I like to travel

I like to go places. I have enjoyed getting to go on mission trips, company trips, and visit places with family or friends. Not a huge fan of going to the airport, but that can be fun too if you like sitting around during delays and layovers. More than the trip I like all the other stuff before and after the event. The planning and looking forward to the trip...the countdown. And after...well the stories, inside jokes and pictures! Some of my favorite trips were

New York for the VS fashion show and to tour with BG
Mexico for celebrating friendship and love
El Salvador to bring fresh water to those in need
Michigan for my two best friends weddings
Arizona to recognize myself and peers for being in top 100 for VS
London to help a mission team start networking

Those are just a few but looking forward to seeing the world more!

Vals wedding

New York tour

Cassie wedding

VS fashion show

Vegas

Life is work

Im going to commit to take some time to expand upon my life lessons.
I think this is good for me at just at a point in my life where I need to be reminded of what God is teaching me. And lets face it blogging is a fancy way of keeping a journal. They will be short and sweet.

1. Life takes work and I mean a lot

Life is not easy. We have to work,
be there for family and friends.
 Alot of time it seems that
 there are not enough hours in the day
but the way we all make it work is
 by planning and looking at 
what our priorities are. 
If we do this then we have more time 
than we think.
Ill give you a great example, college. 
When I was in college I worked full time 
at a premiere VS and took 18 hours for school. 
This was no easy task. I had less
 then 5 hours of sleep and rarely spent time with 
friends and family. My day was very planned
 out spare 30 mins or 15 mins were for
 studying or writing. I did have my treat
 once a week and spent sat night with
 my husband and our friends at what I like to 
call burbin and bible question night
 at our small apartment
 in Arlington.
It wasnt much but it got me through the week.
 Once I got out of college,
 I thought WOW going to have so much free time
 I should write a book or learn Spanish. 
Big surprise that didnt happen. My time 
just got reallocated to other things,
 like church, friends, and my family, and my career.  

I guess what Im saying is that life is work,
 but we can let time work for us or against us.

 

25 years of life lessons

In recent events I turned 25. I feel like I'm 40.
















Not psychically, I'm in the best shape Ive ever been, but my soul feels that old. So, here it is some of my life lessons thus far and adding to it daily!

1. Life takes work and I mean a lot
2.I like to travel 
3.I don't like seafood
4.Naps and being in bed at 9pm are a blessing 
5.I'm only a smoker during holidays 
6.The love from a dog is priceless 
7.The way to fix loneliness is to reach out 
to others 
8.Being married is awesome ...hard sometimes 
but awesome 
9.You don't have to have all the answers but 
it's good to ask questions
10.Everyone gets a chance to play
11.One can be fierce without being a bitch 
12.Beer is awesome
13.I don't do well in traffic 
14.We all have baggage we just want someone 
who will help us unpack it
15.People do change its apart of life
16.Death sucks 
17.Everything in moderation is a good rule of thumb
18.God loves everyone period 
19.My counseling classes came in handy for working
 retail 
20.Stop judging and extend grace and share love
21.Don't to take myself too seriously 
22.Don't go to bed angry 
23.Lucky to have good 5-10 friends thus far
24.Stand up for those who cant defend themselves 
25.A good pair of heels makes me feel like 
I can take on the world 

Snippets from El Salvedor

Co-mi-co merry-posa funny butterfly 
A-key tea-en-es here you go 
A-tra-bahar get to work
Merry-qinta lady bug 

 Sun
Happiest: seeing the ocean waves 
Question: How do you even drill a well 
Annoyed: rooster
Thankful: safe travels

Mon
Happiest: eating homemade tortillas 
Question: why we think Christianity is the only way
Annoyed: at Christians 
Thankful: for the nice cold shower 


Tues
Happiest moment: riding on the back of truck and branches hitting my face
Question: how chickens lay eggs
Annoyed at: trying to make converts vs compassion 
Thankful for: worship songs to pass the time

Wed 
Happiest: getting to share 1john 4:7-12 with the large group 
Question: why people think God would prevent others from goodness rather than 
god creating systems that man had messed up and at now trying to fix.
Annoyed: people who need to be the center of attention 
Thankful: santana walking us home 

Thurs 
Happiest: drum circle 
Question: how does predestined all take place? 
Annoyed: soup 
Thankful: providing village with water

Fri
Happiest: zip lining 
Question: how can I be more restless for god 
Annoyed: hurting my finger 
Thankful: flowers 

Sat
Happiest: songs that remind me of April 
Question: haven't thought about a lot of daily life rather the focus of the 
well. How do we go back home with that focus to live missionary at home.
Annoyed: flight delays 
Thankful: a week well spent....haha get it 

Mary

Mary
She shared with me about her experience in the store. We were saying the right things but we weren't communicating. She said I've bought alot to the table I'm on new medication and I just found out that my mom in law is on her death bed and she started to cry. The conversation had now shifted from bras to life. I hugged her while she wept in front of my store and share with her that even though all of that stuff is terrible that there is hope. Asked her if she as support and she nodded. If you ever need anything please call me at the store. I hugged her again and she thanked me and left the store pink bag, swollen eyes, and a little less of a heavy heart.

There are so many people like Mary.

New Life

Novitas
Growing up in a Christian home I would say can be a blessing and a curse. I was always taught that God loved me and came to rescue world from his own wrath and destruction. I was under the impression that it was my job to mark another tally off that represented the souls that would now be in heaven because of my evangelism skills. From church 4 days a week to Christian school to preachers kid it was pretty hard to escape the gospel. But something didn't seem right. The highs from church camp, the Sunday school lessons it didn't match up.

The time I was sitting in youth group and ppl were being called into ministry. 100s of people every week receiving  the envious calling.Was there something wrong with me? Why wasn't I being called to be in the coveted ministry? had god forgotten about me or was I not worthy?

Or the time I was in a new testament class and was told I was defying gods will because I didn't have long enough hair and I should know my place. So what was my place ,where was my voice besides a pastors wife, school teacher or housewife?

Or the time I was in college taking a spiritual inventory and my results came back and my professor was extremely irritated because it said I would best fit the role of a pastor and suggest that I take it again. What if I took it again and I got the same results? Was my holy spirit meter off? I did take it again and got the same result and was told I'd be a great support to my husband in ministry someday.

As I journeyed toward wanting to know the truth, I started to ask questions. I began to learn that gospel that had been taught to me and that I had been sharing was simply fire insurance. It was to shock and to save. As I began to discover pockets of truth through professors, mission trips, and some people who thought differently aka those hippee Christians it started to come together. It most made since when I read

Rom 12:9-21

It wasn't about the tally marks, the rules, the calling  or the spiritual inventories. It was about people. It was about love. It was about being Christ to those around in me no matter where I was or where I work. So as the story goes on I am encouraged to live love. Do good and never give up.

whats going down

1. A new song I like- "eyes open"- Taylor swift

2. A verse that really stood out to me- John 15:26 When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.

3. Best thing- Cascade with peers

4. Worst thing- Realizing things are not always that they seem

5. A song lyric I liked- " We're just having fun We don't care who sees So what we go out? That's how its supposed to be" Snoop dog Living young and wild and free


6. A blog post I enjoyed-http://www.expressandstar.com/blogs/2012/04/03/blog-the-many-faces-of-apples-steve-jobs/

- A pace setter for newness and creativity

7. Goal for the week- lessen the carbs