An Update on My Life

You haven't heard from me in a while.  Sorry for my procrastination. :)

 Well, last Sunday, the Brazil team hosted a 1950s fundraiser dinner.  What a success!!!  It was SO much fun! The team worked so hard to put it all together, and we had many volunteers in the kitchen, nursery, and some other places here and there.  As our team leader said, our team has a wonderful mixture of people: everyone had a job, they did it, and did it well.  And I know I enjoyed doing my job with 2 other team members!  The Lord has blessed this trip SO much already and we aren't even close (when you count months...it will sneak up, though) to leaving!  Oh, and my mom and I have now both received our passports in the mail!  It's pretty exciting to be another step closer.

 God blessed another LIVE for Christ meeting yesterday afternoon!  We talked about Sharing the Gospel.  I gave each of the girls a few tracts along with a challenge to give someone or leave a tract before our next meeting.  It was such a blessing to see these girls so excited to hand them out!  The youth celebrity million dollar bills were a favorite, along with 101 of the world's funniest one liners.

 This weekend is going to be a relaxing one!  Tomorrow, I'm going to go grocery shopping with my mom.  I have decided, since I'm not the best person in the kitchen, I'm going to practice.  Because that's what everyone has been telling me to. :)  I have a notebook filled with delicious sounding and looking dessert recipes.  I came to the conclusion that I can not only practice my baking/cooking capabilities, but practice my use of the camera, also.  I'm excited to see where I'll get.

 Today I got to go shopping with my mom.  It's nice to have someone run back and forth to the racks with new, cute clothes while I'm busy trying one the one's I've already brought into the changing room. :)  We spent some time at Kohl's and Maurice's (I could spend hours at Maurice's!) and also got our nails done.  It was a fun day!  Now for some relaxing.

 Looking forward to doing some more reading this weekend, too.  Last week, I finished The Hunger Games and now I'm waiting for the 2nd book in the series to come to the library.  I think I'm number 70-something in line.  I have a friend who I'm going to discuss the books with, but she's on vacation and I'm missing her emails very much!  In the meantime, I have a couple Christian mysteries to read and a Karen Kingsbury book.

 Next week, I'm going to be starting to study my next CLEP test: Natural Sciences.  We'll see how I do on that. :)  I'm taking 8-10 weeks for this one, because 1) I still am working on high school work and, 2) Science is not my strong suit, so I'll need more time to study.

 It snowed!  Finally!  Okay, we had snow before, but it always melts before I get a chance to photograph it!    But, this time I had the chance.  Except...they didn't turn out as nicely as I had hoped.  Here are just a couple.

Have a great weekend!

 ~Sierra

Someone Who Loves Me

  Today is Valentine's Day.  Although I don't have a boyfriend, I do have a Special Someone.  Someone who loves me -- unconditionally.  Someone who would die for me -- Who did.  Someone who gives me gifts -- all the time.  Jesus.  Jesus loves me unconditionally.  Jesus died for me.  Jesus gives me everything I could ever need.  And in order to ever fall in love with someone here on this earth, I need to fully realize how much Jesus loves me.  And I need to love Him back.

 One year, my mom came back from a used book sale with a series for me.  When I began reading the book, a little piece of paper fell out of the back.  It was from the previous owner.  On it, was a letter.  A letter to this person's future spouse.

  My love, I am waiting for you.  I'm waiting till you come.  I know you'll come on time.  If we're supposed to be together forever, you'll hear the clock when it chimes.  When the time is right, you'll come right away.  I'll be ready for your call.  I really am eager to fall in love with you.  When you knock on my door, it may take me a little while to realize it's time to answer.  If I run outside before you arrive to meet you down the street, I pray that God will let me know I'm rushing.  I hope you're as excited as I am to meet you.  I really want to know you.  you're the best friend I'll ever have.  I know that the clock is gonna tick for a while, but its all right cuz I'm busy loving someone else.  You see, I'm to love Him forever and it's not a sentence.  It's the greatest gift ever.  I'm learning to love Him no matter what.  Deeply.  I need to be intensely satisfied with Him before I meet you.  When I meet you, I will still love Him.  Yes, more than you.  If I didn't love Him more than you, I couldn't love you at all.  Jesus, the man I'm loving, is teaching me to love and preparing me for you.  To conclude, I want to tell you that if you don't come, it's alright.  I'd love to love you, but I don't essentially need you.  You won't make me happy or complete.  Only Jesus can.  But I know that till you come, I'm waiting.  I want to love you.

 I don't know who wrote this, I don't know how old they were, but I ask the Lord to give me the same attitude this person has.

 On a side note, I had a great birthday!  I was overwhelmed with the birthday wishes on Facebook, and the forums.  I woke up to a special email that made me cry.  And I got a couple cards in the mail and e-cards.  A very special birthday was had. :)

 This week I'm thankful for... 
211. successful spaghetti dinner at church for Brazil
212. passing Introductory Sociology CLEP
213. a blessed birthday
214. homemade birthday cards from friends and family
215. White Chocolate Mocha
216. planning for the 1950's dinner at church for Brazil
217. applying for passports
218. calls with friends
219. my aunt's chocolate cake
220. spending time with family

 God bless,
    Sierra

Finally it's True!

  I don't know how long I've been singing this song, but finally it's true!  I loved The Sound of Music when I was little...actually, I still love it.  But that has always been one of my favorite songs, and now it's true about me!

 Tomorrow is my 17th birthday.  I am ready to be 17.  Sweet 16 was a year with ups and downs, and I'm hoping 17 will be mostly ups. ;)  Only time will tell, I guess.

 I am sixteen going on seventeen!  Whoo-hoo! :)


 Love,
   Sierra

For the Week It's Been!

 Please note that this was written on Saturday, Jan. 28.  

Wow, I feel completely worn out from this past week, and then I realize I still have a day left -- which is also full! :)

  Sunday morning was a Brazil team meeting.  We discussed a couple fundraiser dinners we'll be having for our church, which was exciting!  It's getting closer and closer, and it will be here before we know it!

 Sunday afternoon and Monday I stayed home since I didn't feel very good.  I'd rather be healthy or actually sick, not in the middle. :)  Tuesday and Wednesday were also stay at home days besides youth group on Wednesday night.  But those two days were also get-down-to-school days.

 I had a coaching call for college on Wednesday, which is always a highlight.  We went over how Sociology was going.  My coach had some pointers of what my next steps should be and we made some goals to be done by...the end of the week -- which will be today. :)  There's so many resources for this test, it's hard to know what to do next!  But I started studying with a new resource now, called InstantCert, which has been really helpful and I'll be able to use it for my next test, too.

  Thursday I had LIVE for Christ which went well.  We talked about being dedicated to God and living our lives wholly for Him.  We started singing different songs such as "Every Move I Make" and "Big House" (two of my favorites from when I was younger) so that's always exciting.  It's fun to see them doing the actions and praising God.

 Friday I worked for a few hours, which is always fun and I always learn a lot!  And we relaxed with a movie that night.

 This morning was an early morning (for a Saturday, at least) as we went to church to set up for the fundraiser dinner tomorrow.  I buttered 18 long loaves of bread -- we had 4 ladies on the "bread team", some slicing, one making the garlic butter, and me buttering.  We had a nice little system going while the others browned hamburger, set up tables, boiled spaghetti noodles, wash dishes, made a banner, etc.  What a great time of team-building and fun-ness! :)

 But...after this week, it's nice to be relaxing.  I actually read a leisure book this week (and finished it!)!  That is quite an accomplishment these days.  I look forward to being able to do more of that. :)

This week I'm thankful for...
201. study calls
202. girl game night with friends
203. Brazil planning
204. a new sweatshirt
205. index cards
206. finishing my bedroom
207. friends passing college tests
208. late night talks with my mom
209. answers to prayers
210. Brazil team building

 Have a blessed week!

 ~Sierra

Project Bedroom: Complete!

 After one week, my room is completed!  While I was at work yesterday, my parents rearranged my room and today my dad helped me finish the wall!

  I love it!

 This is what they look like close up. My room is so much brighter, and girly! :)

Relieved and tuckered out,
   ~Sierra

This Week's Project

 This week's project has been exciting for me!  Saturday, we went to the hardware store to pick out some paint colors.  When I was little, I remember taking paint chips just to play with them.  At least now I have a reason! :)
 On Sunday, I started to rip away the deer mural, which took a lot of work, but I finished on Monday and was able to start priming!

 *Before* unfortunately, I wasn't smart enough to take a picture after my bed was pulled out so you could see the whole wall, but there are two more deer covered up by my bed.

 This was after the mural was pulled off.

 Now, on Monday night, I painted the first coat of primer on the wall.  Because I painted the wall a darker color, the primer was gray -- it would have been a pretty paint color, just not for my room.  Again, I wasn't thinking and didn't take a photo of the wall covered with primer, but it wasn't too exciting.

 Tuesday morning, I slapped on another coat of primer, waited an hour and a half, then painted the first coat of paint.  I didn't take a picture of the first coat, but that was on purpose -- it looked horrible.  I'm no pro at painting, but I like how the wall turned out after the second coat.

 Yes, the room is still in shambles with the blue tape around the edges, the bed in the middle of the room, but.  It's not done yet!  Well, I will be putting my room back together today, but this is not the end of the renovations.  Last Thursday, we went to IKEA and picked up some things that will help finish this project.  I'll be posting pictures of the completed results later...when it's completed. :)

This week I'm thankful for...

191. great night at youth group

192. LIVE for Christ girls

193. donations for Brazil

194. paint chips

195. selling stuff on eBay

196. IKEA

197. the Apple store

198. setting financial goals

199. painting my room

200. I'm healthy

More Beautiful You

 Yesterday, I had a LIVE for Christ meeting.  We talked about 'accepting the way God created you'.  This is such an important topic for anybody.  I wrote a bit about this topic back in July.
 At our meeting yesterday, I shared this video:

 As one of the girls pointed out after seeing this video, "You are supposed to bring out your natural features with make-up, not cover them up and create new ones."

 I'd like to share this quote with you:

"If the world didn't create me, the world cannot define me."    ~unknown

  Always remember Psalm 139:14, which says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

~Sierra