well...I only have one week of living in the Salado Mansions...and I am READY to GET OUT! don't get me wrong, it's been fun...and I have been spoiled...what with a maid that does all the cleaning and my laundry, and cleans my room thoroughly once a week...and the biggest jacoozie bath tub that I have ever laid my eyes on....and being about 2 blocks away from the church...has been a REAL bonus. But I am just so ready to move out! I am ready to move into my apartment!!

As summer is coming to a close, I am getting nostalgic...as usual. I was talking to Ci last night, and this thought occurred to me: last summer, all of the situations, circumstances, EVERYTHING in my life was set up in such a way, that I really thought it would be the best summer of my life. I mean I had a job at my home church, I was living back at home near my best friends and my old boyfriend, close to all the family that I never see....I just thought it would be perfect. But, one thing led to another....and it turned out to be without a doubt the WORST summer ever. I hated it so much.

The irony is, that this summer started horrible. I was excited to be branching out and doing something on my own...like living in a new town with new people, but scared at the same time. I was 3 hours away from my friends at home and my family...and I started the summer not with a broken heart per say, but with a confused, healing, recovering, been-through-a lot- kind of heart. Things just didn't look good at all. But, as things panned out, this has been the single GREATEST 3 months of my life.

I am FINALLY with the man of my dreams....my Ben....we have been like best friends forever, but we finally started dating and we are very much in love!! I have grown closer to my other best friend Ci...I have only gotten to go home a few times, but every time was very special and so much fun! I also have just gotten so much closer to Jesus, and it feels good to know that I am exactly where He wants me to be. My job at the church has just flourished, as I have gotten to know more people, and made friends with the youth group kids...and I got to take such an awesome trip to Colorado...which I will never forget!

So, God has really blessed me. I wouldn't trade this summer for anything, and honestly I wouldn't change anything about it.

I love you all!

Sar

um...well...my birthday is Sunday....I'll be 20, wow, no longer a teenager...my how things change!

But anyways, lately many people have been asking me what I want for my b-day, and I have NO CLUE...like seriously I couldn't tell you one thing. Is that weird? But any other time of the year I would have a looong list of things I wanted....UGH! I hate that!!

oh well...I'm just rambling....

hope you all have a nice week!

Hello all...

I really need your prayers right now...I am having a real issue with a friend and I wish I could say what it is on here, but I'm not going to...if you wanna know more, myspace message me and we can talk...b/c I definitely could also use some advice.

But as for now, please just pray that I have strength in dealing with this, and wisdom for knowing how to handle this in the right way...b/c I really don't know what I'm doing. Nothing like this has ever happened before.

I am really hurt and just plain confused.

Thanks,

Saran

well...I am back from Mission Trip. It was pretty awesome.

We went to Colorado Springs, CO. It was super cold/cool all week. We went white-water rafting which is something that I will NEVER do again. ugh...super scary people.

Hmmm...during the mornings, we did work projects with a senior adult center, and then in the afternoons, we ran a day camp for neighborhood kids. 12 of them got saved.

Today was a pretty [musically] busy Sunday. I sang "Orphans of God" by Avalon in both services because Kim [the lady I live with] was getting commissioned to go on an African mission trip [she leaves Wednesday]. It went well. Also, the choir sang my favorite song "Who can Satisfy?", and I got to do a really cool flute part to go along with it! The best part, is that Mom and Matt came down yesterday and they got to see it all!

VBS starts tomorrow morning. I am doing the music [what else would I do??], so tonight after church I am meeting with some people to finish up all the preparations.

As of right now however, my thoughts/prayers go out to Lauren, Kristin, and Ricky Parsons...please pray for them as they are trying to heal from a great loss in their family.

well, I'm out...gonna try to catch some-what of a Sunday afternoon nap.

peace playa!

what to do?

What do I do when one of my best friends doesn't see how beautiful she is? There is only so much I can say and do...and it just never feels like enough. I want her to know that she is a stunning creature...on the inside and out...she has a passion for life and a desire to spread the Love of Christ, and I know so many people who agree with me on that. God has blessed her with gifts and talents and has very wonderful plans in store for her life.

I know it is hard for us as girls to get down on ourselves for our looks. It is a constant battle with me too. Especially when our society splashes pictures of all these models and actresses that all seem to posses the worlds idea of "beauty"...[ps you do know they are airbrushed right...haha]

Let me tell you this right here and now...True beauty is this: God looking down on us from His throne and NOT seeing our imperfections, sin, filthiness, etc...but instead seeing the blood of His Son Jesus Christ...True beauty is knowing that we were ALL created in the image of Christ, and He didn't make mistakes when creating us...true beauty is accepting all of the love, mercy and grace that God so freely bestows on us every day...true beauty is in brokenness for this lost and dying world we live in...and brokenness for the sin in our lives that we all too often look over b/c we are so concerned with the sin in other people's lives....true beauty is in caring more about someone else than yourself....true beauty is in total surrender of ourselves to the Lord...and in return watching the glorious things He will do in your life. True beauty is found in Christ Alone.

See friends, this world is sadly mistaken when it tries to tell us what looks good, and what is beautiful. Don't give Satan the victory again for our low self-esteem.

In my opinion, if you have accepted Christ into your heart and the Lord and Savior of your life...you have found the ultimate beauty that will NEVER fade away.

This is my first post...and I do not know what to say! HA!