Day 24: Living In Community

Remember that time I said I would post for 31 days about faith? And I even made a fancy Instagram image and everything. And then I failed after Day 4. Well, I don't know what I was thinking. I am not sure if I forgot that I am the type of person who crams as much activity as I can into my weekly planning. Tis the reason why I failed.

I just felt I needed to address that before I proceeded on with my regularly scheduled post. (And by regularly scheduled I mean- whenever I want!!) Because that's how I blog, whenever a good idea strikes me. I just can't seem to be a legit blogger and do it everyday. So please don't judge my failures. Or do. It's okay, I'll never know.

Soooooooo.........

The past 8 weeks have been flipping amazing, y'all! I didn't get a new job, a new home, or a raise. So what could have made the past 2 months so amazing?

I received a renewed relationship with my Jesus.

About 8 weeks ago I was sitting across from my dear friend Kim and we were celebrating my birthday at a cute local place here in Austin. Our conversation started out light and fun, something that is to be expected when you're celebrating someones birthday. But I couldn't hide it anymore. I had to tell someone. And Kim was my victim.

Earlier that day God had put it on my heart to confess. Confess everything that I had been struggling with that summer. Confess a certain situation that was robbing me of pure joy. But it wasn't a pretty situation. It was bad. Gross. Selfish. And as I was sitting there across from Kim, enjoying our dessert under twinkling lights, I confessed. My words were accompanied with tears and my tears were comforted by her compassion.

I am not sure why God thought now would be the ideal time to confess. I am supposed to be celebrating my birthday, after all. But as hard as it was to speak the words to Kim, I am glad he made me. Because for my birthday he gave me the gift of freedom and joy.

A week later I was enjoying a typical night in Austin with my girlfriends. A night that consisted of hanging out downtown and eating food out of trailers. Eating food that is prepared in trailers is the best thing ever. But this is also coming from a girl who LOVES gas station hot dogs so you can take my advice with a grain of salt. And put that grain of salt on your trailer food too. (I imagine that would make it taste better actually.) So there we are sitting on blankets, in the middle of downtown, eating some BBQ and God calls me to confess.

Again.

I am pretty sure I did this last week so I am not sure why we have to revisit this so soon. But I did.

My confession to Allison was a little different. It was a confession of sin but also a confession of God's goodness. My story was being transformed and I could see it in the words I declared the second time around.

Over the course of 8 weeks I began to be in the Word everyday. Something that I have struggled with for years but by the Grace of God I was carving out time for the Word. I was anxiously awaiting my time with Him next.

Jesus is the only reason for this change because His words were fueling my joy and I wanted more.

All day. Err day.

Now that some time has passed I thought I was done confessing about this certain situation but once again God had a different plan.

Last night while Jenn and I were driving back home from our Missional Community she asked me to tell her what has happened over the past 8 weeks. Once again confession rolled off my tongue. It was a confession of the crappy stuff but a declaration of the goodness of God. I remember telling her:

"Some days I want to go back to that sin, because I get lonely and it was fun. But I know that at this time in my life that would be the absolute stupidest thing I could do."

Her response: "I agree."

Her response would normally produce a defensive wall and might cause me to respond by saying "Hey, you don't know me." (Similar to the reactions you get on Jerry Springer) But I was thankful. I am thankful for her honesty because it is to protect me and help me strive towards Jesus.

Over the past 8 weeks I have seen the importance of being brutally honest within community. And over the past 6 weeks we have been studying a series in church about the importance of community. I don't think it is a coincidence that those two coincided in my life during this time.

Because of Jesus my words of confession have been transformed into words of declaration.
I want to confess the bad because I want to declare the good.

Jesus takes filth that has decayed my heart over the span of 4 years and makes it new. And he gives you community to walk alongside you and help you clean up those pieces.

So if you are reading this and you aren't in community, I encourage you to get on that!
I know it can be hard to walk into a group of people you may not know and talk about Jesus. But it is so worth it.

And if you are reading this and your walk with Jesus is being held back by chains that are slowing down your walk- confess. And after you confess- declare!

While confession should be a regular part of our Christian walk, I am reminding myself that it is important that I don't live in that state of confession but I also live fully in the state of declaration.

I am declaring that Jesus is better.

"And our souls declaring Jesus is better.
Make my heart believe.
Our song eternal Jesus is better.
Make my heart believe."

Day 7: Community

I'm in bed wide awake right now because I can't fall asleep. So I thought I would catch up on my blog posts that I haven't done in 3 days.

Any of you other #31Days people behind like I am? (Just say yes to make me feel better)

The best part of a sleepless night? Texting my Missional Community leader about things going on in our lives. She keeps it real with me, and I with her, and we are able to share struggles together.

I joined this group almost 6 years ago and these ladies have become some of my best friends. They are the ones I tell all my messy and dirty stuff to and they still love me despite my filth.

If you haven't joined a biblical community I encourage you to do so very soon!! God did not create us to walk through this life alone. He created us to live in community just like the Trinity.

Day 4: Failure

Well crap, y'all.

I forgot to blog yesterday.

I failed.

On day 3!!!

Told you I would do it. But this time it wasn't intentional. It wasn't like those times I set goals for myself and thought "Oh well, I'll see if I can maybe pull this off."

I really thought I could do it!...Well kinda, except for when I kinda doubted myself on my Day 1 post. Oops.

But that's okay. I'm allowing myself a little grace in this area. Mainly because I know I'm not perfect and it takes discipline to go from blogging once a month to blogging once a day.

This is what I love about Jesus.

I can fail over and over at something and he won't give up on me.

He knows I'm not perfect and that what he asks of me requires discipline.

And I will try day after day to be perfect.

And fail.

But he always welcomes me with grace.

So okay, I failed at Day 3 but I got Day 4 in the books.

So tomorrow I will welcome Day 5 with a little grace.

Women of Joy

Well it's Day 2 of the #31Days challenge and I already look like I am a day behind because I "skipped" October 1st. I uploaded my post a few hours early because we all decided to link up early due to time zone differences. Soooooo, I felt the need to explain myself so you wouldn't judge me.

Validation is an idol of mine. I am working on getting over that.

Anyway.

I was invited to attend a conference in San Antonio this weekend and I am super excited about it!

It's called Women of Joy and one of their guest speakers will be Miss Kay from Duck Dynasty!!

How cool is that?!?!

I also can't wait to worship again with Chris Tomlin. I haven't been able to do that since he left our church in Austin to plant Passion City in Atlanta, so that will be awesome too!

I can't wait to experience this weekend's theme of absolute surrender!

They will encourage women to take a break from their busy schedules and to energize and refocus their spiritual lives- sign me up!

The best part of all of this (well, besides growing closer to God!) they have asked me to do a review of the conference on my blog! So you'll be able to read and see pictures of this experience!

Can't wait to share with you!!

(I used a ton of exclamation points in this post, by the way!)

Happy Wednesday, y'all!

#31Days Challenge

To be honest, I don't know why I am doing this...

If you look over my blog history, I am not known to blog all day err day.

But. That's what makes this a challenge.

A challenge to blog everyday for the month of October.

I may fail because of my ridiculously busy schedule.

But I may succeed.

I want to succeed because it will be good for me to get a little bit of writing in everyday.

(a good writing exercise for a freelance writer)

But most importantly I want to succeed because the topic I picked was faith.

I picked faith because it is a constant in my life.

No matter the day, weather or mood- faith is and always will be intertwined in every aspect of my life.

My faith isn't perfect.

But my Savior is.

My faith isn't strong.

But my Savior is.

And my faith isn't always bold.

But my Savior is.

So welcome fellow bloggers (and readers) to my #31Days of Faith.

I hope you see the traces of faith in my everyday life.

That one time when I wrote a letter to Jay-Z about my trip to Oklahoma

As most of you know I went to Oklahoma almost two weeks ago.

Why, you ask?

I was given the opportunity to attend Kevin Durant's basketball camp and write a review for one of the female sports blogs I write for.

I was asked earlier in the year and of course my response was:

"Ballin'!" (Which translated into a more professional response of "yes I would love to, thank you.")

I spent the whole summer word vomiting about it on social media, because that's what you're supposed to do these days. And I was super excited/nervous about the chance to meet Kevin Durant.

No I did not take this picture while
driving and yes I did take this
picture 20 times and decided this
was the best one- believe it or not.

I drove up to Oklahoma in the middle of the week and booked a room at a Sooner fans dream hotel. Seriously, that place is where Sooner fans go to die. So why did I stay there? Well that is what happens when you try to book a hotel with your debit card reward points and want a location closest to OU campus. Plus I thought it would be a fun experience because it was also a sports bar, and y'all know I love me some sports bars (said in a non-booze hound sorta way).

UT fans: just focus your eyes on the really big bed.

The evening I got into town I thought I'd explore OU campus and get a feel for this school that I was raised to hate. I wanted to find where things were since I had to be at the rec center early the next morning. Honestly, I was also itching to see the football stadium. Even though I hate OU football, I was excited to see the stadium because I made a new goal for myself to visit every stadium in the Big 12 Conference. So against my will, it was a must that I see this place. It wasn't so bad. I didn't burst into flames when I stepped foot on the stadium grounds.

It just so happened that the OU football players where getting out of practice when I was exploring. I  thought I should take advantage of this opportunity by asking them to help me find a few buildings. I also thought it would be a good idea to tackle one of them. I use the term tackle very loosely but I did body slam one because I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking. When someone says "it's over there" and points, of course I am going to look so that means you shouldn't walk in front of me. I'm not saying that Kliff Kingbury should make me an honorary player for this tackle....wait, yes I am. Holla atcha girl, Kliff. (My number will be in secret code at the end of this post).

The next morning I woke up super early to head over to Kevin Durant's camp. When I got there I went to check-in with the staff as a member of the media. I was quickly informed that Kevin Durant's agent decided that morning he did not want media present for the camp after all.

Say what?!?!?!

Yes, you read that right. I drove 6 hours to Oklahoma and booked a hotel for two nights only to find out that they changed their mind. It took a lot for me to not go crazy latina on them but I found it best for the future of my career to just walk away.

When I arrived back at the hotel I frantically searched to find out who Kevin Durant's agent was. It is amazing how big of a brain fart you can have when you're fuming mad because I quickly remembered that his agent is....

Jay-Z.

Suddenly it sank in. Kevin Durant signed to Roc Nation Sports about a month ago and Jay-Z currently represents him and a few other players.

Freakin' A.

I didn't let the fear of Jay-Z possibly reading my letter make my shy away from sending it. I felt like this situation was something they needed to know about for the future. Last minute decisions like this one can hurt a little freelancers heart. And my heart was hurting. Like whoa.

The hardest part of writing the letter was starting it off. How exactly do you write a letter that is directed towards Jay-Z?

Dear Mr. Jay-Z?

Dear Jay?

Dear Mr. Hyphen Z?

Hova??

I went with something more professional. That was the second hardest part for me. Being professional. I wanted to write him a letter more explicit than the lyrics in his last album. Homegirl was PO-ed. I wanted to let him know that I currently had 99 problems and he was one.

But I didn't.

I expressed my frustrations in a polite manner because at the end of the day I do want to like you Jay-Z. I still want to sing Can I Get A? at a karaoke bar with my friends. But more than that, I wanted to display a little glimpse of loving one another through such a crappy time as this.

I haven't heard back from him. I actually don't expect to. Maybe I will get a shout out in his next album. Who knows?

But I learned a lot from this experience. I learned that writing is what I want to do. I want to do it bad enough to drive 6 hours to Oklahoma and stay in a Sooner infested hotel.

I learned that God has given me some pretty fun experiences even when the outcome isn't what I would have imagined.

And this is a story about that one time when I wrote a letter to Jay-Z about my trip to Oklahoma.

I'm Not Dead.

Good news, right?

My sister informed me that I hadn't written a blog post in almost two months...and she laughed when she told me because she thought she was mistaken and then I (not so) kindly informed her that she was correct and thanks for pointing that out. (Long breath after a unnecessary run-on sentence).

So if I am not dead, what exactly have I been doing?

Good question.

I got a new freelance job writing for another college sports website.
Score.

I am about to head to Oklahoma to interview and review Kevin Durant's Basketball camp.
Score. Again.

And last week I was in Dallas for Echo- a conference for artist, geeks and storytellers.
And it was awesome.
Mainly because I got to hear Jon Acuff speak for the 5th time in 3 months, which is borderline stalker status. And I finally got to hear Donald Miller speak and he blew my mind.

Aaaaand this weekend I have been attending Texas Style Council here in Austin.
Which is the primary reason for this late-night blog update.
Because all the ladies I gave my blog out to are going to visit and say:
"Dang this chic doesn't write much."
Well, I do.
Just not on here.
Often.

So I am heading to bed before 11p on a Saturday night, but only after I go iron my favorite cardigan to wear tomorrow.

And if that last sentence didn't make me sound like an old lady, nothing else will.

Adios new friends!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Little Life Lesson Link-Up!

I am so excited to be linking up with Lindsay today! I love the lesson she has shared on her blog and I hope that you find that same encouragement in this post.

I want to share with you ladies a few things I have learned recently about Biblical womanhood.

My church is doing a series on Biblical manhood but they also hosted an event last night for all the single ladies (and also all the married ladies, but I just like to sing Beyonce whenever I get the chance) and taught us what Biblical womanhood really means.

Before this event, if you would have asked me what I thought Biblical womanhood meant, I would have probably said things like:

A woman who serves her husband well

A woman who is nurturing with her children

A women who tends to her home

A women who hosts church events at her house and greets people at the door in her apron- Susie Homemaker style

Ya know, Proverbs 31 type stuff.

So how does a single twenty-something year old like me achieve Biblical womanhood when none of the things above apply to me?

I don't have a husband

I don't have children

My home is a one-bedroom apartment in a "Keep Austin Weird" kinda neighborhood

But I do have an apron...so I mean, I have that going for me.

How do I embrace Biblical womanhood when I feel like the Proverbs 31 woman inside of me is being held captive by a pair of Spanx and some fake eyelashes?

I run to these truths:

(These truths are ones shared with me last night by great women leaders in my church)

1. Women uniquely express the affection and kindness of God

At any stage in our life, a woman can be kind and gentle to those around her.

2. Women can still display the image of Christ unmarried

In the role of marriage a husband loves his wife like Christ loves the church. So if we are not married, and we are to be like Christ, then we are called to love our church. And we can do so by serving our church body well.

3. Single women can still make disciples

Without the commitments of marriage and children, we have more free time for The Great Commision. After all is there anything more Biblical than making disciples?

The good news is God doesn't use us based on our relationship status, He uses us based on our personal relationship with Him. 

Biblical womanhood doesn't happen when I get married, or have children or cook barefoot in the kitchen (kidding) but Biblical womanhood happens when I live my life in the image of Christ. In His image is where I find my identity and my womanhood.

The only way for a lady to find her real role as a woman is to seek for it in the heart of her Savior.

Sweet Tea Social

Hey y'all!

(or should I say ladies, but this is for Texas women so y'all seemed more appropriate)

I am excited to join this new community of bloggers!! Bloggers have to be one of my favorite groups of people, not only because I am one of them but because they are usually creative, fabulous and jacked up on coffee, or in our case...sweet tea.

Should I also reveal that my older sister is Brandi of "Realities With Brandi"? Because she is.

I am excited about our tea party, mainly because I am not a coffee drinker and I am excited to see another blog embracing the idea of drinking tea!

If we were sitting on a porch, rocking our chairs out in the Texas sun, these are a few things I would reveal to you about this past week:

1. I am training for a 5K! I am not a runner, and living in Austin where every one and their mom runs races makes me a tad embarrased to say I have to train for a 5K. But I am and I'm owning it!

2. I'm going to start doing yoga. Mainly so people can call me "Yogi Barrera". Kidding. But this recent yoga kick is brought to you by my (totally hipster) neighborhood grocery store offering free yoga classes on Monday nights! Are any of you ladies yogis?

3. I'm reading an awesome new book by my pastor Matt Carter and former UT football player- Colt McCoy. It is a book on Biblical manhood but as a single woman it is teaching me a lot about the man I should be looking for.

4. I would also ask you if you have any tips for getting your dog to take his flea medicine. Mine has learned that those huge, yet delicious, peanut butter sandwiches have a nice, big chopped up pill hiden in them. You can only imagine what me on the floor wrestling with a 60 lb. pit bull-mix would look like. This is what I have resulted to, people!

5.  Lastly, I would ask you about your week. Something to know about me is that I love coffee dates (the ones I drink tea on but you get the point). I love investing in friendships with women and being an encouragement to them in their daily lives.

So how are you new friend?

Hope we get to chat soon, and maybe next time it won't be so dang hot outside.

Adios. :)

Get Down To Business With Cards From Tiny Prints!

Photo Credit: Tiny Prints

As a freelance writer, blogger, and copywriter based out of Austin, TX I knew I wanted business cards as creative and unique as the city I live in and that’s where Tiny Prints comes in. Tiny Prints is a sister site to Shutterfly so I knew they'd be a great company from the get-go. I was thrilled every step of the way, from first discovering their website all the way to seeing the little turquoise package on my doorstep. The process of picking out my business cards was not only easy and pleasant but it was fun too!

My fabulous cards are just my style!!

With that being said, here are five tips that I’ve learned along the way to help get your business cards out into the world of networking!

1.    Be You.

So you have a blog and you have your business cards, but now you’re wondering how you get them out them out there? First things first, just be yourself! Tiny Prints offers a variety of different styles that range from professional and modern to creative and stylish! The best part of finding a card that brings out your inner social butterfly is that Tiny Prints allows the option to custom design your cards. So not only can you make it trendy but also you can make it “you”- literally! You can upload your own picture or logo on your card, which will be sure to make you memorable at conferences or meetings with large numbers of people. I have never been more confident to approach people I didn’t know at a conference and be able to hand them a card that truly represented me and of course, my blog. It makes networking more fun when you have a card that stays true to your personality!

2.    Get Social

As a blogger there is one thing I know how to do and that is “get social”. I’ve learned that social media is such a powerful tool in the world of networking. So how do you incorporate your business cards into that world? It’s easy! In the blogging community bonds run as tight as families, or at least from my personal experience, and we are always looking for ways to help each other out. A popular blogging practice is called “swapping”, for example: book swaps, coffee mug swaps, or anything other item that one blogger swaps with another just for fun. Next time you’re a part of a blog swap include some business cards in your package and let the other blogger send some to you as well. This is a great practice for getting your cards out across the country without even having to travel!

3.    Work It

When I’m not freelancing, blogging or getting my social media hustle on, I work for a big time coffee company. Since there is not a conflict of interest between this big time coffee company and my writing career I like to take advantage of all the connections I make with my customers. I have had the opportunity to meet a variety of different people ranging from small business owners, philanthropists, actors, musicians and even other writers. With that many creative people coming through the doors, I like to keep my business cards handy in my apron pocket. I have met several people who have helped me with where I am today in my freelance writing career and will continue to do so with the help of my business cards! So the moral of that story is- don’t be afraid to work your business cards because you never know whom you might run into next.

4.    It’s All Relative

Relatives are a great way to get your business cards out there! Seriously, is there anything better than having your cards in the hands of people who really believe in your blog? The best part about this tip is that it’s free advertising for you! Each member of my family has my cards on them at all times and after convincing my brother that it wasn’t for him to give to guys he thinks I should date, he came up with the brilliant idea to hand them out to the sorority girls he networks with on his college campus. My family may be spread out across the Lone Star State but it’s nice to know that with the help of my relatives and my cards- the eyes of Texas are upon my blog and me!

5.    Do It Yourself. Literally.

Are you a blogger with an Etsy shop or specialize in any other DIY business? If so then this tip is for you! Next time you ship out a package put a couple of your business cards in with your shipment. This is a fantastic way to get your cards in the hands of people who enjoy your craftiness! I can’t tell you how many times I have asked someone where they got a certain item and we fumble around for something to write the website address on. How great would it be for your customers to be able to help you advertise for a product they really enjoy? Be sure to also utilize your cards as coupons. Include a discount code on your cards and people will be willing to take them off your hands in no time!

Tiny Prints makes it easy to find business cards that compliment your blog!

I hope these tips help you get your business cards into the hands of the right people. The best part about having cards from Tiny Prints is they are not only going to be fabulous but durable too, allowing you to tote them around at all times and be fully prepared for whatever networking opportunity may come your way!

So what are you waiting for? Check out their site and find out how you can start getting down to business with cards from Tiny Prints!

That one time when I got super crafty and forgot to document it...

Hey y'all!

As most of you know (or should know) I moved into my new apartment this month!! I am loving the extra space and living in a "big girl" place but I will miss my studio apartment, fo sho!

The best part of moving? Decorating, of course.

I tackled my first DYI furniture project and what do you know- I forgot to document it! Such is life.

I am proud to say that I did most of this project myself, with a little help from my dad. 

Growing up I had a chest of drawers that was painted baby blue and white (let's just say it was ugly for dramatic effect) and it had a little damage throughout the years. I really wanted to keep this piece of furniture because it such a durable piece of wood and it is something I've had for many years. And let's be honest, I've always wanted to do a DYI furniture project that I could document on Pinterest and get a ton of "oooo's and aaaah's". But I failed at that.

So here it is, my chest of drawers that I painted for my new apartment

*For a before picture just imagine an old piece of wood painted white and baby blue. So very very ugly. And then there's me- hair in a messy bun, sweating in the Texas sun, with spray paint on my arms and fingers (and shoes and shorts)*

What DYI projects have you done?

Have you ever fallen victim to "failure to document" like I have?

Even if you haven't say yes to make me feel better.

Ode to Stephen Curry's eyes

Photo Cred: BleacherReport.com

My dear friend Mallory requested that I write a blog post about Stephen Curry's eyes. So naturally, I obliged and this ridiculousness was born. Enjoy my fellow sports fans (and females who are fans of pretty eyes).

Dear Stephen Curry,

Though I write this in a hurry

it doesn't take away from the love us ladies have for your eyes

they make us weak in the...thighs? (It rhymes, okay.)

But I have one question:

Exactly what color are they?

Are they hazel or are they grey?

Or are they blue?

I hope that last one is true.

They seem to match your uniform at times,

which is what inspired these sick rhymes.

Let's be honest, we may not all be Warrior fans

but most of us ladies fall

for your beautiful set of two eyeball(s).

In conclusion,

I hope you beat the Spurs

and hang them out to dry like furs.

If you ever see this, I think you are a balla

so feel free to holla.
(Except that you're married, so for rhyming purposes just ignore that)

The End.

The Makeup Brush Gospel

Photo cred: nicolewmakeup.com

I originally wanted to share with all the female readers of my blog a quick and easy Pinterest find on how to clean your makeup brushes. Who would have thought that through the process of cleaning my brushes I would learn more about the Gospel?? (are you laughing at me yet?) It's true though!!

Let me explain.

A friend of mine recently told me about a quick and easy way to clean your makeup brushes by just using warm water, Dawn soap and a splash of vinegar. She raved about this homemade concoction so I had to try it for myself.

My first victim was my brush that I use for my bronzer. If I am being completely honest, and you know on here we keep it real, that brush was disgusting. Anyone who wears bronzer can relate to having a brush that is always brown and messy. I let it get outta control though, it was so dirty and gross (You're welcome for the mental image). I wanted to take a Before picture of my brush to compare to the After picture but I was too embarrassed to let all you ladies see how messy I can be sometimes.

With a few swirls in this homemade Pinterest potion my brush was clean within seconds!!

I was amazed at how fast the gunk came off and I knew for sure I had to share this with y'all! I immediately regretted not taking a Before picture though. Without a picture of what my brush was like before you would have a hard time believing just how awesome it looked after. Without a Before picture my brush just looked like another clean brush.

And then BAM that's when I realized something.

As Christians we often hide who we were before the Gospel out of embarrassment of people seeing how messy we once were. It took me years to finally share my story because I was too afraid of people knowing how dirty and disgusting I once was. Instead I just shared my life after the Gospel and hoped that people would still get the gist of it.

Without a Before picture, my life looks just like another Christian who goes to church.

If I don't share my story of my life before Christ, how would someone know just how sweet it really is?

We share our story of our lives Before the Gospel changed us so that God may be continuously glorified in the After picture as well.

Without the sharing of our stories, some people may never know that God can change the hearts of:

Addicts

Liars

Cheaters

Thieves

Alcoholics

Lust-ers

Gossipers

Those people might feel like they are stuck in their patterns because no one can relate to them.

Our stories are proof that nothing we do can make Jesus love us any less.

Our stories are proof of how powerful the Gospel really is.

Our stories are proof that Jesus can make anyone clean, no matter how dirty you once were.

So I encourage you to share your story because through it you are making the power of the Gospel known to those who feel like they are stuck in their sin alone.

That one time when my mom thought David Wallace was my pimp...

I am not really sure what the rules are for talking about pimps when you are writing a faith-based blog. But I figure since I am not actually employed by a pimp it would be okay to talk about it.

For those of you who don't know, Andy Buckley from The Office (the guy who plays David Wallace) has been a customer at my Starbucks for about a year and a half now. He is a really nice guy and we've become friends over time but I never let him in on the secret that I know who he is. I figured that he wants to be treated like everyone else and be kept on the DL.

We usually talk about his vacations, trips and family life back in LA and he would ask me questions about my family, you know, BFF stuff.

So one day Andy came in and I took his order and then my mom got in line behind him.
And this is when the best story of my life began...

"Hello Mother" I say as my mom walks up in line

Andy looks at her

"That's my mom!" I say to Andy

Andy and my mom introduce themselves to each other and she still has no idea who he is.

When it's Andy's turn to pay for his coffee he tells the manager at the register "I'll also pay for whatever this lady is having."

My mom being the polite lady she is turns down his offer due to the fact that her drink is very expensive (which may or may not have to do with how high maintance it is).

"No no no, please let me buy your stuff for you! Your daughter is so good to me!" Andy says while holding a wad of cash "Look, it was a good day for me." Flashing my mom his dolla-dolla bills y'all. But in a non-pretentious way...if that's at all possible.

All this is happening while thoughts are racing through my moms head.
Who is this man?
How exactly is my daughter so good to him?
And what do you mean it was a good day for you?

So after some hesitation my mom let him buy her a drink, even though she is in the midst of one of the most awkward moments a mom can have in parenthood.

I later on cleared it all up.
I informed her who Andy was.
Why he probably had so much money.
And then it all made sense to her.

And that's the story of that time when my mom thought David Wallace was my pimp.

Happy National Sibling Day...Yesterday!!

You know what would have been awesome?
If I wrote this post yesterday.
But alas I did not.

Happy National Sibling Day To All My Sisters and Brothers! (I mean that in the literal sense, not in the Christian sense, but I still have love for y'all too!)

Happy National Sibling Day to Brandi-

My older sister who lives in Fort Worth.

The one who made me eat dog food...deodorant...lotion...

Tried to get me to stick my hand in the lobster tank.

And vacuumed up my hair...while it was still attached to my head.

The one who lived with me for 7 years.

And the one who didn't know that donkeys have teeth.

Happy National Sibling Day to Matthew-

My brother who lives in San Marcos.

The one my older sister and I used to dress up in women's clothing.

The one who tries to set me up with his college friends (awkward).

The one who won't admit that he likes the fact that he has three sisters.

And the one who is 9 years younger than me but is still overprotective.

Happy National Sibling Day to Haley-

My sister who loves chicken.

The one who makes up songs about chicken.

(Ok guys, she really loves chicken.)

The one who came out of the womb wearing high heels.

The only one in our family who has a country accent.

And the only girl in our family who gets to drive Grandaddy's truck.

Happy National Sibling Day to Tyler-

My brother who is 17 years younger than me.

The one who people think is my son.

The one who could beat me at any sport I challenged him to.

The one who loves going out to eat with me at sports bars.

(Yes, I take my 12 year old brother to sports bars. Is that weird?)

And the one who will always give me the biggest/longest hug every time he sees me.

Happy National Sibling Day...a day late!!!

Because do we ever do anything on time in this family anyway?!?!

That one time when I thought I was white...

"That one time when..." is going to be a new series here on the good ol' blog.
It may or may not be faith-related.
But one thing's for sure, it will probably be a ridiculous story.
Let's be honest, ridiculousness happens to me more often than I'd like.
So here it is, the story of when I was convinced I was white.

The other day I met my dad downtown for one of our bike rides. We always bike on Town Lake (or Lady Bird Lake for all you non-Austinites) and we usually meet up down there.

So my dad rolls up on his bike and says:

"Hey Traci, I got something for you."
"Oh yeah, what is it?"
"It's your birth certificate."

*well I am glad my dad felt his biking skills were mad enough for him to bike downtown with it hanging out his back pocket. thanks padre.*

As I open up my birth certificate to look at it for the first time ever I see one thing that rocks my world.

It says my parents are WHITE.

"Dad, am I white?"
"Traci, what are you talking about?"
"My birth certificate says that y'all are white."

*Dad just blows it off as he starts to take off on our ride*

"Dad, why is this not a big deal to you, it says that I am white!! I thought I was Mexican!! Have the past 28 years been a lie??"

My dad never responded. He just laughed at me.

Later I told my mom that my birth certificate said that they were white. And she laughed at me as well.

Looking back on it I realize that we are obviously not white, however that would explain how I can not properly pronounce my last name, or how I avoid the mariachis like the plague. Or how Tejano music just doesn't get my juices flowing.

But despite all that I am indeed Hispanic, so no need to panic.

And that's the story of that one time when I thought I was white.

No need to adjust the color on your screen.
This is a tan I got after working at a summer camp.
Mexican indeed.

Lessons from Grandpa: Faith, Family, Finances and Football

Relaxing at one of his favorite places: the beach

Two years ago today my Grandpa passed away from battling pancreatic cancer. It doesn’t seem like it has been two years, actually for me it seems like he hasn’t really been gone. When I visit my Grandparent’s house in Georgia I still expect him to greet us at the door, and for him to sit in his usual chair in the living room when we gather around to watch Georgia football games. I think the reason that he isn’t just a memory is because he left such a great legacy, one that still makes his grandchildren strive to be like him even two years after he has been gone.

You see, my Grandpa didn’t leave his family with just memories of his laughter, his jokes and his competitive nature; my Grandpa left his family with lessons rooted deep in theology and love. His lessons left us longing to be better people. I wish everyone had been able to meet my Grandpa and learn from him a thing or two about how to live life.

As I look back today at his life well lived, I want to share with you a few things my Granddaddy taught us about faith, family, finances and football.

Faith:

My Grandpa wasn’t always a man of strong faith (which is proof of just how awesome God’s redemptive work can be) but when he found his faith he didn’t just stop there, he worked on feeding his faith so that it grew stronger everyday. I learned the importance of seeking the Lord day after day and my Grandpa revealed that to us in his (almost) daily emails of encouragement. My Grandpa also taught me the importance of living in community. It took me several years to take my Grandparent’s advice, but when I finally found a community of women to live life with I realized what they had been trying to show me this whole time. While I was encouraged by my Grandpa’s faith in the several years leading up to his death, nothing was more encouraging than hearing about how his faith was still strong even on his deathbed. Before my Grandpa passed away, he was confined to his bed due to lack of strength but even then he continued to seek the Lord. During a time when many of us would want to give up, he sang songs and read the Word with his children while lying in bed. That is the kind of faith that I want, a kind of faith that doesn’t fail to worship the Lord even though your body has.

Family:
My Grandparents always stressed the importance of family and sticking together no matter what differences may arise. My Grandpa was the cornerstone of our family foundation and my Grandma was always there to support him as well. Looking back at their 50 + years of marriage, that is what I want to model my marriage and future family after- a family that walks in faith together, a family that travels across the US just so they won’t miss out on their grandchildren’s lives who live in different states, and a family that constantly welcomes others into their home as if they were their own. While no family is perfect, I am thankful for Grandparents who took the time to model a family-life worth living.

My grandparent's on a boat ride

Playing cards games- one of our favorite things to do

My Grandpa serenading the family :)

Family dance hour :)

Grandaddy painting my little sister's nails

Finances:

If I was to look back at my Grandpa’s career it would be easy to say that I want to model my finances after his because of the blessings he received later in life. To retire on a lake front community in a beautiful town in Georgia wouldn’t be a bad dream to have but it wasn’t about that. When my Grandpa would talk to me about finances, he wouldn’t teach me to be smart with my money so that I could be wealthy beyond my wildest dreams. He taught me to be smart with my finances so that I may bless the church and other people with what I was given. He taught me the importance of giving to the church and supporting those on missions. I learned that it’s not all about the money, it’s about being a good steward with the blessings that I have been given and blessing those around me for the sake of making God known.

Football:

Grandpa and UGA mascot "Hairy Dawg"

If you were to line up our family members and ask us who our favorite college football teams were you would get a variety of answers- teams ranging from the Longhorns to the Aggies (I know, how does that even happen??). We all have our respected teams but on any given University of Georgia football game day you can bet we are rooting for the Bulldogs. Being an alumni of UGA, my Grandpa was one of the biggest Bulldog fans I ever met (something that was passed down to my brother, much like a southern birthright) and that passion and energy for the game and the team was transferred into every one of us. He taught us about good sportsmanship and how to yell at the refs (in the most Christian way possible, of course) and he taught us how to be good competitors. I also learned from my Grandpa that no matter what the season looks like you never give up on your team. He loved those Bulldogs and I bet he would have been super proud of their last two football seasons. He also taught me about the art of tailgating. My Grandpa and his friend would get to the stadium at the break of dawn on Georgia football game days and spend the day tailgating and making new friends. They would find their next meal by making new friends at a different tailgate site, which is why he was so good at living in community! ;) This is why I enjoy writing articles about the Georgia football team so much, it feels like I am writing a little bit about my Grandpa as well.

UGA game day

I wish you could have met my Grandpa and learned some things from him that would really make you want to change the way you lived your life. You can however meet my Grandma and she can drop some bombs of wisdom on you. After all, it takes a pretty special lady to accompany such a special man.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I am going to spend the day eating lots of chocolate, watching a whole lot of sports and living in community-

Because it’s what my Granddaddy would have done.

Go Dawgs.

We miss you Grandpa!! :)