Coming Home

            The last day of our awesome, wonderful, and amazing Florida trip was today. I feel awful nostalgic writing this right now, but I know it’s time for me to come back to my life here. This morning after breakfast, I went to the beach again to pray and to say goodbye. I sat on the sand and watched the waves which were so much closer on the shore than yesterday. I sang a few worship songs, walked on the sand, put my feet in the water, and said goodbye. Since there was hardly anyone there, it was the perfect time for reflection and prayer. It was also a good time for me to bid farewell to my new favorite place. I miss it so much already, but I’m also glad to be home.

            When we had finished packing up at the hotel, we returned our rental car and headed into the airport. I can’t imagine how hard it must’ve been for my mom to drop us off there. I was super anxious when we first went through the gates by ourselves. Because it was an international airport, there was more security stuff we had to do. I was patted down for the first time ever. It actually wasn’t too awkward for me because I was wearing a dress. Now the people with pockets are a different story! Anyway, we made it through security with no trouble and all our flights were very smooth.

        This picture doesn't even begin to describe how beautiful this actually looked while we were in the sky. But hopefully it helps you see what I'm talking about when I say the words cotton candy clouds!

            I think it is so amazing how beautiful God’s creation is. I was so awestruck at the ocean, but also while we were in the air. Our airplane was flying completely over clouds, all of them connected- you couldn’t see anything below us. All you could see was what looked like a blanket of white cotton candy beneath us and the gorgeous radiant blue of the sky. God’s beauty is not limited- it is everywhere. Everywhere I look, I see creation proclaiming the greatness of God. I don’t understand how people live their lives without Him. I have been so blessed and am so thankful to my Father. Thank you all so much for your prayers for us on this trip. I know that they played a huge part in the miracles we experienced here. In turn, I will also pray for you, that the same blessing that Jesus has bestowed on us might also fall on all of you who have taken part in this journey. What a gift this trip to Florida has been to me. Thank you for sharing it with me. I know that I will miss writing this blog and I know I will miss my beaches, but I know I am where I am supposed to be. And that is right here. The straight and narrow road is calling my name. It doesn’t matter where I am. I am embracing it.

Last Days on the Beach

                This morning we drove back to Jacksonville for some prayer appointments with Christian Healing Ministries, the same prayer people who put on the retreat. There were two women there who prayed with us for several hours, and it was amazing. I feel so connected to Jesus, to my family, and to myself through this experience. I am so thankful that God brought us here. He has loved on us girls so much this past week, and He has really shown us how much He cares. He poured out His grace upon us through these appointments, and I feel so equipped now to share Jesus. Before, I felt like I had a broken heart. I loved Jesus, but it was hard for me to share Him with others because I was struggling with my trust. But now, I know that I am ready because I am healed and whole and on fire with the Holy Spirit. The two women were also very much a blessing to me- I am so thankful to them for taking time out of their day to pray with me.

                 After our prayer appointments, we grabbed some food (aka more Chick-fil-a) and headed out to the swamps to find some alligators. The prayer women had told us about this restaurant on our way back to St. Augustine that was on the river- they said that they had never been to this place without seeing a gator. SOOOO, we decided to check it out and see what we could find. Upon our arrival, we drove around and searched the nearby areas, but couldn’t find anything. We even went out on the dock, with no sign of any alligators. I know, pretty disappointing, but what can you do? It feels kind-of bad that we have spent so many hours over the past week looking for alligators, but haven’t been able to find any. I know that they were in the places we went, we just couldn’t see them. They could probably see us though…. creepy. ANYWAYS, we kind-of gave up our search, and there’s a very little chance we will see a gator before we leave in less than 24 hours. Oh well. I guess all I can say is that maybe it was a good thing we didn’t have any gator encounters because I’m very happy to have all four limbs.

                                     The swamp/ dock where we went looking for gators.

                When we finally got to the hotel, we headed straight for the beach. This time, though, we actually went in all the way into the water. I think at one point we were in at about our necks. The waves were HUGE- it was like going into a mega wave pool only real. The water was so salty though. It hurt our eyes a lot, and I was a little worried about my contact lenses. We were having so much fun that it didn’t even matter. There was hardly anyone there, except a couple surfers and some random people scattered on the beach. The water was warm, and it felt so good to just relax and let the waves sweep me away.  Again, I am in awe of God's handiwork. 

 

The beach.

                                                       Lizzie and I braving the waves.

                                             Mom, Lizzie, and I after swimming in the ocean.

                After the beach and a dip in the pool/Jacuzzi, back to the hotel room we went and here we are now. We had some pizza delivered to our room, and the guys in the lobby made us a special batch of cookies. This is our last night here in Florida. Now, it is time for me to enjoy my last moments here in this place that I love. Tomorrow, Lizzie and I are hopping on a plane and coming home (I'll write another post to tell you how that goes). It’s a weird feeling, leaving this place that I have come to love so much in the short time I’ve been here. I will miss it. But also, I am content with what I have received here. I know that we have done what we were called here to do. I am satisfied with our experiences (even though we didn’t see an alligator or go parasailing-they were closed for the season) and am so grateful that God has given me this opportunity that most people my age don’t get: a chance to travel across the world (kind-of an overstatement, but whatever) with my family and have spiritual encounters with Jesus. Nothing could ever be better. I couldn’t have asked for more. 

                                                                

Adventures in St. Augustine

                Today we switched locations. We were originally staying in Jacksonville, but about 40 minutes away is a smaller town called St. Augustine. For our last few days in Florida, my mom had booked a hotel that was right on the beach. So this morning we packed up all our stuff and headed over to our next destination. Our hotel room wasn’t ready when we got there, but the hotel guy told us about this great Mexican restaurant called Casa Maria. We were, of course, starving and decided to try it. The meal, in my opinion was not as good as Chick-fil-a :) BUT however, the one meal that I ordered is enough for three meals! They give you SO much food. It was pretty good, though, so I don’t mind.

                          Like seriously, this is only a portion of what came with our meals at Casa Maria!

                Fast forward a few hours, it was time for us to go to church. We went to Mass at the St. Augustine Cathedral. The church was very neat, and I’m glad we chose to go there. There was actually a guest bell choir playing along with the organ for the music. So cool! The heritage was very interesting too.

                                                          The steeple of the Cathedral

         The front view of the church (this church was huge. You can't see it in the picture, but there was another sitting section on the right, and two other sitting sections on the left).

                                                     The back view of the church (entrance)

              The Cathedral is actually located in a very historic part of town. There were all these little shops around it, so after Mass, we acted like typical tourists  Window shopping, taking lots of pictures of ourselves doing different things. I’m so glad my mom is so awesome- she let me take off my shoes while we walked. Usually, my mom does NOT tolerate shoelessness. Like EVER. But these oh-so-adorable wedges that I had worn all day long were killing my feet, and we all knew that we could not tour the shops if I had to keep wearing them. So good ole’ mom told me I could go barefoot. Seriously, I’m sure the whole town thought I was an idiot, but hey, I’ve never had such happy feet!

                                                        Touring the town in my bare feet :)

                During our stroll around town, we stopped in on this goodie store. Bad idea! This place was top of the market; Carmel apples, truffles, pastries, and (get this) homemade waffle cones! Of course, we had to get some ice cream (you know how that is!). SOO GOOD! I decided on this delicious Raspberry sorbet flavor in those homemade cones… I was hooked. My tummy was so grateful to me- and I know I probably burned it all off walking around in my bare feet, so it’s all good :)

                                               Mom, Lizzie, and I with our delicious ice cream.

               When we finally checked into our hotel, it was almost dark. Elizabeth had really wanted to go to the beach, but there was a fine if you went out on the beach after sunset- something about the baby turtles on the beach. So Liz and I hurried outside, and we were in awe. The hotel was literally, right on the beach. The view is so beautiful- the ocean as far as the eye can see and the white sand that you think can only exist in movies. We were both in such a fascination over what we saw. The water was warm and I can’t wait to go back in again tomorrow. Just seeing the ocean was such a reminder of God’s power. I was a little scared to go out into the water. It was intimidating. These waters stretch so far that not even the eye can see its end. These waters are overflowing with colorful, interesting, and even kind-of creepy creatures that are all unique. The majestic picture I see in the ocean is the vision of God, the one who made it all.

My Retreat Experience

                Today was the last day of our women’s conference. We were there Thursday night, all day Friday, and Saturday until dinnertime. For those of you who don’t know, this retreat was the reason we came here to Florida in the first place. It is actually very hard for me to write about this. It is so hard to put into words the miracles that happened in Grace Church this weekend. The experience was one that has changed me in the deepest parts of my soul. The intimacy that I experienced with God this weekend could not have left me unchanged- you can’t go back to your old self after you have such a Love encounter. The Spirit was so heavy in every worship time. Every speaker, every prayer time, every song brought me in some way deeper into my heart or deeper into the Heart of God.

                                                               The logo of the retreat...

                                   Captivate Women's Conference- Song of Solomon 8:5-7

                One thing that was so freeing and welcoming was the fellowship. Because this retreat was women’s only, it left a sort of camaraderie that wouldn’t have happened if there had been men there. (Well, actually, there were a couple guys there, but it was only for things like videoing the tapes or playing in the band.) All of us ladies knew we were there for the same reason- to glorify God, seek His face, and be forever changed by Him. There was a sort of unspoken friendship between every woman there. It didn’t matter if you’d never met each other- hugs, introductions, smiles, and prayers were exchanged. 

               There were several awesome women speakers including actress Nancy Stafford (topic: self-worth), Courtney Boswer (topic: not keeping Jesus to ourselves), and Judith Macnutt (she was kind-of the lead speaker so she spoke several times on various topics including God’s burning love for us). There were a lot of amazing things that happened, so I won’t go into a lot of detail about the workshops. But there are two things that I would really like to share about: Worship and Prayer.

                               Elizabeth and I with actress Nancy Stafford (Matlock)

                The worship at this retreat was wonderful. It was led by Kelanie Gloeckler, whom I absolutely love, by the way. We were encouraged by the leaders to do whatever we needed to do during worship. If you wanted to dance around the room, go to the front to worship, raise your hands, lay on the ground, kneel, you were free to do so. One thing that was really awesome was that during one worship session, God was really moving in people’s hearts. The only clincher was that we had run out of time- but the staff came to the decision that God was in control and allowed the worship to continue for at least another hour. Isn’t that AWESOME?!? People were getting prayed over during this time, too.

                God really moved in me through prayer. As I said, I won’t go into detail about everything, but I will say that I am in awe of the way Jesus choses to get His point across. All I can say is that it’s no lie when the Bible says when 2 or more are gathered in His name, He will be there. Getting prayed over was one of the highlights of the whole trip. Healing reigns in the presence of God, and I experienced this first-hand this weekend. God wants us, His daughters, to know the burning love He has for us. I have felt this blazing fire in my heart and can’t wait to come back home to share that Love with you all!

                          Mom, Elizabeth, and I at the conference in our matching sparkle shirts :)

                Tonight we haven’t done much, just rested in the Lord. I am so grateful to all of you who have prayed for us on this trip. Thank you so much! God has honored your prayers and blessed us abundantly this weekend. He has once again exceeded my expectations. I love it how my little brain has this tiny view of what awesome is… then God just kind-of blows in and shows me what awesome REALLY looks like!

Watch out Gators

                Today, we visited a very important place: Chick-fil-a. The entire time we were in the parking lot trying to get a good picture, I was singing that oh-so-catchy song by Tim Hawkins. J That was all I could think about (my family will tell you this is true). The chicken sandwich and fries were pretty dang delicious, and the service was great. If you ever get the chance, go to Chick-fil-a. And if you’ve never heard that wonderful parody about this awesome restaurant, I would say to go look it up as soon as you’re done reading my blog! But don’t blame me if when you visit, that’s the only thing you can think about.

                                        Me, Mom, and Lizzie in front of the delicious restaurant, Chick-fil-a.

              After dinner we went- do not judge us people- gator searching. I am not kidding you! We drove around in our convertible for about an hour going to random bodies of water in search of alligators. We never actually got out of the car, but it was still kind-of creepy because we weren’t enclosed. No luck finding any of the dangerous creatures, but I have made it my personal goal to find a gator in the wild before I come home in six days. According to a local, the gators are everywhere, and we were warned not to swim in any of the lakes even if other people were doing it. Knowing this information, I don’t think it will be too difficult to fulfill my mission to see an alligator in the wild…

First days in Florida

Hello everybody! This blog is an update of all the wonderful and amazing things I experience during my stay in Florida. Already, I have seen God’s hand displayed in this trip- the way that everything we have done has come together better than we ever could’ve imagined. I call this trip my courageous adventure. For so many years I have been afraid of what might happen, indulging my thoughts to what if’s. But right now, I feel that God is calling me to step out of fear and embrace the excitement that comes with following Him. It’s like bungee jumping. It takes you forever to finally decide to jump off the cliff, and in your head you’re thinking “What if my rope snaps” or “What if the rope is too long”. All the way down you’re regretting that you jumped and hoping, trusting that it will all be ok. But then, to your relief, your rope catches you, and you know that you’re safe. It’s so scary sometimes to just jump out of my comfort zone. But God has called me to be brave, a woman who trusts in Him for everything even when I’m afraid or can’t see what’s ahead. God hasn’t broken my trust. In fact, He’s already exceeded my expectations.

My first few hours in Florida have been filled with excitement, exhaustion, and irritability J Rewind several hours and you’ll know why… Yesterday morning, we did our first “fearless” thing- we flew on an airplane (or several actually) on September 11^th. Some may call us foolish and incautious, but hey, the tickets were way cheaper because apparently all the superstitious people were at home J We left our house at around 5:15 AM (waaay to early, if you ask me!). I was really stressed out for the first flight, especially after my mom was held up at security for bringing Applesauce in her carry-on. After we boarded and everything was settled, I started to relax and even feel excited. Our first flight was to Salt Lake City, Utah. After we arrived there, we had a three hour layover. I took my class online while we were waiting, but seriously, the whole time I was there I was nervous… there were young men in suits everywhere- Mormon missionaries. I knew I had my headset on, so they would probably leave me alone, but still I was a little antsy when Mom and Lizzy left me there alone. Luckily, none of the 50 guys surrounding me ever tried to evangelize to me. I figured out on the plane that all of them were going to Chile to do their Mission.

                                               Lizzy and I on the plane.

Our last flight was from Atlanta, Georgia, to Jacksonville, Florida. Overall, my flying experience was pretty good, despite the cranky flight attendants and the stress of trying to fit my suitcase in the overhead. One thing I was worried about was that my ears would have issues because I’d been having lots of problems before we left. But, not to worry- God answered our prayers. No ear trouble.

It was about 8:00pm Florida time when we finally arrived in Jacksonville. As Mom went to go rent the car, Liz and I waited and sat and waited and sat and waited and… do you get the picture? The point is, Mom was renting the car for a looooong time. We were originally supposed to pick up the car the next day. We were going to get a convertible just for the day because it was so expensive, then return it for a cheaper car. When it was finally time to pick up the car, a miracle happened. The name of that miracle is called an orange Camaro convertible. Here’s what is even better: Mom had gotten a discount so we could have the car the whole week instead of just one day!

The end to our exhausting day was perfect- riding back to the hotel in our hot rig, hair blowing in our tired faces, laughter spilling out into the humidified air, some late night take-out, and a great night’s sleep. Our hotel room is beautiful and comfortable. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my week in this lovely place called Florida.

                                  

                                     Mom, Lizzie, and I with our awesome car.

                                                   Me taking our hot new ride out for a spin… what better place to practice driving than in a place nobody knows you? Just kidding :P