Ruthie in Real Life

Kate Caught a Fish!

2011-12-20T11:53:00.000-08:00

We took Kate fishing a couple of months ago when she was over at our house. Mike had gotten her a pink Disney princess pole. She loved it. He taught her how to cast and reel in the line. She got excited everytime she reeled it in because she thought the lure on the end of her line was a real fish! She would say "I caught one". This time, I looked over at her and she was really struggling reeling in the line, it was hard for her. That's when we realized she had a real fish on there!

Mike helps her get it in, but then she wants nothing to do with it. I think its the cutest video!

Wedding Pictures

2011-08-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some of our professional wedding pictures taken by The Mondays . They were so creative and fun, and I think our pictures are awesome. It captures how much fun the day was!

Me and my dad. I wore the same garter that my mom did on their wedding day!

I saw these huge balloons in a magazine and decided it would be fun to have them at our wedding :)

Me and my brother, then me and my sisters! I am so glad they could all be in our wedding. They are all my best friends.

Our Families!

2011-06-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

We are married! We had such a wonderful wedding day. It was perfect and we loved it. Here are a few snapshots!

Me and my bridesmaids at the rehearsal. Jenna, Mikes sister, My best pal Kate, My sisters Bekah and Cyndee, and then baby Kate.

Bekah did my hair.

We didn't practice at all, and I loved how it turned out. She's talented :)

I cried the whole way down the aisle (and pretty much the whole wedding). My dad said he had to think of funny things so he wouldn't. I just keep thinking "I wonder what funny things

kept him from crying?" We will never know.

We got married out in a big field with the mountains in the background. Mike and our friend John Paddock built that awesome arbor we got married under :) One day it will be in our back yard with a swing hanging from it.

Mike and I wrote notes to my mom and his sister Krista who both have passed away and we were sad they weren't there with us. Then we tied them to balloons and sent them off into the sky.

We had the cutest lemonade stand at our wedding. We didnt want the guests going thirsty :)

We danced the night away. The bottom of my dress was so dirty by the end of the night.

We are loving being married! More news to come in the next 6 months.

Fly Me to the Moon

2010-11-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

Around 35 years ago, my Mom had her first kiss ever -- and it was with my Dad. She was 17 years old- and they were married a year later. I always thought it was so cool that my mom had only ever kissed my dad.

So it was always in my mind that I didnt want to just go around kissing everyone, because I wanted it to be special and maybe it could be with the man I was going to marry one day. I was 24 when I had my first kiss with the best man! And in 5 months, we will be married! This is Mike and Me when we first started dating.

Mike proposed to me October 30th, when we were at a Pumpkin Carving Party with friends. As we were voting for whose pumpkin should win (I was really hoping ours would win), he said "Wait a minute, I have one more to add". I had no clue what he was doing- and thought he was going to do a funny joke or something. He went and got another pumpkin that had been hiding and when he turned around it was glowing "Will you marry me?" and then he got on his knee and pulled out the MOST BEAUTIFUL ring! I was very shocked and surprised!! As well as the rest of our friends. Only our friends Anna and John knew he was going to do it. So everyone was screaming-- some crying :) It was such a fun night! I had no idea.

Mike is the greatest man for me. He loves me so well, and is so patient and gentle with me. He has such a neat story of how Jesus changed his life and made him a new man. I am so glad He did! It was hard to find someone who lived up to the example I had with my mom and dad-- they were so in love. I really thought my standards were too high, or I had too high of expectations. And then I met Mike- he pursued me like a real man should, and I really cant believe I get to marry him.

It has been hard without my mom around- I miss her and wish she could know Mike. The night I got engaged I was so extremely happy. But at the same time, I was sad I couldnt go see my mom and jump up and down with her. I was sad she couldnt go watch me try on dresses-- So I just took the next best thing- My dad :)
I have such a great family. My sister Cyndee has been helping me so much and she doesnt get annoyed with me talking about my wedding all the time. And my Dad has been really sweet. When we were at the bridal store-- Cyndee and I liked this one dress and dad goes "Really? That ones your favorite?" ... I guess papa wasnt too fond of it :)

I also LOVE my new family. Mikes family is great. His mom went with me to find our venue (http://lindseyplantation.com/) and it was such a fun and encouraging day. And Mikes only sister Jenna has been so sweet welcoming me to the family so well, and with helping me research different wedding things.

We are getting married outside on April 30th. I decided on the colors yellow and grey. The other night I was at my dad's house and Donna said "You know your mom and dad's colors were yellow and grey!". I forgot about that! So fun.

We are thrilled!

Troy Boys gettin' married

2010-06-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

This week, my brother Troy is saying "I Do" to a pretty girl named Shellie. They are having a really small wedding, so if you are reading this and thinking "Weird, I thought we were friends"... don't get your feelings hurt.

Troy is the sibling closest to me in age, and so we were always pals growing up. He was the only boy, with 3 sisters. He handled it pretty well. Troy has always taken care of me. I am the baby of the family, so I need taking care of :)

When we were younger, we loved playing kickball in the living room. Our mom wasn't the biggest fan of this though. Kickball in the house meant kicking a ball into the air, then running around the bases (the couch and the chairs) until we reached home plate (the T.V.). So our mom would yell at us to go outside, but we never would. This just meant we got quieter. It was almost more fun being sneaky, we would be laughing so hard... but soft enough to where mom couldnt hear.

Cyndee and Bekah were a few years older than me, so when mom would go out shopping, she would take them and leave me and Troy at home with Dad. That meant while the girls were out doing girly things, I was left with the boys going to Gun and Knife shows and such. What a deprived life I live.

Troy was always the funny one, and he tells everyone that he is the reason I am funny... but I dont know about that one. He could always make my mom laugh. She would be laughing so hard her stomach hurt.

By the time we got to Highschool, Troy was still being a good brother and taking care of me. One day, I had a big track meet and forgot to bring my uniform. My coach was so mad, so I ran into the lunchroom where Troy was and just started crying. He got the keys to his truck and ran me home to get it.

But there also were the days where he was a punk. I loved McDonalds mcflurrys, and it just so happened that our school was right across the street from McDonalds. I would see Troy in the halls and school and say "Hey, can we go to Mcdonalds after school and get some ice cream?" Troy would reply 'Yeah! Great idea". So all the rest of school I would just imagine what kind I would order and how good it would taste. After school, we get in the truck and head that way. Troy gets in the turning lane and puts on his blinker, and just as its the right time to turn, he jerks the car back into the straight lane and passes McDonalds and goes home! He was teasing me the whole time. Of course he was laughing the whole way home as I am crying. It was all part of his plan.

When I was in college, he drove up at the end of the year to pack up my things in the big Corley van and take me home. He drive 8 hours there, and then got in the car and drove 8 hours back... all in one day.

So all this to say, hes a good bro. I love him so much. He has made my standards very high for the man i'm going to marry.

So Happy for you Troy and Shellie.

Show Your Love

2010-02-15T12:50:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a sweet day with the high school girls. We have been learning about recieving love from Christ, and in turn loving others. Well yesterday was a big day to "Show our Love" by taking roses to the hospital and visting people who needed some encouragement.

We had about 25 girls come, so we all split up into groups and took a different floor of the hospital. The neat thing is, we would ask the nurses station which rooms didn't get many visitors and they would be so excited to tell us which rooms to go to. I think we had a bigger impact on the nurses than the actual people we visited.

Once we would walk in a room, we would hand the person a rose and tell them that we just wanted to show them some love on Valentines day. If the spirit led, we would ask them if there was anything we could pray about with them. It was so cool to see the people's faces as they realized that these high school girls were taking time out of their day to visit them in the

hospital!

After a great afternoon with the girls, I came home to a home cooked meal from Mike. He is quite the romantic. I seriously feel like everyday is valentines day with him in my life. He does the kindest things for me. Last night I walk into the house to find on the tabel a red table cloth with candles lit, daffodils (my favorite flowers), roses and dinner! Plus he had allready done all of the dishes so we wouldnt have to do them later! It was really sweet.

It was a great Valentines day. :)

365 days of no Coke

2010-01-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

Coca Cola that is.
My sisters and I have this thing about coke. We love it. I look forward to going out and running errands, because I know I am gonna drive through somewhere and get a coke on my way around town. Summer beach trips are so much more fun with a coke in your hand on the beach. Mission trips are sweeter with a local canteen up the street offerering ice cold cokes for a dollar. Yes, i have a problem. So for 365 days I am giving it up! My sisters are doing it too and our dad could not be prouder. He hates it that we drink it. I know that it is so bad for you... but
it just tastes so good.
So I will keep you updated on how its going. It has only been 6 days. 6 long, lonely days :)

Also, in latest news, My sister Bekah is trying to talk my boyfriend Mike and me into running a half marathon in April. At this point I wanna die when I run 1 mile... I cant even imagine running 13.1!! Mike is all about it though, so we will see if he can motivate me to do it.
So Geez, alot of new beginnings for me! Hope it lasts :)

Sebbatical

2009-08-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I have taken quite the blogging sebbatical! This summer was a whirlwind. After 4 different trips with the youth group, 1 trip to WV for my friend Bethany's wedding, and 1 family vacation I have been going non stop! Blogging was one of the things that had to be put on the back burner (not that I have really ever been a consistent blogger)...
This summer was exhausting, but in a great way. I love my job and all of the incredible opportunities I have been given. Each day when I drive into work I think "how amazing that this is MY job!!" (did ya hear that Art?)
The beginning of the summer started with Senior trip to Myrtle Beach! We had some pretty fun seniors this year, and it was a joy to be able to spend time with
them alone preparing them for college.

A week after that, we loaded up and took 40 High School students
to New Orleans to help rebuild houses with Samaritans Purse. It was a GREAT week! Our students worked so hard and it was so neat to be able to help out that community. It was extra special for me, because i got to bring my dad along! He is a stud, and it was fun to see him working alongside all of the Vapor Kiddo's.

Then, we headed back towards home and stopped a 4 day camp called Wayfarer. It was so refreshing to be there and learn new things about the Lord, and our students really enjoyed it!

When I got home from that I headed to the Great State of West Virginia to get my friend Bethany married off. She was a beautiful bride. And I also got to visit my Friend Matt in Ohio and see his awesome church that he works at.

Straight from there I go to Charleston SC with my family for a week! I love my family and I love Charleston. We had a fun week together. Everyone got to come this year, even my sister Bekah's new fiancee' (getting married in Nov).

Then last but not least, I had the priviledge to go with the sweetest middle school students to stay at a house at Lake Hartwell, then travel back to Greenville each day to do service projects! I absolutely love those little angels! Can you find me in this pic?

So there you have it. Now I am back and in Action. It is nice to be back at a semi-normal pace. I have so many more things to share, but will hold back till the next blogpost!

Summers are for WEDDINGS

2009-06-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend 2 of my longest friends are getting married. Deanna Coletti who was one of my closest friends in high school is getting married this saturday. Also, my very first best friend Lindsey Hawkins is tying the knot on the same day! I am so excited for these girls, and i know they are both going to make beautiful brides and wonderful wives.

I am a bridesmaid in Lindseys wedding, so I wont be able to go to Deannas. I am really sad I wont get to see her get married, but i'm sure by sunday facebook will be filled with pictures.

Here comes the BRIDES!!

1959

2009-05-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

50 years ago today my sweet mom was born. This lady loved birthdays. She loved any reason for a party.
I miss my mom alot. She went to heaven 6 years ago. I was only 17 when my mom died, but I do know that I would rather have had her in my life for only 17 years...than to have any other mom in the world for a lifetime. She was perfect to me.

I was her baby. She let me stay home all the time from school, cause I was the last kiddo left at home. She would drop off all the other kids at school, and when it was my turn to get out she would look at me and say "Why dont you just come home with me today." Of course i would never fight that one :)

My favorite meal she made when i was a kid was frozen chicken fingers and fries. haha. Or, one of our all time favorite meals she made every sunday night before we watched "Lois and Clark" was chips with beans and cheese on them. She would put them in the oven and they would come out soooo good. We were healthy :) hah. She wasnt the best cook in the world, but she was great at alot of other things.

She made people feel loved. She attracted the craziest people, and she would REALLY love them. Not just pretend. She helped so many broken people pick up the pieces and get back on the right track.

She loved my dad. She always told me that she was the luckiest woman in the world, and thought my dad was the most handsome man she had ever seen! How fun to really believe that about your husband! He loved her too! I mean, they had 4 kids... thats love! They were eachothers best friend. It was so neat to see such a loving marriage growing up. I thought everyones parents loved eachother that much... but now that I have been around other peoples families, i see that is not always the case. What my parents had was rare, and I am so thankful they showed me how to love. I am so excited to love someone like that one day.

Rebekah got my moms conversational skills. My mom could carry on a conversation with anyone. And she knew exactly the right questions to ask to get people to open up. For some reason, people spilled everything to my mom. Bekah is alot like that. She shows people that she is really interested in hearing what they have to say.

Cyndee got my moms curly hair, and her love for the piano. Cyndee is a brilliant pianist, and my mom was too in her younger years. She played for the church choir for many years growing up. Cyndee is also a really great mom, she reminds me alot of my mom when I see her raising baby Kate. Cyndee also loves people like my mom did.

My brother Troy could make my mom laugh the most.He got moms humor and love for parties and people. He is always the life of the party and the funny guy. But he is also sweet and caring. He takes care of people. They are drawn to him, like they were my mom.

I am the one that looks like my mom the most. I love it when someone comes up to me and says "I know you dont know me, but i knew your mom and you look exactly like her".
My moms life was a legacy, and I hope I turn out like her.

The week before my mom passed away, she was pretty out of it. But when she would wake up, she would always look for my dad to make sure he was sitting right there beside her. One day she woke up and said "Chris!!" and he said "I am right here, holding your hand", and my mom says excitedly and in awe... "Chris! Hes Real!" dad responds "What? who is real?" and my mom says "Jesus! He's real. He's really real!!"

I dont know what my mom saw on that day, but something that took her breath away! I am so excited that she gets to be with Jesus all the time now.

There were over 1,000 people at my moms funeral. So many lives that were touched by her. The Lord used her over and over to help others. I am so proud that I am Beth Corley's daughter.

Happy Birthday Mom!! I bet you are having a CONSTANT party in heaven!

Kenny

2009-05-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to the Kenny Chesney concert. I have always liked Kenny, since I was in middle school... so it was fun to actually see him in person! His concert was the best concert I have ever been to. He sang for over 2 hours, without taking any breaks! He sings alot about summertime... so it got me in the mood!

So much fun!

Sisters are home!

2009-05-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

Both of my sisters got to come home this weekend. I love having them around. We celebrated baby Kate's birthday on sunday with all of the family and close friends. She is about the cutest thing. She just all of a sudden will start laughing about nothing!
She is walking and talking so much. Not words you can understand, but still... cute noises are coming out of her mouth.

Help me figure out a plan to get my sisters to

move home. Any ideas?

Weekend Recap

2009-04-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

We had the best time in Nashville. Didnt see any stars. But it was just so much fun to be with Troy, Bekah, and her boyfriend Aaron. They all finished the half marathon in less than 2 hours!! I was so proud of them. I decided that I would meet them at the finish line.... Little did I know that was pretty much running the race too! It took me an hour and a half of walking to get there!! I was worn out too :)

Here are some pictures

Nashville

2009-04-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend I am headed to Nashville with my older brother Troy, to meet up with my sister Bekah and her boyfriend Aaron. All of them are running in the Nashville 1/2 Marathon (that's 13 miles!!!)... while i am waiting by the funnel cake stand :)

We have been planning this weekend since Christmas, so I am totally excited to go. My sister Cyndee and Baby Kate were supposed to come too... but Kate ended up getting bronchitis this week, so that are making good decisions and staying in Dallas.

I have never been to Nashville, so i cant wait to see what is like. I just imagine me sitting in an old diner, and up walks Reba Macentire, or Randy Travis. Or i'll be walking down the street and there goes Dolly Parton walking her dog. haha. That is my vision. We will see if that really comes true.
My friend Mike is letting me use his really nice,expensive camera to take for the weekend, so I am sure to have some good pictures from that.

I'll tell Reba hey for yall.

Tuesday Nights

2009-04-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

High schoolers around Greenville have the coolest place to come on a tuesday night! (maybe i am biased)... but seriously, i look so forward to tuesdays because that is the day we have VAPOR. When I came a year ago, we were having about 60 students coming each week. Now we are up to anywhere from 160-200 teenagers every week. It is amazing to see how we have grown, and realizing that it is all Gods doing. Its so neat to see students bringing their non christian friends,and then those friends bring more people the next week.

This is a picture of our cafe. Every week it is a challenge for me to decide what yum snack we are going to feed them. This last week was birthday cake and cheeze its. haha. HEALTHY!! oh yeah, i did throw in some grapes too...

Staff Golf Outing

2009-04-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

So next month we have our annual golf tournament to raise money for missions this summer. So we decided to participate in another ministry in towns tournament to get some ideas, and to support them.
I am not sporty... wish i was. So I decided to be the cart girl (some call it a caddy). We had alot of fun. The team was Jes, Chris, Josh, and Jami. They all really surprised me. The other thing that surprised me was how stinkin long 18 holes takes. We started at 11 and didnt get done till 5:30! Sheesh! Long game! So, I dont think I have future in the game of golf, all becuase i have better things to do for 6 hours.

Had fun with my staff though, and we got some good ideas... so it was worth it.

TAX DAY

2009-04-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hello April! I hate it that I havent blogged for almost a month. Where has the time gone? There has been many things to blog about too. My sister and baby Kate came home for a weekend, I could have written about that. I also could have written about Vapor staff going to USC to speak at campus crusade a couple weeks ago. I should have wrote about my boss Chris having a fever for about half an hour, and then most of our staff got it from him and was sick for like 4 to 5 days! I also could have written about my friend Dave coming from Florida to visit me for easter, (he was my first friend at Cedarville). But for real, I should have written about the cute little girls i babysit twice a week. But, as you can see... i didnt write about any of those things. This means I am a bad blogger. I admit it.
A couple months ago I talked my sister into starting a blog... and she is really sweet, and then my friend Jerushah just started one too! So, its fun to read other peoples :)
Will write more tomorrow... or someday soon :)

This is Where I Grew Up

2009-03-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

1001 Moore Road. Lots of memories in that house. I was a lucky one to get to grow up in the same house my whole childhood.

Growing up, we typically had a backhoe, or one of dads plumbing trucks in the driveway. This is a picture of one of our favorite things to play on. Of course Bekah was the driver. She was always in charge. (Notice the matching swimsuits).

We loved having people over. I was blessed to grow up with parents that liked to show love to people by inviting them to our house. You could count on having a concert in the piano room while mom and dad were finishing up the dishes. Cyndee on the piano, Bekah on the drums... and Troy and I singing our loudest to our favorite Chicago or Celine Dion song .

4 years ago, my dad remarried. He and his wife Donna has been living in this same house we grew up in. This year, they decided to do some renovations/add ons to our ole house. At first, we kids felt a little sad about it. Things being different and all. But we know that we will always have the memories we made in that house, and dad is just making it a nicer place for them to live.

So today, I was over helping them clean to get ready to move back into the house. I laughed when my job was to take the glow in the dark stars off of Bekah's ceiling. I remember thinking she was so cool for writing out the word "HI" with these stars. So when you turned out the lights you would just see a big galaxy of stars saying "HI" as you sleep.

Thats my story for the day. Can you tell I am sentimental?

Tennessee Lost

2009-03-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

So March Madness. Its all Ive been hearing about with the boys I work with. Don't get me wrong, I am glad they are into sports. It is fun to hear them all comparing the teams they like. But I have no clue who is good and who isnt.

Hence, my bracket. My friend Nate (the intern at Vapor) went through all the teams with me to help me fill out my bracket. In the end, I had Tennessee going all the way. He laughed at me pretty hard, and I didnt really understand why. Here is my way of thinking : My best friend Kate is from Tennessee, I love the smoky mountains, and I like country music. So why not root for Tennessee?

Well... Today at 2:30, my hopes of Tennessee taking it home were crushed. They lost.

I guess I will stick to talking about girly things. Shoes, Nails, and Celebrities :)

in a funk...

2009-03-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

So for the past couple weeks I have sorta been in a funk. I haven't really figured it out yet. I just don't have as much to say as I usually do. I have been hanging out with friends that keep saying "Ruthie, you aren't acting like yourself".
Ive been learning alot lately. About myself, and also about my relationship with Jesus. Life is hard. It has its ups and downs. But there is one thing that is steady...(that's the Lord!). I know that even if my family, my home, my friends, my job... if all of that was taken away, I would still be so blessed- Because I am a CHILD OF GOD! But sometimes I focus too much on my circumstances. I have been reminded these past couple weeks that God is the only thing in my life that is constant and dependable. He ADORES me. He knows how many freckles I am gonna get this summer... he knows how many times a day I am gonna sneeze (and lately it has been alot). Maybe I am in a funk right now because He wants me to be still and listen. My personality is usually pretty bubbly,talkative, and free spirited. Maybe He is wanting me to sink back a little and watch and pray. What do ya think? I just came up with that one.

Ps. 30:5- "Weeping may go on all night... But JOY comes in the morning!

Also, I was thinking about this... Remember when I said the thing I loved most about my mom was that she LOVED people so well? She poured into people, that didnt pour back into her. She gave and gave and gave, and didnt care if they gave back in return? Well lately I have had some people in my life that I feel the Lord has placed infront of me to love. Love without getting anything back. At first i fought it.It would be easy for me to just reject them, look over them, be too busy for them. But then I remembered my mom. Sweet little mom. Just loving people. I can't do it with my own human love. No sirree. Too hard. But with the Love Jesus shows me each day, I should OVERFLOW His love to these people that I normally wouldnt.

Jeez. Pretty deep stuff here. Heavier than Totally Tubular :)
Little sneak into my "Funk".

Totally Tubular

2009-02-24T21:53:00.000-08:00

Well it was a big success. I am a fan of snow tubing. I screamed the whole time down the mountain, every time i went down. I think the men that worked there thought i had something wrong with me, cause i wouldnt stop screaming.

We had a great time with the middle schoolers. They are just so sweet. I mean, they are rowdy, crazy, and they sometimes smell funny.. but my heart just loves them. They are at the age where they really still want to be loved. Some people think that middle school is just a "holding tank" till High school, where they can really learn how to live the Christian life, but I truly think that this is the age to let it all sink it. Help them learn how to have a good foundation. That way, in High School, they can have a head start :) I am a big believer in Middle Schoolers.

I was in charge of 8 girls this past weekend. Whew. I cant believe i didnt lose any of them. Some of them wanted to play hide and go seek around the hotel the whole time, others wanted to just be wherever the boys were, and then the others wanted to go hang out on the balcony to look at the snow! How am I supposed to keep my eye on them if they all want to do different things??

Well, I made it through the weekend without losing any of them.

We had some really great conversations too. Its hard being a middle school girl. Friendships are up and down, families these days are crazy, and of course the boy you like doesnt like you back. It was neat to hear the girls talk about their lives and for me to remember what it was like to be that age
I love my job so much. Praise the LORD!!!! He has blessed me in so many ways. I mean, who gets PAID to go hang out with cute kiddos on the tubing slopes?.... THIS GIRL!

Snow Tubing!

2009-02-20T20:33:00.000-08:00

In the morning, the sweet little middle schoolers of Southside Fellowship and I are going snow tubing! I have never been snow tubing, so I am quite excited. The only problem I have realized is that I dont know what you wear when you go tubing. That is the problem with living in the South. We aren't used to cold weather. I have no fancy skiing clothes. I have no long johns. I do have some sweat pants and jeans! Maybe i'll figure something out with that combination. My dad did give me some of his old ski bibs... 23 years old and he's still taking care of me. So whatever I am wearing, i'm sure I will be a sight flying down the mountain.

I'll be sure to post some pictures!

Sisters Blog

2009-02-20T09:04:00.000-08:00

My sister Cyndee just wrote a sweet blog about our mom.

Read it here:

Cyndee's Blog

What gets me out of bed...

2009-02-18T19:59:00.001-08:00

He holds ALL the stars in the sky.

He tells the sun when to rise.

God is Faithful.

Valentine

2009-02-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

I have always loved Valentines Day. Not because I have had so many dates, or boyfriends on Valentines, but because I have a sweet dad.

He has always made it fun for us kids. Ever since I can remember, he has sent us roses on Valentines (even to Troy, my brother). He is the sweetest man. He has loved us so well over the years. The little things he does, means alot to a daughter like me. Dad's like mine are rare. I am very thankful for him.

Comfortable

2009-02-13T09:48:00.000-08:00

I feel like I have always had a heart for others. I learned how to love from my mom. She loved the people that no one else did. And she GENUINELY loved them.

I live a pretty comfortable life. I drive a jetta, live in a nice neighborhood, have a good job, and have plans every night of the week. Sometimes I get so stuck in that. Being comfortable. I dont think it is a bad thing to drive a jetta, live in a nice neighborhood, or have a good job. Don't get me wrong, the Lord has blessed me! But I never want to get so stuck in it, that I forget about poverty in the world. Not just in Africa, but 20 minutes down the road.

James 1:27 Real religion is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.

I don't want to look at these pictures, and just feel saddened for these sweet kids, and poverty stricken people, but I really want to be proactive and help. Sometimes the needs are so huge, we get overwhelmed and just do nothing. Let's not fall into that trap. I want to help and love, even though I do not know necessarily that means for me yet.

I would love to someday work at an orphanage, or work with refugee's. People that are not wanted.

In our youth group we are trying to look beyond ourselves, and other people who are starving, and thirsty, and being used as slaves. It is exciting to see the students want to help.

The Lord really placed these types of people on my heart when I was in college. First of all, I had a radical roomate named Bethany George. She was CRAZY (but in a good way). She had such a heart for hurting people. She gave up so many material things, to bless others. She just didn't care about all that stuff. It inspired me. I took classes that she took. About urban ministry and refugees in the world. I had to do things in those classes that changed me forever. It changed the way I thought about homeless people, and people that are kicked out of their own countries.

We will see what the Lord does with this passion in my heart.

Things to Know about Me.

2009-01-30T15:38:00.000-08:00

So on Facebook everyone is filling out these 25 random facts about themselves. I got sucked in...
here they are.

1. My real name is Shelby. Ive never gone by that name, always Ruthie.
2. I played with Barbies until I was the 6th grade, and after that I still secretly wanted to.
3. I will always have a special place in my heart for Killer Whales, ever since I saw Free
Willy. I want to save the whales. Sometimes I watch Shamu swim in his
tank online. http://seaworld.com/sitepage.aspx?PageID=375
4. I love my job. I wake up everyday excited to go to it.
5. My best friend Kate and I have the same exact job. But she lives in Texas.
6. I live in my Boss’s basement.
7. I talk to my sisters and brother every day. I would rather hang out with them than anyone
else.
8. When we were growing up, we used to have to pretend the president was eating dinner
with us because we had such bad table manners. My dad thought having him “there”
would make us more polite.
9. My favorite show is “The Biggest Loser”. I am friends with some of the past contestants
on facebook, and it makes me sort of giddy.
10. I can’t dive or do a cartwheel. Neither could my mom. And neither can my sister Bekah. I
think it is genetic.
11. I love Valentines day. It is my favorite holiday. My friend Kristi and I used to send
eachother “secret admirer” flowers and teddy bears in class on Valentines Day, so people
would think boys liked us. We did it all through High School… no one caught on, it worked.
12. I became a Christian because my sister told me that I was going to Hell. And the rest of the
family would be in heaven. Thanks Bek.
13. My favorite food is Mexican. My family eats it all the time.
14. I like to sit through all the credits after watching a movie in the theatre.
15. I never knew I could love someone so much, until I met my sweet little baby niece, Kate.
16. I don’t like seafood. Maybe it has to do with my love for whales
17. I get lots of freckles during the summer time.
18. My mom used to keep me home from school all the time. She would think of any excuse for
me to stay home with her. I am the baby
19. I am not good at sports, even though I really wish I was sporty spice.
20. I had the Shingles in Highschool. You usually get it from stress, and usually only older
people get it... well I got it and my brother told everyone I had herpes. Thanks Teebs
21. I waited to get braces till I was a senior in highschool. I was the only freshman in college
with a metal mouth.
22. I cried everyday for 2 months when I went to college. But I am glad I so glad I did cause I
met some really amazing friends. Bethany, Kate, Care, Matt, James, and Ash are some of
my favorites.
23. I am not a good cook. I burn almost everything.
24. I love the beach.
25. When I am having a bad day, I go get a Coke and it makes things so much better.

The greatest thing in all the world, is just to love... and to be loved in return

2009-01-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

We all wanna be loved.

I have been learning this more in my life by working with highschool girls. So many of them would give ANYTHING to just have a boyfriend. They want to feel loved. They want to be liked. They want someone to think they are pretty, and fun, and cute. Who doesnt?
In ninth grade I liked the CUTEST boy in school, Jordan Hill. He was a hunk. I did so many things to try and get his attention. When I got dressed in the morning, I was trying to look cute for him. I would position myself in the part of the school that i knew he would be. (Stalker?) haha. I remember the day I found out he liked me back... what a day. You couldn't wipe the smile off my face. What a feeling to be liked. At that point in my life, I thought that was all that mattered. I had achieved it! I spent all my time and energy thinking about him, talking to him on the phone, writing him letters, talking to all my friends about him... he consumed my thoughts! A boy!
So many times though, that love doesn't last. It is fun for a while. But I have learned in my life, that no love is better than that of Christ's. Not trying to get all spiritual, but it is so true. He loves me on my ugliest day! He knows the dumb things I do, and never leaves me! He is eagerly waiting for me to come talk to him. He pursues me. His love for me is incomparable. I can't even grasp it, or understand it.
Don't get me wrong, I am so excited about being married someday, and loving someone. But I don't want that to be my main goal in life. I don't want to get my worth out of a man loving me. I want to always live in the love of Christ, knowing that nothing is greater.
So for every girl getting discouraged, let us live in HOPE! Knowing that the Lord is GOOD. He has the best plan for us. So if right now, there is no guy telling you how great you are... know that there is someone that loves you more than any dude ever could :) You are the APPLE OF HIS EYE.
Respect yourself. Know you who are in Christ, and don't look to a boy for your self worth. You deserve more for your life. Wait for the best, Don't settle for just the first boy that pays you attention. And in the mean time... Realize that no love is better than God's.

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

By the way... Jordan Hill and I didn't work out :)

1 year baby

2009-01-20T06:30:00.001-08:00

This week marks the 1 year anniversary of my interview to come work at Southside!

The people I get to work with :)

A few months before my interview, I had been praying that the Lord would make it known what he wanted for my life. I was working a job that I didnt love, and I just felt like there was more that I could be doing. I prayed alot, and I felt like nothing was happening. I felt like I was stuck. Like maybe the Lord had forgotten about little ole me. Maybe He had more important things to take care of. But little did I know, he was just getting my heart ready for my next big adventure.

I had met Chris Armfield once at a party, but really didn't know him at all. I knew he was the Directional leader of the youth ministry, and that he had a really pretty wife... but that was about all I knew. He didn't really know much about me either, but for some crazy reason, God kept putting my name in his head, and he had been praying about me for months! WHAT?! God is SO BIG.
So they ask me to come in for an interview and the rest is history! It just goes to show you how timely God is. He knows what he is doing! Why do we question that?

I truly love what I do. It isn't always easy, but these girls I get to work with don't even know how treasured they are. I want them to get that. They are beautiful, sweet, fun, incredible young ladies. These girls have real hurts. Real things going on in their lives, that some of us never dream of. I can't wait to see who they become someday.
here are some pictures from my last year :)

YIKES!!

2008-12-17T21:14:00.000-08:00

Oh man, well I am not so good at remembering to blog. As you can see, its been a while. So tonight I was checking out my friend Joe's Blog and decided it was time for an update.

I dont know if I have mentioned yet that I work at a church. I am the Director of Female students at Southside Fellowship in Greenville SC. Which means, I just get to hang out with middle school and high school girls, and be there to talk with them throught life stuff. I absolutely love it. During this season though, it is crazy! We have had 3 big christmas parties in the last 4 nights. One for college age, one for highschool, and tonight we had our final party for middle school! They have all been really fun, but alot of work. Tonight at Middle school, each student made their own personal homemade ice cream in a ziplock bag! what a mess!! But they had a good time, so thats all that matters.

Now we have nothing scheduled for 2 weeks! What will I do with this time??

The other day we decided it was staff picture day. It turned into tacky christmas sweater day. For some reason, we had these just lovely knits "laying around" in a closet in the youth room! haha.

We have alot of fun. In January, we are going to start the Biggest Loser in our office. Nate (top middle) is allready claiming that he will be the "biggest loser"... but i beg to differ. Although, he did say all he was gonna eat was unsalted, unbuttered popcorn. Thats a way to lose weight i guess.

I'll keep you updated on my beating Nate.

I am going to get better at this blogging thing...

Wheelchairs and skinny aisle's

2008-12-08T12:29:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, my brother Troy got his wisdom teeth out. He was very brave. He layed low all day, and ate soup and milkshakes. The fun part about having surgery is getting the chance to stop life for a while. Since I am a sweet sister, I felt the need to stop life with him. We layed around and watched movies together, and let dad take care of us. However, Saturday morning rolled around and Troy is ready to move. He is bored. He needs to get out. So I put Troy in the car and we go to the mall. At this point, he is still on pain meds, and a little light headed and not feeling well, so being the cautious sister I am, I make him get in a wheel chair. We strolled around the mall for a while, with me pushing him through the stores. Its amazing all the looks we got from people. People looking at Troy like "aww you poor thing". and then looking to me like "how devoted you are to this man". It was pretty funny. Because all the while, we knew he had only had his wisdom teeth out. No major paralization.

The only problem we faced was when we went into stores and had to get past something. They make these aisles so teensy these days. (actually, I think i picked and extra wide chair for Troy on accident. Not that he needed an extra wide one, he had room to spare). So anyways, I get clogged on everything. I knocked down so many things and kept on my way. haha. Troy was sorta embarrassed. We didnt last at the mall very long. It was so stinkin crowded. We were tired of having to say we were sorry for running into people with the wheels of the chair.

This is not the only time we have had a wheel chair fiasco at the mall. When Troy and I were in highschool, we went to the mall with our Mom. She was really sick at this time, going through Chemotherapy... but she was a good mom and wanted to hang out with us, so we all went to the mall. Troy decided to wheel her around in the wheel chair since she was so weak. Everything was going good, strollin the mall, mom was having a great time. I'm sure she was happy to be off the couch. Back then, the wheelchairs had this HUGE bar that stuck out from the top of them with like a red flag on them. I guess it made it easy for people to see. The whole time we are making fun of this huge pole sticking out of our moms chair.

For some reason, Troy gets the great idea to be funny and leave mom stranded in the middle of the aisle. He goes and hides, I am in the Gap shopping, and mom is sitting in her chair just laughing. She cant go anywhere. People are just walking by looking at her. If you knew my mom, you would know that it didnt take much to embarrass her. She just sat there and laughed. Troy eventually went and rescued her. Feeling good about his new funny joke.

That is a fun memory of my mom. Troy could get her to laugh so hard. She was sweet.

Thats my story.

I shouldnt have clicked it

2008-12-05T13:55:00.000-08:00

So wednesday afternoon I got a message sent to me on facebook from a girl I went to college with saying "Here is a video I found of you". Me being the curious girl that I said "Oh wow, really?" and clicked the link. BAD DECISION. It ended up being a virus, sending out video messages to all of my friends. My friend Joe Adams warned me to change my password, so the hacker couldnt get anymore of my information. That is sorta creepy. After this incident, my computer slowly started acting weird. Now my whole internet is down, and the IT guy at church is taking a look at it. Stupid girl. I am mad at whoever this smart hacker is that enticed me with this video idea. Of course I would want to see a video someone found of me. haha. No more clicking on weird links for me!
Since being without a computer, it has shown
me how much I really use that thing for.
It is kind of sad really, how relied I am on the internet. Always having to check stuff. I mean, what did they do in the olden days? Phone book? crazy!

Weekend with my sisters

2008-12-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

My sisters were both home for the weekend. I love it when they get to come home. Rebekah moved to NYC about 3 years ago and she works at a fancy salon. People like Shakira, Kelly Ripa, and Robin Williams get their hair cut there! What a life. I got to go see her a couple weeks ago in New York and I am so proud of the life she lives up there.

Cyndee lives in Dallas TX. She is the oldest of the 4 kids.
She has a 7 month old baby named Kate. (funny she named her baby after my best friend...
we had a few words about that one). Cyndee has always been sweet sister to me.

Since I am the baby of the family, she takes care of me :)

We had a great time just being together. Its fun to be friends with your siblings. Cyndee, Bekah, and Troy truly are my best friends. I am really lucky to have a family that loves me and that we all get along and love to hang out with eachother.

First Timer

2008-11-29T20:41:00.000-08:00

So... I got sucked in. My best friend and college roommate Kate McCay was here this past week and she is a faithful blogger. So I decided that I want to become one too. I dont know how committed I will be to this blog, but I sure am going to try.

Kate came to spend the week with me and was here for Thanksgiving with my family. She is so much fun to have around. I really got used to her being here. She is a one of a kind girl and I am so proud to be her friend. She lives in Texas and works at a church. She is really good at her job and I learn alot from her.

We took over 500 pictures this week! ahh! Scott Huck would be proud.

Kate hangin with my little brother. I think
hes got a little crush on her.