what can i do but offer my heart completely to you.

wow. God is doing such amazing things in my life right now.

whenever i doubt him, he just provides me with even more than i ask for.

im finding great community at murray already.

people who have this great passion for Jesus

and live to serve Him in everything.

i'm having such a great time learning to depend fully on Christ

instead of depending on Christ through others.

i am so excited for what God is doing right now.

in my life, in others, and in the church.

i dont think it is coincidence that the things i've been hearing and reading

are all about loving Jesus radically and changing the world with that love.

i am so ready to break out of the traditional mold of Christianity

and to just live fully for Jesus Christ.

i miss southland and younglife very much though.

but i know God is blessing both of those organizations so much

and doing great things through the people leading there.

i cant wait to come home and experience the growth that is occuring as we speak!

i know God has placed both of these things in my life for a reason.

although i dont quite know those reasons yet ha

but i'll just stay patient and enjoy the ride for now!

I CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT GOD DOES THIS SEMESTER (:

lovealways.

a little update on life;

wow guys. let me just start by saying it has been a crazy/hectic/emotional/chaotic week. i said see you later to a few of my bestest friends in the world and it was one of the hardest things i've ever done. but i know my true friends will always be there when i come home and hopefully write me lots of letters! (:

so saturday morning was move in day! i headed to my dorm around 10am, filled out some paperwork, got my id, got my key and headed up to the 6th floor to check things out. to say the least, i was a bit shocked when i opened the door to my room. it looked NOTHING like the pictures i had. (more like a jail cell!) but after 6 hours of lugging boxes up the stairs, unpacking, and organizing, our little cell turned into a homey little place to live (: (go check out the pics on facebook!)

after getting all settled, we met with our first year leader and had some fun activities planned...

we had a few meetings, a cookout, bingo!, movies, fairs, and last night we got to see a hypnotist!!!! it sounds strange but it was one of the funniest things i've ever seen! ah i loved it.

college life so far is going really well. i'm making new friends everyday and experiencing some independence. also, i finished irresistible revolution and i HIGHLY recommend it to everyone! it was one of the most inspirational books i've ever read. yesterday, i picked up crazy love and i've only read two chapters, but so far i really like it. being "on my own" is a very new, strange experience but i'm definitely learning new stuff about myself and learning to not be so dependent on other people.

well thats all for now friends. hopefully i'll be able to post some more updates at the end of this week. GOD BLESS (:

your name is power, breath, and living water;

can i just tell you how much i am in love with the revelation song! check it out on my music playlist. it rocks my world (:

But anyways...currently i am reading a book called "The Irresistible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne and it is all about living radically for Jesus. I don't think it is a coincidence that this is exactly what Southland's new mission is. Something incredible is about to happen/happening in the church. ( and by the church I mean in the global sense) I think it is about time that we all stop living for ourselves and stop playing it safe. Jesus' life was RADICAL. He didn't stay in his house and pray for the poor, he got out and freaking lived with them! He didn't keep a distance from the needy, he didn't hold back from reaching to the lepers of society, he went there! He loved them by reaching out and touching them. He didn't hide the gospel or only tell people what they wanted to hear...instead he told them what they needed to hear...the very thing that would transform their lives. For way too long, we have been shaping the gospel and even Jesus to make Him safe and the exact thing WE want Him to be instead of the person He is! It's time to stop living in the comfort of our "religion". It's time to stop living for ourselves and start living for Jesus. I'm ending the selfishness of myself. All of the hypocrisy I live by daily. I want my life and every aspect of it to reflect Jesus. I don't want anyone I encounter to question where my faith lies. I'm going to live RADICALLY for Christ. Go where He went. Love the way He loved. See people as people instead of the labels society puts on them. I'm sick of living a double-standard. It's about time I make a change. Why would I ever hide the one thing which has saved me, redeemed me, loved me despite my flaws?? My life has changed in more ways that I can count. I am forever grateful and I'm going to live it out with every ounce of my being!!!!

Some quotes I'm loving:

"In the face of the oppressed I recognize my own face, and in the hands of the oppressor I recognize my own hands. Their flesh is my flesh, their blood is my blood, their pain is my pain, and their smile is my smile." - Henry Nouwen

"The true atheist is the one who refuses to see God's image in the face of their neighbor."

"When we look through the eyes of Jesus, we see new things in people. In the murderers we see our own hatred. In the addicts, we see our own addictions. In the saints, we catch glimpses of our own holiness. We can see our own brokenness, our own violence, our own ability to destroy, and we can see our own sacredness, our own capacity to love and forgive. When we realize that we are both wretched and beautiful, we are freed up to see others the same way." - Shane Claiborne


Oh and if you want to hear some amazing stories of forgiveness, start here:
http://www.theforgivenessproject.com/stories/bud-welch

isn't life beautiful?!

for some reason, i'm just in a picture mood today.
these pictures resemble beauty to me at its finest.
the cross, new zealand mountains, flowers, the sky,
the old, the young, and a helping hand.
i hope these pictures speak to your heart and
encourage you to look for beauty in the small things.
thats all for now (:


LOVE ALWAYS.

Summer is coming to an end....

and this has by far been the best summer of my life. My eyes have been opened to new things and I have met some of the most amazing people. I have learned more about our Creator and thus more about myself. I went to Work Crew at Timberwolf Lake in Michigan and it honestly was a life-changing experience for me. I had the opportunity to serve campers by cleaning bathrooms (which was actually so much fun!). I made friendships that I know are going to last forever even if we live hundreds of miles away. I grew closer to God and saw Him in ways that I never imagined. And I got to take a look at the last 18 years of my life and see how God has redeemed me and transformed me to who I am today. This summer has been one of many changes, to say the least. My mom got married, we moved from Lexington to Nicholasville, and I'm going to Murray for college in two weeks. I am so excited for all of these things happening in my life and also, nervous. But, I know God has great plans for me and so much in store that I have yet to experience. I am more than excited to continue this journey with Him and allow Him to be in control while I sit along for the ride (:

Love always <3