Haiti T-Shirts

As one of my fundraiser's, I designed a t-shirt.  Well, they came in today!  They turned out WONDERFUL and I can't wait to start giving them to everyone who purchased one!

SMG

Sometimes ...

Sometimes it's not easy to see God's hands at work. Sometimes you feel like He isn't working in your life at all. And sometimes it smacks you in the face and He supplies ever need and then some.

He's been doing that exact thing in my life over the past couple months. You know that anxiety I felt when I first got my internship this summer? IT'S GONE! Or the sleepless nights I had because I was letting Satan get the best of me and I questioned how God was going to provide all the money I needed for my internship? NO MORE QUESTIONING!

Well let me just say that in times of need, God uses those times to teach us lessons. He uses those times to see how much we're gonna trust Him. He uses those times to show us how much He loves us and how He has everything worked out if we'll just put our trust and faith in Him (Jeremiah 29:11).

So because of Gods provision I paid the remaining balance on my trip last week. Praise Jesus!!

I'm going to Haiti! 37 days and I'll be boarding a plane :)

SMG

Pride

So I was sitting in church last night listening to Zach speak on how we are to be a follower of Christ and not just a fan ("Jesus didn't come to this earth for us to be His fan, He came for us to be a follower of Him") ... It got me thinking about my trip to Haiti this summer.  I'm so pumped and excited and anxious and nervous and everything else all bottled up into one big mess of emotions.  And then I got to thinking ... I'm afraid I'm using this trip to boost up my pride.  I feel like I've been making this trip more about Samantha and how others view me, then about who the trip is ultimately about ... JESUS!

Yes, I talk about the trip all the time.  Yes, I know this is totally a God thing because He has been there throughout this whole planning process.  Yes, I know that God is going to do amazing things this summer through me and in me.  But what I didn't realize until last night, is that instead of making this trip all about Him and what He's going to do, I've made it more about me.  I have made points to tell people I'm going, or to make comments that I'm leaving in __ days and of course that person is going to ask where I'm going.  I feel like it's okay to feel good about myself for stepping out and taking this trip, but I have been searching for that approval from other people too.  I have been wanting other people to be proud of me.  I have some pride issues.

So, for those who might read this blog ... please be in prayer for me.  Please ask God to change my heart and make me less prideful.  Please ask God to change my visions and make this trip 100% all about Him and not about me at all.  Pray that I would be a vessel to better the Kingdom of God.  Pray that God will do some mighty works through me this summer and that those I come in contact with will see Him and not me.  Pray that God radically changes me this summer and opens my eyes to the beauty of His creation and that He will break my heart for what breaks His.

Please just pray.

SMG

Zumba Fitness Party for Haiti

Tonight we had had the "Zumba Fitness Party for Haiti!"  My Zumba instructors so graciously volunteered to host this fundraiser for me!  We had 47 ladies show up and I raised quite a bit of money!

Praise Jesus!

SMG

A Card In The Mail

I went to church this morning and then went to work this afternoon.  I had a pretty emotional day just thinking about different things in my life, and honestly I was ready just to go to bed when I got home.  Since I house sit every weekend, I don't get my mail until Sunday evening.  I got home from work and had a card sitting on my bed.  I knew who it was from based on the return address, but I didn't know what it could be.  I opened it up and it was from one of my sweet friends and her husband!

They said that they had been praying how they could help some of their friends, and God laid me on their hearts and they wanted to help me on my trip to Haiti.  BAM!  And there was a check included!

Tell me God doesn't have this under control!

SMG

Photoshoots

Since finding out that I was accepted for this internship this summer, I have been advertising 'Photoshoots for Haiti' and doing TONS of photoshoots! I don't know if it's just springtime, so the photoshoots have increased. Or if I'm getting better at my skill (I hope!).  Or if people are just booking them because the funds go for a good cause ... Whatever the reason, I love it and I'm very appreciative!!

People really have been so supportive of me and this adventure I'm taking this summer.  Like I've said in several blogs in the past, God keeps showing Himself more and more.  He keeps either putting people in my life to help financially support me, or people I don't know all to well have financially supported me, and these photoshoots have been no different!! I did a photoshoot yesterday and the lady graciously gave me more than my asking price.  That's the second time that has happened! Praise Jesus!

SMG

Praise Jesus!!

So several days ago I wrote a blog about God being in complete control of this whole entire trip.  At the end of that blog I wrote about how someone very near and dear to my heart sent me a facebook message asking where she could send money for my trip this summer.

That check came in the mail today. BAM!! Tear Jerker! She included such a sweet note along with a check.

GOD IS GOOD!! And He's in CONTROL!!

SMG