Monday, October 31, 2011

Dirt Road Prayer

Monday Mania... I'm actually keepin' up! :D

Anyways, Happy Halloween, but that has nothing to do with today's post, haha. I will say one thing though: No matter how old I get... Trick or treating all the way! ;) But instead of JUST trick or treating, my brother and I "Trick or Can"... Collecting food for the food bank instead of candy for ourselves! And sometimes I still get candy anyways, cuz people are like, "Want some candy anyways?" LOL. ;)

Anyways, this is from Lauren Alaina's new album Wildflower. :)

I fell in love with this song as soon as I heard it! :) Enjoy!



Pray without ceasing. -1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Happyness


Amazing movie. Watch it. [Not totally off topic. You'll see.]

Anyways. Meet Happyness Hendi Buretta...


Isn't she precious?!

Well exciting news...

She's my new sponsored child!!! :)

Let me tell you her and my story...

So, as some of you know, as an advocate, you get child packs sent to you every month, and you're supposed to find sponsors for them. Well, my mom was doing an event, so she requested 10 last month, instead of the usual 2. 

As soon as I saw Happyness' face and name, I knew God sent her to me.

She stole my heart, and I legit carried her child pack around the house with me... :P

You see, I'd been thinking of sponsoring a child by myself for awhile, since all our other kids my parents pay for. Reading other teens' blogs, I was inspired to take on a sponsorship myself, but I was waiting. For the right kid and the right time.

And I knew God would provide both of these things, AND the money. 

And He did.

One, on our trip to the Philippines, our family members there decided that "Hey! Since we haven't see the cousin/grandchild/great-grandchild/niece/family member from Canada in 10 years, let's shower her with a ridiculous amount of gifts!" Which, in the Chinese culture comes in the form of money in red envelopes. [Red represents Happiness... Which, I just realized, is the name of my sponsored child! Ironic. :)]

Two, once I made the decision to sponsor Happyness, my brother announced he'd pay for part of the sponsorship!!! What a wonderful, generous brother I have. <33333

Three, I have been able to get some work in for my mom again [I didn't work for the first few weeks of school] now that I've got the hang of this high school thing, so I'm set! :D

God will provide. :)

So, with the wonderful, amazing help of my brother, Happyness is now my 5-year-old sponsored child from Tanzania! :D

I just LOVE her name, don't you? Happiness, spelled with a cute Y, not the oh-so-normal I. ;) LoveLoveLOVE it. :) And "Hendi", not so sure if that's her middle name or first last name [I'm thinking middle.] but it's sooooo cute. And she's so cute. Haha.

There you have it.

This is what God's been tugging at my heart about for the past month. 

God tugging at your heart to sponsor?

Let me/my mom know and we'll hook you up!!: compassion@mamaof2greatkids.ca

Thanks for reading!! <3

[Wow. Feels good to finally write this post. Been trying to get it out for days. Haha]

Monday, October 24, 2011

Why Did You Doubt?

Happy Monday!


So I'm watching hockey, and I remember how James Reimer has a bible verse reference on the back of his helmet, but I forgot what it was. So I google it and it says "Matt 14:31" with a picture of Jesus walking on water underneath. [Side note: I think it's SO COOL how Reims is so out there with his faith!] So I then googled "Matthew 14:31" [I love google, don't you?] and I get the verse. I had been totally stumped on what to share with you guys today, and finally I was looking through the songs on my iPod and found today's song, and I remembered Reim's helmet... And this week's Monday Mania was created in my head. :)

Today's song is "Walk on the Water" by Britt Nicole. It's a really encouraging song and I absolutely love it! A great reminder: "Your faith is all it takes and you can walk on the water too!"

And the verse. I love it. I feel like Jesus needs to ask me that sometimes... "You of little faith... Why did you doubt?!"

Both the verse and the song remind me: Faith - faith as small as a mustard seed - can move mountains, can let humans walk on water. Faith is all it takes.



You look around and staring back at you
Another wave of doubt
Will it pull you under
You wonder
What if i'm overtaken
What if i never make it
What if no one's there
Will you hear my prayer?
When you take that first step
Into the unknown
You know that he won't let you go

So what are you waiting for
What do you have to lose
Your insecurities
They try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes
And you can walk on the water too

So get out and let your fear fall to the ground
No time to waste, don't wait
And don't you turn around, and miss out on
Everything you were made for
I know you're not sure
So you play it safe, you try to run away
If you take that first step
Into the unknown
He won't let you go

So what are you waiting for
What do you have to lose
Your insecurities
They try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes
And you can walk on the water too

Step out, even when it's storming
Step out, even when you're broken
Step out, even when your heart is telling you,
telling you to give up
Step out, when your hope is stolen
Step out, you can't see where you're going
You don't have to be afraid
So what are waiting, what are you waiting for

So what are you waiting for
What do you have to lose
Your insecurities
They try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes
And you can walk on the water,
walk on the water too

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "Why did you doubt?"

Monday, October 17, 2011

Monday Mania!

I wanted to do Lauren Alaina's "Dirt Road Prayer" for you guys today in honour of her new album, but I guess her people are stricter than Scotty's people, cuz her videos all got taken down. So I'll just wait 'til I can post it legally. :P

Anyways... Here's "The Desert Song" by Hillsong. The story of this song so amazing. So, below is the story behind the song, as well as the music video in one video. The actual song starts at around 4:40, but I'd really encourage you to watch the first four minutes.

The lyrics of this song are just so true and encouraging, so have a listen:



Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

Verse 2:
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 3:
And this is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've recieved I will sow

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Romans 8:37

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Book Review: There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

I know I say this every time I finish a Jenny B. Jones book, but it's just true: She out did herself again. 

There You'll Find Me might just be Jenny's best work yet.

In this spinoff of Save the Date, Finley Sinclair [She's the teenage, rebellious, problematic sister of Save the Date's main guy, Alex.] stars, in the beautiful country of Ireland. Except for she's totally done with "rebellious" and "problematic" and showing up in the front cover tabloids of People. She just wants to find peace in Ireland. Peace she hasn't had since her brother, Will, died building schools in Afghanistan. Will did the same exchange program when he was 18, so Finley is determined to visit every place he wrote about in his travel journal. Once she finds her peace, hope, closure, she'll be able to finish her composition [A tribute to Will] and finally nail that audition for the music program at NYU. So that's exactly why she totally ignores it when she gets on the plane to Ireland and sits beside Hollywood's party-boy and vampire Beckett Rush [He's kinda like Robert Pattinson. But better]. She wants noting to do with him. But, as usual, God has other plans.

You can kinda see where this is going. It's not even a spoiler for me to tell you that Finley and Beckett end up staying under the same roof when they get to Ireland. Because her host family just happened to own a B & B that Beckett Rush was interested in. And Beckett ends up being Finely's "tour guide", in exchange for her being his assistant on his set of Fangs in the Night. And they end up being close. But the Finley-Beckett story is just the tip of the iceberg in this book.

You might remember from Save the Date, how much trouble Finely was. She had a rough year after she lost her brother, Will. But now she's determined to finally find some way to let go, while still holding on to Will's memory. She's practically memorized his travel journal, and is determined to visit every place he captured in photo and glued into the journal. Then write her composition based on each place. Except there's one problem. She can't write her ending. Because the last picture that Will glued into his journal is a gravestone, a cross. And there's thousands. And thousands. And thousands of crosses just like it in Ireland, and this was the ONE picture Will didn't write about. Nothing. And Finley just can't write the ending to her song without standing in front of that specific cross. 

"I have to find that cross in the picture. Everything's wrong without it." [Finley]

"Fin, you know when we find it . . . your bother's not going to be there." [Beckett]

I closed my eyes against the pain. "I know."

"And he's not going to meet you in New York City. Whether you nail your audition or not, Will's not coming back." {There You'll Find Me, page 195, all rights to Jenny B. Jones.}

That's all you're getting. I'm not telling you if she finds it. ;)

Finely is also convinced that God is taking an "extended Finley break". She prays and prays and can't hear him. She can't hear his will. Those closest to her tell her she's just not listening. Isn't this just something that we all struggle with? "God, why aren't you speaking to me?!" But maybe we're just not listening.

There is honestly so much more to this book. This blog post is already getting kinda long, and I've barely scratched the surface. If you're a teen girl and you only read one book this year, make it There You'll Find Me. Seriously. People say that all the time, but I mean it. It was just that good. It's an encouraging, wow-I-really-related-to-that-book, even if you're not dealing with loss or Hollywood stars right now. It's... legit-ly amazing. Be prepared to laugh, cry and get closer to God.

And I guess I'll tell you, our favourite gal from Save the Date does make a brief text message appearance. ;)

No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

Thursday, October 13, 2011

You're a Child of the King. Live Like It.

Sometimes, you have those days. That turn into weeks, that, if you're not careful, turn into months.

Those days, weeks, months, where you just make it. You do just enough to get through the day.

And I don't really wanna live a "just enough" life, do you?

No, I wanna live loving God, loving others. I wanna live acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God. I wanna tell the world about the Hope I've found in Jesus.

I don't wanna do just enough to pass.

But sometimes, when life gets going, I find myself doing just that.

But I have to keep reminding myself in the chaos: I'm daughter of the King. So I better live like one.

And I pray this prayer:

          Let my days pass just a little bit slower,
          I've been running so fast I've forgotten who I am.
              -Dirt Road Prayer by Lauren Alaina

Lauren's album came out on Tuesday, and that is definitely my favourite track on the album. I heard it, and I was like, "I really needed that reminder right now."

I don't wanna forget who I am. Daughter of the King. I'm on a mission, and I can't waver just cuz life got crazy.

So, are you forgetting who you are? 

Well, let me remind you.

Ladies. You. Are. A. Princess. A Princess with a very special purpose to her life. Live like it.

Guys. You're a Prince. A Prince that's got a job to do. Live like it.

Take each day and make it last./'Cause you turn around and the future is the past./Here and now is all we have/The beginning and the end mean so little/What matters most is what's in the middle.
              -The Middle by Lauren Alaina

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

October's Here, and That Means...

Hockey season!!! :D

And my Leafs are 2 wins, 0 losses! :)

Anyways, game one was pretty. Two - Nothing shutout [Did I mention it was against the Habs?! :D], all's good. [WE'RE GONNA WIN THE STANLEY CUP!]

And then game two against the Sens, after 40 minutes, we we're like, "Four - Nothing?! Yeah, we're DEFINITELY winning the cup now! ;D" and "Looks like another shutout for Reims!"

Well, in chinese we call that "kim tswee" AKA "golden mouth" AKA "Wow, thanks for jinxing that, man! -.-"

LOL, so ANYWAYS.

Start of the first.

4-1.

Then 5-1 [We're safe now. Not.].

5-2. but that's okay, cuz 3 goals is still a good lead. [But we're all secretly thinking... It's the Leafs. And the Sens. You never know.]

Then 5-3, then 8 seconds later 5-4. Cue freak out.

Then good ol' Phil Kessel scores his third of the night. 6-4. [I admit, I was thinking we got it in the bag.]

25 seconds later it goes 6-5. Cue freak out, take two.

Longest 114 seconds of hockey ever. :P

Oh, boy. But like they say: "A win's a win, 2 points is 2 points."

Yeah, but at the cost of a heart attack? Hmmm.

Anyways. I'm gonna do what no one ever really does one week in because they long for accuracy: I'm just gonna straight up predict the playoff teams right now. This is gonna be the farthest thing from accurate, and probably kinda biased, just a warning. ;) I just wanna see how close I get come April. Here it goes:

East:
1 Pittsburgh
2 Boston
3 Washington
4 Philadelphia
5 Buffalo
6 Montreal
7 Toronto
8 Winnipeg
Just missed it: Carolina, NY Rangers and Tampa

West:
1 Vancouver
2 Detroit
3 San Jose
4 Nashville
5 Chicago
6 Dallas
7 Anaheim
8 Calgary
Just missed it: Minnesota and Pheonix

Yeah, I put the Habs over my Leafs. Cuz I'm trying to be a BIT realistic here, cuz even I'll admit, the Habs are better ON PAPER. And Winnipeg making it? YES. I'm a shameless optimist. :P Vancouver winning the West, sure why not? Calgary making it, obvi! ;) Oh, and Toronto playing Boston isn't the BEST thing that ever happened, but whatever. Anything is possible in Leafsnation. :D [To see the ACTUAL standings, click here.]

Anyways, we shall see how this holds up against the final April standings.

And so starts the NHL season. Hopefully the NBA season starts but... stupid lockout. :( Kobe's playing in Italy!! :( LOL. Anyways, don't expect much sports stuff from me during the regular season... Just an exciting game or two here or there. :) Y'all know playoffs is the best time of year! [Good thing I'll be in what I'm calling my "party sem" by then. ;) [Don't worry, not actually partying. It's just reaaaaallly light. 'Specially compered to this one.]]

I've rambled on long enough - thanks for reading, guys! :) <3

Monday, October 10, 2011

Monday Mania - Happy Thanksgiving!

I've renamed "Memory Verse-Music Mondays" with a much easier and funner name - Monday Mania... Just thought I'd let y'all know. :)

Anyways... Happy Thanksgiving, Canadian friends!

Family, friends, laughter, fun, music, sports, living out faith, hope, love & compassion and most importantly Jesus - thankful for all that and much more this weekend! ♥

And so, this week's song is brought to you from Scotty McCreery's brand-new album, "Clear as Day."

It's called "Dirty Dishes". It's an awesome reminder to thank God for all your blessings: Even for things that typically aren't on your list of "Things to be Thankful For".

Enjoy!




Momma Hollers, Suppertime 
And Don't Make Me Tell You Twice 
Wash Your Hands And Wipe Your Face 
The Table's No Place For Your Toys 
And Try To Use Your Inside Voice 
Don't Dig In "Til We Say, Grace 
So We Put Down Our Forks And Bowed Our Heads 
Then She Prayed The Strangest Prayer Ever Said 

I Wanna Thank You, Lord 
For Noisy Children And Slammin' Doors 
And Clothes Scattered All Over The Floor 
A Husband Workin' All The Time 
Draggin' In Dead-Tired At Night 
A Never Ending, Messy Kitchen 
And Dirty Dishes 
We All Got Real Still And Quiet 

And Daddy Asked, "Hon, Are You All Right?" 
She Said, "There Ain't Nothin' Wrong 
Noisy Kids Are Happy Kids 
And Slammin' Doors Just Means We Live 
In A Warm And Loving Home 
Your Long Hours And Those Dishes In The Sink 
Means A Job And Enough To Eat 


So, I'm Gonna Thank You, Lord
For Noisy Children And Slammin' Doors 
And Clothes Scattered All Over The Floor 
A Husband Workin' All The Time 
Draggin' In Dead-Tired At Night 
A Never Ending, Messy Kitchen 

For My Little Busy Bees 
Beggin' Momma, Momma Can We Please 
Always Wantin', Needing, Callin' Me 
Loads Of Laundry Pilin' Up 
Crayons Crushed Into The Rug 
And Those Little Sticky Kisses 
And Dirty Dishes 
And Dirty Dishes


But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57


What are you thankful for this weekend?

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Here They Are...

Three days in a row!!!

Okay, not really. Because this was a scheduled post. So I really typed this up yesterday. :P Anyways... Here's those wonderful kids from Masbate, Philippines:

Patrice Jeanne Marie Javier, March 7, 2002. Cute little grin. Lives with father and mother. [Sometimes employed, maintains home, respectively.] Chores? You bet: carrying water, helping in the kitchen and cleaning. 2 Siblings. For fun, she likes to sing, play house and do art. Primary school where her performance is above average.

Mae Anttonete Martinez, August 29, 2002. A sweetheart right from her pink headband right down to her pink flip-flops... Lives with her father [sometimes employed as a labourer] and mother [maintains the home]. Five Siblings. For fun: playing a musical instrument, playing jacks and swimming. Chores: carrying water, buying or selling in the market and running errands. Mae's in primary school.

Juana Rose Magalang, June 3, 2005. I'm telling you, this girl is the. cutest. thing. ever. Like, really. She's so tiny and she's got a cute smile and rosy cheeks. She lives with her father and mother, both sometimes employed. Chores: buying or selling in the market and cleaning. Two siblings. For Fun: singing, telling stories and playing with dolls. Juana is in pre-school

Jhunnel Gracio, June 6, 2002. White shirt, camo-cargo pants, black shoes, black hair. Plain and simple and tough... and cute all at the same time. :P He lives with his father and mother, both sometimes employed. Eight [ohmygoodness] siblings. Chores: carrying water, teaching others and buying or selling in the market. He's in primary school. For fun: soccer, playing with cars and swimming.

John Carlo Lumbao, May 27, 2001. Tiny eyes that are the window to the soul anyways... "Sponsor me! Sponsor me!" ;) He lives with his father and mother, again, both sometimes employed. Three sibling. Chores: carrying water, gathering firewood and gardening. For fun: music, soccer and playing with cars. He is in primary school.

There you have it! :D Feel God pulling you to one of these kids? Let me know: compassion@mamaof2greatkids.ca.

Have a great Wednesday! <3

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Today is a Special Day...

...Because:

1. I don't have homework for the very first time in a month.

2. This marks the first time I've blogged two days in a row in awhile.

3. I don't have homework for the very first time in a month.

I thank God everyday for the education I have that millions of kids don't get, but it would be kinda a little teensy bit nice if they laid off on the homework a bit. :P

Anyways. That is not the point of my post. The point of my post is this:

Sideways... sorry. :$


Nine sweet little kids looking for a sponsor just like you! Let me tell you about them. Half of them are from The Horn of Africa, and the other half are from the Masbate, Philippines, Jhon and Julius's centre, and the same island as Florianlyn. Let me tell you about the ones from Africa today, and the ones from the Philippines later on. :)

Name: Eliyah Lakakeny
Country: Kenya
Birthday: February 16, 2006
Lives With: Mother [sometimes employed as a farmer]
Chores: caring for animals
For Fun: playing ball games
Grade: kindergarten
This kid is just the cutest thing. He's wearing colourful clothes and is missing his two bottom middle teeth at the moment... And looks absolutely terrified of the camera... Haha!


Name: Kalembe Mirembe Kisajye
Country: Uganda
Birthday: April 26, 2006
Lives With: Father [sometimes employed as a farmer] and Mother [sometimes employed as a farmer]
Chores: teaching others [I thought that that is SO cute! :P], buying or selling in the market [Remember, she's only 5!], and caring for animals 
For Fun: singing, telling stories and playing house
Grade: kindergaten
Kalembe definitely dressed up for the occasion of photo day. She looks real cute with her bald head and her purple flowery dress. :) A little shy, kind of sad, innocent little eyes just say, "Sponsor me!" ;)

Name: Ishimwe Honorine
Country: Rwanda
Birthday: December 1, 2003
Lives With: Mother [sometimes employed as a farmer]
Chores: cleaning
For Fun: hide-and-seek and playing group games
Grade: primary school
I'm gonna say it up front: She looks sad. But if I lost my daddy I wouldn't smile for the picture either... Help turn the frown upside down? Pleeeeease? :)

Name: Fikadu Urgessa
Country: Ethiopia
Birthday: May 6, 2006
Lives With: Father [sometimes employed] and Mother [maintains the home]
Chores: running errands [Honestly! I barely run errands and I'm 14! He's 5!]
For Fun: soccer
Grade: not yet in school
His desperate eyes say that him and his 7 [yes, that's right, seven!] siblings need us... Will you answer that need???

Four kids that need hope, help, compassion, love, peace, joy, faith, JESUS. And right now, those things can come in the form of YOU. If you want, email me and my mom at compassion@mamaof2greatkids.ca to sponsor one of these darlings. 

Check back tomorrow for those kids from Masbate... They're just as precious! ;)





Monday, October 3, 2011

Memory Verse+Music Mondays...

I've never been too good at series on my blog. But I think I can do this one. Because: 1. I'll have all weekend to put it together, and 2. I know a lot of memory verses and songs. :P

So... My mom did "Memory Verse Mondays" back in 2009, and I've actually been meaning to try it for awhile. And I've got so many songs I've been wanting to share with you guys...

So... Introducing...

Memory Verse+Music Mondays...! :)

I'm goona [try... haha.] to do one every Monday for the whole school year... Let's see how long I can keep this up. :$ The verse and the song won't always go together, but some days [Like today! :D] when I'm feeling creative, they will. :) Anyways... Here it goes... [And sorry if I'm not making much sense today... It's one of those days. :P]

This song has been stuck in my head on and off forever now! It's just such a great song. So profound, yet just really obvious too. Like, "How HE loves us." just makes so much sense... and has made me realize just how much HE really, really does love me. And you.

How He Loves by David Crowder Band:


He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

[verse 1]

Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way...

He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.



How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that we are. -1 John 3:1
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