Princesitas de Jesus

Hello again,

   It's been a while, and I do have a lot to catch you up on, but in the mean time I would like to post you a letter I wrote to my supporters. "Supporters of what?" you might ask. Over the Christmas break I got to go to Guatemala with Pine Cove on one of their Commission Camping trip. Those ten days were truly the trip of a life time. To explain more, here is the letter I sent to the people who supported me through prayer and donations. The letter will help you understand the pictures I posted below :)....(also- Princesitas de Jesus, was the cabin name of the group of girls I helped counsel)...

Georgie, Me, and Xaris

Guatemalan and American Team

My cabin and Vicky

 Some of the girl leaders

Hola mis amigos y familia,

    I sit here back in the States after serving our God in Guatemala for ten days, and cannot help but feel humbled to have had the experiences I had, because of your prayers and donations.  Thank you for being a part of this trip. I believe we all have pivotal moments in our lives that have/will forever impact us, and Guatemala is surely one of mine.
    I would love to take the opportunity to describe all that I did, but for times sake and incase I miss anything, I encourage you to read through our team’s blog about the trip. The blog can be found at PCRanchGuatemala.wordpress.com (you will be excited to find a hilarious picture of me as the thumbnail screen for a video post!).  Now more about what I did and how I was impacted through my Guatemalan partner and campers…

    Along with fifteen other Pine Cove staff, I safely arrived to Guatemala on a Monday evening and was welcomed by some very friendly Guatemalans, who would eventually become my dear friends. We stayed in Guatemala City that night, and then rode in a school bus down the mountain towards a rural town. As we pull into a fruit farm, I realize this is where we would run the camps. This is where we would prepare the way for His love to reach Guatemalan children, whom six months ago, I did not even think about. To preface the rest of the letter, our team was not only there to put on two Christian camps, but more so to train the Guatemalan leaders how we organize our camps so that they can put on a camp by themselves one day. Because of this purpose, each Pine Cover staffer was given a Guatemalan partner to work with.  After going through a training session the first day with the leaders from both countries, we were assigned our partners through a matching game. My word, “pies” or feet, matched with Georgie’s word, “zapatos” or shoes, and from that point on I would meet one of the people that the Lord used to influence me the most on this trip.
    Georgie is the Guatemalan that I spent the most time with, and we counseled 13 nine-year olds. Nine-year-olds require a lot of energy, attention, and patience, and Georgie provided all of that to them. She was incredible. O, did I mention Georgie is a 41-year-old Pastor and mother of a seven-year-old daughter? Being able to watch a mother sacrifice her time and energy to love on these children was inspiring. She never hesitated to play a game of futbol (soccer) with the girls, chant funny cheers with them, or laugh.  I have never even considered counseling nine-year-olds when I turn forty, and yet there she was serving them, giving up her time, and still mothering her daughter so well.  I loved watching and serving with her. One of the pivotal moments on the trip was watching Georgie talk to our campers and seeing Christ-like characteristics in her such as humility, kindness, love, compassion, and joy. Then it hit me, the fact Georgie possesses all of these qualities that my family and friends who are Christians possess is not because they watch the same movies or read the same fictional books, but because the same God that loves us and is with us, is the exact same God that is with Georgie and the One she has devoted her life to.  He truly is THE God of the Universe!

       God not only opened my eyes through Georgie, but also my heart through our campers.  The day we got the girls, I was frustrated and wanted to cry. Yes, it’s true I really did! Not because of the girls or missing my family, but because I couldn’t talk to them like I wanted to. I took some Spanish classes, but I am definitely not fluent in the language. The first two-hours with them were so hard because I had been so excited to meet them, and I just wanted to feel a connection with them. Then God showed me that there is nothing that I can do to impact them, but only He can. I was humbled, and thankful that He showed me love truly is the universal language and while I’m not naturally inclined to show love through physical touch or without words, the girls and I began to bond with hugs, smiles, and playing with them in the pool. God took away my pride and replaced it with humility. 
          Be encouraged also about His work within the children of Guatemala! While we were there 6 of the girls in Georgie’s and my cabin accepted Christ as their Savior, and over twenty more children stood up in front of the camp to proclaim their desire to follow God! It was amazing to see them recognize that because of their sins, they deserve death, and then for them not only to desire a Savior, but also to realize He already foreknew their needs! They acknowledged that God sent His only Son to pay the ultimate penalty and die on the cross to redeem them and give them the gift of salvation! These observations were incredible, and impacted me so much. The weight of the gospel on their hearts and its urgency on a people of a completely different nation and culture solidified its truth and realness to me.

    I want to share all these things with you to not only encourage to continue praying for His development of the camp through the Guatemalan leaders, but to also thank-you for being apart of these experiences. I am humbled by your love for me.  I pray this letter reminds you of vastness of our God, how He truly is the creator of our Universe! Thank-you for being apart of the His plan for the gospel to reach all of the nations.

Joyfully His,

 Lex

Simply Sunday's Sweet Study Song & Scripture

         Okay I won't continue to make this post full of "S" words haha.  With the four finals I have in these next three days, this week is beyond anything that I can handle on my own(prayers please!). And while it is incredibly tempting to feel overwhelmed and stressed, I am consistently reminded of how our God is SO much bigger than what this week has in store. Two things that calm my heart when I feel overwhelmed are songs and scripture (as you might be able to tell with some of the previous posts).  So whether you are a student in the middle of finals, a mother in the middle of balancing children, or burdened by other things, cast your burdens on our Lord who comforts and never leaves us (Immanuel).

Matthew 1:22-23

  ^"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). "

Hope you enjoy these :)

Chris Quilala - Your Love Never Fails

Eric Hutchinson - Breakdown More

Psalm 16

 ¹ Keep me safe, my God,
   for in you I take refuge.

 ² I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
   apart from you I have no good thing.”
³ I say of the holy people who are in the land,
   “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
⁴ Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
   I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
   or take up their names on my lips.

 ⁵ LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;
   you make my lot secure.
⁶ The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
   surely I have a delightful inheritance.
⁷ I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
   even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I keep my eyes always on the LORD.
   With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

 ⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
   my body also will rest secure,
¹⁰ because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
   nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
   you will fill me with joy in your presence,
   with eternal pleasures at your right hand. 

Joyfully His, 

Lex

Rich in Love

 

 Shane & Shane - Psalm 145

My prayer is that you listen to these lyrics and this scripture and realize how loved you are by a God who is rich in love for you. 

A psalm of praise from David. Psalm 145-

  Lord, I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.  Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.  Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.  One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.  They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.  They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.  They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.  The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.  All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you.  They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,  so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.  Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.  The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.  The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.  The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.  He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.  The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.  My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

Simply complex

 One of my favorite magazines to scramble through whenever I get the time is Real Simple.  Their slogan, "life made easier, every day", seems valid to what I have come to know. But then again, every time I look at it, I get inspired to do more and more things, and at the end, my thoughts become more complex about ideas I want to do because of how many choices there are to make. 

For example, they currently are showing different ways to set a table. (Aren't they all wonderful?!). In studying them I realize how similar this idea is to us as humans and the purpose that we serve...this may be a stretch, but walk with me...

Each of these settings are all uniquely and specifically made. All have different themes. Different colors. Different center-pieces. Different silverware. Different drinks.             



When considering myself compared to you, we are strikingly similar. We were uniquely and thoughtfully designed and created to be made in the image of God. We have different personalities. Maybe a different gender. Different families. Different interests. Different passions. Different friends. Different favorite movies. And even all the way down to having a different fingerprint.

Unlike any one else in the world.

And while growing up, we spend so much time to emphasize our differences to distinguish ourselves from the rest of our friends...and while, we may all choose to do different things, we were created to serve the same purpose. To bring glory to God.




Although some people may encourage you to "just pick one" when trying to decide between the endless choices and colors when setting "your table", we need to realize that it is really important for us to actively choose the things we incorporate into our lives, because they affect the way we live.

Every day we have choices to make in what we want to pour into ourselves. Good friends that spur us on or someone who brings you down.

Do you listen to rap music all day long, or do you choose to listen and sing songs that praise His name and don't affect your mind?

Do you treat your body as a temple...with what you eat, how you dress, and if you exercise and get enough sleep?

 I've realized that I forget how important it is to be honorable even in the little things, for they affect me just as much.

 I guess my encouragement to you is to not compare yourself to others, to realize how unique and intricately created you are from our heavenly Father, and to put thought into what you choose to incorporate into your life.

Joyfully His, 

Lex

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart."

Jeremiah 29:13

Song & Scripture

This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 

 

"As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.

No remain in my love."

 

If you obey my commands then you will remain in my love, as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love.

 

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

 

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one that this, that he would lay down his life for his friends. 

John 15:8-13

This song has blessed me so much recently, hope you enjoy!

 

The Garden - NeedtoBreathe

Also, they will be in Austin,TX on November 30th if you would like to see them in concert :)

Joyfully His,  Lex

Hand-written fingerprints

A camper of mine recently and I decided to start to hand write each other. There is just something so special about receiving something in the mail, and of all people who take advantage of the opportunity my mother is THE best about sending me mail. Even if it is something simple. This past week she just sent me a little post-it and a clipping from a newspaper article over a J.Crew skirt to show all of my roomies. She is so thoughtful, and I pray that I will be just a loving to my children as she has done to me. I think there is something so unique about receiving a hand written note in the mail.

Notes have more power and impact when they are hand written. Our script is a form of our fingerprints, each uniquely designed to convey our personalities and who we are. 

And not to mention, opening an envelope is like opening a present! Even if you know what is inside, tearing away the bound "sticky stuff"(excuse the loss of words) is such a simple joy! Please tell me who doesn't secretively love that?

It is also crazy to think about how over two decades, technology has literally changed the way we communicate with others. Think about the impact that men, like Steve Jobs, have had on our world. And with people like me, who value time so much and potentially are losing patience, our world is continuing to increase the speed at which we live life.  I understand the benefits and convenience of texting and emailing, however, I encourage you to take the time to write one hand-written note to someone this week. Journal and write to the Lord, write an encouragement letter to your roommate, write a thank you letter to the custodian you always see working... Today I am thankful for hand-written notes.

Rent the Runway

I have the privilege to be a "Sweetheart" for a Men's organization at my university.  There are so many opportunities to encourage in this position, and a little quirk to also is that the sweethearts get to go to all of the social events! That being said it is a little over a week until the formal and I still don't know who my date is, but all of my friends say that he is going to be such a fun date! I'm so excited, but date if you're out there please ask me soon...I can't let the suspense get any bigger!

Until then, I came across an ordeal on what to wear...

I don't quite want to purchase another long dress since I don't believe I will need that many in the future, so I came across this wonderful website that lets you rent designer dresses for so cheap compared to their retail price!(on the condition you mail it back after you use it!).

I looked into the website and they seem trustworthy. A friend of mine previously used the company for a semi-formal dress earlier this year and loved her experience with them. They let you choose from several different dresses, and they even send you two different sizes to choose from so you'll never have to worry about fit!

Ladies and...ladies, I present to you Rent the Runway