Be Thankful

After yesterday's horrific tornadoes and storms hailed through the south, I had the worst feeling in my stomach...feeling of sadness for those who lost everything--the people they love, the house they call a home, their normal way of life--and all I could do was thank God for His many blessings and for watching over my family and friends.

 At the end of the day, all that matters is the air we breathe and the people we have surrounding us...material stuff just really doesn't seem to matter when you think about just how blessed we all are to be alive--some weren't that lucky. As the death toll continues to rise, specifically in neighboring Alabama, I just know I will be spending lots of my time praying for everyone affected. Prayer for strength to get them through this, prayer for hope that life will go on, and prayer for the peace that the Good Lord is watching over and guiding them.  
We were lucky in Nashville...bad storms with horrible rain, but nothing like others faced. Friends and family of ours in Knoxville are without power, Jeff's Mom's house has a fallen tree on the roof, my cousin Lauren's car windshield was destroyed and had major hail damage, but everyone is OK and I am thankful no one was seriously injured. Thank you God for protecting those I love most.

I think now is when we all need to focus our attention to help others affected by this tragedy just like we always do... it's something to witness when its happens to another country and you can see the devastation on the news, yet it's something completely different when its in your own backyard. OXOX

"Live for today because yesterday is over and tomorrow may never come"

It's the Little Things that Matter...

turning on the news to watch my friends at the today show proved to be somewhat of an intense roller coaster of emotions this morning as reports kept piling in from the devastation in japan from the massive earthquake... first of all, this took me by surprise, and secondly i couldn't help but think that we're not guaranteed a tomorrow, and you never know what can happen next. in the pit of my stomach, so many of the things that have been consuming my mind lately just didn't seem as important.

just a reminder to always tell those you love just how much they mean to you and always do what you can to help others... i know i'll be looking for ways to help those affected. my prayers also go out to my one of my best friends bev and her husband christian as they are dealing with the loss of his grandfather--i love you both and will be thinking about you during this hard time.

and as always, please say a quick prayer for those lives that were lost and for the people that will have a tremendous time ahead of them to try and get their "normal" lives back.

in my little existence, today marks the 3-month countdown to wedding day... very excited to know it's getting so close, yet with still so much to be done, my mind is constantly swarming thinking of all the to-do lists i still need to attend to.

this weekend though, it's all about my special beau. we are having a big gourmet hot dog cookout tomorrow night and he is beaming he's so excited. the weather here in nashville is supposed to be gorgeous with bright sunny skies so i'm thankful we're in for some springtime weather to celebrate his 27th birthday with our friends and family. tonight starts all my baking and cooking for tomorrow so watch out people--betty crocker is back in action!

i hope you all have a lovely weekend... spend some time thinking of how each of us can do just a little something to make others' day a little more bright and to me that is the greatest reward of all. also, i couldn't help but notice that as of last night i reached 800 followers. never did i ever think i'd make so many friends and acquaintances in this blogging world so thanks from the bottom of my heart for continuing to give me a reason to share with each of you. best wishes and happy friday.

We Need a Little Christmas!

This is it bloggy friends... my last post before I am whisked away for our own version of a holiday adventure! Today is my last day at work before 4 glorious days away from the corporate chaos--ahhhh I cannot wait to escape this afternoon and head home--I am sure to be one happy little elf.
Before I forget, I wanted to show off my new little holiday goodie I stumbled upon... I was on the lookout for some type of blank/simple photo book as I was planning to start our very own Christmas card journal. Since this was our 1st year to send out cards as a couple, I thought it would be fun to start a scrapbook of sorts... I am going to put our card each year in a book and then hopefully in 20+ years or so, I'll have a sentimenal homemade keepsake for us to look back on. I saw this on another blog and thought it was a stupendous idea so I borrowed it too! However, I was browsing through a local boutique during lunch yesterday and stumbled upon this...

It's a Christmas Memories Book and has pages where you can fill in the year, what you did to celebrate the holidays, a place to put your card and a favorite you received from someone else, what your favorite presents were, etc--is this not the neatest thing you've ever seen? Of course I snatched it up and called it mine ;).

So back to where I was before.. Christmas plans. After work, I'm headed to my favorite place {AKA the grocery store} to stock up on baking necessities for this weeekend...then home to make treats for our families and hopefully calling it an early night--maybe Jeff and I will get crazy and watch a holiday movie and sip on some wassail--or two. 
On tomorrow's agenda is an all-day Daddy/Daughter Date Day... he's making it up to me since he couldn't partake a few weeks ago. We're going to finish up Mom's stocking goodies, indulge in some yummy treats for lunch, head to the movies, and see what other trouble we can manage to get into.

Friday morning, Jeff and I are headed out to finish his shopping. For some reason, he wants to wait until Christmas Eve to check-off his list, so we'll see how this goes. I hope those wrappers are still lined up at the mall, for my little Christmas wrapping shop has closed for the season...haha. That afternoon, we'll be loading up the Tahoe for a whirlwind travelling adventure through Christmas.

Friday night, we're getting all dressed up for  our church's candlelight service and then wining and dining ourselves for our annual Ruth's Chris{tmas} Eve dinner... obviously I am not going to be watching what I eat too closely this weekend. Afterwards, we're heading to my parent's house to spend the night and Jeff is headed to Knoxville to spend the rest of his weekend with his family and friends and I'll be here in Nashville with my family.
This year, we decided to spend the majority of our holiday apart so we can both spend equal time with our families which will be hard, but it'll all work out and next year we'll be married--this is where we'll then be under the assumption of "if you go, I go" and time will have to be split 50/50 between families .  And P.S. as an only child, this splitting up business isn't fun--I'm having to learn and share, but this stuff is hard :(
As for the rest of the weekend, I'll be hanging with Mom and Dad... I have a feeling we'll be shopping day-after sales to stock up on discounted holiday decor for next year, and maybe taking time for some fun family activities--bowling, playing wii, watching movies, eating, and just enjoying quality time together.

And finally, I wanted to say Merry Christmas to each and every one of you... I hope your holiday is filled with lots of great memories with friends and family, and that you take time to remember our Savior and what His birth meant to all of us.
Luke 2:9-12--And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

I'm Back!

Wow--I was gone a little more than a week and you can't even begin to imagine what all has transpired during my little vacation. Not only did I complete my first 1/2 marathon {another post to come on that}, but more importantly--my poor hometown city underwent quite a devastating flood...not to mention our downstairs had a good amount of damage due to the rain and we're still trying to get everything back to the way it was.

I just want to call your attention to what has happened in Music City--I still believe that because of the national media's failure to notice this horrific incident, many people are unaware just how devastated Nashville is due to this unforseen catastrophe.

How can you help?? Clear Channel, a radio media business, has joined forces with local radio stations to promote a way for people to donate money to the cause... it's called "Giving Matters" and you can donate here to help the hundreds of people who have lost due to the flood. We can all do our part whether it's by volunteering, sending food and money, and praying for those who have been affected.

And for my friends and family who jumped in to help us and offered not only their time, but kind words and prayers, Jeff and I really appreciate it.. our downstairs is going to be OK. Thankfully, we were able to save our new furniture and are spending our nights now trying to dry out the damage that was done to the wall moldings and floors. It really makes you stop and think how grateful we are--some lost everything and if this is all we're having to overcome, God was good to us and I can promise Him I will be helping others who were far less fortunate. OXOX

Do Unto Others...A Letter to Me

No one is perfect... we all make mistakes, we do things we wish we could undo, and we say mean things--I am one of those people who ALWAYS thinks about what she says before saying it, but lately, I think I have been acquainted with some individuals who only seek to hurt me.

Before I divulge anything further, this is not meant to bash, but as I have mentioned , this is MY personal blog, an outlet for me to discuss MY feelings--if those people wish to read it, then so be it, but this is me and I shouldn't have to change for anyone. This is a letter to myself, when I have a down-day and need a pick-me-up to remind me just how blessed I am...

Dear Natasha,

Though you normally tend to focus on the positive people, situations, and genuine goodness that encompasses your life, sometimes there are--indeed--others that seek to bring you down and make you feel bad... whether they mean to or not, you cannot influence their decisions or what they say, but YOU can choose how to respond to those difficult situations and only YOU can change the way it makes you feel and what you take away from it.

There are people in life who just cannot simply be happy for others--they downgrade people to make themselves feel better, they say mean things to feel superior, and they lie because they cannot explain the truth, but in reality, those are the people who need the most help.

They can say nasty, deceitful, and VERY untrue things about you, but this only makes their credibility seem worse than it already is. They think they hurt your feelings?? Well, you know better and they are wrong. You have God on your side and He knows the truth... He knows that they are liars and people who only attempt to better themselves by making up false accusations in the hopes that someone will actually listen to their sob story.  You have taken the high road on so many instances with these difficult people that have come in and out of your life and have yet to address the ludicrous comments--and you will continue to do so until this whole mess is over and done with. They want you to respond to their little games and don't give them the satisfaction... I wouldn't dream of it.

In time, this whole situation will be behind you, you will have learned life lessons from this ordeal, and you won't have to hear from these unkind people anymore... until that time, you can confide in real friends and family, and most importantly, you can pray, because God listens to your prayers and guides you to get through the hard times.

What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger and what goes around comes around. You have strong faith in your family and friends--those who do truly love you-- and to "those people", you can only say 'I feel sorry for you and I will pray for you'. I can forgive and forget and move on with your life and I hope one day you can move on with yours.'

"People will always talk about you, especially when they envy you and the life you live. Let them... you affected their lives, they didn't affect yours"

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

Cocktails and Martinis

Not for me at least...some of my loyal readers may remember last year's season of Lent when I decided to give up sweets and desserts {you can read that post here}.

To say that was a difficult challenge is an understatement, but in the spirit of the season, I set my sights high this year in the attempts to really focus on my relationship with God--therefore I have decided I will be giving up drinking alcoholic beverages during Lent.

Don't get me wrong, I don't drink that often now, except for a drink here and there on the weekends and when we're out with friends, but it is so easy to get caught up in the drama of life: work, relationships, family, weddings, houses--not that I am not grateful for any of these things, but sometimes I tend to indulge a bit to take my mind off the real issues that seem to cause a lot of stress. So I need to refocus my attention to be more in line with God and I think this is the best way for me to achieve that goal.

Tonight we are celebrating a friends' birthday with dinner at Local Taco.. one of our favorite Nashville spots, so I'll let myself have just one more margarita before cutting ties for 40 days...

Til then, my tasty friends, I bid you adeu!

And yes, for my friends who are shocked and in awe over this decision, I will be happy to tote you around town and act as the Designated Driver for any and all events =)

Lauren/Jeff--this means YOU for your birthdays!! OXOX

A Whirlwind Weekend

I am going to apologize upfront and make the statement that if my language/grammar is somewhat strange in this post, it's because I am exhausted and running on an empty tank with no energy... this weekend was probably one of the busiest 2.5 days I've had in a very long time, and I know feel extremely old because I can't keep going and going like the Energizer bunny like I used to be able to {I swear if I don't have my 7-8 hours of sleep, you don't want to be around me}.

In better news, what a fantastic weekend... some things didn't turn out so well (like UT losing to UCLA because we have an incompetent QB), but otherwise, it was splendid and I got to spend it with good friends and family, which is obviously the most important thing of all. Between downtown Nashville Friday night for Meg's bday, driving to Knoxville for the game Saturday morning and then driving back to Nashville that night, and then my baptism on Sunday, this was an incredible and action-packed weekend! Here's my Monday recap:

Meg's Bday Dinner at Cantina Laredo= SO MUCH FUN!! If you're in Nashville, you must try it out-- the atmosphere is amazing, the food tasty, and the service incredible!

The Gray's -- They're Anxiously Waiting for
Puppy Sadie to Come Home in 2 Weeks!!

All the Ladies at DinnerAt Losers-- P.S. check out Cigar Man, and Most Importantly,
the Gross Couple in the Background- EWWW!
The Next Morning in Knoxville for the Game-- Tailgating at Broadway's Lunch at one of my Favorites-- Downtown Grill!!!
The Best Pretzels and Cheese Dip EVER
Candice and Me -- Pumped Up for the Game!!

My Jeffrey and Me outside Neyland-- isn't it gorgeous??
Another Beautiful Football Game Day in Knoxville

The Brand New Outside of the Stadium!!

Hoping for a Comeback that Never Came =(
Jeff and Me after my Baptism on Sunday Morning:
Have I Mentioned how Lucky I am??So Blessed =)

The Biggest Day of My Life

It finally happened... the SINGLE, MOST IMPORTANT thing I have been praying for came full circle this past Sunday, August 2, 2009 -- I was saved and became a Christian!!

This has been heavy on my heart for some time now, and my closest friends and family know I've been struggling with my faith and trying to figure everything out. I just never felt like I was good enough to accept God's love and that I would let Him down. Everyone around me kept telling me to pray and ask Him for forgiveness of my sins and try to lead a Christian life and that he would love me no matter what. Trust me, I did all those things and though I was being blessed more and more as my faith grew, I wasn't having that one pure moment when I knew God would never leave my side. But that all changed on Sunday...

I woke up Sunday morning and I have to admit, I felt different. I got ready for church just like I do every other Sunday, but something about me had changed. When Jeff came to bring me my weekly dose of Starbucks before we left for our service, he asked me if I was OK because he thought I was distant and I assured him everything was OK.

As soon as we walked in to our sanctuary, I was relieved because our pastor (Cliff) was back. We were so excited because we had missed his sermons the past few weeks as he was traveling with the school choir and then was on vacation. As I looked through our weekly church bulletin, I took note that our message was titled "The Good Shepard" and couldn't wait for Cliff to get started. What I love more than anything about the Awakening service at BUMC is that we sing more contemporary songs which really gets me going in the mornings =)

So Cliff starts his sermon and at that moment, I felt like the only people in that place were God, Cliff, and I and no one else even mattered. I truly believe his message was meant for me that day and when I started to pray, I felt God next to me telling me it was my turn.

We took our monthly communion and again I prayed at the altar for Him to give me the strength and courage to get in front of all those people and not hold back, so as soon as Kaye (another pastor at BUMC) gave the invitation to come up, it was like God took my hand and lead me up there... I think it was almost like a magician makes something appear out of thin air.

As soon as I made my way to the altar, all I could tell Cliff and Kaye was that I was so excited and had been waiting for A LONG TIME for what was starting to seem like an unanswered prayer. Being the emotional person I am, of course I cried in front of the entire congregation when Cliff announced I was professing my faith and my readiness to be baptized and join the church. He then looked at me and said that all he saw in my face was pure joy and happiness and I knew at that moment I had finally found my place. What I thought would be a scary experience being in front of all those strangers felt nothing like that at all, but I was so enthusiastic about embarking on my new journey as a child of Christ.

Afterwards, Cliff and Kaye walked me outside the sanctuary where I was greeted and congratulated by everyone that had attended the service that morning.... a little overwhelming, yes, but I was congratulated and hugged and welcomed with open arms by the members and so many of them wanted to talk to me about the many ways I can get involved with church!

Now all I can do is wait... I will be baptized in the next few weeks and I can't wait to have my friends and family there to celebrate this brand new chapter of my life with me. Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement and prayers -- I know that my life will forever be changed by this decision and I know I will be blessed through God's love for me. I am forever grateful and know I have my place next to Him and that is the most humbling feeling I have ever known.

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand"

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will guide your path"

Happy 4th of July Weekend

This is the beginning of what happens to be my favorite month of the year: why you ask?? Not only do we get to celebrate Independence Day, but it's followed by my BIRTHDAY!! Some people I know don't necessarily like to celebrate their special day each year as they get older, but not me -- bring it on!! What other excuse do you have to go out for a night of fun and let everyone know it's your day??

This #26 promises to be my best year yet... I recently received a fantastic raise at work, I'm jetsetting off to New York City next week with my boyfriend to begin my birthday celebrations, I'm eating at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Rosepepper, with my friends on my actual birthday (all because of my fabulous party planner best friend), and then my Mom is whisking me away to Rosemary Beach for an entire week of relaxation and beachside fun! I have to admit, I feel like one lucky girl!

I just wanted to take a moment to write about just how thankful I am for my independence and freedom. We live in a country founded on democracy where everyone has rights, and I know sometimes I take the little things for granted: I want to say a big THANK YOU to the men and women out there that continue to fight for our great nation each and everyday and to their families for making sacrifices so that we can continue on with our normal daily lives -- I think we look past these individuals and don't say thanks nearly enough. I saw the following TV ad this morning and it really hit me just how different "home" is when our soldiers return from serving our country.... I promise to do my part to say thank you and never take what we have for granted!

This afternoon, my friends and I leave for the mountains for what is sure to be one fantastic weekend!! We plan on floating the Little Pigeon River in Townsend, letting the boys teach us girls a thing or two about shooting guns (I'm a little nervous about this!), playing lots of cornhole and bocce, grilling out traditional 4th of July food, and getting to hike through the Smokies... to you and your family, HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!

Keeping Me In Line

Ever have those days where it seems like everything goes wrong?? I know I do, and this week has made me think A LOT about my personal and professional life... I tend to get extremely overwhelmed by my career -- could be due to the constant multiple deadline submittals to clients, numerous industry conferences to coordinate, advertising to finalize with vendors, presentations to create for internal project managers, etc. (I'm getting flustered just thinking of what all is on my weekly to-do list).

Does everyone feel this way at times?? Please tell me I'm not alone. These days, it's hard to complain when I'm busy at work because I know there are thousands (maybe millions) of people that would be ever-so-thankful for a job right now so I must keep my negativity to a minimum, but at least I have my blog as a way to write about my troubles just in the attempt to keep me sane -- for this, I am very thankful!

It's on this day, I am writing a list on here just to remind myself about how much God has blessed me...

1. I have a family that is extremely close and supportive of everything I do

2. I am healthy and keep active by working out 5 times a week (definitely my way of venting out the bad in my life-- I love my iPod mixes-haha)

3. I have a fantastic career and have some incredible work friends (Courtney, Jenn, Jacqueline- don't know what I would do without you each and everyday)

4. I am financially stable and able to support myself

5. I have a boyfriend who is truly my better half -- he is always telling me how great I am and is genuinely interested in everything I have going on... always willing to listen to me when I get down, or when I am celebrating my accomplishments

6. I get to travel to fun places and go on exciting vacations (NYC and the beach are only weeks away!!)

7. My faith -- no matter how bad of a day I am having, all I need to do is pray and God always has a solution to my problems

8. My amazing friends (and roommate expecially)... I am surrounded by the most incredible women in the world. Without them, my life wouldn't be complete and it would most certainly be a lot less entertaining

Alright, enough bickering -- I already have a smile on my face again! Sometimes, all it takes is for me to sing a song that my Mom and I always sing and I know everything is gonna be alright! Happy Wednesday... countdown til I see Best Friend in Knox, 2 days =)

One Month to Live

Increasing my faith is something that has been a real eye-opener to me here lately... I'm going to a church that I love on a regular basis (Brentwood United Methodist), reading the Bible as much as possible, praying to God on a daily basis, and recently I was told about a book that is supposed to change your life and the way you live forever. As I can be somewhat of a skeptic when people talk about life-changing movies, books, events, and so on, I decided I was going to check this book out for myself and see what all the fuss is about. Boy I didn't know what I was getting myself into...

"One Month to Live" - this is the title of the book and to be honest, I'm only on Day 2 of the challenge and I can already feel a difference in the way I view my life, what I want to change, and what all I want to accomplish. The background of the book is this... all of us here on Earth tend to live like we're guaranteed a tomorrow, we say "one day I'll do this", and we act like our days aren't numbered, but in all actuality, God has a plan for each and every single one of us and we're only guaranteed a today. This book is a challenge for anyone that decides to undertake it- you're given 30 days to read the book and each day presents you with a different lesson under 4 guiding principles on how to live. It also encourages readers to face their own mortality and to live life to the fullest without having regrets. As you read a chapter a day, the authors present make it count moments, quotes on how to live each day, and then at the end of each section, you're presented with questions to make you reflect on what you read and how you're changing your daily life.

At the end of the 1st day's chapter "The Dash", you're supposed to tell at least one person you know (a friend, family member, work associate, etc.) that you are reading the book- they are supposed to circle the date on the calendar and then ask you 30 days later if your life has changed from reading the book- well I've asked a few of my good friends to do this for me and hold me accountable to getting through the book within 30 days... we'll see what happens.

The point of this post is to say that we all have doubts: doubts about our faith, our lives, our careers, our families, our future, but in the end, we need to have ultimate faith in God and how He guides us and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you're looking for some clarity in your life, this IS the book to read... 2 days down, 28 to go =)