Growing Up.

The past 6 months of my life have been life changing. It has been SO much fun growing up:) I'll try to fill you in on a few of the things I've learned...

It doesn't matter where you are, it's the people you are with. When I first moved to Phoenix I thought I'd be here for a year or two and then be off to my next big city adventure. Then after being here for a year and not having met a ton of close friends I thought well maybe I will just go back to the Midwest to be closer to family. Well, everything has changed the last 6 months. I have met some of the most incredible people since taking this internship. People who have become family to me. Now, obviously my family is completely irreplaceable and I LOVE them to death. But when you are in a situation where your family isn't right down the road, other people step in and become your family. Plus when you connect with other followers of Christ it is unlike any other connection-- something I've never really experienced as I pretty much tried to be a Christian on my own. I've never actively participated in walking with other believers. At first the accountability that came with knowing other Christians who were actually living their life devoted to Christ completely overwhelmed me. Now, I wouldn't trade it. I now understand why we are called to fight this war together and not on our own. It is TEN times more fulfilling living it with others and being encouraged and poured into. Phoenix feels more like home now than anywhere ever has before simply based on the people I've gotten to know. Mom/Dad-- please do not be offended! :):) You know I love the crap out of you guys and YOU are irreplaceable.

I've never been so fulfilled. I've never felt more blessed. According to the world, I have nothing. I don't make hardly any money. I don't have my own place. I don't have even a fraction of the clothes or things that the world tells me I should have. I don't have a "real" job. I'm a little chubby. HAHAHA! And I'm not dating anyone. But I have NEVER been more filled up. My relationships with other people are richer and deeper than they've ever been. I feel tremendous peace about moving away from my family and know I am following what I should be. I continue to fall more and more in love with my God the more I get to know Him. My life is filled with more purpose now than ever. Clarity, peace, contentment, and joy are priceless and not something the world can give me. Living in those has been incredible.

Two years ago I completely relied on my older brothers and my Dad for advice. I remember when I started dating someone after graduating college and it got pretty serious... but I was still wanting to go to my Dad or brother to ask them for advice. Whether I was buying a car... moving somewhere... apartment searching... job searching... it ALL came back to my Dad and brother before I made any decisions. I remember feeling guilty when I stopped going to them for advice. Now I feel so much more on my own and confident in "growing up" and slowly peeling away from the umbrella of influence they once had over me. I don't feel guilty anymore and it's a great freeing feeling.

The older I get the more I see "behind the scenes" in my family. As a child you look at your parents as these invincible-have it all together people who never doubt anything and have the answers to everything. You look to them for stability and answers when life gets hard. When you doubt things they are supposed to be strong for you. The older I get, the more human my parents become. The first couple steps "behind the scenes" were not easy and rocked my foundation a little bit. The more time I spend behind the curtain the more I see how much pressure that puts on them as people. The more real they become and the more I realize I cannot put all my security in them. I've learned the past year and a half the importance of making sure I place my foundation and security in Christ and Christ alone. People don't need that pressure to be perfect and I can't allow my eyes to look to them for answers or security. It's been an awesome realization to come to and again, another variable that I've been "freed" from in the last year.

What I've learned: I used to think ministry was "where it's at". That "doing" ministry was how you reached people and lives were changed. I no longer feel that way. I have come to realize that "where it's at" is "who you are". If you live your life for Christ in your actions and your character reflects His love for others, that in and of itself is your ministry and one billion times more powerful than giving someone the correct answers and quoting scripture. John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Character development and living what you say you believe is "where it's at".

God is at work in your life and where you're at, even if you think you are directing your own path. How do I know this? I moved to Phoenix RANDOMLY. I just happen to have a brother who lives here and the economy didn't allow me to go anywhere else without having EVERYTHING lined up beforehand. So I moved to Phoenix to escape the winter months in Iowa, do something different, and it was a safe easy move since my brother was already here and I didn't need to have a job lined up before I moved. All of these are pretty self-focused reasons and I wasn't really even thinking twice about whether God wanted me there or not when I made the move. I was just doing my own thing. I had never heard of CCV before I came to Phoenix and now...I am working at one of the most influential and healthiest Churches in the United States of America and genuinely feel like I am EXACTLY where God wants me to be. His Will... will always be done.

What have I been up to on a day to day basis? Aside from growing tremendously in my lifestyle and relationship with Christ? Aside from spending 6 months just drinking up everything that is being poured into me? After coming back from CIY camp in Durango, then FCA camp in Flagstaff, then a short trip out to San Diego with the Beltramo's... (where we saw David Hasslehoff roaming the streets on Coronado Island). I've been plugging away with our First Impression's ministry. I also just got back from a 5 day trip back home to Iowa. Such a great trip-- so good to get some good quality time in with my favorite sister in the entire universe, my parents, sister in law, brother, and good friends. Great conversations and fantastic fresh food:) In two weeks I transition over to the programming department where I am going to learn how to shoot/edit video in hopes to someday become a director/producer/editor of film. That could be any media outlet at this point... television...movies...short films... you name it. I am beyond excited to learn how to do all of this and I have some pretty big dreams for the future. :) I feel like media is a HUGE outlet right now for transmitting messages and we spend SO much time engaged in it... I'd like to have a hand in making sure there is something worth watching. Stay tuned...!!

Again... I cannot even begin to thank all of you for your prayers and financial support. This past 6 months has been life changing and I literally would not be able to do it without you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love ya'll!