The Winner is...

The winner for my photo editor contest is Natalie :) Congratulation's. Your photo was so pretty. I loved how the plant had ice/snow still left on the leafs! So I will have your button on my blog for one month, because the proze was a free one month ad space on my blog :) Thanks so entering.

Not Enough Time?

Having a hard time getting into the word? Lately, I have been struggling with finding time to spend with the Lord. I am so busy, having to wake up early for school, having homework at night, doing chores, trying to have a social life, and wanting a few evenings to myself for down time. Even though these seem like really convincing reasons, I know that there are no good reasons why I can't make time for the Lord. Here I'm worrying about trying to fit God into my schedule, when instead I should be fitting my schedule around my alone time with Him. God should be my number one priority. Instead of us waking up to our phone sending text messages to our friends to say "good morning", we should be sending a prayer up to God. Talking with Him, starting our day off right. This sounds so easy to do, but we all seem to struggle with making time. I find myself doing this alot actually. But then I think of all the things Christ has done for me it's amazing. God has always been forgiving, loving, faithful, and he has never left my side, ever! God wants us to talk to him and praise him, and read his word. I want to encourage you all to spend time in the word. Talk with him, thank him, praise him, and most importantly love him and cherish the time your able to have with him. Because not everyone is able to have this opportunity!

Hollywood

This week I had the opportunity to go to Hollywood with my youth group to help serve for this one ministry called Hope Again. Hope again is a Christian organization who helps the homeless and takes them in to provide food and shelter...until they can find a job. And the best part about this ministry is they share the gospel with anyone they can meet! Anyways, many churches including mine donated food and clothing. So when I was there we all helped with sorting and organizing food, clothes, and even cleaning. Everyone was so nice and so kind. It was such a blessing being able to go and help. Later that night we had dinner and my Pastor gave a little sermon for all the people who lived there (the homeless people). We had a time to share our testimonies or maybe something that God has put on our hearts. To hear these people's stories was so touching. They were so on fire for The Lord. Here they have lost everything, and yet they were so focused on God and his plan for them. This experience just really showed me how truly blessed I am for all that I have. And that serving for me was such a rewarding experience in so many ways.

 

i thought this was such a neat movie theatre!

Photo Contest

Hey everyone, so today I am going to host a photo contest! All you have to do is post a photo that you would like to enter on your blog...with a link to this post from my blog. The prize will be a one month free ad space on my blog! :) You can enter any kind of photo. Nature, town, animals, or people. Although the photo has to be taken by you!!! All entries are due November 30th! Please make sure you comment and let me know you entered and please include the link back to your blog so I can view your photo! Thanks so much....have fun.

Entering In A Photo Contest

Hey...here's my photo :). This photo was taken in Hume Lake. I love this photo because it shows the beautiful lake, and a view of the huge sequoia trees! If your interested in entering a photo contest you can check it out here: Alex thanks :)

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Ah, I love this time of year. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. This year I have so much to be thankful for. My family, friends, being able to be home schooled, my home, & much more. The Lord is so good. During this season I have made a list of everything that I am thankful for, and I have needed more than one sheet of paper just to write it all down! There are things I never even imagined that I would be thankful for…and writing everything down showed me how blessed I truly am. I encourage you all to make a list of everything your thankful for, I know that thanksgiving is almost over but being able to see that list everyday is such a great reminder. I hope you all have a blessed thanksgiving with your family and friends! :)

Homecoming

This weekend I went to my first homecoming! It was also my first dance. I went with a couple friends; Amy, & Liv. It was so much fun. They served dinner & had dessert. The theme for the night was fire and ice! The decorations were so gorgeous. White lights were all hung up all over the celling. Flowers were everywhere!! My favorite part was if course shopping for my dress and heels. Ha ha. The entire night was so much fun, & I'm so glad I was able to go and experience what homecoming was like. I can't wait until my Junior year for homecoming:) Very thankful for amazing friends!

 

 

Day at the Beach

Today my mom, sister, and I spent the day at Ocean Side Beach and did some school work. I enjoy the beach so much...my favorite it hearing the waves crash along the shore, and the cold weather! The weather was gorgeous! There was a low tide...so we were able to see some tide pools. We saw pink and orange starfish, crabs, and tons of sea urchins. I had such an amazing day...it was so nice to get out and do something with just my mom and sister. Ah, the blessing of home schooling!


                                                             
                                                                          

 

 

 

 

Having a Hard Time Commenting on my Blog?

Hello, hope you are all doing well! I know some people have tried to post a comment on my blog, but was having a hard time doing so. Well I think I found out why, so I changed a few setting on my blog. Hopefully for some of you it will be easier to comment. Thanks again to all of you who comment...I always love seeing your responses, It always makes my day. And thank you so much for following my blog, I really appreciate it :)

The Green Eye Monster

Jealousy is so easy to have. And It's so easy to do. I hate it...because it in the long run it only makes things worse. Jealousy is an ugly trait to have. Jealousy says I want what you have so I'll do everything in my power to to find a way to get it for myself. But God talks alot about jealousy.  Genesis 37:4 states "When Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him." In this verse we see how jealousy can take over and control someones feelings and life. I think in today's society its so hard not be jealous over someone or something. In life we tend to be so caught up with what other people have or about the things they do. Like all of the sudden all we want to do is brag and show off what we own or how we look, sometimes hoping, and knowing that others will be jealous about you and your things. I know that there have been many times when I have felt this way, and it is an awful feeling. It becomes an obsession, always thinking about certain things you wished you had. It is not easy I know!  So my encouragement to you is that the next time you become jealous over something try to remember all the things God has already blessed you with. If you were to write a list of all that your thankful for, you will realize that whatever it is your jealous about is really very small compared to all of your blessings.

Morning Dew

The other day I was so happy because it was Friday and it was raining! I was taking my dog out in the backyard and I saw all the flowers were wet. So I decided to take some photos of the roses in my backyard. They were still covered in rain drops and it was so gorgeous! So here are some photos of the beautiful wet roses.

Quotes to Live by

I know I've shared with you all some of my favorite quotes before. But I have found some more that I just love. These quotes are so personal to me because I want these quotes to reflect who I really am. Along with these quotes/saying are also some Scripture that I hold very dear to my heart!


                                                             

Blessed to Have You as a Mom

My mom is such a blessing in my life! I am so thankful for our close relationship. I love being able to talk with my mom about anything. No matter what it is I know that she will always be there for me. Just the other night I was able to spend the afternoon alone with her...at Starbucks and have a nice dinner together! I am always looking forward to our special "date nights." I don't know what I would do if my mom wasn't apart of my life. It makes me so sad when I see or know girls who don't have a relationship with their mom! Because a mom is able to help you through certain situations or can give you advise about certain things. It is so comforting to know that when I'm going through hard times my mom is there to pray for me...& encourage me along the way. There is a special bond between a daughter and a mom that you can't find through any friend. A friend might know you really well...but not as well as your mom will. Because they don't know your heart like your mom does. I am so thankful that my mom and I both treasure our relationship. And as the years pass I pray that our relationship will only become stronger. Love you mom, and thank you for always being there for me.

Being a Light in the Darkness

Lately I have been thinking about witnessing. I've been wanting to know more about it, and how to do it. It has been on my heart lately that I really want to share the word of God with others. My great grandfather recently passed away. He was a strong believer! But It made me think about those who have lost loved ones who were not believers. I can't imagine loving someone so dear and know that they won't be spending eternity in heaven with Jesus Christ. I am so scared to go witness to other people. My biggest fear is that they will reject me and what I have to say...or that I won't know what to say when they ask me certain questions. I have never been witnessing before, and my goal this month is to try it. My church goes witnessing at the mall on Friday nights. I really feel like the Lord is wanting me to be a light in the darkness! To be a light to those who don't know Him. As a Christian it is our job to go tell others about Him. Share the good news! Here are a few verses that really stood out to me, and spoke to my heart... Matthew 5:16 "In the same way let your light shine before me, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Ephesians 5:8 states "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." Proverbs 13:9 "The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out." So If you could remember to pray for me this month...I would greatly appreciate it. Please pray that God would give me the courage to talk to these people, and that my fear would not take control over my feelings of being so scared! Thank you so much.

Vegetable Garden

This week I visited my grandparents, and they have a vegetable garden! We were able to collect lots of veggies. It's so much fun picking all the food yourself. And the vegetables taste incredible when they are homegrown. Here are some photos of the vegetables I gathered. :)