Life Lately

Recently my life has taken a few little unexpected turns (nothing drastic), I am really excited actually they are good! and will push me exactly in the direction I am trying to aim my life. The hard thing with all of this however, is going to be relying on God to steer my life through all of the changes that are ahead while remaining calm and patient. I am hoping that the next few months or at least until graduation will go by quickly and smoothly. 

There was a point in my life that was very dark, and I learned that relying on God was a daily practice that took exercise. This included reflecting on the day and looking for Gods presents and prayers of thanks and gratitude for even the small gifts that I tended to overlook. This is something I am going to be working on and the best part is knowing that although I have no idea what the future holds, I can take comfort in seeing the footprints of God in my past and knowing that he is walking along side me to the future.

The theme of 2014 so far for me has been all about change, conquering my fears, and trying new things. I am already checking off New Year resolutions, and feeling great! 

Below are just some pictures from life lately...

I resolve to be happy!

Well it's 2014 and I am so excited! I can now officially say I graduate this year! (I am knocking on wood as I type) So what is my New Year resolution? It’s pretty simple actually it is to "BE HAPPY" I had a great head start on this resolution as Paul and I took a mini road trip, 25 minutes to be exact, to Snoqualmie Falls which is apparently very close to our house. I loved spending time with Paul and now a day I feel like we hardly get to spend time together that isn't on a short timer. Traveling out to the falls I remembered what it's like to have a weekend and time that is not spent worrying about the future. While standing at the falls what I kept thinking about is how we can see God through nature, how can you stare at something so beautiful and powerful and think that it was by pure accident and with no intent. I guess that is a tip to being happy reflecting on your life and realizing that just like the Snoqualmie Falls it is not unintentional or accidental. 

Anyways, here is to being the happiest self I have ever been in 2014! Enjoy the photos of the falls, Paul and I were trying out our photography skills lol lol with our new camera. 

easter sunday

A Call to a Living Hope

3 Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of His great mercy He gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living Hope, 4 and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessing that God keeps for His people. He keeps them for you in Heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away. 5 They are for you, who through faith are kept safe by God's power for the salvation which is ready to be revealed at the end of time.

6 Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad a while because of the many kinds of trails you suffer. 7 Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure, Then you will receive praise and glory and honor on the Day when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 You love Him, although you Have not seen Him, and you believe in Him, although you do not now see Him. So you rejoice with a great and glorious joy which words cannot express. 9 because you're receiving the salvation of your souls, which is the purpose of your faith in Him.

A Call to Holy Living

13 So then, have your minds ready for action. Keep alert and set your hope completely on the blessing which will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 Be obedient to God, and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those desires you had when you were still ignorant. 15 Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God who called you is holy.

Today was a beautiful day to celebrate Easter Sunday. Paul and I spent Easter in Tacoma going to Church with his parents at Skyline Prysbyterian. I haven't been to Church as much as I should lately (mostly because I work on Sundays) but every time I go God meets me there and speaks through the service. I hope you were uplifted by the verses above as I know I was.

After Church we spent the afternoon with my Grandparents, Noni and Pa at C.I. Shenanigans My favorite restaurant! and afterwards we all went to the Tacoma Art Museum. There was no one there because of what a gorgeous day it was, so we had the whole museum to ourselves for about an hour. We took this great shot below with the Tacoma Dome, Mt. Rainer, and the Glass Museum in the background.

Overall it was a beautiful Easter Sunday... I hope everyone else had just as an amazing day!

At the Tacoma Art Museum

On The Tacoma Waterfront

Leroy at the Tacoma Art Museum

...Breadcrumbs... ...

I was thinking to myself today about my life and how God had shown Himself to me over the past year or so and it dawned on me that I’ve been following breadcrumbs.

Maybe it’s a strange analogy but it has made me better understand the holes in my last one. You see I used to think that God was playing hide and seek in my life one moment He was there and the next in hiding creating peaks and valley’s in my faith.  Contemplating on this though I have realized that God has been ahead of me the whole time leading the way leaving breadcrumbs to entice me to step closer to Him.

I’ve never been much of a church go-er and I really don’t analyze scripture like maybe I should however, I think a lot (being the quiet type) and picture God and His ways and I realize that he is quietly walking through the cobwebs ahead of me leaving behind breadcrumbs of hope for me to pick up. This gives me hope and the courage to keep moving forward in life… sometimes His clues are farther apart and the space between is confusing and scary but remembering that he will guide me to where he wants me to be and that the destination is nothing but pure good fills me with the faith I need to go on.

All this being said to encourage those whose breadcrumbs are farther apart than others… God is always there one step ahead.