captured favorites.

being thankful.

as promised, my thankful blog.

mmm. right now, I feel incredibly thankful. this thanksgiving, I worked, with two great nurses, and seven patients. It felt like a weekend day, which is always wonderful. the people we're really nice; good day at work. :] can't help but be thankful.
which leads to [obviously], what I'm really really thankful for. when I think thankful, I think blessed, priveledged -- where grace was poured and I didn't deserve it, and even more so, that I realized grace was being given to me. even though the true definition of thankful is more like appreciative -- this is how it makes me feel.

the number one thing that I am thankful for is the life I have been allowed to lead. that God has given to me, and as I seek Him, I see more things clearer.

I am thankful for every part of this year, even though there was so much life, so many things I never thought would subside, things that made me swing from one end to the other.

I am thankful for all the difficulty I had with school this year, it's made me stronger and a better student.

I am thankful for all the challenges of the summer, how I really owned what I was made for.

I am thankful for the people at work who are awesome to work with, who are good at their job. they truely challenge me and because of that, I'm better at my job.

speaking of work, I am very thankful for aveeno lotion and burt's bees lip balm. without them I was have the dryest feet, hands and lips.

I am thankful for my freedom, for the troops that keep us free, and the Sovereign God who has us all in His plan.

I am utterly thankful for the family I have come to know through C-HOP...never have I felt like I am family with entire group of people, all different walks of life. it's so encouraging.

I am thankful for my family, I wouldn't choose any other family to live with or be apart of.

I am thankful for my true friends. the one's who tell it to me straight, who love me reguardless, and who challenge me.

I am thankful for the Vineyard church, who has begun to except me, truely is a great feeling.

I am thankful for space heaters and blankets.

I am thankful for breaks that college kids come home on, I am so excited to see some of my favorite people who have been gone for a couple months now, this weekend!!

:]

currently, me.

hello. :]
so I plan on writing a blog later on in the week, simply because I've been planning on writing a blog about the things I'm thankful for [because Thanksgiving and everything, I know cliche, oh well]. but I really wanted to write an informative blog...I've done to many on facebook haha, so I'm gonna do one on here.
ahem. 25 things on my heart/about me/thoughts.

1. I am falling in love with Jesus. better and more so than ever, ever, ever, ever before. I've always loved Jesus, I can't remember not loving Him. But there's this overwhelming love that has been washing over me, coming from Him and I can't really go anywhere without it somehow leaking into my conversations. I used to get irritated with when people would talk aboutJesus all the time, it felt corney whenever I would do it...but I've been really asking God to break that in me. Because the more I reflect Him, the more blessed I feel, the more change happens... the more healing comes in. phew. it's incredible.

2. I am really silly. As I've become more comfortable with who I am [who God's made me to be] I have become ridiculously more ridiculous. And more blonde apparently? I was talking to my brother on the phone, searching desperately around in my car for my phone...mmm. hehe, apparently, it's more fun this way though...

3. Being Jesus with people is way more fun...than not being.

4. I am studying a lot to hopefully start nursing school in January.

5. Taking a month off of facebook was one of the best things I have ever done.

6. My best friend, Nicole is now engaged. It's crazy. When did I become old enough to know what to do with this? But, it's exciting, although it has me thinking a lot on romance, relationships, etc.

7. uhmmm relationships. geez. They're so messy sometimes, but it's a huge risky, scary, exciting, fun, mess of emotions. Lots of give and take, testing things out. I guess where I'm coming from right now is simply this; I am done with the game. Longing all the time for some guy to give you attention instead of waiting for the right one...is the wrong way to go about life. And yes, it's taken this long for me to get this... I think I've caught glimpses of it from time to time in my life, but just recently...I've really owned it.

8. Speaking of guys, I have to watch which ones I trust my heart to. Not just in a romantic way, just in the way of giving my time and my care to? Yeah, that's what I mean. I love the guy friends I have, all their different temperments and opinions and personalities. I love it, it teaches me about all different kinds of people and how I interact them. But I am not to be used...and I need to use discernment to who I give myself, time and energy to. Not giving to much away to just any guy, saving it for my husband; the man who is going to win my heart.

9. Like I said, a lot on relationships.

10. I'm not ready for one yet...lol...Jesus is still healing me and romancing me to Him right now, and it's such a wonderful experiance.

11. I have been learning a lot about learning about how to be a woman that a man would want to lead. I think a lot of it has to do with me yeilding my heart to Jesus... becoming dependent on Him, that way my anxious thoughts and my movements of "trying to make things happen", in a sense, taking control of the situation, are put aside...therefore not pursuing...opening a door for a guy to do it.

12. ANYWAYSSSS.
Christmas is coming, and I'm freaking out about all the decorations...when Thanksgiving hasn't even come yet. geez.

13. I love having sleepovers, Sarah's been the one who's come over my house a couple nights after IHOP on Saturdays. It's fun, it reminds me of being little...and I like things that make me feel that way.

14. I love movie days. By myself. With other people. With running commentaries. With good music in it. On sofas.

15. I have a lot of pink things...I try to not buy so many pink things...and somehow I still end up having them. lol...bit of a hopeless cause.

16. I love families that are made up of other families...it's probably one of the best feelings in the entire world.

17. I have some of the best people in my life. I say that all the time, but right now, I am blown away by it. Often times I just sit back and take it in. I ask God all the time, how did I get this blessed?

18. Pretty much the only music I love LOVE listening to right now is worship and country. Pretty much says exactly how I am feeling about life right now.

19. I am excited for Winter Kingslove, go figure, haven't been a fan until this year. I'm excited to see God use and choose new people who are stepping up to the plate.

20. Being twenty was/is really difficult, I don't remember learning so much about me, life, etc. until this year...I have been asking for it, so...that explains it...but, still. I am happy that the year is almost over, I will beginning a new phase of life hopefully and also that I am ending the year with a great resolve.

21. I am already really excited about my birthday!!! :] and no, it's not because I will be drinking age, I get excited about birthdays all the time. I am plotting pretty seriously about what I want to do for it...got some ideas.

22. Pandora = Love. I have recently listening to nothing else while I am home. I know it's been around for a while, but...I've never listened to it until recently. I have definitely fallen in love with all of these different songs. I love love love it.

23. I can't wait for winter break, for everyone to be home...there something so awesome and normal about it. Life gets less and less familiar all the time.

24. I text a lot.

25. I love saying "I love you" to people. :]


the end.

restoring gently, in love.

hi guys,
so this is my first blog on here, however I've been blogging on myspace and facebook since I was like 16, so it's nothing new for me to be writing my thoughts down in blog format.

it's such a different phase of life I have walked into in the past month or so, but definitely in the past 2 weeks. lots of changes, lots of learning and lots of simply asking God what He wants and how He wants me to go about it. in the past week, I have been thumbing through Galatians, and in this short, but awesome book of the Bible, there have been three very specific things that have stood out to me. the first two aren't really what I'm basing this blog on, but I want to mention them anyways.

one: we [as Christians] were not put on this earth to please men. "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." - Galatians 1:10
---it's very clear what Paul is trying to get across, Paul was a pretty straight up guy lol. anyways, this really spoke to me in light of my current work situation where I don't feel like I really trust anyone and I can't do anything right. if, I keep in mind that I am not trying to please man, but instead Jesus, I won't be worried and I will still do a good job, possibly better than the one I would've done if I was walking around worrying all the time.

two: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - 6:9
--- just recently, I've heard a lot of discussions on marriage/relationships; plus one of my best friends is now engaged. it's been this constant like "single awareness" thing and frankly, it's starting to get on my nerves. not that I don't like marriage [or am not happy for my best friend], or want to be in a relationship, but with this constantly being fed to me, I can't help but think about it, but it's a distraction. to me, this verse is saying..."hey pretty girl, don't give up, it'll be worth it someday". that is so comforting.

three [and finally]: "If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently." 6:1
--- the verse is saying "speak the truth in love" - because even though yes, love hurts sometimes and honesty is tough to hear, you have to speak it wrapped in genuine love for the person, otherwise they aren't going to take anything you say. I've had to really practice this recently, because when you love people you want and need to be honest with them, but sometimes you have to use way more tact than you feel like it.
I just recently was having a conversation with one of my friends I haven't talked to in a while and he started bringing up stuff that basically made me feel like crawling into a whole and throwing rocks at the situation because I didn't feel safe. and yes, we've worked it out; but it really brought to my attention what this very really means and how I need to continue to ask God to give me wisdom, timing and love when I speak honestly with people.

whooooo. that's heavy for a first blog, but oh well :] this is fun.
better than facebook where all the world sees your business. hmm let me go change my status.

hehe.
byess<3