Hello From Harding

Hello Colorado! (and other parts of the world)

For those of you who don't know, which I'm pretty sure everyone who reads this does, I am now in Searcy, Arkansas attending Harding University. And I love it! I have been here for two and a half weeks now, and things are going pretty well. When I decided to attend Harding this fall, it was already late summer. Because of my late application date, and the fact that Harding has a HUGE freshman class this year, finding housing for me was a little difficult - but it's okay, because that actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. With the overwhelmingly large number of incoming students this semester, Harding had to find some new(ish) places to house their students. That meant that 26 students were going to be given the opportunity to live at Harding Place. The way I prefer to describe Harding Place is "apartments." In actuality, Harding Place is a retirement home, and I'm honestly okay with that description, too. We've got nice size rooms, our own bathrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. I am actually in a two bedroom apartment, and right now there are three girls living here. We've got a larger room with two closets and an attached bathroom, and a smaller room with one closet and a bathroom right across from it. I am absolutely loving living here! I'm getting the college experience, but with a lot more freedom than those living in the dorms. It is a much more relaxed environment, and since there is a kitchen I don't have to have meal plan! Yippee :)

I love my classes. I am taking Families in Society, Family Relationships, Life of Christ, General Psychology, Family & Consumer Science as a Profession, and Kinesiology. My family classes are my favorite! My professor's name is Dr. Beth Wilson, and she is incredible. I love learning about family relationships, and why they are so important to society. God definitely knew what He was doing when He sent me here this semester. :)

Time has absolutely flown since I've been here. My mom, me, and the Kell family drove out here starting on Tuesday the 16th of August. We drove half the way, spent the night in Kansas, and then left the next morning. We arrived in Searcy and headed to Craig and Carol Jones' house to spend some time with Kreg's family who graciously put us up! We moved into my apartment on Thursday, and I've been living here ever since! My family stayed until Monday after my classes, and then they headed back to Colorado. Since arriving in Arkansas, I have:
1. Moved into my apartment
2. registered for my classes
3. signed up for HUF (for NEXT semester - Spring 2012 - prayers are appreciated as I'm currently on the waiting list! I'm definitely excited for this adventure, Lord willing!)
4. figured out how to navigate Searcy
5. Started a cookies tradition at Lenny's
6. tried out for Harding's women's soccer team - and made it!
7. Started working for Brian Maddox State Farm
8. made the decision between working and playing soccer. Definitely have to work, so hopefully we can work soccer into my schedule some other way. (tough decision, I LOVE SOCCER)
9. visited Heber Springs
10. made new friends
11. gone to walmart about a thousand times
12. hung out with the coolest roommate ever
13. made a TON of cookies
14. figured out how to meet guys  (two foolproof ways - one, wear a jersey of your favorite professional football team - and two, take cookies to the lobby of one of the boys' dorms lol)
15. gone to some incredible devotionals
16. experienced the Racquet ball devo - in case you don't know, those rooms echo/intensify sound, so if you have a hundred kids in their singing their hearts out, it is the most unbelievable sound!
17. had an epic girls night with Ashley, Raquel, and Lauren =)
18. missed my family and friends more than i could possibly say. and colorado too.
19. written a 7 page single-spaced paper, followed by a three page single-spaced paper in one night and got 100s on both
20. hiked up to the nosebleeds section for chapel every morning - good thing I'm from Colorado or the altitude change might affect me ;)
21. grown closer to my Lord and learned to draw nearer to Him when I need strength
22. made a homemade pizza entirely by myself :)
23. met some really great people living at Harding Place
24. done all of my laundry - TWICE
25. started a new journey, a new chapter in life, and enjoyed every second of it - even the ones that are hard.

I'm really excited to see what else God has in store for me here. I miss everyone at home, and I hope that you are all doing well. Thank you all for being in my life! GOD IS SO GOOD.

Kortney Alacyn

Jeremiah 29:11, Joshua 1:9 - these have really helped to get me through the "scary" moments so far.

How Do You Know...?

How do you know when you are in love? When you don't have to ask people how you know. 

Lately, I've been dealing a lot with differing opinions. How can two people have two such different feelings? How can one believe they will be together forever, and the other see them being only good friends? Why is it that one person can say "I love you" and mean one thing, and one person think "I love you" and feel something totally different? Is love truly so diverse? Perhaps. Or is it that people's perception of love is what is truly so diverse. 

For kicks and giggles (being that I am of the internet era), I google searched "definitions of love" and pulled up the first link. The first section had over 20 different definitions (most of which I didn't care for). One did stand out, however, and it was "the benevolent affection of God for His creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God." I liked that one. The next section had 18 definitions, many similar to the ones in the first section. Ones that I didn't particularly appreciate were the ones who listed love simply as:

"sexual passion or desire."

"a love affair;" (which is just dumb since you're not supposed to use the word in the definition! ha!)

"sexual intercourse; copulation."

"to have sexual intercourse with."

Now, I am no expert in "love" whatever it may be, but I'm pretty sure this common conception of love may explain part of the World's problems (or at least the United State's problems) with love and marriage. If love = sexual passion. Period. We would have a big ol' problem. 

While I didn't like 95% of the definitions of love - for lack of depth, for a completely different idea than how I see love, or whatever the reason - they did prove that there is definitely more than one opinion of what love is. 

The definition that I did like, the one that related it to our devotion to God and His caring for us, lead me right into my next source. The one that was sitting next to my bed that I had reached for first, then decided to see what the world said first (just cause I wanted to see how wrong the world was this time). 

I opened my bible up to one of my favorite chapters and books of the bible - 1 Corinthians 13. I'm sure most of you know it well, but I'll put it up here anyway. Starting in verse 4. 

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Now my Mom, being the extremely wise woman that she is, has told me that if I want to be someone worthy of loving, I should put my name in place of "love" (i.e. Kortney is patient, Kortney is kind). She has also told me to do the same with the name of the person who I am loving and wondering if maybe, just maybe, they could be my husband. 

Something that I have really been drawn to the last few times I read this was that these verses are describing God. Which brings me to my conclusion. 

If people are having such differing feelings on whether or not they are in love - they need to compare it to this verse. Both themselves, the other person, and the love/relationship that they have with each other. They need to give it to God, to trust Him completely and pray only for His will to be done (because praying for our will to be done is really quite selfish, and therefore not congruent with love as described above.)

God is love. End of the story. I now know that I will know when I am in love - because it will be God-breathed. 

Thanks for baring with me while I scrambled my way through this thought process to get these feelings and thoughts out. If you are now thoroughly confused, I apologize. If you read through all of this then I applaud you!! You're great :) 

Anyway, it's way past my bed time and so I am going to happily drift towards peaceful dreams of my true love now... Goodnight.

Kortney

Looking Back at the Past 19 Years...

On May 23rd 2011 I will be 19 years old. Wow. How'd that happen? 

Wasn't it just yesterday that I was three years old making paper airplanes with my Dad and sisters in our living room in Greeley from the old printer paper my Dad brought from his office? 

Wasn't it yesterday when my Mom brought our sweet Peek-a-poo puppy home that we named Dante A Boy Good? 

Could it be that in the past 19 years I:

Moved from Greeley to Cheyenne?

Discovered we were going to be adding a little boy to the family?

Watched Daddy and Grumpy and Grandpa finish the big, beautiful walk out basement in our home in Cheyenne?

Returned (as a Brownie) from a Girl Scouts retreat to a new furniture set in my big girl room - Courtesy of my Aunt Kristy, my Aunt Kristi, my Parents and Keleigh? 

Was starting first grade being home schooled with the world's greatest teacher?

Made the move with my family to Draper. (where it went from - WOW you have 4 kids? to Really, you only have 4 kids? hahaha) 

Made new best friends with Rebecca and Brittany and Sean and Troy?

Was baptized by my Daddy?

Was singing and dancing for Encore Performers? 

Played basketball on a team for the first time? 

Played soccer with 14 year olds when I was 9? 

Moved again, back to Colorado? 

Started going to a private school instead of being home schooled? 

Played soccer at a competitive level? 

Made a couple new best friends, Sarah and Ashley? 

Had my first "real" crush and boyfriend (hehehe, Bryant). 

Started high school? 

Watched my sister get married?

Got my drivers license, and my first car?

Graduated high school? 

Became an aunt?

Started and finished college? 

Got my first job?

Started a career? 

Bought my first house?

Had my first mature relationship?

Met, made, and lost friends?

The last 19 years have flown... and I'm sure the next 19 will do the same. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my life, and made me who I am. I know that so much more has happened in the last 19 years than what I mentioned, but to recount my entire life would take quite a while. Thank you, to my Lord and Savior, for blessing me with my family, my friends, many opportunities, and so much more. 

1st Corinthians 13:4-13, Proverbs 10:27, 31:30.

That Perfect Person

I know that it has been a while since I have really sat down to write on this blog. Life has been crazy and demanding, and I haven't really taken a lot of time for myself lately. At least, not time to do anything productive. However, there has been something on my mind lately. Something that needs to be addressed and something I wish I had a few days to take and just write the perfect blog about. However, since I don't have that kind of time right now, I'm going to try to make do with an hour and a half. Thanks for hanging in there with me, sorry if my thoughts are jumbled and unorganized! 

Many people say that there is no such thing as a perfect person, and depending on their definition of perfect, they are probably right. To most people, the word perfect simply means “to be free of any flaw or defect in condition or quality; faultless.” As humans, I believe that being flawed is in our nature, or at least it became part of our nature after Adam and Eve changed our lives forever. We are not, according to the afore mentioned definition, perfect. We make mistakes, we mess up over and over and over, and then we learn from it and try not to make the same mistake again. In that sense, we aren’t perfect. However, I would like to propose a new idea. That perhaps we can be perfect. I’ve been observing one specific person for over 18 years, and I have come to a conclusion that, from my studies, I have found a perfect person. Who is this perfect person? Well, let me tell you a little about my Test Subject #1. 

From day one of my studies, Test Subject #1 (TS1) has shown absolute selflessness. Through interactions between TS1 and myself, I found that if there was something that I needed, it would come before something that TS1 wanted or needed. That included sleep. I would keep TS1 up for hours at night, depriving this person of an essential aspect to functionality. But TS1 wouldn’t complain, wouldn’t ignore me and my helpless cries. Nope, TS1 was there to hold me close and calm me down, and then do for me everything that I couldn’t do for myself. As the years went by, some things changed, but many things stayed the same. I observed more characteristics in TS1 that made “perfect” a very fitting title. The selflessness grew above and beyond what any could comprehend, and sacrifice made it possible. TS1 began to grow into a lover, a nurturer, and a friend. 

If you haven’t figured out who TS1 is by now, you are silly, because it is obvious. Test Subject #1 on my studies of perfection is none other than my Mother. 

Now, my Mom has been there for me through thick and thin. She has seen me at my absolute worst, and she has seen my shine my brightest. And she has loved me through it all. 

My Mommy has been there to tuck me in at night. Now that I have moved out and am living on my own, I miss it more than I could possibly say. For 17 years there were very few nights that she wouldn’t make the journey to my room to tuck me in. The times when she couldn’t tuck me in, while I was still living at home, I never slept as well as the nights when she would. After I moved out, I couldn’t sleep because it just felt like something was missing. And something was.
My Mom has been my security blanket. While she has never babied me or hindered my growth, she has protected me and comforted me and I couldn’t imagine my life without her. God blessed me beyond belief with a woman to raise me who was so much like Himself. 

Through all of my struggles, I have been able to lean on her. She was there for me when I was little and I would get strep throat at least once a month. She was there for me when I started playing soccer, and was the littlest (and youngest) playing on the team. No matter how many cuts and bruises I had, she would take special care of each and every one. When I was nine and had to have my tonsils removed, she was the worlds greatest nurse. She had books and movies and stocked up on the few food items that I could actually consume. (ice cream, jello, pudding, icees, and other things of that sort) She read Spirit with me, and then we planned my birthday party with that theme. As I grew older and my struggles grew with me, she was always there for me. No matter if it was physical, emotional, or spiritual (or even mental) she would be the one to help me work things out. When I got into my middle-ish teen years, I started to realize just how wonderful of a woman she truly is. Then, I started to not want to share my failures with her, simply because I didn’t want to disappoint her. I turned to my friends for advice, and sometimes it worked out, but usually it only worsened. What make my Mom perfect when it comes the things that I struggle with, my failures, and my trials is that she never condescends me for them. She is the kind of woman who can take something that the world sees as ugly and worthless and make it shine like a beautiful diamond. My Mother lets God work through her, and accomplish SO much. She is perfect to Him.  So when things would get really bad, and I would be lost and broken, and I would finally talk to her about what I was struggling with or what I had messed up with lately, she would hold me tight and let me know it was going to be okay. Sure, the consequences to my actions were still there, but she helped me to make my wrongs right, and turn my life back around on track. God truly blessed me. 

My childhood was so spectacular, that I miss it everyday. Why? Not because I didn’t have the responsibilities that I have today, not because life was simpler, not because I could play all day long (well... those might have something to do with it.) My childhood was spectacular because I got to spend all day long, everyday, with my Mom. In the morning, she was my alarm clock. When my blinds would open, my light would turn on, and I would hear “This is the day, this is the day, that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made...” I knew it was time to get up and start a brand new day. After a quick shower, or sometimes just throwing on some sweats (because it is ALWAYS cold at my parents house - courtesy of my Dad :P), I would go to the kitchen for some eggs, or waffles, and chocolate milk. I would down my 10/15 vitamins and consume my delicious food. Then it was time for bible studies with my Mom. After that? Perhaps a math, english, science, or literature lesson. By lunch our main lessons were usually done, and all that was left was homework. After an hour break of playing outside with Drake, or watching Danny Phantom (also with Drake), and eating some bagel or tortilla shell pizzas, or dino nuggets, or a sandwich, or soup... etc. I would do my homework and be free for the afternoon. Sure there were chores, but a lot of time I could do them with her. Cleaning the bathrooms, sweeping and vacuuming, dusting, poop scooping the yard, etc. Then we could do fun things together. We could go to the park, or we could go play in our yard. We could take pictures. We could read together in the sunshine, we could chew our ice :) We could create masterpieces out of simple projects. We could make cookies for our Daddy love, and we could play cards. There were so many different ways that we could spend our time together... and looking back I miss it. 

My Mom, she gave me a perfect childhood. (My Dad played a HUGE part in that, as did God, but I’m focusing on her right now because she deserves to know how wonderful she is.) 

I recently got into a debate with an acquaintance/friend (depending on the day) about whether or not women can multi-task. HA. Duh. If he had ever observed my Mother, he would have put his foot in his mouth and admitted I was right ;) Who knew that there was a perfect multi-tasker out there? Me. I’ve been watching her do it for 18 years. She can juggle four kids, or five kids and a grandchild too, all their activities, and their needs. She loves each and every one of them CONSTANTLY and perfectly. She can cook dinner, help with homework, set up appointments, manage schedules, reprimand the tracking of mud through the house, encourage the practice of the piano in the background, and set the table all at the same time. 

Clearly, I could go on for HOURS about the perfect qualities of my Mother, but no one wants to read a novel on this blog. 

I just want her to know that she is perfect, she is beautiful, she is LOVELY, she is clever, she is intelligent, she is caring, she is kind, she is a prioritizer, she knows how to make life fun for everyone, she is a multi-tasker, she is the worlds greatest teacher, she is SO forgiving, she has an incredible-light-up-your-life smile, she is handy, she is outgoing, she is a chihuahua (inside joke), she is creative, she is funny, she makes life interesting - especially travel - she is generous, she is captivating, she is inspiring, and that SO MANY people love her, and treasure her, and would be lost without her. 

Mommy you have had a lasting impact on so many precious lives, and you have influenced them for the better. The way God works through you is magnificent, thank you for showing me daily what living for Him, through Him, and about Him looks like. I love you more than words could say, more than 1,630 words could say. You inspire me daily. I’m sorry for the times that I fail, and I thank you for the perfect example you are to me. Thank you for your perfect love. Thank you for being my Perfect Person. 

Kortney Alacyn

Life is Good

Hey Blog!
I haven't forgotten about you, I promise. Life has been keeping me busy as always, and it was even more busy during the Christmas season. I am currently recuperating from the crazy fast month of December, as well as a cold or something that is going around.
I had a spectacular Christmas with my family, and they spoiled me as always. I got a ton of new stuff, and I made some really special memories, again, as always.
I'll hopefully be able to take some time and write more about what a great couple of days it was!
Kortney