Something cool God did today...

Okay, so just as the title suggests, God did something really cool for me today.

I was summoned for jury duty, and so was one of my best friends. We showed up at the courthouse and waited. Then, we hurried up to wait some more. In the end, neither one of us got picked to sit on the jury for the case. As it so happens, my friend and I have both had crazy busy schedules for a while, and we haven't been able to hang out. Ta-da! We were able to grab lunch at the Mexican restaurant and hang out for a bit today. It was awesome, and it was just what we needed. It's so cool how God looks out for us like that! :)

On a more random note (because that's how my mind works), Mirinda is the best orange soda ever. I first drank it when I was on a missions trip in Guatemala in January, and I looooove it! :) My awesome neighbor got me some the other day, and I just finished drinking it. Yummy, to say the least! :)

I'm getting ready to go to Bible Study, so this is just a little blip into how God is so good to me! Take care, world!

So this is what I'm into....

I'm really into music.

I often will tell people that one of the best things I ever bought was my iPod. It is housed in a lovely case decorated with cherry blossoms and bumblebees that I bought in Myrtle Beach. I have a new pink pair of Skull Candy headphones that can often be seen on top of my head.

When I was little, my parents started me out on vinyl records (retro, I know). I have a deep appreciation for music from the past. I love oldies! Things then progressed to cassette tapes, CDs, and now my iPod. I currently have 2,073 songs on my iPod, and the number is growing all the time. That number doesn't even include all of my CD collection!

Since I'm so big into music, lyrics stick out to me a lot. I've compiled a list of some of my favorites, and I'm pretty excited about it. Maybe someone else will dig some of these!

"People want the truth but never want the scars" -Emery- After The Devil Beats His Wife

"I could follow you to the beginning just to relive the start; maybe then we'd remember to slow down at all of our favorite parts" -Paramore- All I Wanted

"But you're so busy changing the world, just one smile and you could change all of mine" -Jack Johnson- Angel

"Do you think I'm special, do you think I'm nice? Am I bright enough to shine in your spaces?" -OneRepublic- All The Right Moves

"And there were so many fewer questions when stars were still just the holes to heaven" -Jack Johnson- Holes To Heaven

"I knew I wouldn't forget you, and so I went and let you blow my mind" -Train- Hey Soul Sister

There's a bunch more, but these are my faves!!! :)

What is this place?

It's so weird to be an adult with a full time job!

I've been thinking about this place that I'm in for a while now. I'm done with school, I'm working full time in the career I've been trained for...it's actually a weird place to be in. All I have done with my life is prepare, prepare, prepare. Go through public school to prepare for college. Go to college to prepare for a career. Go, go, go. Do, do, do.

And here I am: 21 years old, a job, no school, living at home with Mom and Dad, and single. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on anything here. I like living at home (most of the time). It saves me money, and I get along with my parents just fine. Single is okay, because I'm waiting for the one God wants for me. Things are actually pretty good, right?

Sort of. This is where the weird part comes in. Up until this point in my life, everything has changed and then changed some more. It was a change when I first entered my first relationship and had to get used to sharing so much of my time with another person. It was a change when that relationship failed and I realized that dating wasn't how I wanted to live my life. It was a change to graduate high school and go to college, and it was a change to go from an English major at a four-year university to being a nursing student at a community college. It was a change to graduate nursing school and start the career I had been training for.

Here I am on the other side of it all. I look back at all the growing I did as a person. It never seemed to end! And now? Now I feel stagnant. Now I feel like the changing is at a standstill and I'm just waiting.........for what? For Prince Charming to come and sweep me off my feet? For some kind of adventure that God has in store for me but I have no idea what it is? Both of these things would be great, but there is no sight of them happening right now. I would love to go on an awesome adventure with God (like when I went on a mission trip to Guatemala). I love to experience new things. It would be really awesome to meet the guy God has picked for me and be able to undertake a change in my personal life.

I'm not sure when God's timing will bring these types of adventures into my life. Patience is not one of my best characteristics, but I'm trying. I have to remind myself that God's timing is perfect, no matter how restless I become.

Here's some advice for anyone who is in college (or even high school): enjoy all the changes. Life is ever-changing and it is beautiful. But sometimes, there are times when life feels stagnant and void of changing and you have to just deal with it.

So here I am, trying to deal with it with my God. It is my prayer that I would learn something (or many things) in this time and that it would not just be an emo time for me to whine about how grass is greener on the other side.

Happy Labor Day!

From My Journal...

Hey blog world!

Today I got to go to my church for the first time in two weeks. I missed everything about church desperately. My church family, Communion, fellowship meal, worship, everything. I was very happy to be where my heart yearned to be.

My pastor had special plans for this morning's service. There was going to be a special time of prayer and healing. This is pretty different from our normal service routine, and it kind of took me back to my Four-Square background. I was stoked to see how God was going to move.

What I'm about to write is actually taken from what I wrote in my journal during that special time of prayer and healing today. It shows what I was feeling in my heart and who knows, it might help someone. It will at least give you a glimpse as to how I felt.

"This morning at church, we're having a time of prayer and healing. It is beautiful to see members of my church family walking forward to get prayer for. My prayer for them is that they would receive the healing they seek.


As people went forward, I prayed quietly in my seat. I prayed God would give me discipline in my faith. I prayed that He wouldn't let me forget Him during work. I also prayed for my ♥future husband♥. God knows what I need in a man even if I don't."


Okay so that was really personal for me to share, but I'm real. I'm not going to sugarcoat my feelings just to put them out there. Tons of people from church went up and got prayed for this morning, and it was really awesome. I look forward to more awesome times at my church as I learn and grow in Christ.

Mexican Soccer Game

I like to experience new things. Tonight, I experienced something new and felt inspired to write about it.

My next door neighbors are from Mexico. They truly are what neighbors are supposed to be: friendly, kind, and fun to hang out with. The family consists of a father and mother and three daughters ages twelve, ten, and three.

Abel, the father, loves soccer very much. He loves to watch it and above all else, play it. He has been after me for months to come watch one of his recreational games. Usually I always have something else going on, but tonight I was free.

The park that the game was taking place at is just down the street from me (we live in a very small town). When I got to the park I couldn't believe how many people were there, and more were showing up by the minute! All Mexicans. I was the only pale person there, and I could tell that my presence there was out of the norm for them.

I sat under a canopy with my neighbor Norma with her friend and Norma's three-year-old Yasmin in my lap. Norma is a phenomenal cook, and she was selling some of her tamales to the crowd. She also sold Powerade and homemade creamsicles from coolers. The question on everyone's lips was, "How much?" to which Norma would reply, "Un dollar." She was used to this; I've seen her sell food to a similar sized crowd at their church before. Throughout the game business trickled down, but it never completely stopped. It was a good business day for Norma, I think.

The game itself was amazing to watch. I'll be honest, I have never watched a soccer game before (I'm not really into sports that much). Twenty-two Mexican men ran around with elaborate, purposeful movements while the spectators watched on. The ball would arc over the field in the midst of pivots and whirls from the players. Spectators close to the fields would yell suggestions to their favorite team players in Spanish. Further away from the field, women clustered together while their small children would play close by. Toddlers would burst into tears and I could understand their mothers telling them to be quiet. Looking back at the game, a player could be seen trying to get around another player and falling to the ground, or a player having to retrieve the ball from out-of-bounds. Then a goal would be made and Norma and her friend would cheer for Abel's team.

It was so interesting to watch everyone having so much fun. Latin culture continues to enthrall me, and I love that I get to see what it's like first-hand. From Norma's homemade food to the colorful soccer jerseys, I had a really good time tonight!