Passionately Devoted.

today my cross country coach showed me something that is crucial to anything you might be devoted to. she showed me her passion for the sport and the passion she has for making my teammates and I great runners. last night my coach got some news that on some of our routes we run people are calling and complaining to the school that we aren't being safe. the school's solution to this problem is having us stay close to school thus running around the practice football field. to some of you reading this doesn't seem to pose much of a problem but to a runner this is almost torturous. my coach understands that running laps around the football field will do nothing for the team and will make her seem like a bad coach when we lose all the time. my coach is so passionate about running and making us better she was in tears at the thought of us doing laps around the football field, upset that no one takes cross country seriously, and angry that we aren't getting te respect we deserve even though we are busting our butts to be the best we can. my coach is so devoted to this sport that I would bet anything that at this very moment she is thinking of new routes. my coach is passionate, devoted, whole-hearted, and all in about running. what are you devoted to? what would you do for something you were passionate about? what lights a fire in you? my challenge: be a coach t. don't back down from serving God with all your heart because you face some adversity. be passionately devoted.

To Barry, Jessi, and Sveta

Barry
I remember many dinners and evenings spent with you! I even remember one game of Pretty Pretty Princess you were kind enough to play with Emma and me! I will always think of you as my big brother and sometimes even a second dad. I know I speak for myself and many others when I say that is a huge blessing to have you in my life being a role model to me. I thank God for you everyday and I am so glad Sveta is being blessed by God with a daddy like you.

Jessi
I may not have known you as long as I have known Barry, but I feel like I do. I feel like I can talk to you about anything and I feel like you won't judge me on what I say. I look up to you and I want to be a Godly wife and mother when I grow up just like you. You are going to be a spectacular mother to Sveta! I cannot wait to see her grow up with you  as her mommy!

Sveta
I cannot wait to meet you! I am so excited for you to come home! I pray that you will see me as a big sister and friend! Whenever you have a problem that mom and dad don't understand just come talk to me I'm there for you! I pray for your safety and I hope you get to come home soon!
P.S I really think you will like the color of your room! It's my favorite color! :)

Dear God,
Please be with Barry and Jessi and Sveta while they are in Russia. Surround them with your love for them. Bring them all home safely.
Amen

Where is the love?

"Father, father, father help us. We need some guidance from above. These people got me questioning where is the love?"
-Black Eyed Peas

Go to your TV right now. Turn it on the news. Tell me is this news positive? Does this news display love in any aspect? Let me answer that for you....absolutely not. No love is not the word in this case. I believe the word is hate. Countries HATE one another, people HATE one another, and races HATE one another. WHERE IS THE LOVE?

I know where the love is...in Jesus. We as Christians have this special love in our heart, but the problem is we only display this love to other Christians. WE HAVE THE LOVE! We can share the love and hope in Jesus Christ we hold in our hearts. Don't keep it a secret one second longer! Share your love with anyone and everyone you come in contact with! If we spread God's love like it's a virus we won't need to ask...
WHERE IS THE LOVE? <3

POWER OUTAGE

Last night at about eight 'o' clock everything went dark. A collective gasp went up through the house even though we knew it was coming.  Earlier in the evening we saw a transformer blow up and we knew we weren't far from being the next darkened house on the block. We didn't sit in the dark long. Candles and flashlights were soon lit and spread out in various areas of the house. It doesn't cease to amaze how one candle can pierce the darkest night.

A child sits in an orphanage wondering what they did wrong. They sit alone. Family or hope? None. This child has the mind set that no one would care if they were dead or alive. They don't know that they have a father! A father who loves them beyond belief! But they may never know that. They may sit in that orphanage alone, unloved, and forgotten. Unless ONE person shows them the love of Jesus Christ. Knowledge that there is someone who loves them enough to die for them is almost too much for them to believe. These children have been sitting in a POWER OUTAGE for only God knows how long! When one person comes with a simple burning candle there is hope for them!

Tell me....

Who wants to sit in the dark?

Sudoku

Whenever I play sudoku one number always seems to be out of place and that one number frustrates me to no end. I try and I try but one measly number is the fall to my entire sudoku empire! This number presents a challenge and that is why I keep coming back to the stupid number game to try and conquer that tiny, minuscule, imperfect number. I am a tiny, minuscule, (very) imperfect number. God does not give up on me like I give up on the number in the sudoku game. He keeps coming back to me putting me back into place. Loving me until I realize I can't live without him. I am that one number that throws the whole game off but God just picks me back up, puts me in the right spot, and the game is won. You might say God is the ultimate sudoku player and I would have to agree.

Almost Only Counts In Horseshoes

Has anyone ever had this said to them? When mom says this to me I get really annoyed. I know that this is true, but when you almost made a basket or a good grade you really don't want to hear this. Almost means not good enough. Not good enough is depressing, trust me. When you are almost a Christian or almost devoted to God it's really depressing to him. I mean think about it your so close to the ultimate gift, but yet it's not good enough. Not only depressing to God, but depressing to you also. Your whole heart has to be for God. It could be one thing or 100 things that come before God, but it's still almost. ALMOST...

I Can Do All Things...

In anything I do whether it's basketball, cross country, softball, or academics I always remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:13) I pray for God's strength in this project. Anything is possible when God is the focus. Trying to take on the world by yourself is challenging and honestly you probably wont succeed. With God anything is possible and I mean anything. Anything=changing the world with $50.

Energy Bars

Like Dandelion Dust, by Karen Kingsbury. The family in the book takes a work trip to a Haitian orphanage. Jack, the father, gave his son three energy bars to share with a small group of boys. The son happily agreed and broke off pieces for the boys. You would think the boys would take their piece and eat it. I mean that's what I would do, but no. These boys took their piece of the energy bar and broke it into a smaller pieces and gave a piece to every child in the orphanage. Such a humble act and yet it is all they know to do. This is exactly what I want to do with my project. I want to affect one person, who affects another, who then affects another! Whether this means raising awareness of orphans or helping one child who helps another I want to affect more lives than my own. Believe me my own life is already being affected as I take on this challenge and I am ready for God to keep working to change me.

$50 to Change the World

For my thirteenth birthday I was presented with a challenge. The challenge was take $50 dollars and change the world. At first I was so overwhelmed because everything I saw broke my heart. I wanted to fix everything. After meeting with some of my mentors I realized my passion is orphans. Now this is still a pretty general subject, but I have an idea! My focus is on orphans in need of medical assistance and orphans that are left behind. You may be thinking is she crazy? It's going to take a lot more than $50 to help orphans in need! I understand this and I want to make my money grow. I would love to know any ideas you have about making my $50 grow to change the world! I would also be interested in knowing what your passion is? What breaks your heart? I'm just a thirteen year old girl, but with help from God and people in my community I know $50 can change the world!