Pawley's Island

Dear Dorothea Benton Frank:

Your book Pawley's Island is one of my favorite books of all time. It brings to life all of my memories from growing up going to Pawley's Island and Litchfield. My heart holds such a sweet spot for that corner of the world. I have read this book about three times and every time I laugh and cry! You have such a way with words. The following three paragraphs are favorite quotes from your book about Pawley's and the spirit and way of life there. These words are so true.

For all my life, any time spent here made everything right. I could stand on the porch and breathe in with all my lungs, exhale my troubles in a whoosh and the breeze carried them away. I moved differently, slowly but with deliberateness. I slept soundly remembering all my dreams. It's a simple retreat for some and a spa for the soul to others. One thing is certain, its unlike any other place on God's entire creation 

Sure, you've heard about the handmade hammocks and the pristine beaches. You've seen gorgeous pictures of the sunsets and the marsh teeming with wildlife. But you dont know Pawley's until you've been there and experienced its tremendous power.  It is only a tiny sandbar south of Myrtle Beach and north of Georgetown, but be warned, it is there that the Almighty Himself would like to engage you in conversation and redirect your soul.  

The island was a place where you figured things out, made sense of your life and learned to live with yourself and forgive yourself, all the while humbled by its astonishing power and beauty. You just needed some time on Pawleys to find the truth of your own heart and to be grateful again for life.

I cannot wait to return there! I want to swing in the hammock, sit on the front porch during a thunder storm, sit out on the beach with my toes in the water until I am hungry. I want to enjoy the lazy way of life that is Litchfield. I want to exhale my troubles and have the breeze carry them away. I want to sleep soundly. I want a retreat for my soul. I want the Almighty to engage me in conversation.

Look at this sweet baby....

I wish I was at the beach with her right now!!

Baby Dot, with crazy beach hair

Keith Urban and Asheville

This weekend was a whirlwind and went by too quickly but it was so, so much fun!

Friday night I went to see Jake Owen and Keith Urban at Tompson Boling with my friend Lindsey! Jake was good. He has a real deep voice, which I love. Keith was so so good. He was so energetic and interactive with the crowd. He was so much fun!

Jake Owen

This is Lindsey and me, waiting for Keith!

HUGE discoball

Keith

Saturday, I got up and went to Asheville with Jonathan. We had such a great time! We spent the day visiting Biltmore. We also picked out several awesome restaurants that we wanted to visit.

Who is my audience?

At church they've been doing a series on Wisdom.  They've really been calling it Proverbs but it hasn't really been Proverbs focused - it's been wisdom focused. They do a lot of jumping around in scripture, which I don't necessarily like, but Sunday's sermon really hit home with me. And let me just say, that I'm about to get real honest and I hope that this steps on your toes, the way it did mine. (All of the following is from Fellowship Church, Knoxville on 08/07/2011)

One of the questions that Rick asked was: Who is your audience? When I seek my core purpose, meaning and affirmation, I turn to ______________.


Ouch. My authority is mostly, mainly, has been lately, anybody but God. 

Why would it be anyone else that the Creater of the Universe. The Almighty? Why? Because - I like to define myself by things I can control. Control. That's the key word. Why do we resist surrendering ourselves to him? He is God.

My authority lately has been work. Work, of all things, has controlled my mind and my life and my thoughts
for the last three years. I'm constantly anxious about how I'm doing and what's going on and when am I going to be let go?  Rick said the following Sunday: "You don't own your career. Failure or movement in a career is often times God opening a door to a whole new place with him that you've never known before. Unemployment is not the rejection of God, sometimes it is a walk into a very hard passage of surrender. Put your heart out there and trust Him."

Why is this so hard? Why is it so hard to surrender to him? Why is it our inclination to resist Him? Is it because we are Americans?

John Piper writes: "When you have tasted the beauty of God and the approval of God in Christ, the addiction to human approval is broken". I have tasted of that approval of God, but I find it very easy to forget. And to go straight to someone who makes me feel good about my work or myself or my situation.  We worship to get his affection and approval and affirmation. This need we have is a reflection of the need you have for God the father. He is hardwired to give you affirmation and acceptance because it's who He is. 

Biblical authority is exchanging my glory for His Glory; secured in His authority and seeking his approval.

John 5:44
How can you believe when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the ONLY God?