Blessings

Posted by Morgan
A few weeks ago I started interning at a church in my area. And let me say that it is by far the coolest thing I could have done this summer. I could not have asked for a better group of people to be working with since I left IMPACT. It has been wonderful and incredible and I am working with AMAZING people. I was seriously doubting that there were going to be cool people outside of the IMPACT world...and yes I do understand how ridiculous that mindset was.

God has placed a team of people in my life this summer to be my support system in the crazy town I live in, and I want to tell you about them because I think that they are basically the coolest thing since IMPACT :). First off, the staff I'm working with! Shane and Bryan are the two youth pastors - the church is huge - and they have been such an encouragement to me. They truly want to come beside me and help me learn. I appreciate it so much. They are funny and goofy, but also, they know when it's time to be serious, and they are amazing at doing that, too. Then there is Jonee' - the assistant student minister - she is amazing. She's 30 and really wants to get to know me and invest in me. How cool is that?! She is hilarious...and she tells it like she sees it and I love that. Then there are the two other interns - INCREDIBLE guys! J-Mac! That crazy boy. He's working on his masters at Liberty and is an insane dancer. His attitude is so chill and so calm that it's wonderful. He keeps me grounded when I want to freak out, actually both of them (the guys) do that. Speaking of the other one, that would be Matt. He's awesome. He and J-Mac both know how to calm me down...which as most of you know is an important skill to have. Matt is my age and he goes to Shorter College. Matt is the middle ground between my personality and J-Mac's. I'm the more detailed person and the more upbeat kind of person, J-Mac is the chill, laid-back, whatever kind of person, and Matt, well he's the middle. He finds a great balance of both.

I love this summer. I love the people God has placed in my life. I love what he's doing. Life is amazing. God has placed some huge blessings in my life...and I could not be more surprised and what they have brought to my life.

Singing Harmony,

Morgan
Category: 1 comments

New Obstacles

Posted by Morgan
I certainly new that coming home from IMPACT would be hard, but I never really imagined it would be this difficult. I miss IMPACT so much. Satan definitely has me under attack, which is awful. I know we are to consider it joy when we face trials of any kinds, but I must say that it is so easy for me to lose that joy these days.

There's new things I'm currently facing. New challenges on the horizon. New problems to solve. And if I wanted to be super cliche, new mountains to climb. I know, corny right? But it's true. Mountains don't have roots. It's in the valleys when the rain comes and when you grow. I'm certainly learning a lot, that is for sure.

I have nothing else insightful to say, not that the previous paragraphs were.

Singing Harmony,

Morgan
Category: 1 comments

Stuck in Neutral

Posted by Morgan
Since coming back from IMPACT 360, I have found myself in a very weird mindset. I'm not in drive, I want to be going full force ahead, but I'm not. I'm not in park, because I'm not just sitting here doing nothing and being content with that. I guess I'm in neutral. I'm just rolling along, very slowly. 

Since coming back home, I've noticed that I really want to slip back into old habits. I find myself slipping in to complacency, when everything in me is screaming and wanting to stop it. It's like I'm caught in this cycle of the Bubble. The "Bubble", Peachtree City, the place where almost everything is at surface level. It's like a black hole, and it's rapidly sucking me in. I want to fight it with everything in me, but I feel paralyzed, helpless, and immobilized. 

I'm stuck, I don't want to be where I am. IMPACT has made me discontent with the definition of life people around me seem to be living by. After reading Pickett's blog, I realized she verbalized exactly what I've been trying to. People are content with existing and surviving...not LIVING. So I am trying to live in a place where living is not really living, but just surviving. Trying to make it through, trying to get by. No one seems to really enjoy life anymore. It's like it's a chore. A requirement. Not something that people love. I think that people, especially Christians,  have lost their love of life, and lost sight of why they are living. 

So, I am stuck in neutral, trying to get into drive. I am fighting complacency, and trying to discover a way to live in a place where living, true living, is not normal. I want to redefine what living looks like to the people around me.

Singing Harmony,

Morgan
Category: 1 comments

Too many thoughts, too little time

Posted by Morgan
At the start of this post it is 3:03 a.m. and I cannot sleep. I considered getting up and continuing to pack up, but that just depressed me. I cried for a little while, the end of IMPACT is pretty much the saddest thing I have EVER thought about. And right about now I would pretty much just prefer to never leave this place. I have an the most amazing and life-changing year, and I never would have imagined it. I've learned so much, I've grown so much, and God has taught me so much. Goodness, how about I saw "so much" a few more times. I guess that's what I get for posting this late at night...not a whole lot of diverse vocabulary coming to mind.

But right now what I'm currently thinking about is the next few days. We have class and just time to hang out. And honestly, I want to just cry the whole time, well I don't particularly WANT to, but that is probably what will happen. All day today I've been crying on and off. I've been packing up my room, which feels like packing up my life. I don't like putting things in boxes, it feels like the end, and maybe because it is. Ugh, it's awful. I honestly do not know how I am going to make it through the summer without these people right beside me. At this point in time it is so hard to even imagine being happy somewhere else. I love it here. I love the town, I love the people in the town, I love my class, I love the staff, I love this campus, I even love the work we do. So basically, I just love IMPACT 360. 

Right now my entire IMPACT life is all over the floor of room 17. From homework assignments, books, hand-written notes and craft supplies, to speeches, hangers, and even to jewelry, my life is everywhere. Tonight I cleaned out my desk...and now everything I'm still keeping is on top of it. I also cleaned out under the sink...and that was gross, but now it is really clean. I also put away all the clothes I won't need from now until friday in boxes. Oh my gosh, so depressing. I hate it. I hate leaving and I hate saying goodbye. I know that change is necessary and I know that it is needed sometimes, but that does NOT mean that I have to like it or be excited about it, because I'm not. Not at all, and not this change. Other changes - maybe - but not this one. This one is just plain AWFUL.

Leaving is just plain awful. Goodness, one of my top strengths is positivity and here I am being all pessimistic. Oh well. I'm too far into this mindset to change it right now. All I know is that I want to spend these last few days with people. I never want to be alone. Goodness, I am surely going to miss this place.


Singing Harmony,

Morgan
Category: 0 comments

Endings and Beginnings

Posted by Morgan
As I sit here, I cannot believe that IMPACT is drawing to a close. It seems like such a short time ago I was stressing about what to do for the fall of 2008 and here I am, getting ready to gear up for summer of 2009! It's basically insane! 

Coming to IMPACT has been the best decision of my life...so far anyway! This place has prepared me in so many ways, but at the same time, it's also shown me that I have SO much to learn. Which is actually really exciting to me. I'm excited for the summer...whatever that may bring. And I'm excited for the fall...which will bring some interesting things. I have decided to attend Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to be an amazing experience for sure. 

Man, IMPACT is ending and summer is beginning. Right now, it's basically impossible to imagine leaving here and moving out....it makes me cry so hard and makes me realize how much I will miss this amazing atmosphere and community that's been building over the past nine months. I love these people....I honestly do. They, while we all come with our little quirks, are amazing and I truly do love them.

It's hard for me to say I'm excited about the summer, because that means leaving here....but I think I'm getting to the point where I can truly look forward to what the Lord is going to bring. Backing up will be hard, saying goodbye will be awful, but actually driving away...that will be the worst. But I know that there are seasons in life, and right now, the leaves are changing.

Singing Harmony with my King,

Morgan
Category: , 0 comments

Home at last!

Posted by Morgan
Well, Christmas break is officially here, which is so hard to believe. I can't believe that in less than a month I will be in Brazil with my team serving the people in the capital of Brasilia. I'm really excited about the opportunities that have come my way this semester. I've gotten to do so many things I never thought I would ever have the chance to do.

Well, first off, this past week I was blessed with the chance to go and fly with Dan Cathy on the private jet to do a Grand Opening of a new Chick-Fil-A with him. We started off at the Peachtree City hanger and took off from there to head to Ft. Lauderdale. We were there for about an hour and a half and  then we got back on the plane and headed  to Charleston, SC where the Grand Opening was taking place. I could talk for hours about this trip. We got to be on the radio, which was AWESOME. There's so much we took away from the trip and since there were only four of us on this particular trip, we each got to talk to Dan (he wouldn't answer if we called him Mr. Cathy or Mr. Dan....it was really hard to adjust to that haha) individually which was such a great opportunity. We all learned so much from  this amazing leader. He really lives out the Second Mile Service in every area of his life. He flies his own plane, we unloaded our luggage, he's such a servant and it was truly amazing to see that.
Well, I'm officially home for the holidays, which is exciting. There's so much I want to do over this break it's hardly going to feel like a break at all, but I'm going to force myself to relax alot, because I know I am in great need of it.

I cannot believe that this semester is over. It seems like just yesterday I was moving in and now I'm home for Christmas Break. Mainly when I realize that the year is half way done, I want to cry. And then at the same time, it makes me excited for what the future holds and wonder what else our group will go through this next semester. I can't believe everything I've learned, I can't believe the friends I've made, I can't believe the things God has taught me and shown me. I've really come to a better understand of who He is and His love for me. I think one of the biggest take-aways from this semester is passion for God that everything we've done has given me. Never again do I want to be comfortable with where I am. There's always something new that God can teach me and I always want to be look for that. I'm thankful for the trials I've gone through at IMPACT. Oh my....I can't believe I've lived in Pine Mountain for 4 months, I can't believe the experiences I've had and I can't believe the friends I've made. I am in awe of God and the doors He's opened for me. God is amazing. He is changing me and He is transforming my heart, which at times is painful, but it is so good and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

When I first was at IMPACT, I was there for what I could get out of the program. I was there for the things I wanted, not really for what I could bring to the program. Over the past 4 months God has completely changed that attitude. God has been changing my heart from one of self-centeredness to one of others-centeredness. Not to say that I am completely self-less...because that is not the case, but I can clearly see where God has taken away a lot of my selfish desires. It's a constant process, God always showing me new areas where I can become more others-centered. 

A huge answer to prayer is that God has given me the desire to serve. Since we've been going to Chick-Fil-A Corporate and going through the SERVE Model, I realized how self-centered I really am, and I've been praying that God would give me the desire to serve and that when I'm serving, it would be from the heart and not contrived or forced. And I believe that God is starting to answer that prayer, and not because I've seen it myself, I believe He is because of what others are saying to me. In people coming to be and telling me that they have seen this change in me, I really feel like God is transforming me in that area, as well as many others. God is good.

So, let's recap, shall we?
1. IMPACT is amazing.
2. God is teaching me so much.
3. Dan Cathy trip was such a great opportunity.
4. God answers prayers.
5. GOD IS GOOD!!!
I love you all.

Singing Harmony,

Morgan
Category: 0 comments

Project Stress, Relief, and Christmas Cheer :)

Posted by Morgan
The past few weeks of my life have possibly been the craziest that I've EVER had. Our Brazil project was due this past week and I cannot ever begin to express to you all how glad I am to have that over with.

Things are fun and festive around here...Christmas parties and exciting opportunities.

Life is fun, and I'll write more when there's more hours in a day. :)

Singing Harmony,

Morgan
Category: 0 comments