currently

You know those moments when your heart is so full that you don't have the capacity to express it in writing (much less the time to do so)? Well, I'm having one of those moments. Of course, it's wonderful to have God doing so much in my life! But I shall spare you the plethora of deep, lengthy posts, and give you a few snippets into the life of yours truly. =) And as always, I'd love to hear about all the goings-on in your lives as well!

So then, I am....

...constantly being amazed by an amazing God...

...processing all that I learned at TeenPact National Convention 2012...

...learning more of what it means to treasure Christ...

...freaking out/getting excited that I will be in college in, like, 11 weeks! Cra-zy...

...loving all the travelling I've been doing...

...writing lots of graduation thank you notes...

...trying to find time to read the mountain of books I optimistically started...

...preparing for an INCREDIBLE week at Worldview Academy (coming up SOON)....

So, what's up with you?

Hopeful Thoughts

Honestly, I don't know what to think right now. I've been wrestling with so many conflicting feelings that I'm not even sure what I'm feeling. I'm at this place where I know I'm trusting God with my life, but I'm still wrestling with this fear of my uncertain future looming ahead of me. (I'm so thankful that God has a plan for my life... because I don't!)

Enough of my complex emotions. I want to share some hopeful thoughts that I've been musing over lately.

"You will not gain holiness by standing still. Nobody ever grew holy without consenting, desiring, and agonizing to be holy. Sin will grow without sowing, but holiness needs cultivation. Follow it; it will not run after you. You must pursue it with determination, with eagerness, with perseverance, as a hunter pursues his prey." -- Charles Spurgeon

"I'm an imperfect vessel who gets to be a conduit of perfect grace."

"The chief purpose of prayer is that God may be glorified in the answer." —R.A. Torrey

"Care more than some think wise.
Risk more than some think safe.
Dream more than some think practical.
Expect more than some think is possible."

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25-26)

‎"We will be dead a lot longer than we will be alive. Doesn’t it make sense that we would invest more of our time in eternity?" -- Rick Grubbs

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel,

“My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”? 

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. 

He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint. 

(Isaiah 40: 27-31)

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The Point of Waiting

Swamped. That's what I've been. Constantly searching for scholarships, writing essays, and trying to squeeze in some school. I feel so bad that I haven't been able to comment on any one's blogs lately... but I've just been so busy. But you all know what that's like, right?

As I am in this season of "waiting" in my life, I thought it appropriate to share this poem. Read it. It's amazing.

What's the Point?

By Josiah Schwartz

The point in waiting is
to enjoy
To love and worship God
In act of your life

Including the waiting.

And in the waiting
Remember His nature
That He is the Giver of every perfect gift
That He desires to lavish on you with such treasures
Treasures that are worth the wait
Solely because He is in them.

Rest in this:
He is going to give you
Exactly what you need
At exactly the time you need it.
That is reason to smile.
That is reason to breathe easy
And rest in Him.

Let go of "when" and "if"
Because His ways
Are so much higher than yours.
His thoughts
Beyond what you could ever fathom
Because He loves you.
Oh, how He loves you.
And that is the point
of your entire existence
To experience His presence
His love
Inside every moment.

Especially in the waiting.

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CGN11

I've just returned from an amazing week of being a counselor at Camp Good News. These are the three girls I was with nearly 24/7 of that week. God did incredible things. I was so privileged and blessed to be used of God and to influence the lives of these girls. Than is nothing more exciting than being used of Him! But, after a week triple digit temperatures, it's nice to be home. =)

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The Two Best Ways to Start Your Summer

Imagine the entire ocean. It's vast. It's huge. It's got a lot of water. Now imagine that the entire ocean represents all the attainable, knowable knowledge there is. How much of that knowledge do you know? After considering all the history, statistics, facts, equations, trivia, lives, names, laws and other knowledge that's available, I've come to the conclusion that my knowledge would amount to about a drop.

These past few weeks I've learned a lot. A ton. But the more I learn, the more I realize exactly how little I know. Still, these past weeks have been life-changing for me. I can't even begin to describe how incredible this past month has been... but I'm gonna try.

Three words: TeenPact National Convention 2011. (Or is that four words?) First of all, let me just say that if you've never been to a TeenPact state class, you are missing out on one of the greatest experiences of your life. Check it out. National Convention is a whole week spent on focusing on God with teens from around the nation. Imagine worshipping God with 500 other people, having a quiet time in the middle of His creation, participating in a national ultimate Frisbee tournament, watching TeenPact's election campaigns... not to mention hearing amazing speakers like John Stonestreet and Brett Harris!!!  At National Convention, I was encouraged, strengthened, and challenged in the Lord. I'm already looking forward to next year! 

Next on my life-altering list is Worldview Academy. Again, if you haven't been to or heard of Worldview, you must check it out! I can sincerely say that it was one of the best weeks of my life. Worldview Academy is not your average camp. For most of each day there I was being lectured on subjects concerning worldview, apologetics, evangelism, and leadership. Of course there was still ultimate Frisbee, small group games, team competitions and worship. And it all adds up to equal the ultimate camp experience. But it was more than an experience; Worldview Academy was a launching pad.

So you see, I've learned a lot, but this new knowledge has given me the desire to continue to learn and to press on in my search for Truth.

God is so good. There is no better way to start summer. I can't wait to learn.

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To Make God Smile

There is just way too much to do in life! The problem is, I can't do it all and so I actually have to make a choice! Decisions. Options. Details. Preferences. Alternatives. Selections. Possibilities.

One life.

From my point of view, some of these choices (like jobs, collages, majors, cars, classes, when, and where) seem so pivotal. I feel like the whole future of my life depends on my decision.

Fortunately, God has a different view. He sees reality, the way things really are. The reality is, God has a plan for my life... even to the end. Because He's sovereign, God has my life under control. My choices won't be a surprise to Him.

I know this is true, but in the midst of life's craziness it's often hard to believe. Sometimes, I start believing the lie that I actually plan my life. Although I do have choices, and although my choices do effect my life, I'm not the one who directs it. I'm tired of worrying over the future, so I'm giving it over to the One who has it in His hands anyway. I will seek Him for every decision, and I will trust Him.

God delights in being trusted. Want to make God smile? Then trust Him. Trust Him with everything. Trust Him with your life. I can't see the road ahead and I still don't know what all of my decisions will be. But I'll leave the answer to God. After all, He's written all of history - I'm sure He can write my life.

A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

Officially Official

What kind of blogger am I? I haven't posted since the beginning of the year! *tsk, tsk, tsk* If you can pretend that this post was posted two weeks ago, then I shall consider you the most wonderful blog followers ever! =)

So, I figured, as I am seventeen years of age, that it might be about time for me to go through the process of obtaining an automobilist's certificate of authorization to operate a potentially hazardous vehicle. In other words, I decided to get my driver's license.




This is what I looked like before I took the drivers test. I wasn't really nervous, just... uncertain.





After waiting for nearly two hours past the time I was given, this is almost what I looked like (but I didn't fall asleep).

Finally, my moment of destiny came.

A very rigid and intimidating-looking man introduced himself as my evaluator. At least he smiled. Still, he looked strict; but my hope rested upon the fact (other than my mad driving skills) that since it was the end of the day, he would be tired and pass me just to get done.

A nugget of advice: If you are about to take your driving test, pray that you don't get an instructor that mumbles, because it is quite hard to hear exactly what you're supposed to do.

I finished my drive without an major mishaps. When I stopped, my instructor informed me that, to pass my drive test, I had to score at least a 75. Then he told me that I scored a 1. As I could not perceive how that was possible, seeing that I did not crash, I assumed he was kidding. (My assumption was fortunately correct.)

End of story: I passed. 





This is what I looked like after I passes. It was a great day.



Teach me to number my days...

At some point in my life I guess I'll have to stop being so surprised at how fast the year goes by! (And from what I hear, the older you get, the faster it seems.) Oh. My. I was just getting used to writing "2010" on all of my school papers. So... is it just me, or does the new year mess up your dates too?  *grins*

I am convinced that life is like a freight train going downhill: it seems to start out slow in the beginning; but then it picks up speed as it goes along, getting faster and faster! Then all of a sudden, the ride is over.

Because the new year comes so quickly, it reminds me of how short life on this earth is. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes (according to James 4:14). I think that so often we get so caught up in life that we forget that it's going to end. And since we don't know for sure when our lives will end, we just take it for granted that we have plenty of time. But our time is short.

What if you knew that 2011 would be your last year to live - you only had 12 months left.... Would you live it differently than any other year? Some people might do the things they've always dreamed of doing, like sky diving, getting tickets to the Super Bowl, touring France, recording an album, or even [insert your own life dream here]. But if you believed what the Bible said, you'd probably strive to do things that are of eternal value. (Of course, it's just plain sense to plan for the future, but there's a lot to be gained by living like your days are numbered.)

New Year's is filled with expectations, resolutions, and goals - all of which are very helpful. But more important than New Year's resolutions is how you actually live. Here's some great ways you can make 2011 count for eternity:

• Begin praying that God will use this year to equip and prepare you for His purpose for your life.
• Find a local Christian ministry where you can volunteer and invest your time - even it's only once a month.
• READ. It challenges your worldview and "expands your horizons." Go to my FAVES page for some good ones to start with. =)
• If you've never studied in-depth a book of the Bible, this year would be a great year to do it! I studied Philippians this past semester and I'm still amazed at how much I've gained from it!
• - Find a way to specifically serve someone each month and record what you do and learn in a journal. Jesus came to earth to serve, so it should be important to us too!

Those are just a few. There are SO many other ways to make your year purposeful. What are some of your ideas? What are some of your goals this year?

 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

Summit 2010

Hi. My name is Chloe. You might remember me from a blog I used to write on called Blooming in Christ. You might even remember me commenting on one or more of your posts. But I don't know. That was a long time ago. I used to have a lot of awesome posts, but they have become a little infrequent now. However, I have returned, for now, with an important clarification:

Contrary to popular belief, Chloe has not abandoned you, but rather has become otherwise preoccupied.

Thank you for understanding. Now for the good stuff....



I have returned from Chicago and am now back into the full swing of things! This is going to be brief, but here is a recap of what I did in "the Windy City."

For those of you who are familiar with the AWANA Bible memory program, Summit is a national competition of Bible quizzing from material in the AWANA handbooks. But while you're at Summit, you also get a chance to participate in AWANA Games and Volleyball competitions. (I didn't play volleyball, but I want to congratulate two of my church's teams who got 1st and 2nd overall! Way to go you guys!!!)

In Bible Quiz my team made it to the "gold" round, the round before the final round. Only ten to twelve teams make it to the final round, so getting there is quite an accomplishment! I think there were about 100 teams total this year. It was so much fun!

And while we were there, my church took a double-Decker bus tour of Chicago. There is so much I could tell you, but I'll save you the bore. =) (Actually, it wasn't boring.)

Now for the sad news: my camera broke while I was there, and I unfortunately was not able to take any pictures of Chicago. If I get any from someone else I'll try to post them. In the meantime, I'll be looking for a new camera!

So...that's about it!

In closing, please bear with me, dearest friends, as I finish up this semester of school and ignore you for a while...but not on purpose! Trust me!!! =P

Hello Strangers!

Or is anyone still there? I hope I haven't lost any readers in my absence! I've missed blogging. Things have still been a little crazy for me. Trust me, I'll try to get some substantial posts up here soon! =)

For now, here's just a quick update of what's going on...


I had a tennis match every day this week except Friday. I was a pink Easter bunny for Easter.

I'm going to be in Chicago April 12-15 for Summit Bible Quiz (Ever heard of it? It's with the AWANA program at my church.)

I'm trying to get ahead in school so I don't have to catch up when I get back. (But that hasn't happened yet.)

I'm still working on my recital peice.


So, yes, I'm busy. I've told myself that I'm going to keep my summer a little more "open," but you know how summers can turn out! =D Easter was lovely...amazing sermon...I got way too much candy (Dad, you sure went all-out! At least it was mostly chocolate! =P)

What did you do for Easter? I'd love to hear about it!

My Apologies

No, I haven't forgotten about you. Yes, I am still alive. But let's just say my life has become increasingly busier, and my time had to be cut somewhere. Unfortunately, I'm sad to say, that happened to be my blog. (Whoa. Has it really almost been a month?!)

So...I humbly apologize for my lack of posts. =) Of course, I really couldn't help it! Also, I just want to say that I'm sorry I haven't been commenting much on any of your blogs. It's that time thing again. I promise I'm still reading them, though!!! I can't promise, though, lots of more posts on my blog, for now (not until school is over anyway).

Just to prove that I have an excuse, here's what I've been up to:

• Writing a research paper on Joan of Arc
• Memorizing my piano recital piece
• Getting reading for Bible Quiz in Kansas City (oh no! It's this Friday! =D)
• Then after that, studying for Summit Quiz (Nationals)
• Playing tennis matches for the home school NOAH team - at least 3 times a week!
• Getting ready for Broken Arrow Bible Ranch with my youth group in June
• Trying to keep my room clean and stay on top of my chores
• Finishing the rest of my school
• Trying to stay consistent with my time with God

Have you all ever heard of the word "busy" standing for "being under Satan's yoke"? Now, I don't think that every time we get busy it's because Satan has a foothold in our lives, but when we start to believe the lie that "we're so busy we don't have time for God right now", that's when we fall under Satan's yoke. That is a scary thought!!!

I'm believing a lie when I think that I'm just too busy. I don't think anyone can be TOO busy not to spend ANY time with God. Ten minutes in His Word, praying little prayers throughout the day - it doesn't have to be hours. Unfortunately, I have believed the lie and many days have gone without me digging into His Word. But, with God's strength I can sacrifice some of my spare time and spend it in a way that will last for eternity. Because, in reality, the time I have isn't mine, is it?

Well, I hope you all have a great 4th quarter! Yes! We're 3/4 of the way through the school year! Have a great week!

Humbled on the Telephone

Have you ever got one of those recorded phone calls? You know, the kind where you say "Hello" and then the message starts playing. Well, we are always getting those phone calls from our library, letting us know that we have books ready to be picked up. The caller-ID always just has the name of our city on it, not the name of the library.

So today, when we received a call with our city as the ID, we just assumed it was the library. Mom asked me just to answer it so we wouldn't have the message to delete later from our answering machine. I thought it would be kind of funny to be real silly when I answered (with it being a recording and all), so I picked the phone up and said, "HeeeeLOOO!" in the craziest voice. What I didn't expect was the voice on the other end laughing a little, then asking to talk to my dad. What?! Someone actually heard me say that?! I barely heard the guy as I tried to compose myself.


"Oh, um, he's not here right now."

"Okay. Can you take a message?"

"A . . . Sure."

I still could hardly focus on what he was saying because I was so embarrassed at what had just happened. Maybe he thinks I'm like 8 years old or something, I hoped. I clumsily got his name and number written down and hung up the phone to find my mom and siblings laughing at me, and telling me I was blushing. I was just relieved the whole thing was over!!!

Needless to say, I don't think I'll ever answer the phone like that again! =D

Wanna know what a waffle looks like after it's been on the griddle for 2 hours?

Yup. Real crispy.

Last Wednesday Mom made waffles for dinner right before we went to church. In our hurry to get out the door, it somehow slipped our minds that we still had a waffle on the griddle--and the griddle was still on! Needless to say, when we got home a smoky aroma filled the house. This crispy waffle is what we found!

Negative side: The house smelled bad and it's one less waffle for us.

Positive side: We're so grateful nothing caught on fire! God was definitely protecting us!

Well...

This is my first post in 2010. Yeah, I know it's a little later than most everyone else's. . . but that's a sign that school has officially started up for me! (I haven't gotten it into my brain yet that it's 2010, because on all my school papers I keep writing "2009." lol!)

I have made some goals for this year. But already I have not been consistent in them! When life gets so busy, I tend to set my goals aside, thinking I've done so much today, I just want some time for myself! But then I'm reminded of this:

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV)

I need to forget what's behind, all my mistakes, and press on towards THE goal: the upward call of Jesus Christ!

Oh, how I see I will need help in the days ahead! Looking at my calendar, I see more and more activities approaching (which means less and less time for me in my day). I've decided that in order to be consistent and diligent in my goals, I'll need accountability!

Would any of you consider being accountability partners with me? There's a little button on my sidebar that says "email me." All you have to do is click it and say, "Chloe, how have you been doing in reading your Bible?" Or waking up earlier? Or spending more time with your siblings?

I know that it will motivate me a lot!!! Even if you just did it once, I'd appreciate it. I wouldn't mind if it was once a day, once a week, once a month, or even once a year! And I'm willing to help keep any of you accountable for something--if you want me to. =)

Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Here's a list of some of my goals that I need to be held accountable for...

• Reading my Bible every day
• Spending more time in prayer
• Spending less time on the computer *winks* =)
• Waking up earlier (which means going to bed earlier!)
• Eating healthier
• Spending more time with my siblings
• Keeping my room clean (no matter how busy I am!!!!)
• Reading at least 50 books this year
• Learning to cook better by helping Mom out in the kitchen
• Staying diligent in my science, the hardest subject for me
• Diligence in Bible memorization
• Diligence in practicing for my piano and voice lessons

I know those are pretty much just basic things, but those are becoming the hardest for me. If you do send me an accountability email, just pick a few of those things to ask me how I'm doing in them--I don't want you, or me, to get overwhelmed!!! lol!

I want to thank you all for your encouragement in the Lord! I've been so blessed by starting this blog and I pray that you all have been too. =)

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.

Your sister in Christ,

Chloe

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Whew! I've been having lots of finals to study (and cram :D - JK!) for, so I haven't been blogging in a while! And now it's all over! Yipee! I'm not sure if I've mentioned this on my blog, or not, but I'm taking a humanities class that's just for homeschool students and meets twice a week. I'm loving it and have learned so much, but I am pretty relieved all the tests are over now! Partly because I don't have to worry if I'll remember everything, but also because it means Christmas break! Well...for my humanities class anyway. My mom probably will have us continuing to do some of our other school. :( Anyway, since I haven't posted in a few days, I have a lot of catching up to do! So beware for a long post...

We are privileged to live in an area where a local church decorates - and I mean DECORATES - their property with TONS of Christmas lights every year! And the best part is, it's free! They put up an estimated 1.8 million lights this year!!!! We try to make a point to see them every year. We chose last night because it was incredibly nice - for a December night!

Isn't my brother so tall? :D Most people probably wouldn't guess that I'm 15 months older than him! It's even harder to believe that I was actually taller than him once!!! He likes to tease me about that now! :) Thanks to my brothers, Aaron and Austin, for all the pictures and videos! I happened to not bring my camera! :) Austin took these pictures. If you've ever tried it, you'll know that taking pictures of Christmas lights is really hard! So on some of them, he turned his camera around - while he took the picture. He said it makes them so messed up, they look good! I think it's pretty cool myself! Sorry about the sound in this video! I haven't found digital cameras to have much audio quality. :)




We also made gingerbread houses the other day. We did it by "gluing" (or icing) grahm crackers together:

The kids had some friends over to help decorate!

This is Aaron's house!

Here's Mariah's! Cierra even got . . . creative! Notice her chimny on top. :D Another view...

I didn't make one because I happened to be the one who glued them all together! I was a little "iced" out! lol!

Well, that's all for now!

*Don't forget to vote on my new poll! I'm trying to decide if comments should have a whole new window that pops out, or if I should keep it embeded right beneath the post.*