inspiration

Hello! It's Wednesday!

Happy 'Hump' Day

hey Friday, hurry up - will ya?!

I was approached by one of my good friends from the College of Communication and Information Sciences a few days ago.

She was a dear friend who helped me out in more ways than I probably ever expressed to her.

I always enjoyed being around her because she wasn't in the same group of 55 girls that went with me

to pledge parties and sorority 'swaps.' She wasn't a Tri-Delta but I took to her freshmen year

because she had a lively spirit and a Godly soul and I always wanted to be around her.

Thus, when I have a chance to see her - I usually get excited because I know she is going to inspire me to think outside the box and find ways I can put all mypassions together to live one very passionate life!

So, when I ran into her the other day, I was so excited that she was reading my blog!

She also told me that I would always be a journalist in her eyes - as if I don't hear that enough!

I assured her that what I was doing in my career was what I felt led to do.

(I told her of the day I was in my car driving down the road and had to pull over because I felt

so moved by something. I immediately hung up the phone and called the boy I was dating at the time to

tell him that I planned to switch my major in Journalism and my minor in Public Relations to a major in Child Development and Early Education and a minor in Family Studies.)

She said, "well that sounds like a lot more fun than CLEVELAND!"

Yes, I once fell in love with a boy and told him I'd move to Cleveland if that was what was in store for his/our future.  Looking back on that today, the way I felt when I said that, I would have moved to South Dakota for him. But, seasons change, so do cities.

It's weird looking back on all the hopes and dreams I had over the past 5 years. I've gone through some phases - some high's and low's and I think that the biggest feat I've ever had is that I'm still standing.

She asked me how I was doing since the fire. A lot of people no longer ask me this question because they have seen me day in and day out or keep in touch with me on a regular basis, so "fire talk" isn't really the conversational content with those people usually. Talking about the fire on a serious level usually happens few and far between. But, when it does, it always happens with me saying..

''alright, enough... I don't really talk about this that much.''

Where others might disagree - because I tended to de-stress when I needed to, and failed to notice who was around me and who else I was stressing out (I just thought that was part of friendships and relationships).  And it is, to a certain extent.  I just wish I would have talked on that 'serious level' sooner

so that maybe some of the stress would have subdued itself by now.

My friend, the quirky journalist girl who lives the dream of spaghetti-o's and a cramped apartment in New York City.  Ahhhh, to a writer - that IS the dream.

Except I might have to take it to the West Coast and be a San Francisco writer.

The Big Apple overwhelms me.

She's inspired me to really pray about what I want to do and what I want my hobby to be.

Obviously, I want to play a role in making a positive and life-changing difference in children with disabilities.

I want to make the world a better place by showing people that love doesn't stop when an extra chromosome is thrown into the mix, and we should love all of God's creations.

I want to write. But I want to write about what I want to write about, not some bia of an editor.

And I want to glorify Christ in all that I do.

You know what the Carrie Bradshaw told me? (Even though she's so much like Charlotte!)

Why don't you make another blog and make it about something totally specified.

I told her of my sports blog, but she says even though I have an insane amount of football and basketball knowledge for a girl my age, that I have lived a far more interesting life.

She said,

"You're a liver. You aren't one of those girls that has stood on the sidelines. You have no idea the amount of respect that so many people have for you. I knew you weren't going to hold a microphone in your face on the sidelines of Thursday night football games. You knew it too - that is SO not Baily Jones!"

I have never had such a compliment be said to me at such a right time.

When I was told I had compromised myself, or settled into a life I didn't really want, or that I had lost strength and drive, I am reminded by people that didn't even see me go through what I went through from a zoomed in view like some, but yet they know what my heart is and they know my potential.

I still wake up in the middle of the night and want to scream out and ask 'why me?'

I want so badly to look into the same blue-green eyes and promise them I haven't lost ambition or drive.

I want to take a reallllyyyy long nap, so that I won't be as tired and irritable - but no time for that!

Hence, why I'm in this little whirl-wind right now.

But I just wanted to express how much that meant to me. And how much I really am going to pray about an even more detailed direction in life now that I am closer to graduating, and whether I like it or not - I'm a one man show and I can make the best of it.

I do feel like the past two weeks I have learned a lot about Baily. I learned that in every decision I have made, I made it for myself. It's easier to sleep at night knowing I haven't disappointed anyone but myself. And I forgive myself a lot more than others are willing to forgive me.

I know, because I've walked a mile in a lot of unfortunate pairs of shoes. The painful ones, the dreary ones, the happy ones, the ridiculous ones, etc. I know that some things I have done along the way have been wrong, but I choose to do what the Lord does and 'feel' and find forgiveness for others rather than working solely on principle. If I had made every decision, or turned every person away based solely on principle I would not be known as the girl that is a liver. I wouldn't be the go-getter. I'd play it safe, and stand on the sideline and watch life go by. It's so much more fun to play the game and to play the game with people you love most because that's what it's all about - in my opinion.

And what's exciting is that there are other peope who share that same belief with me.

I know I won't meet these friends and lovers by standing on the sidelines, though...

so put me in, Coach. I'm ready to play!

Love life and Life with love you back!

peace and love

baily

What a happy little piglet-dog!

She loved swimming at Oak Mountain State Park when

me, mom, dad, ashley, and tyler brought the dogs there.

She's such a smiler! And she loves to pose!

Daily Quiet Time Scripture

Proverbs 11:8-9

"The righteous is delivered from trouble,

and the wicked walks into it instead.

With his mouth the godless man would destroy

his neighbor, but by knowledge the

righetous are delivered."