God love

Sweet, relaxing week.
I don't think I've ever relaxed so much before this week.
It was filled with movies, laying in the sun, and God love.
I was struck this week by God's love and how POWERFUL He is.
No wonder it says in the Bible that we should have a "Godly fear."
Reading some stories in the Old Testament just blow my mind.
Such awesome things that speak so highly of His crazy power.
But at the same time He chooses to make himself vulnerable, in a sense, to love us so deeply are purely.

nothing to do.

so true.


<3

I feel like it is so easy to get down-trodden by the world. That may sound cliche, but it's true. The real world really stinks sometimes.

Seriously, let's just be honest!

It's not always rainbows and butterflies. People are jerks sometimes. I know I'm a jerk sometimes, too. But it's easy to buckle under it all and submit to playing the victim. It's times like those that I have to sit down and read the same verse over and over and over to get it though my head that GOD IS BIGGER! He is bigger and better than Satan and all his evil workings put together. I hate it when I get so wrapped up in thinking how scary the world is and how evil people are sometimes...when really, MY GOD is soooooo much more powerful than any of that stuff!

This scripture and these songs by Kari Jobe are the lifelines I run to in times like that. Just that assurance that GOD is for me. He is battling for me. He is protecting me! And He is continually healing me.

Kari Jobe - You Are For Me

Kari Jobe - Healer

Psalm 46 is so wonderful. I can't even tell you how many times I've read it this week. My favorite portion of it is:

Psalm 46:5, "God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day."

Costa Rica Debrief

Last week in Costa Rica was...amazing.

I always feel so speechless after missions trips. I mean, what can you say? My life was changed...but I can't put my finger on what changed. I miss being there so much...but there is no place like home. So much happened that it would be impossible to tell of it all (unless you wanna grab some coffee or skype me!). People touched my life & I know I did likewise in their lives. Their faces, passion for God, and story will stick with me forever.

While There:

• We distributed 222 Bibles to houses in the town of Santa Rita
• 2 people decided to give their lives to God
• Loved up on kids for 2 days of Vacation Bible School
• Taught English at a local High School
• Completed a work project at the High School
• Put up a ceiling at the YWAM base
• Did yard work & odd projects at the YWAM base
• Went zip lining (!!!!!!!)
• Relaxed at some hot spring pools (to finish off the trip)

I can't even explain how much fun it was to get to know all the sophomores & chaperones that were on the trip. It was neat to see people stretched and used by God. I loved the moments of deep, meaningful convos with some of the students. It was those moments that really made the trip meaningful and special for me. Being able to translate for the Bible Distribution was so sweet. I loved being able to talk to the locals and get to know them & share God with them. They were all so awesomely hospitable (inviting us in, giving us drinks & fruit). It was nothing but enjoyable. They are just so open and honest. Praying over them & their household was nothing short of powerful. God definitely worked in mighty ways.

Coming back from the states is always rough for me. I'm always late. All I want to do is talk in Spanish. I miss the food. I love being home but I want to be back there so bad. In the states I feel like so many things are valued so highly that really shouldn't be. Yet the important things are looked over. For example: tasks are valued higher than relationships in the States. We have to make time to put people in our "busy schedules" instead of the reverse. Haha...I sound like I hate the USA. I don't. I LOOOVE where I'm from and I couldn't be more proud of where I live. I guess it's just hard having 2 places that are so dear to my heart.

Anywhoooo...it was awesome. Great trip. Loved every second of it (well...maybe minus the sweat & being eaten alive by bugs bigger than my eye).
Thanks so much for your prayers & support!

oh happy day

So many wonderful things...
where do I start?!?

Heavenly tacos

Cinco de Mayo fiesta downtown

Getting taught how to dance (involuntarily...but it was fun)

Rock climbing outside (for my first time! yay!)

SCHOOL'S OUT!! Officially done with my Sophomore year of College-ness!

Currently obsessed with: midnight reverie chocolate & terra chips

freaking out about Costa Rica (I CAN'T WAIT!!)

And attempting to pack. haha

Lovin' it!








= heaven.






=so fun!



















=yumm
= awkward. haha.

=SO excited!!















=exactly how I pack.

historia

This has been a week of
HISTORY:

It's so crazy to me that Osama is actually dead. I don't think we can truly grasp the weight of that event. The death of his physical and spiritual impact on the world seems to be too big for me to even comprehend.

On a lighter note: THE ROYAL WEDDING! Oh my goodness, I thought every second of it was so magical. I LOVED the style, class and poise of these two beautiful women in white. A toothless, eyes-glowing, little kindergartner described it best when she whispered, "It was SO romantic!"

This past weekend I had the (very) special treat of going to my church's Woman's Retreat! Oh man, it was just...amazing. I cannot speak highly enough of it.
Some highlights and quotes of the trip include:

• "I can't have deep joy in God until I have deep trust in Him."
• Taking a 1.5 hr walk through the forest with some hilarious ladies.
• "We need to have a well-worn path to God where we are continually pursuing Him."
• Taking a load off while relaxing in a hot tub, talking and gazing at Pikes Peak.
• "You were talking ALL night last night in your sleep" haha sorry, roomates!
• "We can't look at life to see Him. We need to look at Him to see life."
• Staying up way too late, laughing til tears came.
• Studying PSALMS 91 all weekend.
• Worshiping & loving our God together!
• Feeling God take my heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
  

This is what I felt like at the end of the weekend. Tired, but rested - all at the same time! I kinda want to drag a couch out into a place like this and just chill with GOD for the day :)

P.S. I talked to two random little old ladies on the lightrail today and it made my day. I love randoms ;)

HE is alive

This year on Easter, PSALM 22 really hit me.
Go read it if you haven't already.
It opened my eyes to what Jesus was feeling/thinking while on the cross.
I love that the chapter ends in:

"FOR HE HAS DONE IT."


The whole family was together for Easter this year which was AWESOME! It's been so nice to see everyone twice already this year! Such a blessing considering that hasn't happened for many years.

Christ is Risen seemed to be the song of choice this Easter. I don't like the original singer as much as I liked the versions I heard at church on Sunday :)

School is so ridiculous at the end of the semester. This past week I felt like I was drowning in homework on top of being sick. But God's power is made perfect in weakness, right?

"I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body will also live in hope,
because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence."
-Acts 2:25-28

I finally finished re-doing my room this week! YAY!! After many hours (and many lessons learned) my mom and I constructed the frame for my huge map! Ah, I feel like such a little carpenter now ;)

preach it.

"You are like whitewashed tombs,
which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.
In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."
-Jesus (Mat. 23:27-28)

In the past few semesters, I remember seeing/hearing about some preacher that came to campus and got people all riled up. I remember thinking, "I don't think that is the best way to tell people about Jesus. I don't agree with doing that, it just makes people mad."

However, this week, the preacher was back and I happened to get out of class early so I went over to join the huge crowd to see if I agreed with what he was saying. To my amazement, I was (along with everyone else) captivated by the conversation going on. It was an open forum where people were asking questions (usually screaming them) and "Tom the Preacher" would answer them.

I ended up listening to him talk two times that day. The first time, the crowd was surprisingly calm and civil. The second time, however, was...slightly horrifying.

Angry people say and do stupid things. Click here for a video from my school

For instance, I heard that the day before, someone grabbed Tom's iPHONE and threw it across campus where it shattered. I guess the guy was later arrested. There was one point while I was standing there that the crowd kept on getting crazier and angrier by the second. A girl and guy (my age) came up to me with hands full of rocks. She said, "Grab one! Get ready!" with a huge smile on her face. I asked what the heck she was talking about and she said, "We are going to all throw them at him all at once to make a point." Thankfully, myself and a few others who heard what she was trying to do convinced them to put them back. You may be thinking, "Wow! What a total IDIOT!" That is just one of the many examples of how INTENSE this whole debate was. I was praying over Tom FERVENTLY a few times when I was almost positive the crowd, that was slowly closing in on him, would beat him up (which has happened multiple times in years past).

I must have been listening to him for a good hour or so and I could feel him wrapping up for the day. I wanted to stay and see how he would close all of it and to my surprise, it was one of the coolest things I've ever experienced.


He said to the crowd, "I want to ask everyone who has decided today or before today, that believes in God and wants Him to be their Lord and Savior, to come to the center of the circle." The crowd started moving and dispersing until there were like 30 people. We then all grabbed hands, formed a small circle and sang:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

It's hard to explain, but it was such a...moment. To stand in the middle of my secular school, be united with other Christ-lovers that I didn't know, and sing a song that simply tells of how AMAZING God is. I mean, wow. EPIC.

Tom closed it out by praying over us and our campus. We then returned the favor and laid hands on him and prayed over his ministry.

I do believe, that was (by far), my favorite moment on my campus. I truly believe lives were changed by what happened that day. God can work through anything.

I still don't believe people should be "preached at" but I truly believe that wasn't what was happening. I saw real conversations, real emotion, and the one real God. I just pray that no matter where I am or what I am doing, I'd have the courage to do the same thing and stand up to the lies of this world and spread the amor de Jesus.

If you want to learn more about Tom, go to his website.

too much for words

"Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall."
-Psalm 55:22


this week:
stressful,
fun,
intense,
beautiful,
& weird.

My favorite (so far) artwork on campus:

There were the HUGE anti-abortion posters at my school this week:
this was so sad, eye opening, and heart wrenching to see...

Gorgeous SPRING flowers from Tirza's bridal shower!:

Definitely the worst parking job I've ever seen:

I got the lovely privilege (because it was a school assignment) to shadow a 2nd grade classroom for a few hours. AAaaaah! It made me SO SO excited to be a teacher! I LOVED the teacher and the kids are just ridiculous. My cheeks hurt from laughing:

Good song for the week:
Shawn McDonald - Closer