A lot of time

My picture today is of a project I have been working on the past few days. I know you are probably thinking..that took you 3 days... ya I worked on it slowly and sometimes it takes me a while to be inspired. I decided to make cards I can use through out the school year to bless those around me. There is nothing I love more than to unexpectedly encourage someone. I mean, I love surprises! And I absolutely LOVE to surprise people. So hopefully I will be able to do this next year by just simply slipping one under someones door when they least expect it of need a little encouraging.

So, I have had a lot of time on my hands this past week that I have been home. Like a lot of time, for me at least. I like to live a fast-paced life, but lately its been slow. Therefore, I have been thinking alot and I'll be honest, I've been watching alot of TV, primarily HGTV, the best channel there is! By doing this I have found myself constructing a lot of thoughts and ideas of what I would like in my future house, career, HUSBAND. In fact, its been consuming my thoughts. Which I believe is ok to think about and form opinions and preferences. However, tonight by reading a little through the Word I was reminded that it is not my job to write my story, and to worry about it. Its my Fathers job. Whew! How relieving is that! Even though its hard to place all my preferences and ideas in the hands of the Lord and to let go of them, its something I must do. I am actively trying to keep my gaze fixed on Him. Hes going to make me happy. What a cool promise.

The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. Acts 1:7

HEy! Be blessed out there!!!

Expecting

I am a little late getting started today. Technically its tomorrow but we are going to say its still sunday right now =)

My picture for today is my first very feeble attempt at "Latte Art" this was kind of a whim tonight. I was making myself a drink with my espresso maker and as I was pouring the steamed milk in I saw the opportunity to make a design so I ran with it! Not going to lie, I am pretty impressed with my first attempt. Its supposed to be a star.

This morning at church I had the privilege of being trained to volunteer in our church cafe...aka.. make coffee with a high tech cool coffee machine. THis was so much fun, I caught on fast! I am so excited next week to do it again!

THis morning Pastor challenged us to be expecting of what the Lord may have for our lives. My church is taking a 10 day period to seek the Lord purposely. THis seemed so vital for me in this time of my life. I am about to embark on a new journey of being an RA. I am so excited for the experience and foe the opportunity. TOday I was reminded to be expectant of what the Lord is going to do in my life through it and in the lives of those around me. Through this experience I want the Lord to shape me and mold me, and in order for him to do that there are some things in my life He may need to blast through. These learning experiences may difficult to sort through but through them I look forwarding to gaining life skills that I am going to utilize forever. The best part about all of this is that the Holy Spirit walks through every single bit of it with me and empowers me to do what I need to do and more. He can do the same for you as well. Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit come upon you."

This journey of life doesn't have to be tiring or burdening, we are given such a gift through our heavenly Father. Cool man. This is a question I strive to ask myself daily, it keeps me in check, Am I influencing those around me to consider a life-changing commitment to Jesus Christ?

THanks for taking the time to read through my ramblings, that don't ever really go together, and are probably full of typos and grammatical errors.

I pray someone will be blessed out there.

TOday my photo is of my awesome garage sale find! My mom and I woke up today with the mission of hitting as many garage sales as we could. And my personal goal was to find an espresso maker, a camera (ya right) and stuff for my room next school year. AND I FOUND THE ESPRESSO MAKER!! I was so excited. After cleaning all the lime out of it it worked just fine. However, I think sometimes it forgets its an espresso maker and just stops but Im working with it. For a garage sale find it will do. My next step is to accomplish "Latte Art" this is hard.. for me at least. I made a few feeble attempts. They were highly unsuccessful. I will get there hopefully. I just love the idea of being able to make coffee for my friends and pour a little heart on top =)

Anyway, that is all for today. I am absolutely loving summer and its freedom, I'm not tied down to anything...yet, work starts on tuesday.

But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! Romans 13:11 The Message

This verse reminded me not to become to lazy this summer =)

A Day At Home

Spent almost the entire day at home. Ill be honest, I sat around and slept and watched HGTV all day!

Ended the day with the movie "The Blindside" with the fam. The movie was awesome! It was so encouraging to see that it was a true story!

**Romans 12 in the Message version just rocked my world.

Thats all for today

Lessons Learned

Today my photo is a picture of my little adopted sisters school.

Athisi came to live with my family when she was 3 years old. She was a teeny tiny little malnutritioned orphan from Haiti. Long story short, this was a def. a work of the Lord that she came to live with us. She has spiced up our lives and I wouldn't trade one second of Athisi in our home for a lifetime without her. Today was kind of a wake up call for me. Sending her off on prom with some deaf boy. I forgot to mention that about 6 months after Athisi came to live with us we found she was profoundly deaf. Anywho, Mom and I make the 2 and half hour trip to Columbus today to get Athisi ready for prom. For crying out loud, I was nervous about letting her go. But I gave her date the stink eye several times and told him to be good and that I love Athisi very much so he better not touch her. I also reminded Athisi that she loves JEsus and he the Lord of her life. She rolled her eyes at me, but I know she feels it in her heart.

I'm really learning what it feels like to be a parent lol. I now regret some of the heartache I might have put my parents through. Those nights I forgot to call and let them know I had arrived at my destination safely. Ya know the little things that mean so much to a praying parent.

I guess that wraps it up. I learned today that even though its hard at times, to grip tightly to my trust in the Lord. And when my anxious heart and worried thoughts are trying to pull me away to take and deep breath and keep holding on.

Try it, it works.

This is my photo for the day.

I attended the wednesday youth service for my home church for the first time this summer. When I arrived I was about 30 min early for church, so I thought I would go up to the upper room for pre-service prayer.

The last time I had seen this room it was dirty, recently painted, and not put together at all. I walked up today and was amazed to find a full functioning prayer room. THere are separate stations, prayer for unity in the youth group, prayer for yourself, for the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life.

I was shocked when I saw this, however I was more thankful for the youth of my church. THey are so in love with the Lord and seek him with such a passion and a desire to know him more.

Lately I have been discouraged at where the youth group at my church is going. I long so bad for them to have the experience I had as a teenager. After, today I am confident that they are indeed receiving what they need. The Lord has helped me to realize that when I was there age at was a different place than they are. I admit, I was needy, I needed all the cool little events and hang out times with my friends. But this generation of youth is just plain hungry for the LOrd. THat is all they want and all they need. Wow... I was so challenged.

During worship the LOrd placed a strain in my heart for the girls in my home church. THe youth girls ages 12-18. I just wast for these girls to know they are loved and supported by the women in their church. SO, my kinda little project for the summer is to put together a girls night. We will have mail-painting, journal-making, picture-taking, a worship leader and speakers for one evening where these girls can come and simply just be girls and learn that their Lord and their church loves them. I want to call it, "He Loves Us" sound familiar?

SO, I plan to meet with our intern youth pastor this next wednesday. Pray that I am able to adequately share my heart with him ( THose of you who know me know I dont really have a way with words, my brain moves faster than my mouth) Ill keep you updated on how things are going!

Be Blessed!

But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently. Romans 8:25

Startin this up again

Well, looks like I tried this 2 summers ago... And I got one whole post in. lol

My former roommate and I decided to do our own rendition of the project 365, which is posting a photo every day of the year. We think its an awesome way to recall events over the past year.

So, I just arrived home from my third year of college in Missouri. This year was probably the hardest. The Lord walked me through alot and taught me alot. But I have come out of all of it more in love with Him and praising Him more and more each day. Three of my closest friends (including my roommate of 2 years) have graduated and are moving on with their lives. We are all closing this chapter of our lives and moving on to the next. Although, this is hard, I am absolutely loving the idea of the next chapter. The Lord was faithful enough to provide with the position of R.A. on my floor back at school. He has also given me a drive for life and for my future. I know He has a certain and unique plan for my life and I am so excited to grab hold of it with both hands and run with it! I feel as if I'm ready for anything!!!

This summer is going to be one of rest and preparation for the next chapter of my life. I am going to seek the LORd with fervent persistence. He has done so much for me this past semester, that I have learned that he truly deserves my everything, and I want to know Him more and more.

Here is my first picture, its going to be random, but I am a random person so... here it is..well its up there... THis is the poweraide I had in the car on the way home. Its sour melon flavor... it was so good!

Well thats all for today!

I hope this blog blesses someone out there =)