shall miss these shoes dearly, and probably still won't part with them. Rather, I think I will keep them somewhere. And then, perhaps my children or grandchildren will find them someday, and I can tell them this story, one part of a larger story, which, in truth, is just one part of a much bigger story.

What I'm Listening to These Days

I didn't think I would be able to find this cd anywhere but Amazon.com, but strolling through downtown Homewood one day on my lunch break, I walked lazily into a music store. The cds were scattered everywhere in "orderly disorder" (if you ask me), but I felt certain that this was the kinda place where you could find any kind of music you were looking for. When the gentleman at the counter first asked me if he could help me find anything, I declined, but later, feeling inspired, I popped the question - "Do you happen to have any Gillian Welch?"

I had discovered Gillian Welch very randomly, happening to catch a bit of a biography on her on CMT late one night. Her music and voice caught my ear - a mixture of bluegrass and folk, and completely filled with emotion. Songs that you didn't just hear, but felt. According to the show, she was rejected by Nashville, so she built her own recording studio. She writes her own music with her good friend, David Rawlings, and you may have heard her on the O Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack.

I was thrilled to hear the gentleman respond that he did have some of her cds, and he actually seemed to know her. He didn't have to look through a computer to see who she was and if he had any of her cds. He went straight over to where they were. Then, I had to decide which one I wanted: Revival, or Time: The Revelator. I settled on Revival, because it seemed to be just as the title would indicate - more songs about redemption, or a focus on religion. Time: The Revelator seemed to be more dark. I discussed this with the store owner, and he concurred, describing her work as "cyclical".

In short, I haven't been disappointed. I can't even give you a favorite song on the cd, because I love them all. She has truly been blessed with a gift. If you're interested, check out some of the samples of her songs on Amazon.com.