Starting Anew

Hello friends! To my old followers, welcome back! Hopefully you have chose to stick around amid my veryyyyy long "hiatus" from blogging.

To anyone new, welcome aboard! Take time to look around and catch up on my previous posts.

If you are new here, I encourage you to at least take a look back at my very first post to see where this whole blogging journey of mine began!
https://sheisfearfullymade.blogspot.com/2015/03/first-blog-post-selfie-saturday.html

And if you're one of those people that just likes to read the "beginning and the end" I would recommend you check out the very last post I shared as well.
https://sheisfearfullymade.blogspot.com/2015/11/life-lately-and-missing-someone.html

Now sit back and enjoy as together we start this journey anew.

I will try to be as brief as possible in filling you in on the last year and a half. ;)

If I had to describe the last year and a half in a Bible verse it would be, Revelation 3:8. It ought to be pretty well known, but just in case...

"I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."

On top of doors being opened, I also had my fill of doors being shut and sometimes even slammed in my face. 

Back in January of last year I lost my job with Motherhood Maternity, my first time ever being officially unemployed. After a very long four months, tons of job applications, a handful of interviews, and plenty of rejection I began working for a substitute contracting company. I picked up substitute personal care aide and teacher aide jobs within local school districts and a nearby Lincoln Intermediate school. I also had the opportunity to work through the summer some with an Extended School Year program. 

Working with the subbing contractor gave me the flexibility to be able to go on a week long missions trip with my church last summer to a small coal-mining town nestled in the state of Kentucky. It was eye opening and an experience I won't soon forget. I coordinated and lead a mini camp/VBS for some of the local children, and did they ever steal my heart. 

I made some supplemental income working at a fireworks store where I actually remained employed until April of this year. The friends and the memories made are surely priceless. ANDDD best part of all, my dad worked on the security team!

I remained with the subbing contractor through the early fall, landed some long-term positions and when nothing seemed to stick I decided it was time to look for something more stable. 

Late November, just around Thanksgiving, I landed myself in a CNA (certified nursing assistant) class, but that only lasted a month, because I got "suspended" for exceeding the number of hours you're allowed to miss due to having the flu. 

If I'm being honest, I thought I could have rocked the scrub life ;). 

Little did I know, God had something better in store :)

Thankfully, I still had the fireworks store to fall back on in order to bring in a little income. I also began interning at my church within the children's ministry department. I continued to apply for jobs, to no avail. Early March I applied for a classroom assistant job at a local daycare. I received a call back from the owner, but instead of offering me an interview for the assistant job he told me the interview would be for a lead teacher position. Three days later I walked into an interview, for a position I didn't even apply for, and walked out with a job that I started the very next day. 

I remained there as their young toddler lead teacher until just about a month ago, when God very clearly opened a door in front of me to join the staff at my home church at our learning center as one of the lead teachers. I have been working there just over two weeks now and I am still in awe of God's goodness towards me, and I'm trying to patiently wait in anticipation for the awesome things that are in store for my future. 

For those of you that follow me on my Facebook should have caught a glimpse of the official post I shared this weekend. 

"Almost exactly a month ago I shared with you all that my time at Wee Kare Child Center had come to a close and I had something very exciting in store. Today, I am pleased to announce that I have joined the incredible staff at Lifehouse Church. God opened the door for me to be one of the Learning Center's lead teachers. I was not looking for a new job at the time, and had actually just talked about my job at the daycare potentially being long-term, but God has a sense of humor and I am excited to embark on this new journey and see all He has in store for my future!"

Are you guys bored yet? I'm almost finished!

My health continue to remains status quo. No huge, significant changes, though after my routine MRI last summer they did see some growth in the main tumor behind my ear and in my neck. If you're absolutely lost and have no idea what I'm talking about, well then you'll just have to follow the link about to check out my very first blog post ;). But if you're lazy and want the abridged version... below you can read my post after my yearly neurology visit last year :)

"Always blown away by the love, attention, and care I get from the neuroscience team at Children's Hospital in DC. Had my yearly follow up with Dr Packer this afternoon. For those of you that are just now getting to know me, I was born with a neurological birth defect known as, Neurofibromatosis. In 2008 I had major surgery to remove the largest tumor from behind my right ear. The initial report of my MRI from this year that Dr Packer and his team received stated that a spot they have been watching on my brain had grown. I am pleased to announce that after looking over the actual images, Dr Packer along with his partner decided that they disagree with the initial report from the team in Hagerstown, and that if anything the spot on my brain could show signs of shrinkage! Praise God! While there is some growth in right side of my neck where the original tumor was removed, at this point they see no reason for concern and I will continue to undergo yearly MRIs and visit with Dr Packer on a yearly basis as well. The outcome of today's appointment was better than I could have imagined, and I am continually thankful to God for my health. Many children with this disease can suffer mental retardation, blindness, deafness, and even live in a vegetative state. I am blessed that at 23 years old I am happy, healthy, and a thriving young adult. It hasn't always been easy, there have been bumps in the road, but God is good, and I am thankful that for the most part I lead a very normal life!!"

Whew! If you made it through this post give yourselves a pat on the back ;) and thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking around! Be patient with me as I get back into the swing of being a "blogger". Hopefully some of you are as excited as I am! 

Happy Sunday, Friends! Have a FANTASTIC start to your week and be on the lookout for my next post!

<3 Ashley XO

Life Lately and Missing Someone Important

Hello friends! Life has been a little rough since my last post two months ago, but throughout it all God is still good... ALL THE TIME!

My Uncle and hero entered eternal rest on September 5th. My post on Facebook was as follows...

Want to thank all my sweet friends for their many thoughts and prayers for my Uncle over these last few weeks. It's with a heavy heart that I share that after a year and a half of battling against cancer my Uncle and hero entered eternal rest early this morning. I have an overwhelming sense of peace knowing he is no longer in pain and is free of suffering, yet I feel like a piece of me is missing. Not only did my Uncle suffer from cancer these last 17 months, but he also suffered from arthritis and cerebral palsy... In the close to 15 years I got to call him my Uncle I never heard him complain, and never saw him wallow in self pitty or sit around feeling sorry for himself. This morning for the first time in a long time he got to feel what's it like to be 100% pain free! Thank you, Uncle Dave, for inspiring me to face any trials that may come my way with a fighting spirit and a smile on my face. My heart aches, but I rejoice knowing I will see you again someday. All my love... Until we meet again!

I miss my Uncle something awful, but continue to find peace in the little "signs" I see every now and then that lets me know he is okay. 

Uncle Dave treated my sisters and I as though we were blood family right from the start. 

#foreveruncledavestrong

My hero <3

<3

It has taken a while to find a new "normal", and I still don't think I'm there yet, but the support of so many loving friends is what has seen me through these last three months, hopefully you all know who you are, and if I have't gotten to thank each of you personally please know how much you are loved!

I shared a verse in one of my last blog posts that I continue to hold strong to...

Isiah 55:8- "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 

I continue to hang out in the wonderful world of retail, and unfortunately for the first time in my 22 years of life will be separated from family over Thanksgiving due to having to work on Friday. My family will head to New York as this is our first holiday without Uncle Dave.

Please remember this Christmas season that sales associates are just as human as you are. We don't appreciate to be made feel belittled just because we are the employee and you are the customer. 

I have started to prayerfully consider going back to school and taking come college courses online, maybe something in or around the realms of Christian Ministry/Youth Ministry, please be in prayer for me as I consider taking this next step of my life. Also pray that after the New Year as I start job searching again the door would be opened for a full time job. This world is fleeting, and after much soul searching and praying I truly want nothing more than to be in Christ's will for my life. For those of you that know me well know that I'm a planner and a scheduler, and uncertainty and running around all "willy nilly" stresses me out! Haha :D. 

That basically about wraps up life lately. I hope this post finds all my friends and family doing well.

For those of you that are just joining me feel free to take a trip to my blog page and check out all my past blogs! I always enjoy hearing people's feedback!!

Happy Sunday, Friends!

<3 Ashley XO

Saturday Special - "You are rich if..." Edition

"You are richer than 95% of the world if you eat three meals a day." These words stuck out to me during Pastor Patrick's sermon tonight at church.

I typically don't blog on the weekends, but being that I attended church tonight with my sister and Pastor Patrick's sermon was so awesome that it was too good not to share! And... I couldn't wait until Monday to share it! So here goes one of my first ever weekend blog posts!

In 1 Timothy 6:6-10 it reads the following, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

We are living in a selfish world. Where we're constantly being told that we have to have the best job where we get the six figure salary, we have to have the nicest car, the biggest house, the nicest clothes, so on so fourth! Others feel like we're forced to go to college so we can get our name on that pretty little paper we call a degree. I don't have ANYTHING against anyone who goes to college, I think it is totally meant for some people and totally not meant for others... I'm one of those "others". 

With all that said, the more we listen to the world... which believe me is very easy to do... the more we feel entitled, the more we feel like we are owed something, the more we feel like we have to have that nice car, and that biggest house. Friends, this world is FLEETING! Have you watched the news lately? Things are going down and they are going down fast. 

Don't define yourself on what you have! I ask all of you reading this that you would please give up finding your satisfaction in "stuff"! In order to get ahead you have to give up! Get your priorities straight and examine your pursuit of happiness! 

Matthew 6:20 says- "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

So maybe tonight's post wasn't as fabulous as I originally planned, but tonight's sermon spoke to me and I hope it spoke to you just through these few notes I took. If you would like the video stream to view the whole sermon I would be more than happy to get that to you!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

<3Ashley XO

Friday Favorites!

Today I am linking up with the sweet lady over at Momfessionals who is still, and always will be my FAVORITE blogger! Andrea is super precious, and can we just talk about her kids for a second.... they are ADORABLE!!! You should definitely check out her blog!!

Before I get too far into today's post this isn't particularly a "favorite", but it has to do with my Uncle who just so happens to be one of my FAVORITE people on the face of the earth. As I shared in my last blog post, Catching Up - Life Lately Edition, my Uncle has continued to put up a heck of a fight against that ugly word we all hate, cancer. It most recently has metastasized in his brain, this by far was one of the hardest things my family has had to swallow since his diagnosis almost 16 months ago. Within the last 10 days or so he has started blogging... sharing his advice, thoughts, and feelings. His blog entitled Roadmap, is crazy inspiring and I promise if you take the time to read it that it could possibly change your outlook at many things in life!! My Uncle is and incredible man and radiates the light of Christ everywhere he goes. When you remember please keep his beautiful family in your prayers! 

One of my FAVORITE  Bible Verses found in Isaiah 55:8 has been something I have held on to throughout my Uncle's battle with cancer and it says- "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 

Incase you forgot how good looking my Uncle is, here's a little reminder ;)

On Wednesday we celebrated my baby sister's 13th birthday!!! We started with dinner at Olive Garden, one of my FAVORITE restaurants! And then following dinner was a round of mini golfing with my family, who of course are some of my FAVORITE people, but my FAVORITE little boy also tagged along! Corey, who has stolen my heart like no other is Danielle's VERY good "guy-friend". Both Corey and Danielle have had a fondness for each other since they were in primary school!!! I have grown very fond of him, as well as my entire family. We love when he comes around, He's pretty much like the little brother I never had! I hope he is a part of our family for many years to come!!

This picture is one of my new FAVORITES!

They're the cutest ;) :D

I love him!

My FAVORITES :D

Another FAVORITE this week actually happened when I took a quick break from writing today's post to make a Walmart run with my momma, and it's also inspired by Andrea over at Momfessionals. A couple of weeks ago she shared her beauty routine on Show and Tell Tuesday! I was immediately drawn to the $2.00 waterproof eyeliner she talked about from e.l.f. I have always aspired to have a quick and easy makeup routine, and I think I found it! Check out her simple beauty routine here!! Honestly, it doesn't get any simpler than that! 

Here are just a few of the new items I picked up in Walmart tonight. It was definitely my FAVORITE part of the day!!!

I hope you all have an amazing weekend! 

Don't forget to join me Monday for a recap of my weekend!

<3Ashley XO

Catching Up - Life Lately Edition

Hello friends! Wow, it has been a long time since I blogged. I hope you all are well and are getting to enjoy some summer activities with your friends and family!

Life has kept me on my toes! And I kind of want to cry at the fact that July is more than half way over. Seriously, can it slow down just a little bit?? More than likely if you are like us here in PA you are just a little over a month away from starting another school year!!!

With that said, there are only 22 Saturdays until Christmas. Just let that sink in a little...

Unfortunately, with the way my mind has been functioning lately I had to go back and read my last post to see what I had written! For others of you that need a refresher you can check out my last blog post here!

A big praise the Lord that my gastrointestinal issues vanished as quickly as they came on. Can I just say that is one of the flukiest, most miserable things I have ever encountered. My doctor's would just like to say I caught a nasty bug that was going around at the time and I have finally gotten over it, but I prefer to say that I was healed and I still continue to give God the glory for that!

Now onto life lately, I actually don't even know where to start. Well for starters, here is one of the most recent pictures of me...

I was in one of my best friend's wedding two weeks ago.

Since I wrote you last, I have rejoined the fabulous world of retail. I can't complain though... my manager is fabulous, and everything about my job is pretty flexible! Nothing about retail is sunshine and flowers, but I am blessed to have a job!

A little humor, because who doesn't love Grumpy Cat?! Lol! 

I continue to pursue my dream to become a state certified paraprofessional, and pray that if this is God's will for my life He will open up all the right doors. 

Funny thing is that I recently thought I was going to move myself back up to New York, bunk at my Aunt's house (Surprise Aunt Kerry! If I seriously was going to consider it you would have know! I promise! Lol!), and attend a medical trade school to become and EKG Tech, but God kind of slammed that door, and laughed in my face... because I am currently in the "hallway" of what may lead to a new door being opened! Not sharing very many details now, but please be in prayer for me as a new chapter of my life may be beginning very soon! Stay tuned though, because as soon as I know you all will know as well! 

I love this part of Revelation 3:7- "What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open."

I've made the mistake so many times of jumping into something too quickly, or trying to do things my own way that sometimes I feel like I forget to really truly seek after God first and put His will for my life above everything else... this is probably because I have zero patience and want things done NOW, or I want an answer NOW.

 

They played this at a Woman's Conference I went to one time... Maybe I need to listen to it more often!

My favorite part is when he says, "Can't changed what has happened till now, but we can change what will be. By living in holiness the world will see Jesus"

I really want to make it my priority to be wholeheartedly seeking after God and what he wants for my life... not listening to the world and what it thinks is best for my life, because eventually everything here is going to fade away. Would you pray for me that I will seek God on a daily basis and not just a whim when "I think" I need Him, and I promise I will do the same for all you reading this! 

Fourth of July weekend we spent with my family in New York! 

"The love in our family grows strong and deep, leaving special moments to treasure and keep" 

Can we just talk about how fabulous my almost 93 year old Great-Grandmother is??

My Uncle continues to fight against that nasty thing we all hate, cancer. Please remember to pray for him, my beautiful Aunt, and two cousins.

I got to experience being a bridesmaid, and can I just say.... it was a FABULOUS experience! I am so happy I got to be a part of Rebecca's day... she is amazing friend and I couldn't be happier for her! It was a beautiful wedding, she was a beautiful bride, and she is married the man of her dreams! I can't wait to see what God does in them and through them as they start this new journey together as husband and wife! 

You can't have a wedding until you have a spa day!

Photo Booth Fun! 

A week after Rebecca's wedding we traveled to NC to witness the marriage of Morgan and Taylor. Morgan's family lived in my neighborhood years ago, and we lost touch after they moved away, we have since reconnected and I honestly couldn't be happier!!! Having her and her family apart of my life again brings me so much joy!!! 

It is rare to find a young couple who's hearts are so on fire for Christ. Morgan and Taylor have made the commitment to make Christ the center of their marriage. It's so inspiring! It was a blessing to witness their special day, and I can't wait to see what God does in them and through them as they start this journey together as husband and wife!

I think that basically sums up my life lately! I am going to try to get back into the swing of blogging, and despite my very long hiatus I hope you all continue to follow me!!

<3 Ashley XO

7 Day Bible Verse Challenge - Day 1

I was nominated by a friend on Facebook for the 7 Day Bible Verse Challenge. 

These posts will typically be short and sweet, but I pray that these 7 days will be an encouragement to those who need it. 

Those of you that are waiting on healing... right now, where you are, and in this moment I ask that you will thank God for it. He is already willing to cleanse you, and now all you have to do is accept it!

In the book of Matthew a leper came to Jesus saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean" (Matthew 8:2)

The man in the passage didn't have an issue believing that Jesus had the ability and power to heal him. He was just unsure as to whether or not Jesus was willing to do it for him. 

Now listen to Jesus's response and see God's heart for YOU as far as healing is concerned. 

"I am willing; be cleansed" (Matthew 8:3)

Friends, He is both able AND willing to heal you! Believe that He wants to heal YOU!

<3 Ashley XO

Recipe Club - Oreo Pudding Cookies Edition

Hey friends!! Happy Wednesday! Today I am linking up with sweet Andrea again over at Momfessionals for Recipe Club Wednesday!! Whoop whoop!

If you don't like Oreos and the whole Cookies and Cream idea of things you aren't human. Lol!! So that's why I am sharing a recipe for Oreo Pudding Cookies!

Being that back when I started making these I didn't know I was going to be blogging so I don't have my own picture. This one is from the internet, and sadly mine never looked this pretty! Haha

I made these about three times over Christmas break and they quickly became a family favorite. When I made them for Christmas Day I threw in the red filled Holiday Oreos, I thought they would have made them cute and seasonal instead it made them a red unappealing color. They still tasted delicious, the color was just a tad off-putting ;D

Adding the pudding makes them super soft, so that means they make the perfect snack, and they aren't too heavy!

Recipe courtesy of Chef in Training!

They are super sweet, so if you have a sweet tooth you may be able to eat two or three. Or if you're like me and like an occasional sweet snack you will probably just be able to eat one at a time. 

Enjoy!!

<3 Ashley XO