Paige Renee

Paige Renee Speich. Wow. I don't really even know where to start with her. First off, let me just tell you a little bit about her.

She loves life, and little small things make her like so happy. I LOVE THAT
She jooshes her hair alot
She's one of my biggest role models in life, and such an inspiration to me
She likes to eat, and gets really excited about food
She's one of the most creative people I've ever met
She's one of the few people I can tell anything and everything to
She's a really good listener
Her freckles are beautiful. But then again, she's just beautiful in general. Inside and out.
Her love for Jesus and His creation continues to inspire me daily
She's kinda tone deaf and pretty much has no sense of rhythm hahaha
She has a huge heart for missions and that also just inspires me gahhhh
She's one of my best best friends ever and I LOVE HER SO MUCH
  
      Mkk, well know you have a little background on my little Paigey. This girl has just been really on my heart lately. She's been through alot in the last few years, and is one of the strongest people I know. I'm soo so proud of her and just how through it all she just looked to Jesus. The only word I can use to describe her tonight is inspiration. Thinking back on the last couple years she just straight up has inspired me daily, and helped me in more ways than she knows. I am honestly so proud of this girl. She is one of the most beautiful people I know. She walks into a room and it just lights up! Her excitement for life and Jesus and people is contagious let me tell you. Not only is she like probably the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen naturally, but her heart reflects that so much! I'm just so excited to see where God takes her. All the gifts in her are so evident to me, and I'm just really pumped to see all the lives she's gonna change! I just don't really know what else to say. This girl is INCREDIBLE. Seriously. And I'm so blessed to have her in my life! Wow, I am so blessed. I love you so much Paige!

Turning The Page

A new year. I'm turning the page on summer. Oh and what an amazing summer it was. I couldn't have asked for a better one. Mmm as sad as it is that there won't be any more long days lounging by the pool, triple sleepovers with my best friends, being tan all the time, not having any agenda at all and just going wherever and not caring about time or being somewhere, and just the fun relaxed feeling of summer will be gone for 9 months, it was a great summer and I'm just excited for sophomore year! And for fall mmm and eventually Christmas! I know it's a little early to be pulling that one out but honestly there is just so so much ahead to look forward tooo! And just seeing everyone everyday and all the activities and business of the school year.. I'm just excited for it all! Well I got an early morning tomorrow, but I just have one last thing. As excited as I am for all the crazy things to come, this year Christ is gonna be at the center of everything. His plans are the only thing that I want. I'm just excited to see where He takes me this year, and how He's gonna use me, and the areas I'm gonna get to grow in. Man I just love life so much! Sometimes it just overwhelms me! And I just love love Jesus! He is the reason I sing and the reason I have life. Hmm my heart's pretty full tonight. I'm just so genuinly happy right now and just ready to get this year going! I just know it's gonna be a good one!

Make It Count

I found this picture yesterday and it really just kinda hit me. This is short and sweet but so so true. Dr. Seuss once said 'Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.' I'm really kinda bummed summer is over and this new upcoming year is gonna be a totally different feel from last year with the seniors being gone, and other people that left and people that came, and different things and responsibilities I'm gonna have it will altogether just be different. But different can sometimes be so refreshing and good! I'm so excited for this new year and a whole new batch of experiences and memories and getting to know people and just the little things to come.. All the conversations and get togethers and just growing deeper in my friendships with people and giving into them and getting all that I can from the people around me and let them pour into my life. This is all just kinda random right now but all my thoughts sometimes tend to come out in a big ol' jumble. But anyways back to the picture, it's my motto this year. Live for today and make it so beautiful that it's worth remembering. The part that gets me is the make it so beautiful that it's worth remembering, so not just kinda good but just make it crazy amazing and so memorable. Even if it's just in the tinniest little things.. A lot of times those are the experiences I remember most. I want to look back on this year at the end and know I did everything giving 110 percent and taking the most out of every situation! Gahhl, I'm just so excited for this year, it's gonna be amazing! Thank you Lord for new opportunities and fresh starts.. Let's make the most of it and make it SO beautiful that we'll always remember it. 

Mark 12:30 'Love Him with all your passion, prayer, intelligence, and energy' Everything we do should be with so much passion and excitement, but ultimately unto Him.. Definitely something for me to think about

Put In Wonder

Tonight I'm feeling so caught up in thought, and feeling really emotional. I was listening to this song and it really just got me. God is seriously mind-blowing, and it brings me to the point of tears alot, but especially tonight. His love knows no end. I blow things all the time, and make such huge mistakes and in the natural I'm a failure, but in His eyes I'm perfect, and made righteous by His grace. That in itself is so hard to comprehend, but I'm realizing you just have to accept His grace. He's waiting there wanting to shower you in favor and blessings, and we have to accept it. And I was listening to another song today, and some of the lyrics say 'Your closer than a whisper, close enough to hear my heartbeat' and woah that just hit me hard. I think I often forget how close He is., He's living inside me. That blows my mind. And all the while He's waiting just wanting me to give Him my every worry and just accept His love, and accept His grace. His love knows no end, and that puts me in such wonder and awe.

mmm I'm just loving life right now.. I'm so thankful for the smells and the sounds and foods and just summer nights! Gahhhl I love them. And my familyy, and friends! They're all just seriously so great. Happy music is also on the 'thankful for' list right now.. LIFE IS GOOD

and I like flowers and the way they smelll (: 

Wooooofta. I just had like such an amazing past couple of days. On Sunday I left for kids camp, with an amazing team of people to be there doing the worship and drama and all that stuff! We got back this afternoon, so even though it wasn't a super long trip it was definitely one I will never forget. My heart is just so full right now! Like I am so blessed to be apart of the church I am, and know the people that I do! I was so so blessed every night just getting deeper and deeper into the worship with the kids, and just seeing there hungry hearts and getting to experience such a huge move of God with all of them. There all such amazing kids, and I am so excited to see the people they all grow up to be. It wasn't a huge group of us up there, there was like 150 kids, but it was such an intimate thing with them! Every service I feel like we just go more unified with them and it was so coool! I loved seeing how God just touched all of them so strong! I am just so blessed to have gotten the opportunity to be there with all of them and the chance to get to lead them into worship! And I loved loved loved the team I was with! We all just had so much fun just being crazy and staying up all night and had so many deep talks just about life and everything and getting the chance to be with all of them and pray and grow with them was so cool! I just love people and life and Jesus soo muchh! The simpliest things with people can be some of the most memorable. Like the last night we all just stayed out at the campfire until like 5:30 in the morning and watched the sunrise and through the night we just sat and watched the stars and talked and sat on the dock and it was such a cool night. We were outside at the fire from like 11 until morning, and it was just so great. I'll always remember that night. I also loved that even though I was on this trip I also got so much, and was so touched by the presence of God every single night, and I really feel like I've been so changed! It's so cool how God works, and how He uses people to touch you in ways you didn't even know you needed. Pastor John was the one doing the services every night and morning, and let me tell you, I got so so much from that guy! He blessed me so much, and all the stuff he preached about was so what I needed to hear. This trip just made me so excited about things coming too. There really isn't anything I love more than being with my brothers and sisters in Christ and worshiping with them, and everyone singing as one and getting to lead people into the presence of God. There really isn't anything like it. It's just all that I want to do with my life, and I know it's what I'm called to do. It just gets me so excited ahhhh. Watching people getting touched by God, and getting to experience that with them and pray with them and just talk is such a fulfilling thing. This trip just was so fulfilling altogether for me, and just makes me so excited for the things to come. I'm just so grateful right now, and my heart is so full! Life is just soo cool

Enjoy It Before It's Over

It's pretty simple. Life is too busy and things move way too fast to spend time worrying and fretting when all we should be doing is enjoying the little things and living to the absolute fullest. Give every care to Jesus, lay it at His feet. And then rest in Him and just enjoy life, and everything it has to offer. Enjoy the sounds and the smells and the laughter and the straight up beauty. Enjoy the people and the memories and the feelings and the good times and even the bad because it's all a learning experience. Enter into everything you do with one hundred and ten percent and never hold anything back. Take in every little detail, and freeze those memories in your mind. Be confident in who you are and who you were created to be, and never let anyone tell you who you can and can't be. Just be crazy and laugh alot till your stomach hurts and give lots of hugs. Appreciate the people in your life, and always remember to say I love you. Make goals and go after them. Don't just do something to do it, but have purpose. Be thankful all the time, and smile alot. ENJOY IT BEFORE IT'S OVER

A New Adventure

Do you ever just get those days where all you wanna do is go buy a plane ticket and jump on the next flight? Just go somewhere totally knew and experience totally different things, and just be crazy in a new place. Happens to me all the time, and today is so one of those days. I just wanna go somewhere wild and new right now. It's not even because I'm unhappy with where I am, or anything that happens. Something just comes over me where I crave new places, and new people and new experiences. I just wanna jump in the car and go. It would be lovely to land upon a beach, with a surfboard. I would honestly do anything to surf on some ridiculous waves right now. It's like I'm in love with people I've never met and cities I've never been too. And obviously someday I'm planning on traveling allll over the place. But I kinda just wanna start now. The thing is it's not even like I have specific destinations in mind or anything, just to go somewhere, and be so spontaneous. Just a new adventure. Hmm, one day.

Gahhhl, I just have so many things to be thankful for in life its kinda ridiculous. My heart is just exploding with happiness, at all the good good things. I get this feeling whenever I think about all that there is to be happy about where I kinda just wanna scream, and then I get real excited and like to list it all off in my head. It happens alot at night whenever I'm just thinkin, and then I'm stuck in my room and probably can't make alot of noise. So I'm just gonna list it all out on here instead.

*The weekend I had with my family. BEST  FAMILY EVER
*Fudge
*The fact that I'm burned and have sore muscles.. normally that would suck. But it doesn't cause it means tan later and tan means summer and summer means no school. And the sore muscles means I was skiing which I don't get to do often. So I'm a happy camper.
*I drove about 2 hours today without crashing into anything, or killing anyone in the car.
*My dogs.. their like my little bundles of puppy jumpy love
*Blankies and fans.. the 2 are an excellent combination
*My eye sight. All the beauty up at the cabin this weekend was crazy, and I loved just taking it all in
*Ice cold water and Arizona tea

I think I'll stop there for now, but to put it simply life is good.

The Lover Of Your Soul

Instead of us always trying to fix ourselves, and make things better, and trying to fill in the pieces, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus, the Lover of our Souls. We need to focus our gaze on Him, and Him alone. It's then that we find all that we need, and truly get satisfied. It's His love that fills us, makes us whole. And it's in Him that we find all that we need. "Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." - Psalm 34:5 As long as we keep our eyes on Him, we won't sink. It's so easy for me to get nervous and anxious about all the different things going on in life, and my future and not knowing what anything that lays ahead holds. And it's so easy to get wrapped up inside that worry. But if my eyes are on Jesus, none of that other stuff seems to even matter, because I only want what He wants for me. My whole life I've always had this one dream. It's never really seemed to change. But the more I wanted my life to be to His glory, my dream kinda began to shift. It was still the same general idea, just a shift in purpose. And that's exactly the point. I want my purpose of living to be the simple reason of bringing glory to His name. He created me with a plan in mind, and I'm so excited for the crazy journey I know He's gonna take me on. I know it won't be easy all the time, but that's why my eyes will be on Him, the Lover of My Soul. And sometimes things have to get harder before they get easier. Each day is just another opportunity for me to get closer and closer to Him, as He's shaping, using, changing, and molding me into the person I was created to be. That sounds super cheesy and cliche, but it's so true. So instead of my trying to fix myself all the time, I'm just gonna fix my eyes on Jesus, the Lover of My Soul