A shout-out to my parents!

If I was rich, you know what I would do?

I would walk around Orlando with $40 looking for someone, multiple someones, serving others- giving. Someone like my parents. I would catch them in the act and say "You've been caught doing something good!" and give them $20 for themselves and $20 to pass on to someone else. I know that $20 isn't much but since I would want to help multiple people it seemed more reasonable. That way you can help them and arm them for helping someone else. And $20 really could do a lot for some people.

The reason I was thinking about this today was because I was considering my parents and their awesome example. My parents give and give and keep on giving, they are incredible. Who says you have to be rich to do something like this though? My parents have never been "rich" but they have always been sacrificial and rich in heart. Its definitely time that I start reevaluating how much I am giving to others and what more I could be doing to help others. After all, with such incredible parents, who would I be if I didn't? Mom and Dad, thank you for being the best parents and the most wonderful role models anyone could ask for! I love you both so much and I am so blessed by you!

p.s. Everyone, I'm sorry I haven't written in so long, its been a crazy busy semester! And its almost over!!! :)

Quick catch-up!

Hey friends, I'm feeling very thankful tonight (and patient apparently), so I'm writing a little catch-up on my life.

Where I am living: I am living with Heather(sister) and Michael(bro in-law) Margio, and loving it! I am paying them a little for rent and learning some really cool things about budgeting and other "adult" things. But also getting some of the freedom of being moved out without all of the pressure! They are a little closer to school and Wesley so that has been a very, very, nice perk!

Where I am right now in school: I'm a sophomore at Valencia getting my general AA taken care of before I switch over to UCF next fall for a major in Public Administration and a minor in Music.

Where I work: I am working with a family of seven (five kids two parents of course, who would ever have seven kids?!). I am technically a "Mommy-Helper" or that's what I call myself, because Lori is almost always there with me. Caitlin is 6, Michael is 4, Clair is 3, and Luke and Lily are 15 mos. Have I said yet how much I LOVE my job? I have a little joke with myself that whenever I am tired or "don't feel like going to work," I just laugh at myself. No matter how tired, overwhelmed, or lazy I am feeling, the moment I walk in the door I am the happiest girl around! :]

What I get to do at work: I do laundry, cooking, kitchen cleanup, entertainment, baby holding, and deep cleaning. I work 4 hrs two nights a week and 3hrs of cleaning. I have been working for my family since sometime in January so its been about 9 months! Where did the time go?? I'll have to share some pictures and favorite quotes/moments later down the road!

Besides school and work, what do I do?
Besides school and work I am very involved with the Central Florida Wesley Foundation. I am on leadership, co-leading a community group, and heading up the Wesley/Valencia outreach. I also get to sing on the worship team sometimes! I am also on the worship team for my church. :] But yes, I am spread too thin! I think its a disease that runs in the blood of a Walter.

I have been struggling a lot recently with friendships and not feeling like I had true friends to share my life with. I knew from the beginning of this semester that I would have to work on pursuing people (which is something that until the semester I have been terrible at), but I didn't know it would be this hard and tiring! My two love languages are physical touch and quality time and when I don't get those I feel empty and I don't function well. Early this week I had a break down but the Lord has blessed me since then with many opportunities to be with friends and be filled. :) Thank You, God, for meeting me where I am at in my struggles!

I started writing this blog early and then I skyped with Aleah and was very distracted so now its late and I'm tired and getting sick soooo.. I'll continue with more another time!
Goodnight!

Oh man.

Today I am basking in the Lord. I can't even say which aspect of His character because I am merely stunned and in awe.

I started 31 Days of Praise: Enjoying God Anew by Ruth Meyers today and I am simply blown away. I am praying for consistency to keep up with this wonderful book because I know that it will change my mentality. A change in my mentality will effect my everyday life in my choices, thoughts, relationships, and it will keep the focus OFF of me.

My songs of praise today that I chose (and which very well may be my favorite songs of all times) are Come Thou Fount, and Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken. Incredible words to soak in.

Each day of praise gives you two groupings of verses, the first I am choosing to read in the morning and the second before I go to bed. Two of the verses given were Psalm 91:1-2. (Moses's prayers)

           Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

           This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;

           He is my God, and I trust Him.

(emphasis by me)

I choked and stumbled a little bit as I read this aloud.. Moses declared this about God in his life, that God alone was his refuge and place of safety. (Where am I finding my refuge and safety?) He didn't ask God for it to be that way, he didn't want it to be that way, he stated it. That seems more powerful to me because it signifies an incredible amount of faith. Also, you see that last part where Moses says, "He is my God, and I trust Him."? I choked while saying that. If the Almighty is my God, why do I feel dishonest in saying for myself that I trust Him? DO I trust Him?? I feel dishonest because I don't feel like my life reflects that very well. My goal now is to find out what I am not trusting the Almighty with. Right now in my life its tricky, I don't feel blatant in disobedience, a lack of trust, nothing huge, you know? So I'm trying to sift through my life and find the sneaky unChristlike characteristics.

And I leave with this, my heart's meditation for the day.
"How precious is Your love to me, O God! I sing for joy as I take refuge in the shadow of Your wings!"

What I've been thinking..

The sermon yesterday was on surrendering to God.

Mark 8:34-35

"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it."

All my life that has just sounded like a good idea, but it never really sunk in, I never really understood it. It wasn't a call to be miserable, and I guess that's what I had missed before.. Christ is calling us to deny ourselves, which is the complete opposite of what the world says. When we pick our way over God's way, we lose the life God intends for us. Did you catch that part about when we try to hang on to our lives we will lose it? We will lose our intended lives! How saddening is that?? Daily I make the choice to do what I want, with small exceptions, but still the same as a majority of the world. But that means that daily I am missing out on part of the best God has for me each day. Because only with Christ can I have joy despite my circumstances!

It is impossible to half surrender.. So if this is a daily choice, that actually could and should sometimes be a moment by moment choice....What am I trying to hold onto?

That's a rough question to ask, but the first thing that popped into my head was MY WILL. My own, very limited and selfish will, that's what carries me from day to day. The desire to please and serve and satisfy myself. How sad!

So I asked God to break my will. I actually truly want Him to crumble it. I know He won't abuse that and humiliate me, because He has the best in store for me. But it still is hard, scary really. How am I supposed to know what He's going to do, or call me to? I don't. And I asked for the hard things. I asked for opportunities to have my will broken, tough circumstances thrown my way, sharing and serving opportunities, ANYTHING that causes me to be unselfish.

You know what's funny about that? Last time I remember doing a small semblance of this, I had a crappy day. Like a really crappy day and I responded like a spoiled rotten child. Angry, upset, jaded, pouty, and then humiliated when I remembered what I had asked the Lord to do and I shuttered at my response.

So keep me honest, friends! Its obviously a constant battle, so I need to be on my guard and kept accountable.

Makin the move

So I'm moving to blogspot from Tumblr because this site is more blog friendly :) I had a tumblr for awhile in hopes of writing without it being mega publicized, just keepin it simple, but now I'm moving to the big-kid blog in hopes of encouraging and being encouraged! Come share with me on my search for balance and I would love to share in yours!

This morning I wrote on my Tumblr so I'm going to repost it here. :)