One day I think I'm going to write a book. A book full of hope, laughter, joy, blessing, and promises! I love the little sayings that always bring a smile to your face. Or the scriptures that just completely speak to your heart or current situation. Lately I've just been blessed with quite a few of those so I thought I'd share them with you! I hope they bless you just as much as they've blessed me!

Maybe God has brought you to this place for such a time as this! - Lorelei Sheen

Believe everyone likes you! - Judah Smith

When you give yourself fully to what you believe, then there's is true freedom! - James Sheen

You will move in the direction of your most dominant thought! - Phil Pringle

Submit to faith and your feelings will catch up. - Gini Smith

Faith enters into those thing sthat do not yet exist. - James Sheen

You have a choice to go after the dream or chase a fantasy. - Judah Smith

Inside of you are housed the dreams that are intended to change your world! - James Sheen

God will Lift Up Your Head By Jars of Clay

Give to the wind your fear
Hope and be undismayed
God hears your sighs and counts your tears
God will lift up, God will lift up, lift up your head

God will lift up your head
God will lift up your head
God will lift up your head
Lift up your head

Leave to His sovereign sway
To choose and to command
Then shall we wandering on His way
Know how wise and how strong
How wise and how strong

God will lift up your head
God will lift up your head
God will lift up your head
Lift up your head

Through waves and clouds and storms, He gently clears the way
Wait because in His time, so shall this night
Soon end in joy, soon end in joy
Soon end in joy, soon end in joy

Be Blessed!!

I figured before I got to studying today I should let you all know I'm still alive!

Right now, life is going well! I got a job.. finally!  School is pretty much my life! Classes, studying, exams, and papers are my ministry right now!   Speaking of ministry, God is really just totally changing my life around. And that is totally in an awesome way too!  My relationship with Him just gets stronger each and everyday, He is constantly doing new things every Sunday in people's lives at church, and in me personally, He's given me a calling and I'm choosing to fully just throw my life out there, let God take complete control, and run for it!

Now please don't think my life is perfect! I choose to speak blessing rather than cursing. I have my rough days, my doubts, and hard times, but the key is getting back up each time. I continue to fight and get back up when I'm knocked down because I'm confident in what God has called me to and believe fully that He will never let me down!  So to all of you out there who aren't end the place of joy that I'm in right now I want to encourage you to hang on just a little longer. Things are about to get better!

Get Up  By Superchick

I'm not afraid to fall
it means I climbed up high
to fall is not to fail
you fail when you don't try
not afraid to fall
I might just learn to fly and
I will spread these wings of mine

Chorus:
If i get up i might fall back down again
so let's get up come on
If i get up i might fall back down again
we get up anyway
If i get up i might fall back down again
so let's get up come on
If i get up i might fall back down again
I might fall back down again
We'll just jump and see, even if it's the 20th time
we'll just jump and see if we can fly

I'm not afraid to fall
and here i told you so
don't want to rock the boat
but i just had to know
just a greener side
or can i touch the sky
but either way i will have tried

If i get up i might fall back down again
so let's get up come on
If i get up i might fall back down again
we get up anyway
If i get up i might fall back down again
so let's get up come on
If i get up i might fall back down again
I might fall back down again

i'm not afraid to fall
I've fallen many times
they laughed when i fell down
but i have dared to climb
I'm not afraid to fall
i know i'll fall again
but i will win this in the end

This is just a quick one to get something up since I haven't had the time to write something meaningful. So here's a quick run down of my life as of right now...

God is just awesome! I find myself just longing for Sunday to come around so I can worship, be fed, and all prayed up for the next week. We have new college group leaders. Robert and Suzann. They are great. I really want to get to know them better. I think they are the perfect people for the position. Liz and Al are moving on to their original ministry as pastoral care pastors. Right on! Lots and lots of changes here at CCF, but it's all for the best!! The Holy Spirit is just pouring itself all over us!

School is a little crazy at the moment. Finals!! Ahh! I'm relying on God's grace, mercy, and favor to go before each one! Especially history...

My alone time with God is just fabulous!! It's probably my most favorite parts of my days. I always look forward to spending time just reading and studying the Word, praying, and just listening to what God wants to speak to me. I love it!!

So here's my thought for the day..

Luke 9:23-24   ²³Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.

Think about it..

Oh, I am just soooo happy!  I just can't get over the sunshine! It is just gorgeous! I love it because I have my lunch break at 1:20 everyday, and I can just find a place on the grass, lay out and soke up the sun! I love it in the mornings too because the sun shines right through my window, and I wake up so peacefully! I just hope that this means spring is coming early and staying until summer! That would just be fantastic times!

Besides the glorious sunshine, I've been resting in Jesus. He is just so wonderful to me! I want to do all that I can to be a demonstration of God's glory! There's so much for me to learn and I just can't seem to get enough. I want to know more, more, more!! Digging into His Word and hiding it in my heart is the most important thing for me right now. Here's a passage of scripture that I just can't seem to get enough of...

John 15: 1-17

¹“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

   ⁵“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. ⁸This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

   ⁹“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit–fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ¹⁷This is my command: Love each other.

I know it's a big hunk, but I just read it over and over and over and haven't been able to leave it yet!!

Be blessed!!!!

I just erased a really long blog, that I basically poured my heart into. I did it on purpose too. I'm not exactly sure why, but I think it's because I don't think I needed to write down everything that I had. I'm learning not to always be so "look at me and here's what I did." That may seem weird to some of you, but God is really working in me a new spirit. A spirit of being a blessing and a giver. Of my life.  So instead of telling you the deep intricacies of my heart, I've decided I would just give you some encouragement.

Galatians 6:9  "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Ephesians 6:11-18 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, buagainst the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of thes dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand you ground, and after you have done everything to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around you waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with you feet fitted with the gospel of peace. In addition to al lthis, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all  kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Phillipians 2:5-11 " Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the namethat is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, that every thongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

It's been a little while, but soooo much has been going on! First off, I got a job! Thank you Jesus!! I'm an office assistant for a broker of a mortgage company. Great pay, great hours, God is just plain awesome!!

Then there was Acquire the Fire. Great times! This year I officially went as a leader. I got a whole new perspective. God also showed me that it was time I step into the adult world, and not look back. Not that I can't be a kid, but the fact is, I'm growing up, and I have to in order for God to use me in the ways He has shown me. He gave me this scripture to help me understand what it means to step into maturity with Him.    

Hebrews 6:1-3       ¹Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,^[a] and of faith in God, ²instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. ³And God permitting, we will do so.

My relationship with God has also taken a deeper dive. I just can't seem to get enough of God. In the mornings, afternoons, at night, at church,.. I just want MORE!!! I have been given a FIRE that is envading EVERY part of my heart, soul, mind, and spirit. I'm ready to be used by God in however He wants to use me. The song from Audio A says it all..

"I'll be strong, and courageous,

live my life for you my only King.

You're my God, through all the ages,

Here am I, I am Yours, SEND ME!!!"

I pray that God would pour out His Holy Spirit and fire upon you as well! Be Blessed!!!

As most of you know, I haven't had the easiest time making friends since I've been in college. Well, I think things are changing!! I'm so happy.  I go to Generation Church on Wednesday nights, a college ministry here on campus. I've been going since about the middle of September, and I wasn't getting connected. I loved the worship and word was awesome, but I didn't have any friends. It's so awesome because I've been praying for God to bring me some strong Christian friends and He is!! I've started hanging out with them after service, and now I have people to talk to! I'm not just going and coming. It makes it so much better! Plus, my friend Hannah who used to lead worship at CCF, is going to start coming to GC at the U too!! She came tonight with a couple of friends, and she's going to start coming more! I'm soooooo happy!! God is just blessing me faster than I can give back!  PRAISE JESUS!!!

By definition, grace is 1. A favor rendered by one who need not do so; 2. Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people; 3. The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God; 4. To honor or favor; 4. To give beauty, elegance, or charm to; 5. God's forgiving mercy. So if I were to say to you God wants to bestow His grace upon you, how would that make you feel?

This past week was very intense between God and I. We had many long, sometimes wearing discussions, but it all came down to this one concept. Grace. For the most part, I didn't want to accept the grace God was offering me freely. Not out of pride, but because I didn't think I was ready to. I tend to be quite the perfectionist when it comes to important decisions and I don't want to make the wrong one, ever. I know I can't ever be perfect, but there is a battle that rages within me when it comes to making the right decisions. I want to know if I'm going to fail, and if I am I won't make the decision that way. That was key that God was trying to show me. That's why He wants me to accept His grace because when I do, I'll know that even when I do make a mistake, it's not the end of the world, and I won't be paralyzed by the fear of 'will I screw up?'

Through 3 different people, at 3 different times this weekend, God spoke a certain scripture to them to give to me. The funny part is, I came across the same scripture earlier in the week, and put it aside because I wasn't so sure I really wanted it to speak to me. By the third person this weekend, I got the hint. 2 Corinthians 12:7- 10 says:  

⁷To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So this week I've devoted to just waiting upon the Lord. Just listening. Not really making requests but just seeing what God really wants to just speak to my heart. Instead of questioning and getting angry, I'm going to just let Him speak and see where things go. And the most important thing, remember.. IT'S A PROCESS!!!

 Partying is pointless to me. Ok, let me be specific. College partying is stupid. I just don't understand the hype and talk about how great it is to get drunk all the time. I just don't get it. I would rather spend valuable time with people that actually love and care about me than getting so wasted I don't know who I was or what I did the night before. That's a very scary place to be! It's just a big waste of time and money too.

So tonight instead of hitting greek row for the party scene, I got lost. Haha. I went to a birthday party for a dear friend of mine. It was at the same place I stayed this summer, so why did I get lost? Traffic was bad so I got off the next exit thinking I could get to the business road(99) that would take me right to the house I was going to. Nope. I went through side streets, by the zoo, somewhere near the waterfront, back by the zoo, the wrong way on the business street I was trying to get to, back around near the the zoo, and finally got to 99. I had left a 1/2 hour early preparing myself for traffic and realized 45 min later I should've stayed on the freeway.It would've been faster than the way I took. I finally got to the party (a 1/2 hour late) but I found some Truth in all of this.

Having a relationship with God is not an easy task. Just like any other relationship, it takes hard work, commitment, faith, and trust to make it work. It's the frustrating, uneasy, sometimes painful parts that bring the most testimony and value to the relationship. Of course the joyful, releasing, and unity bring power to the relationship, but it's the difficulties that make the journey a true journey. Now it's easy for me to say,"It's hard but it will be fine in the end," but it's another thing to actually be going through one of those tough and painful parts and still be able to say,"it'll be fine in the end." That's where the faith and trust part come in. When God believes you are ready, He will ask you to give pieces of your heart to Him, even though you may think you can't do it. The key is, He won't take that piece of your heart that you hold onto so tightly unless you give it to Him.

So right now as I'm walking through the garden with Jesus, He's asking me to give something so valuable and precious to me, and place it in His hands. He's placing in front of me a decision that I don't think I'm ready to make. What do I do? Already I'm praying, seeking guidance, analyzing my heart, but there's still a big part of me that just doesn't want to let go. I think eventually I will give it up to Him, but right now, I'm going to drive down some back streets, around the zoo a couple of times, and down by the waterfront, to make sure that when I say," here's my heart God," I 100% truly give it to Him, and not just say the words.

A lot of people when they hear the word princess they think of classic Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. They are portrayed as perfect, beautiful, and lovely in every way.  Definitely fairytale because it's impossible for us as humans to ever acheive such an existence. We weren't made to be perfect or there would've been no reason for Christ to die for us. There is hope though. We were made to be a Princess of the Almighty King, Jesus!! He accepts us for exactly who we are. We don't have to be rich, have a great career, be beautiful, or perfect to receive His unfailing love. All we have to do is believe. It is once we believe that He begins to mold us, renew us, restore us, change us, refine us, and make us a new creation!!  The key is, it's a process.  Mmmm, process. That's been a frustrating word for me this past week. There are times when I absolutely love the process of life, and enjoy having different stages. There are also times when the word process means things are so far off, and often will take a lot of time, sometimes pain, and energy to get to. That's the part I'm in right now. It's at this point in the process  that I almost don't want to do it anymore. Part of me is scared for what's coming ahead, and part of me is not sure I have the capablity to go through with what God has called me to do. To 'take up my cross daily, and follow Him' is a lot more challenging than I thought. I knew it wasn't going to be a piece of cake, but now it's serious. I have to make decisions that I don't want to make. Then I was brought the sentence, 'It's a process.'  That means it's not all going to happen today, tomorrow, or even in a week. It's going to take time, energy, and even some(or a lot) of pain. So the question I pose myself is, 'Am I willing to really be a Princess?'  I want to say yes right away, but to say that and fail would be dumb. I can't say no because I know it's not true. All I can say is...

He's still working on me
To make me what I ought to be
It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars
Sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars
How loving and patient He must be
'Cause He's still working on me....

I just have to trust the process.