September 25, 2022
Good afternoon! Can you believe we have already reached our last update of September 2022? I cannot understand how we only have 91 days until Christmas. It makes me so excited but at the same time it makes me wish time would slow down a little bit. It is as if our lives are flashing before our eyes. I mean we are infants one second and it seems the next we are full grown students. Would you agree? I have some amazing to share with you all. This past Saturday I got to compete in my first ever half marathon. 13.1 miles I never would of thought I could run, two years ago. To say I wasn’t nervous would be a lie. I had never ran more than about ten miles at once and I wasn’t very confident. However, I saw someone the morning of the race that really impacted my view from that point on. She told me that whenever she is running and wants to stop, she prays. Not just any prayer but she prays thanking God for everything that has allowed her this opportunity, strong legs, a beating heart, drive, love for herself. It is so true because we take so much for granted, the more I think about all the blessings I have the more I think about how there are people in our lives that would love to be able to have some of the things you have. And I am not talking about tangible things but mental also. So while I was running, I prayed thanking the Father for all He has given me.
The biggest realization I had in these moments was my story. Just one day prior to running this race, my aunt sent my mom a time lapse photo of four years ago. That picture was of me and my family celebrating my birthday. But not just any birthday, the year I turned 13 and was spending it in residential eating disorder treatment. After seeing that image and looking into who I am now, I can’t help but see all the blessings Christ has made possible. In that picture, I was not physically well enough to even consider running a half marathon but look at me now. I am passionately able to run for my own mental health and see how worthy I am and was of recovery.
Now, I say all this to say that no matter your story, this is not the end. You might just be beginning a trial you didn’t see coming, or maybe your in the middle of it all. Whatever the situation I urge you to remember that God is using you. You have a purpose and soon you are going o look back and see how far Christ has brought you through all of this. I know right now it probably feels as if this is never going to end, but I promise you it will. Stay strong and never give up. Prayer is your most powerful weapon. God is always listening. Trust in Him, trust His process, and do not be let down. You WILL be amazing.
September 18, 2022
Good morning to all of my people! I am so glad you decided to stop by today and read this weeks update! I hope you all have had a great week and been able to apply what we talked about last week! This week I want to focus on something I know many people find there selves wondering about. Asking questions or feeling like they don’t really have a story. The truth is everyone has a story and God has a plan for your life. As I approach my seventeenth birthday this Friday, I am left thinking back on all me and my family have endured in the 17 years of my being on this earth. It is so hard to believe all that I have been through but at the same time think about all the years I potentially have left in my lifetime. I share all of this because I want you to realize that God has a different timeline for all of us. You might be in your early twenties and feel like you haven’t really had a major trial or life changed event in which God has been all you had left but trust me. This does not mean God doesn’t have a powerful testimony ahead. The truth is, a testimony does not have to be some miraculous life altering trial because the most important thing to realize when listening to multiple testimonies is the diverse amount of people God reaches and changes. While the some life stories include recoveries, cures, death, sickness, and more that detail is not what makes your story a testimony. It is the moment God comes into your heart and changes your motive of life that makes a story a powerful testimony.
It can be as simple as someone growing up and church and accepting Christ at the age of 12. While at first this might not seem too interesting, the reality is it is amazing. The fact that God is able to intervene in the life of a child so young is mind blowing and truly goes to show His love and power. I say all of this today to remind you that no matter what your past looks like, you have an amazing story and God is going to use you in ways you never imagined. A lot of these ways He is using you all ready are so subconscious you don’t even realize the impact your making on those around you. For example, simply holding the door for someone is an act of God. Showing the kindness and respect that you have for those around you is spreading the love of God and making others realize there is something different about you. I am telling you, even if you do not see it right now, God is currently and will in the future use you to change the lives of others around you.
I encourage you today to keep being yourself, be nice to everyone you see if if you don’t have a reason too. You never know what someone might be going through so show the love of God wherever you go. Be a beaming light of His glory and set an example even when nobody is watching. I love you all so much and hope this update comes as encouragement to you. I challenge you this week to submit at least one B3 Box form for someone you know needs some light in their life. Remember it is no charge to you and completely anonymous. Why not use this great easy opportunity to spread Gods grace. I hope each of you have an amazing week and I look forward to hearing back!
September 11, 2022
Hello everyone! Let me just start by apologizing for this post being later in the night. I had planned on doing it this morning but I got distracted as usual. It is so hard to live in the world we live in today and not get distracted by all the “squirrels” in our lives. This past weekend has definitely been a busy one for me but, it was so much fun! We left around four am on Friday to head to Tampa. We were going celebrate my cousin getting married. Her wedding was gorgeous, she looked like a queen and everything seemed to go as planned. It was so good just to get to see all my distant family and catch up with everyone. However, I have to say getting back from a 8 hour car trip and having to turn around the next morning for school is something I am kind of dreading. I’m sure you know what it is like to have that weak, sore driving body lol. As I sit here tonight all I can think about is how this week is Homecoming at my school. I cannot wait. My favorite part has got to be the dress up days, this year they are as follows:
Mon - Movie Monday (me and my brother are being Jesse and Woody)
Tues - Tourist Tuesday (I’m going to be a cringy traveler with a bucket hat and binoculars)
Wed - PJ Day
Thurs - Parade Day (I was selected to be on HOCO court and we get to be in a parade)
Fri - SPIRIT DAY (I’m going all out maroon and grey)
As you can see, I am pretty busy this week! But, as I lay here in bed and think about all the fun outfits, dresses, makeup, and activities of Homecoming, it reminds me of something a lot more important. Yes, we all know how funny and engaging it is to dress up and come together with cute outfits, and I am by no means saying there is anything wrong with doing that. But when you think about it, dressing up in these ways is a way of masking who we really are. I think this is something so many people struggle with and I know I am certainly on of those. It is so common for us to “change” our outfit, attitude, or personality depending on the situation. We try to make ourselves who we see will fit in more.. But this is something we should try not to get so caught up in. The truth is God created you and me just how He sees us being most glorifying to those around us. We are not called to change our identities to fit the needs or wants of someone else. Instead we are to use our abilities to make an impact on Christ. I will be the first to say, it is so easy to try and mask our real selves or switch out who we are as if it was just an outfit change. But no, this is not how it should be. We are all unique in our owns ways and told in 1 Peter 2:9 that God did not create us to “fit in”
I want to close by telling you all one quote that I never want you to forget. Out of all the phrases and sayings we are told to remember and keep within our minds I find this to be one of the most important to me. I heard this quote on a blog I was reading a few weeks back and it stood out to me. It stated, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” Doesn’t reading this just make you feel like you are capable of anything. Just as it states, don’t try and change to be someone or something you are not, instead use what you have been given to change the future. I love you all so much and hope you have a great week! Please don’t forget to submit B3 Box forms and stay strong because you are worthy!
September 4, 2022
Hey everyone! It is officially September! Can you believe it? We only have like four months until 2023. This is so scary to think about. Am I the only one whose parents always told them life goes by faster as you get older? I never believed them when they told me this but lately, it has been so true. I feel like the days just fly by. With that being said, this past year has been so jam packed with so many exciting opportunities and events for me. I can honestly say that I feel God has opened the door to so many more opportunities this year for me to share my story and I am forever grateful for that. Between conferences, small groups, individuals, and more I really feel like I have made more of an impact in the past year than all four years combined. I have been able to see so clearly in many circumstances the amazing work of God and how He can use my troubles to help someone else. It is honestly my way of therapy to help those around me and be of encouragement to any and all people I come in contact with. I love the honesty I am able to share with you all who read my blog. It is truly my outlet and a time where I can sit down with my feelings and just make them known. In the world we live in today, it is “expected” that we are all happy and great all the time but I am here to say, this is not the case for me and I know it is not for you either! Why is it this way? Why do we have to come across as being perfect happy go lucky people 24/7? Inside we all know everyone has their struggles and insecurities so why don’t we use them to build each other up?
I will be the first to admit that I have a really hard time with admitting my rough emotions. Sometimes I get so caught up in trying to be this prime example and I forget that it is okay to not be perfect! And I know for a fact I am not the only one who feels better when I know someone is listening. You and me both that even though we try so much to hide our feelings or cover them up, they will come out one way or another. The reality is, withholding your body from feeling it’s feelings is not healthy for our body or minds. God created us to be who He created us to be. He knows that we are going to go through struggles but He specifically placed you where you are to use the people around you for support and growth. I know this to be true because there have been countless times I have felt the need to share my testimony and the amount of people who have responded to my story having gone through similar trials is mind blowing. God places us in the places we are at a certain time for a purpose. It is so important that we show our feelings and use each other as support.
I pray that this week you are able to apply this to your life. I encourage you to pray about it. Ask God to make it known to you when you need to open up. I promise you will feel so much better when you admit and come to terms with your struggles! I am here for you and so are so many others. Stay strong and let me know if you ever need to talk.