September Photo Challenge

This month I decided to do a photo challenge. The only problem is, I started today... half-way through the month. So instead of taking a picture today, I took a few that I'm going to share with you. Here are some of the topics in the challenge and pictures I took to go a long with them:

Self-portrait(s):

Instead I just taking a selfie, I got my siblings to have some fun with me!

Something that makes you smile:

This isn't technically a picture that I "took", but Bible verses always make me smile!

What you wore today:

Something, or in my case someone, that you miss:

This is a picture of some of my cousins, my siblings, and I with my grandpa.

Something orange:

Flowers:

Black and white:

This is a figurine that my dad got on a mission trip to Mexico to remind him to pray for the people there. He gave it to me so that I can remember to pray for the people of Central America since we just went on a mission trip there!

Here is the photo challenge that I used (that a friend of mine found) in case you all want to try it!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Hey guys! I know I haven't done very well with blogging lately, but we have been so busy!! I have lots to catch up on but right now ill just share a "few of my favorite things" that have gone on the last few weeks! ...(I got the idea for this post from one of my friends).

A mission trip to Costa Rica (which I will talk more about later!!). But I will tell you now, God did AMAZING things!

A village on a mountainside.

A classroom that we visited.

the Gringo Market!

A lady accepting Christ after hearing about His great love!

Field trips... On this one we went to NC State to hear about a language program.

Cousin dates to the Tea Room!

A new photo editing app that I got...

(this picture is from a couple Sundays ago when some ladies from my parent's Sunday class and their girls went to an outreach called Covered with Love where we made blankets for moms who lost their children. It was sad but I'm glad we got to help!)

Spanish-English Bibles

Reunions... My best friend came back from West Africa and boy are Parker and I excited!!!

African gifts... Love!

... and last but not least, Bible verses to remind me of God's faithfulness!

One of those days...

I think we've all had "one of those days" at some point or another. I know I sure have. Actually, in the past 2 weeks I have had many of those days. Nothing seems to go right, you have a seemingly impossible amount to do, you are getting upset over the littlest things that usually don't bother you.

We went back to school 2 week ago and boy has it been stressful! This year, we have had SO much homework. In addition I've tried a number of things that I've never done before. I began my first AP class. I tried out for musical theatre. I got permit. I did cross country conditioning and considered trying out for the team. All in the first 2 weeks of school! 

On the first day of school I come home from boring class after class of syllabuses.  I absolutely loved my teachers, classes, and the people in my classes. What is so bad about that do you ask? Exactly. There wasn't anything terrible but I wanted my way to the dot. I didn't like that I was overwhelmed by 3rd period. I didn't like that I didn't get to sit with my best friends in majority of my classes. I didn't like that when I got home I was trying to fill in for my mom since she was still at work. I especially didn't like that I broke down crying (cause I guess that's what emotional teenage girls do) because I would much rather be the all-together one in my family than the one that needed the comforting. Some of those things like trying to be my mom when I just needed to be me I could help. But God reminded me that day that He has it all under control. He has a reason that I wasn't sitting by friends all the time. He doesn't want me to be overwhelmed or to try to be everything for everybody. He just wants me to trust Him. In showing me this, He brought up a Bible verse that I had seen a number of times but that I really noticed that night. 

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares The Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

Being the worrisome person that I am, I certainly didn't learn my lesson the first time. I will still have more stumbles than I can count, but I am reminded that all I need to do is trust God, even with the details.

     

Under-Stand

I recently signed up for email devotions from Proverbs 31 Ministries and today's devotion, called "Under-Stand", really spoke to me. Here it is:

"... Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word." Ephesians 5:25-26 (NIV)

"I just feel mean so much of the time," my friend whispers through the leak of tears. Downward, the salty droplets slip and so does her heart, her resolve, and her assurance of being a good mom.

"I understand," I whisper back.

And sometimes that's all that needs to be said.

I don't remind her of gentleness verses. I don't try to fix anything. I don't offer solutions or articles or statistical data.

I simply under-stand.

Under ... to dip low and find that same place that lies beneath my outside veneer.

We all have an under.

And I admit to her, "I've felt mean so many times too. I've set out to have a super day with my kids only to be red-faced and aggravated minutes later. Buckling under the weight of my imperfections, I've wondered if I'll ever get it right. It sometimes feels like all the other moms are doing it better. But that's not true. All moms struggle."

Stand ... to come alongside in a position of strength, closeness, and unwavering support.

We all need those friends we know will stand with us.

And I reassure, "Somehow, God shows us what to do and fills in the gaps if we ask Him. The fact that you're crying shows a heart tender enough for God's molding and shaping to occur. Don't listen to the world's answers. And don't fall into the trap of trying to be like other moms. Just saturate yourself in God's Truth and trust the gut instincts He gives you."

Thankfully we don't have to be perfect. God has made a way to free us from the mistakes we make so we can keep going forward without the chains of regret. Ephesians 5:25-26 tells us, "... Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word."

I love that picture of Christ washing us through the Word. Some versions of Ephesians 5:25-26 actually call this washing sanctifying.

The Greek meaning of this sanctifying is hagiazo. When we unwrap the package of this word, we find three simple treasures. Hagiazo means:
1. To cleanse externally.
2. To free from the guilt of sin.
3. To purify internally by the renewing of the soul.

Externally, I wash my tears away with the truth of Lamentations 3:22-23 that God's mercies make all things new. Past minutes are gone. But this minute brings with it a fresh start.

Relationally, Colossians 1:14 frees me from the guilt. God's Word reminds that I can live in the freedom of repentance and forgiveness.

Internally, I see my depravity but refuse to wallow in it. I recall the words of Micah 6:8 as a call to action. Another place to receive the Truth as a cleansing agent from fear, doubt, hopelessness.

Yes, I understand. My need to be sanctified is great. Just like your need is. We're all in that place. We all sometimes feel mean.

Unable.
Incapable.
Insecure.
Broken down.

So, let the Word of Christ wash afresh over you, in you, and all about you. And let the whispers of a friend assure you, I under-stand.

Dear Lord, I praise You today for being such an understanding, loving God. Thank You for carrying me through every storm that I face, and for placing special people in my life to encourage me along the way. Help me to be that voice of encouragement for someone else today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Only God

Have you ever realized that you need God? I'm not talking about just knowing that you always need Him, but really depending on Him and realizing that you can't get by without Him. I have realized that lately, especially when it comes to worrying. I have to remember that God has got it all in His hands. Please know that I am still a working progress and am working on it but remember, God has got every aspect of you and your life in His wonderful hands as well!

The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

Catchin' Up

Whew! We've up to A LOT lately so I've got lots of pictures and lots to talk about. I'll start with track-out. A couple of weeks ago my family and I visited Williamsburg, Virginia and then visited my grandma and great-grandma in New Jersey.

Here we are at the hotel pool!

at a tavern in Williamsburg

talking to Patrick Henry and learning a lot!

I wonder what they did now?!?

Oh Luis!

My sweet Oma Oma and I!

 The next week we celebrated Easter with our grandparents!

Easter egg time!

On a hunt for the eggs. . .

for those of you who watch Duck Dynasty ;)

 Here a couple pictures that I took of spring . . . my absolute favorite!!

And last but not least . . . this past weekend my mom and went to see Beth Moore, a motivational Christian speaker, with some other ladies from our church and 8,000 other women! It was absolutely amazing! It was all about secrets. The theme was "Secrets Manifest". She talked about the difference between good secrets, bad secrets, secrets in the Bible and the difference between being authentic, transparent, and intimate. "You don't have to be intimate with your entire social network" was one of her big points when talking about that. It was so cool seeing God move.

Jesus, midnight milkshakes, and more Jesus . . . I mean, what could be better?

 Well, that's all I have for now!

Disciple Now 2013

Hey guys! So we just finished Disciple Now! The theme was Exchange. Exchanging our old life, our sinful ways, for a new life in Christ! It was an amazing reminder of the greatness of our God and our complete surrender to Him!
And... we  also got to Skype Abby, my sisterchick in Africa! All of the girls in our group absolutely loved getting to talk to her! Thank-you so much Abby!

Here the lyrics to a song that we sang that is one of my new favorites:

Christ alone, Cornerstone

Weak made strong, in the Savior's love

Through the storm, He is Lord

Lord of all.

Here is a picture of all the youth dancing during the worship services:

It was a great weekend and we are sad it is over, but now, our job is to carry what we learned and the changes that were made into our day-to-day life!

Hey guys!

We are tracked out!! Yay! Spring break is my absolute favorite! This week though, I have drivers ed . . . It's interesting, boring, exciting, and a little frightening all at the same time. Well, in the end it will be worth it. And, this weekend, we have Disciple Now, an in town youth retreat at my church, it is absolutely amazing! I can't wait to see what God has in store! yay! At DNow we are going to have worship services, a food scavenger hunt for our church's food pantry, and we are going to Skype one of the most amazing people ever, Abby! Can't wait! I'll talk more about it afterwards, but in the mean time, have a great week!

"Go making disciples of all nations..." including your own!

"Go, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Often times when we think about telling others about the wonderful news of our sweet Savior, we think about mission trips and oversees. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this bad. It is amazing! I'm going on a mission trip this summer, one of my very best friends and her family are missionaries overseas, and I want to be a missionary! The problem is though, we don't usually associate our schools, our sports teams, our friends, etc. with the mission field. But this is the greatest and hardest mission field of our lives!

I definitely struggle with this. I get restless and wish I could be doing something greater. I want to go on another mission trip. I want to go overseas. I feel more comfortable sharing Jesus with somebody I don't know. But the greatest thing that I can do is right now, and that is reaching out to the people all around me. I have to remember that the mission field that God has given me right now is my high school, my dance studio, my neighborhood, my church, and even my own home. And it is a big mission field. Everyone has their very own mission field. This means that I am a missionary and so are you!

So don't forget, God tells us to make disciples of all nations... even your own!

My Cousin's Blog

Hey guys! My cousin started a blog where she puts devotions, Bible verses, and talks about her walk with Christ! It is really neat and encouraging! You should all check it out! Click here: dailydevotionstojesus.blogspot.com . I hope this will be an encouragement and a good reminder to you! Enjoy!

New Years!

Happy 2013 (even though Im kinda late...)! I am excited for this coming year for lots and lots of reasons:

I AM GOING TO COSTA RICA ON MY FIRST INTERNATIONAL MISSION TRIP IN AUGUST!!!!!

I can't believe it!! And, my dad is going with me! I am SO excited!

I also get to take driver's ed and get my permit!

I can't wait to see all that God has in store for 2013!

I hope that you guys all have a fabulous and blessed year!!

Devotion: God-Pleasers

Here is one of my devotions that I recently read and really spoke to me. It is very hard but EXTREMELY important:

"God wants us to please Him first. It's not our job to make everyone happy.

There will be a lot of times when God's Word goes against what all of your friends are doing. Sometimes grown-ups and other people you trust might be going against God's Word too. How will you know? Ask God to help you know right from wrong and keep His Word in your heart. If you study God's Word everyday, you will know when other people are going against what the Bible says.

 If all your friends decide to cheat on a test at school, they won't be very happy if you tell them that it's wrong and you aren't going to do it. But that's okay! It's not your job to make everyone happy. It's much more important to make God happy than all of your friends. All you have to do is trust in God and do what's right. That's all that matters in the end!"

"Obviously, I am not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant."
Galatians 1:10

Big Creek Missions

The week of July 8th, I went on a mission to trip to Kentucky with my church to Big Creek Missions. We stayed at Big Creek and every day Monday through Friday we went to our ministry site. There were three different choices when it comes to your ministry: construction, community, and children. Then there are different sites for each ministry. I was assigned to children.....right up my alley. :)
Every day I had the opportunity to serve at a day camp in the backyard of somebody's home in the mountains in Kentucky. It was such an eye opening absolutely amazing experience. We got to play, encourage, and share the gospel with these kids (ages 6-14) every day. We played games, did crafts, sang songs, and just talked with the kids all day every day. It is a totally different culture there in all aspects. Here are some (well, more than some...) pictures:

 Bible Story time!

 This was the most popular craft! Even the boys loved it!

 Back at Big Creek :)

 You can't see it that well but we did face painting that day so the sweet girl in the picture and I our have our faces painted as blue and yellow dogs :)

 The last few pictures were taken one evening when all of the kids from the day camp came to Big Creek for dinner and fun!

 Here is one of the many dogs that roamed around the area that we had our day camp.

 in the rain...

 The last day, Friday, we had the day camp at Big Creek instead of where we normally have it. In the afternoon we had a Carnival with games, face painting, crafts, more games, and one of the adults even dressed up as a clown with stilts and everything! All of the kids even the volunteers LOVED every bit of it!
I was so blessed to go on this trip and meet so many of these sweet kids! It was a wonderful experience! Please pray for them and their families. They need the Lord and His love in their lives!