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Showing posts from 2012

Light Overcomes Darkness

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It's been so amazing being at home so far this break. Rest has been much needed in my life and it's so nice to wake up to a peaceful home, have my coffee and breakfast and read God's word while staring at the Christmas Tree and snow(thanks Jesus!) I love snow it always makes me feel like a kid again, something about it is so peaceful, which is exactly what my restless heart needs.  Actually God's peace is really what our world needs.  This joyful time of year has been pressed hard this past week of shootings and lost loved ones.  It breaks my heart every time I turn on the news.  However, what breaks my heart even more is that we get so caught up in the stories that our "close to home" but we don't get upset about how broken our world is everyday.  Everyday women all over the world (including America) are abducted into sex trafficking. Everyday children ache and die from hunger.  Everyday people are martyred for their faith. Everyday th

Happy Annivesary!

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One year ago the luckiest man married my best friend! It was a very proud moment to stand by their sides and watch them say "I do"! It was a gorgeous wedding to be apart of! It feels like just yesterday Venisa and I were having sleepovers and just dreaming of when we would be each other's maid of honors! I'm so happy for them and God has blessed them so much already! I'm so excited to see where he will take them!  Happy 1 year Saviola's!

Unexpected Blessings

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DEAD WEEK.  It's usually my last favorite week of the school year. Going into this week I was beyond stressed just thinking about all the assignments, papers, projects and finals that I would be spending my time on this week. However, this week has been more peaceful that I was expecting! God is showing up all over the place!  These are just a few of the unexpected blessings I've received:  I haven't felt stressed yet and my to-list is continually shrinking with ease! The lady at the coffee shop gave me a free coffee yesterday, made my day:)  My room is now decked out in Christmas Cheer Campus is also looking like a winter wonderland And we had a fabulous dinner out with our Bible Study last night with many laughs Oh and I scored at the secret sale in the campus bookstore today! So many joyful blessings and it's only Wednesday! Thanks Jesus for making this week a fantastic week instead of a dreadful one: I shouldn't even underestimate the

Thankful

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{Happy Monday} I'm so excited this Monday because in only 3 days I get to see my family for Thanksgiving!! I'm beyond stoked! I haven't seen my lovely sister since the middle of August and I cannot wait to be re-united with her! She has been kicking some serious water out of the pool this year and I'm so proud of her and how much she has grown and learn at her first year of college at Concordia! I have to admit I'm slightly jealous of her new adventures, you know: traveling to awesome cities with her swim team, sunny weather and hanging at the beach every Saturday. That's only slightly different from the wonderful rain I walk through everyday here in Oregon. Anyway I'm just so stinking excited to see her! I love thanksgiving and all that it includes. A weekend with family, mash potatoes, black Friday shopping, the civil war game (go beavs!) and bringing on the Christmas holiday traditions! This week I have been so thankful for the best devotional I

Birthday blessings!

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Well one countdown on my list has come and gone cause yesterday was my birthday:) goodness I feel old now 22 is such a weird age cause there are no more exciting birthdays for a while now. I feel like a real adult now just a young adult ah and I have to make real life decisions now, oh my goodness like what job ill have and where I'll live oh wow I'm not going to freak out about that now. Anyway I had a very nice birthday:) I had a very enjoyable and delicious dinner date with Russ, Krystal and Ryan at Big River. My taste buds to say the least were very happy! It was a lovely evening:) I'm very spoiled and blessed by my these lovely people:) I can't wait to go birthday shopping and enjoy the many treats my mom and friends have made me. But more than anything I'm so blessed to know that my father God has made me and created me to be exactly who I was created to be and I'm so excited to live life on this journey he has for me! Oh and I'm so excited well ok

Countdowns

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Happy Tuesday Everyone   {missing my sister & her awesome photography skills} So here's the news for today: It's election day, finally! This year was my first time to vote in a presidential election since last time I turned 18 the day after the election. Ya that didn't seem fair so this time around I made sure to do my part and research who the best candidates will be for our country. I'm anxious for the results but mostly excited that I got to place a vote! Today is my last day being 21.. ya that's right I'm getting older and my birthday is tomorrow ! I can't wait:) & I just found out I share my birthday with Billy Graham how crazy is that! In other exciting news there are: 16 days till Thanksgiving: yay Turkey time, family time and I get to see my lil sis. Yay I haven't seen her since August:( 17 days till I can start listening to Christmas Music:) 31 days till Christmas break (Christmas may or may not be my favorite ti

Reasons for Celebrating

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Okay Okay I've procrastinated too long and I miss blogging way too much! I miss sharing how God is transforming me and how he has been blessing me. So it's about time I start again! Well he has been blessing me this year that is for sure! This is my senior year ahhh! I never thought this time would come! {My first last day of school picture ever!} Yes I'm not loving my ridiculous amounts of hard homework (writing papers for days:/) and I'm dreading make serious life decisions for post-college. But yes I am loving living with my roommie Casey and making new memories with my Intervarsity community.  {Casey & I making tutu's for halloweekend} This year has also been tough with my boyfriend and I are long-distance:( However, I'm so lucky that he comes and visits me as often as he can:) And this weekend I got to celebrate him! {yay for tickets to the game!} Russell turned 23 this saturday! It was great, he was here and my parents were h

coffee = functioning. Jesus = awakening.

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Coffee + Jesus = energy & focus Dead week has been the death of me. 85 intern hours (just 5 more!), 1 presentation, 3 papers down and 1 midterm to go! (who gives midterms the last week???!) Am I worried about my finals? No. Just looking forward for this week to be over. Going home on Friday has been my motivator of the week! My sister is graduating and we're celebrating my uncle's new home in heaven! I can't wait to spend the weekend with my bestie & her hubby & my close family & friends. Life is looking up even when my brain and body feel exhausted.  God is blessing me left and right from the wonderful Godly women at my internship and the beautiful thank you flowers yesterday, to my supportive boyfriend and to my fundraising for my mission trip flying in! God is faithful everyday and it's good to be reminded of that. So don't freak out or stress out or give up. God is on your side and in the end it's just a te

Sunshiney Day!

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Ahh sunshine.. I love love love Saturdays! They are my absolute favorite day of the week. Sleeping in, Reading for fun, yes I do that and it's amazing by the way, Jesus time, Naps, Time with my man, & my community, and enjoying God's breathtaking creation. Today has been wonderful, aside from the homework and dreading dead week in two days. It's so good to wake up to read God's powerful word. Oh and I also love to enjoy delicious food on Saturdays. Today my boyfriend to me to a wonderful breakfast place, Sam's Station , for lunch and wow was my tummy satisfied and happy. Lately, I've been having a hard time being completely satisfied, content or happy. I'm finding myself complaining way too much about my busy busy crazy life. Heck, I already mentioned earlier that I'm stressed about this next week. Yes, I'm getting overwhelmed by school but the truth is I need to trust in my Father more. This past week I tried my best every morning to

crazy thankful

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Lately life has been crazy! Homework seems never ending, work was hectic (ya thousands of student visiting our campus oh yeah for 80 person tours I led) I have an amazing internship with Love In The Name of Christ this term (definitely confirming I'm in the right major, I love serving people with Christ's love), fundraising for my Portland Urban Project trip this summer, doing some wedding planning and crafting for my dear friend Krystal, and my bf and I are learning how to serve each other better. Life at the moment seems like I have a never ending to-do list but God has been teaching me to be continually thankful for what he has given me. Literally He has been showing up everywhere showing me what he is doing in each area of my life and showing me that I am way too blessed to be complaining. He has given me: a job, opportunities to serve low-income families in my city, incredible friends, a lovely family, an amazing boyfriend, the sunshine, an education and

so this is spring oregon?

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It's two days before spring break  and I woke up to a winter wonderland. Oregon the first day of spring was yesterday! haha oh good old oregon I love you anyway. Two finals down and one to go. I'm trying to keep up the motivation to study. Thankfully I have found a new gem, the brand new chemistry building on my campus is excellent for studying. It's almost empty at the moment which is glorious compared to our packed library, it's like a one minute walk from my dorm and did I mention they have stumptown coffee , it's only the best around! It's a good day regardless of all this studying.  oh and did I mention that I'm completely obsessed with The Hunger Games and absolutely can not wait to go see it this weekend!!! however please take my advice when I say that it is an awful idea to start reading these books during dead week oops, I'm already almost half-way through the second book.  I need to be studying human development not katniss th

oh hello there dead week.

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 Goodbye the sweet moments of the weekend. I had a blast hanging out with these delightful ladies and now the dreaded weeks of the end of the term have come. Can't I just keep hitting replay of the weekend because I don't like the reality of finals:/   This is seriously so typically of my feelings of dead week and finals week. HOWEVER Lord says not too worry. Keep Phillipians 4:6-7 on your brain:)

a lil strength please

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Oh Lord please give me strength as I face the day. Lately it's been so crazy as this term is wrapping up. There are too many projects, papers, tests and things to do and definitely not enough time to do it all.  Also I've been sick which makes it harder and harder to get out of bed each day.  But the Lord is my everything and He is my strength.  I had a wonderfully recharging weekend at home with my family and now it's time to get back to reality.  I'm so thankful that I'm not in it alone and that I don't have to control my life. Thank you Jesus! This song has been on my heart as I've been clinging to my Jesus. Burning by Evan Wickham Who are You, burning in the desert? Fragrant fire, am I Your desire? You draw near, watering the desert Here’s my cup; fill me with Your love You are lovely and You love me By Your voice of might and face of light, I am captivated You have found me; You surround me Now I’m

{Happy Love Day}

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YOU ARE LOVED MORE THAN  YOU WILL EVER  KNOW by someone who  died  to  know you! Romans 5:8 God is love. Be loved to day on this Happy Love Day! I am so blessed to have the most incredible loving relationship there is from my lovely Jesus! I have so many loved ones to be thankful for today.  So Heres my love everyone. Remember that your beloved today.

Jesus &Coffee &Things worth Celebrating.

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It's crunch time and Jesus and Coffee are holding me together.  One Exam down.  We had all campus worship last night and man how the Holy Spirit filled my heart. There is nothing more than I love than worshiping my father! Christ's unfailing love and grace is more than enough and when it comes to his Kingdom, one test or on paper doesn't matter. God matter's and that's it. That is beautiful news! It was absolutely wonderful to have all of the campus christian groups come together, in unity, in one place to worship our Jesus. I met up with so many new and old cherished friendships which all the more warmed my heart. (you know who you are and you matter to me:)) I'm so grateful for the people in my life. My family and friends are incredible. Speaking of family...  Happy 26th Anniversary to my lovely parents! Thanks for modeling to me what it means to love someone unconditionally and serve as a strong team for God.  Also I have the most enc

Peace & Studies.

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OH boy. I'm tired of studying already and I haven't even had my first midterm. yikes! Thankfully I have felt very refreshed and ready to take on the books and try not to procrastinate (ha I'm supposed to be studying at the moment oops). As I encouraged you to take rest this last week I wanted to encourage you again with how God gave me rest this weekend. He gave me time to sleep and read his word and other books I have been longing to read (that's right I enjoy reading, I just dislike textbooks), time with my girls and time to make crafts/re-decorate my room, time for friends and my boyfriend (oh ya he's new in my life and I'm one happy girl), and time to spend worshiping my Jesus. We had an all city worship night on Sunday night and it was incredibly powerful! I just felt the Holy Spirit surrounding me all day and I felt renewed and at peace! God provides and is always pursuing us and I am always falling more in love with him. I can't wait for all campu

{rest.refresh.restore}

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{Happy Friday Beautiful People} I hope you took the time to read over Psalm 23 for yourself, if not I highly encourage you too:) This song has been stuck in my head all week and it is completely based off of Psalm 23. It's too good to keep it to myself. I hope you all have a lovely Friday and remember to be refreshed in Jesus. At the end of the week we often crash so fall into the arms of our amazing shepherd as you end your week. OH and don't forget to take a sabbath, they are great, I look forward to mine every week! God is continuously teaching me to rest and this week he has physically reminded myself too. I spent a couple hours in the health center yesterday learning that yet again I sprained my ankle. Ha I guess I'll be taking a break from running and such but I honestly don't mind all that much:) Rest well brothers and sisters!
This week in Bible Study we discovered how many actions God takes to love us . We were in Psalm 23 and saw that David made some bold statements with God's many bold actions.   1 The Lord is my shepherd , I lack nothing . 2  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3  he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. 4  Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil , for you are with me ; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows . 6  Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I'm just completely blown away by how the Lord pursues us and guides us and takes care of us all for His glory. As I was going through this study I realized that God is so trustworthy yet I do not thi

sacrificial love & undeserving grace

  I wonder by Leeland My dad and I have always had the same taste in music and we often share our music with each other. We both enjoy the band Leeland and I have been listening to this song on repeat. The words are so powerful and hit me every time.  Jesus Christ You bled Your love, laid down Yourself And gave me life In naked shame You hung and You were lifted high Here I lay in awe and wonder I am afraid For no one’s ever sacrificed and loved me this way So on my face I fall under Your heavy grace Here I lay in awe and wonder And I wonder God's grace and his sacrificial love completely blows my mind. I'm so grateful yet I'm probably not thankful enough for all that His has done for us and what He is currently doing through us. I encourage you to rest in His grace this week. Remember that you are God's beloved.