Forever

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. 

Share the love

I wish I could share the love I've found in the Lord with everyone, but some people don't want it.  Some people prefer to live their lives without that kind of commitment and I will never understand why.  I can try and try again, but who knows if it will ever mean anything.  It has been such a large part of my life and day by day I see it getting better.  It's hard to continue relationships with people who see it as a joke, it is anything but that to me.  As hard as it is and is always going to be, I feel like I can't cut them out of my life.  Even if everything I say never seems to make a difference, maybe one day it will.  I can only pray that I show the grace of God to others and hope that they will see it.  I am not here to shove it down their throats, but to be there for them.  

I pray that over the summer I am able to stay strong without all of my friends who share the same beliefs.  I pray that people will see the change in me and not judge.  I pray that in some way I am able to show who I am in Christ no matter what I'm doing or who I am with.  I pray that I will not back down from my beliefs or keep them quiet like I used to.  

This summer will definitely be a challenge, but I can't always be comfortable where I am... even if it is at home.  I need to remember everything I've learned and experienced this past year because I know this feeling is right.  As long as He is by my side, I will be okay.

Mixed Feelings

I am happy to be home for the summer, I've missed my family and few close friends! But I already know how much I am going to miss California and all of the wonderful people it holds.  It seems like such a long time to be away from a life I feel like I've been living for so long.  Yes, I will miss the beautiful weather and the ability to got to the beach, but I am going to mostly miss the company.  The friends I have made there are so great, and we share so much in common... I don't know how it will be being away from them for so long.  All I keep thinking about is these next two weeks, when I will have to say goodbye to my freshman year in college which was by far one of the best years of my life.  I honestly don't want it to ever end.  

So as I fly back for the last time at the end of this week, I know i must cherish every moment I spend with these people.  EVerything that has happened this year and every person I have met will forever be in my heart forever.  I will never forget this year and everything that has changed me for the better.  I am ready to create more laughs and good times in my last days in one of my favorite places in the world!  APU is such a blessing in my life and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

But I do want to thank the Lord for the amazing people He has at home for me.  I have wonderful parents who are dying to have me home, and a few close friends who I have missed immensely! They are going to be the ones who help me get through this summer. Either way I need to remember to enjoy everyday I have with my loved ones, no matter where I am.  

Branches

My school's worship band is amazing!
Look them up on iTunes!

A Pink Party in Heaven

Holly,

Once again today we are reminded of how special of a girl you were, always smiling and having fun! The memories we've had together are something I will cherish and hold onto forever.  Dancing around with you as we grew older, making fools out of ourselves and not caring who saw us.  There is no doubt that we will always miss your great personality that filled a room and shed a tear every once and a while.  There are no words to describe how much we all miss you, but know that today, just like every other day, we are thinking of you.  You have influenced so many people in your short life, many of who are still looking up to you.  You really did live your life to the fullest and never were upset because it was only a waste of time.  

Saying goodbye to you was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but like you said never say goodbye.  So today on your special day, I want to wish you an amazing happy birthday! I know you are having the best party up there in the sky, probably decked out in pink and glitter. Everyone you ever loved is celebrating with you today, loving life... and probably wearing pink! We love you Hol and will be in our hearts forever! Happy Birthday!

Love Life!

The life

God has brought me here for a reason, and as my first year of college comes to an end I'm realizing I couldn't have asked for anything more out of this year.  I am so truly blessed with the people I have met here and I am amazed at how it just keeps getting better!  I love this place with all my heart, it has made such a huge difference in my life that I never thought was possible.  This is the kind of life I've always dreamed of, filled with beautiful people who care so much about me and about the Lord.  I've realized that the best friendships are those in which God is in the middle. This has been one of the greatest years of my life and it couldn't have gone any better.  I never thought these people actually existed, but here they are in my life and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.  

This bittersweet time is coming and I am going to leave my dorm for a good 4 months and be without my best friends.  But for some reason I know that the distance will only make our friendships even stronger when we return in September.  That will be the best reunion I could ever ask for.  So thank you, Lord, for opening this door for me, for dragging my stubborn butt all the way across the country.  You have blessed me with an experience of a lifetime and it isn't even over yet.  I can truly say I belong, finally, and I am loving life!

Incredibly Blessed