blog is a funny word

I got hitched!

2007-10-14T09:08:00.000-05:00

Yep. So here I am, saying my vows. It is an amazing mind-blowing thing to me that people believe in love enough to make a promise to be completely devoted to one person for the rest of their lives. And it happens all the time. It is such a big, exciting, scary, freeing, exhilirating decision. As terrifying as making a promise about forever when you can't predict the future is, there is an indescribable peace when someone vows to love you with all his heart and be with you no matter what....forever. Marriage, what a beautiful concept. God is good.

Lots going on....

2007-06-30T18:26:00.001-05:00

ok i dont know if anyone reads this anymore because i'm so slack at posting... lots has happened since my last post. i got engaged on May 31st and I'm getting married September 28th! Wow. Well, just wanted to keep you updated. :) Maybe I'll post more soon, but I only have 4 months to plan a wedding so I'm a little overwhelmed at the moment.

All guys aren't dogs....just uninformed.

2007-02-18T00:28:00.000-05:00

I have decided that I need to teach a class to Christian guys on how to treat ladies. I'm not talking about the open-the-door kind of stuff; I'm talking about the not-breaking-her-heart kind of stuff. And I'm not necessarily set on teaching the class myself, I just think somebody needs to do it and if no one will volunteer then I certainly will because I'm sick of listening to my girl friends upset over how a guy led her on, or got physically involved before emotionally committed, or couldn't communicate with her properly because he didn't want to be uncomfortable. Now, believe me, I know women are complicated creatures, so I'm not putting all the blame on the boys. But I think that the majority have no clue on how a woman works and they need someone to tell them so they quit hurting my friends. Now some of the lessons will be common sense to most of you, but you'd be surprised at the things some guys don't know. For instance, I recently heard a tale of a future pastor dumping a girl through a text message. Come on now. We can do better than this, men of God. Please start to think more about how the girl will feel if you behave a certain way, and, if in doubt as to what message you might be sending, ask another girl. Thanks. Love you guys!

I'm EMPLOYED!

2007-02-12T14:47:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to let all of you (5 people) know that I finally got a job after over 6 months of searching. I will be working at Protection & Advocacy for People with Disabilities here in Columbia. I really felt like God wanted me to hold out for a job where I was really helping people, and I think this it exactly what He had in mind. There were a lot of times when I got discouraged, impatient, or wanted to settle, but God is faithful and HE IS GOOD. :) I'll let you know more about exactly what I'll be doing soon. Love you guys!

Wow.

2007-01-16T00:13:00.000-05:00

Okay I think God is great and all, but there are also these exceptional times that something completely unexpected happens and God just blows me away with his incredible timing, infinite wisdom, and amazing plan. I had one of these moments recently.

Some backround information:
A few months ago, I wrote a post on here about a worship service we had at Midtown that really touched me. I described what I had seen, heard, and experienced that night just to share with you guys what was going on in my life, and even more than that, just to get my thoughts in writing so I could reflect on them. One paragraph of the post described a painting I found after the service that really had an impact on me.

Fast forward to a couple of weekends ago:
About 30 of us are sitting around a house in Isle of Palms telling stories about how we have seen Jesus working in our lives and the lives of people around us. A girl named Kate, who I just met earlier that day, begins to tell us about how she has been bringing the girls on her softball team to some church functions in hopes of showing them what Jesus is all about. Kate tells us about one friend in particular who had been having a really tough time after her father died.

Then Kate turns to me and said she had stumbled upon my blog through reading my friends' blogs. She had read the post about the worship service and realized that the painting I had described was done by the friend she had invited to church. Kate decided to copy and paste the paragraph from my blog and email it to her friend. Later that day, her friend called her crying. She told Kate couldn't fathom that someone who didn't even know her would care about her.

As Kate told the story to me and everyone else, I just sat in disbelief. I had no idea who the artist of the painting was when I wrote the post, nor did I ever expect to find out. I most certainly did not believe that she would ever see what I had written about her or know that anything was written at all. I just wrote the post to give me a better understanding of what God had done that night. Completely selfish reasons. And God took that and used a girl I'd never met before to show Jesus to someone who really needed some reassurance and encouragement. Unbelievable.

I went back and reread the post for the first time tonight. I couldn't remember what I wrote 3 months ago, and I wanted to see exactly what this girl had read about herself. Here it goes:

"I was helping clean up the paint station after the service last night. One of the paintings left behind was a picture of a broken heart. Beside the heart it said something like, “I really want to believe in You, but bad things keep happening to me. Prove Yourself!” At the bottom it said, “Tell my Daddy Hi.” I cannot begin to imagine the hardships people around me are facing. I know it is tough to believe in God when there doesn’t seem to be an end to the heartache in sight. But God is faithful. I hope that Midtown will be a place where this person finds a support system and people who really care about her. Most of all I pray that God reveals Himself to the painter of the broken heart."

God, you are so amazing. Thanks for letting me be a part of your work, even when I'm not even trying. :)

Resolution.

2006-12-31T13:47:00.000-05:00

We are now in 2007, and although I have been pondering this for a weeks now, I've decided on my official New Year's resolution. I know this is something I should already have been doing, and I do try, but I'm going to try to be be much more focused on it and intentional about it in 2007. My goal is to really think about how Jesus would love people and to do my best to imitate it.

This topic has been heavy on my heart for several weeks for many reasons. First of all, the temperatures are dropping, and Columbia is full of homeless people. What are all the people who have shelter and warmth doing for those who don't? I worked at an event called Homeless Connect not too long ago. It was held at an emergency shelter, and many vendors were brought in for one day to inform those less fortunate about services that could help them out, such as housing assistance, employment opportunities, mental health services, etc. They also had immediate help offered in wheelchair repair, AIDS screenings, and haircuts, as well as handing out contraceptives, socks, and free food. When I got there at 6:30am the line of homeless were waiting out the door to get into the warmth. I worked at the greeter's table, and watched as several couldn't fill out their information forms right away because their hands were numb from the cold. The vast majority could read and write, which surprised me. Many were war veterans, several were handicapped, and a few looked as ordinary as you and me.

Several of their stories touched me, but one in particular hit me hard. The overwhelming majority of homeless people at the event were African-American. (I think this is more than just coincidence and shows something is still terribly wrong with equality of opportunity in our society.) This middle-aged white man walked in wearing jeans and a Gamecock pullover. He could have easily passed as a volunteer. But then he came up to the information table and asked if he could stay at the shelter that night. He informed us that he had been living in his storage space, but that he didn't think he could make it there any longer with the weather so cold. He was very well-spoken and polite. I told him I would find the man in charge of the facility for him, and he asked me to please hurry because if he missed the bus then he would be late for work. Luckily the facility was able to accomodate him so he wouldn't have to try to survive the night in his storage space. The point of this story is that we never know what the person we pass on the street or in the grocery store is going through. I would have never guessed that this man was homeless and worried about how he was going to survive the night.

The project was a success. Here are some of the stats:
218 homeless individuals participated
80 applications or appointments were made for housing assistance
38 applications or appointments were made for job training programs
13 applications or appointments were made for mental health assistance
58 applications or appointments were made for benefits assistance programs
20 applications or appointments were made for disabilities services
300 pancakes were served
350 hot dogs were served
100+ haircuts were given
2 wheelchairs were repaired

The homeless that participated were asked to fill out exit surveys before they left the event. According to the project director, "The overwhelming majority listed the People/Volunteers as the one thing that they liked best and then went on to write personal comments about how 'friendly, nice, and helpful' you all were." That really hit me. They were given free food and a ton of services, and the thing they liked best was the human contact. The love shown by the volunteers.

I think my first and foremost responsibility, and God's second greatest commandment, is to love my neighbor as myself. I think I have trouble always seeing people as individuals with feelings, needs, and dreams. It is difficult sometimes not to see people in need as a project or to judge them for the circumstances they are in or choices they have made. Then I start to think about it and the only thing that separates me from them is that I happen to have been born into a good home with a great family. God has blessed me and He wants me to use those blessing to go out and help others in need...not to just throw money at them, but to truly love them and let them know people care about them.

The other circumstance that has made me reevaluate whether I try to love as Jesus loved is that recently one of my greatest friends in the world informed me he is homosexual. He had kept this from me for a very long time because he was afraid of how it would affect our friendship. His own brother doesn't even talk to him anymore.

This all happened right after the gay marriage debate in SC. Now I still haven't figured out exactly where I stand on all of this, but I do know it's not as black and white as I once believed. I do not believe that people get to choose what gender they are attracted to. As my friend told me, if this were this case, no one would CHOOSE to be gay because of the social stigma. My heart breaks for people facing this dilemma, as I cannot imagine not being able to love/marry the person of my choosing. I know that God has His reasons and they are infinitely more wise than my own, and I trust that He will gladly explain one day.

What I do know is that a friend should never feel like he can't confide in me because he's afraid I will judge him instead of love him. I do not like how society has made homosexuality such a bigger sin than greed, pride, or lust, or even gossiping and judging. And maybe it's just me, but I have a difficult time picturing Jesus standing in line on election day to vote against gay marriage. I think He would have had more important things to worry about, like loving people and providing for their needs.

In summary, in the new year I would like to quit seeing people as homeless or homosexual or whatever the case may be, and start seeing them all as Jesus would see them and then begin to love them accordingly.

(I understand I may have disagreement on this subject and that's okay because I don't mind additional insight.)

I passed the bar exam.

2006-11-02T10:19:00.000-05:00

Yep. Sure did. :) God is way too good to me.

Eating my words...

2006-10-04T01:42:00.000-05:00

Ok, so when anyone asked me what kind of law I want to practice(which is still almost everyday), my answer has always been "NOT criminal and NOT domestic (family law)." I'm pretty much fine with everything else. Well how's this for God having a sense of humor and telling me who's boss...here's the description of the job I'm sending in an application for tomorrow:

RURAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE GRANT - GRANT EXPIRES 07-31-2007.
UNDER GENERAL SUPERVISION, WILL INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT AND OTHER CASES INVOLVING ACTS AGAINST WOMEN. WILL SERVE SEVEN RURAL COUNTIES; CHESTERFIELD, MARLBORO, DARLINGTON, DILLON, MARION, CLARENDON AND WILLIAMSBURG. WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH SC COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT ORGANIZATION. WILL SERVE AS A LIAISON BETWEEN VICTIM SERVICE PROVIDERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND PROSECUTORS. WILL COORDINATE AND PARTICIPATE IN TRAINING BETWEEN THE SC CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACADEMY, SERVICE PROVIDERS AND THIS OFFICE. WILL PREPARE LEGAL MEMORANDA, AND OTHER RELATED DOCUMENTS. ASSIST WITH OTHER RELATED DUTIES AS ASSIGNED BY THE SUPERVISING ATTORNEY AND CHIEF DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL.

Now I have no idea if this will work out or not, but for some reason I felt like God was telling to put in my application. Perhaps it's similar to Abraham and Isaac and God just wants to see if I will obey a command that is so very opposite of what I desired and He will close that door for me. Or perhaps I may have a job very soon, one that involves both criminal AND domestic, and God and everyone else can have a good chuckle at my expense.

Reminds me of the days when I thought there was nothing worse than being a Clemson Tiger. God-2, Jerri-O.

A Different Approach

2006-09-19T00:02:00.000-05:00

Last night was Midtown’s second week of meeting at the state museum. I love it there! They tried something a little different, and instead of having a sermon, they set up several “stations” to pray and worship God individually and in a way of your own choosing. You can read about the different stations in Lee’s blog, because he describes them better than I could. My favorite was a pile of rocks next to a cross where you could place your “burdens” at the foot of the cross, handing them over to God.
I feel like so often churches try so hard to entertain its members in efforts to enlarge its numbers. They hide their messages in layers of jokes, popular music, and impressive technology. Don’t get me wrong, I love going to church and hearing great music. I also think technology can be very useful to get a point across. And I certainly encouraging laughing in church because Christians are supposed to be JOYFUL. But when churches use all these elements to hopefully sneak in a message in between, I think they are missing the point. We are supposed to be bold. We can’t water down the story of Christ and what being a Christian means in order to “grow the Church.”
That being said, how awesome is it for a church to skip the sermon one week, and provide an opportunity and an atmosphere for around 200 people to spend one-on-one time to work things out with God. No entertainment, just people left on their own to spend the time how they choose. And I think it was more effective than even the most entertaining message.
Unfortunately, I had forgotten what it was like to take half an hour or so just to spend in prayer. My quiet time usually goes like this: read a couple of chapters from my Bible, read a chapter of a Christian book, write down a few prayer requests, and say a quick prayer. But spending 30 minutes alone just talking with God kneeling at the foot of a cross??? Pretty much incredible.
Some highlights of last night:
1. I saw several people, girls and guys, crying. I was one of them. I think this is exciting because it means God is moving in people’s hearts. People were letting down their guards to worship Christ completely in all their vulnerability. Amazing.
2. While I was kneeling at the cross, rock/burden in hand, praying for the strength to trust God completely and apologizing for falling so short in this area, someone came up behind me and put their hand on my shoulder. I didn’t turn around to see who it was, but I imagine they were praying for me and my burdens. I put my hand on their hand and began to pray for their burdens, whatever they may be. This whole scene really hit me. Here I was, kneeling before the cross, and someone came and knelt behind me to pray just for me. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such selfless people.
3. I was helping clean up the paint station after the service last night. One of the paintings left behind was a picture of a broken heart. Beside the heart it said something like, “I really want to believe in You, but bad things keep happening to me. Prove Yourself!” At the bottom it said, “Tell my Daddy Hi.” I cannot begin to imagine the hardships people around me are facing. I know it is tough to believe in God when there doesn’t seem to be an end to the heartache in sight. But God is faithful. I hope that Midtown will be a place where this person finds a support system and people who really care about her. Most of all I pray that God reveals Himself to the painter of the broken heart.

So what's new?

2006-08-23T11:54:00.000-05:00

1. I’ve had an entire month of no classes and no job and it has flown by. I still have no direction on what to do next. I’m currently trying to decipher the thin line between waiting for God to reveal the path He wants me to take and waiting for an answer to fall in my lap. I can last about another month of unemployment based upon my bank account, but I’m hoping it won’t come to that.

2. I have a boyfriend. He treats me incredibly well. I keep waiting for him to realize he could do better, but he’s just too dumb and stubborn. :)

3. My church is doing some cool things.
A couple of weekends ago, almost 40 of us went on a “leader retreat.” I’m sure some of you have read about it on Lee’s blog. For me, the best part was getting together in groups of 2 or 3 and having conversations that really hit below the surface…finding out what was really going on in each others’ lives and being able to relate to each other on a deeper, more compassionate level. I learned so much from listening to the insane amount of wisdom these people have to offer and also during the time we took for self-reflection.
The slip-n-slide was pretty cool too despite the fact that it left me with a few bruises on my hip bones…I jumped on against my best judgment when I realized that the guys getting all banged up in the freezing rain were making the girls who were standing in their dry clothes watching from the porch look like a bunch of sissies. The experience would have been more pleasant if it were 10 degrees warmer and if I figured out how to stop at the end instead of sliding through 5 feet of grass and dirt, but all in all a good time.
Midtown is also taking on a project to remodel a family shelter to allow it to fit twice its capacity. If you have seen the TV show Extreme Home Makeover (the one that makes you cry during every episode), it will be similar to that. Since I have nothing to do with all my free time, I have decided to take on the responsibility of keeping the current residents entertained and fed during the weekend when the finishing touches will be made. It will be close to 30 people, mostly kids and single moms. If all goes well, we will hopefully be able to put them up in a hotel, take the families to do a fun activity together, get the moms a makeover and take them somewhere nice to eat, and most importantly, help them all catch a glimpse of the love of Christ. Please pray for this project, the families and workers at the shelter, and the support of local businesses and community members.

4. For those of you who prayed for my niece when she had surgery on her kidneys, thank you so much. Praise God for answered prayers! She went back for her checkup last week and no more kidney reflux.

5. I have developed an addiction for Lost and a crush on Matthew Fox. Shhh.

That’s all for now.

20 Things I’ve learned this summer:

2006-07-29T17:46:00.000-05:00

1. How little I’ve prepared for life after school.
2. How talented I’ve become at procrastinating.
3. How amazing it feels to have friends that I can go pour my heart out to and to know they feel like they can do the same with me.
4. How much more difficult it is to deal with stress when I don’t get any sleep.
5. How friendships that I thought would last forever can fade away as people grow up and their lives change.
6. How I have figured out exactly what I want in some areas of my life yet I am still so clueless in others.
7. How it really feels to wait on God to show me an answer.
8. How incredible it is to know people who can laugh at situations that would bring me to my knees.
9. How weak I still am and how much I lack in the faith and perseverance department when things get tough.
10. How much it hurts to know that I let down someone I really care about unintentionally.
11. How frustrating it is to know that I can’t fix it.
12. How funny timing can be and how much it can change the course of my life.
13. How the bar exam is something I shouldn’t take lightly.
14. How much God can speak to me through other people if I just put myself around the right people.
15. How fast my appearance can go downhill when I sit inside for 3 weeks and do nothing but study and eat.
16. How crazy it is to have spent 4/5 of my life working for something and then when I get there find it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
17. How much of a relief it is to have the type of friends that will still love me when I don’t feel like being nice or cheerful.
18. How changing the way I think really can change my quality of life.
19. How the thought of not becoming a lawyer doesn’t seem that devastating to me anymore.
20. How I can survive anything with some prayer and some help from my friends. :)

It's sink or swim time..

2006-07-15T13:50:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, don't really have time to write much, but I wanted to let you know I wasn't dead. The bar exam starts next Monday, July 24th. It is 3 days long, and goes pretty much from 8:30 to 5 each day. I will be tested on 6 to 8 subjects a day; 2 days of essay, one day of multiple choice. Needless to say, I need the all the prayers I can get because I have yet to figure out how to fit that much information into my tiny brain. I won't find out for months if I passed and when I do I might not want to talk about it..please God don't let that be the case. So if sometime around November you see me and I'm 30 pounds heavier, jobless and have a dozen cats, you'll know what happened. Love you guys.

"Baby, cause I'm a thug..."

2006-06-04T12:12:00.000-05:00

I can think of few things more hilarious than a bunch of white people trying to dress and dance like thugs. BET would have a field day if they got their hands on video from Jason's Hip Hop Housewarming. If you need a laugh, check out the pictures here. It was a blast. Grier, you are a hip hop genius. Kind of. :)

some perspective

2006-05-23T17:20:00.000-05:00

"There is a war going on in the world between Christ and Satan, truth and falsehood, belief and unbelief. It tells me that there are weapons to be funded and used, but that these weapons are not swords or guns or bombs but the Gospel and prayer and self-sacrificing love. And it tells me that the stakes of this conflict are higher than any other war in history; they are eternal and infinite: heaven or hell, eternal joy or eternal torment.
I need to hear this message again and again, because I drift into a peacetime mind-set as certainly as rain falls down and flames go up. I am wired by nature to love the same toys that the world loves. I start to fit in. I start to love what others love. I start to call earth "home." Before you know it, I am calling luxuries "needs" and using my money just the way unbelievers do. I begin to forget the war. I don't think much about people perishing. Missions and unreached peoples drop out of my mind. I stop dreaming about triumphs of grace. I sink into a secular mindset that looks first to what man can do, not what God can do. It is a terrible sickness. And I thank God for those who have forced me again and again toward a wartime mind-set."

john piper, don't waste your life

exams....or Mexico? That's a tough one...

2006-04-18T15:09:00.000-05:00

Well ladies and gentleman, I'm in the home stretch. I graduate May 5th. This has been my most difficult semester yet and I have had to actually put some effort into it. For the first time in my entire life, I had someone tell ME that I was being anal about school (thanks Jason for that positive reinforcement). And so I got to thinking, why was I all of a sudden working so hard? No professor is really going to keep a 3L from graduating, and at this point my grades aren't really worth worrying over. So I did the unthinkable for a law student...I took all of my exams that were scheduled for the next two weeks and moved them to the first week. Now I'm doing 4 exams in 5 days and spending the 2nd week of exams in Cozumel and Grand Cayman. Yes, I know, I'm out of my freakin mind. But hey, I can't go out like a punk when I've worked so hard these past three years at securing my reputation as ultimate slacker. Got to go out with a bang, in true Jerri style. So if you need me next week, too bad...I'll be far, far away, getting a tan and sippin a pina colada. :)

Monk-e-mail!

2006-03-25T10:19:00.000-05:00

I want to be just like Justin Tanner. He is so hot. The monk-e-mail really brightened my day, JT! Here is my attempt at it.

Words of Advice from Slim Thug

2006-03-11T11:14:00.000-05:00

I know it's a shame to use kids (or puppies) as a way for guys to attract the opposite sex, but I just couldn't resist trying it out for myself. Thanks for the shameful promotion, RayRay. :)

surprise, surprise

2006-03-05T17:42:00.000-05:00

Okay so I'm single...AGAIN. This time for a while I think. In the meantime, I am going to try to sell the rights to the story of my love life to a major network because I think it would make a hilarious sitcom.

On a sidenote, please be praying really hard for my grandmother and my niece, as they both may be having surgery in the near future.

The Barrister's Ball

2006-02-26T22:01:00.000-05:00

It's like high school prom...only 7 years later and with an open bar.

I am blessed.

2006-02-26T21:32:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to take some time to give praise to my church! I am constantly amazed at how loving and encouraging the people involved at Midtown are. They have a selflessness that truly reflects the heart of Christ. I am so fortunate to call these guys my friends, and I hope their Godly attitudes will rub off on me as I continue to hang out with them. From the leaders who are constantly looking for ways to serve and spread God's love, to the members of my life group who open up their souls to build true relationships, to the people I see at church that just go out of their way to come give me a hug and ask how I am, these are an amazing group of Christians who strive to please God. I am so blessed to be a part of something so incredible and I have no doubt that these people can change Columbia. :)

www.midtowncolumbia.com

Two posts in one day!

2006-02-05T21:57:00.000-05:00

Jason, while I was not extremely bored, I was extremely desperate to come up with an excuse not to read for class. So passing along your survey....

Four Jobs I've had...
1.Waitress at a BBQ joint
2.Mochaccino Maker
3.Game show host, baseball ump, artist, ghost story teller, talent show judge (the joys of working at a daycare)
4.Dance Teacher

Four Movies I can watch OVER & OVER
1. Zoolander
2. Shawshank Redemption
3. 10 Things I Hate About You
4. Remember the Titans

Four Places I've lived:
1.Dillon, SC
2.Clemson, SC
3.Columbia, SC
4.Charleston, SC (Man, maybe I should try leaving the state)

Four Shows I love:
1. 24
2. One Tree Hill
3. The Apprentice
4. Gilmore Girls

Four Places I've vacationed:
1.New York
2.Bahamas/Key West
3.Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
4.Myrtle Beach, SC (Woo-hoo!)

Four of My Fave Dishes:
1.Fried Pork Chops
2.Miyabi’s Steak and Shrimp
3.Buffalo Wings
4.Chili Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing

Four sites I visit daily:
1. Facebook.com
2. ESPN.com (if it’s college football season)
3. At least one news site
4. At least one Dillon boy’s blog site

Four Places I'd rather be right now:
1. Lying out on a beach where the weather is hot and the water is clear
2. Getting a massage
3. At a really scary movie
4. Making out with the person who tagged me ;)

Four Friends that I will tag to do what I have just done:
I don’t think 4 people actually read my blog. But if you ARE reading this, DO IT!

What's going on...

2006-02-05T17:38:00.000-05:00

Okay Okay, I'm tired of getting yelled at for not posting on a regular basis. It's really not my fault this time. My computer died right before exams and I still haven't gotten it back. But I guess that excuse isn't working anymore, so I'll give you an update on what's happened.

I'm now in my last semester of law school!!! So far, it's been the worst yet as far as the classes I'm taking. Federal Practice and Secured Transactions may cause me to drop out even though I've come oh so close. My "easy" class turned out to be a death trap, as I got grilled by a pretend judge for half an hour on my birthday...

Which leads me to my next update. I am now halfway to fifty, or a quarter of a century old. How depressing. On top of that, the groundhog saw his shadow which means six more weeks of winter.

Other items of interest...I went to Key West and the Bahamas and then to New Orleans over winter break. Definitely the best winter break ever.

The Cruise: It was my first ever, and what an awesome post-exam getaway. I went with my best friend from law school, Ann Marie, and we made the most of every minute. We tanned, ate delicious food, sang karaoke (Aretha Franklin's RESPECT), and danced every night in the club on the ship. By the end of the week, I was limping because my legs ached from all the dancing (or was it from getting lost in Key West?) I know I'm probably going to hear a lot of junk talkin about this next part, but I think most of you know by now anyway (and have already given me a hard time) so here it goes...We met some hot guys on the ship that were our age, only to find out that they live in Myrtle Beach. We hung out a few times after the cruise and before you know it, I have a new boyfriend. He's a sweetheart, super cute, and he can keep up with me on the dance floor. I guess we will see what happens; it's still pretty new. Okay, with that being said, go ahead and joke... I can take it.

New Orleans: I'm sure most of you have already heard about the New Orleans trip from some of the others that went. My words wouldn't do it justice. Nothing prepares you for the damage and loss you see everywhere. A thriving city turned into a ghost town. We just don't realize how fortunate we are. The sad part is that people have forgotten about them now that the publicity has died down. And with our President saying it looks like the old New Orleans, I'm not sure more help will know to come. The truth is thousands of people completely lost their homes and thousands and thousands more have homes still standing but no one to help them make it safe to live in again. Please keep the city in your prayers, and donate your time, money, and efforts if possible.
On a lighter note, I discovered I look super hot wearing a gas mask and goggles with mold and dust in my hair.

That is about all I got for now; I'll try not to wait so long til I post again. :)

Drug Testing for College Football COACHES

2005-12-06T16:05:00.000-05:00

So the final ballots were revealed yesterday for the USA Today coaches poll. The results? STEVE SPURRIER IS ON CRACK. Not only did he rank 6th place Notre Dame as 14th (come on, they almost knocked off the #1 team in the nation!), he ranked his 29th place Gamecocks as #21!!! Yep, that's right, 3 spots above where he ranked Clemson--"who beat Spurrier's Gamecocks to close out the regular season" (quoted from ESPN.com). Of the 62 coaches that voted, Spurrier showed the most favoritism of any coach (with the exception of the Rutgers coach giving his team a #25 vote). So who did Spurrier knock off the top 25 to give his team an undeserved place on the list? Boston College, the #19 team! Crack kills, Steve. What a shame.

Don't worry, I checked Tommy Bowden too. The most he strayed from the norm was giving 8th ranked Georgia a 12th place vote. Also, I thought it was sweet that Bobby Bowden was kind enough to give the Gamecocks a sympathy vote at number 25 (the same way he did for VT by placing them at number 7 after whupping up on them this past Saturday).

In summary, please get help Steve, the players look up to you. Don't turn to drugs just cause you can't beat the Tigers..it's just something you're going to have to get used to if you want to continue coaching the Gamecocks. :)

2005-11-28T22:49:00.000-05:00

BCS stands for Bull Crap Statistics.

Who's afraid of the BIG BAD WOLF?

2005-11-03T23:45:00.000-05:00

Here's a little something for all the Wolfpack fans who happened to stumble upon my blog recently.

This is me roughing up an N.C. Stater outside Carter-Finley right before the Tigers roughed up the Wolfpack. :) Just a warning.

What does TROUBLE look like?

2005-11-02T19:32:00.000-05:00

But we can be oh so sweet too...

I love ya, Court! Come home soon!!!

Bumper Stickers

2005-10-23T16:26:00.000-05:00

I love creative bumper stickers. A few ones that have caught my eye have been:
1. I love my wife (I wonder how many men actually know this bumper sticker is on the back of their trucks.)
2. My karma ran over your dogma.
3. Ban Comic Sans
4. Eve was framed
and a personal favorite,
5. It's hard to be humble when you own a Scottish Terrier.

A few days ago, I was driving to school and I saw this one:

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so not like your Christ. -Gandhi"

It hit me extremely hard. I had just listened to a speaker preach on that topic a day before at school. He said that if we asked around, many people would not be able to tell who were Christians and who were not, and that this is dishonoring God and what He truly represents. He wondered how many of us who claim to be Christians actually know Christ.

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." Galations 5:24 There should be drastic changes in the way we live and act that set us apart from the rest of the world. For the past year of my life, I feel like I have been slowly blending in more with the world, and my resemblance to Christ has become practically irrecognizable. Becoming like Christ is something we can never fully attain, but a goal that we must constantly work toward reaching.

I know I have my spot in heaven, but what am I doing to make sure my friends/family members/classmates/strangers are up there with me? The answer is "not enough."

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' " Matthew 25:34-36,40

What are we doing to set ourselves apart? How are we serving His people? What else can we do to bring glory to His name?

You are right about one thing Gandhi--it's about time our Christians starting acting like our Christ.

A Review of My Week

2005-10-18T20:16:00.000-05:00

My life has been kind of hectic this week, but here are a few things I wanted to comment on...
1. You can't properly enjoy a football victory if you are only hanging out with fans of the team that you're beating (pretty badly).
2. Wolfpack fans are great at talking junk (about their own team).
3. Raleigh has much better parks than Columbia. I got to see ducks, a carousel, and a little train that goes around and around. Plus some adults were having a sack race. And a band was playing for the dodgeball tournament. Intriguing.
4. People judge me because I happen to be a fan of rap music. But I guess I judge them too because let's face it--what kind of weirdo doesn't like Biggie?
5. I think I found a fingertip in my sour cream and cheddar potato chips yesterday. I thought about conducting a further investigation, but decided that ignorance is bliss, discarded the unknown object, and finished the bag of chips.

Just a few things...

2005-10-11T20:08:00.000-05:00

First, I am SUPER excited about heading to Raleigh on Thursday to cheer for the Tigers! Say a prayer for me though cause I'm going to be an orange speck in a sea of red and I know from past experience that Wolfpack fans are not that welcoming to outsiders. This will be the tiebreaker between my roommate and me about who really is the best team. I wore the State t-shirt to class my first year of lawschool, and she donned the orange last year. It's my last year at USC, I need to leave with some pride (especially around all the Gamecocks)!
Second, for those of you who can't find my picture page, here is the link.
Jerri's Photos

There's a pretty good chance that your picture is on there!

Love you guys and I miss those I don't get to see too often!

...

2005-10-05T22:43:00.000-05:00

In the spring you complimented me and kissed my forehead.
I was invincible and oblivious peering from the pedestal you built for me
and I thanked the rain for an excuse to dance with you.
Now my soul shivers at the memory of you and I smile as I remember
learning to love again.

But winter came and you took a piece of me every time you went away.
Bruised and broken I hugged my knees and watched your shadow disappear
and I thanked the rain for hiding my tears from you.
Now my soul shudders at the memory of you but I smile as I remember
learning to love myself again.

My Chalupa

2005-09-28T20:05:00.000-05:00

Miss Courtney Jones is my best buddy.
When she's not here, it drives me nutty.
Why did she move so far away?
What the heck's in Iowa anyway?
The dynamic duo, my partner in crime,
Life without her is worse than being a mime.
I know the Carolina boys must miss her tons.
That's a good thing though; she only liked the bad ones.
Although it's tempting, I wont name any names;
It would come back to bite me and I'm done with those games.
Instead I'll just give some subtle clues
Like "Baby, why you smilin?" and a midnight fishing cruise.
Or "luscious lips" and a "geographic tongue"
Oh those days of being stupid and young.
But right now, I'm so excited I could almost burst
Cause my Chalupa is comin to see me on October 21st.
We're gonna cause some trouble and do it up right;
When CJ's in SC, it's always "LADIES' NIGHT!"

Bra Sale

2005-08-05T20:58:00.000-05:00

So the older you get, the harder it is to find a quality guy. This is logical since you start out with x number of good guys and, as the years pass, they get snatched up one by one by girls who were smart enough to grab them early. So it’s kind of like the bra sale at Victoria’s Secret. You can find some really great deals, but if you don’t go on the first day, it’s practically impossible to find a cute bra! All that’s left are the tacky ones that you would only see on the women standing on the corner if you make a wrong turn in Columbia after midnight…but that story is for another blog. Anyway, after the first day of the Victoria's Secret bra sale, you can no longer find the good bras in the neatly sorted bins on the table, you have to look under the table and dig to the bottom of the cardboard boxes hidden under the tablecloth. Lately I feel like I’m digging through a bottomless cardboard box full of tacky bras. It’s tough being 24 and single.

Drive Thru Strip Show

2005-06-19T21:04:00.000-05:00

I got hungry around 10 tonight and decided to make a run to Mickie D's since there were no groceries in the house. Yeah I know, you aren't supposed to eat late at night but what's a girl to do when she needs a french fry fix? So I jump in the car in my pajamas because I'm just going through the drive thru. I order my quarter pounder w/ cheese and fries and proceed to the first window. At the window, I notice the girl kind of leaning out of the window. I thought she was either looking at my car or trying to hear the old school rap song I was listening to (It's All About the Benjamins in case you were wondering) so I look at her and say "What?" as in "what in the world are you doing?"
Then the conversation went something like this:
She says, "I was looking at your shorts."
I say "My cupid boxers?"
She said, "Yeah they have hearts on them. We must have been thinking the same today."
Then she proceeds to do something I never thought would happen at the McDonalds drive thru. She unbuttons her pants and pulls them down. So here I am sitting in my car at the drive thru, and inside the window there's a big tough looking girl with cornrows in her hair showing me her Spongebob Squarepants Boxers with hearts.
Just thought yall would get a chuckle picturing me trying to figure out how to respond to this drive thru strip show. I think next time I'll take the time to slip on some jeans before I go grab a burger.

The Results

2005-05-30T20:22:00.000-05:00

Well, I promised I'd share the results of my little experiment so I guess I should stay true to my word. My GPA turned out to be a 3.0 exactly. Not bad for one day of studying for each class the whole semester, eh? This either lets you know how incredibly brilliant I am or how totally arbitrary law school grades are. I study really hard and I get a 3.05; I do nothing and get a 3.00. Kind of takes the pressure off for next year. So anyway, if you are considering law school, I highly recommend it. The hardest part is getting in. The rest is smooth sailing. :)

My Slacker Experiment

2005-04-19T23:48:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been so long since I posted anything up here. My computer took a trip to Kentucky but now it's home again.

I'm in the process of conducting an experiment. The experiment is entitled, "Examining a Law School Education: The Correlation of Class and Exam Preparation to Final Performance," but you can just call it "What happens to your Law School grades when you put forth as little effort as possible?" This semester I quit reading for half my classes, read sporadically for the others, took naps regularly in one, and did other work in two. I probably spent less than five total hours on homework altogether. Now it's exam time, which for 3 of my 4 classes is going to be the sole determining factor for my grade. And what am I doing to prepare? Well today I went to the zoo. Yesterday I laid out by the pool.

Don't get me wrong, I'm going put at least one day of study time in for each class to avoid anything completely disastrous. But for those of you who don't know, it's practically impossible to fail out of law school because everything is graded on a curve. So to get an F, which I have yet to see on the grading distribution list, you have to not only be dumber than the other 80 people in the class, but you have to be a good bit dumber. I really hope that's not me.

Last semester I tried to see what happened if I tried really hard (as opposed to just making an effort). My grades went down. So this semester, I'm going in a different direction. I'll let you know the results by the end of May. Could be interesting. :)

2005-04-01T12:18:00.000-05:00

Due to my lack of anything interesting to say lately, I've resorted to just posting pictures. Here is my niece Raylin in her Easter dress. She didn't see the rabbit (which is real) sitting in the chair with her at this point. However, shortly after the picture was taken, the rabbit moved and Raylin decided to pick it up by its ears. She's mean but oh so cute.

2005-03-22T11:23:00.000-05:00

Since I bugged Justin for so long to send me this pic, I figured I should at least post it. Here I am as JT's last minute wedding date.

Peer Mentor

2005-03-15T23:06:00.000-05:00

I am a peer mentor to a group of 12 first year law students. I am supposed to show them how to succeed in law school. Funny thing is, I haven't figured that out myself so how in the world am I supposed to pass it on? My grades are average (slightly below average as of this semester, which incredibly is still above a 3.0), I'm not overly involved in extracurricular activities, I rarely spend more than half an hour on my homework (if I do it at all), and I still have no job lined up for the summer.

My roommate, on the other hand, is the picture of law school success. She spends at least 5 hours a day doing schoolwork, made straight As last semester, and is going to be making 2 grand a week at a big Charlotte firm this summer. She, however, was not chosen to be a peer mentor. (Law school politics is a vicious thing).

My point is that I'm grossly underqualified for my position.

Many times I feel like that as a Christian...grossly underqualified. How can I share what Christianity is all about when I fall short in so many ways? I'm certainly not qualified to be called a child of God.

That's what I like about Christianity. We don't have to be perfect. In fact, calling yourself a Christian is the exact opposite--admitting we aren't perfect and that we need grace to save us. And God will use us despite our flaws to do his work.

So I found out recently that two of my mentees have been suffering from depression since they got to law school and I decided to share my story with them. They both expressed gratitude for my openness and concern, and relief to know they weren't alone. What they needed the most wasn't a mentor who knew all the secrets of success, but one that had struggled and could listen and understand. Turns out I was perfect for the job. :)

Calling People Out

2005-03-03T13:23:00.000-05:00

okay so it looks like things are getting a little ugly on my blog. i guess it is now public knowledge that i kissed both justin tanner (thanks for getting that out in the open, jt) and jason grier back in my younger days and also that courtney kissed ed and jason (whoops dont know if that was out yet)..oh and the mystery guy at the park that night. REMINDER: all of this took place many, MANY years ago. anyway, i think a little clarification is in order so people do not get the wrong idea.

for anyone who did not grow up in dillon, you may not know this (although you probably do): there is not much there besides south of the border. the same is true for the guys, not much there. slim pickings as some would call it. anyway, with nothing to do to cure boredom, many people (i being one of the misguided few) resorted to kissing as a mode of entertainment. i am not proud of this behavior and i in no way condone it. however, i will disclaim by saying that in this little game of ours, i was definitely nowhere near the winner's seat (in fact about 20 people behind those in the lead). actually there probably wouldn't have been a winner, but instead a sudden death round between two of my friends (names not mentioned), but im not sure because i dont know the exact numbers and a certain guy who is now married may have been in the running as well (you know who you are).

so with all that being said, don't judge unless you too spent your high school years in dillon county and know what it was like. those were desperate times. i mean, i may even recall the saintly justin tanner taking me back to his house when his parents weren't home...or maybe that was just a dream. who knows? i'm just glad we've gotten calmer and wiser in our old age...well, some of us. :)

For His Glory

2005-03-01T12:03:00.000-05:00

Ok so now a serious blog. This one is just to praise God for what He's being doing in my life even when I don't deserve it. For a while, actually for over a year, I've been in an imaginary valley. I say imaginary because I didn't have any logical reason to be there...I had a loving supportive family, a ton of friends, a guy I was head over heels for, and I had just gotten accepted into law school. I felt blessed beyond belief.

I guess what triggered it was leaving the life I loved so much in Clemson behind and starting over in a very scary place, leaving behind a town I adored, all the friends I had grown so close to and the guy I knew without a doubt I was supposed to be with. So deeper and deeper I sunk under this invisible weight. I have never been an unhappy person so I couldnt understand what was happening to me. Nothing made me happy anymore and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't make myself see the bright side. I quit talking to God because I just didn't know what to say and He felt like a stranger to me. I took all my pain out on the person I loved the most and he loved me enough to stay faithful despite the toll it was taking on him. In the end though, it did its damage and we were over.

I kept my struggles from my family for a year when finally I couldnt hide it anymore. I did things to hurt myself, but they ended up hurting the ones I love even more. My lowest point was seeing the pain I caused in the tears of my family members as they all sat around me trying to comfort me but feeling helpless.

I tell all this even though it's very personal because I want it to glorify God. I turned my back on God for a year and yet He still remained faithful. He got me out of a valley when I was ready to throw in the towel and give up. He mended my heart and he mended my relationships with ones I had hurt. He healed me like no medicine could. His promises are all true; He will never leave you. Today I can praise God for the blessings in my life and I can say that I'm happy.

I can't tell you what happened to change things. I don't really know. One day it just felt like God lifted the burdens that had been weighing me down and told me He would carry them for me. And He has. And I know that if for some reason I lose my way again, He will still be there, waiting patiently for my return. In the meantime, I will wait patiently for His. :)

2005-02-24T00:05:00.000-05:00

Barbara

A few things...

2005-02-23T23:09:00.000-05:00

Well now that I have been reassured that it's okay to continue my blogging, I guess I need to come up with more to say. Hmm.. three things come to mind:

1. I discovered Finlay Park yesterday. I've been to the post office a million times and never noticed it. I think I've just been too busy too look around and see that something beautiful could be right in the middle of a city. It's a novel concept to me, but when you're there, you forget that you are in downtown Columbia.

2. The law school prom is coming up this weekend, only they don't call it prom, they say "Barrister's Ball." Leave it up to law students to have to make everything sound fancy. And it's not just the name that's fancy, it's the event itself. It's at the Summit Club, which I'm told is on top of one of the skyscrapers, the Catalina's are playing, and there will be open bar and heavy hors d'oeuvres (yes, I had to look on my ticket to see how to spell that). So, being from Dillon, I just don't know what to do with myself at events like these. That is, until I get there and I see a bunch of drunk fools running around and then I feel like the classy one. :) My, how the tables have turned. Stay tuned for the after-event summary.

3. My mom turned 50 today. She started getting gray hair when she was eighteen though so I think her scalp was ready to celebrate this event long before she was. I got mad at the Shoney's lady last year for asking if she wanted the senior citizen discount when she was still in her 40s, but I really couldn't blame her. I guess 50 is a big deal but my mom celebrated it quietly just the way she wanted, by watching American Idol. I love you, mama! :)

That's all I've got for now.

For Jason Grier

2005-02-22T00:42:00.000-05:00

Well I don't really have anything to say for my first post because the only reason I registered for this is so I would be able respond to Jason Grier's blog about not being good with women. So I guess in honor of Jason, I will tell a story about him and his ability with the ladies (this lady, in particular). When I was a mere 15 years old, I got my first crush on Jason (yes, sadly there was more to come in the future). Jason, being the 17 year old stud that he was (new guy in town, basketball star, Mr. Avalon), took me on a trip to the park. ( I will not mention the others who were there because I do not want to incriminate the innocent, except I will say that the other girl who was present that night has the initials CLJ. :) ). Although Jason managed to be quite smooth throughout the entire awkward incident, I unfortunately did not possess his pimp qualities and started laughing right in the middle of our kiss. Let me make sure that I qualify that statement by reassuring you that my laughter had absolutely nothing to do with Jason's kissing ability, but merely due to the hilarity of the surrounding circumstances. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that you should not be fooled by Jason's claim of not being good with women because he got me to go to the park with him when I was only 15 (wow, that was 9 years ago!), and I have a sneaking suspicion that I was not the only one who caved into this "massive" temptation.