facebook fast, day 1.

i've fasted from things before. one time, my mom and i fasted from all carbonated drinks to remember to pray for this girl who was suffering from this nasty disease. i honestly can't remember the name of the disease now, but i do remember spending about a month in 2007 without coke so that i could pray for her healing. i took a facebook fast earlier this year, for about a week. in all honesty, that doesn't sound like much to me. i remember being a little girl and hearing my grandpa saying how he was going to fast for like 40 days or something crazy like that. i remember thinking, "wow. that is so cool. he's being like Jesus!" i think if i told my grandpa that i was "facebook fasting" he would be so completely confused. the man can barely access his e-mail, let alone understand what facebook is. anyway, i took a break back in september so that i could get my priorities straight and so that i wouldn't see certain things that i knew i would see if i was on facebook.  i knew it was something i had to do. and i honestly didn't miss facebook. i spent my time catching up on some reading, spending a little more time on Twitter :) and spending more time with Jesus.
this time is a little different. my reasons for facebook fasting are different. my priorities are still a little wack, but i have finals this week and next so i decided it would be best if i didn't have the distraction of facebook. and honestly, as sad as it sounds, i miss it! i miss seeing the random things that my friends post, seeing pictures, even changing my status. i guess i'm a little obsessed...which is awful. i didn't miss facebook in Panama nor a few months ago. hopefully, i won't miss it too much tomorrow.

parties and people and presents and purchases and problems and projects.

so, Thanksgiving has come and gone. my Thanksgiving was surprisingly stress free and fun. my family enjoyed Thanksgiving Day with another sweet family that we are really good friends with. i enjoyed having something completely different than i've ever had before.

i didn't go out and take part in the Black Friday MADNESS. i did make a few purchases on Friday--one at Target around 11 AM, after the early morning crowd was at home asleep, and one at Surcie, the gift shop where i work.

i saw people on Saturday. people with whom i made plans to party with and exchange presents with. people with whom i can tend to have problems with how our projects are going to take place. people who are, no matter what, precious to me.

as i was lying in the bed Saturday night, the stress that comes with the month of December hit me. i have only three days of classes left and four days of finals. that brings enough stress in and of itself. this coming weekend, i'm going to Florida to see my family. i'm super excited to see them, but being away for a weekend brings more stress. then i have three days of finals, and my friends from college will start to come home. that's when the parties begin. ahh, December will be FUN but CRAZY.

i prayed last night for the Lord to just calm my nerves. today's sermon at church was perfect. our teaching pastor preached on "Seasonal Attention Deficit Disorder" and how we tend to get caught up in the stuff instead of the Savior. so, as i begin these next few crazy weeks, i'm going to try my hardest to stay in perspective, keep Christ first, and then go on with my life. i encourage you to do the same!

the Thanksgiving post.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
-Psalm 100:4


Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, I always tend to become reflective over the past year and it always amazes me at how good God is to me. This year, I'm particularly thankful for a few things:

1. The depth of my relationship with my Savior. This year, the Lord has shown me great things about Himself, and has revealed Himself in ways to me that I never thought were possible.  I have come to know the Lord in a greater and deeper way than I could have ever imagined. 

2. My sweet and precious parents. Even though they drive me crazy sometimes, I couldn't have gotten better parents. I love them so! 

My Graduation

3. My awesome trip that I was able to take to Panama during this summer. The Lord taught me SO much and I'm SO grateful that I was able to serve the Lord in that way. 

The Village of Incandi

4. Old friends--and new ones. I'm thankful to be apart of the fabulous five. These four girls, Chelsea, Hannah, Mary Beth, and Sarah, make up a huge part of who I am. I could not have picked out better friends to love me, to accept me, and to help show me different parts of the Lord's heart. I'm a better person because they are in my life! 

Hannah, Sarah, Mary Beth, Me, and Chelsea

Steeplechase 2010

5. Old friends--and new ones, part two. I have three sweet friends--Caroline, Chelsea, and Corey--from church that encourage me, lift me up, and love me no matter what. I'm thankful for sweet memories from the summer and this first semester in college, for the support they give me, and for the true blessings they are in my life! They, too, show me different parts of the Lord's heart and His plan for my life. 

Chelsea and me in Atlanta at Passion City Church

Corey and me at Carowinds

Caroline and me in Auburn

6. My other family--the biological one :) They show me another part of who I am, of how my life could have been, and why I am the way I am. They are a huge blessing to me, even if they don't realize that. 

My Aunt Katrina, My BD--Kenny, My Grandma, and Me

Easter 2010

JP, Jackson, and Me

7. The super sweet Harris/Janik family. The student pastor at my church, Grant, his wife Micah, their super sweet son, Harris, and Micah's sister, Mollie Kate, are all very dear and precious to my heart. They have become a whole other family to me.  I am blessed by them, their love for the Lord, and their love for me :) 

Micah and Me in West Virginia on Ski Retreat

Harris and Me

Mollie Kate and Me in Asheville, NC at Summer Camp

Grant and Me in Panama

8. The Hills. Graham, Casie, Jack, and the soon to be born Joe. I LOVE this family and I am beyond blessed by them on a daily basis. Casie's sweet friendship/sisterhood makes me a better person. Graham's humor makes me laugh. Jack just makes me smile, ALL the time. I love this family!! 

Casie and Me at my Graduation 

Jack and Me this Summer

9. Augusta Christian Schools. It was where I graduated from. This place has formed a huge spot in my heart, and for that I am forever grateful.  I'm blessed because of this school, the people there, and what God has done in and through it. 

I could go on and on. But that's all for now! I hope you have an excellent Thanksgiving and that the Lord blesses you and those who mean the most to you. 

life is precious.

this week, i have been reminded how precious and fragile life really is.

a sweet, sweet family that is dear to my heart has just lost one of their sons, one of their brothers. while seeing status updates on facebook and encouraging wall posts, my heart has been broken for this family. i cannot even begin to imagine what this family is feeling and what they are going through. i know that the Lord is giving them a "peace that passes all understanding" but i still cannot begin to fathom the pain and the hurt they are going through.

after a week of praying for this sweet family and seeing that God's will was different than what we all wanted, i was able to spend time with some of the biggest blessings in my life. i was able to surprise one of my best friends, and i was able to just hang out, something none of us have gotten to do since SUMMER. i found myself realizing how blessed i am, and i was so thankful for these sweet people that love me so. i guess the time is right for me to realize how grateful i am--i mean Thanksgiving is in just five days.

so, even though i know i will probably take life for granted again, i'm super thankful for the reminder i got this week at how precious it really is.

(and if you get a chance, send a prayer to the Lord for this sweet family i know!)

Jittery Joe's, Athens, and Mollie Kate.

I went to Athens this past weekend with my friend Leah to see our friend Hannah. While I was there, I was able to go to coffee with my dear sweet friend, Mollie Kate.

Athens has formed a place in my heart; part of it has to do with the fact that three of my closest friends live there and another part of it has to do with Athens itself.  I love any place that I can get around and feel confident in where I am going. I just like getting to know a place well enough that it's formed a place in my heart.  Places like Athens and Hilton Head and Huntsville are all places like this.  So, while I was in Athens, a place called Jittery Joe's formed a little tiny spot in my heart.

I met Mollie Kate the day after graduation.  It was her first day as an intern at the church, and she was serving drinks at our graduation brunch.  I knew who she was--her sister, Micah, is my youth pastor's wife and during the course of my senior year, I got very close to her. So, I knew that if Mollie Kate was anything like Micah (which she is) then I would love her. And I do, oh so much!

Over the summer, Mollie Kate became one of those kindred spirits like Anne Shirley and Diana Barry were in the Anne of Green Gables' series.  Mollie Kate also known as Mollie or MKate to me is one of the most precious beings of God's creation.  She has one of the most generous and loving spirits of any person I have ever met.  She has the amazing ability to not only hear what it is I am saying, but to listen and remember all of my crazy life stories. She accepts me for who I am--and that is a daughter of the Most High God.

Mollie encouraged me a lot at Jittery Joe's this past Friday night.  She took me to a place that I now love, in a town that I love, and loved me unconditionally.  She showed me how selfless a person who is devoted to Jesus Christ can be.  Mollie Kate became even more of an example to me of how love is poured out through one who loves Jesus Christ. I just hope that one day I can be more like Mollie.

be yo self.

i'm having an issue these past few days with "being myself". i have this situation in my life that i have made super awkward. i have this friend that i've been beyond awkward with lately, and i've been trying super hard to fix it. i've been praying, seeking wise counsel, and definitely thinking about it a lot. i talked to my mom about it a lot and she kept saying, "just be yourself, ashton. that's all you can do anyway." but i decided to keep being awkward, and it really bothered me how this situation was being handled on both ends. so tonight, after some more wise counsel, i decided to be myself. and it was the smartest thing i've ever done. i don't know why it surprised me so much that once i was finally myself, everything would be okay. God created me to be me and not somebody else. so when i finally embraced the true and beautiful creation that God had made me to be, not a second class version of something else, everything went okay. i just wanted to share with you the little thing i learned today, and that is to be yo self. 

thoughts from aunt a.

i have many roles in my life.
one of the greatest and one of my most favorite, is my role as "Aunt Ashton" or "Aunt A". i love my nephew Jack; he's the most important boy in my life right now :)

anyway, last night i was at the church for our annual Halloween Family Festival thing and Jack was there. For a while, I took him around and played with him. it was finally time for them to go and i was holding Jack. i went to give him back to his dad, Graham, and he clung to me. At first, i thought it was sweet that Jack knows me well enough to want to stay with me. Graham jokingly said, "Fine, Jack. Stay with Aunt A. See if Aunt A is the one who wakes up with you if you're sick during the night. Go back with Aunt A for a little bit."

I laughed and Jack and I went back to the gym so he could play some more. I thought about what Graham had said as the night went on, even once I got home and it struck me that the way Jack treated his Daddy is how we sort of treat God. we see something good and fun, in this case it was me for Jack, and when we have to go back to God, we say "NO" and cling to our sin. Yet in reality, our sin isn't the thing that's going to be there when we're in trouble during the middle of the night. Our sin isn't going to scoop us up when we fall and scrape our knee and start crying. That's only something that our Daddy God can do.

so, even when i was being Aunt A last night, i learned a lot about my Daddy God. something that should never cease to amaze me.

just a kiss from my favorite boy :)