Well, I made it through the summer in one piece. It was rough at times, emotional at others, but joyous overall. But now I'm back in Eugene for another year at NHCC. The college is in full swing now with the freshman and new students going through their orientation weekend. Things didn't start out quite like I planned. I didn't know that I wouldn't have much time with my friends that were already here. They are all leadership and so they've been with the freshman, with me having nothing to do. lol. I can't wait until Becca gets here tomorrow. Then I will finally have someone to hang out with and me not feeling like I have nobody here.

It's been a hard couple days but I know God has a bigger plan for my life here this year. I am so ready and I have my dukes up ready to punch the enemy in the face. He's already startin in on me which shows me that God has something amazing for me this year and he's trying to steal it away. He's trying to steal my joy, my peace, my confidence. But I'm not gonna let him win without me giving him hell first. lol.

Last night we had a ladies dorm meeting and Brittany gave us a scripture that we as woman should grab a hold of this year and I fully believe it fits for my life right now and what I'm going through.

^"17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God."

This is my scripture for the year! So far, this year is off to a great start!! =)

Beauty

Beauty. Beauty is something that is radiant. Beauty captivates and captures your very being. There is always something in nature, or in someone that captivates you. For women, we want to be radiant and captivating. We should strive to be so. We also want someone else to see us as captivating, radiant, and timeless. We wait, search and contemplate how or when that is going to come to pass. Women come in all shapes and sizes, eyes are different, hair is different right down to the style and or color. We all have different characteristics that make us who we are, these are the very things that make us captivating and radiant. You all have heard, "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." Who is the one that beholds you? God is the ultimate beholder. He is the only one who sees your absolute, true beauty. He created you, molded you. He made you into the radiant, beautiful, exquisite woman you are today. Society today tells us all the time where and how to enhance your beauty, in any way possible. But why would you want to enhance something that God has made perfect in His eyes?

It's easy to want to listen to the lies that the media and our culture tell you all the time. You have to look, and be a certain way to be absolutely gorgeous. My thought is if you look like everyone else, how do you maintain your own personal radiance and beauty? It's not possible. Beauty comes in so many different ways. Yes, there are girls that you see that you think "Wow! She's so gorgeous!" But, she could be this snot nose selfish person who treats everyone like crap. Is that beautiful? Yeah, not so much. That's why Jesus says in 1 Samuel 16:7 "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." It's what's inside of you that is ultimately your source of beauty. It's easy to spot someone with true, captivating beauty. Someone could see that you have a heart of compassion for people, or your a dynamic speaker, or you are very good at arts (singing, dancing, painting etc.)

You could also be an amazing writer and you captivate people through poems, or blogs, or just scribbles on a page that you think are stupid. Whatever it is, you are beautiful in every which way you can think of. I know sometimes it's easy to believe that you aren't beautiful. I have trouble myself believing that I'm beautiful, radiant and captivating. But you know what? I know it's true because GOD says so. I am a daughter of the Most High. A princess in the majestic courts of the King. You can't be a princess and not be of great beauty and grace. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

It's what inside of you that is the true beauty. You are beautiful! Do not forget that. You need to believe in yourself, in your very different, unfading beauty that only YOU possess. Who cares if you don't have fancy clothes, a nice car, or aren't a skinny petite woman. You're still outrageously BEAUTIFUL! You're radiant, captivating and timeless. God sees it, and He loves you with a love that none of us will ever be able to fully grasp. So, if the man that loves you knows you're beautiful and reminds you of it. Don't you think it's true? =)

New Adventures

So this past week was a week of adventures and spontaneity! FIRST on Tuesday me and a couple friends at the last minute decided to take a 3 hour drive to Bend Oregon to go to a concert! We just jumped out of our seats, and half hour later we were on the road to what was an amazing concert. But, in doing spontaneous things you don't think very much about the in-between part to get to wherever it is that you choose to go. We hit some pretty crazy weather going through the Summit to get to Bend. SNOW...yes. Snow. It was crazy too cause it was snowing pretty hard, you couldn't see very well so we had to drive very, very slow. But finally around 8:30 we get to the concert. As soon as we walked in Becca got real excited because of who was singing at that time. (Phil Wickham) Just seeing the glow and smile on her face made things worth it! We got the best seats in the house up in the balcony area of the church cause I knew the Senior Pastor of the church. Which is pretty cool, hes practically my uncle.

So yah!!! It was an amazing awesome concert! We absolutely loved every second of it. We weren't looking forward to getting back to Eugene because we knew we had to go through that crazy weather again. So Uncle John gave us a different route to take with less hazardous snow conditions. We finally got back home around 3:30 in the morning. I was so freaking tired. I skipped my first two classes because of it! BUT I went to my last one. I didn't feel guilty at all!! lol. Then, on Saturday I went horseback riding with my girls! It was so much fun! I had never been horseback riding before so it was exhilarating!! lol. I had so much fun, we took tons of pictures and just had a great time. So it was a week of adventures for me for sure! But thats what college is all about right?? *smile*

Bumps In The Road

Today, I was met with making a huge decision and was offered Godly advice and counsel concerning some other issues I am recently dealing with. Right now all I'm wondering is what the heck God is doing. I can see Him moving in my heart and my life right now and it's absolutely wonderful. I wouldn't change anything at all. But at this point with the big decision I had to make it hurt a lot. I just wonder that even though it hurts, and it doesn't seem to make sense, God has it under control and He IS doing something through this. I just don't know what. There's a saying that really comes into play right now. The saying is "When God closes a door, someway He opens a window." It is so true! But now I'm just waiting to see what window He opens in this road trip He is taking me on right now.

I knew that this journey would lead me to a place where I would have to make some real rough and not easy decisions. I just didn't know that it would be this hard. I know for a fact that the decision I made was the right one. Even though it hurt so very much, I know it was what God wanted me to do in order for me to continue getting healthy in my walk with Him. I want to be healthy and I want what God's best for me is. If I'm not willing to make those sacrifices, and get healthy there's no point to continue on this journey. But I told God that I was on this journey and road for the long haul and I meant it. His love makes me so very happy and I don't need anything else. Even with those other things I need to pray and seek God on will end up the same way. He will lead me to the right answers and He will guide me to what I need to do. I know that some other people in my life don't understand the concept of me listening to God and not my own voice. Even though I am living life like everyone else, the difference is I'm living my life according to the truths God has revealed to me. I walk in the light and sunshine, not through the darkness and cloudiness.

I've chosen to live and lead a live full of obedience to the Most High God, who has proven himself worthy of my devotion, love and obedience. Which is something that other people don't understand. But God knows me better than anything, and I know He has my best interests in mind and He loves me enough to give me the deepest desires of my heart. With me following after him I am able to walk toward those desires as God is leading me to them each day. That is the great journey I am walking right now. I wouldn't want to walk along any other road, but the road I'm on. I am thankful for where I'm at and the people God has brought into my life. They keep me steady upon the truth of life, and help keep me focused on the truth I need to focus on. Thank you God for what you are doing in my life. I will continue to follow your leading!

Ride of My Life

So much has changed since I last wrote an update. Life is crazy and I've noticed it can take some crazy turns. I sometimes feel as though I'm on a roller-coaster and life has so many ups and downs you can get so sick to your stomach wanting to get off the dang ride! But if you look at it, in the sense of riding in a car, and you're on just some real bad winding roads, it doesn't sound as bad does it? God's got the wheel and he's driving the car, I'm just along for the ride. Yeah, the road gets scary and you don't know where you're going, but God has control of the wheel so why get all freaked out? Right now, God has really been speaking to me about letting go on the wheel and stop trying to take it from Him, because ultimately He's the one driving. He's the one who knows where we're going. Why would you want to take the wheel and start driving when you have no idea where the heck you're supposed to be going? It doesn't make sense what-so-ever to do that! So why would you want too? Yeah...not a good idea.

With the last term of the school year reaching its midway through point I've been taking a look back lately about everything that has happened this year. So much has taken place. It's more than just me meeting some great friends and finding my best friend forever Becca. I've mostly looked back on how much God has been able to change me through this year. He stretched me, grew me, taught me, and walked with me through the entire journey. I'm still walking with him even now. The journey is far from being over. I still have three to four more years at this place! lol. So much is going to happen, but I know that God has it all planned and mapped out for me. I'm just in the passenger seat relaxin with my feet out the window! I'm chill! Even though life right now has so many question marks, I know God has those questions answered. I just have to be willing to wait for him to answer them.

It's definitely not easy to wait. Waiting sucks actually. In this culture we live in today we don't like to wait, especially if we're waiting for something we desire and want. God never said it would be easy and I know that. I've known that for a long, long time that life sure as heck isn't easy. But God takes the weight of the world off your shoulders and puts it on his, so we can feel as ease and feel relaxed and not stressed or worried about anything. It's just how amazing God is and how much he loves us. It's a really great thing. Just be praying for me as I continue on this road-trip with God as he drives me down the road of my life. It's definitely a journey. Life is an exciting, hard, but worth it journey with God. *smile*

Hey Everyone!

Yeah I totally didn't follow through with trying to update this thing more often! haha. School really is busy and so much has been going on. God is so good, and He's doing so much in my life right now. He's really been showing me lately that I need to look at the blessings that I have and the things God has given me instead of looking at the things I don't have, and or want. His blessings are brand new every morning. Yeah, even though there are situations going on that are hard to deal with and I wish they'd be happening differently God is good and He has given me so much! I am so blessed and lucky to have the things that I have right now. I have Jesus, my amazing and bombsquad friends, family that love me and school is going great. So I pretty much have it made right now. Yes situations can get to me sometimes and I try my best to handle them, but I am human after-all. It happens. But my God remains faithful. Hope you all are doing well! =)

Things are Great!

Hey Everyone!!

Sorry its been months since I last wrote to everyone, but rest assured I'm doing great! God has been doing such an amazing work in me and I am just so thankful for that. He's been teaching to be happy even though life sucks. It's all about perspective and how you look at things, and how you choose to deal with it. So just recently I decided to be happy reguardless of my circumstances. I am, choosing to not let the devil get me down and make me upset, stressed, and other things. I am choosing to focus on God and keep my perspective focused on what is right, good, and true.

Yeah there are situations going on right now that could very well make me feel angry, upset, frustrated, and even hurt. But I'm not letting it get to me. I am choosing to give it all up to God and not worry about it. He's got my back, it's in His hands so why stress and worry when GOD has it taken care of? There's no point as far as I'm concerned. So thats just a little bit of what God has been doing. Life here in Eugene is great. I am amazing friends that I spent most of my time with, and we have so much fun. It's so great. I'm blessed with my bestie Becca who has been amazing having in my life. She definitely is a Godsend! So, yeah. Life is great for me!! I'm gonna try to write more! hahah! I hope you guys are doing well, and I will write back soon!!!