What would you do if God gave you lemons?

I'm pretty sure i'd cut it in slices, take a bite and get a silly pucker face until the sour went away...

Lately i've questioned God asking why now, why this, why me, silly why questions. I guess i've just been asking the wrong questions. It's not why, it's why not. Why am I not strong enough to get through this silly little things? Well that's the thing... God placed this situations in my life for me to grow... I am strong enough!

He gave me lemons so I can make my silly pucker face, and move on. So I can grow, and no longer need to pucker up when I come across a lemon. 

... or these lemons at least. :)

Just a little thought I had tonight...

I guess what I'm getting at is that i'm actually thankful God is giving me the chance to grow, to enter the unknown, scary or not, he wouldn't put me through this if I wasn't strong enough, or mature enough, or whatever I need to be enough.

No, i'm not perfect. And i'm not fully matured, but I am growing in my relationship with God as well as healthy relationships with my close friends and family. So I'm ready for his lemons... metaphorically speaking. :)

Through the tough stuff...

... I just keep telling myself that no, i was never promised life would be easy, but he did promise that this would be worth it....

One day it'll be tattooed on me. Because it's sooo incredibly true. It's what I keep telling myself to get through this things that don't always seem so easy when you're stuck in the middle of them....

I can do everything, through him who gives me strength. - Philippians 4:13

So yes, i'll be the first to admit, sometimes life seems awful, and confusing, but honestly I'm thankful for the crazy life of mine that seems awful and confusing sometimes, because I know that it is what God has planned for me, well, it's helping me get there at least.

That's all for today...
- A

It all makes sense....

Have you ever had a moment in time where you literally freeze up and realize everything you've been struggling with all fits together perfectly and makes total sense?

Well that's where i'm at in my life today... The few things I really started to doubt, and maybe even give up on a little big, pulled together and now fit perfectly in this crazy puzzle of my life i'm trying to put together.

For some reason i've always visualized my "life map" that God has planned out for me as a giant puzzle on some desk of his that he's watching me slowing try to put together all of my "pieces".

Recently a few odd shaped pieces were a little more clear to me, and now I get it. I understand where i'm headed with my life, and who I want to be.

I haven't been the Alexandra Smith that I want to be for the last year or so, and i'm finally seeing who I actually am. Not only who I want to be, but also why I want to be that girl, why I want to be a strong woman of God, and why I want to be me.

These weird shape pieces are starting to fit together wonderfully, I hope this continues. I could definetly get used to this awesome feeling. I don't think i've ever been so close to God in my life... Actually, I know I haven't. I love this, but not quite as much as I love him. <3 :)


It all makes sense now.... :)

Lean on me...

... when you're not strong, i'll be your friend, i'll help you carry on. For, it won't be long, till i'm gonna need, somebody to lean on.

Tonight there was a shooting at my local county fair... I didn't witness it, and no one i know got shot, however four people did. Four people that are friends to someone, the sons of someone, possibly the brothers to many...

I guess it just made me realize how important friendships are. How much friends will sacrifice for one an other.

In the aftermath of all of tonight's events I realized I would take that bullet for any one of my friends. I am a true believer that yes, everyone needs a solid relationship with God, but we also need solid relationships with friends as well. Friends that will help you get up on your feet and point you in the right direction towards God when you're down and at your low. Friends to lean on. Whether that's a shoulder to cry on, or someone to call in the middle of the night, it doesn't matter, just someone to be there with you when you're in need.

Tonight I'm praying for not only the victims of the shooting, but also their loved ones. Ones that might call them and not know why they aren't answering... Ones that might wake up and not realize their brother is in the hospital, or even worse, not ever coming home. Please pray too. Not only for the ones who got hurt tonight, but the ones who may hurt tomorrow. The ones who don't understand why someone they love is injured. Please pray that those four people have solid relationships with God, or that in this innident they seek God, and praise him for still being here.

You never know what will happen tonight, or even tomorrow, so no matter what make sure the people you love know you love them. Tomorrow may never come. Don't go to bed angry or wake up grumpy, because you're still alive, and someone out there does love you, whether it seems like it or not.


-A

Today I am 17 years old....

...or 204 months old

... or 886 weeks old

... or 6,209 days old

... or 149,016 hours old

... or 8,940,964 minutes old

... or 536,457,869 seconds old.

Do I feel any older? Not really. Am I acting more mature? I doubt it. Do I look any older? Who knows.

But I do feel thankful i'm still alive. Many people don't live to be 17 years old in this world. So yes, one more year does make a difference. Whether or not I feel like i'm any older, or I act more mature today because technically i'm one more year older, or I look my age now more so than before, I am still here on earth with my family and friends and for that I am thankful. I am blessed.

A lot has happened over the last 17 years and my life has only just begun.

In so many ways i'm still that same silly girl, but I do believe in the last 17 years i've grown to be a godly young woman, a person that can be trusted, and loyal, someone who you can call when you need a shoulder to cry on. All of these things people expect one to learn along the way, and that I have.

Today is another day, yes I am now 17, but it's just another day that i'm alive and growing. :)

No one ever said life was easy....

.... but someone did promise it'd be worth it. <3

It's hard to remember just how much God loves you and I when life throws us curve balls.

Right now i've found myself struggling to give God thanks for what I do have, and not question him about what I don't have. It's important to keep remembering that he does love me. He isn't just throwing situations my way and laughing at me, but he's asking me to grow from them, to use them to strengthen my relationship with him and other believers in Christ. To become a godly young woman worthy of a loving husband one day.

That is what I keep reminding myself this morning as I start to question God's motives. So no, today I may not understand why he's put me in the situations he has, but maybe tomorrow he'll show me exactly why. Who am I to think he'll never show me? He will, just on his time. My whole life should be on his time anyway, so for today that's all I can tell myself. As I remember to thank him for helping me grow, and making me a stronger woman.

This life isn't about how difficult it may or may not be today, it's about how amazing it'll be with him one day.

"Better is one day in your courts, better is one day in your house, better is one day in your courts, than thousands else where. Better is one day."

Well this is weird....

For the last just about two weeks i haven't talked much to my best friends, i haven't seen them, and i haven't been able to get ahold of anyone. This is just weird...

I guess I didn't realize how much these people mean to me until  they were gone (or across the world). Some people say they have the best friends in the world, but i'd like to disagree. The few people i do trust, and i can trust are my best friends. There are two people in my life that i could call at any time of day for any reason and they'd have my back, they'd protect me, and they'd let me cry on their shoulder if need be. I believe everyone needs someone or a few someone's in their life that they can call their best friend(s). I know i wouldn't be the strong, confident, faithful person i am today if it wasn't for them. I would probably be stuck in a place i was a year ago, and that was a very ungodly, miserable place to be. :(

Now i'm walking with God everyday of my life, i am confident in who i am for the first time in my entire life, and i'm willing to make the changes in my life that need to be made. So for people to say they have the best friends in the world, i think they're wrong. My friends have gotten me through an awful lot, and i love them for it everyday.

However the last few weeks without them have been a bit odd, but i know that no matter what if i need them they're still here for me. <3