Learning about a gracious God in Orlando...

This season of life has brought me back to the home away from home…Orlando. “Hotlando,” as I like to call it. I was really nervous going into this summer, not knowing what it would be like and not feeling super excited about it. Little did I know just how GRACIOUS He was being to me…I feel so cared and thought for!!! Why would I have ever thought any differently?!

Here's a few of many...

1.    Community…24/7… friends to talk to and gain perspective from.

2.    Waking up to emails from Nate

3.    our staff team! such a fun group of people to be around. being with them doesn't feel like work. 

4.    the Celebration gym…Best. Gym. Ever.

5.    digging in the Word with students. Incredible. They have such fresh eyes!!

6.    getting to sit by the pool and read a good story

7.    baby Hart… he’s so awesome and smiley

8.    flowers… passing by them sitting pretty on the table

9.    learning new pasta salad recipes

10. living with “Linda,” a constant encouragement, and praying with her at night

11. morning prayer. students grouped to ask God for big things.

12. hangouts with Megan and Lindsey, missing the other 3 world travelers, and our email thread.

13. lighting a candle and Acoustic Guitar Radio in the room

14. prank calls after hours, laughing in hysteria!

15. the sweetness of God’s word and what He has shown me in…

--Psalm 62…the slight but important difference in vs. 1 and 5

--Romans 8:31-32…God is FOR US

--Job 26:14…the thunder of His power!!

16. Coffee in the mornings. and Starbucks. no matter where I am, there’s a Starbucks!

17. Face time. And iPhones. iPhones are the BEST. text messages that travel across the world!

18. the thankfulness mirror in our room, slowly covering up the “mirror of vanity”

19. phone calls from my Momma and Poppa

20. The Orlando sunsets…absolutely breathtaking!

21. girls night with Meg, Betsy, Tiffany, Linds, and the Team Leaders

22. Field day…aka the Hunger Games.  

23. the Dwiggins being here and getting to spend time with them

24. Sunday night meetings and the things I am learning through the talks

25. City Church and the preaching there. showing us how much Exodus points to Jesus. and the worship there.

26. Grady’s talk on God the Father, looking at John 3:16-17

27. Dressing up for project socials

28. The ways I have been so loved and encouraged in such specific ways by the UNC girls, and the sweet gift from my D group

29. Naps at 11pm in order to stay up past curfew

30. Getting to see the UNC disciple girls grow in knowing God!

#8...flowers on the table

#27...old women at the Walmart

#24 Sunday night theme meetings

#28...the sweet gift from my D group

#22...Effie and Seneca

#17...Facetime with this guy

#9...pasta salad!

#18...the thankfulness mirror

Looking back: 100 things I am thankful for this year...

" ...give thanks in all circumstances..." (1 Thess 5:14)

1.     Living with Marve in Apartment #5

2.     Meg, Mags, Mols, Lisa, and Linda….wouldn’t have made it through the year without these friends

3.     Chapel Hill, where every season is lovely

4.     My incredible family….cherish every phone call with them

5.     Foster’s Coffee, Whole Foods coffee…free refills!

6.     Packages from Mama

7.     8-10am… digging in the Word

8.     hanging out with Mason and Grant

9.     Anna Holcombe, Steph Key, SJ Fox, and Abby Haithcock….4 girls that have absolutely blessed me this year

10.   Being with Sydney Andrews in her senior year

11.   The discovery of almond milk

12.   3 way phone calls with Hannah and Natalie

13.   Momma teaching me recipes via phone

14.   Learning to cook and wearing and apron

15.   Envelopes in the mail from Chaway, simply saying "Kate My Love, it is time for you to come home"

16.   The discovery of rainymoods.com

17.   Working out with Holcombe, SJ, and Chooks

18.   Having Anna Dwiggins spend Easter with me

19.   My little brother coming to Tangle in the Triangle

20.   Spending a weekend in Richmond with Albert

21.   Taking Shades to Charleston…every single moment of that trip

22.   Ann Voskamp’s book and blog

23.   Discovery of Acoustic Guitar Radio on Pandora

24.   Sweet time with Coco Mihaich and Beanie and seeing them off at the airport before Malaysia

25.   The beach weekend for Molly’s birthday! Perfect weather with incredible friends

26.   Tim Keller Sermons

27.   The Summit Church

28.   Allergy meds and advil

29.   Getting to make each of our friends feel loved and special on their birthday

30.   Erik and Katie McKee, grace overflowed from them to me

31.   When Grant spills his coffee and we all get a good laugh…daily

32.   Night runs with Mason

33.   Learning to name flowers

34.   Duke Gardens

35.   Learning... chess, tennis, and about the world wars, and French

36.   Outside time and sketching and volleyball

37.   Visiting Grant before his ACL surgery and spending time with his family

38.   Ben Uthe becoming a Christian

39.   The trip to Wilmington in August…SO fun!

40.   Paige Reeves and Deb Lee, two of my dearest friends this year

41.   Katie McCabe, Jess Jordan,  and Anna Noone…one of the friendliest suites in the world

42.   Starbucks at Ram’s Head

43.   Walking to whole foods to get a nice salad with Shades

44.   The cool breeze in the Fall and Spring

45.   Summit Tee’s… softest things in the world

46.   The Summit Staff Retreat and being treated so well

47.   The Thompson Family…David and Jen, I adore them

48.   Taco Thursdays with the D group

49.   Getting to see sailboats

50.   I really am thankful for my iphone, its really cool!

51.   Trojans winning District champs, O’s baseball… and Shades’ excitement at both

52.   Times with Hannah Love, long or short, picking up where we left off

53.   Durham Bulls baseball game for Maggie’s birthday

54.   Sleepovers in Durham and Peace St.

55.   Staff training, a whole week with my favorite people!

56.   Brooke Fraser Radio

57.   Getting to watch to wonderful friends fall in love and get married, Hannah and Nathan Wheeler

58.   Dark chocolate covered raisins

59.   Trader Joe’s delicacies

60.   Psalm 119 and what it’s teaching me

61.   New journals

62.   My supporters…faithful and loving givers...providing for me

63.   Seeing someone understand the Gospel

64.   Students taking a Friday night to attend a worship night

65.   The new light Mason installed outside of my front door…I feel safer : )

66.   My neighbor Candice and her dog Charlie

67.   Signing the lease on a new apartment

68.   The staff retreat in Blowing Rock…restful beyond imagination, and spoiled there

69.   Time at Erik and Katie’s house…fun and refreshing

70.   Watching Reece Butler grow up, couldn’t adore a baby more

71.   Natalie McKinney falling in love and getting engaged

72.   Spotify radio, and that John Mayer song, “In Your Atmosphere (live)”

73.   “It’s a Shore Thing Weekend”…sharing the closet with Sydney, the scary storm, shagging on the beach

74.   Bowe Butler, leading us and loving us so well; his patience

75.   Getting to live so close to Ashley Butler

76.   Grant, CJ, and Mason’s spontaneous trip to Charleston in December…so fun, and Albert loved it best!

77.   The balcony at UNC and getting a text from Dwiggins that simply says “balc” and knowing just what that means

78.   My awesome bike

79.   Getting to meet Emmy Van Iten for the first time and hugging Ally

80.   The ride to Natcon with Maggie May

81.   The senior girls at UNC, Dwigs, and Boat…all people I feel so comfortable around

82.   Sunsets when driving from Raleigh to Chapel Hill

83.   Sunsets and Shiki (Suki) Sushi with Shades

84.   The opening of Sweet Frog in Chapel Hill

85.   Watching Seabiscuit, the first good movie I’ve seen in a while

86.   taking girls home for SB2012

87.   Church with Poppa when I’m home, and every time I get to go home and see my parents and siblings

88.   Quinn Wells and McKenzie Byrd…2 people that make Charleston less lonely for me!

89.   Watching Charles play rugby

90.   Maple View to watch the stars with the D group

91.   My car, Big Bertha: having it frequently hold 7+ people

92.   Being out of control and learning to pray for things

93.   Valentine’s day raisins and a rose

94.   Learning to love evaluations

95.   Sitting on a porch when it’s raining

96.   Faux Fire on the computer in the winter

97.   The CO Office Staff and their patience with my questions

98.   Lunches with Steph Strickland

99.   Prayer cards

100. my boyfriend