Today is the day...

Today is the day that I will explore.

Today is the twent-eighth of November.

Today is the day I watched 3 football games in a row.

Today is the first day in a long time that I have bonded with my camera.

Today is the day I will cry, laugh, and love those around me.

Today is a Sunday.

Today I was told good news.

Today I remembered that I was told bad news yesterday.

Today brought new things.

Today I talked to my cousin about sky diving.

Today gave me hope.

Today I love my Lord.

Today my Mom told me, "I love you Jessie Rae".

Today I realized Thanksgiving isn't the only day that should remind us of what we're thankful for. So...

Today, I'm Thankful for family.

Today I saw the sun.

Today I remembered Daddy.

Today Jesus kept me safe.

Today I saw that I have friends that love me.

Today I saw that I have friends that I love.

Today I woke up at 10: 38 AM.

Today is a care free day.

Today is the last day of Thanksgiving break.

Psalm 118:24

Today is the day the LORD hath made;

Let us rejoiceand be glad in it.

Dedication time!

Sarah Kate Gottschalk- Have you ever had someone so special in your life that you can't help but to tell everyone you know about them? Well that's Sarah for me. She gives me the best advice and she is probably one of the funniest people I know. She has been through stuff with me and I didn't think I could handle it at times, she was the one to say those simple words that held my chin up. I love her, lots! I have no problem claiming her as a sister to me. She's there for me, always eager to hear what I have to say.
Sarah I dedicate this post to you<3

Nicole Kristen Heider- Man have we been through some crazy times. We have so much slang I'm sure we can make up a new language. I have no problem with calling you my shahty gurr fuh life! But on a serious note, you're more to me than that. You as well are like a sister to me. I love you. I loved our attempt to go star gazing, turned out to be everything but star gazing. I'm always excited to see you because I know we're going to make memories.
Nicole I dedicate this post to you<3

Meredith Ross Sledge- We have so much in common, literally. We share so many great things. People don't understand how difficult photography can be at times. It takes lot's of patience, and remember we don't have that! ha. I love talking to you. You inspire me most of the time, and the other time it's just intriguing, whatever it is you are talking about! I know if I need someone at 12:00 -2:00 in the morning you will be the only online I can go talk to. (: You are very special to me. I love you!
Meredith I dedicate this post to you<3

Kari Elizabeth Washburn- You are my spiritual supporter. You always always always teach me something new about the Bible and God when I see you or talk to you. Thank you! I'm sure I would not be the person I am today without your influence. I love your fan, seriously. and the things we throw in it. (: If there was one word I could use to describe you, it would be joyful. You not only have so much joy in your heart but it's CONTAGEOUS! I love you so much Kari.
Kari I dedicate this post to you<3

Hallie Dawn Sayre- Yep you amaze me. I don't go one visit seeing you with out coming back going, "Oh my word we are so obnoxious! hahaha" I just love us. We just express ourselves with not holdbacks. That's what I love about us. You're a great set of ears when I am loaded with stuff to tell. Thank you for that. I wouldn't have it any other way. Having you so close to my heart is something I can never regret. I love having that re assurance that you're going to be there for me as much as God will let you. I love you.
Hallie I dedicate this post to you<3


To these girls I love so much I thank God everyday for you! There are so many more I would love to talk about but I am going to save for another post, those girls would be Jennifer Loraine Heyward, Abby Jordan Honbarrier, Hailey Alexis Wiseman, and Heaven Ashlee Balsamo.

Guys I want everyone of you to know that YOU guys are the ones who have made my memories. I love each of you. And trust me these aren't even a handful of the girls who I would love to mention.

Love Jessie <3

Let God's grace shine

Okay so today I heard a simple sentence that will probably change my life forever. While at Campaigners today one of the girls stated something and it blew my mind.

"We need to sit back and let God's grace shine and humble ourselves."

Oh my gosh, just read that sentence again. It's crazy how true that is and how each one of us can apply that to our lives. EVERYTHING I do should be for the Lord. When I'm out on that soccer field, who gave me the talent to kick that ball? When I am playing my flute in a concert with 100+ people watching me, who gave me that courage? When I am listening to someone share their heart to me, who gave me that desire?
God did

Why not do it ALL for God. I mean seriously, why not? It's time to let HIS glory and HIS grace shine! I should be humble with everything I do.
I want to encourage everyone who is reading this to encourage people who haven't read this blog to give all they have to God. All they work so diligently in, to God!

I think a lot of times we have pride in what we do. We worked so hard to get that A+! We gave 100% at all those practices to win that district game. When who's the master behind the curtain? Yeah... it's God. All Him. By himself... just God. The one who created us so tediously and breathed life into us. Not only should we be doing everything for God's glory, but we have been made for God's glory. Every single one of us. When God had made us He said, that indeed it was very good.


"indeed it was very good."

Us sinners? Are good? He looked at us and said we were very good?
Friends heck yes we were made very good so let's show the world what we've got and give God ALL the glory for it!

Love; strong affection for another, that's what Webster says...

Why have I not blogged in so loooonnnnnggggg? Okay so I have been running a marathon lately and I am finally settling back to reality. I had some crazy fun at Summerlee, and some more crazy fun at Lake Champion! I became closer to God and to friends. I realized how amazing it is to cherish your time with the ones you love and the ones who love you back! Just something that's been on my mind lately, other than my headache at this point. While at Lake Champion I was given 20 minutes, to shut the world off all around me and focus on God and my life. Dear goodness gracious... my mind was going full speed. I had no idea where to begin. I said, "Lord pick your choice, my Dad... the boy problems... or my relationship with you?" In that 20 minutes that I didn't think would cut it I spilled everything I had for Him, to Him. I'm not going to lie, I cried. Lots! It helped though. It made me feel like God was just sitting there, holding me, never wanting to let me go. He still doesn't want to let me go. Why would we ever want to walk away from that? Don't we love being held? Don't we love being told we're beautiful? Don't we love having a Father who will do so much for us?
In this living world right now we search so hard for that person who will hold us and never let us go. We search for that boy or girl who will tell us we are beautiful. We want that Dad who can stay sober enough to tell us they love us, and mean it...
By now you'd think we would learn. If all of these fail why are we giving up? why are we sitting and thinking that there is nothing good to come out of our lives? Friends I have such great news to tell you. There is someone longing for you to come running to His open arms, He's down on His knees waiting, and when we get there you know what He is going to tell us? He's going to tell us we're beautiful... and He's going to mean it. There is one thing though, He is going to say something to us and you will truly know what it means when He says it. He's going to tell us He loves us. He LOVES us. Guys we have no idea what love is until we have heard it from our Father who is saying it to you and me, all of us, right now. Loving someone on earth is human love. When Jesus says it to us... look out, it'sgoing to blow your mind!

Well as some of you know I am in Kansas and BOY do I love it here! Such amazing family! We spend so much time laughing together. Right now I am listening to my cousin and Aunts, and Mom outside getting ready for our 4th of July cookout! We are grilling and my cousin Kenny is an FANTASTIC cook! We are having stuffed peppers, corn on the cob, yummy desserts and good drinks(: I will definitley have some more pictures up later today, this is only a drop in the bucket(:

Something worth celebrating.

This past Sunday my Mom and I had the privilege to go see a close friend of ours baby become a child of God. This close family friend of ours has been friends with us for almost 13 or 14 years now. Their baby's name is Junius Bernard, nick named Bear. He is so precious. His sisters are adorable too, Moriah, Antje, and Caia. Thewhole Shank family is beautiful, I will definitely be blogging about them in the near future! They are blonde hair blue eyed beauty's, ALL of them! Here are some pictures of the celebration party for Bear's baptism. This was most definitely something worth celebrating!



Caia



Antje and Caia



Moriah



Antje and Moriah



Caia and Rose



Antje



Rose



Caia

Okay everyone, so I have entered into a contest for I Heart Faces, and I cannot wait to see the results, there are ALOT of really talented people who have entered, here is the picture I entered.



It is my cat Simon(: Let me know what you think!

What a blessing.

I spent the night at a good friend of mine's house last night, in fact she's so close... call us family. I have such a blast with her, especially in the Summer. She has a pool, I know right, great isn't it? Well I took a jump too many and popped my eardrum. Yeah, sad day. My Mom and I have decided I have Swimmer's Ear but with some fast acting pain relief ear drops I have been getting rid of it with each hour that goes by. As some of you know I don't live with my biological Father. My Mom and Dad divorced when I was little little. So I have lived with a woman my whole life,a very strong, spiritual woman at that. As I said I spen the night at Maury's house and she is pretty much Family. My Uncle Scott, my Dad's brother, lives with Maury, my friend. My Dad stays there every now and then when he needs a place to rest. When I popped my eardrum today I was in pain and needed my Mommy, btw I'm 15... and yes... I still go to my Mommy when I'm hurt. After I had pretty much decided I needed to go inside and take a break from the pool, I found my Dad inside. I told him my ear hurt pretty bad, and you know what he did? He gave me a big hug and he held me on the couch. As I was laying there thinking about how weird it was to feel my Dad's loving ams hold me, I soon found out it wasn't weird at all. My Dad was caring for me, I'm his daughter. I don't know about you, but to feel the warmth of my Father's touch was like feeling the most loving connection you could ever have with a Dad. I listened to his heart beat and I fell asleep. All felt so right, to be there with him, in his arms. I couldn't think of any other place I would have rather been. I woke up with a not so painful ear, and a face that told me it loved me and was there to take care of me. Today God had sent me a gift just like on Christmas, that had been in front of me for many years. I never had the chance to take my gift and un wrap it to only find the most precious blessing... a Dad who will care for me and love me no matter what goes wrong or what goes right. He gives the love a Father should give to his daughter. So now when I say, "I love you Dad" I see the image of another Father who will hold me and care for me no matter what I do. My Lord and Saviour, God.

This blog is dedicated to my Dad and to my Lord. The two best Fathers a girl could ever receive.

Summertime = Fun time!

June 23, 2010

I am only 2 weeks into my Summer and I think I have spent maybe a full 4 days home? I have so many friends and I am blessed to have each one of them on my life. I have this one really special friend, her name is Meredith Sledge. She is so special to me. We have so many things in common it's crazy! She has a blog too! You should check it out. She really knows how to uplift your heart if you haven't had the best of days or if you just want to be inspired, sheis the blogger to read from! Today is one of my days home... (so this makes the 5th day home!) so I hope to get outside and take some pictures. It's really pretty outside and I could use some more Vitamin D! I live up in the mounains and whenever I can take pictures I do because I just want to show everyone how pretty it is up here! We see so much wildlife and when it rains or snows this is the place for pictures! Not to mention when Summer comes around I can get out and hike with my Camera (Nikon D3000). I am going to share some of the many pictures I have of where I live, with you!

Enjoy, Jessie