Mexico

Guess what. I'm going to Mexico after I graduate!!! :D I'm soooo excited. One of my friends, Seth, is a missionary in Mexico, and back in fall of 2009, he came and spoke at my youth group about Mexico and his life down there. At that point, I really wanted to go to Mexico also. Then, in the summer of 2010 my youth group and I went on a youth retreat, called Plunge. He was one of my leaders. I got to know him better and hear more about Mexico. I decided that I would go on a mission trip to Mexico if the opportunity ever presented itself. But, it never did. What I had in mind was one mission trip: a week or two. But that's not what God had in mind. Seth came back in the summer of 2011 and spoke again of Mexico. As you know, I decided not to go to college. But I was wondering what I should do with my life. After Seth spoke, I knew what I was going to do. The Lord told me to go to Mexico. :) For how long, I don't know. Maybe a year or two. Maybe my whole life. I don't even know when I'm going to Mexico. It may be right after I graduate, it may be several years. But I'm super excited. And you know what's even cooler? The Lord told my BEST FRIEND to go to Mexico also!!!! And neither of us knew that the other was going! Or even thinking of going!! wow. God is sooo good. :) So that's it then. My and my best friend are going to Mexico together by the grace of God. :) hallelujah!!!!

May the Fourth be with you....

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't written in a long time. I've been super busy. Anyway, yesterday was May 4th, also my best friend's birthday. She is now 17. =) She is gorgeous and I love her. Anyway, yesterday evening, Chick-fil-a was having a fundraiser for boys in Cambodia. Basically, if you ate at chick-fil-a on state line and said that you were with TrafficJam, 20% of that money would go to help build a shelter for the Cambodian boys. Our whole youth group went. It was a blast. And then a couple of my friends and I walked to Target to buy my best friend a birthday present. Anyway, yesterday was a good day. :) hopefully we win our soccer game today... bye!

Isaih 64

Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence-as fire burns brushwood, as fire causes water to boil-To make Your name know to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence. When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down; the mountains shook at Your presence. For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for him. You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, who remembers You in Your ways. You are indeed angry, for we have sinned- in these ways we continue; and we need to be saved. But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. There is no one who calls on Your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You, for You have hidden Your face from us, and have consumed us because of our iniquities. But now, O Lord, YOU are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are work of Your hand. Do not be furious, O Lord, nor remember iniquity forever; indeed, please look - we all are Your people! Your holy cities are a wilderness. Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, is burned up with Fire; And all our pleasant things are laid waste. Will You restrain Yourself because of these things, O Lord? Will You hold Your peace, and afflict us very severely?

The Circle Trilogy

Ted Dekker is one of my favorite authors. He vividly shows the difference between good and evil, and the battle between the two. Some of my favorite books by him are the Circle Trilogy: Black, Red, and White. Sometimes, I find myself wishing this world was more like his novels, where men and women go into battle against the Horde, where the Forest Guard dance at night to celebrate Elyon's love for them, where the Great Romance is celebrated, where love is thick in the air, where there is no shame in displays of affection. The mean are encouraged to "woo, pursue, protect, cherish" women they have fallen in love with. People as young as 17 fall in love and get married. Of course, this IS fiction. But why just fiction? "Love" has lost much of its meaning, its power. "Until death due us part" now usually means "until I don't want to anymore." Why are so many guys too "cool" to show their love? Why do so many guys put on a tough act instead of telling girls how they really feel? Nowadays, if guys are affectionate towards girls they are friend with, people take it as "flirting" or "playing with her heart." Sadly, most of the time, that is true. Why? God is love. Of course, love means respecting the girl, but showing her affection nonetheless. I'm not saying guys need to be perfect; they are human. And I'm sure girls mess up plenty of times to. But basically what I'm trying to say is: don't be afraid to love, to show your love. "You never lose by loving. You only lose by holding back."-Barbara De Angelis "It's a kiss without any shame. Something beautiful." there is a song that reminds me of what I'm trying to say. It's called "Love Like Crazy." Here are some of the lyrics: "They called them crazy when they started out. Said 17's too young to know what loves about. They've been together 58 years now. That's crazy. He brought home 67 bucks a week. Bought a little 2 bedroom house on Maple street, where she blessed him with 6 more mouths to feed. That's crazy. Just ask him how he did it, he'll say, "Pull up a seat. It'll only take a minute to tell you everything: be a best friend tell the truth and overuse "i love you." Go to work, do your best, never outsmart your common sense, never let your praying knees get lazy, and love like crazy... Always treat your woman like a lady. Never get to old to call her 'baby'. Never let your praying knees get lazy, and love like crazy."

(Elyon = Yahweh)
(the Great Romance = Elyon's love for his children.)
(Forest Guard = the people who guard the forest they live in)

Song of my heart (one of them)

This song kinda speaks for itself. :)

"Here we are, gathered in Your presence to seek Your face and worship only You, only You.

"Here we are, lost in ecstasy as we seek Your face and worship only You, only You.

"I'm longing, I'm yearning, and I'm running after You, my God. I love you wholeheartedly, but show me how to love You more."

yeah

Sometimes I ramble. I'm sorry.

The Lord is faithful

"Thus says the Lord, 'If the heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out bneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done.' says the Lord." Wow! Think about that! None of those things could ever happen! Which means the Lord will never cast us off! Wow. He is so faithful. "For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He will also deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot deny himself." :) I love these verses. Even in my own life, I have seen the Lord's faithfulness toward me, and towards others around me. God is good. :)