Here We Are Again

When Abbey Vogel posted on my wall a few days ago, asking where this little sucker went, I asked myself the same question, too. All too quickly this little blog of mine escaped my grasp farther than it ever had before. So, here I am, for the millionth time, asking you to be kind and forgive my forgetful little heart of mine.

Life has been real crazy but real sweet to me in the biggest of ways. December 1st has come and gone, marking the end of Early Action and the END of college application season. High school seniors everywhere too a large sigh of relief that day. :) It's pretty crazy to know that all the choices and decisions are left to me! I am now resting in the fact that what's done is done and it is now time to sit back, relax and enjoy what senior year has to give to me.

Life was especially sweet to me a few weekends ago at Happening #52 when I got to co-rector with my partner in crime, Owen Powell (Who is now SK's senior class president! Congratulate the kid if ya can!) and I have said it a million times, but I wouldn't have wanted to share it with anyone else. This kid has stolen my heart and put up with quite a few crazy antics of mine over the weekend but serving Christ and that group of Happeners with him at my side was an experience that will forever be extremely close to my heart.

I had a nice little run in with my Jesus on the first day of Advent yesterday in my little safe haven of a classroom in Henry Clay. My 9th grade Civics teacher had written the daily Advent devotional for her congregation and she gave me the opportunity to read it and boooyyy did I need it. It talked about Revelation and the uncomfortable sinking feeling we all get when we realize that this is that wrathful God that people fear and hide from. It was put in to perspective when we realize that Jesus becomes wrathful and has a famous Mrs. Cabble "come apart" only because he loves us too dearly to allow us to continue in the cycle of sin that has been prevalent since He began to share his story of grace with us thousands of years ago. This wrathful God that we so easily hide from is a God that has a love for us that runs so deep in His veins that being passive about our wandering would just as easily cause a "come apart."

I pray for y'all's Advent journeys, the end of the semester, Happening #53 and stillness of heart (I have a hard time learning to slow down, sometimes, in case you haven't noticed..).

All my love and peppermint Hershey's kisses,
Ash

The Manger and the Cross

Sorry y'all - Christmas has been busy and I have completely left this little blog in the dust trying to keep up! Here's a few updates of my crazy, little life:

 I finished up my first semester of junior year with a 4.0! It was a complete relief knowing that I no longer have to worry about finals or projects or percentages for a short 2 weeks :) 

Two days ago, I got to celebrate 1 year cancer free with my sweet momma! It is such a blessing to have her as a mentor and role model while also having her as my best friend. She is so strong & brave and I'm so grateful to be able to celebrate this gigantic milestone with her! 

I attended my first Lessons & Carols at Good Shepherd this past Sunday and boy, it just reminded me why I fell in love with this church all over again. The greening of the church was beautiful and it was jam packed with everyone.. It felt like Christmas! I'm so thankful to have found Good Shepherd 3 months ago (it does not feel like it was that long ago!) and be able to celebrate end of Advent in a community like the one at Good Shepherd.

One of my favorite Episcopal priests posted this as his Facebook status the other day; it was a part of his sermon for the 4th Sunday in Advent. 

  "Whomever we hated, Jesus loves. Whomever we feared, Jesus loves. Whomever we ignored, Jesus loves. He loves them enough to change them -- God leaves nobody unchanged -- but where we see castes and pyramids and social ladders, Jesus sees only the wounded in need of heaven's healing."

I too easily separate the manger from the cross, when in reality the coexist together throughout the Bible. My infinitely powerful God came into the world as a fragile, dependent child who desired to unveil a truth to a people He so loved. My infinitely powerful God grew into a man, bore my sin and subjected Himself to death on a cross: a perfect sacrifice for the whole world. 

I love Christmas.

Xoxo, Ash

 

Light vs. Darkness throughout Advent

With Advent starting this past weekend extremely close to Thanksgiving, which kinda sorta threw my internal clock off, it got my heart and mind ready and anxious to spend the next 3 and a half weekend patiently awaiting His arrival. 

I'm reading a devotional throughout this season that highlights the major ideas around Advent and the Christmas story. The verse today was from John 1: 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

Well DANG y'all. That's some crazy, heavy stuff. He's got it all. The entire world, the stars, the trashcan sitting across my room and the iPhone sittin' in my lap. Only He holds this light - this light that can free me from my past and my fear - and it fearlessly and relentlessly goes up against darkness, darkness I create. 

“Inside all of us is a light, but some beacons are darker than others, and some are so dark they never realize they are a form of light at all.”
― Courtney M. Privett, Mayfly Requiem 

All my love, Ash xoxo

Fast Paced

JEEZ. Life has been moving incredibly fast lately and I don't know how big of a fan I am of it considering Thanksgiving was 4 days ago and Christmas is in 25 days..

Last weekend, I got to have some fun and travel down to Tuscaloosa to take a visit around the University of Alabama and lemme tell you.. I LOVED IT. It was a beautiful campus that instantly felt like home! I could picture myself fitting right into the life down there. I also got to experience my first Alabama football game and that was just crazy compared to Commonwealth and UK (sorry Cats!). Overall, I think I'm just in love with the idea of college at the moment but we'll just have to wait & see :)

 I also just printed off my GSP application (like 2 minutes ago) which is SO EXCITING. It's finally real! Now I just can't wait to get it off my hands tomorrow and let the panels of reviewers do their magic :) 

All my love and Christmas cheer, Ash xoxo