a new role.

Each semester, I look forward to the "new" roles that I get to play during the year. Last semester, I was stretched sort of thin---I was a student, a daughter, an employee (of 3 different places!), a volunteer, a friend, a babysitter, you get the point. I enjoyed working at my job that I've had for the past 3 years, at the Family Life Center at the church. I also got some "secular" work experience at a gift shop for a few months, and I worked in the preschool department of our church all last semester. I loved being able to love on those babies, not to mention the little boy I babysit was in the room I worked in. So, I really looked forward to Tuesday mornings. I love loving on them!

Unfortunately, this semester I was unable to work in the preschool department due to my class schedule. I kept working at the church in the gym, but not at the gift shop. I haven't been able to babysit in a few weeks, so ultimately I haven't gotten the chance to pour out to anyone. The other day, the youth pastor at my church/my big "brother"/a good friend, Grant, asked me to help teach a Sunday School Class. It's during the second hour with middle school girls. This requires me to stop going to the church service I go to with all my friends and go to the earlier one. Waaaaaaaayyyyy out of my comfort zone. But, I knew it was the thing that the Lord wanted me to do.

Tonight, at the church, we had Small Group Leadership Training. I was literally dreading it. I had a million other things I could do, but I knew I had made this commitment, so I had to go. Despite my earlier hesitations, I was very encouraged by everyone in the student ministry leadership. When I was introduced as a new teacher, the ladies sitting around me whispered sweet things to me, and I even got a few "claps" out of the men. It's weird being the youngest there, but I know it's what God has for me. I'm looking forward to this new role in my life.

I'm dreaming of...

...the beach! I'm headed to the Bahamas and Key West, FL on a cruise next week with my best friend and our families! Despite the fact that I have to miss a week of school, I'm BEYOND excited!!

ashton.

I love those random "get to know you" questionnaires. Yeah, I know, I'm weird. But I saw one on another person's blog and decided to find one I liked and put it on here. It's my random post of the day :) 

Why were you given your particular name?


There was a Christian artist back in the 80s and 90s by the name of Susan Ashton. My parents really liked the name Ashton. My BM’s name is Susan, so I feel like that had to play some part in it.

What is your favorite book?


Besides the Bible, I really love the book Radical by David Platt. On the fiction side, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Francine Rivers’ Redeeming Love, Her Mother’s Hope, and Her Daughter’s Dream, Karen Kingsbury’s Even Now, and SO many more!

What is your favorite song?


Currently, “Something in the Water” by Brooke Fraser. Others include “All to Us” by Chris Tomlin, “Give Me Faith” by Elevation Worship, and “Bennie and the Jets” by Elton John.

What do you want to be when you grow up?


If only I really knew. I mean, honestly all I want to do is be a wife and mom. BUT before that happens, I’m not too sure. I know that I do want to glorify God in all that I say and do.

How many kids do you want when you get married?


Hopefully like 3 or 4, but even as many as 6. I would LOVE it!

What place would you like to visit?


Prince Edward Island, Canada. (I’m a big, big fan of Anne of Green Gables). France…well, all of Europe actually. 

is this really what i want to do with my life?

Yes, I had one of those moments. Definitely not the first during this first year of college, but definitely the first of this year.


My dear sweet friend Mary Beth came to see me at work the other day. We were talking and she goes, "So, you still thinking about transferring to UGA?"
(My goal was to get through two years at ASU, then transfer into the Grady School of Communications and Journalism at UGA for my last two years). I looked at her and said, "I honestly don't know."


She just sort of laughed; it was a typical conversation that the two of us had had plenty of times before! That night once I got home from work, I started looking at UGA's programs and ASU's programs and UF's programs. I just had no clue what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.


So, I did some research and I realized I should probably change my major to Business Management, instead of the Communications major I am now. At the start of the summer of 2010, I had originally wanted to become an Event Planner. The major of Business Management would be the thing for me. But that requires that I take calculus. That is like death in a class for me. Literally. 

Then, I had the realization that maybe, just maybe the major I entered college with, Early Childhood Education, may be what I should go for. I had a nice long talk with the parental units about it tonight, and they were super encouraging. Now I'm just praying for the Lord to show me what it is HE wants me to do. It's SO hard because I'm such a planner, and this is not like my personality at all. Having to wait is hard; knowing that God's going to show up when He wants gets me through it all! 

oh and p.s.

I got accepted to work at 

Camp Cedar Cliff in 

Asheville, North Carolina this summer! 

I'm going to be a Senior Counselor 

in the Day Camp Program. 

Beyond pumped and praising the Lord? Yessirreee! 

"i completely forgot about him!"

tonight, as i was driving one of my dear friends Daniel to Campus Outreach, he was talking about one of our other friends who is off at UGA. i looked at Daniel and said, "you know, i completely forgot about him! i don't remember the last time we even talked. how is he?" Daniel laughed and was like, "Ashton, how can you forget about one of your best friends?"

i felt semi-awful admitting that i had done such a thing. but, its the truth. except for a facebook message between the fabulous five and a text here or there with a few others, i haven't kept up with my best friends at all this semester. i barely have enough time to sleep, let alone update my blog which I had gotten pretty good about doing over Christmas break. i'm taking 18 hours this semester. yes, you read that right.
18 hours. 
not my brightest idea. i've stayed ridiculously busy, but i'm happy to report, i have done well on eating much more healthy these past few days! a granny smith apple with a little bit of peanut butter has become my new favorite snack on Tuesdays/Thursdays between 2:15 & 4.

anyway, i'm sorry dear blog for forgetting you. you weren't the only one. i'm hoping to do a better job this semester!

you never know.

2010 was probably the best year of my entire life. I turned 18, which came with lots of new and fun freedoms that I didn't expect to happen. I went on multiple roadtrips to Alabama to have this crazy relationship with my biological family. I went to the beach twice with the best friends. I graduated high school. I went out of the country for the first real time on a mission trip. I slept in a jungle. I started college. I hit up Athens, Auburn, Asheville, and Huntsville a few times during the fall semester. I went to a horse race. I worked two jobs. I made many memories with my best friends.

So, when 2011 came, I was honestly not looking forward to much of anything. I turned 19. There's nothing real exciting about that one. I kept on going to college, where the light at the end of the tunnel is not there yet. (At least 7 more semesters + potential graduate school = FOREVER LEFT!) I'm going on a cruise in February, which will be exciting but nothing too grand. My summer plans are still unknown, so they could be phenomenal or they could be typical. Anyway, there's nothing that I was looking forward to, so I entered 2011 very apathetically.

Then I went to Passion where my world wasn't totally rocked, but the Lord used many things to encourage me and confirm things I had been learning in my relationship with Him. Lots of things tuck out to me, but one thing in particular was what Andy Stanley opened his message with. Ultimately, he said that you never know what it is that God has in store for you. Andy Stanley's best friend in middle school was Louie Giglio. Louie Giglio is the founder of Passion Conferences. Andy Stanley kept saying you never know what it is that God is shaping you and making you to be. You never know what He wants to do in and through you.

So, I thought that maybe God has something crazy big in store for me. If I sit here being apathetic and saying that there's nothing great in 2011, then God what do great things through me. But I know that if I become a willing servant and seek hard after Him, then He can use me for something mightier than I could do on my on. You just never know.