Amore Showcase

Let me start this by saying I am NOWHERE near the point of planning my wedding…well SERIOUSLY planning anyways! I’m like most girls and enjoy looking at wedding dresses, decorations and photo plans for my special day, mostly via Pinterest.

Well let me tell you where I will be Friday night, and where you should be too!

Amore Wedding Showcase @ The Event Center at Gold Creek. I know the most important question on your mind: how much is it? Well, hold on to your computer or cup of coffee, it’s FREE. 100% FREE and you can get entered in a raffle for awesome prizes listed below. And delectable desserts and cocktails. And lots of local vendor booths to browse through (flowers, photography, wedding planner, venue, catering and more)! And it’s all FREE!

The venue will be set up in a mock wedding so you can start picturing you’re wedding (or event). While this may seem interesting to us women who are dreaming or planning our wedding, its also for those who are looking for great local, affordable venues to host clients, training sessions and business conferences.

So here are the deets-

When: Friday, April 13, 7-9pm

Where: The Event Center at Gold Creek

            4326 148^th St SE, Mill Creek, WA 98012

What: Amore Wedding Showcase

Cost: FREE FREE FREE

Raffle Prizes (must go to this link to get ticket)

www.amoreshowcase.eventbrite.com

-One $400 engagement photo shoot by Alex Commer Photography 

-Three short centerpieces from Anna's Flowers! 

That’s a total of four items you can WIN, but you have to come to the Showcase!! 

Grab your friends, mom, aunt and sister and meet me there! At the very least, it’s a night out with family and friends enjoying an intimate setting sipping on a cocktail and eating delicious food! At the very most, you could plan your whole wedding in a few short hours!

Lessons from the Lorax

So I wanted to see The Lorax (2012) movie but I didn't necessarily want to go by myself as a 23 year old. I needed some kids to go with me. And of course, I asked my good friend Alex Johnson if I could borrow, I mean babysit, his two adorable kiddos. Now don't think I just used them, I love them like they are my younger brother and sister and since their mom was out of town, I figured the kids and I would have a fun date night together while dad went to a dinner party.

Any movie based on a Dr. Seuss book is bound to be entertaining. I did a report on Tim Geisel and the messages he sends through his creative rhymes and stories. The Lorax movie was no exception. It stayed true to the book with the animation, the colors and most importantly the messages.

The most obvious message is that of corporate greed. The Once-ler promised to chop down just one tree but the Lorax saw the danger in that. In the end, the Once-ler chopped down every last truffula tree. He didn't care that he chopped down all the trees, he didn't care that he pushed out all the animals. He listened to the voice of the consumer and greed. He sold out all he saw for the green. And in the end, he lived in a run-down old shack, no friends and no family. He lived in smog and grayness. All the color, all the life was sucked right out of that place. He eventually realized his mistakes as he shares his story and hands over the last truffula seed with this quote, "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

This quote hit home inside of me but outside of the movie. In my last post I let you into a glimpse of the struggles I'm struggling through. This quotes addresses my attitude toward those issues. If I don't care about where I am and where I want to go, who will? If I don't care about friendships and my relationship with God, nothing will get better. So why do I dwell on the negatives and 'what ifs' when I should be focusing on what I can do because I am the one who ultimately can make a change for the better.

But back to the Lorax's messages.

Along with the quote I quoted above, the Once-Ler says "Its not about what it is, its about what it can become". Inspiration hits again. It is purely our choice if we leave things how they are or work to make them something bigger and better. Sure, we all could use the encouragement of friends and family, sometimes we need the harsh realities to hit us in the face. Yes, I pray to God for guidance, strength and opportunities but its up to me to see and take hold of those opportunities He provides. We can always do something to make something become bigger and better. (But remember the first lesson we learned from the Lorax, financial success isn't all its cracked up to be.)

The Lorax said "A tree falls the way it leans. Be careful which way you lean." Again, the concept may seem obvious but do we actually believe and understand it. If you lean towards material success; having the newest, coolest car, sexy clothes, the biggest house and most expensive toys; that's fine, just look at where you might fall (i.e. The Once-ler). If you lean towards constant approval and confidence from friends and family, you might just lose that approval and confidence from and in yourself. If you lean on God as your Father and all He has promised, you are guaranteed to have a glorious, eternal life. Now there are many other things to lean on and at at times I'm sure we've all leaned on multiple things but ask yourself, which way do you lean?

I'm working towards taking just some of the messages presented in the movie to heart. There are  more messages within the movie and I encourage you, young or old, to spend the $10 and go see the movie. But don't just watch it for entertainment value.  Watch it for messages that can better your life. 

Epic Fail

The last month has been a challenging one. In the future I hope, no I pray I can look back and see where God was leading me. As for now, I have more questions than answers.

My world was rocked when, at the beginning of the month, I was laid-off. While this news was not out of left field, it was still a shock and disappointment. At first I had a whole range of emotions including anger, frustration, confusion, sadness and even bitterness. Let's just say that I didn't handle it too well the first few days. I couldn't understand why I would be hired only to be laid-off 6 months later. I was ashamed to admit to friends and family that I would be jobless in 15 days. What did I spend all that time and money for a college education to be newly graduated with no job, living at home and no clue where I wanted to go? Was it something I did or didn't do to lead to this? While all these questions are probably an expected reaction, I had some particularly difficult questions to work through. How could the church I've grown up in, the church I've volunteered hundreds of hours for, the church I was an intern for do this to me? How could I continue to be friends with the people I worked with? How could I attend church as simply a member when I had been on staff? 

The executive staff tried to make it clear that is was strictly a business move. Finances were poor and they had to make significant budget cuts. I wasn't the only one who got laid-off but it stung and hurt nonetheless. After many talks with some trusted friends and mentors, I began to realize I was running to the wrong people. Well, to the right people but I wasn't running to the person I should've first gone to; God. 

I can't say I trusted God, or even had faith in Him those first few days. I don't even know if I can say I do now. All the emotions I felt towards those involved were nothing compared to how I was feeling toward God. If you know me, you know the significant struggles my family has faced the last few years. It seemed like God had left completely. Things went from bad to worse to almost impossible. I could not see the plan God had, I couldn't even see the tiniest glimmer of an open peephole, let alone full window or door. I have since asked forgiveness from staff and God for my emotions and negative thoughts.

A good friend and mentor of mine talked to me, yes literally TO me. I didn't say much in the conversation but it was exactly what I needed. He told me to stop crying about it (I admit I had expelled a fair amount of tears). He told me I should be talking to God about it all, that he was positive there was a plan and I needed to turn to my Heavenly Father. I spent the weekend praying, reading His Word and trying to listen to what God had to say. A window was opened in terms of a mission trip. A friend of my mentor's was leading a trip through a different church in two weeks. There happened to be a purchased ticket that someone was unable to use. With support and sponsorship from my friends, I decided this was God's way of telling me I needed to be on this trip. I don't know his reasonings, I don't know what His plan in this is for me but I am trying to have faith.

Fast forward 2 weeks.

After a handful of applications submitted and a couple interviews, still no luck with a job. But I must put the focus on job hunting on hold as the mission trip is roughly 36 hours away. I will be spending 5 days in Tecate, Mexico with 20 or so women at Rancho de Sus Ninos. Rancho, as they call it, is an orphanage, day care center, education center free to local kids. We will be working with 'house moms'. They are women who work with the children in the orphanage. We will also be doing some painting and playing with kids. 

I have always had a heart for missions, this being my 6th mission trip, 5th to Mexico. I have thought that maybe God has a long-term plan for me in ministry and missions. My friend told me maybe this was the beginning of a missions path for me. I haven't understood God's Will for me but I am trying my best to be open to the possibilities. I can't say I have succeeded in trusting God with my concerns and fears completely but I am working on it. I still feel the presence of Satan at times, playing on my fears and emotions and situations that have arisen.

I guess my point in all this is that everyone struggles. Everyone is going through something. We all deal with it in different ways. I need to deal with it the God way. I need to trust him completely, I need to run to Him first and foremost. I need to be in constant prayer, read and meditate on His Word. I am confident that when I do, He will clearly speak to me and provide for me in ways I haven't experienced before. Its easier said than done but its my goal and plan. 

Please pray that I focus solely on God the next week, that I can listen to Him. That the mission trip is unhindered and I grow in Him and see His ways. Pray that He provides financial stabilization for me. Pray that I can exemplify the Christian life I have so claimed is mine.

Leadership Leap

True or False

I'm a spontaneous, energetic, outgoing woman.

I don't really care what others think about me.

Meeting new people is easy and fun for me.

If you answered true to any of those, guess again.

I often lack self-confidence in who I am and my abilities. It is something I have struggled with most of my life but I can now say I have made some dramatic improvements in my level of self-confidence and it came from the most unlikely of situations.

I was dissatisfied with the Young Adult program at my church. For whatever reason, it seemed to be lacking committed, consistent people. I was looking for a place to get plugged into, to become more social, a place to challenge me and deepen my relationship with Christ through devotions and discussions. Whatever I was hoping for, I wasn't finding it. After many discussions with friends and mentors I finally made the uncomfortable decision to step out of my comfort zone and do something about it. All these years I complained, I griped and I sulked when I should have simply acted. 

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; 

the courage to change the things I can; 

and wisdom to know the difference."

This quote has sat in a picture frame on my dresser for years and finally, I realized what it said. This was the turning point, the "duh" moment. 

The next day I committed to becoming the face of the 20-something women at Gold Creek Community Church. While it scares the heck out of me to take a step of leadership such as this, it has already begun to transform my thinking. 

I have been actively involved in the coed young adult group. We are reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and I'm already enjoying it more than I expected. I now look forward to Thursday nights.

Being the face of the 20-something women has also pushed me to become a leader within the church's Tuesday Women's Night group. I am not leading a devotional or study this session but I am trying to get other 20-something women involved. Tuesday night we met at 6pm at a local Starbucks to meet each other and chat before heading over to the church. We all ended up joining a group studying the book The Power of a Positive Woman. I not only now look forward to hanging out with other young adult women but also look forward to changing the way I see myself through this study. I have already committed to lead a study the next session and I will not back out.

While I am not becoming a leader to feel good about myself, I admit I have felt better about myself since I took the leap to becoming a women's leader. I have met more women and I hope to build deeper relationships with them. I have this smile on my face and an energy within me that is new and it makes every day better. Thank you to those who have encouraged me to take this role and to those who will be my mentors and leaders along with me.

Flame Reignited

So after a long hiatus, I've finally reignited the flame of passion for writing. I don't know how or why I let the flame burn out but I have let multiple flames disappear lately. 

A good friend of mine, Laurel Dickison, has started writing a blog and rather than writing about adventures or crafts or cooking, she has taken a refreshing approach and talks about things that are personal and real. Make sure to take a look at her blog here. I'm inspired by her revelation that young adults (20s-30s) are afraid to admit their emotions and struggles and instead keep them locked away inside. Whether is because of guilt, shame, embarrassment, or they just don't care, something is being lost on these younger generations. Its important to share life's experiences with others so that those who are going through the same highs and lows can relate and others that have made it through some of those experiences can share advice, encouragement and joy.

I hope to be able to share like she does, in hopes that people can help each other out in encouragement, praise and simply knowing there are others going through the same things.

For now, I'm remaining on this blog but I have been contemplating a move to a more professionally-toned blog. One where I pay for the domain name and where I focus on professional experiences, leaving out the personal rants. It would be something I could put in my portfolio and show to potential employers if/when the time comes. Part of me thinks it would be a better idea than to continue this blog. However, another part of me thinks I could use this one to be both personal and professional and yet another part of me thinks I could manage 2 blogs. Well, actually it would be 3 blogs since I am heading up a professional blog for the Gold Creek Community Church Children's Department. My ambitions are high and hopefully I can muddle my way through and decide but until you hear differently, please continue to read this blog.