be thankful & give.

it's that time again. Christmas time.Family time.Happy time.

i am so thankful for this life God has given me. I do not know who i would be without Him.
everyday i realize more & more, how blessed i truely am.

i am the volunteer cooridnator at a hospice place, i go & visit patients in nursing homes & assisted living homes & of course i get ppl to volunteer to come with me. going to visit patients, makes my heart joyful & it also breaks it. i take a look at my life, & i realize that i have it pretty good. i can walk, talk, eat, breathe, make decisions for myself, i have my memory, and most of all i have my Savior who will always love me no matter what. i am so thankful.

today, my momma asked me what i wanted for christmas, i honestly did not know what to say back. i thought about i through out the day & this came to my mind. why do i want anything for Christmas at all, when i already have everything i could ever need? there are so many others who have nothing and need things, why would i want to recieve more things i dont even need? i want to give & give to people who are in need. that is my heart, my passion. that is what i want for Christmas, to give.

Be Thankful for the life you have. You are rich & so blessed.
Give to someone this Christmas. Bless them & let them Bless you.

~Kerry

missing you. home sweet home.

missing everyone & my fav things about home.

i will be home soon enough. sooner than later.

home really is where the heart is.

xoxo,

Kerry

late night.

sooo i'm blogging late tonight, but it's kind of the only time i have these days & i just wanted to give you an update on life. :)

i am now working 2 jobs and going to school at night. i. am. a. busy. girl. but i realllyyy LOVE it!! i love being busy & the 2 jobs i have now, i am very thankful for & i'm so blessed to have them. pray that i will only do my best at both jobs and in school.

this past weekend was so great. i was able to spend time with my sweet friend. i have missed her very much. i brought her some treats from a cafe that i'm in love with, we ate mexican, saw the new footloose, which was amazing!! made me wanna get up and dance. :) then we went to a bonfire at a friends field. it was such a nice night for it, the stars & moon were shining bright. God sure does bless me, even in the small things. i am so thankful.

and oh my goodness, today i felt the first feel of fall. the wind was a cool, strong burst that said "hey, i have arrived!". to tell you the truth, i am not quite sure that i'm ready for it. i guess it doesn't matter though, it's here anyway it goes. it gives me a great excuse to go shopping! you know, just a little. :)

well anyways, i'll be back soon to write more.

thanks for reading. :)

xoxo,

Kerry :)

thoughts.

i am reading crazy love by francis chan. i realize that this book is a few years old, but i have recently in the past months have become a "reader" or a "book worm" in a sense. ha never thought i would say that about myself, but i guess it's a sign of getting older? haha i dont know, but this book is really opening my mind.

i recently finished radical by david platt and the shack by william p. young, they are 2 different books. radical makes me more passionate about missions & about people who need Jesus. the shack is a fiction, that gives you a wonderful image of what heaven could be like, it also gives a better understanding of how deep the love of the Father is for us. after these two books, i wanted more, so what did i do? i picked out crazy love. i'm only in chapter 4, but i'm already hooked & i've been thinking about what i've read so far this week. something that really caught my attention was in chapter 2 he writes:

"Frankly, you need to get over yourself..... Maybe life's pretty good for you right now. God has given you this good stuff so that you can show the world a person who enjoys blessings, but who is still totally obsessed with God.

Or maybe life is tough right now, and everything feels like a struggle. God has allowed hard things in your life so you can show the world that your God is great & that knowing Him brings peace & joy, even when life is hard..... To be brutally honest, it doesn't matter what place you find yourself in right now. Your part is to bring Him glory..... The point of your life is to point to HIm, whatever you are doing God wants to be glorified, because this whole thing is His. It is His movie, His world, His gift."

i was driving to school one afternoon, and since i've been down here in the past months i have seen homeless people around the roads where i'd drive. well on this afternoon, i went under a bridge, and there was a man under the bridge, with all of his belongings. it brought tears to my eyes, and memories of when i've been on mission trips and seen that. but never had i seen it here.

we need to wake up. we need to follow in HIS footsteps. loving each other & caring for others.

we need to be thankful for the lives that we have and stop complaining about what we don't have. "we need to stop living selfish lives, forgetful of our God." we need to get over ourselves! it's not about you! nothing else matters except our God!

"Rejoice in the Lord Always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Phil. 4:4

<3 Kerry

here lately.

here lately, school is consuming my life!! ha, i have been studying so much! i had 4 test this week, thankfully i passed all of them. this wednesday, i have a job interview & then i have a big hands on & written final that night! so, i will be studying all weekend. pray for me!!

this past weekend, i went home. it was exactly what i needed. :)

it was a very busy weekend! one of my best friends married her best friend on saturday. it was a beautiful wedding, it was outside across from a lake & the weather was perfect. i sang in the wedding & i have to say it was a little emotional for me to see her get married. we've been best friends since 7th grade & we were roommates this past year, while in starkville. we've been like sisters all these years & no matter when we moved to different colleges, we always made time to catch up. although it was a little sad, i am so happy for her. she is so happy & i know they'll have a great life together. :)

i also had the best date to the wedding. it was fun catching up with an old friend, & to be treated like a lady by him. I thank God for wonderful guy friends like him. :)

sunday, i sang in church that morning. i sang Temporary Home by Carrie Underwood. it's a very touching song, always makes people think, including myself.

that afternoon, i was able to go to a little girls birthday party. i adore this little girl & her sister, they're so sweet. i enjoyed seeing them & getting to share that day with them. i thank God for putting them in my life, they are truly a blessing to me. :)

after the party, i met up with my momma, we went shopping & to my fav little place in starkville, Local Culture. it really is the best little yogurt place around. the yummy, goodness is so filling & smooth, it makes you always want more. :)

monday, was a much slower day. i was thankful for monday, it rained & i didn't have to go anywhere. just studied & watched soul surfer with momma that night. i love rainy days. :)

tuesday, was a little sad. i had to pack up & drive back down south. not the whole day was sad though. i went back to starkville, went by the daycare to see my babies. oh how they have grown!! within a month of not seeing them, i was amazed of how big they had became! the sweetest thing though, i walked in and they all smiled at me. one gave me a hug & then the rest of them came to me to do the same. i sure do miss those sweet babies. i hope they never forget me, i know i wont forget them. :)

for lunch, i met up with a great lady. we have become really close over the past months & she has become my spiritual countability partner. every time we've eaten in starkville, we eat at the veranda. it's my fav restaurant in starkville & i do believe that's our place to eat out. ha! it was really great to catch up with her & just share stories. i am so thankful God put her in my life, she's a wonderful friend to me. such a blessing. :)

and now here i am, it's friday!! glad it was a short week! a friend is coming to stay with me tonight, i'm excited! so, this means i need to go clean house & get off the computer.

i can't wait for sunday!! something exciting is happening, i will be sure to blog about it on monday! i hope you all have a great weekend!

be thankful for people & things you have in your life! God blesses us everyday & we have to find the goodness in everyday! start believing today that His mercies are as real as He says they are!

:) Smile!

-Kerry

new beginnings.

so this is my house, these days. i really do love it out here in the country. it's a nice escape from the city everyday. i have a lot of room, it's a very homey feel, and i have a wonderful roomie. :) I haven't really finished decorating my room yet. I still have a few pieces to get and then i will be able to show more pictures of the house. :)

my interview went very well on tuesday. i hope to hear back from them soon and hope they tel me i got the job! :) it will be an answered prayer for sure. even if i dont get it, i know God has something else in store for me. i just have to be patient. which is very hard for me, God knows how to test my patience very well. haha. He does know best!

anyway, just thought i would share a bit with you today.

i can't wait to go home next weekend. (home, back up north. my parents house.) Ha! i've been a little homesick the past few days. but it's getting better! :)

i hope you all have a wonderful rest of the day!! :) be happy & smile!! :)

~Kerry

hello world.

hello world.

as you can tell, i took a break from blogging this summer. i had many things going on and just didn't have much time to blog. but hey, i'm back now!

my summer was really great, i had many of changes in my life. i will blog about them another day, but right now, i am going to tell you what's going on in my life these days.

i recently moved down south again, who knew? ha i'm living in a lovely house in the country and i am going to massage therapy school. i have a job interview tuesday, and i am really excited about it. wish me luck! and pray that i get the job! :)

i am really loving massage therapy school. the first week was so exciting, we gave & were given massages one night. it was AMAZING. and the other nights, we learned about massage. i have so much to study, its unreal. i'll get it though.

i really, honestly can't imagine myself doing anything else now.

of course, singing will always be my first passion.

i just know now, that this is something God has planned for me to do for the rest of my life.

it's an amazing feeling. :)

anyways, i will be back another day to tell you more things.

sorry, it's been so long! thanks for reading, and being patient with me. :)

have a great night! :)

~Kerry

this is me.

i just found this in my edit posts from a while back, i dont know why i didn't ever post this. maybe i forgot. but i just thought i would share this with you now. this is me.

"the other night, my momma & I were talking about things. mainly I was doing the talking and she was listening. I don't cry a lot, so when I do, you know something is up. I started crying about all kinds of different things, you know that "ugly cry"... Well it had hit me. Throughout all of my tears & talking about stuff, momma said "I just don't understand why you don't think you are good enough. it's like you lost so much confidence in yourself."

When I was in the first grade, I was told I had ADHD. They put me on medicine for it, but I refused to be tutored. Yes, I was stubborn. Sometimes I wouldn't even take the pills, which is a big reason why I'm not a big person on taking pills now. I was embarrassed and as a kid you wanna seem normal. So all throughout my elementary school days, I was the kid who'd day dreamed. My grades weren't the best.
As I went to junior high, I failed the 7th grade. I almost came close to going to a different school. I didn't want to face my classmates and get laughed at the next fall. I lost confidence in myself.
My parents told me I needed find something I was good at. I loved singing, and I was really good at it. So I sang in the choir at church & school, were in a few singing contests and placed. I finally started building my confidence back up.
As I went into high school, I was on the track team. Another thing I was great at, running. I loved track because when your running, it's just you. No worrying about someone not doing there part and it taught me how to depend on myself.
Not only did I do track, I was in pageants, made dance team & cheerleading. I loved every minute of all of it.
One thing I never did in high school, I didn't date. Never had a boyfriend. I never really thought I was pretty, nor did I think I was good enough to date a cute guy. So I kept to myself. I didn't wanna chance being embarrassed or broken hearted.
I didn't have boyfriends until college, and that's only been 3.
I just never have thought of myself "good enough" & i never thought i "needed" a boyfriend.

Getting older has taught me things. I have been finding myself and figuring out what's best for me. some days though, I'm still that first grader or 7th grader, who lost all of her confidence because of what somebody said to me or reality hits me in the face. When it gets to that point in my day, I know God is there to pick me back up again. He gives me family & friends to love on me all the time.
"I promise you that He still cares. The pain ain't gonna last forever & things can only get better. This is gonna make you stronger"

And He gives me reminders all the time.

"You are a beautiful, sweet, genuine girl and there is someone out there for you who deserves you and won't break your heart!"


Don't get this blog wrong... I'm not trying make you feel sad for me or anything. Just me writing and I want to encourage others, that whatever you're going through that God has so many plans for you and you are never alone in this life.

He looks at us and He loves us. No matter what. :)"

God is so gracious. He is more than enough. He is always there to pick you up. again & again, He never leaves you. He will always LOVE you. :)

-Kerry

after a while.

After a while you learn
The subtle difference between
Holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t always mean security.
And you begin to learn
That kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes ahead
With the grace of a woman
Not the grief of a child
And you learn
To build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow’s ground is
Too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way
Of falling down in mid flight
After a while you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden
And decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers
And you learn
That you really can endure
That you are really strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn and you learn
With every good bye you learn.

photobooth :)

Happy Birthday Weekend tooooooooo ME!!! :)

Hope everyone has a Wonderful weekend!!!

xoxo!

Kerry :)

new turns.

today, my parents and i traveled to gulfport. a little road trip, since i dont get a spring break (real life=dumb) and then the fact that i'm looking to go to school down this way. let's just say, i'm already LOVING the idea! the first school i was looking at, well it wasnt what i was expecting... BUT the 2nd one was beyond my imagination! it was wonderful, really nice, in a nice area. sooo we'll see what happens. :)

tomorrow, well is another big day in the life of "Kerry Allen". i have a job interview. i am pretty excited, but also just a wee bit nervous. i will be singing & meeting with a committee for the job of a music director. i'm pumped about it, really i am. please pray that everything goes smoothly and that God's will be done.

well, i am kinda tired considering that i've been up since, oh, you know 5 am. geez la weez. i will share a few photos with you before i have a date with my pillow..... may you all have a blessed night and a very lovely weekend. :) Enjoy!

".....the old life is gone; a new life has begun!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

Please Pray.

I was on my facebook and i found this note. It brought tears to my eyes, took me back to my high school days. The tragedy that happened Tuesday afternoon will never leave my heart. I can't imagine what those seniors saw and felt. The families who lost loved ones i can only pray for them and help them be strong. Our town, Ackerman is a strong one. When one falls, we come together to help pick them back up again. Please read this note below, i hope you enjoy it and would appreciate your prayers for my hometown, the families, and the seniors.

Thank you & Hope you all have a Wonderful night!
-Kerry

Ackerman, MS - The things you don't know from the news

by Jen Cornett on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at 8:53pm

1. There are four parts to the town, and 0 traffic lights. The north side has gas stations, the grocery store, pharmacies, Bumpers, and a couple of churches. The west side has a factory, homes, and a couple of churches. The south side has the elementary school, the lake, and a couple of churches. The east side has the football field, the hospital, town hall, the county courhouse, main street, the high school, and a couple of churches. Ackerman is the home to Governors J.P. Coleman and Ray Mabus, and Ricky Woods, football coach extraordinaire. You can decide who we're most proud of.

2. The photo in the news of the white building with the blue doors and the black ribbons is "The White Building". The office is inside on the first floor. In 1994, the building burned, but it was restored. There is also an old auditorium building that has the oldest wooden chairs you've ever seen, and a cafeteria building. I'm guessing you can figure out what is there. They all surround a big grassy area where everyone congregates in the same spot every morning, every break, and every pep rally. Those blue doors that are in the picture face the practice field and the parking lot where we all met at our first vehicles to talk after school. I'm willing to bet students still meet there.

3. 54 seniors is (probably) the entire class. My class graduated about 60. Most of us had been together since kindgergarten. There is not a private school in the county, so almost everyone goes to the public school for thirteen years.

4. Those teachers did not just love and know those students. They went to church with them. They went to football games with them. The teachers and the students share something bigger than a classroom or a school. They share a community.

5. Today, law enforcement officers kept the media away from that campus. The town decided that their students needed a day to lean on each other and not deal with paparazzi. That community wraps its arms around each other fast, and they hold on tight. By tomorrow morning, this tragedy will begin to fade from the paper. There will be bigger, better news. However, the town and the high school will never be the same. Neither will any of the children that experienced it, or the people that love them both.

6. As an outsider, the only thing you can do is pray for them. People in small towns are wary of new comers, so no one will be interested in your advice or your opinion on the situation. Nothing anyone says or does will change what has happened. Please, pray for them anyway. As a community, they are the most faithful people I have ever known.

7. Ten years ago, I was getting ready to graduate and counting the days until I left. On graduation day, one of my favorite teachers said, "Look around, you will never all be together again." For once, I did what she said. I looked around before we marched onto the stage. Ten years later, we've lost three classmates. Although miles and time have seperated us, a small part of my heart was buried with them. For better or worse, we all survived high school together. We supported each other through winning seasons and lost championships. We lit fires in fields to hang out. We drove back roads too fast. We found trouble and we found faith. We celebrated the good and we survived the bad. If any of my classmates ever needed anything, I would be there. If they didn't know that already, they do now.

7. A few of the seniors will leave Ackerman in August and never come back. Some of them will leave, but come back once or twice a year to visit. Others will come back to settle down and raise a family. Their children will attend AHS. It does not matter how many miles the seniors put between themselves and the city limits, the roar of the football field, the sound of the late bell, or the altar of their church, Ackerman will always be a part of who they are. I hope it does not take them ten years and two tragedies to realize they will leave part of their heart behind.

I hope the students at AHS can feel the power of the prayers coming from anyone that ever walked the halls of those buildings. Apparently, you become a Bulldog, a Rebel, or even a Major, but you never stop being an Indian.

horrifying tragedy.

Mississippi school bus accident leaves 3 dead | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
clarionledger.com

Please go to this link. A terrible tragedy happened yesterday for my hometown, Ackerman.
Please pray for the town as a whole, the families who lost loved ones, and the seniors who saw everything.

It will take some time to get over this.

2 Corinthians 1:3 and 4.

random thoughts.

random #1

last night, i was reading the story of Abraham. what an amazing story! he was just an ordinary man, didnt have any hope on having a family but God sure changed that. he became a father of many. "Father Abraham had many sons...." :) God called him to uproot his life, leave everything behind and go to a land he didnt know.

he went. he trusted in God. he believed God had a plan for his life. he knew God called him and that was enough.

why can't that ever be enough? honestly.

simply trust. Trust God & Go!


random #2

i'm living in my own apartment. learning more about myself. really focusing. loving my job. paying for my rent. applying to schools for the fall.


some people may say, i was dumb for not going ahead and starting massage therapy school. i do not think that. i have taken a year off from school to figure out things. many people have told me throughout this time, that once you stop going to school you wont go back. this is not true for me. i will go to a massage therapy school in the fall. i am looking at options, i know i dont want to stay around here. even though, i have enjoyed being at home, seeing my momma and daddy all the time, it really has been a blessing. i just know that there are bigger and better things for me else where. for my jones friends, i probably wont be coming back there either. ha i love all of you, thats just not me anymore. i will be going to a massage school in the fall and i would really love to be a youth minister or a music director in a church.


my calling is to love on others the way Christ did, to tell others about Christ, to reach people by singing, and to make people feel better whether they're really hurting or they've just had a bad day by massage therapy.

i"m enjoying having free time and really understanding what i need to do & why i need to.


random #3

ever since i was alittle girl, i've always got my hopes up way too high in people... this came to my mind today, you know that movie "he's just not that into you."? well i was thinking today of one of my favorite parts in that movie, its where Gigi & Alex are in the arguement at the end.

(excuse the cuss words.)

"I may dissect each little thing and put myself out there so
much but at least that means that I still care. Oh! You've think you won because
women are expendable to you. You may not get hurt or make an ass of yourself
that way but you don't fall in love that way either. You have not won. You're
alone. I may do a lot of stupid shit but I'm still a lot closer to love than you
are."

i just love it, because she really stands up for herself for the first time and puts him in his place.

although i would like to say i'm not like Gigi, in a few ways i am. everyone wants to be loved. everyone just has to have patience, thats all. truely trust that one day your true love will come along.

yes, i know thses are very random. BUT it is my blog. haha

i hope you all have the best week! Good Night!! :)

winter wonderland.

it really has been a winter wonderland the past few days! and i absolutely love it!

yesterday, this sweet little kitty came up to the house. we named her prissy.



i took a walk this morning, to enjoy the snow. the air was cool, but the snow was beautiful on the ground. it is starting to melt slowly and i am sad to see it leave. i'm sure before winter is over, it will snow again.

Have a Wonderful Day! Stay warm! :)