my own little world.

...that's what i'm in. A selfish, "lonely" world.

i sat here forever just deciding what to blog about, and nothing came to mind other than what i'm actually struggling with. (funny how that works, eh?) Therefore, this may turn into more of a "rant," so you can save yourself and stop here if you want. :)

so here it is: obviously, if you're close enough to me to be reading this, you know that about 7 months ago, I broke up with matt, after 3 years. The heartbreak, I'm over, but the feeling of being alone, not so much. Life seemed so great initially, but as I got back into routine, it got more difficult. Coming home now, isn't nearly the same. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being with my family, and with my best friends, but something doesn't sit well with me when I'm alone. When I'm alone, I think. and when I think, I think way too much. I now know why I keep myself extra busy at school.

Going to UMHB, it's a common occurance for people to meet "the one" and be engaged by senior year. And while that all seems so awesome, the process of getting there is tough. Although I'd like to say I have completely given this aspect of my life up to God and I'm letting Him take the reins, I can't say that. I feel like coming into this semester, alone, I had a void in the place Matt used to fill. With that void, it was easy to try and "fill it," which would mean my focus was completely, selfishly, turned toward filling the void, with a guy, and not with God, my one true love, my creator, my savior. It also meant trying to fill the void with a guy, instead of girlfriends who would lift me up and encourage me, girls that "get it." In fact, I neglected those friendships, all semester, and I hurt a lot of people, and myself through this process. I think that is really easy for any girl in my position to do. Being "alone" is a scary, scary place after not being "alone" for so long. And while I'd like to think I've had a lot of faith in this area of my life, I've been reassured that I haven't. There are weeks when not a day goes by when my mind isn't constantly focused on finding "the one" which always ends up putting me in a bad mood, (which I've come to realize is completely dumb because I'm SOOO young, and I have SOOOO much more to live for than that) and if I'd had faith in His plan, that wouldn't happen.

Last night, I read through 2 Timothy chapter 2. Verse 13 states that "if we are faithless, He remains faithful." and that's so absolutely encouraging. I love how God knows every struggle and every heartache, and how His word always says something so relevant that just takes me right to where I need to be. I know that God's always got me, always. One of my favorite songs is "Your Hands" by JJ Heller. It's got a line that states, "Your hands that made the world, are holding me. They hold me still." and I'm so glad that little things like this reassure me that I'm going to be okay. :) I've got girls at school that will always be waiting with open arms, and I know they love me, even through my selfishness sometimes. Jill and Auds, I love you both, SO much :) and the rest of my girlfriends, y'all are great! I can't wait to get back and have lots of girls nights and sleepovers.

I'm just grateful for God's unending grace and faithfulness, His unfailing love, and the way He is truely greater and stronger than any struggle I have. He always finds a way to put me in complete awe, and make me feel completely secure. It's wonderful.

In other news, I'm completely obsessed with Christmas time. I'm pretty sure I've looked at lights like 5 nights since I've been home. I've gone Christmas shopping pretty much everyday. Today was baking day in the Moon household, smells delish. You could say, I'm a little excited for the holidays :)

I think that's all I've got for now. Be blessed! :)

home sweet home: take two

Well, here it is..

My last post was all about home, being Allen, Tx... mainly because I wanted to go back SO badly. This one is a little different.. It's about home, being Belton, Tx, UMHB.

I had a negative attitude about coming back here after break, but that attitude was shaken, quickly.

I'm so blessed to be here. I don't really know how to put my feelings into words, but I love it. There is an aura about this place. It's a community, a community of believers, and I can't help but to praise God that I'm here.

Last night at FOCUS, our drama ministry performed. It was a night full of skits, worship, and passionate words for Christ. I. WAS. FLOORED. everything they did or said spoke straight to me, convicted me, and drew me to worship.

I was humbly reminded of how incredible the people I'm surrounded by really are.
My struggles and stumbles become their struggles and stumbles, and I have so many people around me just waiting to put me back on my feel when I fall... It's beautiful, and just what I needed the past couple of days. You see, we all go through struggles, especially as Christians, but sometimes I have a hard time of letting things go. During worship at the end of the night, there was barely a dry eye in the whole chapel. I was surrounded by prayer, song, and love. I stepped over to a friend, fell into her arms, and by her prayer, I was placed right back on the solid ground I fell off to begin with, without her even knowing my struggle. That's the power of God, and I haven't felt His presence in that strong of a way in a long time. It was incredible.

I've met a lot of awesome people here, and I'm becoming very close to many of them. I love that it's normal to have deep, meaningful conversations with the people around me at UMHB. Every conversation provides me with new insight on life and I feel stronger in my faith and in myself, everyday.

God is doing BIG things here at UMHB, and I'm soo blessed to call it home.

home sweet home

Oh the holidays...

It's literally my FAVORITE time of year. :)

I meant to post on Thanksgiving, but I got sidetracked.. i mean who wouldn't with all the hustle of friends, food, football, and family?

This week has really shown me everything I have to be thankful for. I've been so beyond blessed to have grown up in a place like Allen, TX and with the incredible friends and family that I'm surrounded with. I got to spend time with my best friends, Jen and the girls, my parents, brother, and grandparents, as well as my crazy cousins and aunt and uncle. I caught up with some old friends, and enjoyed every second of it.

The week was full of laughter and joy, and peace. It's the little things in life like the hilarious carwash in the wind with my mom today, where we got pink foam soap all over ourselves that stained our hair and our clothes, that make me feel so blessed. Watching my favorite little one year old try to take her first steps and dance for us, hearing my favorite two year old laugh, being with my absolutely ridiculous best friend, and enjoying the wisdom of my grandparents, life just seems so simple.

I needed the simplicity of this week. God has taught me a lot about patience the past few days, and I think I'm finally learning to let go, and give Him that.

I'm excited to get back to school to see my friends, but this week has a super intense workload, prayers please :)

anyways, I'm burning cd's full of Christmas songs... SO exciting :)

love y'all.

it's been wayy too long.

So, I've been ridiculously busy lately and i feel like it's time i update you all :)

1. I picked up a Christian Studies minor, emphasis on children's ministry.. now officially graduating on time in May 2012! :D
2. I'm learning how to play guitar! (thanks to Ryan Hull)
3. Miss MHB Pageant consumed my life the last week and a half, but it was INCREDIBLE, amazing beyond words, simply beautiful.
4. Erin (Matt's little sister) is here visiting for preview weekend, LOVE it :) we're having fun.. dancing at the coffee shop, making puppy chow, watching Christmas movies... life is good.
5. Work is still work, I still am in awe each day of the beautiful creations God places in front of me, and I am still reminded at how much I love children and their love of life.
6. Younglife is amazing, loving it and watching it grow.
7. I'M STOKED TO GO HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanksgiving break is SO close! I can't wait to see my parents, brother, lindsey, sarah, amanda, jen and the girls.. AH, so excited.
8. Had dinner with my dad tonight, it was lovely.
9. Still workin my tail off at the gym.. lovin the results...Florida, here I come :) haha
10. I'm simply happy. I really don't know how else to put it.

love.

spoken to.

"for I have learned in whatever situation I am in to be content"

Philippians 4:11

So, I was going to go to bed early tonight, but I came across this verse in my reading, and it spoke volumes to me.. I had to share it!

Basically, what I got out of this was God saying, "Stop worrying about everything, and just be content with your life." It was like a reality check to me because lately, I'm not content with just fixing one aspect of life.. I wanna do it all. I want to make good grades, I want to become a servant leader, I worry about my appearance (hey, i'm a female), I get over-involved, I think about relationships and the future, etc., and I do it all WAY too much. If I would just be completely content with my life the way it is, God will add to it as He sees fit.. and it would be so much easier. Without worrying, there isn't stress, and without stress.. there is plenty of happiness :) I know that seems like a long shot, but it's so possible, and I'm beginning to see how God's already started showing me where and how to be content. Gosh, God is good.

I'll update you on my life real quick:

Today, I worked from 8AM-6PM... long stinkin day.

but I am so blessed to have the job I have.

I love working at FBC Belton!

I love the people I work with, and I love my kiddos.

I have been getting so much fulfillment out of my job lately,

and it's a beautiful thing. :)

those 3 and 4 year olds really make me smile!

Tonight, I went to dinner with my home group from TBC: NASH BASH!

love them, love them, love them!

Everyone in our group is so absolutely different in so many ways,

but we have SO much fun together,

and we get along so well.

I am just so happy around them.

I decided to become a college YoungLife leader..great decision.

I already love it!

I love the other leaders, I love the small groups, all of it! :)

I'm super excited to invest in lives and see God move in huge ways!

I recently started going to the gym again...

and it's a great stress reliever.

I'll probs be spending lots of time there :)

and my rangers.. well, they're not so great right now,

but at least they're in the world series! :)

and now, I'm ready for bed, but I had to share :)

love youuu

inspired...it's time.

call me crazy.. but today i'm going to write about my favorite sports team... ever.

The Texas Rangers. I know that sounds a little ridiculous, but this team reallyinspires me.

Yeah, maybe not all of the guys are Christians, maybe they don't make the best decisions in life, and maybe they all make mistakes..but they're human. I've noticed more and more lately how much of a TEAM the Rangers are. They pour into each others' lives on and off the field, and it's so evident, especially this season. The Rangers, as individuals, and as a team.. inspire me.

example number 1: Josh Hamilton.
I know most everyone knows his story, or at least the gist of it. I know you've heard that he leaves the room during the crazy celebrations with alcohol, and I know most of you probably know that he relapsed in his addiction and made mistakes, fairly recently. I bet a lot of you don't know that he sometimes goes out and shares his testimony with fans after the games, and i bet a lot of you don't know that the songs he chose to play while he walks up to bat are Christian songs. The man is incredible. If you haven't watched his I am Second video.. watch it:

http://www.iamsecond.com/

example number 2: CJ Wilson.

I watched an interview with CJ recently and I was blown away. I had no idea that he was such an incredible guy. He has never had a drop of alcohol, never smoked, and never done any drugs in his life. He goes with Josh Hamilton to do alternative celebrations, too. This is my first example of showing how incredibly close this team is.. as individuals, and humans, not just professional baseball players.

example number 3: David Murphy.

David Murphy is also an remarkable individual. He went to Baylor University (Sic 'em bears!) and played baseball there. He is always so humble in his interviews, on and off the field. He would hit the game winning home run, and still not hesitate to give God the glory. His walk-up song, similar to Josh Hamilton, is Strong Tower by Kutless... love it.

These three guys are a very small part of this Rangers team. Nonetheless, each one of their stories is incredible and each one plays a HUGE role in the team's overall reputation.

Now to look at how legit the Rangers are as a team/organization:

example 1: Ron Washington admitted to using cocaine and offered to resign as the manager of the Texas Rangers. He admitted to the league and to the team, before his drug testing results came back positive. He apologized, and the team accepted. The players, owners, and organization decided to forgive Washington for his faults and keep him as the manager. Look where this took them: the World Series.

example 2: all of the playoff wins are so exciting, and the celebrations are the same through out the major leagues.. champagne and beer being sprayed everywhere in the clubhouse. Josh Hamilton, as a former alcoholic and someone who strives to bring all glory to Christ, is uncomfortable with these celebrations and doesn't participate. So, the team got ginger ale to celebrate with, just so Josh can be included. If that doesn't scream true teammates... i'm not quite sure what does. :)

It's incredible to watch this team rally around one another and pull together through the mistakes, through the losses, through the wins, and through everything. I love watching them play the game, and i love hearing their interviews off the field. I'm so proud to call myself a Rangers fan. and I am even more excited thatthey will get their chance in the world series this year. It's a beautiful thing. and I think they've earned it. Just because of the kind of team they are...full of love and full of drive.

Claws and Antlers baby.

As for me.. I'm doing well :) I took two road trips this week.. one to CSTAT and one to ATX :) it's been a blast. I'm loving every second of life. It's so beautiful. and God is SOOO good.

:)

stress.

"therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:34

SO, this week has been CRAZY. I have 4 tests (2 down, 2 to go) and lots of pageant and CAB planning to take care of! Life is full of the craziness and the busyness, but in the midst of life flying, there is peace. God is good. I have been reminding myself daily of this verse and it puts me at ease. So, i wanted to share it in case anyone else's week is as insane as mine :)

In other news, life is full of joy as well! :) my cousin is pregnant after many failed trials, praise Him. :) My friends are the absolute greatest, and i'm having so much fun. I got to go home this weekend and spend time with my family and my best friends! it was pure bliss :) AND, to top it all off... daddy got tickets to the rangers playoff game saturday!! :) We sat in the second deck, and even though they lost.. it was the experience of a lifetime. I grew up in that stadium, going to all kinds of games and getting tons of awesome experiences.. so going to this SOLD OUT PLAYOFF game, just made it all the more special. I loved it!

and as for tonight... THE RANGERS WON THE ALDS AND ARE GOING ON IN THE PLAYOFFS! :D :D :D :D :D i was excited.. beyond excited!!!! :) and i got to celebrate with my friends.. we're making brownies.

What a life i live... love it

life.

It's been about a week since my last post.. dang, i've been busy!
Here is what consumes my life (in this order):
1. School--next week, I have 4 tests.
2. Work
3. Church and related events (biblestudies/homegroups)
3. CAB events/meetings/planning
4. Miss MHB and Crusader Knights Steering committees
and finally,
my social life.

I'm still making new friends, and my new relationships are growing stronger each day :) It's wonderful, and I love it. I've been struggling a lot with trying to gain the world's acceptance and trying to "fit in" lately, but I finally figured out that I should be trying to gain the acceptance of Christ and "fit in" to his kingdom, so that is what I'm working on. What a faithful God I serve. He has fulfilled each desire I have given Him and I feel so entirely blessed! Its an amazing feeling.

So that's where I'm at.
See ya!

God is good, all the time.

This is a picture from the house we worked on in Salado. :) and in my last post, I left you stating that I was really learning how to serve, or at least desiring to have the heart of a servant. Since then, I have heard two sermons on service and generosity. One was on Wednesday night at FOCUS (which is my FAVORITE part of the week!) and one was Sunday at TBC :) I just love when God places exactly what you need to hear, right in front of you! He is so good.

Here's the run-down on the rest of my life..

Family weekend was wonderful, I love my family and I miss them SO much! Cowboys won the game vs. the Texans! UMHB is still undefeated. Rangers clinched the AL West, and My daddy is the BEST and got me a ticket to the TEXAS RANGERS PLAYOFF GAME! i'm SO pumped. I skyped with Jennifer, and finally got to see baby Alexis..can't wait to go home and take her to the zoo! I'm continuing to meet new people and make new friends! It's officially fall here.. and I'm not sure I'm okay with the morning/evening temps, but the afternoon is wonderful. There is a dreaded stomach bug going around work right now, prayers that I stay healthy, please! Miss MHB Pageant practices officially kicked off tonight, and I'm so blessed to be involved! Classes...(i guess since i'm in college and all, i should say something about them) they're hard. It's already been a tough semester, but God is good, and I'm surviving.

welp, that's all for now!

love. :)

learning to serve

Hello friends!! :)

it's currently 3:38 AM and I can't sleep. I guess that's what I get for not having class til 3 Monday and getting to sleep in! haha

so anyways, I'm real excited about what God has placed on my heart lately! I am learning how to serve. and by that, I mean really serving, wholeheartedly, without complaint, and serving for the Lord. Matthew 25 talks about this beginning in verse 35.

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you visited me." The righteous then ask Jesus when they saw and did all of this. He answers, "As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

I got an amazing opportunity to serve on Saturday. With all of the recent flooding, there were many houses in the area that were damaged beyond repair. One in particular, was the house of an important man on our campus. I was so thrilled to get the opportunity to serve there for a few hours. We spent our time gutting the house. Ripping up tiles and linoleum, pulling nails out of the wood structure, knocking down sheetrock and showers, etc. It was hard work, but absolutely worth every second. I later found out it was the house of one of the freshman girls that I have become friends with. That in itself made it all the more worth it. As I swept the floors, I thought of this family, and I thought of how quickly life can change. I felt for them. I felt incredibly blessed by where I was raised, and I was completely humbled. I noticed something in their window. It was a fencepost carved into the shape of an angel, with Philippians 4:13 written on it...AMAZING. I saw God working there, through us, and through the flood devastation.

I have been trying to think of practical ways to serve those around me. Such as an encouraging word, or note, or just listening. And I get so much fulfillment out of it all! If I can make one person's day, it's totally worth it.

In other news, I spent my evening at the JV football game, getting drenched in the rain and freezing with some of the new CAB girls, and had a BLAST! I enjoyed seeing the guys play, too!(they won!) I bought a new umbrella at walmart during the 2nd quarter :) I'm real excited about that! I've gotten to hang out with a lot of my girl friends lately and I'm in the process of catching up with one! :) It's super exciting! I miss home more and more everyday, but I FINALLY get to see my parents (and linds) this weekend! :) I couldn't be more excited!!! :D it's going to be wonderful!!!

anyways, I think I should probably go to sleep now. I love yall!

in FULL swing.

Welp, I knew it had to happen eventually.... I officially have more homework than I know how to handle, and my first test this week, which means my semester is finally in full swing. I'm doing my best to not get overwhelmed and to take it project by project, but that is a challenging thing to do. I'm exhausted and busier than ever on top of my homework, but somehow, I feel at peace. Our God is just so great like that, He knows what's going on and gives peace to the restless.

God has really worked in my lafe lately and I'm learning so much. This weekend was CLC (Crusader Leadership Conference). It seemed like everyone and their mom from UMHB was there! Such an amazing group of people and so much fun! I took time to get to know a lot of new people and take my mind off of school for a day, it was great! I'm getting closer with girls that I've wanted to be close with for a year or so now, and it's wonderful. I love the community of this place! I loved meeting all of our new CABbers and getting to know them personally. I'm pumped for this year in CAB! I can feel it being amazing! Friday night, I laid out on the log benches by the campfire and just stared at the stars. SO BEAUTIFUL! I love getting to take time to stop and be in awe of God's creation, I had one of those "stop and tell yourself this is reality" moments. It was a great weekend full of learning how to be servant leaders and be effective leaders!

One thing that's been on my mind lately is a few lines from a song called "More like Falling in Love" by Jason Gray

"It ought to be more like falling in love, than something to believe in.

More like losing my heart, than giving my allegiance."

The first time I heard this song, I loved it. I love these lines because they are so true. Our relationship with Christ isn't just believing in Him, its falling in love with Him. It's not just saying we're Christians, it's losing our hearts to Him, living like Him. It's dying to ourselves and living for him. That's what the sermon at TBC this morning was over, too: dying to ourselves, and surrendering. It was so perfect for me to hear because I've been really trying to dig deep and follow that lately.

I know I say it in every post, but life is so sweet right now, but its a bitter sweetness. I miss my parents, lindsey, amanda, and sarah, SO much. && I miss Jen and my girls, SO much, even though I'm having the time of my life. Tonight, I'm going to enjoy some Cowboys football, already got my #9 on :) and the rangers beat, sorry, SWEPT the yankees this weekend! I'm stoked. I could use your prayers this week, it's going to be insane. I know I'll make it though.

life is so sweet!

Since my last post, I've had the best weekend!! :)

I went to TWO crusader soccer games, and we won BOTH! Super exciting! I went to the new local coffee shop, Bodega Bean, for UMHB night and got to watch some of my closest friends perform, they were all so good! We watched the UT football game at the sports bar&grill in Temple. I learned how to overhand serve in volleyball (thanks to my roomie, whitney!) I went to the lake with Whit and Michael and we went cliff jumping! It was me and Whit's first time! Then we went swimming for a while. OH! and Whitney and I got our fishies! Last night, I went to the Casey Donahew Band concert with a bunch of awesome friends(whit, britt, michael, brandon, skarpa, and more!) It was more fun than I could've imagined! Afterwards we went to Whataburger (of course!) and then watched a moviee! We also watched a movie on Friday night, that makes 2! and they were my 2 favorites! I'm a lucky girl!

It's the only long weekend I've ever stayed on campus for, and I loved it! I even got to skype Sarah and Kristen, and Jennifer! :) So glad to see their beautiful faces again! :) I can't wait to have dinner with my brother this week and go dancing again on Thursday! Now I'm going to study with whitneyy and the 2 coolest freshmen at UMHB! (JD and Brandon)

-EDIT-

We went to dinner and to the Weigh Station! If you haven't been there yet, GO! I love frozen yogurt!!! and I got to feed my adventurous side and go exploring at the beautiful creek in downtown, and see the beautiful sunset! :) What a way to end the weekend! :)

I'm not sure life can get much sweeter than this... God is SO good! :)

Feels Like Home

"Be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" -1 Thessalonians 5:16

Love, love, love this verse! I know it's easier said than done, but it's the verse I try to live by. The verse kind of spoke to me as I collected memories of my life. There were times when life was so dark, times when I had nowhere to go, and times when I wasn't thankful. But the love of Christ has set me free. His power is what calmed the last big storm in my life, and His power is what healed me. As I came back to school, I had hoped that I would meet people, and would have so much fun! His plans WAY exceeded my expectations for this semester!


So, here is what I have realized: I feel like a freshman.

Let me explain:


I spent the last two years of college not getting involoved, not meeting as many people as I can, not hanging out when I really want to, and not trying new things. This semester, I've already met more people than I can count, hung out with people I never though I would get to, gone to the lake, went dancing, played at the water park, watched countless movies, saw a soccer game (and Hailey!), played volleyball nearly every night, and have had more fun than I know what to do with!

I'm also getting super involved! I'm one of three executive members of Campus Activities Board, I'm a committee head for part of Miss MHB pageant, I'm going to Bible studies and FOCUS, I'm supporting the sports teams, and I'm loving every second of being super busy!


I finally feel like UMHB is home. I come into my apartment (i'll post pics later) and see my roommates, and I feel like I'm home. I go to my meetings, events, games, etc., and it feels like home. I walk into a building and talk to people I've just become friends with, and I feel at home. We cook and eat meals together, and it feels like home. Life is just so sweet! Sometimes, I have to stop and tell myself that this is reality.


Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been easy. Life has thrown plenty of curveballs lately, but I'm surviving, happily. Even though I miss my family, and Jen and the girls, and Sarah and Amanda, I know they'll be waiting with open arms when I go back to Allen. Life's not the same out here, but I finally feel like I can call UMHB, home. I love this place.


Welp, that's all I got today!

love you :)

becoming family

The past week taught me a lot about becoming a family, and THIS is what a FIRST PLACE FAMILY looks like :)
The week was filled with trying to impress the steering committee and get money so we could claim the title, but it was SO MUCH MORE than that. We didn't care if we won. We knew we were a "first place family" all week. We ate together, went to the lake, worshipped together, prayed together, played together, and just hung out together. We bonded on so many different levels, and learned so much about each other. Each person in this group knows my testimony, knows where I've come from, and most importantly, knows who I am now.


I am so blessed to have gotten the opportunity to be invested in the lives of these freshmen!
We worked hard at our service project on Saturday and saw servants of God shining through all the freshly cleaned kennels and dishes at the animal shelter, and I know the people that we worked for did too. I cried through the dubbing video, knowing that my new family was officially becoming part of "our family" at UMHB! I am so proud of these young men and women and I am so blessed by each of them. We won every game at rec time, and won with class at that. I was proud of the way they handled adversity and had so much fun in the process.


Michael and Brittney, the AMAZING "parents" of this family. I couldn't have imagined a better team than the team the 3 of us made. How lucky am I to have gotten to share this week with my bestfriend? I feel like throughout this week, our friendship has just strengthened, and I love it. I am so glad I got to serve these freshmen with two people as incredible as Michael and Brittney are. I feel so blessed just being friends with them, let alone spending the entire week investing in the lives of freshmen with them? wow, I'm a lucky girl.

WW2010 was by far, one of the greatest weeks of my life. My eyes were opened to so many new things, and I am SO excited to see how God uses each and every one of these freshmen in the next 4 years! and I am so excited to see how close our family stays through Bible studies, dinners, and family reunions! I'm still so sad WW is over! it was such a blessing! :)

Becoming the Branch of the Vine.

"Already you are clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine and you are the branches, Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." -John 15:1-5

This verse has been shown to me 3 different times this week. I truly feel God speaking it to me and I am so excited to work towards becoming it.

Tuesday night at worship for training, Miles read it out and talked about it in a way of leadership. He was referring to us welcome week staffers being leaders for the freshmen and becoming the branches of the vine to reach out and create more branches.
Then yesterday, I was reading my new book, "When God Writes your Love Story" (it's excellent!) and the verse was shown again. Revealing to me that unless I give that aspect of my life completely up to God, I cannot do anything with it. My plan will never work, only His will.
and finally, today, our speaker brought it up again. He talked about it in a way I had never heard before. He related it to being a Christian in college. He gave ways to do this and I was so encouraged. I am really understanding God lately, and I'm loving every minute of it! I am so ready to become the branch that bears so much fruit! :)

on another note.... WELCOME WEEK!!!!!! AH! i just can't get enough of it! :) I am having SOOOO much fun, it's crazy! I love our family! I love Michael and Brittney, and I love our freshies! :) We are such an awesome family! and I am loving being a guide for these freshmen as they join us at school! :) I just can't wait to see what God does with the rest of this week! :) It's been so incredible so far! :) I can't even describe it to you in words! :)

I just love life :)

BELTON!

Oh it is SOOOOOOO good to be back!!! :)

I moved in on Saturday, and my roomies moved in yesterday! :)

Last night, my bestfriend (Brittney) got locked out of her apartment at 2:30 AM and I had to go rescue her! funny thing is, rescuing her took 2 seconds because our apartments face eachother and are like 20 feet apart! :) LOVE IT! She slept on my couch last night. haha

Yesterday I went to church at Temple Bible Church, where I had the most AMAZING worship experience in a looong time. I've been missing that aspect of my walk with Christ. There's no feeling like it. It actually brought me to tears, crazy. I'm feeling like God has already opened my eyes to SO much being here. I've realized how many new friends I have to make and how many memories I'm going to make with them! It's really just a blessing, a wonderful blessing. I'm so overwhelmed by the ways God is opening my eyes and at how He loves me.

Today marks day 1 of training for Welcome Week and I'm already exhausted! Tomorrow is day 2, and Wednesday is the start of Welcome Week! SO exciting! Prayers will be appreciated, it's going to be a LONG week! (but super fun!) I loved getting to know so many people today and I can't wait to make more friends! :)

Another thing that has happened since i've been here is been exceedingly clumsy. loke more than normal, which is probably hard to believe. haha I already have bruises on my legs from running into my bed, and i popped a blood vessel in my wrist playing volleyball. sweet life :)

Tonight, I'm going to have bestie bonding time with Britt while we make our gifts for the freshies! :) i love her!

anyways, that's my update since I've been at school! :) I miss everyone at home!

looove.

Empty handed, but alive in Your hands

"and after you have suffered a little while, the God of all GRACE who has called you to an eternal life in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you" -1 Peter 5:10

So, today I want to thank God for His grace. I mean really, who else could take me from being as broken as I was at the beginning of the summer, to being as happy and optimistic and thankful as I am now? Noone. I have been renewed, I have been SO blessed, and I am just a happy girl! :) Life is SO good.

Last night, I finally got to hang out with my group of high school friends. We hadn't hung out all summer since everyone was doing their own thing. We had a blast catching up and sharing our summer adventures :) After everyone left, Natalie and I got to talk, really talk. We both went through sacrificing break ups earlier this year, both sacrificing the relationship for our walk with Christ. So, she is really easy to relate to. It was awesome :) I think we both needed someone to relate to. :)

Oh, PRAISE THE LORD, my big brother got his first "real world" job! He's working as a claims adjuster for Farm Bureau. He's getting all kinds of benefits and stuff. I am SO thankful that he could get that job as a fresh college grad because so many people with experience can't even get one. Such a blessing for our family! AND! bonuspoints! HE'S TRAINING IN WACO! so i get to hang out with him while I'm at school! yeah, I'm a little excited for him :)

and another plus to life.. the rangers beat the yankees last night.. great day to be a Ranger's fan!! :) I sure love my rangers!

Gosh, in three, THREE days, I will be in Belton! I am SO super excited and just dying to get there, but I have SO much to do before then!! I have to pack, take a final, and spend every moment I can with my friends and family before I leave.

God is SO good, and I am loving life, so much!

3days, love.

should've known how hard it'd be to leave this town

So... 8 DAYS TIL BELTON!! :D I'm so ready! I had frozen Yogurt with Ryan yesterday, and all we could talk about is how ready we are to go back! We are in a pretty similar place in life and we're both so ready to see what God has in store at UMHB this year! :) Another thing that is making me so excited to go back is two stepping! :) I spent the past two nights at Billy Bob's in Ft. Worth with some of my best friends, dancing and jamming to country music.. I can't wait to go to Wild West with everyone this year!

**This part of the post is directed toward my best friends, so you don't have to read it if you don't want to :)

While it's super exciting to be going back, the reality of the people I'm leaving at home is setting in. Yesterday, I had to say my "see ya later" to my bestfriend/sister and her beautiful babies. Those of you that are really close to me know who Jennifer is. She is my parents' best friends' daughter! She knew me before I was born, and that's how I am with her girls. They left today for Florida and won't be back until after I'm in Belton. Jen and I have gotten SO close this summer and I wouldn't trade that for the world. She is really the only person I tell EVERYTHING to. I always wanted a big sister to relate to, and God blessed me and my family with hers. We go out and shop and have lunch, or just hang out with the girls at home and talk, but we are together at least a couple days a week, sometimes 4 or 5. I just love hearing about stories from when she was my age and all of her advice. I hope and pray that one day, Ill be there for her girls too. Her oldest, Ashlynn, is nine. She asked Christ into her life at VBS with me this summer and I can't wait to see how God is going to use her. I have such a special bond with her. Addyson is two and Alexis is 9 months. I'm not ready to leave them because they grow and change so much, everyday. I feel like I'm going to miss out on so many milestones. Jen and her girls give me four reasons to smile, everyday and I'm so thankful for how much time I had with them this summer.

My bestfriend Amanda already left for OU and I miss her like crazy. I didn't wanna say my "see ya later" to her either. We've been friends since we were 14 and I'm so glad! There have definitely been points where we went a while without talking, but something always pulls us back together! :) We hung out a lot this summer, more than last year and it was so nice to get to be best friends again, the way we were when we were at Pro Spirit. I just love her. :)

and Sarah, my bestfriend since age 5. My wittle baby Sarah is all grown up. Isn't she just SO beautiful? She graduated this year and is heading to Arkansas on the 18th. I'm going to hate being SO far from her and not having her around when I come home on weekends and stuff. Our frienship has grown so strong this summer and I love it. Our age difference kinda caused us to grow apart when I went to school and stuff, but now, we're as close as we were before. I've spent SO much time with her and her friends this summer, I love all of them. I'm going to miss Sarah so much when we're both gone for school, but I'm excited to come home for breaks and see her beautiful face and hear ALL about her freshman year as a Razorback! :)

Anyways, again.. I'm SO pumped to get back to school, only 8 more days!! :) I'm starting to pack RIGHT NOW! :) I'm just going to miss the girls I've spent my summer with, so much! but, I'm ready. I'm ready to see what God has planned for me this fall! I've never been so excited!! :)

houston (cont.) and lifee.

So the rest of my trip in Houston was great! We went to sprinkles cupcakes in downtown on Saturday, they were REALLY good :) and stopped at this AMAZING waterfall thing and took pictures, so beautiful! and then we went to the Houston Dynamo soccer game Saturday night. I don't know much about soccer, but the game was fun! and Sunday was just lunch at Texas Roadhouse, which was delicious, as always. I stopped in Conroe on the way home and saw my roomie Audrey! :) All this time with my UMHB friends just makes me so SO much more ready to be back in Belton! 12 days and counting, I can't wait!

last night, I met up with my bestfriend Taylor and we went to the park, played on the swings, and talked for a long time. I just love spending time with him :) I have the best bestfriends ever.

Today, I was having a conversation with a friend and he told me to always be myself, and to never let anyone tell me differently, something I've always struggled with. I've struggled with trying to change myself for guys, and for friendships, just so I could stay in those relationships. However, now that I really feel like I have truly found who I am and what I believe, I don't want anything to change. I love who I've become and I love the things I'm learning about myself every day. I came across this verse: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and has made the LORD his hope and confidence" -Jeremiah 17:7 and I really like it. My confidence in myself has sky-rocketed since I was completely broken, and my mentality on life has changed so much. I've really been working on giving every aspect of my life to God and fully trusting Him with it. I was so encouraged during that conversation today, and I am continually growing and learning every day.

love you :)

12 DAYS!

HOUSTONNN!

and.. i'm in houston :) visiting my besttt friend Brittney :) today, we went to the galleria and had lunch at Rainforest Cafe with Aaron McBride! and tonight, we are going to Kemah to see Michael Beach and for dinner!! gosh, I wish ALL summer was like this! it's a blast!

time for more updates on lifeee!

yesterday, I spent 4.5 hours driving to Houston.. long and boring. but, I got my Western Civ. test back in class.. and I GOT AN A! :) praise Jesus! oh, and Britt and I saw Charlie St. Cloud at midnight! it was realllllly good! sad, and confusing, but good! I'd recommend it! :)

and Tuesday, ah.. Tuesday was a GREAT day! went to lunch with my bestfriends Taylor and Amanda :) then spent hours shopping with Amanda :) She leaves tomorrow to go back to OU. i know she's excited.. but i'm not. I'm going to miss that girl. Then, that night.. i went to the TEXASRANGERS game with the fam and Sarah's family :) I LOVE THE RANGERS and i love baseball. We had 8th row tickets.. and got invited to a suite for part of the game! gosh, what a life i live. Best game all season.. sitting 8th row! perf. i've spent lots of time with Sarah lately.. so fun!

golly, i am just feeling so so blessed. i love my friends and i love my family, and i just couldn't be happier! i feel like my outlook on how i live my life has changed so much lately.. and i'm loving every second. i spend so much less time worrying about pointless things, and so much more time enjoying life. Its like i can't even explain how much i love life right now, and things are only getting better!! :)

i'll update you on the rest of my Houston endeavors later!

love you :)

love like crazy

well, i love summer, SO much! I love just getting to hang out, relax, and be lazy with the people i love. However, this summer has been bittersweet. I love my family and friends from home, but I miss my friends at school, EVERYDAY! i can't go a day without thinking.."man, i wish jill and brittney lived here." I miss everyone at UMHB so much, and I cannot wait to get back! 22 days and counting down! :)

Anyways, one of my favorite things about summer is new music! All the country artists come out with the best songs in the summer! maybe that's not true, but in the summer i get the time to actually listen to lyrics.. which always makes a song better. My favorite song this summer, and possibly ever, is "Love Like Crazy" by Lee Brice. It's chorus just is so amazing, such good words to live by :)

"be a best friend, tell the truth, and overuse I love you.

Go to work, do your best, don't outsmart your common sense.

Never let your prayin' knees get lazy, and love like crazy."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0f5g18EbG4

but as I listen to it and reflect on my life.. I don't do half the things it says, here's what i thought about.

1. be a best friend- well, I'd like to believe I'm pretty good at this one, you'd have to ask my friends... but when it comes down to it.. how many people would I drop everything for? This made me think about how I should be a best friend to everyone, and how i don't currently do that.
2. Tell the truth- well.. we all make mistakes. and I'll be the first to admit that I've stretched the truth, I've told white lies, and I've flat out lied, and I've learned from every instance. However, its not a commonality in my life and I personally despise being lied to.. there isn't much worse of a feeling, so I try to keep lying out of my life.
3. Overuse I love you- man, this one sounds so easy.. but it really hit me hard because I really don't overuse it. I figured out I need to tell my family and friends i love them everyday. I would hate to leave this earth with someone questioning whether or not i love them. besides, saying i love you to someone can brighten their whole day, so why not?
4. Go to work, do your best- this one is a tough one for me. I do go to work.. but how often do I truly do my absolute best at work? I get lazy often and just neglect to put my all into everything I do. I try to find the easy way out. A verse popped into my head the first time i heard this part of the song: "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men"- Colossians 3:23. Gosh, If I sat here and said I do exactly that, I would be the world's biggest liar, because often times, I do the complete opposite.
5. don't outsmart your common sense- haha this one makes me laugh because i second guess myself all the time, and a lot of those times i end up looking like a fool. most of the time, i'm pretty level headed.. but i do have my blonde moments. :) anyways, this one just kind of tells me not to second guess my self and my feelings.
6. never let your prayin' knees get lazy- gosh, I wish I could say I did this. I take the time to pray once or twice a day.. most of the time, but really I should be in prayer all the time, in every decision, but I really just get lazy and don't follow through. Prayer is the key to heaven, but faith unlocks the door.
7. love like crazy- Like I said at the beginning of the summer, my desire is to love everyone, and to love everyone "like crazy." i want to show love to everyone I meet, even though i fail at doing so sometimes.

anyways, this song really inspires me, and makes me wanna do exactly what it says :) and I wanted to share that with y'all, in hopes that maybe it will inspire you too :) Now it's time for the Ranger's game!! :D

i love you :)

update.

well, nothing is too spectacularly exciting in my life right now.. but i'm going to update you anyways :)

I'm in a western civilization class for summer II... it stinks. but today, I enjoyed because we talked about science. haha and we got out an hour early! :) so no torture today!

yesterday, I had lunch with my wonderful roomie, Whitney Almond! :) we went to cheddars! i LOVE cheddars!! lunch with Whit made me just SO SO SO much more ready to get to Belton! I also went shopping with my mommy. She told me we were going to one store.. and by one, she meant 7. hahha oh well, I got some cute stuff, and I love shop with mom days! :)

My friends are home from younglife camp, so I get to hang out with my bestie, Sarah, and our other friends again! :) I'm SOOO happy about that!

and.. i've been going jogging every night.. SO proud of myself! :)

anyways, that's my life lately.. I know I just gave you all incredible, life changing knowledge! :)

love you :)

Experiencing New Things and Missing Belton

Meet little Timothy. A darling (but annoying) baby goat at Jill's ranch!

I had an AMAZING weekend in Llano, Tx, Jill's little country hometown. I had so many new experiences! I sheared(shaved) a goat, went to a goat auction, swam in the Llano River, rode horses, ate at "hole in the wall" restaraunts, had NO cell phone service, and sketchy internet, and I enjoyed EVERY second of it.

As much as I complained about not having cell phone service, I actually really liked not being connected to the world for a few days :) So peaceful!

I never realized how much Jill and I have in common until this weekend :) We had so much fun! I'm so blessed to have her! :) Our waitress at Stonewall's (best burgers EVER, hands down) asked us if we were sisters, false. She then proceeded to ask us if we grew up together, also false. Truth is, we've known eachother less than a year! SO crazy how it already seems like we've known each other forever.

anyways, the 4.5 hour drive down was lonely.. but I stopped in Belton (oh, how I miss Belton) and had lunch with my good friend Mikey. We enjoyed our whataburger and caught up on life. Then, I went by work (FBC Belton) and saw my kiddos! I miss those kids SO SO much and I can't wait to get back to them! I miss my co-workers, too. I took a quick drive around the campus, just because I miss it, and then went on my way.

It's crazy how ready I am to get back to school. I miss my friends and I can't wait to move into my apartment with Audrey, Whitney, and KayCee! I've never been so excited to get back to school, ever. But now, I'm basically dying to! Ony 33 days! Hooray!

so, now the All Star game is on and I'm super excited! So, I'll write again later!

love you :)

loving summer

Oh Lake Texoma... by far my favorite place in the world. Sounds dumb because in reality, there are WAY cooler places in the world, but I'm content with having the lake. Anytime I get around the water or places with beautiful landscapes, I can't help but take millions of pictures. Even at Lake Lavon, during GA camp, I took pictures... LAKE LAVON people, one of the uglier lakes I've been to.

Somehow, God finds a way to make places like that beautiful. Its either that, or the fact that my eyes have been opened to the beauty surrounding me. God's creation is beautiful, ALL of God's creation. He is an awesome God. I love spending time on the water. It's so relaxing, so refreshing. It bites that I only get that opportunity every once in a while.

I spent my Monday with my bestfriend and my family out at the lake and I loved every second. My brother and his girlfriend put on a firework display for us while we sat on top of Jim & Cindy's yacht, so fun!

I'm loving this summer! I just can't get enough of my family and friends, and all of the things I'm getting to do! Tomorrow, I'm road-tripping to Llano, Texas :)

You've never heard of Llano, TX? yeah.. I hadn't either, but I'm going to visit one of my bestfriends, Jill Parson :) I'm super excited to leave Allen, FINALLY, and spend a few days doing life the country way..something I've never gotten to do! You'll hear from me by Sunday when I come back, I'm sure.

GOOD NEWS! my stupid british lit. online class is officially over tomorrow at noon! :D YAYYY!

Summer just got better! :)

love you.

Celebrating Freedom

So, today is July 4th, Happy Birthday USA day, Independence Day, whatever you wanna call it. However, I think I'll call it Thank you to our troops, and to God the Father for our freedom day. :) its way less convenient to say, but that's really what today is all about.

"These things I have said to you, that in Me you may have peace. For in the world you will face tribulations, but take courage, I have overcome the world" -John 16:33

Today brings back an INCREDIBLE memory.

Freshman year. As a member of the CRU cheer squad, I had the opportunity to skip out on class for a day, put on my cute little uniform and join loved ones in welcoming a fleet of soldiers from the US Army home to Fort Hood, the nation's largest army base. The experience was so humbling and so overwhelming. We did stunts and cheers for the crowd as they waited the moment for their soldier to run to them with open arms. However, it was emotional. As you think about the ones who lost their lives for us, for US. people they don't even know? that's love. That's courage, and that's dedication to a country. I could never do it, and I give props to all of the soldier spouses and significant others. (Sri, you're an inspiration!) It takes an incredible amount of faith and courage to be on either end of that relationship.

That's what today is really all about. Celebrating the fact that we are FREE. We live in a place where that same freedom is taken for granted. How cool is it that we are free to do pretty much whatever we want, where we want, and when we want?! Most places of the world can't do that---ANY of that. I feel so blessed to live in America, and I only have our amazing soldiers and our amazing God to thank for that.

It's awesome to live in a place where we have the freedom to worship our Savior and our Maker without punishment. In some places, you get exiled, arrested, or executed for doing so. It makes me thankful to live in a place like this.

There is a song by the Newsboys called "I am Free"

I am free to run

I am free to dance

I am free to LIVE FOR YOU

I am free.

This is what it's about! :)

So, having said that, enjoy your holiday, enjoy your friends and family, enjoy your freedom, but most importantly, say a prayer for those who lost their lives, those retired, and those still fighting for the rights that we have. Thank God for them and the sacrifices they give, and for giving the ultimate sacrifice for us.

Now, off to hang out with the family for the day by the pool, playing volleyball, listening to country music, eating Texas BBQ, and soaking up the sun!

love you :)

Finding Myself

Hello! :)

I'm supposed to be writing a 4-page paper on Henry IV for my Brit Lit class right now.. ask me how that's going! haha

Anyways, I was reflecting on my thoughts the past few days, and I wanted to share what I've realized/learned:

I'm not your typical girl, and I'm completely okay with that. I love sports (baseball and football most), my favorite meal consists of having medium-rare steak on my plate, I enjoy video games, and I love being outside. However, I love getting my hair, makeup, and nails done, and shopping with my mom and girlfriends as well. So anyways, I love who I am, and I love what i'm learning about myself! I think being balanced is great, makes me versatile when hanging out with guy friend or girl friends! lol

Here's what else I've learned (the important stuff!)

I'm not perfect, actually i'm about the farthest thing from it. i'm selfish, impatient, emotional, self-concious and easily hurt. I take things way too personally. I procrastinate all the time(example, now.) I'm loud..too loud most of the time. I'm laid back (good/bad thing) I'm lazy, I hate working out unless i'm doing something active like playing a sport, I drink too much soda, I get scared easily, and I forget where I put things all the time. I'm clumsy and accident prone, and I care way too much about what people think of me.

At church on Sunday, Pastor Chad's sermon was about how God looks at the heart. "For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the Heart" -1 Samuel 16:7 And through that sermon, I found myself doing a run through of my characteristics.. not focusing on the bad ones, that's exciting! I finally figured out the only person I have to please is God. and the only way to please Him is to live a life honoring and glorifying His name! "The King is enthralled by your beauty, honor Him, for he is your Lord!" -Psalm 45:11
I get so overwhelmed when I realize how beautiful some of my characteristics are and let go of the ones that aren't! It's encouraging.

Lately I've noticed a change in myself. The kind of change you only see when someone lets go of worldly views and clings to Christ's. I'm way happier all the time, way more fun to be around, and encouraging. I've been completely reassured that my passion is being with children, and that my choice to be an education major is completely where I'm supposed to be. My favorite thing to do is make someone smile, even if I can't make myself smile. I have noticed the little things that slip my everyday mind, such as how blessed I am to have parents who love me continually, and love eachother more than the day they were married! I'm so blessed to have a big brother, who loves me, even though it doesn't feel like it when he's picking on me, and I'm so blessed to have the friends that I have and am continuing to make. Brittney, Jill, Sarah, Brooke, and Amanda- you girls are my best friends and I can't thank you enough for shining your lights to me when I was hurting. I am so blessed to have you girls and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

I've found my goal in life, and that is to live out 1 Timothy 4:12. The only compliments I take to heart are the ones from people whom i've encouraged. When my campers told me I was the best counselor ever, I felt so fulfilled. When moms from the church tell me that I'm wonderful and that they hope their kids can grow up to be like me, I'm overjoyed. I've noticed I like compliments on my character way more than compliments on my appearance, and that's okay with me :)

So, the point of it all is that I'm finding myself. I'm finding my joy, and finding exactly who I want to be. I'm becoming way more of a "I'll try almost anything once" kind of person, and I love that! I've become kind of addicted to the feeling of stepping out of my comfort zone, and going for things I would never have before. I'm loving this process of finding myself.

Anyways, I have to get my paper done so I can go to Denton and spend the night at the Casey Donahew concert with my brother, and close friends for Lindsey's birthday! :)

looove.

Living Love

I'M HOOOME! :)

Ah, GA camp, WHAT A WEEK! I got the opportunity to hang out with an AMAZING group of 11 5th (almost 6th) grade girls this week! They are all so beautiful, so funny, and taught me in so many ways. I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to go to GA camp with them and learn about God's Love. I just LOVE acting like a kid again, and being free to not fix my hair, not wear makeup, say and do crazy things, and not be judged for any of them. That's the beauty of being with children, they love you no matter what you look like, or how big of a fool you make out of yourself...and let me tell you, I LOVE that kind of love.

The theme of this camp was Live Love, living out God's love to others. I am still in awe that my last post was about wanting to learn how to love like God, and loe and behold, the camp theme was just that. Man, God is good.

It would take me forever to describe everything about this week, so I'll try to make it short and sweet. The focus of GA's is missions. When I say missions, I mean internationally, locally,and even in your neighborhood. It's all about sharing Christ's love with others. The girls learned how to tell the plan of salvation, I stood tearfully in awe of the Savior God as a camper was saved in front of me, and God fulfilled my prayer of learning how to love like Him; all while rock climbing, swimming, playing at a park, dancing, singing, and canoeing with my girls.

The first night at worship, our focus verse was 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, the love verses. The speaker gave us a challenge, fill in the word "love" with your own name:

"Miranda is patient(false), Miranda is kind(most of the time), Miranda does not envy(false), Miranda does not boast(mostly true)"...I think you get the point, speaking a bunch of lies, or half-truths. When you fill in the verse with your name, it's so eye-opening. It made me realize that God is love, and God's love is ALWAYS patient, ALWAYS kind, etc. and in order to love like Christ, we have to let go of things such as envy, and arrogance.

The next night, I learned that EVERYTHING is God's plan, and in order to fulfill what God wants, I have to surrender my plan. "Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening"- 1Samuel 3:9. That's a tough thing to do, but in the past 4 weeks, I have seen the evidence of what God does when you surrender your plan.. He finds your joy, and teaches you through things you could never imagine, and He deserves every ounce of the glory for that.

Needless to say, I had an even more incredible week at GA camp, and I am feeling so blessed to have been given the opportunities I have been given, and I am just overwhelmed by God's love and Grace :)

I love you all!

ps. If you wanna hear more about GA camp, let me know! :)

Finding Love

So, late night with my best friends... AMAZING.

One of my bestest guy friends, Taylor, came home today from younglife summer staff in Colorado. We got to hang out, just like old times, with all of our other buddies. We had such a tight group of friends growing up, and it's an amazzing feeling to find that again. :)

Taylor kept saying, "I love you guys" over and over again tonight, oh how I missed him! It showed me how absolutely blessed I am to have the friends I have, and to have had some of them since I was 5 years old..crazy! Gah, "A friend loves at all times" Proverbs 17:17, these friends are some of the only people I can truly say love me for me, ALL of me, ALL the time and always will. I'm SO blessed!

While in CO, Taylor was a horse wrangler. He named his horse Agape. Agape is the ultimate love- The love of Christ for mankind, a divine, unconditional love. Got me thinking.. how lucky am I? To know that God loves me more than I could ever begin to fathom. "God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" -Romans 5:8. What an amazing love. The goal I was inspired to have is to show others that kind of love. An unconditional love, that knows no limits. I want to love like Christ loves.

Tomorrow, Monday, I leave for GA (girls in action) camp with good ol' FBC Allen. I'll be a sponsor for 3-6 graders! :) It's a 5 day camp of all girls, learning about God's love, agape, and learning how to show that kind of love. SO cool that it came at the perfect time. I guess that's another thing, God really knows how to plan. My hope for the week is that I can show my girls Christ's love, that love that knows no boundaries. I am so ready to see what God has in store for the week! Prayers would be appreciated! :)

Love you all, see you in 5 days!

Finding Joy

well, I started this thing as a means of expressing myself and what's happening in my life. I've felt like I should for a while now, but I just finally convinced myself! :) This first post is going to be looong, so bear with me :)

Anyways, 3 and a half weeks ago, I let go of my first love and my best friend, after 3 years of being together. It's still hard to believe and hard to deal with sometimes (understandable?). We both knew it was time. Time for me to find myself and my individual faith in Jesus Christ because I was becoming dependent on the faith he had. It bites that in order for that to happen, we both had to be broken hearted, but God promises that "He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds" -Psalm 147:3

A few days earlier, and a few days later, I got even more news to cope with. My cousin was diagnosed with cancer (thankfully only stage 1), my uncle had major surgery on his heart and is killing his body with cigarettes, and my mom had a mole removed that was possibly pre-cancerous. While it looked like my world was really crashing down, and crashing down HARD, I have never felt so much joy in my life (weird?). God was so evident throughout it all, and what a faithful God he is! I believe now, more than ever, in the power of prayer.

1 Peter 5:10 says, "And the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered for a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." --How awesome is that? This verse was my saving grace. To know I would be restored was so encouraging, and I have been restored. I won't say fully, but I'm still in the restoring process.

The past week was VBS at good ol' FBC Allen.- WHAT AN AMAZING WEEK! Words can't describe it for me. I taught a class of incredible 4th graders, with an incredible group of women and young women. We had so much fun dancing, and singing, praising the Lord. We had some awesome conversations with these 4th graders, conversations that went WAY deeper than VBS curriculum could. IT WAS INCREDIBLE! I have never had so much fun at VBS before and I actually got to be a part of children's decisions to give their lives to Christ! How cool is that?! My life has been changed!

One child very extra special to me, Ashlynn (my favorite 9 year old, ever) gave her life to Christ this week! I could not be more proud of her! I've known her since she was born and babysat her since. I love her :) Her mommy is my unbiological big sister/bestfriend. Jennifer, if you read this, I'm proud of you too! :) What a big day that was for Ashlynn, and myself because I got to celebrate with her!

All in all, life is good, God is great, and I'm loving every second of it.

well, that's it for now,
-looove.