June 26, 2022
Hey everyone! I hope you have all had a fantastic week! I am happy to say this past week has been fairly chill for me. Sometimes that is exactly what I need lol. Especially knowing that next week we leave for the mountains to celebrate 4th of July. Speaking of which, I am really looking forward to because it is one of the few times that my entire family is able to spend some time together. We do all sorts of fun activities and really just hang out together which is so nice. I wanted to share something with you all that will kind of lead us into what I wanted to talk about today. So I don’t believe I have shared this on BBB but I recently joined a state wide organization called GCAPP or Georgia Campaign for Adolecent Power and Potential. Basically what it is is a program or indicative designed to better the lives of young adults and prepare them for the future through education on a variety of topics. That is kind of besides the point but, I was praying on Friday for God to put something in my life as a sign as to what I should update on this week and it happened that our first GCAPP meeting was on Saturday. As I attended that meeting we focused in on each of our visions for serving on the Youth Advisory Council for GCAPP. It was so cool because I really started to see how each of the youth that was seated in that room although we all shared the want to better our communities, we all had different values or visions that we stood behind. We did this activity where we had to identify our two most important values and it was so neat to hear all the different values each of us valued. My two words values were “Making a Difference” and “Health”. But each of us had differing words that we felt described our passions or goals in life and by doing this exercise I was really able to see more of my identity unravel. I know this probably seems like a really simple activity or thing to do however I really want you to take even if it is only ten minutes to identify your two most important values. Look up a list of values because trust me there are too many to narrow down without some sort of list. Then go through and find the two that you most strongly stand behind. It is really eye opening or was at least for me to see all the values that I cherished or saw to be important in my life. Then after you find your two I challenge you to comment them on the post I will make on Facebook and Instagram.
Promise, it will be really cool to see how much our values relate but also differ. In Romans 12 : 6-8 God focused in on how He has blessed each of us with different gifts for doing all specific things well. He did not intend for each of us to be the same because if that was the case, what new things would we have to take away from each other? Trust me, God has a plan for our differences so, take your most valuable values and use them to glorify Christ. Again please comment your two values on the latest social media post and also, submit B3 Box forms. Have a great week and I will see you all next week.
June 19, 2022
Good afternoon my favorites! I am so glad you chose to pop in today and read this update. I know that summer is a super busy time of the year and often we can be so involved with life that we forget to do things for ourselves. Hints why we talked about that a few weeks back lol! Anyways, I really missed you all this week cause I know this may sound funny but whenever I update, I truly feel like I am having a conversation with you. I know it isn’t necessarily right then that you are reading the post which is why I absolutely love to get your feedback. God calls us to lean on one another through the highs and lows of life. It is through you and me and everyone around being willing to share or express what they need that we get through this hard thing called life. The truth is, nobody can do it alone and not only do we need Christ but we need one another. Therefore, I really want you all to let me know what you need from me. Sometimes I struggle to find topics to discuss or conversation starters for my posts and I think it would be more beneficial to hear your input. So, what do you need? What questions do you have? We are in this together. Now I can tell you right now, I do not have all the answers, none of us do. But Christ does and by praying in abundance or multiples, He will hear us and make clear to us the unknown. I really encourage you not to keep your struggles to yourself, talk to your family, friends, God, and please by all means reach out to me. Don’t feel like your alone in this because I can assure you that YOU ARE NEVER ALONE. God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” You might feel like you are in a pit of darkness, by yourself and hopeless. Let me just put it this way, you may be at rock bottom. However, God promises that our “rock bottom” is not really the end, it is a start to something amazing. He has a plan and all that your facing is a part of that perfect plan. In conclusion, make your needs known to those close to you but most importantly God Himself. I love you all and for real, email me with update ideas. We can discuss just about anything. Do you have questions about my story? Questions about resources? Let me do all I can to help you. Have an amazing week!
June 12, 2022
Good afternoon to my favorite people! I hope you have each had a good, productive week and are looking ahead to what you may have planned these next few days before the fourth! I don’t know about you, but the 4th of July is one of my absolute favorite times of the year. Not only is it smack dab in the middle of summer when we have great pool weather, but it is one of the few times my entire family spends together. All four of our families are able to gather up at my grandparents cabin in the mountains and just enjoy the weekend together. We play games, have cookouts, sit by the fire pit, and so much more. I cannot wait. Anyways sorry to get off topic, I really hope you have something to be looking forward to this summer whether it be someone visiting, a vacation, or just time to relax. I think it is so common for us to be overwhelmed by the everyday tasks of work and life in general that we forget to take a step back.
It is so important for ever human to take time to themselves. I know many people like to be surrounded by others 24/7 or have some sort of task to always complete. Ill be honest, I am that way. I like to have a plan or something to keep me occupied, but I have come to realize that this is not always heathy. Just as Christ did on the 7th day, we are all called to rest at some point. The verse Matthew 11:28 states, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” God wants us to rest, He wants us to hit pause every once in a while and only think about you and Him. Now I’m not saying you have to not show up for work for a week or not pack for the trip your leaving for tomorrow. What I am saying is that no matter how busy or chaotic your life is right now, pray and ask the Lord to lead you to a break, a time where you can relax even if it is only a few hours. I promise if you do this just once, you will crave the alone time focused on the Lord more often. For me, this looks like my repetitive Sundays. Your going to laugh at me when I tell you this but it is 100% true. Every Sunday I am able to, I have a routine that takes up my entire day. I may have told you all about this routine but I am going to again. Your probably going, Gracie don’t you get tired of the same thing every week, and the truth is, I don’t at all. It brings me joy, and peace to know every single week I get to start off with my routine Sunday in which for the majority I spend alone and on my own time. I go to church, I like to go for a long walk, I get dinner from one of my favorite places, and I do my favorite thing; GROCERY SHOP! I love it so much and it makes me feel so prepared for the week ahead. You can laugh all you want but trust me, everyone has their thing. You maybe have just yet to find what that thing is but once you do, it will stick.
I hope this update brought you all a little laugh and will encourage you to find a day or time to take for yourself this week. Do things you enjoy and just let yourself recover from all the stress of life. I love you all so much and please remember I am here for you at anytime. I haven’t gotten many box forms lately so please please please submit one if you know of anybody in need of some encouragement! Have a great week!
June 5, 2022
Good morning! I hope y’all have had a great week! Can you believe it is June? I guess time just flies because I feel like just yesterday was Christmas. I am so excited to be back home in the comforts of my own home and surrounded by all the things I know best like my bed, and schedule, and my shower. Is it just me or is there something comforting about showering in your own bathroom? That is the one thing besides my bed that I don’t know if I could live without lol. I just love MY shower, not the hotel or cousins, not the one in my parents room or basement, I like my own. Anyways, off that tangent because it is probably just me, you all know I’m an odd ball. I accept it though, you can laugh its okay. To the main point of today, I want to talk about God’s Plan. My family and I had an experience to say the least on Friday while trying to return home from Costa Rica. It is funny now but at the time it was far from humorous.
Keep in mind, we had already been gone for eight days and our flight was scheduled to leave at 1:08pm on Friday. You know I was beyond ready to be home and surprisingly the rest of my family felt similar. We were all worn out and tired from going 24/7. We could not wait to get home and so that morning went by fairly fast. We all woke up, packed our bags and got to the airport. Side note with still being in the scare of COVID, you have to have a several documents in order to get back into the states. Well little did we know, my family of course had forgotten the covid test results. After getting up to the front desk, calling the CDC, and double checking there was no other option, the lady told us we were going to have to get tested at the airport. Which doesn’t sound like a huge deal but she followed that statement by saying if anyone tested positive for any reason we would have to complete the Costa Rican quarantine before flying home. What does that mean you ask because we were wondering the same thing? Basically, if your results come back COVID positive you have to stay in a hotel room for five more days and test negative before being allowed back into the states. It may not sound so bad but when you have already been away for 8 days, barely have any clean clothes left, and are expecting to sleep in your own bed that night, hearing this news is about the last thing you can accept.
With no other option, we all got in line to get tested around 11. The check in for the plane ended at 12 and it took 45 minutes for the results to come back. So not only were we stressing about everyone coming back negative, but we were also cutting it very close on time. When I tell you all I have never prayed so hard before. I’m sure I called out to God from the time that lady told us we needed to be tested until the results email came through and I saw the X with my own two eyes. My palms were pruning from the sweat and I’m pretty sure after that scare my entire family smelled like a football team after summer workouts. We were all so worried however, now looking at it I am able to see God showing me something. In the midst of all the chaos that was happening, I didn’t once think to myself “God already knows the outcome”. I can pray all I want, beg Him graciously, and cry on my knees but God knows what the end result is. He knew what those tests results were going to show, He knew we were coming home that day, He knew I was stressed to the max, yet He wanted to see if I trusted Him. Similarly, He knows the outcomes to all of our worries. He knows if your loved one is going to be cured, if your going to get the job, if your going to get accepted to that school, He knows everything. This is mind blowing but it should bring us peace in understanding that our hands are off of the situation. He is in control and we need only to do as Psalm 46:10 states, “Be still.”
I encourage you to use this “experience” we went through as a way to see hope and trust in your circumstance. God is in control and no matter how much we worry, the outcome isn’t going to change from what God sees as the right plan. Continue to pray, make your requests known to Him but do not get so caught up in trying the answer the call on your own that you miss the truth behind God’s perfect plan.
Have a great week! Love Gracie!