Christ In Youth Conference

This past week (Monday to Saturday) I went to CIY with my church that I intern for the High School Ministry. It was not too far away at Biola University. Our church brought around 40 high schol students. The focus of the week was kind of a reflection of Moses life and a study of his life. It truly was an amazing week. Here are some of my highlights of the week:

1. The second night about 80% of our students stood up in front our youth group to confess the sin in their life that they had been bonded to for year and commited to not letting it have a hold over thier lives.
2. One of the boys in my smal group rededicating his life to Christ.
3. On our free afternoon taking our students to The Ringling Brothers Circus (it was a surprise event)!!!
4. It was a very much needed time for me and my walk with God to just get back on track and be encouraged.
5. Hearing Michael express to me his desire to want to work with CIY someday to help them film documentaries oversea someday.
6. Realizing the idols I have in my own life and being able to set boundaries and get accountability for those things that take away from my relationship with God.

Ok those are just a few of them there are so many more things! But here are some pictures of the week too!

Monday we took the upcoming Seniors to Red Robin as a special celebration of the torch (leadership) being passed onto them this year! It was yummy!

Dress up day!

Pretty much the whole group! Can you find me?!

All the students on the bus unsure at this point what our "Surprise Outing" is going to be!!

Elephants at the Circus!

Britney, Becca, and I at the Circus!

My small group making houses out of gum and toothpicks for an activity we did the last day to give an example of the foundation we set for God abiding in us.

One the final night we were each given a envelope with a challenge in it. It was our choice if we wanted to open it or not but the speaker told us if we opened it that that would be our commitment saying we would do whatever the card said. There were a hundred different choices as to what were in each card. The point of the card was to over the next year have this card completed. I chose to open mine and here is my task! I am excited!!!

Need any Coupons?

I somehow have been getting a lot of coupons in the mail. So last Saturday I thought I would see if I could put them to good use. I spent about an hour cutting out all the different ones I thought I would use and this is what I came up with! Lets see how much money I can save!

Frame Design

With moving into an apartment there are many expenses that I was not aware of. So with that I have to be creative with things. I came up with the idea of going to different thrift stores and just getting picture frames and wasn't sure how it was going to turn out. But I ended up really liking it! What do you think?

Congrats to Mr and Mrs Jacobs

I have known Matt and Becca both since Freshman year of college. They both have been very good friends to me and a lot of my memories from college are with them. They have dated for almost 3 years now and yesterday I had the privilege of attending their beautiful wedding which was at the Muckenthaler Mansion here in Fullerton. Becca looked gorgeous and the wedding was so much fun too! There was even a special touch of Thailand at the wedding with the saw paper fans my mom helped order for her guests to fan themselves.
Michael was in another wedding that day but he made it for the end of it!

Foltz Visit

The Foltz have spent their summer in Santa Cruz and it has been great to see them 3 times this summer. They have been a 6 hour car ride away but on their way here they stopped to visit me and then on the way back they also stopped for 2 days. I can't get enough of the little ones and it is always fun to get time with my big sister Marisa. Jon also was so nice and took car of a lot of stuff I didn't understand about my car. We also made a nice dinner in my apartment too!

Summer Summer... what more can I say!

Silly Collin.

My always happy little Hayley Baby.

4th of July

I know I am a little behind on blogging! For the 4th of July some of my friends went down to Matt and Becca's new apartment which is in downtown Long Beach. It was really fun to go close to the pier and watch the fireworks show and then had a bbq at their apartment. Thought I would share some pictures of the time.

Becca and Leanna waiting for the fireworks to start.

The whole gang. Theo, Jessie, Michael, Becca, and Lee (minus Matt).

Me and my cutie pie, happy to be together on the 4th of July.

Crossroads

It seems that my whole life people continue to ask the question of me

“What do you want to do (fill in the blank)”

-When you grow up?”
-When you are done with Joshua (my discipleship program)?”
-When you go to college?”
-When you are in college?”
-Once you graduate?”
-for a job?”
-With your life?”

The majority of my life has been me wondering “What do I really want to do” and more importantly “What is God calling me to do”. I spend so much time thinking about my future especially right now as I do not have a full time job and I am once again “looking” at my future. I am graduating in December and when I was younger my view of going to college was that you go to college to practice and learn more about what you want to do with your life. Then after going to college you have your future/job planned, set out, and once you graduate you begin that journey.

But right now I feel more confused about what that is, even more than when I started. The only thing that I know right now is that I love God and I want to serve people. I so desperately want to be in a place where I am able to use my gifts and abilities to serve God and to serve other people.

But where is that and how can I find that magical place? And do I continue to search for jobs that I don’t feel like I am really using my gifts but that will pay the bills?

Bottom Line is:

Love God. Love People. Serve God. Serve People.

But is there more?

Sacrifice

The other day after a conversation I began to think about what the balance in relationships should be. A lot of what being in a relationship is, is giving up your own desires and wants. Love is about sacrifice and learning how to love selflessly. But then there is also the factor of not wanting to lose your own self and the things that are really important to you.

So I began to think about the things that are important to me and if I were to let go of them they would change too much of me. There have been points in my life where I have given things up that were important to me. I chose to sacrifice and to put the other persons need in front of my own. Yet later I wondered why I gave that thing up because it was something that I really wanted to do, yet I missed out on.

It comes down to this, I know without a doubt in my mind I love this person. But is it asking too much to give up this one good desire and passion I have.

Will this time be different than the others….

Or will I be able to look back in love….

Pray for Kate

I ask you to right now say a prayer for Kate McRae. Her family is good friends to my family. Just about a week ago her parents took her to the doctors and found that she has a malignant and aggressive tumor on her brain. She had surgery yesterday and the prognosis is not good so far. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes right now. Here is a video of her parents expressing their story and specific prayer request for her.

For updates on Kate or to learn more about her story. Please go to this website http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate

Welcome the Turtles

My big purchase from Chinatown this past Sunday was turtles! My roommates and I bought 3 so we each could have own own. I named my Squiggles. Candace named her's Squishy. Leanna named her's Pow (Leanna us all to name them Boom, Boom, and Pow but Candace and I refused).

In Chinatown right after the big purchase.

Turtle love.