Thursday, February 23, 2017

i swear i didn't leave.

hi friends. 

i'm so so so so so so so so sorry for the tiny hiatus. 
it was unplanned, minus the fact that for half of it i was out of town. 
if you noticed on instagram, i was in chicago and IT WAS THE BEST. but as soon as i got home, i got sick with something and couldn't really function for most of the week. 

but i'm working on a couple post that should be up thought out the next week or so, specifically one about chicago, so IT'S GONNA BE SHAWEET.


but as for now, i'm working on a presentation/ post for this site and currently donning a black facial mask because "i'm such a basic white girl."

have a lovely day, you lovely people.

p.s. 
i'm hoping this video will load. if it doesn't, then dang.


Monday, February 6, 2017

|| 5 reasons why i love being a youth leader ||

hi friends!

as you are reading this, 
i am currently headed to chicago with a van full of spunky teenagers
 and one entertaining youth pastor. 

why you may ask?
we are all headed to moody bible institute for founder's week- a week long bible conference. we get to take this opportunity to visit the school, attend a conference with a bunch of fantastic speakers and amazing worship (as a worship leader, i am most excited about this part), visit some of our former students, and on top of all that, explore the blustery city of chicago. 

what more can you ask for?

with all this being said, i thought it would be appropriate to explain why i love being a youth leader. here are the ten reasons why its cool. 

part of my small group


(in no particular order)

1. i get to channel being a kid again 
and build relationships with the teens.

it's really refreshing after a long week to unwind by hanging out with kids at least ten years your junior. not much is expected other than acceptance, a little love, and someone for them to talk to. and if you act a little crazy, it's socially acceptable. you don't have to fully act your age for a few hours.`


2. i kinda get to do the whole 
"what i would have told my younger self" 
to an actual younger version of me.

have you ever come across a teenager who, maybe minus looks, is exactly how you were as a teen? scary isn't it? but also it's kinda neat and sometimes scary to see that from a different perspective. you see then make the same choices, good or bad, that you made back in the day and this gives you the opportunity to correct some wrongs in another youngster by walking them through  "what no to do" and hopefully steer them in the right direction. *fingers crossed*

my small group 




this girl reminds me of myself when i was her age. i love her dearly.


3. it helps to keep me spiritually accountable.

now i realize that this isn't the only way to keep accountable, but it is very helpful. the way i look at it is, how are you going to help teenagers grow spiritually when you're not there yet either? how are you going to answer questions, particularly the hard ones? you gotta be alert, ready to go. prepared for anything. "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong." (I Corinthians 16:13)

4. i get the opportunity to instill some Godly truth into, and disciple the youngers.

someone once described the importance of youth ministry to me in this way- this is the time in a teens life where they are becoming older and beginning to make and for their own decisions and opinions on certain things and topics. you want to get them while they are still forming said thoughts and opinions. this is one of the best times to tell them about Jesus. 





5. i potentially get to travel.

i love to travel. so when i can do it with the youth ministry, it's the actual best thing. i've been able to go to chicago once before, youth camp over a million times (ok ten, but you get the picture) and overseas. mission trips with teenagers is a fun and rewarding time  because you get to watch these teens practice what they've been taught to those who don't know Jesus. i love watching them step outside their comfort zone.

the forbidden city
beijing, china
 2016




but in all honesty, it's really an amazing opportunity to teach young kids, mainly young girls, who's exact seats you were sitting in ten years ago, about Jesus and how to love Him in a time where its really hard to. and i'm still being taught as well, because the things we teach the teenagers, it's still  very essential to adults.

hope you enjoyed this post, friends!

i have some questions for you- 
are you a part of any ministries at your church? 
what is it/ are they? 
do you love them?

ps. here is a picture of me in highschool.


emphasis on the awkward. 
but don't forget thats why we are all here to begin with. 

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

|| don't get me started ||

hi friends. 

today am beside my self with hilarity over this post that i'm about to crank out.



i once saw a wonderful idea for a road trip game on facebook. the idea is that everyone lists a topic, and after each topic you start off your statement with "don't get me started on (insert topic here)" and from there, you just vent the crap out of whatever topic it is. it doesn't even have to be something that makes you angry, you just have to go off on each topic. you can take it in an angry manner or "it's so good its annoying" kind of manner.

so with that being said, here is the (hopefully) first ever blog version of "don't get me started".

i went on my personal and blog facebook pages and asked y'all for random, but not political (because that will defeat my purpose and no one needs that kind of current negativity in their life), topics. little did you know what i was going to do with them. prepared to be confused and feel a little uncomfortable and hopefully awkward.



social media.
don't get me started with social media ya'll. it is beginning to get a little weird. have you noticed how awkwardly social everyone is becoming lately? you want to know why that is? 

because of the media that is social.

all these teeny booper folk are walking around with their nose on their phone (which, if you know about germs, is incredibly unsanitary) and then the inevitable and very backward thing happens- these poor kids with this growth attached to them end up running into inanimate objects and apologize to said objects or they run into a human being and say nothing, blush, stick their nose back on their phone or tablet and run away. what's up with that?



pigeons.
don't get me started on pigeons. 
what's the deal with these birds? 
with their wing flapping, their pecking, their begging, their general nosiness? 
why?
 and have you ever taken a good look at a pigeon? 
they are ugly as sin, with their beady little eyes that stare judgement into your soul if you look at them for too long. 
they're just so..........
ugh, ya know?
 i know you get what i mean. and you know who else gets what i mean? 
pigeons. 
they are too intelligent for their own good. they know. they know that i know that they know that i know that the pigeons know, man. they just know. creepy little beasts of the air....oh wait, thats the crow. don't get me started on those.




online shopping.
don't get me started on online shopping. 
online shopping is the worst and also the best at the same time.
 it's the worst because you have no legitimate guarantee that something is going to work or going to fit. you are basically playing Russian roulette with the internet. 
for product
that just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. but then online shopping is pretty legit since you literally have to do nothing but push a couple buttons and your product, that you're gambling for-don't forget, appears and your weird fed ex man shows up at the door to hand you your goods. this requires nothing, not even pants, and we all know what a hassle pants are, but don't get me started on those. 
too complex.

and from it all you slowly begin to spin out of control.


naps.
don't get me started on naps. the word automatically makes me want to crawl in a rabbit's hole and snuggle into the warm fluffy coat of the den mother. there will i fall into the sweetest of slumbers, dreaming about puppies, coffee, happy things.......
whoa. 
i actually started to fall asleep for a second.
see, this is why i don't talk about naps. i'm automatically taken into a trance of sweet, sweet, sleepy coma...............

and there we go again. that's why you never get me started on naps.



the freshness of Wonder bread.
don't even get me started on the freshness of wonder bread. it's so fresh that it makes me angry. i've never experienced something so fresh, so fly. it has much style. it stays classic, vintage and never changes. the glistening plastic bag keeps the sweet loaf in it's form- the kind of packaging is what brings the people back every time.

we can learn something from this- 
consistency is key



and with that, we have one of the strangest posts i have ever written.

ok thats actually a lie. the strangest post i have ever written is here .
but this one is a close second.
i challenge everyone to play this game in your car, 
whether you're on a raid trip or stuck in traffic. 
heck, maybe even play it in walmart. 
that couldn't be the oddest thing that has happened in there, amiright?