Of Open Houses and Such

      Ah, Summer. The season of pool parties, cookouts, open houses, etc. Mainly open houses. More specifically mine. You never know how many people are going to attend. Well, I was blessed by a very good turn out. It was so great having so many amazing people there to share in that special day of mine!  It was also great having so much help getting ready. A huge, huge thanks to my friend Tiff and her mom. Her mom made me two cakes, and Tiff helped with the decorations.

                
                                              

                                     

 

 

                                                      

                                                     

                                                       

                                                            

                                                            

 

 

 

 

                                                            
       It was such a great time filled with laughter and lots of memories made. Afterwards, me and five other friends went out for frozen yogurt. I was treated to it. After that, we went and walked around a park for fifteen minutes before they closed.  No one was around but else, so I felt kind of funny, but we had the guys with us so I know they would protect us. :)  It was a good day.
     Now, because it's Summer, naturally things didn't slow down after my open house. No. Exactly a week after my open house, one of my very good friends got married. The next day started my church's Vacation Bible School of which I was a part of the skits.

                                                      
     The theme was Medieval, which, let's admit is one of the best themes ever. It was so much fun! I love acting, and performing for 5-12 year-olds is pretty darn fun. Plus, I was with my brother and three friends. My character was rather a Johnny rain cloud. Kind of like Puddleglum, (I do hope you all know who I'm talking about.) I had some funny lines, which made me happy. I like making people laugh.

          After Vacation Bible School, I had a few weeks until I had to get ready for a missions trip. I was home for one week after my missions trip when I had to go to Checkpoint Bible Camp. I love that place so, so much and every year gets better. 

                         So yeah, it's been a busy summer. I can't believe it's already August and everyone is going back to school. Sigh.

                                               Did you have an exciting summer?                  
              
                                                  Well, that's all for now.  I'll try and not let it be another month until I post again. :)  

                                             Blessings!
                                                    Josie   
   

Graduation Day

You all are probably wondering when I was going to write about graduation like I said I would. I mean, it has been a few weeks.

Graduation day was just over a month ago, which I cannot believe. What an amazing and exciting day it was. I had nine other teens graduating by my side, who I consider friends without a doubt, even though I only met the majority of them two months prior.

That's right. Out of the nine that I graduated with, I was only aquainted with four originally. The first planning meeting was in March, and that's when I met the rest. By our second planning meeting a month later, we were pretty much all friends. No more awkwardness, no more "lulls" in conversations. We all got along really well and I knew I had made some great friendships.

                                           May I just say how much I love this group?

          The ceremony was filled with laughter, tears, a fun slideshow and
some speacial music from the graduates.  My friend Tiffany and I sang, I presented a speech, and then Kerry (second from right) Rachel (second from left), and Ben (1st from right) presented piano solos. Let me tell you, all are wonderful pianists! Rachel and Maria (2nd from left) played "Be Thou My Vision" on the guitar and flute and Tiffany sang with her older sister.  Our speaker was also fantastic.

                                                       

 

 

 

 

 

                                                   
  

You might have already seen this one. Oh well, I felt like posting it again.

 

 

What a blessed day it was! I am so thankful to God for this oppurtunity and for giving me strength to get through the past 12 years of school, and the past few years of highschool. What an awesome God He is!

 

 

Blessings,

 Josie

Graduation: A Sneak Peek

    Almost one month ago, I graduated from highschool. One of my dear friends and mentor photographed the ceremony. I thought I would share just a few pictures. I will post more as soon as I get them!


Me with my parents. I love them!

Me and two of my best friends, Katie (left) and Jill. They're amazing!

                                                                  In Christ,
                                                                            Josie

                              






I'm not gone forever. Promise.

So.... I haven't blogged in a while. You may be wondering what's become of me. Well, I've been a bit busy lately. You see, I graduate in two days. Also, I was working on two different assignments for my writing class.

But the assignments have been turned in, and the class is finished. I'm almost done getting ready for my graduation ceremony. Almost.

I'm going to try really hard to return to normal blogging sometime soon. After graduation.

Yes, graduation is on my mind. Quite a bit. I'm just a little excited, you understand.

I won't be gone forever. Promise. Thanks for being patient. :)

                                In Christ,
                                         Josie

Siblings and Friends

                    Joel, Jeremy, and me. That is how it has been for many, many years.
                                                      Siblings, friends.

L-R Jeremy, me, Joel
 

                        Five years seperate Jeremy and I, and eight 1/2 between me and Joel.
                        Oh, but we've had many adventures together. Three states. Six houses.
                        Sunshine and rain, laughter and tears. We're very good friends, you see.
                                                 We've stayed close through it all.

                          These two boys have been my friends, protectors and defenders.
                       They have teased me, taught me, made me laugh and have been there for me.
                                              
                                               My love from singing I get from Joel.
                                               My love for acting, from Jeremy.
                           
                             These guys are "my guys". They always will be, don't you know.
                           We're all adults now, still living in the same town, and yet it's clear
                           we are continuing to go our seperate ways.

                       Joel, who has recently moved out of the house, came over for Easter.
                       The three of us aren't together as often as I would like. 

                          "Guys! We should take some pictures with the youcam."
                 
                            They didn't want to at first, but I convinced them.
                                                 

 

 

 

 

                                By the last couple of pictures, I was laughing almost hysterically.
  Honestly, I think we're hilarious. Granted, we don't always get along. We get mad at each other and have our arguments. Yet we remain friends. We're siblings and nothing can change that.


                                                   I thank God for these two men.

                                                     I love you Joel and Jeremy!
                                        
                            Love your siblings, everyone. Really. Don't take them for granted.

                                               Blessings,
                                                         Josie
                    

                                      

                   

God knows the plans He has for me

                             

 

" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD."

" 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you."

" 'Plans to give you a hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11

 

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you."

"Before you were born I set you apart." ~Jeremiah 1:5

"In his heart a man plans his course."

"But the LORD determines his steps." ~Proverbs 16:9

 

*Sigh*. Those are such wonderful promises. God knows the plans He has for me.

He has set me apart.

And while I may make plans for myself, He determines where I'm going to step.

Hmm.

He knew what kind of family I needed.

  He knew that I would need two older brothers in my life.

He knew what friends I would need.

What churches I needed to be in.

What youthgroup I would need to be a part of.

  He knew that I needed to be homeschooled.

That I wouldn't graduate when I thought I would.

 

Oh goodness.  He knew.

And yet, even though many things have not gone how I wanted them to.

Or that certain things haven't happened at all or might not happen for a time.

He didn't plan it that way to harm me, to make my life miserable.

In fact, He planned it that way for the oppisite reason.

For my good.

For His glory.

He knew what I needed when I needed it, even when I didn't.

He knew.

And even now He's writing my story.

 

I'm looking forward to what He has planned for me.

I know, even though there may be days of frustration, pain that there will also be days of joy.

And whatever He does have planned, it's going to be good.

It's going to be an adventure.

I really can't wait.

And yet,

I need to be patient. I need to wait on His timing.

He's never late or early.

He's always right on time.

 

Hmm.

I just have to wait.

"Wait on the Lord."

 

It may be hard,

but it will be worth it in the end.

I just have to trust.

"Trust in the Lord will all your heart."

 

Simply trust and wait.

 

 

Life is beautiful

"Every life is beautiful."

Those words of truth were pounding into my head as I watched the movie, and afterwards as I listened to the testimonies.

A woman speaking to me, the audience, as she told her story of how she survived an abortion. And how since then she has lived with Cerebral Palsy.

There were so many things she could complain about. So many things she could get mad at God for.
And maybe at one point in her life she had.

But she was positive. Determined. Joyful. Content.

She was beautiful.

I watched another testimony, and finally I lost all control over my emotions.

Tears streamed down my face, but I smiled. God was telling me something.

"My daughter, your life is beautiful."  And I knew (even though He tells me that I'm beautiful on the outside) that in this case He meant on the inside. "I put you on this earth for a reason. I did not put you on this earth for you to live for yourself or to waste your life. I put you on this earth for my purpose." I wiped my eyes and let the truth sink in.

My life is beautiful.

Those days of depression, when I'm letting satan's lies bombard me, when I feel like giving up.
I can choose to live differently. I can choose to believe the truth, to act on the truth. To believe that God put me on this earth for a reason. He wants me to live my life for Him and to glorify Him.
He doesn't want me to waste my life because I think I'm not good enough, that I don't have anything to offer. Because I do. Before I was even born He had my story written out. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. " ~Jeremiah 1:5.

And when I get depressed, when I feel like giving up because I've let myself believe satan's lies, I break His heart. I don't want to do that.

I am His.

He knows what's going to happen in my life tomorrow, the day after and a year from now.
He has plans for me. My life is His.

So today I am choosing to believe the truth, to act on the truth, to live out the truth.
My life is beautiful. And you know what? So is yours.

Choose life.Because life is a gift.  Because life is beautiful.

       On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand,
                                       Josie