You know those days..

...where you're so overwhelmed with life that the thought of not being able to find your camera in time for Greece causes you to completely break down?

Because, I mean, no one goes to Greece for 6 weeks without a camera to document it all and your beloved waterproof-shockproof-super cute digital camera has been MIA for months!

Well that definitely happened to me about 2 hours ago

But all is good again BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN FOUND! :)

Famine 2012

Ahhh another Famine has come and gone and I honestly couldn't be happier that it's over with.

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, last year we put on our very first 24 hour famine, where we got youth kids to fast for 24 hours and raise money for World Vision (a well-known Christian organization who's ministry is helping those in need, sponsoring children/villages and educating people on the very real hunger issue in the world).

So last year was great! And this year we decided to up the ante and go for a full 30 hour famine to coincide with the national event. I was way pumped about it because of the great feedback I got from last year's event, but boy it was awful timing.

Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of papers, tests, speeches, wrapping up work schedules, beginning new work schedules, preparing for Greece, and every bit of life in between so I found it not just so incredibly hard to find time to work on the event, but to actually find the energy deep (and I mean deep) within my body to devote to planning.

Believe me, nothing proves to you what kind of God-send your boyfriend is until he has to deal with the absolute mess you've been the couple weeks before such a big event. But that's a whole different blog post on it's own :)

So I was a mess, an absolute, literal, MESS.

I prayed. And prayed. And prayed oh so much more.

And somehow, someway, this event came together and was a success!

My point of this is that THE EVENT WAS NOT MINE, and the way it unfolded was an obvious example as to why. Me, on my own, had no way of getting something so huge pulled together in time and for it to be so great. God was moving! His hand was on the event the entire time.

It's funny because the whole week before when I was praying, I kept thinking, "Hello?! God? I'm been praying to you for [x] amount of days now! Why am I still too exhausted to do this dang thing?!" (Because yes, I very much disliked the famine last week). All I needed to do was be faithful, because God was working and I just couldn't see or control it. Friday and Saturday, however, His work was obvious.

Kids were changed! That was probably my favorite part. There were times when I was completely taken aback and just could not believe I was fortunate enough to see my kids that I love so much growing so much in the short amount of time I saw them for.

And I was changed. I came home mentally and physically exhausted, but encouraged by my students and inspired to not take my food (or anything else for that matter) for granted.

So I can check the famine off of my long list of things to do before I leave for Greece (which is 19 days, by the way) and praise Jesus for the work He did in my life over the past few days in order to help further His kingdom and grow His children!

P.S. Thank you so much to all of my friends that helped lead this thing and planned a good chunk of it as well! I couldn't have done it without you his either! Love you so so much!

Postcards from Italy

Just a fun little song that I cannot stop listening to today!

someone extremely intelligent once told me to focus on the positive...

This week has hit an all-time stressful high (like, so stressful I've had my first ever stress acne break out!) so I'm taking a little break to post 15 things that make me oh so happy.

1. Thursday night date nights

2. Experiencing God's love in the people He surrounds me with

3. Reading a good blog

4. Getting a chance to sit and enjoy coffee or tea

5. Staying awake past my "bedtime"

6. Realizing my identity is found in Christ

7. Blasting the Shins' new album in my car

8. Knowing that there is someone on this earth who truly does understand me 

9. My hair being long enough to put in the most disgusting bun possible

10. Singing songs from Singin' in the Rain

11. Worshipping with my high schoolers

12. Being a cheer coach

13. Beauty and the Beast

14. When my kitty is cuddly

15. Thinking about the future

Hope you're having a great week! 

Endings and Beginnings!

My time at Starbucks is approaching it's end. A month from now, on May 12th, I will have my last shift at Starbucks.. And if it goes as planned, I will not be going back.

And I'm scared.

Why the heck am I leaving this awesome job, with awesome people, with awesome steadiness, and awesome benefits? (Are you tired of the word awesome yet?)

Because God is calling me somewhere else.

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I was offered a cheer coaching position (yikes) at Reyburn Intermediate and I took it knowing full well I didn't have the time to do that, intern, work at Starbucks, go to school, and not be a zombie.

But I really, honestly knew that God was calling me there. It's a really great opportunity that can hopefully one day open doors for me, considering I want to be a teacher. Plus, my ministry is serving jr. high and high school students and this is one more way for me to do that!

So with all of that being said, I had to figure out what was most important to me.. My passions/callings in life, or money.

Needless to say, I went with the first option.

I'm taking a huge pay cut, I don't know if I'm going to be able to pay my bills every month, and all that good stuff. But I know I'm going to be happier (not that Starbucks wasn't a happy place. You just obviously enjoy what you're passionate about more) and that fruit will come out of this decision!

I'm making a huge step in faith, and sometimes I get really close to chickening out. But I've made my decision and letting God control my life, not me... Even though sometimes it's really scary and doesn't always make sense at first.

THERE IS HOPE!

How often do we feel alone? Like no one understands us, or even cares to understand? That people are going to leave us? That their love is conditional? That we just blend in and are never thought about?

I know I'm not the only one who has ever felt this way, or will ever feel this way. And it's devastating.

Last night I felt like my world had come crashing down on me. Since then I have felt all of these things. I didn't go to work, I didn't intern today, go to youth group, etc. I haven't gone anywhere today that hasn't allowed me to hide and escape from it all.

I wasn't running from anything. Sometimes things happen that are just so devastating to your heart and mind that being around people and carrying on with your responsibilities will ultimately be more of running away then being alone with your thoughts and trying to process it all.

Today I have spent the better half of the day talking to God, and He has continually been trying to remind me that He made me, loves me, was with me last night, and has been the whole time.

I didn't believe it until about an hour ago, when I started thinking about the character of who God is:
-God created me
-God loves me no matter what cruel things people might say to me.
-His love will never be conditional!
-He died so that I could live, and have a relationship with Him
-I will never be alone because He promised never to forsake me

And the list just goes on and on.

I still haven't processed it completely. My heart and head still hurt. But you know what? THAT'S OKAY! I am a child of God, and He loves me whether I am "acceptable" to the world or not, and He will literally never leave me.

That's all the hope any of us really need