What gives you life?

As I was sitting in the cozy Bethesda living room with a few of my wonderful summer staff friends in Chicago, I could not stop the tears from flowing. It was the best kind of laughter out there...the kind where you stomach aches and you come close to snorting uncontrollably. We had just taken turns sharing embarrassing stories...mostly all of them dealt with bodily functions of some kind...and we continued to pass the jar of questions around. The next question that was drawn is one that really made me think. 


"What gives you life? When do you feel the most alive?"


I thought about this question for a while before answering. I had a difficult time narrowing it down to just one thing. This is a question that I don't believe many people think about on a daily basis. When you do, however, it is hard to keep a smile from spreading across your face. 


Laughter makes me feel alive.
Community gives me life.
Colorado makes me feel alive. 
Running gives me life. 
Dancing makes me feel alive.
Young Life camp and my relationship with Jesus give me life. 
(These are just a few of the things I thought about)


God has blessed each and every one of us in numerous ways. He gives us the chance each day to truly feel alive---shame on us if we don't take that gift and run with it!


God sent his son, Jesus, to this earth and through him we have the chance to live life to the full. So do it! Dance like crazy. Sing at the top of your lungs. Enjoy the scenery around you. Laugh until you can't stop crying. 


Do what gives you life. Feel your heart pumping. Feel the embrace of those around you. Feel your face hurt from smiling. 


Feel....ALIVE! 

Thankful in all circumstances

After just having celebrated one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving, I started thinking about how there shouldn't be just one day dedicated to the things we are thankful for. Spending time with my family over the past week has been such a blessing. There are so many things that I take for granted, but it is important to remind ourselves on a daily basis of all of those things that we should be thanking God for. Every single person goes through difficult times in their lives, but we cannot dwell on those things. Each circumstance that we experience was introduced to us for a reason and we should ALWAYS be thankful for the lessons that we have the chance to learn. From those lessons, we can change the world.


I was inspired to make a list of all of the things I am thankful for. This list will serve as a daily reminder of all the ways that I have been blessed and all of the ways I should be thanking God and giving him my praise.


I am thankful for....
1) A supportive family that loves me for me.
2) A loving group of friends that is always there for me.
3) A Young Life family that urges me on in my faith.
4) A wonderful God that loves me always.
5) A beautiful home that provides me with shelter.
6) Food that nourishes me whenever I am hungry.
7) A job and an internship that provide me with money and opportunities.
8) A group of Young Life high school girls that I love so much.
9) The strength that I have from the struggles I have faced.
10) A wonderful mother that I will never forget.
11) The world's best dad who is my #1 fan. 
12) A faithful guy that I love being around.
13) The ability to laugh and smile on a daily basis.
14) The ability to run.
15) The opportunity of a wonderful college education.
16) Chai tea lattes 
17) Christmas lights 
18) Books/Journals
19) Flowers
20) Music
21) Flannel shirts and skinny jeans
22) Warm, fuzzy socks
23) Movie nights
24) Colorado mountains
25) The stars so I can stargaze at night
....The list goes on and on.


Keep track of the things you are thankful for and you will soon come to find that the list you can write will go on and on.

Pushing Through the Pain

Thousands of people were crowded around me as I stepped up to the starting line. Music was blaring as I looked on either side of me to see a couple of my best friends jogging in place, attempting to keep warm. The National Anthem played over the loud speakers but I was too distracted to even realize it until "and the home of the brave" followed by a lot of cheering chimed throughout the park. It was finally time to conquer something that I never thought I would be able to do.

The announcer yelled, "GO" and we were off. A few hundred yards down the road, a crowd member held a sign that said "Only 12.9 more to go!" I appreciated her humorous gesture, but I had to take some deep breaths as I realized that I had a long road ahead of me--literally.

Running a half marathon/marathon is one of those things that a lot of people aspire to do at some point in their lifetime. As I was looking over my bucket list this summer, I saw that running a half marathon found itself on the top of my list and I realized that the time was now to challenge myself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. So I started training.

After 12 weeks of running, I decided to set aside my nerves about finishing the race and signed up for the half; now I was locked in. Picking up my race packet and shirt didn't even seem real, because I had been anticipating the Gobbler Grind for so long.

I can without a doubt say that the half marathon was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. I literally felt every emotion as I pushed my body further than I ever thought possible. I hit a wall around mile 8 and I felt like I wouldn't be able to keep going. Through the encouragement from friends, Missy Elliot's music and some prayer, I kept running through the pain. At mile 10 I stopped for the first time and felt like collapsing; my legs were so tight and my knees were throbbing. But as I looked behind me, I saw one of my friends Tami running up and she said, "We are finishing this together". We slowly but surely made our way to the finish and tears were welling up in my eyes as we crossed the line.

I didn't get the time I hoped for and I stopped to walk a few times during those last three miles, but I have never been so proud of myself in my entire life. I challenged myself to a goal that I almost didn't think was possible, but I did it. My experience goes to prove that you can do anything that you set your mind to.

Push yourself. Challenge yourself. Chase after your dreams, because you never know how much you can do until you try.

Going through the motions

As I flip through the pages on my planner, I am shocked to see how quickly the past 2.5 months have flown by. The pages are filled with events, assignments, tests and to-do lists, and I can hardly believe that I am now nearing winter break. This semester has been one of the most challenging but life-changing semesters of my life. I started the new school year with a new perspective--a perspective that more closely fits what I believe God is revealing my purpose to be. I have worked harder, studied harder and committed myself to more than ever before, but now as I finally take time to reflect, I am disappointed at the fact that I have been going against my motto and rather have been living my life unsure of where I am supposed to be going and what I am supposed to be doing. 


Live in faith. 


These 3 beautiful words reflect the way that I want to live my life, but why is that so difficult sometimes? I need to take time to allow God to fill me up again because once again I have allowed myself to take on too much. When will I learn to simplify? I have been at my breaking point for the past month or so, and I need to take a step back and truly see if I am living in line with God's plan...or if I am just continuing to hold on by a thread. 


This morning I felt this strong sense that I am supposed to be doing more...a different kind of more than I am already doing. I am going to continue to pray that God reveals to me what he wants me to be doing. I don't want to just keep going through the motions. It is time to find out where I am supposed to be--no more coasting through life. 

Don't forget about "ME"

To say that the last month has been busy would be a drastic understatement...I feel like I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off (as my Dad likes to say) and it's like I have to put breathing on my checklist to remember to do it. Just. Breathe. Camp, recruitment, school, work, Young Life, sorority commitments; what did I get myself into this year?! Something that I need to constantly remind myself to do is to spend time alone. I need me time, but I feel like my priorities are out of whack....sleep and alone time are at the bottom and I am definitely feeling the effects of my poor balancing decisions. Today, I need to learn how to take my own advice. It is absolutely VITAL to take time to do things for yourself. If you are happy, then that happiness will spread to others. While you might enjoy all of the activities that you do, when they start to become a chore or something that you dread, that's when you know that some changes need to be made. I encourage you all to make a list of the things that you enjoy doing...things that give you a release and make you feel at peace...do at least one of those every day. There is ALWAYS time for 20 or 30 minutes dedicated to yourself. Make yourself a priority as a change of pace if you find yourself only trying to make other people happy. I promise that when you are feeling better, you will do a MUCH better job serving others. Life advice: make a list of things that bring you joy...things that will never feel like a chore. Do these things, get some sleep and know that you are doing yourself a favor.


My joy list:
-Running/working out
-Reading for fun
-Quiet time/reading my Bible
-Drinking coffee
-Listening to music
-Spending time with family
-Watching a movie
-Going for a walk
-Driving around town

The Value of Community

This past month I have been absolutely blessed. I had the opportunity to serve at a Young Life camp in Minnesota and had the most incredible experience of my life. The group of people that I was surrounded with was amazing; I have never felt so loved and accepted in my entire life by people that I barely knew. Serving for three weeks was exhausting at times and there were definitely days that I didn't feel like I could wake up and fold one more shirt or set up for one more carnival, but through God's strength and the love and encouragement of those around me, I was able to serve my peers and kids from all across the United States. There are not many places that you can go where you get notes of encouragement, a bag of your favorite candy, kind letters and lessons about how much God loves you on a daily basis. What an amazing blessing it was to volunteer and serve. I was pushed, challenged, tested, encouraged, loved and accepted. Going into this next year, I have been given a fresh perspective on how to love those around me unconditionally..and not just when it is convenient for me. The past month was a slice of what I believe Heaven to look like and all I can say is wow. Two of my friends at summer staff, Chris and Spencer, wrote a song while we were at Castaway and the lyrics are such an inspiration to me. I find myself humming the song all day long, so this is the note I will leave on. Life advice: stop trying to do everything on your own and realize that relying on God is vital. LOVE everyone around you and be sure to show them your love and compassion toward them. Have patience in God's plan and realize that you don't have to carry the burdens of your past, present or future. Just like the song that Chris and Spencer wrote states...
Take this life. Take it all. You are by my side. You stand tall.

Chris and Spencer's song- You Stand Tall

Maximize the time in your day

Today I woke up incredibly motivated and ready for the day ahead of me. I grabbed a glass of orange juice and talked with my dad and grandma before walking about half a mile to our local community center. I stepped onto the treadmill thinking that I might do 2 or 3 miles at most, but the playlist I had going on my iPod and the talk show on the TV above me were enough motivation to keep me going until I hit 6 miles. Where that burst of energy came from, I have no idea. After helping out around the house and enjoying some sunshine by the pool, I got myself ready to meet up with a friend for some coffee. Tonight I am looking forward to dinner with my family and then a show at Starlight theater. How wonderful does this day sound? I have been so inspired lately to soak up every ounce of the day. 24 hours goes by pretty quickly, but if you have a plan of action for the day and a list of goals to accomplish that is reasonable, then you might just find yourself going the extra mile..or 3 (no pun intended). While there are definitely some mornings that are difficult to roll out of bed or the mornings where you seem to snooze your alarm at least 5 times, think about how great it feels to have productive days! Having one full, but enjoyable, day will lead you to want to have another and another...you see where I am going with this. Life advice: try to have a goal for the day and hold yourself accountable to it! Make realistic expectations for yourself, but don't be afraid to push yourself a little bit further. Have some alone time, spend time with your family, call a friend and take your time making a healthy meal. I guarantee that the combination of all of these things will put you in a great mood and motivate you to do the same tomorrow!