seven things I learned having seven roommates

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. God has a plan. I think coincidences are what a non-believer calls a “God thing.”

I am also a firm believer that Fanning 108 was a God thing in my life.

Last August when I moved to Lipscomb, the first place I found myself was the building I would call my home for the next 10 months: Fanning Hall.  My family and I (mostly them, since I was still under a nothing over 5 pounds lifting limit thanks to spine surgery only two months prior) began unpacking my over-stuffed jeep and making my empty dorm room a little more home-y. I never knew when I walked through the doors of Fanning Hall room 108 that day that my life would be impacted so much by one place. 

Some things you should know about Fanning: 

1. The rooms are suite style.  

2. There are four double rooms, a living room, and a bathroom to share.  

3. If you did the math, that is 8 girls in one room.

Kayla. Caroline. Emily. Graysen. Kaylin. Olivia. Elise. Lauren. 

Fanning 108. Eight strangers. One room.

As you can imagine, living with seven other people is a learning experience all in its own. But those girls taught me so much more than how to co-exist with people. But here are just a few of the more tangible things I learned:

1.     Open up your heart and intentionally seek relationships with the people God places in your life. They are there for a reason.  Love them well, share your thoughts and heart, leave letters and go on spontaneous coffee dates to talk.  Let people in and He will do amazing things in your relationships.

2.     Always put the correct size trash bag in the trashcan.  If you try to put in a smaller one, it might get over-filled and burst open when you go to take it out.  Trust me.  I am speaking from personal experience. (also, beware that people will take your picture and post on snap chat if you are a victim of the trash bag debacle). 

3.     Weekend road trips with a car full of friends are not valued nearly as much as they should be.  Take them often.  Sing too loudly the whole way there.  Also, long car rides can often lead to some pretty deep, heart-felt conversations.

4.     Fish don’t die.  Fanning 108 was also home to Peta and Joy (our two Lipscomb-dorm-illegal beta fish).  I am fairly certain that their mason jars were filled with Holy Water because they have both been presumed dead multiple times yet are still swimming around to this day.  Seriously, thank you, Lord, for bringing them back to life when we forgot to feed them.

5.     Be open minded.  When your room is filled with people from all different places (Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Maine, and California) and all different backgrounds, you are bound to have some new views on the world, life, and love.  Listen to people’s journey and opinions.  You never know, they might just open up your heart.

6.     Pen comes off the wall with soap and water, but sometimes the writing doesn’t need to be washed off.  Sometimes poorly written words on a clean, white dorm wall can more meaningful than you ever imagined. (Olivia left this message on the wall on the day we moved out: “tip:love your roommates. They just might become your family.”)

7.     The community that God creates when he unites Believers is powerful and good.  Late night bible studies were a regular occurrence in dear Fanning 108 and some of my favorite conversations were born of our evening heart checks and prayer requests. Long, heart-felt prayers with your friends are one of life’s biggest blessings. Say them often.

I am so thankful for Fanning 108 and the people that filled it.  I’m thankful for the ways my mind and heart were changed because of the people I encountered. I’m thankful for heart-to-hearts at 2 AM and spontaneous dance parties and embarrassing snap chat stories and piling five girls in one twin bed to watch The Bachelor and a million trips to Taco Mamacita and snow days in the room and long prayers for great people. 

Thank you, Fanning 108. For everything.

"love each other as I have loved you" John 15:12

hey there

well, here goes nothing..

Last year, my amazing momma wrote a blog about my crazy, crooked back.  She wanted to keep everyone at home informed on my progress as I battled spinal fusion surgery in Austin, TX.  The blog (Graysen's Backstory.. the link is in my profile if you feel like reading about a girl with a not-so-straight back..) was therapeutic for both my momma and myself.  It allowed us to face what was happening with me, the hard and the good, in an honest way and share how God was working even in a painful situation.  I was also able to go back and read my story after all the heavy-duty pain killers had worn off and know what really happened.  I also wrote one post, scars, during my recovery.  I am now a proud survivor of spine surgery and the owner of a lovely scar that tells the story.  

After facing surgery last summer and recovering as best I could, my next battle was just around the corner.  I moved to Nashville, TN last August to begin my freshman year of college at Lipscomb University.  This past year has been flooded with so many blessings, challenges, and lessons.  I met so many great people who have forever impacted my life.  I became a Young Life leader at Franklin Road Academy.  I lived with seven other girls (and two fish).  I learned to navigate Nashville's 5 o'clock traffic.  I drank delicious coffee at local shops. I found a church that encourages and inspires me every Sunday.  I have studied for hours on end and survived two finals weeks. I have heard great music in small rooms.  have explored Lipscomb roof tops and gone to Cook Out way too many times.  I have honestly not even thought about blogging over the past year, but now that I have made it through the first year, I felt led to share some of the lessons I have learned and to start documenting my walk.  

You might be wondering why on earth I decided to title my blog "a beautifully wrecked life".. allow me to explain. 

I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but over the last year I started doing something I had never done before.  I ended every prayer with these words: "thank you most of all for your son, Jesus, who comes and beautifully wrecks our lives every day. In Jesus's name, Amen." 

It was one of those things that I came out of my mouth unexpected yet seamlessly, and I immediately knew it was powerful.  Christ has completely wrecked my life.  I am not the same Graysen that I was before I knew him. He has made me new. He has washed me clean.  He has wrecked the old me and turned my ashes into beauty (Isaiah 61).  And the most beautiful part is that He continues to do so everyday.  He wrecks my life over and over and over.  He knows that i am a work-in-progress and I need more of Him each and every day.  

This little phrase quickly became a theme in my life.  It has shaped how I view my life: wrecked by Christ and beautifully transformed.  I have become quite fond of my little anthem. Now my friends will make me re-do my prayer if I forget to say it. They hold me accountable and make me remember that I am new.  I am His. He has beautifully wrecked my life. 

..so here we go.  

I am not completely sure what this blog will look like or what it will hold. It could honestly be anything from gluten-free recipes, tales of being a Young Life leader, travel documentaries, random tips, testimonies, or just late night rambling. However, I do know that my life has been beautifully wrecked by Christ and I think that is worth sharing.  

"return home, and declare how much God has done for you" Luke 8:39