Elevation, I used to hate you.

So this year I have become SO close with two of my best friends at APP, Caroline and Lori! Caroline and Lori are both from the Charlotte area and are huge fans of Elevation Church and attend Elevation as much as possible when they're home.

But first lets rewind to a few years back when Elevation started...
The first Elevation campus was at Providence High School (my high school) which is literally like right across the street from my home church, Carmel Baptist.

Carmel Baptist means SO MUCH to me. My family is deeply rooted in that church. My grandfather used to be the pastor there, my Dad helped dig the ground for a new building, my Mom and Dad both went to youth group there together. I grew up going to that church. I was dedicated there, went to sunday school there, VBS, church camp...any church trip, I was on it. Both sets of grandparents went there and I had made a lot of friends and memories at that church.

So when Elevation started, to say I didn't like Elevation would be an understatement. I seriously had passionate hatred toward Elevation. I hated their location, the fact that they took away members from Carmel, and I wasn't friends with a lot of the students from my high school that went there.


I knew a lot of kids at my high school that went to Elevation that I didn't even know were Christians and who would get wasted saturday night and then all go to Elevation together the next morning. I was also so upset when the numbers at Carmel began to drop and the numbers at Elevation started to go up. I felt like it was unfair and it was kind of like a slap in the face when old Carmel members stopped driving the extra 10 feet to Carmel and instead pulled into the Providence parking lot.

In one of my Comm classes first semester we even brought up Elevation and I accused a lot of the students there of being hypocrites in front of the whole class. (How very christian of me, right?)


So anyway, these negative feelings didn't end until recently.


Earlier in the year, My Aunt Britney and Uncle Brent had started going to Elevation and since I had heard such amazing things about it from Lori and Caroline, I decided to stop being judgmental and prideful and actually experience Elevation for myself.


I loved it. 
Seriously, like really really really REALLY loved it.

And I was really mad at myself for putting it down so much without having even been there. I was the one who now felt like a hypocrite. Why should I care who goes to this church or how they dress or where they're located? Shouldn't I be glad that the students from Providence that weren't living a life to please God were going somewhere to hear about how much He loved them?


 Elevation was bringing in CROWDS AND CROWDS of people and witnessing to people that weren't exactly keen on church in general.


I was sitting here degrading this church when I should have been Elevating the spread of God's love.


At Elevation, the band, the pastor, Steven Furtick, and the congregation were all so passionate about worshipping God and that's all that mattered.


If all of the people that were leading the church weren't on fire for God and honoring him with their lives, I know that Elevation wouldn't be nearly as successful as they are now.


So, I want to apologize to Elevation. I think I felt like they were taking away from my Church home when in reality we are all a body of believers and are brothers and sisters in Christ.


I now LOVE Elevation and am SO SO SO you have no idea excited for what they are going to be doing in the future.

So, I apologize Elevation.
Keep doing what you do and maybe all the haters like I used to be will turn into lovers of God's incredible work through Elevation in Charlotte!

in the words of Steven Furtick...

I think there’s something we frequently overlook – the reality of Romans 8:28:And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

This changes everything. It eases the tension. Because here’s the truth:

Some things God makes and calls them good.
Some things He makes work together for the good of those who are called.

Either way, there is absolutely nothing in your life that isn’t good or beyond God’s ability to work for your good.

Your body, which is good. Or the cancer in it, which is terrible.
Your wife, who is good. Or her death, which was tragic.
Your children, who are good. Or them walking away from God, which is heartbreaking.

This is why Paul can go on to say in Romans 8:39 that nothing in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God. It’s because there is nothing in all creation that God did not make or that is beyond the scope of His redemptive power to remake.

You might think you’re the exception, but you’re not. Romans 8:28 isn’t a statement of probability or possibility. It’s a statement of reality. It’s not, God can make all things work for your good, but maybe that doesn’t apply to you. It’s that every second of your life He is making all things work for your good.

Whether you can see it now or not, your life is one of the greatest testimonies to the goodness and creative capabilities of God you’re ever going to behold. For what He has already given you that’s good. And for how He can redeem your life after it falls apart, or remake your heart after it’s been shattered.

No matter what position you’re in, there’s no place where God’s love cannot find you and recreate you. No matter what you have experienced, your life is stamped by the goodness of God.

Yes, there’s good and bad. But it’s all for your good.

spring break '11

Well, spring break is FLYING by! It has been really fun so far though! Here's a recap -

Early Monday morning Caroline and Megan met me and Lindy at Starbucks and we headed off on our mini Charleston adventure! 

After a loud music filled coffee fueled drive we arrived in Charleston! 

We dropped our stuff off at the Hampton Inn which was super nice but we couldn't check in yet so we decided to make our way to King Street. 

Lindy and I are HUGE (I mean HUGE) Groucho's fans after eating there so many times with Ashley at USC so we knew we had to introduce Megan and Caroline to their incredible sandwiches!

O.M.G was it delicious. Nom nom nom. I ate like a pig.

After Groucho's we headed down King Street and went shopping in all the stores that we love like J.Crew, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21 and a few boutiques. It was a lot of fun! I got some cute high-waisted shorts from Urban Outfitters and some earrings from Forever 21!

After shopping & lots of walking we stopped at Starbucks again to take a breather and then headed back to the hotel to check in and rest for a little while!

We had planned to go to Jestine's Kitchen that night for dinner but it isn't open on Monday nights for some reason so we hit up Moe's which never fails to satisfy me! Moo Moo Mr. Cow, yes please. (Plus it was college night for college of charleston so they gave us free drinks!)

That night we were all tired from lots of walking so we came back the hotel and watched Pretty Little Liars and The Bachelor Women Tell All which was fun and relaxing just to be with friends hanging out!

The next morning we woke up around 8:30 and since we had to check out by 11, we went and stole some muffins from the free continental breakfast downstairs and then kept packing our stuff.

After that we checked out, loaded the car and then carried our muffins to starbucks so we could eat them while drinking yummy coffee. We sang the muffin man song while Lindy carried a napkin covered plate across the street.

first starbucks drink with the new logo!

APP friends!

being goofballs.

That afternoon we did a lot more goofing around, walking, touring and sightseeing! It was really fun!

Thankfully, the weather was really nice that day so we walked all the way down to the water! It was extremely windy but it was gorgeous. It's so refreshing to see water after being surrounded by mountains all the time at school!

After walking to the water we went and looked around in the Market! It was fun to see all the handmade crafts and trinkets and just browse around for a little while!

Since we didn't get to eat at Jestine's Monday night, we decided to go there for lunch! It was SO GOOD! I got a fried shrimp basket with mac & cheese and slaw. Um, yum! I ate so fast and it was SOOOO yummy.

After Jestine's we walked down to a consignment vintage store called the Trunk Show and browsed around all their vintage clothes. It was really fun to look at all the old school stuff!

After that we went back to the hotel and hung out there for a little while because Caroline had a sorority phone call to make and Lindy had to work on a blog post.

Around 5 we headed back home to Charlotte! On the way home we got in a lot of good jam sessions and some girl talk and after a few directionally challenged detours, Lindy and I wanted to show Caroline and Megan the USC campus since they had never been there. (I know, we act like we went there, were just awesome sisters) We showed them around the sorority houses and pointed out where Ashley and Mark lived while they went there. 

After that we headed to Andy's which is another scrumptious Cola restaurant (pretty much just like Grouchos) and got dinner there. Then we cruised home to Charlotte! It was such a fun trip!

Then last night Lori, Megan and I went and saw the Adjustment Bureau. Don't see it, it's not worth ten dollars. But it was super fun to hang out with them! 

We played dance central and then Lori got to spend the night which was really fun since we hadn't hung out in Charlotte yet. We colored (cause college kids like to color too), talked and watched TV!

We even looked up our spring break dates for next year and our trying to plan a trip to go to NYC and stay in the APP loft which would be SO FUN!

I'm so glad my closest school friends are from Charlotte, it makes it so much more fun! Only a few days left of spring break 2011 so I'm trying to make the most of it!

mini roadtrip!

In the morning I'm leaving for a mini roadtrip with 3 of my favorite people: Lindy, Caroline and Megan!

We're cruising down to Charleston, SC! Can't wait to fill you in when I get back! 

pretty poem

Do not stand at my grave and weep

by Mary Elizabeth Frye

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am in a thousand winds that blow,

I am the softly falling snow.

I am the gentle showers of rain,

I am the fields of ripening grain.

I am in the morning hush,

I am in the graceful rush

Of beautiful birds in circling flight,

I am the starshine of the night.

I am in the flowers that bloom,

I am in a quiet room.

I am in the birds that sing,

I am in each lovely thing.

Do not stand at my grave bereft

I am not there. I have not left.

3rd post of the day..HOLLAA!

I'm trying to help out The PEEL by writing poetry because they haven't had enough submissions yet. So there ya go!

SNOW SHOWERS EXPECTED

I make a Pantene snowman in my palm

and then squish it into my hair

like that time you ran over Frosty

with your Chevy truck.

The steam causes me to squint

as if I’d opened the dishwasher too soon

and I feel dense from the heat,

a sponge at its maximum sudsy capacity.

I lay down (as if that’s normal in the shower)

The water pricks my skin,

feeling more like needles then raindrops.

That was the kind of pain you inflected on me.

By the time the water has faded to cold

I can’t decipher tears from precipitation.

But I can remember the way my size 5 footprint

fit wholly into yours on the painted white backyard.

Maybe if it wouldn’t have melted

(Icicles shattering on the sidewalk)

or maybe if winters chill had never thawed,

We’d still be frozen in time.

I close my eyes and continue to soak

Replaying the day you evaporated

leaving only the snow you shoveled

which, like me, was pushed to the side and forgotten.

goldfish granola surprise?

If you're craving something sweet

but you don't want the calories of ice cream

and you want something chocolatey

but not a candy bar

you have to try, what I like to call, the laura...swamp? laura mud pie? goldfish sundae? random concoction?

whatever you want to call it...TRY IT!

You will need:

a handful of chocolate goldfish

a handful of granola

a heaping helping of vanilla greek yogurt

and enough chocolate syrup to make it chocolatey...

mix it all together...

and VIOLA! You might have just created the best desert in the UNIVERSE!!!!!!

(or in my case, dinner)

You HAVE TO TRY IT!

NO REALLY..

try it!!

now...

go!

seriously.