Top 10 of 2013- 6-2

Winter Retreat

Normally right now I would be packing to leave for Winter Retreat with my youth group tomorrow. But this year, for the first time in as long as I can remember, I am not going. With that being said, Winter Retreat 2012/2013 was definitely a top 10 moment of my year. We kicked the year off in a common room with the entire youth group. A room full of the people I spend all of my time with and love more than they could ever know. I sat between Deedra and Trevor as we continually checked our phones and when it turned midnight, the room erupted. Everyone was up, hugging one another and genuinely enjoying the time away and with one another. Aside from being with my friends as 2013 began, we spent the first several days worshiping the Lord and preparing our hearts for trials to come throughout the year. Trips like this are always my favorite because of the renewal it brings to old friendships and new bonds with blooming ones. While I find myself extremely sad I am not joining the hooligans on the church vans in the morning, I know there will come a time when I can be a counselor and minister to a new group of youth kids and I will create new memories worthy of a top 10 of that year. 

Anna Kate

My precious bundle of joy niece turned two this year! It blows my mind how much she has grown over the course of this year. I find myself counting moments by gauging what words AK was saying at that time or what she may have been calling me. Over the course of this year I have evolved from "Reyssshhhhh" to full-blown "Aunt Reychel". That voice is the sweetest thing I've ever heard in my life. Elizabeth calls me a sucker, but I am totally okay with that title. During a conversation with Heather this weekend, she also accused me of being obsessed with her. I realize though....it's definitely an accurate statement. I never knew I could love the way I love her. Being privileged to witness many moments of her life this year only makes my heart swell with joy. AK is my little bitty best friend! I cannot wait to see what 2014 brings in AK jokes and firsts!

FRBC Youth & Summer Camp

In addition to attending my last winter retreat at the beginning of this year, I also attended my last summer camp for a while. I was a counselor and my mom wasn't there which were both strange conditions for me. I was technically a counselor, being 21, but I still felt like a camper in a lot of ways. First of all, the boys just used me as a "counselor" so they were allowed to walk up to the bluff by themselves, cause when we got there the staff member didn't believe I was a counselor! It was quite funny, and Deedra wasn't far behind us so it all was fine. (No one was injured haha) It was extremely bittersweet going to camp, being a counselor, and then coming home to do my last camp night. Going into camp I knew I would only be in the Youth until the end of July so it was important to me to make the most of my time with those that were not moving out with me. Memories were made, burdens were lifted, broken hearts mended. It was the perfect high note to leave on. It was difficult for me to finally step out of the youth because my heart has been in it for so long, but I have seen God show me it was the correct decision over the last few months. The youth has new members and is building its new group and I'm happy to witness it from the outside. God is working through Bro. Nick and Ashley to prepare this youth to do great things!

Cruise!

This is one of my most exciting and fun moments from this year, going on my first cruise! Brittany and I made the decision to do something awesome for Spring Break and we took a cruise to Belize and Cozumel together. The boat was beautiful, we made fun friends at the dinner table, and did some shopping and exploring while we were at each stop. It is a memory I wouldn't have wanted to share with anyone else. There's not many people I could spend 11 hours straight in a car with driving from Fort Lauderdale to home with ;). I'm thankful God has allowed our friendship to prosper through college and 2014 looks promising for bigger and better adventures with her!

Girls Day Out/Pumpkin Patch

During summer camp this year, I meshed an old girls group with a new one and somehow came up with a foursome that has brought me more laughs, comfort, and happiness than I expected. Destiny, Casey, Victoria and I make a silly little group. But we sure do love each other! Before school started back in the fall, we all went on a girls day to the new outlets in Woodstock and shopped, laughed, and made memories. In November, we took another day trip to the Pumpkin Patch and the Apple Festival, this time accompanied by Matthew! We had the best time. I love these girls with all my heart. I can't imagine sharing girls nights with anyone else. Although we aren't all the same, we all have different quirks that make it work somehow. What makes it even better is I can honestly say I have a close, cherished friendship with each individual in addition to be a collective group of friends. I know these are bonds that will last a lifetime. We're going to end up like our moms all spending time together away from our future husbands at least once a month or something, I can see it now :) 

Top 10 of 2013- Number 7 & 8

Intramural Sports Job

This semester I got the opportunity to get an on campus job, but when I applied, I had no idea what I was in for. So far, this has been the most exciting and enjoyable job I could have ever imagined having at school. Working with Intramural Sports has been a crazy ride. I've had the opportunity to meet tons of new people and also be on the soccer field even though I can't physically play much anymore. What began as a small commitment, grew into a larger time commitment because of how much I like it! I not only worked in the evenings, but I started doing office hours twice a week and getting to know my boss and the workings of intramural sports better. It was a great experience! So great, that I will be working four days a week in the office next semester. I find myself wishing I had found this job much earlier in my career at KSU because I am going to be so sad to leave when May and graduation comes. I am thankful for those I've met and the opportunities and encouragement I have received from my boss. This is one of my favorite "moments" from 2013 and I'm looking forward to what will be equally as memorable in 2014.

All Things School Related

Every time I turned around this year, I feel like I was doing something for the "last time" in my undergraduate career. I registered for classes for the last time, I'm currently on my last extended break I will ever have due to entering the workforce, I went to my last summer camp and winter retreat as a member of the youth group....just to name a few. For the first time I was recognized on the Dean's List this summer. I petitioned to graduate. All these things have crept up on me and I find myself realizing graduation is in a mere 141 days. (woah baby!) I only have 5 more classes to complete before I earn my bachelors degree in Business Management. I've been on this journey with many people supporting me along the way. I owe so much to the people who have prayed, encouraged, helped, and just been my friend during my time in college. I may not have started on this journey where I wanted to be, but I know that this is where I was supposed to be. Next semester will hold several more lasts leading up to a new start, but we'll get there eventually!

Until next time,

Reychel

Top 10 of 2013- Number 9

21st Birthday

This year I celebrated my 21st birthday and it was one of the best birthdays I've ever had, but not for the reason you might think. I do not drink, I cared nothing about finally having my "rite of passage" where I could drink legally when I turned 21. This was just a special birthday. I was surrounded by the people I love all weekend. I was surprised in several different ways and I never thought I could feel so loved.

We celebrated all weekend. I returned from my first cruise (more details in another post) the Thursday before my birthday on Sunday. Saturday evening I had my first experience at The Steakhouse in Rockmart. It was delicious! I was joined by my mom, the Rogers, the Kerlins, the Swansons, the Heltons, and Logan. I couldn't have asked for a better dinner. Nick prayed over the meal and we all sat, laughed and stuffed our faces. Midnight struck and the overflowing notifications from social media, texts, and phone calls commenced. My sister, brother-in-law, and niece joined us for church and lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (my favorite). We spent the afternoon at the park and I came home to find my room was decorated by my crazy friends Leslie and Leila, but they didn't stop there. After evening service, I came out and my car was covered in writing, streamers, and balloons! As annoying as it was cleaning all that off, it was one of my most memorable birthdays. It was a weekend full of reminders of how blessed and loved I am. I'm not sure any birthdays will ever top that one, but that's okay because I can't get any older....then I'll be the same age as my sister ;) (she insists that she's still 22!) 

So even without the experience of having a legal drink or partying until I couldn't remember I still had an amazing birthday. Funny how that works, huh? 

Until next time,

Reychel 

Top 10 of 2013- Number 10

When thinking about this year and how to wrap all the great things that have happened up into one blog post, I got an idea...from Elizabeth's blog, but an idea nonetheless. Elizabeth is doing a "top ten of 2013" and it inspired me to do the same. There's no way I could ever summarize everything from this year into one blog post so this will help me hit the highlights!

10- Movie Nights & Parking Lot Talks

If I tried to count the number of movies I have seen with my friends in the last year, I wouldn't be able to. I'm convinced that our little group of friends is single handedly supporting the industry. Despite all the money I've spent on movies this year, I wouldn't trade it for nights at home before midnight. Many nights after seeing a 9, 10 or even pushing 11 showing we would come out and stand in the parking lot for at least an hour talking, joking, and since it's gotten colder, freezing! Any time we go to the movies, it is a different combination of our group of friends. I cherish my times when it's just me and the boys because I know it will not be like this forever. They make me laugh until I cry with their shenanigans! But no matter how few we are in number, we always have a good time- regardless of whether the movie ended up being a good choice or not (we've made several poor movies choices this year, but I digress). Not only have we had countless nights at the movie theater, but we've also made it a habit of having movie nights periodically at either my house or Matt's house normally. Those are also full of the same types of ridiculousness as when we're at the movie theater. 

Logan, Matt, Victoria, Trevor, Destiny, Casey, and I have formed this tight knit group of people I call my best friends. I love it. There's no other group of people that make me laugh more than they do. The countless jokes and at times, serious talks are memories I will cherish for a long time to come. As we progress through my top 10 of this year, they will be involved in the majority of my greatest moments this year simply due to the fact my most memorable moments include them! 

Until next time,

Reychel

Love Worth Waiting For

My parents' anniversary was a few weeks ago and it got me thinking....what is love? I am an admitted hopeless romantic. I adore reading Nicholas Sparks' novels and watching all assortments of romantic movies, whether it be The Notebook, or a romantic comedy like The Proposal. Although, all these romantic stories and fairy tales little girls hear growing up are not necessarily a correct depiction of what love truly is.

I think the media has put a negative spin on love, that it comes and goes and it isn't really a problem if it's only temporary because someone else will come along. This saddens me. The idea that divorce is acceptable and sleeping around isn't really that big of a deal is just plain wrong. God did not intend for either of those things to become the "norm". Marriage is a sacred entity that God created. I am by no means condemning those who have been through divorce, I understand that circumstances happen. Things change that are out of your control and the situation needs to be changed. My mom is divorced, and now she has been happily married to my daddy for 23 years. God creates beautiful things out of storms in our life and my parents' marriage is an example of that for my mom.

Lately there have been a significant amount of different marriage talk blog posts circulating on Facebook. Being a hopeless romantic, I read every one to see other people's outlook on marriage and how they incorporate Christ into the importance of a relationship. I agree with some, disagree with others, but posts that give me hope are ones like the one my mom shared a few days ago. (I'm posting the link at the bottom if you'd like to read it!) This blog, "A Holy Experience", explained what real romance is. It's not the fairy tale picture of the most extravagant proposal you can think of and the marriage with no problems where you live "happily ever after". It is about a man who leads your marriage as the head of the house as God intended, the man who loves you when you're not so nice or when you're sick as a dog. The man that bores a hole into your heart. Isn't that beautiful? That's the kind of love I want.

I'm 21, and have only truly had one real relationship. Loneliness hurts. Seeing others around me in relationships and wondering what's wrong with me is painful and also something incredibly ridiculous all at the same time. I shouldn't be thinking these things. I see others around me in love, like two of my best friends (who are ridiculously cute and meant for each other), and I think "I want that, why don't I have that?" Well you know what the answer to that is? Because God hasn't said yes for me yet. And that's okay. All this waiting is only making me more of the woman God needs me to be for the man He has for me. I really struggle with this particular subject and have had many friends and mothers to me tell me, in the midst of my tears and their concern, that someone is waiting for me...and they are going to be amazing. I have no choice but the believe them, because they know me best and they want the best for me as well. In the bible, Jacob worked for a total of 14 years to have the right to marry Rachel and it seemed but a moment to him because of how deeply he loved her. Now THAT'S love. To be pursued, to be willing to do anything to be with the person you love, that's the kind of love God meant for everyone. He created romance, so he desires for his children to be romanced. Christ is a picture of romantic love. This is the kind of love I am waiting on.

In the meantime, I hope and pray I am becoming the woman of God I need to be for the man God has for me. There are so many things I want to do in life and be to someone. Be a wife. Be a mother. But those are for another post. :) So ladies, if you're reading this and feeling discouraged because you're single too, don't worry. God has someone for you that will romance you the way you are meant to be. We just have to step back and allow God to write our love story!

A "Boring" Man (This is the post I was talking about earlier!)
25 Things I'll Tell My Wife (This is a great post, I loved it! The whole blog is great, and the lists make me want to write more!)

Until next time,
Reychel

A Master of "The Little Things"

I am overwhelmingly blessed to have the father that I do. Of anyone, I think he may be one of the experts in my life of doing the little things to make me (and my mom) smile. He is one of the most caring people I have ever met in my life, even if he doesn't show it well or even all the time. But the times he does show it, it's not for recognition or for something in return, it's just because he's thinking of me. He's my first love and he's the man I owe so much to. I could never ask for a better father, Godly man to lead my family all these years, provider, or friend.

Very often Daddy reminds me of how important the little things are. Like today for example. Before I even got up for class, he had to go to physical therapy. I left for class before he got home and about halfway to school I realized I had missed his call. I called him back and he said "I brought you a biscuit (from Martin's, my favorite) but you're not here. I'll put it in the refrigerator." He thought I would still be there when he got back, and brought me breakfast. I was disappointed that I didn't get to eat that delicious biscuit today, but I have something to look forward to in the morning and it'll put a smile on my face because he did it just for me.

This is only one instance of many, many things Daddy does for me. Throughout my life he has never hesitated to provide for me everything I needed and most of the things I wanted as well (within reason). I could never thank him enough for this life he has given me and the loving example he has given me. It is normally emotional for me to talk about him, because I am a daddy's girl through and through. As I sit here typing, my eyes are watering. Whether that's from love, happiness, or sadness that my time living at home with him is coming to a close as I approach graduation, I would say it's a mixture. I know he'll always be here for me. Always. He loves me like Jesus does, and for that, I could never ask for more.

Until next time,
Reychel

Importance of People

Having the right people surrounding you has a huge weight on your happiness. We all encounter tough situations where we need to know someone has your back 100% to get through it. We also have the other extreme, when something exciting is happening and all you want to do is share it with someone who will ultimately be as excited as you are about it! I have been overwhelmingly blessed with wonderful people all around me at school, work (present and past jobs), church, and at random.

I currently work for Intramural Sports as an official. I never had so much respect for officials who wear those black and white stripes on the field until I became one. Currently I am officiating outdoor soccer, which I love. Since I am unable to play, due to many previous soccer injuries, it gives me joy to be on the field in some way. Last week, I had an extremely tough call. The game I was officiating was a pretty physical one and several cards were thrown. Ultimately, I had to issue two yellow cards to a player, which results in a red card and an ejection.  The game after that card was also over because there had been three cards on one team. It was a tough situation because I had to stand firm on my call and hear the back talk from the angry players and disagreements with my call. But there is a silver lining here. My partner on the field, and the supervisors that were present were behind me 100%. This made the situation not so bad. Their confidence in me allowed me to shrug off some hurtful words from the players who disagreed with me. I am not a mean person, I do not enjoy issuing cards during a soccer game. Especially when those cards will ultimately end the game or that player's participation in the game. I never thought I would enjoy a job so much until I started working with intramurals this season and having this awesome team of coworkers just makes it even better.

This weekend I went to the UGA Homecoming game with my sister. The atmosphere at the game is so much fun. I bleed red and black, and I love my Georgia Bulldogs! During the game, they honored several veterans and staff. One that was touching, and had my sister and I crying, was a soldier's surprise homecoming on the field. How can you not cry at a mother running full-speed across the field to her son who just returned from Afghanistan? The stadium erupted in applause, everyone stood up yelling in excitement. What an incredible experience. I didn't even know these people, but it was a blessing to see the joy in the mother's eyes, the warm feeling that just overcame the stadium as we all welcomed him home as if we were a big family. These are the things I love about people. The feeling of camaraderie when we all experience something so special together.

These are just a few of the little things God showed me through people this week.


Until next time,
Reychel

Reasons

I've had it on my heart recently to share my journey and random thoughts through a blog. God has tremendously blessed me in this life and as I approach the "real world" (cue the doomsday music) I find I continue to realize how much He has provided for me and kept me from over the past four years.

Let's start with a little bit about me:
Rewind back 4 years. I am a senior in high school. A student in the magnet program at Kennesaw Mountain with high hopes and big dreams of going to University of Georgia and following in my sister's footsteps of being a bulldawg. Well, God had other plans for me. My world was rocked when I received that rejection letter. I will never forget that day. But, that's what I get for thinking I knew God's plan for my life right? After putting all my eggs into a red and black basket, only for it to topple over I suddenly found myself without a plan. The easiest option for me at the time was to resort to attending KSU and living at home until I could transfer. In the fall of 2010, I began my journey at Kennesaw as an owl.

And here I am. Four years later. Graduating in less than 200 days with a degree in business management with a minor in marketing. I never transferred. I fell completely in love with Kennesaw and I remain true to the owls. The last four years have been a roller coaster of events and emotions with friends, family, work, and school, but the fact is I wouldn't trade it for anything. I was meant to stay home for college. God kept me at Kennesaw for a reason, and He shows me that through all the little things in life.

That is why I want to write this blog. If you know me, you know I am a HUGE proponent of how much the little things count in my day to day. Little things like a phone call from a friend, a text saying "I'm praying for you", someone holding the door open, or even just finding a good parking space in the parking deck. All these little things can add up to big things. The little things are what keep me going and allow me to see God in my life every day. So, I hope you will enjoy reading about the little things God does for me on a daily basis. Now, I may not write every day due to having a full load of classes, working with intramural sports and being involved at my church....but I'm going to do my best to make sure I give God the glory as much as possible.

"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart" -Piglet
*Piglet was a smart little pig, don't you think?

Until next time,
Reychel