Psalm 119:33-40

Don't you just love it when you're reading the Bible and you just fall in love with a verse(or group of verses)? If we're being honest, sometimes reading the Bible isn't the most exciting thing ever. Let me make it clear that  I do believe there is much to be learned from the Bible and that it is our handbook from God on how to live our lives; but, when you're just reading a bunch of statistics or long lists of geneology, let's face it, you get bored. So when verses start to speak out to you it's all the more exciting. Well Psalm 119:33-40 is a group of verses that spoke out to me recently. The NIV version goes like this:

"Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
    that I may follow it to the end.
³⁴ Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law 
    and obey it with all my heart. 
³⁵ Direct me in the path of your commands, 
    for there I find delight. 
³⁶ Turn my heart toward your statutes
    and not toward selfish gain. 
³⁷ Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
    preserve my life according to your word.
³⁸ Fulfill your promise to your servant,
    so that you may be feared.
³⁹ Take away the disgrace I dread,
    for your laws are good.
⁴⁰ How I long for your precepts!
    In your righteousness preserve my life."

I also love the way The Message version puts it. It goes like this...

"God, teach me lessons for living 

      so I can stay the course. 
   Give me insight so I can do what you tell me— 
      my whole life one long, obedient response. 
   Guide me down the road of your commandments; 
      I love traveling this freeway! 
   Give me a bent for your words of wisdom, 
      and not for piling up loot. 
   Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, 
      invigorate me on the pilgrim way. 
   Affirm your promises to me— 
      promises made to all who fear you. 
   Deflect the harsh words of my critics— 
      but what you say is always so good. 
   See how hungry I am for your counsel; 
      preserve my life through your righteous ways!"

Isn't that a great prayer? Asking God for wisdom, for strength to resist greedy desires, for the backbone to withstand criticism. I want my life to be led by God. I want to serve my Heavenly Father obediently. I want to gain wisdom from the Lord. I know that oftentimes, in my prayers, I ask God for wisdon to make the right choices and I ask him to guide me along the path he thinks I should go. These verses reflect some of my most important prayers and is something I plan to commit to memory. :)

New Goals for a New Beginning

You know that feeling you get on New Years Eve when you're setting your New Years resolution? You're excited for the fresh start that the New Year brings. It's refreshing, exciting, and you are ready to fulfill your resolution! Then one week into the New Year you lose all that enthusiasm and that resolution, well it was nice while it lasted, No, you have no idea what i'm talking about? Maybe it's just me....
Well it isn't New Years but i've got that feeling. Although i'm not celebrating the new year I am enthusiastic about some other "new" things that are happening in my life! I'm starting a new school year at a new school, i'm welcoming new opportunities, i'm moving into a new home! As the title of my blog says i;m taking "My Next Step Forward."

Since this is my "New Beginning," so to speak, i've set some new goals for myself! (I express my enthusiasm with colors so get ready for a color EXPLOSION!) They are as follows:

~Get a job (Working on this one...hopefully I will soon be a Chick Fil a employee)
~Set a steady fitness routine (I need to start exercising more; walking my dog twice a day isn't cutting it anymore)
~Buy some new fitness clothes (Now this part of exercising I like! I already saw some cute running shorts at Marshalls for a pretty reasonable price!)
~Write Love Letters (check this website out and you'll know what I mean moreloveletters.com )
~Scrapbook (I love to scrapbook, but first I must replenish my crafting supplies....Michaels here I come!)
~Learn at least 1 full song on the piano (My keyboard should really be doing more than collecting dust)
~Learn to Cook new foods (I have a ton of recipes on my Pinterest and it's about time I put them to the test! I think i'll start with dessert...tehe)
~DIY Projects (Another thing I have plenty of on my Pinterest board! It's so much fun!)
~Learn to Drive (Not really something I look forward to....I know, I sound terrible lazy...)
~Read as many books as I possibly can from my booklist (My booklist, well, it's endless)

Those are just some of my new goals; i'm sure i'll come up with more. Well, wish me luck as I try and fulfill these goals. Happy New Beginnings! ;)

Bolivia

Well it's been a pretty long time since I last posted on here but I have something pretty exciting to blog about. I went out of the country! Say what?! Yep, you read that correctly. I said Adios to the USA and packed my bags for a 3 week trip to Bolivia. It's a trip i've desired to take for a long time and I couldn't be happier with the way it went. This was my first mission trip and for this trip I partnered with the Children’s Impact Network. Founded by John and Maritza Hernandez, they are based in the West Palm Beach area.

While I was in Bolivia I stayed at the boys orphanage, Bolivia Life Center which is founded and funded by CIN. 

During the trip, I had the pleasure of listening to John and Maritza tell the story and the history of their ministry.  The vision for the BLC first took shape in 1996 when Maritza kept repeatedly had the same dream. In her dream she was on a large piece of property, there was a large building behind her and people were bringing children to her. Now at the time they didn’t know what this dream meant but she wrote it down and she prayed about it. A couple years later the Hernandez’s took a trip to Bolivia and while they were there they saw something they had never seen before; they saw homeless kids, alone. They see these boys sniffing paint which gave them a temporary high that made them forget their hunger, pain, and how cold they were. They knew they had to do something. They didn’t know where the money to fund an orphanage would come from, they didn’t know what capacity they should plan to house, but they didn’t let that stop them. They remembered Maritza’s dream from long ago, they prayed about it, partnered with other believers, and together took one giant leap of faith after another.

The Bolivia Life Center Orphanage

Today the BLC Orphanage houses 55 boys. And let me tell you the BLC truly is like a big happy family. When we arrived at the orphanage some of the boys ran to after our car yelling, “Papa John! Mama Maritza!” With John and Maritza responding to them, “My boys we’re here!” The family atmosphere is obvious, with all the adults working in the orphanage being referred to as either “Tia” (aunt) or “Tio” (uncle).
They also have a separate home they call the “Lifehouse.” According to the law in Bolivia, once the boys turn 18 they are no longer legally allowed to live at the orphanage. So CIN arranged the Lifehouse as a settlement for the boys. That way they can continue their education and get jobs. With the Lifehouse the boys get to feel independent but they aren’t actually alone.

During my stay in Bolivia we got to do a lot of fun things with the boys. After church on Sundays we got to take all the boys from the orphanage straight from church to a nearby restaurant called “Globos” for ice cream. I loved watching the boys excited faces as they received their ice cream cones and seeing how big their eyes got as they poured sprinkles onto their melting cones. I stuck with a pretty normal Cappuccino flavor for my ice cream but some of the boys weren’t as safe. “Oso Creamoso” was a popular one among the younger boys (translation: Creamy Gummy Bears). Another popular one was a flavor we’re pretty familiar with in America, but you wouldn’t know it because of the spelling, was “Sneackers” aka “Snickers.” I have to admit that kind of made me laugh but I guess that’s what Snickers sounds like pronounced with a Spanish accent!

With the youngest group of boys we got to have “Tickle Time” for half an hour before they went to bed. I loved tickle time! We got to play games with the boys, read them stories, pray with them, tuck them into bed, and TICKLE THEM! One of the nights 3 of the boys teamed up against me in the tickle wars. I went after the youngest of these 3 Musketeers to tickle him and the other 2 attacked me. Needless to say those 3 little tough guys won and I was pinned to the floor under their tickling mercy. Then with the older boys and the boys from the Lifehouse, we got to go see on of their favorite sports. SOCCER! If I were to show you all the pictures I had of the boys playing soccer it would take you all day’ that’s how much they love it. We got to go to a professional championship game, Wilsterman vs. Bolivar. On the way to the game the boys told us about how rowdy these games could get. They warned us that if one particular team lost we’d want to run out of the stadium because fights would break out and tear gas would have to be let out into the audience. So obviously when that team started losing we left the game early. But the boys had a great time making sure us “gringos” as they lovingly call us, knew everything that was going on.

As you now know, the boys love their sports. As a result of that, all the teams that visited the orphanage this summer have been working on constructing a Multi-Purpose Concrete Sports Court at the BLC. We sifted fine sand to create concrete, mixed concrete, laid rocks for the foundation, and poured cement. Thanks to all of our hard work the court is almost done! Soon the boys will have a huge concrete court to play on! :D

In the afternoons we had the opportunity to go out into the different cities in Cochabamba, Bolivia and minister to kids through Sidewalk Sunday School. Going up and down the streets with one of the guys carrying a speaker and one of the ladies calling out through the microphone. We had a pretty inviting team going up and down those streets. The kids that seemed timid at first eventually came around to liking us when we played with them. Sidewalk Sunday School was a hit with balloon animals, a nail painting station, facepainting, crafts, and sidewalk chalk. Then we would get into our program complete with songs, a skit, and a special prayer. One of my favorite songs that we sang with the kids was “Mi Dios es tan Grande. “ (My God is so Big). The lyrics in Spanish go like this,

“Mi Dios es tan Grande,
Fuerte y Poderoso
No hay nada que no puede hacer.
Mi Dios es tan Grande,
Fuerte y Poderoso
No hay nada que no puede hacer.
Los montes son de el,
los rios tambien,
las estrellas son echas por el.
Mi Dios es tan Grande,
Fuerte y Poderoso
No hay nada que no puede hacer.”

You may actually recognize this song in English. It goes,

“My God is so big,
so strong and so mighty
there’s nothing my God cannot do.
My God is so big,
so strong and so mighty
there’s nothing my God cannot do.
The mountains are his,
the rivers are his,
the stars are made by him,
My God is so big,
so strong and so mighty,
there’s nothing my God cannot do.”

Overall, I had an amazing trip! If I had to say I had any regrets it would be that I couldn’t stay longer. I loved getting the chance to not only work on something beneficial to the orphanage and establish loving relationships with the boys, but also ministering to the less fortunate kids in the city. I can’t imagine a better way to have spent my summer. Bolivia along with everybody there now holds a special place in my heart. I miss the boys and I can’t wait to go back next year!!

If you’d like to know more about the Bolivia Life Center Orphanage, or if you’d like to learn more about the Children’s Impact Network, you can visit their website cinonline.org 

A Post about Fashion...What?

It's true! This is an actual blog post about my fashion preferences. If fashion isn't your thing then i'm sorry. This blog is about as eclectic as my mind, and that's the best explanation that you are gonna get. :P

So it's summertime and these are a couple fashion favorites I'm hoping to get this summer!

1. A Floppy Hat - I've always wanted one of these oversize floppy hats. Sure, they may not be the most practical but they're pretty cool looking.
2. A High-Low Skirt - So this is a fashion item that's sort of a risk because it's a bold item. Now the hard part about this type of skirt is finding one with a modest length. :/
3. A Shoulder Bag - Shoulder bags are both practical and stylish. I'm able to carry whatever I need in my purse but without the hassle of holding it in my hand.
4. Cowboy Boots - COWBOY BOOTS! Ok, so i'm not in any way a southerner but i've always loved cowgirl boots! (Random tidbit: When I was younger I would sometimes fake having a southern accent when meeting new people.)
5. Gel Eyeliner - The clean lines, dramatic effect, and versatility of gel eyeliner is very appealing to me.
6. A Jean Jacket - It's one of those fashion staples that (I believe) everyone should have, but I myself don't have one. Just to make it clear, I would NOT wear this jacket with jeans! I can't stand that.....
7. Perry the Platypus Shirt - "Well there you are Perry" The lovable Platypus from Disney's Phineas and Ferb has become wanted by all males and females. I am no exception! <3
8. A Romper - This is another one of those fashion items that is really hard to find modesty wise. Most Rompers i've found are way too short for me. Personally, I think i'm going to try to sew one.....hmmmmmm
9. Something with Lace - Shirts, Dresses, Skirts! The classic look of lace is a fashion favorite for me!
10. Something that SPARKLES - Ok confession time, I love sparkles! Anything that glitters, that's what I want!


So that's what i'm wishing to buy this summer! I know you probably don't care but it fun making this! xD

Pomp and Circumstance

For those of you that know what in the world "Pomp and Circumstance" is then you already know what this post will be about. And for those of you who have no idea what it is, then you're about to find out. I only just found out what it was this morning! You see "Pomp and Circumstance" is graduation music. You know what i'm talking about, the music that plays as graduates parade down the aisle. Well the funny part about me not knowing what it was until this morning, is that I had my high school graduation today. ;)
Yes, it's official, I GRADUATED! It's a pretty awesome feeling to be graduated but with such a big milestone begins a new chapter of my life.
One of my favorite verses is Luke 9:25 "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self?" I just think that verse is a real eye opener to anyone that reads it/hears it and is especially impactful to graduates who are being sent out into the world. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be in the world and not of it. Society pushes all the wrong things, to teens especially, and it is up to us as individuals to resist the temptation.
I was reading Romans today and I came across a verse in chapter 12 verse 21, "Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good." Now I don't know about you, but when I see the words "good" and "evil" I immediately think of superheroes and villains. So as I read this verse I pictured a villainous world and a super God. Now I don't mean to say that everything in the world is evil, but just that it contains evil.
I guess what I've been trying to say is to always stay true to yourself. I know as a graduate I'm going to be exposed to new people, places, and situations that may make me uncomfortable. No matter what happens I think it's important not to let the wrong things overtake my life. I never want to lose my soul to material things, impure desires, or anything that compromises my faith.
I've always correlated Luke 9:25 with the song "Lose My Soul" by TobyMac featuring Kirk Franklin and Mandisa. It's one of my mom's favorite songs and one that my whole family sings along to. And I want to share that song with you here>> Lose My Soul by TobyMac

Roller Coasters of Life

I happen to love riding roller coasters. Just today my friends and I were talking about how much we love rollercoasters and which roller coasters are the best. From our conversation I am now convinced that I need to go to Islands of Adventure because I would love it there! ;)
Nevertheless, as much as I love roller coasters, sometimes my stomach still flip flops on the coaster. You know what that feels like. That feeling that your unagreeable stomach makes when you've just ridden too many rollercoasters.
And you know what, life can be exactly like the ups and downs of a roller coaster. You can feel great (up), then begin to struggle and feel not so great (down). However, through the Bible we can see that although our lives can feel like a wild rollercoaster at times, he is still with us.

In the book of Genesis we see Joseph's rollercoaster of a life. He was loved and favorited by his father (up). His brother became jealous of him and sold him as a slave (down). Joseph found favor in Potiphar's eyes and was held at high esteem (up). Potiphar's wife held Joseph at too high of esteem, falsely accused him, and got him thrown into prison (down). Joseph is remembered, freed from prison, and put in a position of power over Egypt (up). Joseph was able to guide Egypt through its 7 year famine (up). Joseph was reunited with his family (up).
In the book of Leviticus we see a similar coaster with the Israelites.

Ok so it's not a picture of a roller coaster but you get the ups and Downs

These are only two of the many examples in the Bible of rollercoaster lives. Now i'm sure the track that their life coasters were taking weren't always pleasant. I'm sure at times it seemed like God didn't care about them or that he had forgotten them. Still we see that God was with them and he had a purpose. When life gets tough don't think the Lord has left you. I mean if Joseph thought like that and gave up trusting in God who would have saved Egypt? Your life may not always be easy but God has a plan for your life regardless. So ride your rollercoaster with endurance, knowing that God is always by your side.

Pinterest is for Dessert

http://www.pamperedchef.com/recipe_search/recipe.jsp?id=100348 

http://penniesonaplatter.com/2010/10/29/carrot-cake-cheesecake/

Yes, it's true. The wonderful website Pinterest is making it very difficult not to bake every single dessert and food item I stumble upon. If you have a Pinterest you know what i'm talking about. Almost everyone has a "board" with food or desserts or anything edible for that matter! If I see a picture of food I can't just keep scrolling down the page, it calls me. Food (even pictures of food) is my weakness, specifically desserts. I mean how can someone see a recipe for "White Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes" or "Carrot Cake Cheesecake" and not drool!

As you can see, I have a bit of an obsession for food. So it shouldn't surprise you that when I recently assigned to write a praise poem about something (anything) I chose food. I know I could have gone many other ways with this poem, and no food is not my god, but I thought it was a comical and creative way to express my love for dessert. x)
So here it is! My original poem titled, "Praise for Dessert"

Praise be to God for Peanut Butter Fudge;
Whether it is sinful or not, I’ll let him be the judge.

Smooth and dreamy on my tongue,
as soon as I ate it my taste buds sung.

With the perfect balance between nutty and sweet,
I’ll never say no to this delicious treat.

Praise be to God for Campfire S’mores;
After your first one, you’ll keep wanting more.

Taking a bite, chocolate dribbles down,
If desserts were royalty this one deserves the crown.

Ooey gooey marshmallows all over your fingers,
This camping treat is a ding, ding, dinger.

Praise be to God for Fudge Brownie Sundaes;
they can make anything better, even dreaded Mondays.

Warm fudge brownie piled high with ice cream,
I pinch myself to see if it’s real or only a dream.

Mounds of whipped cream with caramel on top,
if this is all a dream I hope it never stops.

The Goodness of Easter and Good Friday

Well it's been a while since I last posted anything. I've been pretty busy with this whole "high school senior graduation" stuff. :p
Anyhow, I thought it was about time to write on here again. In case you didn't know tomorrow is Good Friday. It's the day remember Jesus's sacrifice for us. In my years of growing up in a church, i've thought many times about Jesus's death. At times, i've even wondered why he had to die at all. But now I see that back in the Old Testament, whenever someone sinned they had to make a sacrifice. This sacrifice was always some sort of living creature that would shed its blood as a sacrifice. That's why it is so significant that Jesus our Lord shed his blood for us. He was our sacrifice, but unlike any other sacrifice, he came back to life. How amazing is that!

Now I don't know about you but I like to get daily devotionals sent to my email. There are two different ones that I get. One, is from Joel Osteen Ministries. The other is, God's Daily Promise. I wanted to share with you something I got from God's Daily Promise the other day. They are two hymns:

"The day of resurrection! Earth, tell it out abroad; the Passover of gladness, the Passover of God. From death to life eternal, from earth unto the sky, our Christ hath brought us over with hymns of victory." - The Day of Resurrection   John of Damascus (eighth century) 

"The strife is o'er — the battle done, the victory of life is won; the song of triumph has begun: Alleluia!The three sad days have quickly sped, He rises glorious from the dead; all glory to our risen Head! Alleluia!" - The Strife is O'er   Latin Hymn Symphonia Serenum Selectarum, 1695

Aren't they great? I just love them! <3 I think they're perfect in remembering what Easter is truly about. :)

My Father...forgives me

"..as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."
                                                                                                              ~Psalm 103:12
I wanted to repost this verse in the NLT version as well; "He has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west."

We make the mistakes, but Jesus is the one who paid the price for our sins. 
All the time we make mistakes and fall short of God; yet, he still forgives us. Despite all our faults and failures he can forgive us. If we ask for forgiveness, and truly mean it with all our hearts, he is ready to forgive.

My Father...cares for me

"Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"
                                                                                               ~Matthew 6:26
My Father cares for me.
God is always watching out for us. He cares about us more than we even know. At times, when we are faced with a difficult decision, it can feel like God doesn't care. We wonder if God cares so much then why aren't we just immediately rescued from our problems?

I've realized that God's timing is always perfect. Even though I stress and worry a ton when I get nervous; ultimately, God has a plan. He has plans for our lives, even when we don't know them ourselves.

God is constantly showing he cares through everything he provides us with. Oftentimes we can take for granted the signs that show us he cares. I saw something on line recently that really made me think about everything I take for granted and don't thank him for. It said "What if today you only woke up with the things you thanked God for yesterday?"
He believes in us. He provides for us. He loves us. We are like a precious jewel in his eyes, valuable in every way. Think about that for a second. The creator of the UNIVERSE finds you valuable!

From today's verse I get several things. One, God is our heavenly father and he never stops caring for our needs (even when we think he doesn't care). Two, alot of the time we take for granted his blessings. Every one of those blessings is a sign of how he cares for us. And three, we are valuable to him. No matter what we do we are still valuable and he still cares.

So next time i'm stressed here's what i'm going to try and do; thank God for the blessings I have in my life. I may not know why whatever is happening is happening, but I know God cares for me and he has laid out a plan for me because I am valuable to him.

My Father...loves me

My Father Loves Me. <3
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ~John 3:16

Ever claimed that you loved someone so much you'd die for them? Well Jesus, actually did die for us. His love for us exceeds anything we can ever understand. To think that he didn't do anything wrong, yet, he took the beating for you and me.
The songs that speak this truth of Gods never ending, unconditional love are numerous. Two of my favorites are "True Love" by Phil Wickham and "How He Loves Us" by David Crowder band. If you haven't heard those songs you should go and listen to them .....go on now! ;-)
Let me share with you the lyrics to the chorus of "True Love." They say this:

The earth was shaking in the dark

All creation felt the Fathers broken heart

tears were filling heaven's eyes

The day that true love died, the day that true love died

When blood and water hit the ground

Walls we couldn’t move came crashing down

We were free and made alive

The day that true love died, The day that true love died 

If that doesn't put things in perspective and give you a visual image of  the Lord's true love for us, I don't  know what will. Sometimes, it's hard for me to understand why Christ would do this for me, and why he had to. However, I know that he had to do it to save me. He did it so that I wouldn't be condemned and I wouldn't have to. He. Loves. Me.

The Lord is my Father and he loves me. The Lord is YOUR Father and he loves you.
Oh, how he loves us!

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
                                                                                                                               ~Romans 5:8
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." ~Romans 8:38-39

Ever had a dream?

Have you ever had a dream? Now I don't mean those visions you get when you're sleeping, but a goal that you wanted to achieve. I know I did but after a while of not achieving that dream I stopped pursuing it. It's kinda sad to think that I just gave up. What's even sadder is that millions of people have done the same thing, given up on their dream. In Todd Wilson's book "Dream Big But Beware of Dream Killers" he says this, "...time has plenty of trophies on its shelf in the form of millions of men and woman in whom God placed a dream deep in their hearts but for one reason or another failed to step out in faith and achieve those dreams."

Now to me that's just terrible. We should all have dreams and pursue them with all our hearts! As the wise philosopher Cinderella once said, "A dream is a wish you heart makes." So why shouldn't we follow our hearts!? God has placed a dream there for a reason. In the same book Wilson writes,

 "The Bible is filled with dreamers who, against all odds and common sense, believed God and did something worth recording. In fact, their stories were recorded for us and serve as a reminder, not of great men, but of normal men and women who were used by a great God to do great things."

The part where he says "against all odds" is what really sticks out to me. Right now i'm happy that i'm able to do what I love. I guess my worries some from the fact that this chapter of my ife is closing and I wonder, How am I going to fulfill my dream in the new chapter of my life? I don't know the answer to that question yet but I'm going to have faith that whatever happens it happens for a reason, to fulfill God's ultimate plan for my life.

I guess what i'm trying to say is DON'T GIVE UP! Seek God and he will direct your path. Have faith and he will guide you. And in everything you do give the glory to God!

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." ~Proverbs 16:3 NIV

My Father...

Ahh the awesome things you ca find on Pinterest! Recently I found this photo on Pinterest and it both inspired me and made me think. 

I'm not sure what the original source of this  photo is but what I do know is that it's pretty awesome. God is our Heavenly Father and he is everything it says. He is Gracious, he is Compassionate, he is Understanding, he does love me.

It's amazing how one little picture can provide so much hope and inspiration.

Quote Happy

A while back I had been hearing about this "Pinterest" thing alot via my friends and facebook. Naturally, I wondered what it was and I set out on my own little adventure to find out what it was. What I found excited me! Pinterest is (well at least for me) pretty much a place to "pin" all the interesting things you like on the internet into categorized lists or "boards."

Ever since I created an account for Pinterest i've been OBSESSED! I seriously waste so much time on this site. The cool thing about it is that you can also follow other "pinners" and see what they pin. Recently, i've pinned some pretty cool quotes that i've gotten online and from fellow pinners so I thought i'd share! :)

"If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world." ~ C.S. Lewis - May I just say C.S. Lewis is so incredibly cool. He always has the best quotes!

"A woman's heart must be so hidden in God that a man has to seek him to find her." ~ Maya Angelou -I've heard this quote before and i'll hear it a million times but it never loses its truth. <3

"God cannnot give us a happiness and peace apart from himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." ~C.S Lewis - What did I say!? This guy was one smart man!

"Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car." ~ Unknown - Amen to that! It's so much more than putting on a front one day a week. It's a personal relationship with the Lord that you strive to grow in everyday and tell others about him!

"The phrase "do not be afraid" is written in the Bible 365 times. That's a daily reminder from God to live every day being fearless." ~ Unknown - Mind. Blowing. Awesomness.

And here are some other fun ones:

"Cinderella is proof that a pair of shoes can change your life." - Haha I love me some new shoes! x)

"More girls need to be searching for guys who have goals and ambitions, because 10 years from now "Swag" isn't going to pay your bills." - Lol! It's so true!

"If there ever comes a day we can't be together, keep me in your heart, i'll stay there forever." - Winnie the Pooh - D'awww So sweet!

Longing for a Fairy Tale Ending

Boyfriends. Girlfriends. Relationships.
It seems like these things are pushed all around us. I mean, ever since I can remember my dream was to be like a princess. You know, a Disney Princess like Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, etc. A princess who gets to dress up in beautiful gowns, live in a gorgeous castle, and most importantly meet a handome prince.

Now i'm not saying it's wrong to want your own prince because even God created Adam and Eve to be together. Man and woman and relationships, that's just the way it works. The problem starts when your quest to find Prince Charming overtakes your life.

It's sad to go on Facebook and see young girls (i'm talking 12 and up) in and out of facebook relationships. Those young girls who have already begun to allow their quest to take over. Young-boy crazy-impressionable girls that allow their relationship status to define who they are. I've seen it happen where these young girls think that a certain boy is "The One" one day, then the next she has her eye on another guy. Soon, she is entangled in a web of what she thinks is love. It's sad to see this happen to these young ladies because more likely than not, the entire situation will end with her getting hurt.

When I was younger I was in a club where we read "The Princess and the Kiss" by Jennie Bishop. It's a great story about a princess who was gifted, by her parents at birth, a very special gift from God. This gift was, her first kiss. When the princess was finally grown, the king and Queen presented her with the gift (her kiss). The book then goes on to detail the pursuers that came to try and win over the princess and her gift.

The story is so wonderfully written and packs a meaningful story in it's colorful pages. All Princesses have a gift, and that gift is to be given to your husband. If us ladies are running around trying to find our Prince Charming we are giving away a little piece of our hearts, or a little piece of our gifts.

After reading this book, I decided to make a promise to myself. I promised to keep myself sexually pure until marriage and to cherish my kisses. A great reminder of my promise is my purity ring. It's almost like my signature on my promise contract. By wearing the ring, it signifies that I will not break my contract (or promise). And as for cherishing my kisses, well that just means that I'm not going to kiss just anyone. I'm holding out for a special someone to give my first kiss to.

I haven't found my Prince Charming yet but i'm young and I have plenty of time to worry about that later. Right now, It's a perfect time to grow in my relationship with someone else. And that someone is the Almighty God.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Time is ticking away and i'm not getting any work done. 15 minutes pass, no 30 minutes, no an hour! My day is gone like that and i've hardly done anything productive. Ever had a day like that? I think we all have and I can't say I like the feeling. It drives me crazy to know that I have so much to do, but I just have no energy to do it!

Thank goodness God doesn't think that way! He never thinks, "Oh i'm too tired to keep the world running. I'm just going to take my hand of the universe and let it fend for itself" If God did that, we'd be in some deep trouble. But God would never do that because of how much he absolutely loves us. It's really amazing if you think about it, how much he loves us.

Even though I may not always be productive, I thank the Lord for each brand new day. I know that another day is a blessing from God and I have to make the choice of what i'm going to do with it. :)

Leap day?

What does one call February 29th? The years that have February 29th are called Leap Years, but what is the actual day? Leap day? Sounds odd, Happy Leap day! ;P

On "Leap Day" I actually learned why we have an extra day every 4 years. It turns out that it takes the earth about 365 days and 6 hours to rotate once around the sun. Thus, every four years those leftover 6 hours from each day make up a full 24 hour day! If we didn't add an extra day, then eventually seasons wouldn't match up with our calendar dates.

This is the day,

This is the day,

That the Lord has made,

That the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice,

Let us rejoice,

And be glad in it.

And be glad in it. ;D

Oldie but a Goodie

Chances are you've heard about the Jonas Brothers. And if you haven't, well you must have been living under a rock the last couple of years. ;P They are a singing group of brothers that formed their own band. Now, all the brothers have dispersed and are doing their own thing. I have to say i'm slightly disapointed in some of the choices they have made but I am in no position to judge them. They initially came out as strong believers and introduced alot of people to purity rings. Regardless of what they're up to now, I still enjoy some of their older music.

Recently, one of my favorite songs has been "Dear God." Now this song isn't from the band "Jonas Brothers" but is from the youngest brother's (Nick) solo career before he started the band with his brothers
Here are the lyrics to "Dear God" by Nick Jonas

Dear God
I hate to be a bother
But I gotta say
This world is getting crazier with every day
I hope you'll hear me out now
As I stop and pray

Dear God
People take your words
And try to twist 'em round
I know you can't be happy
With what's going down
I'm searching for some answers
But they can't be found
Can you help me out?
Dear God

Dear God
Just the other night I heard somebody say
"What's the use believing in you, anyway?"
I guess it was just heartache
Talking through the pain
It's a crying shame

Dear God
I know you're disappointed
In the things we've done
Can't they see the truth
That they're all running from
Try to preach your message with a loaded gun
What are they thinking of?
Dear God

Everybody's searching for an easy solution
They can't see beyond
The selfish world they're living in
Your words of love get lost
In all the confusion
Yes, they do
But I still believe
Someday you're gonna speak to me

Dear God
I know you've got a million other calls to take
You're dealing with a lot of things
That just won't wait
But there is one request
That I just gotta make

Dear God
Won't you send a sign down
Just to ease my doubt?
I'm trying to hear you
But the silence is so loud
I think I see a rainbow
From behind the clouds
And I hear you now, dear God

Isn't that awesome? It's like a story of someone who is desperately trying to grow in a relationship with the Lord. I think it's pretty cool, and pretty relatable. So Check it out! Download it! Put it on your ipod! In my book it's definitely an Oldie but a Goodie! ;)

Leap Year of Faith

So 2012 happens to be Leap Year! Which means that February will have an extra day, Yipeee! I love extra time, don't you? It seems like I never have enough time to complete everything I have to get done. And then I start to stress about not getting everything done. ;P
Funny thing is, i've been stressing alot lately. And lately, I have also been reading and hearing about not worrying and trusting in God. Coincidence? I don't think so...I'm pretty sure it's God sending me a message. And the message is clear and something I need to hear: Stop worrying and trust in the Lord! God is here to help you!

This morning in church service my pastor preached about taking a leap of Faith and broke it down like this:
L - Lent -- Consider a time of fasting
E - Earnest Prayer -- Commit to more persistent prayer
A - Acknowledge God -- Cultivate a closer relationship
P - Prioritize -- Change your list of what's important

The underlying message in all this is, "Do all you can and let God do what you cannot do!"

Now that's a pretty big message for a worried person like me. I know me, personally, I'm trying to put all these steps in action because I know it's what I need to do. And what I want to do.
In fact, I've already started some of these steps!

In my own way, I'm fasting. Now I say in my own way because it's not a traditional type of fasting. In the past I have fasted, not food, but television. Let's face it, TV is a BIG time waster! I've done it several times and it has been great for me; most recently I did it for 20 days last month. It's great not to waste all your time in front of the tv, but I found that although I wasn't watching tv, I often spent my time doing other things and not spending it with God. That's why this time around, I'm setting away time. Yep, I said it, Time. I typically spend most of my day doing school and etc. but when the sun starts to go down is when I watch tv, surf the internet, go on facebook, and essentially waste time. So instead, I spend time in the Word, reading one of my Christian perpective books, in prayer, and writing this blog! (This blog helps me get my thoughts and feelings out ;P) Now i'm not saying I don't ever watch tv or go on the internet, because I do. It's just that I try to prioritize. Hey look that's another step i've taken in my LEAP, prioritizing! Woohoo! Actually, I think through "fasting" the other steps have followed and fallen into place. It's a great feeling to know that you're inching towards making that Leap of Faith. :)

"Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works." - James 2:26 NLT
Let's give feet to our Faith and make that Leap!

10 Ways to Get the Right Guy to Like You

Recently, I was on Facebook and a friend of mine posted a video about homeschoolers from a youtube user called "blimeycow." Naturally I was interested in the video (with me being homeschooled and all). As I watched the video I laughed lots and decided to watch some more of blimeycow's videos. Now if you haven't heard of limeycow you should definitely check them out! They approach alot of social issues and scenarios, and offer practical reasoning with a Christian perspective. They have a web series that they call "Messy Mondays" and every monday they upload a new awesome video! They're very talented in what they do and I thoroughly enjoy their videos. ;-)

A little while ago, blimeycow posted a video titled, "Messy Mondays: Ten Ways to Get the Right Guy to Like You." This is SUCH an awesome video and as soon as I watched I wanted to share it with all my girlfriends. Here it is so you know what i'm talking about:

In this video they give 10 points. The points are as follows:
10. Be Willing to Wait
9. Respect Yourself
8. Be Kind
7. Learn About the Things Guys Like
6. Make Him Feel Needed
5. Support Your Local Chivalry
4. Put Some Clothes On
3. Be Liberated From Hollywood
2. Set Boundaries
1. Be Yourself

I think the best part of this video is that it was made by guys! Ladies, don't sell yourself short! You're worth it! The way you catch a guy is the way you're going to keep him. Just think about that. Your personality and character should capture the right guy's heart, not anything else.

"If being yourself isn't good enough for someone, then maybe they aren't good enough for you. Oh...wait a minute...I'm getting a phone call....Hello? Oh hey there..(It's Prince Charming)..Oh, ok, all right i'll let them know. He says he loves these ideas and he can't wait to meet you. And that you guys are gonna live Happily. Ever. After." ~BlimeyCow

Oh to make a decision!

When they said with age comes responsibility, they weren't kidding!

As a child I was one of those kids that never wanted to grow up. If I would have found me some pixie dust I think I would have flown off to Neverland and never came back. At any sign that I was growing up, I'd ignore the fact and continue with my child lifestyle.

Now that I'll be turning 18 this year, I realize why I never wanted to grow up. When you grow up, suddenly, your parents don't make your decisions for you anymore; you actually have to make them yourself! 

You have to understand that I am one of the most undecisive people on the planet. It takes me a lifetime just to figure out what i'm ordering at Wendy's! On top of being indecisive, I also worry about just about everything from wasting too much paper to questioning myself a million times as to when an event starts. Being worried and indecisive do not make for the best combination, and often lead to some anxiety on my part. 

Recently, I have been confronted with a huge decision to make. Two events that are very important to me are happening on the same week! One, is something that I've been looking forward to for a reeeaaalllyyyy long time. The other, is something i've worked extremely hard on and am not ready to just let go. So there's my dilemma, two very meaningful things happening at the same time.  I have to be honest, this decision is really stressing me out. I haven't decided yet, but I know that I need to trust in God. Even though I don't understand why, God does. There is a reason for this and I just have to trust in him. It's not easy, letting go of the worry, stress, and anxiety, but I just have to. At times, this is easy to put my faith in him; but, at other times, I can become overwhelmed. It's at the times when i'm overwhelmed with worry that I have to remember Matthew 6:27, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
Jesus is right, worrying isn't doing me any good. I just have to let it go and put it in his hands.

The One About Beauty

I'm no blogger but here goes nothing...(or something)....

Beauty, The definitions are endless between what society defines it as and what it really is. Unfortunately, the view of beauty from society is often unrealistic and just flat out wrong. 
I'm in the process of reading Captivating by John and Stasi Elderidge. In their book they write alot about beauty but something that really struck me were these words, "Every woman has a beauty to unveil. Every woman. Because she bears the image of God. She doesn't have to conjure it, go get it from a salon, have plastic surgery or breast implants. No, beauty is an essence that is given to every woman at her creation."

Now to be truly honest, I never thought about beauty much, but reading that statement made me think. We all have days where we don't feel beautiful. I know that for myself, sometimes, I don't feel beautiful. And when I don't feel beautiful, at times I lose my joy. I don't know why I care so much about having my appearance look presentable, it just makes me feel good. Now I know that probably sounds really shallow but when I feel beautiful, I feel more joyful.

This statement from Captivating made me realize, I (along with every woman in the world) have already been presented with the essence of beauty. Whether we always feel it or not we are beautiful. I have come to realize that we should never try to live up to Hollywood or any other person's standard of beauty. The only standard we should hold up to ourselves is the word of God. The best part of that is that the Lod says YOU are beautiful. We are made in the image of our creator. And as Christians we are being perfected daily in the image of Christ. We have to always remember, our value is found in JESUS, not in the fake "perfection" of the world.

 God has created us in his image and he loves us very much. Psalm 139:14 says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful

Welcome! :)

Welcome to my blog! :)) I'm pretty much starting this blog to write out my thoughts and chronicle the steps I take in my life. It's a big time in my life right now with graduating high school and all. I have big goals in mind for my life and I want to bring you on my journey with me as I attempt to achieve those goals. It's a new year (well it was a month ago ;P) and a fresh start. Here I come! :D

 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
- Jeremiah 29:11