It Was Love At First Touch....

Thanks to my amazingly kind, giving, and wonderful boyfriend...as a belated Graduation gift, I picked up my new iPhone 4 yesterday! After several years of waiting, I'm happy to say I'm a proud and very excited iPhone owner! :) Sadly, the hardest part was picking which 6 GB out of my 28GB filled iPod (Athena) to transfer to my new phone without overloading it. That was a rough filtering process, but after about an hour-I'm satisfied with my musical stylings of my amazing new phone! Now I'm just awaiting my pretty blue case and my scratch proof frosted screen shield to come in (hopefully in a week) so that I won't have to carry around my new phone like it's a newborn child!

My favorite free app so far would be my Bible App where I can look at any translation and it helps you set up one of dozens of reading programs to get you through the bible in a year or discipleship programs and so much more! It'll be my new best friend! :) What an awesome thing! Thanks for listening and sharing in my joy of my new amazing gift that'll help me to do so many things more efficiently and give my Max (my awesome 12 inch, 5 yr old laptop) a bit of a breather!

Goals-To Get Started You Must Have A Destination

As I write this I just am amazing on how quickly the month of june has gone by and how july is already around the corner! This whole concept of time has flown by much quicker than I remember it when I was younger. The Lord has really brought to my attention just how precious each day, each hour, and each moment is and how important it is to rely on Him in these short spans of time. As most of you know, I am a constant "goal-maker." I make goals for every school year, golf season, and every summer. It's a habit I've had most of my life and it's my way of doing my best to fulfill a purpose the Lord has for me. Well for this summer my goals are as follows (but not limited to by any means lol):

1. Drink the recommended amount of water per day (easier said than done)
2. Trust God whole-heartedly with my finances and giving. I've always struggled with this one but sure enough the moment I began doing it and letting go of what control I thought I had, the Lord blessed and abundantly provided
3. Give away anything I don't use or need or have any intention of using. (I've found boxes of clothes I'll never wear again and electronics that are just gathering dust. Goodwill and I have become closer)
4. Do my best to see God in every situation and to also trust Him in every situation
5. Instead of tapping into my default settings and worrying about all the "what if's" in my life, I'm praying instead...how theraputic!
6. My ultimate goal-I'm going to read the Bible in a year (or less). I'm on day 6 and have already learned so much

Please pray for me as I continue to work through these and live my purpose that God has intended at this point in my life! So many things have been happening and I just am seeking God's will and design for all things! Any encouragement and accountability would be greatly appreciated! :)

What Are You Waiting For?

I have become more than complacent over the last couple of years than I care to admit. With my spiritual growth and search for wisdom that is. It has just come to my attention how lukewarm I have become in regards to spiritual life and how difficult it is for me to make it a priority. This is not easy for me to admit, nor am I very proud of this however, it deserves to be said and it deserves to be rectified.

Through the last few weeks I have been slowly working through Francis Chan's book Crazy Love. It has punched me right in the stomach some days and has really forced me to really examine myself as 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine." I have found that I am guilty of being lukewarm and of not going outside of what I feel to be comfortable. I've done what I can to be "godly enough" and acceptable enough to see the Lord when He decides my time is up, but I have come to really ask myself, "Is that really helping anyone or is it just pleasing yourself?"

I have let a lot of people down but most importantly I have let down the one person in my life that has been with me through thick and thin, death and life, joy and pain, growth and setbacks....Jesus. I have not given Him the attention, love, and worship that He deserves and I have come to find that I cannot change on my own but only through His Spirit. I can only learn how to love Him more and more genuinely with His help. My prayer is to love Him more and to want to love Him more. It won't be easy because I'm such a faulty human being but with the Lord's help, anything is possible.

This is a prayer from Francis Chan's book and it spoke volumes to me today and it will be my prayer that will guide me to the place where I need to be:

"Jesus, I need to give myself up. I am not strong enough to love You and walk with You on my own. I can't do it, and I need You. I need You deeply and desperately. I believe You are worth it, that You are better than anything else I could have in this life or the next. I want You. And when I don't, I want to want You. Be all in me. Take all of me. Have Your way with me."

Amen.

My Last Round Of College Golf...I Bid Adieu

4 years ago, I never thought this day would come quickly enough and I stood amazed on my final hole of day #4 of our National Championships in Rapid City, South Dakota with the realization that the last 4 years and 4 seasons have gone by so quickly I wish I still had more time. I found myself as I walked up to my final putt on the 18th green on friday getting somewhat misty eyed and overwhelmed with emotions of gratitude, bewilderment, sadness, joy, and excitement of what is to come next in my life. I was very proud of all that I had done the last 4 years and found myself every hole just praising the God I so lovingly worship for all that He has taught me, for without it, I would've never accomplished any or all of my goals I had set out.

Although, we left Rapid City with only a 3rd place trophy and not our Championship Banner that we had longed for, we were still very proud of what we had done. We put on a phenomenal performance and beat out 25 other amazing teams from all around the country! Not only that, but one of our own, Nathalie Silva from Brazil won the entire field and left with her own National Title! We were so very proud of her and just how we handled ourselves during the week. I had struggled during the second day with what I think was either food poisoning or the 24 hour flu. It hit me hard and not being able to keep food down for over 24 hours and fighting a fever off made it an uphill battle to do my best. However, the Lord gave me strength and I was able to make it through and push forward towards the final days. I hit the ball better than I have in a long time and the course just proved to be difficult for me with being so aggressive with the pins. However, I would not change a thing and I feel satisfied with my last "Hoo-rah."

I had accomplished all the goals I had set out for the season which were to being my stroke average down to a 78, shoot in the 70's for both rounds at Monterey Bay's most difficult golf course, Place in the top 10 in a tournament, achieve Academic All-American and also receive the honor of being an All-American with my performance throughout the season. I got word after my final round of Nationals that I became a 2nd team All-American honoree. It has been an amazing 8+ years of competitive golf and I've learned so much from the game and the people I've met over the years. I will never let go of those relationships and the wisdom I've gained from it.

As for now, I will be taking a long awaited break from golf for a while and just let my body heal and relax and focus on my new job and my church and catch up on some reading and studying. I know that in about 6 months (if I make it that long haha) I will be yearning to go out on the course again and it wouldn't surprise me if I paid a visit to the new CBU golf team next year and played a few holes with them just for fun. But as for now, I am anxious to start working at my permanent store at Sips Coffee in Colton tomorrow afternoon and do my best to provide for myself and to do what I can in my Walk with the Lord. I am anxious to see what He has next!

Thanks for all your prayers and support this last week and the last 8+ years! It has gotten me to the place where I am at today and I will cherish that forever. Enjoy the pictures!

Regional Champions, New Job Training & A Diploma! :) God is GOOD!

I am just really experiencing my cup being overflowed with the Lord's blessings! My Graduation went so well, a little long, and I had a wonderful get together afterwards! So many of my closest friends and family came and even a few unexpected people who I hadn't seen in years joined the festivities! I felt very much spoiled!

I was sad that I had to leave the party kind of early to head to Primm, Nevada for my last Regional golf tournament. Our team had a rough start this spring and didn't win any events and this was a huge tournament for us leading into the national tournament on the 22nd of May. The best teams in our region, most of which will be there at the National event, were there and we had to go hard to win. We did just that! We won the whole field and by 9 strokes and took home trophies! I had one of my personal best set of rounds for the year and finished in 8th place! It was a wonderful victory and I was so very proud of me and my team!

Since then, we've just been training really hard to be ready and prepared as we leave on the 22nd. It will be an intense 4 days and we are praying that our commitment and preparation will pay off and we'll bring home our National Champion rings! You all can watch us live and see how we do with each hole on www.golfstat.com so you can be in on the action.

I also started training at Sips Coffee and am slowly learning the in and outs of making coffee. It is a slow process but I'm doing really well so far. I love the people and the company itself. They are very kind, flexible, and understanding and it has been such a blessing. I start my 3rd day of training tomorrow and it feels so good to work again. I am anxious to start my Graduate School work in late August! I also just applied to help in a Counseling Ministry and my home church at Sandals. I am very excited to see what that will bring. Please keep me in prayer that I can balance everything and maintain just a healthy walk with the Lord and be active and intentional with my relationships, especially with Jovan. Till next time....<3

Excited About An Ending & Anxious For A New Beginning!

Well, in less than 48 hours will officially be a college graduate! I still cannot fathom that it has already been 4 years and I'm about to walk out in my black robe and accept my college diploma with honors! I am proud to say that I have finished up my last semester of my undergraduate work with straight A's! It is the first time I have done it throughout college! Wow, and what a ride it has been. In a month I am about to finish up my golf season that's had an amazing 4 year run. With 2 tournaments left to go I have participated in over 84 tournament rounds all over the United States, been a part of about 10 victories, and won a small match myself. I can only pray that me and my team will finish out this season strong with Regionals this week and the National Championship in 3 weeks.

I have been blessed to have met some amazing people throughout my 4 years at CBU. I have been fortunate enough to have gained many life long friends that I know that if I was ever in need I could call them up and in a moments notice they would be there. In the last three years I have traveled to 3 different counties and been fortunate enough to serve on several different ministries. The Lord has brought me through a lot and grown me and broken me as He has desired, and I am grateful for every trivial and difficult thing I have faced in the last 4 years. My life would not be what it is today without all of those and I wouldn't have the ability to speak to people and relate to them the way that I am able now.

I am very anxious to complete this chapter in my life, but also am very anxious for the several new beginnings in my life. I start my new job at Sips coffee very soon, I will be living in a new place with one of the greatest women I have come to know, I will be starting my dual-masters program at CBU in Counseling Psychology and Counseling Ministry in late August, and will continue to grow in the Lord and grow in my relationships with the Lord being the center of it all.

One of the greatest blessings I have had is Jovan. The Lord has done some amazing things in our relationship and has grown us so much closer to Him. We have both been stretched out of our comfort zone and are stepping up to the plate to be great stewards for the Lord's work in our lives. He has been able to keep us strong through the 8 months we've been together and kept us stable even though 2 hours keeps us a part most of the time. I have been blessed with a great man and I look forward to seeing what God has planned for us in the future. Thanks for all your prayers.

Just to tell you all about how much of a wonderful man Jovan is in my life, I just received and email from him today titled "11 Reasons Why I Love You" and it made me want to cry. The Lord has blessed me! Thy will be done Lord, on earth as it is in heaven. We are just constantly praying for guidance, direction, and strong spiritual foundation for our lives and we ask that our friends and family pray for that also. With the distance it is hard and we are doing our best to best examples of Christ we can be when we are apart but most importantly together. We consider our relationship a blessing from the Lord and we want to do our best to honor that. Prayers are powerful and we all need it! :) Thanks for all your support and prayers!

"For His Name Sake" Psalms 23:3

Oh Pride....The funny thing about pride is that I get sucked into the idea that I'm like the opposite of prideful then I boast about being humble! Oh the irony of being a human with no idea what they are doing! My devotional the other day really put things in perspective for me as I faced my struggle with pride, no matter how tiny I feel the problem is, it is none the less a struggle.

Max Lucado explained that no only are we just tools that God uses to do His will, He himself should receive all the Glory. I think this is a very serious problem with Christians today and being humble enough to give God the glory when we do something amazing. Even the most humble person has a slight moment of arrogance and thinks "Hey, what about me?!" Lucado then bears the question, "Does a scalpel have a smug look after a successful transplant? No, it is only a tool, and we are the same and ultimately God gets the glory."

When I was young in my faith I was not sure why God needed an ego boost all the time. Did he really need to feel that important? However, I am come to find that it isn't God that has the ego problem, it US! He takes on the things that we cannot handle and we definitely cannot handle being given all the glory. We struggle being humble most of the day, we would never handle being given all the glory for the things that we do! We'd be arrogant and completely selfish, more so than ever before!

As Christians we even fall into being prideful in our prayers. We pray things like "Thank you Lord for blessing me and not putting me on welfare like that man on the street corner." One thing we definitely aren't is we aren't real with ourselves and we aren't being real with God. Humility is the only way we can mature as spiritual beings. We must die to ourselves and understand that although we are blessed, we are still filthy rags before the Lord and we all fall short of His glory! Instead our prayer should be, "God have mercy on me, a sinner, like my brother on welfare-I am dependent upon your grace."

Max Lucado put it best when he said, "The Maker of the stars would rather die for you than live without you. So if you need to brag, brag about that, and check your chin at the door!"

Let us remember to not give ourselves the glory for we cannot handle nor do we deserve it. "Don't praise yourself. Let someone else do it for you." (Proverbs 27:2)