This blog was intended to be an update for all the folks back home, wherever that may be for you now. And just so you know, you're all missed so much! It's been an interesting transition to South Carolina. One that we thought might be temporary at first, but everyone knows that plans and intentions always change! And actually, I'm thankful that we're staying here for a while. Being in one place opens the doors for relationships to form, and that has been one of my TOP priorities lately. Stephen and I have been here for about six months now, which is a nice benchmark to stop at and look back to see what we've accomplished.

First of all, we both have settled into our jobs. Hooray for work! It's definitely a blessing to even have work these days, and I'm thankful everyday that we both enjoy our jobs. Just today, a man from Stephen's work (Mark) came over to help Stephen install a new head gasket cover in my Honda! He's been coming over the past couple weekends to work on this difficult car job. I've been so impressed with what Stephen has learned, not only for his job, but also off the job. I.E.--with my car!!

Besides work, we've just been hanging out with people every chance we get. And I think we can go ahead and say that Millbrook Baptist is our current church home. No, we haven't "officially" joined, and I think Stephen would tell you that getting baptized (AGAIN) and signing up to be on the roster isn't exactly Biblical when it comes to being a part of a body of believers. But getting back to the point. Millbrook has a ton of opportunities for us to get involved and serve the community, which I love. Right now we're working with small groups for the middle school kids. The groups meet at different people's homes and hang out and do some Bible study. I'm with the 6th grade girl small group, and being around these kids really brings back some memories. Teaching the G.A.'s class with Kelli, Lindsey, Lori, and Megan at Emmanuel gave us some good experience with mentoring. And seeing those same G.A. girls grow from 4th graders to being in high school is something that just can't be recreated. So, in a way, I feel like I'm starting over with these girls at Millbrook, and it's hard! It's hard because I want to get to know them and be able to teach them to think about the Bible in a deep and critical way. It's not going to happen overnight. I just know that discipleship is where a lot of my passion in ministry lies, so in order to get the ball rolling I'm going to need to build up these relationships. And tonight, I felt like the ice was finally broken. Do you know that feeling? When a group of people FINALLY feel comfortable around each other? I'm very excited about this, and I hope that the next school year will prove to be more fruitful.

Now, speaking of breaking the ice.... Another way to describe this point in a relationship is the tipping point. When you start inviting yourself over... or whatever. No plans. No reason. I just want to hang out. Meeting people that you can connect with on that level is not easy outside of college...or should I say AFTER college. Because having the convenience of similarity and proximity to people who are just like you can be taken for granted! It's true. I meet people who haven't had this experience, and I honestly feel sorry for them on some level because the friendships that came out of Tech are irreplaceable. Yes, I know that college is what you make of it....yada yada. But really. Dorms are like relationship building sessions on crack. You know I'm right.

Excuse me for being so obsessed with this concept right now. It's probably about 45 percent of what I think about. Anyway. Tomorrow starts a new week, and I'm totally pumped about seeing Anna, Bryan, and our nephew Ben on Saturday!!! Look out, North Carolina!

Why is my neighbor washing her truck...

when thirty minutes later it will be covered with a centimeter of pollen? Probably for the same reason that I decided to lay out in our backyard and get a little sun--just a simple pleasure. Keeping it simple is something that brings the greatest joy. Sometimes simplicity turns on you, though, whenever you consider a thought or an act like salvation. It becomes more than simply grace. Because of grace, I am what I am, Paul said. Simple, huh? He goes on to say that "his grace toward me was not in vain" (1 Cor. 15:10). This grace was given and a transformation took place, and no it wasn't in vain seeing as Paul arguably worked harder than any other apostle spreading the news about Christ's resurrection.

My favorite sermon on an Easter Sunday was actually the evening service that only about 75 old people and a handful of young'ins go to. Bro. Bill preached out of 1 Corinthians 15. This chapter is honest, cutting, explanatory, and evocative. Paul talks about Christ's resurrection and its eternal consequences; how it relates to all of mankind. Speaking of eternal life, Paul says, "When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written,

'Death is swallowed up in victory.'

'O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?'

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1Cor. 15:54-57).

Now, I love the imagery of death being SWALLOWED UP in victory! A complete envelopment. It's holistic and all encompassing. For now, we are men of dust (as Paul says earlier in this chapter), made in the image of Adam, but we have the resurrection of the dead. Something that allows us (men of dust) to bear the image of the man of heaven, Jesus Christ. Simply beautiful. Or beautifully simple. Whichever way you want to look at it.

Laying out in the backyard, listening to the Avett Brothers does remind me of the "man of dust" part of myself. The part we like to call human nature. A song called "Ill with Want" says we have "a need for somethin' but not more medicine." And why do we have this need? A lot of people wonder what's missing and pursue more and more "medicine" in the form of many things. Then, the singer admits,"Somethin' has me. Oh! Somethin' has me. Somethin' has me actin' like someone who I know isn't me. Somethin' has me actin' like someone I don't want to be. Ill with want and poisoned by this ugly greed." Thankfully, in Christ, we have no want because he has the victory.