reignite your life!

<3

This weekend was our youth ministry had a weekend long event

Called reignite.

I'm not going to lie I began the weekend on a rough start.

I was so disappointed when i received a text that our host home had received boys and not just any boys middle school boys!!!!

I began to pout (i'm so telling the truth) to God how could a women who does not enjoy boys 

host them in her home! I was worried about every material thing in my house and how it would survive the weekend. All forgetting that God himself was orchestrating this himself.

 It just showed me how selfish I was being.

Friday night I was late by 2 hours. I was even more upset now.

All I had ever thought about was this weekend and now I was stuck at work!

needless to say I started the weekend in a mood.

But little did I know that not only would God move in the heart of the youth but my heart as well.

Friday night rally was over and I was very excited to see that i had gotten 10th and 11th grade Girls!

I was humbled immediately upon returning to our host home.

We began our group discussion about what was spoken on.

The girls began to share there struggles about unsaved souls

I was even so encouraged when they started giving a fellow group member advice.

God was already moving.

Saturday.

Involved waking up at ungodly hours.

We began the day with a rally.

The Rally was about freedom from our past.

It's crazy how that same message speaks to my heart everytime it's shared.

What was I holding on to privately in the rooms of my heart?

I only could think about what my girls would answer.

The rally ended and we went our picture rama scavenger hunt at the mall.

we began our hunt with a mean security guard who lectured us about taking pics.

&&

included:

 running the mall for a shoe that did not exists.

&&

running with random people.

We made out way back to church to pack 10,000 meals for Ethiopia!

It felt good to come together as many generations to give to a people group that have nothing!

It was there that I began to take pride and be proud of how God is using out youth!

After Bowling was a must.

So we packed up and jammed to shining star.

Pictured above are some girls in my group Minus the one on the right! Even though she's awesome too!!! :)

We had fun and I don't mean to boost or anything but I beat our group & Christi!

Saturday Night

Was the final Rally.

In which God Changed my heart.

I think it was during a worship song we were on our knees.

I began to hear someone crying.

I stopped to see it was one of my girls.

Immediately I felt this overwhelming emotion.

A love, A wanting to comfort, A wanting to pray over.

I acted on my emotion and went over and prayed inside myself.

As I got up I began to cry.

Wow! For the first time in my whole life I realized What my youth pastor (Josh) and (Katriana)

felt for us. I can explain it but to say that I felt like I was accountable to my youth. It's like God had given them to me to take care of them, share wisdom, and help assist in making them leaders for Christ.

It felt different on the other side the leader side BUT i was liking it.

During the invitation I felt it again.

The feeling that I absolutely loved this kids and would do anything to guide them to the God that loves them.

Later that night at Group Discussion

The girls began to share what God was doing in there lives.

It was AMAZING!

So moving.

One of the girls said she felt like the leaders actually loved and cared about her.

And then it happened I began to cry.

I explained to them How God had been moving in my heart.

How almost 10 years ago I had a youth pastor and hi wife that cared about me so much

They invested in me. They trained my by discipleship and example.

I grew so much in those years that I wanted them to experience that!

I wanted them to be me.

I wanted to pour into them, love them, pray for them, and disciple them

so that one day they could do that to someone else.

So they could stand up and disciple another person.

I want them to be as passionate about the bible as I was taught!

And then I told them 

I loved them and I meant it!

I feel so blessed to have been moved in the way I was this weekend by our youth.

There are so amazing!

They are going to be used by God I know it! 

And I cannot wait to see it unfold and have the privilege to be apart of that!

It gets better! not only do we have amazing youth!

We have the privilege of serving with amazing leaders who happen to be such amazingly awesome friends!

I also cried during that revelation as well lol

Lord, Thank you is all I can say!

We are so blessed to have a church family again!

He took a weekend that started off selfish

&&

made me realize I have so much to be thankful for!!!!!

These photos were stolen from Cyndi!

Since my iphone broke and decided to delete all the pics I had taken!

Summary

It has been a pretty busy last few weeks. So i will rush threw what i like to call a summary!

My sis in law is now 16 and driving :) She's beautiful, smart, fun, and a great reality show partner! I am so blessed to have a younger sister to share little moments with...

We spent her lovely birthday with harry potter. Here is some advice for when u go: 

1. take sunscreen 

2. get ready to stand and wait alot

3. book yourself a massage for the day after!

I finished my last DIY project Black Boards! It came out beautiful thanks to my hubby!

Pics will be posted soon!

Other DIY project attempted:

Dying your hair with coffee!

Advice on that:

1. basically plan on washing ur hair for 5 hours after.

2. be ready to clean coffee grounds for a week after

3. just by a box of hair dye because it doesn't work!

Over the last week God has been pushing and tugging my heart about many things.

Our youth went to camp this last week and had the time of there lives. After hearing

testimony after testimony. My heart became so encouraged to see God work in there lives.

So much so that it has challenged me! 

Remember that your life is but a vapor...it's hear one minute and can be gone the next!

You have no control over your life or where you will be or when u will die

God does.

You can take all vitamins, medicines, wrinkle cream 

but you are still not promised tomm.

What are you living for?

For God or for yourself?

I know i want to leave an impact in my generation, in my youth, and in my family.

That God goodness, grace, and mercy are far better then any material thing!

God is waiting for u to impact others!

Be encouraged and read the gospels especially John. See how God has planned for us to be evangelist for him.

Sharing his love and growing ourselves!

Just a thought i wanted to share!

<3

Project Hang Mason Picture Jars is DONE!

well as you have read the last 3 post have been on home projects. Well i'm officially happy to say that my home projects are done! Here are some requested pics of the project.

Step 1: Instead of thrifting I went to local stores to pick up my supplies.
Frames were from Target on sale for 9.00 dollars :)
Art is really scrapbook paper from Michaels 79 cents each :)
Hooks are from Pier one 2.00 dollars each :)
Mason jars are from World Market $1.29 each :)
Flowers are from joann and costed $ 2.00 :)
Making my grand total $ 29.00

After a short time of hanging here are the results and I could not be happier :)

I also you my extra mason jar to spruce up some hooks :)

My next mission is to conquer and make a blackboard for the kitchen! 

<3

Make your home unique!

Well as I was researching my first project (hanging mason jars) for my bedroom. I came across a website that had 5 more cool ideas which I will share some below! all which are very inexpensive and fun! The first project that i'm going to share i'm so excited about and in fact i might go to Jo Ann fabrics right now to get some pieces together!
                                                            Fun project 1: Framing fabric
                                                         Here are some of my inspirations!

Supplies Need: 

Frame

Fabric or Gift Wrap

and Boom you have a beautiful picture!

Fun Project #2:

kitchen chalk board

Here are my inspirations

Supplies needed:

an old frame 

or 

an old mirror

Chalkboard paint

A small piece of plywood

primer or varnish

For more information on detail to detail instrutions on how to create these beautiful pieces visit the website below (this is where I got the idea from :)

http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/decor/articles/2010/05/28/20100528diy-simple-projects-erica-young-descriptions.html

ENJOY <3

All the glitters is red, blue and white.

Happy Birthday America!

We are so blessed to live in the country we live in.

We have so much freedoms

school

religion

speech

families

healthcare

fashion to wear and do as we want

we own homes, cars, food and clothes

college is must!

We have many forms of entertainment

movies

disney world :)

fireworks

video games

beautiful scenery

picnics

sport games

eating out

We can pray openly

Attend church openly

Read our bibles openly

witness to others about the love of Christ

And help others openly.

We don't have to worry daily about our safety

or harm to ourselves

we have others who are willing to sacrifice lives

for us we are blessed.

We laugh daily

We have access to internet, television, and phones

we can communicate as often as we like.

We are blessed

Fortunate

we are free!

Thank you Lord for all you have to us and the freedom we have :) 

Frugal Finds

In the last year i've learned a lot of lessons but one of the biggest lessons learned is to be frugal and appreciate and spend wisely the finances God has given me. As some of you know this has been a hard lesson for me to learn since I am a former shopaholic and take out queen but after this year I enjoy looking for a deal it gives me even more satisfaction buying it then before :) So here are some of the fabulous frugal finds that I found this week (of course thanks to my creator who blesses me beyond belief).

Frugal Find #1: AE Artsy Skirt ($13.00)

Frugal find #2: Fake Flowers (1.99) will add a touch of color to any room.

Frugal Find #3: Mason Jars ($1.49) These can be used as vases, storage, spice holders, drinking cups, and candle holders. 

Frugal Find #4: Vans. (29.99) On sale. Thats why you should always check the sales rack :)

Frugal Find #5: Pizza Dough. (2.59 i've found cheaper) A nice way to spice up your movie night. Add your own sauce and toppings for under the cost of store bought pizza.

Good Friends Are the Chocolate Cookies of Life....

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!


Last weekend I had some amazing friends come to visit me and evan. We had so much fun and so much adventure at disney after they left i was truly :(. I started to realize what amazing friends I have I mean I have always known this but i mean i really felt it this weekend. 
All our memories, the marriages, the relationships, the crabbiness, the humus and chips, and pranks i will always love them. I hope that one day we will all be neighbors and then we could have our own smurf village. lol. Its crazy how yrs go by and instead of talking about boys we are talking about babies, houses, careers and marriages. How we all have grown. It's so cool to have life long friends!
I never really understood the saying "true friends are rare to find" but now i do. These girls are so wonderful! They send me cookies when I get a job promotion, they remember our anniversary, we can laugh about anything, we facebook stalk together and the best part is I can look at there face and figure out what they are thinking. It feels like having sisters that I never got the chance to have...i'm am so blessed. Everyone should have good friends it brings smiles, joy and lots of laughter to your life <3.

Inspiration

Well I have been trying to decide for months and months how to decorate the 2 empty as can be walls on each side of our bed.  After painting the wall a grey green I am excited to put white accents on the wall but I was still confused as to what i wanted. After my friends were visiting this weekend I began to realize that our towel hook may be to small so I ventured online to find a bigger more vintage towel hook and came across these photos my new inspiration! :)

Mustard Seeds

"'...I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, "Move from here to there";and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.
-Matthew 17:20 NLT

This Sunday I found some mustard seeds in my bible. Not literally obviously because that would be pretty gross but the mustard seeds that verse above talks about. As some of you know me and my hubby lived in Miami and attended Flamingo Road Church (where we met)....since we were in college and wanted to reach many college students in that area we decided to serve as leaders in there college group Elevate.
One of the last times we were at elevate Mo (college leader) spoke about prayer and asking in faith, he even went as far to challenge us to make  list of things that we believe in faith would happen and pray about it in faith that God will arrange it and work it out. While in church this Sunday I opened my bible and my mustard seeds fell out. So I began to read it and I was shocked!
The list read as follows:
I want a job as a MFT working in Seminole County School System
I want to pass the Comps Exam and Graduate
I don't want it to rain on May 15, 2009
I want to go to St. Lucia with my Husband in May
I want to live in Avalon Park with my Husband
I want to be brave enough to be a witness to my interns
I want my husband to get into Full Sail, Get a Car, and get good credit.
I want my unsaved family members to be saved
I want my husband to work for lucas films.

As I read these I almost expected none to be answered but then i realized that many had been answered!!!
 I passed my comps exam and graduated, I work as an MFT not in Seminole county but in orange county where God see more need then I could have ever imagined, It DID NOT rain on May 15th until after our wedding was all over (amazing!), I had an amazing honeymoon with my hubby to better then St. Lucia (cayman islands!), My hubby got into full sail, got a car, and got good credit!
All I could think of was wow God you are so amazing and wonderful how you work in our lives! Obviously some have yet to be answered (evan working for lucas films and unsaved family members) but I will continue to ask in faith, specifically praying for those things.
Through this last year I have realized that God hears our prayers sometimes he gives us more than we can imagine, sometimes he changes our heart (like where we decided to live), sometimes he doesn't answer the prayers and has us wait on his perfect timing. The most important part is that God DOES answer our prayers. Have faith that our God will supply all your needs because he will he's done it in my life and he can do it in yours! Have faith like a mustard seed! Pray in faith like its going to happen tomorrow and it can because we serve a powerful God! I challenge you make a list like I did put it away and look at it 1 year later and see how God has worked in your life a produce some mustard seeds :) I know he will!

"Yes, Ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it' John 14:14 NLT
"I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours" Mark 11:24 NLT

Investment

 "In finance, the purchase of a financial product or other item of value with an expectation of favorable future returns. In general terms, investment means the use money in the hope of making more money." 

Okay just imagine for a second if we changed our view of what investment is suppose to be into how our relationship should be with other Christians..."In Relationships, a relationship of value with an expectation of favorable future returns (ministry, serving, growing, ect.). In general terms, investment means the pouring into a relationship in hope of making more successful leaders of God. Wouldn't that change the way you treat your relationships with your friends or people you don't know? I know it has for me.
This thought started ringing around my head about almost a month ago when me and my hubby went away to celebrate our one year anniversary :). After our trip we decided to met up with someone who is and has made a huge impact in my life (my old mentor/youth leader). Rewind several years ago, I was attending a small church with a phenomenal youth group who was on fire for God! A youth group that believed that if you discipled one person a year that would lead to over 1,000 people a year being discipled and living some passionate lives for Christ.  My youth pastor and his wife invested there lives in us. They lived at the church with us basically...youth leader meetings, small groups, battle of the bands, events, breaking dancing competitions, all night praise and worship. Each time leading us and guiding us on how to grow as young Christian youth. I never really realized there impact until I met with my youth pastors wife. We were eating and I talked about the current youth group I serve in and how excited I am about the relationships i'm forming.
On the ride home as I began to look at the last few years of my life I began to realize how there investment has made me the person I am. Missions to Liberty to various church leadership to now serving in youth ministry. They took time to invest in me and now I want to invest in someone else.
Last night was our Middle School Girls Sleepover. The girls shared about many thoughts and struggles they have and as I spoke about how God has brought me through those very many experiences I couldn't help but think...if I invest in these girls life...I wonder if they will turn out as beautiful God fearing girls who will go through the same experiences as I did but with people who care and are investing in there lives fighting for them to be God Leaders, God Changers, God followers like my youth pastors wife did for me. I know its a risk, I get tired, I get weary, I think sometimes those girls don't need me but last night as i talked to those girls I couldn't help being so excited that one day my investment may help impact there lives :)
I'm so thankful to God for the many investments he made in my life to grow me to the Christian Women I am today. Obviously i'm not perfect but his investments in me were worth it because I am choosing to invest in other girls and guys like me and hopefully guide them on how to be stronger Christians. God is perfect in his creation...just the whole principle of investment and discipleship in ministry is such a beautiful process!
I challenge you this week invest in the life of a friend, brother, sister, mother, father...the risk might be much but it is far worth it in the end!