Howdy!
My name is Marlena Griffey, and I am a 21 year old native Texan (if you couldn’t tell that by the greeting above). I graduated in May of 2010 from Texas A&M University (whoop!) with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. I can honestly say that I LOVE teaching, despite all of the stress and long hours. I spent a year of my internship at a Title I school in Bryan, Texas,
with the most amazing group of 1st graders I could have asked for. My mentor teacher was such a Godly woman and example who had a large hand in getting me where I am today…the World Race! My students gave me the courage to face some of my most difficult life challenges because of their sweet love and affection. I will truly miss being a teacher for this season of my life!
I have also been blessed with amazing friends that I have been privileged to learn and grow with over the years. I know this blog is supposed to tell you a little more about me, but honestly I don’t know if I would be who I am today without my friends, so I’m going to tell you a little bit about them first :).
The first ladies I would like to mention are my sweet roommates: Patricia, Sarah, and Anna. The
past 3 years, I have had the honor of living with my best friends. I couldn’t have asked for more Godly, encouraging women to share my life with. We have been to hell and back together…But God is faithful, and I have been blessed by the way we have fought for each other in the hard times and laughed with each other in the good. Thank you girls for teaching me the true meaning of community. I hope we can all be roommates again some day….think “Golden Girls” ;). I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself when I don’t have all of you around for 2 a.m. games of Monopoly Deal, pranks (both the successes and the failures…think of the lotto ticket/neighbor incident), roadtrips across the country, and late night chats. Plus, no one is ever going to think YouTube videos are as funny & quotable as we do. I love you girls so much!!
past 3 years, I have had the honor of living with my best friends. I couldn’t have asked for more Godly, encouraging women to share my life with. We have been to hell and back together…But God is faithful, and I have been blessed by the way we have fought for each other in the hard times and laughed with each other in the good. Thank you girls for teaching me the true meaning of community. I hope we can all be roommates again some day….think “Golden Girls” ;). I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself when I don’t have all of you around for 2 a.m. games of Monopoly Deal, pranks (both the successes and the failures…think of the lotto ticket/neighbor incident), roadtrips across the country, and late night chats. Plus, no one is ever going to think YouTube videos are as funny & quotable as we do. I love you girls so much!!
The next lady I’d like to mention has been my friend since 5th grade. Bethany is the epitome of a true and loyal friend. She rebukes me when I’m wrong and stands up for me when no one else will. In every sense,
she embodies Proverbs 27:17…”As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Bethany has been there for me throughout every up and down. I couldn’t ask for a better best friend!! I am going to seriously miss her amazing cooking and cake-making skills…Ace of Cakes has nothing on us 😉
she embodies Proverbs 27:17…”As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Bethany has been there for me throughout every up and down. I couldn’t ask for a better best friend!! I am going to seriously miss her amazing cooking and cake-making skills…Ace of Cakes has nothing on us 😉
My next two bff’s date back to high school. Which proves that you can
stay in touch with your high school friends! Beka and I first met in 7th grade, but we became best friends when I came to her school our Sophomore year of high school. I think we first bonded in yearbook class talking about homecoming/prom dates. Although we’ve changed and grown so much since then, we still love our boy talks ;). I had the privilege of getting to graduate again with Beka, but this time we have our Bachelor’s degrees to show off (WHOOP!). Lindsay and I met and became friends our Junior year of high school through our church youth group. We bonded at our Sunday School teacher’s house when she had a sleepover for the girls who didn’t get to go to summer camp. I thank the Lord for that sleepover! Lindsay is the Rory to my Lane (for all you Gilmore Girls fanatics out there)…I love our GG nights w/ Ben & Jerry’s, but I love even more our talks about life and the Lord. You are a wise woman of the Lord, and I love you so much! (P.S. don’t hate me, girls, for this high school pic…I just couldn’t resist!)
stay in touch with your high school friends! Beka and I first met in 7th grade, but we became best friends when I came to her school our Sophomore year of high school. I think we first bonded in yearbook class talking about homecoming/prom dates. Although we’ve changed and grown so much since then, we still love our boy talks ;). I had the privilege of getting to graduate again with Beka, but this time we have our Bachelor’s degrees to show off (WHOOP!). Lindsay and I met and became friends our Junior year of high school through our church youth group. We bonded at our Sunday School teacher’s house when she had a sleepover for the girls who didn’t get to go to summer camp. I thank the Lord for that sleepover! Lindsay is the Rory to my Lane (for all you Gilmore Girls fanatics out there)…I love our GG nights w/ Ben & Jerry’s, but I love even more our talks about life and the Lord. You are a wise woman of the Lord, and I love you so much! (P.S. don’t hate me, girls, for this high school pic…I just couldn’t resist!)
Two of my best college friends are Katie and Courtney. Katie & I had classes together almost every semester up through our senior year. We were the goof balls in class, always getting in trouble for talking and
playing tic-tac-toe :). I still owe my good grades in college to you! You were the only thing that made those 12 hour study days at Sweet Eugene’s enjoyable. Katie got me hooked on coffee, simply because of our amazing life conversations over a good cup. You are a dear, dear friend, and the funnest married lady I know ;). Courtney was Katie’s roommate, so that’s how I got to know her. Court is my travel buddy, a woman after my own heart! I love our study dates (even though we hardly ever study), our countless trips to the mall, and our spaz dance moves. I can’t wait to hear about your Israel adventures!
playing tic-tac-toe :). I still owe my good grades in college to you! You were the only thing that made those 12 hour study days at Sweet Eugene’s enjoyable. Katie got me hooked on coffee, simply because of our amazing life conversations over a good cup. You are a dear, dear friend, and the funnest married lady I know ;). Courtney was Katie’s roommate, so that’s how I got to know her. Court is my travel buddy, a woman after my own heart! I love our study dates (even though we hardly ever study), our countless trips to the mall, and our spaz dance moves. I can’t wait to hear about your Israel adventures!
The last group of sweet women that I’d like to mention are my 321 girls: Camille, Katy, and Megan. Although I haven’t known these women for very long, or gotten to spend near as much time with them as I’d like, they have had such a HUGE impact on my life. These girls go to Louisiana Tech and welcomed me into their home (or dorm, rather) with open arms when they didn’t even know me. From watching their relationships with each other, I learned what true community can look like…beautiful.
I loved our late night talks in bed, our crazy trespassing adventures, dance parties, and meals at the caf. Thank you girls for your love and hospitality towards me. When I think of y’all, I think of Hebrews 13:2, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.” May the Lord bless you for the way you’ve blessed and encouraged me! One day we’ll walk on those streets of gold together :).
Last, but certainly not least, is Jason. Jason and I have been friends for about 6 years now, but in the past 6 months the Lord brought our paths together in a way we never would have expected! The story is quite an incredible one, so if you’re ever interested in hearing it just shoot me an email…it’s one I never get tired of telling! Jason is truly the love of my life; I could not ask for a better encourager, supporter, and best friend. While being separated for a year isn’t the ideal norm, we eagerly anticipate the work God will do in our individual lives as we are apart. I love you, Jason, and I can’t wait to see what the next chapter of our story holds :).
These friends are just a few who have impacted my life over the past 10 years. If I had time I would have to include many, many more…but this blog has gotten too long!
Basically, I would much rather talk about my amazing friends or what God is doing in my life than give you a facebook-ish description of myself, but I will give you a few tidbits for those of you out there who don’t know me yet. I have done nothing but stalk World Race blogs for the past 3 months, and it has been encouraging to me to see that World Racers are not much different than myself. We are humans, humans who love coffee and shopping and electricity and fast food and dancing just as much as the person next to us. The only common difference that I’ve seen is that we are all somewhat dissatisfied. We have caught a glimpse of something more, and to us it is worth it to abandon all of these things that we love in a pursuit of something greater. As my dear friend Camille reminds me all the time, “come up higher and leave this world behind, you’ll find me to be beautiful”
So that’s where I’m at. I’m not some super-Christian who has it all together and loves camping and thinks living out of a backpack for a year will be a breeze. Quite frankly that terrifies me. What I am is a girl who has tasted, just barely, something better. And it’s worth it to me to leave everything behind in pursuit of that.
But, for now, here are the things that make up “me.” I look forward to looking back on this list a year from now, to see what has changed and what has stayed the same 🙂
-Music, music, music. And concerts. These are my obsessions. Namely, NEEDTOBREATHE, Switchfoot, Jon Foreman, Mat Kearney, Alexi Murdoch, Phil Whickham, Brooke Fraser, and yes, Taylor Swift.
-Wakeboarding. Can’t get enough of it. Been at it since I was eleven, and I still haven’t found a sensation that compares to the solitude of being out on the water.
-Reading. I am obsessed with reading. Donald Miller, Rob Bell, Jane Austen, and J.K. Rowling are a few of my fav. authors.
-I love dancing. I am a complete spaz at it, but it gives me so much joy.
-As far as TV goes, there are a few shows that are a must: The Office, LOST, Gilmore Girls, and Arrested Development (R.I.P.)
-Monopoly Deal. Hands-down the best card game ever invented. Can only be topped by a good game of Apples to Apples.
I am a girly girl through and through. I love shopping and makeup and feeling pretty. But I have found that the most rewarding life experiences I have had to date involve very little of the things above. Two summers ago I spent a month living as a missionary in a Mayan village in Mexico. No air conditioning, no kitchen. Just a couple of hammocks, lots of bug spray, and (praise the Lord) one of the few functioning bathrooms in the village. And you know what? I have never been more satisfied. So walk with me, friends, on this incredible adventure, as I let the Lord strip me of “me.”
“For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:36
To him be the glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:36
