What's Your Hidden Agenda?

Oh! For the love of Nancy!

Disneyland Recap

Yesterday was my sister's birthday and since Disneyland is doing that nice thing for people on their birthdays, we decided to take advantage of the offer and headed off to the Magical Kingdom. We got there around 10 and stayed until 8. Needless to say, it was quite an exhausting day. With an EXTREMELY hyper 1 1/2 year old, a freshly turned 21 year old and a 17 (almost 18) year old, the trip was quite an adventure. We had 1 1/2 churros and of course we got ice cream from main street. (You can't have a good trip to Disneyland unless you have a churro and get ice cream.)

We went on Snow White and my nephew freaked out. Haha! He definitely didn't like that ride. We tried to go on the Carousal, but he hated that too. So we headed off to buy a churro... OH YUM!! We went on the Dumbo ride and Mason LOVED IT!

OH! So, my sister would tell you that I am a baby stalker. That isn't true, but I do love babies and every time I say a baby I thought was cute, I would say so. Well, when we were in line for Dumbo I saw a baby that looked JUST like a friend of mine did in her baby pictures and I wanted to take a picture and send it to my friend. (I KNOW I'm not the only one who does this... I have seen a few people, not to be named, to do it as well) haha Anyway, I didn't take the picture. But I wish I would have. :)

Now back to the story. We went and got lunch and then I ran into KC and met Phil (Phil is a pretty cool kid. Reminds me of my brother!) And then we on It's a small world. That ride is great... but we got STUCK... in India. :) We were stuck for 10 minutes. The ride people were generous and shut of the music (If they hadn't, I might have gone a little crazy) haha But we finally got out and went off to other fun things.

My nephew LOVES Mickey Mouse, so when we went to see him, Mason was SO excited! We got to take a picture with him (As seen at the beginning of the blog) and Mason was happy. :)

Our day ended and we drove home... it was a really nice day and I would just love to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY IZZY!!! :D

(I realize I could have gone into a lot more detail of our day, but I have things to do today, so I kept it short.)

Clouds and Darkness

"Clouds and darkness surround Him..."

(Psalm 97:2)

A person who has not been born again by the Spirit of God will tell you that the teachings of Jesus are simple. But when he is baptized by the Holy Spirit he finds that "clouds and darkness surround Him..." When we come into close contact with the teachings of Jesus Christ we have our first realization of this. The only possible way to have full understanding of the teachings of Jesus is through the light of the Spirit of God shining inside us. If we have never had the experience of taking our casual, religious shoes off of our casual, religious feet- getting rid of all the excessive informality with which we approach God- it is questionable whether we have ever stood in His presence. The people who are flippant and disrespectful in their approach to God are those who have never been introduced to Jesus Christ. Only after the amazing delight and liberty of realizing what Jesus Christ does, comes the impenetrable "darkness" of realizing who He is.

Jesus said "The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63). Once, the bible was just so many words to us - "clouds and darkness"- then, suddenly, the words become spirit and life because Jesus re-speaks them to us when our circumstances make the words new. That is the way God speaks to us; not by visions and dreams, but by words. When a man gets to God, it is by the most simple way- words.

(My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers. January 3 Devotional)

New York Love Story

Today I watched the movie "Definitely, Maybe" Starring Ryan Reynolds. I loved it until I found out who the girl's mom was, and then I was angry because he didn't fall for the April girl. (And I don't say that just because she has the same name as me.) And I know that most of you have no idea what I am talking about, but bear with me- the storyline has little to do with what this blog is about. Anyway, in the end, he ends up falling for the April girl and I have dubbed this movie my new fave.

That being said... Here is my blog.

I want a New York love. I realize that every New York love I have ever seen has been in a movie and movies aren't real and are meant to be "perfect", but that is exactly the kind of love I want. The kind where you fall in love with someone and then something happen and you don't talk for a long time. A few months later, you write him a letter telling him how much you love him and every little thing about him that makes you laugh, and makes you happy and you leave it sitting on your desk because you're too afraid to give it to him. But one day you walk in your room and it's gone... You assume it fell in the trash and the trash was taken out... so you forget about it.

In that time you feel like there is something missing and you turn to your extremely prestigious job to fill that void, when one fine day you get a call and it's him. He asks you to coffee at 4:00pm on Friday October 17th. You show up to the coffee shop and you see him standing there waiting for you and your heart is beating so fast, but you don't let him know. You go inside and try to avoid the awkward moment, but the talk of "How have you been?" and "Are you dating anybody" makes that quite inescapable. Then, out of nowhere, he asks you something that brings the awkward beat-around-the-bush small talk into reality. He pulls out the old letter you wrote to him that, all this time, you thought was dropped into the trash never to be seen again. He explains how your sister found the letter and gave it to him; About how he never had to guts to read it until a week ago and wishes he would have read it months ago. He tells you of the life he had been living without you and how he has felt such a void... then he reaches into his laptop bag and pulls out a book- your favorite- and hands it to you. You realize that, not only is it your favorite, but it is a first edition... the one that you had accidentally sold at a yard sale years ago... you start to cry and tell him of how much you missed him and how you knew that, all along, he was the one... You both get up and embrace each other. You both walk towards the door and he cracks a joke (He has to be funny) and you walk into the setting sun of a beautiful Autumn day in New York City.

That's it. That's my New York love story. It involves love, coffee, books, and jokes... what could be more perfect? ;)

I Hate Death

I hate death. It's been a little over 9 months since my mom died. I can't express how much I miss her.

Time for another memory.

Whenever I was super tired, I would go to give my mom a hug and just hang there for like 2 minutes. Haha! I miss the feel of her hugs. Mommy hugs were always the best- Definitely the thing I miss most about her.

I miss her.

Sin Has Lost Its Power

I hate sin. I hate that satan knows what tempts each and every one of us. I hate that my flesh is weak. I hate that I feel guilty when in reality I am being obedient.

Here is the truth: Guilt isn't a feeling, it's a fact. I'd be guilty if I embraced this sin, but I am free and obedient for resisting it. [ ;) ]

I hate sin. I love the Lord too much to sin against Him. How could I do this thing and sin against my God? I can't. So I won't. Satan has no power over me. I have the victory in Christ.

Pretty Simple 2

I love the Lord.

Pretty Simple

I hate death.

In Christ Alone

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

YOU ARE LOVED, WANTED, AND WORTH IT

Our world is so lost.

My heart is so broken for the people who have no hope. Who don't have Jesus.

If you feel like you have no hope, and if you are contemplating suicide, know that you are totally loved- completely and unconditionally, by God. Your hope can only be found in Jesus. Please cling to Him. You are loved. Your life is worth living. You have a purpose and you are wanted. Don't lose hope...

Worthy is the Lamb!

God is so good. His timing is perfect. I love Him. I love His faithfulness. I love His love. I love His grace. I love His mercy. I love His word. I love His heart. I love Him.

I love how two people can pray in one accord and that God's Holy Spirit dwells in us.

God is good- ALWAYS!

Tonight at the Upper Room, we worshipped God with the song "Wonderful Maker". I have sung that song a million times and know every word, but one part stuck out to me tonight. It was "You sent Your only Son for You are GOOD." He is good for sending us His only Son. I could go into more detail and pour out my heart, but keeping the details between me and my Abba is something I treasure. Know that God is good- always- FOREVER. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Never- changing, everlasting.

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?... It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?... Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."
(Romans 8:32,34-35,37)

PILATES!

PILATES!!!

I have started doing pilates thanks to this DVD. My mom bought it like 5 years ago and my sister and I thought it was the funniest thing, but little did I know that in 5 years I would be actually doing the workout on this it. The workout is pretty intense, but I really enjoy it. That, along with my 100 laps of running back and forth in my house, should get me in shape. haha! :D

Yea... I know I'm a nerd... :)

On This Valentines Day

I have a great Valentine. He is about 2 feet tall, chubby, blonde hair, dreamy green eyes and a sweet smile. He is the best Valentine I could ask for!! :)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!! :)

Pray For Haleigh Cummings

Another child missing. 5 year-old Haleigh Cummings went missing sometime Monday night from her Florida home. I am so broken over this. I don't know what happened exactly, but I know that this little girl is missing. I don't understand how someone could take this child, if that be the case. I don't even want to think about the other things that could have happened.

The story that everyone is telling is that the little girl went to sleep with her father's girlfriend around 10 on Monday night and when the girlfriend woke up around 3 on Tuesday morning to go to the bathroom, the little girl was gone and the back door was wide open. There are no signs of forced entry, only an open door and a missing girl.

This little girl is 5 years old and probably scared out of her mind wherever she is. How can someone take a little child from it's parents? Peacefully sleeping and then snatched? She couldn't have possibly done anything to deserve this, so how in the world can someone do this without feeling guilty?

Please pray that this sweet little girl is returned home, safe and alive. Not harmed or violated. Just missing and then found. Haleigh Cummings is her name. Just please please pray.

Coming Soon: New Blog

I haven't posted a full story blog in a while. I have been super busy with school and other things, but I promise a new blog is coming soon!!

Keep checking back!! :)

Worthy

Jesus is marvelous!

Worthy, so worthy, is the Lamb who was slain!!

Be My Magnificent Obsession

This is everything I want

This is everything I need

I want this to be my one consuming passion

Everything my heart desires

Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus

Be my magnificent obsession

So capture my heart again

Take me to depths I’ve never been

Into the riches of Your grace and Your mercy

Return me to the cross

And let me be completely lostIn the wonder of the love

That You’ve shown me

Cut through these chains that tie me down to so many lesser things

Let all my dreams fall to the ground

Until this one remains

You are everything I want

You are everything I need

I want You to be my one consuming passion

Everything my heart desires

Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus

Be my magnificent obsession

SPIDERS

I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate HATE spiders with a burning, fiery, huge, enormous passion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is my story.

I have never liked spiders, but they never really bothered me either. I would kill them and get it over with, no biggie. But all of that sort of rational thinking went away today. I was going to go outside and read because its lovely and thought it would be relaxing. I didn't want to put shoes on because I wanted to be comfy, so I put my big uggs on. I felt something prick my foot, but I was txting my friend, so I just took off the boot to finish txt my friend. When I looked in it, I saw a huge creepy spider. I dropped the shoe and started jumping around screaming. That was just the beginning of it! I called my friend and started freaking out.. hyperventilating!! Of course my friend was laughing at me, but I was seriously freaking out. And then I went online to see what kind of spider it was to see if it was poisonous and freaked out just looking at the pictures!!! I never thought I was this afraid of spiders!!!!!!!!!! I HATE THEM!!!!

I love Him

I love my Abba!

Hello World

I am sick and tired of the standard that this world sets for beauty. I am not naturally stick thin and I don't want to feel bad for looking how I do. I am fearfully and wonderfully made by the King, and I know that. But it is so hard to feel beautiful in a world that is so set on outward beauty. Being thin, with all of the right clothes, beautiful skin, perfect hair, all the best accessories... I have wasted so much time trying to reach this standard and have even gone to extremes at times to fit in with the world's "beautiful people". But guess what I realized! Most of those beautiful people had to SIN to get to where they are. I am not willing to sin against my God in order to fit in and feel beautiful. I know that I am beautiful. World, stop telling me otherwise!

From Failure To Successful

I came to the conclusion a while ago that I am nothing but a huge failure apart from Christ. It's so crazy. I will skip spending time with Him in the morning on ONE day and that day is one of the worst. That happened today. Well, kind of. I read His word but I just didn't give Him my undivided attention. I have been pulling that whole "God, I think I want control today." thing and it has done nothing but broken me down. I AM a complete failure apart from Christ. Success is not found apart from Him.

"The Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man..." (Genesis 39:2)

I need the Lord.

Calm

I woke up in a calm mood this morning. I think that today is going to be a very different kind of day. We will see what happens...