ahhhh!

i'm too busy to blog...

i know that's the lamest excuse EVER...but sadly, it's the truth...

hope to be back soon!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

some very great friends of mine have had birthdays this week...

happy birthday ashley...aimee...and courtney!

hope your birthdays have been as wonderful as you all are!

whew!

i am wore out! i just got home from spending the day at our district wrestling meet!

12 hours...1 gym
14 wrestlers...9 advancing to regionals

it was awesome, but exhausting! i am so proud of my boys!

can't wait to do it all again next weekend at regionals!

oh michael...

you've all probably heard the news about michael phelps and his less than brilliant decision that has made headlines world wide...

i was bummed to hear the news, but sadly, not really surprised. we so quickly put people with athletic greatness or other talents on to a pedestal, elevating them above the rest of world...forgetting that they're still real people who make mistakes...then as quickly as we have exalted them, we bash them...

i read something written about the incident that really got me thinking...if you get a second, check out what cj mahaney had to say here! it definitely changed my thoughts on the situation...

wondering on wednesday

for a while i've wanted to start reading more...

does reading blogs count for that?!

or does it have to be actual books...because if it is books, then i am doing a terrible job at reading more...

and speaking of terrible jobs, i'm also doing a terrible job at posting every day this month...sorry...i lied...but i do promise to try harder...

happy february!

i've decided it's time i blog more...and since it's the start of a new month, it seemed logical for me to start today! my goal is to post every day this month!!

january was an exceptionally busy month in my life...which is just one of the many excuses i could come up with for not posting more regularly!

work has been crazy! we've lost a PT and gained a PT in the clinic in january, making us be a little more flexible with our schedules. but we're very excited about the new addition to our team! the school has kept me very busy...bouncing between the winter sports, girls and boys basketball and soccer, and wrestling, and the spring sports starting up, baseball, and softball! winter sports are wrapping up though (woo woo!) track is just starting too! the softball team is looking much more promising this season (thank goodness)! our first game is february 10...ahhh!

i went to a day continuing education coference in orlando saturday. it was lots of fun to see old friends...some i planned on seeing and others a pleasant surprise! i learned a lot of interesting things about functional training and the shoulder...plus got lots of great FREE stuff!!

lauren and i have been diligently training for our marathon, which is two weeks away from today! AHHHHH! we ran 24.4 miles last week and didn't die, so we're thinking we might actually survive the entire 26.2 miles on race day! i'm getting more and more excited/scared the closer it gets!

i've also taken on a new job at access church, upstreet coach! this means that every 2nd and 4th sunday of the month i help facilitate our program for elementary age students. it has been SO fun...and exhausting! the kids are great and my small group leaders are phenomenal! because of the transition from waumba land to upstreet, i've not been able to attend normal services this year. we have moved to a bigger room and now meet in the lazarra theater at unf. today was my first sunday in there and i loved it! it is so exciting to see access grow! i'm so glad to get to be a part of it!

well, that's just a little bit of what has been happening in my life lately! check back tomorrow for more!

counting down the days...

i can't wait for superWOW 2009! thanks, scott, for this awesome video!

i think i might be a popsicle...

i can hardly type this post because my fingers are so numb from the cold...not really, but almost! (sometimes i tend to be a little dramatic when it comes to cold weather) seriously though, it has been absolutely freezing here the past few days! i know that it is much colder in other places around the world, but i just feel like it should never be cold in florida! that's why i live here...to be warm...not cold! being cold might possibly be my least favorite thing to be in the whole world!

saturday, i had to run in the cold! jami, her friend amanda, and i all ran in the river road resolution 5k...it may have been one of the dumbest things we've ever done! i have never worn more clothes to run in my life! jami did great though, finishing 5 minutes faster then her last 5k and finishing 10th in her age bracket!

the only positive i can find with the arctic blast we're experiencing, is that i get to wear my two favorite international scarfs, one from spain (from lauren) and the other from south africa (from aaryn)! thank you girls for bringing some joy to my life, despite the cold temperatures!!

wondering on wednesday

did you make any new year's resolutions?

on the road again...

well, i just made my third trip up I-75 to georgia in 3 weeks...

YEC starts on sunday!

it's going to be great!!

check this out for some previews of what will be going on!

Merry Christmas!

i hope you all have had a great Christmas...

spending time with those you love

giving, loving, laughing, eating

remembering the reason we can give, love, laugh, and eat

thankful for the birth of Jesus, the life that He lived, the love that He showed, the sacrifice He made

so, Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday, Jesus!

LOVE it

today might be the most perfect day ever!

the sky is so blue
it is 70 degrees outside...in december!
the sun is shining

it makes me smile.

i just want to lay outside on my back and stare at the sky all day!

i LOVE it!

I NEED AFRICA!

I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME

Last week, I was asked by Mocah Club to post about why I needed Africa. Reading blogs written by others who feel like me has completely opened my eyes and changed my heart.

Here is something from the heart of Barrett, part of the Mocha Club crew...

When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. “I am needed here,” I think. “They have so little, and I have so much.” It’s true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in the people. It’s a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day. [read more]




So, here's the challenge, friends, family, bloggers...



Read about it.
Watch about it.
Think about it.
Pray about it.
Do something about it.

And you can get a free shirt! Who doesn't love a FREE shirt?!

17 ?!?

lauren and i are getting ready to go run further then we have in our whole entire lives...

17 miles

i'm hoping my legs will hold out...and my lungs...and my will power!

i'll be back with a post-run update later today....

update: we made it! my legs are killing me! but we DID it!

he's here!

congratulations cindy and steven on the birth of your beautiful baby boy!

jake everett fruitticher was born on monday!!! i can't wait to get up to georgia and see that cute little guy!

even though cindy and steven will be greatly missed at YEC this year, baby jake is the best excuse to not be there!!

this family is so special to me and i am so thankful for their friendship! i can't wait to watch them raise this their son! they're going to be great parents!!

thankful

happy thanksgiving!

i have so much to be thankful for this year. incredible family...amazing friends...great job...good health...a place to live, food to eat, a car to drive...always more then i need! i am thankful for the country i live in and my freedom. i am thankful for God who loves me (and you) so much that He gave His only Son for our salvation and who wants to have a personal relationship with us...

sometimes life gets so busy and i forget all the things i have to be thankful for...from now on, i'm going to try and take time to be thankful everyday, not just thanksgiving.

Africa.

I've recently been introduced to something I think is awesome. It's called Mocha Club and here's what it's all about...

Mocha Club is a community-based website where members can start a team and invite friends to join them in giving $7 a month – the cost of 2 mochas – to support a project in Africa. Mocha Club's vision is to provide a way for people who don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars to make a difference in Africa.

As if what they do on a normal basis isn't cool enough, Mocha Club is beginning a new campaign on December 1. In preparation for that event, they've asked people to think about and discuss this statement: I need Africa more then Africa needs me.

It's a tough statement. What does it mean? I had to read a few times to really understand...and even after that, I'm not sure that I really do. But I am going to try an articulate how it makes me feel.

I have never been to Africa, but I feel like somehow part of it has always been inside of me. The people, the cultures, the history, the landscape, the whole continent fascinates me. That fascination has always led me to sort of selfish questions...and I guess that stems from my overall world view and general focus in life. It is so easy to get caught up in what is immediately surrounding us and miss the much much bigger picture of how life is happening all around the world.

So, why do I need Africa?

I need Africa to remind me that there is a bigger picture. Life is more then what is happening right around me.

I need Africa to emphasize the truth that less really is more...and that I have more then enough.

I need Africa to show me that happiness and satisfaction does not come from the possession of material things, but instead in how we live life- with purpose and discipline, by hard work, through relationships with family, friends, community, and ultimately Christ.

I need Africa to help me shift my focus and priority from myself to others and how I can meet their needs.

I need Africa to teach me how to love people like Jesus loves people- unconditionally, whole heartedly, with reckless abandon.



What do you think? Do you need Africa more then it needs you?

Leave me a comment...I'd love to hear what you think...and check out what Mocha Club is doing. It might just change lives in ways you could never imagine- yours included!

lots to do!

this is going to be a SUPER busy weekend...

- today: first round of play-offs for football in Orlando
- tomorrow: fly out at 5:40 am for jason and bekah's wedding in louisiana, wedding at 2 pm
- Sunday: fly home, see mom and dad, sleep?!

i can't wait! hopefully i'll survive it all!

obsession

i can't stop buying things with owls on them! i did it again today...note cards...and twice last week! AHHH!



i mean, i tried to justify the owl rug and cute little guy made out of bark and twigs...but other then pure cuteness, i had no justification. they were just things i wanted (not things i needed).

but i think i need to slow down...no more owl stuff for a while...unless it's really, really cute!

vote!

go!

do it now!

wait in line!

it will be worth it!

exercise your rights!

let you voice be heard!

take responsibility for your country!


be a part of history!