God is not finished with me yet... Philippians 1:6

What a refreshing reminder. God is not finished with me and he has so much more in store for me. I am so thankful and lucky to know such a forgiving Father who is so concerned with me and my life. He cares for me always and I know he has great plans for me. I moved into my dorm this week and on Monday I start my first college classes! This is just the beginning....a very scary but exciting beginning and I am so ready! My biggest goal this school year is to remember to give my life to God. Everything goes to Him because he is my Father and all of my trust rests in Him. I am not my own. I am His. I am so lucky to belong to someone so much bigger than me, and so much more amazing and complicated. I cannot wait to graduate, to be in love, to get married, to be a mother, to go home to Heaven and come face to face with my Creator. I cannot wait to experience all of what God has given me in my life and I know that starts today. The experiencing starts now. It starts with my classes, my roommates, my friends, my body, my decisions, and my faith and trust in Him. I am a daughter, created by a God who does not make mistakes and I will live everyday of my life believing in that notion and glorifying Him in all that I do.


Simply put: This is not the end of the story. There will be no end because his love and kingdom endures forever and ever. Amen.

This Month's Greetings: August 2013

Hello, August 2013! 

Sorry I am a little late on this year's greetings. This is the month for back to school which is my favorite time of the year! This month has no national holiday but I still believe it is a great month. The last full month of summer and freedom. This is a time for starting over and starting new. This is a crafty month! This month is happiness happens month which is a great way to remember to give back and spread smiles all around. August is my Mom's birthday month which is awesome because (guilt) I sometimes forget to celebrate her as an amazing person and loving mother. And of course she deserves so much more! August in the southern Hemisphere is equivalent to February in the Northern Hemisphere. This month is also National Immunization Month so make sure you get the correct medicine injected and update your shot records for school. This month's birthstone is the peridot or onyx which is a really unique shade of lime green! By the way, my mom sells a clothesline for a living and Emerald is this season's color! This month is known as the month for love and strength of character. Let's start this month and school year off the right way...with a little luck. My 6th grade English teacher had a very eccentric personality...well, like most english teachers do. At the beginning of every month, as  a class we would all shout "Rabbit, Rabbit!". I have no idea about the history of the phrase or whether it holds any significance. But who cares? Maybe its mystery is what makes it so original. It is a saying that strangely and indirectly helps me stay optimistic for the whole month. I am now eighteen and I cannot help smiling when I remember to say it at the beginning of each month. 


Simply put: "Rabbit, Rabbit!"

She's like Texas

SHE’S LIKE TEXAS

Written by Josh Abbott (Pretty Damn Tough, ASCAP)

Verse 1
She’s as free as blue bonnets in the summer.
She’s as hot as the Padre Island sun.
Most of the time she’s warm and friendly
like the hills that surround Austin.

Chorus
She’s as bright as the Dallas sky.
She always holds her head up high.
She loves the company of her family.
She believes in God’s greater plan.
She trusts that I’m a good man.
That’s why I’ll always believe
that she’s like Texas, and she likes me.

Verse 2
Her eyes are green as the trees in Nacogdoches.
Her teeth are white as cotton in the fall.
And when she laughs you’ll always take notice
because her heart’s charm shines right through it all.

Bridge
Her moods can change like the weather out in Lubbock.
But if you show her love, man she’ll return it.

I heard this song on the radio earlier and because it mentions my hometown I decided to post about it! I am a very open minded listener and I try to embrace all kinds of music. So, of course, one of the genres that I occasionally listen to is country. Josh Abbott Band is definitely not hardcore redneck and so they are one of my favorite artists in this category of music. I also love Jason Aldean! I love this certain song because it describes everything Texas! I have never lived anywhere else but I am pretty sure Lubbock, Texas is one of the best places to live! My hometown is not too big and not too small. In my opinion it is the perfect size because you have a sense of community without knowing every single person in town. Also, we do not have crazy scary traffic like the Dallas and Houston areas but we have enough to keep the streets busy. We are a university town which means lots of diversity and a growing population of educated people. The only downside is that we have a lot of bad college aged drivers! I know a lot of people who cannot stand Lubbock and they cannot wait to leave. I, on the other hand, hope that I can stay here forever! It was a great place to grow up and learn to drive. Texas Tech is a great school to go to. Especially if you are interested in a career in Health, Medicine, Education, or Engineering. This is also a great place to get grounded in your faith because we have so many different churches in such a concentrated area that all offer unique ways to attend church and praise God. I just think Lubbock is such a great place to live no matter what stage of life you are currently at. We have lots of flat plains but it makes for easy travel. This year we were voted as the U.S. city with the craziest most intense weather. We even beat out Fairbanks, Alaska with their blizzard storms! I will say that out weather is a bit unpredictable but that is what makes it exciting! What else...um duh! Buddy Holly was born in Lubbock and attended my middle school and high school. Yeah, that's right I walked the same halls as one of the founding fathers of Rock n' Roll. No big deal. 

Simply put: If you haven't already noticed I am very proud to call myself a born and raised Lubbockite and Texan. 

24 more days!

The school supply aisles have been stocked at all the stores around town and in three weeks I will attend my first college class! I am so ready to start this new chapter of my life. Move in day is the 18th and I am so ready to get settled in with all of my stuff! I have so many things and so little space. I absolutely adore my roommate and I cannot wait to become better friends. I am still struggling with the fact that everything is going to be different this year. This is the first summer that I have not had to be at summer marching band practices and I get a little sad when I see Instagram or Facebook photos depicting other people's band memories. This will also be the first year that I will not be taking dance classes at the studio where I first learned to shuffle-step. This was the place I escaped to when I had a bad school day and it was where I learned how to act with grace. My instructor retired just this year and it seems weird that I will not be driving to the studio every Monday like I have always done since I was three. I am glad I still have opportunities to dance elsewhere but it all seems too unfamiliar right now. In fact, everything is going to start feeling unfamiliar and I am anxious as the time approaches for me to leave the nest. This is the first time I will not be living at my home for an extended amount of time and that is a little scary. Even though I am literally moving down the street from my house, I feel too young to be moving out of my childhood home. Depending on how it goes, I may have to come right back! I am a little anxious to be independent so soon. I am ready to embrace everything that will be coming with this Fall but I am not entirely prepared to let go of everything else! I am definitely ready to get back into a routine when school starts (especially one that involves early morning workouts and late night reading). I am also ready to start studying for school and working on crafty projects. Yes, that is the level of boredom that I tend to reach about this time of Summer. I am so ready to begin this journey that will map out the rest of my life and I cannot wait to start learning new things about myself and the world around me. But I also want to enjoy the ride!

Simply put: Dear College, ready or not, here I come!

"Awake My Soul"

My newest goals and expectations for myself center around remaining open and awake. I recently returned home from a youth church trip on South Padre Island. The beach was beautiful and it was not hard to notice all of the beauty of the world when you could hear the sound of a wave rushing onto the  sun warmed sand. It was easy to feel the presence of Christ and to see his wondrous works all around me. This year, I really want to work on feeling the same way here at home. God not only created the beach but he also created Lubbock, Texas and I know he wants me to enjoy the beauty this place has to offer also. I want to keep my eyes open to witness everything life has to offer and I want to absorb it all. I want to take in all of the good and bad. I know that God has tried to speak to me many times. I know he has attempted to show me things. However, I never realize this until these moments have already passed. We have so many things in life that we take for granted and in reality, all we need is Him. Everything else is a distraction that causes us to miss out. Well, I have decided that I am done being distracted and I am done missing His connections with me. I want to see everything through His eyes. 


Simply put: Lord, I am awake. 

Thank goodness!

A year ago today, my family and friends were having Thanksgiving dinner in the hospital.We were there to share the holiday with Roberta Carman. She had been in serious condition since the summer and it was a miracle that she was sitting right in front of us. In June Roberta became very ill. After several surgeries, things were getting worse. In August 2010, Roberta was taken off life support and we all thought she would be heading back home to God. Then, all of a sudden she surprised everyone. Since the doctors had taken her off life support, she had improved. Little by little, she got better. She started talking. Then walking. Later she was moved out of the hospital and into an assisted living center. Then, she was allowed to go home.

Today, we are going to share Thanksgiving with the whole gang at the Carman house! :)

Simply put: I am thankful for miracles.

FITS 2010-Padre Rescued (flashback)

I wrote this a long time ago when I was away at my church Summer camp. I recently found it in a journal and thought I would share it because this is something I struggle with constantly.


Working at the church nursery, I have the privilege to take care of toddlers. One of my favorite times to experience is when a child has painted a picture and they want to show you. "Look teacher, look", they say(they always have trouble remembering Ms.Alex). I take their picture from their small hands. I smile. Even though most of the time, I have no idea what I am looking at, I look down at them and say,"That's wonderful! The best painting I have ever seen." The child's face lights up and he/she continues to create other works of art.


During the few weeks leading up to this trip, I would simply find time to stare into my reflection in my bathroom mirror. I would just stand there looking at myself. I wish my eyes were prettier. I hate my thighs. I need to do some sit-ups. My ears are so weird. I really need braces. I wish my skin was clear. I could just stand there putting myself down over and over. I don't exactly know why but everyone does it. Females do it all the time. It doesn't help or make anything better. I simply feel that everything about me is just not good enough.


So...what if I took a painting from a little boy and instead of positive feedback, I say, "Oh gosh, this is horrible! Too much red here. You need more color over there...and what is that random blob in the middle? This is the worst painting." Imagine his crushed self-esteem.


Now, think of God being the young boy. I am his painting. He created me. He thinks I'm beautiful and he is proud of his work. By, putting myself down, I am putting my Lord down. I'm insulting his most beautiful creation. I am his masterpiece and I don't want to be insulting his work.


Thanks to my week at my camp and everything God is doing inside of me, I have realized something. I should always be striving to make God's face light up. I can easily do that by praising his creations. I am beautiful and perfect to my father. I am his little girl.He loves me and that's really all that matters. I need to look in the mirror only to thank God for all that I am and for what I will become. I should also be telling my friends how amazing they are and that I am happy God created them. They are also his creations. I hope to bring this all back home in my daily life. I hope that I will continue to light up God's face.