Posts (page 2)

     It never fails, once I get comfortable and settled somewhere, it's time for me to move on. I've been in Masters for the last two years, and I've become very comfortable being there. I know exactly when to pray, what I need to wear, and who I'll be doing whatever task I've been given with. Well, in nineteen days, I won't have that luxury anymore. I'll be on my own in more ways than one. I have to be responsible for myself! It's up to me to do my quiet time. I won't have a time where I come into class and pray with my classmates(unless UCO has a group that does that...which I doubt). I'll have to get a job and pay for all my living expenses. I won't have a curfew anymore. I won't leave town for weeks at a time. It's time for me to grow. 

     Last night was so awesome! God did a lot! he kept the storm from hitting us during vacation Bible school(thank goodness!). Not only did He protect us from the storms, but God also reached into the lives of the kids on my team. We talked about Jesus dying on the cross and raising from the dead during our Bible class. The lesson started with the teacher(Alicia Wade) talking about how Jesus died. She walked us through everything that happened on the day that Jesus died. Then she began talking about the best part of the story, Jesus' victory over death! Then she asked the kids if anyone wanted to become friends with Jesus, and ask him to come into their heart. Three kids said yes! I got to pray with two of them, and it was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done! One little girl said to me, "It's like I can hear God saying yay!" Her joy was so pure and her love for the Lord just exploded and it touched my heart! You could see a change in her(not that she was a bad kid, because she was great beforehand) immediately. I was so overwhelmed by this little girl's passion that it brought me to tears. Thank you, Lord, for giving me the opportunity to witness something so beautiful! I pray that you all will get to see something like this happen in your own life. Much Love!

     I'm not a hippie or anything(despite what my wardrobe might suggest sometimes...), but I absolutely love trees. I love the way the leaves sway when the wind blows. I love the way the branches look when they are bare because of the season. I'm amazed at how strong and big they are. Yesterday I was outside praying, and right in front of me there happened to be some trees. As I sat there and stared at this beautiful creation of God, He began to make trees more relevant to my life. The root of a tree goes way deep into the Earth. That's what makes them so strong. They have been planted and they took root. You can't just pull a tree up with no effort. It takes a lot of work to shake the foundation of the tree. That's how we, as Christians, are to be. We should be so strong and rooted in our faith that it cannot be shaken easily. We need to study things out for ourselves. We need to take ownership in our relationship with our Savior. We need to make it a priority to spend time with Him and to study out His word. Take some time today to show your Savior how much you love Him. Much Love! 

     I signed up to enroll for classes at the University of Central Oklahoma yesterday. Now all I have to do is get my schedule set(which I'll be doing on June 24th at 8:30 in the a.m.), and I'm all set to start my freshman year! Psychology is my major of choice(nothing is set in stone yet, so things could change). I can't wait to help people out just by letting them talk and then offering a piece of advice. I can't decide what specific field of counseling would be best for me, but I'm leaning toward children and youth crisis counseling. You see, I was molested when I was younger, and I received counseling. It really helped me out a lot, so I thought becoming a counselor myself would be a great way great to give back to the world. There is something else that I would absolutely love to study, and that is Spanish. I took four years in high school, and I miss speaking Spanish on a daily basis. It was one of my favorite classes. My teacher was really great. She set it up so we were always having conversations in Spanish and I really hate that I can't hold a conversation anymore. So, hopefully I can fit it somehow into my schedule. I hope you're having a great day! Much Love!

     It's Vacation Bible School week this week. Yesterday we spent the day decorating an preparing for a night of fun with the kiddos. The theme is Avalanche Ranch. I have to say that cowboys aren't my favorite thing, but I'm enjoying the momentary change of style. I wore cowboy boots an a cowboy hat for the first time last night! I think I make a cute cowgirl, but that's just me. I'm a ranch crew leader for the Green Cool Cactus. My team is awesome! They are full of energy(I was exhausted by the end of the night) and they had a lot to say about Jesus. It was amazing to hear little kids talking about how much God loves them and how much they love God. I'm excited to see what God does this week, and not just in my team. I just hope that I can survive! Kids are hard to keep up with! Much Love!

     What makes a person beautiful? Is it the sparkle in their eye? The spring in their step? The smile that lights up the room every time it comes across their face? Or is it something else that dwells within the deepest parts of their spirit? I've always heard that beauty was in the eye of the beholder. What if the beholder looking at me isn't looking in the right spot? My beauty doesn't lie on the surface, it's something that lives deep within the very core of my being. There is more to me than meets the eye. I am not defined by what the eye first sees when I enter the room. The true beauty within me came to life the second I let Jesus into my heart. He took me from the ugly, hurt, and vengeful state I was in and transformed me into a blossoming, lovely creature. I know that I don't always let this beauty show, especially on days like today(I wasn't in the best of moods to say the least), and for that I am sorry. I want everyone to see the beauty that makes me come alive, not the false beauty more concerned with herself than others. My beauty was delayed from surfacing earlier, but as of this moment, it is seen. Much Love!

     What is truth? What is real and absolute? Is there just one way of thinking that is correct? There are so many different answers to these questions. Some would say that you determine for yourself what is right. Others say that there is a higher power that determines for you and you must submit or be condemned. How in the world can a person find the truth in a world full of mysteries? There are so many voices out there that it's becoming increasingly hard to decipher whose voice is full of honest words. I'm a person that knows the truth. I have been blessed enough to encounter a voice of truth. This voice is so loud, clear, and strong. I've never been more convinced of anything in my life. God is real. His love is for everyone. He desires a relationship with each and every person on this Earth. He is the answer to these questions and so many more. HE IS TRUTH. HE IS THE WAY. Much Love!

     The title of this blog is a line in the song "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter. It's a song that totally fit my morning. "You had a bad day. You're taking one down. You sing a sad song just to turn it around." I woke up in a bad mood this morning. I was fighting with myself all morning just to have a positive attitude. My flesh definitely got the best of me. I don't know if anyone could tell or not, but I was just such a nasty excuse for a Christian. This was all before I even got to school...embarrassing. Then, during prayer, God reminded me that I can't let a "bad day" change the way I interact with the people around me. Just because I'm not having a splendid day does NOT give me the right to take it out on the people that I come in contact with. i am to get outside the trap of "it's all about me" and look past some minor issues and live my life in a way that makes God smile. Like so may other things, I'm still working on this one. Much Love!  

     Today I helped paint the showers at Church of the Harvest. They have dorms(that's where the MC team lives) and they needed some help getting them ready for summer camp. So, Greg, Sharayah, Tiffany, Rachael, Ashley, and I took on the task of painting very unventilated bathrooms with this gray paint that s so strong that just one whiff makes you feel like you're on a trip. So, after half a bathroom, the majority of us were feeling a little too good. Don't worry, we took breaks to keep form getting high, but we were all a little out of it. The best part was when Ashley, Rachael, and me were singing random Disney songs at the top of our lungs. We sounded great, by the way. It was a great day and everyone worked really hard...even when the paint dried up and became near impossible to get on the wall. Much Love!

     This morning, i was the first person to wake up. For those of you who don't know me very well, I am not the person to wake up early at all. I shower at night so I can wake up at the very last minute. I jumped in the shower and I started talking to God. It was really nice. I like starting the day off by conversing with my Savior. Then, when I got to school we had another time of prayer and I was just so encouraged. I was in such a great mood and there wasn't a thing in the world that could take me down off my Jesus cloud. Then it happened....