Legacies: Re-post

In honor of my granny, who passed away eleven years ago, I am re-posting something I shared last year about this time.

Last night at college group, Clay challenged us by saying that the only thing we will have after we pass are our stories - our legacies. Do I want to predominantly be known as a girl who played a lot of piano and loved kids? Those are both things I am passionate about, but no, I don't want them to be the things that define my life.

As hinted at in my post on beauty, I want to be a person who finds and lives out of the beauty of even the simplest things in life. I want to reflect Beauty, our Creator and Savior, in all I do. If that is music for me, then I want to work to excellence in my interpretations and improvisations, so that they are thoughtful and musical. If that is teaching music, then I want to excite others about taking black and white notes on a staff and creating beauty, as a reflection of our Creator. If that means baby sitting (or parenting, one day!), then crowning the day with love and laughter, thanksgiving and joy.

Although these thoughts were far from my mind ten years ago, I see now that God used the influence of my Granny to plant seeds in my heart even then. She was a woman who portrayed the beauty of Christ in all she did. She opened her home to many - a home that was welcoming and warm, though not lavish. Her southern cooking was for the stomach and the soul. :) Her words were never spiteful or demeaning. I have memories only of her encouragement and closeness.

Granny and Pop were charter members of a local church and even now, though they have both been gone for years, I can mention "Uncle Charlie & Jean" and immediately I am met with stories of their kindness - told by people I don't even know!

After her passing in 1999, I remember my parents and others frequently saying things like, "You like to make things pretty like Granny." "Granny would be so proud of you." And as I've grown over the past years, I have often come to hear, "Granny would just love you. You two would be the best of friends." I can't help but get a little teary-eyed, for those are truly the greatest compliments I could ever receive.

Today is Granny's birthday. In two days it will be the 10th anniversary of her death. I can't believe it's been that long. Time is flying by. And it makes me think: what is my legacy?

Granny's was one of an everlasting nature. She invested in people and set her heart toward the Lord. I can't help but think of Proverbs 31, where it says, "Her children arise and call her blessed..." (verse 28) In Granny's case, we could definitely add "and her children's children, her friends, neighbors, church family, her extended family, guests, etc."

Oh, to have that kind of legacy!

I'm so thankful to the Lord for giving me this kind of example! Even though the moments seemed entirely too short, they are treasured in my heart.

This is a photo sent to me by my Aunt Cathy. It was taken in 1962 and portrays Granny with her two sons, Chuck and Greg. In addition to her inward beauty, my Granny was also stunningly beautiful on the outside. :)

It's a...

Wait. Back up.

Did I mention that I'm going to be an aunt?!?

My SIL is due Christmas Eve! :)

Today they found out that she's having a boy!
We went out to celebrate! :D

Isn't my nephew a looker?

Papa looking at his great-grandson. I love this photo.

Parents! Don't you love the outfit? Mom and I hit up a Target soon after we heard the news. :) So fun!

Chew on This

Only the gospel can truly save you. The gospel doesn't make bad people good; it makes dead people alive. That's the difference between the gospel of Jesus Christ and every other world religion. All the others exhort their followers to save themselves by being good, by conforming their lives to whatever their worshiped deity is. But the gospel is God's acceptance of us based on what Christ has done, not on what we can do.

 Tullian Tchividjian, Surprised by Grace

Run for Africa Recap

This morning I participated in the Run for Africa 5K.

I had been really looking forward to this race, because I had a special family in mind.

Additionally, I hoped to run the race in 23 minutes. I knew it would be hard (especially since I've been working more on endurance than speed), but I was ready to bring it. :)

Unnnntil my blood donation. I know it sounds silly, but that wiped me out. It's been eight days since I donated, and still my body is struggling. I've tried to do everything correctly; I've properly fueled my body. Still, I felt dizzy and trembly all week whenever I worked out. Quite frustrating.

My mom reminded me that I could still have fun and still honor the Brannon family without being so "driven." Of course I knew this, but I was still disappointed.

This morning when I awoke, I decided to take on an optimistic attitude and go out there and do my best at that moment. I was stoked for the cause and ready to have a good time!

This was a smaller race, so I started much closer to the front than I ever have. I felt like I was pacing myself okay, but I'd forgotten how difficult that is to do with fast runners around. Turns out I ran my fastest mile ever (7:08) on the first mile. If you know anything about races, you know this is never a good idea. It's much preferred to save your energy and finish strong. After that I had to be content with a slower pace and watch lots of runners pass me. Yes, it was humbling. :)

Mile two seemed forever long (probably because of mile one), so when I felt like stopping I remembered to pray for the Brannon's little girl - a child somewhere far away in a country that has endured far worse than a breathless mile. I kept on, thankful for the mile two marker, even though I'd considerably slowed down my pace.

Perhaps God was trying to show me that what I think best or good doesn't always fit what He has in mind for me. As Allie and Jeremy wait longer than they'd expected or hoped, perhaps He is showing them, too, that His plan is perfect. I know that the disappointment I felt in failing to meet a 5K goal is far removed from the pain they must feel in this waiting period, but I feel like God gave me just a small glimpse into what they must be experiencing. He caused me to stop and think about more than just myself in the here and now.

And for that, I enjoyed the race. The race atmosphere was uplifting and encouraging, and I loved having so many familiar faces in the crowd and on the track! Did I mention our t-shirts are awesome?

You're probably wondering how I did, so I'll tell you. Yes, I made a new personal record. No, I didn't meet my goal. But all of a sudden, that doesn't seem to matter. What matters is that there is a God whose heart beats for the orphans, whose Hands are working a perfect plan for their lives.

Julia and I with our Rwanda: Hope bracelets

Julia's group of friends that ran with us

Pre-run - you can tell by all the energy :)

Yes, unharnessed energy

So I said that competition doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things; it doesn't, but I'm still my father's daughter. I had to cross the finish line passing somebody. :)

I don't typically run with my arms flailing. Please note this is after crossing the line.

 I crossed at 24:47, but my official time (according to the timing chip) was 24:29.

The actual, physical running part of this race was not my favorite. While I love running, I did not feel well on my feet today. I thought for quite a while I would lose that piece of toast I ate for breakfast. I'd love to tell you that I crossed full of energy, but the truth is that I felt pretty darn awful. I sat with my head between my legs for a good 10 minutes.

Here comes Julia! She finished up at 30:33!

Clay was there, too!

And so was cute little OGC baby, Hunter. His daddy was in the race as well.

Julia and I post race. Feeling good enough to walk around at this point.

When we were leaving, Katie (Julia's friend) pointed out that I had placed in my age category. I was so out-of-it that I never even thought to check the board. And to be quite honest, I didn't think my time good enough anyway.

I made 3rd out of 33 in my age-group (Women, 20-24). It was a wonderful surprise! This was another reminder that God is Good to us even in the face of our disappointment! I know it probably seems like I'm reading a lot into this whole race deal, but I don't believe for a second that anything happens by accident. God put it on my heart to run this race, and I truly feel as though He showed me His heart for the orphan through my personal race experience today. Even though I was frustrated and determined (me? stubborn?), God brought everything to fruition that way the He intended. And it was Good.

Allie and Jeremy, I know our Good God is up to something much more wonderful than race times and medals. Even though the race is over, I will continue to keep your family - in the U.S. and in Rwanda - in my prayers! His own hands will place your daughter in your arms. And it will be Good in His eyes.

Love you all!

Sista Dates and Rolla Sk8s

On Monday my sister leaves for SE Asia to teach English at a university. She will be gone a year.

Come again?

Yes, a year. 

I'm not sure if my calm attitude is truly accurate or just evidence of my disregarding reality. I'll know after Monday and after all the other upcoming changes take place. Regardless, Julia and I set aside an evening for just the two of us to hang out. We'd both decided we should do something a little out of the ordinary. I suggested roller skating. She thought I was a little crazy, but I was adamant.

I remembered a book of girl rocker tattoos that I'd recently purchased (umm?) from Walmart. Then the night became even more exciting...

Mine says "Diva." Hahaha

Julia was a little nervous at first, but she got the hang of it very quickly!

The rink!

Ta da!

Let's see if this vid works. I've never done this before.

(Oh, and for the record I only heard of Justin Bieber last month...)

We had such a fun sister time and finished off the evening with frozen yogurt. Mmmm. :) We're also running the 5K on Saturday together. I'm afraid I may not meet my goal of 23 minutes for that race. I had to take 3-4 days off of training because of donating blood. I'm just now starting to feel myself again in terms of exercise performance. (Yes, it's true. I'm not invincible, Mr. W!) Still, I'm excited about Saturday, and I'm going to give it my all!

Highlights

I'm in the process of formulating a thoughtful post, but in the meantime enjoy some photos of the last few weeks!

Official family photo!

Playing spoons on the 4th of July

A picnic with Ty and his wonderful sisters

(Glenna behind the camera, as usual :)

A playdate with James, Hunter, and Tali Rose

A swim date with Julia and the trips!

Glenna's photography

A shopping trip in Mirabelle with Mom, Tali, Caro, Anna, and Ella.

Cooking for Ty

Cooking again for Ty

Tequila-lime chicken and pico - take two! Wish I could eat this right now!

Cow day! Doesn't Tali's Huntman make a cute cow? :)

Ty putting up with all the ladies :)

And going right along with our activities!

Making the most of a rained-out picnic...

...and loving every bit of it. :)

Hanging out with some Gables,

girl talk with my friend, Angela,

and this cute little face.

Putting together backpacks for kids at the brickyard in Mexico! I made mine with a special girl in mind.

Success! (Kind of)

It's been nearly two weeks since my last post. These weeks have flown! I'm sorting pictures from all the fun evens of Ty's visit last week.

In recent news, today I donated blood!
I've been wanting to do this for a long time, especially since my last attempt was unsuccessful, so today I set aside the time.

She pricked my middle finger on my left hand (upon request, since I have a lot of right hand work to do in Bach), but my iron level was just under normal. I was not about to give up so easily, so I let her prick my right hand. Normal.

Unlike last time, I made it out of the prelim room without apple juice in my hand and wet rags on my face.
It was a proud moment.

She sat me down in the chair. I was ready!
I tightly shut my eyes as she slid (actually, it felt more like a punch) the needle into my skin. (Have I mentioned that I really don't like needles?) I focused on taking long breaths and squeezing the foam something-or-other. The lady drawing my blood kept asking if I was alright. Near the end I began to feel very, very woozy. Before I knew what was happening, the workers were handing me apple juice and placing wet towels on my shoulders and arms. But this time it was after my pint was given. :)

"I forgot to tell you that I'm terrified of needles."
"Honey, one look at your face told me all that!"

Lightheaded and dizzy, I lay in the chair for almost an hour after the process. Others entered, donated, and left all while I remained in that same chair. One man who came in was working on his eighteenth gallon! Woah! I tried to stand once but decided it was a better idea to sit back down a little longer. A sweet lady walked out to the car with me. I must've looked quite pale, because she, too, kept asking if I was okay.

All in all it was a great experience. I'm just relaxing on the couch, still not quite feeling myself. Time to hydrate! I hope it rains tonight, because I'm itching to use my new umbrella. It has Florida Blood Bank written all over it - literally! If only my neighbors knew the lengths I went to for that umbrella.

Better not let my excitement go to my head. I'm already a little unstable. :)

Twiddling My Thumbs

Actually, far from that!
This crazy week has flown by, but I can't say I mind. I'm waiting on a certain someone to get himself back home for a whole week! :)

Last Friday afternoon I received a call asking if I would like to teach a piano camp.
Well, sure. When?
This week.
Okay, then!


Apparently the scheduled teacher bailed, so I picked up the job at the last minute.
The good part: all the details were left up to me.
The bad part: all the details were left up to me to plan in three days.

Overall it was a great experience for me, but that's another blog post for another time.

Now that Saturday is here I really am twiddling my thumbs! I've got some piano on the radar screen today, and we're taking family pictures tonight. But in the meantime...

...it's time for another round of Random Pictures on Jessie's Phone!
We haven't done this in a while.

Jackson and Mia! Too cute! Love the overalls!

Summer Soph swimming (sweet!)

Baby Isaiah! :D

I know I look scary, but this was our attempt to take a "sandwich picture." Sophie is stacked on top of Gabe, too.

This girl will be four by the end of the summer. Can't believe that!

Gabe is my super hero. :)

My godson, Logan. This grumpy, pixilated picture doesn't do him justice. He's had some killer smiles recently. :)

Ben and Ty riding to lunch. I got this shot from the mini van with Angela. Heh heh.

Kelly and I turn into ogres after sunset.

What's more fabulous than boas?!

Silly bands that spell your name, of course!

These things are all the rage. Some of my students have 100+!

I don't know. Those glasses look pretty sweet on me. And that lady's expression is classic.

Actually, $9 crazy patch jeans and $14 cropped khakis from Gap are best of all.

(Yes, Tali purchased those.)

Hope you enjoyed this presentation! 

Is it Sunday yet??