Grace.

So today Holly and I went to Luke 14:12 and helped serve lunch to the homeless folks there. We'd just finished pouring the last of our milk and water when a friendly man walked up to the table and said one simple word.

"Grace."

After a pause (the length of which admittedly made me mildly uncomfortable), he began to explain. He explained that between dawn and 11pm you have the grace to be in the park, but after 11 at night, you can be arrested for the same activity--just being there. On game day at the Titans stadium, you have the grace to sit in the parking lot and drink a beer, but at any other time the same activities in the same parking lot would be severely reprimanded. "Grace is a period of time," he said, "but God's Grace is a lifetime."

Now at this point he began sharing his opinion that the King James Version is the only version that's really the Bible, and that the other versions and translations out there don't count because humans have messed with them. I s'pose we'll leave that discussion for a different day though. Back to the grace. Our new friend said several times: "I teach definitions." It's incredible to me how much a word can change when God's behind it. We Presbyterians like the whole idea of salvation by grace. That's not the kind of grace that lets you chill in a park or tailgate before a game. It's the kind that lasts a lifetime. The kind that says that no matter what you do, you will have God's love. My aunt and uncle gave me this book for graduation called God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours. One of those lessons is: "God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do." And that right there folks, that's grace. We don't deserve it, we take it for granted all too often, but it's there. And it's the lifetime kind.

Love,
Allison.

How NOT to settle in to a new city...

I would not suggest, my dear friends, that you welcome yourself to new surroundings by wrecking your car. For the record, some stop signs in Nashville are not in fact four way stops like they might appear to be. Tuesday was a rather stressful day, and it's looking like I'll be car-less for a couple weeks, but no one was hurt, so it definitely could've been far worse. And having gotten past the really scared oh-#$&*-I-just-wrecked-my-car phase of the experience, I've been thinking a lot about the ways that the Big Guy (or Girl?) Upstairs was looking out for me throughout the whole thing. There's the obvious one, that no one got hurt, and then there are the littler things. Like all of the people I met or talked to that day, for most of whom I never even learned a name. There's the nice businessman that gave me his handkerchief (don't worry, it was clean) and told me to stand in the shade, the random guy who told me which phone number to call, the kind policewoman and the friendly tow-truck man who helped get MB where she needed to go to be fixed. There are the facts that I have a boss that was willing to come get me from the car place, that my co-workers and fellow YAVs are willing to drive me around, and that my parents aren't too mad about me for messing up my car. (Or if they are, they did a really good job of hiding it during the multiple it'll-be-ok phone calls.) And I think the worshiping and dinner-ing of PSF was just what I needed that night. So to all of the people that helped me that day whether they know it or not, thanks friends.

Despite the aforementioned dramatic events (yeah...aforementioned), the week wasn't all bad. I had my first couple appointments with students (if you ask me, the word "appointment" makes it sound super formal/kind of awkward, but they were neither of those things), which involved delicious food and coffee. For real, I think Bongo Java and I are going to become good friends in the next 10 months. Next week should be good too, because I'll be starting our every-Monday lunch in the Commons (Commons is to Vandy as the DH is to Furman...dining hall) for any PSFers or others that want to join. Coloring books will be present, along with my Crayola 120-pack. Admit it, everybody likes coloring every now and then, and every college student can use some stress relief! Also on Tuesday, Holly (div school intern at PSF) and I are heading to Luke 14:12 one more time before we start taking students every week. And by "one more time" I mean the first time was supposed to be this past Tuesday, and we all know now how that went for me...Holly made it there though.

TOT (Theology on Tap) happened again on Thursday, as it does every week, and the Live on the Green concert downtown this week was The Wailers! In the company of some of my fellow YAVs and some new friends too, it was pretty awesome. (And I mean, after the past few days I'd been having I think it was good to hear some happy reggae guys sing that "every little thing is gonna be alright...") For "community night" last night we all went out to dinner to a place called Copper Kettle, and it was aaabsolutely delicious. It's a meat-and-three type place (I'd never heard of this meat-and-three concept until I got here...) and I had fried catfish with mac n cheese, green bean casserole, and some other veggies. Mm mmm good (Campbell's Soup blessing, anybody?).

So, things have been looking up since Tuesday, that's for sure. Church in the morning and my second handbell practice tomorrow afternoon! Hopefully some more YAV bonding tonight too. :) But that's all the news for now, friends.

Love,
Allison.

P.S. - Furman 31, Citadel 14. Despite the fact that football and sports in general are pretty far down on my list of priorities in life, it's still pretty fun when your alma mater wins!

Chicken Tetrazzini and a Night in the Woods

Hey friends!

Well, two weeks of work down, and things in Nashville are still going swimmingly. I'm slowly but surely getting to know people at work and at church, and I think it's starting to sink in that I actually live in Nashville (and that I'm not just hanging out here for a couple weeks). This week a couple new things happened at work. I figured out how to set up the projector on Tuesday night almost all by myself (so many cords...), not to mention the delectable leftovers I got to take home after dinner at PSF. Chicken tetrazzini two days in a row? Yes please. Anyway I also started working on taking a group of students to Luke 14:12 for lunch once a week. It's a place that serves lunch to the homeless every Tuesday and Friday out of a church fellowship hall, and we're going to hopefully go volunteer there on a regular basis. Still a bit of organizing/advertising to do before that one can actually happen though. Other thrilling parts of my week included entering donation checks into our database, and updated email addresses in said database. Whooo non-profits! Good stuff.

Favorite part of the week, though, was going camping at Fall Creek Falls State Park with PSF on Friday night. I got to build a fire and eat a delicious TFD (Tin Foil Dinner). Seriously though, no lie, forget the frozen burger patties and consistent potatoes/carrots/onions of camp and add some red and green bell peppers and shredded cheddar cheese...mmmm. Can't go wrong with that. As it turns out it gets pretty cold in the middle of the night in Tennessee in September, but spending the night in my hammock was still quite enjoyable. :) Also we went on a hike Saturday before we left the park, and ate lunch here...

The camping adventure was followed by girls night at the Toolshed, given the fact that Vic and Michael abandoned us for the weekend. Girls night consisted watching a girly movie, but also keeping track of our dear old alma maters...four football games at a time!

Ok ok, so Mary Kate's school is the only one that won, but hey, Furman could've done a lot worse!

This morning was church as usual, which has been quite a lovely experience so far. Turns out there are a lot of Furman/Davidson connections here, too. The plus side of only going as far as Tennessee is that people have actually heard of Furman before. Hooray! Anyway tonight I decided to check out 2PC's  handbell choir (2PC = 2nd Pres). I was one of four people there ringing, plus the director, but apparently there are more people that couldn't make it tonight. At any rate, it's lovely to be making music again.

In all seriousness though, it kind of blows my mind how many different pieces of my life so far have gotten me ready for this year. Everything from playing bells to being a religion major to building a fire for TFDs. God is good, that's for sure.

And that's all for now, folks.

Love,

Allison.

Throwback to Good Old Junior Choir

So today in church we sang a song I've known ever since I can remember, largely thanks to junior choir at DCPC. "Spirit of the Living God." A lot of you probably know it, but it goes...

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

It's not that complicated of a song, and it's one of those that's so familiar that nine times out of ten you probably don't really think about what you're singing. But this morning it hit me that I really meant those words. I want God and the Holy Spirit to fall on me in a new way this year. I may not know how that'll happen yet, but I want Him to melt me, mold me, fill me, and use me in whatever I'm supposed to be doing this year. Maybe in an expected, outwardly visible way, or maybe He'll mold me into something new and use me for something I never saw coming. Either way, those words are legit.

Love,
Allison.

P.S. - Yeah I just said legit...I'd like to think the Holy Spirit doesn't mind a little abbreviation every now and then.

It's off to work we go...

Hey friends,

After a pretty chill Labor Day, we Nashville YAVs started our jobs this week! For anybody reading who may not know, I’m spending the year working with Vanderbilt’s Presbyterian Student Fellowship (PSF), which really is more like Nashville PSF given that some Belmont students come too. There’s a link to the PSF website to the right, if you’re interested. Anyway, I work in the Religious Life office, also known as the Tarpley Building (it’s on Vandy’s campus). I have an office and keys and everything! I mean I share my office with two other interns, but still. Real life...weird stuff. 

That's my desk!

This week’s biggest event was the weekly worship/dinner that PSF has every Tuesday (what a day to start on!), which went well. I met lots of new people, and it's never a bad evening when free dinner's involved. We worship and eat at St. Augustine's Chapel, which is a little Episcopal chapel near the office. Other than that I'm slowly but surely figuring out what I'll be doing this year. One of the things I'll be doing is sending the weekly email for TOT (Theology on Tap), which is a group of young adults in the area that gets together for dinner once a week and talks about a difference theological topic. For September though, we decided to make our TOT time this cool (and free) concert series that's happening in downtown Nashville called Live on the Green. This past Thursday was awesome...heard this new (to me) band called Hightide Blues, plus Five for Fighting and Tonic. Hooray for free music! 

Live on the Green. The zoom on my camera is currently not functioning, but that's Hightide Blues on the stage. The building behind the stage is the courthouse downtown.

Yesterday we visited the last two agencies at which Nashville YAVs will be working for the year. I realized that I don't know if I've said a lot about these places, but they're all doing pretty incredible things for the community. In case you want to know more, here's the list of where we spend our days...check out the links if you're interested.
Preston Taylor Ministries (that's Mary Kate's placement)
Nations Ministry Center (Beth)
Room In The Inn (Sally)
Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penatly (Vic)
Martha O'Brian Center (Michael)
Conexion Americas (Emily)
And there's me, at PSF.

This morning we went to a Greek festival in town. We didn't last very long because it was approximately a billion degrees outside, but we saw some cool Greek dancing and got some delicious food...and hey, it was something interesting to do with our early afternoon!

That's all for now, friends. If you want to know more you know where to find me. :)
Love,
Allison.

P.S. - Furman 45, Colgate 15. Gooo Paladins!

Settling in in Music City

Hi friends!
Since we got back from New York the seven of us Nashville YAVs have been orientating here in Nashville. Some more sitting down stuff, plus going around and seeing the agencies where we'll be spending the year. I still only know where a handful of places are, but eventually I'll figure it all out. Apparently Nashville is designed in a circle, not a grid. Hm. Anyway, we went on a scavenger hunt of sorts around town yesterday, so here are a few pictures for those of you who may care to take a gander...

Nashville YAVs at the Tennessee state capitol. (I know we're tiny but that's Beth, Sally, Michael, Emily, Vic, Mary Kate, and yours truly.)

Country Music Hall of Fame (It's supposed to look like piano keys and a radio tower, if you're like me and needed someone to tell you that...)

LP Field, home of the Tennessee Titans (on the Cumberland River)

This morning we worshiped at our churches for the first time. Mary Kate and I will be hanging out at Second Pres for the year, and met some lovely people this morning. The plan is to check out Shakespeare in the Park tonight, and tomorrow there's a Labor Day cookout in the works for the Nashville YAVs and YAVAs (YAYAs = YAV alums, of which there seem to be quite a few in the area). Then Tuesday we all start our jobs, so I'll update you all again after that!

Love,

Allison.

Watch out world, here we come...

Here I sit at Stony Point, waiting for our ride to the airport. Nashville’s the only national site left here, but Northern Ireland, Kenya, and India people are still here. It’s strange how emotional it was watching people leave. We’ve only known each other for a week, but it’s so inspiring to see us all heading our separate ways to (at least we hope) do good things. Ok so we maaay not be able to totally change the world in 11 months, but I admire everyone here so much because they’re trying to plant the seeds, in a way. Here’s this group of people committed to going out into the world for the PC(USA) and promoting what they believe in, whether it’s teaching classes or fighting for social change and justice (or maybe just getting to know some college students). So much for the frozen chosen...

There’s another song we’ve been singing that I like a whole lot (surprise) and I feel like it fits this post well...

“Canticle of Turning”

1. My soul cries out with a joyful shout
that the God of my heart is great,
And my spirit sings of the wondrous things
that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant's plight,
and my weakness you did not spurn,
So from east to west shall my name be blest.
Could the world be about to turn?

Refrain: 

My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
and the world is about to turn!

2. Though I am small, my God, my all,
you work great things in me,
And your mercy will last from the depths of the past
to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame,
and to those who would for you yearn,
You will show your might, put the strong to flight,
for the world is about to turn.

3. From the halls of power to the fortress tower,
not a stone will be left on stone.
Let the king beware for your justice tears
ev'ry tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more,
for the food they can never earn;
There are tables spread, ev'ry mouth be fed,
for the world is about to turn.

4. Though the nations rage from age to age,
we remember who holds us fast:
God's mercy must deliver us
from the conqueror's crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard
is the promise which holds us bound,
'Til the spear and rod can be crushed by God,
who is turning the world around.

Love,
Allison.

Ewe Thina

...more or less you say it "ay-way teen-ah," and it means "We Walk His Way." That's what we're trying to do here, at least. I'm in Stony Point, NY with somewhere around 90 other people, the majority of us getting ready to go to 16 different places around the world. Given the fact that we'll be going to so many different places, and the fact that the Stony Point conference center is generally driven towards mission-related projects/groups, we've been singing a lot of songs from other places around the world. Don't get me wrong, I love songs like "Prince of Peace" and "Light the Fire" (a lot), but to hear the same meaning and belief in a new and refreshing (not to mention catchy) way is pretty lovely. I've always been one to find God's presence in music, but let me tell you, hearing 90 people sing those two words in four part harmony is powerful stuff. It's a simple phrase, but I think it sums up a major goal for most of us in the coming year.

Everybody's doing different things, from rebuilding houses in New Orleans to working near the border in Tucson (to campus ministry in Nashville...), but through all of this we're trying to take God's love out into the world with us. That's not to say that it's not already there, because if you ask me God's love is already everywhere, just maybe manifested in different ways. And I can't say that I know exactly what this year holds (I highly doubt anyone here can, at this point), but I can tell you one thing. God's love is most definitely here. Here in this program, here in this place, here in these people, and here in the relationships I've started building just in a few days.

So today (well, it's after midnight so technically, yesterday) was my birthday. Hello 22, nice to meet you! I kid you not, I have known most of these people for three days (my fellow Nashville YAVs for four or five), but it was a really lovely day. Despite the fact that I'm kiiiiind of uncomfortable with 90 people singing the birthday song to me, it happened....twice. And there was a big ol' cake and my new (and wonderful) Nashville friends made me a paper crown (which I admittedly wore for only an hour or two...) and a card. And all birthday happenings aside, I can really tell that this YAV community thing is for real. The fact that we all have this common experience to share, and that we're all quite uncertain of exactly how the next year will go, is a really special place to start. All I can say is that as of right now, I'm pretty positive I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.

Love,
Allison.

"I would drive 500 miles and I would drive 500 more..."

Ok so maybe it wasn't exactly 500 (almost, though!), and maybe I'm not too keen on driving that far again, but I made it to Nashville! I live in the "Toolshed" with two other girls and so far things are going just swimmingly. Beth and I have a room together, and our other roommate is Mary Kate. We've got a little kitchen too, and a living room. Eventually we'll (hopefully) figure out how to work the wireless in our humble abode, but for now we're chillin' in McDonald's. We leave tomorrow for Stony Point in NY for a week of YAV orientation, then back to Nashville we'll come, to have a little bit of orientation here, and then to start our jobs! So far I think it's shaping up to be a lovely year. :)

That's all for now, friends.
Love,
Allison

"All my baaaags are packed, I'm ready to go..."

When it's almost 3:30am and you can't fall asleep because your mind's racing all over the place about the fact that you're moving to a new city (or a city in general, for that matter), what better way to spend your time than by singing songs like "Leaving on a Jet Plane"??? (And yes, I did sing the first line in my head when I typed it to make it the title of this post. That's why those extra a's are there.) Ok ok, so I'm not leaving on a jet plane, per se, but Madame Blueberry counts right? (Madame Blueberry is my Civic, for those of you who have yet to meet her.)

Alrighty folks, here's the part where I try and make myself go to sleep. Leaving tomorrow morning (or I guess later today...) for my new adventure! Cross your fingers and say a prayer that all will go well and I won't get lost! Though, armed with a Nashville map, a Tennessee map, an Atlas, and a GPS, I'm fairly confident I'll be able to make it. :)

Sweet dreams, friends.
Love,
Allison.

P.S. - I promise when I actually get to Nashville this blog will have worthwhile things to read, and not just my late night ramblings. Though there are sure to be some residual ramblings (and a little alliteration?) too...