summer is close to the end.
i just got home from camp two nights ago. and i meant to blog more while i was there, but didn't really have a ton of time.
i will blog soon and tell all about my trip.
basically, i am very changed.
♥
11.8.10
12.7.10
a tug at my heart.
time at camp has been so good for me.
it is exactly what i have needed.
and what God really needed me to see, was that i need to take care of my own heart, and follow it, and give God my whole heart and my whole life. EVERY single part of it.
and that is HUGE for me.
God is also teaching me about patience, loving others, and being a leader is definitely bringing lots of challenges. the constant thought in my head is that God does not give us anything we can't handle. so it has definitely been very challenging, but God is providing me with a heart that is getting through the trials he is placing in front of me.
the beginning of the summer was a little bit rough. but God made my heart stronger and made me lean on Him more than ever.
and slowly but surely He is making this summer a ton better by making me a better leader, and a better servant of Christ.
a couple days ago, family camp #4 started. my parents are here for the week and my sister surprised me and was here till this afternoon. that was a blessing to be with my whole family for a couple days.
yesterday God confirmed in my heart more about me going to mexico.
and then this morning, i had the first conversation about it with my parents, and they didn't seem surprised at all, and took it a lot better than i thought. and they also weren't surprised that i have this strong of a heart for missions and serving the rest of my life.
which made me wonder if their reaction was another confirmation in this whole thing.
and then i was talking with a camper and family friend about what i really am passionate about and where my heart is at with missions and everything and he said over and over again, "go for it no matter what. don't let anything stop you. i had a lot of dreams of doing something like that and i just sort of got sucked into the corporate world and had hopes of starting a family and stuff. but if you do it and stuff tell me and i would love to support you."
so now i already have someone that wants to support me being a missionary. this has to be a sign of this being a plan for my life.
then right after lunch, after i said goodbye to my sister before she left, my dad and i went on a walk, and got a shake together.
and talked about it all.
and he tells me to finish college and then go to mexico. and then we just contemplated so much about it.
but i definitely feel such a strong tug on my heart for ministry there. and if it isn't mexico where i am suppose to be, then wherever God leads me, i will go.
so whoever reads this, prayer for direction and God just having a stronger hold on my heart and that He would continue to prepare my heart for whatever plan he has for me. and that He would continue to challenge me and love me and fill me up with this joy that i have been continuing to have since God turned my life around in april.
God is good and ever so faithful to those that desire him as much as he desires us.
♥
it is exactly what i have needed.
and what God really needed me to see, was that i need to take care of my own heart, and follow it, and give God my whole heart and my whole life. EVERY single part of it.
and that is HUGE for me.
God is also teaching me about patience, loving others, and being a leader is definitely bringing lots of challenges. the constant thought in my head is that God does not give us anything we can't handle. so it has definitely been very challenging, but God is providing me with a heart that is getting through the trials he is placing in front of me.
the beginning of the summer was a little bit rough. but God made my heart stronger and made me lean on Him more than ever.
and slowly but surely He is making this summer a ton better by making me a better leader, and a better servant of Christ.
a couple days ago, family camp #4 started. my parents are here for the week and my sister surprised me and was here till this afternoon. that was a blessing to be with my whole family for a couple days.
yesterday God confirmed in my heart more about me going to mexico.
and then this morning, i had the first conversation about it with my parents, and they didn't seem surprised at all, and took it a lot better than i thought. and they also weren't surprised that i have this strong of a heart for missions and serving the rest of my life.
which made me wonder if their reaction was another confirmation in this whole thing.
and then i was talking with a camper and family friend about what i really am passionate about and where my heart is at with missions and everything and he said over and over again, "go for it no matter what. don't let anything stop you. i had a lot of dreams of doing something like that and i just sort of got sucked into the corporate world and had hopes of starting a family and stuff. but if you do it and stuff tell me and i would love to support you."
so now i already have someone that wants to support me being a missionary. this has to be a sign of this being a plan for my life.
then right after lunch, after i said goodbye to my sister before she left, my dad and i went on a walk, and got a shake together.
and talked about it all.
and he tells me to finish college and then go to mexico. and then we just contemplated so much about it.
but i definitely feel such a strong tug on my heart for ministry there. and if it isn't mexico where i am suppose to be, then wherever God leads me, i will go.
so whoever reads this, prayer for direction and God just having a stronger hold on my heart and that He would continue to prepare my heart for whatever plan he has for me. and that He would continue to challenge me and love me and fill me up with this joy that i have been continuing to have since God turned my life around in april.
God is good and ever so faithful to those that desire him as much as he desires us.
♥
23.6.10
ride (verb): to move along in any way; be carried or supported
went home for father's day.
and it was super fantastic.
my dad was really surprised.
a half hour before i left to head back up to wisconsin, i begged my dad to take me on a motorcycle ride.
i have been riding with my dad since i was little, and i also use to ride with my grandpa from when i was about 8 until he passed away almost 5 years ago.
there is something so great about being on the back of a harley.
its a totally different perspective of everything around you compared to being in a car shielded from what surrounds you.
and my dad and i had the best conversation ever while riding.
he said to me, "i really love that you are so passionate about taking rides with me. it helps me continue what i did with my dad."
and i said, "no problem dad. i just love it so much. its an amazing way of taking time to reflect, and just soak in life and how great God's creation is. even if we live in a fast paced suburb of chicago."
he said, "as your father, i am so proud of you for what you are doing this summer. as a fort board member, i thank you for taking your time to serve others."
i started to cry.
just being so grateful for life, and to see that the really rough childhood moments and things and struggles have taken me to this place now where all i ever want to do is love and serve and be a servant of the Lord and just do missions for the rest of my life.
and being on that harley with my dad, helped me sort of take some time to reflect and spend time with the Lord.
i will forever live to ride. and continue to live my life for the Lord and listen to his callings for my life.
one of those callings, is Mexico. i feel like i talk about it so much, but i think i do that because God has really put that on my heart.
and yesterday, was my sponsor child Dalia's 9th Birthday. and i have been sponsoring her since she was 5 months old. so you can do the math. basically her whole life. and to reflect on that just fills my heart with so much joy.
God is good. God continues to provide. and He continues to LOVE us and meet us wherever we are at.
♥
19.6.10
taking a little break.
I have been at camp for the last 3 weeks. its crazy to think that its been 3 weeks already, 2 weeks of leader training and 1 week of JV camp. and that was SUPER fun!!
I decided that I was gonna come home and surprise my dad for fathers day.
he is the best father EVER.
it is so good to relax at my home for a couple days. and then tomorrow early afternoon i am going back up to camp until the end of summer. i hope it doesn't go by too fast. and that i have the best time of my life and make so many memories.
i am so blessed to be spending the summer up there. i can't wait to get back and see all my friends, and be with the summer long leaders. i miss my roomie andrea. she is so great. and stephanie and emily. haha. love them all.
i miss my friend nicole right now though. she is just so precious to me. i am so glad we talk so much everyday.
and i am really happy with what God is showing me, the people he is putting in my life, and what he is doing in me. :]
I decided that I was gonna come home and surprise my dad for fathers day.
he is the best father EVER.
it is so good to relax at my home for a couple days. and then tomorrow early afternoon i am going back up to camp until the end of summer. i hope it doesn't go by too fast. and that i have the best time of my life and make so many memories.
i am so blessed to be spending the summer up there. i can't wait to get back and see all my friends, and be with the summer long leaders. i miss my roomie andrea. she is so great. and stephanie and emily. haha. love them all.
i miss my friend nicole right now though. she is just so precious to me. i am so glad we talk so much everyday.
and i am really happy with what God is showing me, the people he is putting in my life, and what he is doing in me. :]
5.6.10
learning is so beautiful.
summer. SUMMER. SUMMER!!!
i absolutely love summer. maybe more because i am at camp for the summer? not really sure. But i do know that God is doing amazing work in my life. And i am just super super blessed.
Right now, i am sitting in the coffee shop that i will be running for the whole summer.
Someone yesterday said to me, "it is really great to have you here. and to see where you have come from, and how you have grown, to where you are now in your life. so glad you are here, Lisa."
that just really touched my heart a ton. and made me really think of where i have been, and the tragedies i have faced and the things i have overcome. and the fact that i have overcome those things through God, and through people that have helped me along and been the encouraging and loving community i needed. I have no regrets, but i definitely know that my mistakes and trials and really rough patches in my life have made me really strong. and i feel like for the first time in my life i can stand here and say, that i feel stronger than ever before, and God is just continuing to love me and open up my eyes to the things in my life that i need to change and the things that i need to appreciate more, and he is opening my eyes up to the people i need to show love to. and i love to love others. He is showing me things in the relationships i have with others, and what i can do better, and how to love them and meet them right where they are at.
it is truely beautiful what God has been showing me. God is my strength, and the only thing I need. I am so full of his spirit, and his grace and his love. And it consumes my thoughts and my walk everyday.
Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me, loved me, and met me right where i am with open arms. I am so grateful. And God is really showing that to me, he is making my heart feel so blessed and grateful for those around me. So i thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And I give all my praise and thanks to the Lord who has been a very large part of who I am today.
I was going to update on just things about camp and such. but i sort of felt prompted to write what is really on my heart. and this was tugging at it. so updates about staff orientation and how leader training is going so far will have to come soon.
much love. ♥
i absolutely love summer. maybe more because i am at camp for the summer? not really sure. But i do know that God is doing amazing work in my life. And i am just super super blessed.
Right now, i am sitting in the coffee shop that i will be running for the whole summer.
Someone yesterday said to me, "it is really great to have you here. and to see where you have come from, and how you have grown, to where you are now in your life. so glad you are here, Lisa."
that just really touched my heart a ton. and made me really think of where i have been, and the tragedies i have faced and the things i have overcome. and the fact that i have overcome those things through God, and through people that have helped me along and been the encouraging and loving community i needed. I have no regrets, but i definitely know that my mistakes and trials and really rough patches in my life have made me really strong. and i feel like for the first time in my life i can stand here and say, that i feel stronger than ever before, and God is just continuing to love me and open up my eyes to the things in my life that i need to change and the things that i need to appreciate more, and he is opening my eyes up to the people i need to show love to. and i love to love others. He is showing me things in the relationships i have with others, and what i can do better, and how to love them and meet them right where they are at.
it is truely beautiful what God has been showing me. God is my strength, and the only thing I need. I am so full of his spirit, and his grace and his love. And it consumes my thoughts and my walk everyday.
Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me, loved me, and met me right where i am with open arms. I am so grateful. And God is really showing that to me, he is making my heart feel so blessed and grateful for those around me. So i thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And I give all my praise and thanks to the Lord who has been a very large part of who I am today.
I was going to update on just things about camp and such. but i sort of felt prompted to write what is really on my heart. and this was tugging at it. so updates about staff orientation and how leader training is going so far will have to come soon.
much love. ♥
24.5.10
change (noun):to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone.
Forever Changed.
On saturday, i returned from an amazing trip to Mexico, to an orphanage that changed my life forever years ago. It was my 4th trip down there and i absolutely loved it. I sponsor a girl there, her name is Dalia. And she changed my life on my second trip there when i was in 7th grade. And I am just so blessed with the time I got to spend with her last week.
God put so much on my heart and moved mountains. The team i was with was amazing as well. we all got along so well and laughed constantly. especially towards the end of the trip. hahaha. thats another story for another time. my friend carissa and I got to sing for the last sala, people from our team spoke, we prayed the prayer with some precious people at adult outreach who are forever in my heart. and just so much more. there is so much that happened. if i told you everything on here, it would be extremely long. but i would be happy to share stories with you if you ask. This trip just really confirmed so much in my heart and was just very moving and powerful. I give all thanks to the Lord for His mighty hand and work in everything that week. He kept us safe, and didn't give us scary situations that we couldn't handle. Praise God.
On friday i leave for Fort Wilderness for the summer. It is so crazy to think that I won't be home until august 9th. I am just continuing to pray for God for this summer and the things he will do in my heart, and in the hearts of the people that i work with in the coffee shop and in the hearts of campers.
Rejoice! Amanda is getting better with fighting her disease. I just burst with tears of joy because I have a God who is faithful.
My heart goes out to the Kelley family. You guys are definitely in my prayers, and I wish I could be there this weekend for Will. Will, you fought the fight and you ran the race. Now you are in the arms of our amazing God. You will always be missed.
♥
On saturday, i returned from an amazing trip to Mexico, to an orphanage that changed my life forever years ago. It was my 4th trip down there and i absolutely loved it. I sponsor a girl there, her name is Dalia. And she changed my life on my second trip there when i was in 7th grade. And I am just so blessed with the time I got to spend with her last week.
God put so much on my heart and moved mountains. The team i was with was amazing as well. we all got along so well and laughed constantly. especially towards the end of the trip. hahaha. thats another story for another time. my friend carissa and I got to sing for the last sala, people from our team spoke, we prayed the prayer with some precious people at adult outreach who are forever in my heart. and just so much more. there is so much that happened. if i told you everything on here, it would be extremely long. but i would be happy to share stories with you if you ask. This trip just really confirmed so much in my heart and was just very moving and powerful. I give all thanks to the Lord for His mighty hand and work in everything that week. He kept us safe, and didn't give us scary situations that we couldn't handle. Praise God.
On friday i leave for Fort Wilderness for the summer. It is so crazy to think that I won't be home until august 9th. I am just continuing to pray for God for this summer and the things he will do in my heart, and in the hearts of the people that i work with in the coffee shop and in the hearts of campers.
Rejoice! Amanda is getting better with fighting her disease. I just burst with tears of joy because I have a God who is faithful.
My heart goes out to the Kelley family. You guys are definitely in my prayers, and I wish I could be there this weekend for Will. Will, you fought the fight and you ran the race. Now you are in the arms of our amazing God. You will always be missed.
♥
12.5.10
its REAL. and I am blessed.
this will be the most unorganized blog post ever. because i just need to ramble and speak whats on my heart and how God just shook up my heart in the last 10 minutes.
I am currently being blown away by God. He is so intense. he is loving. he provides. HE MEETS US RIGHT WHERE WE ARE, NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION IS. HE IS LOVE.
I was talking with my best friend Nicole and she mentioned how my summer starts in 15 days.
15 DAYS.
WOAH. I am just in awe. Like I leave for this missions trip for mexico, in a couple days. And I am just in awe. I am this person that has sinned and is just so imperfect in so many ways and doesn't deserve at all the opportunities i am being given this summer. the opportunity to serve and just do so much is just so amazing. and i am just in awe of God being like "I choose you. to go out and love others. and serve. and do this in My name." its just CRAZY!
God just totally shook my heart when I was just realizing what i am getting the opportunity to do. and realizing that i am leaving for the summer in 15 days to SERVE THE LORD. how cool is that!?!?
God has been closer than ever the last 2 months. like i feel like i am really starting to see him, and understand him, and respond to him finally. its weird. but its GOOD.
and He is just showing me love, and grace, and mercy, and forgiveness and just teaching me so much in SO many different ways.
God is rocking my heart. and today when I felt like God was physically mountains in my heart for like 10 minutes, it is just one step closer to God preparing my heart for the summer, and just him working in my heart more and more. there is no certain number we have to get to of encounters with God or amazing moments with Him, but he is just continuing to be an amazing God in my life.
I am so blessed.
God is loving and so good that it is hard to put to words.
And I am SO in love with the Lord and what he is doing in my life.
Without the Lord I would be lost.
I am currently being blown away by God. He is so intense. he is loving. he provides. HE MEETS US RIGHT WHERE WE ARE, NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION IS. HE IS LOVE.
I was talking with my best friend Nicole and she mentioned how my summer starts in 15 days.
15 DAYS.
WOAH. I am just in awe. Like I leave for this missions trip for mexico, in a couple days. And I am just in awe. I am this person that has sinned and is just so imperfect in so many ways and doesn't deserve at all the opportunities i am being given this summer. the opportunity to serve and just do so much is just so amazing. and i am just in awe of God being like "I choose you. to go out and love others. and serve. and do this in My name." its just CRAZY!
God just totally shook my heart when I was just realizing what i am getting the opportunity to do. and realizing that i am leaving for the summer in 15 days to SERVE THE LORD. how cool is that!?!?
God has been closer than ever the last 2 months. like i feel like i am really starting to see him, and understand him, and respond to him finally. its weird. but its GOOD.
and He is just showing me love, and grace, and mercy, and forgiveness and just teaching me so much in SO many different ways.
God is rocking my heart. and today when I felt like God was physically mountains in my heart for like 10 minutes, it is just one step closer to God preparing my heart for the summer, and just him working in my heart more and more. there is no certain number we have to get to of encounters with God or amazing moments with Him, but he is just continuing to be an amazing God in my life.
I am so blessed.
God is loving and so good that it is hard to put to words.
And I am SO in love with the Lord and what he is doing in my life.
Without the Lord I would be lost.
11.5.10
many days to say.
So I haven't blogged in what seems like a while. because i have had finals, moved out of the dorm and left purdue for the summer, and have been unpacking at home and seeing friends. so there is a lot to blog on.
many days to talk about.
so here it goes...
So Bright.
"So Bright" is the theme for Fort for the summer. It is based off of the verse Matthew 5:16. Just thinking about it and analyzing it, and relating it to my life just makes me so pumped and excited and get a lot of things planned for this summer and for the ways that i can impact those that i work with in the coffee shop (campgrounds). so i have a ton of things going through my mind and my heart that i want to do this summer. and i have so much excitement about it. and have already started to pray about it all and pray for the people that i will work with and pray that God will work in their hearts and in the hearts of the campers we will serve. I am so pumped for it, that words can not express it. When people ask me about it, i like screech with excitement. It will be so great. So if you feel lead to, please be praying for me for this summer.
Foundation for His Ministry::Hogar para niños.
Foundation for His Ministry is the name of the orphanage i will be working at for a week with 19 other people from my church, including my parents and sister. i leave this saturday, the 15th. and get back the 22nd. I am so pumped for that as well. And how God is gonna use us there. Also, I sponsor a girl at the orphanage. Her name is Dalia. I havent been there in 4 years, and cannot wait to see her. It is going to be an amazing moment when i just shower her with gifts. Expect pictures when i get back. there will for sure be a ton of pictures taken while i am down there. I am a huge fan of photography, so that will definitely be happening down there. I am just so pumped. I love serving SOOO much, and so for me to be able to go back down there, and work in the "Nut House" (macadamia nut house) and work with the kids in the nursery, and go on outreach trips, and play soccer with the teen boy house, and worship in Sala, and go to the Tiendita and get snacks, and the flea market for souvenirs, and get the best pastries ever in the morning from the little guy on his bike cart. i can already hear him ringing his bell and just being excited to give us some of the best pastries you will ever experience in your life. please be praying for our team, and that God will use our hearts in every way possible. it will be amazing. pray for our safety as well going through the border. be praying for God's presence, and work in our hearts and in the people that we will be serving. 4 more days!!!
Too cool for School.
I can't believe i have finished one year at purdue. To be honest, not many people thought i could do it. It was a shock to most that i could get into that school and do work there. And i did it. i really did. as i got my last things in the dorm, i just sat in my moms arms and cried. and just cried tears of joy. that i had really done it, and tried so hard. it was just a really big accomplishment for me. and i love it. i love seeing that i really did it. it just really hit me, and meant a lot to me.
church and home.
being home is weird at times. like i love seeing my family, and people at my home church. but sometimes i get this weird feeling like i don't fit in quite well anymore with my home church because i am gone most of the year, and will be gone this summer. but in little ways, God still shows me love there at times. i loved being a part of a hub that met at my friend sarah's house. and now that has all changed and its weird, because i loved growing through that. and my friends here have changed. and so i have really been trying to find where i fit and where God can work in my heart here. And this last saturday i found it. God works in my heart at Elevate. in my previous post, i talked about how i love junior high kids. well, this last saturday i had nothing to do at home, so i decided i really wanted to serve in Elevate. and i lead a group of girls, and really loved it. And met this little girl named karen. And we sat next to each other for worship and the service, and it was just so powerful i can't even explain. God just really tugs on my heart when i am with junior high kids. and so i've decided i really want to get plugged into a church at school that has a junior high ministry, and continue to work in junior high kids hearts. its such a beautiful thing.
new friends.
i have this new friend. her name is nicole rappe. and we have become so close in such a little time. and we encourage each other all the time and talk about goofy stuff and just really bond via text, skype, and facebook. and it is just awesome. and i am just really thankful that i have a friend like nicole. she has really been a blessing to me.
God has really been continuing to work in my heart everyday through his word and through friends and through things i encounter everyday. and i am in love with it. I love that everyday i am continuing to grow closer and closer with God, and that i am continuing to be molded and changed into a better woman of God. God's grace is just so amazing, and his love is neverending. and it is so beautiful and precious.
a verse that has really been on my heart is this: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.
<3
many days to talk about.
so here it goes...
So Bright.
"So Bright" is the theme for Fort for the summer. It is based off of the verse Matthew 5:16. Just thinking about it and analyzing it, and relating it to my life just makes me so pumped and excited and get a lot of things planned for this summer and for the ways that i can impact those that i work with in the coffee shop (campgrounds). so i have a ton of things going through my mind and my heart that i want to do this summer. and i have so much excitement about it. and have already started to pray about it all and pray for the people that i will work with and pray that God will work in their hearts and in the hearts of the campers we will serve. I am so pumped for it, that words can not express it. When people ask me about it, i like screech with excitement. It will be so great. So if you feel lead to, please be praying for me for this summer.
Foundation for His Ministry::Hogar para niños.
Foundation for His Ministry is the name of the orphanage i will be working at for a week with 19 other people from my church, including my parents and sister. i leave this saturday, the 15th. and get back the 22nd. I am so pumped for that as well. And how God is gonna use us there. Also, I sponsor a girl at the orphanage. Her name is Dalia. I havent been there in 4 years, and cannot wait to see her. It is going to be an amazing moment when i just shower her with gifts. Expect pictures when i get back. there will for sure be a ton of pictures taken while i am down there. I am a huge fan of photography, so that will definitely be happening down there. I am just so pumped. I love serving SOOO much, and so for me to be able to go back down there, and work in the "Nut House" (macadamia nut house) and work with the kids in the nursery, and go on outreach trips, and play soccer with the teen boy house, and worship in Sala, and go to the Tiendita and get snacks, and the flea market for souvenirs, and get the best pastries ever in the morning from the little guy on his bike cart. i can already hear him ringing his bell and just being excited to give us some of the best pastries you will ever experience in your life. please be praying for our team, and that God will use our hearts in every way possible. it will be amazing. pray for our safety as well going through the border. be praying for God's presence, and work in our hearts and in the people that we will be serving. 4 more days!!!
Too cool for School.
I can't believe i have finished one year at purdue. To be honest, not many people thought i could do it. It was a shock to most that i could get into that school and do work there. And i did it. i really did. as i got my last things in the dorm, i just sat in my moms arms and cried. and just cried tears of joy. that i had really done it, and tried so hard. it was just a really big accomplishment for me. and i love it. i love seeing that i really did it. it just really hit me, and meant a lot to me.
church and home.
being home is weird at times. like i love seeing my family, and people at my home church. but sometimes i get this weird feeling like i don't fit in quite well anymore with my home church because i am gone most of the year, and will be gone this summer. but in little ways, God still shows me love there at times. i loved being a part of a hub that met at my friend sarah's house. and now that has all changed and its weird, because i loved growing through that. and my friends here have changed. and so i have really been trying to find where i fit and where God can work in my heart here. And this last saturday i found it. God works in my heart at Elevate. in my previous post, i talked about how i love junior high kids. well, this last saturday i had nothing to do at home, so i decided i really wanted to serve in Elevate. and i lead a group of girls, and really loved it. And met this little girl named karen. And we sat next to each other for worship and the service, and it was just so powerful i can't even explain. God just really tugs on my heart when i am with junior high kids. and so i've decided i really want to get plugged into a church at school that has a junior high ministry, and continue to work in junior high kids hearts. its such a beautiful thing.
new friends.
i have this new friend. her name is nicole rappe. and we have become so close in such a little time. and we encourage each other all the time and talk about goofy stuff and just really bond via text, skype, and facebook. and it is just awesome. and i am just really thankful that i have a friend like nicole. she has really been a blessing to me.
God has really been continuing to work in my heart everyday through his word and through friends and through things i encounter everyday. and i am in love with it. I love that everyday i am continuing to grow closer and closer with God, and that i am continuing to be molded and changed into a better woman of God. God's grace is just so amazing, and his love is neverending. and it is so beautiful and precious.
a verse that has really been on my heart is this: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.
<3
3.5.10
tapping into the heart of middle school.
so i am sitting here, feeling many different feelings.
one of them being i wonder if anyone even reads this. or am i just talking to myself.
two, feeling like i should probably start to pack up my room.
three, packing? woah. im packing up my life here this last year? and then i start to reflect. and usually end in a few tears of joy.
four, finals are this week. shoot! i should study!
and then another feeling is, avoiding packing and studying, and just looking through old pictures on my computer.
so i did that. and went down memory lane.
and felt my heart clench when i went past the pictures from when i was an elevate small group leader.
i started to bawl.
i absolutely loved. seeing those girls every week.
even though sometimes it would be rough, and one or two girls wouldn't give me the time of day to tap into their lives, i still did everything i could, and trusted that God had control of it all. and that he would use me in whatever way possible to be there for these girls and lead them to God.
i would cry almost every week for the last couple months before graduating them into impact (the high school ministry). when matt mccoy would let them sing out the lyrics during worship and him not sing, just hearing their voices made my heart so full.
i would get so choked up. it was so beautiful. i felt like everytime i heard that God just kept saying to me "this is it. these are the kids are you are called to lead. they are the generation that is gonna make a difference in this world. these kids have the strength to do it." i just kept loving hearing them worship, and just feeling like they are gonna really shock the world with the way God is gonna lead them. and knowing that God is using them to show the love of God to the world, just made my heart so warm and full in so many ways.
these kids changed my life. every week when we would discuss the service in small group. i would try to impact them. but i felt like i would get more out of it from them. they would probably say the opposite. its just so crazy.
i have felt so many times like maybe working with jr. high kids after college is something i am really called to do. cuz they continue to set my heart on fire for the Lord in really cool ways.
You can learn so much from a junior high kid. Don't ever underestimate them. they are some of the best people i know.
<3
2.5.10
fire.
Meet my precious Dalia Alvarado.
i am going on a missions trip to mexico from may 15th-22nd.
to Foundation for His Ministry, an orphanage in the Baja Mexico.
Hogar Para Niños.
Home for Children.
i just think about serving, and i get these shivers down my spine. I have such a HUGE heart for serving. serving takes my heart into some of the deepest places with God. That is an area that i feel like i feel God the most. When i serve, i just get this instant joy. i see God in this crazy cool way. and it is amazing.
whether it is serving at fort, or at the orphanage, or elevate, or wherever. he always does amazing work. well, God is amazing all the time really. But serving just makes me feel a feeling that is indescribable.
i just cannot wait. 13 days. 13 DAYS!
i sponsor a girl at the orphanage there. her name is Dalia. and i love her. when i had heard her story of how she got to the orphanage, i just bawled. and knew this was a girl i wanted to help pick back up again. my heart was just breaking into pieces for this little girl. i love her so much. and can't wait to have an updated picture of her and i, and bring her lots of toys.
my heart longs to care for the needy, the broken, and the wounded.
i can't wait to marry someone that loves missions too.
i want to be a missionary for the rest of my life. do art. love others. and love someone for the rest of my life.
oh man. i love God.
he has rocked my world the last month. and he has so much planned for me, its amazing to see.
1.5.10
La vita è un sogno.
last night i slept for 19 hours. it felt amazing. and thats all i have to say about that.
by the way, the title translates to: "Life is but a dream" in italian. :)
right now i am looking into things for wanting to go study abroad. and i just get so excited thinking about going study abroad in the home and heart of all art--- Italy.
i have family in italy (from my mothers side) and so for me to visit with them, and hang out with them, would just make me the happiest person in the world. hahahaha. i just love photographing pretty cities and doing art outside in the most beautiful places, and so me doing art on a balcony at SACI, the art school i would attend that overlooks florence, would be amazing beyond belief.
so i am really considering studying in either either for the may-mester of this next school year or for all of the fall semester of my senior year. and that would just be amazing. so just exploring those options and opportunities to expand my mind in the heart of art, and to experience God in italy too and find a church there and stuff, oh man. thoughts of that too just gets me so excited and puts shivers down my spine. so as i continue to research my opportunities, i also continue to pray about what God has for me, and if he sees my heart in italy for a semester. and if he sees me not only growing in my major, but in him as well.
i have some more thoughts that i wish i could post right now, but i need to do some studying for finals this next week.
later tonight there will be an intense post about whats going through my head about life and things.
-lis.
by the way, the title translates to: "Life is but a dream" in italian. :)
right now i am looking into things for wanting to go study abroad. and i just get so excited thinking about going study abroad in the home and heart of all art--- Italy.
i have family in italy (from my mothers side) and so for me to visit with them, and hang out with them, would just make me the happiest person in the world. hahahaha. i just love photographing pretty cities and doing art outside in the most beautiful places, and so me doing art on a balcony at SACI, the art school i would attend that overlooks florence, would be amazing beyond belief.
so i am really considering studying in either either for the may-mester of this next school year or for all of the fall semester of my senior year. and that would just be amazing. so just exploring those options and opportunities to expand my mind in the heart of art, and to experience God in italy too and find a church there and stuff, oh man. thoughts of that too just gets me so excited and puts shivers down my spine. so as i continue to research my opportunities, i also continue to pray about what God has for me, and if he sees my heart in italy for a semester. and if he sees me not only growing in my major, but in him as well.
i have some more thoughts that i wish i could post right now, but i need to do some studying for finals this next week.
later tonight there will be an intense post about whats going through my head about life and things.
-lis.
30.4.10
and that's a wrap.
hello reader,
i have decided to start a blog. i really have a passion for writing, but no one has ever really known about it. and when i was talking to my friend dan the other day about how he writes and for the first time i said that i do too. cuz i do. i have a couple different journals for specific things. and so, with the summer approaching and school ending and life getting exciting and really starting to find where i belong, i decided to blog it. so here it goes... enjoy :)
today is the last full day of classes before finals next week. i have completed my sophomore year of college and my first year here at purdue. i am sitting in the middle of memorial mall (nice grassy area with walkways and such) people watching and enjoying the sunshine and really reflecting on my time here this year.
coming to purdue was a big change for me. yes i have my sister here, but that didn't mean that everything came easy and comforting. there were so many times that i cried, questioned God, put myself out there and stood strong for the Lord, and then also many times that i made mistakes and messed up.
but all in all, this is really where i belong.
i have experienced heartache, but in the end, God's light on my life was stronger than ever. Him and I have been so amazingly tight this last few months here. He has shown me so much about love, and serving, and how i can really be used on this campus to make His love resonate throughout this campus.
i cannot wait for next year already. i can't wait for CRU to start up, and to explore IV with one of my sisters (will explain that in a bit..) and to attend church with some fellow children of God, dan and aj.
i will be so blessed to be living in the sorority house next year. if you did not know, i pledged and have been initiated into the Alpha Eta Chapter of Alpha Xi Delta. and i absolutely love it! none of my relatives have ever been greek, and so i definitely struggled with some family and friends not being so sure of this being something that will be good for me. but so far, it has been nothing but an amazing experience. these sisters are not your stereotyped sorority girls. these girls are real, and honest, and funny, and always make me laugh. i constantly enjoy lounging around with them at the house watching our favorite show, Wife Swap, and having sisterhood events like bowling tonight! i know that being a part of this house will make me grow into a better woman and teach me so much about life. and i know that through it all, i have God on my side 100% and will never EVER let him go.
this year has been remarkable. it has definitely had its ups and downs. but through all of the pain and mistakes ive made and things ive experienced, i don't regret any of it. because i have grown so much. and can finally really see it. and i am amazed at how far i have come.
i encourage anyone that reads this to take some time to reflect and be still. just be. and reflect on life, and who you have become, and how you can love others and leave a mark wherever you go.
i am going to blog as many times as i think of something to blog about. so it may be once a day or even a few times a day or maybe three times a week. whatever it is, i hope you enjoy my thoughts.
yes i am an art major, and love to paint and capture things through drawing and such, but i also love to paint with words. so after this post things may be deeper. i think this is just a rough sketch of what may become a masterpiece.
-lisa.
i have decided to start a blog. i really have a passion for writing, but no one has ever really known about it. and when i was talking to my friend dan the other day about how he writes and for the first time i said that i do too. cuz i do. i have a couple different journals for specific things. and so, with the summer approaching and school ending and life getting exciting and really starting to find where i belong, i decided to blog it. so here it goes... enjoy :)
today is the last full day of classes before finals next week. i have completed my sophomore year of college and my first year here at purdue. i am sitting in the middle of memorial mall (nice grassy area with walkways and such) people watching and enjoying the sunshine and really reflecting on my time here this year.
coming to purdue was a big change for me. yes i have my sister here, but that didn't mean that everything came easy and comforting. there were so many times that i cried, questioned God, put myself out there and stood strong for the Lord, and then also many times that i made mistakes and messed up.
but all in all, this is really where i belong.
i have experienced heartache, but in the end, God's light on my life was stronger than ever. Him and I have been so amazingly tight this last few months here. He has shown me so much about love, and serving, and how i can really be used on this campus to make His love resonate throughout this campus.
i cannot wait for next year already. i can't wait for CRU to start up, and to explore IV with one of my sisters (will explain that in a bit..) and to attend church with some fellow children of God, dan and aj.
i will be so blessed to be living in the sorority house next year. if you did not know, i pledged and have been initiated into the Alpha Eta Chapter of Alpha Xi Delta. and i absolutely love it! none of my relatives have ever been greek, and so i definitely struggled with some family and friends not being so sure of this being something that will be good for me. but so far, it has been nothing but an amazing experience. these sisters are not your stereotyped sorority girls. these girls are real, and honest, and funny, and always make me laugh. i constantly enjoy lounging around with them at the house watching our favorite show, Wife Swap, and having sisterhood events like bowling tonight! i know that being a part of this house will make me grow into a better woman and teach me so much about life. and i know that through it all, i have God on my side 100% and will never EVER let him go.
this year has been remarkable. it has definitely had its ups and downs. but through all of the pain and mistakes ive made and things ive experienced, i don't regret any of it. because i have grown so much. and can finally really see it. and i am amazed at how far i have come.
i encourage anyone that reads this to take some time to reflect and be still. just be. and reflect on life, and who you have become, and how you can love others and leave a mark wherever you go.
i am going to blog as many times as i think of something to blog about. so it may be once a day or even a few times a day or maybe three times a week. whatever it is, i hope you enjoy my thoughts.
yes i am an art major, and love to paint and capture things through drawing and such, but i also love to paint with words. so after this post things may be deeper. i think this is just a rough sketch of what may become a masterpiece.
-lisa.
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