What was your favorite food when you were a child?
“Soggy Chicken” — My mom makes the BEST fried chicken and the day after she makes it, she takes the leftover chicken and puts it in a baking dish adding all the ingredients for gravy (cornstarch, milk, etc but not actually make it into gravy) and pour it in the dish with the chicken. Then she bakes it and voila! The best dinner ever!
What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod?
Whom Shall I Fear [God of Angel Armies] — Chris Tomlin
Jesus in Disguise — Brandon Heath
Holy — Matt Redman
Joy to the World — David Crowder Band (seriously this entire album; Christmas music is an all year thing for me)
10,000 Reasons [Bless the Lord] — Matt Redman
Your Great Name — Natalie Grant
One Thing Remains — Kristian Stanfill
Forever Reign — Kristian Stanfill
Joy to the World — Third Day
And you thought I could choose only one!
What is one of your favorite quotes?
"The glory of God is man fully alive."
– St. Iranaeus
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
– Howard Thurman
What’s your favorite indoor/outdoor activity?
Sleeping…
Ok, ok. If I'm outdoors, I want to be sipping on a coffee or wine or some other delicious beverage of choice and having a meaningful conversation with someone about anything from life and love to God and faith, pain and suffering to peace and joy or anything and everything in between. I'm totally a fan of connecting and getting to know the real you.
Indoors.. Sitting in front of the fire place with a cup of gluwine or hot apple cider and enjoying the company of family and friends.
What chore do you absolutely hate doing?
Washing dishes ONLY when they have been sitting in cold, dirty water with chunks of food floating around. Eww!
What is your favorite form of exercise?
Rollerblading
What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?
Sunrise and Sunset (I am not a morning person in the least, but waking up before the rest of the world leaves me feeling as though I have been let in on a secret only God and I share.)
Sundays (only because I really love corporate worship and the encouragement to keep running this race with all my heart, mind, soul and strength.)
I can find something I enjoy about every month but Spring and Fall are by far my two favorite seasons. There is just something about the leaves changing, apple cider and the spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas that stirs my soul. Oh and Christmas music is most definitely my favorite! Then by the time Spring comes around, the miracle of blooming flowers and the incredible beauty that takes my breath away and leaves me in awe of the majesty of God.
What’s your least favorite mode of transportation?
I am really ok with it all… as long as I'm not driving and have the opportunity to enjoy the scenery.
My favorites are flying, boating or train.
What sound do you love?
Birds singing
Children's laughter
Instrumental music, especially with any combination of guitar, drums, violin and piano and occasionally you can throw in a talented, powerful voice in there and I'd be a-ok.
If you could throw any kind of party, what would it be like and what would it be for?
He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
A few years ago, when coming across this text, I suddenly wanted to prepare a feast for the poor in my area. I know there are homeless shelters and food banks and such but they are always served the cheapest, bland, unhealthy food. One day, I would like to give a feast to the poor with hot dogs and hamburgers, or fried chicken or turkey and ham or whatever! And yummy homemade side dishes like green bean casserole and homemade pies for dessert. The menu doesn't matter as long as it's extravagant and the quality someone would serve guests they were trying to impress. It's got to cost the givers something to matter. Now wouldn't THAT just be just too cool to love Jesus like this?
If you could paint a picture of any scenery you’ve seen before, what would you paint?
A sunrise or sunset of the view from the window seat on a plane. God's pretty good at creating these to be pretty spectacular.
If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?
I’m not so sure I would choose to do so. I’m enjoying the journey, but I am pretty good with being younger than 30.
If you knew the world was ending in 2012, what would you do differently?
I would live without fear; fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of judgment from others, fear of abandonment, fear of not measuring up, fear of not being taken care of or able to take care of myself
If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?
Jesus for sure.
As tangible options:
Joy Dawson
Kristen Williams
Volker and Naraleska Boehm
If you could witness any event past, present or future, what would it be?
I would truly enjoy dressing up in a beautiful sun dress and big hat and going to the Kentucky Derby one year.
I am so looking forward to witnessing the day Jesus takes all our pain away, wipes away our tears and makes everything right.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
Gymnastics or Diving. Both are beautiful to watch.
Art. I would love to see the world through the eyes of an artist.
Sing. If only I could sing like the angels…
If you had to work on only one project for the next year, what would it be?
I'm the kind of person who begins a multitude of projects simultaneously and only complete a few of them because I am far too easily bored to focus on one thing at a time.
If you were immortal for a day, what would you do?
Chase the eye of a hurricane to witness the fury of the storm.
If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to?
A lot goes into a name and should not be given carelessly. My parents chose my name so I think I will keep it UNLESS God Himself gives me a new name like He did throughout the Bible when molding the identity of His people.
If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet?
King David, Apostle Paul, Mother Teresa, Beth Moore
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?
Well, God has been changing my heart a lot so the first thing I would do is give God the first portion, then ask Him how He wants to spend the rest. No joke; we've been practicing this lately with any form of income.
If you could know the answer to any question, besides “What is the meaning of life?”, what would it be?
Who are You, God?
If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?
Cinderella
Which celebrity do you get mistaken for?
The kid from the movie ‘The Sixth Sense’. Fortunately, this is no longer an issue. Haha
What do you want to be when you grow up?
A mom.
When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?
Connecting with God by worshiping through music, praying, reading my Bible, or even listening to a sermon.
What would you name the autobiography of your life?
The Journey of an Ordinary Girl Discovering the Extraordinary God of Heaven
What songs are included on the soundtrack to your life?
Something More — Sugarland
Hero — Superchick
Right Here Waiting — Richard Marx
Wherever you go, whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes or how My heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you
(God spoke this to me years ago as He was calling me to surrender to Him.)
Surrender — Marc James
The More I Seek You — Kari Jobe
These are songs that have inspired me along the way, not so much songs that give way to a life theme.
Have you ever had something happen to you that you thought was bad but it turned out to be for the best?
My career with Chick-fil-A proved to have many challenges and struggles that did serve to make me stronger, but ultimately drove me to the point of finally surrendering fully to the Lord. I am now past the point of no return and I am looking forward, a little anxiously (but more so excitedly), to what God has in store for the future.
What was the last movie, TV show or book that made you cry or tear up?
It doesn't take much…
TV Show… Vegas (when the Sheriff rescued a 9yr old boy from a kidnapping and returned him to his parents)
Book… Kingdom Journeys by Seth Barnes AND The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers
Movie… Finding Nemo 3D
What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
Saying goodbye to my Aunt Sheri knowing it would be the last time I ever saw her.
Saying 'I love you' and goodbye to a good friend of mine, Nancy, when I knew it was my last chance.
What was the last experience that made you a stronger person?
Learning to forgive and love my enemies.
What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?
Nothing, I was perfect. (My mom just said so!) Ok so I wasn't perfect, not even close, but I didn't get into much trouble until I turned 12 yrs old. Then the hormones sent me into a whirlwind of emotions and then everything I did and didn't do got me into trouble.
When was the last time you had an amazing meal?
All week! My mom and I made one of my favorite meals Sunday (pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, green beans and homemade biscuits) and for Monday we made Pumpkin Spice Chili that I tried for the first time and it has to be the best chili I have ever had.
What’s the best/worst gift you’ve ever given/received?
I made a journal for my big sis (handmade paper and all) which I thought was pretty cool.
A friend gave me a pair of earrings she bought in Mexico during our outreach there. That was a very special time in my life and a good friendship had been made so the earrings resembled all of that. One day, I lost the earring and was pretty bummed. My parents took a trip to Mexico for their 25th wedding anniversary and found someone to custom make a pair identical to the original pair.
What do you miss most about being a kid?
My innocence. I enjoyed thinking the world was a safe place and that people were generally good.
What is your first memory of being really excited?
There were many, but one of the biggest was receiving my acceptance letter to Georgia Tech and another was when God called me to do a Discipleship Training School in Australia as if that wasn't exciting enough, I felt God speak to my heart as I was flying over the coastline that I was home. There has truly been nothing more exciting than following the Lord.
What was the first thing you bought with your own money?
Well, I really do not remember. The first CD I bought, which was Beach Boys All-Time Greatest Hits
When was the last time you were nervous?
Probably 5 minutes ago, but last week for sure; I was worrying about that big 'what if'.
What IF God doesn't come through?
What IF I am not hearing correctly?
What IF I am unable to leave in July for this World Race?
What IF…?
What is something you learned in the last week?
There is a correct and incorrect way to fold shorts. 🙂 (My mom runs a laundromat and she has multiple people drop off their laundry for her to wash, dry and fold it for them to pick up at a later time/date.)
And that God NEVER leaves us.
What story does your family always tell about you?
When I was a baby, I had to go to an in home daycare but I was the youngest one in the group so I was never allowed to play outside with the older kids. The lady, Inez, was afraid I would get trampled on and hurt and apparently I didn't like that so much because my first word was 'outside'. I wanted to go outside with everyone else
At what age did you become an adult?
18 of course! Ok, I'm going to have to say I began truly living like a somewhat responsible adult at 24
What is the coolest place you’ve ever been to?
Germany, no really, it was freezing!
I cannot select a favorite place I have been to, but Germany was incredibly unique. There were so many different facets of the culture I truly enjoyed from my time there from the gluwine and Christmas markets to the castles and riding a bicycle everywhere, the most delicious beer I have ever tasted and Oktoberfest (the real thing in the small towns) to the endless fields of wild flowers in this spring and of course a family of goats I became quite partial to.
What is one word that you would use to describe yourself?
Complex
If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?
Tell everyone about Jesus and how much He loves us.
