When I Grow Up, I Wanna Be . . .

When I was little, I remember always dreaming of what I wanted to be when I was this so-called "grown up". I believe that first and foremost I wanted to be a waitress. This girl had big dreams when she was 5. Then I remember it turned into being an author. (That particular thing is still on my list of things to do, but it's not in the forefront of my mind anymore).

I finished my high school credits in February of this year. The feeling was amazing. I was FINALLY done with school. I could finally be done with school and never have to do it again if I didn't want to! I never had to open another text book or take another quiz or test.

Wow, living the dream, right? I'd have thought so. But even though it feels that way, my truthfulness will tell you that this was a step in my life that scared the bajeepers out of me.

I was then done with school. I then had to figure out if 1.) I wanted to go to college, or 2.) I wanted to continue on my career path.

My choice was career. I was already working for a small business and working as a part-time receptionist, and my cousin offered me the job to nanny her kids three days a week. I love to work and didn't want to go to college, so this is an exciting step that I will be taking.

Growing up isn't easy. And we wanted to grow up quickly? Why? Because it's part of our nature. We want to be an adult, we want to be treated like an adult, we want to make money, we want to move out and go to college, etc. 

In the last few months, I have had a falling out with a friend. She and I are no longer the best friends that we had been for years. We were growing up to be very different people than we were a few years ago. It seems like everything should stay the same - that we should be able to mend what went on and move on. And sometimes that's possible.

But I've realized that another part of growing up is growing apart from the people that we were close to. Friendships that were once great go from talking every day to talking every week, and then never talking. People we looked up to start to let us down.

I know that I've changed in the last few years. I have matured a lot, I have finished high school, have stepped into the work force and started making money and I have grown a lot closer to God. I know that I am never going to be the Ashley that I was a few years ago.

That Ashley always had time to do anything she wanted - she was bored, too, wishing she had things to do. The new Ashley is busy and barely has time for anything other than work! But that's okay. God knows what he's doing in my life.

And girls, God knows what he's doing in your life, as well! He knows exactly what you're going to do when you grow up, he knows exactly who your friends are going to be. He loves you and wants you to trust him in your life!

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






"There is hope for me yet
Because God won't forget
All the plans he's made for me
I have to wait & see
He's not finished with me yet."


Don't get discouraged if your life isn't exactly how you dreamed it up to be - and you're not just who you want to be or what you want to be. God has a plan for who you're supposed to be when you grow up! Let him be the lead of your life and it'll happen in His timing!

~Ashley

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Judge Not, or Ye Shall Be Judged

"See that girl over there? I can't believe she's wearing that much makeup!" 
"Ew....that boy needs a haircut." 
"That girls need more modest clothing."
"Oh, she's a terrible person! I can't believe she calls herself a Christian!" 


If we're honest with ourselves, we know that we think these things. We may not say them out loud, but thoughts like the ones above do run through our heads.

This is something that I have been working on getting better at lately. I used to look at someone and give them a label before I even got a chance to know them.
I saw people and instantly thoughts that weren't true came into my head.

Truthfully, I thought that people who were different than me, were just plain annoying.

As I've been reading through my Bible and trying to get closer to Jesus, I have come across a few verses that have stood out to me.

1 Samuel 16:7 says, "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as a man sees, for a man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" 


As we strive to become better Christians, we are striving to become more like Christ himself. Which means, as hard as it may be for us, we need to not judge by what a person looks like on the outside, but rather on what's on the inside.

Truthfully, I have become good friends with quite a few people whom I didn't think I could ever get along with!

But see, God made everyone. You. Me. That random person from church you barely ever talk to.

Jesus makes it pretty clear that we should not be judging others in Matthew 7.

"Judge not, that you be not judged." (Matthew 7:1)

Okay, makes sense. If we don't want to be judged, why do we judge others?

Simple answer: Human nature.

Christian answer: Because we are sinners.

Matthew 7:4 says, "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye but do not consider the plank in your own?" 


Ohhh boy. Jesus hit the nail on the head there, didn't He? We find it so, so, so much easier to judge others on their actions, when we should be judging ourselves on ours.

"For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged." (1 Corinthians 11:31)

If, instead of judging the person at school or church, or that we see at the store, anywhere!, we judged ourselves - our actions, what we were saying - we would soon realize that everyone sins and falls short of the glory of God.

We all make mistakes.

No one is perfect.

So today - and from now on - let's try not to look at what people look like on the outside. And let's try not to make a rash judgement. Get to know them or stop your thoughts all together!

I heard a saying the other day about not judging other people because we have no idea what problems they may be facing.

So true.

I'm including a video of Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath. This songs say, "give me your eyes for just one second, give me your eyes so I can see..."





Try seeing things through God's eyes. I know that it will make you (and me!) see the world better!

~Ashley

Topic Suggestions? Prayer Requests? Feedback? We'd LOVE to hear from you! Please send us an email at heistodiefor@gmail.com and we'll get back to you shortly!