Live to Love

Dude, this summer has been insane. I love it though. I want to start posting more on here, because I figure that since I journal on my lap top a lot I might as well post it on here.

I got back from church summer camp last week. My last one! Haha, it was awesome. It's crazy how, when you put yourself in a position where you're seeking after and expecting to hear from God, he doesn't always work in you in the way that you expect.

Over the past year I've been through a lot and I had just got to the point where I felt like everyone expected me to be this perfect person. I felt like my family, my friends, and even God had expectations I couldn't live up to. When I would make mistakes I just felt so condemned. Anyway, during the alter call one night my youth pastor got up and said he felt like we should pray for people who felt overcome by condemnation. I just about died when he said that.

It was cool though because God totally took it all away. He took the huge pile of my mistakes and gave me such an incredible peace. When you live with condemnation it's there all the time...so having it gone is so real and so incredible.

I love God.

"We are not here to be overcome, but to rise unvanquished after every knockout blow, and laugh the laugh of faith, not fear."--Amy Carmichael

Set the World on Fire

I really like this song :P I'm not usually a fan of Britt Nicole, but this is pretty much my favorite song right now.

"Set The World On Fire"

I wanna set the world on fire
Until it's burning bright for You
It's everything that I desire
Can I be the one You use?

You should look it up. It's cool :) I was reading my bible the other day and came across something I really liked.

In Psalm 105:8 it says "He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations." and then the whole rest of the psalm talks about different times God kept his word. It was cool because I was like wow, God has never not kept his promises. It seems like faith should be a lot easier than it is then :P

Anyway, I'm enjoying these first few weeks of summer. Potato salad, ice cream, popsicles, iced tea, lemonade, flip flops, having the windows down in the car, squirt guns...

I'm sorry about not posting much, but I'm honestly not sure what to post about.

Oh!! Some of you might know, but my grandma has been in the hospital for about a week. She's finally out of ICU and in a normal room!! She's having trouble keeping her vital signs up without help though which isn't good. So if you have a minute, pray for her and for us :) It's really sad because I've been sick so I can't even go see her.

In other news :P I actually got my driver's license last week. Driving by myself is amazing and it's cool how much freedom it brings. We're getting to T-bird fixed up this week and then I'll be able to drive it! I was so nervous when I took my drive test and I made a few stupid mistakes, but fortunately I still passed. If you want to know what not to do on your drive test you should ask me though. :P

Hm. Hm. Hm. Well. I'm turning 17 on Sunday ^_^ *sings* I am 16 goin' on 17...I'm so excited. 16 was a pretty amazing year though.

For now I'll leave you with this.
"We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office." -Aesop

and this

To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.
-G. K. Chesterton

I'm back! Finally :)

Hey everyone. I'm sorry I haven't posted since January. Ouch :/ I had a great time in California. Haha, that seems so long ago now. I was so blessed by the people we went to visit because they just love us like we're part of their family and I decided that when I grow up I want to have friends like that.

I've been reading through Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters for about the millionth time so maybe I'll post about them soon. They're amazing, seriously, if you haven't read them, you should.

Sorry this is so short. I'll try and post again this week. I hope you all are doing great! We had such a beautiful day here today that I can almost imagine it's summer already.

Off to The Golden State!

This is going to be a quick post. Sorry I haven't posted lately - we've been really busy and today we're leaving for a short holiday in California. My parents have really good friends who are pastors down there and have been wanting to visit them for a while. I'm all for it. Sunshine, the beach, and Knott's Berry Farm!

Seriously. It was 80 degrees there last night :)

New Years Resolutions Tag

Lauren Ann tagged me for New Years resolutions. Here are the rules:

...Everyone needs to set goals that they wish to accomplish each year. Name ten of your goals for the upcoming year. Link to the person who tagged you. Then tag seven people and link to them. Tell the people you tagged that they are tagged!

I don't really like New Years resolutions, but I do agree that it's a important to set goals and be committed to seeing them come to pass. Here are mine:

1. Make my prayer time more of a priority.
2. Get my driver's license and get over my fear of driving (Yikes!)
3. Find a summer job.
4. Go on another missions trip.
5. Practice my piano all the time so I'm always ready for my lesson.
6. Pass the Compass test and go to community college this fall.
7. Make sure the words I'm speaking are bringing life to people.
8. Have a better attitude toward my family.
9. Make a new friend.
10. Fall more in love with God than ever before and not allow my love for Christ to be put in a box. I don't want my faith to be dictated by where my comfort zone is.

Well, That's it! May God bless you richly this year!

I'm not going to tag anyone since It's already after New Years, but If you would like to do this go ahead!

Good Thoughts

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. -Romans 8:28-9

My pastor was talking about starting off the new year and how much of a promise this verse is. The thing that struck me was what he was saying that good was. When I think of good I guess I think of happiness or comfort. I realized that it's one of those words that I can't really think of a solid meaning for. I looked it up on Dictionary.com and it had 58 definitions for it! I guess I'm not the only one who has this problem. Anyway, he was saying that good is actually defined there in verse 29.

To be conformed to the likeness of his Son

That actually makes sense because if good meant comfort the Bible would seem contradictory. Job had a ton of bad things happen to him that he never deserved. Paul served God wholeheartedly and ended up in a Roman prison and eventually dead.

It got me thinking about Jeremiah 29:11 as well.

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.

What if God's definition of prosperity isn't always what we think of as prosperity? I know God loves to bless his people, but maybe sometimes things happen so we can become more like Christ and won't feel or look good at all.

Christmas Greetings!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! It's kind of sad that it's almost over.

Last night my family went to church like we always do. We ended up getting there early because we didn't know how icy the roads would be so I got to greet people with my mom. I felt like I opened that door a million times, but it was fun. Something about church on Christmas Eve is just so beautiful.

We got the whitest Christmas you can imagine :D For someone who is used to it raining every Christmas it was a miracle.

Tidings of Comfort and Joy!

I'm sitting here hoping I can write this fast enough that I'll still have internet when I go to save it. The weather has been crazy. I can't remember ever having snow and ice for a whole week before. It usually snows one day and is gone the next. We've been home for an hour and we've got three inches of new snow. It's really blowing too. They said on the news to prepare to be without power for a week or more O.o I've been there, done that, and I didn't enjoy it!

We've got 15 inches of snow now. I'm amazed at the fact that they say every snowflake is unique and there must be a billion just in my yard alone. I think it's so cool that God didn't make them all fit the same mold. I love it when it's snowing and you can actually see the snowflake shape when they land on you. I used to think they were all just white blobs, and I'm glad they're not.

Our driveway is really steep and when we tried to go up it tonight we slid all over the place and started sliding backwards toward the road. The brakes were doing nothing and my dad kept saying "Pray" as we got rolling faster. We ended up getting turned enough that we got stuck on some new snow. God protected us and helped us get turned around. We did have to hike up a ways, but we were safe. It's funny, I keep being reminded of how God sends angels to protect his people. I actually have a cool story about them from Ethiopia that I'll have to post.

For now, Merry Christmas! Stay warm and safe wherever you are.

Christmas Quiz

You Are a Snowman

Friendly and fun, you enjoy bringing holiday cheer to everyone you know!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

Haha,Interesting :)

Lessons from Ethiopia

I went to Ethiopia because I wanted to be able to be Christ to other people in a tangible way. I never thought that instead I would see Christ in them.

One young man worked all day at the clinic even though he also had to work and go to school at night. Another used all the money he had to buy stuff so he could make us popcorn. He just wanted to bless us.

The interpreters paid their own money to take several taxis to get to the clinic. I wish you could see them witness – They were so honest and you could tell they had a passion for God. The loved these people and when we would all pray together it didn’t matter that we were speaking English and they were speak Amharic because there such a spirit of unity.

I’ll never forget the girl who came up to me and gave me a hug and said “I love you” over and over again or the little boys who followed me around trying to get me to play with them.

One lady came in and wanted prayer for her muslim family. They had kicked her out of her house because she became a Christian and now she was living on the street. She didn’t complain about it – She just talked about how God had been so faithful in her life.

I met a few other Christians who were living on the street and what I saw amazed me. They were some of the most joyful people I’ve ever met. It made me realize that joy really isn’t based on things. It comes from knowing Christ and the freedom he brings.

I made it back!

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to post. I made it home :) I had the most amazing time. I think I'm addicted now. I want to go on another missions trip!

I don't have enough time to write a decent post about it, but I'll be working on it. There are so many things that I'll never forget. People, words, images etched in my mind.

God did so many cool things. I liked how when I would pray sometimes I would see God answer it in front of my eyes.

My Wardrobe.

Well, here I am about to set out on my own adventure. The closer I get to my trip the more intimidating it is and also the more excited I get. I'm in awe of all that God has done for me and all that he is.

In a way, I think that next Friday, as I get on that plane I'll be walking through my own wardrobe into my own Narnia. I hope that I'll have Courage like Peter and faith like Lucy and That I'll experience God just like they got to see Aslan face to face.

Here are some things to pray for:

Please pray for me and for the whole team. It's kind of intimidating for me to be on a missions team with people who are twice my age at least. I'm not sure what to expect, but I know God is going to do some amazing things.

Pray that the people's hearts would be open. We're setting up a medical clinic where people can not only get medical care, but also hear the message of the gospel.

Pray for our host missionaries that the team being there would just really be encouraging to them.

Pray for Safety on the long plane ride and while we're there. Also that no one would get sick or have trouble with altitude sickness and that we would be able to operate in grace despite jet-lag and exhaustion.

Tag, you're it

Connie Tagged me. So here goes.

6 random things.

1. I named my cat Skippy when I was 10, but my brothers didn't like that name so they called him Snoops. The name stuck and to this day even I call him that.

2. I'm addicted to the music from "Les Miserables". I listen to it and play it on the piano all the time. I'm sure my family is fed up with it by now, but I still love it.

3. The first movie I ever saw in theaters was "Monster's Inc." I think I was 8. Wow.

4. I have a guitar. I was working learning to play it a few years ago, but stopped. I should get back into it, but I don't don't enjoy the my-fingers-are-on-fire sensation so I've been putting it off.

5. The last time I was on a plane I leaned back and spilled the guy behind me's beer all over his seat. Then we had to smell it for the next three hours. It wasn't pretty.

6. I've lived in the same house for my entire life. Remember snoops? Well, he just stepped on the keyboard and I had to backspace over a ton of text. I guess he had something he wanted to say to you all!

I do realize I didn't really follow the rules, but I don't feel like tagging anyone.

Layout

I changed the layout. What do you all think?

Oh, and it deleted all my widgets so here's another countdown.

Countdown Clock by Zoodu.com

My countdown and Shots.

I made a countdown until my trip. Isn't it pretty? :D I got my team member packet yesterday. Now that it's finally sinking in that I'm going it's kind of scary. It's crazy though because over and over things have been happening where I can see God's hand in it. I've never felt God in something like I do in this. I'm so unworthy.

Well, I don't have much to say. I got 5 shots this past week. I hadn't been to the doctor in a long time so I was over due for some of them. The crazy thing was I had to get MMR which is a live virus and then later I need to get Yellow fever which is live as well. My mom made the doctor's appointment for when I could get in and if it had been even a week later I wouldn't be able to go because you can't give someone two live viruses within 30 days of each other and it takes 30 days after getting yellow fever to be fully immune to it. So that was cool.

I also made beaded bookmarks on Wednesday. The lady I'm going with had millions of beads so I had a lot of fun. She also had gotten my passport back. My first visa :D It's pretty sweet looking.

At church my pastor preached about trusting God in the midst of the storm and one thing that really stuck out to me was that he said that you don't need to worry if God is in your boat. *Grins* He's in my boat :)

August 22, 2008

So first of all. God taught me something really cool a while ago. I'd been struggling with some stuff. Just really a lot of wondering where God was in the midst of life and if he really cared about the little things. I feel silly, even childish, admitting to it. I mean, come on, I've been a Christian for so long and yet I still have doubts like that. God in his grace showed me how much he cared. See, I was trying to fit him into my box. I'd assume he wasn't answering my prayers simply because it wasn't the answer I as looking for. I ask him to show me what he wants me to do and yet when he does and it's not what I had wnated to do I don't believe him. I tell him to show me a sign that he really meant what he said. And yet, I'm so blind I can't see that he already showed me what he wanted to do he just left the choice up to me.

I don't want to be one who takes the easy way out. God taught me that if I'm always afraid of being stretched I'll never grow. Asking God for a sign is fine at the right time, but when you already know he has called you to do something it's wrong. It's hiding. It's like a runner standing at the starting block waiting for a million guns to go off before he'll start running.

God also showed me that he didn't call me to operate in fear. Paul talks in 2nd Timothy about how God isn't give us a spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mind. I can't let fear dictate my life. If I think I've got it rough think about Paul. You know where he was when he penned those words? A Roman prison. He was there because he'd been preaching Christ. He had every right to be mad at God or to be afraid of what would happen to him, but no, he stopped and encouraged Timothy. Not only that but he wrote to Timothy about the faithfulness of God.

It's hard to believe I'm actually going to Ethiopia. Yesterday I mailed my application for the missions organization and my visa application. I should get my passport with the visa in it back sometime next week. The lady I'm going with told me a bunch of stories about how God put her in the right place at the right time and used her to answer someone's prayers. I'm going over to her house next week and we're going to make beaded bookmarks to give to the missionaries and interpreters and other people like that. So that should be fun.

Yesterday morning I went with my momma to the funeral for my step great uncle(I guess that's what he would be). I never knew him well and we mostly went to support my grandparents but it was hard nonetheless. It's awful to see other people so unhappy. I've never seen my grandma so upset. He wasn't a christian and so there's not that assurance that we'll see him again. That's what's the hardest part. It made me realize that every day people die without hope and that's so heartbreaking. We really prayed ahead of time that the pastor would do a good job. The family didn't have a church, but the funeral director knew of this one that would do funerals for people outside their church. Anyway, the pastor did a really good job. As he was talking with the person's wife so they could write the eulogy she said he liked walking a certain trail several times a week and the pastor was like "Wow, that's funny. I like walking that trail a few times a week too." Anyway it ended up that he had met him a few weeks ago on that trail. It was just so cool how God orchestrated that.

Oh, and today is my littlest brother's 9th birthday. We made him cherry pie :D It's so odd because I remember when he was born and now he's 9...I miss having really little siblings sometimes. It was so nice when he was little and I could hold him and play with him. Hehe, but he's great. I wouldn't wish him any different.

Kale is going to Ethiopia!

So, it's decided. I thought my mom would never let me go, but I'm going to Ethiopia on October 31 to November 9th. I'm going with a dear lady from our church who leads all kinds of medical missions trips all over the world.

She has wanted to take me with her on one for a long time, but my mom said not until I was 16. Anyway I get to go down there with a team of people who are all at least twice my age and do whatever needs done. I get to help the different doctors and see all that they do. I also get to learn to take blood pressure and give shots and stuff.

I'm so excited and scared. I got my passport last week and have been filling out my application for a visa.

I would appreciate your prayers. I'm very excited for what God is gonna do.

Hey!

I'd like to direct your attention to the upper right hand corner of the screen. *dramatic music* I added a banner for the Fantasy Fiction Tour. It's on the West coast this time so I'm pretty jazzed about the whole thing. Anyway, click it and look at their website when you get a chance. It's really a neat thing I think.

I had my last day of Driver's Ed class today! The teacher gave us candy *laughs* She said we'd been a great class. I just have two drives left, and then I'll be graduated. One of them is the mock drive test and I'm pretty nervous about that. You have to get over 80 to pass the class and you get two chances to take it.

Anyway, I went and applied for a passport yesterday at our courthouse. They said it should only take two or three weeks because they've been doing them really fast lately. I might be going on a mission's trip in October, but my mom thinks it's too dangerous an area. We have to decide this week. I'll post more about it if my parents decide to let me go.

What I've been up to.

Hey, Well I don't know if anyone still reads my blog. My posting has been a bit erratic.

I guess I should give y'all the lowdown on what I've been doing lately. I had a temporary job giving out ample in the end of June which was a lot of fun. I met a lady who taught NaNo, a pro paintball player, and a lot of other interesting people. The actual giving out samples is pretty boring after a while, but hey, it payed pretty well. My favorite part was getting to throw the ice in the sink in the back at the end of my shift. It's just something about the sound it makes when it hits the bottom of the sink. I know, as my oldest brother tells me, I am "easily amused." I made a lot of friends working at our grocery store. It's so different working because no one is really trying to impress anyone else and you all are there and have to do this job. There's no cliques or anything if you know what I mean.

I started Driver's Ed. a few weeks ago. *deep breath* I hate the drives. Really, I do everything I could possibly ever do wrong when I'm in that car. Well, not everything, butyou get the picture. I try really hard. The hour seems to go so slow. I get all nervous and sweaty too. *shivers* My teacher scares me. The class itself is all right. They're making me do a boatload more of work than my older brothers ever had to do. It's insane. My mom says my driving is better. I drove her to our dog training yesterday and she seemed impressed. I guess I just have to look for the light at the end of the tunnel. One day, I'll have my license and all this will seem worth it. Driving is so hard though. Driver's Ed is so annoying because I'm missing out on so much I wanted to do.

God has been doing something in my life. It's really incredible, but I'll save that for another post post as I think it deserves it's own :P