Titus.

Today I met with my pastor's wife who suggested I read the book of Titus. I'm in three different leadership positions at my church and she had it on her heart to share this book for encouragement and advice!

I am so uplifted, rejuvenated, and joyful by this book today!! So I thought I would share my favorite verses from it! :)

"Receive everything God our Father and Jesus our Savior give you!" 

- Titus 1: 4 

I like this because I think sometimes when we're trying to be humble we don't receive gifts, opportunities, or blessings like we should. Or on the flip side of that.. we take all that he has given for granted and we need to remember all that He has given us!!

"This new life is starting now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness." 

- Titus 2: 13-14 

Ahhh this just fires me!! Thank you Lord for all that you have given us! I will gladly receive this gift to life a life with You!!!

"But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Saviour Jesus poured out new life so generously. God's gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there's more life to come - an eternity of life! You can count on this." 

- Titus 3: 5-8 

PRAISE THE LORD!! PRAISE THE LORD!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!
Thank You Jesus for your life you gave to us!!

get encouraged on this hump day! :) 

pops!

Located in Edmond OK in Route 66! 

This is a trademark to the famous highway and to Oklahoma! 

Pops Arcadia is a gas station, restaurant, and convenient store!

It's the most fun and unique convient store in Route 66 and deserves the stop. 

It's a blast and just really neat to see everything.

Plus there's all the Pop (or Soda, Coke, Cola, whatever ya'll call it who arent from Oklahoma. We call carbonated drinks Pop!) you could ever imagine!! 

This is just about 1/4 of it! 

8 days!

enough said. 

happy weekend!!

2 years.

Today marks my 2 year birthday with Jesus Christ. It was 2 years ago today that my world was turned upside down and changed for the good! It was then that I found a reason to live! I may have found Christ at 18 but it was then that my life truly started. 


It was the best decision I've ever made! And ever will make! 


The past 2 years have been so beyond blessed and filled with more support, forgiveness, strength, joy, fellowship, opportunities, and love than a person could ever imagine in their wildest dreams. All of which comes from Him! And without Him you cant fully know the joys of the world. There is nothing that could make me go back to my old life.. because there is no life without Jesus Christ!!  


Thank the Lord for His Son so that we can all be free in Him! 




Today was a big day. A great day. A loved day. A blessed day. Another day with my Savior. 

Praise the Lord! 

Shame the Devil! 

lifestream

this is the college ministry I serve with! 

It's amazing. 

It changed my life. 

This is about 1/4th of the 700 college students that walk through the doors of Journey Church in Norman Oklahoma every Tuesday night. 

It's our own service. 

completely around college kids, biblical truth thats relative to our lives, and an encouraging community. 

What's so cool is that it's almost completely run by college students. 

Even the band is college kids. 

Our pastors are older but everyone else is a student! 

woooo! 

This is where I serve. 

This is where my home is. 

This is my family. 

<3 

I'm the Director of Hopsitality this year and I love it! 

It's a great way to serve and hang out with my friends..

but mostly it get's me closer to the Lord! 

(plus we get really tight stuff for free when we volunteer.. like these tanks from last Sunday!)

I scream! 

You scream! 

We all scream for Lifestream!

junior year

Today was the first day of school! 

I'm officially in 15th grade.. aka a Junior in College! 

I feel soooo old! my goodness. 

The time flies right? right. 

I will admit.. it feels really good to be back. 

I'm so excited for what the Lord has planned for me this year! 

It's going to be an amazing blessed school year. 

I couldnt be happier on my first day! 

hunger games

I'm currently finishing the first installment of the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.

I started it because I was sad Harry Potter came to and end and Twilight (yes I just admitted I read and watch the Twilight series) was close to an end. So now what? What series to read and discuss with friends or in awkward situations when books are the only common topic?

I've been hearing rants and raves about this series so I thought I would try it out.. plus it's becoming a movie with hottie potottie Liam Hemsworth! :)

Anyway... I have almost finished the first book and as entertaining as it has been thus far, it does not stand up to the excitement and adventure of Harry Potter or even the (dont make fun of me for saying this..) 'I cant put this down' or the love factor of the Twilight series.

We'll see how the rest of the book turns out.

& well the rest of the series. 

I may have to stick with Harry Potter and Nicholas Sparks..

south africa souvenirs

These my friends are the best thing I bought the whole time I was in South Africa!!

They are handmade cards from girls in the Hospice we visited. 

They are so beautiful already but then to think that they were made by the women we met just melts my heart. 

The Hospice we went to was in KwaMlanga, South Africa. 

It's a Hospice for those who have AIDs & some of them have AIDs and TB. 

People come there when they have no where else to go and when they really dont have much time left. In South Africa, a lot of the villages and townships consider AIDs to be witchcraft so when a loved one or someone in the community gets to be very sick with AIDs they are typically exiled because of the fear of witchcraft. 

Those who are exiled or have no where else to go when they are living their last days go go places like this. 

The miracle of it though, this particular Hospice has had a 70% recovery and survival rate in the last 5 years. This Hospice, ran by the Pastors wife, is so clean, loving, and provides all the medical needs that people who have stage 4 AIDs and TB are actually recovering and getting better! 

Praise the Lord!! That is such a miracle! 

You rarely hear about cases like those turning around, but that is becoming the norm at this Hospice! 

It's stories, testimonies, and witnesses like this one that make me miss South Africa every second of every day. 

center of the universe.

You would think that the center of the universe would not be in Tulsa, Oklahoma.. 

but let me tell you my friends.. it is!! 

I'm excited to report that last night I went (yes I know I've lived in Tulsa my whole life and never went blah blah blah) and it was awesome!! 

I mean, I probably would suggest planning a trip around this one place in Tulsa but if you live here or you come through town... well it would be a fun 20 minute adventure! 

viola.. here' it is! 

There are some pretty cool, magical things that happen when you straddle that line.

Of course I'm not giving the secret away - so dont ask ;) 

You'll have to see for yourself! 

Last night was a much needed break in the weather with 85 degrees and a nice cool breeze! 

It was a beautiful night and a wonderful day with my sister and best friend from home while I'm here visiting! 

best friend with another monument there.

this is why we're best friends. 

:) :) :) :) :) 

too bad we don't go to the same college.. 

best friend standing at the center of the universe

best friend and sister looking at something... 

&& here is what they were looking at.. 

doesnt that look like a blood stain? 

& aren't those shoes strategically placed after the blood stain?

yup.... 

ya never know what you're going to find in Downtown, other side (well in this case on) the railroad tracks.

beautiful sister! 

us. at the center of the universe.

Last day/ night in Tulsa. 

headed home tomorrow :(

happy weekend everyone! 

what a find

lookyyy what we found! :) 

if this doesnt scream "it's summer time" then I dont know what does! 

Lemon tree!!! 

of course we all had to pose with it ... 

happy hump day! 

revealed!

I know I've been promising pictures of my new place but today is the day! 

I'm finally sharing some pictures of my lovely new obsession: my house! 

These are just a few of my favorites in my room! 

DIY hanging vases on either side of one of my windows! 

last check station!

 I have a forayer in my room with a nice little nook right next to my door! 

what better than a mirror to check your outfit one last time before walking out the door, a beautiful antique candle holder to hang my necklaces, and african bowls to hold my lip chap, lipstick and watches! 

I love this little corner of my room!

It's just perfect for walking out the door & not losing necessities!

beautiful pictures and candles warm up the bathroom! 

current favorites: easy to grab & easy to use in the mornings :) 

who says a tv stand has to be boring?

 DIY vase paired with oversized gorgeous flowers! 

partnered with pictures of some of my favorite people. 

I hid my open closet with sheer curtains to hide my sometimes fabulous sometimes messy closet! 

& of course my favorite thing in my whole room is pictured here.. 

my 8x10 pictures of my most precious african babes! 

more to come! 

stay tuned :) 

home sweet home!

(drum roll please... brr brrrh brhh brrrhh)

Let me introduce you to my new house! 

I'm in heaven. It's so perfect! 

Wonderfully placed in the middle of everything! 

one block north of campus, one block east of campus corner (where all the shops, restaurants, and bars are) and one block west of the mont (the best restaurant/bar & local legend)! 

Like I said I'm in heaven.

pure bliss! 

All that is missing is patio furniture and patio lights!! 

Me and my roommates are thinking about going a little green and making a version of these to hang on the porch to save energy and money in the long run! 

& I'm also looking for neat lanterns or lace/girly/chic/ balls to hang. 

DIY or buy them. 

the search is on! 

& what a perfect thing to do on a monday! 

thrift stores and furniture stores :) 

amazing.

downtown Tulsa OK

it's nights like this, with pure natural beauty and absolutely breathtaking scenery that you just have to sit there and thank our God for creating an earth this gorgeous for us. 

Glory be to God. 

downtown Tulsa OK

Thank you Lord, you have blessed us far beyond what we could ever begin to deserve. 

Happy weekend everyone :) 

shark week!

It's a good good good week.
In my opinion, its the best week in the TV world.

Enjoy the rest of shark week :) 

josie.

Josie Alene. 

My littlest sister. 

My constant reminder to be a good role model. 

My inspiration to reach for the stars. 

The reason I do the things I do. 

One of the biggest blessings in my life. 

She's one of my four siblings and I love her (as I do my other siblings) to pieces. 

All of them encourage me and keep my head on straight. 

Because I'm the oldest, I'm looked up to by all four of them which is a daily reason to not screw up and be the best person, woman, sister, daughter, student, and most important .. a good Christian. 

What I do, whether I like it or not, will influence their decisions as they grow up. 

It's a lot of pressure but it's so worth it. 

I wouldn't trade them for anything in this world. 

But this girl, she's a National Champion Horseback rider. This little girl is going to make the olympic team in a few years. She's an inspiration to everyone, not just her siblings. 

She's legit. 

She's crazy talented & absolutely gorgeous. 

She's my sister :) 

I'm a big girl now.

Mondays always seem to be drowsy and a little bit depressing. (especially when it's a summer monday and all your friends are in one constant weekend & you have school. yup. that's me.)

After class today I had to come home and start setting up bills, online payments, spread sheets for my roommates, and paying my first bills today. Yes, as monumental as it is - first bills la la la. It's been a dreadful 3 hours. Everything that could go wrong has.

And now I'm pooped. I need a monday afternoon nap inside, in the AC, away from my phone, bills and the 111 degree weather.

HOWEVER! on a lighter note :) :) I have the best best best best best chocolate chip recipe to share with all of you.
I made them last night during a shark week watch party for a group of friends! & they were a hit!

make them. eat them. love them. share them. 

& impress guys with them :) 

you'll need... 

2 sticks unsalted butter; at room temp 

 1 cup of packed dark brown sugar 

1/2 cup of granulated sugar 

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

1 large egg 

2 3/4 cups of all purpose flour 

kosher salt 

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 

what to do.. 

pre heat the oven to 375 degrees 

mix butter, sugars & vanilla for 3 minutes 

then add the egg 

in a separate bowl; whisk together the flour, baking soda & 1/2 teaspoon of salt 

add flour mixture to the egg mixture 

stir in those yummy chocolate chips (the good stuff!) 

put dough on baking sheets 

stick em' in the oven until lightly browned (12-15 minutes; usually 12) 

cool the cookies 

&& serve with a big glass of milk! 

I hope everyone's monday is better than mine so far! 

Mine's about to be good after this cat nap :) :)