Back at it again, y’all!

Well hello there everyone… it certainly has been a while! In case you hadn’t already figured it out, I’m back! I took a break for a little while because life got busy and I just couldn’t get myself to sit down and take the time to post something, but I’m fitting it into my crazy schedule.

I just want to say a couple of things (it’ll be quick I promise).

1. Welcome to my blog, once again! I will be posting all kinds of things to this page and I’m so excited about it!
2. NEW BLOG…… COMING SOON! I want to start a new blog (well… ANOTHER one)! My best friend and I made the decision to live healthier lives. I want this new (SECOND) blog to be full of motivational things, healthy recipes, workout plans, progress reports, and stories along the way about my journey. What do you think?
3. Let me know if there’s certain things that you would like to see here or on my new blog. I’m completely open to suggestions and would very much LOVE and appreciate your input!

I will be sure to let you know as soon as this new healthy living blog is up and running!

Thank you guys so much for taking the time for reading my silly blog posts… I appreciate it! 😛 And as always… like, comment, subscribe, etc. ❤

My Top 10 Favorite Easter Songs {2015}

In honor of Easter being tomorrow, I thought I would share some of the best Easter songs I’ve ever heard, with you! (In no particular order)

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1. Victor’s Crown by Darlene Zschech
2. O The Blood by Kari Jobe or Selah
3. For The Cross by Bethel
4. Mercy Tree by Anthony Evans
5. Alive by Natalie Grant
6. Forever by Kari Jobe
7. How Can It Be by Lauren Daigle
8. At The Cross (Love Ran Red) by Chris Tomlin
9. Man Of Sorrows by Hillsong
10. Yours Forever by Darlene Zschech & Kari Jobe

I’m interested in hearing what you guys think! Comment some of YOUR favorites! ❤

10 Ways To Start The New Year Right

I don’t know about you, but I love coming up to the beginning of a new year! So in honor of the new year, here are some ways you go into this year– fresh, organized, and ready to go!

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1. Get organized. Sounds simple enough, right? (“A place for everything and everything in its place.” – Benjamin Franklin) I can honestly say, this is my favorite part. I love being organized. It makes life so much easier. Suggestions: Get a calendar and add events to it as they pop up so you never forget; put together a binder than contains everything you need (I’ll post a blog about how I have my binder organized sometime.); get rid of files, papers, and whatever you no longer need; etc.
2. 365 Day Devotional. Nothing beats kick-starting your day with breakfast and a good book. And what better book than the Bible. 😉 Plus, there are plenty of fabulous 365 Day Devotional books out there. (Jesus Calling is a great one.)
3. Set goals and keep track of them. Make goals and check them off once you’ve accomplished them. I love crossing my goals off of a list!
4. Clean. I know a lot of people don’t like cleaning, but I personally enjoy it. Most of the time. I looooove walking into my bedroom when it’s all clean and everything is put away. (Listening to music makes it less of a hassle.) I’m more calm and relaxed when everything is out of the way and I can actually walk around my room. Cleaning is a necessity to living a stress-free life… at least for me. 😛
5. Start over. What better time than the beginning of a new year, to change things up. Don’t let anything that happened last year define who you are. Start over.
6. Keep your focus on the things in front of you. Look forward to all of the things this year will have to offer. The opportunities, the memories you’ll make, the people you’ll meet, etc. Don’t look back!
7. Keep going. Along with the great things this year will bring, unfortunately I can almost promise you that there will be bumps in the road. But you know what? That’s okay. Just remember that God is always there and that nothing formed against you will ever prosper. (Such an important thing to remember.)
8. New haircut. This definitely isn’t necessary but sometimes it’s a good idea. Going into the new year with a new look is always nice.
9. Be adventurous. Don’t be afraid to try new things! Change is a good thing sometimes.
10. Healthy living. Exercise, eat healthy foods, etc. You’ll feel great and you’ll thank yourself for it later!

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Now let’s step into the new year– organized, prepared, equipped, empowered, and victorious! 😉

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What I’m Listening To (Top 25: Christmas)

For the record, it was very difficult to just pick 25. (not in order)

1. Hark The Herald/King of Heaven by Paul Baloche
2. We Have A Savior by Hillsong
3. Peace Has Come by Hillsong
4. White Winter Hymnal by Pentatonix
5. All is Well by Michael W. Smith ft. Carrie Underwood
6. Last Christmas by Ariana Grande
7. Fa La La by Justin Bieber ft. Boys II Men
8. Underneath The Tree by Kelly Clarkson
9. All I Want For Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
10. Unto Us by Hillsong
11. Winter Wonderland/Don’t Worry by Pentatonix ft. Tori Kelly
12. When Hope Came Down by Kari Jobe
13. Song For You by Brigit Mendler ft. Shane Harper
14. Christmas Day by Michael W. Smith ft. Mandisa
15. Love Is Everything by Ariana Grande
16. Santa Tell Me by Ariana Grande
17. O Holy Night by David Phelps
18. You’re Here by Francesca Battistelli
19. Snow In California by Ariana Grande
20. Be Born In Me by Francesca Battistelli
21. Don’t Save It All For Christmas Day by Avalon
22. Greatest Time Of Year by Aly & AJ
23. Grown Up Christmas List by Anthony Evans
24. Go Tell by Israel Houghton
25. Do You Hear What I Hear? by Anthony Evans

Merry Christmas! 🙂

15 Facts About Me You Probably Didn’t Know

Just because I haven’t posted on my blog in a while, and I feel like doing something fun, here are 15 Facts About Me You Probably Didn’t Know.

1. I have an appreciation for almost every genre of music. There’s rarely a time where I don’t like a song or type of music.

2. Organization is one of my favorite things.. ever. I love having things organized. School stuff, my bedroom, everything. Alphabetical order, color-coated, and where it should be. “Organization isn’t about perfection; it’s about efficiency, reducing stress and clutter, saving time and money, and improving your overall quality of life.” – Christina Scalise

3. I like decorating/redecorating. I think my room looks the same for about 2 weeks and then I change it. Whether it’s moving something out of it and putting it in the closet, moving furniture around, or adding something new.

4. Patience is not one of my strongest areas. I’m not a very patient person, but I’m working on it. 😛

5. I don’t like asking for help. If someone offers, I don’t mind them helping. I just don’t like asking for help. I’m not really sure why. I just like being able to do things by myself so I don’t have to depend on someone else.

6. I love encouraging people. I love sending my friends texts in the morning saying that I hope they have a great day and stuff like that. My friends mean the world to me, and I make sure that they know that.

7. If you need me, I’m there. Whenever anyone needs someone to talk to, I love being the first person they talk to. I love helping people with problems that they’re having, giving them advice, or just listening.

8. I love Disney. I can’t even explain to you how much I love Disney. I love watching Disney movies, I love Disney princesses, I love Disney songs… I could go on all day.

9. Church is my absolute favorite place to be. I look forward to Sunday mornings all week. I could also go on all day about why I love church.

10. I have an obsession with makeup. I’ve mentioned it before but I love makeup. There’s so much you can do with it! Different looks, different products, different brands, different colors, etc. And it’s fun!

11. I loooove coloring. I have a few coloring books but I want more. I love that you can color things exactly the way they’re supposed to be, or you can change it up and make it completely different. 😛

12. The sky fascinates me. From the color changes that come with the sunrise, to how blue it is during the day along with the various shapes and patterns of the clouds, all the way down to the darkness of nighttime with the subtle glowing of the stars. So if you catch me staring at the sky, you now know why.

13. Winter is my favorite season. Winter and fall are my favorites actually. I love cold weather. And winter includes my favorite holiday.. Christmas!

14. I’m not a morning person. Unless it’s Sunday morning! ❤ But usually, I love nighttime.

15. I love social media and texting. I love being able to connect with friends and family when I’m not able to physically be with them.

Well there you go, 15 facts about me! Hope you liked them! 🙂

The Way You Pray vs How God Responds

The way you pray has a lot to do with how God responds. 

Be bold.

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will recieve His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16 NLT

“Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers. God isn’t offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers…” – Mark Batterson

Be persistent.

Too often, we give up on the things we pray for because it seems like nothing’s changing or it seems like there’s just no way it could happen. But that’s where most people go wrong. They give up way too soon. I wonder how many things I’ve missed out on because I gave up way too soon. Keep asking. 

“Persistence is the magic bullet. The only way you can fail is if you stop praying. 100% of the prayers I don’t pray won’t get answered.” – Mark Batterson

Be patient.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank for all that He has done.” Philippians 4:6 NLT

I personally believe that God has three answers to your prayers. Yes, not yet, or I have something better. Trust Him. And be patient. I don’t know about you but God has always come through for me. I’m so thankful that He gives me what He knows I need at the perfect time and not when I think I need it. 🙂

Onto The Next Chapter

As I’m sure most of us know, moving on isn’t always such an easy thing to do. Something we need to realize though is, if whatever you lost was supposed to be in your life right now, it would be. Sometimes to move into the next chapter of your life, you have to let go of what was in the last chapter. Sometimes people and other things are only supposed to stay in your life for a season. You’ll mess yourself up if you mix seasonal people with lifetime expectations. You aren’t the same person you were back then. And that’s okay! I can honestly say from personal experience that if God hadn’t removed certain things from my life when He did, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. Of course it was hard at first, but after a while it got a little easier and it started to make sense. You can’t stay stuck in the past. “The past is present ’til you’re ready to move forward (Start Over by Royal Tailor)” I mean you can’t enjoy everything that’s coming if you’re constantly focused on what’s not there anymore. God has so much more in store for you. Just trust Him and let Him do what He needs to do, to get you exactly where you need to be! 🙂

“18 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)

“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind. – C.S. Lewis”

Why Going To Church Is Important

Just like your relationship with your friends and family takes work, so does your relationship with Jesus. Physically, we are constantly growing and maturing. Spiritually, we should be doing the same thing. Growing spiritually and obtaining a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, requires a continuous effort. We need to consistently seek and pursue Him. Going to church is part of that. “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another… (Hebrews 10:25 NLT)” The purpose of the church includes reaching, teaching, worship, communion, prayer, and building each other up. It’s always good to have people you can learn with, grow with, and lean on when the tough times come around. Who better than the people of the church? Church isn’t a building you can go to, it’s a family you can belong to. There are plenty of reasons you could choose to not go to church. But God honors the decision you make to go to church in the midst of all of that. Don’t let the enemy win by keeping you from experiencing everything God has for you. Don’t just go to church when you have time — make time. You won’t regret it. 🙂

What To Pack: Day at the Beach

Going to the beach is something alot of people tend to do in the summertime. Just a few days ago, I went to the beach with the youth group from my church. The weather was great, the water was beautiful, and memories were made. We had a pretty great time. I hadn’t been to the beach in a while and I wanted to make sure I was completely prepared so, I made a list. I thought I would share it with you just in case you go to the beach this summer, and need ideas/suggestions/tips on what to take. Here is what I had on my list.

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Beach Check List: 

• iPod, plus charger and headphones
• a water bottle {Unless you’re going with a group like I did, then I would recommend bring a cooler with water and other stuff}
• Sunscreen {And lots of it, especially if you burn easily like me. At least SPF 30 or higher. NOTE: Reapply every once in a while.. this is where I went wrong and learned the hard way.}
• ^ You can also take sun tan lotion {I took both, just in case.}
• Sunglasses
• Beach towel(s) {I took two. One to sit on, one to dry off with.}
• Chair(s)
• Umbrella, or something like it {We took a canopy. So much shade!}
• Flip-flops {I took two pairs of flip-flops. Not really sure why, I just like being prepared.}
• Hair brush
• Book {In case you feel like reading, of course.}
• Snacks 
• Extra clothes {If you need them. I did.}
• Hair ties, clips, headbands, makeup remover, etc. {If you’re planning on wearing makeup to the beach, I suggest only wearing a little bit. What I did: I used sunscreen instead of foundation because your skin absorbs whatever you put on it. For my eyes, I just used liquid eyeliner on top (should’ve gotten waterproof), some pencil eyeliner for the bottom, waterproof mascara, and a lipstick with SPF 15. I would avoid using eyeshadow.}
• Aloe vera gel, or a lotion that contains aloe vera {If you get sunburned.. you’ll thank me for putting this on here later.}

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Well, there you have it. This was pretty much all I took and I was good all day.

Hope this helps! 🙂

Be An Example

In the past couple of years, I have learned how truly important it is to be a good representative of Christ. To really be the example God calls us to be. You may not know it, but people are constantly paying attention to the way you live your life.

I feel like sometimes we don’t realize how big of an impact we actually have on people. We tend to forget to watch what we say and do because we don’t think it really matters. But it does.

I saw something on Pinterest the other day that said, “You don’t have to be a “person of influence” to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they’ve taught me. (Scott Adams)”  That’s why it is so important to live the life we know Jesus would want us to. You never know, sometimes you will be the only example of Christ some people ever see.

You have the power to change and influence someone’s life. Take advantage of that! 🙂