Summer Wedding Circuit

Let me first say that I am so honored to have so many wonderful friends that want me to be apart of their special day! Seriously...I dont know what I would do without these wonderful friends.

Yesterday I had lunch with a friend and we were talking about our summer plans. I would like to reflect on my life this time last year....last summer, I was participating in the "Wedding Circuit", from here on out, referred to as "the WC". I was in 3 and went to 10 and was invited to a couple more and couldn't go because they were on the same day as others or were too far away! The WC, especially in the south, usually gets started around this time of year, maybe a little earlier and carries on into the Fall. Easter/Spring is usually a pretty good kick off time, with the WC ending before football season. If a wedding is on the same day as "the big game", the big game always wins out so some people schedule their weddings around football, sadly enough.

The WC involves showers, teas, weekend get-a-ways for bachlorette parties, interesting cake shapes, beautiful summer dresses, and TOO much fun and food! Usually these weekends were traveling as well - Cincinnati, Baltimore, Nashville, Knoxville....When it was all over I had to think back to what "normal" was supposed to be! What was I going to do with all of these free weekends? And who was I going to hang out with? What about all my new wedding related friends? We all packed up and said our "goodbyes" and "we'll have to stay in touches" after the bride and groom left. Now what? I was sad that it was all over!

This summer is an entirely different story. I only have two weddindgs coming up and only two that I've been to already this year. It seems kind of unbelievable that I'd have around 15 friends get married in a little more than a year's time. But other than weddings, I dont have any plans. What am I going to do with myself, you might ask. Well, I'm going to read (suggestions definitely welcome, I LOVE to read), go to the gym, and hang out with friends and maybe a beach trip or two thrown in there!

All of that reflection to say that I'm really looking forward to the summer months and am already enjoying the beautiful weather that we've been having here in SC. I'm also looking forward to downtown events in Greenville. It seems like there's something going on all the time and I just LOVE being downtown with all the people out. There's just something about this place that has captured my heart.

What are your summer plans?

Waiting...

Like my dear friend Ashley, I am in a period of waiting in my life. Waiting is so hard to do when you don't know what's going to happen next. I have decided that I'm doing the following kinds of waiting .

Function:
verb
1: to stay in place in expectation of :
2 a: to look forward expectantly b: to hold back expectantly
3 a: to be ready and available b: to remain temporarily neglected or unrealized

Waiting for: a job, to move out of my parents house, to move into my condo, to know some kind of plan for my life.... It would be different if I knew when any of these things would happen. The temporary plan for the condo is to move in May of 2010, which seems so extremely far away. As for the rest of it: only He knows.

In prayer and hope for the future.

"God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to." - Elisabeth Elliot

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages, when the day seems long
From this labor and this heartache I have come
The skies will wear out, but You remain the same
Rock of Ages, I praise Your name.

Rock of Ages, You have brought me near
You have poured out Your life-blood, Your love, Your tears
To make this stone heart come alive again
Rock of Ages, forgive my sin

Rock of Ages, Rock of Ages
Bind your children til' your kingdom comes
Rock of Ages, Your will be done

Rock of Ages, when in want or rest
My desperate need for such a Savior I confess
Pull these idols out from my heart embrace
Rock of Ages, I need Your grace

Rock of Ages, broken, scorned for me
Who am I that You would die to make me free?
To give me glory, You took the death and pain
Rock of Ages, my offering

Rock of Ages, "It is done," You cried
The curtain's torn and I see justice satisfied
Now write Your mercy here on my heart and hands
Rock of Ages, in faith I stand

Rock of Ages, my great hope secure
Your promise holds just like an anchor to my soul
Bind your children with cords of love and grace
Rock of Ages, we give You praise

Rock of Ages by Sandra McCracken

Immeasurable

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Ephesians 3:20-21

Litchfield Beach

I'm surprised by the number of people who have not heard of or been to Litchfield Beach. I almost hate to say that it's my favorite place in the whole world but....it is! My family owns a beach house in South Litchfield. The house is called "Dot's Spot", after my grandmother, Dorothy Marie Tourtellotte Carpenter, who passed away in 2006.

This house holds so many wonderful memories for me. I could not even begin to tell you all the stories from times spent at this house. I love to open the door for the first time of the trip, close my eyes, and breathe in memories of so many vacations, weekends, reunions, and celebrations spent inside the walls of this house over the past 45 years! What an amazing place. It is a place of rest and relaxation with no time restraints or schedules to interrupt.

Recently my parents, aunts and uncles have spent countless hours refurbishing the house and it looks fantastic with refinished hardwood floors, recovered furniture, new beds and linens! It almost looks like a new house! They have done a fantastic job!

This past week I spent 4 days and 4 1/2 nights (we got in kinda late Saturday after a wonderful day/evening in Charleston) at the house with friends from Greenville who are teachers and get Spring Break! It was great to be with them on my "extended spring break". I really enjoyed getting away and just relaxing. These girls were FANTASTIC relaxers! I wish that it would have been just a little bit warmer but it was overall a great trip! I was kind of sad to come back to reality this weekend. But...

This weekend is a wonderful time of celebration as we remember Jesus' death and resurrection on Easter.

Hallelujah! He is Risen!

Happy Easter!

Lyrical Confusion

Let me start off by saying that I LOVE MUSIC! I can listen to just about anything and I can definitely see just about anything live and enjoy it! My most recent show/concert was Josh Ritter at the Orange Peel in Asheville. The Orange Peel is an great venue for those who haven't been there, I highly recommend it!! And, they have a Big Ass Fan. No really, that's what it's called. :) I've also been to recently the Avett Brothers at the Peace Center in Greenville in November! They are so good live! It was a great show!

So, even though I love music, I'm pretty good at making up the lyrics to songs that I like and listen to but am just mistaken about the words. Here are a few examples:

1)Umbrella by Rihanna:
a) Actual Lyrics: Under my umbrella -ella -ella -ella
b) Marie's Lyrics: Under my arm forever -ever -ever -ever

2)Disturbia by Rihanna:
a) Actual Lyrics: Your mind's in disturbia, it's like the darkness is light; Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight?; Disturbia, ain't used to what you like; Disturbia, disturbia
b) Marie's Lyrics: Stir it up...(never would've guessed the rest of that)

3)White Horse by Taylor Swift
a) Actual lyrics: I'm not the one you sweep off her feet, lead her up the stairwell
b) Marie's Lyrics: I'm not the one you sweet off your feet, leader of the stairwell

4) Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn
a) Actual Lyrics: And Reverend Greene be glad to see you, when you haven't got a prayer
b) Marie's Lyrics: will river and green, be glad to see you, when you haven't got a prayer

I'm know that I could think of some more but those are all songs that I've heard and only recently figured out what the real lyrics are! AND these are only the ones that I know about! Who even knows about the ones that I DONT know about! Ha!

Please feel free to share your stories of Lyrical Confusion!