Festival of Life part 1

A couple of weeks I go I was asked by Sarah Yardley if I would consider being a part of the festival of life team. I had no idea what that even meant or what they were doing. The only thing I knew was that a group of high schoolers were going to the Coachella Valley to help with some outreach thing. So I told her to send me the info i would pray about it.

The next day i found myself texting her and saying God said I need to go but I have idea what I am getting myself into. I still don't really know what the whole trip involves but I do know that I am supposed to go and that God is in control. We are helping out with outreaches and things surrounding the festival of life http://www.lovmovement.com/

I am actually really excited about it! The Lord is taking me out of my comfort zone and placing me in the unknown! I leave next Wednesday and come back Saturday night! I will post another blog on it when I return with all the things that the Lord did!

Till then prayer would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

God and Time

God totally expanded my time today! I was so overwhelmed this week! I had so many tests, papers, and projects due this week. I have actually been working on my projects and papers last week and all week (I usually do them last minute). Even though i had been working really hard all week last night I still did not have everything done. I was so exhausted last night that i finally just went to bed and decided I would finish it in the morning.

I prayed before going to bed that the Lord would expand my time and that i would be able to finish the projects and still have time to study for my 930am class.

I got up early and started working my projects to my surprise I was able to finish the first one pretty quickly. I even had time to make breakfast and study while I was making it and eating. After my test I had time to go back home before my 1230 class and finish my other project. I finished everything by 11 and had a full hour free. I kinda freaked out a little thinking i really don't have anything I have to do right now. So I worked out :)

It's exciting to see God providing the time to do things and helping me finish things.

God really does care and He answers prayers!

Child Abuse Project

This semester one of my classes is on child abuse and prevention. As our main project for the semester we have to find pictures and articles about child abuse and put them together in a book. I knew this project was going to be eye opening but I did not realize how much I was going to be effected by the pictures and videos I would find.

I started researching pictures for child abuse which led me to more research which then led me to research on domestic violence and more on human trafficking and other things... I posted a blog before about human trafficing go check that one out too....

I'm not going to say much on any of these subjects I'll let pictures speak for themselves

One thing I do have to say is I found a website (http://osocio.org/category/abuse/) which had all these advertisements that nonprofits have done to help make people aware of what goes on! go check it out it will make you think for sure! the thing is all of the ads that I found and videos and everything come from other countries i didn't find one from the US what's up with that?

What can we do to help stop these things?




This is an ad in a high traffic area in australia


There is a camera that senses when a person is watching the screen and when you turn away it changes... to say that when people are watching everythign looks great but what happens when no one is watching?










A clock they put in some public places in the philippines




One of the captions for this said one brand no women should wear...






You should totally check out that website too it's got so many more videos and pictures...

There are so many resources for domestice violence and child abuse and human trafficing...

Domestic Violence:
1.800.799.SAFE (7233)
http://www.ndvh.org/

Child Abuse:
1-800-4-A-CHILD
http://www.childhelp.org/2009/home

Human Trafficing:
1-888-3737-888
http://nhtrc.polarisproject.org/

Sunrise Assisted Living

For my Gerontology class I have to do 3 hours a week volunteering at a senior center. not that I have more time to spend somewhere else. I chose Sunrise Assisted Living in Huntington Beach. I chose this place for a couple of reasons. one it is in Huntington Beach which is nice that I don't have to drive to Long Beach to do my project. Also they said that I can bring my dog if I want to. So EXCITING!!!!

So I have been going the past few weeks. This week I took Daytona! I was so excited to be able to take her out of the house and brighten someones day! When we first got Daytona we decided we wanted to train her to be able to go to hospitals and other places as a therapy dog! today that actually happened!!!

She loved it! She was just excited to get out of the house and ride in the car! And of course all the people giving her attention helped her enjoy the experience even more! It was so cool to see the joy on the peoples faces that I have been getting to know over the past few weeks. It's awesome to see that just the presence of a happy dog changes a person and makes them so much happier!! I am definitely taking her back next week!

Sadly they dont want us to take pictures in there so you can't see how excited people were

Flagstaff weekend

At the Youth workers conference in January Jake and I met some awesome people from flagstaff Arizona and became friends with them. We decided we needed to go to flagstaff one day and hangout with them since technically they came to California already! Then since Jake left his bible in Cody's car we decided we would definitely have to go (you know so he could get it back).

So we planned to go. The church in flagstaff was planning to have a special Valentines dinner thing so we thought that would be the perfect excuse to go out that weekend. So we did!

So we left Thursday afternoon and drove the long drive to flagstaff Arizona. We got there at like 2am which is kind of crazy! The drive was fun (aside from the traffic) and surprisingly did not feel that long.

It was really fun to get to hangout with everyone again and this time hanging out way more! we did lots of Walmart trips (that's what they do for fun) and threw lots of snowballs.

Jake and I had the privilege of getting to lead worship on Sunday morning for Calvary flagstaff which was a total blessing! everyone at the church is super nice and welcoming!

And then the valentines dinner/event that night was tons of fun! there was even dancing which of course just made everything a little more crazy! and then we left that night at like 12am AZ time (11pm CA time) and got home at 530am CA time! we decided next time we are driving in the day time we were so tired driving home it was not cool!

Ok I am officially the worst picture taker ever! not that I am horrible at taking pictures I just don't take them! sera was always the photographer when I went places so when she is not there I just don't take them! sorry! When I get more pictures from other people that actually took them I will post another blog with them!


At outback for dinner (drew, cody, Roman, me, Brent-the waiter, and jake) (rihanna was taking the picture and tallen and ryan were somewhere)


The boys dancing




this is the view from make out point (Roman decided he needed to take all of us up there) (it was me and a car full of guys, a little strange)

A New Semester

So last week started the Spring 2010 semester for school. OH Joy!

I only got one of the classes I actually need for my major so it should be an interesting semester I am also only taking 13 units which is very strange! (I usually take at least 15 one semester i even took 23)

So this semester I will probably be struggling with the motivation to actually finish work and do the things I need to!

I have a jogging class that shouldn't be to bad all we have to do is run a mile Monday and Wednesday mornings at 7am not bad i am used to running at least 2 miles everyday so I should be fine!

Then I have a family culture class in which we are studying different cultures and how families interact with in those cultures it kind of seems like a repeat of a few classes that I have already taken. boring!

I have an American Government class that I really just don't care about. Although I think my teacher might be a Christian so that could be really interesting!

I am interested in 2 of my classes the first being my gerontology class. yes the study of aging and old people! I thought it was going to be horrible but my teacher is totally cool and loves the subject so she is making the class really interesting!

The other class that I am interested in is my Child Abuse class. I know that sounds strange to be interested in but I am! I really want to understand more about abuse, how to prevent it, what I can do, how to help people that have been in those situations everything! I am super interested! although it is a very depressing class and I feel like it's going to be very hard to deal with it will be good and good information for me to have!

carp and murrieta

These last few weeks i deff feel like i do not live at home any more! I still am not totally unpacked because I know I just have to pack again it's crazy but so enjoyable!

Let's see I went to Murrieta for the youth workers conference that was really Good! I feel like I was really able to get real with the Lord and He slapped me in the face a few times! It was really good!

Then I came home and left again the next Monday for carpinteria in the rain! Oh my gosh the rain was crazy driving up there a few times i thought to myself "what am I doing?" But I wanted to visit Al and Nina and the Girls before I started school again! It was so amazing to get to go up there. It was relaxing not to have anything that I had to do and just to sit and play with the girls and talk to Al and Nina! I miss them so much!

Of course it rained pretty much the entire time I was there every time it cleared up for a couple of minutes we went out side so Nevaeh could ride her bike crazy girl! Char is getting so big I can't believe it! I love it when she sings!! especially Hosanna and Mighty to Save it made me so excited!! And the Lord is definitely using Nina to change my heart towards so many things I am excited to see what the Lord has in store next for my life not that I can really handle much more! Nina thank you for talking with me and letting me talk! You are such a blessing and I am praying for you for sure!!


Ok so I got home from Carp on Wednesday and then Friday I went back to Murrieta to lead worship with Lindsay Gatlin at a widows retreat! I know your thinking what? a widows retreat really? Let me tell you it was the biggest blessing!!!

It was such a reminder for me of how blessed I am and How much I really take for granted! these women have lost their husbands and some there children as well and are still able to worship the Lord and see that the Lord has a plan through it all! I have so much to be thankful for and I am so unthankful!

Another thing spending time with them helped me remember is how important it is to tell people that you love them and to appreciate them! You never know how long you have with that person so tell them often!

I'm sorry I'm not better at remembering to take pictures I will try and be better at that!