November 30th

I can't believe that another month has gone by! They say that time flies when you're having fun, but I think it flies regardless!

I'm writing this post in bed. I'm supposed to be at work right now, but I just couldn't bring myself to go. I needed a time out. I was dressed for work, my lunch was packed, and I was about to head out the door when I realized I just couldn't handle another hectic day. I needed a day to be surrounded by silence. A day to put away the clean clothes that have been sitting in the basket since Sunday. A day to pick up a few things for my mom's birthday. A day to study. A day that involves anything but bumper-to-bumper traffic, an overbearing supervisor, and an empty job. A day to gather my thoughts. A day to revisit this neglected blog. A day to simply pause and breathe.

While I don't have anything particularly profound to say, this is the world of Carey right now:

~ I love my church. I love the season we're entering together. I love the girls in my small group. I love my hospitality team. I love all the connections I'm making. I love the children's ministry and the fact that Bianca loves going to church as much as I do. I am so proud to call CCC my home!

~ The fall semester at CCBC is quickly coming to a close. I have three more classes and three more exams to go. A&P will finally be behind me, and I will have moved one step closer to my dream! Woo hoo!

~ I have four more personal training sessions to go. I lost 10 pounds, but ended up gaining one back, which leaves me with a total of 9 pounds lost over the four month period. I'm happy that the scale has gone down, but disappointed that I didn't reach my goal, which was 15 pounds. Sadly, I won't be able to continue with training. Our finances required me to make a choice: more training or another class. While I do hope to continue losing weight and getting healthier, right now, my heart is set on school. I really want to make my dreams a reality! (Then again, embracing total holistic health is also one of my dreams, so I just have to keep working on my body on my own - even though it is so much harder without the accountability!)

~ My handsome hubby is doing well. Basketball season just started up, so I'll be pretty much single until February!

~ Bianca is growing up way too quickly, and becoming so much fun in the process. Being a mother is definitely the most joyful part of my life!! Even on my worst days, I can't help but smile because I am blessed with such a precious baby girl. Of course, don't let her hear me say that. She would surely respond with, "I not a baby anymore. I a big girl!" {I would then kindly remind her that big girls use the potty. : ) }

~ Work is work. I can't find another job, so I just assume that God isn't ready for me to leave UMB quite yet. (But any time, Lord, any time....)

~ I have two outstanding book reviews to complete. I must be the worst book blogger ever. I always feel like I'm two steps behind. One day I'll catch up. One day....

Operation Christmas Child

Looking for something fun and different to do this weekend? Why not fit in a shopping trip and fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child? National Collection Week runs from November 14-21, so now is the perfect time to get involved.



I have had the honor of meeting a recipient of one of these shoeboxes. She is a precious girl named Victoria who lives in Blantyre, Malawi, South Africa who happened to make the voyage to the U.S. in 2008, which is when our paths crossed. She had received the box a few years prior, but the experience lived with her far longer. In fact, I spoke to her mother yesterday and she again retold the story of her daughter receiving that box. To them, it was a great gesture.

To us, it may just be a box filled with small toys, gum, and hygiene items - things we often take for granted. But to the recipient of that same box, it is a gift of love and of hope. As you can see from Victoria's story, your gift may last far longer than you can even imagine.

Bianca and I will be filling a box for a very special child this weekend. Won't you join us?

Operation Christmas Child

Looking for something fun and different to do this weekend? Why not fit in a shopping trip and fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child? National Collection Week runs from November 14-21, so now is the perfect time to get involved.




I have had the honor of meeting a recipient of one of these shoeboxes. She is a precious girl named Victoria who lives in Blantyre, Malawi, South Africa who happened to make the voyage to the U.S. in 2008, which is when our paths crossed. She had received the box a few years prior, but the experience lived with her far longer. In fact, I spoke to her mother yesterday and she again retold the story of her daughter receiving that box. To them, it was a great gesture.

To us, it may just be a box filled with small toys, gum, and hygiene items - things we often take for granted. But to the recipient of that same box, it is a gift of love and of hope. As you can see from Victoria's story, your gift may last far longer than you can even imagine.

Bianca and I will be filling a box for a very special child this weekend. Won't you join us?

Thought for Today

On Tuesday, I was listening to the Jack and Erin show on Shine FM as I was driving home from work. While I was stopped at a red light on Martin Luther King Boulevard, a question was posed that I can't seem to shake from my mind. The question was simple, yet the answer is so profound that it has literally changed my attitude the past two days.

And so I will ask the same of you: What if tomorrow when you woke up, the only things you had left were the things you gave thanks for today? What would you have left?