how the story unfolds

Ever had to do something you were not so fond of? Today I was not so excited to go to a youth field day that was scheduled. Sports typically aren't my thing, besides soccer. So I went with the intentions to sit and chill. The youth at the host church were so great! We hit it off right away. The first game we did was ultimate Frisbee. I've heard of it, but didn't think it was for me. Ha, was I wrong! I had a blast, and my team won both times we played to 15. The idea of the game is to advance the Frisbee down the field to your goal, except once you get the Frisbee you have to stop and throw it at the spot. What I would give for instant replay. After that we went inside to the wonderful air conditioning and ate watermelon. After that we played pool and Dance Dance Revolution. Anyway I had a great time and were planning to have the same youth over at our church really soon.

I'm so excited about next Thursday! Eclipse comes out tomorrow at midnight. I went and saw new moon at midnight, but my parents didn't like how late it was. So I have my tickets for Thursday at 7:15. It is going to be so epic. I was one of those people who read twilight before it got popular. I hate how when something gets this popular some people blow it off. It really is a great book series that I recommend to anyone. From the previews that I have seen it is going to be amazing. I know Victoria's actor, Rachelle Lefevre, was replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard. So I'm excited to see how she does. Eclipse is my second favorite book in the series. I personally can't wait to see when Bella dumps Jacob. I am more on the vampire side, so yea Team Edward!

I'm actually about to go do a photo shoot that is themed about eclipse. I think I'm going to paint a ribbon across my face. For my flickr of course! Link is to your right I believe. I will probably upload it tomorrow sometime, but most likely I'll post it here too.

Listen to: Airplanes by B.O.B

Seek and you will find, they say

Wow I'm actually posting regularlly now, miracles do happen. So homecoming was yesterday at our church. I believe it's the one hundred and twenty-second homecoming since our church has been standing. Yea it's ancient. God has really blessed our church in so many ways. The sermon was about us as christians being aliens in this world. It was really good and quite stiring.


So yesterday I kidnapped my bestfriend, not really, and we hung our for a while. I took a quick picture of her ^. She is just such a great model. We have done a few photo shoots together, and she never dissappoints me. A pretty odd thing about that is the fact that every time we take pictures we see snakes. I think our count now is 3 snakes. I absolutely loathe snakes. They for real freak me out, and somehow everytime we do a photoshoot we come extremely close to some, I mean extremely close! But besides that we always have a blast. Lacey is my bestfriend and she is so special and talented. She really has what they call a servant's heart. She gives and gives without even thinking of her self. She would go to the ends of the earth to please someone. She really is the kindest person I know and I hope that never changes.


So yeserday I did the most hillarious thing! My mom has this christian walk video for in home walking. I did it with her and it was so much fun. I have never done cardio or anything, but it was pretty cool. That probably sounds so lame, but it wasn't.

^ So you may be wondering why my brother is in the middle of this page. I took some pics of my mom in front of our church yesterday, and managed to snap a few of him as well. I really like how it turned out. He can be pretty photogenic at times.

Today at twelve we have the food distribution at our church. It's kinda like a food bank thing. About two hundred people, that are qualified, sign up for this. It really is fun helping people that need it. The prison team actually helps us and they do an amazing job. I really am looking forward to it today. I think this is the type of thing that stores us up treasure in heaven. This is the type of thing that will last forever. It really is an amazing ministry that God has blessed.

I am so ready for my mother to get home today! My camera died yeserday, apparently I take to many picture. Were getting rechargable ones this time so I won't have to worry about it for a while.

Listen to desperate: fireflight

Thoughtful Battlefields

heres a verse I have been memorizing.( trying to start scripture memory, good habits)

No man should say God is tempting me, because God cannot be tempted by evil nor does he temp anyone. But each is corrupted by his on evil desires, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has concieved it gives birth to sin and sin, when full grown, gives birth to death

James 1:13-15

So anyway today God spoke to me and said that he placed weaknesses in each of our lives so we could over come them, with his help, and give him the glory. That's what this verse kinda means to me.

Anyway so that really spoke to me today, just thought I would share that.

I booked another photoshoot with a friend of mine this friday. Hope it goes well:D

new photo, called I was born into a world of imaginary friends

Stranded

So today was quite.........interesting. I expected to come back and blog about a fun, hilarious, frikkin awesome tubing trip down the Etchetucknee river. But sadly I will not be blogging about that.

On the way up to our "epic adventure" our bus started having problems. We were almost in Florida at the time. So we pulled over to a convenient auto repair shop and was told it wouldn't take more than an hour, okay no big deal. So we went ahead and had lunch at dairy queen, that was joined onto a souvenir/ gas station. Turns out they couldn't fix it until Monday! So we walked around the gas station for about 3 hours! It was blazing hot outside so we were trapped. We finally just resulted into laying on the floor in the back of the store, and we probably spent over $10.00 on the claw machine for entertainment!

But through it all we had fun, and maybe God allowed us to break down, because we might have been in an accident if we kept going. You never know what the lord is up to?!

I did this photo to show just how hobo-like and desperate we all felt. ha a humbling experience for sure!

Long time no blog

So I have finally got to posting again. I revamped my blog, thanks to my mom. I'm good with computers, but was totally lost when it came to blogger. So I'm gonna try and post regularly from now on. This will be all over the place, but you have missed a lot.

I have been so busy with my photography for one. I am so much better than I used to be. I thank God for giving me the passion and ability to do so. I'll be sure to post my photos occasionally.

I just got back from Global Youth Ministries Camp in Laguna Beach. It was so amazing! I really got so much closer to God. He convicted me of tons of things I needed to change. He showed me how to be a leader. Our youth group had an amazing experience, particularly the worship. A lot of barriers were broken down and we just let go and praised God for who he is. The fire kinda died down from last years camp, but it up and high now. We plan to keep it that way too! We have so much planned to do in our community and our school to give the people who are searching for something the thing they really need. Jesus Christ. No doubt about it, we all have a hole that we can't fill, a longing that really can hurt sometimes, and makes us who we are. That void can only be filled by Jesus Christ! So you'll be hearing a lot about that process!

I have also decided to start photo shoots this summer! I couldn't get a job, no tears there, so I need money if I plan to be a teenager and stuff. Hahaha. I drive now, that's new! I really grown up so much and I can't wait to fill you all in on the amazing roller coaster of an experience it has been( and still continues)

So until then, Later :) God Bless!

2010!

wow! It's been almost a year since I have been on blogger. So much has changed. I'm almost finished with my sophmore year! Summer is all I can think about. I have allot planned; A youth camp @ Laguna Beach, a mission trip with my parents to Oklahoma, another trip to the beach for a wedding. There will probably be tons more, perhaps I'll update occasionally. So until then.......

These simple truths...

Recently, my mom showed me a song entitled The words I would say. It is a beautiful song that really spoke to me.

If we were face to face,I'd tell you just what you mean to me,

I'd tell you these simple truths,Be strong in the Lord and,Never give up hope,

You're going to do great things,

I already know,God's got His hand on you so,

Don't live life in fear,Forgive and forget,But don't forget why you're here,

Take your time and pray,

These are the words I would say,

This song really lifted me up that day, from the pit I felt trapped in. I loved the lyrics, because I felt they applied to me. I hope you feel the truth in them as much as I do.

I also learned something this week from my pastor's sermon. He said Misery is optional.

I used to feel like I had to feel absolutely terrible in order to be forgiven from my sins. I was shocked to be told that you don't have to go through misery. Wallowing in self pity is strictly a choice. God wants you to be hopeful, thankful, and joyful when you are forgiven. He loves you and without a doubt he is faithful and just to forgive us.

Love the lord your God with

all your soul,

with all your mind, and

with all your strength.

getting to know the real God....

Well today was great. After rereading The Shack, I realized that when I prayed, I was praying to thin air. I didn't picture talking to God like we should. I realized that God is actually there. I felt like a had seen him for the first time. Like a song says, I fell harder than the first time. All through out today I was aware of God beside me. In church I imagined God walking among our congregation reading people's hearts. I pictured him laughing at the jokes made and smiling at our praise to him. I feel like I understand God a little bit more, but I will never fully understand him. NEVER! God is so amazing:) I love him even more now and am so lucky to have him as my best friend. Its amazes me how he, the creator of the flippin universe, cares the slightest bit about me. But he does! He cares about every breath I take and every move I make. Lol. I know, that was cheesy. Haha. But he really does care. He loves us that much. Knowing he is there makes it that much easier to live for him. I love him and am so proud to call him my savior!

Wrapped in a fog of alienation.....

Ever thought someone was your friend, then they turned their back on you? ever had someone who was all smiles and laughs until you let your guard down and they stabbed you in the back? From experience I've learned your lucky if you have one true friend. A true friend to me is someone you can confide in. A true friend is the first person you go to with a problem. They're always there and never let you down. That's no saying you want get in fights here and there, but a true friend is quick to forgive. Nothing tests a "friendship" like danger. If someone is not your friend they won't think twice about ditching you in the face of danger. A true friend stays with you through the thick and thin.

My issue is that I'll trust anyone. I've been hurt a number of times by so called "friends" that I trusted. A true friend isn't interested in what they get out of your friendship. Trust is something someone should earn. Being gullible doesn't work, trust me.

The saying about true friends being hard to find is quite true. I'm lucky enough to have a few true friends that I know would never turn their back on me, and for that I'm thankful.

When I was younger.....

Today I had the pleasure of tagging along with my mom to an interview for the paper. My mom was interviewing Mrs. Betty brown and her son about Mashburn & Fitzgerald, the store they own. So I got to be my mom's photographer today. Mashburn & Fitzgerald is currently a hardware store, where you can by household items, tools, etc. The building, the store is located in, is around a hundred years old. It was really cool. The store was really booming back in the day. hahaha. Anyway, the most interesting part of the trip was the interview. Mrs. Betty Brown is the sweetest lady I have ever met. She told me about what things were like when she was my age. It was really quite interesting. She, unlike allot of older seniors, can appeal to young people. Listening to her made me realize just how much our world has changed. Back then everything was easier. They're were fewer weirdos running around. Lol. It was like being taken back in time as I listened to Mrs. Betty tell me about her childhood and what Rochelle was like in her days. I find that a great deal of wisdom can be learned from people like her. Listening to senior citizens could very well help todays generation from making mistakes that have already been made before. Just because somethings older doesn't mean you can't learn from it.

(Mrs. Betty and her son Royal)

Your resentment is delicious.

This new show called Glee is amazing! I love it. It comes on at 9:00 on Wednesdays on ABC Family. It a really great show about a Glee club, obviously. The cheer leading coach, Sue, hates Glee and does everything in her power to get rid of it. The kids in Glee are considered losers and are the outcast of the social crowd, but all of them joined Glee wanting to be somebody. The characters in Glee club range from football players to a black girl with a killer voice. Its also a really funny show. I almost died laughing when the football players busted out doing single ladies at a Friday night game. L.MF.O. So anyway I give this show five stars and recommend you watch it. It's Great!

If looks could kill....

If looks could kill, there would be some casualties at the moment. I'm not one to get mad, but when I do my bark is as dangerous as my bite. Well enough about me.

Actually my title is mores than a quote, it's a fact. Today people are obsessed with their looks. I know, glass houses. I'm just as bad. The fact is looks have become so important it's actually killing us. Whether it's Botox, teeth whitening, hair cuts, plastic surgery, or diet plans. Humans as a whole, focus on their flaws, and try to perfect them. There is no telling how many of suicides are caused by not reaching perfection. I honestly feel sorry for celebrities, who have to look perfect or risk rejection. "Looks" today are the furthest thing from natural as they could be. You have to have flawless skin, beautiful hair, designer clothes, and perfect teeth. Then people get disappointed when they can't reach perfection in any of those areas. We put allot of energy into making sure the outside looks good when we should be focusing on the inside. If we put that much energy into task like saving natural resources, discovering the cure for cancer, or having a relationship with Jesus Christ, the world would be a much better place.

By no means am I saying looks don't matter. I would be lying if I said that. I just mean they shouldn't be so important that they're killing us!

Brush up on your history......

Today in history we studied the Spartans and the Battle of Thermopylae. If you have ever seen the movie 300 you're ahead of the game. If not don't sweat it. Basically the Spartans were at war with the Persians. Even though they were greatly outnumbered, the Spartans fought bravely and fought to the death. Some happy ending right? Even though they were killed, they provided the other city-states time to prepare their forces. The Spartans sacrifice helped Greek city-states defeat the Persians. Well enough of the history lesson. Something I thought about was how our life is like a Spartan war. Sometimes we feel outnumbered or trapped. Life's hard. Sometimes we feel surrounded like the Spartans were. There are so many traps we face in life. But on the bright side, all we have to do is call out to God to help us. He'll defeat any foe, problem, sin, or complication in your life. With God on your side, I believe you have the upper hand. I mean he's only the creator of the world and of you! Trust him and your problems of this world will grow strangely dim.

Language without love is just noise

What is love? How many times a day do you here I love you? Today's world has polluted love into nothing but lust. We think it's love but it isn't. We can't full understand love. It's impossible to understand the bond between a mother and her child. It's impossible to fathom the love a father has for his daughter. It most certainly is hard to understand God's love for us. GOD IS LOVE. In 1 Corinthians it describes love in many words.

Love is patient.

Love is kind. It does not envy,

it does not boast. It is

not proud. It is not

rude,

it is not self seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no

record of wrongs.

Love does not delight

in evil but rejoices with truth.

It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres.

LOVE NEVER FAILS.

Oh, by the way. this is a new photo i did called Eat your heart out.

All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest

He said. She said. They said. Gossip. Gossip hurts. Today I got my share of gossip. Gossip spreads like wild fire, and is today's language. Everything on the news is gossip. Pretty much all teenage conversations are gossip. It's impossible to avoid. I have to try really hard not to judge someone by what someone else says. I try only to believe what I see with my own eyes. Gossip can ruin a friendship faster than a cheetah on cocaine! Well thankfully I took care of the problem. The best way to avoid gossip is not to spread it or listen to it. What's weird is how much faster gossip spreads than any other news. You never see anything good about celebs. It's always who's pregnant and who's broken up. Same thing on the news. There's hardly any good news! It's always about the economy, murders, conspiracy, etc. The good news is that there is good news. And that's what I am called to spread as a born again christian. THE GOOD NEWS

Paint the town

Well I'm thinking about trying out for One act play at my school. Allot of my friends do it and say it's a blast. Even if you don't get a roll, you can do stage crew. It only last for about a month, so what have i got to loose? I'm not much of an actor, but I'll give it a try. I can just see it. Ill pass out from stage fright! I did do a few plays in elementary school. Maybe I won't be horrible. It'll give us some laughs anyway. My friend Sam is the one who convinced me to do it. Oh! She told me the funniest joke today. I just had to share it. L.M.F.O.

A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind their team's bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.
"Oh, I really liked it," she replied, "especially the tight pants and all the big muscles, but I just couldn't understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents."
Dumbfounded, her date asked, "What do you mean?"
"Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was: 'Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback!' I'm like...Helloooooo? It's only 25 cents!!!!"

Chills.........

Quarantine. I loved this movie. It's about a fire department and a reporter that get trapped in an apartment building. A person that had been in the attic developed a virus that spread by getting into your bloodstream. Basically ZOMBIES!The movie was film left behind by the reporter and film crew. In the end everyone dies! I was so freaked out. Especially when the zombie girl took a bite out of her mom! It was so creepy! ugh! Chills. Anyway, it was a really good movie that I recommend watching, if you like getting scared.

The unborn. I've heard allot about this movie and was excited about watching it. Going to my grandmas was the perfect opportunity to watch it. Every time I go to my grandmas I watched movies, tons and tons of movies. The Unborn was a really creepy movie. It was about a demon that was haunting this girl. The demon was in between worlds and could only come to earth in the body of another. The demon possessed people around the girl in an attempt to isolate her. in the end she defeated the demon by reciting God's word. On the bad side she lost all her friends to the demon. All in all it was a pretty good movie.

Music is love in a word<3

Music- an organized sound. Music is more than that to me. Music is free, and passionate. It doesn't have to be organized or even make since. it just needs to be an expression of yourself.

To me music is an escape. Anytime I can depend on music. If I want to dance around, music's there. If I want to cry, music's there. Music is God's gift to us. It's another way to worship him. you know the goosebumps feeling you here a powerful song? That's God. Music is meant to lift you up. It's meant to help you forget your troubles and praise God. If you know me, then you know I love all types of music. everything doesn't have to be christian. By know means am I approving inappropriate music. Music has many sides like a more expressive side. The more soft side to music includes softer and more heart felt lyrics. With all the music out there it's hard to know what to listen to, but that's what makes it fun. :)

Discernment..

This Sunday I found out what discernment means, at least from a christian perspective. To discern God is to understand his plan for you. Wow I doubt anyone knows God's complete plan for their life. We're not supposed to. We might understand a little, but we will never fully understand God. It would literally blow our mind! We couldn't discern it. God is to powerful for us to understand his ways. It's a little scary giving him complete control over your life, but he created you right? So, he made you for something. Why not let him show you? It's a whole lot easier than fighting him. Trust God! I could learn something from this as well. Giving god the steering will is better than doing things "your way". Trust me you'll hit so many dead ends without God. It's so much easier with him on our side. So let's give God the benefit of the doubt, and let him show us what he has in store for us. I promise if you let him, he will bless you so much!

Raining on my parade.

It's still raining. Gosh! who called a monsoon? Ha. I think I might do an anti-rain dance. Rain is a pet peeve of mine. Yea I know, I'm weird. I know we need rain, but it causes allot of problems, which i won't go on and on about. Basically it bumbs me out. Although I hate rain, it does provide intersting pictures. So it's not all bad.