Psalm 139

For You formed my inward parts; 
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You, 
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; 
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
-Psalm 139: 13-16


How absolutely amazing is it to know that You loved me so much even before I was a substance? How crazy is it to know that every day of my life was written before I was formed?

When you are feeling down, remember this:
You are more precious than you will ever understand. Someone loves you more than you will ever know. 
Now take that love that He demonstrates toward you, and show it to someone else. <3

More Precious than Gold

I've realized something about myself.
I've always known that I am a people-pleaser. Nothing makes me more happy than when my relationships with those around me are stable and flourishing. I am willing to go to great lengths to ensure that those around me are happy.
What I have realized lately though, is that I take this a step beyond. I base how those around me act toward me in order to determine my own worth. If I am able to make people around me happy, than I must be a halfway-decent individual. If it seems like someone is upset with me, I feel like my world is crashing down.
But then, I've also realized something else.
There are people in my life who I can never, ever seem to please. There are people who don't seem to give a care about me or anything to do with my life. And these are the people that consistently govern my view of my personal worth. I have trouble seeing myself as those who love me see me because I am too hung up on wondering why I don't feel good enough for certain people.

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent, Krista Marie Wiles.

I hate to totally rid myself of a relationship with someone, but if someone is consistently hurting me and bringing me down, I have decided that I am going to free myself from that relationship.
As for other situations, I need to stop basing my own self-worth on if someone seems annoyed or upset with me. There are so many people that love me, and I need to find more joy and take compliments instead of wallow in feeling "not good enough".
I am precious in God's sight and in the sight of my loved ones. I can find comfort in that.

I believe in miracles.

I believe in pink.

I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. 

I believe in kissing. Kissing a lot.

I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. 

I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls.

I believe that tomorrow is another day...

And I believe in miracles.

- Aubrey Hepburn

Throughout your day, find something to laugh at. Even if it's yourself. Life is too short to be upset or to wonder "why did I...". Forgive yourself and look toward tomorrow.

When things get hard, stay strong. To everything there is a season. There is a season of sadness, but there will come a season of grace. Just wait for it. 

Remember that a happy heart and a smile on your face brings out your natural beauty. Beauty does not lie in the wardrobe or the makeup aisle. If you have a beautiful soul, it will pour out of you.

Lastly, miracles do happen. The impossible sometimes becomes a reality. Have faith.

Letting Go

For some reason, when i walked into chapel this morning, I knew that the message was going to cut right to a soft spot. And I was so right.
Chris Williamson spoke this morning on when Jesus healed the boy possessed of a spirit, told in Mark 9. He made the point today that though I, as a Christian, can never be possessed by an evil spirit, (I have been sealed off with the Holy Spirit when I accepted salvation) it is possible for the evil spirits to oppress and depress me. The devil and his helpers just love to see a Christian stumble. They love to see a Christian lose hope and turn away from God. Through the speaking today, I was reminded of the areas in my life where I am letting the devil oppress me. I am so stubborn in accepting that God has a bigger plan for my future than I can accomplish in my own strength. I am so busy trying to live the life I think I want, and not letting go and saying, "God, I know that your ways are better than mine. Show me. I surrender."
Sometimes, my oppression appears in the form of not letting go of relationships that I should.
Sometimes my oppression comes from being silent.
Sometimes my oppression comes from going back to things that I swore I never would.

But I am making a commitment to God today that I am done. I am through with believing that I know all the answers. I am done going against my conscience. I am finished with being a push-over. I am absolutely done with living anything short of the life that I am called to live.

Some quotes to live by:
"Faith in God includes faith in His timing."
"When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place."
"You can't start the next chapter if you keep re-reading the last one."

God, please grant me the strength to stop doing things that I know I should not do. Please allow me to accept that you are going to work everything out in my life just as it should be. Help me to walk away from things that are bringing me down and not bringing glory to You. Forgive me for sins that I have knowingly committed and chosen to act upon anyways. Rid me of the evils in my life that oftentimes take me down the wrong path. Please help me to stand strong. A thousand times I've failed, Lord, and still, your mercy remains. Thank you so much for that truth.
Amen.

Truth > Lie

"Hurt me with the truth, but never comfort me with a lie."



This has been something that I have really had to learn in my life. Ever since I can remember, I have been veryyyy much a people person. I love being around people, I love making them happy. I am all about keeping the peace. The problem with that is that sometimes I am willing to go to such lengths that I lie to them in order to keep from hurting, disappointing, or angering. Is it really worth it though?
I do not think that anyone in their right mind could say that they appreciate being lied to. Even if you think you are doing that person a favor... really, you are misleading them and taking their trust in you for granted. 
Another quote, related to the first:


"The worst thing about being lied to is knowing you weren't worth the truth."


As hard as it is to apply to certain situations in life, the truth should always trump a lie. Thinking back on situations in my own life, even times where I thought a lie would be easier to deal with, it never did anything for the person I lied to, or myself. It ended up bringing more hurt and distrust than anything else. It can be very difficult at times to bring the whole truth to the table, but ultimately, it's the best option. It keeps the relationship between you and another strong, and it keeps you honest. 
Someone that I am honest with might get upset with me for telling them how I feel... But think about how it would feel if I told you what you wanted to hear, then you found out I was lying about it. Not only would you feel hurt that I didn't think you deserved the truth... but the next time I said something to you, chances are you wouldn't find me credible. 


This is still such a work in progress for me, and when I am faced with a situation in which I must choose if I should be less-than-honest, I must always remember that no one deserves a lie.

1+2+3

I've always thought that blogging was a cool idea, but I figured I'd never be able to personally get into it. Lately, though, I have just felt like there is so much happening, and so much to say! That is why I am about to try my hand at it. No guarantees that I'll have anything earth-shattering to say, but I'm just going to write from the heart, speak my mind, and see what happens.
I'm a 21.75 year old girl. :)  I'll be 22 in April. I am studying Instrumental Music Education in Ohio, and I start my student teaching experience in 2 weeks. Basically, I am certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt that teaching is what I am called to do. It's one of those things that, when I'm doing it, it's not a job. It's just wonderful.
I reside in Ohio currently, but my heart belongs to a little town in the heart of Maine. If I start talking about my family, this blog will never end. I just love them. :)

Alright, so let's get down to a little blogging business. I guess this is the part where I attempt to say something profound, crazy-insightful, and life-changing.

If you're expecting that, you mighttt as well close out of this page right.... now.

Lately, I stumbled upon the quote that has challenged my thinking. It says this:
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
Pretty simple little saying, right? But think about it. How many times do we find an excuse for any part of this quote? Let's break it down into parts.
1) Do what you can.
2) With what you have.
3) Where you are.
In order for maximum impact, you must include all parts of the equation. Part 1+2 is ok... but is not reaching its full potential without 3. Likewise, 1+3 is a great start, but would be even better with 2. Many times I want to do what I can, but I make excuses in either part 2 or 3. Maybe where I am, whether it be emotionally, physically, or mentally doesn't quite meet my liking. Maybe what I have doesn't seem quite enough.
The fact of the matter is, God has placed me where I am, with what I have, with a plan in mind. And He wants me to do something about it. I am a college senior at this specific university, making the income I make, taking the classes that I take, living around the people that I live around for a reason. With the right attitude and some faith that God can use me in my given state, I can take this quote and blow it out of the water. Take full advantage and do what I can, with what I have, right here at school because this is the situation that I've been placed in. And it's for a purpose.
Apply all three parts of this beautiful little quote to your everyday life and see what happens. :)
1+2+3 makes a difference!