cheers to summer.

wow. it's been a long time since I have updated this thing... but here I go:

this summer has been crazy. Between some awesome trips, I was given rad opportunities to encounter so many incredible kids. Blessed by every circumstance, the childlike faith that each and every kid had was probably one of the most inspiring things to witness and be a part of. Whether it was their willingness to ask questions, or just their passion to be honest with each other despite what the others would say.. it taught me so much. So often in life we forget how much people relate to weakness; always feeling the need to be strong, we hide the fact that we are weak therefore the lords power isnt able to shine through clearly in our lives. Seeking this lord is one thing, but recognizing his faithfulness amidst brokenness is another. Really dwelling in the Lord is something that has impacted my summer more than anything& tasting and seeing that the lord is good [pslam 34] has made me more grateful than ever.

now is when I wait. waiting for what you may ask? waiting for college. This summer the Lord has been preparing my heart so much for leaving, and now that all of my friends have left, enjoying college, and becoming best friends with the semester system, the quarter system and I are not on very good terms. cheers to patience. Patience in the Lord's timing for things, patience for what HE has prepared for me in seattle, and patience in the friends he has for me there. If you know me, I'm not usually a patient person, so this is huge and definitely a transformation haha.

^^^
last thing: one of the weeks spent with kids this summer was spent at hume lake. Being able to counsel 7 amazing 8th graders with a passion for the Lord was a great end to my summer& Each and every heart that I was able to pour into blessed me in ways I cant even describe.weird how time flies, feels like yesterday when I was in the meadow.


full house @ hume? click here

new beginnings

SO I graduated from highschool
pro: said the pledge of allegiance for the ceremony

con: the fact that I wont be with a lot of these people ever again. it's been an awesome experience that I am beyond blessed for. God showed me a lot of what it means to really embrace moments. embrace the single breaths that we have each day and use it for his glory because we never know when they will end. life is just a breath---we can choose to live it well or not.

summer is going fast already. As easy as its been to just coast through it so quickly, Ive been encouraged so much to make it an effort to make everything purposeful even when somet hings [like laziness], in summer, seem to lack purpose.

since this is a blog about joy... thought it'd be appropriate to say that I have been so encouraged to consider trials, worries, doubts, anger, frustration, & basically everything as pure joy. not just happiness, or a joy that displays constant smiles, but one that is fully satisfied in where jesus has placed me in life. 'Consider is pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of any kind' [james 1:3]-----thanks megan. :)

"Becoming the beloved is pulling the truth revealed to me from above down into the ordinariness of what I am, in fact, thinking of, talking about and doing from hour to hour."
— Henri J.M. Nouwen

blessed for people. jesus is so faithful

DWELL on this.

"Tent wasn't good enough, the temple wasn't near enough, so Jesus took on human 
flesh and then brought HIS temple inside of US. this is a God who keeps getting closer 
to HIS people. the bible isn't a search of humanities quest of God... it's a record of 
God's quest for Humanity." 




Jesus made a permanent decision to DWELL in us every single day, yet it becomes a daily struggle to give him even an hour. Recognizing, especially with that quote, that we are chosen gives me even more reason to love HIM... and not just LOVE him with my words, but with my life that can overflow that love to others every single day.


another quote thats just too good...


"There's a creator and theres a creation, and they are fundamentally distinct. God is the 
designer;creation is the designed. go is the definer; creation is the defined. God is independent, 
while everything God made is dependent upon him. apart form the creator, creation cannot exist; 
apart from creation, however, the creator does exist. Thats the ultimate difference between 
creation and its creator. creations needs the creator; the creator does not need the creation."


some more verses im super into: [this is becoming a quote-sharing sesh]


matthew 10:39- 'if you cling to your life, you will lose it, but if you give up your life for me, yo uwill find it.'


galations 2:20- 'my old self has been crucified with Christ, it is no longer i who lives, but christ who lives in me so i live in this body, trusting in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.'


thats how ive been encouraged lately :)

music.of.MAY.

Super pumped about the newest additions to my itunes library.. so i thought id share!

"Glorify", Ivan&Alyosha: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO6htelTh0I

"40 day dream", Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e46GBxmoeU

"king of All Days", Hillsong United: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n3NLkCe0eQ

also: "like an avalanche" by them.


"Hopelessness Blues", Fleet Foxes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HHgedNNQco

"I will yet Praise You", Foothill Worship (itunes, no vid)

"For You", Peter Bradley Adams: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbKX0mb8MGo

"Sleeping Sickness", City & Colour:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4EPWD7A87A

neon gratefulness

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I yearn for, things I seek.. noticing that as life goes on and on I realize more and more that I love jesus, but I also love a lot of other things too. How easy it is to desire jesus to consume my heart, yet so many other things take over that. SO, lately I have worked on recognizing blessings that remind me of the need to be grateful; therefore switching my motive in life to something that I do for jesus out of thankfulness rather than for myself out of selfishness.

want to know what I'm grateful for at THIS moment?

I am grateful for people. Earlier this week, got to experience a birthday party that made me recognize how much more thankful i should be for the people that he has thrown in my life.

i like neon, and I (in 2 weeks) will LOVE  adulthood. heres a few from the night :)

May ONE.

May first is a huge day for seniors.

*YES it marks the 1 month and 8 day mark (im not counting down or anything) till graduation, to which I will be doing the Pledge of Allegiance at. (already practicing)
**BUT college decisions are due and my decision was made...

got my umbrella cause Im going to SEATTLE PACIFIC!

you might be thinking to yourself:
1. ew rain
2. ew cold
3. ew gloomy

i say:
1. umbrella.
2. excuse for a north face jacket that I could never wear in California (awesome)
3. gloomy shmoomy.

so pumped for the community @ this awesome school, and for the people God will put into my life during this new chapter.

shout out to:
PEPPERDINE (mac, jackie, mads)
VANDERBILT (allie vk)
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA (krisssti)
GEORGE FOX (chloee)
POINT LOMA (kenz & nat)
APU (domm domm)
POMONA COLLEGE (marie!)

wooot woot. ayo

super S(T)OAKED about SPRING.

Who found 3 mini super soakers in the back of their car? ME.

started spring break out with some shooting using cameras & water-guns-- heres a glimpse.

after the fun, i lost some wisdom:

best supporters ever.