Enchanted.

http://owlcitymusic.com/vday/

Be mine ;)

There's something about this funny holiday called Valentine's Day.  My perspective on it seems to change each year.  I've gone from day-dreamer to cynic to romantic to indifferent to today, just plain loving the day.  Valentine 's Day celebration at my school began with a scavenger hunt race this past Friday.  If you know my school, you can just see the students running all around, through all the halls and classrooms, and occasionally colliding.  Then today was CANDY GRAMS!!! woot woot!  Combine most of a senior class, red and pink clothes including tutus, an elementary school, candy bags, a handheld stereo, musical instruments, and the songs "Baby," "Firework," and "You belong with me;" let's just say today was incredible.  Although I am a little tired of the Beiber songs running through my head.

Don't you see?

"...I realized that the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able honestly to pray what He taught His disciples to pray: Thy will be done."
~Elisabeth Elliot

Wavering.

I am like a cherry blossom blowing in the wind. 

I want to cry out like David: "I will never be shaken!"  I want to be loyal like Ruth: "Wherever you go I will go." I guess I don't have everything figured out.  But I'm holding onto the One who does.

"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
~Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh

Beauty for Ashes.

What do I love?  Seeing God make beauty for ashes.

So often I feel like Jeremiah, with such a burden for the God's people and the lost, but no results in sight.  It's like "God, I pray everyday to you for my school, for this community, for countries and people around the world and then I don't see anything.  What now?"  However, lately, I have been seeing some amazing answers to prayer.  It's like when we do something whole-heartedly for God's glory and according to His will, He blesses it. 

 

1) In Mexico. On Friday in Chapel I saw more of what God did in Mexico while the Juniors were on their trip.  I was beyond encouraged.  It was estimated that somewhere around 500 people came to know Christ.  That number astounds me.  But what astounds me more is that for each and every person of that number now can have hope in Christ.  Though Mexico is ridden with crime and broken by poverty, it is finding beauty in Christ our Savior.  

2) At my school.My school has been hurting a lot lately, but we've grown together because of it.  I see God answering the prayers that we pray as a prayer group every Friday.  I see a divided school beginning to become united for Christ.  I see individuals really seeking God.  I know that I only see the outward appearance, and God looks at the heart, but I still can't help but be encouraged. 

3) In Human Trafficking. It's an intense subject, but it's one my school decided to address in their dance concert this year.  The dance explained the horrors and pains of human trafficking, but also the hope of God's redemption.  In a club at my school, students are uniting to race money to build a school in India for Dalit children.  One step at a time- awareness, action, support, God's help- can be the starting points that can led to us seeing God making beauty for ashes in this area.

4) In Golden Acres.  This community is truly being transformed.  Every Friday night when I am there with the kids, I watch the sunset in the background as we do worship and bible studies with the kids.  There is hope on the horizon.  And we all are beginning to see it.  This community is slowly but surely changing, by God's help and for His glory.  The children are beginning to really understand that our love for them is because of God.  I don't see the outreach there ending for many years.  Maybe, just maybe, each new generation of high school students each year will continue to embrace and pour into this neighborhood. 

5) At Love Bags. My friends and I are now going to be able to mobolize the elementary students to collect items for the outreach to the homeless- Love Bags.  We will hopefully be able to speak in their chapel and spur them on.  Then they can continue the ministry of Love Bags long after I graduate from high school.  I am in awe of God for working all this out.  Truly, I am so thankful to be able to be a part of all this as His servant.

Gracias Senor! Por todo!

These Things Take Time.

That Makes Sense...

Today I learned something quite helpful.  My friend had told me about this book: Strength Finders by Tom Roth.  I've been wanting to get it for a while so that I could assess what my strengths truly are and then be better able to grow in and utilize them.  Well, I was a bit surprised by some of my top strengths, but when I read into them further it made perfect sense! I'm not very much into self-improvement, but I like this book so that I can discover what I'm good at so that I can glorify God more with that.

Out of the 34 possible strength, mine were:
1) Connectedness- The secular description of this strength was a bit new agey, but I definitely see how this strength stands out in my life as a Christian.  I do  believe with all I am that everything happens for a reason.  I also believe that God has a plan for each and every person on earth.  As I admitted in english class the other day, I see the best in everyone.  And after traveling around to various different countries, I see distinct differences but I see so many patterns.  God is at work all across the world.  His church is not one in a single building, it is global.  I have this on my heart as I pray through Operation World each day.  People everywhere need God's love and Jesus's grace.  I see that and in that way feel a connectedness to others.  That's the way God made me: with this strength that gives me such a burden for my grade, my school, my church, the global church, the world.  That's why I want to write for a Christian missions or ministry organization after college.  I want to connect Christians to God, other Christians, and to unbelievers who need to hear God's word.
2) Input- It would be surprising to some people I know, but I actually have strong opinions about a lot of subjects.  Except, I am not the leader-type when it comes to sharing my opinion.  Ask me to edit your essay, or explain what I am learning and I will give you my input.  Having input is really important to a person who wants to go into writing or journalism.  I really see how God is using that piece in the plan for my life as well.
3) Responsibility- Especially when it comes to schoolwork, I am very good at being responsible.  I kind-of feel as if God has not asked too much extra out of me when it comes to responsibility, but I can imagine how He will challenge me with this in the future.
4) Achiever- This word would not surprise either of my parents or any of my friends.  God has given me a natural inclination toward striving to achieve.  This is a gift, especially when it comes to work and school, but I have to be careful to not let this come before people in my life.  I tend to put friendships on the backburner sometimes to ambition, and this is never good.  I pray that God will give me that balance.
5) Intellection- This strength, I believe, is because I like reading and I love to take part in deep conversations.  I am not a big fan of small talk, although sometimes it's hard to smoothly transfer from shallow conversation to deep thoughts.  This strength goes with connectedness in that I want to hear what is going on deep within people's lives.  I want to hear their hopes deep down.  The irony to all this is my own personal struggle to share really openly with others. 

It shouldn't not all about me, ever.  But I feel as if finding out these strengths helped solidify the calling I feel God has on my life.  :) If I can use my life to bring Him glory, that's what matters more.