John Ed Pearce - "Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to."
There's no place like home.
Last weekend I went back home for Easter.....and I desperately want to get back there ASAP!
Friday:
On our way back, we had to ref 2 jv boys' soccer games in Montevallo. It was our first high school reffing experience, and we were nervous...but we beasted it. the bad thing about it, though, was a kid from Prattville during my last game broke his arm; he was okay, but it caused a 27 minute delay for us to get home. We finally pull-in at about 11ish and you can just see the bright smiles on Pam and Ray's faces that all of their kids are home. Haha immediately, Austin and I direct our attention to messing with Lindsay (an epic tradition on school breaks), and it's obvious she's glad the family's all back together again.
Saturday:
After staying up til 4am doing whatever the night before (BAD MOVE), we had to wake up at 10 that morning because we had 3 girls' jv soccer games to ref at Hoover. Ha all of the complaining and resisting on my part to wake up brought me back to my high school mornings over the past 4 years- a lot of which I miss. the soccer games go well and as expected, all the freshman and sophomore girls on the teams hit on me and Austin haha. Pulling into the driveway once we get back was simply amazing...at about 5-6 o'clock the sun sets perfectly over the trees and plants in the back of our driveway creating an almost majestic scene. It was that moment that I knew I was home and wished I could stay there for weeks and weeks. We spent the rest of the night in absolute peace - me chipping golf balls in the backyard, Ap watching a movie with one of his girls, and Lindsay celebrating her best friend's birthday with people.
Sunday:
EASTER. We all woke up at 9ish to get ready for Sunday school at 10......the Powell family was looking fresh in their spring attire to say the least! The Easter Bunny came and left us all candy and gifts- Lindsay some white heels, Ap a new phone, and myself some khaki golf shorts! After Sunday school, we all attended the traditional 11 o'clock service and embrased Reverend Wolf's sermon about Easter. When we got home, we all hung out while the Easter Bunny (Big Ray) hid the easter eggs, and we prepared for our anual egg hunt! Lindsay is the reigning 6-time champ of this event, so me and Ap plotted to bring her down this year............yeah- didn't happen. She beat me by ONE freaking egg. Wow. Guess I gotta set bear traps next year or something to stop her pace. Later on the family said their goodbyes and Lindsay headed to AU and we headed back to Mobile (which was a huge buzz kill to our awesome weekend). Nothing was as bright and as green as Homewood, and I can't wait go back.
I love Homewood.
Lord, I have been EXTREMELY blessed to have grown up in such a great and wonderful town like Homewood, AL. I am confident in the idea that You planned that for me, so I would grow up being the person I am today. It is an amazing place, and I hope that life takes me back someday soon.
"Well I'm going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I'm not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don't regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I'm going home.
Well I'm going home." ~Daughtry
-GP
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
My Passion
Robert Lynd - "It is almost impossible to remember how tragic a place this world is when one is playing golf."
People search their whole lives for the things that truly make them happy. I have been blessed enough to have found one of mine.
One of my passions in life is the game of golf. A LOT of people find that both very weird and hilarious....but I don't care. The game of golf brings me a peace of mind; although, no one seems to ever understand why. GOLF is a way for me to escape all of the troubles in life. What some people find in reading or listening to music, I find in getting a little white ball into a gopher hole. When I am out on the course, I feel like it is just me, God, and His creation.
1) If there are issues going on in my life- a round of golf gives me plenty of time to reflect on them. I have good, quality alone-time to regain focus on my priorities in life, and to figure out the best solutions for life's problems.
2) I remember something my dad always told me as a kid, "Son, sometimes you just need some time with God." In a world of materialism and temptation, golf is one of the ways I find alone time with the Lord. If there are big problems going on in my life, I spend 18 holes praying and just talking with God.
3) Golf courses, in my non-expert opinion, bring out the best in God's creation. Just the way nature seems to perfectly mesh together to form something amazing astonishes me. There's nothing that can compare to a warm, sunny day out on the golf course. The only thing you hear is the wind rustling through the trees, birds chirping, and the occasional "Get in the HOLE!" from across the golf course haha.
I love the game of golf.
Lord thank you for all of the wonderful things you have planted in my life. I realize that everything happens for a reason, and there is a reason why I have been exposed to such a wonderful game.I just feel blessed, and I thank you.
"We give You glory
Lifting up our hands and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart
Glory, lifting up our voice and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart" -Jeremy Camp
-GP
People search their whole lives for the things that truly make them happy. I have been blessed enough to have found one of mine.
One of my passions in life is the game of golf. A LOT of people find that both very weird and hilarious....but I don't care. The game of golf brings me a peace of mind; although, no one seems to ever understand why. GOLF is a way for me to escape all of the troubles in life. What some people find in reading or listening to music, I find in getting a little white ball into a gopher hole. When I am out on the course, I feel like it is just me, God, and His creation.
1) If there are issues going on in my life- a round of golf gives me plenty of time to reflect on them. I have good, quality alone-time to regain focus on my priorities in life, and to figure out the best solutions for life's problems.
2) I remember something my dad always told me as a kid, "Son, sometimes you just need some time with God." In a world of materialism and temptation, golf is one of the ways I find alone time with the Lord. If there are big problems going on in my life, I spend 18 holes praying and just talking with God.
3) Golf courses, in my non-expert opinion, bring out the best in God's creation. Just the way nature seems to perfectly mesh together to form something amazing astonishes me. There's nothing that can compare to a warm, sunny day out on the golf course. The only thing you hear is the wind rustling through the trees, birds chirping, and the occasional "Get in the HOLE!" from across the golf course haha.
I love the game of golf.
Lord thank you for all of the wonderful things you have planted in my life. I realize that everything happens for a reason, and there is a reason why I have been exposed to such a wonderful game.I just feel blessed, and I thank you.
"We give You glory
Lifting up our hands and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart
Glory, lifting up our voice and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart" -Jeremy Camp
-GP
Monday, April 11, 2011
"Let go of the fear"
Jeremiah 30:17 - “For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,” says the Lord.
Life can pull you down at times, but trust in the Lord, and the fear will disappear.
So this past week was most-definitely a rough one for me: school decided to go on beast mode; I couldn't talk to one of my best friends- the girl I liked and had previously texted/talked to daily; the family's financial problems continued to escalate......just a tough week. I tried covering up my emotions the best I could, but nights just seemed to be hard to get through. Just felt out of place all week...
As the week progressed, however, I started praying and getting better. I was so caught up in what I wanted and how I was trying to plan out my own future instead of leaving it in God's hands.
Before, I thought the only way to happiness was to be with the girl I liked....now I realize I was 100% wrong. Granted, I still really like this girl, but I can't sit here and try to force something, that may not be in God's will for me, to happen. I just need to put ALL of my trust in the Lord, and He will lead me down the right path.
Lord, please continue to help point me down the right path and show me Your will for me. I put my faith in You and know that everything will be great in the end.
"It's clear enough to me
The ugliness I see
Is evidence of who I need
Give me an answer
Give me a way out
Give me the faith
To believe in these hard times" ~NEEDTOBREATHE
-GP
Life can pull you down at times, but trust in the Lord, and the fear will disappear.
So this past week was most-definitely a rough one for me: school decided to go on beast mode; I couldn't talk to one of my best friends- the girl I liked and had previously texted/talked to daily; the family's financial problems continued to escalate......just a tough week. I tried covering up my emotions the best I could, but nights just seemed to be hard to get through. Just felt out of place all week...
As the week progressed, however, I started praying and getting better. I was so caught up in what I wanted and how I was trying to plan out my own future instead of leaving it in God's hands.
Before, I thought the only way to happiness was to be with the girl I liked....now I realize I was 100% wrong. Granted, I still really like this girl, but I can't sit here and try to force something, that may not be in God's will for me, to happen. I just need to put ALL of my trust in the Lord, and He will lead me down the right path.
Lord, please continue to help point me down the right path and show me Your will for me. I put my faith in You and know that everything will be great in the end.
"It's clear enough to me
The ugliness I see
Is evidence of who I need
Give me an answer
Give me a way out
Give me the faith
To believe in these hard times" ~NEEDTOBREATHE
-GP
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Dazed and Confused
Jeremiah 29:11 - “I have a plan for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Life can be very confusing and stressful at times.
November 2010:
My girlfriend of 7 months and I broke up....the fire was gone and we both were not that interested in continuing in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. The night we broke up, I was actually going to Auburn to visit some friends and my sister, so it wasnt too hard to get over it. At a frat party, however, the girl of I've ALWAYS had feelings for walks in...after that, I had no feelings for my ex anymore. That's how everything started...
December 2010:
Slowly, but surely, a fire ignites between me and the girl I've always liked. We start talking/texting daily, and my days go from bleak and old to bright and new...which was something I had been longing for. Of course, talking leads to seeing each other and hanging out, so over Chirstmas break, she came over to watch Toy Story 3. I feel like I have never been on a date before in my life- my hands are shaking, I'm sweating from being nervous, I studder because I don't want to say anything wrong, I'm even nervous about putting my arm around her....it's like I'm 12! I had a fantastic time watching the movie, but more importantly talking to her and enjoying her prescence. She makes me happy in every way possible, and her face and smile calm me more than any song ever could. Almost immediately, after she gets home, we discuss the next time we want to hang out, and we make plans for my next visit to Auburn.
January - February 2011:
We hang out a couple of more times and become closer and closer...but she breaks the news that after her previous relationship of three years (that just ended), she says she isn't ready for a relationship. That brought me down, but I like her and respect her feelings....so just friends wouldn't hurt. Maybe persistance will pay off in the future.
March 2011:
After more times of seeing each other, we discuss our feelings for each other, and I am EXSTATIC (spelling?) to hear that she has some of the same feelings for me that I do for her. I am committed 100% to her now. But with the situation comes a lot of insecurity :(.........I am afraid of getting played, and she is afraid of getting hurt again. To me, since I have been chasing her for a majority of my teenage life, all of this seems too good to be true. I am fully committed, but if something questionale pops-up, I pounce on it to try to figure out what's going on. And in return, the mild fighting that breaks out leads her to believe that I am just going to hurt her like her ex did. By the end of March, I can feel her backing away.
We are now on a break from talking.
Although I KNOW it's not all my fault...I feel like shooting myself 53 times in the leg for letting something so amazing slip away. My heart is filled with anger sometimes because I feel like I am her puppet (but I often over think EVERY situation), but my heart is also filled with regret because I know what an amazing girl she is (but maybe I dont know whats best for me). I come to the realization that I will always have feelings for her.
Lord please show me Your plan for me in this situation. I am doing my best to make things work, but with all the uncertainty, I need Your help. I know I love her and care for her, but if all of this is not in Your will for me, then I will do my absolute best to move on from it....as hard as that may be. I know it is ambitious for me to ask for an answer on what I should do. Just please help show me the right path I need to follow. I trust in Your word and will follow.
"I still wish you the best of luck baby
And don't go thinking this was a waste of time
I couldn't forget you if I tried
You killed what was left of the good in me
I'm tired so let me be broken
Look down at the mess that's in front of me
No other words may be spoken
And I've got nobody else to blame though I tried
Kept all of my past mistakes down inside
I'll live with regret for my whole life" ~A Day to Remember
-GP
Life can be very confusing and stressful at times.
November 2010:
My girlfriend of 7 months and I broke up....the fire was gone and we both were not that interested in continuing in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. The night we broke up, I was actually going to Auburn to visit some friends and my sister, so it wasnt too hard to get over it. At a frat party, however, the girl of I've ALWAYS had feelings for walks in...after that, I had no feelings for my ex anymore. That's how everything started...
December 2010:
Slowly, but surely, a fire ignites between me and the girl I've always liked. We start talking/texting daily, and my days go from bleak and old to bright and new...which was something I had been longing for. Of course, talking leads to seeing each other and hanging out, so over Chirstmas break, she came over to watch Toy Story 3. I feel like I have never been on a date before in my life- my hands are shaking, I'm sweating from being nervous, I studder because I don't want to say anything wrong, I'm even nervous about putting my arm around her....it's like I'm 12! I had a fantastic time watching the movie, but more importantly talking to her and enjoying her prescence. She makes me happy in every way possible, and her face and smile calm me more than any song ever could. Almost immediately, after she gets home, we discuss the next time we want to hang out, and we make plans for my next visit to Auburn.
January - February 2011:
We hang out a couple of more times and become closer and closer...but she breaks the news that after her previous relationship of three years (that just ended), she says she isn't ready for a relationship. That brought me down, but I like her and respect her feelings....so just friends wouldn't hurt. Maybe persistance will pay off in the future.
March 2011:
After more times of seeing each other, we discuss our feelings for each other, and I am EXSTATIC (spelling?) to hear that she has some of the same feelings for me that I do for her. I am committed 100% to her now. But with the situation comes a lot of insecurity :(.........I am afraid of getting played, and she is afraid of getting hurt again. To me, since I have been chasing her for a majority of my teenage life, all of this seems too good to be true. I am fully committed, but if something questionale pops-up, I pounce on it to try to figure out what's going on. And in return, the mild fighting that breaks out leads her to believe that I am just going to hurt her like her ex did. By the end of March, I can feel her backing away.
We are now on a break from talking.
Although I KNOW it's not all my fault...I feel like shooting myself 53 times in the leg for letting something so amazing slip away. My heart is filled with anger sometimes because I feel like I am her puppet (but I often over think EVERY situation), but my heart is also filled with regret because I know what an amazing girl she is (but maybe I dont know whats best for me). I come to the realization that I will always have feelings for her.
Lord please show me Your plan for me in this situation. I am doing my best to make things work, but with all the uncertainty, I need Your help. I know I love her and care for her, but if all of this is not in Your will for me, then I will do my absolute best to move on from it....as hard as that may be. I know it is ambitious for me to ask for an answer on what I should do. Just please help show me the right path I need to follow. I trust in Your word and will follow.
"I still wish you the best of luck baby
And don't go thinking this was a waste of time
I couldn't forget you if I tried
You killed what was left of the good in me
I'm tired so let me be broken
Look down at the mess that's in front of me
No other words may be spoken
And I've got nobody else to blame though I tried
Kept all of my past mistakes down inside
I'll live with regret for my whole life" ~A Day to Remember
-GP
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