It's a Wonderful Life

I believe that God has made us to be lights in the world, a city on a hill is hard to hide.
He wants the people that believe in Him to stand out. God wants people to be drawn towards Him, by knowing His goodness and mercy through us. God uses us today to reach people, He lives inside of us, not just up in Heaven. Yeah we may not see Him walking around and be able to point and say, " Hey look there's God...sweet!" The reality is that if we have decided to believe in what Jesus did for us, by saving us from a life without real living, then that gave God permission to come and live on the inside of us, guiding an directing us. So then our actions and motives now have a way of being lead by Him, and then in turn people notice something different about you, because the God of the universe is living inside of you, and showing you how to grow, live, and love everyday.

It's starting to get pretty cold here. Winter has decided to come for a visit, and so I have unpacked my winter coat, and thick socks. As I get out of my car, and walk to the front door of my nanny job, I notice every morning, how their grass is growing more and more. I look around at the neighbors around them, and all their grass seems died, and cold. Though I look at theirs and it's flourishing. It's green, and looks as if spring time is happening in their front yard. It amazes me every time.

That is how we should be to other people, flourishing, and alive, even when every thing else seems to be died. It's such an example of how God takes care of His children. He wants us growing and looking good all year round, regardless of what the world seems to encounter. We don't have to experience what everyone else experiences. We can walk in a wonderful, prospering life. God wants other people to see a life outside of their own, that they want to be apart of. That is the GOOD God life.

I thank God every day that I can wake up, and have His wisdom in my heart. His life in my own.
That I can let His light shine through me, by just living a wonderful full life. 

Wasting Time

I see that lately I have been giving updates about things that happen everyday. Which maybe is not the most inspiring blogs you could encounter. So for a little more spice to my normal every day get up, here is some little things to maybe encourage you to keep seeking God, and keeping dreaming big.

I am learning that time spent reading the bible can not be wasted time.
The wonderful thing about reading the bible is that, it gets in your heart, even if it's not stuck in your mind quite yet. That is the way God wanted it to work. At times I read and something goes right to my mind, and I want to share it with a good 300 people, as if I have something worth while to share. Other times I read and I don't get much into my mind, and wonder if I wasn't reading with enough focus, or if I was just  really not getting anything from it.

God promises that His word does something. Even if we don't do anything with it, He says that His word WILL NOT return to Him void, but WILL accomplish what HE pleases. The way he created it to work, is that the words in the bible are life to our bodies, it goes into our hearts and creates life inside of us. Even if we don't see it or feel it. Hope would be without effect if we already had what we hoped for, cause then it no longer would need any hope, because we have it. So I hope that every time I read the word, that something I am reading is getting planted inside of my heart, and slowly is growing, and in a moment I will see that His word really is in me, even when I didn't know it was.

God made it easy for us. He didn't make it so hard as to, that if we don't read it everyday, or memorize it, we won't be saved, or be able to share the truth with other people. He made it simple, and decided that if we opened our hearts to read his word, that is would be placed inside of us. The truth is He wants everyone to know the truth, so he made it easy to have it.

So even in the moments when you feel you could be doing something else, or that what you read was not applicable, the truth is that it doesn't matter what you feel. God promises that His word will not be void. You never waste time, anytime, even for 3 seconds reading the bible. It makes more of a difference then you know.

For example:

I started working in our churches youth group, some day's I don't know if I heard from God about doing it, and other days I really know I did. I don't like that aspect of life, where God lets us think and have our own choices. That way there is room for mistakes, and double checking yourselves. I love that He loved me ( us ) enough to let me choose our choices, but I love the idea of Him doing it all, and I just following a step by step list of to do's. That way I couldn't mess up. It's not that he wanted us to make mistakes, but that he didn't want to keep us from choosing Him on our own, other wise He would have chosen for us to believe in Him. It's just that in giving someone free will there is a chance of mess up. That is why God gave us his word to direct us in our choices that we are making, we have some guidelines that He knows works best, and worst. So it's like a parent giving you advice before you do something. They don't want to tell you what to do, but they want to give you the most information they can, so you can make the right choice on your own. ( That was most definitely a bunny trail).

So about youth...

One Wednesday morning I was reading a bit of the bible, and came across the verse that says, " Let your Yes be Yes, and your No be No." It was saying that you shouldn't sweat by heaven or hell, but rather let what you say mean what you say. If you mean what you say, then you don't need to even swear by anything, because your yes will be a yes, and your no will be a no. After I read it I didn't really know how to apply it, and had one of those " I read the bible, but didn't get much from it".

Then I got to youth group that night, was about to leave, a girl from the youth was walking past me, and I just out of no where I ( God moment ) said, " Hey how are you doing?..." She then told me a little  short version of something that was going on, and that verse popped into my head. I felt, to be honest, ridiculous saying it, because I didn't think it applied to what she was sharing. I ignore my thinking, and trusted God knew what was going on with her. So I shared the verse about letting your yes be yes, and she looked at me as if I spoke the magic words. I asked if that helped at all, she said, it was just wanted she needed to hear. I told her, once she has made a choice, to stick with it, and let it be her yes or no.

In that little span of time I saw how God plants words in us, not just for us but to get them to others. He wanted me to read that 1. So he could get it to her, and 2. So that he could show me that I hear from Him. It's a wonderful thing.

So waste your time in reading the bible...it is well worth it! 

Friday's!

So this new blog set up is so much fun. I hope you have an ok time finding your way around.
It pretty much is just my blog in a different view. They show you pictures and you can click on them to get the stories. It makes me look very artistic...

I have been having the most wonderful time this fall being home. For the first time in 3 years I was home for my little brothers birthday. It was so hard being away for them. He turned 21 this year...which pretty much means we all are real "adults". I don't know how much sense that makes, but I'm just going to pretend like I know what being an adult means. I am saving up money, and using a budget, so that is pretty much like being grown up.

That's Alex turning 21 holding an alcoholic beverage. So manly and handsome he is. 

My forever friend, as I call her. Abbie the Parker ( soon to be Coager  in T minus 4 weeks) came to visit me. It was the most fun week of fall. She left on the day we got our first day of snow. We spent the week laughing, eating, watching Isaac and of course taking pictures. She also will be moving to California with her soon to be husband, and I am so thrilled to have more then 5 reasons to go to the beach now. I will miss our hangouts, but I do believe they will be even better. Living in the will of God, is better then living out side of it. So I am excited to see how our friendship will grow from here onwards. I think it was good for us though to get together once more before she changes her last name.

In May I started giving my friend Rachel guitar lessons once a week, and then we decided we wanted to add to lessons, and do something fun every week. I wanted to learn to cook more, and so she and I pick out a new recipe every week, and make lunch together, then finish the day off with our guitar lesson. It has ended up being such an awesome part of my weeks. I have learned to cook all sorts of things, and I am getting more confident in the kitchen...Praise God. The other week we got brave, and decided ( apart from us not knowing 1 thing about the grill ) to grill a pizza. It was amazing. Minus the fact that we burned the bottom...

My super fantastic boyfriend has decided to grow a mullet...need I say more. He is quite the top class kinda guy, that can somehow pull off the dirty mole. Oddly enough I also like the stylish thing he has going on.

























On another note, over the summer I have fallen in love with frozen yogurt. My dearest friends Bre and Andrew, wanted to go, so we coupled up and went for a late night fro yo run. The men try to look as manly as possible while holding Pinkberry...

If you haven't experienced frozen yogurt yet, I would HIGHLY recommend you do.


Last couple updates here...
One: If you haven't stopped by Dillards to look at their over sized, and over priced head bands I would say you are missing out.

Two: This morning I woke up to the most stunning cloud God put in the sky...It was like a rainbow...love that. 

Coffee? Yes please!

...

This morning I woke up, was so tired that I wondered if I could get my mother to babysit Isaac today, or I could get Isaac to babysit me. I got to their home, and the little guy was still snoozing, which gave me a little bit to wake up. When he woke up, I opened his door, and as he always does...started smiling so big, and peaking through the wooden rails on his little crib. Adorable.

Funny part was I was still so extremely tired. I actually called my mom, and asked if she wanted to come over and just hang out to wake me up a bit. Sadly she was busy, and couldn't come to my rescue.
So I decided to do something I haven't done for like 3 years... have a cup of coffee.

I thought to myself, " I don't have any other option, other then sleeping right now..." So I made a cup of coffee put it in a to go cup, and Isaac and I went out for a walk to a park near by. I started sipping on it, and was wondering what might happen. I just had it black, no milk or sugar...I just needed instant energy. ha.

By the time that we were walking ( and by "we" I mean "I" and pushing him in the worlds coolest stroller of all time joovy) I all of a sudden felt like a normal person. I felt like the sky was more blue, and I was more aware of my surroundings, and was joking around with Isaac as we went along. I wondered why I hadn't drank any coffee before this. All my mornings could be way more exciting! I actually kinda laughed to myself, about how silly it was for me to get so excited about coffee. It was like a magic drink. ha

I took a couple pictures of the cutest kid in the world that I govern for, and me falling in love with coffee. This could be dangerous folks. 

American Missionary "Governess"

Here is the dealio folks. I have come to an incredible conclusion, and want to know what you think about it.

So whenever I have gone overseas to help out with the Forgostons, I really just watched their girls, and then helped out at the school a bit here and there. I didn't go into the streets of Indian and rescue little kids ( hope none are disappointed...) I always thought in my heart that in a way I was. If I was serving the Forgoston's by watching their girls, then they could go to school and teach the students, who then take the word into the streets, and minister to the little kids. So in a way I did... you know?

I guess it is sorta like when you give money to missionaries, they said it is as if you are going. You may not be able to go overseas, but you can give them money to go, and whoever they reach, are always reached by you. I love that whole concept, it is like bringing the whole body of believers together to accomplish something wonderful.

So as I was feeding Isaac this morning, I realized that, I am doing just what I do overseas, I am just in America. I am watching Isaac so Jeff and Autumn can go to school and teach. I also do a little volunteer work for CBC on the side here and there. All that has changed is my location...it is incredible the impact you can have by just living somewhere else...that is it.  For example my sister lives in New Zealand...fancy pants ( I know ). Then if you ask her about it, it is just life, she doesn't think it's that amazing, she has also almost lived there for 7 years, so it is becoming home now to her. She is just working away, and living life. If she was here people wouldn't been as impressed...how funny is that about us humans.

Now living in India did have it's challenges, and sometimes I didn't know what was going on that day. Then again Colorado also has it's challenges too. So I just got really excited this morning, after realizing I Really am doing just what I always have done, just feeling SUPER blessed that God happened to place me back at home for a while to do it! God loves me...it's true. 

Staying in Love

I just finished listening to a 4 part teaching by Andy Stanley, he pastors a church in Georgia called North Point Church. It was the best solid teaching,with points I've never heard addressed.

I really took so much from it, so I wanted to post it so you guys could too.
It's amazing how much the world can influence our relationships, and how it is not what God has in mind.
Jesus was such a clear example of how to treat people, and how to love the right way. Sometimes it can seem contrary to what we have seen or experienced.

A great quote I will remember him saying is " The heart is drawn towards an environment of acceptance."
He made a point to say that, no one really wants to let anyone down, or disappoint anyone, but it happens to all of us. It is in those moments of disappointment that we must choose to believe the best, and have an open door of acceptance that they can walk into. Jesus died for us, when we didn't deserve his acceptance or forgiveness. He also mentioned the verse that says " Do onto others, as you would like them to do unto you." We naturally would want people to accept us, and believe the best in us.

So I hope you get a chance to listen to some or all or the teaching. I put the link to the 4th of a 4 part series he did called " Staying in Love". So feel free to listen to the rest too!

http://www.northpoint.org/messages/staying-in-love

Being a Baby.

and thus begins my year of "new".

I started my nanny job yesterday, and waking up at 6:15 am is more intense then I thought.
I also came to an incredible conclusion... I should say my dad did, and then I thought it was my conclusion.
After an hour or so of hanging with Isaac ( the baby I nanny for ), I ran out of ideas of what to do.
So I put him in the stroller and went for a walk for a little while. I got the idea to call my dad, I knew he would be up. He drives school buses in the morning, so he is up an hour before me!

So I gave him a call as I walked, and talked to him about what to do when I don't know what to do. I kept referring to the situation as " I don't know what else to do with Isaac...", and my dad so perfect said, " Well if he plays by himself, maybe you can find things to do while you watch him." It must have been the way he said it, that my brain fully understood what I had going on. The problem I have is not with Isaac...but...me. Isaac is happy and plays by himself, but I don't know what to do with myself. How backwards is that.

I then had to grow up a little, and say that I was really being the child, and he was being the adult. He is the best kid to watch, super fun and easy to spend time with. He really only cries when you should. If he gets hungry, or tired. We as adult still "cry" about that in a more professional manner though. So I don't blame Isaac for expressing his needs. As adults we just stand around and start making comments out loud to each other like, " man lunch sounds so good right now...". Until everyone gets the idea, and we go. I'm pretty sure if Isaac could talk he would say sometime like that, so he can't...and if I couldn't say anything, I would surely cry as well.

So long story short. Two days in and I have learned more about myself, then I had intended to.
I also get mid-morning naps, that include crazy dreams... I love it. So waking up at 6:15 am is early, but but but, I then get an hour and a half solid ( dream included) nap! AMEN!