Bed potato.

Yes, I realize that is a couch. You may be surprised to hear that I could not find a picture of a potato on a bed. Fail. Anyways, I spent my afternoon at home relaxing in my bed. I even ate lunch in my bed. I just watched TV and took it easy--a much needed recovery period after VBS week.

I got to church at 4:30 to help set up for the concert at church tonight! Ascend the Hill and the Ember Days are two of my faves, so I'm glad they came back this summer :) I even bought a new Ascend the Hill tee shirt, which I am quite excited to wear :) I think what I love most about these two bands, though, is that it's not all just a show for them, they actually lead people in worship. It's worship music, not show music. If you haven't already, you should check out their music at the Come&Live website! You can listen and download any song on there for free! Tis great :)

Josh Stump, the pastor from Come&Live, read this passage tonight, and it really spoke to me, even though I had heard it before. It comes from Matthew, chapter 18:

 ¹ At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
 ² He called a little child and had him stand among them. ³ And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
   ⁵ “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. ⁶ But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
   ⁷ “Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! ⁸ If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
    ¹⁰ “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.   ¹² “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? ¹³And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. ¹⁴ In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

He (Josh Stump) pointed out that we, as the church, sometimes get so comfortable in the "sheep pen" with the other 98 sheep, that we forget about the one who is lost, and how we should pray to see and think about everyone the way God sees and thinks about them. It's a crazy challenge, truly, but it's one that I know can bring out radically amazing changes within my heart. We need to humble ourselves, like children. When we start to view the world with God's love and humility, we can truly seek out and rejoice in the return of lost brothers and sisters :)

"It's Friday!"

"Thank! You! God!"


The last session of 2011 VBS was this morning! Praise! This week was tiring and long, but still pretty fun too. I really liked being able to just hang out as college interns as well. This morning we had a Taylor Swift sesh while we lounged around and ate Snickers. It was great. But back to the kids, they raised $6,775 to build wells in Zanzibar, Africa! It's absolutely amazing! Their goal was $3,500 (enough to build one well), and they nearly doubled that! That was so exciting, and I loved seeing how happy those kids were, too :) It was truly something!

I got to have a relaxation period at my house for a little while before my Sweet Frog date with Heather! It was my first time seeing her in 5 days, and it was so nice to finally see and hug her again! I love her :) And I love our dates. The end. Just kidding not really... We headed over to Skate Nation for the kick-off night of Best Week of Seek! It was SO fun! Mac, KAthryn, and I were the only youth leaders there, so I would consider than an intern WIN! Haha. Heather and I played each other in DDR. Neither of us are very good, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it! Even is she did push me off of the platform :P We played laser tag and got to do some ice skating too! I'm not as good at ice skating as I used to be, but I'm not terrible. Laser tag, however, I would consider myself pretty legit at. My team won every round both times we played, haha. Vic-TOR-ious!

What better way to conclude the night then a hangout at McDonald's? We all enjoyed some much needed food and beverages whilst carrying on conversations and making each other laugh :) After our youth friends departed, Mac, Kathryn, and I had a good two-hour long parking lot chat outside of McDonald's. For those who haven't already heard me say it, deep conversations in parking lots are truly the greatest. I love my friends, and I love that we can confide in each other :) We probably would have stayed a while longer, but we were introduced to their sprinkler system. Yes, I happened to be sitting right in front of a sprinkler, and water was shot 1) down the back of my pants and 2) up the back of my shirt. I will say, though, the three of us got a huge kick out of the random soaking, haha. It caught us off guard, that's for sure!

I love summertime. I love being home. I love my friends. I love the way my life has unfolded. Goodnight, loves :)

I've learned something about kids this week...

and it is that they LOVE to tell stories, whether or not they are actually true. Haha, I think theses kids at VBS just love being able to talk during Bible Adventures, because they say some pretty crazy things! Some are funny, while others are just little *cringe* moments. But yes, tomorrow marks the last session of 2011, and I think it will be a sigh of relief for a lot of us. It's been fun, but certainly a lot of work that requires a lot of time. Tiring stuff; you know.

Today was a sort of farewell lunch for my friend Austin, who is leaving for New York in just three days (he's going to SVA). It's sad that I won't be seeing him for at least another five months, but I know he is going to have an AMAZING time in NY. He loves it there, and he so excited that I just am genuinely happy for him :) I'm glad Kathryn, Elizabeth, Michael, and I were able to grab lunch with him today. Sticky Rice is good stuff, and my friends are simply amazing :)

Also, I've had my car messed with twice this week (clearly pranks pulled off by youth), and it actually makes me feel very loved :) Haha! I mean honestly, when my friends and I messed with youth leaders' cars, it was always people we really liked, because we thought it was hysterical! Now, I get to walk outside on random occasions and find saran wrap (like I did Monday morning), toilet paper (like tonight), window paint (like a few weeks ago), or any other assortment of things done to my car out of good-hearted fun :) I consider all of it to be the utmost form of flattery, haha. So bring it on, friends! But if I find out it was you, I'm not saying that I may not get you back ;) Goodnight!

Ke$ha!!!!

So, as many of you may know, I've been in Delaware the past two days. Why? To see Ke$ha!!!!! She was amazing in concert, just saying :) And I'm so glad I got to experience it with Elizabeth, Taylor, Rachel, and Jenn! I'll go again, no doubt!

Earlier that day, we also got to go to the beach :)

Twas a lovely time indeed :) And for those who are curious as to what I did upon my return home today, here it is: I went straight to church for VBS. Afterwards, I watched Never Say Never at Kathryn's house with Victoria, Winston, and Missy :) Am I a huge Bieber fan? No. Did I have a good time hanging out with lovely individuals while also viewing the movie? Absolutely :) I love you all, dears! Goodnight!

P.S.- I've never had to drive over 2.5 hours at a time, so making the 5.5 hour trip to DE was a major win for me! Haha, I just thought I'd share in the possibility it would make someone proud :)

"God made you!"

"Thank you, God!"


As cheesy as the VBS scripts may sound, it always strikes me how accurate and relevant they are. Tonight marked the beginning of the "Day 1" session (there's morning and night sessions), and it was all about creation. Anytime someone said "God made you," the kids all screamed "Thank you, God!" It's a simple action, and a rather basic concept, but think about this for a second. God created each and every one of us--uniquely and whole-heartedly. He made us in the likeness of none other than He himself. He could have made us look like cats or birds or fish or flies..... But He didn't. He blessed us with His image. How often do we thank Him for that? If I'm being honest, I don't know if I have. And if in the past I have shared my appreciation with God, then it certainly has not been recently. There's something else that kind of stuck out to me tonight. During our lesson in Bible Adventures, Laura recited this line that said "You are not a mistake." None of us, no matter what flaws/insecurities/disfunctions we think we have, are made this way on accident. No. God had intention and purpose in creating us the way we are. He knew who we would become even before our conception. Nothing about you is a result of God's oversight; no such thing exists. Each of us is treasured by Him with a love that runs far deeper then we may ever be able to fathom. He made us--uniquely, carefully, and beautifully. Thank you, God :)

P.S.- AS you probably gathered, VBS was not nearly as dreadful as I had anticipated it would be. It actually went very well tonight. Perhaps there is hope, after all! Goodnight loves!

"Is that a crescent moon???"

Hahaha. Evan could not believe that quote from the first episode of Sailor Moon :)

So yeah, the past two days have been super chill! Friday Kelly and I went in search of a shirt for me to cut-up for my Ke$ha concert attire. We did indeed find a shirt, and I have since then cut the sleeves, collar, and bottom, and painted a big dollar sign on it with gold ink.

Put that with some short-shorts, my ruined-looking Frye boots (I haven't fixed them yet), my giant glittery cross necklace, and all the other accessories, and I might just pull off the look. Haha.

After dinner with my little sister, I spent Friday night with Ashlyn, Shannon, and Evan. I met up with them at Sweet Frog, went with Ashlyn to take care of some cats (That house was probably the COOLEST THING EVER!), and then we settled in to watch some Sailor Moon!

They were stoked, having not seen the show in about 8 or 10 years. Haha. I think Evan was the most excited out of everyone... But hey, no judgement :) Ashlyn and I ended up talking for about an hour in her bed before we finally decided to get some sleep. I do love her, so very much :)

Ashlee and I had a lunch date at B-dubs today (Saturday)! I had such a lovely time with her, just hanging out and talking about life :) She really is one of the sweetest girls, ever. We followed up lunch with a stroll through Urban Outfitters (after much indecisiveness). Twas a lovely endeavor. Ashlee bought her first romper! And it is very cute, I must say :)

The rest of my day, no lie, was spent making/drinking sweet tea and watching Sailor Moon. Yes, it is true, and I am not ashamed. It felt nice to hang out and relax, just kind of veg'n out on my sofa. It's probably the only day like that I'll have for at least a week. Womp. On a separate note, I really need to learn how to cook one of these days. The dinner I assembled for myself tonight was.... less than stellar. Haha. It sufficed for tonight, but I certainly couldn't make a habit out of it and be satisfied. Hmmm. Maybe I'll get really lucky and marry a guy who knows his way around the kitchen :)

Well, tomorrow is going to be a very long day for me, so I should probably get some sleep. Goodnight loves!

Some simple facts about today:

1. It felt like the longest work day ever at the internship; VBS continues to stress me out.
2. Sometimes I wish I didn't linger on facebook so long. Instead of a nap I got roped into a serious chat session.
3. I had dinner in the dining room with my mom and sister for the first time in... I honestly don't even know how long. Mom made her meat loaf, and it made me extremely happy inside.
4. Instead of really allowing myself to nap, I keep my cell phone volume up really loud, which just ends up waking me every two minutes or so. It's pretty counter-productive.
5. My friends and I like to fill out cars over their designed capacity; it just makes things more fun.
6. The Adjustment Bureau is a good movie, though it touches on a fairly complex religious concept. Is that what they were going for? Questionable.
7. I have the most amazing friends in the entire world. It's true.
8. I think about a lot of things when I'm driving in the car by myself. Some serious, some not.
9. Today has felt like one of the longest days ever. I am SO stoked for sleep. Goodnight!

What if you had a bed like this....

I have just one question... Can I get this in Twilight???? Hahaha.

Long day!

I had the pleasure of spending my morning/afternoon with my little love, Sydney :) We saw Winnie the Pooh (so cute!), and went to her favorite restaurant for lunch. I took her home and got to meet her mom as well. She is such a sweet woman! I must have been there talking to them for at least an hour! Twas a lovely time :)

I was only home for a short while before going to my dad's for dinner. And I wasn't even there an hour before it was time to go to youth group! I do love youth group; I love everyone there :) They're pretty much some of my favorite people in the whole world :) A bunch of us went from there to Chick-fil-a, which was fun. Jeremy bought me a sweet tea, and I was very grateful. And we just got to hang out at talk with each other. Yay fellowship!

As for the rest of the evening, a group of us went down town to see Basement Dweller (Eric's band) and Comrades (Connor's band). They both did very well! And even though Comrades ran into technical difficulties, they were legit. I still can't get over how intense Connor sounded without having a microphone... crazy.

On the way back we pit-stopped by Krispy Kreme. Yumm. And, once I got back to my car, I took Victoria and Chandler home. Yeah, we all got back around 1:45. Rough. Haha. But hey, I'm just glad that I can still hear alright. Those bands were supa loud! But yeah, unfortunately I have to wake up in less than 5 hours. Wish me luck today! It's gonna be jagged. Goodnight loves!

"You should have kicked me out of your house 45 minutes ago!"

Heather never does make me leave... She really should though! Haha.

Internship:

• Long book discussions about the Holy Spirit and Brother Lawrence.
• I still am not sure how I feel about you, Lawrence... bearing in mind that you wrote all that about 300 years ago.
• Youth department work/meetings are my fave!
• I love Joni and Scoob :)
• VBS, you still scare me.
• I'm just glad I don't have lines to memorize!
• ... And that I'll be missing two days of it :)

After:

• Hooray for Ferly and taYao choreography! (See previous post.)
• I'm so happy I could get in the studio today :)
• Dinner with my favorite family!!!!
• I love my Tobzssss :)
• I love spending quality time with my Heavs :) :) :)
• I love long convos!
• I love breakfast for dinner! Haha.

Goodnight, loves! Sleep well :)

Ferly and taYao: Teach Me How to Jerk

Still lovin' their choreography.

The orig.

Still trying to memorize this darn verse...

Ephesians 3:16-21. BAHHHHH! Anywho...

I was pretty productive today, I think. I woke up and finished all of the reading I needed to do for internship before 12:30. After eating some cereal I looked over the Echo Bible study material to make sure I was up on that. I talked to Sam and Addie for a bit before going to the bank. (Yay deposits!) Shortly after writing down the memory verse I need for tomorrow, I went to my padre's for dinner until it was time for B-stud. It was a very small group of kids (we had a 1:1 leader/student ratio), but I think it went well! They were all pretty engaged in the discussion and whatnot, so that was good. I drove by Joni's to see some people who were at the high school Bible study. Elsbeth and I talked on Joni's back porch for a while, and she had no idea we were even there, haha. The look on her face as Els and I exited through her living room was priceless :) I then made a quick run through Cookout before going to Elizabeth's for a little while. We all just chit-chatted and hung out. After a while I migrated over to Elsbeth's, where we (and Brenna) watched the new episode of Teen Wolf that she had DVRed. It was so intense! Ahhh! I hate that I have to wait a week to see what happens, haha. But yes, we ended up talking for about an hour and a half after that :) I do love my Elsbeth! I love that we can talk about serious stuff, but then she is also someone who can make me laugh all the time :) Eeeeep. Tonight made me happy :) But alas, here I am with less that five hours allotted for sleep.... Goodnight loves!

The Guat team returns!

I am so incredibly excited that the Guatemala team is home safe and sound! I missed them so very much! And I hated hearing that they were all getting sick and not knowing exactly who it was or what was wrong. That killed me. But alas, they are back now :) I was so happy to receive an attack hug from my best friend, and to hug all of my other loves who had been gone as well :) Ahh! I just love them so much! I'm so happy I got to see them tonight!

Today's prior events consisted of:

• Internship.
• Echo Sunday School.
• Zeke wanted me to lead his small group discussion again this week; I was so touched!
• Gym service.
• Stony Point for lunch.
• We like to rearrange dining areas for own own purposes.
• Like putting all of the patio tables at Chipotle in one row (minus one) and leaving about 5 chairs just hanging out in otherwise empty space.
• Rachel Jones is the greatest plank-er ever. She is just too hysterical!
• Also, her commitment is astounding, haha!
• World Cup party at Rachel Y.'s.
• U.S.A. lost (old news).
• What you may not have known: It's entirely Josh's fault.
• No seriously it is.
• Dinner at my dad's.
• Talked about tattoos.
• Did some reading for internship.
• Hung out with Kathryn for a bit.
• Airport greeting time!

Yep, that's basically it! Sorry for the list format. I just need to get back to reading this book. I just started it today and I have to have it read by Tuesday and top of the chapter I have to read in the other book and the memory verses I have yet to even write down. Woop! Here we goooo :) Goodnight!

Babysitting endeavors.

I've spent my day with two very lovely girls, Grace and Emily. While Emily was rollerskating with a friend, Grace and I went to Starbucks--where we played numerous rounds of Jenga and Connect Four. (I did much better at Connect Four today than the last time I played with Juliana... haha.) I watched a few episodes of Vampire Diaries with her as well (it's her favorite show). When Emily got home we proceeded to watch a little TV and then ended up watching ridiculous Youtube videos for quite some time. Dinner at Arby's and a trip to Blockbuster proceeded a movie night complete with Red Riding Hood and Just Go With It. I had never seen Red Riding Hood before, and I actually rather liked it. Grace and I were trying the whole time to guess who the wolf was, haha. Surprisingly, we never did guess right! Afterwards, GRace went upstairs to read and Emily and I had a little photobooth fun.

She was laughing so hard; it was the most adorable thing ever :) 

Bedtime soon followed, and now they should both be sound asleep. I love both of these girls very much, and I really hope that they stay young for as long as they can. I was talking to Grace earlier, and I was literally left speechless by some of the stuff she was telling me. She knows too much for a girl her age, and her friends are doing things that are neither appropriate nor safe. It's not her fault, but I hate that her childhood innocence has been snatched from her. I'm just scared that one day she'll be pressured in to doing something she'll regret, and I wish I could explain to you how scared that thought makes me--scared for both her and Emily.

Major trust in the Lord is required in this case. I know that I cannot provide them with ultimate provision or security, although I certainly would if I were able. They are in His hands, and I know that He is working for their benefit. That's something I have come to truly stand firm in: No matter how traumatic or horrible a life experience may seem, God is using it in a way that will further and strengthen your relationship with Him. And ultimately, your life will be bettered because of it. I speak both from faith and personal experience. God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good. He stands in our defense, and He gives us a solid rock upon which to stand firm. I know Grace and Emily will always be looked after, for all of His children are promised such care. Goodnight loves. Sleep well.

Stephy got her car back!

Yes, I did just refer to myself in third person. I apologize to those who consider that a pet peeve. But yes, I finally got my car from the shop today. I'm telling you, two days without a car was rough. Luckily, I had amazing people help me out :) I never had to be left out of plans or anything like that. Thank you all for that!

Nap tim on the couch with my snuggie was awesome, as was watching Kardashian television shows with Jenn. They are some of the funniest people to watch, Khloe in particular. I spent my day just lounging around when I probably should have been reading and verse memorizing for internship... Woops. I suppose I'll get to it eventually. Tomorrow I start an overnight babysitting gig at 10 AM, which means I need to hit the sack! Goodnight loves :)

Cosmetic confidence.

I wish that young women didn't feel as though they need make-up to be beautiful. Not that make-up should be never worn or done-away with, but it's become a dependence--something we'e convinced ourselves we need in order to look socially acceptable. I hear people doubt their beauty and mention their embarrassment when they forget to apply make-up. It breaks my heart because these are girls whom I consider to be some of the most gorgeous individuals I know. If I'm being honest, I have at times been jealous of and even intimidated by them. I just wish that we could walk out of our houses and not feel panicked if we happen to find ourselves with a bare face. I wish that we could all have that confidence and comfort, because we don't need cosmetics to determine our level of self-esteem. Those who love you won't notice such petty things, because they aren't the things that matter. It's you that matters.

The end of Harry Potter!

So, The Deathly Hallows Part 2 was AMAZING! I still cannot fathom that Daniel, Emma, and Rupert went from this:

To this:

So crazy! I seriously grew up with this story. I started reading the books in the 2nd grade, and the first movie came out when I was 9. I can't believe they're over!!! I will say this: I am making sure I have a copy of every movie and book, and my child will get to enjoy them all :) As far as the theater experience was concerned, one of my favorite parts was seeing the whole theater put their hands in the air and lean from side to side as this Regal Cinemas intro was playing :D

Our group started it... Just saying :) There was also spurts of applause when certain things (I won't be a spoiler) happened between 1) Hermione and Ron 2) Harry and Ginny and 3) Mrs. Weasley and Bellatrix. I won't lie, there were parts in that movie that made my eyes water, I even leaked a little bit. I don't know how else to say it, it was just incredible! And I'm so glad I got to see it with Kathryn, Mac, and Cameron :)

Taken on Kathryn's Blackberry!

Oh yeah, haha. I think the quote of the night was when Cameron said, "I feel like I did when Stephen told us he was leaving..." Kathryn and I lost it. Hahahahaha.

It truly has been a lovely night :) I'm going to go to bed now since it's almost 5:30. I love you all!

Hitchin' a ride.

So I basically have not had my car all day. I dropped it off at the shop this morning, and to my knowledge they haven't even looked at it. Epic FAIL. The worst part though is that I have to get other people to take me places. Luckily, Kelly was able to pick me up for our lunch date with Lisa :) I'm so glad I was finally able to get together with her; we've been trying to get together for months it seemed like. It was a good time :) Kelly and I rendez-vous-ed over to J. Sarge before she took me back to my casa. Padre picked me up to go over to his house so I could be fed, and then Kelly picked me up again to take me to youth group (I don't think I could ever truly thank her enough).

Tonight was intern-led youth group, and I think it went pretty well! Sure, we finished a little early, but everyone loves having a little fellowship time! I know I do, anyways :) This week's "after party" was held at Chick-fil-a. Holla! We were pretty rowdy, I must say. Between the sheer volume of our chatter, obnoxious singing, and people falling out of their chairs.... the employees may or may not hate us. Hahaha. And when it was time for them to close, a group of us decided to have a little dance party in the parking lot, which made me extremely happy :) (Shout out to Missy!!! Love you, boo!) I love being able to hang out and just dance however you want, free of judgement. I also love how incredibly sweet and care-free people can be. Youth group loves, you are some of my absolute favorite people to hang out with :) You all just make me so happy! I love you guys :)

For the night, I'm crashing at Kathryn's due to my lack of transportation. Her hospitality is a blessing! I'm so thankful to have friends that are so willing to help me out when I need them, even if it's something as petty as needing a ride. I wish I could adequately express how appreciative I am. It means more to me than any of them may ever realize. Thank you, loves, for being so amazing :) I love you! Goodnight!

It's funny, you can laugh.

I know I did!

Car issues of doom.

Taylor and I decided to have a dinner date at Sticky Rice tonight, right? Well, as we're driving down the Boulevard, my car starts going (as Taylor would word it), "putt, putt, putt, RPM, vroom!" Basically, it felt like I was pumping the break when really I was just trying to drive down the road. Well, we notice that my car is extremely low on oil. So what do we do? Well, we walked a mile to a gas station, got the oil, and brought it back to fill up my car. (Keep in mind the heat index was over 100 degrees.) The oil seemed to do the trick; we got to Sticky Rice just fine. After we enjoyed our meal, we made it most of the way home before the second episode occurred. Oh yes, in the middle of one of the busiest intersection near my house, my car started "putt, putt, putt"-ing again. This time, it was accompanied by this:

And this:

Needless to say, I pulled over ASAP and called my madre. She poured half a gallon of water into my cooling system, and it definitely helped with the overheating. Unfortunately, the check engine light is still on, but I'm hoping it will just have to be reset tomorrow. Fingers crossed! The only thing that really bugs me about this whole fiasco is that, having walked essentially 2 miles in flat, Target brand sandals, I now have a blister on both balls of my feet. Fail. I will say, though, I'm thankful that I had Taylor with me. She helped keep me sane and calm. I do love that girl :) She's always there for me when I need her!

The night was not a total bust though, I am happy to say! Kelly came over and, after talking to a long lost friend and discussion the rapid depletion of true childhood, we watch an episode of Buffy! Season 2, episode 1 to be exact :) I love that Kelly and I can do simple things like that and be totally content. After all, when it comes to Buffy, we're still dedicated fans :)

And with that, I shall say farewell! Goodnight all :)

Marriage on the brain.

With a lot of my friends being engaged now, it makes me think about being/getting married, because let's be honest, in the next 4 or 5 years, we could very well be getting ready to make the march ourselves. It has me thinking about things like 1) who my maid of honor is going to be 2) who my bridesmaids will be 3) how many bridesmaids is considered too many 4) what the heck will my color scheme be 5) will I still be able to get a Disney princess dress when my wedding comes around? Speaking of Disney Bridal, they have two new dresses!

 Ariel

Snow White

All of their dresses are so pretty! Also exciting is that the new Rapunzel dress should be released soon! Yayyyyy! But yes, my friends and I just cannot believe that we're actually in that age where you really start thinking about and considering who you're going to marry and when. Crazy stuff, just saying. I mean, I know that I'm not dating anyone, and I am also aware that I have never had a legitimate boyfriend. However, God knows who will fill this role in my life, and I have complete and total trust that I will so incredibly happy when that time in my life comes :) I've also been thinking of potential names for my future children. Like pretty much everyone else in the world, I want their names to be at least somewhat unique. I would post some of said names on here, but let's be honest, things like that change from day to day. Haha, at least at this point in life. I will humor you, though, with a few names that I used to absolutely love (we're talking middle school/early high school age here): Charisma, Jeshlee, Stella, Sariah, and Isabelle. Yeah, I've had a range of ideas. Haha :) But alas, I need to bring this post to a close. I have to be at church in approximately 7.5 hours. Thus, I am ready to reunite with my bff, sleep :) Goodnight loves!

This music brings you to mind :)

Kathryn:


Kim:


Elizabeth:


Jennifer:


Juliana:


Kelly:


Hannah:


Taylor H.:


Brandi:


Brittany and Brianna:


Taylor V.:


Heather:


Teehee :)

Saturday chillin'

Dog sitting, Wizards of Waverly Place, reading, Steph squared, sushi, boba, Belle Isle, Harry Potter, crazy car rides, and rowdy hangout time. Life is good, all the time :) Bless you all! Goodnight.

Photos stolen from: Kathryn :)

Cow Appreciation Day 2011

Well, today was Chick-fil-a's Cow Appreciation Day! So I spent a good chunk of my day getting free stuff from them :)

 Sweet tea!!! Hey, kidney stones ;)

Jesse! Kathryn and I visited him, Julie, and Josh while they were working :)

I loved getting free food, bumping into people I knew, and conversing with other fellow cows, but I think my favorite part of this endeavor was serving someone I had never met before. Cory is currently homeless and staying in a motel with his girlfriend until they are able to get jobs. He started telling me about how he moved here to live with her, only for them to find out that she was being evicted. She is currently in a custody battle for her children, since the father is an alcoholic, and Cory told me he sits at the intersection with his sign to try and get money to pay for the motel they're staying in. He has hitch-hiked across the country, from Colorado, to Washington, to California, to Kansas, to Virginia. His story was just so crazy, and I loved that he was willing to share it with me. Here I am, a girl dressed like a cow walking up to him and asking is I could get him some lunch, and he was just so kind and appreciative. He warmed my heart, truly. Because despite his situation, he has such a positive personality. We stood and talked for probably at least 10 minutes talking about all sorts of things, and we were both just laughing and enjoying the conversation. I'm really glad I got a chance to meet him :)

Around 1 or so, I made my way down to the TT Lounge (still in my cow suit, mind you) to grab some Boba for myself and Heather :) She didn't know I was coming over, so I just quietly walked into her house and made my way to her room (super stealth status!) to surprise her, haha! We just hung out and talked while she packed and drank her boba :) I love being able to simply sit and talk with Heather. It's one of my favorite things to do, and it makes me very happy :) And I'm also glad I got to see her today because she will be on a plane to Guatemala in a few short hours for a week-long missions trip. I will miss her terribly, but I know that God has some incredible things in store for that team :) Please be keeping them in your prayers!

Aside from all that, there was a movie night at Kathryn's tonight. I will just say this: I have some some hysterical friends. Haha. They are just too much :) I love it. We eventually put in the movie Battle Los Angeles, and I ended up falling asleep in the chair. Typical. I woke up right at the credits, and ended up not going to Krispy Kreme with everyone because I felt so exhausted. Yet despite coming home "early," I am still awake. Fail. Haha. Oh well :) Goodnight my loves!

Far removed, PTL.

This post is to make up for last night. So... yeah :)

Internship was pretty standard. We got to spend plenty of time in the youth department, so that made me very happy :) We planned a few things, and Joni gave us a run-down of what we'll be working on for the rest of the summer. I found out that I will be helping with middle school Bible study, which is exciting! We did some really eventful stuff--like clean out closets--before we left. Haha.  We party hard, us interns...

I met up with a friend from high school for dinner, which was fun. We were joined by two other girls from Herm while we were there. I hadn't seen them in forever! But the the dinner was really nice. I'm glad the two of us were able to have deep conversation, even despite the fact we weren't super close in high school. There is something, though, that I took away from my time when it was all four of us at the table, and it is this: I am so far removed from drama. And believe me, I consider it a blessing! I'm just not used to hearing about so many people doing so many things and thinking things about other people and it's just so... overwhelming. I feel relieved that I am ultimately naive to the gossip and drama that often trickles from high school to college. It is certainly an area in which I am happy to be out of the loop. I much prefer to just love others and personally confront them when something pertaining to them is weighing on my heart. I realize, though, that my mindset is a direct result of my spiritual walk and lifestyle choice to follow Christ. In something as simple as they way I view "drama," I realized just how much I have matured as a person over the past two years. I am so thankful for the love that defines my relationships. Thank you, Lord :)

For evening plans, I saw Fast Five at the Byrd with some lovely individuals :) I had no idea what to expect form the movie, having never seen the other four. I actually enjoyed it, though. It certainly kept me entertained! And despite the AC being broken, it was a fun time :) Kelly and I hung out and chatted with Kathryn until like 1 AM. Twas great.

As for the rest of the night? Well, long story short, I needed to make a cow outfit. After wandering through Walmart, I got frustrated and decided to just use what I had at home. Kelly helped me with it until 3 AM, at which point she departed. I was so thankful for her help! It was much appreciated! But yes, having finished so late, it was 4 AM by the time I had showered and gotten ready for bed and whatnot. Thus why I failed to post.

There you have it! Yesterday's recap! You'll be hearing from me in a few hours. So goodbye for now!

A little drained.

After a long day and a fairly emotional night, I am very sleepy. Thus, tonight's a list kind of night:

• Woke up and saw the devestating condition of my Frye boots.
• They were severely dried out by the heat while sitting in my car during kids camp.
• I almost cried, they looked so rough and discolored.
• Luckily my mom got some leather conditioner for them. I hope it helps!
• Had lunch with Jay.
• I was nice to catch up and just talk about what was going on in life.
• I saw Rachel, Joni, Ashlee, and Lisa while we were at Panera!
• We waited until after the downpour to leave.
• Boba date with Annemarie!
• I got Thai iced tea; she got Taro! Yummmm!
• Skype date with Brianna!
• It was so nice to see her face!
• Rooming with her is going to be fun :)
• Youth group.
• There was a leader dinner/meeting beforehand.
• Kathryn, Christian, and I taught Mr. Ingersoll the cat daddy.
• Funniest thing ever, by the way. Mac almost peed himself.
• It got very emotional, for everyone.
• I didn't think it would hit me like that, since I had already known. But I too shed some tears.
• We're all going to miss you Stephen. So much.

Change is hard. Hard to accept and hard to handle. But in this struggle we have one another, and we have a Father who is strengthening us and preparing us for what's to come. We can stand firm, for we have a solid foundation--a Rock upon which to stand.

Goodnight my loves. Pleasant dreams.

The lord of the flies lives on Kathryn's porch...

I don't know what it's called, but it's large and it's scary; just saying. I may or may not have quietly shrieked at the sight of it...

No money was lost today, praise the Lord. Internship went by slower than usual today, but it wasn't bad. I even got to ride in the golf cart a bit, which was fun. I had a lovely evening with Nikki and Juliana :) We had dinner at B-Dubs before going to see Monte Carlo.

Personally, I liked the movie. I thought it was cute, and I really do love Selena Gomez.  After taking Jules home, I enjoyed a movie night at Kathryn's with a lovely group of amigos :) We watched Just Go With It.

I love that movie, and I love Jennifer Aniston. She's just someone I would love to meet :)

At any rate, I love just being able to chill and spend time with friends as often as I do. It's something I really cherish :) I will never want to live alone, because honestly I don't know if I could handle it; I enjoy company far too much :) Bahhh! I just love you guys :)

128 miles never seemed so far.

The mere thought is more daunting than I had anticipated.
Being so content in the present, I find it hard to give the future an eager glance.
Though glimmering snippets draw my excitement,
I feel as though I have the sun blazing right here at my side.
It is true that nothing ever truly comes easy, nor will I ever be truly harmed.
But the longing that will undoubtedly settle within creates anxiety.
Though not overwhelmingly severe, it looms unpleasantly.
A test, a trial, a challenge: whatever this is deemed.
It won't be any easier the second time around.
I'm still half a journey away, so I'll take comfort in the last leg.
Rejoicing in today, I will take this scripture to heart:

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
{Matthew 6:34}

Twas the 4th of July

Today mostly consisted of reading. Ugh. In the past two days, I've read over 200 pages of this book we have to read for internship, and I'm so happy I finally finished it. I'm just praying there isn't a quiz... I also had to memorize more verses... Lord, help me get through tomorrow without losing money.

Kathryn had dinner with me tonight at my padre's :) Nothing too crazy occurred, we just watched the Hey Arnold movie and some of New Moon before enjoying supper and heading out for the evening with Brad and Nathan. We ended up driving downtown despite the rain. There were no fireworks at Dogwood Dell, and the ones at the Diamond were canceled too. But we had some fun in the parking lot of the Diamond, dancing and whatnot. A stranger ran over to us and yelled, "cat daddy!", at which point he proceeded to dance with us for a hot second. Haha. I got a huge kick out of that. We then indulged in some Sweet Frog before a mini-adventure at Pony Pasture... Now listen, I'm all for the river, but not when it's pitch black and we only have two little flashlights. We went down this path through the wooded area, and I was clinging to Nathan for dear life. For those who don't know, I have a horrible fear of snakes (that just so happen to inhabit that general area). Thankfully we made to the water and back unscathed, and we chatted in the church parking lot for a bit before calling it a night.

The fact that I'll be waking up in less than five hours saddens me... Well, at least I know that tomorrow will be busy and include some lovely hangout time with friends :) That will get me through the sluggish feeling I will undoubtedly encounter in the morning. Goodnight loves!

God's hand is far-stretched.

He sees much further down the road than we do, and He knows of the benefits being reaped. Even in the absence of [unnecessary] self-satisfaction, we are beneficiaries of His marvelous work, regardless of our awareness.

”The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; 
   may the name of the LORD be praised.”
{Job 1:21}

He blesses us with miracles and unending grace. He allows us to endure hardship from which we are made stronger. He removes obstacles from our intended path of righteousness, and He helps us overcome insurmountable struggles. He places people in our life to build us up in Him and make us stronger; likewise He creates separation.

There have been several times where I have considered the working of God's plan in my life. I have looked back on scenes that were once so grueling to endure and realized how positively my life was impacted because of it. Nothing is without purpose or without benefits. And praise be to God! His plans read perfection and draw conclusions beyond fathom. Though He creates inconsistencies in humanity, He instills hope in His invariance. He is stable, and He is the foundation on which we can fully trust and rely.

^"1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
   he turned to me and heard my cry. ² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand. ³ He put a new song in my mouth,
   a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
   and put their trust in the LORD.

 ⁴ Blessed is the man
   who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
   to those who turn aside to false gods. ⁵ Many, O LORD my God,
   are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
   no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
   they would be too many to declare."

{Psalm 40:1-5}

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
{Romans 8:28}

Blog vomit!

It's kind of like word vomit, but it's blogged instead of verbally communicated. Haha. I know this will be my third blog of the night, but bear with me please. Just consider it compensation for my absence over the past week, haha.

I woke up around noon today. And after some Nutella toast and watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians with Jenn, I met up with my darling Heather :) We got some gelato at whole foods, which was delicious. And after sitting and talking for a spell, we spontaneously decided to go get boba tea! Neither one of us had tried it before, but we were still so stoked! Haha. It turned out to be very good! I got Thai tea with boba, and I will definitely be getting it again! New obsession? Maybe :) Heather and I also took an opportunity to look in the bike shop that was right next door. Heather fell in love with a bike, and it just so happens to have rear-view mirrors on it. Fingers crossed that it's still there when she goes to buy it! I had dinner with Jennifer tonight at Casa Grande :) Afterwards, I accompanied her on a trip to Michael's so she could get some art supplies. She got these two large canvases, and I can't wait to see what she does with them! Eeeep :) As for my night, I spent it with Matt and Kathryn, whom I love very much :) After a trip to Cookout, we watched the movie Beastly, which is a modern day recreation of Beauty and the Beast. It was pretty good, but definitely a chick flick. During it, Matt just held his head and said, "What am I watching???". Hahaha! We concluded our evening with a Photobooth sesh and some convo time. It was nice :)

I do love my friends! Unfortunately though, my alarm is going off in less than five hours. Thus, I must bid thee adieu. Goodnight loves!

Investment

Good, meaningful relationships are not possible without investment; it's something that has been becoming more and more apparent to me. Taking the time to listen to the thoughts of others and to learn about their lives not only gives you insight on where they're coming from, but it shows that you genuinely care about them as a person-- that you love them enough to really get to know them. Honestly, I have seen and heard about friendships/relationships where one party is much more dedicated to the other than the other person is to them, and the lack of reciprocation breaks my heart. I have a hard time understanding it. When I form a relationship with someone, I want them to be able to trust and confide in me. I want to learn about their life and know them on a deeper level that their favorite color and interests. I want to help carry their burdens, hear about their past/present/potential struggles, and I want to know what's on their mind. I love investing my whole heart in my relationships, because my friends deserve it. I have such strong friendships because we do invest in each other's lives. I love you, dear loves, for being so incredibly amazing :) I love knowing that you would do anything for me, and that you take an interest in the happenings of my life. I love that you all are willing to talk to me about what you're going through, and that you love me enough to maintain our relationship even despite long distances and busy schedules. None of it is without conscious effort and some emotional strain, and I know that. I just want to tell all of you how much I love and appreciate you :) Your investment means the world to me.

Kids Camp Recap

• Shannon spent at least half and hour cutting my split ends Sunday night.
• We even got to converse for a bit afterwards, which I loved :)
• I had the youngest group of girls.
• They were pretty cute, I must say.
• I didn't have to clean up any accidents/illness related messes. Praise!
• I enjoyed seeing the dance ministry group portray the Parable of the Sower :)
• I was pleasantly surprised by my girls' willingness to contribute ideas in morning devotions.
• And I got to learn quite a bit about them through that.
• I surprisingly didn't lose my voice despite the countless cheers that were screamed.
• Those things will probably be stuck in my head for at least another week.
• My girls loved singing "Counting on God" during any down time they had.
• It was the most adorable thing ever.
• I seriously felt like a parent of 8 the whole week.
• Being with that many kids 24/7 is exhausting and a little overwhelming sometimes.
• Seeing kids really worshipping is such a lovely sight!
• Between the jumping, clapping, dancing, and raising of hands... it's just really awesome to witness.
• Cabin clean-up was the most intense and precise thing EVER.
• My group did win cleanest cabin on Thursday. Holla!
• This experience showed me that "youth" is definitely more of my thing.
• Camp certainly wasn't bad, just very different.
• Coming home was a huge sigh of relief.
• I'm so happy I could be welcomed back by so many of my loves :)
• I even got an attack hug from Heather :)