the fab and the drab.

~I'll wear white and you'll wear out the words I LOVE YOU.

2012-01-18T17:15:00.000-08:00

My best friend from IMPACT will be my maid of honnor/matron and play her uke. My best friend from high school will be the other one of the two.

As I walk down the isle, I collect peace lillies from my closest friends standing in the pews. My dad and my brother will escort me while my mom carries my train down the isle.

His sisters will stand behind me with boquets of flowers we picked out of his grandmother's garden, while their TOMS sparkle off the lights of the church that we grew up in. Our pastors will do the ceremony together, and I will wear a "simply elegant" dress with white TOMS. My brother will stand behind him while his father is his best man. Our flower girl(s) will be family. Our moms will sit on the front pews, and when we tie our sailors knot, they will wipe their tears away with embroidered hankies. The unity song will be sung by our best friend from the BCM. We will have family prayer time right after that.

The preacher will tell us our vows as we recite them back to him. He slips the ring onto my finger. I put his on his hand. I have melted a piece of my purity ring into his white gold setting and as I slip it onto his hand we will giggle at the fact of my difficulty. Elmo will sing Victory in Jesus as we pay tribute to reletives who are watching from Heaven. Once everything is over, we will have our first kiss. My first kiss. His first kiss.

We will party down the isle to the tune of Joyful Joyful. At the reception, I will dance with my dad to "Little Miss Magic" by Jimmy Buffet, and if my prince doesn't want dancing, it will be my slide show theme.

Just before we depart for our honeymoon to Disneyworld or the North GA mountains, we will have a quiet moment in the sanctuary with our parents. It will be a perfect day.

We will run out into a shower of bubbles, rice, and birdseed. He'll wisk me away in his car where we will begin our lives together.

The end.

~Thinking.

2012-01-18T17:04:00.000-08:00

Instagram is an awesome little photo app for your *smart phone* (why do we call all phones smart if we know that they are iPhones? just a thought...) and one of the guys I "follow" on there posted a picture of his little sister.

The caption under it said:

"I legit. have plans with the most gorgeous lady on the planet tonight."

This made me so happy. Boys will always be boys, but I dream of my prince charming all the time. Here are some "thoughts" I have on the subject.

Loves Jesus more than me and his family combined.

Hugger. MUST BE A HUGGER.

Respects my wishes to save my first kiss for my magical wedding day.

Preferably plays gitaur...

Friendly.

I could go on and on and on...but for now that's all.

HAPPY DRAB AND FaB :D

~Someday...

2012-01-18T16:59:00.000-08:00

Take a stand.

Take a stand for what you believe in or you will stand for nothing.

We hear these words everyday.

Everyday they seep through our bones, longing to be put into practice.

Practice.

Practice makes permanent.

Why can't I stand up?

Why can't I ask them to stop cussing in front of me?

Why can't I share my views on purity?

Why do I feel defeated everytime I try, and more so when I do?

Why?

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

2 Timothy 1:7

God, I ask you to give me the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. I struggle everyday. Everyday. So many words are said around me, to me, and over me even. How do I stand up? How do I respond? God, I ask you for your spirit. SOMEDAY I will stand up for you. Someday I won't be scared to say what I feel and not let anyone tear me down. God, I pray that tomorrow will be my SOMEDAY that I will stand. I will not tolerate it anymore. No one can stand in my way. HaVe YoUr WaY GoD.

Amen.

~Music to my ears...

2011-12-25T17:47:00.000-08:00

I've been in a music mood lately! Here are some songs that are currently making me happy:

enjoy and merry Christmas! :)

~best of the best.

2011-12-21T18:23:00.000-08:00

I have the best Man that anyone could ever ask for.

He loves me unconditionally.

Doesn't make me change a thing about me, minus my sinful nature.

He graces me with His prescence daily.

He sends me the most beautiful good morning and goodnight messages.

He even laid down His life for me on the Cross!

His birthday is Sunday, and I can't quite decide what to get Him.

Love? For I cannot out do Him.

Time? He is the maker of time.

Life? He's the one who breathed life into me!

So what do you get the greatest guy in the universe?

All of the above. Life, love, time, service. I chose to give all to Him this Christmas season, and for the new year to come.

Would you like to meet this wonderful man? Would you like life, time, and love given to you? Coment and I will gladly share more!

~hope.

2011-12-19T21:57:00.000-08:00

Good morning bloggers! Is it still technically night? Or morning? I'm normally not up this late...ha. Anyways!

I just finished watching a sermon by Ed Newton on the Hebrews verses about running the race. I can't remember the exact reference, but it was pretty cool!

One thing he said was, "God takes the broken pieces and makes masterpieces. He takes the vulnerable and makes them valuable."

This made me happy. This made me feel special, wanted, loved, happy! I feel like a ton of weight was lifted off of me. Just hearing that made me hopeful.

Thank you Jesus for everything You have done. Thank You for Your willingness, sacrifice, love, and passion for a people so undeserving. Thank You for Your unending pursuit of us, and thank you for salvation.

Jesus I love You.

Here's a link to the sermon if you want to hear it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP_JGOtJl_I

I can't wait to see Ed live at MOVE 2011! Thank you and goodnight from the Drab and Fab :)

~second best.

2011-12-17T19:54:00.000-08:00

"Take what you can get. Settle. Take the second best. Don't live up to your full potential. You'll never get the first, so just take what you can get and move on."

Lies. These are all lies that are fed to girls, and probably guys alike about relationships. This summer, I had this awesome encounter with God about *duhduhduh* boys. I finally grasped the concept of trusting God to actually handle EVERYTHING--including guys. It felt amazing. I keep going back to that point of surrender whenever I feel "stuck" or "unloved."

Yes, I'll admit that I see a guy and the thoughts race through my head of what life might be like if he liked me, or if we dated or whatever, but ultimately, it was just a day dream of what might be.

This has been happening a lot lately. Every guy that talks to me, I take it the wrong way and get worked up about it. "Does this mean somthing?! Should I take it as a friend, or flirting, or what do I do?!" This throws me into a state of confusion, and I give up and forget about it.

This got me thinking, why do we as girls do this? Why do we think that we have to "settle" for less than what God has designated for us. Yes, I realize that God doesn't have a plan for everyone to get married--but if He does, than why should we compromise?

People tell us that we're running out of time. (Well, not me, but others.) That we should just jump at the first guy who will take us. (So maybe no one says it, but its the message I get :P).

I feel like almost every high school girl has a different boyfriend each week. Why? Because somebody does something to make us mad, or tick us off, so they move on to the next one.

Anyways, back to time. We serve the author and perfector of time! The "man" who invented time itself! The guy who's outside of time! The big dude who time answers to. This is mind blowing!!!

So if He is outside of time, can see all time, and knows what is going on, I'm willing to wait for my man in time.

Ladies, I encourage you to not default just because there isn't a guy who fits your standards lying around. Unfortunately, this is the one thing they don't sell at Wal-Mart ;). I encourage you to pray daily for your future man, and not to be consumed with the idea that you MUST have a boyfriend.

I'm not saying this in a condeming way, I say this to myself just as much as I say it to you. I am just as gulity as the next person of lusting after a friend who is in a relationship, and trying to find that guy who will talk to you. Don't be afraid to wait! Waiting is pretty good.

Think about it as baking cookies. First, you have to put all of the ingredients into a bowl and then stir them up. Then, you take it and pour it into little circles. Each circle looks different, has a different amount of chips in it, has different qualities that make it unique. You are a cookie, individual of anyone else, made of God's special recipie. When God put you in your mold, He knew exactly how it would play out.

Next, the cookies have to be put in the oven. If you don't cook them long enough, then you run the risk of getting sick. This is similar to rushing God's plan and waiting. You could get sick, or hurt! Luckily, God's oven doesn't overcook!

You have to wait for the cookies to cook the right amount of time before you pull them out. You then pull them out! Done? Not quite. You still have to cool. I know for me,and other girls at my church, we feel like we're ready to be eaten, but we're not. We're still cooling, or even baking! Now, you're finally cooled! You're ready, but is your man? Nope! He's still pouring his milk, getting the plates and napkins ready.

You may be ready, but your guy may not be. Just as much as God has to prepare your heart, He has to prepare the guy's heart. This is when the cookie has cooled, but the person eating it is still getting the plate and napkin and milk together.

So again, I encourage you to wait. Don't settle for less than what God has planned for you! Pray for your future guy everyday. Live out Proverbs 31.

This turned into a ramble, but like I said, I'm writing this to myself just as much as I'm writing it to you guys!

Merry CHRISTmas from the drab and fab :)

~wishing, dreaming, pondering.

2011-11-16T16:34:00.000-08:00

Today, I went to my bestfriend's house after school and we planned our weddings. I'll be her maid of honor, and she'll be mine, her dress will be a-line, and mine will be a simply elegant ballgown. Flowers, bridesmaids, preachers, locations, guests, slideshows--we planned it all.

I am such a sentimental freak when it comes to things like this--weddings especially! I would rather have a higher sentimental price tag than a monetary one.

Right now, in this moment, I am content with waiting for a guy that God has in store for me. I am content with wishing, dreaming, and pondering, for a bit longer. It's great to know that He has a plan for us all--written on His hand.

Yes, I am waiting for that man to come, but for now I'll stay wishing, dreaming, and pondering.

On that subject of bestfriends...

I love my bestfriend. She is ALWAYS there for me, and we have the same kind of ideas. We watch out for each other, and throw a rope out if one gets to far. I am so blessed! Thank You God : )

That's the drab and fab update for now!

~Ramblings, Wonderings, and Cursing.

2011-11-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

Want to know what makes me mad? Want to know what the one thing is that just makes me tick? Want to know what slices my heart?

Cursing. Why? Why put four letters together and say them? It especially makes me mad when you say a sentence and every.other.word. is cursing. just please, stop it? It does NOT make you look cool or more attractive.

Ramblings accomplished...and cursing.
...more ramblings.

GOD IS SO COOL. THIS IS GOING TO BE ALL CAPS BECAUSE HE IS JUST THAT AWESOME. I PRAYED AND IT WAS ANSWERED, I WONDERED AND IT WAS ANSWERED....AHHH!!!!.....DUDE. SERIOUSLY ASK ME ABOUT HIM IF YOU DON'T KNOW HIM.

~Thoughts

2011-10-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

Sing. Dance. Love. Laugh. Breathe. Step. Cough. Bake. Pull. Push. Breath. Step.

Everyday thousands of thoughts fly and zoom through our heads. One thought that has never left mine is Jacob Sutton.

As you should all know by now, my absolute favorite week of the summer is...IMPACT...!!! I have met some pretty amazing people at that camp. But this past summer was different. It wasn't about who I HAD met but more or less about who I HADN'T met. A ton of people in my "group" were from Moultrie, GA. They all told me about a special boy in there town that was in a HORRIBLE tractor accident the week before camp. I prayed and prayed and prayed for that boy to be healed and one night on my knees, God slashed my heart--in a good way. It was almost like the world stopped and God and me were the only ones in it. Then and there He told me that His answers to prayers were either yes, no, or wait. I got all three answers for Jacob.

We asked for healing. We got it. Jacob went to be with Jesus June 7, 2011. Now, we all cried and cried and cried about it but then it hit me. Jacob was healed. No more pain.

We asked for him to stay on Earth. God said no. He took Jacob to stay with Him for eternity.

We asked for healing, and for him to stay. God said wait. ...and wait and wait and wait.

Not a day goes by that I don't think about you Jacob. Today is your 16th birthday. I bet birthdays up there are uber grand. I can't wait to meet you! There is so much I want to say, but I am at a loss for words. Thank you Jacob for touching the heart of a then 14 year old girl a half-a-state away that warm June day. Thank you for inspiring her to really thank God for each breath, to really value life, and to call everything extrra-ordinary.

Thank you God for placing Jacob in my path. And thank you for always having a grander plan. Thank you <3

~future.

2011-10-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Normally, I'm slow to share what I feel. I don't want to be asked questions and I don't want to hurt feelings. However, today the best friend and I were talking about the future, and I wanted to share :)

I want to save my first kiss for marriage.

I want to adopt.

And I want my kids to have family names.

My husband and I will go to Disney for our Honeymoon, and he will hold my hand and cover up my eyes as we ride Pirates of the Carribean b/c i am scared.

I will be an IMPACT TL for as long as I can walk. I will dream everynight, and I will stand up when I need to. I won't be scared to be assertive, and I won't be scared of what people think..

This is random, but its the drab and fab. Have a great week y'all!

Rootabegas and Sweaty Sandals.

2011-09-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

I probably just murdered the English language...oops...but I feel the need to blog.

My shoe broke at school today. I hate sweaty feet. Espically when the sweat moves to the shoe...and you almost fall down a hill!

So, today was probably the best day in a long time. A combo of Switchfoot, StellarKart, Relient K, and others are on Pandora. I had Quiznos for lunch. I'm going to Albany tomorow--AND I GET TO SEE IMPACT PEOPLE. I wore a new outfit to school. People are seeing me for me. Midterms were super easy. Teachers are smiling. No homework. The list goes on and on!

While I'm at it, don't forget to see the little things. Sometimes the littlest things are the biggest things.

That's what's up in the drab-fab life of yours truly. TTFN :)

~pen and paper.

2011-09-16T19:25:00.001-07:00

Sorry for not blogging in a while! I have come to this page so many times, but I have yet to put the pen to the paper. So many thoughts have flooded my mind the past few weeks, that I just hadn't known where to start.

Homecoming. Friends. Foes. Meetings. Projects. Labs. History. Teachers. Voting. Approval. Church. Jesus. Change. Stagnent. Growing-up. Singing. Love. Hate. Chop. Dance. Work. Class. Bio. Biology. Dress Shopping. Wonder. Fufilment. Wishing. Dreaming. Following. Friending. New beginings. Ending. Texting. Calling. Chatting. Messaging. Email. Bank. Checks. Balance. Stopping. Going. Caring. Abusing. Waiting. Procrastinating. Effort. Easy. Done. Finished. Hard. Challenging. Developing. Choosing. Speeling. Correcting. Un-doing. Allowing. Assertive. Working. Trying. Convincing. Surgery. Aching. Patience. Disagreeing. Going along. Blowing up. Staying Calm. Left out. Invited in. Family. Friends. Sleeping. Proud. Shamed. Re-live. Moments. Paying. Saving. Explaining. Showing. Longing. Missing.

The above words explain the past month. I don't know how to write it. I can't explain it. But that's an update of the drab and the fab :) See y'all later!

~Expressions/Expressive/NOT Expresso.

2011-08-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

I feel like blogging. I have read a few tonight that are inspiring! So, here's to a hodgepodge of all about me, and me just expressing what comes to mind when my finger hits the keys. Aaanddd...go.

1) i love old people. the stories they share about "when i was a kid", make me happy.

2) history is my all time favorite subject. English is my best subject, but history is so great. I love how it is always the same, but you are always learnining more. I especially love that..."It's made everyday." COOL BEANS.

3) I think shows should not exploit people for their flaws. Seriously, get a life.

4) I hardly understand football, but there's just something "magical" about a high school football game. LOVE!

5) Yes, I do plan on going to college. But, I have three years. Don't make me grow up so fast!

6) I love being old fashoined. If I had to describe my personality, it would be: A youngin, grandma, teen blended into one.

7) Picture day is my favorite day of the school year. I have no clue why, but it is :)

8) I love when somebody uses somthing for sentimental value. I don't care about the price tag, I care about the sentimental price tag :)

9) I only like DQ coffee, and french vanilla lattees.

~just because.

2011-08-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

Favorite:

Color? Turquoise and light green.

Candy? pretty much anything sour.

Main dish? STEAK, pleaseee :)

Dessert? moist yellow, pilsbury cake with cream cheese icing :)

Veggie? squash, squash, and more squashh!.

Do you...

Talk on the phone everyday to someone who is not family? not everyday, but i do love to talk on the phone!

Read your Bible everyday? On my ipod, mornings and night :)

Do lots of reading? Depends. I have to be in a reading mood.

See your grandparents everyday? they live 3 hours, and 14 hours away, so no. :'/

Bake a lot? not a lot, but I love to find things in the pantry and just go on a baking whim.

Clean your room everyday? Hahahah. You're funny :))

Have to say you're sorry to someone everyday? I have a bad habit of saying 'I'm sorry' a lot. So yes.

A certain thing you dislike of each category:

Veggie? brussel sprouts.
Color? Gray. Washes me out :P

Animal? Animals don't bother me...but spider webs do. weird.

Drink? MILK. *gags*

Random:

Go shopping? i love to shop!

Eat out? local rather than chains :)

Go visit? Australia--don't know why, but I do :)

What color is your room? blue--that looks white sometimes.

Do you have a:

Pet? Not as of now. But my brother has hermit crabs *cheesy grin*

Gift card at the moment? *sigh* I just used the last one from my birthday!

Big mess under your bed? under, no. around, yes.

Sewing machine? yep!

Pack of gum in your bag or purse? half of a pack!

Computer in your room? Yup. My Acer!!

Have you ever:

Been on a plane? and a helicopter!
Been out of state? yessir (or mam.)
Been in an eighteen wheeler? Can't say I have.

Read about a hundred and fifty page book in about an hour? The mini Nancy Drew books <333

More random:

Do you share a room with anyone? Nope. It's me, myself, and I.

Have you ever gone swimming in a pond? No...but I've swam in a lake.

How old are you? 15.

What year were you born? 1996.

Are you related to anyone important or famous? My great grandma used to make pound cake for Jimmy Carter before he became President...and my great uncle on my dad's side was commander of the USS Carl Vinson at one point :)

Have you ever met a vice president? Yes...of student council, haha ;)

Are you getting bored yet? Maybe...

A picture:

Thanks for Reading (:

~Ready.

2011-08-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Was it just Tuesday that I last blogged? It seems like a lot longer...ha. Anyways! This is probably going to be one of the hardest years of school. Don't ask me to explain why...but I just am a little skiddish of the classes that I'm taking. BUT! Yesterday was a GREAT first day of school! For real. I found all of my classes, brought my lunch, and wore a pretty darn cute outfit if I do say so myself! ;).

Last night was the first official Fusion (youth group) of the school year. EPIC. Anytime we do an all night worship, it is epic, but last night was great. This summer has changed so many of us. Whether it be from a camp, a mission trip, a life lesson--we have all be changed. And by the same One. God. Who never changes.

Last night, we also talked about Matthew 18:20 (Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am also), and it got me thinkin...dangerous I know, but just "listen."

I know, and some of you reading this know, that God always keeps His promise of showing up when we do. So, what if we showed up to school this year looking for Him? What if we made at least one other Christain friend and promised to "Gather in His name" at school? What if we went to school looking for God? What if we lived out Colossians 3:17 (for whatever you do, do it as if doing it for God--which you are.)? What if we treated everyday as if it was our last, as if it were extraordinary?!

What would happen? How would God show up and show off? Just thinking about it gives me goose bumps. I would like to challenge you to do this. I'm going to try it too...and I can't promise that we'll be successful everyday at it. But, I do know that God won't turn His head when we seek after Him. He won't shun us, He won't turn His back, He won't turn us away. His arms are open, will you run to them? Will you live out Colossians 3:17/ Matthew 18:20? This could be a great year--it WILL be a great year.

Now, I know this is a legnthy post, but please take some time to watch these videos. They have touched me, and I know that they will have an impact on you too!

~greatness.

2011-08-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

School starts tomorrow, and I have a feeling that this year will be better than ever. A lot of things this summer have changed how I view things (IMPACT, Mission Trip, Camp testimonies). I am super excited to put all of them into practice!

Talking with my friend from IMPACT last night and we both feel like this year will be differnet, exciting, new, and just better than anything ever before! I can't put my finger on what it is, but I'm excited to start :)

ps--if anyone from IMPACT is reading this, please, lets find a way to hang out or meet up this year! I miss y'all!

change.

2011-07-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

As I sit here and read over my past blog posts, I realize that I have changed. Things that mattered this time last year mean so lIttle to me now.

God has done some prioritizing in my life and I am ever thankful for it. I just really don't even know where to begin! My attitude on time, oridinarieness ( Tara! New word.), boys, family, friends, school, God, trust, etc has changed.

Time--don't waste a second.

Ordinary--NOTHING IS ORDINARY. God is keeping you alive with tissue the size of your fist, two sacks of air, and various other balls and arrangement of cells. EVERYTHING IS EXTRAORDINARY, no matter how big or small.

Boys--goodness, if I could tell you all that's going on right now with this subject!!! Trust that God has a person for you. Trust with your heart, not just your mouth.

FAmily, friends, etc-- each person is put here for a reson. Love them and be sure they love God.

God-- aka: LOVE, wonderful... So mu h to say not enough memory on the Internet.

Trust--not just with your mouth, but with your heart

~Speechless

2011-07-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

I don't even know what to say. Everything is falling apart, but falling beautifuly into place as it does. Count your blessings. Don't take anything, ANYTHING, for granted, and just be in awe of God.

Don't treat everyday as ordinary. I'm currently reading, Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. In this book he points out just how extraordinary each day is. I don't have the book with me right now to quote him, but I will do my best.

Think about it.

1) God wakes us up--not our alarm clocks.
2) He lets our legs move us to eat breakfast, get dressed, and head out.
3) He gives us two holes in our head to see everything He has created.
4) He keeps us breathing, safe, etc.

THE LIST LASTS FOREVER. Just think about it. Never take anything for granted, treat everything as if it was extraordinary--because it is--thank God for every breath, movement, and blink.

“Show me, LORD, my life’s end,and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. "

~Psalm 39:4-7~

What are you living for? Who are you living for? What will you do to make today count? What are you doing to change the world for Him?

God is moving. And I'm excited.

~My favorite people.

2011-07-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, I met up with a group from Moultrie in Albany from IMPACT. I walked in and was attacked by my friend RW with a giant hug. But hey! What can I say? I attacked her back :). After our giant hug that almost knocked over the hostess...haha the rest of the group walked in. We all exchanged attack hugs and continued to the booth. No words can express how much I miss those people and IMPACT. We almost had our whole group back together! It was perfect. After Outback--Where SV's steak was dropped, EG ate all my fries, RW2 killed the water, LO laughed her head off, RW managed to eat for less than $5, and I had ten plates of food in front of me...--we headed out to the parking lot to introduce the parentals.

It was great! While they were talking, we had a mini block party. We wopped and tried to John Wall. Smart move. I loved it. After that, we headed to Elements Coffee shop. It was the best just sitting there and talking. We had a brick cookie--that EG ate--Pepsi, coffee, and laughs. Failblog kept us company and so did the music. Which, shocker, SV knew every song that came on! It was sad to leave, but we knew it unfortunately had to end. The cameras were wipped out and the best photo shoot ever began :)

We took so many pictures. Ok, so maybe not that many, but it was a lot. Most of them were photobombed by...*ahem*...all of us :) haha. It was great. We had a smart time.

We finished off the night by having another round of tackle hugs--two for each person--and one last group shot.

I am really hoping to see them again in August for our friend's bday in Valdosta. *fingerscrossed*. If not, I get to see all of them--our whole group minus one or two--in December. THE COUNTDOWN IS ON ;)

It's amazing the friendships that we've made. Just three weeks--two for some--with these people and we are family. God works in crazy ways. Only He can bring us together. Whether from Moultrie, Milledgeville, Swainsboro, or Commerce, it doesn't matter. We are family. I love you guys!

~Days Tuesday--Friday.

2011-07-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

Tuesday we left for grandma's. OH YEA! I got my learner's permit :) ...anyways.

So we left for gma's (Mimi's) will full intention of leaving for St. George Island on Wednesday afternoon. Welp. JAYKAYY! ha. SGI had a really bad storm Monday that knocked ~~out~~ over two power poles going to the island. SO, we waited on a call from the rental agency to tell us what to do.

While we were waiting we went to the mall to shop. I found a Kavu purse! It's brown with peach flowers all over it. I am super excited about it. Also, it was under $40, so that made me even happier!

The rental place called back to let us know that the island was running on generators that were kind of iffy. So we went back to Mimi's and found a condo on Panama City Beach and headed off! It was my second time going there and I was happy.

Wednesday, we ate at the hotel's resturant--YUMMY!. Thursday, the familia went down to the beach while I stayed up in the condo. I don't know why, I just wasn't in the mood to go and get hot and sweaty...haha. That day, I toyed around with the idea of parasailing. I would've done it, but it was super expensive, so that was a negative ghost rider. hahaha...

Friday we went shoping and I got my very own pair of TOMS shoes! You do not know how happy I was. I've wanted some for a year now and to finally put them on my feet felt amazing. I haven't worn any other shoes since. I hope they last a long time!

Saturday we sadly had to come home, but I was ready. I was espically ready for that night! The next post will tell all...(:

~Simply the Best.

2011-07-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

First off, let me appologize for not keeping up with the challenge. I can't promise anything more than I will finish the posts before I graduate high school. Good enough? ANYWAYS.

The next few posts are going to be total randomness. I just have a lot on my mind, and haven't had internet the past week to share those thoughts. So the randomness will begin with a recap of the past week....and...GO!

Monday was my birthday, and to be cliche, it was one of the best. It all began with my bestfriend waking me up--ok lie. I was already awake, because of my excitement level.--*ahem* ...SO she and her twin "woke me up" with the sweetest text ever. It was my very own personalized birthday song from EEK! The next was a poem that gave me a not so subtle hint that I didn't pick up about my present. SHE GOT ME A COW PILLOW PET...excitment level=119798w2u2389732893u7389274.l828. Yes, that is a number. After all of that greatness, I fell asleep and was up by six for a busy day at work.

I really hate to even call it work because all I do is run around with t-shirt orders and help in the concession stand. BUT! I have fun doing it, I love my "job" : ).

After work, I came home to my other best friend Taylor who had a wonderful mini surprise party for me! She bought a Dora cake, balloon, and button. She then went to the BRICK with my family for a birthday dinner. I love my friends. They are simply the best. the end.

OH! And did I mention my brother is also just as equally amazing as my friends? He got me a ladybug pillow pet :). All I wanted for my birhday was TOMS shoes, a Kavu purse, and a Pillow Pet.

More posts will come up soon--most likely one for every day up to today, but for now PLL is on and mom wants the chair. Thanks for reading!

~updates and whatnot.

2011-06-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

IMPACT was amazing. When is it not? I mean really! ha. Anyways, so many things happened that week to bring "our group" so close.

Do you remember the post about life being short? Jacob Sutton inspired that post. He was hit by a truck while riding his tractor one day in south GA. I didn't even know the kid and Tuesday at IMPACT he passed away. I couldn't stop bawling. It's like God slapped me in the face saying, "Wake up! You don't know what's going to happen next. I do. You don't."

We all went into a back room and just cried and hugged and prayed and cried. It was amazing the love in that room. I'm fixing to start crying just thinking about it! That is something I'm sure I'll never forget. After that day, we all got so close.

In worship, one of us would begin to cry just being in the presence of God and within seconds, that person would have five people hugging on them and singing over them.

A good friend of mine's grandad died while we were there also. She began to cry and was in the front row by a big sign. There wasn't much room, but we all crowded her. One big circle. Swaying. Eyes closed. Singing. Crying. It was amazing. One guy even began to wipe the tears from her eyes! God was definately "showing up and showing off" that week.

Everything happened in God's timing. Everything HAPPENS in God's timing. Not one thing happens without Him having His finger on it.

It set me free. I didn't have to worry about it! It was in God's hands. No.More.Worry.

I want to go back. I want to worship. I want to sing. I want to wop ;). I want to dance. I want to praise. I want to be delirious. I want to stay up til 3 writing letters. I want to have a rainbow shower. I want to have zebra stripes. I want to share. I want to know.

The beauty of it is that I don't have to wait til June to do all that. It.Starts.Now.

SHIFT.

YELLOW SCHOOL--if you read this, I can't wait to see my family again next year. You are my family, you always will be <3

~words on a page.

2011-06-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

day 8: a letter to someone who has changed your life.

I could write so many of these letters, so I've decided to just do a few paragraphs each to different people and hope it accomplishes the quest. But then agian, these are just words on a page.

~~Dear~~ To: You. You know who you are, hopefully.

      This first letter is to a few people at one time.   I never hated you, but I didn't like what you did. But because of that, you have changed my life. It's not the full reason that I changed, but it had something to do with it. If I wouldn't have changed, I wouldn't have been placed in the mission field I'm in now. Thank you.

         IMPACT is who I chose to write the second letter to. Everyone I've met, everyone I've cried with, worshiped with, shared with, gosh. Ya'll have changed my life. I love ya'll!

        I feel the need for so many more letters! There are just to many to chose. The third and final letter will be to God. God, thank You. You have changed my life. TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOREVER!

~Think about this...

2011-06-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Life is...short. Very Short. You don't ever know when it might end. It's crazy to think that, but you don't. I don't! Not one person does. A few events in my life have me really thinking about this.

Psalm 39:4 says, "LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered--how fleeting my life is." I sure have been reminded! I came over this verse a few months ago and it really hit me. I truely do not know when I will die. We, especially me, all have these plans we have for our future--that we don't even know that we might have. I am so glad that God has chosen me to live this long, and I pray that I will live even longer! It just has me putting priorities in order. I don't know...just think about it.

~Lazy Summer Days

2011-06-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

Today was just what the title implies. I made muffins with Matthew this morning, sorted some clothes to take to camp, and then just crashed. I love days like today :)

~A break in the pages.

2011-06-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

Hey bloggers! Sorry I haven't posted my 26 day challenge everyday! I left on Sunday to go to grandma's house and just got back today. She doesn't have very good internet connection, so I was kinda out of touch with society. ha. Anyways! I have decided to take a break from the challenge and just do some mind blogging. Just blog about what's going on in my life.

I leave for camp on Monday, and I am so super excited. I will be in Ye11low school this year and have just stocked up on yellow gear. Anything from hair ribons to t-shirts, I have it. I am hoping to go to Academy this weekend and get some more shorts.

Can I just say that I love to shop? Especially the sale rack. I was so proud of my $30 shirt that I got for $6 yesterday. It practically made my life! ha! But what can I say? It's the little things : )

Grandma's house. She cooked a delicious meal for Sunday supper, and then Monday we headed out to her old house to clean some things out. After living there 30+ years, theres no telling what you will find! We found blenders, bread makers, glasses, plates, NASCAR stuff, and tons of other treasures. It was really weird going through my grandpa's stuff, and I miss him a lot, but I'm glad I got to spend time with MiMi.

Again, I am super excited to leave for camp next week! It's always my favorite week of summer, and possibly the year. There is one week that comes as a photo finish though; Mission Trip. Ah! They are both so great :)

Thanks for letting me ramble! I will update you more tomorrow :) Only four more days to camp! :D

~must...have..._____...gasp

2011-05-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

day 7: five things you couldn't live without.

1. God.

Yep! it's the cliche answer, but it's true. without Him I wouldn't be here, much less want to be here. He has brought me through so much. I love Him <3

2. Sour Candy.

I love this stuff. Not as much as I love the above, but I still love it. Espically Air Heads. YUM!

3. My Youth Group.

I didn't want to put their faces on here, but the way we go from silly to serious in zero to sixty is amazing. Not to mention, they give the best hugs :)

4. Pandora.

It sounds silly, but I love music. My favorite part of Pandora is finding new songs and artists to listen to!

5. My Bestfriend.

I didn't want to put her face on here, but she is my gentle giant. I Googled that and this is what came up. I kinda like it :) She knows just about everything about me, and I her. We both have many secrets still, but we both respect that of each other. The other thing? We have almost nothing in common, except for three things. History, God, and school. That's the beauty of our friendship, we are different, but we respect that :)

~memories.

2011-05-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

day 6: a moment you wish you could relive.

I really wish I could relive talking with my Pop and Grandaddy about history. We had so much fun talking about it. Whether it was politics, the Civil War, or even the local news, it was always the best. I miss my Pop and that was some of the best memories I have of him.

I would also want to relive last year's mission trip. I had the BEST kids. They were AMAZING dancers and listeners. It was just so much fun. I can't wait for this year's trip! JULY 17-22!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!...okay, I'm good now :)

~quotes, sayings, and do-dads.

2011-05-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

day 5: a favorite quote.

Today's challenge is to chose a favorite quote and share it with my lucky readers. I have decided to break the rules, yet again, and give you two quotes. One Bible verse, and one other two other quotes.

The first quote is:

"For we know that ALL things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose."

~Romans 8:28~

This is my favorite Bible verse/quote because it is peaceful. No matter what happens there is a 100% guarantee that ALL things will work together for God's people. Even if it doesn't seem to work out now, we just have to wait. Now, I don't have much patience, but this verse reminds me that sometimes it takes patience to see the good. And that's why I love it :)

My other favorite quote is:

To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. ~Agnes De Mille

I agree with this 100%.

Side note: I start my 11th year of dance in August, 5th year teaching, and 5th year on pointe. SUPER EXCITED!

~television/TV

2011-05-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

day 4: your favorite TV show.

Hands down, my all time favorite TV show is

Pretty Little Liars on ABC.

It is all about a possible murder, secrets, and friendships. I can't wait for the new season to begin!

~books.

2011-05-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

day 3: your favorite book.

Number the Stars/anything historical fiction. i love history and i love books. i also love anything to do with World War II. I love the 40's and sometimes I think I was born in the wrong time period! hehe

this is the perfect combination of the three :) a must read!

Another one of my favorite books is The Hunger Games. I have yet to read all three, but I am hoping to do so over the summer! It's very futuristic and crazy at every page turn! Not to mention that there is a movie comming out for this next year and I am very excited!

Next on the list is the book, The Lying Game. AH! Craziness. I can't even describe it. Again, I haven't read the full series yet but I am looking foward to eventually!

Last but not least is A Walk to Remember. It brings me to tears every time! I'm a sucker for anything Nicolas Sparks, but especially this one. LOVE.

So, I completely broke the rules and put more than one book up, but what can I say? I'm a rebel ;) Have a happy Monday!

~she sings everywhere she goes. She's like lalalalalalalalalala...

2011-05-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

day 2: favorite movie.

my all time number one favorite movie of all movies is
*duhduhduhduh!*

HOODWINKED!

lovelovelovelovelove it!

i really don't even know why i love it so much! i have seriously watched this movie at least six times since it came out. that's saying a lot condsidering that i hate watching a movie more than once. so yeah, that's my favorite movie.

my favorite quotes are the title and this one:

"The criminal you are looking for cannot be found at the bottom of the mountain; he resides at the top in a cave fortress where my companions are trying to detain him"

that movie makes me smile. what is your favorite movie? :)

~here we go.

2011-05-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

so i've decided to start the 28 day blog challenge. but there's a catch...i could only find 26 ideas. so here we go :)

day 1: your favorite song.

favorite song?! oh no! music is everything, so i'm going to make a list of favorite song(s).

1) the right one: stellar kart.

this song is just so happy, and i like to be happy :)

2) britt nicole: sunshine girl

i love this song because i feel like it describes me perfectly. i'm one of those people where if you don't know me, you think i'm quiet. but if you do know me, you wish i was ;)

3) hawk nelson: crazy love.

the lyrics are pure genious. loveloveloveloveeee :)

4) lecrae: represent.

i love this song because of all the memories that go along with it. the past two years on the mission trip, my kids went crazy dancing! it was so fun to watch them and to dance and just whatever with them. one kid even got up front and started dancin and singin. l.o.v.e.

5) april smith: movie loves a screen.

this song is just so upbeat and happy and cute and junk and i love it! :D

so day one is complete. i can't wait for tomorrow's post!

what's your favorite song(s)?

~"now you tell me, does that make sense?"

2011-03-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

the other day, a kid in my health class was proclaiming how he was an athiest. he said, "yea, the Bible has great stories and all, but how could that happen? none of that is real. it's just a show for money. none of it could ever happen in real life, so i don't belive it! haha!"

see, there's the thing. it doesn't make sense. if it did--and i mean every single bit of it seemed very comprehensible and repeatable by humans--it would mean that God is on our level, that He is human. my teacher always used to say that with the human element, everything fails, everytime.

if God were human and made sense, then it would be human ruling human. which, as we can see, is destined for failure. so if God doesn't make sense, isn't that a good thing? this is the only way we will not fail. if an outside source--in fact the CREATOR of us--controls, no controls is to harsh, LOVES us.

if you have a broken toy, you aren't going to take it to another toy will you? you won't take it to a baby to fix will you? i know that i would take it to the maker.

see, we are toys. broken with springs popping out all over. the only one who can fix us is our Maker, God. not other humans, not anything but God.

so yea, God doesn't make sense. but i think i'm glad <3

oops! o.O

2011-01-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

"HEY! Last night I was looking through my handy dandy telescope and saw nothing less than a brand.new.star. I think we might need to talk about this considering that, you know, whole Zodiac calendar thingy."
"YOU MEAN THERE IS A NEW STAR?!?! I HAVE BEEN PLANNING MY DAYS ALL WRONG ALL OF MY LIFE?!?!?!"
"Yea, I just found it last night."

I am so glad that I serve a God who is the same yesterday, today and FOREVER(Hebrews 13:8)! HE is the ultimate bright and morning star. Praise Him!

~tetris

2011-01-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

I am addicted to Tetris. There, I said it. I got an iTouch for Christmas and I cannot stop playing Tetris. However, I am not ashamed of this addiction. God has taught me a lot just by playing this game. He has the weirdest ways of telling us things, but not one bit of this is weird to Him. It is all in His divine, beautiful plan for my life that He has made me play Tetris.

I am sure that many of you have played Tetris before, but if you haven't (which I highly reccomend before reading on or you will be deeply confused) it's kinda like a puzzle. Pieces fall and you must rotate, slide, or hold them in order to get them all to fit. Once you make a line of the blocks--all shapes and sizes--it get's deleted. The more lines you delete, the more points you get. Easy enough, right?

In September 2010, I lost my Pop (grandad). He had had diabetes and wasn't doing well, but I didn't expect for him to be going to party with Jesus soon. I had it all planned out that we would go fishing in my Great-Grandad's pond in the summer, go for rides in his new truck, and have the bestest longest hugs in the whole universe for years to come. Boy was I wrong. He went into the hospital on a Wednesday, and died on Sunday two or three weeks later. My aunts came down--who I haven't seen since I was about 4 years old, my grandmas's Sunday School class came and sat at the hospital joking how their grandsons would love to meet me and how they thought we were just too cute. I replied with smiles and laughs, but on the inside it cut me to the core. My grandad was dying and all they could do was set me up with their grandsons. I know that they were trying to make me laugh--which they did :) --but at the time I didn't realize it. I was surrounded by love. Drowning in it. And I am thankful for that.

When playing Tetris, you must fit all the blocks together. Sometimes though, they don't want to fit just right. You have little spaces that are empty. Spaces that are blocked off by the brick above it. That's how I was. The missing piece was those ladies making me laugh, meeting my aunts, learning the embrassing stories about my Pop, soonandsoforth. You see, in the Magic version of Tetris, you have powerups that will get rid of the blocks. Espicially the blocks that are hard to get to, the ones with the bricks above them that no one seems to know the right combination to make them fit. God. God is like the powerups. He knows just what we need, and just the right tool to make the bricks fit. Awesome!

Nine days ago, my great-grandmother went to be with Jesus. We weren't that close, but I loved her. I thought that she was the coolest person in our family because she was 95. 95. Ninety-five years of life. woah. She had seen so much. The Great Depression, World War I and II, the first man on the moon, cars, cell phones, and the 40's ( I really like the 40's which is why that is important :). And now, after all of that "amazing" stuff she has seen here on Earth, she is in Heaven. Viewing Heaven, worshiping in Heaven, walking on the streets of gold IN HEAVEN. I had her life planned out too. I had planned her 100th birthday party, who would be there, what I would have accomplished by then, and soonandsoforth. But God had a different plan. He always does--in the best way possible way I say that. He had a grander plan to take her to be with Him.

You see, she had gotten very sick in August and we all thought that she was going to die then. But no. Where we placed her "brick" God decided to move it. One of the power-ups in the game is bubble wrap. If you decide that that certain brick combination doesn't fit, you can pop it just like bubble wrap.

God decided to pop our idea of Him taking Draddy with Him that August. God has a different plan. He always does.

Silly little me is having to learn that lesson right now. If you would have told me two years ago that I would be at Baldwin High School, I would have called you crazy. I HATED the idea of going there. But God had a different plan.

I am now at BHS, and surrounded by some pretty great Jesus loving people that are encouraging me in my walk with Him everyday. Those same people have comforted me over the past 5 or 6 months with this journey that I am experiencing. God has a different plan. He always does.

Also, this past summer I went on a mission trip to Augusta and we had a time on Thursday night when we shared our testimony. One of the things said was, "When you struggle, it's God breaking you into a million piece so that He can build you back into something even more beautiful that ever before." That spoke to me. He is breaking me so that He can build me into something more beautiful than ever before. Thank You God for breaking me over these past few months. I pray that I will use the new me to shine You.

This was a very legnthy post, but thank you for reading. Chances are you will be struggling very soon. I pray that you will lean on Jesus to be your rock. Yea, it sounds clich`e, but it is so true. Don't turn away from His love. Run to it. Run to it before you run to your friends, family, or anyone else---I know that is something that is going to be my resolution this year.

"Come to Me all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest."
--Matthew 11:28--

I leave you with this beautiful promise found in Romans 8:28, "For we know that all things come together for the GOOD of those who are called according to His purpose."

Who's controling your Tetris game?

~my mind has been blown~

2010-12-21T17:35:00.000-08:00

mary.
mother of Jesus.
records say a teenager when told she would give birth to the Savior of the world.

ok, right there. teenager. pretty crazy, right? most things I have found say that she was 14--I'm 14!--when she was told this wonderous news found in Luke 1. This is how I imagine it:

An angel pops up beside Mary's bed. "Hey Mary, I'm Gabriel. Don't be worried, God sent me here to tell you a little something. Guess what! You are going to deliver the Savior of the world. Congrats!"

Now if it were me, I would have thought I had hit my head on the stable while feeding the donkeys, or gotten trampled on trying to maneuver through the dusty roads. If it were me, I would have run straight to the well and splashed my face silly with water. Or I would have just sat there, stunned and amazed thinking it was all a crazy twisted dream. Sadly yes, that would have been my response. "You have the wrong Mary Gabe! Try next door? You must have gotten us confused, but don't worry it's a common mistake." Yes, sadly that would have been my response. But it was that Mary. Gabriel had made no mistake. That young, 14 year old virgin was to give birth to the Savior of the world.

Gabriel told her not to fear, and that she had favor with God. She listened. Despite all the rumors that would flood the town, despite all the stories people would think up, despite all that she would be shunned for. Despite all that she replied,

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Such courage those 12 words took to say. Courage that Deuteronomy 31:6 gives us a promise of.

Mary had enough faith to trust God. To trust that He would take care of it all. My favorite part of the Christmas story--besides Jesus--is her song that she then offered up to God.

46 And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”

Instead of focusing on all the bad that could come of the situation, Mary chose to turn to the positive and thank God for letting her bear His Son. The Son that would save the world from sure des. truction

This just completely blows my mind that Mary was 14. 14. I am 14! I know age was a lot different back then, but still. It blows my mind that she could have so much courage at 14. But then again, it gives me hope. I know that God can do anything through me. It also reminds me of one of my favorite verses, 1 Timothy 4:12.

young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

So thank you Mary for not being afraid. Thank you so very much.

~Merry Christmas everyone!

~a letter i'll never send. to my gentle giant~

2010-12-20T20:47:00.000-08:00

you put up a wall. a wall of excuses. a wall of, "i'm not good enough", "i'll never be anything", "i'm always stuck in the shadows and i will never be my own." so you sit there. you sit there and listen to it, being piled higher and higher, brick by brick, begging for an escape. i wish you would take my rope. time and time again it just gets thrown back at me. thrown back it may be, but i relentlessly throw it back over the ever growing wall. another brick layer is laid. the process repeats itself. surprise? not to me.

but then i sit back and review the situation. i am not the rope you need. HE is the one you need. you have figured that out all on your own. He is the only one with the long enough rope. you have figured that out and keep throwing back my rope to teach me the lesson. the lesson i so desperately need to learn myself.

while tossing the rope over again and again, i get tired. not tired as in i want to stop, tired of getting the same response. i want to help you so much, but i can't. only He can.

He has placed you in my life just at the right time. you have this one hole in your wall, a hole no one else has. you can see things that a lot of other people can't see. i know that He uses that hole in your wall to speak to me.
our holes may be at different places in our walls, but they are definately there in that place for a reason.

you get me. you see the things i think no one else sees. you are truely a blessing.

thank you gentle giant. thank you.

~and the flour flew...everywhere.

2010-11-27T09:31:00.000-08:00

Today, I helped make a nut cake with my Grandma, brother, and mom. It is so much fun using a mixer! Especially when I turn it up to high, and I get flour all over the kitchen :) Hopefully it will still taste good with about half of the flour missing from the cake...hmmm. Today is so beautiful outside. So colorful--God, thank You. I feel really distracted and random today, but in a good way :)

After the cake finishes we are headed off to Macon! WOO-HOO! haha This should be fun:)

Have a great day!

~pj's and red shoes :)

2010-11-26T15:44:00.000-08:00

Today we went to Oconee and shopped at Goodwill. new.favorite.store. I found some really really, REALLY cute picture frames for my room, and some cute pj pants--each .99 cents! And then I got some really cute red tennis shoe looking things for $10. I love bargains just about as much as I love hugs and laughter. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

~11

2010-11-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

In honnor of Thanksgiving, here are a few things I am thankful for :)
1) Jesus Christ. Now this sounds a little clechie--sp?-- but I really am. With out Him there would be no me. No me. Weird huh?
2) My brother. He is so crazy and so loud, and so loveable. He always has been there for me, and is just the best brother anyone could ask for. Though I may want to trade him somedays, if I did it would be disastorous. Thank you buddy.

3) My parentals. If I said everything that I was thankful for about them, there wouldn't be any memory left on the internet.

4) My church family. I have so many moms, dads, sisters, brothers, nephews, nieces, etc. at church that I am constantly blessed everyday by them. Thank you.

5) My youth group. The way we can be so silly, crazy, just all out [...there's no word for it], and then go completely serious about God just blesses me everytime I'm around it. The inside jokes, the memories, the tears, the laughs we share. Thank you.

6) When family gets together. I love family get togethers. When ever we get together, we always share stories of the past. I am a big history buff, and it's really cool to hear about my family. It always brings laughter and smiles. Thank you.

7) Laughter. I feel like laughter is God's way of expressing happiness when words aren't enough. I could laugh for hours. I just love to laugh :) Especially with friends. It could be the deepest moment of silence, and we just bust out laughing. Thank you.

8) <--SMILEY FACE! xD ...anyways...Spell check. Yes, I am really thankful for Spell Check. Without it I would have been very embrassed many a time. Thank you.

9) Surprise texts/calls/messages. It makes my day when I get surprise anythings, but especially these three things. Somebody took time out of the day to talk to me, yay! :) Thank you.

10) IMPACT. Thank you IMPACT for blessing me with so many great people who keep in contact with each other, and I can't wait to see again! Thank you.

11) Military. Thank you for not being afraid to keep me safe. Words cannot express. Thank You.

THANK YOU.

~life recently

2010-11-14T18:11:00.000-08:00

I really really really have been wanting to blog, but I don't know where to start. Could I just begin by saying God is truly amazing? Or that He is right there just when you need Him? Or that He has blessed me so much in the past week--not to mention 14 years? That is my delima. I just don't know where to start! I am so blessed to call Him my daddy <3, my Savior, my friend, my Prince Charming, my Knight in Shining Armor, my comfortor--sp?--, and I could go on and on!

"No one can love me more, I'm YOURS!"
--Britt Nicole--

~life is good~

2010-10-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

John Mayer.
My favorie pj's.
Sonic for dinner.
babysitting at church.
~~day~~ week off from school.
God loves me.
God is showing up all over the place
life.is.good.

~the perfect arms to feel special in~

2010-10-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

One of my very dear friends from IMPACT went to a fall retreat with her church and shared this with me. It is legnthy, but so worth the read! I did not write any of it :) I am so glad my friend shared it with me!

"My precious daughter,

I will never leave you,

I will never forsake you,
I will be faithful until the end,
You are more than just "my daughter"
You are my princess,
My beloved, my delight,
I rejoice in you with singing,
I will quiet you with my love,
Hold you in my arms,
Never let you go.

For you are never alone,

I've been with you all along,
Your whole life,
I understand your pain,
My sacrifice wasn't for nothing,
Let me tell you I understand your confusion,
I understand your anger and frustration,
I understand your tears,
And I care,
Very much,
For you,
Everything that is important to you,
Is important to me too,
My love for you will never end,
I will not leave you for another,
I will not abandon you ever,
No matter how far you go,
My love will never end.

I have examined your heart,
I know everything about you,
When you sit down or stand up,
I know your thoughts,
Even when you are far away,
I see you when you travel,
Or when you rest at home,
I see the tears that fall from your eyes,
I see the heartache in my home,
Believe me I know the lies,
I know the temptations,
But I am here,
I know what you are going to say,
Even before you say it.

I go before you and follow,
I place my hand of blessing on your head,
Such knowledge is beyond comprehension,
It is too wonderful for you to understand,
You can never escape from my Spirit,
You can never get away from my presence!

If you go up to heaven, I am there;
If you go down to the grace, I am there.

If you ride the wings of the morning,
If you dwell by the farthest oceans,
Even there my hand will guide you,
And my strength will support you.

You could ask the darkness to hide you,
And the light around you to become night,
But even in darkness you cannot hide from me,
To me night shines as day,
Darkness and light are the same to me,
I made all the delicate, inner parts of your body,
I made your heart,
I know what makes you hurt,
I know what makes you cry,
I know what makes you tick,
I know what breaks your heart the most,
And I know how to comfort you,
I know how to make you smile,
I know how to love you,
I know how to be a daddy who loves,
Such a beautiful daughter like you,
You long for acceptance,
When you were already accepted into my family,
You are fearfully and wonderfully made,
I love you more than you know,
I will fill your heart with the love and peace you long for,
I saw you before you were born,
I knit you together in your mother's womb.
Even then I loved you,
and I was proud of you,
And I thought of you as my beautiful daughter, my princess,
Everyday of your life is recorded in my book,
Every moment was laid out,
Every moment that would bring you joy,
Every moment that would bring you pain.

My thoughts about you are precious,
They cannot be numbered,
They out number the grains of sand,
And when you wake up in the morning,
I am still with you, I love you more than you know,

You are beautiful to me,
Even though you feel something is always wrong,

Just look into my eyes,
See how I see you,
A beautiful princess,
With beautiful eyes that shine with my love and my light,
I love you,
And I will say it again,
I love you,
My princess, my beloved
My precious daughter,
I love you,
I love you,
I love you.

Don't give up,
For I see the brokenness in your families,
In your friendships,
I see the pain in your eyes,
Your beautiful heart,
That used to be so filled with joy,
Is now crushed beneath your burdens,
But you're still beautiful to me,
So beautiful to me,
I will heal you and restore you once again.

My precious daughter,

I will never leave you,
I will never forsake you,
I will be faithful until the end,
Faithful until the end...

Your loving Father and Daddy, Prince of Peace, King of Glory,
- Jesus."

Oh this makes me smile!

~the simple truth~

2010-09-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

1) when i was little, i would skip brushing my teeth until my brother got out of the shower just so i could stay up late and watch full house. (and afterwards, i would brush them:)

2)"when you struggle, it's God breaking you so He can build you into something more beautiful than ever before" --most memorable quote.

3) it really bother's me when people say "wow you're retarded." i know they don't mean anything by it, but i know some mentaly retarded people, that are probably more intelligent then that person will ever be!

4) i absolutely LOVE grape blow-pops. get me one and i will be your best friend for life.

5) i always capitolize "I" unless i'm trying to make it sorta stand out, because in 3rd grade my teacher said "you can't even give yourself enough respect to capitolize your I?"

6) yes i am short. and yes you are taller than me....most people are:)

7) i LOVE being short! God has blessed me by making me short:)

8) when i was six years old, i wanted to be an eye doctor, because he gives out blowpops, you get out of homework if your eyes are dilated, and you got super cool glasses when you were done! haha

9) i now however, want to be a childlife specialist, or a marketing/radio something or another.

10) i actually don't hate school. at times it is annoying, but for the most part i like it.

11) i hate being referred to as the red-headed smart kid....hate it. i don't mind if you call me that like once or twice, but after that, it gets kinda annoying...

12) my goal is on the first impression, you will see God just shining out of me. i am still working on that.

13) i am currenty studying Ruth for my quiet time.

14) i do not have any best friends. all of my friends are the best at something in our relationship.

15) tags hanging out of the back of a shirt---my BIGGEST pet peave!

and that is the simple truth of the matter.

Thanks for reading!

~One simple life to another.

2010-07-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love this song. So go listen now...go. You're still here?! WHY? Go read.
:0)

~self-control?

2010-07-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

I r3ally n33d to work on my s3lf-control.

wait. what s3lf-control?

3xactly.

God has diff3r3nt plans for all of us.

s3lf-control.

~one more for today:)

2010-07-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

"Can I please have some Skittles?"
"I'm sorry we're out of skittles sweetie, but you can get something else if you want to."
"Can I have a Snickers?"
"Sure thing!"
"Do you have one without peanuts?"
*hysterical laughing in my head* "No, I'm sorry we don't sell those.''
"Well...I guess I'll just get the one with nuts then. Thanks!"
"Welcome:)"

"Can I have a blue Powerade?
" All we have is red, is that ok?"
"Really, all of the yellow and orange is gone?!"
"Yep, all we have left is red, sorry buddy!"
"Aw man! I guess I'll take a red one."

"Your drinks are a rip off!"
"I just sell them, I don't set the prices."
"Well I just bought a Dr. Pepper for 75 cents."
"Yea, but it's smaller than the one I sell."
"Aww mann!"
*literally 5 minutes later*
"What goes good with Dr. Pepper? I have two dollars left."
"More Dr. Pepper?"
" Nooooo, I want something else."
"Hmmm....Coke?"
"Ewww! I don't like Coke!"
"Ok, well I don't know then."
"Can I have a Sprite?"
"You surely can!"
*pours Sprite and Dr. Pepper together*

Conversations with 5-9 year olds make me smile:)

~Thank You God~

2010-07-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

1) Being squished in between to people in a car, but not minding because its fun to squish them against the window when you turn.
2) Piggy-back rides that end in death.
3) The biggest hugs...EVAH.
4) Being there just to talk...whenever.
5) Sharing sorrows, and doubling joys.
6) Watering plants.
7) Screaming....in your face....for no reason. And screaming back, then smiling.
8) The BEST hugs....EVAH.
9) Hugs...just because you're you.
10) I LOVE YOU...no I love you more...conversations:)
11) Being there to tell you you're being stupid....then going along with it when you don't stop being stupid;)
12) Laughing until you are so sore you cannot move. The reason for laughing? Unknown. So you laugh some more.
13)having the deepest conversations, crying your eyes out, and then belting out TUMBLEWEED to get a laugh:)
14) Having the deepest conversation, without even saying anything at all. And then going a long like nothing ever happened...
15) Talking to each other by simply just doing a motion.
16) tackle hugs:)
17) Knowing that the only reason you are picked on, is because you are truly loved:)
18) codenames;)

I am truly blessed by all of my friends everyday! Thanks for ALWAYS being there for me!
I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!:)

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things." ~Author Unknown

~to my buddy. i.love.you.--a letter i'll never send

2010-07-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Buddy--
I am so proud of you, and I love you so much. You are my best friend, even though some times all I want to do is pinch your head off. It's in those moments, that I realize that I could never be the same without you. I will always admire you, and that you are always able to teach me something. I truly am blessed everyday to know you. Thank you for always making me smile.
i.love.you.

~happier post?

2010-07-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

i know you're thinking

"geeze, this girl is depressing me."

it's ok...i just needed to vent:) Don't we all at one point or another? hehe....so just for you (and me,it is getting kinda depressing), here's a happy post...Enjoy!:)

As I lay here on the couch, staring out the window at my God's beautiful sunset, I realize just how amazing He really is. My brother...who I could write a post on just by itself *idea!*...is sitting at the other end, my mom is in the chair, and my dad is on the way home. This just makes me smile. Thank you God for a wonderful, loving family! You are truly amazing!
thank you.

~im blog happy today.

2010-07-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

i am consumed by a fire of thoughts right now. thank you for letting me share with you.

no truly. thank you.

now on with the postings--

"do as i say, not as i do."
this is so confusing. *______* tells me just to wait. that it will all be ok in the end.
i am desperately confused.

~i need answers.

2010-07-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

i have many questions.

those questions need answers.

why?

why is it ALWAYS like that? why am i never it in the game of tag?

it's really hard being patient

when everyone else has been it time and time again.

i want to be tagged.

i want to be it.

how?

how do i get told this story time and time again? it's what everyone wants to hear. i love hearing it time and time again! it's a wonderful little joke.

that is what stops me.

joke.

only four letters. but yet one of the biggest words ever.

they push my shoulder when they tell the story.

it makes me laugh...but only for a minute.

it's getting harder and harder to believe it.

i know that one day the story will ring true. but it hurts hearing it when

it is not the least bit true.

all i want is answers. God, i need answers. AMEN.

~dear insert name here--a letter i'll never write.

2010-07-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

dear *insert name here*-
i have no clue what happened. i want to ask, but i just can't. i pray daily for the courage daily to confront you about it. it's not that i even want to confront you. that has such a negative connotation. i just want to figure out what happened. one day it was good, and then the next it blew up in my face. i know you may never read this, but i hope you do. i know we won't ever be back to the way it was. and now that i think about it, i really don't think the bridge was ever there. i know we won't ever be buddy-buddy again, but i at least want to know what happened. what did i do for the cord to snap? what lit the dynamite? i want answers. i probably should have called you about a month ago when the thought was fresh, but i just can't bring myself to do it. i don't want to fix it. i mean i do, i just don't know how. i just want to know what happened, and why. please.
i need answers.

~you ARE beatiful~

2010-07-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

beautiful.
definition--you.
you are beautiful.
don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

~who are you~

2010-06-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

one place your one person, and at another place, its like i don't even know you. i think if i got to know you, the REAL you we would be really good friends. but you put up a wall in half of your life that i can't break down. i wish i could. i really want to get to know you. should trust you? i don't ever know which "you" i am talking to. this is getting confusing.

~God puts friends right where you need them.~

2010-06-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

This blog entry was written by a very dear friend of mine. I'm using this, because I feel, for the most part, the same way she does. She put this feeling into words. Thank you.

"I'm content.

It's like a breath of fresh air... God's comfort and love surround me and make a barrier between the doubts, the hurts, the tears.

I love Him so much. I'm Blessed by all the things He has done for me, no matter how undeserving of it I am.

I'm Content

Happy

Everything is calm. I can think clearly now, without my mind clouded with all the unnecessary thoughts that come with everyday life.

I am not truly alone.

I never was.

He's always there; looking out for me, in all that I do.

His guiding hand pushes me in which ways are best.

I'm clear.

My eyes are bright.

My face is smiling.

Finally! Someone who actually knows how I feel. Who can get me through the things I go through because they've gone through similar things. I love her so much!

But there are some things that need to be straightened out.

Temptation surrounds me and clouds my thoughts.

I do things I want to do and don't do things that I do want to do, yet it won't stop.

Yet, God is still there. Picking me up when I fall and kissing away the hurts and the bruises. Encouraging me to keep trying... and that He's there.

Always.

That's love isn't it?

What else could it be?

Love.

Pure, Unconditional, Love

You don't have to come find me.

Because, I'm already found.

He found me at my weakest and most sinful, and still loved me.

He found me at my strongest, and still loved me.

He sees me with my temptation and the succumbing to it, and still loves me!

I AM LOVED

Forever.

I AM FOUND

And won't be lost again.

I AM THERE

He sees everything.. and still loves me

CONTENT :)"

Only one more day 'til I leave for camp! WAHOOOO!!!:)

~shades of blue~

2010-06-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

ok first off...can you tell its summer? i've gotten into blogging about everyday now...hm. haha ...ANYWAYS...

Only five days until the BEST week of summer! [and possibly my life!] Last year I had the AMAZING opportunity of going to IMPACT, in Tococca Falls, GA.

<---- Which as you can see, is absolutely GAWGEOUS!
This camp is life changing. As one kid said in my school [aka grade] last year, "My momma would say we're all on a Jesus high that will never end!" I made tons of friends last year, and I look foward to doing the same this year.

I'm also looking foward to Worship. It was always my favorite part of the day last year. One night David Platt(the speaker), told us to get down on our knees and pray to God like never before. He told us to "give God a blank check" This check can never expire, has unlimited amounts of "money" on it, and can be used more than once. This check was for God to make out, with his special pen, and on His timing. The only thing we had to do with the check was to give it to Him, and He would work out any quirks with tellers, depositing the check, and anything else necessary. So I knelt down and began praying. I could hear this girl behind be begin to start crying. She began to feel around on my chair, and then grabbed my hand. I had seen this girl before, but I didn't really know anything about her. The only time I had talked to her was to tell her how cute her dress was. But in that moment, none of that mattered. All I knew was that I needed to keep holding her hand. About five minutes later, she let go and (I use the word tackled lightly here) tackled me in a hug. We just stood there hugging while everybody else was singing(just as they had as we were praying). After the service was over, I didn't see that girl until the next day.

The next day, I asked her right before we left what exactly she was praying for. She told me that a mother/son team from her church was going to India on a mission trip. The tears ran down her face, and I had no clue what was wrong with her. She continued the story with, "its not safe to be a Christian in that part of India, and I'm scared. Really really scared." I had no idea. I asked her if we could pray for them. We hugged while we prayed and both of us started to ball our eyes out. It was the most amazing feeling. I mean it was one of those times where I knew the world was still going, yet everything was standing perfectly still. Weird I know, but you had to be there. It was just amazing that I knew God had started to use my blank check already. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours yet!!!!!!!

I could go on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on.........about how God did some things that week, but I don't think the Internet has that much memory. (and I'm not techy, but you get the point).

The camp is divided into middle and high school, then grades (schools), and then small groups(family groups). This year I will be in blue school. Please pray that God would continue to use that blank check that He received one year ago (today!), and that I'll grow even closer to Him this comming week. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!LOVE!

So as you can see, I'm pretty pumped about this week! Thanks for praying, and putting up with me on Facebook;)

~never said thank you for that.~

2010-06-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

thank you.
i don't think i've ever said that every time i've needed to.
so if i have missed you, which i'm sure i have unfortunately, this is for you.
THANK YOU.

~beautiful.

2010-06-02T08:48:00.003-07:00

does she know?
guys ignore her.
girls kick her to the curb most days.
all she wants to do is escape.
but why?
she's the most beautiful girl ever.
will she ever know?

~why?~

2010-05-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

why does the world look at material things?
"kick her to the curb! no coach?! what are you doing showing YOUR face here?! hah. NEXT."
"ewww braces. definate turn off. NEXT."
"to religious. i see it on facebook all the time. blech. NEXT."
life is just one big game of follow the leader. but who is our leader? is it the "popular" girl at the head of the lunch table followed by her zombies? or is it the captain of the varsity football team, who always brings the bulldogs to victory every friday night? it seems that in life the leader we follow is always the best of the best, the "professional" who's been there done that before.

has anybody realized that JESUS walked this earth about 2,000 years ago, been there done that got the t-shirt AND the free magnet? i mean really. im just as guilty as the next person about playing "follow the leader", but i think we all need to take five and examine who our leader is.

~laugh 'til your cheeks hurt~

2010-04-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

"a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." ~proverbs 17:22

i absolutely LOVE this verse, so i thought id just share it with ya'll:)

---that is all(: