Pray for Mexico

Hey everyone,
Some of you may know that in May I am going to Mexico for a mission trip with DLA. Well because of all the recent troubles with Mexico, they are deciding this week if we are going to be able to go or not. Please pray for Mexico, pray for all the stuff that is going on there. And pray that whatever God's will is, if we are supposed to go or not, let His will be done. Thanks so much everyone I love you all!

Quitter

So we had our missions training. I had the worst and hardest day of my life on Tuesday. We had to hike up this mountain for 8 miles... 6 were off road which is very hard,we were close to jogging pace, and sometimes were jogging, and we were at an elevation I have never been to.. except maybe when on a plane for a few min. It was stinking hard. I cried a lot, and I wanted to quit... many times. I didn't. One because I couldn't anyways, because they wouldn't let me... but 2 if I quit, what would happen... I don't want to go home yet, although I want to go home and see everyone, I just know its not the right time yet. And what would that say to other people? That when times got hard I quit? No I won't quit. Its that last 2% that people fail... when in the future I get married.. am I gonna quit because it gets to hard? Am I gonna quit when I get to college and its too hard? Am I gonna quit when ministry and life gets too hard? No! I won't give up. God also taught me a lot about strength and how when we are weak He is strong. But the whole time I was like God give me strength, and nothing would happen, but God gave me strength in a different way. He gave me other people, to help me though. Too often I am too self-reliant. I do things in my own strength, and my own will. But God sometimes wants us to rely on other people, He made us for community, and to share with each other. When I had no strength left, God gave me strength, just not my own. It was in other people, they had to help me get though the hard times. I had to humble myself and ask for help from other people. It was so humbling. God really showed me a lot though my worst day. But I made it though, no quitting.

Here is a beautiful song

This is like one of my new favorite songs...

Its kinda off of Psalm 139.. my favorite psalm






Enjoy:)

Freedom

Freedom comes when you let go. Jesus came for you to have freedom, which most people don't understand, because they think that if you follow Jesus, then you have rules, and your not free. But you have rules out in the world too. Things that you can't do, because someone will think your not cool, things you have to do, what you have to wear, and act like. But the difference is, that in the world, you are in bondage to your sin. Your sin keeps you from being free, you become addicted, enchained, obsessed, with whatever you are in sin to. Some people it could be drugs, alcohol, pornography, lust, self image. All these things keep you from being free. But Jesus died to take those things, to forgive you of those, and give you freedom. Last night I felt free. I was at the Mill, and then I went to the prayer meeting, and during worship, I just let go. I don't care about anyone else around, but Jesus. I want to glorify Him. I want to worship Him. I just let go. I am reading the old testament, and I have been so encouraged by it. Even though sometimes it is kinda boring..(the genealogies and such) I love reading about the old testament characters, and how they followed God, and how is was so different, and how thankful I am that Jesus came. Now we don't have to sacrifice an animal every time we sin. Jesus is the sacrifice. Now we can just live free, not in bondage to sin.
So today, live in the freedom...

God is so good.

Well I think most of you would agree. But, like since I have gotten to Colorado, I have felt like, I didn't understand why God had brought me here, like I knew He had a reason, but I wasn't really growing, I mean I kinda was, but I still felt like I was in this dry place with Him, I didn't feel like I had any real close friends, and I just felt like... empty. Well last week was a really bad week for me. Like everything that was like storing up inside of me... kinda exploded. So, all week I was like wondering why I was here, and asking God why. But like this weekend God really showed me why I am here, and my purpose and a goal. Now that God has shown me that, I feel so ready to get it done and I feel like I have a purpose. I am so ready to go after what God has planned for me. So, tonight was amazing! God really just gave me joy, and for the first time I have fully felt free. Like there have been times here like that I have felt closer to God and stuff, but they were like little things, Now I feel really free, and I feel like I wanna run after God with everything and not stop. I am ready to go deep and intimate with Him. I am so excited for what He is going to teach me and how He is going to use me. God is sooooooooooo Good:)

Focused Life

This weekend we had our Focus weekend. Which is like where we talk about out life goals, and what God had put in us, and where we want to go in life. I think God was preparing for this weekend all week. More and more I can see the reason God has called me here. He has called me here to prepare, and recharge and get ready for what is to come. He knew that Metro, alive and fuel are gonna explode! He knew that my heart was to serve there, but He knew I needed to be ready. I am so excited to come back and be a part of what God is going to do there. I am so excited to use what I learned and to go back and use it for Gods glory! Well anyways here is my mission statement that we had to write. My mission statement is to reach,lead, disciple, and love the young teenagers of the downriver area. To disciple teenage girls and instill a sense of value and beauty in them, and to live a life that is fully pleasing to God in the process. Okay, the reason it says young teenagers its because my heart is for jr. high age. I think everyone knows that, but it doesn't say young teenage girls, because I want to help to disciple all teenage girls. I love watching them grow and come from a 6th or 7th grader to a 12th grader.. that is exciting and that is kinda what I wanna do with that, I don't know how that is going to play out... but it will be good. Also, I put in the downriver area, because that is where God has put me to be right now, but my mission statement will change and evolve over time, so right now it could be downriver in 20 years it could be something else. But for now, that is my heart, that is what I want to do, and that is what I am going to be pursuing.

Captivating

One of my favorite memory was from a few years ago. There was some people over at Adam and Katie's, but I don't think they were there, it was when Brynne and Jessie were living there. Anyways, it started to rain, but it was a nice rain, it was warm out side, and it was a beautiful night, besides the rain. I love the rain when it's like that, it's like the perfect summer rain. So, Brynne, Jackleen and I decided to go play in the rain. That is what any adventurous girl would do. But what was funny about it, is we were so childlike when we were playing in the rain. Splashing and jumping in the puddles. Then we decided we were warrior princesses from Russia or something. We made up names, and talked in an accent and played as if we were 5 year old little girls. I remember that so well. I remember how free I felt, how lovely, adventurous, how exciting. I loved it so much, I think we were out there for like an hour, but then the fantasy was over, and we had to go on with our lives.

I started to reread the book Captivating. In the book it talks about how we as women want to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure. As soon as I read it my mind went back to that night. As silly and childish it was, it was so beautiful. We were free, we were playing this irreplaceable role in a great adventure. We felt important and lovely. That memory of that night will never leave me.