Kaaterskill Falls

Pictures simply won't do it justice. It was definitely an eventful day today, but I’m so thankful that I got to experience it with these ladies.

Be Grateful

Lately, my mind has been consumed with so many worldly concerns that I have been mumbling, grumbling, and complaining about everything. Not only have I been complaining, but I have been stressing myself out as well. A couple days ago, I was thinking about my finances and about all the things I needed money for. On top of financial worries, I was getting overwhelmed again because I still needed to get my projects, papers, and homework turned in, typical college life stuff. While I was complaining and worrying about everything, I simply forgot about the joy, peace, and love that God offers me. There are so many things to be thankful for. I may not have all the money I want right now, but at least I have a job. To be honest, I struggle a lot with being grateful, especially to God. I tend to focus a lot on what I don’t have and what I need/want more of. I want to pursue a life of joy, but I can’t because I am constantly thinking about my selfish needs/wants. If I am just thankful for what I have, I can be at peace and be able to enjoy life for what it is. When I look at my life, I have much more than what is necessary anyways.

Something that I have been trying to do is remind myself of the things I am grateful for. Randomly throughout the day, I ask myself, “What are you grateful for right now?” The answer ranges from something little to big and serious to silly. Whenever I am done answering the question, I find that there is a smile on my face. When I think of the things I am grateful for, my attitude and mood starts to change for the better. It is great to remind ourselves daily of things we are grateful for because that is how quickly we forget about them. In the process of being grateful, God also receives all the praise and glory because we would not have anything without God. What better way to praise and glorify the goodness and faithfulness of God in our lives than to proclaim all the great things He has blessed us with. I think it is amazing how being grateful can change our heart and soul. It can be easy to get caught up with complaining, but the negativity does not change anything. In fact, it actually makes us feel worse. If you are like me and you need to actively remind yourself of things you are grateful for, then I encourage you to get a little journal and start making a list! A grateful heart truly does wonders. For the past couple of days, I have been making my own list. I find that I have been complaining less, stressing out less, trusting more in God, and smiling more.

Right now, these are just a couple of things I am grateful for …

1.       Being able to wear sandals because of the warm weather.
2.       A dad who loves me and does so much for me.
3.       Food in the cafe.


“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Conquering Mountains

Matthew 17:20 ESV He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

In our lives we have mountains that make us think, “How am I going to conquer that?” When we’re at the bottom looking up, our mountains seem unconquerable and they shadow over us making it seem impossible. For the last couple of years, my mountains to conquer have been the state tests for the Education Department. I was completely horrified and anxious about having to take a test to get into the program, taking four more to student teach, and then having to pass the final one to graduate. Oh boy, I definitely allowed my mountains to let me live in fear.  

I don’t think anyone knew how scared, more like how terrified, I was to take them, but I was so scared of failing that I held off my tests until the very last minute (not a good thing and I have definitely suffered some consequences). I didn’t think I was capable of passing them so I didn’t even want to try. In the last couple of months I received a lot of words of encouragement and prayers that I finally gained the courage to take my tests. Today, I can say that I PASSED all of my tests on the first try! I have conquered my mountains! All praise and glory to God though. The Lord has blessed me with faithful and encouraging friends and family to walk alongside me and I am grateful for them as well. I am overwhelmed with joy and His work in my life. Through all of this, I have learned that God is on my side and that He will finish what He has started. He’s been equipping me this whole time, I just needed to take action.

I’m sure that there are going to be many more mountains in the future, but I know that I can make mountains move with the authority and strength God has blessed me with. 

A late post, but I still had to share about how good God has been in my life!

Blessings to you all!