HOLY GIRL SUMMER RECAP
Hello friend!
Welcome to the blog! I am excited to share my 2024 summer with you this week! Let the HOLY GIRL SUMMER recap begin!
I was ready for summer vacation after finishing my junior year of high school in June! I couldn’t wait for all the exciting things that the Lord had in store for me- and He exceeded my expectations tremendously! All in all, my summer was relaxing and fun! I was able to spend some quality time with my family, and friends, and relax from all the busyness that life brings!
This summer was also filled with fun adventures! I went to YWAM Camp in Hawaii, and it was the best week of my life! (If you want to find out more about my experience, you can read about it on the blog!) My family and I also went to Salt Lake City with some friends for my youngest brother’s birthday! We went to Lagoon Amusement Park, and Splash Summit! I had an absolute blast, and went on all the crazy intense rides at Lagoon! I was able to spend more time outside; just enjoying God’s amazing creation (and getting some tanning time while I was at it!) What’s more, the friendships that I made and cultivated this summer are ones that I will treasure forever! They are my amazing sisters in Christ who have been so influential in my life- I love them so much!!
What’s more; I was able to spend some amazing time with Jesus! This summer was truly life-changing for me: God has freed me, taught me new things, and led me to new seasons and depths of intimacy with Him! I have just fallen so much MORE in love with Jesus this summer!
Let me take you back to the beginning of the year. For Christmas, I asked for a prayer board. A prayer board is a corkboard where you put different prayers, goals, healthy Christian habits, and scripture! It says in Habakkuk 2:2-
“Then the Lord said to me, Write my answer plainly on tablets so that a runner can carry the correct messages to others.”
When we write down and pray into these goals, plans, and prayers, it helps keep us on the right track! Instead of getting distracted by saying yes to everything, we can consider if those opportunities are leading us towards the things the Lord wants us to do! We can run the race of life well when we stay on the right course! I also love to write down scripture and truths to remind myself of daily, so I can walk in the truth and freedom that Christ has given me! Lastly, I write down my word of the year. So, when I got my prayer board for Christmas, I had some quiet time with God and asked Him what He wanted my word of the year to be. I kept hearing the word FAITHFUL. At first, I thought that my word needed to be something else- like surrender or grace or patience. But I just kept coming back to FAITHFUL. I wrote it down, stuck it on the board, and prayed that the Lord would help me understand why that needed to be my focus.
When March came around, I started to see why the Lord had given me FAITHFUL. It began when I wrestled between going to YWAM Camp or not. I wanted to go but did not have the funds to do so. I went on a prayer walk one morning and asked God to tell me plainly what decision to make. I heard Him say:
“Ella, remember your word for the year? Are you going to be FAITHFUL and trust that I will take care of you?”
There was no arguing with that. It was such a sweet moment with God, and I am so grateful for His guidance! After I was faithful and registered, the Lord was faithful by taking care of the finances! And that week at Camp was the best week of my life!
While at camp, I had to activate my faith again! I asked the Lord to guide me about where to go and what to do after I graduate high school, and He did! He spoke so clearly about my next steps and I can’t wait to share what those are soon! (OOOO, SUSPENSE! Stay tuned for the weeks to come for the grand reveal!) But I’ve had to be faithful about following the Lord’s leading in this specific area!
Even after camp, I have had to be faithful in so many new areas! This is when I started to blog! I had to take the time, money, and energy to create the WITH JESUS LIFE website and Instagram Page! The Lord has also brought me new opportunities these past few weeks; at church and work! This entire summer, the Lord has been showing me why my word of the year is FAITHFUL!
When we live in obedience to God and His Word, that is one way we ABIDE in Christ! When we seek the Lord and follow Him, we are growing closer to our Heavenly Father! It honestly feels SO AMAZING after you take a step of faith and follow the Lord! This is because, you are fully depending on Him, fully trusting Him, and letting Him take the lead. And God will never let you down! The result of your obedience may look different than you thought it would, but that result is 100% better and more fulfilling. Why? Because God was at the steering wheel!
These points bring me to these two verses:
“ Faith shows the reality of what we hope for, it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6
When God says to do something, I just want to do it! I believe that we as Christians should live with a mindset of “If God says it, I’m just going to do it! I’m going to be faithful and trust Him with everything!” Because God’s ways are higher than ours, He knows best and wants the best for us! So why wouldn’t we be faithful?!
“In Hebrew, there is no separation between the word for hearing and the word for doing.” -Pastor Jared Gregory of Hilltop Church (also, my dad!)
Isn’t that so cool? Because there is no separation or differentiation between the two words, hearing it also means you are going to do it! To hear God’s Word is to DO God’s Word! This is a part of living a lifestyle of faith! If you want to read more about faith, I highly encourage you to read Hebrews chapter 11; it is known to be the HALL OF FAITH chapter!
This summer, the Lord has revealed to me the beauty of living a life of obedience. He has brought me to new depths of intimacy and love with Him and the people around me! When I surrender and “Walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7) the Lord leads me along the path He wants me to take- a path that will bring glory to His name and bring me joy!
2024 Holy Girl summer has gone down in the history books as maybe even the best summer ever! I hope this not only gave you a little glimpse of my life but also inspired you to activate your faith today! I can’t wait for what the Lord has for me and you this fall!
THANK YOU FOR READING FRIEND! IT BRINGS ME SO MUCH JOY SHARING MY SUMMER STORIES WITH YOU, AND I’M SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU! STAY TUNED FOR NEXT SATURDAY’S BLOG POST! AND BE SURE TO JOIN OUT INSTAGRAM COMMUNITY, SO WE CAN STAY CONNECTED AND LIVE LIFE WITH JESUS TOGETHER! I LOVE YALL SO MUCH!
