Mary's Play List

Songs of praise and encouragement

There is nothing like a new playlist to jam out to.  I have listened to a fair amount of music these days with training for a half marathon and with receiving a gift of Spotify. Speaking of the half marathon... it is THIS Sunday (March 17th).  I am super excited because my great sweet friend Kelly Odom are going to do the entire thing together, even if we are walking!  The part I am dreading the most is beginning the race at 6:15AM. AH! That means waking up at 4:30 AM to eat breakfast and begin the water intake! So, the songs I am most excited to JAM out to on Sunday while running are below:

All Sons & Daughters: Oh How I Need You

Nothing I hold On To!

Bones-Hillsong

Have a great day!

Mary

Investments

"...Where you invest your LOVE you invest your LIFE..." -Awake My Soul by Mumford and Sons

I would like to say Clint and I have a lot of Investments.  Majority not in a monetary form, but in a loving relational form.  The investments that I get to see grow on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis are through Young Life/College Life and Chick-fil-A.

Chick-fil-A Investment:
I am so thankful for my job with Chick-fil-A, where majority of the marketing I do is based on just building relationships with Team Members and the community we live in.  It has been wild working for Chick-fil-A at Cameron Village for a year already!  The Lord has provided so well in this year, with new relationships, new business, and new partnerships! Here a few pictures of the fun adventures in Raleigh with Chick-fil-A:

 We took the Chick-fil-A Cow to the N.C. State Dance Marathon to dance for 3 hours in the middle of the night!

 We met Miss North Carolina (Should out to Garner, NC... this is her home town in this great state of N.C.)

 We get to feed the N.C. State Men's Basketball Team each game!  This is Owen posing with the players meals after a home game!  Such a fun partnership!

 Chick-fil-A at Cameron Village had their 1st Birthday!  The sweet team I get to work beside!  They were such fun sports wearing Birthday hats and pins!

I am not a baker by any means... so this is my attempt at baking and being creative!

Young Life Investment: 

Wow!  Where to begin! I have been honored and blessed to be a Young Life leader for the past 8 years of my life.  I led at Leesville Road High School for 4 years, N.C. State for 2 years, and Meredith College for 2 years.  The relationships built over the past 8 years have brought SO much JOY to my life.   With Young Life being Clint's job, we like to call it our "Family Business," where we invest as a family in this ministry of Young Life!  If you want to read any extra about Young Life, check out their website: Young Life.

Here are a few pictures of this past year with precious girls at Meredith College:

 Friends at Campaigners Weekend (Ocean Isle, NC)

Sending Maggie, Gaither, and Sloan to Nicaragua for Spirng Break!

(Lauren, Sarah, Maggie, Sloan, Gaither, Carter, and Emily)

(Shout out to all the girls not pictured in these 3 phots!)

Let's just say the dividend earned is eternal!

With Love,

Mary

Where will we live next year!?

Where will the Rouse House be moving!?

So, this exciting waiting game continues! Where will the Lord have Clint and I next year!?!?!  We feel undeniably called to the ministry of Young Life, but where will live to get to love a community and high school/college aged friends!?!? Our hope is that we will still live in North Carolina, preferably east.. but this is just the small details.  The big detail is that we want to be obedient to where the Lord is calling us!  I have had a strange peace about this process until about a month ago... I have recently been anxious about leaving my job at Chick-fil-A, possibly not being close to family and friends, will we buy a house in our new town, where will we live in this new town, what job will I have in our new town, can we afford to purchase a house, will we have friends in our new town, what church will we join, will we fit in with a new place, and the list continues!  So, if you think about it... will you pray for us in this process?  

Here is a little Bible nugget we have been clinging to this week... It has provided an incredible peace in my soul when I remember the Lord's truth and promise in our lives!

"Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing."

Ephesians 2:8-10 (The Message)

What is your prediction?  Where do you think we will go!?

Only the Lord knows!

Trusting in Him,

Mary

Valentine's Day!

Valentine’s day 2013

What a fun day of the year... an excuse to have a fancier then normal date night.  But, really... What I love most about Valentine's Day is that it is a day dedicated to LOVE.  When I think about the word LOVE, several things come to my mind: roses (bachelor season...), chick flicks, chocolates, kisses, hugs, boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, dating, etc.  But, in reality LOVE is so much more... it's about friendship, sacrifice, serving, encouraging words, selflessness, being intentional, quality time, and the list continues... and thinking of who displays this kind of LOVE most in my life is Jesus.  So, instead of thinking of this worldly LOVE that we have created... I so enjoy viewing Valentines day through the lenses of JESUS' LOVE!  So, what I am saying... Valentine's Day is about Jesus... His Love!  I want to love like Jesus!

  “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: LOVE one another the way I LOVED you. This is the very best way to LOVE. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father."

John 15:11-13

A few photos for your viewing enjoyment!

Valentine's Breakfast, thank you Pintrest for this fun idea of heart shaped cinnamon rolls!

Date Night for Japanese... Mom, please forgive our table manners!

 I hope you feel LOVED this day!

In his GREAT LOVE,

Mary

Swansboro, NC

Swansboro=relaxing 

For Christmas, Clint and his 3 sisters have a very sweet tradition of giving their parents a weekend at the beach (Swansboro, NC) for everyone to be together and to be served by the children.  This weekend is such a sweet weekend to be still and to spend quality time together!  A great gift to give and a great gift to participate in.  Hannah and Charlie Rouse are so thoughtful and generous 365 days out of the year, so it is the smallest token we can give them!  

Clint and I both took Friday off of work, and headed to Swansboro at 11:30pm on Thursday night (after N.C. State lost miserably to Duke).  We arrived at 2AM on Friday morning and were SO excited and wired to be at the beach.  Reynolds was the sweetest boy staying outside all weekend.  He is an indoor dog 97% of the time, but he LOVES the yard in Swansboro.  There is no fence at the house in Swansboro, but no worries with Reynolds.  He stays put in the grass chasing geese!  

We slept late Friday morning and ventured to Salter Path, NC to have an incredible Shrimp Burger from the Big Oak Drive-In.  If you have never been here... you must... best shrimp burger EVER!  Here Clint is spotted in his P.J.s at the Big Oak!  We enjoyed a delicious supper with Charlie and Hannah Friday night at Riverside in Swansboro, NC.

Later Friday night the whole gang arrived: Teresa, Betty Brandt, Eva, and Jay!  We had such a relaxing time being together!

Here Reynolds is posing in his favorite yard.  Such a beautiful night watching the sun set from the yard!

So, yes... the weekend was very relaxing minus 2 hours the the trip... I had to run 10 miles for my 1/2 marathon training.  2 hours later... I did it!  I ran the entire time (not fast)  This map looks as if I swam for part of the time.. but just bridges.. very windy!  Bring on the Wrightsville Beach 1/2 marathon in 5 weeks!

The Rouse Family! From left to right: Mary, Clint, Charlie, Hannah, Betty Brandt, Eva, Jay, and Teresa!

Here is our little family which is part of a very big family! 

True story... Clint and Reynolds interdigitate while holding hands!

Favorite Things February 2013

A few things that bring Joy to my life……

First up: Blue Bell Ice cream!  I am thankful this delicious ice cream is only available at Wal-mart and Lowe's Food.  If it were available at Harris Teeter I would weight 35 more pounds.  My favorite flavor so far is Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough... HUGE chunks of Cookie Dough!

 Secondly: I am obsessed with Chipotle.  If we were to make plans to eat supper together, I can guarantee my first suggestion will be to eat at Chipotle. There is just something about that cilantro rice and fresh guacamole.  It also helps that I have made friends with a manager at the location on Hillsborough, and sometimes he "hooks me up" with a free burrito bowl... thank you Dave!

Third: Social Media is taking over... and my favorite for sure is Instagram.  I love following friends, celebrities, ect.  My new favorite people to follow are the NCSU Men's basketball players!  You should right now go follow Rodney Purvis and Lorenzo Brown.  They post incredible "selfies."

Fourth: Simply stated: I love the Wolfpack and Scotty Mcreery!  This picture sums it all up!  Go State and Go Scotty!

Fourth: (P.S.: these are in no order...) This could really just be a picture of Phil Dumpfey!  I love this character!  But, Modern Family is so funny!  Cam, Mitchell, Lilly, Claire, Phil, Alex, Hailey, Jay, Gloria, Manny, new baby Joe... I just love them all!

Fifth: Okay... I totally judged this show when it first became the new craze... Let's be honest I judged it because I couldn't understand their accents... and I didn't know what a Butler/Valet/etc. was!  But, I plowed through the accents and strange house keeping positions... and I am HOOKED! Thank you PBS for this gem of a show!

Sixth: So... I claimed that I always "hated dogs...," "I wasn't a dog person..." but... WOW! I am obsessed with this animal, my whole life has changed!  I love all dogs now!  But, Reynolds is always the happiest, loyal, excited, sweet, joyful creature I have ever encountered!  I literally praise the Lord for the Joy he gives Clint and I in our marriage!

Seventh: Clint Rouse began this trend in my life beginning Sophomore year of college.  Simply put.. Cow boy boots bring me joy!

Eighth:  Clint and I are trying to "cut back" on "Cold Drinks (Diet Coke!)," and this has been my new obsession... Peach Tea Crystal Light!

Ninth: I am trying to begin to make running one of my favorite things.  As of now 3 miles is a Joyful run.  13.1 miles will be a challenge to make Joyful the definition!  "That's the thing about running; your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success.  They are moments in time when running allows you to see how wonderful your life is" <----Good Word!

 Last, but not least: CLINT ROUSE... He is the most joyful and optomistic person I know!  He is the second greatest Joy in my life (behind Jesus of course... not Reynolds!)

I hope that your day is filled with Joy!

With Love,

The rouse house

Kidnapping Thursday

Being placed as a Young Life leader in Raleigh has become EXTREME!  I remember when I was placed as a Young Life Leader in 2005 someone just came and picked me up and I showed up at the first Young Life club... total normal!  

But, now fast forward to 2013... it is a whole production!  I have a HUGE privilege of being a College Life leader in Raleigh with specifically Meredith College girls!  I LOVE MCGs (Meredith College Girls!)  6 of my MCG College Life girls were placed as Young Life/Wyld Life/College Life leaders around Raleigh and Cary last Thursday.  So, back to the kidnapping!  Existing Young Life teams will make these new leaders dress in RIDICULOUS outfits!  My girls were dressed as matadors, 4th of July, Cows, dressed in onsies, blind folded, you can imagine.  Then they were asked to do insane things: eat an entire pack of gum blind folded, search through the Wells Fargo bushes for a sombrero, skip down Hillsborough St. singing, walk into freezing cold creeks,  do scavenger hunts, sing songs, etc!  Then the big reveal is: WELCOME TO ___________ SCHOOL YOUNG LIFE TEAM!  Girls and guys were surprised for sure! So fun to hear all the stories!  

I am SO excited about MADELINE DUKE being a College Life leader at Meredith College.  This is such a sweet friendship: going from one of my dear girls I get to lead and now I get to lead beside her!  So, these are a few pictures of Maddie's kidnapping! (Matador.. get it... Maddie!)

Celebrating at Krispy Kreme! Maddie is a College Life Leader at Meredith College and Liesel is a Wyld Life leader at St. David's!

I have a HUGE heart for Meredith College, but my heart beats just as hard and strong for Garner High School!  This is the NEW complete Young Life team at GHS: welcome Becca Volk (Nolan's little sister!) and Cameron Yonts!!!

The new College Life Team welcoming Maddie Duke!!!

Other funny pictures of my sweet friends being kidnapped:

Maria Fabrizio: Sanderson High School!

 Sarah Fleming: Athens Drive!

Tess Coleman: Middle Creek!