Fall is here!

Well, I don't know about you, but I am SUPER excited for fall! I love everything about it; the clothes, the weather, the warm food, the apple cider, etc. What's your favorite part? (:

I really like my memory verse for the week, so I thought I'd share it with you all:

Luke 9:23-24
"Then he said to them all, 'If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."

A couple of kids from my youth group and I were talking about what this verse really means, and I found it quite interesting. First, the verse says you must deny yourself. But what does that really mean? I personally think it means putting others before yourself, and not being selfish. Next, the verse says he must "take up his cross daily, and follow me." Now it doesn't mean literally picking up a big wooden cross and walking. It's saying that you must pick up your faith and do what God is calling you to do, all day every day. Then, in verse 24, its saying that whoever tries to save their life on their own without God will lose it, but whoever gives his life to God and is willing to do what God has planned for them, will go to be with God in the end.

Have a blessed day! Comment if you have any of your own ideas of what this verse means! (:

Thoughts about thoughtfulness...

I was thinking about what it means to be thoughtful today, and I thought I'd share my perspective on it!

The word "thoughtful" is defined as follows:

thought·ful 

Absorbed in or involving thought Showing consideration for the needs of other people

This reminded me of Philippians 2:3-4, which says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition of vain conceit. Rather, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others." It's hard for most people to do this, because it's our natural instinct to think, "what do I want?" or "what would be best for ME?" But God makes it very clear that we are here to serve others, not ourselves. Here are a few other verses that I think are perfect for the occasion:

 Matthew 20:28

"just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

 Matthew 23:11-12
"The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

And this doesn't mean you shouldn't take care of yourself. It just means you should put others before yourself, and be THOUGHTFUL. And by doing this, God promises that you will be rewarded in heaven! Isn't that such a cool thing to look forward to? 

Have a blessed day!

Random tidbits of my life

I realize that I have not been posting nearly as much as I would like, so my hope for this school year is to get back in the swing of things! I'll be posting at least once a week! 

Well, I started school on Monday... and I've successfully completed my first 4 days of high school! woohoo! It isn't extremely difficult yet (thank goodness!), although I expect algebra will be giving me a hard time soon... we shall see. (:

So I have a confession to make... I'm addicted to Pinterest. And recently I've REALLY been into DIY projects, and so I've been all over Pinterest looking for every possible one for me to do. But then, it happened. I clicked on a pin that one of my friends had pinned, and low and behold it took me to a website. But not just ANY website. This was a website FULL of DIY projects. I do believe the heavens opened and the angels sang the hallelujah chorus as soon as the page opened. If you love DIY projects, then this is the site for you! If you want to check it out, click here. But BE WARNED!! It sucks you in! 

I hope you all are having a lovely day! 

Here are a few of my favorite quotes! enjoy! (:

At the beach (:

Sitting on the beach with my best friend... there is nothing quite like it! We've been best friends for about 9 years now, and I had the privilege of flying out to visit her this year. I love her dearly, and couldn't ask for a better friend! 

Relaxation...

Last week I grabbed my favorite book and an Arnold Palmer tea, and sat outside and relaxed all day. It was so refreshing! Now that summer is finally here, I'm looking forward to more quiet, blissful days!

Spring is here!

We seem to be getting an early spring this year! I went on a walk the other day, and when I saw these trees already blooming, I was shocked!!!! This, to me, marks the beginning of spring! (:

Meet Woody!

I'd like to introduce you to my ukulele, Woody! I've been playing the uke since last August, and I LOVE IT!!!! I've played it in a couple gigs with my band, Inspired By..., and it's been tons of fun! (: I thought he deserved a photo shoot, so yesterday I had some fun experimenting with different angles (: enjoy!