Great Quote...

"I cannot offer something to others that is not evident in my own life"...

I don't know who said this but it really resonates with me. Sometimes the simplist of thoughts cut the deepeset and cause the most transformation in our lives....

Happy Anniversary to US!

Today is our 1 year anniversary! It truly seems like just yesterday I was starting my blog and posting pictures on here from our wedding! And I've heard it only goes by faster after this one.

I am so blessed! Michael is the most wonderful husband. It's crazy to think how much closer we are now than even on our wedding day. I thank God for bringing us together so perfectly. Thank you Lord, for your good plans for our lives!

We are going to The Melting Pot tonight, (YUM!) as it has become kind of a tradition to do our celebrating there. :)

Happy Anniversary Michael, and many more good years to follow!

Love you!

A Response to the Social Club Frenzy at LU...

Ok, I'm going to use this outlet to do a little venting about something I feel pretty strongly about, that some of you may not agree with. I do not wish to offend anyone in saying how I feel about this, but only to speak the truth I know in my own heart on the subject, and if the Lord chooses to use my words to change someones heart, then may I be a vessel for Him.


My college years were spent at Lipscomb University, a wonderful school with amazing teachers and just all around great students. At Lipscomb, we did not have "sororities" like they do at state schools; rather, "Social Clubs" which were sororities/fraternities on a MUCH smaller scale. Because our social clubs did not have to adhere to certain state mandates regarding pledging, active members of our clubs could pretty much do anything they wanted to as far as pledging goes, including hazing the pledges. The defination of hazing, as found on Wikipedia.com is as follows: Hazing is an often ritualistic test and a task, which may constitute harrassment, abuse or humiliation with requirements to perform random, often meaningless tasks, sometimes as a way of initiation into a social group. The definition can refer to either physical (sometimes violent) or mental (possibly degrading) practices.

I would have to say most social clubs at LU participated in this very definition of hazing on some level. Some were more on a mental level, others were more physical, and some consisted of both. Active members justified this type of behavior, usually because of one or two reasons; 1. "We went through it, so everyone else who joins has to go through the same exact treatment," or 2. "Pledges need to go through hard times together so that they will bond as a group." There have been many, many debates as to whether pledging went against the key foundations of the school, like portraying Christ in every activity, ethical practices and service to others, but above all, living to the highest standards in Jesus Christ.

About 2 years ago, Lipscomb elected a new president, Randy Lowry. One of the big changes President Lowry wanted to make, after seeing the process himself, was to change the way pledging was handled at LU alltogether, the goal being to make the pledging process more in line with Christian practices. Oh man did this cause the uproar of the decade. Alumni started coming out of the woodwork in opposition to this new change. There is even now an online petition of currently 162 alumni (and counting) that have signed saying they will no longer support Lipscomb financially because of this. I realize I am in the minority among social club alumni that supports President Lowry and the deans at Lipscomb who are helping to bring about this (much needed) change, but I must stand up for what I believe in no matter what. I want to ask you that are so opposed to the decision of the deans...what in your heart truly is leading you to believe that the way we have done pledging all these years truly glorifies God? To me, there is no question that it is a breeding ground for elitism and domination over another human being. And to those of you who truly believe that hard pledging promotes closeness among a pledge class...I agree to a point. I definitely bonded with my pledge sisters, but the TRUE bonding happened when/if I experienced life at a spiritual level with those girls. One of my very very best friends in the entire world was in Delta Sigma (a different club than me) and I'm closer to her than many of the girls I pledged with, and I know many people who could say the same thing. A social club is just that: a THING. An orginization. Don't get me wrong, I loved my time in Pi Delta. ButI can tell you for sure that I was never comfortable with being on the "active" end of pledging. I am not saying I was perfect, I'm human. But I can't deny the turmoil in my spirit during that time. To me, what really is important here is reaching others for Christ. Serving others. Impacting someone by putting them BEFORE yourself. Loving others despite any fault. These are some of the key elements Jesus Christ lived by, so what about this mirrors the pledging process we all went through? It's crazy to me how we can easily throw these beliefs out the window for the sake of tradition.
For those of you who actually read this entire post, thanks:) I don't want to use this as a way to start a knock down drag out argument at all. I do, however welcome your thoughts, even if you never even went to LU, and even if you disagree with me.
Thanks.

Diet and Fertility...

Ok, before you jump to conclusions, I am definitely NOT trying to get pregnant. This is just a subject that really interests me, and of course one day, it will be personal. I know many women struggle to get pregnant...I may end up having a hard time myself, who knows. But I want to prepare myself and get my body healthy and ready no matter what. I do firmly believe that our diet has everything to do with how unhealthy Americans are in general, and why we are the most obese country, so it would only make sense for diet to affect this as well.

I read an article recently from Newsweek called "Fat, Carbs and the Science of Conception." I don't know why there hasn't been much mention of the possible connection, it seems pretty obvious to me that if diet affects how healthy you are, it would affect your fertility.

In this article, they talk about a diet high in fats, sugars and unhealthy carbs has a pretty substantial adverse effect on a woman's ability to conceive. A diet high in fiber, fruits and veggies and good (whole grain) carbs is a recipe for baby-makin success!

Many women with PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (which is said to be the leading cause of infertility) made some heated comments on the article, but in my opinion, they just probably felt the need to be defensive. The article is not saying this is THE cure for infertility, it's just saying it could be the cure in some cases. So...what are your thougths? Anyone care to share your own conception stories and whether or not you agree with this theory?

An Overview of Our First Christmas

Well, our first Christmas as a married couple was definitely different than I expected, but a great one nonetheless. With losing one of my very best friends, it was definitely a sad time, very surreal, but when things happen in life that bring you to your knees (literally) you just can't help but cherish everyone you love so much more. Michael has been such an angel to me and a huge comfort. I love him so much. I don't know how people who don't know or believe in Jesus deal with pain, suffering and loss. I have an unexplainable (in worldly terms) sense of peace among my sadness because I know I will see Katie again one day. The Lord is so good to give us that hope.

I will give you all a quick overview of our Christmas holiday:

The weekend of Dec. 15th, we went to Louisville, KY (where Michael's parents live) and had an early Christmas with them. We went to the annual "Cantrell Christmas" and had a great time with extended family. Here is a pic of all the women And the men. None of the pictures turned out very well for some reason:(

The next weekend we went to Dalton, GA, where I grew up. After the funeral and everything, we got together at my friend Brittany's house. Annie, Katie's sister, and Jacob and Merriwether even came. It was good for all of us to be together and honor Katie. We looked at lots of old pictures and reminissed. This is a picture of all of my best friends from home and everyone's beautiful children. (left to right from top: Jill, Brittany, Annie, Melissa, Bethany, Me, Audrey, and Ashley) Below, Annie and me, she's holding Merriwether and I'm holding Ashley's baby boy, Zade.















Then, we started the family festivities. This was the first year that my parents have not lived in Dalton (they moved to Nashville this past summer) so we actually stayed with my aunt and uncle's house. It was very weird because my parents don't live there anymore, so we were ALL guests! But nonetheless, it was probably one of the best Christmas's we've had. One of our very favorite activities of the weekend was a crazy game of "Apples to Apples". As you can see, Michael is pretty pumped about his great hand:) If you've never played this game, I suggest you go out and get it. On Christmas Eve we played for 4 hours straight, laughing our heads off the whole time. My sister Kingsley and I formed an alliance, hehe. Here's a picture of our "Zoolander" faces. We were very mischieveous.

Here are some of the players highlighted:

My crazy dad (wearing my grandmother's oh so fashionable reading glasses for effect) She and my dad were tag teaming it.

My crazy aunts (mom's sisters, Lanie and Andy)

Mom, being silly as usual

Bro (Seaver)

We had to drink lots of coffee to be able to stay away for the FOREVER long card game!

Then we had our HUDSON family Christmas, which is traditionally on Christmas Eve. So my immediate family opened presents from each other. Michael was excited about getting Catch Phrase, Music Edition:)
The next morning we had our traditional breakfast at Jody and Papa's house (my grandparents). Here is a picture of Michael and me during "stocking time". Every person in my mom's side of the family has a stocking with lots of great surprises inside from Santa:) My aunt Lanie had made Michael one as well with his name stiched on it and everything! It was a great, great Christmas, and a wonderful first married Christmas for my precious hubby and me :)

What's your plan, God?

I think it's good sometimes to just be really honest about spiritual struggles so maybe it will resonate with someone out there who needs some encouragement and might be going through the same thing. Any feedback is certainly welcome. For some reason, about 7 months ago, God brought a story of a baby with Leukemia into my path as I was surfing the web one day. Many of you have heard about baby Ethan Powell and his battle, that is raging on...and they are at the most critical point in their journey now. And then of course my very great friend Katie, who I've talked about recently that is sick with the same disease. The odds are not looking great for Ethan...and according to the doctors, Katie's situation is hopeless. As a christian, I try, every day, to CHOOSE to believe otherwise. Some days my faith is so strong, and I believe with all my heart. Some days I have to literally make myself say the words. I feel the need to "protect God" and come up with some reason why if He doesn't heal them, when we aren't meant to understand it all. I cannot imagine what their families are feeling right now. For me, God has been really working on me to bring about a big change in me through praying and suffering for these precious angels in prayer. God says whatever we believe in our hearts will be done. He says if we say to the mountain "move" it will be thrown into the sea. There are numerous accounts of Jesus healing hurting, dying, suffering people because they BELIEVED. Honestly I would probably sum up the past few months as me being confused and frustrated with God. In my tiny little existence, all I can see is suffering people and their need to be healed, and sometimes I will just cry to God, sometimes angry, that what I call "healed" has not happened yet. Lately, God has been showing me that there is such a bigger picture that I could never even begin to grasp why God would choose to prolong someone's healing, or maybe not even heal their disease here on earth. I can barely even type those words because understanding that is so far from me. Some people are scared to even question God at all...that maybe even in their hearts they don't understand and are angry, but to acknowledge they don't have strong faith sometimes, is a complete and total sin. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are the ones that always pray with such timidness...like a request for God to heal someone is too radical so adding "if it is your will" after every request makes it better. I've heard both of these sorts of responses as I have talked to different people about this struggle. Everyone is in a different place, and I'm not criticizing. I'm just trying to talk this out. Katie sent an email out to us last week and God used that email to speak to me. Katie has an understanding of God's love and our purpose here on earth that very few Christians have. She said that she was thankful that God allowed her to have this struggle so she could learn what it is to be desparate for him (I'm paraphrasing). She said to pray for her...but also to tell everyone about what Jesus has done in her life. Tell others about Jesus' amazing love. That IS why we are here...why we are free. Jesus offers a gift that no one could ever take away. And why in the world would we want to keep silent about that? More on spiritual thoughts another time, my brain is mush:)

My Man

I'm at Michael's work right now being supportive because he has to work late, so I'm going to take a survey about him:)

1.Who is your man? Michael

2. How long have you been married? 7 months

3. How long did you date? We got engaged on our 9 month anniversary! Well, I guess is not technically an anniversary if it hasn't been a year yet...ever thought about that? Annual means yearly. Anywho...

4. How old is your man? 27

5. Who eats more? Michael, definitely. I can't eat very much at one time, I just eat many small meals througout the day:)

6. Who said "I love you" first? He did, and it was the sweetest thing...especially since I didn't say it back for like a month! Love that confidence.

7. Who is taller? Michael

8. Who sings better? We both love to sing, and do often (including making up songs on the fly together ALL the time) but I would say he is a better singer. His voice literally sounds like there is an angel from heaven singing to you. Really! I melted when I first heard him sing...

9. Who is smarter? It depends on the subject...techical, computer, electronic stuff, and how to fix practically anything, definitely Michael. Current events, cooking, English, would be my arena.

10. Whose temper is worse? I would say mine is worse because I'm a bit of a drama queen and show my anger quite freely and expressively:) Michael is very mild tempered and always thinks before he speaks. Precious.

11. Who does the laundry? Both

12. Who takes out the trash? Michael

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do...well, that is if you are looking down at the bed.

14. Who handles the bills? Michael. He's fabulous with finances, thank goodness!

15. Who is better on the computer? Michael, but I'm not too far behind

16. Who mows the lawn? The HOA for our townhome community :)

17. Who cooks dinner? I do, but only like 2 times a week. I need to do better!

18. Who drives when you are together? Michael

19. Who pays when you go out? Both of us, it doesn't really matter, it's all the same!

20. Who is more stubborn? I am more stubborn if anyone, but I think we are both pretty aggreable

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? hmmm...Michael probably.

22. Whose families do you see most? Probably mine a little more since they live in the same town now, but we do see his quite a bit too. We both have amazing parents!!

23. Who kissed who first? Michael, but it was pretty much a "lean in" on both parts;)

24. Who asked who out first? Michael asked me...and then Kelee invited herself to go because we weren't sure it was a date! HA! That's a funny story. Michael learned his lesson though, the next time he made sure I knew it was a date.

25. Who proposed? Michael of course.

26. Who is more sensitive? Michael is a sensitive guy, and is one of the reasons I love him so much, but I probably take the cake on that one. I cry very easily. Thanks Mom!

27. Who has more friends? Probably about the same.

28. Who has more siblings? I do

29. Who wears the pants in the family? We are still working out this whole "marriage" thing, but I'd say Michael is truly the leader, but he values my opinion very much, we make decisions together.

30. Who is the biggest pushover with the kids? Not applicable yet! I'd say Michael will be though:)

This was fun! Ok I'm going to tag some peeps...Eryn, Bethany, and Randi.Go!

Startling...

Ok, I just read one of my blogging friend's blog today and have to share! Apparently, Autism is RAPIDLY growing, and there has to be a reason for it. Check out her post on this. Scary stuff. The more I read about this, the more I believe in a big connection between processed, non-organic foods and childhood vaccinations with Autism, allergies, and even cancer.

What are your thoughts or experiences with this?

Where in the world is Kelee Crisman Hall???

Ok so for those of you who knew Kelee in college and got to know the awesome, fun, touchy feely, crazy girl she was, I would like to clue you into who she has truly grown to be...an amazing woman still with all her craziness and natural ability to have a good time, but she also has the most compassionate heart for others and a love for Jesus that has made her into an amazing woman of FAITH! If you recognized my "Carmen SanDiego" reference in the title of this blog, you probably figured out that Kelee has left the country! Kelee officially joined the US Peace Corps this summer and is stationed in SOUTH AFRICA for 2 YEARS! She is in The Northern Cape, which is the most desolate province, and her village is called Madibeng and you won't be able to find it on a map. It's 8 hours from Johannesberg, close to the Botswana border, and it's near the Kalahari dessert for those of you who are dorks like me and want to figure out where exactly she is:) She is the farthest west PC volunteer! I will be periodically updating you all on her adventures as a Peace Corps volunteer as I hear from her. PLEASE keep Kelee in your prayers! This will be such a growing and learning experience for her, but she will need to know that we are lifting her up in prayer every time we think of her. That's what I've committed to do. I am just so proud of our Kelee and how she just LEAPED out of her comfort zone to accept her calling. We can all learn from a faith like that!

By the way, this picture is of her and one of her kindergarten students here in Nashville if you were wondering.

More to come on the adventures of Peace Corps Kelee!!

This u-tube video brought me to tears today. What an amazing picture of the spiritual battle going on for our souls.

4th of July Pics...

Ok, this is a little late but oh well! We had a blast that night...first we had a cookout at our place and then we all went downtown and got on top of the roof of "The Globe" (used to be Planet Hollywood) so we had a spectacular view. Good times:)

ooh, scary. We were very high up so looking over the edge was a little nerve racking...but hey, anything for a good photo opp:) Happy 4th!