Excitement is in the air!

A lot has gone on in the last few months. Things have been so busy and crazy and AWESOME! I'll just try to summarize everything. :P

So, I came back from Ohio via Louisiana. I helped Tanner move down there for his job. I got him all moved into his condo there and then he took me back here to Dallas. He visited me every weekend after that. My birthday was coming up, but it was on the weekend we were going back up to Ohio to staff Jr. High Week at Camp. So, I had a family birthday party the weekend before.

Well, unbeknownst to me, Tanner was plotting with my parents.

On June 8th, I was taken to a park by my mom, something to consider for any possible future wedding (or so I was led to believe), after getting my hair done. There, Tanner had a picnic waiting for me, much ealier than he should have been there had he left Louisiana when I thought he had. We ate and talked until 8:09pm when he got down on one knee and proposed!

I'M ENGAGED!!!!!!! :D

After that, we had my party and then my parents drove me down to Louisiana so Tanner and I could head up to Ohio for camp. Camp was amazing! I saw God all over the place all the time! It was do cool! And God moved me and worked on me and through me in so many ways! It was the best camp experience I've ever had.

As soon as we got back, we immediately continued the wedding planning. We got registered and everything and then my Dad took me back to Dallas. Since then, we've been planning like crazy. It doesn't seem like it's been that long since then. But apparently it has. We are 18 days out from the wedding. Technicly 17 since today is almost over. :P

17 days...

17!

Needless to say, I am super psyched! As well as my wonderful fiance Tanner. I can not wait to be Mrs. Ellsworth. :D

Soon, I will be walking down the asile. Yay!

Keep on keeping on! :D

A Simple Update of the Ongoings of My Life.

Well, I'm here in Ohio, again. I just liked it so much I couldn't stay away. Ha ha! It's true I had a job and it was going well, I had a house (though I was hardly over there. No TV or internet puts a damper on things. Ha ha!), I had a car (still do, just not with me), but I got called up here. Where it's 40 degrees. The sarcrifices I make! Just kidding. :P

Nah. There were a lot of reasons for coming up here and there was a lot of thought and prayer and meditation that went into the desicion. I'm am ecstatic to be here and am looking forward to the time I have here. The future has many things in store, and I can't wait to find out what they are!

I'm staffing a Jr. High camp in June, which is exciting! I would have never thought that I would ever staff any kind of camp. But I am really looking forward to it! I feel this calling to work with the youth and this camp is a great way to get going. At least that's what I think anyway. :)

I really see God working around me and within me. I'm different than who I was a few months ago, but in a really good way. I have more confidence and feel like I can do more things. I have put all I have into God hands. He knows what's best for me. I even told him that if being an author was not that path that He wanted me to take, I'd give it up. After which, I felt a great releif. It's funny what you hide from yourself.

Keep on keeping on!

It's Beginning.

I read this series of books a little while ago about a time where our world outlawed Christianity. Though not just Christianity, but all religion. It's a crazy concept. Yet, the book was written in 2006 and set in 2012. Now, you would say, "We're not even close!" However, on the other side of the world, where the majority of the population is Muslim, Christians are being killed daily. It's not a new thing either. Things like this have been happening in many areas for a while. However, in the past few years, it has increased by 390 something percent. They are calling it

Christophobia.

Within the next century, if our world and nation stay on the course they are currently on, we could be faced with a religious apocalypse. If we don't stand up and do something, Christophobia could be in our back yards sooner than we know. We can not let this go on. There should be no tolerance for this kind of thing, because if we let this continue, we'll all be in danger.

Christophobia is not something people know about. I fear we have hard times ahead of us. We as a people, as a nation, need to stand up for what is pure and right. This can not continue.

Keep on Keeping on,

Elisabeth

Long Distance Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's day all!

It's Tanner and my first Valentine's day. It's exciting! But as he's in Ohio, it's a little strange. Let me just tell you right now if you didn't already know. Long distance is rough! It's hard, and saddening at times and you just want to be together, but you're miles apart! It does make the relationship stronger though.

But anyway, Tanner called me this morning as he was headed to class and wished me Happy Valentine's Day. Totally made my whole day. I couldn't stop smiling all morning! He he! Even though we are far apart, he still makes me smile and my heart leap with joy. :)

Tanner, I love you and I can't wait until March 2nd and I get to see you! <3

Keep on keeping on,

Elisabeth

Rich Young Ruler? Over-rated.

Today, I was in church, like I always am on Sunday mornings, unless I'm sick, and I was listening to the sermon about the rich, young ruler. And it struck me a little different. I've heard the story a million times, but this time I heard something else. The preacher talked about how when this guy who had everything came up to Jesus and asked what he needed to do to follow Him. After the ten commandments, Jesus tells this man to sell everything he posesses. The preacher said that he was sure that as this guy was walking away, he was slumped in grief. That he was thinking, "That's the one thing I can't do." Of course, Jesus then goes on to say how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. It was then that it struck me. I don't want to be a rich young ruler. I would rather have just enough to take care of everything and be humble and content with what I have, than have everything I could have ever dreamed about dreaming about wanting and never be content or worse, lose my soul.

I grew up in a family that had plenty. I was never left wanting. Sure, I didn't think of us as rich, but others did. Now that I live on my own and know what it's like to have to pay bills and wonder if there is going to be enough for everything, I realize that we had it good. My parents and sister still do. But I also realized, I don't want to just be scraping by, but I also don't want to feel like I have more money than I could possibly do anything with. There's a happy medium in there, and I'm determined to find it.

If I do become a best-selling author someday and I am earning bundles and bundles of money, I'm going to find a good use for it. And it's not going to be on some big house or a cooler car or nicer clothes, ect. It's going to go to someone else who needs it more than I do. Who has kids that need new clothes or someone who might be a little short on money to pay the bills and feed themselves that month. I am determined to live in a house just big enough and be content with the blessing God sends my way. Never do I want to be a rich, young ruler.

Keep on keeping on,

Elisabeth