strangers like me

sacrifice. a word i have been thinking about A LOT lately.. In recent months im learning the true meaning of that word. In order to get to my dreams, and Gods desires, i have to sacrifice a lot of my desires to obtain these goals! But in the process of 'letting go' of unnecessary things, i have found meaning to the things that ARE necessary.. We feel so helpless when things we think we need, are taken away from us.. But letting go of these things, these things that are not much of worth.. you find that the simpler basic things, fill those gaps, and over flow! I dont need a boyfriend, or new clothes, or my hair being done every month. I dont need the latest and greatest accessories or to go out clubbing every weekend in hollywood. Dont get me wrong, those are all fun activities, but not really worth my money or time compared to other options. I do A LOT in my week. from ballet, to surfing, to swing dancing, to hanging out with friends. Church, gym, family, hiking, and mischief! SO MANY THINGS fill up my hours, and frankly they all.. cost.. money.. so now, i have all these goals and desires laid out on the table, and i have to be wise with my spendings of money, and time, for each! If that means skipping out on dance or bailing on hanging out with friends on the weekend to work to just get gas money, im gonna do it! I'll babysit for days on end, just to get INCHES closer to where i wanna be.. Im so done wasting time on people and activities that arent going to benefit me in the long run. Doing things that arent pleasing God, is costing me more than money.. How much are you willing to sacrifice for your dreams? How many hours of work and dedication are you willing to do, in order to live your life the way you always dreamed? ITS POSSIBLE. that life you always dream about? yeah that dream sequence that plays through your thoughts? its actually possible!! because our God makes things happen. I know there are people out there in the world, who are doing the same thing i am... working hard to obtain these crazy goals.. strangers like me. somewhere :)

never lose sight to whats important in life

downsize, without losing quality.

During my vacation from home and lets just say 'life' in general, it has really reminded me the true importance of keeping your dreams in perspective. A good friend of mine, Dj, had posted something on facebook that i really have never read/heard before. It read, "Surround yourself with people who believe in your dreams." and as simple as the quote is/was, it hit me like a ton of bricks!..."Surround yourself with people who believe in your dreams"... was i surrounding myself with people like that? Were people whom i called my friend, supporting my dreams? being positive influences? Helping my life's process go the way it should be going? Were they being cheerleaders?  For those of you who do follow this thing-of-a-blog, you know my dreams, and how BIG and improbable they are, and i cannot achieve them on my own. This life, it was meant to be enjoyed--- together. But sometimes i forget, that the company you surround yourself with, you will soon be the host of. Am i being a good host? Am i surrounding myself with these people, these friends, these essential tools? and lately, i have found that answer to be half n half. HALF of my friends were being what i needed them to be, while the others, were, well not. So, i am learning to downsize without losing quality....but to gain it. Impossible you say? no. Difficult? you bet. Im just really starting to pay attention to what is necessary in my life, and people who arent helping me towards these crazy dreams, really dont deserve a whole lotta effort from me, yeah sure this can totally be wrong and you can think "lindsey what are you doing!" but so far... its worked. i dont hate anyone, i dont resent anything, i just dont have time, to waste my time. So evaluate where you are in life! are you surrounding yourself with people who are cheering you to succeed? Are your close friends being the iron you need them to be? Are they just as excited for your dreams as you are? I can honestly say.. yes. mine are.... and boy am I blessed.

Too Blessed to be Stressed

A lot of the time, we forget to really think about how blessed we truly are. For the past 2 weeks i have been vacationing in Ohio, visiting family and friends ect, and i will say, i have had the BEST time!!! From adventuring to Pittsburgh, to climbing through underground ancient caves, i am a blessed girl! What this trip has shown me, was that i dont have to fly clear across the world, to find adventure and opportunities. I find myself thinking as i type this, that i forget ( quite frequently ) how blessed i really am, and i have been workin SO hard lately to save up money, and now there is no problem with that, but sometimes God wants us to just relax and see his kingdom, and that is exactly what ive been doin! I forget the opportunities God has placed around me, and around the corner! That even though im working towards a BIG dream, i can still create wonderful memories in the mean time :) that money is JUST money, and my time is so valuable! Even though this blog isnt long, i just hope this would remind you ladies that life is BEAUTIFUL amidst the chaos, and hustle and bustle of our busy lives. SMILE! you are precious to God and he has planned SO much for each and every one of us!

repeat.

Remember your dreams. Remember your dreams. Remember Gods Plans. Remember Gods plan.Remember your dreams. Remember your dreams. Remember Gods Plans. Remember Gods plan.Remember your dreams. Remember your dreams. Remember Gods Plans. Remember Gods plan.Remember your dreams. Remember your dreams. Remember Gods Plans. Remember Gods plan.Remember your dreams. Remember your dreams. Remember Gods Plans. Remember Gods plan.Remember your dreams. Remember your dreams. Remember Gods Plans. Remember Gods plan.Remember your dreams. Remember your dreams. Remember Gods Plans. Remember Gods plan.Remember your dreams. Remember your dreams. Remember Gods Plans. Remember Gods plan.Remember your dreams. Remember your dreams. Remember Gods Plans. Remember Gods plan.

To want

Its time again. its time to uproot it all and just go for it. These past 7 months since ive been home from germany have been hard and amazing and everything in between. i have worked my TAIL off (and continuing) for money. I find myself wishing hoping and dreaming to go and do all these amazing things, and i pray and pray asking God, "HOW CAN I GET MONEY!?!" but it wasnt how, it was, can you. It was, hey God can i please just win the lottery? The other week at church pastor chuck said a statement that just hit me.  "God why cant i just win the lottery?.... Well, your chances go up when you actually purchase a ticket.." Since that day ive brainstormed and used my imagination to come up with every single possiblity to make a buck. I had to remember what my gifts are, and talents are, and that God just didnt give them to me for no reason. I have had bare to none social life in the month of may. Even cancelled my birthday week to go do something that is far more important then clubbing in Hollywood. These past few months have been the most important, and ive grown the most out of the last 4. Stuff that used to occupy my mind, just doesnt anymore. People who used to occupy my mind, just dont anymore. Ive learned to downgrade, and not loose quality, but gain it. My Dreams are whats most important to me right now. Not boys, not friends, not work, not dance, not baking, not anything. I wake up thinking about my dreams, and go to bed thinking about them. They fill my mind with sights and images painted across my thoughts. I realize that i have to be realistic about Life, and that i cant do great things, unless i work myself to the core. I have to FIGHT this, i have to WANT this more than anything ive ever wanted, and that its possible to be self made. I want to leave in september 2011 this year on another adventure. I dont know what adventure, or where! whether it be missions orientated, or just a traveling expedition, ive been researching like crazy! asking anyone who knows anything! I have so many open doors..

One of my biggest goals in life, is to say ive traveled the world before the age of 25. I want a picture holding the leaning tower of piza. A picture of me dangling the taj mahal like a christmas decoration. A picture of me on the great wall of china. A picture of me in the sahara. A picture of me kissing the sphinx. I wanna be able to say ive seen the northern lights in person. That ive floated down the Nile and Amazon. That ive drank guiness in an Irish pub and have had a croissant in Paris. I want treasures! I want memories that are priceless! I want to see these images in my head, in person! I dont want ANYTHING holding me down. I dont want to look back in 10 years with a husband and kids and say, what happened to my dreams? Now do NOT get this wrong, having a family is a dream of mine, a BIG one and a wonderful one, but im waiting to open that present. Ive got people to meet, and places to see, things to do, pictures to take, cultures to understand.. The stuff i wanna do, you cant learn in a classroom.    

Not a lot of people say they got to see the world, let alone at a young age.
                                   I want to be able to say that.

breakaway

"I gotta, take a risk, take a chance, make a change, and breakaway."

Cheesy line maybe, but how its one of my favorite songs! The past few days have been so inspirational, i feel like im ME again, and i haven't felt that way in a long time. I forget so often, and SO EASILY what my bigger plans are, what i imagine my life to be, and where i wanna go. I have dreams that are bigger than what im doing now, and ive learned that this state of my life, is only temporary. This time in my life, is meant to be spent with family, close friends, and God, building up character, learning important life lessons, and not letting anything set me back. When im bored, i tend to re-read my old blogs from germany and then after, to see how much ive grown, and that tough situations make tough people. I have always been a 'go-getter' so what happened? Why have i become so attention deficit, to the point where i forget what i truly value and look forward too in life? I feel like as girls, we are so easily manipulated by our own minds, that we forget how many plans, how many WONDERFUL adventurous loving plans God has in store for us, to not let money, jobs, media, BOYS get in the way of the view. Im meant for big things, its time for lindsey to grow a spine and keep moving forward, to not let anything stop me, but  to gently put things down and walk away. To not waste my time on temporary things, but to be a dream chaser, to get to that mountain top just to say i did so. Ill only be 18 once, and 19 is around the corner, and i want this year to be the most exciting yet. What are you gonna say about your past birthday? Are you able to say you took the world by your own two hands? Or let is shyly slip by?

Jeremiah 29:11:For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.


Sometimes i forget how Loving and creative God really is. I need to work on that.