sugar, pumpkin spice and all things Fall

It's that time of the year again. The time when the weather is cooler, the breezes are blowing, and Fall is trying to begin. Fall is also the time for some other things. Here is a list of my personal favorites:

Scarves. Some call it an obsession, some call it fabulous fashion sense. :) I don't know what I call it, but scarves are my favorite nonetheless. 

Cardigans. Let's be real...I wear these year-round. But I actually have an excuse to wear them in the Fall! Maybe paired with a scarf? 

Leaves. The colors are changing and it's wonderful. It's especially wonderful when I get to look out the window and see the Old Well starting to be surrounded by beautiful orange and yellow trees!

State Fair. What a perfect way to let out your inner redneck! I'm not sure how much of this I have in me, but this is such a great southern tradition that you can't really pass up. Break out the overalls and be prepared to ride some sketchy ferris wheels. Fried oreos anyone?

Fall Break. This is always a wonderful time with wonderful friends. Hopefully this year will be just as great as the last!

Pumpkin. Pumpkin everything pretty much defines Fall.

Bonfires. The smell, the warmth, the friends. Add s'mores to that equation and you've got the perfect Fall activity.

Halloween. To be honest, Halloween isn't one of my favorites, but it always makes for some great, fun memories! It's probably time to start brainstorming some costumes.

Hot chocolate. Curling up with a movie and great friends makes a cup of hot chocolate even better. Too bad the Trip doesn't have a fireplace!

Happy Fall, y'all!

Love, Kayla

Church at the Ballpark

Remember that Church at the Ballpark thing I mentioned last week? Well here is the video recapping the service! Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/29540550

the one with the most fun workout ever

So my roommates and I are all about the exercise. Amy is a very dedicated runner, Dana makes it to the gym a lot, and while I really enjoy the gym and try to go as often as I can, exercising unfortunately doesn't always get crossed off of the to-do list. Because my roommates are awesome and hilarious, they invented a new way of working out.

We are all huge Friends fans and love every opportunity that we have to watch the show, which isn't very often due to our busy schedules. Fortunately, Dana and Amy have created a way for us to watch Friends and workout at the same time!

Allow me to introduce the Friends Workout. 

Each main character has been given a different "workout" move, so whenever that person talks we do their corresponding "move". Here is the master list we have created:

Ross || push-ups

Rachel || tae bo

Monica || "The Routine" (or random dancing until we learn it)

Chandler || crunches

Phoebe || jumping jacks

Joey || lunges

Anyone else || plank

Please imagine three girls alternating between the different workout moves while the 6 main characters are having a fast-paced conversation. I guarantee if you try this (and don't cheat like I usually do) you will wake up sore the next morning, which just means this workout is pretty legit. We're planning on teaching this as a course at the SRC sometime soon....

with love from The Trip,

Kayla

busyness

"But your value is not determined by what you produce. Your loveliness is not based on what you accomplish or how full your calendar is."

"A life of constant over-commitment is not a sign of success, or something to be bragged about. It is a sign of imbalance, a sign we have put our faith in the gospel of busyness instead of in a God who dares us to trust Him and be willing to rest."

These are just 2 of the many statements that stuck out to me in an article I read online from Relevant magazine called "The Pride of Busyness" by Mason Slater. (Thank you Kellie Voss!) I actually read this article during one of my many "study-breaks".....how ironic. In a world full of deadlines, schedules, to-do lists, exams, grades, jobs, clubs, and an infinite number of other things, it is so incredibly easy to find (or try to find) my worth in what I do. While working is something that was created by God and is meant for good, I think we tend to twist it to benefit ourselves.

What would my life look like if I remembered to take a step back from it all and just rest in God's goodness and trust in His perfect plan? 

It's all about Him.

Jesus is Lord

Today I experienced one of the coolest church services ever. The Summit Church held only one service this weekend where all of it's campuses joined together at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park to worship as one body. Oh my goodness, I don't even know if I can put into words the awesomeness that happened there. There were 7,200 people in attendance (wow!) and over 300 people were baptized! Some may think mass baptisms like what happened today are a little strange....I thought it was one of the coolest ways to see God's power, grace, and faithfulness on display. Over 300 people are now living out Romans 6 for the first time:

"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Romans 6:4

It still blows my mind that I was able to celebrate with so many people their choice to be baptized today. Worshiping with such a huge crowd makes me realize how much God is really moving in RDU. He has big plans for these cities and I am so thankful that He brought me here a little over 2 years ago. To God be the glory!

 Pastor J.D. Greear baptizing his daughter

My dear friend Margaret coming out of the water!

a generation united

In less than 4 months I will be in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA worshiping, celebrating, and learning with thousands of other college students from around the world! I am beyond excited and cannot wait to be at Passion 2012. Here is a blurb about Passion from their website:

At the heart of it all, Passion exists to see a generation stake their lives on what matters most. For us, that's the fame of the One who rescues and restores, and the privilege we have to fully leverage our lives by amplifying His name in everything we do.

Given the fact that the university landscape changes every fall with a rush of new freshman faces, our mission at Passion is to continue to engage the "university moment," with the compelling message of Jesus and the story He is writing around the globe.

To that end, Passion 2012 is more than just another event, it's a beautiful part of a movement that's about finding true meaning as we take our place in a story so much bigger than ourselves. It's about trading small dreams for a grand epic that is shaping history and has no end. And it's about a rare chance for tens of thousands of university-aged young people to gather in celebration of their common faith purpose.

In years past we have hosted multiple venues at our Atlanta gathering, but in 2012 we are moving across the street into the Georgia Dome, a larger venue we are setting at half-house so we can all see each other's faces in one shared space.

Passion 2012 will be a unique gathering, one that most likely will not be repeated in 2013. We want you to be there… and we are inviting you to join the movement for His renown!

See you in Atlanta!

Check out these awesome videos to catch a glimpse of what Passion is about. It's all to magnify His name!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REUYMtzjfDM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsDZgqVhOhg&feature=related

i heart college

My oh my, so much has happened since the beginning of August when I last updated the blog. It seems like life just keeps getting crazier and busier by the second. I am absolutely loving it, though!

School is officially in session, the roomies and I are getting along marvelously in "The Trip", and good 'ole Carolina Football is underway. I am staying busy with classes (most of which are super interesting and actually fun), Cornerstone stuff, roomie date nights, my job, building some very cool relationships with 5th and 6th graders at the Summit Church, and other random things. 

One of the best things that's happened so far this year is being able to make new friends on my hall. Dana, Amy, and I have gotten pretty close with a few girls in particular, one of whom is an international student from Australia! I have already learned so much from her about what life is like there, and I have especially loved hearing her thoughts about the weird things us Americans do and eat. Dorm life definitely has it's advantages! Oh yeah, and having the option to roll out of bed ten minutes before class starts isn't so bad either :)

Many more posts to come soon! Maybe I'll really give this blogging thing a shot?

love,

   Kayla

CarolinaCarolinaCarolinaCarolina 

a little hoe-down throw-down, y'all

Talley's married!