never say never.

I'm trying not to give up, as much as I want to. I know this is all a part of a great plan, that somehow, some day is all gonna work out.

i stumbled across this tonight...

 

He'll fight for me. 

dont give up. 

Do you know...

what you're getting yourself into?

inspiring and encouraging.

“Do the things you used to talk about doing but never did. Know when to let go and when to hold on tight. Stop rushing. Don't be intimidated to say it like it is. Stop apologizing all the time. Learn to say no, so your yes has some oomph. Spend time with the friends who lift you up, and cut loose the ones who bring you down. Stop giving your power away. Be more concerned with being interested than being interesting. Be old enough to appreciate your freedom, and young enough to enjoy it. Finally know who you are. ”

Passion

--Nothing Great In This World Has Ever Been Accomplished Without Passion--

We need to find something we are passionate about. Without passion, we will get no where, we will drive from place to place, with no goals or plans for out life. Passion is the fuel to the fire, we need to find something we enjoy doing. Something that is not only enjoyable to us, but will essentially spread the Kingdom. Make our passion our ministry. It may get difficult, it may not work out exactly how YOU planned it. But take a step back, and really analyze how your passion is making an impact on your brothers and sisters in Christ.


My passion: Kids.


I am SO excited about the fact that I just submitted an application to work at a Southern California summer camp. I'm so encouraged by the fact that I feel like that's my place, serving Christ through children.
at the camp, I'll be technically a camper myself, but I will be babysitting and doing childcare alongside other girls (13-18 years old). I'm going to go up for three or four weeks depending on my current job (: I am so excited to see how God is going to mold me and shape me for His kingdom. Its the first thing in awhile, that I am actually excited for. I truly feel like working alongside children is where my passion is. Everything I do for the kids, is 100%. I honestly cannot wait to see how God is going to make this all happen! I really cannot wait for June to roll around, just so I can begin this next step in my faith and help expand the Kingdom by setting an example, and following where God is calling me to.

I can hardly contain my excitement :)

♥

♥

The most He did was die for us; the least we can do is live for Him.

 

 

no. nuh uh. noppeee

I can't tell if its killing me or if its making me stronger.

Peace? Maybe?

crappy: So, long story short, I left my community church for many reasons. But its just not for me right now. Its a huge thing leaving a place where you felt at home. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was what was best. And for months now, I've been feeling uneasy and unhappy about the whole situation

but...!

happy: I'm starting to think that I'm finally letting go of my bitterness and anger, and transforming that to feeling peace about the situation. Its a glorious feeling! and I'm so glad I'm where I'm supposed to be, where God can mold me and shape me into the person I'm meant to be. I'm finally feeling at home, and back in community, getting plugged in again. God is good. He gives me lower lows then I could imagine, but then he flips the page and gives me higher highs then I ever would have expected. I've struggled with accepting the lows. I'm really bitter about them to be honest. But its a learning experience. You can learn from everything that God places you in.

oh, and God's lovely humor He uses to humble me and teach me is great also!
(:




This song is amazing. "In the middle of my little mess, I forget how big I'm blessed." Sirens, fines, losing phones misplacing keys, running late, alll the small stuff. DONT SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. awesome.



and a super cool verse:
You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 1 Peter 4:2.... rad. :)

how awesome is that; YOU WILL be anxious to do the will of God. <3 sososo encouraging.


(:

Cause Life's Too Busy, Things Get In The Way

Yup. Song of the night.

Sometimes, its okay.

I desperately need a slower pace.

You Make Beautiful Things

All this pain
I wonder if I'll ever find my way?
I wonder if my life could really change at all?
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found?
Could a garden come up from this ground at all?

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

Oh, you make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new
Making me new

You make beautiful things
(You make me new)
You make beautiful things out of the dust
(You are making me new, making me new)

You make beautiful things
(You make me new)
You make beautiful things out of us
(You are making me new, making me new)


Oh, you make beautiful things
(You make me new)
You make beautiful things out of the dust
(You are making me new, making me new)

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new


God is so wonderful. So lovely, awesome, loving, caring, forgiving, holy.

Life Accessories:

We all have life accessories. We have things that mold us and shape us into the people that God designed us to be.For instance, working with children ministries has shaped me. Its my passion to work with kids. Its shaped how I view parents, relationships, children (of course), and my faith. Its weird how something can influence your life in all aspects. But, on the other hand, its such a blessing.

So why do we fight it so much? Why do we question and fight it like stubborn children? God gives us exactly what we need, when we need it, in His perfect timing.

And I know I'm not on to talk about accepting it His timing. I sometimes get so frustrated at why things are happening. At times, I want to give up. But, what I have learned is that its too exhausting wasting time trying to figure out why everything is happening... I miss what God is really trying to teach me. Shoot, I miss it completely. I may not always understand what's going on, but I need to trust God's plan.

In my book that I'm reading, Redefining Beautiful by Jenna Lucado , Jenna was talking about life accessories that she has in her life that help her in times of seeking, and well, in all times for that matter. Life accessories are things that are essential for your life...

Here's her list, (I was really encouraged by her list btw!)

Security-trusting that no matter what, we have a God who loves us.
Identity- in knowing who we are and whose we are
Value- knowing we are treasured
Love-knowing God's love for us so we can love others
Self-Control-for making good decisions
Peace- In believing God is in control
Joy- in knowing the Source of all joy
Contenment- in who God made you to be.

The more I thought about it, i really struggle with finding peace in knowing God is in control. Its just something that I have to constantly be reminding myself of.

But, here are some of the things for my life that are essential:

Good Judgment: to make wise decisions
Support/Community: to have accountability and encouragement
Stability: to maintain the support and encouragement
Trust: to put full faith into something, knowing full well its going to be there for you to pick you up.

I think God places the events and people and difficult situations in our lives to develop us. To mold us.

Redefining Beautiful

I'm so excited to start reading this. Its about seeing what God see's when He see you. I've only heard good things about it, such as "it changes the way you see yourself". (: and i'm just giddy with excitement! (:
well, you're beautiful.

Bold and Courageous.

well, I haven't blogged lately. So I figured I'd start back up. Its never too late right?

"He whispers in our pleasure, speaks in our conscience, and shouts in our pain."

i just love that quote.

God is teaching and God is working. He's teaching me His timing, not mine. There's a lot of patience involved in that, and I'm not a super patient person. I'm trying hard to trust, and not be afraid of the outcome or where God's leading and calling me. God's been teaching me to listen, carefully and fully to what He has to say.

Chew on this:

"and there are times where the only honest, healthy, human thing to possibly do is to shout your question, and shake your fist and rage against the heavens and demand an explication. but true wisdom, the kind we find here with Job the kind that endures, the kind that sustains a person through suffering, that kind of wisdom knows when to speak and when to be silent. Because you're story is NOT over. the last word has NOT been spoken. and there may be way more going on here than any of us realize. so may you be released from always having to understand why everything happens the way it does. may this freedom open you up to all sorts of new perspectives. and may you have the wisdom to know when to say "i spoke once, but now i will say no more".

Well, God is definitely teaching me when to be silent and just listen.
In the midst of a challenging struggle of God calling me other places (and me not wanting to listen), my family lost a friend. It minimized and prioritized everything. It was hard, yes. But God let Kaylee touch my life, and ultimately I listened.


And at the end of this terrible week, I was blessed beyond belief with the opportunity to be a counselor for the kids department in my church for the long weekend. It was my second time being able to go to camp with the kids, and it is such a learning experience. I had nine girls. Yes nine. (: and they all were incredible. What amazing me the most about working with children (I've been working with them for about 5 years or so) is their eagerness to learn and listen, their "child-like" faith. But the most rewarding thing about working with kids, is being able to be an encouragement, and being able to be a good leader and teach them the simple and complicated things. Up at camp, we were taught about Joshua 1:9- "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go" and uh, helllo, that verse is the one verse that people always give you when you're feeling down and discouraged. How desensitized I was to it. It really hit me this past weekend. That's what I love about working with kids, the fact that I am able to learn so much, I'm supposed to be the one teaching the kids about this, but in reality, they are the ones teaching me. Its an absolute blessing that I am so thankful God gave me a passion for.


Raven, Hannah, Leann, Hallie, Skylier, Mandy, PJ, Annie, and Chelsie.

These girls impact me more than I think I impact them.

(:
and I leave you with this:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. - Jeremiah 29:11-13

really focus on being BOLD and COURAGEOUS as you face the land between where you think you are supposed to be, and where God is really calling you.