Neiman's adventure of 2012

Today my design class and I got to tour Neiman Marcus at the Shops at Willow Bend. Two corporate employees on the design team walked us around the store before the doors opened to the general public. We discussed the various elements of retail design and talked about the characteristics of Neiman's culture. Seeing a normally busy department store, quiet and abandoned was strange and kind of eerie. It was also the first time I'd been in a store and wasn't in a hurry...so I had time to observe something other than the merchandise and the price tags. When you start to look around at each display all of the sudden you're like... they put vases with flowers on displays?... there's a stack of books here? have they always been here?...why are they here? And then the ceiling.... my fellow student Elizabeth put it best "it's a hot mess"... it's all down lights and spot lights pointed at the merchandise....so the ceiling is covered with them! The ceiling itself isn't that great looking... but they served their purpose because I never once noticed the ceiling....I noticed what was meant to be noticed...the clothes. Each display reflected the designer and the emotions the designer wanted the customer to feel. One of my favorite displays was the Ralph Lauren/Sport section for men's.... the display was palm leaves and a lounge chair and it made you want to get away....because the mannequins looked like they were having a blast....as much of a blast as you can have with no face or fingers and a disproportionate body. The clothes reflected this casual/vacation vibe...and conveniently the luggage display was nearby in case you wanted to get away that instant! Another one of my favorites was the evening gown section. The field lights were slightly dimmed, invoking an evening atmosphere....with bright spots on the gorgeous gowns. The wall coverings on the back wall sparkled, the carpets formed a runway, and elegant seating was arranged for the observers. The displays truly sold the item...and the gentlemen that showed us around even said one recent change they made in the way they displayed their merchandise from their Cusp line....increased sales 30%.
I'm learning more everyday....and now I can't go shopping without subconsciously analyzing the space.... that's going to slow down my bargain hunting....

Feed the right dog...

We hear the term spiritual warfare a lot, but we often think it only happens every once in a while. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior and surrender our lives and wills to Him, in that moment we become an enemy to Satan. From then on we're fighting for the Lord and what He wants us to do with our lives. Satan knows our weaknesses, and so he attacks our weaknesses every chance he gets. This is spiritual warfare. Josh Hamilton is an extreme example of this case. His addictions are his weaknesses... and Satan crept in when he could, and told him "it's just one tattoo" "it's just a group of misunderstood guys" "it's just one drink, everyone does it" "it's just a little cocaine, it's not that much". Next thing he knew he was at the lowest of lows, physically weakened, family and friends no where to be found, and walking down the middle of a street with a car coming head-on....and so high that he even realize he was there until the car honked. It's a battle & it isn't pretty- especially when we don't fight back. There's this analogy that I've heard a lot; pretend there's 2 dogs inside you.... one is the good dog and one is the bad dog....if they get in a fight, whichever one you feed more is going to win. "Feeding the good dog" would be like reading and studying the Bible, being in consistent fellowship with believers, listening to praise & worship music. "Feeding the bad dog" would be like listening to negative music, being in places that tempt you, watching movies that remind you of your weakness, being around people that participate in what your weakness is.... A less extreme example of spiritual warfare that is very real to many of us is doubt.... we sometimes find ourselves laying awake at night wondering....what if God isn't real. If we've been feeding the good dog, we can immediately say of course He is!....the Bible says this.... I witnessed an answered prayer in small group last week..... I've felt His presence in my worshiping this week..... If we've been feeding the bad dog..... our answer is.... this bad thing is happening, and He feels so far away- I don't think He even cares..... but this feels so good....how is it wrong- Christians just let me down...
Daily spiritual warfare.
 Feed the right dog.

God is good all the time, even when we're weak.

You had me from hello: part 2

By this time, you may have caught on that the boy is Matthew, and the girl is me...shocking I know...but it was getting difficult to tell the story from a 3rd person perspective.... 

I ended up texting him back a "Yea that'd be cool." in which he answered with "Really?" which I thought was both flattering and cute. I really wanted to answer back something like "Nope, I was just kidding" or "It is a free meal..." or anything sarcastic.... he was probably getting nervous because I took a long time to answer because I would type up a sarcastic paragraph and then delete it because he doesn't know my humor yet. I was busy that weekend but we made plans to go out the next Friday night after I got done babysitting. We saw each other at football practice and games that week and made small talk while fighting back huge grins and playing "hard to get". One of Matt's roommates, Tommy, played with the football team that week for the first time and asked Matt "Hey, who's the new girl, she's hot" and Matt replied, "Kasey, I'm going on a date with her this weekend". (Tom, if you read this, you were the first to know!)  During the game, I got hit pretty hard in the eye and it swelled up a little....great, first date with this guy this weekend....and I have a black eye. After the game, Matt checked on me and told me a story about how he got a black-eye during baseball one time from a bunt that back-fired. Jokingly, I replied, "That's not a very good story... you didn't even score." Little did he know that was the first glance at the humor and trash talk that was to come...

That Friday went by incredibly slow. My stomach was in knots as the night got closer and I tried on a hundred things. Matt was getting ready at his apartment too. They were planning to go out of town for a friend, Greg's birthday, but Matt didn't want to cancel on me so he asked them to wait to leave after dinner. Matt was just now telling Graham, his roommate about the date when he was cleaning up his room and his football jersey from high school fell off a hanger. Graham walked in and saw him picking up the jersey and said "Is that what you're thinking about wearing?.....I like it!" Then they joked about putting on some Eminem and putting a towel over his head to get krunk for the date like it was gameday.

After getting minorly lost trying to find my apartment complex, I waited for him downstairs because it was hard to explain where my place was. When I saw his white truck pulling up, (I would later come to know her by Jenny) my heart stopped. I flagged him down and jumped in. He was wearing a white button-up with blue stripes, and smelled really good, and gave me the same smile that stole my heart on the first day we met. "You look nice," He said. I replied, "So do you."

Kevin Fowler & Other Sinners Like Me

Brad Paisley's song "This is Country Music" isn't one of my favorites by him, but it rings true in a lot of ways. Country radio stations aren't afraid to talk about "headin' to church" on Sunday mornings. Country songs talk about God & Jesus more than any other- and they aren't ashamed. Country musicians are for the common man, the working class. Anything on Kiss FM...whatever genre that is... the lyrics brag about money and fame and buying cars.... almost degrading the middle class people that are listening to it. Country music lyrics include lines like,"...ain't no shame in a blue collar forty, little house little kids little small town story" -(Eric Church, Homeboy). Rap songs brag about being with lots of women..... country music songs include lines like, "I'd take a gold band on my hand, over being a single man." -(Lee Brice, A Woman Like You) Country music has a reputation for being all drinking, depressing songs about how his woman left him for his best friend and took the horse.... and a good percentage is something like that. But on the whole country music is honest and positive. It's honest because there's countless songs about admitting your faults and your sins, and God calls us to bring ours sins from the darkness and bring them into the light.... Kevin Fowler's "Best Mistake I Ever Made" is an honest song that many of us can relate to about how we screw up, but God's always looking out for us and He's got a master plan for us and we just have to trust Him. Now I can't quite align his song "#?*!" to anything Biblical, but in general at least one song from every country artist I can think of has a lesson to learn from it.

On the day I die
I know where I'm gonna go
Me and Jesus got that part worked out
I'll wait at the gates til his face I see
And stand in a long line of sinners like me
I'll stand in a long line of sinners like me

-Eric Church, "Sinners Like Me"

Avoiding the inevitable pitfalls of the weight-loss battle

January 1, Americans everywhere join a gym, sign-up for a boot camp, or start a diet in hopes of making this "the year!" they go back to looking like they did in high school. They're motivated, they're ready- they stock up on healthy food that's either green or resembles cardboard, buy new running shoes, and recruit family & friends to join them. By February they've seen major progress- clothes fit different and they're sore in muscles they didn't know they had. The first of March, life starts getting in the way again... that haven't lost weight since mid-February and they don't look forward to the spin class quite like they used too. By spring break, they take a week off of working out, eat junk, and then feel immediate remorse Monday when they step on the scale. Soon they get discouraged, and fall back into old habits, and give-up.

The keys to avoiding this pitfall? Accountability & changing it up.

Have a workout buddy! A spouse, a friend, a co-worker. Team-up! Get a regular schedule going... I run with my boyfriend Matt on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and lift weights with my friend Kassie on Tuesday and Thursday....same time, every week. And of all the days.... Saturday and Sunday are the hardest to make myself workout, because no ones counting on me.... and nobody's calling me weak (both Matt & Kassie enjoy talking trash in the most loving ways...haha).

Change up your workout! Don't let yourself get bored or your body get used to things. Every 2 weeks I change my workout focus..... leg concentration weeks, plyometric weeks, tennis weeks, running weeks, ab concentration week..... don't get stuck! It's good for your body & your mind. Constantly set new goals. Even when it comes to eating healthier..... do no bread for a couple weeks, then try focusing on not eating too many sweets, then try and drink a lot of water, cook new things with new crazy vegetables.... keep re-shifting your focus.

Happy losing! : )

Changing the world, one wall section at a time.

I chose to pursue interior design because it seemed to satisfy my need to be creative and practical. It is also a service oriented field- meeting people's needs and improving their livelihood. Many people immediately picture HGTV when I say interior design. Some shows are true to the trade, but most involve a little fung shui, a paint brush, and an eye for color. There's a lot of branches of interior design, and redecorating for the rich & famous is one of them, but that isn't where my heart is. My heart is in improving spaces for people that need a positive environment to lift their spirits.... Like bringing in a brand new school to a low-income neighborhood, to get kids excited about going to school because it's so beautiful and cool! I would love to remodel an old hospital and make the paths and layouts less stressful for employers- and bring color and life to a place with so much tension and worry. I would love to design a baseball or football field that would bring honor and pride to a city that's struggling. i would love to renovate an office space and improve the quality of light and efficiency of space to change the way they work. I would love to simply build housing for those who have none. I hope that once I'm in the real world, I can realize these thoughts and ideas. People are effected by their environments....and I could write all day about that.... so here's to changing the world- one wall section at a time.

Unmatchable Hope

Something that we as Christians take advantage of, maybe one of the most things, is the fact that we have hope in Christ. We're never so low that we don't think we'll ever get up. The world never actually comes to an end. We hurt, and bad things happen, life throws us in crazy directions, we're knocked down, had the rug ripped out from under us, and had our hearts trampled on by the world..... but we have the hope of knowing the promises of the Bible. He promises in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." We can rest in the promise that it is only a season, it's only a valley....we'll be on the mountain again. We always hear the cliche saying, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger".... but when it comes to struggles as a Christian, we can't ever say we didn't grow closer to the Lord and make more steps towards sanctification. Every time we find ourselves broken, whether by sin or circumstances, it requires us to search desperately for answers and comfort in the Lord and His word. When we are lying on the floor, crying, stomach in knots, unable to move or think.... that's when we reach for the Lord. We should reach for Him daily- but sometimes it takes our world being rocked before we do- because we try and do everything ourselves. I can't imagine how those that don't have the strength of Christ deal with the hardships of this life..... divorce, financial burdens, sickness, injuries, or death.... they don't have the hope that someone bigger, powerful, and loving is watching over their steps. We do. So keep your chin up, fight the good fight, and never lose hope.

Even though the journey’s long
And I know the road is hard
Well, the One who’s gone before me
He will help me carry on
After all that I’ve been through
Now I realize the truth
That I must go through the valley
To stand upon the mountain of God

-Mountain of God, Third Day

Kerosene, Gunpowder, & Willie the Dog

One of my favorite singers is Miranda Lambert. She's from Lindale, Texas so I love supporting a Texas woman, and she can sing. That seems like an obvious statement, but a lot of people making the big time today simply have an image and good lyrics... but can't actually sing. The first song I ever heard by her was "Me & Charlie Talkin'" my freshman year of high school. That was the last remotely romantic song she released (and they don't even end up together in the song). She proceeded to steal our hearts with angry-woman-scorned songs, "Kerosene" and "Gunpowder & Lead". The song "Gunpowder & Lead" talks about a woman who is abused that is finally going to get her revenge- I learned that this was inspired by the fact that her parents took in abused women and took care of them while she was growing up. In the music video "Kerosene" Miranda proceeds to set a bed on fire out of spite. When we made a music video for a contest one time, one of my sketches for a possibility was "find an old mattress at a dumpster?? set it a-flame??" We went slightly smaller scale and tried to set pictures on fire instead.... tried being the key word... it's harder than it looks! Miranda then stopped setting things on fire and threatening to shoot people- and made our stomachs ache to "Bring Me Down" "More Like Her" and her most recent "Over You". I just learned that "Over You" is inspired by a song that her husband Blake Shelton wrote about the death of his brother when he was a teenager. The music video shows a little boy running around and her staring at a grave marker that says "Shelton". Listening to it now gives it a whole new perspective and in a way "humanizes" celebrities such as Blake that have real pain and struggles just like us. Miranda has also joined a female trio Pistol Annies. The harmony of their voices is beautiful and I haven't heard one song of theirs that I haven't fell for, the best being "Hell on Heels" and "Boys from the South".

Her most widely known song "House that Built Me" is probably the world's favorite because we can all relate. It's a song about the house you grew up in and how it had a hand in making you who you are. Me & my dad are famous for messing up lyrics.... (For example in a Pat Green song he says "like a cold front on the coast".....we thought he said "like a gopher in the cold") And in Miranda's "House that Built Me" she says "my favorite dog is buried in the yard" my father proceeds to sing "my dog Willie is buried in the yard". I can't hear it now, without thinking about poor Willie.

The Madness of March

Every year after the Superbowl, there's a minor lull in the sports world...at least in my life. I love the Mavs, but the season seems long and sometimes I want to hit the fast forward button to the playoffs. There's the NBA all-star festivities.... but most of the time I'm just stressing because I don't want someone getting hurt doing an unnecessarily extravagant dunk and be out for the season. But then March comes. Brackets are printed across the US.... offices have contests.... they're fundraising events at various places.... friends bet money, families bet chores, roommates threaten dares to the loser and boyfriends and girlfriends bet dates. For example, last year I just so happen to beat Matthew at the bracket challenge and he had to take me to an art museum. His date would've been to walk around Cabela's for hours or go watch a fight at Buffalo Wild Wings or watch an action movie with lots of blood. haha.

March sports world gets a little bit more fun for a few reasons. First off, all the trash talk about your bracket is always fun (even though you picked that team by which mascot would literally beat the other in real life). Cheering for the underdogs, the #8 seeds that stand toe to toe with Duke or UNC- the Cinderella stories that no one predicts. And just the fact that anything can happen- it's anyone's game when the jump ball is tossed... and the team that'd played their best 40 minutes of basketball will live to play on...not the one that had the best 3 point percentage all year....not the one who's on a winning streak..... it's who comes out to play hard and play smart today.  I also enjoy watching college sports more than professional simply due to the fact that these are kids, my age, playing for pride and for the love of the game. They're not putting their body on the line and pushing the limits for a contract, or their celebrity girlfriend, or their sponsors.... they're playing for the colors their wearing & their family in the stands.

So whether you filled out your bracket alphabetically or geographically.... let the best man be dancing until April.

Disney & Design

I've already talked about how learning about design causes you to discover details and notice things you never have before. All of the sudden you have the design eye. And nothing is off limits to this.... I can't watch movies now without analyzing the set design and the furniture. Even Disney has not escaped from this fate......

Beauty & the Beast.... enter stage left (I'm not crazy, it's backwards in the theatre world)- the wardrobe. At the top, also known as the crest, there are "S" scrolls. These showed up in French & English Rococo style in the 1700s. The legs are also cabriole legs and the curved form at the bottom is called an apron.

Sleeping Beauty... Aurora's cottage they she grows up in while hiding from the evil queen. The cottage is Early American style with a thatched roof, asymmetrical facade, and exposed structure. The exposed structure construction is called waddle and daub... but I'm sure fairy dust did the trick too.

 Aladdin...the interiors of the palace are classically inspired. Any time the word classic is used in the design world it refers to Greek & Roman design. The arches are partially pointed, partially tudor...they're pretty similar. The columns are irregularly shaped but still have a base and an ornamented capital in the classic style. The white marble and gold were also common materials in that time.

We've already won the war.

I got to witness a beautiful picture of honesty, God's grace, and love last Wednesday night. A beloved couple in our small group (parish groups as we call them at C3) that was struggling and hurting decided to break down the walls of pride and share what's been going on in their lives. As they poured their hearts out in front of us and laid out their lives and revealed to us what was going on behind closed doors- we saw their hurt, their sin, their dirt, and ultimately Jesus Christ. Our small group is like a family and as a family of believers we're called to share the deepest darkest parts of our hearts- in order to face it and remove anything that is keeping us from Jesus. Pride is a sin- and it's a sin that keeps many people from letting down their guard and letting their Christian brothers and sisters see what's really happening in their hearts. When that couple revealed the darkest parts of their hearts to us- we loved them more. No condemning, no judging- we loved them more because of their honesty and their desire to get right with God. They painted a picture of a true man of God and a true woman of God- they're broken- but still fighting and clinging to the cross and the promises in the Bible. We're all broken. But what makes you a man or woman of Christ- is daring to face your sin head on and fight it- with all your strength and the tools that God has given you- the truths of the Bible, a Gospel-centered preacher, and a church family that loves you unconditionally. The Christian life isn't easy. It's messy. It's ugly. It's hard. It's a battle. When Satan starts dealing out lies- tearing you down- you have to get mad and scream "no!" and fill your mind and your heart with truth. The truth of the Bible is unshakable. Jesus is unshakable. God is unshakable. We've already won the war.

"As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me..."
 Psalm 55: 16-18

You had me from hello...

Once upon a time, there was a girl and there was a guy....they both weren't looking for anything, but found everything one day at the Baptist Student Ministry at UNT. She noticed he was standing by himself and so she bravely went up to talk to him. (Totally out of character for her.) They talked about school and his football injury that changed his plans and landed him here. She couldn't remember half of what they talked about, or even his name- but she did remember that she couldn't stop smiling. They continued to run into each other. She saw him at church one time from far away, she was sitting by herself and was tired of being alone. She debated back and forth whether to go say hi and sit with him... then she saw a pretty girl come sit next to him, and assumed maybe they were a thing. (For my Denton friends, this was Danielle by the way. haha.) They ended up being on the same flag football team with the BSM and after confirming with someone else that "Graham's tall friend" was on the roster, she was excited. At the first practice they both now admit to showing off, and during a scrimmage she talked some trash and threatened to shoulder check him if he came her way. As the season went on, Graham insisted that we keep having practices even though we played twice a week (and were terrible)- she came to find out now that he had convinced Graham to keep having practice because he wanted another chance to see her. After a game one night she walked off by herself (a habit of hers) to go for a run (another habit). As he watched her walk away alone while the rest of the team was still hanging out, he remembers wanting to talk to her more than ever. As she started to run a truck pulled up slowly beside her, she looked over and it was him- asking if she was going to be ok running by herself- she said yes, and thanks and continued to fight back a smile while she ran. When she got back she decided this was a good chance to talk to him, so she texted him to say she was back safely and wasn't a victim of a serial killer. He texted back "Good". She took the one word text as a sign to back off, so she let it go- oh well, I'm not ready to get into anything anyways. A couple minutes later, she got a text, "Would you want to go to dinner sometime?" She kept the text opened and put it on her bed and began to pace around.... Am I ready? I don't even know him.... I've never... I don't know.... but he's....and I'm...... I mean, it's just dinner right?

To be continued.... ; )

I always remember where I am when I hear a song for the first time. This is country specific of course, and I most vividly remember when it's one of my favorite artist. 90% of the time it's when I'm in my car, I'll either come into the middle of it, or hear the DJ say "here's a new one from...."...either way I crank up the volume and listen intently to each word. My sub-concious takes over my driving as I focus on the message and the notes. This is the only chance my mind has to focus on the words, because it's the only time that I won't be singing along. My two favorite parts of a song is the intro music and the first line, and the music progression between the chorus and the bridge. The intro pulls you in and immediately gets your mind in the right state.....happy, she loves me song? sad, my dog ran away song? loud, exciting Saturday night at a honky-tonk song? or the hurt so good, I'm doing alright, but I still think about you sometimes song? You know right away what you're getting into. And depending on where you are in life, or in your day, it appeals to a situation you've incountered and you want to hear what they have to say. My favorite intro of all time is Dierks Bently's "What was I thinking?" A simple few fast guitar chords and nothing else.....and then everything else comes in full blast- and you just know it's a trouble-maker song. The part of a song right before the bridge is a tease- you don't know what's going to happen next- is he going to be ok? what crazy thing are they going to do next? do they live happily ever after? And the bridge is the answer. My favorite example of that is Blake Shelton's "I Don't Care". The whole song is about how he's seen his ex around town with another guy and he claims he doesn't care.... and then the bridge comes: When I got home, the light was blinkin' on that old machine. She said, "My brother's been in town, but he just left. And, I miss you! Give me a ring." 

I still care. She's all that matters. I still love her just like always, gotta have her. I never got her off my mind, been hopin' she would call sometime.

I know it's late, to be drivin' over there, but I don't care.

In my dreams, I'm a Kenyan

You know you're a runner if.... pedicures never last, if you have granola at the bottom of your gym bag, if you constantly check your heart rate, if you buy advil in bulk, if your lips are constantly chapped, if you have to buy new shoes every 6 months, or if you get up early on a Saturday morning to voluntarily pay to run with a bunch of other crazies with numbers pinned to their chest. Runners are a different breed of persona.... I discovered this on my first 10k I ever did back in 2009. There is a level of seriousness mixed with silliness that is hard to describe. Almost every road race has either an iconic or a cutesy name.... The Cowtown and The White Rock and The Boston...all are popular races with a level of prestige to them. Then there's the Snowman Shuffle, the Cupid's Couple Run, the Shamrock Shuffle, The Hot Chocolate Run...... and each of them has a t-shirt reflecting the title. Now that I've become a runner and have accumulated the t-shirts and metals...... I've also accumulated the gear. Runners are gear snobs... and it's because we subscribe to Runner's World emails and fitness magazines... and they make the stuff look so cool. I've since gotten assorted hats that are a breathe-able material, pants and shorts that have a pocket for your keys... over 5 different type of head phones.... a heart rate monitor, ipod holder, stop watch, and regular watch....assorted jackets and vests for proper layering in the cold...a toboggan with a hole for your ponytail (genius!!!) I'm still on the look out for the perfect chap stick if any runners know of any! Getting ready to run, sometimes looks like I'm going to war- by the time I strap everything on, grab a gallon of water and assorted granola bars just in case. Runners are called crazy most of the time- and it's partially true- some are crazier than others whether it's the gear-snob with the water bottles strapped to their chest- or the Kenyan that wears shorts when the windchill factor is 2.... we all have the same goals- to reach the finish line.

A company called One More Mile has a series of tshirts, key chains and bags with awesome runner sayings..... here's a few of my favorites:

In my dreams, I'm a Kenyan

Will run for ice-cream.

Running is cheaper than therapy.

You think I run funny? Wait 'til you see me walk tomorrow.

Passion makes history

I've gone through many art history, history of architecture, and classes of the like and flipped through books and slide shows of everything from cave drawings to Phillip Johnson's Glass House. It's incredible to see the radical things that designers have done over the years. Any designer that ends up in our books and our slide shows, made a mark on history by looking at something differently and acting on it. Every designer  worth mentioning was probably called crazy at some point, and told that "it will never work!" They probably weren't the most economical, or the most practical- but they made history. They created something that inspired, that challenged, that was so passionate that practicality couldn't hold it.

A great architect is not made by way of a brain nearly so much as he is made by way of a cultivated, enriched heart.

-Frank Lloyd Wright

Free people that serve...

Every Thursday at the UNT Baptist Student Ministry we have a worship and Bible study night called Crave. Last Thursday was our outreach night, a night a couple times a semester that we spend doing something kind of radical and service-related on and around campus. For example, we've stood out in front of the rec center and passed out water bottles, stood outside the library and handed out free pizza, rode the buses around campus and just talked to people, handed out cookies at the bus stops and fry street (where all the bars are), etc. We just try and get a foot in to be able to share the love of Christ through our service and our intentionality. This last Thursday was one of those nights and our group decided to go to an apartment complex and offer to take people's trash to the dumpster for them. (since we've all experienced the apartment life and know what a hassle it is!) The reaction we get from people is always priceless- they're just so confused! They look at you like you're crazy, say "really?" a couple times.... hand us a bag and say "are you sure?" and then ask "why are ya'll doing this?" My friend and small group leader Tyler had a really good answer to this "We're a part of a Christian organization on campus and we just want to show another side of Christianity....it's not shoving an idea down someone's throat.......it's love and service." It opened some doors to conversations, but nothing radical- just planting seeds. But what if we loved and served like that everyday..... how can we make people be so utterly confused at our actions that they have to ask "why"? If they're not asking why...then that means we're blending in, we're just like the rest of the world.......when we're not. We're servants that the Lord has changed from the inside out by sending His own son Jesus Christ to take the punishment for what we deserve- we're free. Free from the burden of sin, free from God's wrath, free from worry, free from shame, free from satan's lies, free from darkness........

So let's act like free people that have something worth sharing- and make people ask why.

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord.... Ephesians 6:7

#24 on the field, #1 in my heart

The hero of our story today is a small town kid with a passion for baseball.

 My brother Jake has been playing baseball since he could walk, therefore I've been a spectator of the sport for over 15 years. Every Spring, Summer, and Fall on any given Friday night or Saturday morning, the Morrison clan can be found at a baseball field. The coldest I've ever been (Ennis tournament of 2010) and the hottest I've ever been (University of Dallas tournament 2009) has been in the bleachers of a baseball game. I know how to keep a stat book, what Jake's favorite Gatorade is, and what it means when my dad yells "downstairs!" (pitch it lower).

I've watched a lot of baseball.... and watched a lot of Jake growing up. He used to be a kind of chunky kid that would run with his elbows flailing and that would get easily discouraged. Now he's a disciplined athlete that works-out hard and takes care of his body, and a leader that isn't afraid to stand up for what he believes in. Baseball teams have been stereotyped to be the "bad kids", the kids that are rough around the edges....and it's been true with Forney, until this year. It's Jake's senior year and discpline hasn't been an issue for the team since the first practice. He's very respected amoung his friends and his leadership and his Christ-like influence has made a big difference.

He works very hard in baseball, in school work, as the president of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and as a friend. And being at college has meant that I've had to miss a lot of that. But a major factor in chosing to go to UNT was so I could try and make as many baseball games as possible.

I'll be a fan for life, whatever it is that the future has to offer him.

He's #24 on the field, but will always #1 in my heart.

I wouldn't give a nickel to have it paved in gold....

Apart from my family & friends, nothing on this earth makes me happier than listening, singing, and dancing to country music.

I remember when I was 5 or 6, me and my mom would follow around KSCS (local country radio station) and go to wherever they were in the DFW area and get free stuff and enter contests.

 I remember singing Brooks & Dunn's "Neon Moon" as a kid not having any clue what it was talking about. Just imagine a 6 year old belting out, "The jukebox plays on drink by drink, and the words of every sad song seem to say what I think. This hurt inside of me ain't never gonna end. Ohh, but I'll be alright as long as there's light from a neon moon."
My grandpa (AKA... Haha....no, not a laugh.... we call him Haw-haw.....I blame my sister Amanda who couldn't manage to say Papa.) played guitar in a country band as a 20-something in smoke-filled honky-tonks 'til 2 am after putting in a full days work at the butcher shop in order to provide for his family.

My dad plays the guitar, and we have country music jam sessions......and we've had the same set of  songs since I can remember. Sugarland's "Stay" (sad, cheating, other-woman song), Tim McGraw's "It's Your Love" (classic 90s love song).....and a few others that we hit the verses and skip the chorus because it has a F chord in it.....and he doesn't do F's.... he's seeking an alternative if anyone knows one!

I've danced at my fair share of honky-tonks, and I've sang at assorted oprys. I recorded one cover song of Martina McBride's "When God Fearin' Women Get the Blues" and even made a music video that went along with it for a contest on GAC (great american country, country music channel). It's my dream job to be a country music singer. But instead I just add some twang to our praise team at church whenever I can.

One of many favorite country music lines, "I wouldn't give a nickel to have it paved in gold. Everything I love, is at the end of a dirt road." - Josh Abbott Band