Friends, Faith, and Family

Friends have been the most helpful fuel in the past months to my faith. Weekly bible studies and pen-pal emails have kept me from totally falling off the side of the boat of feelings. I want to thank all of them for helping me so much. My family too. You guys have uplifted me in a time of need. Now that family is moving away from our old island home I'm always going to be an island girl due to friendships I'm going to keep. Nowadays I have friends all over the globe. It's great.

You all know about Sophie. We've been best friends since birth. We live many hours apart but miles have never dampened our friendship. She's a computer geek, a movie fanatic, and a plain good friend. She always recommends good books. She can cook up a storm. She's super sweet. Oh, how I LOVE her!! The other day I got this sweet letter from her you'll have to read:

Dear Maya,
Remember when we were five and wanted to be princesses when we grew up? Remember how we used to torture our puppies and younger siblings? So, next time you come to Tennessee let's have a reniuon party and watch our old movies and sleep on the bonus room couch like we used to.

Is she not the sweetest? Anyway I am super Thankful for my Faith, Friends, and my Family. Oh I am so happy for my faith!

And my amazing Family! When we move to NC we will be living in an apartment together for a while. It will be crowded with lots of love. I love my sister Emily and Brother Jeremy who no longer live with us at home. I love my brother-in-law David and my future sister in law Meg. I already love my sister's baby girl who is coming in april. Oh what Joy of  Family!

And I have a surprise for my blog coming soon! You'll see...

Update on Life

I'm finally back. Finally. So much has happened I can't tell all of it now. So here's a quick update. I'm done with my November stay with my sister. I'm happy at home. But I have to tell my amazing blog some depressing news I heard yesterday. We're moving. Yes, at the beginning of 2012 my family is leaving our beloved island home to move to North Carolina. We've benn considering the move for a year now and finally we've decided this is where God wants to lead us next. I can't help feeling very happy about our new life, but so sad too. It's mixed. Yet I have experienced God's faithfulness overwhelming me in this hard time. Oh the joy and beauty in following Christ Jesus my Lord!!!

Before I Leave (misc Monday).

I know I mentioned a blogging break but before I leave I wrote up my Misc Monday Post for you.

Things I love:

Oh, Rejoice among the saints!

Can I say that I am at home? Not at my sisters home, but at my beauitful house in South Carolina. Last night was the most wonderful night in a while. I had a spiritual awakening! I had been praying for more in my realtionship with Christ and the Holy Spirit has faithfully stirred a passion in my heart. I cannot stop rejoicing! Oh, rejoice! I love this beautiful verse:

 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)

I am so filled with the joy of my Lord that I cannot write any longer. Farewell for now mt friends. I am actually going to take a blogging break until Decemberish. I am so in love with God I have to take a time to fast and pray in the next week. So see you soon...

Yours, Truly

Dear Journal,

Last night it was freezing. I had gone with Emily and David to do our very first Christmas shopping, when I realized the weather here was different than home. Yeah, cold. We did find some gifts though, also some cute shirts on clearence. We then went to starbucks and cuddled up, drinking warm holidayish Coffee. Then we went home and Emily stumbled upon some blondsih hair color and decided to try it on me. It turned out to be more light-brownish, but it worked. It was near eleven by then, but I was checking my email and finally created a account on Bloglovin, so follow me by clicking on the post below this one. That was my lovely day. Today seems promsing and it's only a week and a month until Christmas!!

Your, Truly,
MAYA

I'm Like a Flower, Waiting to Bloom

Lately, I've felt like my blog title examples how I'm feeling. I'm a flower, blooming. Changing. Being shaped. Expering Frost-bitten winters of sorrow. And Springs of everlasting joys. I'm a rose, found in the thorns of this life and ripped be the small hands of a child. And crushed by the smallest creatures. A rose in full bloom is what I desire. To be a women of un-ending faith and forever blooms. I want people to gaze upon my beauty and see the beauty of my creator and the frangrance he anointed me with. I want my thorns to be barely seen, for my blooms are far too great in wonder for people to nodice them. I only want to be a flower in the garden of my God.

I've read through the bible before, but lately I've been hearing the unmistakable calling to read through it cover-to-cover. To read the creatin through the revalation. To know my Lord Jesis Christ better this way. I stumbled upon this quote on a lovely blog I read:

You know not what joys may be stored up for you in the cottage around which grace will plant the roses of content. ~Spurgeon

I have a confession to make. I really don't have a good relationship with my parents. They're not very good christians, which makes it difficult to obtain a deep relationship with them. Lately, God has been calling me to love them despite our differences and to try to save them, which I have given up on. Obeying them and witnessing to my own Mom has been the deepest struggle of my own life. I wanted a break and that's why I came to Live with emily for the month(my mother was not responding well to the response I had to the  death of my friend Lauren). In one week, I'm going home and I have faith God will help me switch our relationship around, for this is desire I've always had. I need to be faithful to my God and my parents.

“Being faithful in the smallest things is the way to gain, maintain, and demonstrate the strength needed to accomplish something great.”
― Alex Harris

 

Another area I have always felt weak in is my own love life. I have had tendencys to be unfaithful in my thoughts regarding Purity and have always been negative towards embarcing this. God has lately been showing me that this is worth the on-going wait that fills my heart with dispair. He's shown me some of the guys in my life aren't that one guy I need to love. I've had struggles when boys have asked me out, having to tell them no. Yet I'm so glad that I am waiting for my speacial one!

I cannont wait for my husband to come. Well, yes I can. One day my beloved and I shall travel the world, proclaming the gospel to all nations.

Until that day,

Maya

Pepperminted Moments

Peppermint. Is that Not the nicest Word you have ever heard? It's almost the hoildays, which are my most favoritest seasons. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Especially Christmas. The season of love. The season of Joy!!! I was watching the tv the other day and a add came on, saying that if you went to their sale, you would find true Christmas Joy. That's not even sorta funny. Christ Jesus is my christmas Joy. My everlasting beauty.

I am really in the christmas mood!! Super, Duper! The other day I went to a christmas pagent my friend was in and listening to all that music made me laugh really hard. My Crush was there and we were sitting together starring at the stage, when my other friend came and sat down. "You two look like a couple!" She proclaimed out loud. We both laughed, but inside I was dying. Haha.

I'm having some very good memories od holiday seasons in the past. i call them Pepperminted Moments. I hope there are very more this year! I can remember Tghe tree falling down of me, licking the christmas cookie bowl, Bree cheese and pear christmas ever dinners, opening presents as a family, My sister getting engaged, peppermint bark, apple cider, eggnog, candy cane plays, singing christmas tree performances, and acting out the nativity scene with some family friends.


For those of you still wondering, I am still staying with my sister in Nashville until we go to Hilton Head For Thanksgiving. I will just stay there then. My sister is amazing!!
There will in the future, some major changes coming to my blog. I have long wondered if a new name would be a good idea and finally settled on one. Anyway, enjoy the holiday Seasons!

Things I am looking forward to for christmas 2011:

• Major Cookie baking
• old fashioned christmas paintings
• Christmas tree bokeh
• My sisters performance in the nutcracker
• Piano recitals
• Egg Nog!!
• A Peanuts Christmas Movie
• Watching Elf with Jeremy and Meg
• Shopping at the outlets
• Going to the beach on Christmas Day
• The holiday blog posts a'coming
• cupcakes
• Movie marathons
• Reading the Book of Luke again and again
• Making many, many, many Pepperminted moments!

Ramblings

Hello, blogging world. This is me, again. I just had ice cream with my friend, Ana. Oh, lovely! God loves us enough to give us yummy things such as ice cream. I thought I would drop by and show you the graphic, Hazel from Hazelanndesigns.blogspot.com made for me! She is so sweet!

Smiles, Maya

It's Been Forever ...or so it seems

I cannot believe it was only friday I last blogged. It seemed like an eternity. I guess my life is so busy...some things have to be on hold. One of them is blogging. I will try to blog more, but if I'm absent, you'll understand. You see, God has been doing a lot in my life. And I am trying to listen and spend time with Him. Alos, I've decided to cut the 25 day challenge. I might blog about all the subjects, just a whole plan is overwhelming.

God has been teaching me to grow up. To no longer be a girl, but a women of faith. I have realized that life is so short. I need to hold on tight to this. God is what matters right now. I tend to be prone to be more crazy and everywhere and I will always be. My blog will always be fun.

God is teaching me to be more real. I live in a fanasty world. I need to wake up. One thing that;s really woken me up is the engagement of my brother. He was always my best friend, now It seems another girl has taken my place. This is a dream come true, but no blog or video can explain this brother-sister relationship thing. : ).

My own love life has been a world of ups and downs. I've had many crushes over the years, but now I'm just confused. The guy I thought I could love seems to be slipping away from me. Suddenly, someone new has come into my life in these past months and seems very insterested in me. The truth is, only in the past few weeks have I devopled feelings for him. Now it's overwhemling. His sister told me two days ago that he liked me, which took me off guard. Now I seem to be a whirpool of feelings for him. I am unsure of where this young man will be in my life story, but I do know I am just as available as a married women to any guys at this point. I'm still only 17, which is actually the age my father allows dating. Yet I am sure I wish to go the courting route, which seems so near and so far.

My life is crazy right now, so it only makes me want to return to my dear blog more. To tell you all that's going on. Yes, I am still living with my sister in Nashville currently. I honestly am enjoying it, but miss my dear parents and siblings. Well, I am going to try to blog after school today. We'll see....


Smiles,
MAYA

Fall 2011 Ramblings

Picture by yours truly.

Life is just life. There is just really no other ways to explain it. And I hope this fall 2011 will be one I remember forever. Last night, Emily and I had a picnic in a park after the yummy eating of ice cream. She's such a dear. Then we went home and watched Star Wars. That's so us. Today we are going to the Parthanon! My trip here is amazingly fun, but I can't help missing my beachy home on Hilton Head.

By the way, I've changed up the sidebar a bit. Any thoguhts? Also, if your here, follow beacause I'm aimming for 20 followers by the end of 2011.

Art without emotion is like chocolate cake without sugar, it makes you gag

My Life is super random right now. Quotes make it. Stocking people's facebook is another random thing I'm doing. Because after I get done with school for the day, I have to wait for Emily and David to come home. And being alone in an apartment all day: you get school done fast.

I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.

So Therefore, reading the bible and praying has been a big part of my life. Oh to grow closer to God!!! He's my rock! I am really desiring more in my relationship with him and he has granted me this. Oh, He's set me on fire!

The trouble with life is there's no background music.

I Bought Coldplay's new aulbum. It's the best ever!


Well, Bye for now...

Maya

Discovering Who I Am

I'm a teenager. It's that stage in life where kids nowadays go through a change so great it causes many to fall apart, some to throw away their life, and some to lose some precious moments. It's growing up.
As One slowly grows from a child to an adult, major changes occur. Some for the better and some for the worse. I hope mine are for the better.

Spending time with my sister here in Nashville for the month has been a jouney. I'm re-visiting memories of my childhood and relaizing the wrong turns I've taken. But God has alwyas shown me what's right.
Yet I've always struggled with growing up. The sad thoughts of such...

Also the death of my best firend seems to be one of the final bangs of my childhood. She was the shoudler I cried on. Now growing up seems so close. When that was something I used to just dream about.

I've had trial in my life. I've known death many times. And you know what? I cried today again, for my friend, for the baby brother I once lost, for 2 sets of grandparents, for the aunt, for the mentor, for the 16 year olds who died in a car accident from my church. I cried not because I missed those people. because I think I am finally letting go of them.

I've had a rough teenage years. Moving, letting go, and other things. But you know what?

That has not kept me from anything. I want to be a young women whom brings glory to God.

If you look up Teenagers on Google, many pictures of teen dating, pregnant teens, drinking teens, and teens with an ugly amount of make-up on. Teens are expected to be rebellious.

This should change. We need to make a new names for teens.

“We're called to be faithful, to take those first difficult steps--and to leave the results up to God.”
― Alex Harris

 

Growing up is hard but we should do the best of thses difficult times.

Well, Now that you have read those silly rambles, think about your life. I'm stopping writng so I can go pray to my God.

MAYA

It's A New Month...

I Know, How Exciting! A new month to grow, change, and become something new. For me, it's a moth of memories. Remebering Novembers that have come and gone. Wondering what this month could possibly hold. It's so close to Christmas, which is my most favorite holiday.
                                                                     {Via}
I am still recovering from the death of my friend and have decided to spend the entire month under the roof of my sister and brother-in-law. Because Im almost completely independant anyway, I'll be doing my school up here in Nashville.


Winter Romances are the best. I cannot help wondering how many I will be left single and waiting for marriage. My Crush of 5 years does live in Nashville, so it seems likely this could be fun.




Because we only have one life, me and Emily are watching all the old disney movies. Popcorn and old cartoons every evening is quite the life. We also have been waltzing down city streets and checking out bakerys and cafe's. Sharing the gospel with city people is my sister ministry, so we spend quite the time doing so.
So how s the month for you? Lovely? Scary? I hope it's beautiful.

MAYA

throwing perfection to the wind {a guest post by Hannah Marie}

Hi there ya'll! This is Hannah from Lulu's Reverie popping in for a little while. Let me just say that i'm honored to be here at this lovely little place miss Maya's got goin over here.
* * * * *

I've always been a perfectionist, until I started writing on my blog. Now i love things to not be perfect (*except for my skinny jeans and hair*). i used to always want my bedroom to be spotless: no dust, nothing lying around. i even had this stupid little rule that there could be no more than three things per shelf on my bookcase! I was a total neat freak back then. but that was when i was struggling in areas of my life and i knew very little about where my value really came from. i also didn't see what things really mattered at the time. now i do and now everything about me is just a little imperfect. but i like it better that way. i like blurry, fuzzy photos and messy buns, mixed media, and outfits that don't ever match. it all describes my personality.

i know too many people who use the common excuse: "well, i'm just a perfectionist".
sometimes i wonder if our want/need to have things perfect at all relates to us as sinners wanting to be perfect because we know that we can't be. it's simply impossible without Jesus.

no one's perfect. i think that once i finally fully believed that was when i threw perfection to the wind and let myself be loose and free and just stopped worrying about having things "just right".

I think that even people who don't believe in Jesus want to be perfect. I also believe that we're all broken. When i was going through tough stuff in my life, not only was my room perfect, but i myself thought that i could be perfect if i just tried hard enough. I thought that if i did this and this and this that i could be. perfect. i believed in Jesus, but i definitely wasn't looking at my need for perfection in that light.

i always thought that i was just that way and that i would never like things imperfect. but i believe that i was also keeping things perfectly because i wanted to gain the approval of others. i somehow thought it would help. i had a great many insecurity issues going on then. Yes i did.

but here's the truth, we are not perfect. So we have to stop thinking we can be. We have to throw caution to the wind and let loose. maybe our true selves really are kinda neat and tidy, it's like i said, i like my skinny jeans and hair perfect. but we're not perfect so i think that once we just accept that we can move on and fly with brave wings.

hugs and kisses from the girl,
hannah marie

about the girl:

hannah marie-- here's the scoop: i love Jesus, fashion, photography, and being dramatic. life is so very beautiful and i don't want to miss a minute of it. Please be sure to visit me over at my own personal blog, Lulu's Reverie.