Dear 16 year old self,

Dear 16 year old self,

Save your heart for that special guy God has intended for you. Don't give out little pieces of it to a guy who's only going to treat you horribly in return. I promise you, waiting will be worth it, and he'll be here a lot sooner than you think!


Dear 16 year old self,

Making j.v. soccer will not ruin your life. Turns out you quit in a year anyways. Sorry honey, soccer just isn't your thing. You kinda suck at it actually.. You'll find much more fulfilling ways to spend your time, I promise!


Dear 16 year old self,

I know you're hurting and just want to be loved, but don't get in that backseat with him. Telling your future husband will crush him and will be completely humiliating.

Dear 16 year old self,

Study hard while you still have the chance. In 2 years you'll be one spot away from top 10%, which means 1 spot away from $3000 more scholarships.


Dear 16 year old self,

Don't buy into the lies society feeds you. You're beautiful just the way you are, and you don't have to harm yourself to remain that way.


Dear 16 year old self,

Despite what you believe, you actually DO need sleep. Don't overexert yourself to the point of completely wearing out your immune system. 2 years later you will still regret it. Also, do NOT drink sprite when you're coughing/throwing up blood. Heck, don't drink anything!


Dear 16 year old self,

This year will be ONE of the hardest years yet, but stick to your faith! God's got a plan for all of it, and in less than a year you'll see how he uses it!


Dear 16 year old self,

Your senior year will be THE hardest year. So take heart and find your identity in Christ. You will be persecuted, abandoned, judged by those who've been friends for years, scared out of your mind, make HUGE life decisions, and make a handful of mistakes on the way. You'll find out who your friends are, and they're not who you thought!


Dear 16 year old self,

Do not let other's judgements of you define who you are and how you live. You know exactly who you are, so do not let them shake you.


Dear 16 year old self,

Although all of these sound very scary, you have some AWESOME times ahead of you. Enjoy every second, laugh as much as you can, and love from the bottom of your heart.

I didn't know it at fifteen..

"When all you wanted, was to be wanted. Wish you could go back, and tell yourself what you knew now.. I've found time can heal most anything and you just might find who you're supposed to be. I didn't know who I was supposed to be at fifteen"
-Fifteen, Taylor Swift.


Wow, I remember this song came out my freshman year when I was about to turn 15. These lyrics are so true. When I was 15, I just wanted someone to love me. If I could speak to myself then, I would tell me to seek God and his love. When I was 15, I felt utterly confused at who I was and what I was going to do. If I could speak to myself then, I would tell me to take refuge in Christ. Find my identity in Christ, and not to worry about tomorrow.

So many things as a freshman in high school that now as a senior I would change or do differently. I guess it's just part of growing up.

I can't believe how fast time has passed. Wow.


Anyways, Happy December 1st! (:

Funny how things work..

So today I got a text from a random number saying they had just got a message from me. He said he was in the army stationed in Alaska, so my first thought was "oh, this is probably one of Zach's buddies messing with us."
Turns out the guy didn't even know Zach.
So once again, I was puzzled.

Getting down to the bottom of things, he replied to a mass text both of us received from a mutual friend and it got sent to everyone who got the mass text, explaining how I got his text.

Sooo I was just going to ignore it and not text back, because that could be kind of creepy and all, but then he said something that showed hurt and brokenness. How could I ever pass up one who was broken and hurting, even if I didn't know the guy?

Well, needless to say he's had a ROUGH day. Many failed relationships, engagements, and even a marriage were weighing on him, especially since just minutes before another one had come to a close.

How could I ever encourage someone 5 years older than me going through a situation I've never experienced or will ever have to experience?

So I told him. "I don't know what to say besides this. God loves you. He desires to have your heart. He hurts at your hurting, and his love is more than we could ever know. I pray that whatever path you make take, you're following him and finding refuge in him."

This is the cool part!

He then responded by saying this: "You know, I think I'm going to trust that he'll take care of me and show me what path to take."

After that I just reminded him of Proverbs 3:6 {Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.}

The conversation kinda died down after that, but I'm just totally amazed at how a simple error of text ended up being an opportunity to encourage and love on someone in desperate need of it.

Our God is good, yes?!



HAPPY THANKSGIVING! (:

For when I am weak, then I am strong..

Persecution. The bible says if we live for Christ, we WILL face it {2 Tim. 3:12}.
It's tough. It hurts. Especially coming from one who gave life to you.
But take heart, God has overcome the world {John 16:33}.

Being called a hypocrite repeatedly hurts.

Am I living my life as I should be? Do I display Christ's love? Or am I really a misleading, self seeking, love-less hypocrite?

Two days in a row I've been told {by my own dad..} that I need to practice God's love before I preach it, because I don't display it and I am {here it comes...} nothing but a hypocrite. Let me tell you. If I've ever felt any kind of hurt, it's now.


One day there will be no more persecution. One day there will be no more hurting. One day there will be no more buying into these lies fed to us. One day I'll sit at the feet of my heavenly father, completely humbled and not remember a single trial faced on this fleeting earth.


But until that day... here I am.


"I don't know why the innocent fall, while the monster still stands
And our lives blow about like flags on the land." Brooke Fraser.

Soon and Very Soon My King is Coming..

I think it's been about 8 months since I've blogged. My Bad.

Well, so much is going on. God has been teaching me patience and perseverance through my circumstances. With Zach leaving for Afghanistan in a little under a month, I've been broken down to dependence back on Christ. It's completely mind blowing to me how God uses our weaknesses to his advantage. I love it. Anyways, that's about all I've got for the day. (:

Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. -Psalm 34:5

We all have a story to tell

He Is We is the best band, EVER. I'm beyond the point of obsession. I LOVE them!! They're awesome!!!


Might I add that I'm in love with Trevor Kelly, the guitarist. Well, I am. We have had a phone conversation and everything! Only a year and a half until I turn 18, then we can get hitched... haaaa! (It will happen!)
So yeah. that is all.

OH! And they're Jesus lovers!! How awesome is that?!

Does she get the same big rush when you go in for a hug and your cheeks brush?

He is We. I'm obsessed. I've been listening nonstop to them for a week now. I LOVE THEM. Go look em up (: