Old maid, old schmaid.

I’m sick and tomorrow is Christmas Eve. All I want for Christmas is to be home in my own bed and have someone to take care of me. My new Christmas wish got me thinking a little too much. In 28 days, I’ll be 23 years old and I'm single. In the South, that basically makes me an old maid, scary to say the least. Out of my seven high school best friends, two are married, three are engaged, one will probably be getting a ring soon, one is finishing up grad school, and then there's me. Clearly, I put marriage/serious relationships on the back burner since I ran off to London to live a little. It's a little frustrating at times like right this moment when I want someone to bring me a bowl of homemade potato soup and a hug to make me feel better, but it's not meant to be right now and I didn't figure that out until I came to London. I spent a lot of my college years trying to make things work that weren't meant to be, and I am just now figuring out why.

In Mrs. Gina Gates's third grade Sunday school class, she told us to start praying for a Christian husband. I vividly remember this, and I have been praying for him ever since. My prayers evolved as I grew up, but they are all basically the same: please send me the man that You created just for me. When I was little I usually prayed for my husband to be big and strong just like my Daddy. (My Daddy is superman, just ask me.) Sometimes I pray for my husband just to have a good day or a happy whatever on each holiday or to let him know that I love him and I can't wait to meet him.

When I hit college my prayers changed a bit. Life threw a few curve balls and taught me a lot, but I came out stronger for all of it. I started to pray that God would make me the woman that my husband needs me to be and that He will make my husband the strong Christian leader of our family that I need him to be. God is still working on me; therefore, I am single. Writing those three words makes any girl cringe, but I haven't been ready for anything else. I am fiercely independent and find it extremely difficult to let anyone else make a decision for me. Family decisions can't be made with those characteristics. London has taught me a lot, and I'm getting there.

I have been extremely blessed by being surrounded by positive, healthy marriages. My mom & dad, sister & brother-in-law, grandparents, and so many others around me have shown me the true meaning of love and what devotion to someone really means. Most of my friends have found their missing puzzle piece to share their lives with, but I am patiently waiting.

Being away from my family and every single person that I've known for more than two months has been challenging. Sometimes I think of random, off the wall people that I wouldn't mind a hug from just because they've known me all of my life. This time has taught me how much I truly value and cherish my friends and family around me. It has taught me that I want to find someone to travel the world with instead of braving it alone. We were made for companionship from the beginning of time. I have come to the realization that the husband God sends me will be more than capable of making good decisions for our family and that I will be able to trust his decisions. This time has taught me countless personal lessons, some I don’t even think I realize I’m learning yet. I also realized that I need someone to help control my shopping! Haha. (I'm sure my Dad is ready for me to foot my own shopping adventures.)

My most important discovery has been that I don't need a man to complete me or make my life satisfying, that's between God and me. So many girls are searching for a man to complete them which starts them falling into a spiraling, dissatisfying, lonely abyss. Been there, done that. No one is responsible for your happiness but you. No one is perfect, so everyone is going to disappoint you or upset you at one time or another. If your happiness is hinged on their actions, then you will never be completely happy. Part of growing up and maturing is finding your own happiness, what makes you tick or brings a smile to your face. You can't give away what you don't have, so you'll never be able to make someone else happy if you don't get yourself that way first. You don't want to be a parasite on someone else's happiness.  I am happy and complete on my own, and now I have enough joy to give away to others.

That's my side of the happiness bit, but I never forget that even that comes from God. "A woman's heart should be so lost in God that a man must seek Him in order to find her." If you stop and think about that, it's quite astounding. God's love will make your heart complete and the rest is just icing on the cake. Finding a husband is finding someone to join you on your journey to serve God. Finding a partner is not the end of your seeking journey. When you find each other, you should continually seek God together. I'm working on my relationship with God and believing that the rest will fall into place in His time and not a moment too soon or too late.

The Mississippi wedding season will be here before you know it, and my calendar is filled with save the dates! To all the Southern, handsome young men, no, I didn't bring a date, and yes, I would love to dance!

I challenge you to join me in the lifelong mission to be a Proverbs 31 woman.

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

 10 A wife of noble character who can find? 

   She is worth far more than rubies. 

11 Her husband has full confidence in her 

   and lacks nothing of value. 

12 She brings him good, not harm, 

   all the days of her life. 

13 She selects wool and flax 

   and works with eager hands. 

14 She is like the merchant ships, 

   bringing her food from afar. 

15 She gets up while it is still night; 

   she provides food for her family 

   and portions for her female servants. 

16 She considers a field and buys it; 

   out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. 

17 She sets about her work vigorously; 

   her arms are strong for her tasks. 

18 She sees that her trading is profitable, 

   and her lamp does not go out at night. 

19 In her hand she holds the distaff 

   and grasps the spindle with her fingers. 

20 She opens her arms to the poor 

   and extends her hands to the needy. 

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; 

   for all of them are clothed in scarlet. 

22 She makes coverings for her bed; 

   she is clothed in fine linen and purple. 

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, 

   where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. 

24 She makes linen garments and sells them, 

   and supplies the merchants with sashes. 

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; 

   she can laugh at the days to come. 

26 She speaks with wisdom, 

   and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 

27 She watches over the affairs of her household 

   and does not eat the bread of idleness. 

28 Her children arise and call her blessed; 

   her husband also, and he praises her: 

29 “Many women do noble things, 

   but you surpass them all.” 

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; 

   but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 

31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, 

   and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

From Nashville with love.

Words cannot express how I felt when I saw this box…

Happy tears started streaming down my face when I opened it to see that it was filled to the top with all of my favorite things. In my chilly London office 4,000 miles away, I felt the heart-warming love of my Nashville family. They sent me Christmas lights to make my room twinkle, calendars to count down the days until I’m back in Tennessee, stationary to share the love, adorable Christmas socks to keep me in the spirit, and amazing Christmas candles to make my tiny room smell a little more like I’m home for the holidays. Amy and Hil made sure to pack all of my favorite candy too since British Santa doesn’t even know what Twizzlers or Reese’s cups are. The fact that I won’t be home for Christmas is starting to hit me this week, and it is hitting me hard. My mom will be here the day after Christmas, but I am still missing all of the fun Christmas parties, girls Christmas, Brady Christmas, Hamaker Christmas, Merle Christmas, and so many more. This box could not have come on a better day. It helped me to realize that spending Christmas in London is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and that my friends and family back home are thinking about me during this busy holiday season.

Tucked in the bottom were Christmas cookie cutters, sugar cookie mix, and icing for yummy Christmas cookies. I love to bake, and I often brought tasty treats to the office. It brought back so many sweet memories of listening to Driv talk about my rice krispie treats and Kristen and Kelli trying to resist the sweets but always falling for one.  The beautiful Christmas card from the CMT Marketing Department made me smile from ear to ear and start crying all over again. I will be forever grateful for this entire department for countless reasons. I knew I liked Driv the first day we met; there was something about her personality that just clicked with mine. If every boss was half as amazing as Driv, then the world would be a better place. She taught me the ropes of the corporate world and life lessons along the way. Chris and John took me under their wing and taught me the ropes of social media, which has now become a huge factor in my job search. Kristen, Kelli, and Tina are an amazing team and watching how they work and interact together for all of their projects was always a huge lesson in team work. The respect shown towards each other in this department is second to none.  I started as an intern and then a half step up as a project coordinator, but I never felt less than a vital part of their team. Amanda and Mary-Kate are the most approachable and caring top management I have ever encountered. I was the bottom of the totem pole, but both of them took the time to get to know me and make me feel welcome at work. I woke up excited to go to work every single day at CMT. Everyone in the department had a role in getting me to London. Some wrote recommendation letters, some recorded recommendations for my application video, some offered advice, and they all encouraged me along the way. Thank you all! I wouldn’t even be in London having all of these wonderful experiences if it wasn’t for you!

My summers at CMT brought me quite a few life-changing friendships! Amy was an intern the same summer that I was, and now she is a full-time graphic designer at CMT. We worked on the same floor and CMA Fest brought us together. When I meet people I usually know if I am a fan or not pretty quickly, and I was a fan of Amy from the start. We stayed in touch through our senior year of college, and I even lived with her last summer while I worked CMA Fest. When I saw the handwriting on the box I was giddy because I knew it was my Amy’s!

 Another amazing friendship from Nashville is my Cali girl, Hilary! Hil made the brave move from California to Nashville to live the dream in her favorite city, and I am so proud of her. Hil asked me to road trip it home with her our first summer and that was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It solidified our hilarious friendship. We managed to keep in touch through senior year of college as well, even though she was 30 hours away. These two lovely ladies cooked up the idea of sending me the Christmas package that made me feel more loved than I can begin to type. They made sure to send all of my favorites, and their attention to detail is so touching. I am so thankful for Amy and Hilary and for our wonderful friendships! These two ladies are the type of people that make you a better person just by knowing them.  

Another incredibly talented graphic designer at CMT is Brett Warren! If you’ve never heard of him, you will because he is going places. He hand painted the artwork for CMT’s Christmas card this year, and he sent me one! You should all check out his amazing photography at http://www.brettwarrenphotography.com/. You can also check Brett out on the CMT’s holiday billboard in Nash. Legit!

I feel so blessed to be able to surround myself with such talented and loving friends. When I started showing my box to everyone I said, “These are my people. This is what I’m going home to. This is true Southern hospitality!” It’s so comforting to know that when I go home and move to Nashville that I have a group of amazing individuals that care so much. My family loves me sincerely, but even if they didn’t they are kind of forced to because we are family. This group of people chooses to like and care about me out of their own freewill. It’s humbling to know that so many care about you with no ulterior motives or agendas; they just enjoy your company. Every tweet and Instagram “like” helps us to stay connected and involved with each other’s life even though we are so far apart. I am so grateful for this entire group of people and I cannot wait to get back to Nashville!

oops.

I'm extremely bad at blogging regularly...or ever. I'm having fun and learning lots. Check out my Facebook pictures for more info until I find a spare moment to write a real blog. :) 


I miss you all more than you know! 

Current City: London

I’m here! It’s real!

Sorry for the delay in posting, but it has been hectic here! I have been trying to get settled in and go exploring a little as well. Thank you all for your sweet messages and thoughts!

I feel like I’ve been saying that I’m moving to London and getting ready to leave for years and mere hours at the same time. In July when I found out that I had the position in London, October seemed like a hundred years away, but the time flew by like I found out yesterday.  Leaving Mom, Dad, Tab (+baby), & Jason at the airport on Sunday was really hard. We are really close, so hugging them for the last time for five months was heart wrenching to say the least. I do have the comfort of knowing that Mom will be here to deliver hugs from everyone in just 51 days. Yay! Being able to see them every day on Skype has made the transition easier as well. 

I left Memphis on Sunday and flew to Dallas to catch my flight to Heathrow. Both flights were great! Sidebar: I get extremely motion sick, including flights. I was flying to San Diego last fall when I had to switch planes in Chicago and got so motion sick that the ambulance met my plane on the runway and the paramedics rushed to my seat to take care of me. Yes, that really happened. Oops! It’s a funny story now, but not so much at the time. Needless to say, many prayers were answered when I landed in London feeling great. I boarded in Dallas, watched a movie, fell asleep, and woke up with the flight attendant saying 45 minutes to London. Another one of the volunteers met me at the airport and we were off to Pax Lodge!

What a nice message to wake up to on the plane!

My first sight of the city

When I got to Pax Lodge everyone was really friendly and excited to see me. I dropped my suitcases off and Kristin took me for a walk around Hampstead. Kristin is from Orlando, and she is the Event Assistant volunteer.  We live in a really nice area of London that is close to the tube (the subway) and numerous bus stops. I feel really safe in this neighborhood, and it’s so beautiful here!

Parliament Hill near my house

If you want to meet my new friends check out the Pax Lodge volunteer page. I’m not up there yet because I haven’t turned me stuff in yet. Once again, hectic. http://paxlodge.org/en/people/volunteers

I am the new Marketing and Communications Volunteer, so I will be working on the Pax Lodge Facebook and Twitter, writing newsletters, working on brand management, and lots of other marketing type things. I will be training for a few weeks, so I won’t have much exciting work news for a while. My manager Susan is great, and my heart started beating fast when we were talking about my fun upcoming projects! I think your heart beating fast at the thought of work is a sign of a correct career choice. You can find the Pax Lodge staff that I talk about here: http://paxlodge.org/en/people/staff

I had my first day off on Thursday, and I went total tourist! I got a little bit of a late start because I’m still a little jet lagged. There was an 80% chance of rain, but I decided to go check out the Tower of London. It was amazing! It was like stepping into a History Channel special. My favorite part was seeing the Crown Jewels! It was mind-blowing to try to comprehend that the massive jewels were real and not just pretty costume jewelry. Another mind-blowing aspect was thinking about the age of the Tower of London and its rich history. (I will post more about my Tower tour later.) After the Tower, I walked across the London Bridge and wandered around the area. Being on the London Bridge was surreal. I have been singing about the London Bridge since I was tiny and had seen its picture in books, but I was physically walking across it. It was beautiful!

Fun Fact: I had lunch at KFC! You can take the girl out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the girl. (I pretended that it was tasty chicken from The Veranda instead of KFC, but it was fried chicken either way.)

The Tower of London guards, the Yeoman Warders.

The London Bridge

That night I got to see a fellow Southern Belle living in London, Childs Koon-King! Tab and Childs are the same age, so I grew up knowing her. She married a guy from England, so they are living in London now. She was a fabulous tour guide! We walked along the Thames and she showed me where all the nearby attractions are. We passed the London Eye, Big Ben, Tate Modern, Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Westminster, and lots of other places. I am planning on going back during the day soon to see it all again. I was excited to see all of those places, but I was even more excited to see Childs. It was nice to chat with someone that understands my sweet tea cravings and missing Mi Pueblo in Ripley. I can’t wait until we hang out again soon!

The London Eye and Big Ben

Big Ben 

Westminster Abbey

I worked the early shift today, so I had an afternoon break before dinner. I decided that it would be a good idea to run get a blow dryer a few bus stops away. Wrong. I was fine getting there and had fun shopping around, but getting home was a challenge. I’m not very good at the bus system yet. The tube is a little easier for me after living in New York and riding the subway all of the time but the buses are not my friends yet. The store that I went to was worth reporting. It is a catalogue store called Argos. http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Home.htm So you go in and there aren’t any products anywhere but there are lots of stations with catalogues that look like the JC Penney catalogue on steroids. They sell everything from blow dryers to refrigerators there. You just fill out the little form with the catalogue number and quantity, go to the checkout, and they gather everything up for you from the back. It was weird/neat.

I have lots of other things to tell everyone, but I have to work early tomorrow so I will update you again soon and I will post more pictures on Facebook!

In case you were wondering, I am 5 hours ahead right now but it will be 6 after the time falls back again.

Most importantly, I love snail mail! Hint, hint!

Tiffany Brady

Pax Lodge

Olave Centre

12c Lyndhurst Road

London

NW3 5PQ

6 months. 3 suitcases.

If you aren't impressed by the title, then you must not know me very well. It is epic! I would usually take two suitcases home from school for the weekends. I patted myself on the back for this one! Let’s talk about how unbelievable this is. I had to pack a heavy wool coat, a trench length rain jacket, scarves, hats, boots, jewelry, makeup, and clothes for six months, and I made it with about 130 pounds! The two big suitcases are almost packed to the max 51 pounds, and my carry on suitcase is about 30 pounds at the moment. I spent a few days this week organizing and preparing for the big pack. I picked and organized my jewelry box and makeup bag, decided on which scarves, hats, gloves, and boots to take, and made piles of clothes that were “gotta go”, “need to go”, and “would be really cool if it fit.” “Would be really cool if it fit” pile sadly didn’t make the cut. After three days of strategically organizing, I laid my piles and piles of things in the floor and the magical packing wizard made it all fit. Thanks, Daddy! I’m going to have to fly him to London to pack me up to leave.  Some days my over-planned, intensely organized, and extremely prepared tendencies come in handy.

Packing=Check!
Yes, we had Christmas last Saturday! Our tree has been up since October 1:)

Everyone has been asking me if I’m excited and/or nervous. I’m both! I’m extremely excited about starting this chapter of my life and for all of the fun memories ahead; however, if I wasn’t a little nervous I would be crazy. Moving to a foreign country without any family or friends for six months is a big deal, so of course I’m a little scared. I do have the peace of knowing that this is what I’m supposed to be doing and that God has big plans for me ahead!

My first real “see you in April” was a couple of weeks ago in Starkville. Half of my friends left and I just yelled bye like normal, but when they left I broke down crying in the parking lot. It hit me that I wouldn’t see them until the spring. Missing everyone is going to be the big challenge for this leg of my journey. I don’t think I would handle the distance as well if it wasn’t for technology. I have Facebook, Twitter, email, Skype, and this blog, so I won’t be out of touch with anyone with a computer. My parents are going to introduce my adorable, low-tech grandfather to Skype soon. I’m sure that I will have some great stories from that experience.

Pa is not pumped about my trip, but he's excited for me anyway.

Saying bye to my family Sunday is going to be difficult, but I’m positive that the next few months will fly by and my time away will be completely worth the trouble. Tab will be seven months pregnant when I get home, so she won’t even look the same! If anyone is bored in the next six months, please feel free to call my mother to chat about life, the family, or Christmas. I’m glad that Tab is pregnant to take mom’s mind off of me being gone! (Another example of God’s perfect timing!) I’m all packed, so now I get to hang out with my family until my flight Sunday!

The Mommy-to-be and me!

All prayers for safe flights and comforted hearts Sunday are greatly appreciated. The next time I update I’ll be in LONDON!!!

I’m going to be an AUNT!!!

Tab and Jason are going to have a baby!!!

Baby McKay is due on June 4^th. This little one has excellent timing! I will be returning home from London in early April, so I will be back to feel her kick, throw a fun baby shower, and put the finishing touches on her room.

It feels crazy to love something so much even though I can’t touch, see, or hear it. I am ecstatic and bursting with love at the thought of becoming an aunt. I can’t imagine what Tab and Jason are feeling! I hope she wanted a summer baby because I feel like that was a little of God’s planning in our family. I’ve been dying to be Aunt Tiffany for 4 ½ years now, but the timing is finally right! God knew that I was going to London long before any of us did, so He decided to send us Baby McKay when I get home! He knew that I wouldn’t be able to stand being away from that baby for six months! When I got the job I had a moment’s hesitation wondering if she would end up having a kid while I was gone, but that quickly fled when I prayed one prayer about it. Our family has been praying for this baby for years and years, so I knew that God already had the timing worked out. (Even before she met Jason I started praying for her kids and mine) Three months later, Tab told us that they are having a baby and she is due in June 2012! I depend relentlessly on God's perfect timing. 

Baby McKay is going to be beautiful! Just look at her parents!

I always told Tab that her first boyfriend that I liked was going to be her husband. Jason McKay was the first boyfriend of hers that I liked. He works hard for their family, treats her like a queen, and leads their family spiritually like God intended the man of the household to do. Our mom and grandmothers started praying for our Christian husbands when we were babies ourselves, so this match was a couple of decades in the making. He delivered Tab’s, so now I’m just waiting on mine! Haha. In my personal opinion, I think Tab and Jason made a great decision in waiting to have kids. I know this isn’t the right decision or in God’s plans for everyone, but it was right for them. They gave themselves time to get to know each other as husband and wife and after boyfriend and girlfriend but before mom and dad. They are one of the sweetest couples I know and I am so thankful to call them family!

Disclaimer: The doctor has not said if it is a boy or a girl, but I will be referring to Baby McKay as a girl until I have irrefutable evidence otherwise. I have never thought of Tab having anything besides a little girl. My brain cannot/will not/doesn’t want to think otherwise. I will love Baby McKay if she turns out to be a boy, but I sure hope he likes ties and seersucker suits! Everyone is already ragging me that she is going to be a boy, but I have a peace that she’s a girl. Watch!

Reason #968574 for a girl: I doubt Jason would be too happy if I did this to a little boy! 

Get ready! I am going to be an obnoxious aunt that always posts cute pictures and stories about what cute things she does. She has already hung the moon in my eyes! 

My Mabel

This is an article that I wrote about my grandmother, Mabel Brady, for the Unity Baptist Church bulletin. She was an unbelievable woman that touched so many lives. I am so blessed to have had her in my life and to carry her memory with me each day. Her legacy lives on in each of the lives she changed and each of the hearts that she helped to lead to Christ, including mine. 

"Prayer warrior. Those two simple words can describe the life and legacy of Mabel Bryant Brady. She was a loving wife, mother, sister, aunt, mother-in-law, Mam-Maw, friend, and neighbor. Mabel married Jeff Brady on November 23, 1957, the day they began a life of service, love, and laughter together. Their new little family began to grow with the births of their sons, Randy and Barry. Years later, the family tree grew again when Barry married Nancy, and they had one daughter, Mindy Brady Forsman. The tree grew even more when Randy married Cemmie, and they had two daughters, Tabitha Brady McKay and Tiffany Brady. She was the sister to three brothers, and sister-in-law to fourteen others. Needless to say, the number of lives she touched with her love and grace within her family and within the community is immeasurable.

Mabel was a stay-at-home mom, which really meant fantastic cook, immaculate housekeeper, delightful Sunday school teacher, and patient baby-sitter. She had many titles, including champion cherry pie maker, notorious chair sleeper, lover of polka-dots, social butterfly, fantastic hugger, unequivocal "Red Light, Green Light" player, obsessive weather watcher, and most importantly,  a walking testimony for following God’s will. The scribbles in the prayer notebook beside her Bible were so much more than a list of names. She reverently, deliberately, and constantly prayed over each name. She prayed for their well-being and their healing, for their future and their past, for their problems and their blessings, and for God’s will to be done in each of their lives. She was a prayer warrior.

Mabel left this earth to walk the streets of gold on June 15, 2001. She may be absent in body, but she still surrounds us with her spirit. Close your eyes tight enough and you can feel her loving hug. If you never had the privilege to meet Mabel Brady just look around at one of the lives she touched or one of the souls she helped win for Christ, and they will tell you her story, the story of a true woman of God."

Mam-Maw and Pa

Mam-Maw's family, The Bryants

Mam-Maw with her brothers and their wives
(You can match the boys up by their heights in the previous picture)

Because it was well built

I was so blessed to have been born into a strong Christian family. Both of my grandmothers were amazing prayer warriors and if I grow up to be even half the woman that they were, then I will be proud.  My grandmothers were actually friends before my parents even met.

Mabel Brady, Mam-Maw, My Paternal Grandmother

Lillie Hamaker, Granny, My Maternal Grandmother

Tonight I ran across my paternal grandmother’s journal that she kept while they were building their new house. The first page must have been written a few months or years before because it is her prayer that they will get to build a new house. The rest of the journal chronicles every move made from the groundwork to how she hung the curtains and arranged the furniture.

 “Dear Lord,

I want to that new house. If it’s your precious will for us to build it. Help us to accomplish it debt free. I have prayed for it and believe it’s your will for us. It’s our dream come true. We will dedicate it to you knowing it was your will for us to have it. I pray for some good years to live and enjoy it. My Jeff has worked so hard and has tried to be honest and put you first and give to you that which belongs to you and help other along the way. Bless him, but if it never comes true we will love you and live for you anyway. Bless our sons and their wives and children. May each one of them be saved and live for you. Thank you Dear Jesus for every blessing in our lives. We love you and our family, all our church family, our pastor and family. Keep them all safe and close to you.”

Mam-Maw only got to live in her new house for 2 ½ years, but she was so proud of it and thankful for it. They built the house in six months and finished it debt free. My Daddy spent every day for over six months at Mam-Maw and Pa’s working on the new house, except for days when “Tab had a ballgame today” or “Ran is taking a weekend off. They are going to Alabama for Geri’s Birthday.” (she was referring to my maternal grandmother) She was so thankful for his work on the house and for everyone else that helped out too. She would write down what she made them for supper and even what the temperature was that day. I miss her every day, but reading her words in her handwriting makes me feel closer to her.

She always took good care of her sick grandbabies! 

She wrote, "August 19...Tiff was sick with red throat today. Missed school, went to Nurse Med, got shot, stayed with me today." Then, I must have been very sick because she wrote, "August 20...Tiff still sick, goes to doctor has bronchitis, still coughs a lot. Is with me today." Now I'm thankful for those sick days when I got to spend extra time with her!

As a proud grandmother she made sure to write down all of the important things. haha (see highlighting) 

"Tiff won Spelling Bee in her Classroom"

I think her journal could be a step-by-step guide of how to build a home, literally and spiritually. Begin and end with God, but don't forget to put your hard work and effort into His plans. The last page of her journal says it all.

“This is Sunday, January 3^rd. It’s so very cold today. We went to church this morn. About 19 degrees. As I wind this down, and finish this journal I am so very very thankful for the blessings this year. Thank you Dear Lord for letting us move in our new home. We owe it all to you. Amen.”

Mam-Maw enjoying Christmas in her new house!

As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete. Luke 6:47-49

I’m moving to London…with high hopes that I return with an amazing British accent!

I have always had big dreams, but I never would have imagined that I would be packing up and moving to London for six months after college graduation! My family and friends are spread from the Carolinas to California’s coast, so I am going to have to try hard to keep everyone updated from across the pond. I hope my blog will make the miles between us seem shorter.

There have been quite a few moments in my life where I have stopped and consciously thought this is where I’m supposed to be, when I’m supposed to be here, doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing and going to London is one of those moments! I am a self-confessed obsessive planner, but over the past few years God has been intently working on making me completely dependent on His plans instead of my own.  Looking back I am in awe of how God has been moving the little puzzle pieces in my life to get me exactly where He wants me.

Two summers ago I interned with CMT in Nashville and fell in love with the city, the people, and everything about it.  I really felt like I was home in Nashville, but I had to head back to Starkville to finish up my last year at Mississippi State University.  As an obsessive planner infatuated with Nashville, my senior year of college was naturally filled with dozens of job applications for Nashville, several job interviews in Nashville, and lots of tears when nothing seemed to work out. I tried to play it cool so no one would know that I was scared to death, but I was stressed to the max. I finally woke up one day and realized that I needed to have a little faith.  I had not gotten to that point in my life without a lot of divine intervention and guidance, so why should deciding my future be any different? When I finally let go and gave God control things didn’t fall into place immediately, but I finally had peace while I was waiting.

A few of the CMT Consumer Marketing Crew

A major component of my Marketing Management course at MSU focused on a marketing plan for the MSU EcoCar. I chose to use my ties with Girl Scouts to create fun outreach activities for EcoCar to specifically hit their target audience.  Endless hours of research for the Girl Scout EcoCar project ending up overlapping with my tireless job hunt in early February. I found an open Marketing and Communications Volunteer position at Pax Lodge in London, England on the Girl Scout website and I immediately began the application process. On May 7, Karen Rangel-Griffin’s wedding day and my sister’s 26^th birthday, I received an interview request! Then, my interview ended up being on May 21, Danielle Carter-Williams’s wedding day! I think these dates must have been good luck. Please note how the length of this process conflicted with my severely impatient nature! I think this part of God’s plan to increase my dependency on His plans, not my own.

Karen's Wedding Day

Jump back to April. I still had not heard anything from London, so I was stressing and trying to figure out what to do with myself. One week before graduation I got a call from one of my supervisors at CMT, Driv. She said that she needed help during May and June to coordinate CMA Fest.  I think I said yes before she could finish explaining the position! I finally had a job in Nashville, even if it was only for a couple of months. After dreadful finals and a wonderful graduation, it was time to move to Nashville. I LOVED being back at CMT! I feel like my co-workers there are my long lost best friends and I couldn’t wait to wake up and go to work every day this summer. I also loved living with Amy Kinslow, one of the amazing people that I met my first summer in Nashville. (Amy is an amazing graphic designer, and she even created the lovely silhouette on the header of my blog and in my application video. Lots more on Amy to come!) The day before my last day freelancing at CMT I received an email from London! One door was shutting in less than 24 hours when God opened another one. See why I think God is teaching me to wait on Him and not be anxious for anything.

Cap & Gown Time!

Amy & I freezing at Steeplechase 2011

Love, love, love our hats!

The following weekend I moved back to Ripley while I was in limbo about my future plans. Moving back to a town where Wal-Mart closes at 10:00 pm was not my ideal situation, but it has turned out to be a huge blessing too. (more on that in another post) The email from London was informing me of the “tasks” that I had to complete which would be the deciding factor on the position. The first task was to create a yearlong marketing plan for Pax Lodge. This took lots of thought, planning, and time, but all of my marketing courses and time at CMT really paid off. My second task was to "Prepare a creative informational advertisement about yourself." That was it. There weren’t any specifications, requirements, or suggestions. My mind was racing in a million different directions and there were thousands of different things that I could do for this task. I finally decided on a YouTube video explaining my love of Girl Scouts and a little of my work history. I’ll share the link, but excuse my accent. I can’t wait to see what kind of looks I get in England when I say bright, white, or light.

 Pax Lodge Application Video

The waiting game began again after I submitted my tasks. Waiting from February until July doesn’t really seem like that long now, but it was excruciating. I didn’t tell anyone at the time, but I had an amazing peace about the process and a comforting feeling that I was going to get the position. A few weeks later I was hanging out with the newlywed Griffins when I got the email I had been waiting on. I was the newest Marketing and Communications Volunteer for Pax Lodge in London, England! I was on cloud nine. I thanked God for this amazing opportunity and began a flurry of phone calls sharing the good news!

That is the long rambling beginning of my London adventure story in a nutshell. I fly out on October 30^th, so stay tuned for more pre-trip updates! 22 days!