Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday (July 24) was my 16th birthday!! [: I’ve spent the past month taking my birthday portraits, and it was…. frustrating, to say the least.  But this week isn’t about my self portrait struggles (I’m saving that for another week [; )  This week I’m just gonna show you the photos that I actually like…

*click on any of the following photos to see the full size*

“Let your light shine before all in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16

To wish Cassie a happy, happy birthday follow this link and click the “like” button 😉

Have a beautiful week, everyone (:

What I Learned From the Turtles

We spent this past week on vacation at the beach, and while we were there we had the opportunity to go to a sea turtle release [:

While I’m most certainly not a morning person, I was more than happy to wake up at 6 am to go watch the babies start their new lives.

So, now to live up to the post title, here’s what the turtles taught me..

 

When the turtles were released, they immediately started their journey to the water.  Once they started getting close enough to the water, the tide would come in and wash them back to their starting point.  Some of the turtles had to start over multiple times, but they never gave up.

 I heard a few of the Sea Turtle Rescue team members saying that the babies would head towards the rising sun, and they did; the sun led them to their new home.  After getting pushed back by the waves a few times, the turtles figured out how to move with the waves instead of against them.  You could see that moment when everything clicked in their adorable little minds- once the turtles figured out that the waves (which were initially a problem for them) could actually help them out – because at that moment, when the waves came upon them they began to swim fast and take off towards the ocean with the wave, and after the turtles discovered that the waves were helpful rather than harmful, getting to their new home was a piece of cake

“Wait, but Cassie.. How on earth did this teach you anything?”

Well, dear, I’m glad you asked.

The turtles taught me that even when waves of despair and hurt push you back in life you can still find a way to turn them into waves of something productive.  Those waves can only make you stronger.  While they may hold you back at first you just have to trust in your sun (God) to lead you to where you are meant to be.  Once you trust in God, everything else comes naturally, just like the turtles making it to the ocean on a wave of faith.

 

“NEVER give up, for this is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” 

 

 

I’m All In

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go on my 3rd Teen ACTS retreat, but this time as a team member.  Last summer when they were preparing for the 2012 retreat, one of my friends told me that being on team would change my life, and of course I didn’t believe him.  But he was so very right.  Being a team member allowed me to step back and change the lives of the retreatants.  To watch them grow in their faith and come to know God in new ways.  It’s amazing to witness.

No matter what happens in life, God is always by your side.  Even if you begin to push him away, he will never abandon you.   It seems that these days we let our fear of the unknown get in the way of what really matters because we are too afraid – too doubtful- to simply cast all of our possessions and luxuries aside and follow Christ.  We are so worried that if we open ourselves fully to God that He won’t like what He sees, leading Him to turn us away.  If you think about it, that fear is one of the things that makes us so beautifully human.  We live in a world where our peers are constantly judging our imperfections and mistakes, which makes us feel as if our human qualities are going to make God love us less.  We get so caught up in this fear that we forget that God already knows every single part of us: every wrongdoing, every anxiety, every truth that we hide even from ourselves.  But the thing is, God doesn’t care about all of our mistakes.  He only wants us to have the courage to stand up, cast all of our doubts and burdens aside, and follow Him.  I often find myself wondering how our perfect Father could love such imperfect children, but then I remember that even the most beautiful swan was once the ugly duckling.  God knows that we are far from pure, but He invites us to follow Him so that we may take part in the good that He does and learn to become more like Him.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Christ died on the cross so that all of our sins could be forgiven.  Don’t empty that cross of its meaning by assuming that God will turn you away. If you ever feel estranged from Him, remember that He isn’t the one that has moved.  All you have to do is have faith and ask for His forgiveness.  Trust Him with all your heart, all your being, all your strength, and all your mind.

Do yourself a favor, if you ever have the opportunity to go on an ACTS retreat, do it.  It’ll change your life.

“Sometimes the only available mode of transportation is a leap of faith.”

It’s the Little Things

Last Sunday I mainly took some photos of things that I love about where I live, the first obviously being my adorable grandparents. [:

My grandparents always have fresh vegetables at their house.  Grandpa’s garden was one of my favorite places to hang out when I was younger.

Every Sunday my grandma cooks for our entire family, and after we’re done my grandpa takes the scraps out to the dog, Sparky.  He has been around since I was a little girl, and has brought all seven of us grandchildren joyful memories.

When we were little and my grandparents would take care of my brothers and me while my mom was at work we’d sometimes help them with the flower beds.  Our hard work (making a giant mess while my grandma followed fixing our mistakes) was often rewarded by the discovery of a big, juicy earth worm or some snails.  But I’d never seen one actually come out of its shell before, so Sunday was a bit of a first for me. 

Aaaaaaand, that’s all I had time for.  Have a beautiful week!