All or Nothing

I was recently handed a consent form with numerous things on it, but the ones that stand out include 1) I am insured up to $500,000 for injuries that might occur, 2) I am responsible for paying costs to fix the ATV if it is damaged in an accident, and 3) I am responsible for paying the additional fees if my ATV falls down the side of the mountain and I somehow survive. Who on earth would sign a form like that? You guessed it! I did!

My teammate Brenda and I took our saturday mourning and went up a nearby mountain on ATV's. Of course, we went with a guide. Yes, some parts were a *little* dangerous, and yes, there was a *bit* of a chance we could fall of the side of a mountain like this,

but hey, don't you think it was worth it? I do? Honestly, though the road was rough and the risks great, I knew that if we followed in the pathway set by our guide, we would be okay. So I went where he went and trusted that he knew the right path. And the reward was amazing. At the highest point, we were 1050 meters in the air, so high there was only fog surrounding us, and signs like this.

As I followed exactly the path set by the guide, I was reminded of the path set by THE guide, Jesus. In Matthew 7, Jesus says, "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Would we have ever found our way round the mountain without our guide? NO. The ONLY way to find the road to life is to trust in Him and follow him whole-heartedly.  My understanding? Go where Jesus went; Go to the sinners, to the beaten down, the broken. In Mark 8 Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Giving up everything and following Jesus is without a doubt the best decision I have ever made, and it isn't one that can be made partially. There is no 50% following Jesus. This is a choice that is all or nothing. But the reward is immeasurable and the experience unlike any other.

At one point, on a rough road, our guide got off his ATV and left for several minutes. Brenda and I were left on the side of a cliff looking at each other like, "Um, what is happening right now? Where is he?" But, he came back and we continued on our way! The path of righteousness can be hard, and tiring, and sometimes it may feel as if God has left you. In Matthew 28:20 Jesus says "Surely I am with ou always, to the very end of the age." Our guide could have left us. He could have let the two american girls wander off into the mountains, never to be seen again. But he didn't. While our guide did leave us, I know God would never leave. Even when it seems that He has, He is there with us, guiding us and bringing us ever closer to Him. And he gives us people to journey with us. Like my amazing teammate, Brenda.

Why do I do crazy things like sign insane consent forms or give my life to Jesus? Because the reward is immeasurable and the experiece unlike any other.

Unity

Once upon a time I decided to take this internship and travel all around the globe to Chiang Mai, Thailand. For months and months I prayed for the experience, the work, and everything else involved. I arrived at Pre-Departure Orientation expecting to go to sessions, go back to my room with my travel buddy, and then leave.

 

Who knew I would meet 44 people with beautiful stories and hearts, all of whom made the same decision I did, to spend the summer (or longer) serving the Lord? Yes, it seems obvious, but as I listened to everyone's testimony throughout our five day Orientation, I was reminded in every story how good God is and how His plan lead each of us to the exact same place, regardless of circumstances or school or story. He is full of love and grace and power, and His purpose is clear: serve Him.

 

 

 

As much as I love PDO, it is also sad to accept that we now depart on journeys seperate from one another. We now go off into Asia, Thailand, Kenye, Mexico, Germany, Tanzania, Indonesia, and the Ivory Coast. While we seperate for the summer, we are unified in our goal: show God's love! I ask that you pray for all of our travels and experiences. I can't wait to see everyone again at Debreif!

Journeys

Once Upon a Time I Took a Journey. I took many journeys to get where I am today. I have taken many journeys physically to different corners of the earth. I took a journey to get where I am with my friends. I took a journey to get where I am with my school, my career. I took a journey to here with my family. But most importantly, I took a journey to get where I am with Christ. I took a journey from a place of selfishness and sin to a place of love and forgiveness. I am loved and forgiven by God in a way that I cannot comprehend. Soon, I will take a new journey. I will go to a new corner of the earth, into a culture I have never experienced. I will face challenges I have never faced, see things I have never seen. I will likely feel new sorrows and joys, and hopefully it will be another journey with the Lord, bringing me closer to him. Of one thing I am sure; this journey will be unforgettable. My range of emotions about this opportunity are quite broad, but I am proud to say that I am a member of REACH 2014!

Here we go! Another Make an Effort Monday! 

Sorry, there won't be a ton of pics for this outfit. My photo buddy and I got out to our site a little late and then the camera died! But you get the gist. 

Gah! I love these shoes. They have a bow on top! Bows make just about everything better. 

This sweater. I'm in love. I wish everyone could feel this sweater. It's fantastic and I wear it with SO many things. Here's a closer look at the appliqué. 

That's it people! Like I said, not a lot of pictures this time. Have a fabulous week! 

Keep it Casual

I know I haven't posted a Make an Effort Monday in QUITE a while, but for those of you who have been through college finals, well, you understand :) 

I typically don't do casual when I dress professionally since, well, the point is to dress professionally, but most schools and offices there is Casual Friday, so it begs the question, "What do I wear that's professional, but casual?" A LOT of people choose to use Casual Friday as a day to wear whatever is against dress code OR a day to show off their most fashion forward outfit. This can turn out okay, but mostly it just changes the view of coworkers and most importantly, students. Wearing something unprofessional just because of Casual Friday is simply unacceptable. As a teacher, student respect is ESSENTIAL, and having a student think less of you because of what you wear is a pretty sad way to lose respect. 

SO, now that i'm off my soapbox, let's get down to some pics of one of my casual outfits.

This outfit is just a step or two down from what I would wear normally. Instead of a skirt or dress pants, just some nice jeans. NOT too tight or anything crazy, just normal jeans. 

You've seen these shoes before on my blog, but on a teacher budget it's important to get those shoes that you can wear with LOTS of different outfits and have them look totally different. 

This is my FAVORITE accessory, and the one I wear most often. It's NOT my purity ring, though I do support purity :) This is my PROMISE ring. To me it represents all the promises I have made to myself,  to others, and to God. 

And then we have another sweater (sigh). I absolutely love sweaters because school buildings have a WIDE variety of temperatures, and sweaters become very important. I also love the gray and purple combo. 

That's really all there is to this outfit! It's very similar to what I would wear on a normal day, just a step down. This is NOT what I would wear to the supermarket on saturday at 10:30 at night. It is presentable and casual. Thanks for reading! Have a great day and may the Lord shine a light through you! 

Make an Effort Monday

Hello folks! So, i'm new to the blogging world, but I wanted to start off with one of my absolute favorite topics in my life right now: Make an Effort Monday! We've all struggled with mondays, the grogginess, the weekend recovery, the general laziness that seems to linger on the first day of the school week. WELL, this semester I started something that has changed my life. Every monday, I simply make an effort, at EVERYTHING! It started with just my outfits, but then spread to every other aspect of my life. I make more of an effort on my relationships, my schoolwork, my hair, my workouts, etc. It has completely changed my life! Mondays are no longer terrible. I actually find myself saying "I love mondays". Yes, that's right. I LOVE MONDAYS. 

So, here we go! Make an Effort Monday! 

Make an Effort Monday started when I had to start dressing professionally a few days a week. As a future educator, it's important to keep in mind that being a conservative dresser is NEVER a mistake- in or outside the classroom. Here's what I love about this outfit: It's comfortable, warm, flattering, bright, fun, and most importantly, EVERYTHING IS COVERED, without it being too obvious. 

Let's break it down. First, we have the dress. 

It's black, my favorite neutral. It's also a good length; it won't be too short when I sit in front of a class. I seriously wear this dress every few weeks, with tons of different sweaters/accessories. It is THE most versatile thing I own. 

Next we have the scarf. 

I borrowed this scarf from a friend, and it adds just enough interest to set this dress apart from the  other times I wear it. It has a little sparkle, but not a lot! I love it! 

The scarf led to the shoes. 

They're grey, matching the scarf, but not boring! They're also flat, which means I can walk quickly! 

Finally, my favorite part of any outfit: the sweater. 

It's simple, but adds so much to the outfit! It's the bright pop that kids love. 

That's it folks! It's professional but also fun, AND I can wear it to a college class without looking look a dork (in the outfit department, at least). 

Chalkboard and a Bible

Once Upon A Time, this girl wasn't so happy. She didn't have joy in her heart and she didn't want very much out of life. She was disappointed in a lot of people around her and basically heartbroken, for a lot of reasons. But day by day, that changed! As a sophomore in college, I think about who I was years ago and am pretty ashamed. I am more disappointed with who I was than I am with anyone else. I was once a very hostile person who cared a lot more about myself than other people. This may seem a little depressing as my first post, but the reason i'm writing this is to explain the title of this blog. I can't say how much of a different person I am now than who I was before, but for now, just know that now I DO have joy in my heart and there are a thousand things I want out of life. The thing that changed my life was the Bible. There is nothing on this earth that can bring me closer to God than the Good Book, because nothing else can tell me more about His love for me, and it's His love that has changed me forever. Everyone deserves to feel His love, and I have decided to love His children by teaching them, with a Chalkboard and a Bible.