You can spend your whole life building something from nothing

One storm can come and blow it all away

Build it anyway

You can chase a dream that seems so out of reach

And you know it might not ever come your way

Dream it anyway

God is great,

But sometimes life ain’t good

And when I pray it doesn’t always turn out like I think it should

But I do it anyway, I do it anyway

This world’s gone crazy and it’s hard to believe

That tomorrow will be better than today

Believe it anyway

You can love someone with all your heart, for all the right reasons,

And in a moment they can choose to walk away

Love ‘em anyway

You can pour your soul out singing a song you believe in

That tomorrow they’ll forget you ever sang

Sing it anyway, sing it anyway

I sing, I dream, I love, anyway

"Anyway" by Martina McBride

A Christmas Perspective

Deliver Christ to the World

"The virgin birth is more, much more, than a Christmas story; it is a picture of how close Christ will come to you. The first stop on His itinerary was a womb. Where will God go to touch the world? Look deep within Mary for an answer.

Better still, look deep within yourself. What He did with Mary, He offers to us! He issues a Mary-level invitation to all His children. 'If you'll let me, I'll move in!'...

What is the mystery of the gospel? "Christ in you, the hope of glory' (Col 1:27)...

Christ grew in Mary until He had to come out. Christ will grow in you until the same occurs. He will come out in your speech, in your actions, in your decisions. Every place you live will be a Bethlehem, and every day you live will be a Christmas.
You, like Mary, will deliver Christ into the world."
- Max Lucado (Next Door Savior)

It's snowing!! :)

On Friday night...we played Loyola...and basically we beat ourselves by not doing what we do and by making unforced mistakes. On Saturday we played Deerlodge, and we lost by 1 in overtime! We had a really good 2nd half, and really showed our home crowd "what we do." We just need to fine tune a few little things...and then everyone better watch out, because this Cinderella team is going to the dance!!

Cinderella Story

We had our season opener games this weekend at the Plains Tournament...and I have to say...its the first time the Lady Eagles have won two back to back butt-kickings in a long time!! Friday night we played Troy, and beat them 52-27. And then Saturday night we played Plains and beat them 62 to 23!! Our JV girls team also had a hard earned victory Saturday morning against the Plains JV. It is nice for cinderella team, tied for the last place rank in our district 6B, to come out and win big...especially since the other team we are tied with only scored 8 points in their season opener...

WE LIVE FOR THIS...WE BLEED FOR THIS...WE SWEAT FOR THIS...WHEN IT'S ON IT'S ON...WHEN IT'S ON IT'S ON...WE SOAR TONIGHT...GO EAGLES!!

Just like the ocean waves

You crash on me

Just like a tidal wave

You ruin me

Just like a hurricane

You devastate everything that needs to change

You are the only thing that’s beautiful in me

Beautiful in me

You are the only thing that’s beautiful in me

Beautiful in me

Just like a mountain peak You lift me up

Just like a desert stream

You fill my cup

And like a heart that beats

You are the blood that covers

me

You cover me

And all I can say is thank you, thank you

And all I can say is thank you, Lord thank you

And all I can say is thank you, thank you

"The Only Thing Thats Beautiful in Me" by Rush of Fools

This is me...in the SNOW :) at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, MI

Get Your Head in the Game

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

"I don't know why...but with you...I'd dance in a storm in my best dress...FEARLESS..."

"Fearless" by Taylor Swift

"Don't leave me now...my memories are more than I can take tonight...

and God show me how I'm supposed to trust in things beyond my sight...so teach me how to kneel when I don't know how to feel and show me where You are...when my faith can't reach that far...

and tell me there is more to this life...then only what my heart can see...take all these fears and make them into more than who I used to be...is my soul to blind too see...the truth you have for me... cause this I feel inside...is too weak to survive...my heart has left me alone again...is this the beginning? Is this the end? Is this the time you'll never let me in again?"

"Reach That Far" by Eleventyseven

"Forever's never too long to wait..."

At 2:30 on Monday morning I got back from Mexico. I went with a team from Valley to the Foundation for His Ministry orphanage in Baja, Mexico. God really has been working my heart all year...breaking it and molding it and softening it. And He continued to do just that in Mexico. One experience I will share, is from the first night, at church. This Mexican girl in a walker came into the service late and sat next to me. Now, I have a really hard time reaching out to people I don't know...it's really out of my comfort zone... And it's even harder when they don't speak the same language. Sure, I know some Spanish, but basically I can only say "Hello my name is Lauren...what's your name?" and "How are you?" But I just prayed that God could give me the courage to reach out to her and provide a way for me to connect with her. As I scooted closer to her and gave her a smile, she grabbed my hand. I held her hand the entire 2 1/2 hour service! During a break in the service, I used my limited Spanish to talk to her. As soon as I used up my vocabulary, I assumed everything would be over, because we wouldn't be able to communicate anymore. But because I stepped out, God met me. The next words the girl spoke to me, were in English! She could speak English!

These verses really describe how God has been working in me. You probably won't understand exactly what they mean to me, or how He's using them in my life, but I wanted to post them anyway...

Romans 12:9,10 "Love must be sincere...Honor one another above yourselves." In the Message translation is says: "Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle."

In brief, this verse is about me giving up myself. Its about being selfess. About putting God first. People second. Me last. Now, it goes a lot deeper than that, but its hard to explain...

2 Chronicles 20:15,17 "For the battle is not yours, but God's...you will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you."

To me, the battle being talked about here is the battles against the flesh. The battles that are hard to surrender. The battles against fear, doubt, worry, pride, selfishness, anger, control...etc. But I know I can give those up, because they're not my battles to fight. That doesn't mean I just sit back and watch God fight them. It means I give my all in the position He has for me and then He will take that and turn it into victory.

I changed my mind about fear. I was thinking about it more, and Taylor's idea about it sounds really good...but its super worldly... I need to just surrender my fears to Him, and trust Him, and therefore live without fear...all because of Him. If its in my control...theres fear. But if I give up myself and my control to God, then theres peace. Its not easy...I have to remind myself of it a lot. And I'm trying to make it a daily habit every morning......to completely give up "me" and give it over to God. And then...during the day...when fear and doubts creep in...I try to immediatly cry out to God. Sometimes its a huge battle. Actually a lot of times. Satan loves to use fear. And when I let fear creep in, it weakens me. But only when I completely surrender is there peace. Only when I completely surrender can I live fearless. I'm not very good at it. But one thing I know for sure, is that "I" can't do anthing. "Me" is giving up. I'm giving into Him.

Taylor Swift: "To me, fearless is no the absence of fear. It's not being completely unafraid. To me, fearless is having fears. Fearless is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death. Fearless is falling madly in love again, even though you've been hurt before. Fearless is getting back up and fighting for what you want over and over again...even though every time you've tried before, you've lost. It's fearless to have faith that someday things will change. Fearless is having the courage to say goodbye to someone who only hurts you, even if you can't breathe without them. And when someone apologizes to you enough times for things they'll never stop doing, I think it's fearless to stop believing them. It's fearless to say, "you're not sorry," and walk away. I think loving someone despite what people think is fearless. I think allowing yourself to cry on the bathroom floor is fearless. But no matter what love throws at you, you have to believe in it. You have to believe in love stories and prince charmings and happily ever after. Love is fearless."

God is sovereign...

He knows what He's doing...

and He's doing it...

"Life ain't always beautiful

Sometimes it's just plain hard

Life can knock you down, it can break your heart

Life ain't always beautiful

You think you're on your way

And it's just a dead end road at the end of the day

But the struggle makes you stronger

And the changes make you wise

And happiness has it's own way of takin' it sweet time

No,life aint always beautiful

Tears will fall sometimes

Life aint always beautiful

But it's a beautiful ride"

"Life Ain't Always Beautiful" by Gary Allen

STATE CROSS-COUNTRY IS TOMORROW!!!

"RUN FAST...TAKE CHANCES"

So pretty much...I really should be studying for my anatomy test...but I'm so overwhelmed with homework I just want to...not do any :( :(

I just got back last night at 1130pm from a hunting trip in Hysham with Meaghan and her dad. Sunday was miserable, but glorious. Meaghan shot two antelope about 3 miles back in, and the mud was so thick that it took us 5 hours to pack them out!! Our boots had about 20 pounds of mud attached to them, and the game cart...wow...Mr. Moore would pull it about 30 ft, and then Meaghan and I would have to scrape off about 4 inches of mud with out hands!! But we finally made it to the truck!! :)

I didn't get anything, but I did catch a frog, and named him Roman :) But then I had to let him go...

Ok...maybe I'll be able to do some homework now...haha

Diamonds are made

between a rock

and a hard place...

...And no two diamonds...

are the same

Take a look at the mountain

Stretching a mile high

Take a look at the ocean

Far as your eye can see

And think of Me

Take a look at the desert

Do you feel like a grain of sand?

I am with you wherever

Where you go is where I am

And I'm always thinking of you

Take a look around you

I'm spelling it out one by one

(Chorus)

I love you more than the sun

And the stars that I taught how to shine

You are mine, and you shine for me too

I love you yesterday and today

And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again

I love you more

Just a face in the city

Just a tear on a crowded street

But you are one in a million

And you belong to Me

And I want you to know

That I'm not letting go

Even when you come undone

(Chorus)

I love you more than the sun

And the stars that I taught how to shine

You are mine, and you shine for me too

I love you yesterday and today

And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again

I love you more

Shine for Me

Shine for Me

Shine on, shine onShine for Me

(Chorus)

I love you more than the sun

And the stars that I taught how to shine

You are mine, and you shine for me too

I love you yesterday and today

And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again

I love you more

"More" by Matthew West

These pictures are from our cross-country meet this Saturday, Mountain West Classic, at the UM Golf Course. Our girls team ran JV and got 8th out of 26 teams!

It's time for healing time to move on
It's time to fix what's been broken too long
Time to make right what has been wrong
It's time to find my way to where I belong
There's a wave that's crashing over me
And all I can do is surrender

(Chorus)
Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
But I'm giving in to something Heavenly

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Reevaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow Your will
Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is You want from me
I give everything I surrender...To...

(Chorus)
Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
But I'm giving in to something Heavenly

Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I've wanted to say for so many years
Time to release all my held back tears
Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but I believe
You're up to something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly
Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but now I can see
This is something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly
Something Heavenly

It's time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out

"Whatever You're Doing"
Sanctus Real

"No matter where you go...

there you are..."

- Meaghan Moore

These are some pictures from my last days of summer...

"It is necessary to dig deep within oneself to

discover that hidden grain of steel...called will."

- Ryan Shay (1979-2007)

Oh I'm a dancer, and I move to the rhythm of the music...oh it carries me away

Yes I'm a dancer...I was born to live this life I did not choose it...and when the song begins to play...oh please, please will you dance with me?

Oh I'm a dreamer, though my head is the clouds i keep believin'...they really do come true...a rainbow chaser...and at the end I know that all the love I needed...I will find it here with you..so please, please will you dance with me?

Baby, can you hear the melody...I swear I've never heard a sound so sweet...makes me want to take your hand...float across the floor...i've never felt like this before...

I'm a lover of all things everywhere God set in motion...like the Sun, the Moon and stars...our lives together...we'll rise and fall like the waves upon the ocean...if you take me in your arms...So please, please will you dance with me?

"Will You Dance With Me" Julianne Hough

"i know...you know...it can't get much better...fireworks flyin' whenever we're together...i know... you know...that i know you love me...we'll see fireworks tonight"

These are pictures Heidi took on the Fourth of July...they were the best fireworks I've ever seen...

Oh and the lyrics are by Plain White T's...called "Fireworks"

Since I have this weird obsession of taking pictures of my feet and shoes, I decided I'd post a couple of the ones I have so far...

Well...i just got back at midnight last night from a trip to my favorite place in the world: Pentwater MI. My dad and Nate and I went to see Granddad and Grandmommy and also to look at Cornerstone College, Calving College, and Hope College. I am feeling kinda overwhelmed actually looking at colleges now...i'm realizing how much change college will bring...and how many huge decisions must be made... But i'm really seeking God right now, that's all i know. The athletic training program at Hope is outstanding, and their basketball program is amazing. Last year they were the national champs and this year they were 30-1! Coach Mo runs 16 on the varsity and they all play a good amount. And there's even the option of a JV, which is nice. But I think I liked Cornerstone the most...I don't really know...

The time in Pentwater was great! Our last day there was probably the most fun. We went sailing out on Lake Michigan with Andy, and then Nate and dad and i went swimming. After that we went into Ludington to the James Street Pub and ate a really good dinner. And then we went to House of Flavors, my FAVORITE ice cream place in the world. They have 64 amazing flavors!! We took our ice cream and walked to the lighthouse in Ludington. It was so pretty. That's like my favorite tradition about going to Michigan- the lighthouse and the ice cream! Of course I love the beach too... And it was really nice to see my cousins! It's been a while...

"Life's too fun and I'm too young and the night ain't over yet...Like I said I can sleep when I'm dead..."
- Jason Michael Carroll "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead"

So last Wednesday (06/11) Monz & Lauren & I went running on the M. And we had a snowball fight. Ya that's right, a snowball fight in June. There was about 1 1/2 inches of snow on the M! Isn't that crazy? And then the very next day it was all sunny and nice out...and the snow melted...

This weekend our basketball team went up to Thompson Falls for a basketball tourney. We played 8 games in three days. It was intense (or "in-tents"...lol) It was mostly fun...our record was 3-5, so that wasn't so fun, but we played pretty good...just have a couple little kinks to work out, and we have a long summer ahead to practice and learn! I'm excited for our team's potential!!

We also played a lot of pranks on eachother...hehe...like to start with, Koch decided to take a nap in the grass by our tents, so a bunch of us covered him in shaving cream :). To get us back he took all our sleeping bags! Once we found those were missing, we took his and my dad's tent and moved it all the way across campus to the middle of the football field!! Once they finally figured out where their tent went, we moved it again, to the roof of the school (the TFalls girls had moved Reimer's tent up there, and we helped, so then they helped us with Koch's). It was pretty fun! We couldn't find our sleeping bags for the longest time, but finally, right before bed, we found them. They were back in the woods behind the tent...and Heidi had seen them that morning...but we were all like "no that's a pile of dirt"...oops... :)

These are pictures from this weekend. Basically, Lauren, Moe (Monz), Hannah, and I went "camping" in my yard. And then we had a fire and burned all our homework and tests from our junior year while we roasted hot dogs!! And we took some fun pics too...(sorry Lauren that you didn't get in any of them...:( )

So pretty much....TODAY WAS MY LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!! BOOYAH!!! Ya anyways...that's about all I have to say... I have survived the toughest year of my life, and, to do a little bragging, I still have a 4.0. Of course that's only by God's amazing grace...

"Summertime is finally here...that old ball park man is back in gear...out on 49, man I can see the lights...school's out the nights roll in...man, just like a long lost friend...you ain't seen in a while...you can't help but smile...and it's two bare feet on the dashboard...young love in an old Ford...cheap shades, a tattoo and a yoo-hoo...bottle on the floorboard...her favorite song on the radio...sing along because it's one we know...it's a smile...it's a kiss...it's a sip of wine...it's summertime...sweet summertime....Temperature says '93...down at the deposit and guarantee...but that swimming hole...it's nice and cold...bikini bottoms underneath...but the boys heart still skip a beat...when them girls shimmy off...them old cut-offs...it's summertime"
(Summertime - by Kenny Chesney)

My family and the Hartzells went up to the lake for Memorial Day weekend...wow that was fun. I love Monz & her family! And even though it was kinda rainy, I LOVE rain, so it wasn't bad at all!! I even beat Monz at ping pong (ha :)).

I also finally got to figure out my camera, so above are some sweet pictures out of the hundreds I took this weekend :).

"Music is how feelings sound..."
(Taylor Swift)

I am unofficially a senior!!! YEAYA!! So anway, I just got back from senior graduation...which means...we now rule the school...oh yea...

Oh...so guess what...I'm seventeen!!! I'm pretty sure this is going to be my favorite age...

Yeaya!!! It's friday!!

Wow...it's been thirty amazing days...and I don't even have that much to say...I mean...a lot happened...but...it's...a lot to write and all...ya know...

One thing I do know is that I had about 200 emails...(ya that's sick)...and I only actually read less than 10 of them...

So...during this 30 day secular-media fast, I have realized a lot of things:
1. there are way better things to be doing than emailing, blogging, and "surfing the web"
2. I didn't even really miss the above mentioned things
3. God's amazing, indescribable love for me...and it has started a fire burning in me to live for Him...

I have thought about deleting this blog...but idk yet...for now, I won't...but I just won't post as often...

"It is not the mountain that we conquer...but ourselves."
Sir Edmund Hillery

So this will be my last post for thirty days (until May 7), because I'm doing this 30-Day Purification thing...that means I am removing all worldly influences for 30-Days, so that I can focus 100% on Jesus. I am "fasting from" secular tv, movies, internet, magazines, & books. The purpose of this is to point out how de-sensitized the world's views can make us and instead to turn my heart back to God's voice.

The hardest part will be not listening to my music...the country/alternative stuff that I love. You might have even noticed that I changed my playlist to all Christian music...

So ya...see ya on May 7th!! Don't miss me too much... :)

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve...It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle-when the sun comes up, you'd better be running. "