new blog: http://www.haleycarr.blogspot.com

yeah, just tired of livejournal. Thought I'd try a new place for a new time in my life.

Alright, I'm all packed and back in Lynchburg.

For the next two weeks, I will be in Calcutta, India on short term mission work.

Please pray for safety and for lives to be changed.

Specifically, that these people would not accept Jesus as ONE of their gods, but as THE ONLY God.

I can't wait to share what happens...

love you all.

I'd like to give a great big congratulations to the future Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Reinhart as well as the future Mr. and Mrs. Michael Lupino!!! I love you guys! Congratulations on your engagements!

I find it so hard to believe that this semester is already over. It has been a good semester for sure! The biggest theme of this fall has certainly been India... everything from fundraising, mental preparation, prayer, thoughts... it's been about this trip. We will be on a plane in 20 days. That is insane! I got my hep A and hep B shots on Friday. I'll get my typhoid vaccination pills and malaria vacination pills when I get to Atlanta. I have a feeling my world will be completely changed after this trip.

I really thought I had more to say. If I think of a deeper topic, I'll get back on. haha.

To everyone who works at Barnes and Noble back in Duluth:
I will be home and working next Friday for two weeks :). I can't wait to see you all. I'll be back in the good ole' cafe, so stop by and say hello!!!

Out of everyone in my family to obtain wisdom from, my oldest sister is probably the most likely to actually give sound advice and ask probing questions. I spoke with her about my decision to move home, and the insight that she had offered peace and joy to remaining at Liberty. God's not through with me here.

GREAT NEWS! As of this past week, all of the money for India has come through. PRAISE GOD! One person sent me $600 anonymously...how crazy is that?! So, it's official, in just four weeks, I will be in Calcutta, India. AHHH! That's insane! I received my prescription for my Typhoid and malaria vaccinations. I have a recital on Thursday, so I will refrain from starting Typhoid before then because apparantly, I'm going to be really sick from it. Will start Malaria the day before we leave and continue to take it for a month after we get back. This is absolutely unreal! The Lord worked so amazingly providing the money and preparing the team's hearts. This is going to be incredible! We will be in the city of Calcutta for most of the time, but for about 3-4 days we will be on a boat on the Ganges River travelling to the island villages. (This is a mission's trip if I haven't mentioned it previously...).

Yesterday was possibly the most special birthday I have ever had. Well, my birthday was Monday, but I celebrated last night. It was kind of a last minute thing. My family has a tradition of going out to eat for birthdays, but I really just wanted a home cooked meal. So, I invited my sister and brother-in-law over for dinner as well as my good friend Abby. My friend Seth was going to be traveling from Athens to Marietta, and was going to stop in Duluth to hang out for a couple of hours. Then the thought dawned on me: Invite him over for dinner too! Well, turns out that helped him so that he didn't hit holiday traffic on 75. Seth got here around 2ish and we went to the Mall of Georgia and walked around. We only went into three stores, but it was nice just to be around each other. We haven't seen each other since Christmas time of my senior year. That's crazy! Almost two years! We lost touch for a little while, but he got in touch with me online this summer. It was bizarre because when he imed me, I was literally typing up a message to send to him! It was sooo weird. We've just kept in contact since then.
Well, my family and friends gathered around the dinner table to enjoy lasagna and salad. It was so nice to be around them all. We proceeded to enjoy birthday cake. Abby snuck off to go to the restroom, though turns out she was sneakily lighting the candles on my cake ;). It was precious to see her walk into the room, with my cake all lit up. No one has ever done that for me. I couldn't help but smile. The whole evening was smiles! After cake, we all went to the living room and watched The Sixth Sense on television. Abby, Seth, and I crammed onto my couch and laughed and watched and just had fun. This morning, even my little niece was asking, "Where's Hay-ey's friends?" It was adorable. Anyways, off to a day of laundry and figuring out when I need to leave town to go to Tennessee! Who knows that I may be home in January, though I won't decide that until after I talk to the dean of women and to a professor that I greatly admire.

Any ideas for employment?

Happy Birthday to me!! :)

So to further explain my ramblings about moving home:
Yes, I have missed home. It's been in my heart for the past couple of months. I'm tired of being so far removed from my family and Atlanta. But, when I think practically, I am spending so much money for school up there, and I don't know if it's the best education I can get for my areas of study (Music and english are decided upon). I am praying about whether this is a ME issue, or if I am truly being LED back here. I don't know where I'm going, or when I'll be there, but the thought of remaining at Liberty is somewhat unsettling. I feel as though I am depending on Liberty as somewhat of a "spiritual crutch." Almost fallen into a mentality that I have somehow failed Christianity if I don't decide to continue my education there. I am afraid of stepping outside of my little "spiritual bubble." But the reality is that Liberty doesn't make me Christian. Yes, I have grown in my faith and learned an immense amount about Christianity, myself, life, etc. I have grown up a lot, and I am thankful that I have been so far from home to do so. I have truly been on my own for a period of time. If I moved home, I would probably save up some money over the course of a few months and get an apartment. I just don't know if there's more for me at Liberty now. Maybe I've gotten all I can out of there. And so I am at a big crossroads, and I don't want to make the wrong decision. I honestly don't know who's behind these thoughts...me or God. My family is supportive of me moving home. In all practicality, it is the smartest choice to make, and the one that I want. But I am still afraid of it. I'm afraid of moving outside of Liberty now. And perhaps that's just it. There's more than Lynchburg! Something I once knew, but have been isolated in. What is RIGHT? Not What Do I want? But what does HE want?

"Will you guide me when I can't see?"

So I'm home now. It's amazing. I missed it here. I am considering moving here and tranfering to a college around here. Any thoughts?

48 hours and counting...I cannot WAIT to be home! I decided to stay until Sunday morning to work. I'll leave early (hopefully 7ish...) on Sunday morning, putting me back in Atlanta around 2ish. I am so excited. I miss home a lot. A LOT. My birthday is Monday. That's exciting. Learned how to knit. That's cool too. My brain has shut down. Just got in from work, and I'm tired. Really tired. Shower time. Then bed. One more test, and then no more thinking for me for one whole week. Yeah. Can't wait to see ya'll. ;)

I want to be this girl. Blake and I met a few nights ago when I was working up at Drowsy. He's the guy in the group Iver. They wrote this song, which is incredible. I pray that I will be this girl to someone someday:

“Sun Down” by Iver

 

She’s the kind of girl who makes me smile at nothing.

She’s the kind of girl that makes me laugh with all her silly faces

That kind of girl who memories are made of

She’s that kind of girl.

 

That kind of girl that makes the sun wish that it could shine.

That kind of girl that makes a man much better than he was before.

She’s that kind of girl.

 

She says she will get married in a castle in late December.

And I say that she’ll do just fine,

Because I love the winter.

And then we’ll chase the sun down til it’s dark out

And find our own hideaway.

 

She’s the kind of girl who dreams without a reason.

She’s the kind of girl that with one glance knows just what I’m thinking.

That kind of girl who reads without occasion.

She’s that kind of girl.

 

That kind of girl that’s not afraid of danger.

She’s friendly to a stranger on the street.

That kind of girl that’ll skip a class just for coffee.

She sees me like the world could never see.

She says she will get older in a big town in California.

And I Say that should do just fine

Because I love the coastline

And then we’ll chase the sundown until it’s dark out

And Find our own hideaway day

 

That kind of girl who doesn’t need to do her hair

She’ll act on any dare

She knows that life’s not fair.

That kind of girl let’s the music do the talking

She dances while she’s walking next to me.

She says she will be buried in the ocean

Come whatever

And I say that should do just fine because I love the water.

And then we’ll chase the sundown until it’s dark out and find our own hideaway day.

I was reading for English, and listening to the song "Remember Me" by Mark Schultz and I began to contemplate just how beautiful life is--how wonderful it is to recall the innocence of childhood, reflecting back on my own face as a little girl that loved to sing, and to dance, and read, and swing on her tire swing, and paint...the mystery a child. How wonderful it was to be at my grandparent's home in Riverdale, Georgia. I was an outgoing little girl that loved to sing and make people laugh. I used to squeeze in between a window and a couch to read for hours, and I loved to sit in the florida room and paint. I climbed trees and looked forward to Christmas, basking in my mom's cooking and the wonderful decorations. I loved our annual adventure to cut down our own tree.

Then I began to grow up. And even through all the difficulties and struggles and changes, how beautiful it all is turning out to be. The Lord has begun to renew the heart of that same little girl. He made that heart, and has now purified and cleaned that heart. The beauty of the hearts of children is not lost with adulthood, but simply needs to be refreshed and revived, and brought to life! What a joy to be restored to the innocence of a child, and to rest in our Father's arms. I want to live my life as a child standing on her father's shoes while they dance, letting my hair swirl in the breeze...

God gave me a glimpse of what it's about today.

I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love

Even more than I usually do,

and although I know it's a long road back,

I promise you:

I'll be home for Christmas.

You can count on me.

Please, have snow and mistletoe

and Presents under the tree.

Christmas Eve will find me where the love light gleams.

I'll be home for Christmas

if only in my dreams.

Today will be the first Saturday night that I have had off from work all semester. I am so excited. A young woman approached me this week asking if I woiuld switch schedules with her and work the day shift instead...I jumped on that opportunity. So, tonight I will get off of work, shower, and proceed to go enjoy the play Driving Miss Daisy. I am really excited. Possibly even go to bed before midnight!

Yesterday proved to be relieving. My biggest project (a research paper for English) was due. The paper was the reason that I dropped the course last semester. This semester proved easier to balance everything. I worked on the paper diligently, but still found myself stressed the night before. The mental exhaustion led to the longest nap I have taken in a very long time...2:30-5 PM.

I am currently working on trying to move off next semester. It is more likely to happen next summer, but it would be ideal SOON. Dorm life is outlived.

 

It is hard to believe that it is nearly November! This school year is proving to be an exciting one for sure. Once again I find myself unable to really "catch up" because it's been a while! So here I go again, wanting to update this page more frequently...hopefully successfully, but we shall see.

Life consists of classes, working up at The Drowsy Poet on the weekends, church, and miscellaneous gatherings and functions. It's such a wonderful time in life. I am really enjoying it all right now. The dating scene is non-existent, and for the first time in my life, I can say with a pure heart that I am ENJOYING that. Sure, there is a desire there, but I am content and peaceful. It took everything that happened this summer for the Lord to teach me that He is all. He is the only thing that can satisfy, and He is all that got me through. This summer was the period at the end of a sentence. He had to break me and teach me how to go to HIM when I cried.

One thing I will say, I miss home. I never really got homesick last year, but now I miss Atlanta. I miss Georgia, and my heart longs to be near my family and back in the city. Atlanta has it's own atmosphere which is incomparrible to anywhere that I have been. I've been away from home long enough to have had a mini-adventure, and learn how to appreciate home. I miss my family so much, especially my aunt and sisters. My mom is no longer living in my house, which quite frankly aids in the desire to want to be home. While she was there, it was easy to cringe at the thought of being there. Again, the Lord has taught me so much, and has begun to heal our relationship.

I will be back in Atlanta the entire week of Thanksgiving (Including on my birthday!! Yah!!!) If any of you that still read this would like to get together, leave a message and let me know. I can't wait!

As you are already aware, I am going to India in January. I just received an email regarding a situation that needs serious prayer for the country. Here is the summary. Friends, please take this seriously. Pray for financial support for our campaign as well. We have a deadline in two weeks where we will need $1700 per person. Pray for the Rajasthan team as well, that God will work out the transportation issues going on right now. If you would like to support the mission financially, please leave me a message, and I will let you know how. Thanks. Here is part of the email:

"In reading BBC world early this morning the headline for their “South Asia” page concerns a national labor strike in India today. Literally, millions of Indians working in the transportation and banking industries did not show up for work today. This crippled India’s 78 airports stranding tens of thousands of people. The nation lost millions in unrecoverable revenue.

This was a single day strike and should not cause any kind of destabilization. Therefore, it’s nothing really concerning to our planned campaign. It is simply a protest over economic reforms in India, which is now Asia’s 4th largest economy. Please pray for peace and a quick resolution to this conflict. As you’ll learn in my lecture on India in a couple of weeks it is very important that the Congress Party stay in power in the nation. The alternative party, the BJP, is controlled my militant Hindus. Pray today for Prime Minister Mahoman Singh and the thousands of decisions makers in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata."

So, you might ask why I left for work last night wearing my favorite jeans, but I returned wearing Mike's sweatpants...

Well, let me tell you.

So, Drowsy slowed down around 10:30, which gave Christina and I a head start on cleaning up. By ten til midnight, we had most everything done. So, Mike walks in, and says, "Hey, Haley Girl. Heading out to Richmond and wanted to fuel up."

Well, we don't have a lot to do, and the place is opened up, so Mike says, "Let's do some handstands." So, I go in front of the bar, and start to do a handstand. I hear a rip and immediately step back onto my feet. I realize what has happened and back up against the bar.

I start laughing, and confess that I have ripped my jeans.
Ripped is an understatement. The butt of my pants completely split open right across my entire left cheek.

Well, I stand there utterly embarassed, but laughing histerically. Mike offers me a pair of sweatpants from his car, and so I was saved.

Oh goodness. **sigh**

So, once again I find myself confessing that I have not been faithfully updating, as I promised I would.

School has started, and I've kicked it up into high-gear. I am taking 15 hours...maybe 16??(I'm too lazy to consider it right now...) but I have 7:50 classes everyday. That's already kicking my butt...but I'm making it. I enjoy having my afternoons. I am out of class everyday by either noon or 1:30. I am really enjoying working at The Drowsy Poet, though it definetely provides for constant movement. It's a very popular coffee shop around here, which will hopefully not be threatened by the recent opening of a Starbucks. Yes, that's right. We are becoming "citified" out here with the arrival of the most commercialized cafe in the world. Last year, we would drive to Boonsboro (what a bumpkin name!) to get a cup of Starbuck's coffee.

Yesterday was my first day of true rest since I've been back to school. I refused to touch any homework or do anything social and/or productive. I layed out by the pool on East campus all day with my friend Jon. Lots of fun, and now I am officially joining the tan club. It's kind of sad that I lived in Virginia Beach for three months, and yet I have gotten more sun in the past few weeks of being back at school that I did all summer. Go figure.

So I am still exceptionally glad to be back at school. It's already a wonderful year. I feel ALIVE! Well, I should probably finish reading for Humanities. Later

So much for keeping up! Goodness, I've been soooo busy! I ended up dropping True Identity. There was no way that I could successfully be involved with that, be a prayer leader, go to school full time, and be working. No way.

So, I feel like I'm pretty balanced, busy as it may be.

I'll catch up more later, but I'm about to get to dinner. Just wanted to let you guys know that I am alive and doing GREAT!

"And all I see, it could never make me happy.
And all my sandcastles spend their time collapsing.
Let me know that you hear me.
Let me know your touch.
Let me know that you love me
and Let that be enough."
-Switchfoot "Let that Be Enough."