New York missions trip!

Well, time has indeed flown! I'm back from New York & have stories & pictures!
I don't even know where to begin!

Our group stayed in Brooklyn, at Metro Ministries. After a few days of getting to know each other, we spent time in prayer & preparation for the next day: We went through each neighborhood, door to door, in small groups, inviting the families, especially the kids, to a carnival we were going to put on the next day.

Parts of beautiful Brooklyn: (It's not like how it is said to be)

After hours of walking to each house (!) we went back to our meeting place, the park. It was so HOT so a few of us ran threw the water!

Here's our booth for the carnival:

I loved watching the children! We got soaked at The Wet Seat!

At the end, they gave a message about Jesus & how we all need a Savior and many parents and children raised their hands to be saved! I got to pray with a few people & felt so unworthy & scared, but amazed at the same time at how God used us that day.

 This photo best illustrates the bond that we grew with those children: (Taken by a friend)

A child during the prayer:

Another day, we did "Subway Ministry". I tell you I was DREADING this! We were supposed to scatter throughout the subways, and talk to people. Strike up conversations & talk about the LORD, ask if they needed prayer, etc. This was so tough.

But I saw this lady. So beautiful was she! She was sitting there, looking distressed, lonely. I don't know, I just felt I should go talk to her...

I battled it in my mind for a long while. I knew I should do this.

So I sat down next to her & we started talking. She was so sweet & open to what I said. We talked about other things too, & formed a mini friendship if you will. She had to get off the Subway & so we said bye...

BUT! You won't believe this. At the end of the missions trip, on our flight back home, I saw her in the airport bathroom!! This was in Texas I saw her! Wow, from New York to Texas what are the odds!

I said, "Hey, do you remember me?"

"Oh, my gosh...YES!"

And we hugged & talked & were just so amazed!

One of the days, we walked through Manhattan. Here, we came to Ground Zero!!!

There was this lady on the side of this building with a sign that said "Diagnosed with cervical cancer...please help..." My team leader felt we should go talk to her but didn't express her prompting until later. So we finally found her after she thought she had left & spoke to her.

My team leader is so amazing & good at conversing & she ended up speaking life into this woman who was actually a believer!

Praying over her, Michelle.

Other parts of New York:

Times Square:

 Our messy room!

This was both the hardest & best thing I could've done! I am naturally a quiet person & it was tough putting myself out there in EVERY WAY.
From getting up early, to 5 minute showers, to sleeping in sweat, to going to bed late, to PB&J for lunch everyday, to getting out of my comfort zone...it was hard.

But what made it worth while was the friendships I formed, the things God did in me, for me & through me; the late nights of worship sessions; praying out loud at once, together...our voices blended in unity; the laughter & songs; the quiet time every morning. It was truly a life changing experience!

There was a time, during the beginning of the trip where we all went to the Brooklyn Bridge.
Sadly, I had forgotten my camera.
But when we got there, each of us were instructed to spend some time alone, looking out over the city, praying for it.
After a while, we all came together in one big cluster of a group. Our leader said, "Pray! Pray all of you & lift your voices to God!"
Everyone's voice was going all at once, crying out to God, there on the bridge, for this city. Like I said before, it sounded in unity! Absolutely no chaos...just beauty to my ears & I imagine to the ears of God!
At the end, we all started singing out, "Our God is an awesome God!"
A girl in our group shouted out, "God! Reign Your love down!"
And that very minute, literally, it began to rain!
We were laughing & jumping & excited as we walked (very quickly) back to the bus soaking wet!

There were just so many things that happened that I wish you could know about...but I don't know how to organize my thoughts & feelings & experiences!
Perhaps you'll just have to experience one for yourself!

Here's another "secret" I have for you:
For our missions trip training, we had to go to Teen Manias headquarters, called the Honor Academy. They were the place that does Global Expeditions, who took me to NY.
Anyway, I've been dying to go as an intern at the Honor Academy for a long time & was so excited to actually go to the campus in TX!
Well, after a lot of prayer, discussion & tears,...I'm going!!! And...leaving the day after tomorrow! That's Friday the 19th! I will be living there for a year.
Oh, & by the grace of God, I FINALLY finished high school TODAY! Yay for homeschooling!
Thank You Lord!

This is not a farewell, I'll still be posting hopefully!
But Bon Voyage for now!

A Lovely Woman - Biblical Womanhood

Hello!

I wanted to share a few thoughts that have been flowing in & out of my mind today!

Not that I know much about this topic on biblical womanhood, but boy am I so facsinated with it. I desire it greatly.

But how many can agree with me that is is hard?

Especially with the world we live in--it's tough to be a true woman of God.

One thing that I love is that Jesus calls us His children...& because He is a King (!) we are His daughters & sons, His princes & princesses. (But in the case, I'm talking to the princesses)

There's something oh so special to me about being called a Princess.

For years, to me, it meant a being a diva/girly girl/brat type princess.

 But now, I want to recognize it as an inner beauty, deep inside your soul, lovely, honorable princess.

This is sorta what I mean...

"A strong woman works out everyday to keep her body in shape;

But a woman of strength looks deep inside to keep her soul in shape.

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything;

But a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear.

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her;

But a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone.

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future;

But a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be blessings and capitalizes on them.

A strong woman walks sure foodetly;

But a woman of strength knows when to ask for help.

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face;

But a woman of strength wears grace.

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey;

But a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong."

-Unknown-

I love being a woman! I thank the Lord that I am one, & I want to find out more how I can be a pleasing & lovely one to Him.

There are some verses that stick out to me:

"If a woman has long hair, it is her glory." ~1 Cor. 11:15~

Now, to me, this makes me think about femininity. That's a beautiful thing, I think. But I know biblical womanhood goes deeper than out word beauty.

Oh, how I long to be a woman of strength. But to be honest here, I feel like the strong woman.

I guess I have no business "preaching" to you about this stuff because I am still learning about it.

But these were my thoughts & longings thus far in my journey.

I see a woman of strength who's gentle, kind, loving. Beautiful on the inside which makes her radiate on the outside. Reliant on God & a beautiful reflection of Him!

I see her there, I picture this certain place in Israel on a mountain where there was an abundance of yellow wildflowers, and there she is sitting by that rock with water in the holes. And the breeze is blowing and it's quiet. And she's wearing a smile as she's washing her feet and she's gentle and meek and beautiful.

And it's the woman I want to be.

<3

For those descendants to come...

Oh, so much to share.

 My mind is much more messier than my room, just so ya know ;)

But even though it's filled with worry & fear about the future, my mind is abundantly filled with

beauty &

love &

expectation for the future.

You know, my Mama is so imperfect.

But I realized that she is perfect for me.

And that...that is perfect.

When I see my Mama loving on her children, I can't help but smile & think of my own someday ;) That brings me more joy than I can say! (Oh, let the tears just fall, Amber.)

Tears. Oh, to wipe a child's tears away, and snuggle them upon my breast.

I wanna be a Mama more than anything.

Today at our home school conference, our speaker talked about Jonathan Edwards.

He & his wife home schooled their children, and after about 100 years, "they" did a research thing where they found out what their decedents became. Just out of that couple, came doctors, and lawyers and pastors and missionaries.

(I may of got some facts wrong :)

And it got me thinking! ("I see those wheels turning!" my mom says when she sees my head in the clouds.)

I wonder what my decedents will be!

I wish with all my heart that I could see the bigger picture. I wish I could just take a peak at what they'll look like. Will they look like me?!

And with that thought it mind, it made me wonder, of course, about my decisions & actions & plans.

 Oh, I desire with all my heart to be a wife & a Mama. More than anything! I think I would turn down college & traveling & archaeology just to raise a family.

My desire to travel & become other things is great, but to me, there is no greater "job" than raising a family. That in itself is a ministry I believe. Because leaders are born in the home!

Check this quote out:

"We may never see the impact of our witness this side of heaven. But rest assured, we plant more seeds in our day-to-day conversations, debates, and examples than we think we do." (Unknown)

Like my little KaleyBear "planting those seeds". (ok, so she's "replanting" a branch)

"She who makes a good home, where others are encouraged and strengthened, she is ready to speak a kind and encouraging words to those in need; she who keeps a humble and quiet everyday service to God is glorifying Him just as much as those who go on special missions."

~Unknown~

Just some thoughts I've been thinkin'. Thanks for reading ;)

Enjoy these few pictures that just make me smile!

Hello mountain. We meet again.

No more going around the same stupid mountain!!!!

 (Those are frustration exclamation marks. Not happy ones.)

It's not that I need help hearing Your voice.

                                                             It's that I need help listening.



                                       It's not that I need help knowing what You're calling me to.

                                                      It's that I need help answering the call.



                                                      It's not that I don't want to be with You.

                                             It's that I need help turning away from everything else.
 


                              And thus I struggle to give You my ALL. Because yes, I am selfish & afraid.

                                                           And yes, I KNOW You say not to be.

                                                                    I've read all the verses.

                                                              I know fear is holding me back.



                                                               So where do I go from here?
 
               Can anyone relate?



Making me smile!

I realize I often think of my future husband.

Sometimes I get all dreamy picturing a handful of fresh wild flowers in his hand, waiting for my eyes to behold them.

Or leaving each other little love notes.

Then a sweet picture comes to mind & I smile.

That's exactly what God has been doing for me! Sometimes at a random moment I'll get the feeling He just slipped an, "I love you!" to me.

Or I'll notice that He "gave" me a sunny day. (He knows what I like!)

And then earlier, He positioned the moon just right for my viewing. I love when He does little things like that! And I don't even deserve it.

But He loves us so much that He'll subtly & (sometimes sneakily!) sneak in a fresh flower or a butterfly just to make us smile. I imagine He loves watching us smile! I can't wait to see His!

But our heavenly Father is so...so wonderful.

And I am praying that my future husband will be just like Him!

"If I flew on mornings wings to the far western horizon, 

   You'd find me in a minute--you're already there waiting!"

-Psalm 139:9 The Message-

 "I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!"

-v.13-

"You are precious in My sight...and I love you."

-Isaiah 43:4- 

"Do not question and do not doubt. Each day holds some small joy that shall escape you if you are preoccupied with tomorrow. Nothing daunts your Father...but today you may live in the full blessing of your Father's smile. Live one day at a time!"

-Frances J. Roberts-

 

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

Here's what I found out:

Life isn't just interesting by the life you have,

It's interesting by what you make out of the life you've got.

Does that make sense?

While make the hour 1/2 trek from the mountains to the city,

I had a sweet time taking pictures of the mountains while trying to keep the car on the road,

laughing aloud to myself (while probably looking stupid)

& eating an apple that smelled like fabric softener. 

Yes, friends. That's what happens when your Grandmother stores her fruit on the washing machine ;)

Other than that, I loved the car ride.

Signing off!

P.S. I thought I'd show you some quotes that have helped me lately, when I feel like my life's not going anywhere.

"To travel hopefully is better than to arrive."
-Robert Louis S.-

"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."
-Doug Larson-

"Remember, no matter where you go, there you are."
-Earl M. R.-

"God give me joy in the tasks that press, in the memories that burn and bless; In the thought that life has love to spend, in the faith that God's at journey's end."
-Thomas Curtis Clark-

And lastly, one that I have a hard time practicing:
"Work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying... Always be eager to practice hospitality."
-Romans 12:11-13-

That post title quote is by Helen Keller.

Why can't I just be...me?

I have spent so many hours reading about my favorite characters.

I see character qualities in them that I see in myself:

A shyness & orderly ways like Christy.

The fun sense of humor from Katie.

Unique spontanity like Sierra.

It's just been hard to accept my OWN qualities, ya know?

I mean, I know they're just made up characters, but I get kinda sad when I notice their personality is a social butterfly & I'm....not. I think I've missed opportunities to be free like the wind!

But I mean, I DO have a social side to me. And I DO do things "on a whim" sometimes. But for the most part, I just long to sneak away from all the noise & be alone. It's so hard to do that with proper peace when you get the feeling everyone thinks you're mad or sad or whatever.

I

But if these awesome authors...mere humans! can write amazing lives for these "people", imagine what GOD can write!

That helps me a lot to know that I'm sure my life is going to turn out even BETTER than these made up characters!

There are times I think my life is literally a book. Do you know what I mean? Like someone just made me up & the people reading about me just pick up from where they left off a few days ago. Does that make sense?

Or in other words...the characters I read about don't know they're in a book! Haha, if that makes sense to anyone I'm surprised!

Anyway, seriously! What if we are just made up stories?

And then I thought...in a way we kinda are.

I read this verse before that says,

"Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it." -2 Corinthians 3:3-

So yeah, in a way I am a book ;) Read by everyone.

Thanks for taking the time to read this...

p.s. picture isn't mine =)

Don't ask questions while I'm over here trying to mold you!

Today I went on an adventure.

It was new, exciting, thrilling, terrifying.

Yes, I almost got killed trying to get into the middle lane.

Yes I turned in the wrong street.

And yes I found a parking spot! Yeah!

But this wasn't really an adventure...but I guess you could call it that. I guess you could say anything, really is indeed an adventure.

I've noticed over the years I've tried my hand at many things.

Guitar lessons, ice skating lessons, ballet lessons.

I realized that I have never finished the last day of those lessons. 

And I miss them & wish money were no big issue.

But today, I attended my first pottery class.

I made sure before I left this morning, that I memorized these 2 verses that are important to me.

"Does the clay say to the potter, 'What are you making?'" (Isaiah 45:9)

&

"You are our Father. We are the clay and You are our potter. We are the work of Your hand." (Is. 65:8)

The only thing I could think about was me being on the "other side" of the wheel. Now it was MY turn to mold & shape & make...instead of ME being molded & shaped & made.

It gave me a new view on how, when I am at the potters wheel, I AM THE POTTER.

And I don't want my masterpiece asking questions as I am pinching & squeezing & perfecting.

Oh the feel of wet clay spinning! Oh the feeling of accomplishment!

I made a masterpiece today, & no, it did not question me.

God is my potter, & I am His clay.

I am His masterpiece.
If He originally made me to be a salad bowl, I don't want to look at Him & say,
"Well I want to be a soup bowl! Not a salad bowl!"
If I am a salad bowl, then boy, I'd better act like a salad bowl!

"But who are you--anyone who talks back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?" Or has the potter no right over His clay...?"

-Romans 9:21-

{Pictures not mine!}

Let's go a'walkin

I wonder how many times I've heard a bird tweet above my head.

Or how many times I felt a sweet breeze sweep my cheek.

Or how many times I've walked to a new loved spot.

Or how many times I new this was going to be my new favorite place.

Or how many times my heart fluttered as I snapped a picture of bliss.

Or how many times I've spontanously walked barefoot in an unknown place.

I wonder how many times I took a silent walk with no one by my side except the One who walked in the garden during the cool of day.

-..."they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze..."- Genesis 3:8

Choose!

source

Trouble = inevitable

Misery = optional

-Unknown-