Tuesday, May 18, 2010

so proud

I will skip my usual intro about how I am a terrible blogger and cut straight to the chase! Lucky you :)

My dear college friend, Katie, is an amazingly talented person.
She is creative, crafty, silly, thoughtful, considerate, genuine, a great cook, wife and hostess! 
It is of no surprise to me that she is also a fabulous photographer and graphic designer. 
Check out here brand new website here!

Katie, I am so proud of you. 
God has given you an artistic, creative, compassionate heart for His world and His people.
You are and already have done the wonderful work of capturing His beauty in others and in creation.
You are loved, pretty sister :) 


Wednesday, April 14, 2010

So, you want to be a missionary, huh?

Forgive me for my absence in the blogging world lately. I tell myself continually that blogging "just isn't my thing." I can't seem to stay with it! However, I am forcing myself [literally] to sit down and write this blog entry. Not because people are dying to read anything I write. Although, I am thankful for the slim few people who do read this silly thing :) I am writing this post to preserve these thoughts, ideas and feelings swirling around in my head. 

A dear friend shared this blog with me today. I cannot stop reading it for the life of me! Warning- if you have any interest, concern, or heart for missions, the poor, or the gospel of Jesus Christ whatsoever- you will most likely be addicted to reading this incredible woman's journey in Uganda. 

Reading this amazing woman's story in blog format has come at quite an interesting time for me. To make a very long and complicated story as short as possible, I love missions. Specifically, I love Kenya. God began to open my eyes to Africa in the 9th grade. I remember it clearly. All of a sudden, I was doing research on this continent that I was becoming enthralled with. It wasn't for a school assignment; no one was forcing me to learn about Africa. Furthermore, when I was in the 9th grade, Africa wasn't trendy. I just wanted to know about the people who lived there because I loved them. I loved them in a pure, real way that could never come from the selfish, depraved person I am apart from Christ. 

God so graciously and perfectly orchestrated my steps to Kenya on two separate summer trips. From those two trips, my heart was broken, filled with inexplicable JOY and changed for the rest of my life. Very recently, I have been talking to a few close friends about redefining this passion God stirred in my heart so many years ago. It is not at all that this passion has dwindled. In fact, sometimes it feels stronger than ever. More exactly, it feels like a dull ache within my heart. An ache for the Kingdom to come in a corrupt and barren land. 

This certain blog entry from this amazing woman, named Katie, was particularly inspiring, challenging, and heartbreaking to read. Katie talks about what she gave up to move to Uganda, adopt her once-orphaned children, and change her life forever. 

"So, you want to be a missionary, huh?"
Katie talked about counting the cost of the cross of Christ. I hope you'll read her post. She eloquently puts into words what I've been asking my heart for a long time. More importantly, what Jesus has been asking my heart. It's easy to look at missions and think it's for the "elite Christian" or maybe even the "fanatical Christian." I won't get on my soapbox about missions, don't worry. And I'm not at all saying every Believer must sell everything they own and move to a third world country to live forevermore.  

My desire is to be accountable to the One I'm following, to trust His word and spend my life on the least of these until there is nothing left of me to give. I want to count the cost. I don't want Jesus to look at me and say, "I was hungry, but you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, but you didn't offer me a drink. I was naked, and you didn't clothe me." 

Please pray for my heart as I try to diligently seek out God's desire for me. 

Sunday, April 11, 2010

You are stronger

There is Love that came for us
humbled to a sinner's cross
You broke my shame and sinfulness
You rose again victorious

Faithfulness none can deny
through the storm and through the fire
there is Truth that sets me free
Jesus Christ who lives in me

You are stronger; You are stronger!
Sin is broken
You have saved me
It is written, Christ is risen
Jesus, You are LORD of all

No beginning and no end
You're my hope and my defense
You came to seek and save the lost
You paid it all upon the cross

So let Your name be lifted higher
be lifted higher
be lifted higher

[Stronger- Hillsong United]

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

It's been a long time coming...


Let's not discuss how long it's been since Valentine's Day :)

Here are some [belated] pics of my love-day celebration.

[cookies before]

[cookies after]


[I wrote each line of a poem on these cute heart doilies]


[yummy heart-shaped brownies]


[We made shrimp linguine...delicious!]


[My beautiful Valentine's flowers]

I know I'm a month late, but I still like Valentine's Day :)

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

let your love grow tall

I'm a sucker for anything that let's me celebrate love.
Combine getting to celebrate love with giving me a reason to bake/eat something yummy, and I'll all for it.
Despite varying opinions on this holiday, I like Valentine's Day.
There. I said it :) 

The truth is, whether I had a 'significant other' or not, I've always liked Valentine's Day.
I understand, though, that some despise the holiday, think it is silly, think it is a lame marketing ploy for the American public, and think we should celebrate love every day, not just on Valentine's Day.
Well, I can agree with the very last thing- I do think Love should be celebrated every day, in both little and big ways.

I feel inspired this Valentine's Day to not only show a significant other I love them, but to show all the dear and important people in my life I love them.

Remember in elementary school when we all received Valentine's cards from all the kids in our class?At my school, we each made and decorated our own Valentine's bag each year.We all anxiously awaited to open our bags, read all of our cards, and eat our candy. I think we could all use a little more elementary school-style gifts of love these days. 

{ via Martha Stewart }

{ via Martha Stewart }

I'm feeling inspired to let my love grow tall this February 14th (and every other day, too).
How will you be letting your love grow tall? 

better late than never

Finally sitting down to blog once again.
I quickly get in and out of the habit of blogging, thus explaining my sporadic posts.
This post will be dedicated to flinging my green and gold afar.
If you are not familiar with this term, do not fear. It just means you are not a Baylor graduate. 

That good old Baylor line! That good old Baylor line! We'll march forever down the years, as long as stars shall shine. We'll fling our green and gold afar to light the ways of time, and guide us as we onward go; that good old Baylor line. 
I did something in December of 2009...
I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE!

Sometimes I feel silly about being so excited about it (still).
Then I remember all the sacrifices people, namely my parents, made for me to go to the college of my dreams.

I think of all the tests I took, projects I finished, papers I wrote, the capstone I slaved over and defended. 
I remember the fact that I am one of only 1% of the entire world who was fortunate enough to receive a college education... 
ONLY 1% of the world's population has a college education! Really?! That is incredible. 
Then I don't feel so silly for being excited (still) and so grateful for this opportunity.
If you have a college education, Praise and thank God for it. 

I don't know where I'll be flinging my green and gold quite yet,
but I'm excited at the thought of taking all I learned at my great university wherever I go.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Love never fails you



Love is not proud
Love does not boast
Love, after all, matters the most

Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep locked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you

Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease at the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes when you don't

Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is The Way, The Truth, The Life
Love never fails you

{Love Never Fails You, Brandon Heath}


Friday, January 15, 2010

pressed but not crushed

Two dear friends, Ben and Katie Kilpatrick, are currently serving in Haiti.

 
Please read their blog and pray for them.
Pray for restoration, healing, and the fullness of God's peace over the entire nation of Haiti. 


My heart is heavy, saddened, humbled and confused- 
but not without Hope.
"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."
2nd Corinthians 4:8-10
"Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later."
Romans 8:18

"Jesus didn’t die to save us from suffering - He died to teach us how to suffer."
Mev Puleo
{via Katie
"If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together." 
Lilla Watson, Aboriginal elder
{via Katie}