Bridget Jones

I have been wanting to write a new entry for a few days now but nothing was coming to me and I mean nothing. So I was waiting patiently and BAM I was inspired while watching Bridget Jones' Diary! Who would have thought? I rented this movie a few nights ago because I had never seen it but always hear references about it. Well, I fell in love and will be renting the second one tonight. It's a cute movie if you can block out some of the not so nice words...if you can catch my drift.

So if you have never seen this movie, which I'm sure isn't many since I am pretty behind in seeing it, this picture sums up Bridget. She is a middle aged woman who is desperately trying to find a man. She lives with insecurities just like every girl. Her mother is constantly trying to fix her up and her mother's friends are constantly asking about her nonexistent love life. I am not going to describe Bridget on her physical appearance because that is not important, just know she isn't happy with herself one bit and can be somewhat of an airhead. And the picture pretty much sums up her personality.

Well to the point of this blog. In the movie one of her men that is after her, Mark Darcy said one sentence that EVERY girl is yearning to hear.

Mark: I don't think you're an idiot at all. I mean, there are elements of the ridiculous about you. Your mother's pretty interesting. And you really are an appallingly bad public speaker. And, um, you tend to let whatever's in your head come out of your mouth without much consideration of the consequences. I realize that when I met you at the Turkey Curry Buffet that I was unforgiveably rude... and wearing a reindeer jumper... that my mother had given me the day before. But the thing is, um, what I'm trying to say, very inarticulately, is that, um, in fact, perhaps despite appearances, I like you. Very much.

Bridget: [Bitterly] Apart from the smoking and the drinking and the vulgar mother and the verbal diarrhea...

Mark: No, I like you very much. Just as you are.

He likes her just the way she is! Oh girls how we want to hear that so bad! Well, I am just gonna tell you right now to whomever may be reading this; you, yes you, are beautiful from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. Now girls don't do what I know you are about to do because I do it to. Don't start saying well I could lose a few or my nose is too big or my teeth are yellow...NO. Take the truthful compliment. Take it and hold tight to it. Because I believe that when the God of our universe creates us and gives us a compliment of how beautiful we are we should take it and run with it. We are liked just as we are. Just as we are ladies (and gentlemen). So whether a guy has ever told you that, or it is your parents or your friends or whoever! Know that God has been telling you that from day one. And know that I too think you are radiating beauty every day.

Be confident girls, we are beautiful!

Hiding

I have been doing some thinking about this whole blog thing. Is it fair for me to block my site when I am having bad days? Is it fair for me to only post entries of me when I am on a high or have a new insight on life? How can I preach to everyone that it is okay to stumble and it is okay to be vulnerable because that is what God wants but the second I get in over my head I hide behind a blocked site? It isn't fair.

So I am going to say this, short and sweet. Do not look at me as someone who has it all together and is a super strong christian who does everything right. I struggle. A lot . And for some reason it is hard for me to announce that on a blog that I want to be only positive. But isn't true that we all have our bad days, we all fall short of perfections and we all are hiding something? I'll go ahead and answer that one for everybody, yes it is true. So I am going to work on sharing the tough days, the days that my struggles get the best of me and the days that my hope in God is lacking because I get those days often. I said I was going to do this blog to show my story of God growing in me and picking me up off the ground to place me on my feet once again. In order for me to give hope to people in my shoes I need to be sure I am not hiding behind blocked sites. Friends, it is not a walk in the park when deciding to turn your life around and dedicate it wholeheartedly to God. It is an emotional roller coaster with many drops and many highs. Do not hide. Work on it with me. Lets, together, take a step forward and be okay with bad days every once in a while. Lets be okay with life struggles because we all have them. And lets be okay with standing out in the open with our arms out stretched ready for the Almighty One to lead the way to a life free of bondage.

Remember, no one is perfect. We all struggle but we all want to look like we have it together. We can be truly and genuinely happy by admitting that we have a few loose screws in our brain and our lives are somewhat of a mess. Life is messy so no need to hide.

Mid Year Check Up

Okay folks it is that time of year again, half way through another 12 months. How you ask is this possible? Well friends you blinked and BAM here we are in June of 2010! Now when January rolled around I asked anyone and everyone what there new year goals were. I do not call them resolutions because those don't last but the word "goal" somehow seems to stick to the brain a little easier. So it is time to check up on how we are doing with our goals. So go on ahead pull them out from wherever they may be stored and lets go down bullet by bullet and see where we stand. If for some reason you did not make them or "can't remember" then I will challenge you right now to make some half way year goals. Go on ahead do it...it doesn't hurt I promise. So here is my list I created on January 4th.

1. Complete a marathon Check!
2. Sunday is the Sabbath - no work! Need to work on this. It's getting better though.
3. wash my hands after I use the bathroom - every time! (if this isn't being honest then I don't know what is) Haha ummm I would love to say check to this but that would be a lie...don't judge.
4. Volunteer at an organization consistently Metz Elementary!
5. Write Brian once a month (my boy in Uganda) Maybe not once a month but for sure every 2 months...aka need some work.
6. Do something involving the army background on this one. I had a phase a few months back where I wanted to enlist in the army. The next best thing is supporting them. Haven't done it yet but I'm still looking around.
7. Have amazing time management It's getting better that is for sure!
8. Live for the Lord, in everything I do and with every decision that I make. I am proud of the progress I have made in this one since January.
9. Love myself, don't put myself down and don't compare myself to others NEED TO WORK ON!
10. Learn to cook umm hasn't happened yet. I can bake but not cook.
11. Live my life like Deborah Hall This will always be a work in progress
12. Read 12 books (non school related) not a bad start.

1. The Blind Side
2. The Shack
   
3. Same Kind of Different as Me
4. Redeeming Love
   

Okay so how are we feeling? Did you go through yours? Don't avoid it! It's okay if you haven't put a check next to all of them. Obviously I haven't. It is just good to take a look and see how you are doing since January. Now you can grab the bull by the horns and push on into the second half of the year. Make a conscious effort to work on them and put as many checks on your list as you can or at least when December 31st rolls around you can say, "wow look what I accomplished? I'm a beast and a better person for it!"

Redeeming Love

I just finished reading "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers. I have so many emotions running through me right now it's hard for me to put them into an entry that would make sense. Over the course of these past few weeks of reading this book I have fallen in love with the characters more than I was planning on. I don't think I have ever read a book like this one before, one with such an honest and convicting story line. I encourage each and every one to read this book. And when you do start your way into such a beautiful story keep your mind opened. Do not close yourself off to the possibility that you too have once or are currently in the same situation as the people in this book. There are parallels in this book like no other. No need to search them out because I believe they will come to you. I believe that God will work through you in this book, give you hope and encouragment to fight your struggles. I am still truly amazed at Francine Rivers for being blessed with the ability to write such a story that so many need to hear.

Friends, we all have a past. We all have a dark place and we all want to see the light. You are not alone. You are NOT alone. God wants to move you, He wants to love you and He will put people in your life to push you in the right direction. Will they come in the form of a handsome, God fearing man? Maybe...maybe not but God has placed your name on someone's heart, let them help you. Allow God to shine through them. And in return God will start to shine through you so you too can help someone who needs to see hope and light during their darkest times.

Heavenly Father, I pray that today you whisper into ears that need to hear Your sweet voice. I pray that You gently call names that need to be heard. I pray that anyone who feels a presence that is unknown to them and smells a fragrence so pure they will soon realize that it is You calling them forward. Let Your children know that You are a forgiving Father who can cleanse the dirty and purify the sinners. God please allow everyone who is ashamed of their past actions and full of guilt for whatever reason know that they are capable of living a life of freedom of any type of shame. With You on their side they no longer need to blame themselves and dwell on choices made and actions done because You forgive and You breathe breath into our lungs. We need You Lord, I need You. And I want so badly for those who feel they have reached the end and are only full of regret and helplessness to hear You call their name and to hear You say "Beloved. I am right here next to you." It is in Your precious name I pray these things, Amen.

Conversation

Word of the week: CONVERSATION

As I was sitting at the FC Dallas soccer game last night not paying attention to the game my previous "words of the week" popped into my head. Positivity, vulnerability, balance, stability have all been words I have focused on in past weeks. I haven't had one in a while so I started brainstorming. In my Bible study my friend Beth Moore has been hinting at how important prayer is and when I say hint I mean more like throwing it in our face that we need a prayer life. So I thought to myself, shoot I need to work on that so there is the word of the week. Boom. I thought of this in the first half of the game. Halftime rolled around and I another thought popped into my brain. The word prayer scares people. Yes, we need to be in constant prayer with God if we want to live a life like Him but He doesn't want it to be a complicated, scary thing. He wants to be our friend and not someone intimidating. He wants us to talk to Him just as we would talk to our best friend. He wants to hear about life, the ups and downs, the good days and the bad. He wants to know what's going on for the weekend and what your thoughts are on the book you're reading and the movie you just watched. He wants us to vent to Him like you would to your friends, He wants to hear you laugh as you recall an embarrassing moment at school. He wants to know you. So this week I will be focusing on my conversations with God. A conversation is a prayer my friends. Just talk to God. Scared? Don't know what talking to God looks like? Start small, "hey God, it's me Your daughter. Just thought I would stop by and tell You how my day went". And you know what His response is going to be? "Sweet child. I have been waiting all day to hear your beautiful voice. Tell me everything."

Let us open our mouths to a God who wants nothing more than to hear from us.

Impacting Lives Forever

I was beyond blessed this past week to be able to spend some time at a place of pure love, Sky Ranch. As many of you may know due to my previous rants and raves of this place, Sky is camp that wants nothing more than to love on kids and share the story of Jesus by our actions, words and hearts. It is a beautiful thing seeing how a group of staff can come together as one and spread the Body of Christ to kids who are from all over.

This coming summer I will be working for Sky Ranch but in Dallas running the day camps. I was, I'll admit, hesitant of working in Dallas instead of with the overnight staff in Van but boy let me tell you God did a work in my heart this past week! Joe David (my boss) could not have said it more perfect. As he put it we are not doing this job because we want to continue on with our legacy at Sky but because we want kids to know what a life full of Jesus looks like and how to walk daily with Him. Praise the Lord that this is exactly what I want to do. I want everyone to have the opportunity to know Jesus, to know His love He has for us and to know that life with Him is so overwhelmingly amazing. If the way for me to do this is at home working day camps then so be it. Our goal with Dallas day camps is to plant the seed into these sweet kids hearts so that maybe they will want to start a legacy of their own at camp. We pray that they will love what they see at their week at camp here in Dallas and then want to go to overnight camp in Van and continue for years to come. If this isn't the case (which for some this may be there one and only week of sky ranch) I pray that the seed that we did plant in their hearts will remain there and grow over the years to come and one day that seed will blossom into a relationship with the Lord.

Sky Ranch means more to me than I can explain. The friendships I have made, the mentoring I have received and the advice I have been given are priceless. Walking through camp this past week as the first group of campers were going down waterslides and ordering their milkshakes I couldn't help but smile because these kids, each and everyone of them would be hearing the gospel this week. Each one of them were being told how beautiful their hearts were, not how beautiful their outer appearnace was. Each one was being told they were loved for who they were and not who they pictured themselves as. Every kid, no matter their home lives, their background or their past were being treated as an equal with so much love and compassion that only God could provide. I pray that myself as well as all the Sky Ranch staff remembers that we must not take credit for what these kids learn and take away with them from camp because we are only the messengers for our Heavenly Father. It is Him who gives us the energy we need to wake up every morning with a smile on our face, He gives us the correct words to speak to each unique child and He is the one who whispers the words quietly into our ears as we pray for each camper.

There is a passion in my heart for every individual who is a part of the Sky Ranch legacy. This will never change, whether I am serving Sky or some other ministry. I am so excited to see how God is going to work through the amazing staff for Dallas Day Camp. I am so excited to work alongside such a wonderful group who grew so close in just a matter of days. I have no doubt that He is going to do a work in our hearts as we pour into one another and the campers.

Our God is so good. Get to know Him because He wants to know you.