Last Year....goodbye

Whew!! Well... here we are at the end of another year! Can you believe how fast this year went by?! I sure can't. But, I've come to the realization that when you get older, the year usually goes by very quickly :). I wonder why that is.

It's amazing how many thing change in just one years time. Once again, another year of not being in school! Honestly, I miss it! Never thought I'd say that. I finished my third semester of FBI...no, not the cool one 8)...Faith Bible Institute. Wait no....my fourth semester. Uhh...I think. Anywho....that has definitely been a blessing.

I started working at the airport this Summer too! Pretty cool...let me tell ya! It's amazing what goes on BEHIND the curtain of those kind of places :). I love being able to scan my badge and go anywhere I want (with my adventurous pal, CPR).

I had the privilege to go to 2 camps this Summer. I was a counselor at Camp Victory...that was a first. And pretty nifty too!

I could go on and on about what went on this summer..well actually, all year. But I won't bore you with all that :).

OH!! I almost forgot!!! I got a tortoise this year :). Crush is his name. What a joy he brought to our family....juuuust kidding. But really, he is an awesome little reptile! He loves to be out of his tank and roam around. And I've "lost" him a couple times. Poor thing. Also, he is extremely loud at night.

I didn't do an extreme, crazy, random "new year" resolution this year like I did in 2011. For y'all that don't know, I went an entire year without ANY chocolate! Yup, you heard me right. NO chocolate! Yes, I'm crazy! I wanted to do something that would be hard and have self control over something that I love! Whew....that was hard! But I made it! The day finally came when I could have chocolate (my friends loaded me up btw) and I ended up spending the day in the hospital. Was quite the experience! All that to say, this year I'm going to go all year without SODA! I don't think it'll be tooooo hard. Except when I have random cravings for cherry Pepsi (mmmmmmm). We shall see how it goes! It's a good thing I LOVE milk :).

One thing that God has really taught me this year is Loooooongsuffering and Patience! Also trusting in Him. There are some things that I wanted to happen in my life...but for now, He says to wait.

I can't wait to see what The Lord has for me this new year of 2013 (it's gonna take awhile to get used to saying that number)!!

As I'm writing this out, I'm sitting in the DMV waiting to get new registration for my car. Why do I wait till the day it expires?? Oh my. Hurry up 2013! :).

HaPpY nEw YeAr Y'ALL!!!!

God's Been Good!

Lately I've been looking back, along this winding road

To the old familiar markers of the mercies I have known

I know it may sound simple but it's more than a cliche

There's no better way to tell you, than to say 

God's been good in my life

I feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams when I go to sleep each night

And though I've had my share of hard times, I wouldn't change them if I could

'Cause through it all, God's been good 

Times replay and I can see that I've cried some bitter tears

But I felt His arms around me, as I faced my greatest fears

You see I've had my gains than losses and I've known more joy than hurt 

As His grace rolled down upon me undeserved 

For God has been my Father, my Savior and my Friend

His love was my beginning, and His love will be my end

I could spend forever trying to tell you everything He is

But the best that I can say it is this 

His Love...

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:37-39

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

Ephesians 2:4

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

my family

a few fall pictures

Through the Eyes of a Bus Worker

Some see a fight, a push and a shove,

I see a desperate cry for love.

Some see a brat, he acts so bad,

I see a boy who’s never met his dad.

Some see the messes and the trouble they give,

I see the poverty in the place where they live.

Some see a teenager who won’t dress right,

I see a girl who has to protect herself at night.

Some see a smart mouth, disrespectful and loud,

I see a kid made fun of by a crowd.

Some see a woman who comes just to use,

I see a lady by a drunken husband abused.

Some see a drug addict withered and worn,

I see a soul the Lord wants reborn.

Some see the dirt, the filth and the rot,

I see a kid who without Jesus doesn’t have a shot.

Some see a crook whom you don’t trust much,

I see a man who needs the Lord’s touch.

Some see a bunch of heathen who holler and yell,

I see kids with parents in jail.

Some see a teenager who gives a lot of flack,

I see a boy whose whole family is on crack.

Broken homes, broken lives, those without hope,

They need compassion and God’s grace to cope.

For every little girl who lies awake hungry at night,

Lord, help me to keep in the fight.

For every scared boy who sees his mommy get hit,

Lord, help me to be faithful and never to quit.

For every mommy who needs a new start,

Lord, help me to show her how to ask You into her heart.

For every man on whom sin has its hold,

Lord, help me to make sure the “Old Story” is told.

The Lord to me His mercy has shown,

Lord, help me to reach out so others may make Heaven their home.

May others judge gently when these folks they see—

If not for God’s grace, that’s where all of us would be.

grand, random, exciting times

mmm....arbys!

Marco Polo, Me and Barrie....go blue! ;)

indeed!

Friday Night RU class

one legged!! :)

Oh yes! 

Skyping my bro in China

MY crush! :)

Hunters Ed....that we passed!

Skyping with Barrie

Crazy McDonald's Time

Me and Nana

Me and Jordan

Rose and Lily!!

Bus 109

                                   

Bob Lee ;)

grand times!

Emma

I am a Champion

I will conquer what has never been conquered.  Defeat will not be in my creed.  I will believe where all those before me have doubted.  I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor and respect of my team.  I have trained my mind and now my body will follow!

WHO AM I?....I AM A CHAMPION!!!

I will acknowledge the fact that my opponent does not expect me to win, but I will never surrender.  Weakness will not be in my heart.  I will look to Christ, my teammates and others before me and I will draw strength from them.

WHO AM I?....I AM A CHAMPION!!!

I will gladly go into the field of battle for I am a specially selected and well trained warrior.  My faith and my hope will be the fuel to carry my body when my limbs are too weary.  I will never falter, I will never lose focus as long as there is hope in my mind and my heart still beats.  I will never give in to the evil that is weakness and I will fight that evil with my dying breath.  I will live with passion.

WHO AM I?....I AM A CHAMPION!!!

To my side I have my comrades, comrades that have been with me through thick and thin, through blood, through sweat, through tears.  Never will I let them down.  Never will I let them fall.  Never will I leave them behind.

WHO AM I?....I AM A CHAMPION!!!

No one will deny me.  No one will defy me.  No one will tell me who or what I can be.  Faith will change my world.  It’s moved continents, it’s moved countries, it’s put men on the moon and it will carry me through this battle.  Defeat and Retreat, those are not my words.  My words are Victory and Never surrender.  No matter how bad things go my faith will carry me.

I will press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  I will display the discipline and strength required to fight on to my goal and I will complete my mission.  I will go out knowing that I have given my all and brought glory to God.

WHO AM I?....I AM A CHAMPION!!!

giving our best hours to Him

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:2 

God has entrusted us with the precious gift of time.  Twenty-four hours in every day; seven days in a week; every day significant, every hour important, every moment of value to God.  Yet how many of those moments are truly being used for His glory?  If we are honest, many of us would have to admit that though we profess Jesus Christ to be our highest priority, our lives proclaim something quite different.  

A Christian young woman recently confessed to me, “I spend more time on Facebook than I do in prayer or studying the Word of God.”  

That’s the sad reality most of us are living in.

It’s easy to think of our time, especially our free time, as belonging to us; that it’s our right to do whatever we feel like doing in those “down” moments of the day.  But when we come to Christ, we are to lay everything at His feet - including our time.  As Leonard Ravenhill said, “What does it mean to be a Christian?  Your life is hid with Christ.  You have no time of your own, no money of your own; Christ must become your complete Master.”

God has continued to challenge me with this statement - down to the very details of how I spend each moment of the day.  And I have discovered that when we lay everything at the feet of Jesus and find our deepest fulfillment, rest, peace, strength, and joy in His presence alone – not dulling our spiritual lives with worldly counterfeits – we are ushered into the supernatural, superhuman existence in which God designed us to live.  That’s when the presence of God draws near.  That’s when our prayers are heard and answered.  That’s when the life we read about in Scripture actually becomes our reality.

Most of us constantly battle with the fact that God is distant, intimacy with Christ is difficult to obtain, and our prayers don’t seem to be heard.  But God says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13).

Today’s young women aren’t finding Him because we aren’t searching for Him with all our hearts.  We are too preoccupied with checking our Facebook, watching reality shows, downloading the latest songs on iTunes, and obsessing over Hollywood’s newest production to let our entire beings be poured forth in constant and unreserved devotion in the service of the Lord who died to save us.

Most of us feel that we don’t have enough time for prayer and seeking God.  But we don’t even consider giving up our nightly TV time, our weekend movie fests, or our iTunes fetish in exchange for spending time in His presence.

Whether we spend our best hours socializing on Facebook, texting about trivialities, rushing to the latest Twilight movie, or vegging in front of the newest reality TV show - the majority of our time is being given to things that are not of eternal value; and often, things that are downright dangerous to our souls.  Most of us are far more influenced by pop culture than we are by the Word of God.  We can quote our favorite lines from 100 different chick flicks, but the only Scripture we know is John 3:16. 

It’s no wonder that Christ feels distant.

Only when we are willing to give Him the best hours of our day - rather than whatever is left after we’ve wasted most of our time on selfish pleasure - will we truly experience vibrant intimacy with our Heavenly King.

Just a thought! ;)

taken from "set apart girl"

Thank a Veteran

I would like to publicly  thank all the Veterans of the United States Military. 

Thank you for your sacrifice to our Country!  

Words cannot describe what you mean to me. 

What is a Veteran you may ask....

A "Veteran" - whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve - 

is someone who at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable

 to the United States of America, for an amount of "up to and including his life."

Please watch this video

WE are AMERICANS!

i have been blessed!

It's not just a song, HE'S THE REASON I SING!

Shelli, Madelyn, Amy, Emily, Emilee and Tanna

Teen VBT 2012

THANK YOU to Lacey for the video =)

life’s true purpose

It is easy to come up with formulas for following God, complex belief systems that help us clarify why He put us on this earth.  We read books, attend seminars, take personality tests, and try to define our deepest desires – all part of a crusade to figure out the meaning of our existence. But the answer to finding our life’s purpose is far simpler than we imagine.  In fact, it is so simple that most of us miss it completely in our desperate search for direction.

In John 15, Jesus gave His disciples what may be the most profound and beautiful command in the entire Bible.  He cleared life of all its complexities and confusion in one simple phrase.  He summed up the essence, the grandeur, the mystery, and the marvel of life in but a few life-altering words.  He said to them, “Abide in Me.”

What did He mean when He said, “Abide in Me”?

He meant, “Find the meaning of life in Me.  Find your value and confidence in Me. Find your purpose and direction in Me. Find the source for all spiritual achievement in Me.  Find the strength to live each moment in Me.  Find the wisdom to navigate the many turns of life in Me. Find forgiveness from all your sins in Me.  Find the satisfaction of boundless joy in Me.  Find the most glorious peace in Me.  Find the most perfect love and acceptance in Me.  Find the most satisfying life for all eternity in Me.”

To abide in Christ means to allow His life to possess us at all times and in every situation life brings.  To abide means saying to God with the inhaling of every breath, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” To abide means sharing in a holy communion with our precious Heavenly Lover, listening to His gentle whisper at every turn of life’s drama.

God created us to abide in Him.  It’s that basic.  Abiding in Him is our life’s purpose.  Abiding in Him is what we were created for.  Abiding in Him is the reason we are here.

We are here on this earth to intimately know and enjoy our God.  We are here on this earth to let our lives be used, owned, and operated by His almighty grace.  We are here to allow His life to evidence itself through our being.  And all these things rolled into one say – we are here on this earth to abide in Christ.







disclaimer-i can not take credit for writing this :)

Family

THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT OWE YOU A LIVING!

I was reading some old school papers that I had to write in High School and I found this one and thought i'd share it :)


Americans must learn that the government does not owe them a living!
There are thousands of jobs an American can get.  God has blessed America abundantly with various jobs, but who is it that's working?  Whether you go to college to get a degree for a specific career or you work at Sonic making cherry limeades!
But, then there are the group of Americans who are too lazy to go and find a job, so they get welfare.  Welfare is a governmental provision of economic assistance to persons in need. Think about it, how dumb!  It is one thing if they have a disability and are unable to work.  But, don’t tell me your ADHD is a reason you can’t get a job and support yourself.
When you drive up in your new Ford Excursion and show me your military ID card to get a free food box, don’t tell me you don’t have money to make a living and provide for your family. It is your own choice where you put your money.  If you want to buy toys instead of shelter, then have at it! But don’t expect the Government to owe you a living!

How Deep the Father's Love for Us!

I wanted to share with y'all my favorite song! I've had it on repeat on my iPod for about a week! I especially like how Selah sings it!

How deep the Father's love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon the cross

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed to hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that kept Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

(my FAVORITE VERSE!)

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom 

I am so thankful that the God of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE loves little ole' me JUST AS I AM! <3!

FINGER PEOPLE!!!

This post is dedicated to Barrie and Jackie! Y'alls encouragement has given me new ideas for my fingers :) just kidding! 

What do you do when you're bored?! What could possibly be more fun than making finger people? Yup, i'm just strange like that (but, atleast I admit it)

BT ;)

And yes, those are MY fingers! :)