All Things Joyful

my room with a view.

2010-08-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

"I did not wish to take a cabin passage, but rather to go before the mast and on the deck of the world, for there I could best see the moonlight amid the mountains. I do not wish to go below now.”

-Thoreau

Always,

who said anything about safe?

2010-07-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

Spending my friday afternoon at High Point Coffee, or what I still seem to find myself referring to as “Uptown.” This is a place I tend to frequent-to the point where I usually don’t even have to tell them my complicated nonfat-sugar free-hazelnut-cappuccino order when I get to the front of the line. They already have it ready. There’s something so sweet about familiarity. I think that’s what I love this place.

But today I’m just drinking the dark roast in a mug, doing my quiet time and reading old journals. (For those of you who don’t know, my life is documented in journals dating back to 8 years ago. Reading through them is probably my favorite past time). But flipping through, I keep coming across a C.S. Lewis quote from his most famous, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I have copied it down over and over and over, and I just can’t help but share. Hope that you find as much peace in it as I do.

“Is – is he a man?” asked Lucy.

“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.”

“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”

“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”

“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King I tell you.”

Happy Weekend.

Always,

Merry Monday!

2010-07-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

feelin’ sa good today

monday.

I’ve spent a lot of time lately reflecting on the true meaning of gratefulness, and in so doing I’ve become dreadfully aware of how much I’m lacking in this department. So, instead of devoting this blog to the fact that it’s Monday, I have a final this week, I’m extremely exhausted, and I have to get up at 5:45 in the morning, I’ve decided to take a moment to focus on the positive:

1. this is my very last week of undergrad. hallelujah.

2. I finally got a trip to New York in the works to visit beesy in August, which might include a night on Broadway to see WICKED ((my dream)).

3. I had the greatest weekend in Baton Rouge for Rachel and Brian’s engagement party.

4. my 19 month old nephew told me he loved me over the phone today.

5. Rach got back from Baton Rouge today, which means she’s back until the wedding. I get to live with her, love on her, laugh with her, drink wine with her, curl up on the couch with her, go on walks with her, plan a wedding with her, and the like until August 14th--sweet blessing.

6. I’m currently sitting in my living room with Kat and Marilyn, impatiently awaiting Men Tell All, eating a dinner I cooked myself (believe it or not), and just realized that I’ve completely forgotten it’s Monday.

Always,

black n’ white

2010-07-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

((i’ve never really been a cat person, but this looks kind of cool)

random thought.

all pictures via audreyhepburncomplex

Always,

readyfortheweekend

2010-07-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hey Friday, hurry up.

Always,

2010-07-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

So I must admit that today is a day for lazy, as I am recovering from a weekend in Destin where myself and 15 of my best friends celebrated the upcoming marriage of this sweet thing-(read her blog, you’ll fall in love).

After another sweet reunion with the girls that have made the past 4 years the sweetest, most memorable years of my life, I can’t help but sit back and reflect on what it means to be a part of something so precious, something that Ainsley so perfectly defined as community.

It’s definitely safe to say that I have been blessed with a tight knit group of friends that have loved each other so well. We accept each other’s faults, strengthen each other’s weaknesses, and encourage each other’s personal and spiritual growth. And by learning how to love these girls, I have come to understand the importance of people.

community: affinity, identity, kinship, likeness, sameship

We choose our friends. We just do. Put me in a room with 1,000 people and the first thing I’m going to do is find someone to talk to, laugh with, relate to. I used to believe that friendship was all about sharing the same style, liking the same music, laughing at the same jokes. Being a friend was essentially all about being the same.

But sitting here today, reflecting on what has been and learning how to adapt to the change that is and is to come, God is so sweetly and lovingly revealing to me how incredibly confused I’ve been (this happens often). Because as I looked around at all my friends this weekend, I was blown away by how different we all are. Everything from our hair color to our goals and dreams. Our freshman year, we tried to do everything the same. Now, here we are, on the other side, and suddenly it dawns upon us--we’re women.

We’re pursuing different careers, confidently flaunting different styles of shoes and clothing, arguing different political views, flourishing in our different personalities. I’m not a 10 year old girl anymore calling my friends to plan our exactly-the-same-limited-too-outfits for the week. I’m unique and different and sometimes, a little weird. I’m my own person, and so are they.

We don’t love each other because we are all exactly alike; instead, we love each other because we’re all so different.

The best part, however, is that we love each other the same.

So I’m back in Oxford for another year, excited about sharing a fifth year with the friends I will have with me and anxious to share this experience with new people I have yet to meet or failed, in my selfishness, to reach out to. I’m craving the differences and likeness in love that community brings, and am so sorry in my heart for anytime that I’ve been too busy, head-in-the-clouds, spaced out, a little too preoccupied; for the times I’ve withdrawn the smile, refused the hand, ignored the introduction, or forgotten the laugh.

With that said, here’s to YOU, my friends, both present and future.

Thank you for being EXACTLY who you are.

Always,

free as we’ll ever be.

2010-07-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

DC for the 4th of July

hope yours was as happy as mine!

Always,

i’m not lost; not lost, just undiscovered

2010-06-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

“if you dig a little deeper you will find me.”

JAMES MORRISON

listen and love

Always,

MONDAY.

2010-06-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

via audreyhepburncomplex

do i have to get up?

Always,

amen.

2010-06-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

I recently attended a wedding where the bride came down the aisle to the hymn, “Be Thou My Vision.” The congregation sang the first 4 stanzas seated, and on the 5th stanza, we all stood as the bride walked down the aisle with her father, singing along, eyes locked on the man waiting for her at the end of the aisle.

i was inspired.

and dancing through my mind all week has been nothing but these sweet words..

Be Thou my vision, O LORD of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best thought, by day or by night. Waking or sleeping, Thy PRESENCE my light.

Be Thou my WISDOM, Thou my true word; I ever with Thee, Thou with me LORD. Thou my great Father, I thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight.

Be Thou my DIGNITY, Thou my delight.

Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower.

Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise. Thou mine inheritance, now and always; Thou and Thou only, first in my heart. High KING of Heaven, my treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won. May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright heav’ns Son! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall; still be my vision, O RULER of all.

Always,

i think rachel mcadams might be the most beautiful person alive.

2010-06-25T08:15:00.001-07:00

don’t you?

Always,

BE INSPIRED

2010-06-24T21:59:00.001-07:00

Be bright, really bright. Read too many books. Always have a vase of fresh flowers on your coffee table, along with old magazines filled with countless inspirations. Take the chance--and put the matching yellow chairs in your living room.

Be quirky, so quirky that people talk about you. And as Donald Miller says, be whimsical.

Laugh. Jump for JOY. Don’t take life too seriously, but don’t take it with a grain of salt, either. Find your passion, and run with it. Don’t look back. Just look inside yourself for the gift God gave you, and make it His.

((AND do it with style, with class, with a peace of mind that knows that anything good coming from you is only by the GRACE of a God much bigger than you will ever be))

Pray.

Understand how small you are. Relish in how big He is.

Because... “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows,"

says Matthew 10:29-31.

Can life get any sweeter?

Always,

u.s.a.

2010-06-24T10:11:00.001-07:00

My apologies for being MIA the past few days. I believe it’s safe to say I’ve been a little preoccupied..

for a whole 11 hours and 5 minutes.

until FINALLY

I could breathe again ((and unglue my eyes from my computer screen))

JOHN ISNER 70-68. in the 5th.

thereyagoamerica

If only I could play tennis as well as I watch it

Always,

i think i’m gonna stay, gonna stay in the gray..

2010-06-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

i’m gonna steer clear..

‘cause i’d burn up in your atmosphere.

-John Mayer

new favorite.

Always,

THE HELP

2010-06-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

I hadn’t read a REALLY good book in quite some time, until I happened to pick up The Help one day while at the beach. After reading the first chapter....

......it literally consumed my life.

Set in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s, Kathryn Stockett’s The Help captures the reality of what it was like to be an African American in the deep south during the Civil Rights Movement. The book is fiction; however, the substance of the book--the hatred and the love and the racism and the overwhelming courage it took for one to take a stand--is heartbreaking and, I’m ashamed to say, quite true.

You’ll laugh. You’ll burn with anger. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll probably shed a few tears.

readitandweep. i did.

Always,

And the Weddings Begin.

2010-06-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

REUNION.

...to celebrate Miss Elizabeth May becoming Mrs. Read Meadows.

How sweet are these two?

My weekend was nothing short of a success, consisting of a night out in Jackson, Mississippi on Friday, followed by the most incredible wedding celebrating the two most incredible people. I think a few tears started to fall before Elizabeth even walked down the aisle. As I sat in the church choking back tears, with three of my very dear, dry-eyed friends sitting beside me, I began to question myself as to why I always seem to lose it at weddings. I have attended funerals, watched sad movies, gotten my heart broken--all without shedding a tear. Yet here I am, celebrating the fact that my sweet friend, Elizabeth, is marrying the man of her dreams, and you would think I was attending her funeral. As we all bowed our heads to pray at the end of the service, my heart began to melt as I listened to the sweetest, most sincere, most precious, most spiritual prayer I have ever heard, and suddenly, it dawned on me.

I realized that my tears weren’t the result of some kind of hyper-sensitivity, nor were they born out of my longing to be the one wearing white. A wedding is a worship service; a marriage is a covenant, one that is made before God, and nurtured by his sweet, eternal love.

And they’re hard. A marriage is far from easy. So isn’t it beautiful? Isn’t is precious when, by Christ’s redemption, two sinners can vow to love each other, for better or worse, as long as they both shall live?

I cry at weddings because, once again, I am reminded of how big, how sovereign, my God is. And once again, I am overwhelmed. I stand in awe. My heart sings, and I’m moved to tears.

But after the wedding is over, my tears dry up quickly, and I partake in unlimited amounts of finger foods, champagne, and wedding cake. And naturally, I’m usually one of the first to the dance floor.

one down, 5 more to go.

Always,

slouch.

2010-06-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

alice + olivia.

Free People.

Vince.

came across these while internet shopping today.

iloveslouchy.

Always,

Home Sweet Oxford.

2010-06-07T16:06:00.001-07:00

It’s finally done! Katty, Anna, Marilyn, and I were able to move into our condo in Oxford. Isn’t it great? I spent the weekend there with Anna and Marilyn moving furniture, washing dishes, and DECORATING--my favorite. It was the perfect preview of the year to come. It will be different, but it will be good.

...and of course, we expect LOTS of visitors, get-togethers, reunions, porch sitting, and the like.

Here are a few pictures of the downstairs. Due to the fact that our rooms are still small disasters, I’ll have to save those pictures for later!

I’m loving the big kitchen. Marilyn is a great cook--I’m hoping she’ll teach me a few things!

((for the record, I don’t cook. my goal for the year is to change that))

I love the big couch in our living room. It’s deep and comfortable-PERFECT for football game guests (hint hint). And our breakfast room table is perfectly placed, sitting right in between the kitchen and the living room.

ie) watch the today show while eating breakfast.

The windows in the dining room are actually beautiful french doors that lead to our front porch. I just love the sunshine coming in. We have used these doors more than the front door!

This room is one of my favorites. The picture just doesn’t do it justice. It’s bright, cheery, and a perfect room for movies. Marilyn and I watched 3 yesterday. Yes, three movies. Nothing like a day for lazy.

And my most favorite part?

the back porch.

This morning, I sat out here and drank my coffee and did my devotional. And as I looked around and took in the moment--the chirping birds, the cool breeze, and the smell of summertime, I knew that this would be the part of the house I would end up loving the most. You know why?

Because...

this is where the boys will grill out and the girls will drink red wine. It’s where we will laugh and entertain and munch on chips and salsa.

this is where my roommates and I will sit and talk for hours

.........it’s where we’ll take our visiting friends to sit and catch up and talk about jobs, marriage, and of course, the good times we had in college.

I’ll laugh, cry, and try to solve the world’s problems over coffee on my back porch. I’ll blog, write in my journal, read a good book, and talk to God..

This is where I will spend my FINAL year in Oxford.

this will be my place.

..our place.

Always,

a little joplin inspiration.

2010-06-04T14:41:00.001-07:00

"If I hold back, I'm no good. I'm no good.

I'd rather be good sometimes than holding back all the time."

Always,

EVERYTHING AUDREY.

2010-06-02T09:35:00.001-07:00

" Pick the day. Enjoy it - to the hilt. The day as it comes. People as they come... The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present - and I don't want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future. "

hello sassy.

big hats, big sunglasses, big jewelry, big STAR

" I never think of myself as an icon. What is in other people's minds is not in my mind. I just do my thing."

i.want.to.be.audrey.hepburn.

Always,

Recap.

2010-06-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

Like I said earlier, I spent 16 days at the beach in May. It was probably the most relaxed I've been in my entire life, but after my internship with PwC in Birmingham, followed by all the emotions and heartache that came with graduating college, a little relaxation was exactly what I needed!
So here's a little recap..

On May 12th, I hopped in my car and drove six hours (with a quick shopping stop at the Summit, of course) to spend time with my best friends from high school. Elizabeth and Allison graduated from Alabama the same day I graduated from Ole Miss! Here we are our first night in town--celebrating graduation with the Merrill's in Pensacola!

On Saturday, our sweet friend Lisa joined us after having graduated from Auburn the night before. Thanks to Collier, we landed artist passes to the Hangout, a music festival on the beach in Gulf Shores. To name a few, we saw John Legend, Trey Anastasio, Ray Lamontagne, and Ben Harper--all from backstage! SO much fun. Check it out.

BEN HARPER

Trey Anasasio=amazing.

We love Collier and Cate!

These girls are the reason I can be excited about what's to come. We have been best friends our entire lives, and splitting up after high school didn't change that. We went to school where we felt led, and it's been such a sweet blessing to be able to visit each of them in their college towns and experience life with them in a different setting. We have befriended each other's friends, and our networks just continue to grow. I can't wait to see where these girls end up. Each of them have big dreams and incredible talents, and for the rest of our lives, no matter where we are, we'll always have each other. I can't imagine it any other way with all of you in Oxford! How sweet.

And after 10 days with the girls, the family came--the whole family. My aunt, uncle, cousins, sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and parents all spent a week in Perdido Key. I forget how much fun it is to have babies at the beach. My nephew, Jack, loved the water--he was fearless. He would squeal each time a wave washed over his little feet. He loved his cousin, Sam. Sam is 5 and was a big help taking care of Jack. Baby Andy was with us, too, but we'll have to wait until next year to hear his squeals. I love a good family vacation--makes you realize just how blessed you are, and how big and good and loving our God really is.

Sweet Babies

Me & Jack.

Love Baby Andy.

Cousins.

Lots of memories, but now I'm back to reality.

Lots to do before all the weddings begin and I'm reunited with everyone.

First on the list, get a new memory card for my camera.

No better time than now!

Always,

made for another world..

2010-05-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

Always,

sweet summertime.

2010-05-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorites..

I love this. Cool. Modern. The tugó chairs are the perfect touch.

big wooden tables + wicker chairs.

How perfect is this outdoor furniture? i.love.it.all. Everything just screams summer, friends, wine, porch sitting....

hmmm, I'll take it.

Always,

Home.

2010-05-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

16 days at the beach...

((feels good to be home)).

A perfect vacation, filled with friends, family, good food,

great music, lots of sunshine, and of course, champagne

with pomegranate.

sitting at dinner with my family last night, we laughed and drank wine and took lots of pictures of our sweet babies. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect picture of the love of Jesus.

Pictures to come.

Always,

vanmorrisonismynewobsession.

2010-05-27T13:55:00.001-07:00

“when no one steps on my dreams.

when people understand what i mean.

when you ring out the changes of how everything is.

well my mama told me, there’ll be days like this.....”

Why do I just now love him?

If you share my new obsession, which I know many of you do, check out Ray Lamontagne. I saw him in concert a few weeks ago--he was incredible, a must for your summer playlist.

Just listen. "Trouble" is my favorite.

Off to enjoy my last day at the beach!

Always,

and it's all for you..

2010-05-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

I wish I could put my heart into words-how it weeps, how it sings, with both nostalgia and excitement for all the memories to be made.

Post-grad working towards a Master’s. Moving back to the place that, for the past four years, has embraced myself and all the precious people who have laughed with me, cried with me, prayed with me, loved me on the days I deserve it the least. The past few weeks have been met with an overwhelming sadness that has masked the hope and joy for all that is to come. But at this moment, looking ahead, knowing that our Oxford will never be the same, I can’t help but squeal with excitement. Because we’re at the cusp of something so wonderful, and we get to be a part of each other’s story. How sweet.

So here goes, I’m doing something I swore to myself I would never do. I’m putting my heart and my thoughts and my dreams, along with any other random happenstance I decide to share, on the line so that all can see. Only for all of you, of course, because if we’re going to do this crazy thing called life outside the confines of Oxford, Mississippi, we’re doing it together. Period.

Always,