His Purpose, Not My Plans

"What is the life that I live?" I've honestly probably said that thirty times in the last three weeks. Life in Clarkston is so incredibly weirdly awesomely different than anywhere else in the world. And I love it so much. Camp is great. Really and truly. Days here are busy, and they're long. But they are so good. And so fun. The Lord has been teaching me lots of patience. Which I need. Like on the very first morning of camp, handling my very first job of camp. Checking attendance. My now favorite job, where I sit at the top of the hill and mark off kids as being present and give them beautiful wristbands so we can identify them. And I had a really nice straight roster of all the kids for me to mark off. And the second kid to arrive knocked my entire cup of coffee onto the roster. And then sheepishly apologized. The coffee spilled roster And how could I be mad? I couldn't. So I smiled and did the best I could. And you know what? It was comp...

Hi friends. It's me, coming to you live from Ponce City Market in Atlanta. I didn't mean to end up here, but here I am enjoying my Sunday by typing away.  I want to fill y'all in on life here in Clarkston.. I don't even know where to begin. I've been here for almost a month now, and sometimes it feels like I've been here for years.. in other ways it feels like I arrived two hours ago.  What have I been doing? Anything and everything. Mainly handing the paperwork, registration side of camp preparations. I've put data down for almost every single child on so many different spreadsheets. We laugh about the google drive, because I can pretty much pull up anything you wanna know about camp in four seconds flat. I've been checking and double checking the roster, printing off individual grade lists, making sure we have insurance for everyone, making list of who lives where and who needs to be picked up, and just so many other things you probably...

This is my fifth, and I'm determined final, attempt at writing this blog. Welcome to Clarkston! I was getting frustrated because what I was typing just didn't sound right. It was what I wanted to say, but at the same time not what I wanted to say at all. And I promise better pictures are yet to come. I've been busy, so these are just snaps from my phone. But I have a nice nice camera that I WILL be using soon... so in the mean time enjoy these random snapshots. Last night, I went to Passion City Church (because I mean I'm here in ATL and that's where the Guesses, my summer hosts, go) and it hit me why my words didn't sound right, as Louie Giglio was speaking. The reason I wasn't happy with it was because it wasn't right. Why? Because I was telling MY story of the first week. And it's not my story at all. It's simply God's story. (Silly Alana thinking this was all her doing). And so here I am again, from a new perspect...

I'm sitting in Starbucks. I have a billion other things I should be doing. My sweet friend Mattie is on her way to Columbia to be my date for my last sorority function of the semester. But here I am. I wanted to share about my year, my struggles and my excitement and just everything that comes along with being a first year student. After hearing a senior read a letter addressed to her freshman self out-loud at a Bible study this week, I decided what better way to share about my year than to write a letter addressed to myself on move in day last fall. So instead of studying for my geology exam as much as I probably should've (good thing my future career is in writing instead of science), I sat and wrote this down. Dear Freshman-Year-Move-In-Day Alana, Hi. If you're reading this, know that you did survive. It wasn't easy. It was actually really hard. But you made it through. And came out so much better than you were going in. I know you're nervous abou...

Eight years. Eight years and yet it feels like yesterday. Yesterday that I kissed her cheek.  Yesterday that I put on my Easter dress, the last dress she had seen me in, to wear to her funeral. Yesterday that I realized that I had to grow up. By myself. (Naturally, miss independent came out.) Then I reflect on all that has happened since then. I really, truly have grown up. I switched schools. We moved houses. I made amazing memories in high school. I was president of a service club. I became a head teacher at EFM. My Nana passed away. I graduated number ten in my class. I traveled to Europe. I started college and moved to Columbia. I joined a sorority. I found a new church. My Grandma Tyler passed away. I made many wonderful friendships. I decided I was going to move right outside of Atlanta and do an amazing internship after my freshman year. So many things. I just wish, earnestly, more than anything, that my mom would've been here to see it. I know tha...