Switcheroo.

I did it.

I made the switch.

I'm officially a WordPresser.

But I still like to blog!

You should jump over to my new home and check it out.

I bet you'll like it.

I do.

{www.courtneylynette.wordpress.com}

Miss Taylor

This is my best friend Taylor.

Not to be confused with this best friend Taylor...

See the difference?

Anyways.

Miss Taylor up there in the first picture made her way to Haiti on Monday night for a four month long missions trip.  How cool is that!?  She's interning at an orphanage run by Child Hope International right outside of Port-Au-Prince by running the guest house along with other duties at the actual orphanage.  I just can't get over what an amazing opportunity she is experiencing right now.  I have been with Tay through the whole process of examining the desire, praying for guidance, and now sending her off and she has been such an inspiration.  I wish that I had the capability of just taking off like that and following the desire to serve these people of Haiti for an extended period of time.  I cannot wait to talk to her and hear about everything!  I'm hoping she is going to be starting a blog in the next couple of days so I will be sure to post the link if you want to follow her journey.  

For now the biggest thing is prayer!  

If you have a minute I would love if you could pray for Taylor with me.  Obviously prayer for her health and safety would be great.  But also prayer that God would use her time there to grow and mold her into the woman He desires and that she would be the hands and feet of Jesus.  I am so excited to see how the Holy Spirit works in her heart and what she brings back in December!

Thanks everyone!

It's Monday.

Today was rough.  Moving away from home, even an hour, doesn't seem to get any easier.  Not to mention having to say goodbye to one of my dearest friends as she embarks on a four month mission trip to Haiti wasn't exactly rainbows and sunshine.  

But.  Being the dedicated blogger I am, I am still committed to the ever so popular {maybe just in my mind} Monday Melody.

I can't lie, Jenny & Tyler have been pretty much the standard these days but since I introduced them last week I figured I should branch out a little.  

James Morrison is the man, and if you don't know that, well, you should.  He is so talented and I just love his voice and I think you will too.  The song that I picked is one you will recognize because it's an MJ cover but your socks will be knocked off.  He just owns it, ya know?

Man in the Mirror

{The link above goes to a better version, just FYI.  Couldn't get the same video up though...}

Happy Labor Day!  Don't wear white anymore?  I think?

Material Goodness

Being an emotional person is hard work, let me tell you.

For the past couple of weeks I've been in total LA mode.  I couldn't wait to get back up there and finally feel like I am living in one place for a long period of time.  I drove back and forth this summer because my job was in LA while my rent-free home was in Orange County and it was completely different than I expected.  I thought it would be easy.  No biggie.  I was only driving up there twice a week after all and Baby Car gets unreal gas mileage.  I had no idea how tiring driving is.  And how inconvenient packing and unpacking an overnight suitcase can be.  And how much I hate sliding my card at the gas pump.  Needless to say, I am ready.  Ready to be in my apartment, with everything unpacked, and cooking my own food in my own kitchen.

That was until tonight.

Tonight is when I hit what I like to call the "reality wall".

And boy did I hit it hard.

I had to say goodbye to Katie, Brandon, and my sweet baby E and wasn't sure the next time I would see them.  While, yes, I will only be living an hour away, I will be a full time student with an internship and a part time job.  Extra time will be like an endangered species my life.  It's rough leaving an amazing family like mine.  I love my parents and siblings to death and while I am definitely in the right place up at school, it's always hard realizing that I have, yet again, taken my time with them this summer for granted.  Realizing I won't be able to meet up with Katie every day I have off just to hang out.  Or I won't get to see Ty start his senior year of high school as Senior Class President.  Or I can't come home from a long day and watch Law & Order with my mom or American Idol with my dad.  While these are all silly, little things, they feel huge in my life.  They are what make my family so special and uniquely mine.  

Gosh.  Told you I was a sap.

So to make it easier for me (or harder, I haven't really decided yet) I want to show you the top material things I will miss most about my OC home.

1. My boyfriend

2. My big bed (How am I supposed to starfish on a twin!?)

3. Closet space

4. Counter space

5.  A shower with water pressure

6.  A stocked refrigerator

7.  DVR

8.  Netflix on the Wii

9.  A washer and dryer I don't have to scrape up quarters for

Yeah I was wrong, I feel worse now.

Here's to moving out...again.  Our relationship is definitely on the rocks.

Faint Not.

You guys.

I may have literally just stumbled across this band but it was definitely no accident.

I think I may be in love.

Every other Monday Melody (that's never on a Monday) has been a song that I've been obsessing over for about a week but I'm not kidding when I say I just found this.  Like maybe five minutes ago.  But it's that good that I want to post it!

The band is called Jenny & Tyler and they had a song featured in a wedding video I was watching (shocker).  I still haven't found the actual song that was in the video but this is the first one that popped up when I searched them and I was definitely not disappointed.  The chorus is based on Paul's letter to the Galatians (6:9) and is just so beautiful.  And it probably doesn't hurt that I think they're adorbs.  And a couple which always makes it that much better.

Jenny wrote this on their website about the song: "Faint Not chronicles our journey of faith, from God's pursuit of us, to first believing, to the really high highs and the really low lows; it's an honest telling of our relationship with the Lord and with each other. As writers, songs allow us to communicate experiences and truths when we can't find the words to speak them. Our hope is that the songs will resonate with you. We don't know what the future holds, but we're thankful for where we are today. We're thankful for you and your support of our music."

So here it is...

Faint Not

the problem's not a gun, not a color, not a hundred dollar bill
we think the struggle can be won with simple thoughts like 'come together be good willed'
the gap between the rich and poor is spreading out all the more or so they say
we ignore the claims

o my soul, faint not, no
faint not | o my soul, keep up, up
in love

it's not that we don't know or we're not shown the proof of poverty
it's not that we don't have the tools to go to break this yoke of slavery
we quit because it's not an easy fix and then forget that they are even there
we forget to care

o my soul, faint not, no
faint not | o my soul, keep up, up
in love

where there is hatred, let me sow love
where there is injury, let me pardon
where there is darkness, let the Light come, come

o my soul, faint not, no
faint not | o my soul, keep up, up
in love

o my soul, faint not, no
faint not | o my soul, keep up, up
in love

faint not
faint not

Adulthood.

Yes, July 19th was a long time ago.  Some would say a very long time ago.  But that does not discredit the significance of the day.

July 19, 2011 I officially entered my twenties.

Great news right?!  Seriously, I cannot figure out how it's possible that I am twenty years old.  I am so excited for this new stage in my life.  So much will be happening in my twenties, the majority I cannot even wrap my mind around at the moment. 

{Some UCLA girls took me out for a fun dinner at C&O's in Venice}

{Traditional birthday table with some yummy cupcakes}

{Flowers at work from my fabulous boss}

{Family birthday breakfast at Bagels & Brew}

{Chunky Monkey wearing his UCLA pride onesie}

{Lake Forest friends took me out to a fun BJ's dinner}

{My bestest friend in the whole world was there too which just made it that much sweeter}

So yeah, I pretty much ate my way through July celebrating, but that's the way it's supposed to be right?!  Thank you so much to everyone who made my birthday special!  You all are so wonderful! 

Monday Melody...on Thursday.

Well it's Thursday night...I guess technically Friday morning...so obviously I'm posting a Monday Melody.

If that makes sense to anyone else then you are my true friend.

This week I've had The Sidewalk Prophet's album playing in my car pretty much non-stop.  Apparently I'm the type of person that when I like something I just can't get enough.  The entire album is so great, kind of like the Phil Wickham one I posted about last week, but this time my choice is...

{drum roll please}

Moving All The While

It's an amazing song that totally grabbed ahold of my heart as I was driving down Santa Monica Boulevard the other day.  It almost sounds like it could be an old Irish hymn (and maybe it is) with bagpipes and simple lyrics but it has just completely won me over.  It reminds me of what an amazing word hallelujah is and all that it encompasses.  The definition is literally "praise the Lord" and I love when the word wraps itself around my heart and I can truly exclaim it with joy and wonder.  I encourage you to listen to the song and really let the lyrics soak in.  My prayer is that each of you reading this post (all five of you...) will realize that no matter what, in the darkness and the light, God is moving all the while.  And I pray that with that realization you can wholeheartedly shout, "Hallelujah!".

In the morning as I wake
I pray my eyes do see
On this narrow road I walk
You have made a path for me

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
You were moving all the while

In sickness and in doubt
Or questions that may raise
You claimed victory on the cross
And You filled my lungs with praise

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
You were moving all the while

On a dark and silent night
Above Your beauty shines
And Your peace shall fill the earth
By Your love we are refined

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
You were moving all the while

Through all the bitter storms
Whatever comes our way
You will guide this vessel home
To live for all my days

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
You were moving all the while

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
You were moving all the while
You were moving all the while