Psalm

Trusting God in His Plans

Abi Leah8 Comments

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I’m not ready.

As I enter into the final months of my Senior year, that is all I can think about… I’m not ready. Some of the people around me are getting so excited to leave high school and head off to college. But I just don’t feel ready.

Should I feel ready?

I was reading Isaiah a couple of nights ago when I came across the passage in Isaiah 6 where Isaiah was called to speak for the Lord.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

~ Isaiah 6:6-8

Isaiah didn’t stop to think whether or not he was qualified for the position that God was asking him to fill. He didn’t wonder if he was ready or had the time. He didn’t consider what he would be missing when he went on to continue God’s work. No. Instead, Isaiah heard God’s calling and immediately said, “Yes, I’m here, open and willing to do whatever You ask of me, Lord.”

During the Great Commission, Jesus commanded everyone to go. He didn’t say, “wait until you’re ready.” The command was to simply go, out of our comfort zones and into the world. But with that command, He promised that He would be with us. (Matthew 28:20)

So even though I don’t feel ready to head off to college, there is comfort in Jesus’ promise to be with me. Like Isaiah, I need to be willing and open to go wherever God calls me without hesitation. And that’s hard. But I’m not expected to do it alone.

My challenge for you (as well for myself) is to trust God in His plans for you. Whether He’s preparing you for a new chapter of life or simply giving you another week, trust His plans and say, “Here I am, Lord. Send me.” Remember that His plans are perfect (Psalm 40:5) and trust Him completely.

signi

 

Seeing God in the Everyday

Abi Leah2 Comments

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I pulled into my parking spot and turned off the engine. From where I sat in the parking lot at school, I had a perfect view of the sunrise. Shades of blue merged into purple and pink. Thin clouds raced across the morning sky as birds happily chirped in the cool air.

I watched as the sun rose all too quickly and the sky turned blue. As I continued my school day, I remembered the beauty and wondered how amazing God is! Later, that night, I opened my Bible and read the words that perfectly expressed the awesome beauty I felt only a few hours before.

How clearly the sky reveals God’s glory!
How plainly it shows what He has done!
Each day announces it to the following day;
each night repeats it to the next.
No speech or words are used, no sound is heard;
yet their message goes out to all the world
and is heard to the ends of the earth.
God made a home in the sky for the sun;
it comes out in the morning like a happy bridegroom,
like an athlete eager to run a race.
Psalm 19:1-5

I’m sure I’m not the only one to wake up some mornings feeling completely away from God. It can be difficult seeing Him work in life when we’re going through the motions and routines.

But, as Psalm 33:6 reminds us, God’s hand is shown throughout all of creation, in the beauty of His created world.

This week, I’d like to challenge you to look for God’s hand in the everyday things such as the sunrises, callings of the birds, and even in the beauty of human life.

signi

Motivation Monday // Trust

Abi Leah6 Comments

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March 27, 2017

Today’s Theme: Trust

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“Worrying doesn’t change anything but trusting in God changes everything.” – Unknown

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“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.” – Psalm 56:3

Trust is one of the most important things in a relationship. It’s the same for our relationship with God. We have to learn to trust Him and His plans for our lives. That’s my challenge for you this week. :)

signi

Hello 2017! + New Year Goals

Abi Leah6 Comments

Happy New Year! Can you believe it’s 2017?! It’s gone by way too fast. But then again, I say that every year. You’d think I’d be used to time changing by now.

Okay, so I’m going to start off by saying I don’t like using the word “resolutions”. I feel like they should be more of goals because it doesn’t matter to me whether I meet them or not, as long as there are progress and growth.

With that “mini-rant” out of the way, here are my 2017 New Year Goals. My theme for 2017 is growth so this year I’m making goals that will hopefully help me better myself.

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November Favorites

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Hey, everyone! How are you? November flew by so quickly! But it’s December so that’s awesome! Anyway, here are some of the things I did this month and my favorite memories. :)

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  1. Thanksgiving with the family – Thanksgiving was a couple of days ago and it was awesome! My family hosted Thanksgiving lunch/dinner. My sister baked four different desserts and my mom made a huge turkey so I have lots of lucnhes for the next week.
  2.  Field Trip with my Photography class – This month I went on a field trip to uptown with my photography class. I had so much fun hanging out with all of my classmates and taking pictures around the city. (Here’s the post I wrote on it.)
  3. My writing club – I joined a writing club at my school earlier this year. I was really nervous because I don’t normally share my creative writing but the group was really kind about everything and encouraged me to continue writing.
  4. Hanging with my Acafam – This month I had a big acappella performance and it was awesome!
  5. Self Portrait project – My photography teacher challenged our class to a 21 day self portrait story. Every day we had to take a picture of ourselves that told a story of another person and how they had changed us, challenged us, taught us ect. It was really hard for me but it was a lot of fun.
  6. Christmas Tree Shopping! – Every year, the day after Thanksgiving, my whole family goes to by a Christmas tree and then we come home and decorate it all together. It’s one of the things that I look forward to every winter. But there was something about this year that made the special “tree-day” better than the past ones. :)
  7. Hobby Lobby – I stopped by Hobby Lobby a couple of weeks ago to pick up some things for the upcoming giveaway (!!!) and saw some really cute things! I need to go to craft stores more often.
  8. Ding Dong Merrily On High by Rend Collective (song)
  9. Jesus, Savior by Chris August (song)
  10. Psalm 1:1-3 – “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers.”

How was your November? What are you looking foward to this December? (Besides Christmas of course) I hope you all have a wonderful day!

signi

Bible Verses For When You’re Stressed

Abi Leah5 Comments

Hey, everyone! How are you? Hopefully, school hasn’t been too crazy for you. But if you are having a stressful week, here are 5 Bible verses for when you’re stressed.

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Isaiah 43:1 – 3a

But now, this is what the LORD says – he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

2 Corinthians 4:16 – 18

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Psalm 118:5 – 9

When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; he brought me into a spacious place. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

Lamentations 3:19 – 23

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

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January Favorites

Abi Leah3 Comments

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Hey, everyone! How was your January? Mine was really fun! So many wonderful things happened to make my January a great month. Here are some of my favorite things. :)

  1. Beautiful Sunsets – Earlier in the month, I was at the beach and was able to take pictures of the beautiful sunsets I saw. You can view another picture here.FullSizeRender-25
  2. Fresh Sparkling Snow Lotion from Bath and Body Works – I received this lotion for Christmas and love it!
  3. Enchanted Forest Pajamas from The Company Store – My amazing aunt bought my sisters and me these pajamas and I love them! They are super warm and soft! Also, the design reminds me of my aunt and her house where we went to go visit a couple of months ago. :)
  4. EOS Cucumber Hand Lotion – My wonderful sister got me this hand lotion and it’s amazing. I use it all the time since the cold weather makes my hands dry. And it smells fantastic.
  5. The Grace Mysteries by Grace Cavendish – I had already started reading this book a while ago and forgot about until recently. (oops :P ) I loved the book and the writing was well done. I definitely recommend this book for those who like fairy tales as well as mysteries.
  6. Pink Fashion Notebook from Greenroom – I am using this notebook for my blogging journal where I plan out the posts I want to write. I love writing in it and the design on the cover is super cute. :)IMG_0910
  7. Red sweater from Old Navy – Old Navy is one of my favorite clothing stores and this top is really soft. I like to dress up the sweater with a short, pearl necklace.
  8. Favorite Record by Fall Out Boy – Fall Out Boy is one of my favorite bands and this song is one of my favorite songs. I love the beat and instruments in the background. You can listen to it here. 
  9. Reading By The Fireplace – As you may know, my state got snow! (If you didn’t know, you can see a picture here.) And I loved being outside but my favorite part of having snow days was coming back inside and reading by the nice, warm fire.
  10. Psalm 100:3 – “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

How was your January? Was there something that really made your month fantastic? Let me know in the comments below!

signi

 

August Favorites

Abi Leah6 Comments

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Hey, everyone! How was your August? Mine was spent getting ready for school and enjoying the last few days of vacation. Here are my top ten favorites from this past month. :)

10. DIY Honey and Vanilla Scrub – A couple of weeks ago, I decided to do through my craft pins and actually do them. Because it was the only “craft” that I had all of the ingredients for, I made a DIY Honey and Vanilla scrub. I love it because it made my skin really soft and smelled good.

9. My backpack – My backpack this year was from Pottery Barn and I received lots of compliments on it. You can see all of my school supplies here.

8. You Will Never Run by Rend Collective – This is one of the top songs on Rend Collective’s new album, As A Family We Go. I love Rend Collective and this song is a great reminder that God will always be with us.

7. Old Navy’s Patterned Soft Pink Floral Skirt – Early this month, I went to Old Navy and bought multiple items but one of my favorites was their soft pink floral skirt. I was about to not get it but I was glad that I did. And bonus, it is on sale now. :)

6. Garner Fructis’s Brazilian Smooth Shampoo – This shampoo really works for my hair. For “difficult to straighten hair”, like mine, this shampoo is said to be proven to reduce flatiron time. It will be interesting to see if that statement is true when I do get around to flat ironing my hair.

5. Garner Fructis’s Sleek & Shine Leave-In Conditioner – My sister uses this often and so I decided to try it. I was amazed at how smooth and soft it made my hair, even the second day. Definitely worth trying.

4. Papa Smurf Flash drive – I found this flash drive extremely helpful in my computer web design class and it is easy to find because it is different than most of the flash drives used.

3. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins – My family loves these Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins. With the perfect amount of chocolate and pumpkin, these muffins are perfect for fall and for after-school snacks. You can find the recipe here.

2. 500 Writing Prompts (book) – I bought this book from Barnes and Nobles, a while back. I like it because it has some interesting prompts that make you think, such as; “Do you think ‘take it one day at a time’ is good advice? Why or why not.” and, “Do you think the eyes are a window to a person’s soul? What does eye contact mean to you?”

1. Psalm 118:6 – While doing my devotions, I came across this verse. It reminded me that we don’t need to worry about anything in this world because it’s not going to matter in the end.

What was one of your favorite things from August? What are you looking forward to in the month of September? Let me know in the comments below. :)

signi

Watching Turtles Hatch

Abi Leah2 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I was blessed with the experience of watching turtles hatch. This was an unusual experience because normally turtles hatch during the night but these turtles hatched during the day time. Let me start from the beginning…

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A lady was walking down the beach when a baby turtle scrambled passed her feet. She didn’t have a camera so she asked my uncle who happened to be sitting on the beach. My uncle called us over from the balcony and we all ran down to see the turtles. By the time we got there, three turtles had already hatched and a fourth one was crawling out of the nest.

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It was amazing to see so many people gathered around watching the turtles come out, one by one. I was able to take some pictures on my iPad and my dad was able to get a video of my favorite turtle, Tumble. Tumble had a little trouble getting out of the sand. And once he (or she) did get out, he got lost on the way. I named him Tumble because well, he took a little fall but was able to get back up and keep crawling his way to the water. Tumble was also very grateful to the kind bystander who kept the birds away.

About fifteen minutes after little Tumble hatched, my mom called the Turtle Watch to let them know what had happened. Apparently, there were lots of red ants in the nest and they were biting the turtles, making them come out of their nest early. And you can imagine how much the ants hurt the turtles since they are so small.

What I loved about this experience was seeing how God is in control of everything and is so amazing. I mean, how did the turtles know to go to the water? How do they know when to leave their nest? How do they know to come back to the exact same beach they hatched on, twenty years later? It really is amazing.

“I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” ~ Psalm 63:4

signi

New Year: 2015

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Happy New Year!

So as you might have noticed, my blog has a new look. With the new year, my blog got a new look. It looks great if I do say so myself. :)

New Years are great for remembering the past and looking forward to the future, to reflect on what you learned and make goals for the future. I have a good feeling about this new year: 2015. I feel that this year will have something special in store for all of us. And with that said, I want to challenge all of you to make today better than yesterday but to also not do something you will regret.

I can’t wait to continue this journey with all of you. God bless!

signi

“Love the Lord, all his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” – Psalm 31:23-24