The Hot Mess Express

My beautiful friend, Chelsey, gave a taste of what it’s life to be on the ‘hot-mess express’. Please enjoy.

Strengthen What Remains

Remember that one time I had a blog? LOLZ.

In my defense, I spent most of last semester being punched repeatedly in the gut by a schedule that was, in all honestly, far beyond my ability to handle… but that story’s for another day.

So something cool happened today. I opened my Bible. Not out of duty or because I had to plan my next bible study lesson or because I had nothing else to do. I opened it because I actually, truly, genuinely wanted to meet with God. Which is obviously the way it should be EVERY time I open my Bible. But I’ll just be real with you right now – I haven’t truly desired companionship with my Creator in a long time. That sounds bad – trust me, I know. But I’ve decided that lying about it is silly and pretending that I’ve got all my bases…

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Happy Blog-iversary!

Today is the second birthday of this very blog. That’s something worth celebrating! This has definitely been a trying year, but it’s been really cool to experience growth and joy through that pain.  God is cool.

Since I haven’t really been on here in awhile, I thought I would catch you up-to-date.

• I’m almost officially a senior in college (hooray, almost true adulthood)
• I have an awesome new job, full of working, but mostly life chats and candy
• Stress is a real thing in my life (and if it isn’t in yours, please give me your secret to success)
• I watched three documentaries over the weekend (Superheroes, Saturday Night, and For the Bible Tells Me So [Check them out!])
• I now own a Christmas cactus named Sanjaya
• I also own a beautiful 1999 Ford Taurus with hail damage (hail, yes.) named Ruby
• My life is busy, but beautiful

God is working actively in my life right at this moment, and though I’m outlandishly busy and stressed, it rocks that my God is there every step of the way with me.

I hope your life is less stressful but just as beautiful as mine has been lately.

Love,

Paige

Philippians 4:4-6 “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.”

Learning is Beautiful

Well, I’m two tests away from the end of my second year of college.  You know what I’ve learned? Nothing crucial.  Now, I know what you’re thinking: “But Paige, how is this possible with nearly 70 hours of credit under your belt?” Here’s the thing…I don’t really think I’ve learned anything that is applicable to the real world. 

Here’s some things I have learned:

I have a lot of passions. I love doing a lot of things, and I do it because it makes me feel good.  I play music, relishing in the fact that God gave me this amazing gift that shouldn’t go to waste.  I like to read, exploring the works of fiction and nonfiction works-blogs included. I love people, learning new quirks and facts I wouldn’t know from looking at them.  I like to tell people about Jesus, through my words or actions. 

I have a lot of passion. I throw myself into my work, school, friends, anything that I can because I know people can see my passion and love through that. 

I have a lot of aspirations. I want to travel, for fun or for missions-doesn’t matter, it’s practically the same thing.  I want to own a business in the near future-who knows?  I want to create and be creative (thank you, Pinterest!). 

I have a lot of strength. I’ve had a lot of negative things in my life, but God has given me strength to get through it (Philippians 4:13).  There’s a certain peace that doesn’t come from just anywhere when you’ve been through things I’ve been through.  Life is extremely tough, but God has planned out everything according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). 

These are just a couple of the things I’ve learned these past two years.  Thanks for keeping up with this wild ride that is life.

Love,

Paige

Romans 15:13- “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Why I Hate Fairy Tales

“…and they lived happily ever after.”  The end, that’s it, ever after is what every single girl is aiming for. It’s been drilled into our minds since we could watch Cinderella’s glass slipper fit perfectly, Ariel be swept off her brand-new feet, and Snow White with her true love’s kiss.  Find a guy (normally the first one you see), make him love you, and get married. Ugh.

That’s not real life. In real life, you’ll probably meet a couple not-so-prince-charmings, get your heart broken a few times, and end up watching those very same fairy tale movies on Saturday night. I can’t believe this is what young girls look to for their love life. I know I’ve done it, seeking after that love story ending that isn’t even close to reality.

Instead of looking to princesses for love advice, we should be looking to the original love story author, God. He’s the one who loved us first, before we were even born (Psalm 139:13). He sent his only son to die for us (John 3:16, 1 John 4:9). Absolutely nothing can separate us from God’s love…NOTHING (Romans 8:31-39).

Next time you seek after that “true love feeling”, remember who loved you first.

Love,

Paige

Romans 5:5- “…hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

 

DISCLAIMER: I don’t hate all aspects of fairy tales: I admire their perfect hair.

We’re Gonna Party Like It’s My Birthday

So, yesterday was kind of a big deal. It was my twentieth birthday. Yes, I am officially two decades old. Do I feel old? Not any older than usual, but hopefully that will change. What happened twenty years ago?

Gas was only about one dollar.

Bill Clinton had just finished his first year as president.

It was only four dollars to go to the movies (at night!).

Snoop Lion was actually called Snoop Doggy Dog.

Forest Gump, The Shawkshank Redemption, and The Lion King were released.

Anyway, a lot has changed since then. We have Internet that doesn’t take up an entire room, cell phones are smaller than bricks, and we have our first black president.  I’m really glad to have survived the ’90s, the millennium, and all the “end-of-the-world” accusations. Zombies, natural disasters, you name it.

My birthday was so delightful. I got to spend my day relaxing with some amazing people who brighten my life on a daily. They were actually willing to spend nearly an entire day with me, which is crazy to think. I’ve been so blessed by my experiences and (probably) wouldn’t change it for the world.

I’m thankful for you readers. Thanks for being there for me through all the different things that has happened in the past two years. It’s been a happy birthday.

Love,

Paige

2 Corinthians 5:17– “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Love is in the Air

Because it’s Valentine’s Day (like, my absolutely favorite non-national holiday) I decided to be sappy and cheesy and write about love. I hope you love it.

I love like, everything.  Puppies, rainy days, Instagram, music, reading, crafting, glitter, online shopping, movies, being empowered, seeking justice, people. Seriously, everything; we don’t have time to go into every single thing I love.

But, what is love? No, I’m not quoting a Haddaway song. But, seriously. What is love?

Merriam-Webster says love is warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion.

HOWEVER…

1 Corinthians 13 says, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”

I know you’ve heard this at every single wedding ever. Look how awesome love is! It isn’t just for couples, parents, etc. It’s from one person to another. That’s why I always say I love people. People are awesome, full of ideas, creativity, themselves being formed in love by God. I think this definition is so much better than the dictionary definition.

Jesus tells us to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27). In fact, this is called the Great Commandment.

God wants us to love each other, and more importantly, love God with everything that is in you. God IS love, which is amazing to even think about. “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16). How cool is that?? God is love, we have God if we have love, and we are with God.

The ultimate offer of love was from God: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” God loved us so much that he sent his only son to die so that we could love. Wow, just wow. I can’t even fathom this. There are way more examples of love in the Bible, considering it is God’s love letter to us. There are always more days and blog posts to talk about more of the love that God is. 

Love is such a small word with so much meaning packed into it. At the end of all my blogs, I always say Love, Paige and I think it’s super important to let you know that every blog I write is written in love. In love for my blog, my readers, my God. So, Happy Valentine’s Day and, as always,

Love,

Paige

Romans 12:10- “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

 

 

To My Fathers Above

Daddy,

I miss you. A lot. It’s been four months since I last saw you, texted you, laughed with you. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about you. I still can’t believe that you’ll never be around again to tell a ridiculous joke to, give a bear hug to (even when I always said I hated hugs), and to be that rock we need. I can’t even listen to “Brown Eyed Girl” anymore because that was our song.

You never realize what you have until it’s gone. I had a supportive dad who loved me, even when I messed up. I had a dad who raised me with values that will stay with me forever. I had a dad who, even though he was really shy, he was never one to say no to anyone.

I know this is really selfish of me, but I want you back. I want to have someone who doesn’t have to try at being the greatest. I want you to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. I need you to tell me everything is okay, even if it’s not.

But, I know this isn’t goodbye. It’s only see you soon. I think that has given me a wonderful peace; the fact that you are in a way cooler place-the place I’m working toward. I love you too much to write, say, think. Love you.

My Heavenly Father,

Thank you. Just thank you for everything you’re doing in my life. I am so grateful for everything, everyone who you have put in my walk with you. I see you strengthening me daily, and I love that. I hate that you took my dad away so quickly, but I’m so thankful that you sent your Son to die for him, for me, for everyone. That tells me how much you truly love me. I can’t find all the right words to say, but I know that you still love me.

Love always,

Paige

Psalm 5:11-12 “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with shield.”

 

In It To Win It

Hey there, dear readers! I hope your Labor Day is as chill as mine is so far! Today I want to dedicate this blog to the 27 million people in slavery right now.

People don’t realize how prevalent slavery is in the world today.  There are approximately 27 million people in slavery right at this very moment, which is more than any other time in history. (1)   The United States Department of Justice website has this about human trafficking:

 “Contrary to some misconceptions, human trafficking crimes do not require any

smuggling or movement of the victim. While undocumented migrants can be

particularly vulnerable to coercion because of their fear of authorities, traffickers

have demonstrated their ability to exploit other vulnerable populations and have

preyed just as aggressively on documented guest workers and U.S. citizen children.

Indeed, because of the vulnerability of minors, where minors are offered for

commercial sex the statutes do not require proof of force, fraud, or coercion.” (2)

International Justice Mission has been fighting against modern day slavery since 1997, and they aren’t stopping anytime soon.  Slavery is happening in our backyard as well as foreign countries like Moldova and Bolivia. (3)

It’s so amazing that I actually get to be a part of this organization.  My school just started it’s own chapter literally a week ago, and I get to be on the board.  I’m the campus chapter fundraising and special events coordinator for our organization, which is such a blessing because I get to be one of the people raising awareness and raising funds for such a rampant issue. (4)  If you want more information, check out ijm.org.  That’s the official website for IJM, and I really encourage you to explore that website, dig deeper into what human trafficking is, and to see for yourself how extreme this issue really is.  Here’s a short clip, just giving an introduction to IJM and what it stands for.  Anyway, I hope you have learned a little bit about what we stand for and why we stand up against injustice.

Love,

Paige

Job 19:25-“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.”

SOURCES and RESOURCES:

1. http://ijm.org/our-work/injustice-today

2. http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/crm/htpu.php

3. http://www.kansascity.com/trafficking/

4. http://ijm-ucmo.webs.com/

Guess Who’s Back?

So, it’s been awhile.  I took a little break from blogging for the summer.  I was swamped with classes, work and counseling galore!  I, of course, took some time to relax.  I went to St. Louis and tried of for The Voice (amazing experience!), I went to Worlds of Fun (a must) and chilled with some great people all summer.  I so excited for school to start again (less than two weeks!), when there will actually be people on campus! It’s so empty right now!

What I’m really excited for is…football season! Yes, I know, that seems so far away! But, my hometown team, the Kansas City Chiefs, play their first preseason game tomorrow against the New Orleans Saints.  And, my university has their first home game September 5, which is just around the corner. GO MULES!

Another thing I love about football season: Tim Tebow.  So, I’m going to leave you with a great video from the comedic genius, Jimmy Fallon.  I present you with…Tebowie.

Anyway, God bless! I hope you have a good start to the school year, and you’ll be seeing a lot more of me around here!

Love,

Paige

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Use the Force

“What are your plans for today?” “Oh, you know…just going to have a Star Wars marathon…it’s whatever.”

Happy Star Wars Day everyone! My fellow geeks and I are having a marathon as I type.  I truly hope you are all doing something extremely similar to this right now!

Here’s a little video to help you celebrate! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk5_OSsawz4

Anyway, I hope you have a great weekend! May the Fourth be with you!

Love,

Paige