School-Starting Scriptures

Yes, I know school started months ago...I just realized that this was still saved, with no words, in my drafts.  I have wanted to share these things for so long!  At the end of summer, I did some redecorating and designing and Bible Studying to get me off to a positive start when I went back to school.

My dry erase board in my room got redrawn on.

No boundaries was my summer and season-starting motto, expressing that I didn't want to set any limits on what I could do this year. 

I love Colossians 4:5-6, because people are always watching. Life is short. I want to use every moment to the max!

I am third means the same thing as JOY and the other Bible verse: Jesus first, then serving others, myself last. 

Every time the month changes and I flip my calendar, I post a picture of the page and find a corresponding verse.

"Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."

Reading my Bible before bed always helps me go to sleep more at peace.  At any time of day, it will give me a boost!

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I have no picture to go with this part, but I believe that it is my favorite part of this whole post.  Some days my devotion just hits me right on the money.  August 2nd was one of those days.
It started out with one of my favorite verses: John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world." 
Being a Christian doesn't mean that we will get deliverance from trouble.  Trouble comes to everyone quite often!  Being a Christian means that we can find deliverance in trouble.
God also doesn't give us overcoming life.  He gives us life as we overcome.  We gain strength in the struggles!
When we spend ourselves physically, we become exhausted, but by spending ourselves spiritually, we gain more and more strength.
I love the comparisons used in that day's devotion!  I am all the way through November 14th now, and that is still the best day I have come across.
(Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest daily devotion, August 2nd)

I don't like cherries, so I used them to represent the bad fruits that we may produce in life, such as jealousy, slander, and disrespect.  Pineapple is probably the best fruit out there, so I used it to represent the good things we can produce to feed others, like the fruits of the spirit!

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control

What kind of fruit is your life producing?  Will it nourish your own life and the lives of others, or will it make you and others sick?

This is very challenging to me. I often fall prey to the comparison trap. I want to be the best!  Always!  That's what I tend to set my focus on, and it hurts me sometimes, especially when I'm not number one. This is at anything really, not just sports. To keep my head on straight, I must remember that God did not create me to be the best all the time, just my best, and His plan will make me who in supposed to be. 

These next few pictures are many verses and such that I had kept up with for a while and then put them all together to have in my binders to read through during school. We went over this above in Sunday school one weekend. 

My friend Abby, who I greatly admire her spirit for The Lord, made this sketch!

One of God's greatest commands is to love. It is the #1 way to share Him with others!

TimeHop showed me another not-coincidence:  one day this was on my TimeHop, then I went to biblegateway app for the verse of the day, and they were the same!

I need this verse as a reminder daily!  I try to make my own plans and follow through with them, but that is not a wise idea!  No matter how hard I try, God's plans will not be overtaken.  This can give me peace if I allow it. 

I love how Peanuts is so gospel-centered.  This is another day off of my flip-calendar.

Whoo is this a good one or what!  Although life is insane right now, with so much going on in every aspect of it, I can cling to my God and know that He will never let His children be defeated!

It is so nice to be able to have alone time to dig into God's Word.  This is one morning after our team Bible Study and before I ran.  It is a blessing to have the class schedule that I have.  Not only are verses an encouraging way to get motivation for serving the Lord, but so is music!  I have many songs that I have been looking through the lyrics to and digging into the Biblical backgrounds...more to come as I learn from songs, I will share!

Self-Expression

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One of my favorite things to do is be creative. I love designing and decorating things to show who I am and what I believe. There are always new ideas on my list, and I never have time to complete them all, but here are some past and present ways that I have expressed myself!

I made this picture for my grandmother a couple years ago, featuring many if the things we enjoyed together as I was growing up. She took me to the zoo, Dollywood, made cake, read books, and even played "basketball" on the goal magnetized to the fridge of her apartment. She also let me sugar-load my already-sweet Honey Nut Cheerios. 

This ring is a powerful encouragement through scripture for something that I should focus on more each day.

I made this picture last year before cross country season for my binder to remind me each day to give all I have to be the best runner that I can be, in practice and races.

I made muffins for the pajama day tailgate last fall, and I wanted to include something encouraging. Joy is my word, so short and sweet I added flags to my muffins!  They were pumpkin-carrot cake flavor!

Fall hanitizers are the best group of scents!  The s'mores one is not only adorable, but the best smelling, too. I have a thing for s'mores.

This Tervis was given to me by one of my friends since preschool. Now I use it for coffee all the time, but this day I had filled it with a pumpkin pie protein shake!

Here I began putting my birthday presents (last year) to good use!  The Starbucks self-decoratable tumbler was from Azalia and the pumpkin spice Clif Bar was from Katlyn. The coffee inside that cup was also from Katlyn: pumpkin spice flavor!  She knows me so well.

State week always comes with stuffed animals. Last year I got this fox/bear (we never could find out, but it had a long tail?) and dressed it in Build-a-bear clothes to express my love of celebrating the holidays!

These tissues are with me in my cross country bag and another in my Jeep's console to show my love for peanuts. Chantal and Cherie gave them to me. 

This summer, I "customyzed" my own Tervis with a few random, yet self-relevant things. 

Jesus, goats, cute whales...

I have a big dry erase board in my room that I always decorate with the seasons. This is what I did to start off this school year and cross country season. 

Kellogg's @hellocereal tweeted me!  I have a cereal obsession too. There are just countless flavors to try!

 

I like to use cute spoons with my sweets!  Even trying to color coordinate them moray of the time. Menchie's wins the best spoon contest. 

This is mirrored, but my phone case has been a big expression of me for the past couple years!  My previous one was getting old, so mom let me design a new one for my new phone. It was this same verse with the Charlie Brown Christmas tree scene, because: Jesus, Charlie Brown,and Christmas are my three favorite!  But this is my newest one. 

I used to have a bad habit of getting all the way to empty with the light on and it ringing at me before I would realize that I needed gas. It wasn't on purpose; I just never paid attention to it. Then Dad got mad. Now I made myself a cute little reminder so I will not forget to fill the tank!

Summertime toes

My new shirt. Speak out!  (For what's right, of course). Lucy is never afraid to be heard. 

New Bible study journal has rejoice on it!

I didn't want to have a boring Algebra folder. 

K for Kenzie in my junior year locker

This bookmark is based off of a sermon my pastor did back during the summer.  On the back, I wrote a verse to go with each thing we are called to do:

"...Freely you have received; freely give." Matthew 10:8

"...in complete earnestness and in love...see that you also excel in this grace of giving." 
2 Corinthians 8:7

"Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be glory both now and forever!  Amen." 2 Peter 3:18

"He said to them, ''Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'"  Mark 16:15

Me!  Headed to school

This is a magnet on my dry erase board

Stuffed animals all lined up on display

Farm animal folder!  Farm animals are just too cute. 

I also hang pictures on my walls to go with the seasons. I always keep the drawings that I make over the years so I can reuse them. 

Here are two of my build-a-bears in their Halloween costumes!  They even glow in the dark.

More Halloween decoration above my bed

Since fall has rolled around, I brought back the Trick-or-Treat Tervis

I also redecorated my tumbler to use on some days too

Backpack also featuring Halloween

My new shirt from winning a race at Panther Creek, along with my Philippians 4:13 dog tag necklace

State championship ring from last season and bracelet from Furman camp

Time is an issue as of late...I feel like my brain is always producing the facial expression on this M&M character!  The batteries in this watch are actually dead, but I still wear it when it matches.

I have to show off that I love ice cream, as if no one knows already..

I am also now known for my socks!  I have so many, and people just keep giving me more!  It's one of my most popular received gifts!  By now, I have almost enough Halloween socks to make it through all of October..

I thought this folder was so cute, too!

This was on the cover of a card at Target, but I saved a picture of if because it made me giggle. I fit all 4 categories. 

Here you can see a corner of my room that changed from a previous picture. A scarecrow was added and animals dressed up!

I love color coordination, and everyone else that sees me often knows it, too!  I also love the color purple. 

Here is another thing that has had a slight change since the first time I photographed it.  A week or so ago I added a Snoopy sticker to my Algebra folder!