Missions Work & Stools

Hey friends!

How's life been going for everyone? For me, it seems to be going by in a blur - I'm constantly busy! And I love being busy. I keep myself entertained by hanging out with friends, traveling, writing, and recently I've been doing a lot of DIY projects. I just finished making a really awesome monogrammed stool that I'll be posting a DIY for at some point:

Whatcha think?!

I also just returned (on Sunday) from New Orleans. I went down with Crossroads Church on their GO Nola missions trip, where I served with the little kids in Vacation Bible Camp. I was the classroom leader for Kindergarden - 2nd grade and I had a team of myself + 6 others, and although it was tiring, I had so much fun. Kids were clinging to me and telling me how much they loved me and didn't want me to leave...I nearly cried as my kids left on the last day!

Me and some of my kindergarden kiddos - Marley, Neveah & Chloe (L-R).

I truly hope I am able to go back next year and work with these kids again....hopefully for two weeks next time!

Has anyone ever been on a missions trip? Where did you go, what did you do, and did you enjoy it?

I have a lot of cool stuff coming up for you guys - so stay tuned!

Let's Play Catch Up (and BIG news!)

Hi friends! Sorry I've been so absent in the blogging world recently. I've had a lot going on and not much time to blog.

And by a lot going on, I mean a lot going on. Let me give you the low-down on what's happened in the past month or two. 

Crossroads Internship - I may (or may not) have mentioned this already, but I've been interning at Crossroads Church for about a month now. I absolutely love it. What a great place to work! I am blessed to work there. I've really had to push myself to do some things - like write a song for Kids' Club. I was ready to give up on writing the music, but I pushed through and came up with something. And I like it. 

CRUX - I bet none of you knows what CRUX is! And that's okay. CRUX is a discipleship training program that Crossroads has on Thursday nights. Basically, a bunch of 18-35 year olds gather together every week to learn about how to disciple others and make discipleship (training others to be Christ-like) the focus of their life. I love the people here like family, and I've really grown a LOT in faith since joining back in March (ish). People have really pushed me, and I've pushed myself. I'm being discipled by a girl I love and admire, reunited with people from college, and am discipling someone myself. Awesome. See the video below to learn exactly what CRUX is!

Nannying - I'm now a nanny twice a week to two boys in Anderson and once a week to two boys in Madeira. I have to say, I really enjoy it. I think I'm going to pursue a full time nannying job in September once my internship has ended, if Crossroads doesn't offer me a job. It's fun and I love it. Plus, it allows me to be crazy creative. We made fossil cookies the other day. How awesome!

Making fossil cookies with the boys I nanny!

Room Redecorating - I'm really into the whole Pinterest/Etsy/hipster/vintage "style" of decor and clothing recently, so I'm slowing creating and redecorating my room to match that style. It's going well, just very, very slowly due the large amount of other things I have going on. 

Car Troubles - Yeah... my car broke down this morning. The left control arm snapped in half, allowing me the wonderful opportunity to have my car towed. Great. So... there's that. 

New Orleans Mission Trip - That's right! My missions trip to New Orleans is coming up from July 20-28. I'm stoked! I'm leading a group of volunteers, plus another group of vacation Bible camp volunteers. I'm also in charge of leading all the classroom presentations for the K-2 age group at vacation Bible camp. AHHHH I'm nervous but I cannot wait!!! It's gonna be so great! I miss New Orleans. 

And FINALLY... what I believe to be some of the most exciting news yet. I'm opening a new blog. Coming soon... Anchored in Hope! A blog about faith in every day life. I've had a lot of God-related stuff I've wanted to blog about recently, and I think this is a great option - especially since I'm a social media intern for a church! I plan on having a staff of guest writers for this blog, so if you're interested, let me know!

That was a lot of spewing information. I have a lot of product reviews coming up soon, since I'm super behind in them. Yikes. Sorry to the companies who have sent me product! 

Love you all. Talk to you soon, I PROMISE!

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! 

What are you thankful for today? 

Yesterday, I went to the Last Wednesday service at Crossroads Community Church, here in Cincinnati. It's a special service they hold once a month on the last Wednesday of the month. Its never let me down. 

This month, the service focused on being thankful for what God has done in our lives. Everyone in attendance was given one of the cards you see above, that asked us to reflect on our year and think about where we have seen God in different areas of our lives. What were some unexpected blessings? When did God provide physical protection? What friends are we especially thankful for? 

There were a few things that really stood out to me during the service. First: Thanksgiving reminds us that if we don't get one more thing this year, we are already blessed beyond belief. Chuck (the pastor) even went so far as to say that Thanksgiving is the more religious day of the year because it prepares us for Christmas. Second: God calls us to give thanks regularly, but we don't. Why only be thankful on Thanksgiving? We have so much to be thankful for! And finally, third: God always provides just enough, just in time. You might be worrying right up until the last minute, but God always provides exactly what you need. 

What I've realized is that I truly have a lot to be thankful for. My friends are amazing - especially those in Navigators. I love them to death. Although I've been friends with my current friend group for a couple years now, they have become more than just my best friends this year - they have become my family. Sean, Nikhil, Jack - where would I be without you? I love you guys. Thanks for always being there for me. 

I'm also thankful for my family, my car, a strong mind, a love of music, a thirst for knowledge, a love for God, and a compassionate heart, among other things. I'm thankful for being driven and never giving up, even when I'm frustrated and want nothing more than to quit. I'm not a quitter. (Examples: Today I fixed a broken cookie scoop with pliers that was obnoxious to fix. I also didn't give up on my senior thesis paper, which I really considered doing. Like I said, I'm not a quitter!) Most recently, I'm thankful for the mental breakdown I had a couple weeks ago. It really helped me to figure out who I am and start down a journey to becoming a whole new me. I like the new path I headed down! It's scary and exciting. 

Be sure to keep your eye on the blog - I was recently contacted by Stonewall Kitchen about reviewing their seasonal holiday products, so keep an eye out for some yummy gingerbread pancakes soon! I will also have a recipe for maple bacon cupcakes and a review of Panera Bread's soups (which are delicious, by the way). Plus, the second annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is coming up soon, and you know what that means - COOKIE RECIPES! 

So, I have a couple parting questions for you. What are you thankful for this year? And, What are some of your favorite cookie recipes? 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!