Hello friends, family and all y’all and Welcome to this little blog here!
I am Ally Tenney and I am preparing for the journey of a lifetime!
I have just graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in Applied and Environmental Microbiology with an English minor. There, I studied a great deal about bacteria, worms, dirt, and the human gut (AKA some poop:)).
I love the outdoors-
(This is me backpacking on the Appalachian Trail)
and exploring new limitations for myself, whether that be socially, spiritually, or just finding the highest of heights, standing with my toes at the edge and peeking over the cliff! I had a friend tell me once, who had a similar mentality, that sometimes he felt God calling him to take those risky steps-to step close to the edge, to hang off of the highest peak. He thought of it as a sort of leap of faith. I am not sure if I have found that same sense when pushing the limits yet, but I am willing to keep listening!
My love to push my own limits has lead me to rock climbing, an adventurous, but quite lovely sport attaching yourself to a rope and climbing up some cliffs. I like to take trips often down to the New River Gorge in West Virginia and do some climbing down there. I always find such a humbleness from the breathtaking beauty of the creation all around me. How can I, me, live amongst this perfect and incredible landscape? I am just so broken.
I moved around often as a child, and while I do not feel this defines me, I do feel it has brought me to a sense of acceptance and understanding that I had not realized before. Each move brought new friends and new experiences! I think it brought about a small sense of nomadic tendencies. I remember almost begging my parents to move in fifth grade.
I treasure just those little simple things in life, nurturing friendships, game night with my family, breakfast foods, baking up some snicker doodles, and sitting on the front porch with my feet up and some cushions behind my back! I attempt to live life with this appreciation and an open heart with a huge sprinkle of forgiveness, hoping to shine just a bit of God’s love.
I also just love me some great music and to sing that tune. This passion has brought about so many great experiences. I’ve witnessed some phenomenal artistry and talent that I could never muster. It’s true, music is such a reflection of that “unspoken” inside.
I also LOVE cookies (hands up, Amen, if you agree). I stinkin’ love those things.
Christ found me before I even knew a soul, but I found Him at a very young age. For years, I tried and tried to be that perfect Christian, but with all the moves and new friends. new places, I found myself wishing for that little place to belong, my niche. I changed myself, endlessly, to be THAT girl. From high school to college it continued. This need to define myself based on other’s opinions-my possessions-my appearance- drug me down a path in pursuit of things that never seemed to satisfy.
But, Christ was there, and by golly, He is pretty amazing.
God’s pulled me up from those pursuits and gave me THIS life, a fulfilling and forgiven life. We’ve been given this grace, which is so much more than we can ever fully comprehend. This grace is love, this grace is forgiveness. I wish I could explain it all right now. But, it changed my life forever and it continues to change my life everyday, everyday. Knowing that past,those pursuits of things I thought could make me “happy,” doesn’t have to define me.
It is so beautiful. We are so free.
I want to live a life that reflects this GRACE! with humbleness, appreciation, welcoming love, peace, encouragement, community, and wonderful relationships with friends and family and YOU!
So please subscribe to this blog here!
