Top Story

Well, Makenna has now been on tv! She made the top story on the local news and the headline story online today due to the restaurant incident. The Johnsons were interviewed by channel 8 news, wfaa, today about what happened. I was caught in a short clip getting Makenna off the bus. She was so beautiful! I couldn't stop smiling when I saw her hoping around and singing. I care so deeply for her, and what happened at the restaurant just breaks my heart. NO child should EVER be treated like that! So please, spread the word! I encourage all of you to be an advocate for kids like Makenna! Please, if anything, just do it for her, the sweet, beautiful, precious girl she is.

Here is the link to the video and story:

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Family-says-restaurant-ousted-them-over-disabled-daughter-89570502.html

Whew, today has been quite the day! Super busy, but so exciting! After the news crew left, we finished up getting ready for our little Easter get together. Denise, Keith, and their kids (Matt and Marianne's dear friends) came over and we all had an AMAZING dinner! I'm gonna have to work it off for sure though! I just love cookouts, gorgeous weather, and my second family!

More exciting news, I got a B on my bio test from last week! I am not very good in biology, so to me that was pretty darn good!

Well, I better finish up my homework and get some much needed sleep!

Praying for my cousin and Makenna!

Beautiful

Mmmm how I love beautiful sunny days like today! There's a lot going on in the next few days, so I'll get yall caught up! First off, I have been studying my butt off for my government test tomorrow, so I'm praying that I do well on that. Tomorrow is going to be such a busy day, but a lot of fun! After class, I'm going to go to Makenna's house and get things ready for our little Easter party and for the news interview! Yep, that's right, news interview! Somehow channel 8 news managed to find out about the incident at the restaurant with Makenna where they were asked to leave. So, they are coming by the house tomorrow afternoon to meet Makenna and ask her parents, and possibly even myself, a few questions. They were very upset by what happened, and want to do a story. Who knows where it will go or what will happen, but we are just all putting it in God's hands. I'm a little nervous, but glad that they get to meet the wonderful, beautiful girl I have the privilege of taking care of. I think that anyone that gets to meet her is given a different perspective on life, which has led me to where I am today. I just love that girl so much! To me, she is the true definition of beauty! Speaking of Makenna, she had an awesome day at school today. Another little boy in her class, who is blind, played so well with Makenna today. When they went to the activity room, he listened for her hop to find her. How neat is that!!! Once he found her he would say "Kenna, Kenna!" Then he would begin to tickle her and say "Tickle, tickle, tickle!" Makenna loved every minute of it and laughed hysterically. Her teachers said it was precious, I wish I could have seen. Makenna really does have the best laugh! Tomorrow, we are also having a little Easter party at the Johnson's house with some of their close friends. We are going to have a delicious meal/picnic and just hang out and have a good time. I'm looking forward to it!

More good news too! My best friends are coming in town this Thursday!! I CAN'T wait!!!! They all don't get to come in often, so I am super excited. Meghan, Sarah, and Macy (hopefully) will be in town for Easter weekend! I am so excited about Easter by the way!! I love my church and I love worshiping such an awesome God! The scarifies He has made for us are unbelievable! Back to what I was saying though, these girls I know I will be friends with the rest of my life. They are those kind of friends that you can be your absolute self around, the kind that would be there in a heartbeat if you needed them, the kind that are real with you, and the kind that encourage you in every area of your life, including spiritually. I love them so much and am so blessed to have them in my life! Speaking of best friends, CONGRATS to my best best friend Meghan McDonald!! She applied for a bed and breakfast position at Evangel for next semester, where she will get a room to herself and be responsible for tours and other cool things, and she got accepted today! YAY! So proud of you Meg! Can't wait to see yall later this week! Yay for reunions!!

Well, I must get back to some last minute studying! Looking forward to more beautiful weather this week!!

Praying for wisdom tomorrow!

Spring Has Come!

Today was such a good day! I spent time with so many people that I love. And the weather was absolutely beautiful! Despite a little wind, I am so thankful for "dress weather" (my favorite). This morning a few friends and I went to go paint pottery at this place called Color Me Mine. It was a random thing to do, but we had fun. I love doing artsy things like that! We each painted a cross and put one of our favorite verses on it, mine was Jeremiah 29:11. We all get to pick them up in a week, so hopefully they all turn out good! After that, I went to Makenna's and we all went to an Easter egg hunt! There were soo many people there, but it was a lot of fun! We let Makenna get out of her wheelchair and hop around. She didn't seem to be too interested in the egg part, as she was too busy exploring. I love watching that girl go! Her face lights up and it is just so precious. I attempted to help her find some eggs, but we only ended up with two. Micah and Marlee found more and Marlee was lovin the candy inside. After the egg hunt, the kids all got cookies and juice. Makenna ate a couple of mini cupcakes, which she loved! Marlee was on a sugar high soon after. Once we got back to the house, we fed the kids dinner and let them open their Easter baskets from their Gram and Papaw. Makenna went after it, and had so much fun. She got new clothes, books, a cup (which she automatically took into her hands and began to sip knowing that that's what cups were used for...such a smart girl), and a few other treats. Here are a few pictures of the egg hunt:

Later on, I went over to my dad's and he took me to dinner. Oh how I love daddy daughter dates! They are the best! My dad was doing a lot better today, and I was glad to see him so much happier. He went to the memorial service for his friend and said it was a very nice service, but really got him to thinking. For dinner, we went to a new Mexican restaurant, Mi Chula's, and it was delicious! I love times like that where it is just me and him and we get to sit down, eat good food, and just talk about whatever is on our minds! I am so grateful for those times, and don't take them for granted. I love my dad so much! After dinner was over, I went back over to my mom's and we sat and talked for a while, which was nice. My mom is definitely one of my best friends and I can tell her anything. Gosh, I have such wonderful parents! I'd be lost without them! Love yall!! Anyways though, I have church in the morning so I better hit the sheets and get some sleep!

Praying for wisdom as I lead life groups tomorrow and more beautiful weather!

Reality Check

Some days just seem to put life into perspective more than others. They seem to wake you up and smack you right in the face. Today was one of those days.

For those of you that don't know much about my dad, I will explain. He is an amazing, loving, caring father to me. He is so dear to me and I don't think I am always the best at reminding him of that quite enough. I get a little too caught up in my life, and need to take more chances to visit with him and just spend time with him. A little over two years ago, he was diagnosed with brain cancer, i believe it was stage 3. He had the right frontal lobe of his brain removed, the tumor was about the size of a walnut. It was a traumatic experience for all of us, but he got through it. He received six weeks of radiation, along with 24 rounds of chemotherapy. It was so emotionally draining to watch him go through that, and not being able to fully understand or help. Praise the Lord for helping him get through those times, and I pray that he continues to stay healthy and in remission. My dad is a part of a support group, Grey Matters. He is able to connect with people that are going through the same things he is that really understand what it is like. It has been a great thing for him, such a blessing. He has met a lot of incredible people, including a dear friend, Mark. Today Mark passed away. Mark and my dad both started out with the same exact problem, the same type of tumor. Mark was in remission for 5 years and the cancer came back, except a lot worse. He underwent three or four operations, and then the Lord decided it was his time. This breaks my heart and I can't even begin to explain to you how much this brings back so many emotions and sadness. Once I found out, I called my dad to check on him. Let me just say this one thing, please pray. Pray that the Lord gives my dad strength right now. He needs it. The news that I heard today won't leave my head. It honestly scares me. I want so badly for my dad to stay healthy and for everything to be ok. I guess I just don't understand why these types of things have to happen. My mom keeps reminding me that it is in the Lord's hands and I have to trust that He will take care of it. But, am I not allowed to be a little bit scared? Scared of the future. Don't get me wrong, I have complete and utter faith in the amazing powerful God that made me, but sometimes I get a little scared. I think it's just human. Tonight I have been quite emotional on the inside, and I need to keep reminding myself that God is great! HE IS INCREDIBLE! He has blessed me with a father who loves and cares about me so much! A dad that puts my needs before his own. I love you so much Dad!!! You mean the world to me!!

Praying for my dad, his friend Mark and their family, and for strength!

Hope

Today I have come to the conclusion that in any and every circumstance, there is always hope. Sometimes I forget this. I forget that I am the child of an amazing God that can do anything. There is so much pain and suffering in this world around me that I don't see or take time to see as much as I should. Tonight at youth, a few students who are a part of Hope Fellowship's song writing "guild", as Pastor Aubrey calls it, put on a short concert for us premiering their new cd. It was absolutely incredible. These people have such unique talent in their songwriting, ability to play and sing, and in their undying faith for the Lord. I am so blessed to call each and every one of them my friend. They are all wonderful examples to the others around them and they stand up for their faith, even when things get rough. They have a hope and they want to make a difference. Speaking of these things, the cd they recorded was called "Hope for Haiti". Each person wrote a song about Haiti and how there is hope. Each cd was sold for a donation of at least $5 and all the proceeds will go to help those in Haiti. A guest speaker came and spoke for a few minutes about the conditions in Haiti right now. He spoke about his experiences when traveling there recently. He told us about how so many people were turning to Christ, they all had this incredible faith and hope for restoration. We were shown several pictures and short videos of people living under tents made of bed sheets, homeless people, buildings collapsed to the ground, yet they all seemed to have hope in their eyes. In our society today, so many people take their nice things for granted. It's as if nothing is ever good enough. I am guilty of doing this myself. We must remember though that we were put on this earth to do more than just have nice things, we were made to love, serve, and give. We were put here to make a difference with our time, talents, and many other things. We are here to be an offering and to have servant hearts. There is a song by Chris Tomlin titled "God of this City" and I think it perfectly sums up how God can do amazing things, and how if we have hope, greater things will be given to us in return. This is what the song says:

You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are

You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City

I'm not sure how obvious it is, but I have somewhat of a passion for music. I wish so badly that I had a beautiful singing voice or could play the guitar or piano or something. I may try to get my dad to teach me how to play guitar this summer! I love music though. I love how there is so much meaning behind it and how it can be interpreted in so many different ways. I think there is so much being said in this song that helps remind us that there is a hope and there is a light and a peace, and our God can and will do amazing things in our city, and in our world. Anyways though, back to what I was saying, I am going to try my best to always have hope. To constantly remind myself that I was put on this earth for a reason, and I am here to make a difference. I want to love passionately, I want to serve cheerfully, and I want to give generously.

Praying for hope and restoration!

American Honey

I am completely hooked on this song right now! I don't know what it is, I just love it! It's called "American Honey" and it's by Lady Antebellum (who I plan to see in concert this summer with some friends!! woo! can't wait!). Here are part of the lyrics :

She grew up on a side of the road

Where the church bells ring and strong love grows

She grew up good

She grew up slow

Like American honey

Steady as a preacher

Free as a weed

Couldn't wait to get goin'

But wasn't quite ready to leave

So innocent, pure and sweet

American honey

There's a wild, wild whisper

Blowin' in the wind

Callin' out my name like a long lost friend

Oh I miss those days as the years go by

Oh nothing's sweeter than summertime

And American honey

Get caught in the race

Of this crazy life

Tryin' to be everything can make you lose your mind

I just wanna go back in time

To American honey, yea

Maybe I like this song so much because it kind of reminds me of myself. Once I graduated high school, I was so ready to leave Frisco. I wanted to go start a new life somewhere else and become a new person. Come to find out though, it wasn't quite time for me to leave. I was in such a rush to get out, that I didn't step back and look at what I already had. I couldn't change myself and convince myself to be something I wasn't. Eventually I was lead back home again and I am now in the process of figuring out the next steps. I am figuring out who I am and who I want to become. And let me tell ya, I learn something new every day! I honestly do miss the easy days though. The days where I spent my summers swimming at my grandmother's house, going fishing with my papa, riding bikes in the streets with my best friends, having lemonade stands to only earn $5 for a days worth of work, the days where I spent helping my Gigi out in her garden and collected as many pecans as I could from the pecan tree, the days where it was a big deal to have 10 questions of homework to complete, the days where I was completely carefree. Sorry if I am reminiscing too much, but sometimes thinking of these memories brings me back to a good solid place. A place that reminds me it is ok to be carefree, and not stress over every little thing. Just like the song says, I do get caught up in life, and I simply miss those times of "American honey". I miss the times where everything was so pure, sweet, and alive. I really think that it is important that we take ourselves back to that time every once in a while, it is like a breath of fresh air to live with that mentality again.

Moving on though...

Today was a good day! I started back up with class again. I only had one though, so it wasn't too bad. Only 7 WEEKS left!!!! Praise the Lord!! After class, I met my dad and grandmother for lunch at Olive Garden! Mmmm so good! I told them all about my trip to Oklahoma and we also talked about college stuff. After lunch, I got my financial aid stuff completed to send off to Evangel and UTD tomorrow. I also got a few transcript things taken care of, at least for the most part. Once all that was done, I went to take care of Makenna for the afternoon. She was so excited to be back at school today! Apparently her face lit up when the bus came to pick her up! Her teachers wrote in her folder that as soon as she got to school she went to her gate trainer. She was ready to walk around the school! They said that she did just that and went to visit everyone and say hello to make sure it was all still there. Sooo cute! She was in a good mood the rest of the evening too! After work, I finished up some homework and studied for my bio test later on this week (much needed prayer on that by the way! ha! not my best subject). And that pretty much sums up my day! Off to bed to get some sleep!

Praying for strength and guidance- seeking His will, not my own!

Snow, snow, go away...Come again some other day!

It has snowed somewhere around 4-5 inches here in Frisco Texas and it is March 21st!!! This is absolutely ridiculous! I am so ready for warm weather, it is supposed to spring time, not winter! Am I being a little bitter? Maybe so, but I do live in Texas and this much snow is just not normal!

Anyways, I just got back from church and Pastor Aubrey gave a great message. I have a lot on my mind today and I am still feeling the stress of not knowing what to do next semester. And the reality of school starting back up tomorrow isn't necessarily helping my case. I am trying so so hard to be patient and wait for God to guide me in making the right decision, but sometimes it is just so hard!

I had a great spring break though! The Johnson family and I went to Edmond, Oklahoma to visit some of their family and friends. We stayed with Marsha, Marianne's aunt. She was so sweet and made me feel very welcome. I loved all of their family and was so glad to finally put some faces to names! I also got the privileged of meeting some of their good friends that also have special children. These children have all had such a huge impact on my life, even though I only spent a short amount of time with them. While we were in OK, we went to the Oklahoma City Science Museum, the Zoo (which Makenna loved!! She was amazed by the giraffes, it was hilarious watching her face and listening to her laugh), and we ate delicious food all week, and had a lot of fun playing wii fit! Makenna was so good the whole trip, and we had a lot of "bonding" time together! I felt weird not waking up to her singing yesterday morning. Thank you so much to the Johnson's for everything and thank you to everyone else for opening up your homes and your family to me with open arms. I truly do feel like a part of the family now! I love it!

(P.S.- Pictures coming soon from our trip!)

There is a lot to get done this week. I have several projects and tests coming up and information to get into a couple of schools. I have transcripts to send in to Evangel and UTD, and financial information to send in as well. There have been some complications in getting my high school transcripts sent but hopefully it will all work out this week.

Well, that is about all for now, I'm sure I will have more to say this next week. I am off to get lunch with my mama! I am so blessed to have such an amazing mother ( that may be a little off topic, but I just felt the need to say it- I love her so so much! Thank you for all you do!! )

Praying for guidance and wisdom!

My life for Your plans, My heart in Your hands!

First off, I apologize for not having written the past few of days. There is a lot to catch up on though! I want to start out by saying though, thank you Lord for giving me guidance and showing me how to be patient. Thank you for allowing me to ask questions, but in the end put complete trust in You.

For any of you that read Makenna's caringbridge site, I'm sure you are aware of the incident that happened yesterday. I was not with them when this occurred, but I would still like to write about it, because it really upset me. The Johnson family (Matt, Marianne, Makenna, and Marlee) went to a buffet Saturday for lunch. During the middle of their meal, they were asked to leave due to a "noise complaint". Makenna was simply singing and talking, not throwing a huge fit. The manager came over, grabbed Makenna's arm and tried to put suckers in her hand to "get her to be quiet", and told the family to leave. Ok people, this is a FAMILY restaurant! You have got to be kidding me! There are going to be kids that make noise. It just so happens that Makenna does not know the difference, she doesn't understand. Matt quickly took Makenna's hand, and told the manager that she only had half of a brain and didn't understand. He still asked them to leave, paying full price for the meal they didn't get to finish. Once they left the restaurant, the Johnson family handled matters legally. You can visit their website for more updates on this unfortunate event that happened.http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/makennajohnson

And I just ask those of you that ever see a child that appears to be special when you are out at a restaurant, or any other place for that fact, to please not stare. Please just smile at them and pray for them, be patient with them, and think of Makenna.

Now, on to happier things. Makenna has been doing so great these past few days. We took her to the park the other day and let her swing and go down the slides. She was so incredibly happy, the smile on her face was priceless. It made me so so happy! We also tried out her new bath chair, and she loved that as well. She just splashed and smiled and it was so much more relaxing for all of us! Gosh, she is just such a blessing to my life, I can't get over it. I love you Kenna bear!

Yesterday at church Pastor John gave a great message about putting complete trust in God. Sometimes we ask too many questions, the biggest one being why. (Which I am completely guilty of myself) Instead we need to stop asking questions, realize He has a purpose and a plan, and put complete and total trust in Him. Easier said than done, but so worth it. Also, I lead a middle school life group, which is like a bible study, twice a month. Last night we had one and it went very well. Not many kids showed up, due to spring break, but we still had a good time. We focused on Proverbs 3 last night and talked about how so many times we think we can control things, and just give God a call when life gets hard. That is not the case though. We must honor Him and serve Him in ALL areas of our life. I am trying very hard to do this myself right now as well. I am so grateful for the kids that come and allow me to have the opportunity to fellowship with them and learn with them. They are all in my prayers!

I told you I had a lot to say! Ha ha! So this week, the Johnson family and I are packing up to head to Oklahoma for spring break. I am very excited! It will be quite the adventure, and as I keep telling Makenna, we are going to become best friends this week! She smiles when I tell her that, so I take it she doesn't mind. There is a lot that comes along with us when we go somewhere, including a wheelchair, stroller, clothes, pack n plays, meds, etc. Hopefully today I can help Marianne get any last minute things together so we are all set to leave tomorrow morning! I can't wait to meet their family and friends that I have heard so much about! It will probably be a while before I get to update again. I assure you though, I will have a lot to say again, so prepare yourselves!

Well I have packing to do myself before I head over to see Kenna, so I better get to that! I have a busy day ahead of me! Packing, going to hang out with Kenna, the gathering (young adults group at my church!), and dinner with some friends after possibly. So much to do, and not much time to do it. I love being busy though! I hope you all have a fantastic week and enjoy the break if you have one! I will be sure to update once I get back from Oklahoma!

Praying for a safe trip and a fun week with the Johnson family!

Decisions...Decisions...

Today seemed like a very long day, and for some reason I am completely exhausted! Thank God that my spring break has officially begun though! No class for a week! YAY!!! I don't necessarily have too much to say, but I am trying my best to write once a day. It helps. Right now I feel like I have a lot on my plate, I have huge decisions to make and I have to make them somewhat soon. Decisions that could effect my life in a huge way. I know that Marianne isn't a fan of talking about this kinda stuff, but the fact is, the decisions aren't going to be made on their own. I am the type of person who feels like I need to know what is going to be happening five years from now. I'm a planner to say the least. I'm pretty sure it's just in my blood, because honestly sometimes I wish I wasn't like that, but I am. Therefore, I feel like right now I need to know where I am going to school next semester and how I am going to get there, among other things. Please pray with me for guidance in this area of my life.

Makenna was in such a great mood today when I came over. She was laughing and smiling so much and was such a joy. She's just what I needed after a long day. I was very proud of her at dinner especially. Lately I have been working on asking Makenna questions to see what kind of response she gives me. For example, today, I asked her if she was all done with her dinner. She looked at me and slowly turned her head from one side to the other, as if she was shaking her head "no". When I asked if she wanted more to eat, along with signing "more", she got a huge smile on her face and laughed. This is Makenna's way of saying "yes". I am so impressed with how smart she is sometimes. This may not seem like a big deal to some of you, but to Makenna and the people that know her well, this is huge! Also, more good news!! Makenna's bath chair came in today! WOO! No more crazy alligator girl bath experiences. I can know give her a bath without anyone's help, and hopefully it can be more of a learning experience for Kenna now.

Not much else going on today, but continuing to pray for guidance right now. I know that God has a purpose and plan for me, I just need to be patient and allow things to happen in His time, for He is doing great things!

I'm amazed by You...how You love me

Ok, so I promised I would be real on here, so today that is exactly what I am going to be. God is doing amazing things in my life right now. Each and every day, He takes my breath away... especially today.

I am human. I admit right now that sometimes I think I can do it all by myself. The truth is, I can't. I can try my absolute best to be perfect, but no matter what, I will fail. It is the love and grace of God, though, that puts that burning desire in my heart to be something great. To use my gifts, talents, and abilities to further pursue His kingdom and to be a light to my world. I truly believe that God has a purpose and plan for me. Although the walk may seem dark at times, He is shining that light at the end of the tunnel. Now I don't mean to get all "preachy" here, but seriously, some people just need to wake up and see what an amazing life God has given them. He has given everyone a talent worth sharing, something that can glorify His name in some way. So use it! Glorify Him, no matter what it takes. Chase after His heart, and you will find your own.

Lord, thank you:

- For my family

- For my friendships

- For my ability to lead a group of amazing students in Epic student ministries

- For the passion you have put in my heart to serve in all areas of my life

- For the love you have given me to share

- For the hope you have given me for the future

- For the guidance you have given me throughout this past year

- For the confidence you have given me in my faith

- For Makenna

- For the dream you have given me to work with special needs children

- For putting the Johnson family in my life

- For allowing me to glorify you without being ashamed

- For my incredible parents who have taught me so much

- For loving me, through the good and the bad

I am so amazed by His love, His grace, and His beauty. He is doing something incredible in my life, and the lives around me. I will do everything it takes to make all areas of my life glorify Him.

"Look to the skies, hope arise. See His majesty revealed. More than this life, there is love. There is hope and this is real...Your love is changing us, calling us." -Tear Down the Walls by Hillsong United

"God is great, God is good, Let us thank Him for our food!"

Such a good day!! I wish there were more like these! The weather was absolutely gorgeous, in the 70's and sunny all day! I love this kind of weather, it puts me in such a great mood! I am looking forward to flip flops, shorts, being outside, back yard bbqs, country concerts, sunshine, sno cones, and late night summers spent with my best friends! Can ya tell I am a fan of summer??? haha!

Today I had class, which wasn't bad at all! Found out that a test for one of my classes has been completely canceled, which takes a huge weight off of my back for this week. After class, I went to lunch with some friends. I met up with Meghan and got to meet a few of her friends (Ashley, Caleb, and Collin) from Evangel! We had lunch then went shopping! I got a few new shirts from the new forever 21 (which is amazing might I add!!!) It was a lot of fun! So glad that I got to meet her friends!

After lunch and shopping, I went to work. Makenna was in such a good mood today! At school, she walked up the stairs with one hand on the rail and her teacher holding her other hand! She was very independent, and this was a huge accomplishment for her! Yay Makenna!!! We all went to dinner together at Babe's tonight, thanks to the Johnson's friend, Jeff, the manager of Babe's. It was delicious and everyone seemed to have a good time! For those of you that don't know what Babe's is, I highly suggest trying it! Basically heaven on a plate! YUM! Thank you Jesus for such good, southern, home cookin' kinda meals! Here are a few pics of our night out:

I was the chauffeur for one of the cars we took!

The 3 MJ kiddos (Makenna, Marlee, and Micah) plus me!

Marlee was being so sweet during dinner, she gave me lots of hugs and kisses!

Thank you Lord for this beautiful day and I pray that we continue to have many more like these! Please help me to do well on my two tests tomorrow!!!

blessed beyond belief!

I just got some incredible news and I am so so happy!!! I completed my fafsa (financial aid application) and am eligible for so much, including a couple of grants, which I won't have to pay back!! Praise the LORD!!! This really has made me see that if I am obedient to Him, He will provide! For those of you that don't know, my world was completely rocked about 3 months ago. I came home for Christmas break from Tyler Junior College, where I attended last semester, and began working for the Johnson family. I thought it would just be a part time thing for the month that I would be home, but it has turned into so much more than that! Literally about a week before I was supposed to head back to Tyler for my spring semester, I felt God was telling me to stay back. There were many reasons, some including financial and other personal reasons. I knew in my heart that this was the direction God wanted me to take. However, this took a HUGE leap of faith. When I went to withdraw from TJC, the housing office told me that I may not get my $2,000 I paid for housing refunded if they could not find someone to fill my spot. Umm excuse me?!?! You have got to be kidding me??? Well, I prayed about it and still felt like God would provide for me if I obeyed Him. And guess what?? HE DID! I got that $2,000 back and now I have become eligible for so much free money that will allow me to further myself and get an education and do what it is that God wants for me! It is SO incredible how He works sometimes! He has a plan, and if we follow it, He provides!

Ok, so on to the rest of my day...

Today was pretty good! I got to meet my best friend, Meghan, for lunch at Olive Garden (our favorite!! yummm). Meghan is home this week for spring break from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. We have been friends since the fourth grade! Ya know those people that just kind of get you? Well she is one of those kind of people to me, we are so much alike, it's kind of ridiculous. Hopefully later on this week I will be able to meet some of her friends that came to visit from Evangel, and she will be able to come with me to work to meet miss Makenna! I really think that meeting this special little girl can be an eye opening experience for anyone. As Marianne always says, we are all naive to something until we get a chance to truly experience it.

Speaking of Makenna, today was another rough day. She threw several tantrums today and no one knows why. It seems like some weekends she just goes crazy and can't help but cry. Poor sweet girl gets so frustrated sometimes, and I don't blame her. She has no way of communicating what she wants, and this can really take a toll on the rest of us. Marianne hasn't had much sleep these past few nights, and I just pray that tomorrow is a better day. I pray that Makenna wakes up being her sweet self that we all know and love! I know that each day is just a day, and like I said in my entry yesterday, not all of our days will be easy, but we live for the days that are. We are praying that tomorrow will be one of those days! It is much needed! I am also praying that we are able to get the plans finalized for spring break as we plan a trip to Oklahoma to visit the Johnson's family and friends. I think we all need to get out of the house and do something adventurous. Please Lord, gives us all patience and strength when we go to Oklahoma next week.

Well that is about it for today! Praying for more great days to come! Thank you Lord for providing and blessing me beyond belief!!

there's a first for everything!

I'm a newbie at this whole blog thing...it is my first time to have one! Lately I have really wanted a way to be able to "document" the things going on in my life, mainly so I don't forget the amazing memories I am making everyday! I get so busy and caught up in life sometimes, that I don't just sit down and breathe. I don't take the chance to reflect on my day. On this blog, I promise to be real. I promise to tell the good, the bad, and the ugly. I want to remember things like they happen, not the sugar-coated version of things. So here goes...I guess you could say there is a first time for everything huh?

Today was a wonderful day! Started out by going to church, Hope Fellowship (where I have been a member for almost five years now). Pastor John gave a great message about forgiveness. He talked about how no matter what you go through and no matter where you have been, there is no reason for you not to forgive. Jesus paid His life for us, He died on the cross, was beaten, and all for us. The message really got me thinking and helped me come to some conclusions about my life and how there are some people I just simply need to forgive. I need to let go of any grudges I have held onto, and forgive as my Savior did.

After church, I came home and had lunch with my family, which was delicious! Mom made us chicken and rice and we all sat down to have a meal together. And in our hectic household, those meals can be few and far between. Once we finished with lunch, I went to "work". Now you must understand, when I say to I went to "work", it is really not like that at all. Unlike most, I LOVE my job and I don't really consider it "work". I take care of a five year old princess, Makenna. Makenna is the joy of my life right now. She is a special needs child who cannot walk, talk, or feed herself. She is absolutely gorgeous, inside and out. I spend time with her everyday and I have learned so much through these past few months in working with her. I must tell you though, not all days are bright and cheery. Some are hard. Some are stressful. Some are full or biting, hitting, and pulling hair. BUT others are filled with joy, hope, love, and passion. If you would like to learn more about her you can visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/makennajohnson

Today, in the Johnson house (Makenna's family), was a rough day. Makenna has been in a "mood" these past couple of days. She has been a little violent, and stressed out it seems. But we have hope that tomorrow will be a good day! She gets to go to school tomorrow, and that is one of her favorite places to be. After Marianne (Makenna's mom) and I put Makenna and the other kids to bed (Micah and Marlee), we sat down and had a long talk. We shared life together. We talked about so many different things, and told each other stories of our past. It was very refreshing! We decided, after much deep conversation tonight, that we are going to each write a bucket list! We want to map out a list of things that we want to accomplish in our life time. I'm not sure what will go on mine yet, but I think it is an awesome idea!

I realize that I have talked quite a bit today, but I think I really am going to enjoy writing this blog! I know that my life may be crazy at times and seem like a mess on the outside, but I truly do believe that God is doing amazing things in my life right now and somehow turning all my mess into something beautiful!