Gifted to Live it

Steve Svoboda

James River Assembly 

[Realife // West]

•Ephesians 2:10 

•Hebrews 13:20-21

You were made with characteristics unique to you. He has gifted you to do good works. 

He created you, and you are equipped with everything you need to do what you were created to do. 

What is your purpose?

•Ephesians 3:20 

•Jeremiah 29:11

Follow the Lord's will. 

Live in obedience today and God will open the doors for tomorrow. 

You were made for his workmanship. He has a plan. Trust Him. 

Live in the reality that He will provide. 

How do we find out what God has gifted us with?

Do the revealed will of God. 

Spend time with Him daily. Never stop reading the Bible. Grow in God. 

When you know what God is leading you to...

1. You live with a greater sense of purpose. 

-What is He calling you to? 

-Put action to your calling. 

2. You live with a renewed sense of passion. 

Do Whatever He Tells You

James River Assembly // West 

Sun, Jan 27, 2013 

John Lindell 

John 14:12 ESV

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

John 2:5 ESV

His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

John 2:1-11 ESV

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast." So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now." This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

1st - Do What He Says No Matter Where You Are

John 2:1a

John 2:1 ESV

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

John 2:1-2 ESV

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.

2nd - Do What He Says in the Midst of Your Problems

John 2:3a

John 2:3 ESV

When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."

3rd - Do What He Says Even if You Aren't Encouraged

John 2:3

John 2:3 ESV

When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."

John 2:4 ESV

And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come."

John 5:19 ESV

So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 

John 2:5 ESV

His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

4th - Do What He Says Even if You Don't Understand the Process

John 2:6-7

John 2:6-7 ESV

Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim.

John 2:8 ESV

And he said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast." So they took it.

John 2:8-10 ESV

And he said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast." So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now."

John 2:11 ESV

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Dedication and Joy

James River Assembly / South Campus
[Nehemiah 8:10]
Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

[Psalm 4:7]
You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.

Joy. Joy is mentioned 119 times in the Old Testament and over 60 times the New Testament speaks of joy.

[John 15:11]
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

1st Joy comes by remembering the people who have helped you. In Nehemiah 12:1-26 we have a list of people in 2 Groups.
1st Group: Neh. 12:1-11, a list of the people who came back from the exile 75 years before the time of Nehemiah.

2nd Group: Neh.12:12-21, 24-25, a list of the next generation were serving and working at the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.

[Philippians 1:3-5]
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

A key to maintaining your Christian joy. To be able to recall the best in someone, look past the glitches in life and to recapture the wonderful times.

2nd Joy is the result of whole heartedly worshiping the Lord.

[Nehemiah 12:27]
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.

[Nehemiah 12:28-32]
And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall. Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate. And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah,

[Nehemiah 12:36]
and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.

[Nehemiah 12:38]
The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, to the Broad Wall,

[Nehemiah 12:40]
So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me;

[Nehemiah 12:43]
And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.

3rd Joy is result of getting involved in serving The Lord

[Nehemiah 12:44]
On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered.

[Mark 8:34-35]
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.

4th Joy is the result of giving your resources to the Lord.

[Nehemiah 12:43]
And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.

[Nehemiah 12:44a]
On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered.

[Nehemiah 12:47]
And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.

[Proverbs 11:24]
The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

[Proverbs 11:24-25]
There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.

[2 Corinthians 9:7b-8]
I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out. This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.

[Malachi 3:10-12]
Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don't open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams. For my part, I will defend you against marauders, protect your wheat fields and vegetable gardens against plunderers." The Message of God-of-the-Angel-Armies. "You'll be voted 'Happiest Nation.' You'll experience what it's like to be a country of grace." God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.

How do you get joy? 1. Remember the people who have helped you 2. Whole heartedly worship the Lord 3. Get involved in using your time to serve the Lord 4. Give your resources to the Lord.

Learning point.

Hey.
It's been awhile, I know. Sorry about that. I've been living a very insane life lately.
I have a ton of new friends, reconnected with some old ones, and have held to my good ones as well.

I've been living, though. Truly living.

I'm not sure how to explain it, except just by saying I am experiencing things for the first time. It's not necessarily that I'm just now trying these specific things, but rather, I am finally allowing myself to soak it in.

I have no idea what I want. I have no idea who I am. I am however, learning.
I'm learning to fall in love without thinking. I'm learning how to be confident and daring and excitable. I'm learning how to be level-headed without overthinking all the little things.
Best of all, I'm smiling a thousand times more than I did six months ago.

I'm going to allow someone to love me. And I intend on loving him right back.
I'm going to try more sushi, make random friends, and jump into life head first.
Wanna know why?
...I'm growing.

That's all. I'm finally growing up.
I have made literally hundreds of mistakes, I've hurt myself and others, and I've ruined many wonderful things. But I don't regret any of it. I'm becoming who I was made to be. If it takes my heart getting destroyed again, then that's gonna happen. If I have to let go of someone or something in order to be happy, I'm willing to do so.


This is it.


I've finally figured out who I wanna be. And now I just have to get there. Here's to the many mistakes to come, and the many lessons to learn.

PS - Nothing good happens after 9pm. Ever.

Now.

Here's the deal--I have a good life. Good family. Good friends. Good home. And a very good God.
However....
my life is not perfect. I have struggles just like everyone else. I wake up each morning, and I make a decision to be happy. I choose to love life, despite whatever obstacles may or may not come my way. I stress out, I break down, and then I start again. There's no particular routine that makes life better or simpler. Rather, I'm learning to look ahead. I know there are many incredible things in store--for myself, my church, and for every person involved in my life.

I hold to the promise in Isaiah 66:9. It says, "In the same way I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born," says the Lord."(NCV) I know I am taken care of.

That being said, I've decided that I want to be real. I'm so sick of mediocre relationships that are only on the surface. My goal for the next year is to be a legitimate lover. I don't mean that in the wordly sense, mind you. I'm saying that I want to be someone that is strong and vulnerable at the same time. I'll be a person who looks past herself and sees others for who they were created to be.

I'm a selfish person. I wear my feelings on my sleeve and get hurt far too easily. Instead of focusing on me, I wanna focus on pouring into others. I want my friendships to be strong. I want to lift up the God that brought those friendships together. I want to work hard for what I get. In order for all of these things to happen, I must become the woman of God that I've been created to be.
(This is where you come in!)
I'm gonna start with the Word. I've got some scriptures that I like by, and I want you all to know them, so that you can hold me accountable to fulfill them.

First things first, in my daily life I want to implement 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, "Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions. Give it all you've got; be resolute. Love without stopping."

That's my challenge right now, and I have faith that I'll be able to follow through. This is gonna be a wild ride, but I'm excited to see what will happen.

Feeling.

This is an old poem, that I found today.. I kinda like it.

-----

It's not your memory that haunts me,
I'm completely over you.
It's the realization that you crushed me,
And there's nothing I can do.

Somehow, you convinced me to trust you..
That's when I began to fall.
I gave you the most fragile parts of me,
And in return you broke them all.

You're the only one who knew the real me,
Yet I lost myself in you.
Every moment that we shared together,
I thought your words were true.

I now know that I didn't love you,
But I loved who you'd pretend to be.
Your very existence makes my heart ache,
Though not in longing; in pity.

To have given you such power,
Was a fault upon my part.
Still I have grown strong, despite you,
And you no longer hold my heart.

Thankful.

"Where there are friends, there is wealth." -Titus Muccius Plautus

-----------

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to take the time to acknowledge all the friendships I've been blessed with.
Friends are the people that hold you together, push you forward, and lift you up. Without my friends, I would've crumbled a long time ago.
Honestly, I consider those people some of the greatest miracles I've ever experienced.

People are in our lives for a reason. Sometimes they teach us how to love, and sometimes they teach us how to lose.
It's okay for friendships to grow and change and develop.
Occassionally, we get too focused on what the future holds, and forget to be grateful for the people we have in our lives right now.

Friends should be people that you love. People that make you feel infinite.
Those are the kinds of friends I have.

When I'm upset, they can tell right away. It's almost as if my friends know me better than I know myself sometimes.
They protect me. Teach me. Help me.

My friends encourage and challenge me. They pray for and with me. They hold me accountable to my faith. They help me discover Truth in ways I never could have imagined.

One of the hardest things to learn, though, is that not everyone can or should be your friend. Friendships require commitment. They require connection. And they require care.

Friendships aren't always meant to last forever, either.
Sometimes God sends us people only for a season, yet other times He gives us people that we'll keep forever. It's a hard proccess, letting go. But sometimes we need to lose the people holding us back in order to receive someone so incredible, you don't understand how you lived without them.

If you have true friends, don't let them go. Don't take advantage of them. Never forget to tell your friends exactly how much they mean to you.
These are the people that shape you. You shape them.
You're in this TOGETHER.

Life is faaaaaaaantastic.
Don't you agree? I mean, honestly.. Things have never been better!

The last few weeks, God has been moving so much in my life and in the lives of those around me. I'm experiencing all kinds of things that I never dreamed would happen to me.

I've gotten some incredible new people in my life.

Nathan is the absolute best friend I have ever had. I mean that.
Emily and Joslyn know how to make me smile no matter what.
Wes is one goofy kid, but he's great!


There's just so many blessings that I can't explain.
I'm insanely insanely insanely excited for January to get here.


I see all these people around me, struggling. All I want to do is reach out and help them.
I know God is confirming His calling in my life.
I'm so ready; Life is good. :)

Let's Dance.

Put on your red shoes, and let's dance the blues away.

The future. It's such an incredible thing. I get so excited when I think about all the crazy, passionate, new things I get to experience everyday.
I feel like God is definitely beginning some amazing things in my life.
It makes me want to dance.

Everyone I've met lately has been a total blessing. These people have pushed me, inspired me, and most of all, grown me.
I finally have people in my life that love the Lord as much as I do, and that I can trust completely with everything in me.
It's a brand new feeling that I adore.
All I can hear is the sound of love. It makes me move and celebrate. I want to dance.

I move to Ozark to begin JRLC in just a couple months, and each day I grow more anxious. As soon as I get into the city limits of that town, everything just falls into place. There's no stress, tension, or worry. It just feels safe. It feels like home.
And to make it even better, JRLC is filled with people I love that are chasing after God with all they have. It's so anointed. Full of worship and awe, I want to dance.

I know that everyone has the mindset that we should "live for today," and that "we can't take the present for granted".. But I am so ready for a new chapter.
I am so excited to receive new things and stretch myself to new extremes.
I'm looking to the future with eager eyes, and a heart full of hope.
Life's already so good, and this is just the beginning.
Seriously.. Let's dance.

Passion.

Passion: –noun
1. any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate.
2. strong amorous feeling or desire; love; ardor.

Passion. That sounds familiar, doesn't it?
We all have passion. We all have that one thing that drives us. It's the reason we get up each morning and face the day.
Maybe we have multiple passions. They blend together in order to inspire us. Passion is found behind every lyric, every word, every painting.

I'm passionate about God. About my friends and family. About art. About hope. About healing. About laughter.

These things push me forward. When I feel excited, discouraged, or anxious, its driven by my passion. It consumes me.

My passion makes me want to scream and sing and dance. It makes me want to cry and sigh and rest. It provides an outlet to all of the craziness that follows me. It can save the world, or destroy it.

Passion is a powerful thing.

What's your passion - Have you found it?
And more importantly, what are we gonna do with it?

Love at First Sight.

ON MY MIND:

Have you ever met someone, and immediately known you would be friends?
One look, and you KNEW..

That's my version of "Love at First Sight."
I don't think you'll fall in love romantically, but you can find a soul-mate.
By soul-mate, I mean someone you were supposed to meet.

I'm not meaning this to sound crazy, or random. But I completely believe that God has ordained for us to be friends with certain people. We have soul ties with them.
They're few and far between, but when you meet them, you'll know.

Sometimes it's subtle, and you'll think to yourself, "I could really get along with this guy."
Other times, one smile can make you best friends for life.

I wanna be that friend to everyone I meet. When you see me, I want us to love. Love because we're both happy, or both hurting, or both alive. We've all got something to start on.

It's the sweetest feeling in the world, to meet someone and just... click.

all the other kids.

today's gonna be different. i can feel it.
i'm super tired, and my eyes are burning, but it's gonna be a good day.

i spent last night with my dad and brother, watching movies and eating shrimp and pizza, then making a healthy eating and workout plan.
(that begins today!)
i love little moments like that. to think that it could be one of the last times that we can just sit down together and hangout.. that's no bueno.

my mom sent me an invite to go to the aaron gillespie show this weekend. i really wanted to go, but now i think there's a chance we could go together.
i love my mom.

i'm looking forward to church tonight. i teach friends, which is group of girls between ten and twelve. this is my third or fourth month teaching, and i love it. it's amazing what these girls go through. i'm learning how they think and feel about little things. we talk about everything from sex to the holy spirit, and i see them mature in Christ a little more each week.
i think tonight's lesson will be surrounding gossip. it's something that never goes away, and they need to know how to see it and stop lies right in their path.
i'm so grateful that i had Godly people in my life, showing me how to live for Him.. and now i get to show them.
it's such a blessing.

as much as i wish i could pour my heart out on this blog, it's not all about my days. it's about life. life as a whole. the fact that it's beautiful and unpredictable and valuable.
i want to make a difference in someone else's life, just by living my own.

Have Faith in Me

"Have faith in me, cause there are things that I've seen, that I don't believe. So cling to what you know, and never let go... You should know things aren't always what they seem."

Today's Tuesday.
I feel a sort of vagueness at times, as I go through my everyday life. I don't really feel like I'm living in the "now." I always look towards the future, because I know it holds great and beautiful things. I just hope I'm not taking today for granted.
There are things that I want, people I miss, and dreams I hope to make reality.
Right now, I feel untouchable. I feel as if all of those wishes will be fulfilled, and even more than I can imagine.

I want to be an artist. A leader. A witness. A mother. A wife. A refuge.
I want to be all the things that everyone has been to me, because I live an incredibly blessed life.

I smile a little more each day, even as stress and issues pile up. It's been serene. I love it.
I'm having fun again.

I can't wait to see where life takes me. Whether it's around the world, or if I stay here forever, I'll be happy.

I just want to be.
I want to be with someone I love. I want to be with someone who loves me. I want to love everyone I meet, and share the truth of Jesus Christ in the process.
I want to teach and learn and grow and guide.

Each day, I realize a little more just how much today matters, and how little all our worries really are.
We're gonna come out of each struggle even stronger than we were before.
We're getting quicker, and learning how to swim.

I'm gonna be someone I can be proud of.
Have faith in me.♥

Beautiful Things.

here's a little bit about me, to start off a whole new season of my life.

loved: art. music. photography. Jesus. family. gungor. laughter. traveling. concerts. folk music. coffee. TOMS. ukuleles. lace. buttons. pizza rolls. necklaces. the yankees. pastels. curls. glasses. loafers. leggings. accents. books. the bible. pretty little liars. journaling. classes. autumn. puppies. pools. pumpkin pie. jalapenos. supreme pizza. Chicago. holding hands. the superbowl. moccasins. chris august. catch phrases. boating. frames. vacations. beads. kittens. kiddies. jokes. gifts. mirrors. glitter. big rings. movies. sunburns. steve jobs. steve carrell. James River Assembly. snapshots. apple products. hugs. boots. little cars. big trucks. drums. artists. video games. poetry. screamo. karaoke. dancing. sleeping. eating. rivers, lakes, oceans. mountains. babies. inside jokes. precious moments. church. grilled cheese. driving. talking. smiling. you.


not so loved: big birds. spiders. confrontation. anger. baked pizza rolls. sweating. skipping. missing. being late. being early. mashed potatoes. math. science. homework. stress. boredom.

bliss

school's out, but it hasn't felt like summer yet. we went to graduation last night, and it was bittersweet. i'm beyond proud of scotty and alex and everyone, but i can't stand the thought of facing school without them.

i've been over-thinking a LOT lately.. and it makes me feel guilty. i haven't done anything wrong, i just feel like i shouldn't worry as much as i do.
god's gotta have control.

i'm ready for the next stage of my life, whatever that may be.
i'm terrified, of course, but i'm prepared. i go to college in less than seven months, and i know that i'll be taken care of.

i really miss hannah. she and i used to be inseparable, and now it's rare to even see her.
i thought this summer would be the thing that got us back to normal, but now i'm not going to youth camp with the a/g and it's throwing me off.
somehow i know that our friendship will last. and i'm thankful for that. i love that lady.

my dad's been sick with temperatures between 101 and 104 degrees for the past few days. we found out he has strep, but it's still scary and strange to see him so weak. i'm praying for a quick recovery; he can't stand not being able to work.

i miss my brother like crazy. it's killing me. i haven't seen him in weeks, and it gets worse everyday. sadly, since i wrecked, i can't drive up to see him. i hate that.
hopefully soon i'll get a new car.. and/or get mine fixed.

next weekend in the road trip to kansas city to see mumford and sons with jared. he's such an awesome guy.. we're gonna have a sweet trip!

until something more interesting comes into my life, i'll stop blogging aimlessly.
adios. ;]

lift your eyes up.

it's been awhile..

prom was incredible. i loved every minute of it.
derrick was an awesome date, and i got to dance with lots of friends. =)

i uhh... got in a wreck on the sunday after.
it was super scary, but we were all okay.

i'm so grateful for God's grace.

s i g h s.

"I think when you’re young, you’re hoping that this person will be the right one; the one you’re going to be in love with forever.. But sometimes, you want that so much you create something that isn’t really there." -Johnny Depp.

hey children. prom in saint james was crazy fun!
i'm crazy pumped for rolla's though.. derrick gonzalez is my date.
he's a super cool puerto-rican. =]
(luckily, i know spanish. ha.)

anyways.. life's been pretty great. messing up happens, but God's grace is so good.<3

i started going to the Standard last night, which is a college ministry. i seriously loved it. it'll become a weekly thing for me.

i'm waaay excited for summer - cards games, mumford and sons concert, parties, pools, and chicago. it'll be fun. i like fun. =)

til next time, i'm going back to work. see ya!

capture my heart, again.

sades and i went prom dress shopping just shy of five hours this morning.
i found a few that i like, and it was a ton of fun.
i'm so happy that i set her up with my bestfriend, ryan..
they're adorable together, and it'll be awesome to share prom with BOTH of them.

i need to be broken spiritually. i've been struggling with some things concerning my youth group, and i just feel like everything's gotten harder all of a sudden. somehow i just gotta chill.
i'm just so apathetic lately!

i'm not going to springfield for the summer like i had planned. instead of renting an aprtment there, i'm just gonna stay home and work as much as possible. i'm considering getting a second job..
notes from heaven is such an incredible place. i love it here.

i'm off to a youth night. i'll post more later : )

double stuffed.

i'm sunburnt.
whooo. :D

I really don't know who I wanna take to prom.
it's kind of annoying caring about something as unimportant as prom, but it's my last one.
i wanna make it count, and that annoys me :P
my dress won't be made anytime soon, since it's from China - they just emailed me saying it'd be here MAYBE by April 20th.
grrreat, right?

i'm really hating school.
this weekend we went to summersville for my grandmother's cancer benefit and returning to rolla sucked.
there, everyone was so laid back and chill. it was so nice.
then, back to reality, where i'm still just your average high school girl.

i should be 25 by now. ;)

i have to fill out scholarship junk today, and i'm not looking forward to it.
however, it's awesome to have an opportunity to get money for my writing.

i got first at state ad design competition through SkillsUSA. i was shocked.
the prize is a $2,000 for Linn Tech.. i don't wanna go there.
i just want to fast forward the next eight months!

saturday, i'm going to the springfield indie/folk festival. i'm pumped.
i'm taking a few friends with me, that'll be cool.
it's nice to know details early. :]

for now, i'm gonna go make a video for american lit with miranda, then sleep.
seeyuuuuh.

the smiles, the flowers, everything is gone.

State graphic design competition today..
Ive basically gotten NO sleep. All week.

But God is good! He moved in me on tuesday night at the awakening and then used it again last night.
I love that Joey lets the holy spirit run our services in youth.
I wanna crave more of God.
Its what Im working towards :)

Bonfire with Brandon was fun last night.. Hes a great friend!

I gotta go now - Panera hit up then headed to RTI.
Pray for us today!