thanksgiving

this week was full of COUNTRY! i stayed out with my aunt and uncle who have the two cutest little children alive, although they live in the middle of nowhere. it's cute and a nice place to go but i'm not too sure i would want to live out there. no internet, hardly any phone service unless you stayed still while making a phone call or sending a text message, although THEY LOVE IT! it was good to be around family and just chill out for a couple of days. we left this afternoon at around 12:30 and i just got back...its 8:33..talk about LONG car ride. but it was full of interesting conversations, nice naps, and excellent music!car rides with tanya...you can't beat them.


next stop. nebraska.
12 days.
but first...FINALS.

one love,
a.

Christmas List.

From earlier posts ya'll learned that my phone was sat on, and the screen was broken. So the one thing I ask for for Christmas is the new QuickFire in orange!
If it's ordered online, it's cheaper! CHECK IT OUT.

One love,
a.

youth ministry

So today was the first day in awhile that I loved doing youth ministry. Tonight was the first night that I have actually have begun to have a yearning to do ministry and just hang out and be in the lives of young adults. Today I did the welcome at youth group and it was the funniest things I have ever seen in my entire life. We did a dance off to the berries and cream commercial for starburts and just had a grand ol' time. After the end of both services we just HUNG OUT WITH THE KIDS. Some of the girls realized that the mics were left on from service and there was music playing in the background and we just all gave a little concert to all the people who wanted to listen. It was a great time!! The jam session went on for about 20 minutes, no joke and we just sand praise songs, and had a grand time. After that the Cha Cha slide came on and it drew a whole bunch of people back into the auditorium and we just danced for another 15 minutes, with a new rendition of the CottenEye Joe.
Just being with those kids and being a part of their life's and dancing & singing with them, with no other motive then just to be in their presence is what being in ministry is all about. Afterwards a bunch of the leaders & students went out to Applebees, and if you know CCV you know that's tradition. We just sat and talked about issues & our lives and played hot seat and just were happy to be in the presence of each other. It made me realize that tonight is why I want to go into ministry. For times like this that help me be in the lives of those who need me, that is what ministry is all about.

One love,
a.

i'll be home.

not next Saturday, or the Saturday, but the Saturday following!

SO EXCITED!

21 DAYS.

one love,
a.

So, I've been thinking.

There are a lot of things going on back home, that to be honest I'm kinda glad i'm not there for, because it's just things that I dont need my hand in. I have noticed a few things while being away...
One: I've changed.
I think my views about my life and the way that I approach certain issues in my life have changed a great deal! I think that I have changed my motives to why I do things in my life, and when that happens your lifestyle changes. I've also begun to embrace the way I think. Being away from my parents and the friends and basically the life that I've been used to has really made become comfortable in the way I think. I've been challenged a lot and have needed to stand firm in my beliefs.
Two: I really life Nebraska
When I made the move from Pennsylvania to Nebraska I HATED it, and refused to let myself like it there. Now that I'm away I can honestly say that I miss the nice-ness of the people. Walking down the street and smiling & actually getting a smile back, is something that I truely miss.
Three: I miss my brother Jordan
Being away, I actually talk to my brother. Granted it's not everyday or every week but it is frequent, and it's often enough that I realize that I do miss the boy. He is one of the smartest, most creative people I have ever met. He is in the process of making what looks like will be an AMAZING movie, The Gregory Id. He has the biggest mind I probably have ever come into contact with. He is so smart and actually has good advice. He's been trying to share it with me for years but not until recently have I been able to accept it.
Four: Parents are you're world.
It's amazing how independent I have become being away from home. I LOVE YOU PARENTS : )


That's about it.

One love,
a.

&the countdown continues : )

So SOOOOON, 3 weeks & I"m loving it

23 days : )

countdown!

25 DAYS!

stress fracture.

So cheerleading!! Basically we've been stunting like crazy lately and last practice we learned 11 new stunts and put them to cheers, so it's not wonder my wrist has been hurting BEYOND belief! So I thought nothing of it...well it's been 4 days and things have only gotten worse. Tonight I thought that it was about time that i went to see the trainer, and I hate doing that because they always tell me things that I do not want to hear! FRUSTRATING I KNOW! Well basically she thinks I might have a stress fracture in my wrist, and want me to sit out tomorrow FOR OUR FIRST HOME GAME!

Talk about annoying!

One love,
a.

EVERYTHING GLORIOUS!

Just another David Crowder Song, check it out!

But this weekend, I wrote my LAST paper for my youth ministires class, and let me tell you IT FELT GOOOOD! I know longer have to worry about anything in that class except for the final which isn't for awhile, that just makes me excited! This semester is coming to a close, and we only have approximatly 5 more classes of each class I'm taking to end up the semester, and that is excited within itself! I thought that college was going to be the longest thing I would ever have to endure in my entire life! I remember when I was little I couldn't stay away from my mom for a night to spend the night with a friend. The sleep over would always end in a phone call home at about 2 o'clock at night asking for my parents to come and pick me up. So coming to school I was hoping that I would not be doing that! And to be honest, I think I'm doing a DANG GOOD JOB of staying away from home, across the country all by myself!

Okay, I talk about college like I hate it or something, I really don't I LOVE IT! It just gets tiresome after awhile!

COUNTDOWN!
27 daysss


One love,
a.

Wholly YOURS!

But the harder I try the more clearly can I feel
The depth of our fall and the weight of it all
And so this might could be the most impossible thing
Your grandness in me making me clean
-David Crowder Band

So the title of this post comes from my all time favorite Christian Praise Band, David Crowder Band. David Crowder knows how to place words into a song and just string things together in order to explain the way I feel in my Christian walk of faith. I recently haven't been listening to him as much, and actually I haven't listened to him in awhile. I just randomly started listening to his album Collsion (which this song is on) and it got me thinking about a lot of things. The songs talk about how we worship God in the greatest of time, and the reality of Jesus' love for us, and the reality of how unstable our love for him is as well. To just read the lyrics above, over and over again you can realize that our fall, whether it be into Jesus or away from Jesus it seems IMPOSSIBLE that God's greatness could make us clean, the most dirty thing in the world.
In class we are learning a lot about the Old Testament and the Promised Land as well as the people of Israel. And the thing that you notice, if you study the scripture, is that so many times the people fall away from God and don't do the things He asks of them, but yet cry out for help, and for a king here on earth. So God gives them that but the king (Saul) does not follow what God is asking him to do, therefore God takes him off the throne. It gets you wondering how many times God would have taken us off the throne in order for us to get the picture that our picture needs to be God's picture.
READ JUDGES!

: )

one love,
a.

alleigh's life.

So recently let's just say that I haven't been working out as much as I would have liked and as the looks of it, I think I'm gaining weight, therefore, I am making a vow to loose 5 POUNDS! I think I can do it and honestly 5 pounds isn't a lot so, on top of the cheerleading practices we have, which by the way are INTESNSE, I will be going to the gym 3 times a week!
Also, schoolwork I must be honest with myself when I say that I haven't really been keeping up with my schoolwork, and that is catching up with me. I'm a little behind in some reading and a lot behind in some reading responses due next week. So this weekend will be catch up with all my work that I'm missing, and from now until Christmas break I'm cranking out some work and buckling down. I think I was getting lazy because I know breaks are coming up but this is when I need to start getting serious!

Pray for me!


29 dayssssss!!!!

One love,
a.

countdown.

For anyone that knows me, you know that I'm big on countdowns, and I believe that we are close enough to me coming home that I can start one.
Here we go:

30 DAYS!

<3

mallory & bronte

So yesterday was a day where I basically talked to Mallory A LOT! She called twice,basically we talked for a good amount of time, both times. I couldn't stop talking about the memories her and I share as well as the many things that I'm excited about with the upcoming visit back home (which by the way only 30 more days). It was just a real reminder of how great friends I have waiting for me back home. I began to wish I was home and was surrounded by these amazing people again and I was becoming sad in the fact that no one would ever be able to compare to my friends back in Nebraska. Then I had a conversation with Bronte, where she stated that she hoped that Mallory didn't think that she was trying to take her place, and although that could never happen it got me thinking about some things. Like of course, she can't take her place because there are so many memories that me and Mal share that can't be replayed for even replaced but in a way Bronte is JUST LIKE MALLORY in the sense that we love the Lord and we keep each other accountable for the things we do, and we just like to have fun with each other! I've noticed that I tried too hard to find friends that represent each of my friends back home, but that is IMPOSSIBLE I've recently realize (and I'm upset I didn't realize this earlier). People can't come, they will always be different, but that difference is what makes that person special to my life.

So to my BEST friends Bronte & Mallory, know that I love you both, and I've been blessed to be able to have both of you in my life. you've both shared different things with me, but I just wanted to say that each of those things have made me the person I am today.

LOVE YOU BOTH,
alex/alleigh

To my brother, Jordan!

You are funny.

I dont like to argue, you just like strange music!

GOOD DAY!

I'm making a promise to myself that I'm going to have a good day!

31 days until I'm home.


One love,
a.

change...

"be the change you want to see in the world"
-Gandhi

I've always believed the statement with all of my heart and soul, I believe that in order to make the change,you must be the change. At the conference this weekend we learned a lot about Hoops of Hope which is an organization which helps raise money for orphaned kids in Africa and helps medical aid centers for them. For some reson when this was being talked about at the conference it struck my heart as a something I would enjoy doing. And now even being away from the conference I am still thinking about doing it as well.

Just keep me in your prayers so I know where God is leading me!

One love,
a.

i'm blessed.

So recently I've noticed that God has blessed me with a lot of things in my life, and it's rare that I actually sit down and think of the ways that God has blessed me, and too many times do I sit down and think about the ways God is challenging me in my life.
This weekend I went to the Revolve, Woman of Faith conference with the girls that I coach at the church I attend, and although not directly targeted at me I took away a lot of good things from it. This weekend has been life changing and a little bit of a drama feast. Let's just say that God has blessed me with friends that are willing to listen to me when I have made a mistake and not judge me because of them. I have also been blessed with a mother who loves me, and who has recently become one of my best friends. God has also blessed me with a father that loves me and who cares so much about me that he would do anything for me in order for me not to be hurt. I've been blessed with the opportunity to be able to go to an amazing school and get educated on the things that would help me succeed in the things God wants me to do in life. I've been blessed with a sibling doing amazing things in the world of the arts. He's intelligent and helps me when I have a problem that I don't really know how to deal with on my own. I've been blessed with a church that cares about my well being in my spiritual walk, and a church that I can care about the spiritual walks of others.

The list can go on and on.

God is good.

One love,
a.

change of subject.

So considering that for the past few posts my blog has been completely invaded by politics, and after the posts and comments I received I'm happy/confused as to why I put my personal thoughts on something so controversal on the world wide web.
Anyway, it is getting closer and closer to the time where I am going to go home, and let me tell you I"m veeeey excited about it. Two days ago I talked to my best friend (Mallory) and her parents and talking to them just made me want to come home more than ever, and I'm not sure why talking to them made me wanted to come home so badly.
This week has been tough. Not just emotionally, but physically and as well. Cheerleading has begun to get tougher and tougher and right now as I'm sitting here writing this, I'm feeling every muscle I used last night at my practice. Life is tough I'll tell you. Yesterday we had the honor to listen to Duffy Robins (speaking in front right now considering I'm in my youth min class) and he talked about weathering the storms that God has given us. I'm telling you God is making many storms for me weather and I knew it was coming because for awhile everything in my life was going GREAT! From experience I know that when things are going great LOOK OUT!

I would ask that you continue to pray for me and these next few weeks, and the Obama and Biden family.

One love,
a.

today was an upset.

So being the supporter that I am, I must say that today was a HUGE disappointment. Yes, I am a Democrat, and yes I am proud to be an American, but most of all I am a Christian. Living on campus of a Christian school I am, as you would guess, surrounded by a lot of people that call themselves Christians. And I must say before you are a supporter of any specific party you are a Christian and you need to first and foremost act like it. The statuses on facebook and the comments I've been hearing today have made me sick to the core. I know that I would have been very upset if McCain were to win the presidency but I'm not too sure I would be making the statements that I have been hearing. For example today I was in a class...which is mostly Repulican and today was no different I was attacked and beaten down for statements that I had said. Unacceptable. We need to accept that what has happened in ultimately in God's hand and He is in control. Talking about what "could have been" is not going to change what is. You can't fight the force that created this universe so we need to begin to get united as a country and stand behind what has happened, and stand behind what cannot be changed.
I received this e-mail from a good friend that brought me to tears:
"...when that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." God forgive America.

And I'm in tears.. Alleigh. The fact that people are like this hurts me to the core. I don't even know what else to say

Do you really think that God would allow something THIS MAJOR to happen without him having a plan? I dont. So let's have faith my Christian brothers and sisters, times are changing. It's time to accept it, and remember who has caused this change, the one and only Lord Jesus Christ.


one love,
a.

well...

We did it i suppose. This is the first time in a long time that i can honestly say that I am happy to call myself an American. Barack Obama is the 44th president of the United States. This is a time in history where I am so happy to say I am alive. This is something that no one would have guessed to happen, and to be honest I'm not too sure that I would even say that I was going to be alive to see the day. I saw the votes when California came in and Obama's votes went up to 284, and it then clicked that number was higher than the needed 270, and he won. I jumped up ran around just screaming WE DID IT! I know I know, I can't vote, but this is the first election that I have actually educated myself in the issues and the outcome that i wanted perserved and life as an American is about to change. I want to say to all the McCain supporters that God has a plan for all of this and even though the outcome has not turned out the way you would have liked, we must realize that God has a plan for all of this. Pray for the safety of the Obama family. That God's arms of protection will be wrapped around them during this time and that they would be out of harms way. I also ask that we continue to pray for our government, because in the end the person that they are answering to is the Lord Jesus Christ, and we can't mess with what he wants to accomplish in our country.

i'm proud to be an american.

one love,
a.

voting.

just vote.
for those of you who keep telling me that I can't say anything about voting, this post is for you! VOTE. Although I cannot vote because I am young I still must say that I am very up to date about the issues that we are facing in this coming election. All over blogs during this past week, and months you have probably read about people decided who they are going to vote for, and why...well I'm here to just tell you to get out there and vote. As a college student I can say that our generation is the generation that matters. I know, I know that is a very bold statement but I must say that it is the truth. Not only are we the future but the future is now. How many of your parents can say that they have seen a African American male running and having a chance at winning the election for president, or even a woman with a VERY HIGH CHANCE of bein elected into office. We are making history and it makes me so angry that I have taken my time to educate myself on the issues and stand for what I believe in yet there are people that could care this. We are the people that this election is happening for. What happens in this election, could and will determine what happens for our future. So please...no matter who you are, or what age you are...GET OUT THERE AND VOTE! It's your future, dont waste it.

One love,
a.