Sebbatical

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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!

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

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

Read it here:

Cyndee's Blog

What gets me out of bed...

He holds ALL the stars in the sky.

He tells the sun when to rise.

God is Faithful.

Valentine

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

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.

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

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

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 :)

:)