Simply.Ana.

: “The trouble with too many of us is that we think God called us to be manufacturers when He really called us to be distributors. He alone has the resources to meet human needs; all we can do is receive His riches and share them with others.” - Warren Wiersbe, On Being a Servant of God

: No matter what you say to discourage me and the things you do to push me away I know that my God is big enough, strong enough, and powerful enough to do huge things in and through my life. No matter how much you put me down I know that I can get back up again because I have faith in God’s amazing plan. I know that I’ll make something of myself and I know that I’ll prove you wrong. One day I just want you to look at me and say “God has done an amazing work” because He is and He will continue to. 

: I want my mind to be maximized for what God intended.

: You can’t paint an elephant quite as good as she

: Insignificance is something you should never feel. You. Are. Significant. 

: I don’t want to feel this way anymore.

: “We read to know we are not alone.” - C.S. Lewis

: Church. School. Benefit. Work. Sleep. Church. School. Benefit. Work. Sleep. Church. School. Benefit. Work. Sleep. REPEAT.

You could say I’m a bit busy and tired. 

#mylife

: Perfect last day of summer

- New Job

- Biola

- Friends

- One Day

Now it is time to go to bed so I can arise at 6AM for VBS.

Jesus loves me.

: Hi my name is Ana and I now work at Pac Sun. Can I help you with anything in particular today?

#growingup

: “Ministry takes place when divine resources meet human needs through loving channels to the glory of God.” - Warren Wiersbe, On Being a Servant of God

: I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees

: Sometimes I wish that I actually attending a real high school. Then things happen and I realize that it would have been an utter waste of time.

#peoplearedumb

: I feel as though for most of this summer I have been in a place of waiting. Waiting for God to open a door. Any door. I felt stagnant in ever part of my life. I was stuck. Now, most of you know I’m the kind of person who has a full plate at all times. Filled with things to accomplish and help out with, but for most of this summer God had me in a place of waiting. I learned lots of patience and being satisfied in only Him. Being satisfied with having nothing BUT Him. Now that I am moving into a new season God is starting to open huge life changing doors. New possibilities are coming about along with my plate getting more and more full.

I am so incredibly blessed with amazing brothers and sisters in my life to encourage and uplift me in all the things God has for me. People who want to see me go far and achieve the incredible plan God has for me. Many doors are opening that make me so excited. With the excitement though I am scared and nervous because I know that it will change my life forever. It is now the time to step up and make decisions on my own. To choose where I’m going to work. To start applying for college. To step out in faith and trust that God has everything together for me. To follow in the plan that He has set before me. It is exciting and very scary. 

These next few months are going to be insane and filled with wonderful things that God wants to show me. It is going to be an incredible adventure that I always talked about venturing on to, but now I am actually taking steps in that direction. 

I am growing up.

: Worry and Anxiety is a sin to be repented of not a condition. 

: Change is nature, but God is always constant.

: Invisible Children has been an organization that touched my heart almost four years ago. Three years ago I went to my very first speak out event called The Rescue and from that day forward I knew my life would not be the same. I knew that I had to share this horrific story with everyone I knew. God calls us in Proverbs 31:8-9 to be a voice for the voiceless and plead for the cause of the poor and needy. James 1:27 tells us that we are to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world. To be in the world, but not of this world. To be a light in this world to those who are of the world. The best way to communicate that is with actions that are not of this world. Actions that are from God. To be His hands and feet and continue in the work that He has called us to do. God has given me the passion and desire to help these kids in Northern Uganda and surrounding areas that are affected by the tragedies going on around them and to them caused by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). When I think of Invisible Children and those kids I think all they know is war. That is all they will ever know unless I do what God has called me to do to make a difference. 

No matter how small of a difference I make in this world I know that it will matter to at least one person who was affected by it. I know that I have an audience of one and that is God. My actions reflect His love and what He has done in my life. Because of Him my life has been transformed and I have been given hope. I want to show others, especially those who feel hopeless, that there is hope in the Lord no matter what. That pure fact makes me want to shout for joy. THAT my friends is what I want to share with those kids in Uganda. THAT HOPE and JOY is something these kids NEED. They NEED a relationship with OUR wonderful, powerful, and glorious Creator. These kids need to know that there is FAR more than just the war that is going on around them. There is far more than the tragedies and horrific actions they have seen and experienced. There is far more love, hope, joy, and passion than they could have ever imagined.

My point in sharing this all with you is to ask you for your help. I would like to ask you to help me in three ways. The first would be prayer. These kids need prayer and the team and beautiful people who are on fire to help them need prayer. Prayer is a powerful tool that we must be diligent in. The second would be to help me personally. I am currently seeing God open new HUGE doors to plan another benefit show for Invisible Children to raise money for Invisible Children’s Proteciton Plan which can be watched about here. I need help with connecting with bands, artists, sponsors and anyone else who would be willing to help! The last thing would be to visit my fundraising donation page HERE. I am part of a team called SoCal Swag that has set out to raise $16,000 in the next four months. The money we raise will be going to all the things that the Protection Plan cover.

I can not express to you enough how much I care about these kids and this particular African based organization. I have had opportunity after opportunity sharing this story, meeting incredible people, and making connections and a difference through Invisible Children and I thank God everyday for that. Now I ask that you continue to help me in anyway possible because YOU can make a different. YOU have the power to help us get one step closer to ending this war. YOU are able to do BIG things in these kid’s lives. YOU can be the voice for the voiceless.

: After leaving my wallet behind…. “If you head wasn’t attached to you I’m pretty sure you would have lost it by now”- Shaunna.

That pretty much just describes this past week.

#myheadisgone

: ” What the soul is in our body, the Holy Spirit is in the body of Christ, which is the church.”

-Augustine 

: Days such as today that are jam packed with meetings after meetings after meetings make me incredibly stressed out but incredibly stoked for what God has in store. I feel as though for quite a while God had me in a place of waiting. With every door closed and nothing to pursue I waited upon the Lord and learned more and more about patience. Now I feel as though every door is opening up for me to walk right through and I’m so stoked to see how God uses every door. It is exciting to see what He is doing in and through me along with what He is doing in and through everyone around me and at Kingsfield church. This new season that God has brought me to is going to be HUGE and filled with a lot of change and new exciting things. Nothing brings me more joy than God’s incredible love and movement within my life.

With everything, with everything we will shout forth Your GLORY! With everything, with everything we will shout forth Your PRAISE!

: Hot yoga plus dubstep equals every morning this next week.

#hotyogaferdayz

: “in times of great tragedy and suffering, the question is not where is God, but where are God’s people?” - Gary Haugen

: I really enjoy the times when you sit down to honestly talk with a great friend. The times where you get everything out and you just laugh and feel very content. I often leave those conversations with a smile, good attitude, and feeling very refreshed. God always knows when those conversations are needed and I love it. My friends are pretty incredible I must say God has blessed me with loving, caring, and genuine people.

: You know you’re so used to being barefoot 24/7 when you leave your shoes at Wahoo’s and don’t realize it till a day later. 

I really should start to remember that there is such things as shoes…..

: By wanting to be different you’re just like everyone else in the world.

: A calm sea never made a skilled sailor

: “The Holy Spirit is as essential to a believer’s existence as air is to staying alive”

-Francis Chan

: Billie Holiday + Reading = my happy place

: Taco Tuesday is never just taco Tuesday. 

I enjoy my friends……and lolicup.

: I’m happy just because

I found out I am really no one.

: alexithymia:

noun-difficulty in experiencing, expressing, and describing emotional responses.

: Today I spent most of the day outside walking around the spectrum and sawdust festival and realized something: there are so many beautiful people in the world. I really do love walking around somewhere and just people watch and think about people. I know it sounds kind of strange but it is just something that I really do enjoy plus it has the benefit of really nice alone time. Anyways among having this thought I also had another one: there are so many broken people in the world.

This week I’ve really been thanking God for the hope I have in Him. The hope I have that when I get to heaven there will be no more tears or pain. The hope I have that He works everything together for my good. The hope that in the future I will forever get to worship my God. There is a verse that I always cling to in difficult times and it is Psalm 27:13 “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”. I enjoy that verse and take comfort in it so much for two reasons 1) it makes me thank God during a hard time because it reminds me that without Him I would just give up and say eff the world. 2) it reassures me in the hope that I do have in Him and reminds me of His goodness in the mists of pain. 

Going back to the two thoughts I had earlier today….. there are so many beautiful people in this world, but also so many broken people. I have so much hope in my Lord and it keeps me moving forward every single day of my life. It is what picks me up when I’m down and it is what makes me get up and continue running the race every morning. Faith and hope are two very similar things and I want to share both with every one I can. I have both in my life and it is the foundation of all things for me. It is what makes me explode with joy when I have nothing because I am so madly in love with my God and with that comes hope and faith. It is just simply very selfish of me to keep this hope to myself. It is selfish for me to never give up because I have this hope and not share it with anyone else. It is just plain selfish to never even talk about this hope! I want to…no wait I need to talk about this hope. I need to share this hope with everyone. I want my life to reflect this hope and glorify God with it. Needless to say I did a lot of thinking today that made me incredibly stoked and thankful to my loving and faithful Father in heaven. 

again I say Thank you Lord.