Hey Everyone, I'm so sorry i havent wrote in so long. This month has been jammed packed with just fellowship with friends, seeing family, white elephant parties, pitch perfect, exams, winter VT graduations, and the celebration of Jesus. I hope ya'll have had an amazing Christmas and really enjoyed time with family, and close friends. I love Christmas time but im not reallly about setting up all the decorations and stuff for it. I like the spirit of Christmas, i love to give gifts and see how willing other poeple are to give. But as for setting up the tree... i aint about that life. hahahahaha i'm sure i will be when i get older but after i found out santa wasnt real i was basically scarred for life because i was def. that kid. The kid who is determined santa was real. and balled my eyes out when i found out he wasnt. So after that i wasnt really into Christmas as much as i used to be. okay now rereading that it sounds awful.... im not like the grinch or anything i just like seeing the final product of the tree instead of helping out before. does that make sense? i hope so lolz.
About two weeks ago i wrote about how my walk with the Lord has reached it two year mark. I wrote about how my life was at this point and now its at this point. I didnt really go into much detail about why i was there in the beginning or why i felt so lost, but that is for other posts i promise (: however after writing that it made me think about alot of things. i finally came to realization that i am in a dry season with the Lord. which kind of stinks because i was in such a high, fruitful season before. This month its been hard because some of the things i wrote about how i was before i met Christ i kind of feel like im right back to those. For example, trying to seek affirmation from others instead of the Father, or just trying to do things on my own, according to my plan instead of his. I also struggle with new things, like my future, where the hawk im going to be next year, what im going to be doing. Who my roommate is going to be COMMUNITY SHOWERS (YUCK, so gross, so scared)... seriously freaking about those things hahahah. And to be honest its frusterating. Its like why havent i learned by now. Why do i keep going in circles instead of going forward!
and in the end i think it has come to the point where in my head i feel like i have to change myself. i have to figure out God's plan for me on my own. i also correlate how many quiet times, or how many times ive journaled in a week to how good my realtionship with the Lord is.
and if im being honest i think alot of us can relate to that. whether or not were following the Lord we all have this unobtainable image in our heads of who we should be and its literally this perfect image we can never live up to. and because of how imperfect i am i am ashamed to come to the foot of the cross because of how filthy im made because of my sin.
so i started praying about this. just kind of in the mind set of i know i need to do this reguardless of if i want to or not.. instead of coming to his feet because i want to be there and i want to be filled again. i was just like Lord, im sorry. Im sorry for how filthy i am, im sorry i keep making the same mistakes everyday. im sorry for over looking you and find worth in other things. and you know i would feel great right after them until i messed up again. like when i just backed talk my parents, or just had the attitude of screw this. you know what im sayin? and so this was just kind of like an on going thing. until one day it just kind of hit me. Like recently, this week recently. Jesus was born this week, a long long time ago in that manger. and because of his life i no longer have walk in darkness. i no longer have to feel the way ive been feeling for a while. he was born so i no longer have to keep trying to earn his forgiveness, because that day in the manger a long long time ago. you and i have been given the opportunity to be forgiven because when Jesus grew up he died for our sins and we no longer have to earn his forgiveness because he gives it to us. the question i had to ask myself was if i was willing to accept his gift. the ultimate Christmas gift. in this gift not only do i find forgiveness, but life, and worth, and joy, and freedom. Because of this gift i can come to the cross digustingly dirty. and be cleaned. because when we change our mind set from being set on doing good things for Him to believing in Him. he will change us. he will change our motives, and he will show us the way to live.
will you be willing to accept Jesus' gift to you?
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
two years: its been so worth it
today is special. two years ago today is when everything changed for me. 730 days ago my life was turned upside down by a God who has much bigger plans for me than i could possibly imagine. Two years ago i started walking with the Lord, and since then my life has been forever changed.
Two years ago if you would have told me i would have been walking with the the Lord i probably would have laughed at you and said yeah right. Thanks but no thanks, I probably would have told you the Lord wasnt real, and that believing in Him was stupid, and a waste of time. I was a girl who was super insecure, always trying to fit in, but still trying to prove im different (if that makes sense). self centered. always pointing the conversation back to myself. severly broken by the power of sin, always seeking affirmation from the people around me, and finding my worth in what others thought of me. i would get close to people (relationship wise) but not close enough to be real, and really let them know who i am. and to be honest thats just a few things the list could go alot longer.
I was really lost. but some how because of how my friends loved me so deeply reguardless of how i treated them. i know thats how Christ is there for me. My friends kept showing up and loving me for who i was. No matter what. There were times when i treated the people i loved the most really really badly, but through all of that they were still there. Because of my friends i knew that is how Christ loves me, that is how Christ will continue to show up in my life and forgive me even when i dont deserve it. The list i said above no longer matters because the Lord looks at me and says iyou are forgiven, and i love you.
Today i look back on the past two years and i know that the Lord is real. i see Him working in kids lives every single day. i see him working in my own heart. even after two years i feel like a baby in my faith i have so much to learn, but through the time i have been following the Lord i can say that because of Him i am a changed person. and i would not be living my life any other way. i still struggle alot, i still have bad days, and dry seasons, but at the end of the day my worth is no longer found in those things, i no longer have to go through these days alone.
Two years ago this is who i was:
I was a girl who was super insecure, always trying to fit in, but still trying to prove im different (if that makes sense). self centered. always pointing the conversation back to myself. severly broken by the power of sin, always seeking affirmation from the people around me, and finding my worth in what others thought of me. i would get close to people (relationship wise) but not close enough to be real, and really let them know who i am.
This is who i am now:
I am found in Christ. i am no longer searching for something will fill me because i have found Someone who fills my life everyday. I have adventure. I am no longer lost in the crowd but found in Him. I am loved, and forgiven with no strings attached.
if you ever want to learn more about my story i would love to tell you please dont hesitate to ask.
Two years ago if you would have told me i would have been walking with the the Lord i probably would have laughed at you and said yeah right. Thanks but no thanks, I probably would have told you the Lord wasnt real, and that believing in Him was stupid, and a waste of time. I was a girl who was super insecure, always trying to fit in, but still trying to prove im different (if that makes sense). self centered. always pointing the conversation back to myself. severly broken by the power of sin, always seeking affirmation from the people around me, and finding my worth in what others thought of me. i would get close to people (relationship wise) but not close enough to be real, and really let them know who i am. and to be honest thats just a few things the list could go alot longer.
I was really lost. but some how because of how my friends loved me so deeply reguardless of how i treated them. i know thats how Christ is there for me. My friends kept showing up and loving me for who i was. No matter what. There were times when i treated the people i loved the most really really badly, but through all of that they were still there. Because of my friends i knew that is how Christ loves me, that is how Christ will continue to show up in my life and forgive me even when i dont deserve it. The list i said above no longer matters because the Lord looks at me and says iyou are forgiven, and i love you.
Today i look back on the past two years and i know that the Lord is real. i see Him working in kids lives every single day. i see him working in my own heart. even after two years i feel like a baby in my faith i have so much to learn, but through the time i have been following the Lord i can say that because of Him i am a changed person. and i would not be living my life any other way. i still struggle alot, i still have bad days, and dry seasons, but at the end of the day my worth is no longer found in those things, i no longer have to go through these days alone.
Two years ago this is who i was:
This is who i am now:
I am found in Christ. i am no longer searching for something will fill me because i have found Someone who fills my life everyday. I have adventure. I am no longer lost in the crowd but found in Him. I am loved, and forgiven with no strings attached.
if you ever want to learn more about my story i would love to tell you please dont hesitate to ask.
...
Baby brooklyn comes home in TWO DAYS. such a miracle.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
blog post from a dear friend
this is is a guest post from one of my best friends. we met this summer at work crew and i am just so encouraged by her on a daily basis. Alyssa is one of those people that lives life in such a way that you want to be around her all the time. The way she genuinely cares for her friends and intently listens to them just brings people to Jesus feet. This year Lyssa will be placed at a high school in Ohio as a young life leader and i cannot wait to witness the way the Lord is going to work through her and bring teenagers to Him. The plans the Lord has planned for her are huge and i am just so lucky to be a witness to it. But anyways here's Alyssa everyone (:
Hi, I’m Alyssa, one of
Hailey’s friends from Work Crew. She asked me a while ago to write something
for her blog and sadly I thought it was a joke. But she was serious and said
that she felt that I had something to say. Hmmm…what? I didn’t even know I had
something to say, but I trust her so I thought about it, and thought about it,
and thought about it some more. I then prayed a little, but just wasn’t feeling
the Lord talking to me, telling me what I needed to say. So honestly, I just
kept putting it off until I would hopefully feel Him telling me what to write.
I kept questioning Him when that moment will be. When will I be told what to
do?
I suppose that that is
something I struggle with constantly, not feeling the Lord’s presence and not
hearing His advice to me. All through high school I waited and waited for His
response to my questions. I was stubborn and I wanted to challenge Him and
force Him to answer, because that what the Lord does, He answers prayers right?
So of course I was not getting what I wanted. Even today I struggle with that.
I am always finding a way to challenge God to answer me and to get what I want.
These I call my ruts. When I wasn’t getting what I asked for from God I would
go in to a rut. These ruts caused my view of God to be skewed and
single-blinded. I continually relapsed into these when I felt the Lord drifting
further and further away from me. And I wanted everything to put me back right
next to Him; however I wanted God to do it for me.
But thankfully the Lord
does answer prayers and thankfully again, he does on his own time. I was reading my bible when I came across
these verses that hit me hard:
Proverbs 3:5-12
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will
bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
Honor the Lord with all your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your
crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim
over with new wine.
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his
rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he
delights in.”
This right here is all I
need! But it requires me to work at it. A relationship isn’t only one person
it’s two! Two need to work at it to improve it, fix it, and perfect it. I
despised the Lord’s discipline when I should have been accepting it and acting
on it. He’s telling me that he challenges and disciplines me because he loves
me. He wants me to grow closer to him through my weaknesses. So now whenever I
feel as though I am drifting away from the Father, I just need to remember that
He loves me and is not drifting away but He is giving me the opportunity to get
closer to Him.
If you ever feel as
though you are not as close to God as you should be or that you are drifting
away from Him, remember that that is your opportunity to join Him and to better
your relationship with Him. But you have to first recognize that you are not a
part of that relationship and that you need to do something about it. So are
you ready to get closer to God or do you need to start that relationship? I am
proof that he does answer those prays because not only did the Lord help me
find what I needed to say but he helped me fix something in my heart. He helped
to rid me of these ruts that prevented me from growing closer the Him.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
no i wont give up.
Hey friends (: i feel like im posting alot this month... which i totally love. this week has been going awesome. as i sit here i just look on the past few weeks i am just in complete awe of the huge things the Lord is doing. you know in previous posts ive been having little pitty parties for myself about how this year hasnt been going like i had plan. and to be honest i am so thankful it isnt going as planned because honestly how boring would it be if life was exactly as we thought it would be? i am also so thankful the Lord has such a bigger plan than my own and His always seems to prevail over mine. lols.
well right now i am in a great place. i love the place i am with the Lord its one of those rare moments that everything is going so good and you just really get it, you know what im sayin? you can just see Him working so evidently in your life and others. and i love that. i look back on previous blog entries and in my journal and i see where i was, i still feel a little pinch of the pain that i felt deep in my heart but now looking back i just get to see how the Lord held me in His hands and just carried me through those times. and i honestly just love that. i have been praying and praying for blacksburg high school and the kids in it, the upper and lower classmen, my friends. and i got to a point where i was just like common Lord! these kids need you so badly. they need you Lord. and it breaks my heart to just see these kids hurting. it breaks my heart to just see them walking into things that arent going to work. i just want them to know Jesus. i just want them to know how much they are loved. so i continue to pray. i wont give up on this school. i wont give up because times like these where i see how much the Lord has been working and i have been so blind to it. it gives me so much hope. it gives me so much strength because i know the Lords plans are so much bigger than mine. His time is so much better than mine. i know that i am here for a reason and right now and i am blind to it but the Lord will guide me through this.
we are all going through seasons in life. right now it might be crappy. it might be awesome or it might just be plain and boring. but through these season i just encourage you to depend on the Lord through all of it. just lean on him through the rough times, the great times, the normal times. pray for your friends, your co workers, your family. dont give up. even though sometimes i know it feels like its not working. i promise you the Lord is working. all the time. and when you finally get to see that all your praying paid off it will be so worth it. it will be such a gift to you from the Lord.
dont give up. dont give in. keep fighting for your friends, and family. keep showing up and loving them. because the Lord is proabably using you in huge ways and you dont even know it.
well right now i am in a great place. i love the place i am with the Lord its one of those rare moments that everything is going so good and you just really get it, you know what im sayin? you can just see Him working so evidently in your life and others. and i love that. i look back on previous blog entries and in my journal and i see where i was, i still feel a little pinch of the pain that i felt deep in my heart but now looking back i just get to see how the Lord held me in His hands and just carried me through those times. and i honestly just love that. i have been praying and praying for blacksburg high school and the kids in it, the upper and lower classmen, my friends. and i got to a point where i was just like common Lord! these kids need you so badly. they need you Lord. and it breaks my heart to just see these kids hurting. it breaks my heart to just see them walking into things that arent going to work. i just want them to know Jesus. i just want them to know how much they are loved. so i continue to pray. i wont give up on this school. i wont give up because times like these where i see how much the Lord has been working and i have been so blind to it. it gives me so much hope. it gives me so much strength because i know the Lords plans are so much bigger than mine. His time is so much better than mine. i know that i am here for a reason and right now and i am blind to it but the Lord will guide me through this.
we are all going through seasons in life. right now it might be crappy. it might be awesome or it might just be plain and boring. but through these season i just encourage you to depend on the Lord through all of it. just lean on him through the rough times, the great times, the normal times. pray for your friends, your co workers, your family. dont give up. even though sometimes i know it feels like its not working. i promise you the Lord is working. all the time. and when you finally get to see that all your praying paid off it will be so worth it. it will be such a gift to you from the Lord.
dont give up. dont give in. keep fighting for your friends, and family. keep showing up and loving them. because the Lord is proabably using you in huge ways and you dont even know it.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
sweet sweet Porth family
im home from iowa!! so if you were planning on breaking into the house.... too late. just kitten wit yew rite meow (: also i braided my hair yesterday while it was still wet and i took it out last night and it just looked so pretty and i was super bummed when i woke up this morning thinking it would still be a mess but IT LOOKS THE SAME!!!! yeyeeee, i just really love that when that happens hahahahaha. #longhairdontcare
These past few days have been amazing. It started out kind of frusterating because we got our flight cancelled and all but that ended up going great. and then we just headed out the next day. We got there way past my bedtime and i am so lucky i was still energized to just keep my eyes open lols. but it was just a quick hello and embrace for a few min and then we headed off to my cousin Lindsie's first new house!! (: Lindsie has this amazing gift of hospitality. From the moment we got there she served us in every way she could in such an indirect way. She loves her family so much and you can just see that in all her actions. Recently she just got married to an amazing guy that brings a smile to her face every time his name comes up. So getting to see her in such a great place is so awesome and just kind of warms your heart you know? (: i am just so happy she found such a great guy because she deserves it. (i cannot wait to get married one day #ahjeez #ijustlovefairytales #therealkind)
So while i was there i was telling everyone i normally dont sleep in and i was like oh i will just wake up early do my quiet time and then get on with my day like usual.... WELL OF COURSE THAT NEVER HAPPENED! i slept in everyday! okay seriously i normally wake up at 7:30, it was the weirdest thing ever. but after waking up every morning we all headed to my aunt and uncles house that is about a fourth of a mile down the road in our pjs for coffee and breakfast. okay this whole trip was my favorite but one of my extra favorite times was breakfast when we all were just together talking and drinking coffee (cept i drank water im not much of a coffee drinker lols) i loved this time and i wish that we had the time to do this every single day not with just our family but our friends. Just hanging out in our pjs and talking about life. I think so many times our conversations consists of long text messages, facebook chats, and just surfacy talk. I want to have conversations that matter. Face to face enjoying each others company, no more of the cyber chat. I would love to live in an age when people still write letters, the internet still had google plus and skype, but no text messaging, also cell phones would just be the old flip phones no internet. ah its just every once in a while i get a glimpse of that and that was in these past few days i got to see that. Of course we all had our electronics but it wasnt the main focus. and i loved that.
(some of you probably reading this are like what the hawk hailey you def text all the time and use the internet. and ill admit i am one of those pople with the long text messages and surfacy conversation on faccebook. i just wish it didnt have to be like that. you know?)
thanksgiving was amazing the food was awesome and family was great. i keep trying to put it into words but i cant. the emmense amount of love, and sense of unity as a family was undescribeable. i hope each and every one of you had an amazing thanksgiving. and got to spend quality time with the people that mean the most to you. i hope you found rest in the Lord and just saw his mighty power working through your family. As we go back to school, college, work, anything lets not forget that this season of thanksgiving and family doesnt just have to be when we take off for holiday breaks, but it can be every single day.
ill load some pics and stuff later (: and if you want to watch two great movies i saw this week A. the green mile (super intense) and b. something borrowed (total chick flick)
also one last thing (: (: (: (: yesterday i found out my best friend Becca got engaged!!!!!! i am so so so pumped for her and i am so excited to walk through this season with her as she prepares for a wedding. lots of prayers go out to her in isaac as they start this new adventure in life. i am so excited for them!!!!
(you can follow isaacs blog here.)
These past few days have been amazing. It started out kind of frusterating because we got our flight cancelled and all but that ended up going great. and then we just headed out the next day. We got there way past my bedtime and i am so lucky i was still energized to just keep my eyes open lols. but it was just a quick hello and embrace for a few min and then we headed off to my cousin Lindsie's first new house!! (: Lindsie has this amazing gift of hospitality. From the moment we got there she served us in every way she could in such an indirect way. She loves her family so much and you can just see that in all her actions. Recently she just got married to an amazing guy that brings a smile to her face every time his name comes up. So getting to see her in such a great place is so awesome and just kind of warms your heart you know? (: i am just so happy she found such a great guy because she deserves it. (i cannot wait to get married one day #ahjeez #ijustlovefairytales #therealkind)
So while i was there i was telling everyone i normally dont sleep in and i was like oh i will just wake up early do my quiet time and then get on with my day like usual.... WELL OF COURSE THAT NEVER HAPPENED! i slept in everyday! okay seriously i normally wake up at 7:30, it was the weirdest thing ever. but after waking up every morning we all headed to my aunt and uncles house that is about a fourth of a mile down the road in our pjs for coffee and breakfast. okay this whole trip was my favorite but one of my extra favorite times was breakfast when we all were just together talking and drinking coffee (cept i drank water im not much of a coffee drinker lols) i loved this time and i wish that we had the time to do this every single day not with just our family but our friends. Just hanging out in our pjs and talking about life. I think so many times our conversations consists of long text messages, facebook chats, and just surfacy talk. I want to have conversations that matter. Face to face enjoying each others company, no more of the cyber chat. I would love to live in an age when people still write letters, the internet still had google plus and skype, but no text messaging, also cell phones would just be the old flip phones no internet. ah its just every once in a while i get a glimpse of that and that was in these past few days i got to see that. Of course we all had our electronics but it wasnt the main focus. and i loved that.
(some of you probably reading this are like what the hawk hailey you def text all the time and use the internet. and ill admit i am one of those pople with the long text messages and surfacy conversation on faccebook. i just wish it didnt have to be like that. you know?)
thanksgiving was amazing the food was awesome and family was great. i keep trying to put it into words but i cant. the emmense amount of love, and sense of unity as a family was undescribeable. i hope each and every one of you had an amazing thanksgiving. and got to spend quality time with the people that mean the most to you. i hope you found rest in the Lord and just saw his mighty power working through your family. As we go back to school, college, work, anything lets not forget that this season of thanksgiving and family doesnt just have to be when we take off for holiday breaks, but it can be every single day.
ill load some pics and stuff later (: and if you want to watch two great movies i saw this week A. the green mile (super intense) and b. something borrowed (total chick flick)
also one last thing (: (: (: (: yesterday i found out my best friend Becca got engaged!!!!!! i am so so so pumped for her and i am so excited to walk through this season with her as she prepares for a wedding. lots of prayers go out to her in isaac as they start this new adventure in life. i am so excited for them!!!!
(you can follow isaacs blog here.)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
#happythanksgiving!
Hey everyone! As of right now im sitting in the airport about to go to IOWA!!! wohooo!! #sopumped #cantwait we actually were supposed to head out yesterday but since we are flying out of roanoke who knows what time we will actually get out of here.... I have lived in blacksburg for 7 years now and have never gotten out on a flight in roanoke airport on time #justmyluck but as of right now we are waiting for our plane which is in route! #goteam My mom also had us here at 3:30.... our plane doesnt arrive till 6. Weve been here for a while. lolololololol but since my flight got cancelled i had a nice day on the town and got to spend some time with some great friends. mad shout out to kenley! we went to panera for lunch... if you havent been to panera recently you need to go because they now serve a "big kid" mac and cheese... ya'll its amazing. but it was so sweet to just spend time with her and just catch up after a crazy weekend at rockbridge. (:
but i hope everyone is preparing to eat there faces off for Thanksgiving! and get pumped for black friday #imscared but anyways a few things i wanted to share with you guys this thanksgiving dont forget to look around the table and be thankful for whos sitting around you. one thing that happens to me is a get so caught up in the food of thanksgiving and forget to be thankful for all the things i am blessed with. Esp. my family, and my friends. this year i want to get caught up in the moment of who i am surrounded by. I want to get a glimpse of how blessed i am. I want time to slow down a little so i can enjoy the moment and not be preparing for the next. you know?
another thing i wanted to say thank you to ya'll reading this. I am so blessed to have people supporting me as i share my heart about where i am. Alot of times i feel like im doing more complaining then anything and alot more times i think that my writing doesnt even makes sense. Thank you so much for the emails, the texts, the comments, and just coming up to me and telling me how much this blog is helping you. it is seriously so encouraging and i hope the blog is doing the same for you. i am so thankful for each and every one of you. not only do i have this incredible family sitting around me right now at this roanoke airport, but i have you. I have these incredble people walkng through life with me and supporting me and i am so blessed. ya'll are very special to me and to the Lord. I am so thankful to be walking through this with you.
Love you guys, Happy thanksgiving (:
I'll post after i get home from iowa, #putthecellphonesandcomputersaway #butseriously #spendtimewiththefam #youhaveeverydayforyourcellphones #afewdayswiththepeoplethatmeanthemost
#MYFLIGHTSHERE #GOTIME #SOHYPED
(i have this strange obbsession with hash tags #sorrynotsorry)
but i hope everyone is preparing to eat there faces off for Thanksgiving! and get pumped for black friday #imscared but anyways a few things i wanted to share with you guys this thanksgiving dont forget to look around the table and be thankful for whos sitting around you. one thing that happens to me is a get so caught up in the food of thanksgiving and forget to be thankful for all the things i am blessed with. Esp. my family, and my friends. this year i want to get caught up in the moment of who i am surrounded by. I want to get a glimpse of how blessed i am. I want time to slow down a little so i can enjoy the moment and not be preparing for the next. you know?
another thing i wanted to say thank you to ya'll reading this. I am so blessed to have people supporting me as i share my heart about where i am. Alot of times i feel like im doing more complaining then anything and alot more times i think that my writing doesnt even makes sense. Thank you so much for the emails, the texts, the comments, and just coming up to me and telling me how much this blog is helping you. it is seriously so encouraging and i hope the blog is doing the same for you. i am so thankful for each and every one of you. not only do i have this incredible family sitting around me right now at this roanoke airport, but i have you. I have these incredble people walkng through life with me and supporting me and i am so blessed. ya'll are very special to me and to the Lord. I am so thankful to be walking through this with you.
Love you guys, Happy thanksgiving (:
I'll post after i get home from iowa, #putthecellphonesandcomputersaway #butseriously #spendtimewiththefam #youhaveeverydayforyourcellphones #afewdayswiththepeoplethatmeanthemost
#MYFLIGHTSHERE #GOTIME #SOHYPED
(i have this strange obbsession with hash tags #sorrynotsorry)
found the webcam #obbsessed
gennas reading a book #firsttimeever
hahahahahahaha
does it look like im raising my eyebrow?
Sunday, November 18, 2012
eye of the tiger
well i made it! and as of right now i dont feel sick, i have lost my voice a little but that is totes okay with me. i have never came home from fall weekend without coming down with some cold, sinus infection, and last year the flu. I feel like its because im a girl that loves to just go go go go go until i cant go no more, and at rockbridge i am extremely good at running myself down because i just LOVE IT THERE, and basically i just want to do everything. lol (: but im home and had an incredible weekend. i love camp so much. I love watching kids hear about Jesus for the first time i love how kids just get to be themselves and be loved reguardless. I love seeing the walls break down and they finally see what is real in life. I love seeing the transformation of a heart go from death to life. Another thing that i love is just anticipating what the Lord is going to do. One thing i have noticed about younglife camp is it never goes as what i planned it was going to be in my head. Which i am so glad because the Lord just catches me by suprise everytime and it is seriously just the best.
this weekend i got to spend with my dear friends of mine. we werent in a cabin like usual because there were SO many kids there. so by my suprise we actually stayed in the lobby of my work crew cabin! Becca and Sam being the best made this fort/tent thing in the middle of the lobby and that was our cabin along with megabed one of my favorite things in the whole world. (megabed; noun, where you put all the beds together and you just sleep together on one huge gigantic bed. garunteed to provide the most fun for sleepovers, and younglife camps.) But seriously though, and we also shared the showers with the other girls from our school who had a total of two showers for 25 girls, needless to say i didnt shower all weekend and it was awesome. im doing this no shave november thing.... well trying, no shave november is just too darn easy for me and so i was like oh, hailey how about you do shave november.... i am so dumb, that lasted about one shower and i only shaved on leg. hahahahahah but anyways sorry thisback to this weekend, did i say is was so much fun? (:
This is my last fall weekend as a camper and i am so ready for college. Being a leader is basically my dream. literally though, i cannot wait to become a leader. I think about it all the time. I cannot wait to just love on girls from a different school, and just walking through life with them. I cannot wait to share with them the greatest love story ever told. and also a bonus just getting to hang out with them and do fun girl stuff. But loving the Lord while being a high school student is really really awesome. because the truth is i already get to do all of that but unlike leaders i get to be with these kids 5 days a week for 8 hours. so i really get to see these kids all the time, which is so cool. (but as you can tell from previous posts its pretty hard sometimes. but. its so worth it.) Along with being a senior my little sister is a freshman (mad shout out to her, she's the best. no doubt.) and getting to go to camp with her and her friends was probably one of the coolest and funnest things ever. Getting to see her just love on her friends, and just having a blast which is besically a wish come true because she totally deserves to have the greatest time of her life... in whatever she is doing. So this weekend i just got to hang out with my friends, i got to talk to them about real stuff. about life. and most importantly the Lord. This weekend also allowed me to see some amazing people that i dont get to see very much because we live so far away. but i love that though. even though it is hard i love how we can see each other and pick up a conversation as if we see each other every day, and also i get to see how the Lord is using them in HUGE ways back at in there home towns.
sorry i feel like im rambling on so im just going to post some pictures and then hit the hay because i have school tomorrow and im exhausted (and im trying really hard not to get sick lolololololol) maybe later this week ill just put up a little blurb about different things that happened at camp... because obviously i just cant type it all down.
God is good. All the time.
this weekend i got to spend with my dear friends of mine. we werent in a cabin like usual because there were SO many kids there. so by my suprise we actually stayed in the lobby of my work crew cabin! Becca and Sam being the best made this fort/tent thing in the middle of the lobby and that was our cabin along with megabed one of my favorite things in the whole world. (megabed; noun, where you put all the beds together and you just sleep together on one huge gigantic bed. garunteed to provide the most fun for sleepovers, and younglife camps.) But seriously though, and we also shared the showers with the other girls from our school who had a total of two showers for 25 girls, needless to say i didnt shower all weekend and it was awesome. im doing this no shave november thing.... well trying, no shave november is just too darn easy for me and so i was like oh, hailey how about you do shave november.... i am so dumb, that lasted about one shower and i only shaved on leg. hahahahahah but anyways sorry thisback to this weekend, did i say is was so much fun? (:
This is my last fall weekend as a camper and i am so ready for college. Being a leader is basically my dream. literally though, i cannot wait to become a leader. I think about it all the time. I cannot wait to just love on girls from a different school, and just walking through life with them. I cannot wait to share with them the greatest love story ever told. and also a bonus just getting to hang out with them and do fun girl stuff. But loving the Lord while being a high school student is really really awesome. because the truth is i already get to do all of that but unlike leaders i get to be with these kids 5 days a week for 8 hours. so i really get to see these kids all the time, which is so cool. (but as you can tell from previous posts its pretty hard sometimes. but. its so worth it.) Along with being a senior my little sister is a freshman (mad shout out to her, she's the best. no doubt.) and getting to go to camp with her and her friends was probably one of the coolest and funnest things ever. Getting to see her just love on her friends, and just having a blast which is besically a wish come true because she totally deserves to have the greatest time of her life... in whatever she is doing. So this weekend i just got to hang out with my friends, i got to talk to them about real stuff. about life. and most importantly the Lord. This weekend also allowed me to see some amazing people that i dont get to see very much because we live so far away. but i love that though. even though it is hard i love how we can see each other and pick up a conversation as if we see each other every day, and also i get to see how the Lord is using them in HUGE ways back at in there home towns.
sorry i feel like im rambling on so im just going to post some pictures and then hit the hay because i have school tomorrow and im exhausted (and im trying really hard not to get sick lolololololol) maybe later this week ill just put up a little blurb about different things that happened at camp... because obviously i just cant type it all down.
God is good. All the time.
sweet girls hanging out infront of the shop
freshman/sophomore cabin
junior/senior cabin
this is just halarious. esp the guys in the background
sista4eva
blacksburg gurlz. #wesokool
pic with becca right after she specifically told me to take the tiger hat off hahahahahah
three of the greatest girls i know
alison in her american attire
and seriously just respect my photo bombing skillz.
grace and alison are in the back seriously they are so awesome i hope to live life like they do one day.
So i bought this tiger hat at the dollar tree and got it stolen from me by a friend of mine and finally got it back at camp needless to say i wore it the whole weekend... i made quite a name for myself.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
dry season
if i could sum up my senior year so far this would be what i would say.
"Sometimes I feel incredibly disconnected, really uncomfortable in my own skin, or kind of like I don't fit into this world. Like I was born at the wrong time and I don't belong. I just think about my son, and it scares me, because... I don't ever want him to feel like he doesn't belong. I don't know if my heart could bear that."
These words are from Haley James Scott from one tree hill. Today i watched my favorite episode its called pictures of you if you ever want to watch it. This year hasnt been the year i expected to be. Its been a lot harder, alot more heartbreaking. and to be honest im stoked to get out of here. I was talking to one of my dear friends georgia last night and i was like its not like i could blog this. Its not that i can just tell the world you know life sucks right now. But today as haley was talking she took the words right out of my mouth.
You know i wouldnt change my life for anything, no sum of money, no wish could ever get me to trade this. The people i walk through life, the family i am so lucky to be apart of, the things ive gotten to do, and the things i have gotten to witness. i. would. never. change. that. But that doesnt mean its not hard. It doesnt mean that i dont get in arguments with my family just like every other high schooler. It doesnt mean that i dont want to do the things that regular high school kids do. It doesnt mean i dont struggle with hearing the vicious things high school students have to say, and it doesnt mean that there are never days where i just want to get the heck out of that school and never go back. I have disagreements with my friends. I dont like going to school alot of the time. And to be honest i feel like there is so much more i can be doing with my life than just sitting there.
This year has been hard. I guess i walked into senior year thinking it was going to be exactly like Junior year. I loved junior year. it was so far the best year of my life. I witnessed the Lord do huge things. I got to see a glimpse of what the Lord has planned for me. I finally found a purpose. And this year its not like that. It doesnt mean the Lord isnt doing big things it just means that my eyes arent open to His mighty power. this year i have felt like i have lost my purpose. which is such a lie from the pit of hell. I believe in alot of lies satan puts infront of me. I get caught up in alot of his traps.
Following the Lord is one of the greatest things. You know reading the word, and being in fellowship is the greatest. i love it. i love doing ministry and i love just seeing the Lord work. Because of Jesus i do have a purpose. and i have life. freedom. but when i go into high school i feel exactly as haley said it. "...incredibly disconnected, really uncomfortable in my own skin, or kind of like I don't fit into this world. Like I was born at the wrong time and I don't belong..." i feel like kids look at me and there just like what the heck. i feel like kids dont like me. but like i said earlier its a lie. put infront of me by satan himself. he makes me think that following the Lord or being a younglife kids makes me diff. so diff. that kids dont like me. but that is such a lie.
i dont know if you feel the same as i do. i dont know if this even makes sense. but i do know when i go into the high school i dont fit in. and thats okay. i dont live life the same way most kids do. and alot of times that scares them. and thats okay. because after following Jesus. after reading His TRUTH, i have realized that in the end its going to be worth it. in the end im going to sit right along side those kids that are probably just as uncomfortable as i am around them. i'll be sitting with them with the Lord and it going to be great.
as we follow Jesus. or just stand up for what we believe in its going to set us apart. its going to put us in a place where we feel as if we dont belong. but dont let that over take you. dont let that bring you down because the truth is we are not made to be a part of this world. we are meant to be a part of the world the Lord created. and this here folks isnt it. i find my heart longing for something more. i know that out there i will find peace, and rest. and i will only find that in Jesus Christ.
This dry season will end. but until then i will keep confronting myself with Christ truth, with Christ's grace, Christ's forgiveness. Christ love. and i will be stomping down Satans lies, and traps, and disgusting spiritual warfare.
Revelations 21:1-7
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
also sidenote:
We're going to Rockbridge this weekend! Cant wait to tell you all about it. Please pray that the kids going will hear the gospel for the first time and know how much they are loved. pray that they will cross over from death to life. Pray for the leaders that they will have alot of energy to keep up with these kids pray that they will ask the hard questions and that they will break down the walls in these high school kids lives.
ill give you an update when i get back! unitl then watch this halarious video. this is where im going for the weekend #cantwait
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsFZ2A04hgM&feature=youtu.be
"Sometimes I feel incredibly disconnected, really uncomfortable in my own skin, or kind of like I don't fit into this world. Like I was born at the wrong time and I don't belong. I just think about my son, and it scares me, because... I don't ever want him to feel like he doesn't belong. I don't know if my heart could bear that."
These words are from Haley James Scott from one tree hill. Today i watched my favorite episode its called pictures of you if you ever want to watch it. This year hasnt been the year i expected to be. Its been a lot harder, alot more heartbreaking. and to be honest im stoked to get out of here. I was talking to one of my dear friends georgia last night and i was like its not like i could blog this. Its not that i can just tell the world you know life sucks right now. But today as haley was talking she took the words right out of my mouth.
You know i wouldnt change my life for anything, no sum of money, no wish could ever get me to trade this. The people i walk through life, the family i am so lucky to be apart of, the things ive gotten to do, and the things i have gotten to witness. i. would. never. change. that. But that doesnt mean its not hard. It doesnt mean that i dont get in arguments with my family just like every other high schooler. It doesnt mean that i dont want to do the things that regular high school kids do. It doesnt mean i dont struggle with hearing the vicious things high school students have to say, and it doesnt mean that there are never days where i just want to get the heck out of that school and never go back. I have disagreements with my friends. I dont like going to school alot of the time. And to be honest i feel like there is so much more i can be doing with my life than just sitting there.
This year has been hard. I guess i walked into senior year thinking it was going to be exactly like Junior year. I loved junior year. it was so far the best year of my life. I witnessed the Lord do huge things. I got to see a glimpse of what the Lord has planned for me. I finally found a purpose. And this year its not like that. It doesnt mean the Lord isnt doing big things it just means that my eyes arent open to His mighty power. this year i have felt like i have lost my purpose. which is such a lie from the pit of hell. I believe in alot of lies satan puts infront of me. I get caught up in alot of his traps.
Following the Lord is one of the greatest things. You know reading the word, and being in fellowship is the greatest. i love it. i love doing ministry and i love just seeing the Lord work. Because of Jesus i do have a purpose. and i have life. freedom. but when i go into high school i feel exactly as haley said it. "...incredibly disconnected, really uncomfortable in my own skin, or kind of like I don't fit into this world. Like I was born at the wrong time and I don't belong..." i feel like kids look at me and there just like what the heck. i feel like kids dont like me. but like i said earlier its a lie. put infront of me by satan himself. he makes me think that following the Lord or being a younglife kids makes me diff. so diff. that kids dont like me. but that is such a lie.
i dont know if you feel the same as i do. i dont know if this even makes sense. but i do know when i go into the high school i dont fit in. and thats okay. i dont live life the same way most kids do. and alot of times that scares them. and thats okay. because after following Jesus. after reading His TRUTH, i have realized that in the end its going to be worth it. in the end im going to sit right along side those kids that are probably just as uncomfortable as i am around them. i'll be sitting with them with the Lord and it going to be great.
as we follow Jesus. or just stand up for what we believe in its going to set us apart. its going to put us in a place where we feel as if we dont belong. but dont let that over take you. dont let that bring you down because the truth is we are not made to be a part of this world. we are meant to be a part of the world the Lord created. and this here folks isnt it. i find my heart longing for something more. i know that out there i will find peace, and rest. and i will only find that in Jesus Christ.
This dry season will end. but until then i will keep confronting myself with Christ truth, with Christ's grace, Christ's forgiveness. Christ love. and i will be stomping down Satans lies, and traps, and disgusting spiritual warfare.
Revelations 21:1-7
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
also sidenote:
We're going to Rockbridge this weekend! Cant wait to tell you all about it. Please pray that the kids going will hear the gospel for the first time and know how much they are loved. pray that they will cross over from death to life. Pray for the leaders that they will have alot of energy to keep up with these kids pray that they will ask the hard questions and that they will break down the walls in these high school kids lives.
ill give you an update when i get back! unitl then watch this halarious video. this is where im going for the weekend #cantwait
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsFZ2A04hgM&feature=youtu.be
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Jesus Paid it All.
Oh goodness sorry i havent blogged in a while. i havent really felt "inspired" to write. and i def dont ever want to feel like i have to write because then it wouldnt be coming from my heart. but anyways lately i have been my inability to do things. more in a spiritual sense than anyhting else. And this weekend was def my breaking point. because of my inability to do things i have also felt because of this im not qualified to do things because im not good enough.
like i have said before i love chasing after high schoolers and showing them that there is a God out there who loves them more than anything else in the world. and can give them more life than any other thing kids are trying to find life in these days. wheather its drugs, alcohol, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends, grades, parents.... anything the Lord is able to fill you more than any of them. but recently i have just felt like i just am not able to do that because everytime i try i fail. everytime i find myself trying to glorify myself, rather than the King. i find myself placing my plans infront of His plans, and in the simple scheme of things i def put One Tree Hill before anything #obsessed. other things i tend to do is give up because the things high schoolers do these days i have never done and how do you relate to someone who finds life in that but i myself havent even done it? Things like that make me feel like i cant show kids Christ. It makes me feel like i am not qualified to bring kids to the foot of the cross.
i sit through school and look at my friends around me and my heart breaks because i know, i KNOW God is out there dying for them to see how much He loves them. I know that God is in their hearts already and He just wants them to feel that. I walk through school and see how so many of my friends are addicted to drugs, or enslaved to alcohol. I look around and see girls who are so broken that the only way that they feel complete is by giving themselves to their boyfriends. I see kids every weekend trying to forget why their life sucks so they drink until they dont remember anything. I see kids working so hard because they want to be the star player that they forget that the sport they are playing is meant to be for fun, and your supposed to enjoy it. i hate witnessing that. i hate seeing how broken our society is. and i hate seeing kids constantly pour themselves into something expecting something in return and in reality they are left emptier than before.
but like these kids i am the same way. i try so hard to be the "christian girl" that everybody expects me to be. i find myself seeing my worth in how many parties im invited to... i feel as if im not good enough for friends because i am not able to keep up with their lifestyles. i too am just like every high schooler. broken by the power of sin, constantly searching for something that will give me life.
this morning when i was having my quiet time i was just praying
"Lord they are so lost. they are so broken. i want to take away all their pain, i want to take away all their suffering. i just want to take it all away from them. except i cant. but Lord you can. you can take away everything that is hindering us. you can fill them with life. everlasting life. but how do i show them that whan alot of times i dont feel it myself because of my inability to follow you whole heartedly?"
and as i was writing this in my journal it hit me that its the cross. the only reason we can feel Christ love is because of the cross. The only way we are ever going to feel alive is by the mighty power of the cross.
we are constantly turning to things that will never fill us, drugs, alcohol, self image, relationships, success, grades, leadership roles. WHEN ARE THESE GOING TO WORK? my heart screams out. but the answer is. there never going to work. these things that we keep shoving into our hearts are never going to work. the only thing that is going to work is following Christ with everything we have. we will finally feel set free at the foot of the cross where Jesus's blood ran out for us so that we could be free from sin.
my failures, my heart, my everything sits at the foot of the cross where it is traded for love. it is traded for mercy. it is traded for salvation.
Jesus died so that we will never have to find life in anything except for him. He died so that when we are lost and indulge in the things life has to offer, we can find redemption and forgiveness because Jesus broke the power of sin. we no longer have to feel trapped by these things. and that is why we are set free. each and every single one of us.
just know that in all of our failures. you are loved. remember in your daily life. you are loved. remember when things dont look like they couldnt get anyworse. you are loved. know that everystep you take Jesus is right beside you.
like i have said before i love chasing after high schoolers and showing them that there is a God out there who loves them more than anything else in the world. and can give them more life than any other thing kids are trying to find life in these days. wheather its drugs, alcohol, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends, grades, parents.... anything the Lord is able to fill you more than any of them. but recently i have just felt like i just am not able to do that because everytime i try i fail. everytime i find myself trying to glorify myself, rather than the King. i find myself placing my plans infront of His plans, and in the simple scheme of things i def put One Tree Hill before anything #obsessed. other things i tend to do is give up because the things high schoolers do these days i have never done and how do you relate to someone who finds life in that but i myself havent even done it? Things like that make me feel like i cant show kids Christ. It makes me feel like i am not qualified to bring kids to the foot of the cross.
i sit through school and look at my friends around me and my heart breaks because i know, i KNOW God is out there dying for them to see how much He loves them. I know that God is in their hearts already and He just wants them to feel that. I walk through school and see how so many of my friends are addicted to drugs, or enslaved to alcohol. I look around and see girls who are so broken that the only way that they feel complete is by giving themselves to their boyfriends. I see kids every weekend trying to forget why their life sucks so they drink until they dont remember anything. I see kids working so hard because they want to be the star player that they forget that the sport they are playing is meant to be for fun, and your supposed to enjoy it. i hate witnessing that. i hate seeing how broken our society is. and i hate seeing kids constantly pour themselves into something expecting something in return and in reality they are left emptier than before.
but like these kids i am the same way. i try so hard to be the "christian girl" that everybody expects me to be. i find myself seeing my worth in how many parties im invited to... i feel as if im not good enough for friends because i am not able to keep up with their lifestyles. i too am just like every high schooler. broken by the power of sin, constantly searching for something that will give me life.
this morning when i was having my quiet time i was just praying
"Lord they are so lost. they are so broken. i want to take away all their pain, i want to take away all their suffering. i just want to take it all away from them. except i cant. but Lord you can. you can take away everything that is hindering us. you can fill them with life. everlasting life. but how do i show them that whan alot of times i dont feel it myself because of my inability to follow you whole heartedly?"
and as i was writing this in my journal it hit me that its the cross. the only reason we can feel Christ love is because of the cross. The only way we are ever going to feel alive is by the mighty power of the cross.
we are constantly turning to things that will never fill us, drugs, alcohol, self image, relationships, success, grades, leadership roles. WHEN ARE THESE GOING TO WORK? my heart screams out. but the answer is. there never going to work. these things that we keep shoving into our hearts are never going to work. the only thing that is going to work is following Christ with everything we have. we will finally feel set free at the foot of the cross where Jesus's blood ran out for us so that we could be free from sin.
my failures, my heart, my everything sits at the foot of the cross where it is traded for love. it is traded for mercy. it is traded for salvation.
Jesus died so that we will never have to find life in anything except for him. He died so that when we are lost and indulge in the things life has to offer, we can find redemption and forgiveness because Jesus broke the power of sin. we no longer have to feel trapped by these things. and that is why we are set free. each and every single one of us.
just know that in all of our failures. you are loved. remember in your daily life. you are loved. remember when things dont look like they couldnt get anyworse. you are loved. know that everystep you take Jesus is right beside you.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
a glimpse of the kingdom
this week has been insane! i got to take my first senior skip day... let me tell you its amazing. just a day to throw my feet back and relax. but i also took it because i got to go to busch gardens with my best friend and his family and we didnt get back until late Sunday night. Let me just tell you it was my first time being on a rollercoaster since elementary school. you know when people say there stomach was in there mouth... after something scary. not only was i petrified and could barely walk after apollos chariet, i also didnt even think i had a stomach.. going down that 90 degree drop i literally thought i was going to die. lololololol but i had such an amzing time. and got the crap scared out of me thanks to hallow-sceam... thanks to it i can safely say i have slept with all my lights on every night. hahahaha. i also got to see my sweet va beach and chesapeake friends and it was just so great to just hang out with them.
Today was a great day. its funny for the past two days i have just been hit with the transition between being confronted with my flaws, and seeing how i can just give them up to the Lord and go into a time of thanksgiving. I am just so greatful for this. because these past few weeks have been hard. it has broke down many walls in my own heart that i didnt even know were up. I realized how self centered, and prideful i am and it has just been really cool to see how the Lord takes my flaws and turns them into His masterpiece.
Today i got an amazing opportunity to hang out with one of my new special needs friends from school that is in graphics while i am in photo. He is awesome, today we got to go take pictures around the school for his graphics project. it was the first time he has ever held a camera and got to take the pictures he wanted to take. at first he took a picture here and there and then all of a sudden it was click click click click click. He started laughing and just pointing the camera at whatever he wanted and just clicked away. The whole time he had the biggest grin on his face, and was having the greatest time ever. He started running up and down the hallways and his aide kept saying i have never seen him so happy. i had an amazing time just seeing how happy taking pictures made Shaheem. in this i saw the Lord. i saw the Lord in Him and giving him joy alot of high school students dont have these days. Shaheem is full of life. and its amazing.
later tonight i got to sit and talk with three of my closest friends about real stuff. about following Christ and how our hearts feel. I am so fortuneate to have this every wednesday night. we have been meeting since the end of my sophomore year and i just cant even tell you how much the Lord has worked through our own hearts, and in each others lives. as i sit here and write this my heart just swells because i am just so blessed to have them in my life keeping me on track and pursuing me in the Lord.
tonight we talked about the Kingdom of Heaven and what it looks like to us.
I cannot wait to get to the Kingdom. One time becs was talking and she was saying that once we get to heaven every kid that we have walked through life with, every kid that we have felt called to, every kid that we loved on for Christ, we will get to wrap our arms around them and bring them home. the kingdom to me is going to be with all my closest friends, all the kids that i have walked throuh life with, my family, everyone sitting at this table (kind of like that classic movie huge thanksgiving table like where the whole family is there eating and is so happy to be with each other you know?) eating dinner with the Lord. I imagine that were going to get to sit there with our Father and have no more pain, were going to have no more fear, and we are just going to have extreme joy, and life, and love. Its going to be the best. i imagine that the Lord is going to come up to me and were going to finally get to be together. when i think of heaven i think of the Lord my dad and i just going to get to go the the field and hit some softballs around. i just cant even wait.
i get chills just thinking about it. but the Kingdom doesnt have to wait. the Kingdom is here now. Jesus is already here. He is living in us and the Kingdom is here. we no longer have to hold back, we no long have to hide because Christ is here. high school is a dark place but Christ is there. the kingdom is there. Christ goes with us to our jobs, our homes, our colleges... everywhere he is there. The kingdom is there. dont just wait for the kingdom because it is right infront of us. live like you are living in the kindom everyday. just like my friend shaheem, he found it. i believe with all my heart that Shaheem has found it. he has found where there is life.
have you?
Today was a great day. its funny for the past two days i have just been hit with the transition between being confronted with my flaws, and seeing how i can just give them up to the Lord and go into a time of thanksgiving. I am just so greatful for this. because these past few weeks have been hard. it has broke down many walls in my own heart that i didnt even know were up. I realized how self centered, and prideful i am and it has just been really cool to see how the Lord takes my flaws and turns them into His masterpiece.
Today i got an amazing opportunity to hang out with one of my new special needs friends from school that is in graphics while i am in photo. He is awesome, today we got to go take pictures around the school for his graphics project. it was the first time he has ever held a camera and got to take the pictures he wanted to take. at first he took a picture here and there and then all of a sudden it was click click click click click. He started laughing and just pointing the camera at whatever he wanted and just clicked away. The whole time he had the biggest grin on his face, and was having the greatest time ever. He started running up and down the hallways and his aide kept saying i have never seen him so happy. i had an amazing time just seeing how happy taking pictures made Shaheem. in this i saw the Lord. i saw the Lord in Him and giving him joy alot of high school students dont have these days. Shaheem is full of life. and its amazing.
later tonight i got to sit and talk with three of my closest friends about real stuff. about following Christ and how our hearts feel. I am so fortuneate to have this every wednesday night. we have been meeting since the end of my sophomore year and i just cant even tell you how much the Lord has worked through our own hearts, and in each others lives. as i sit here and write this my heart just swells because i am just so blessed to have them in my life keeping me on track and pursuing me in the Lord.
tonight we talked about the Kingdom of Heaven and what it looks like to us.
I cannot wait to get to the Kingdom. One time becs was talking and she was saying that once we get to heaven every kid that we have walked through life with, every kid that we have felt called to, every kid that we loved on for Christ, we will get to wrap our arms around them and bring them home. the kingdom to me is going to be with all my closest friends, all the kids that i have walked throuh life with, my family, everyone sitting at this table (kind of like that classic movie huge thanksgiving table like where the whole family is there eating and is so happy to be with each other you know?) eating dinner with the Lord. I imagine that were going to get to sit there with our Father and have no more pain, were going to have no more fear, and we are just going to have extreme joy, and life, and love. Its going to be the best. i imagine that the Lord is going to come up to me and were going to finally get to be together. when i think of heaven i think of the Lord my dad and i just going to get to go the the field and hit some softballs around. i just cant even wait.
i get chills just thinking about it. but the Kingdom doesnt have to wait. the Kingdom is here now. Jesus is already here. He is living in us and the Kingdom is here. we no longer have to hold back, we no long have to hide because Christ is here. high school is a dark place but Christ is there. the kingdom is there. Christ goes with us to our jobs, our homes, our colleges... everywhere he is there. The kingdom is there. dont just wait for the kingdom because it is right infront of us. live like you are living in the kindom everyday. just like my friend shaheem, he found it. i believe with all my heart that Shaheem has found it. he has found where there is life.
have you?
Thursday, October 18, 2012
home sweet home.
oh my gosh seriously i am so sorry i havent posted in so long. basically my life has been so crazy lately i havent had time to slow down. but right now i just got home from a day trip to DC and im WIDE AWAKE!!!! ahhhh school should be fun tomorrow lololololol.
well to start out idk what the heck has been up with me lately but following the Lord at school has been extremely difficult. but you know this is a process and im just trying to figure out how to follow Christ through this crazy life. (:
well anyways this past weekend i had some incredible people come down to visit. the kids that came down were from my work crew and we just had a blast... well i know i did lololol if you dont know what work crew is its where high schoolers volunteer a month of their summer at a younglife camp and serve kids that are going to camp. Work crew was one of the most amazing things i have been able to be apart of and i am so so so thankful for what the Lord has provided me through that. For my work crew we were only working for 2 weeks up at Rockbridge. its about an hour and half away from here. and seriously Rockbridge is home to me. I have actually never been to any other younglife camps. fun fact of the day (:
but Rockbridge is what i consider home in Middle school i realized that following the Lord is what i was created to do there at Rockbridge. that week i felt Christ love for me way down in the depths of my heart for the first time. also at Rockbridge i met my two best friends tyler and tommy. we were the three kids that were always at club on friday nights and we just decided at camp one day that we wanted our friends to expirience the same thing we were expiriencing so from then on we have been best friends chasing after our other friends to come to club. then i also went with my two of my best friends for summer camp going into junior year. Becca our leader talked to me and hans about really just chasing after the girls that were going to be in our cabins. just laying it all down for Christ and chasing our hearts out for these girls. so all three of us buckled down and gave it our all. we lived every moment by Matthew 10:39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. and by the end of the week i had seen the Lord do HUGE things through my own life, and my friends lives, and just about everything. That week was one of the best weeks of my life. Because of that week i realized that attempting to chase after Christ and my friends was not a crazy far fetched idea, but it could be a reality. Later that fall i was given the opportunity to lead a cabin at fall weekend full of sophomore girls and a few freshman at Rockbridge. This is where i knew this is what the Lord was calling me to do for the rest of my life. my heart was so broken for the girls who didnt know Christ. and i just fell in love with Christ using me to chase after His lost Children. at Rockbridge Christ called me to the Younglife ministry and i will never forget that. but now to this previous summer. i was able to go back to that beloved place, Rockbridge, and serve kids coming to camp behind the scenes as a laundry girl for two weeks. i met some of my now best friends that i have no doubt in my heart that i will walk with them through life every single day. work crew was one of the best things that has ever happened to me and i will always cherish it in my heart and i am just so blessed to have these incredible people surrounding me as i walk with the Lord.
but this weekend was different. this weekend wasnt at Rockbridge but at my own home. the fellowship, and love, and friendship are all still the same even though we are not in Rockbridge. and it made me realize that Rockbridge isnt just in Virginia, but its in each of our hearts going with us out into the world. But heres the thing Rockbridge wouldnt be so special if it wasnt for Jesus. It wouldnt feel like home if it wasnt for Jesus. Work Crew would have never worked if it wasnt for Jesus. And because of Jesus working through each of these things we are now able to take Rockbridge to others. Even if they arent at camp. Rockbridge is just a tool for Jesus to bring kids back home. but He is the real reason why Rockbridge is so special.
Jesus isnt just a person who came here and did cool miracles that we still talk about today. Jesus is a person who died so that He could know you personally, and so that you could be free.
well to start out idk what the heck has been up with me lately but following the Lord at school has been extremely difficult. but you know this is a process and im just trying to figure out how to follow Christ through this crazy life. (:
well anyways this past weekend i had some incredible people come down to visit. the kids that came down were from my work crew and we just had a blast... well i know i did lololol if you dont know what work crew is its where high schoolers volunteer a month of their summer at a younglife camp and serve kids that are going to camp. Work crew was one of the most amazing things i have been able to be apart of and i am so so so thankful for what the Lord has provided me through that. For my work crew we were only working for 2 weeks up at Rockbridge. its about an hour and half away from here. and seriously Rockbridge is home to me. I have actually never been to any other younglife camps. fun fact of the day (:
but Rockbridge is what i consider home in Middle school i realized that following the Lord is what i was created to do there at Rockbridge. that week i felt Christ love for me way down in the depths of my heart for the first time. also at Rockbridge i met my two best friends tyler and tommy. we were the three kids that were always at club on friday nights and we just decided at camp one day that we wanted our friends to expirience the same thing we were expiriencing so from then on we have been best friends chasing after our other friends to come to club. then i also went with my two of my best friends for summer camp going into junior year. Becca our leader talked to me and hans about really just chasing after the girls that were going to be in our cabins. just laying it all down for Christ and chasing our hearts out for these girls. so all three of us buckled down and gave it our all. we lived every moment by Matthew 10:39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. and by the end of the week i had seen the Lord do HUGE things through my own life, and my friends lives, and just about everything. That week was one of the best weeks of my life. Because of that week i realized that attempting to chase after Christ and my friends was not a crazy far fetched idea, but it could be a reality. Later that fall i was given the opportunity to lead a cabin at fall weekend full of sophomore girls and a few freshman at Rockbridge. This is where i knew this is what the Lord was calling me to do for the rest of my life. my heart was so broken for the girls who didnt know Christ. and i just fell in love with Christ using me to chase after His lost Children. at Rockbridge Christ called me to the Younglife ministry and i will never forget that. but now to this previous summer. i was able to go back to that beloved place, Rockbridge, and serve kids coming to camp behind the scenes as a laundry girl for two weeks. i met some of my now best friends that i have no doubt in my heart that i will walk with them through life every single day. work crew was one of the best things that has ever happened to me and i will always cherish it in my heart and i am just so blessed to have these incredible people surrounding me as i walk with the Lord.
but this weekend was different. this weekend wasnt at Rockbridge but at my own home. the fellowship, and love, and friendship are all still the same even though we are not in Rockbridge. and it made me realize that Rockbridge isnt just in Virginia, but its in each of our hearts going with us out into the world. But heres the thing Rockbridge wouldnt be so special if it wasnt for Jesus. It wouldnt feel like home if it wasnt for Jesus. Work Crew would have never worked if it wasnt for Jesus. And because of Jesus working through each of these things we are now able to take Rockbridge to others. Even if they arent at camp. Rockbridge is just a tool for Jesus to bring kids back home. but He is the real reason why Rockbridge is so special.
Jesus isnt just a person who came here and did cool miracles that we still talk about today. Jesus is a person who died so that He could know you personally, and so that you could be free.
sweet ohians. and joel... he's from scotland
all of us at my house for a quick photo op
right before everyone left
alot of the work crew couldnt make it this weekend and we missed you all terribly. i cannot wait till were all reunited again. i am constantly praying for all of you and i miss you terribly. you are all incredible people and i am so lucky to have you a part of my life. keep chasing after the Lord as hard as you do because the Lord shines so brightly through each and every single one of you. one thing we talked about this weekend was that work crew doesnt just have to exsist with our group, it doesnt just exsist at Rockbridge. getting a group like this one it can happen anywhere. with your friends at home, your family. anywhere. Jesus can do HUGE things through just some people trying to chase after Him. He CAN bring groups of people together to make a big difference. dont ever stop believing in His mighty power.
i love you all.
hp
Sunday, October 7, 2012
family ties
this weekend i got to get away. i needed to get away from my busy life and just have the opportunity to slow down and find myself. i needed time to see what the Lord has done in my own life. i think alot of times we get so caught up in the rush of our lives and we forget to slow down and take care of ourselves. also it was homecoming weekend in Blacksburg so i took the opportunity to get as far as i could away from that. hahahaha homecoming isnt really my thing i would much rather be spending my time in the mountains, in a little town called Independence. so i got in my car friday after school and headed to Independence.
Independence is a little town that only has two stop lights, it used to only have one but in the past five years have put in another one. i love it here. i love small towns and the culture that lies in the people. i love sitting in a resturaunt with my family and everyone that walks in knows you. i love how a brief hello turns into a ten min conversation of how your week has gone. my mom grew up here so most of the time i am introduced as Marquetta's oldest daughter and then that proceeds to awww i remember when you were this big. (indecating the last time they saw me i was the size of an umpa loompa) i keep starting sentences with i love. but i really cant even resist because my heart literally has fallen in love with small little town and longs to be a part of it.
i see Christ in this town so much. i see how people genuinely care about the individual, and i see how they see the importance of family. i see Christ moving in the deepest most inner parts of people here. wheather or not they believe, Christ is so evident and reminds me how no matter where we are in our walks with Christ He is with us always. Here there is no concept of time. There is no "were going to be late" and no "hurry up" its all at everyones own convinence.
here everyone is family. which has taught me so much of what the body of Christ looks like. recently i have been reading "Kings Cross" by Tim Keller. he says "to gorify others means to unconditionally serve them, not because we're getting anything out of it, just because of our love and appreciation for who they truly are." i know i forget this almost everyday. serving becomes such a chore, and i forget that i am not serving a stranger, but someone who is part of my family in Christ. i am not serving them just because they are lost. but because of how Christ has chosen every single one of us to be a part of the HUGE family. this family does not just consist of our friends and our relatives, but people we have never met. people that are of different ethnicities, and different cultures. they live on different continents, and in different countries. when i look at the people around me i shouldnt see a stranger, but a brother, or a sister.
but even though Independence is a wonderful small town there is still hardship here. people still struggle with what everyone else in the world struggles with. people here are still lost. they are still searching for something that will give them life. and i pray for them. i pray my heart out that they will eventually see the Lord. i pray for the kids that go to school here, i pray that they know that there is a huge world out there waiting for them. i pray that one day they will see the love here in this town, that they will remember how one person took the time out of there day to see how they were doing, and know that it was Christ.
my heart has been renewed this weekend. Christ reminded me of how much i love showing people how much He cares for them, and how much He loves them. i was reminded of how i am called to serve my brothers and sisters back in Blacksburg. and yes it is hard. and somedays i am over whelmed with how my heart breaks for my friends. but our God is an awesome God and He is walking with us every single day at our own pace. and He loves us so much and cannot wait for us to come home to Him.
Independence is a little town that only has two stop lights, it used to only have one but in the past five years have put in another one. i love it here. i love small towns and the culture that lies in the people. i love sitting in a resturaunt with my family and everyone that walks in knows you. i love how a brief hello turns into a ten min conversation of how your week has gone. my mom grew up here so most of the time i am introduced as Marquetta's oldest daughter and then that proceeds to awww i remember when you were this big. (indecating the last time they saw me i was the size of an umpa loompa) i keep starting sentences with i love. but i really cant even resist because my heart literally has fallen in love with small little town and longs to be a part of it.
i see Christ in this town so much. i see how people genuinely care about the individual, and i see how they see the importance of family. i see Christ moving in the deepest most inner parts of people here. wheather or not they believe, Christ is so evident and reminds me how no matter where we are in our walks with Christ He is with us always. Here there is no concept of time. There is no "were going to be late" and no "hurry up" its all at everyones own convinence.
here everyone is family. which has taught me so much of what the body of Christ looks like. recently i have been reading "Kings Cross" by Tim Keller. he says "to gorify others means to unconditionally serve them, not because we're getting anything out of it, just because of our love and appreciation for who they truly are." i know i forget this almost everyday. serving becomes such a chore, and i forget that i am not serving a stranger, but someone who is part of my family in Christ. i am not serving them just because they are lost. but because of how Christ has chosen every single one of us to be a part of the HUGE family. this family does not just consist of our friends and our relatives, but people we have never met. people that are of different ethnicities, and different cultures. they live on different continents, and in different countries. when i look at the people around me i shouldnt see a stranger, but a brother, or a sister.
but even though Independence is a wonderful small town there is still hardship here. people still struggle with what everyone else in the world struggles with. people here are still lost. they are still searching for something that will give them life. and i pray for them. i pray my heart out that they will eventually see the Lord. i pray for the kids that go to school here, i pray that they know that there is a huge world out there waiting for them. i pray that one day they will see the love here in this town, that they will remember how one person took the time out of there day to see how they were doing, and know that it was Christ.
my heart has been renewed this weekend. Christ reminded me of how much i love showing people how much He cares for them, and how much He loves them. i was reminded of how i am called to serve my brothers and sisters back in Blacksburg. and yes it is hard. and somedays i am over whelmed with how my heart breaks for my friends. but our God is an awesome God and He is walking with us every single day at our own pace. and He loves us so much and cannot wait for us to come home to Him.
Monday, October 1, 2012
you are called. & sweet baby brooklyn
as i sit here in write this for the 20th time i have no idea what to write about. the past week has brought extreme highs and extreme lows. i have felt lost and alone in this walk with the Lord, and i somewhat gave up hope that i am called to walk into a high school and be an example for Christ. alot of days i sit through class and im like what the heck am i supposed to be doing here. i look around me and see a bunch of kids who think i am crazy. i miss my work crew friends aton, and i now understand how much i took for granted those 14 days that we were all together and had the opportunity to just sit and talk about Christ whenever i wished. time is flying by and i am still trying to catch up with last week.
but our God is a great God who see's me struggling and picks me up and carries me through this.
Matthew 4:18-22
Just like these disciples Christ met me in the middle of what i found life in. and he called me. i was called to follow a God that i knew nothing about. i was called to love on my friends, my family, and my enemies. i wasn't called to follow the crowd but to follow Christ. i am called to let Christ do the work through me and allow Him to equip me for what His plans entail. and its hard, like these past few days have worn down my heart. i mess up and i believe in the lies satan puts infront of me but it doesnt matter because God gave His one and only Son to die for me. to die for you so that through our mess ups. through our disbelief, through our times of trials, He could be there with us every step of the way. that He could bare the pain for us and love us anyways.
we are not called to sit around and do the things that society tells us to do. we are not here to follow the plans that are normal. we are called to follow Christ. we are called to love Christ. and when we do that we will witness what we were blind to before. we will witness His mighty power. we will feel His endless love. we will be a part of something that we never thought was possible.
when you are struggling dont give up hope. i promise, it will get better i promise that the Lord is fighting for you. i promise that in the end you will witness Christ in ways you never have before. i am praying for all of you reading this and struggling. i will continue to pray for you. know that you are not alone in this, know that there are so many of us that are here for you, and we will continue to be here for you forever.
Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
Exodus 14:14
"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
one last thing.
but our God is a great God who see's me struggling and picks me up and carries me through this.
Matthew 4:18-22
18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20 And they left their nets at once and followed him.
21 A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. 22 They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.Just like these disciples Christ met me in the middle of what i found life in. and he called me. i was called to follow a God that i knew nothing about. i was called to love on my friends, my family, and my enemies. i wasn't called to follow the crowd but to follow Christ. i am called to let Christ do the work through me and allow Him to equip me for what His plans entail. and its hard, like these past few days have worn down my heart. i mess up and i believe in the lies satan puts infront of me but it doesnt matter because God gave His one and only Son to die for me. to die for you so that through our mess ups. through our disbelief, through our times of trials, He could be there with us every step of the way. that He could bare the pain for us and love us anyways.
we are not called to sit around and do the things that society tells us to do. we are not here to follow the plans that are normal. we are called to follow Christ. we are called to love Christ. and when we do that we will witness what we were blind to before. we will witness His mighty power. we will feel His endless love. we will be a part of something that we never thought was possible.
when you are struggling dont give up hope. i promise, it will get better i promise that the Lord is fighting for you. i promise that in the end you will witness Christ in ways you never have before. i am praying for all of you reading this and struggling. i will continue to pray for you. know that you are not alone in this, know that there are so many of us that are here for you, and we will continue to be here for you forever.
Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
Exodus 14:14
"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
one last thing.
this weekend i got to meet an incredible woman who literally radiates Christ light. Her name is Kristen. Kristen and her husband gave birth to a sweet baby girl name Brooklyn three months ago. Brooklyn was born with a hole in her heart and has recently had surgery. although the surgery went well B's post ops have had huge complications. in the past week she has been put on strong medicine that have huge side effects one of which her brain could start bleeding. But brooklyn is a fighter last week she has fought with everything she has to survive. Both her parents work, but have exausted their FMLA between having to work to mantain daily life and going back and forth from here to Charlottesville to be with Brooklyn.
and for alll of you reading this. i am asking you to pray. pray with everything you got for this beautiful little girl. pray that she will not start bleeding because of the medicine, pray for the doctors hands, and for her parents. pray for her parents that they will find rest in the Lord as they do as much as they can for their daughter. pray that they will not have to worry about anything except for the recovery of their daughter and that the financial needs will be provided. please pray for baby Brooklyn's recovery.
if you would like to help or would like more information about Brooklyn and her family please contact me at hhailey.p@gmail.com
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Sisters In Christ
The Lord has just surrounded me by such great sisters in Christ. Some which would be far away and others right down the road. One of these fantastic women would be my mom. You know I honestly don't know where I would be without her. This week I have just gotten to see the Lord do HUGE things in her life. and I am just so so so so happy for her.
About a month or so ago we got some new neighbors and they are such strong people in the Lord. Everytime I have had the wonderful opportunity to talk to them the Lord radiates out of them in everything they do.... One day I really hope to be like them. Well anyways, my mom and Gorgia have become friends, and through this friendship Gorgia asked my mom to go to BSF with her this week. My understanding of BSF is a serious bible study with alot of women in the area. I am SO excited for this opportunity for my mom to go meet, and surround herself with women chasing after the Lord.
You have to understand my mom is literally the closest thing to super woman. I don't know how she does it. My mom has ALWAYS put me, my sister, and my dad before herself. She is always willing to serve her family and others before herself, and i see it as an incredible gift from God. and seriously she never complains. I have thrown so many fits, and alot of times taken what she does for me for granted. But she has the amazing ability to over look my mistakes and Love me anyways... some might say Hailey... this is what mothers are called to do. but i will safely say my mother goes above and beyond her call of duty. not only to show me how much she loves me but through her love she shows me everyday how much Christ loves me.
This weekend my mom and I, along with some great friends Pam and Austyn got to go on a girls weekend to Appalachain State University. (Hopefully i will be there next year fingers crossed!!) We left Friday after school and got to Boone, around 6 maybe... i dont really remember, but the whole reason we were down there was to go to ASU's open house on Saturday. Well saturday came and my mom and I got to spend some wonderful mom and daughter time that i will cherish in my heart forever. We walked around campus and she got to see why I have whole heartedly fallen in love with this wonderful place. She got to see that their technical Photography program is one of the best programs i can go into and come out with a job... which for you parents reading this you know how important that is. My mom and I got to see the Lord's plans for the next four years of my life fall out infront of our eyes. He got to assure us wheather I'm at App. State all four years or community college for a semester then a transfer to App that this is His plan and we are called to follow Him because his plans are perfect, and flawless.
I am so thankful for my mom and i am so thankful for how the Lord works through her. I am so glad that we got to have wonderful time together this weekend because our days are so few before im moving out and going to college. Its crazy. I am so excited to see how the Lord moves through us and how close we will get when this new chapter of life unfolds. I hope when i grow up ill be like my mom so eager to serve others and love them whole heartedly. i pray that i have her spunk and generosity. and sassyness. i hope we are all encouraged to be like our moms or our mom like figures in our lives because i believe the Lord uses them in HUGE ways to shape us to become strong women in the Lord.
Thank you mom for being such a wonderful mom to me. i dont know where i would be without you. seriously. i am so encouraged by you every single day and i cannot wait to see the huge things the Lord is going to do through you this year. i love you so incredibly much.
Sidenote: I got to see two wonderful strong sisters in Christ this weekend from work crew it was wonderful being able to see you and be with ya'll for such a short time, i am so encourage by you girls. i pray for everyone from work crew constantly i am so glad to be apart of this wonderful family. i hope to come visit each and everyone of you soon. i love you all so much.
About a month or so ago we got some new neighbors and they are such strong people in the Lord. Everytime I have had the wonderful opportunity to talk to them the Lord radiates out of them in everything they do.... One day I really hope to be like them. Well anyways, my mom and Gorgia have become friends, and through this friendship Gorgia asked my mom to go to BSF with her this week. My understanding of BSF is a serious bible study with alot of women in the area. I am SO excited for this opportunity for my mom to go meet, and surround herself with women chasing after the Lord.
You have to understand my mom is literally the closest thing to super woman. I don't know how she does it. My mom has ALWAYS put me, my sister, and my dad before herself. She is always willing to serve her family and others before herself, and i see it as an incredible gift from God. and seriously she never complains. I have thrown so many fits, and alot of times taken what she does for me for granted. But she has the amazing ability to over look my mistakes and Love me anyways... some might say Hailey... this is what mothers are called to do. but i will safely say my mother goes above and beyond her call of duty. not only to show me how much she loves me but through her love she shows me everyday how much Christ loves me.
This weekend my mom and I, along with some great friends Pam and Austyn got to go on a girls weekend to Appalachain State University. (Hopefully i will be there next year fingers crossed!!) We left Friday after school and got to Boone, around 6 maybe... i dont really remember, but the whole reason we were down there was to go to ASU's open house on Saturday. Well saturday came and my mom and I got to spend some wonderful mom and daughter time that i will cherish in my heart forever. We walked around campus and she got to see why I have whole heartedly fallen in love with this wonderful place. She got to see that their technical Photography program is one of the best programs i can go into and come out with a job... which for you parents reading this you know how important that is. My mom and I got to see the Lord's plans for the next four years of my life fall out infront of our eyes. He got to assure us wheather I'm at App. State all four years or community college for a semester then a transfer to App that this is His plan and we are called to follow Him because his plans are perfect, and flawless.
I am so thankful for my mom and i am so thankful for how the Lord works through her. I am so glad that we got to have wonderful time together this weekend because our days are so few before im moving out and going to college. Its crazy. I am so excited to see how the Lord moves through us and how close we will get when this new chapter of life unfolds. I hope when i grow up ill be like my mom so eager to serve others and love them whole heartedly. i pray that i have her spunk and generosity. and sassyness. i hope we are all encouraged to be like our moms or our mom like figures in our lives because i believe the Lord uses them in HUGE ways to shape us to become strong women in the Lord.
Thank you mom for being such a wonderful mom to me. i dont know where i would be without you. seriously. i am so encouraged by you every single day and i cannot wait to see the huge things the Lord is going to do through you this year. i love you so incredibly much.
Sidenote: I got to see two wonderful strong sisters in Christ this weekend from work crew it was wonderful being able to see you and be with ya'll for such a short time, i am so encourage by you girls. i pray for everyone from work crew constantly i am so glad to be apart of this wonderful family. i hope to come visit each and everyone of you soon. i love you all so much.
Me, Lauren, and Becca (:
Me and Austyn GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!
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