great grandma alice..

my {last}, great-grandparent went to be with Jesus yesterday.

thankfully I got to see her a few weeks ago while I was in Atlanta!!

such a gem of a woman.

she loved the Lord & talked to Him for hours & hours a day about everyone in our family + sending e-mails + checking up on everyone on facebook + reading my blog!! I hope I can be like her someday!!

she finally gets to be in the presence of our Savior, and again with her husband & her daughter!! gives me chills just thinking about it..

xx

{the song HOLY, by Matt Gilman...seemed quite fitting..}

MY TWIN IS ALMOST HOME!!!

Today is June 20th & I will see my long-lost-twin-sister for the first time since January 8th! It is weird because it seems like a really long time ago, but also kind of just seems like yesterday!

This has been the longest we've been apart our whole life & after being glued to each others hips for 21 years we finally were doing life on our own, separately from each other. having separate adventures, meeting people as Lindsay or Courtney not as "twins", & we survived & it was good!! God yet again awe's me by His perfect timing with her & I experiencing life on our own for this past season of our lives, becoming individuals, not just twins, not always having someone to come with us, wait with us, a security blanket always at hand!

I'm stoked to see her. Excited to tell her random things that aren't really that funny, but she listens to anyway, hear her long stories, hear the great things God has done in her heart & life in the last few months, stay up late with her, talk in code, get to know her again, just spend time with her!!


I'm praying, praying, & praying some more that adjusting to being "twins" again goes smoothly & we pick up right where we left off!

This is a rich life I live.. thank God for a weekend full of people that make me smile, cool-summer nights, family, & a lot of veggin'!

Here's to a good start of a long next two months of watching babies everyday, being a twin again, & trying to have a little bit of free time!!

ten at ten..

ten at ten..

one) Michigan skipped spring, 40's to 90's... I'm digging the hot & sweaty lifestyle the last few weeks!

two) my skin is starting to look sun-kissed & it's not even officially summer yet! Typically it takes at least until the end of July for me to look somewhat tan!!

three) I don't think people understand the craziness of how soon my long lost twin comes home! We're talking two weeks from yesterday!!!!!!!!

*four) The last few days I've been in a funk making me really frustrated, annoyed, & in a bratty mood.. but thankfully it was just a funk, and I'm realizing I'm just really kind of selfish & God is just using circumstances to show me He's in control... not me!
{AND it's just always a punch/slap in the face for me to snap out of because I am SOOOOO spoiled with the life God has given me.. I might not have a million dollars laying around but I'm spoiled & take SO much in this life I've been given for granted wayyyy too easily & I let the feelings of wanting more or not being satisfied get in the way of my thanks/surrendering it all back the One who gave it to me...holla at my mumma for good heart/reality checks.}

five) I've been trying to avoid pants of any sort the last few weeks. Skirts & dresses please! {soon my twin will return home with several dresses waiting for me to borrow..!!}

six) Due to the lack of reliable radio in my car it is obnoxious having to find something to listen to while driving that is not fussy or country music.. so thanks to our friends in the North, CBC Radio 2 has become my new favorite thing in the morning while I drive to work & in the afternoon when I drive home.. I'm obsessed.

seven) I've been dating a pretty sweet guy that I had a crush on for a long time..for seven months now?! It's crazy & makes me happy!

eight) I'm going to Wayne State in the fall {FINALLY!!!!} & one of my sisters roommates is moving out in August.. hmm...

*nine) I've been reading a lot of my old journals lately.. it's SO crazy how different only a year can look from one to the next!?!? Good, bad, ugly, & everything in-between!!!

ten) Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros just came on my iTunes.. I think I will still enjoy this song until I'm 99 years old.

*kind of related: old journals & writing about the good, the bad, & the ugly, being spoiled with this rich life, all kind of correlate.

xox

words + phrases...

movies. faithfulness. God-sized-prayer-requests. snow. learning. good-byes. hope. school. work. holidays. blessed. dreams. boots. new year. snuggly babies. quality friends. laughter. family. relaxation. imperfection. french press. sleeping in. painting nails. pleading for wisdom+healing. shopping. burt's bees. gift-giving. sledding. royal oak. a good cry {or two}. text messages. God's goodness. Hope in hurt+pain. skype. new adventures. slow to speak+quick to listen. creativity. worship. journals. enjoying the ride. in awe. small group. australia. reading. rest in Him. connections. courageous. sweaters. curiosity. answered prayers. at a loss for words. unfailing Love. gracious. talking about God. talking to God.. a lot.

{photo}

The LORD has done great things for {me}, and {I am} filled with joy. {psalm one-twenty-six:three}

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not provide false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. {habakkuk two:three}

au revoir twin..

I don't know if people understand the closeness I share with my twin sister.. we're kind of like a married couple. When I talk to other people I use "we" or "us" a lot. I'm not used to talking to someone & saying "I" or "me". But low & behold, the day has come! We are entering a new season of OUR lives: separation.The longest we've been apart is probably a week? And that was with texting, calling, & facebook! So.. the million dollar question I've been hearing a lot lately is how I'm going to cope without the twin for SIX months.
It really hasn't hit me & probably won't either until tomorrow when we leave the airport or probably Sunday night going to Lighthouse by myself, or sometime next week when I finally realize "oh I have my own car now, I don't have to go pick the twin up from work" or "sweet, I have no one to complain about my mom to!!" :) Either way.. I think {key word: think} I'm ready for it, but we'll see!!
It's kind of exciting too though because we're going to be living six months without each other, being our own person, no longer identifying to new people we meet as "twins" but Courtney or Lindsay. For the first time in both our lives we're going to be experiencing new things without each other as a side kick, support, or security blanket.
All I know is God has paved the way for Courtney's journey from dreaming to it actually being time to start this new adventure! She has done a lot of hard work to get to this point & I know she's been faithful to God calling her to this ministry in the land down under!
So instead of worrying about me & how I'm going to be without her here at home, pray for her safety, for her team she'll be living & working with for the next six months, for funds that still need to be raised, & for Courtney to just be another tool for increasing the Kingdom!

{read about her adventures here..}

the cliché thanksgiving blog..

I didn't want to do it, but it has to happen; the cliché thanksgiving blog..

First of all, it doesn't feel like Thanksgiving.. it definitely crept up on me, I don't know where November went + it's not as cold as Michigan typically is right now.

{side note: I feel like autumn is over right after Thanksgiving because the world is consumed by everything Christmas once it's over... even though it technically isn't winter until December 21st, so it makes me kind of sad that now I have to get ready for a long winter.}

Thanksgiving since I can remember in the Fillmore house {when we stay home} involves a lot of cooking, watching the parade, the whole clan under one roof, just spending time together, eating a lot, & the day typically ends with a lot of sweatshirts, pajamas, & being cozy while watching It's A Wonderful Life. It just makes me smile, happy, & feeling blessed.
So here are just some of the things I'm thankful for right now:my big family: mom & dad Fillmore, the sisters, & the brothers {my life would be so boring without them} + friends that I can talk about God with, what He's doing in our lives, & encourage each other + being a part of a church body that's alive & thriving to increase the Kingdom + second, third, fourth, hundredth chances.. how did I get so lucky & why has God blessed me so much?

{psalm one-hundred}

*I randomly saw Brandon Flowers last night {for FREE!} & can't stop listening to his song {Only the Young}, the video for it is pretty great.

craving some fall...

Fall, is my favorite season, I love spring, summer, & winter (sometimes) but fall, is my all time fave. I think the mid-west does fall best & I think growing up with Michigan falls {cider mills, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, pretty leaves..} is why I like it. Although fall technically isn't until September 22nd, I feel like it starts once Labor Day comes around & school starts. I already started school & it's Labor Day weekend, so bring on fall!

{I love my summer, warm weather, (some) time off, being tan, going to the beach, sun dresses, but I'm ready for the cooler weather.}

Today was the almost perfect Saturday. I slept in a little, I bummed around Arts, Beats, & Eats with my sisters for a while, had my first pumpkin spice latte from the bucks, I wore my favorite sweater & wasn't too hot, I played my guitar for a little while to some Band of Horses songs {good fall music if you're looking for something to get into fall mode.} (which are pretty easy to strum & sing to, which makes me happy!), went on a bike ride date with my youngest brother to get ice cream, bought a new dress & tunic from Lost & Found which can be worn during fall with boots, & gathered some of my favorite things about fall...

1.) apple orchards
{my family for every year since I can remember has gone to Erwin's Apple Orchard to pick apples & pumpkins.. always a good time, always a good memory.}
2.) crunchy leaves
{sometimes I go out of my way to step on crunchy leaves.. and although I have bad memories of having to help my dad rack our mammoth backyard growing up, I still love crunchy leaves on the ground.}
3.) pumpkin spice latte's
{only enjoyable on a fall-esque day, nice & hot.}
4.) scarves
{thick knit scarves, or light weight lose fitting scarves, always my favorite.}
5.) earth tones
{I think I like earth tones all year round, but they are more fun during the fall to wear & fit in with the colors outside, I've been to a few fall weddings & think earth tones are ideal for weddings.}
6.) school supplies
{perhaps this is why I want to be a teacher...}
7.) boots
{not thick winter boots or rain boots, cute ankle-knee high boots, with a pair of skinny jeans or a dress.}
8.) cider mills
{doughnuts & hot cider.}
9.) franklin, tn
{fall time in the south is a little warmer & seems to go into at least December, but not just Franklin but the surrounding areas are pretty great to drive through when the leaves are changing colors.}
10.) bon fires
{a way to actually keep warm unlike bon fires during the summer..}

*happy {early} fall

s i s t e r s...

With fighting over clothes, bickering over meaningless things, & arguing about nothing aside, and coffee dates to catch up, sushi dates to talk about life, talking in movie quotes to each other, dreaming & scheming together, make up for all the negative & even if I'm stuck in the middle of them & a few inches shorter than them, at the end of the day I'd have to say I win for having the best sisters a girl could ask for. I think every girl should have a sister, or two.

I'm excited to see how God is moving in each of their lives right now, with new & exciting adventures in their near future. Love BP & CL + being a "Fillmore Girl".

Read Brittany & Courtney's dreams & schemes..

{photo credit: fillmore mom}

I'm dreaming of a...

The date is November 6th. There are only a few short weeks until Thanksgiving. Typically I consider JUST after Thanksgiving to officially be Christmastime. BUT as of right now, I want it to be Christmastime RIGHT NOW!

Its still pretty nice outside. Considering Michigan at this time could have already had a decent amount of snow, its going to be 60 on Sunday? (I'm still a little bitter towards the snow, but its nice to have on Christmas, I could not celebrate Christmas in FL!)

100.3 just started playing Christmas music! They play it pretty much right through the next two months! And I just had my first Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks...


Tonight my sisters, mom, & I are going to see a local high school play of Little Women. When we were younger the sisters, mom, & I would watch Little Women via VHS, drink hot chocolate, and make ornaments or other cute little Christmas-y things. One of my favorite memories for sure!

thirty things I want to do before I'm thirty...

*This is a random collection of things I would "like" to do before (or after I guess) I am thirty..... (some of these things are semi-unrealistic, but never say never.)

things to do, people to see, places to go....

1. Fly in a plane (in August, I can cross this off). 8/27/09, Detroit to Miami
   
2. Go to South Africa, India, & Thailand to share God with people there.
3. Drive to California.
4. Graduate from college.
5. Marry prince charming.
6. Live in New York City for a few months, just to say I've lived there.
7. Climb a Mountain.
8. Learn how to long board.
9. Drink coffee & read a book in Seattle.
10. Write a generous check anonymously for someone that could use it or leave a large sum of money somewhere for someone to find.
    
11. Run a marathon.
12. Spend a week on a secret tropical island.
    
13. Do the 3-Day walk for Breast Cancer for my Grandma Patricia Joyce.
14. Get a Pancreas transplant!
15. Write a book.
    
16. Own a small boutique in a quaint downtown area.
17. Go to Disney World & act like a little girl.
18. Kiss someone under the Eiffel Tower.
    
19. Live in a house with a deep, large, wrap around porch in the front & a Cracker Barrel rocking chair.
20. Dance at the Wild Horse Saloon in Nashville. (7/26/2011)
21. Sit on a rooftop & look at the stars.
22. Adopt a baby girl from China.
23. Speak at a womens conference.
    
24. Write a song & hear it on the radio.
25. Meet Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, or Britney Spears & tell her God loves her, and that she doesn't need to act the way she does to feel loved or accepted.
26. Have a daughter named Gloria Jean.
27. Climb across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
28. Get dressed up & see a Ballet or Orchestra in the city. 12/5/09, Nutcracker, Detroit Opera House
    
29. Use the map Claire Colburn from the movie "Elizabethtown" made for Drew Baylor to travel from Elizabethtown, KY back to Oregon.
30. Go to Jerusalem & walk where Jesus walked.

*hey 2 0 0 9!

Well it has been two-thousand-and-nine for a week now, and I've been thinking a lot since. I've been trying to simplify where I was this time last year and think about changes or differences that have taken place since this time last year.

In January of 2008, I was just under six months away from graduating from high school, I worked, a lot, I was at church a lot, I had a car, I lived in a different house. Reading in my personal journal from this time last year, I had just accepted the idea that I would most likely be staying home for college, I wanted to be a business major or a psychology major, I was deciding if I wanted to go to Camp Barnabas or West Virginia with WSM, and my top three goals for the year were the same as they always and still are.

1. Get to really know God more, fall more & more in love with Him

2. Take better care of my diabetes

3. Be more healthy all in all.

*For the first goal, I think that I did pretty good with really getting to know my Jesus more and really fell in love with Him during the year. Until about September-ish of 2008, I felt like I was at a stand still in my relationship with my Jesus, and I really do not know why. I definitely have come out of that season with Him though! Which I am so thankful for. With a combo or Lighthouse, being involved with Kairos, being a leader for WSM this year, and just all around digging deeper into God's word and relying more and more on Him, I have just found comfort, joy, peace, and satisfaction with my Father, my Creator, my God. And just that, makes me smile.

*My second goal for 2008, I am still trying to do in 2009. I have come to the conclusion that since I have had diabetes for almost eleven years now, that I have become what I call a "lazy diabetic". I have found ways to become lazy with taking care of my diabetes. And since I take care of it on my own and do not really have someone telling me when to check my blood sugar or when to take my shot, I just kind of do my own thing. That has to stop. This year. For good. I guess it just really hit me since the fall time that as a result of me not taking the best care of my diabetes as I can, that I am hurting myself for the long run. The effects of constant high blood sugar is anywhere from major kidney problems, eye problems and in some cases blindness, bad circulation to my feet, and a slew of other things, and I would love to have a family of my own someday and if I don't take care of myself now, then how will I except to have my own kids, if I have problems like that. So it was definitely a wake up call for me this last fall, and it is not the most fun thing to do, but I do have a chronic illness, that is manageable, so its up to me to manage it.

*This last one, I would say I did alright with. All I do pretty much to keep myself healthy is run and attempt to eat healthy, but typically the running is the only thing that stays consistent. Not saying that I ran near as much as I could have during this past year, I did go running more than I thought I would. I enjoy it, I enjoy how I feel when I run, and I do love the feeling I get after I run. If only I could make myself get out there and do it more, then I'd be doing good. So we'll also be working on that again this year :)

*Since January 2008, I indeed did graduate from High School!! I went to West Virginia with WSM for a week to serve the people down there. My car and my phone died in 2008. I finally got a MacBook in 2008, and a new iPod, but lost the iPod...sad day. I technically "graduated" from WSM, but I have had the opportunity to continue to work as a co-leader for a fabulous group of junior girls, I love it! And I am pretty sure I do not want to be a business major anymore, which is still shocking to me, because that was something I wanted to do, to work in the music business scene and whatnot, but now I am 99% sure I am going into early elementary education, and possibly getting a child psychology type degree as well!

Pretty much, those are still my top three things I would like to develop and pursue more in this next new year. I want to continue to see God in everything, continue to pursue Him, continue to be in His word, and continue to seek Him everyday. I also just want to continue to let God open doors for me, show me where He wants me to go, and do. Conquer this disease called Juvinille Diabestes, and run more :). And I want to LOVE people more. Be there for people who need me. Be a better daughter, sister, and friend to the people in my life. And I want to just all around look more like Christ....

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK, enough of the new year. Check out this passage from Lighthouse on Sunday....

PSAML 37:3-4

"TRUST THE LORD AND DO GOOD; DWELL IN THE LAND AND ENJOY SAFE PASTURE.

DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD AND HE WILL GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART."

mmm, I just love the comfort from these two verses. Although so many times I think "God, I am trusting in You and doing good, I am not getting the desires of my heart". I have learned a lot since the summer that God's timing is all that matters, not mine. God will bless me in His own time, as long as I am trusting in Him, and seeking Him always, then He indeed will give me the desires of my heart, in His own time. And I love that.

Also I do love music, worship music especially. And at Lighthouse on Sunday we sang a song called "Your Love Never Fails", by a group called Jesus Culture, its a conference I guess, I do not know that much about it (but it totally just came on & it made me very excited). The words in the song are crazy. Here are the lyrics, I think that the bridge at the end is my favorite line of the whole song. YOU MAKE ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR MY GOOD. How amazing is a God that wants the BEST for ME!?

"Nothing can separate
Even if I ran away
Your love never fails

I know I still make mistakes, but
You have new mercy for me everyday
Your love never fails

You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night
But joy comes in the morning
And when the oceans rage
I don’t have to be afraid
Because I know that you love me
And your love never fails

The wind is strong and the water’s deep, but
I’m not alone here in these open seas
Cause your love never fails

The chasm was far too wide
I never thought I’d reach the other side
But your love never fails

You make all things, work together for my good"

*the rest of the album is equally great. You should check it out.

*its t h r e e .... i should be sleeping

*honestly, i neeeed to curve this habit of mine. i stay up much to late. late enough that commercials for excersie equipment, acne cleanser, & natural make up comes on. i am currently sitting in my bed,wide-eyed, i dont even know why? i cant recall the last time i went to bed before 1 to 2 am.... its not very healthy. anyway, while i am up.....here are some random thoughts of mine about life, love, & other mysteries...

L I F E .

christmas has come & gone.

[much to quickly]

christmas consisted of:

-friends

-[extended] family

-all seven fillmores under one roof for a few days

-cookies

-gifts

-cleaning

-eating

-movies

there is a lot of snow this year

but its going to be almost fifty tomorrow [today]...!?

walking up to the corner for coffee & lunch...has become one of my new favorite activities

i am d e t e r m i n e d to get healthy [for real] in oh-nine.

*not just physically, but also spiritually...

-having diabetes i should automatically want to be and force myself to be healthy, but i have a case of procrastination and laziness more often times than not.

-i need to [get more sleep]

-run more often

-eat healthier

-i need to have more dates with my Jesus

-get to know Him more.

*i can do ALL things thru Christ who strengthens me.

sisterly L O V E .

i am very thankful for t w o sisters.

-although we are not exactly "best friends" [all three of us], i do enjoy the time i spend with both of them at the same time. especially when we attempt to ditch extended-family gatherings, and brittany tries to teach c & i how to knit...

- i admire how bold and brave my older sister is. she seems to not be afraid of anything & is always looking for something new and exciting to take on. she is so creative and loves to help people.

-and then theres courtney. we might have pretty similar dna, but we are pretty different. i wish i was as artistic as courtney. although i try to play piano or guitar, draw or write, courtney seems to have this eye for artistic things. i love that. her & i also just really have this bond, that i really dont think i could ever share with anyone else...perhaps a future husband, but we'll have to wait & see..

-i do take both of them for granted a lot... and treat them poorly a lot, but i have been working on showing them more genuine love lately....

*the following could & should be its own topic, but its on my mind [at three-ish a.m.]....!?

O T H E R M Y S T E R I E S .

to be completely honest...

-i am that girl, who has dreamed of getting married and having a wedding, since--well since i can remember. i dont typically talk about this dream of mine unless im with brittany joy or courtney, but i really cannot wait.

-but wedding plans aside, since seventh grade when my english teacher [at a christian school of course] talked to us about praying for our future spouses, i pretty much have done since then.

-typically when i am talking to God i pray something like this: "dear God, i dont know who he is, where he is, or what he is doing right now...." and then go on, but then i bite my tongue and pray about my future with or without a husband. and ask God to help me to be content with His plans for me--married or not.

-saying that God does bless me with a man that loves God more than he love me, that i'd call my husband...then i can't wait to plan a wedding, wear a fancy dress, & be a princess for a day, and then actually be married to my best friend & spend the rest of our lives together for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from that day forward until death do us part.

-i talk to my mom a lot about this subject. [joking-ly] courtney & i ask my mom if she is concerned that none of her twenty-one & nineteen year old daughters have ever had a boyfriend or even been asked out on a date before. then my lisa [i call my mom by her first name. i have for a while now, i dont really now since when. but she knows i respect her & its kind of a running joke between her & i...'lisa' says it's a "term of endearment":)] replys: "no, i am not concerned, i think that i am blessed..." not her words exactly but, she so often reminds the three daughters that "he" is out there somewhere & God will bring "him" into our lives in His own timing. mmm. *truth.

-so often after conversations like these occur, i think about these things & realize how i am blessed that somehow [by the grace of God no doubt] that i have been raised to not long or desire to have to always have a boyfriend, or be aggressive & seek such attention from guys. i think that i am blessed because i haven't had to face heartbreak, disappointment, or temptation throughout my teen years thus far. i do wish, hope, & pray that if God brings that guy into my life, that he's the one, and that he's the only one.

-in a nutshell, i admire those who don't have to date +1 gentlemen, but "date" & marry one.

-i really do feel blessed that i have never dated or been in a "serious" relationship. being friends with guys is good for me.

-i really do enjoy praying & wondering about a future husband that really does love his Jesus more than me.

-also, i do love wisdom from my lisa.

*i hope everyone had a delightful christmas & didn't just think about opening gifts or eating cookies, but remembered that the only reason we even have christmas is because a Savior was born to die for us & save us from a life of sin & apart from Him.

ABBA FATHER,

thank You for sending Your Son to this earth

to be born, life, & die as a man for me.

thank You for family.

thank You for siblings.

help me to show them real love more often.

thank You for a mom who loves You

& relays wisdom about You & Your plan for me, to me.

thank You for taking me back always.

even when so often times i get away from You.

thank You for random things on my mind, at four in the morning....

deep breath.

now i am ready to close my eyes.

PS:

i suggest you get your hands on a copy of "Advent Songs" by Soujourn. it is a beautiful set of christmas songs. i will definitely find myself listening to it, long after christmas time....

*so long n o v e m b e r...

i simply love this time of the year.

i don't want to sound cliche, but i do have a lot to be thankful for.

in michigan fall doesn't last long enough.

"autumn fallin' from trees, the snow is up to our knees..."

(random snow-fall, while there are still leaves on the ground waiting to be raked!?)

thanksgiving came & went.

christmas music should NOT start on november first.

it makes me smile when all seven fillmore's are in the same house.

my sister had a birthday.

i do love downtown detroit.

detroit urban art makes me smile.

the weather isn't too cold, yet.

christmas lights, trees, & decorations are up.

music is still one of my favorite things.

iTunes 'genius bar' playlists are/is(?) the best invention.

apple is amazing because they replace broken iPods.

hearing my sister describe 'hippsters' makes me laugh.

i adore boots & fun-cute coats.

aaron's toe is semi-healed completely.

"HE MUST BECOME GREATER; i must become less" john three:thirty.

i am blessed with an amazing church/community that i love.

being a co-small-group leader for an amazing group of junior girls at wsm makes my heart happy.

hillsong's 'i heart the revolution: hearts as one' dvd makes me dream of doing what they do/are doing.

i wish i took pictures/edited them more often.

i still love the city of nashville. (and really would move there any day!)

i think that black friday shopping is ridiculous.

this time next year i want to be getting ready to go to south africa.

the push for 'woodside world-wide' makes me want to go to a million different places!

november flew by terribly fast...

so long n o v e m b e r.

hello d e c e m b e r.

twenty-five days until christmas :)

*bittersweet - n e s s...

we moved.

i couldn't sleep last night, in my new room, new sounds, new atmosphere, and still only two short miles from our old house? the house i lived in for 18 years, sad. but so exciting to make new memories with my family and live in a new setting, everyone needs a little change of scenery in their life..bittersweet.

graduating.
in less than a month i am graduating. its the end. of high school, of being in school for 7-8 hours a day, lunch rooms, and lockers, 5-7 classes in one day. but looking forward to college life, not the typical dorm, moving away, partying college life, but staying around and going to college here for a while, getting more involved with lighthouse and leading in wsm or oasis at church....bittersweet.

friends.
in a few short months a lot of my friends are moving away and going to all different places, cities, states, ect. and the friendships that we had are going to totally different, only 'seeing' each other on facebook, walls or pictures, so many different new paths friends are leading. but i'm so excited to see where everyone goes and does, and then me personally meeting so many new people from all different backgrounds next year...bittersweet.

.
i am blessed.
my Creator loves ME, more than anyone or anything could ever love me, although i may not have everything i want, i have more than i need, i have a nice school to go to, i have a good job, i have amazing parents that i take forgranted so easily, i have two sisters and two brothers that i may not get along with 100% of the time, but i really do love them a lot, i have several close friends i am thankful for that i can share my heart and dreams with, i have an amazing church where i can freely worship God and grow in my relationship with Him....i have nothing to complain about. yet i so often easily do.

*hello 2 0 0 8....

i decided i hate paying for gas.

but i'm thankful for a car to put pricey gasoline in.

the Lord's plan for my future keeps unfolding.
its nerve racking to think about.
but i pray that i go in the direction He is calling me to go in.

oakland county, as of now, is my mission field.
here am i Lord, send me.

i love downtown detroit.

one day i want to see the world.
before i die i want to go to south africa, australia, india, thailand& italy.

starting this year i am going to work on making dreams into reality.

growing up is scary, but exciting all at the same time.

playing hoppipolla by sigur ros on the piano , makes me smile.

next year, business major and minor in psychology?

i really have no idea what i am going to do this summer.

stay home and work, go up to lake ann now perhaps?

i really do value my time with my sisters [and the brothers].

coffee, lit candles, good acoustic music, a good book, and rain are ideal.

why do teachers give quizzes on mondays?

prince charming is out there somewhere. he'll come for me.
God is still writing my love story.

"Blessed is SHE who believes, that what the LORD has said to HER will be accomplished."
--Luke 1:45

*hi november....

eventful thanksgiving week with my family.

i was upset i missed anberlin, mae, and motion city soundtrack in detroit, but i spent wedneday-sunday with my family driving, eating, shopping, pictures, more eating, movies, christmas music. [sad day, i forgot(?) my black hat...at a hotel we stayed at.]

my first term of senior year is quickly getting away from me.
for the last two weeks all i knew was papers, projects, and being annoyed with school. this week we started our first set of final exams. one down today, three more to go. next week i have a whole new set of classes, i am pretty stoked about that.

its beginning to look a lot like christmas.
when we left for illinois last week it was semi-warm [50ish] then we got home and there was a little snow on the ground and the air changed to that frigid, burning your face, type cold, that does not go away until mid march. and every other radio station is blasting christmas music. i like it.

plum market
work is long, its nice though everyone i've met is really cool and i somewhat know what i am doing now

moody bible institute
i am sending in my moody application this week. i am nervous to find out in january if i get in, but also ready to se what other doors God will open if i do not get in, so it is a win-win situation, its all in Gods hand now.

night on the town
today was my sisters 20th birthday, so our family and two of her friends, went to a restaurant in greektown in downtown detroit tonight. it was fun. although it was freezing cold outside it was fun. i love that part of the city, where the theaters, stadiums, and well casinos are, its really nice. we ate greek food and got dessert at a cute bakery across the street call astoria pastry shop. it was cute, so much to choose from!