my ocean heart

Life has been beautiful lately. fairytale moments, beachy ponderings, and precious moments.
I really am not in the bloggy mood today. Write ya'll tomorrow ;)

Pass Judgement

*ahem*
Where to begin?

How often do we judge people? How often do we look at someone and immediately think thoughts such as "wow. they must be messed up."  Or write posts on why we should not read a certain book series because it isn't biblical or right. I hate opeing a blog to see a flood of posts on why a certain movie is wrong. The issue is not if the book series is wrong it's opion.

This is a subject I have felt like writing about for forever. Actually this post has been written up for quite a while. It takes a little shove to post it. And it all begins with a bible verse I love dearly. Romans 14.

 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
  (Romans 14:1-4 ESV)

At the time there was a lot of debates on if the old testament rules, such as not eating unclean meat and sacrifice, were still active after the death and rescurection of Jesus Christ. Paul was just reminding them "Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls." We have our own choice between such subjects and our descion is between us and God.

For example if a friend believes it is okay to watch a certain movie as a christian, and has prayed to God about it, and feels certain on the subject, then I'm not going to hold it aganist her. That is between her and God. I'm going to judge her for her personal descion with God, even if I choose to make a seprate option.

Another example is the Harry Potter series. A lot of friends of mine believe it is wrong to read those books. I don't and I have been judged greatly for it. I could go on for a few posts why I believe it's ok to read them but I won't. I am just saying I think It is okay to read them. I'm a christian. And I find nothing in this series that gets between my reltionship with God or sparks evil in my heart. And if you think it's wrong to read them I'm not going to hold it against you at all. It's your descion with you and God.

If our ultimate goal is to be like Jesus, we must not have judgemental hearts. Jesus was greatly judged for he ate with the worst of sinners and broke the sabbath. People hated him for it. And something else about Jesus was he never judged. If he lived in present times we would not be in the temples preching on why we should not read Twilight, etc. He loves all humans and delights in the authors and fans of those books if they are His children.

I'm not fighting for human rights here and saying we have freedom. We don't. We are entirely Christ's. But I believe in some subjects we have the option to make a choice between us and God. And who are we to hold judgement against our brothers and sisters?

Capture the Moment

It's listening to music to make landry fun. Driving my sister to her ballet rehersal in the pouring rain. Working on a header for a blog design. Playing the piano so hard when I am home alone. Listening to music in bed. Letting a five year old do my hair. It's memories. Capture the second. Cause in a moment it's all gone forever. You can't go back. The only moment you can truly feel is the second it's happening.

Years will pass. But there is no way to truly re-tell a memory completely. Yet we must try. For when we die, so does our memories. Gone forever. No one will ever know unless we try. Unless we tell. There are some moments too precious to forget.

 

Some things I want to remember:
The smell after it rains//the first sip of a cold drink//laying in the warm sun//the feeling after a good book//the smile of a child//New York City at night//going camping//sending messages in bottles out to the sea//the feel when a airplane takes off//Rachel's stories late at night//watching fireworks with my crush//rollerskating// learning how to skateboard//laughing so hard at nothing//rainbow birthday cake//watching the sunset with the ones I love//having a niece//listening to Coldplay//sweet devotions//blogging//sleeping with the windows open

and so much more. I love to capture the moment. In honor I am going to have a weekly link-up starting next week to help you capture each moment also ;)

awakening the inner dreamer

Letters. Old journals. Memories. Nightmares. Dreams washed away by the ocean. Ships that never came in. Ships I am waiting for still. Inside this mind of mine lies the inner, disturbing, thoughts of a girl changed greatly by the times, by the changing tides, by the people shes met, and the people she is waiting for still. dreams that once tranformed me now cause my whole world to collapse. For this mind is a world of many dreams that will never happen, dreams that will, and hope that will never die.

I am finally feeling the urge that perhaps freedom, pure freedom, can be accomplised in the heart and in spirtual affairs, and not of the soul and physcial needs. If only all men and women saw that God is the only way to true delight in life, true freedom, and dreams come true. For this path I am taking is rough yet I know of it's glorious ending and that it shall end happity ever in my saviors arms. Christ, His death, His calling to me in my total depravity is my freedom.

This freedom is all I ever need, yet still I dream. I wonder. I ask. I stand in shame. I humbly confess. I dream. I think most of my teenager years I have been told that dreaming is indeed a bad thing. Something not-so-lovely. A wasteland of places I can never go. lately I have realized that dreaming...day dreaming espeically...is where I get my grand ideas. I never want to stop that as long as these black-converesed shoes waltz the world. I have been learning to awaken the inner dreamer inside myself, to truly embrace this fanstsy world that I can think of how these thoughts can indeed become realitys.

little springish wonders

Spring has been the most confuzzling of all seasons, taking it's twists and turns. One second I am sure that the hot weather has finally arrived and thats when it gets cold again. I am furious at this pattern and desiring the summer heat more than anything. With summer comes freedom from the cold "school" weather and the frostiness that suffocates me. I have a bit of spring fever and I'm not sure what else to say.

I woke up early this morning to frisk outside to enjoy the weather but ended up reading in bed. Ohmisgosh it was cold. I needed some warmth. Confession? My past few weeks have been some of the finest of my young life. Mu current rambles and travels have delighted this girlies life.

Currently I am also devouring novels, drinking caffinated tea late at night, refusing to dry my hair out of the shower, wearing mascara for the first time since september, deciding that painting nails will never delight me, writing letters, perfecting a piece of my piano, stalking pinterest, busying myself with jobs, and thrifting in sketcy thrift stores.

I am also missing places I have never been, loving on the new blog design, editing photography when it pleases me. Not getting on the computer very much, which is good and it is bad...

Plus I have been liking this season of American Idol, which is not what I expect of myself.  My model personality wants to some some rustic photoshoots in the backyard. And that long lost of blog designs to do? I am a hopeless girl.

Which of corse boils down to the gospel, my growing obsession over David Crowder, quoting up my life quotes, and devouring the word.

 Hows your little wonderings been lately?

Sweet Surrender

{Via}

As I write this I am sitting on the balcony of the beach house of some dear friends. They asked me to come up this week for some nice moments. Laughter, late movies, wet hair, attemping new hairstyles, painting nails, lots of doughnuts(which are becoming something I enjoy more than ever), and card games. Plus there has been a nice amount of shopping trips, starbucks (eep!!!!), and of course me dying in memories of the beach. 

I've been watching too many Disney movies and being pranked a little too much. And it's only day 2 of the beach outing. I saw Titanic in 3D by the way. Best movie outing ever. Plus I saw October Baby and It was not the best movie I have ever seen but it was empacting and wonderful.

On top of all of this, I have been bringing my guitar down to the beach to play a couple of songs and outreach down there. Me and my friend Ana have also been having some sweet spritual conversations and have been reading over our old journals. 

I have surrendered my life to Christ and never shall i lose this sweet feeling of my life trusted in the almighty hands of God

These were the words a 15 year old self of me wrote in her journal. Surrender. Back then I surrendered everything to Christ but I was not sure where that would take me. Over the years I have learned surrender is a process in which it grows deeper every year of your life...the path gets more narrow....the pain gets more sweet.

Because of those nights when my heart aches and those nights when I just can't find He sweetly reminds me that He has laid the paths before me and these are the plans He has made for me. Someone once told me that God will never give you a mountain too high to climb, but I believe God will give you mountains you can barely climb so we will surrender using our own strengths and run entirely to Him.

Surrender it the thing we do our entire lives until at last we surrender ourselves last and die. I feel strange but death seems to be my greatest desire. For it not when I die but when I shall finally wake up. Oh to be in the arms of sweet Jesus finally, safe, at last. I desire this more than life or love itself.

My life is so confusing and empty and out there. I mean I have no idea where I am going or why I will go but in Romans 12: 2 it saids:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The will of God is perfect.

Last night I was doing devotions and I got up and starred out my window at the stars. It as the Lord truly spoke to me that night for I was reminded of a scripture in Genesis 15:

⁵ And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ⁶ And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
I
t was as the Lord was saying these same sweet words to me that night. Look to the stars and know that I have plans and a future for you! It might take a thousand years and my life might be suffering until Jesus brings my safetly home, but look to the stars! He loves me and will full-fill his promises to me. The greatest is the promise I have of eternal life in Him after His blood washes me clean.

I never knew searching in my old journal could spark some many dear thoughts. Remind me of pain, of love, of truth. Mostly it inspired me to tell you about surrender. Surrender yourslef and He shall make you whole again. What sweet thoughts!

Peace+Forgiveness

Peace. Inner Peace. True Peace. The feeling that nothing is wrong. That all is right. The feeling after a storm or when you finally get in bed after a long day. The first sip of steaming coffee or the blue sky on the cloudless day. The things that give us peace. The greatest thing that stills my heart constatelyto peace is forgiveness. When someone comes

Lately I have been feeling unrest. I am overwhelmed of many things. I overthink. I doubt. I wonder. But sometimes I just have to close my eyes and pray. And feel peace. True peace and rest in God.

Because all those heavy ladden He will give rest.

Something else God has taught me lately is forgiveness. He forgives me for every sin! My sin is truly gone. And I want to be like that. For forgiveness is one of the greatest things ever. I am a forgiven sinner and I wish to forgive the un-sorry as God did to me.

That's been my thoughts lately. What has God been teaching you?

my own two feet

lately my life has been like a list, resulting in check marks and uncheck marks. things i have mentally been trying to accomplish and things i physically actually do. it seems the things i try the hardest not to do become all the things i end up checking off. i never actually get the things done i truly want to do.

here are just some thoughts that have been surfacing my mind lately.

i overthink. i overthink everything and late into the night i just can't stop. constant thinking. i check everything off mentally for the day. i uncheck everything i need to do again. i never seem to think of the simpliest things. everything to me gets so overwhelming and complicated. thats when i have to set myself on my own two feet again. get myself right on track. come back to reality.

music. the beautiful sound of music seems to hve been being my escape lately. the porch, me, and music. i've been finding some thrifty things such as One Direction. i tried really hard not to get into that one because i never felt like those boys were half as good looking as one saids and i felt like their music might dispoint me too. but i had an epic moment in which i listened to one song and i was lost forever. i still don't think they are cute, but hey their music makes me smile.

i've also been reading up on the book of acts lately. for some reason i just love re-reading it again and again and passionately stoking up my love for Christ and His mission and the way i wish to be involved in it in this life. it's been a nice, long study for me to be re-reading this book lately considering my future and how i wish for it to be invloved in missions. i am sure you guys are going to miss me though when i leave this summer cause posting will be really thin if i even post at all while on my trip but when i come back it will be constant and bad ;)

my friend sent me the Finnick and Annie web series a few weeks ago and i have been refusing to watch it knowing it will put permenant pictures in my head and it did. but they ended up being good pictures after i really thought about it. and being the die-hard Finnick fan I am i totally just died in excitment. and i cried through the whole thing. it kind of mentally hurt to watch this and i truly connected me to the character. now i must go alone and cry for these fake characters.

on the note of Finnick, yes he's my favorite and he beats Peeta in a second and that's my confession of the day. i can't wait to see what actor they pick and i am secretly hoping for Alex Pettyfer. but that's a secret....not.

tomorrow i am taking a two day trip to the beach again with Jeremy and Meg. it's going to be insanely awesome in so many ways. i can't wait for my feet to dash through the water again, feel my hair running through the wind, laughing, splahing and sun tanning. living the good life. it's good out there.

being real

Lately I have felt like my blog hasn't been completely me. I have been, with all my heart, trying to be like other bloggers I love. I mean it's great to have role models but I want my blog to be me again. Everytime I post I have to ask myself "was that the real me?"
I rarely follow a new blog but if I do that's because I love it. I don't follow every photography-loving, vintage, simple girls blog. Cause a lot of them are the same. I want each blog to simply refelect on who we truly are. The real us. I feel like I kinda got sucked into liking things and becoming someone I wasn't just to get one more follower to copy those blogs with more followers.

I want to paint a picture with my blog that people can't get anywhere else except right here. Maya's painting. I want it to be an imperfect, one of a kind painting that you cannot get anywhere else in the world.

From now on I am going to be more real on this blog. You'll see a lot more me on here. More of what I truly love. For example I don't like giveaways at all. I did a few just cause that was what was "in" at the moment. The same thing with photography challenges. I love entering them but hosting them myslef is not really my thing and I felt...pressure to become some I wasn't because all my friends were. I started to paint the same photo a few of my friends were painting. And it's time I got out of the lines for a second and discovered the real me.

The real me is rustic-loving//mission passionate//a lover of all things musical//an island girl.

My true thing is music and it has always been on this blog as long as I can remember but I have gotten away from that for a little bit and I am sorry. I mean music is me. Same thing with the beachy side of me. It needs to return.

Don't take me wrong...this will be the same blog. The same me. And I haven't really gone too far from who I was before and never have. But I am going to stop following the current colors to paint my picture. I want people to come to my blog because it is uniquely me. Me, Maya Moore.

I'm going with a new design that is more me plus a new about me page coming today. Exciting, huh?

Welcome to Efflorescence: The story of a rose in bloom. It's time for a new chapter.

Dear Boys

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Prince Charming,

I'm here....waiting for you. Sounds like a pretty good story, huh?

Love, the girl-who-will-become-a-princess-after-we-marry

 

Dear Brunette Enchanter,

I am dying to talk to you. Plus only one week until you move. So you better say hi before I go.

Love,Your fellow stalker

 

Dear Mr. Perfect,

I have never met you but I stalk you a lot. The internet is not a good thing....

Love, Miss Imperfect.

 

Dear Green eyes,

Always...

Love, the girl who loves you.

 

Dear Blonde student,

last sunday was the best day of my life cause you were there. no joke.

love, Maya

Dear Finnick Odair,

If you give me a sugarcube I'll give you a secret.

here it is:

your my favorite of them all,

Love, your-lover-from-district-four

Dear Peeta,

your perfect and cute and well....

And sometimes I want to be on team Gale

just so you would be single.

don't tell me your not real.

Love, the girl not on fire

Dear My Romeo,

Where art thou?

 Cause this balcony gets cold while I wait.

Seriously man? The romantic effect doesn't always make it a better story.

Love, Your Juliet

Dear Boy #1,

I am going to miss you more than you could ever know.

Your perfect face, your worried look, your tall tanned arms.

Why does college take all my lovers away?

Love-the-girl-who-crushes-on-you-even-though-we-never-talk.

Dear Him,

A-hem.

Hello, there.

You don't you my memo.

Love, Her

Dear G,

*SLAP*

I finally did it! Virtual pain!

Love, M.



Fishers of men

My passion.
Well here it is.
Missions.

 My heart aches for the lost. My whole life I have desprately ached for those who have not heard the good news of the gospel and at first I would just ache. Then I realized one night that God was calling me to be the diciple I am supposed to be. So often we forget our calling. What calling, you may ask. Well here it is:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

(Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

The last words Jesus gave to us before he went to heaven? Make diciples. Our mission he left His diciples with. Make diciples.

Everyday Christians die without sharing the gospel even once! I mean I don't believe sharing is nessicary to salvation in any way but I believe our mission as christians is to build up the church of Chirst. Locally and Internationally.

Since I realized God's mission I started sharing locally and internation missions is going to be my whole future. I want to be a fisher of men.

People need Jesus. And we are called to tell them about it.

Pinteresting Tuesdays

                                                                          {Linking up}