Seattle: Day 2

Today was a very busy day. We were out all day, but it was beautiful. It was one of the warmest days Seattle has had in a year. I made a visit to the original Starbucks did not actually get a drink from this one because the line was out the door so I settled for having a Java Chip Frappucino (my first in 6 months) at another one.


We walked around the Public Market and I bought some jewelry and a t-shirt. We also had some of the best Macaroni and Cheese from Beecher's. After walking the market, we spent some time downtown shopping. We went to a 3 story Forever 21. Completely awesome, but completely overwhelming. I needed a whole day just to search through everything. From downtown, we went and picked up Ashlee's friend Morgan and grabbed a snack to eat at the Gas works which is a park located in Freemont. It was hilly and beautiful. I got to catch up with my old youth leader and played some croquet. Oh, and I also got a very nice red tan!

(This is where they throw the fish to each other in the Public Market. I saw video's about this market while I was applying for camps in Washington and took it as a sign to go to Washington. The guys are very outgoing and funny!)

Ash and I grabbed some fish and chips after hanging out at the park and then went to pick up her friend Jari to see "Midnight in Paris" at the movie theater. The theater was old school and fit a ton of people, but they were only showing this movie. It was okay, but not one I would see again. After the movie, we booked it over to Target, a 2 story Target! I was in love and wished I could have had more time to spend in there. They even had their own parking garage for their customers. Crazy!

I'm leaving to head to Bellingham in a couple of hours and then I will officially be at the camp until August 20th!

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Washington: Day 1

I am finally in Washington, actually I have been here for a couple of hours now, but I'm here! Before I even got off the plane, I could tell I would love this place. Flying in I saw the mountains covered in snow. It's June and there is snow! I seriously think I might be in heaven.

Ashlee picked me up from the airport and we went and dropped my three bags off and then set off to hang with some of her friends. First we stopped at Maggie Moo's and got some ice cream and it was delicious. I got Theo Chocolate and it was delicious. Not like any chocolate ice cream I have ever had before. We then walked over to this park and hung out with her friends Ryan and Dan as they played Frisbee.

From the park we went and picked up Collette and went and saw the lookout from Kerry Park and then I had my first Thai dinner ever.

After dinner we went to beach and it was beautiful. The mountains are beautiful and stunning. I also had my first bubble tea experience which was interesting. Not sure if it's my favorite, but I'm loving all the new experiences!

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Blessed

When I graduated from high school, I was given a box of letters from friends and family. Some of the letters spoke of memories, wishes, and thanks. Every year I read these letters again to remind myself of those dreams, memories, and to be thankful for the thanks.

While reading the letters today, I was reminded of the person God called me to be. I've always known, but there is something about hearing it from someone who is not you. My heart was able to be read by other's. They understood my dreams, desires, my passion, and my heart. I wonder if they can still see it. Am I still being the bold Christian everyone said I was? Do I still speak my mind? Will I be serving middle school and high school students?

These letters inspired me to remember the person I allowed God to make me. It reminded me to keep seeking, to not weaken and keep pushing on, to be the open book I always was.

Overall, I remembered I am blessed. I am blessed to have people who influenced my life for a season or a lifetime. I am blessed to have friends who appreciate me. And I am blessed to have a family who loves me at no cost and with their whole heart.

Blessed. Blessed. Blessed. Pin It

Crush to Crushed

Oh the life of a girl. It's amazing how we can create a whole story in our heads and then reality hits us.

Example:

Girl thinks boy is cute and boy seems interested, but in a nonchalant way. So girl assumes he is interested and lets her mind wander. What if he asked me to hang out today? What if he asking everyone else about me? How long has he liked me? etc, etc... Girl anticipates facebook request to be accepted because maybe if he accepts that means he likes her and then maybe he he'll get up the nerve to ask her out which could then lead to an engagement and then a wedding (You know how the story goes). Facebook request is accepted. Girl clicks on page to see more information. Dun. Dun. Dun! Boy has a girlfriend.

Not that I'm referring to any such story in my life ;)

But boys be careful. Girls can take one hint of affection and run with it. Remember to guard their hearts along with yours! Pin It

Here's my mind

I have had a lot of time to think lately with school being done so bare with me...

1.) Religion rejects; God does not.

Not sure why this thought never occurred to me, but I have been reading a book called "Messy Spirituality" and this thought occurred to me. I have heard so many people talk about how they don't go to church because they feel rejected. It's a shame that religion is pushing people away and people are blaming it on God, but we "Christians" are the ones who make them feel that it is God doing it. I am to blame for this. It's easier to run from the spiritually messy people then take the time to get to know them and care for them. I have done it so many times. I think of my spirituality first and how this relationship could affect it. Shame on me! This thought really opened my eyes today.

2.) What is constituted as flirting?

Does throwing a piece of ice at you count? Sometimes I wish my boldness would come across with guys. Instead, my words get jumbled up and my head kind of blanks. I don't even know this guys last name or really anything about him. Sometimes being a girl really stinks. One hello can be translated into a marriage proposal. Girls! Can't live with them or without them!

3.) Where are you?

The you I am referring to would be Mr. For Me. Sometimes waiting for you just seems super long. I mean it has been 20 years so far and granted ten of those years I wasn't even interested in you, but I am now so feel free to come tomorrow or in a week or maybe a month. Is that pushing it? Love you whoever you are!

4.) Spiritually Messy.

That is my life. Reading this book has been eye opening and heart warming for me in a lot of ways and I'm only half way through it.

5.) My dear were slow dancing in a burning room.

Some of the situations I put myself in feel like this. I enter the room knowing I'm going to burn down in it. So why do I enter when I know I'm doomed? You would think I would know by now and had it worked out, but every single day is new for me and I have to start with a new game plan.

6.) Camp!

It's 4 weeks away. I can't wait! Pin It

Two different people; one person

This week has been extremely crazy emotionally and physically. Final exams and friendship have been the two F's in my life. These two F's have the same effect as they would if they were F's on papers. They made me feel horrible and not good enough.

Finals I am used to. It was my fourth semester of finals and I didn't do horrible, but I also didn't do the best as I usually do. Friendships on the other hand have never been so difficult for me. I'm cautious as to what to say because I know I have friends who read this and I don't want them to take it the wrong way, but this is also my heart and life which is what this blog is all about. So I will slowly tread upon this road with caution...

I'm not sure if there is much road to travel on with in this friendship. I think we have come to the end. There is no going forward or backwards which is sad to say. I feel like I have devoted a lot of myself to this friendship, but that it was only here for a season which has come and past. So where do I or we go from this? That's the part I am not quite sure about. Isaiah 30:21 says "you will hear a voice saying this is the way, walk in it." I don't hear the voice. I just hear the awkward silence. The killing silence. Do we say goodbye; can you ever say goodbye?

My words on this subject keep fading. It never seems to be easy to just let something go. To just say goodbye and be done with it. And your self never makes it easy. It constantly battles with itself and asks questions that confuse you even more than you were before.

All I can say is that I am thankful for a summer to spend with God; serving him, re-devoting myself to him, and listening to his understanding. Pin It

A Church less Faith

The idea of this blog post came to me during class a week ago and I have thought about it for a while. This idea of a church less faith has been my life lately. There is not a church I call mine and to be honest I have not been to church in two weeks now and I have not been to the same church every Sunday since December. So here I am wrestling with this idea of a church less faith. Can you have a faith without church? Does church give you your faith? Why do we need to go to church to have faith? My conclusion you may ask is: It is possible to have a church less faith. My faith has actually been stronger since I've broken away from the church. Yes, I still have my days where my faith is barely glowing and yes I think my faith would be stronger if I was surrounded by a church, but there is a lot I have learned since being church less. My faith is purely mine. God pursued me and I fell into his arms. Not let my clarify: I am not saying church is bad; I am only saying that we need to evaluate the church in our faith. It's easy to get caught up in the drama of the church,; the who said what and who did this, but that is not what church was meant to be. Church is supposed to be a place where you can be spiritually fed and led. A place where you can worship God authentically and find peace. It was not created for socializing and to make an appearance. It was created to be a place that is completely Gods. A place where God is in every single aspect. Somehow we have lost that. So this leads me to the church less faith. My faith has been strengthened these last three months. God found me and really broke my heart. He broke it of things that had been eating me up for years and he opened it to see the truth. I've learned how to truly forgive, to truly feel, and to truly have a relationship with God. As much as I have disliked these hard times I have walked through in the last four months, I would never take them back. They have prepared me for a lot in life and have given me an even more unique story. Think about your faith and your church. Do they go hand in hand? What makes you go to church every Sunday or Wednesday? Is it for God or is it for yourself? Take time to let God show you what you are missing. Pin It