Profile of a Warrior

A warrior is fierce, heaven-bent on protecting the honor of his King.
A warrior has her mind set on her King, who has sent her to gain victory over the enemy.
A warrior knows when to rest, so that he can return to battle refreshed and renewed.
A warrior loves deeply, knowing that she may die that day, in the heat of the fighting.
A warrior doesn’t live his life for himself, and is willing to die for the cause.
A warrior lives simply, not dragging around lots of things everywhere she goes.
A warrior is well-protected, and would never go out to battle without his armor.
A warrior is loyal, and will sacrifice her life for her friend.
A warrior stays with his army, and doesn’t isolate from them.
A warrior is honest when she is tired or wounded and asks for reinforcements.
A warrior keeps his eyes on hope, and goes out confident of the destruction of his enemies.
A warrior doesn’t give up when things seem impossible, but she presses in harder and expects breakthrough.
A warrior keeps perspective, and he doesn’t measure the final outcome by small battles lost.
A warrior fights as much for her own heart and life as for the one next to her, knowing that she is as valuable as her friend.
A warrior needs no honor or accolades to know he has done well; he values most the words of his King.
A warrior listens to her leaders, and respects their authority.
A warrior makes no compromises to let the enemy have passage, and he fights offensively to drive them back.
A warrior knows that without the whole, she has little effectiveness, but that, joined together, there is great power.
A warrior knows who he is, his strengths and weaknesses, and doesn’t try to pretend they don’t exist, but works with them and others to be the most effective.
A warrior’s life is the battle.

NaNoWriMo

I'm writing a novel in the month of November, and it's exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. It's an amazing thing to sit down and create your own world, but sometimes it feels like everything is a mess and not going the way you thought it might. I'm so glad that God doesn't get as frustrated with His Story as I do with mine. :]

21. Not the game, the age

Hello,
it's not often that I post on my actual birthday, but I feel like this is a pretty important one. :]  I turn 21 today, which somehow means a ton more in this country (USA) than being 18. So...now I can legally drink alcoholic beverages, but I'm not planning to go wild with it. I guess for me, it means that I want to be who I want to be. I mean, who I am now really is forming who I'll be for the rest of my life. I want to make my life count, for the One who gave me Life. That means that there's always something to celebrate!

In Him,
Camila

Escape!

        Is it bad that one of the first things I think of when I see this word is Dory from Finding Nemo trying to sound it out on the boat? But on a more serious note, I would say that an obsession with non reality and fantasy is a big problem. Even if the form of escape is something positive, like art or music, it can quickly become something that takes priority over real people and real responsibilities. In the words of a guy in my class that I had a discussion with today "People are running from their problems." I asked him if he thought that if people really lived in reality and dealt with things from that viewpoint, if it would solve any problems. He responded that it absolutely would! I asked him why, and he responded that if people were actually facing their problems and dealing with them, there wouldn't be a need for drugs and other forms of escape to get away from the problem itself.
      So I guess my question is, if people are so comfortable living in their fantasy worlds, what would induce them to come out of there, feel the cold water on their faces, face what they've been running from? What's the incentive? What would they want more than their own dream, even if it's not real? And also just as important, what has happened to society that living a fantasy is more desirable than living in the world in front of them, and actually enjoying what reality has to offer? My hypothesis is that people don't feel like reality, as it is today, is actually worth living in. But isn't one of the issues that the problems they see that they don't like aren't being solved by and large because people are running from them? It seems to me that it's a cycle.
      But what is it that will pull people out of this, to start looking around and really seeing what's going on? We value our comfort in this country. We value the illusion that everything is good in the world if it's good in our personal lives. And if it's not even good there, we have our escape. It seems like a neat and tidy little system. But what about all the people that are unseen because of this viewpoint? What about the girls who are abused and are recruited into prostitution before they're even 18? What about the ones who abuse them? We have to take a good hard look at reality and let it sink in that we, the ones living in this world full of problems, are the ones who must take action if we want anything to change. With God's help and power, there is hope to see change and transformation. But we do have to get up and do something. Rise up, world changers! You are needed. We are needed.

New season; new things!

Hello...
It has been way too long since I've sat down to write...and I don't just mean "de blog". I used to write all the time, just for the heck of it. Now, it's rare for me to make time to write, and often I put it off. Even this--this is a guilt post, just out of reaction of the horror of the amount of time since my last one. But I'm hoping that because I'm forcing myself to write, even in a small way, that my writing coals will be re-sparked and ignited. Don't get me wrong, I still love to write; I'm just very out of practice. 
So...this becomes a way to encourage the writer in me again, and keep y'all updated. 
      So...as to what's new, I joined a small Christian dance company, which is inspiring me to dance more during the week and also a great place to connect with people as well. I am taking four classes at a community college, and enjoying that. I am in the process of finding a job as well. Oh, and in less than a week, I turn 21. How crazy is that?? Okay, maybe I'm the only one who thinks that's crazy. But it's exciting. I feel older already. :P


~The Inside-Out Beauty~

I keep dropping the ball

I can't believe it's been a whole month since I last wrote a blog post...crazy! I guess the biggest news recently is that my best friend and boyfriend who I haven't ever met before is visiting me, and he's coming...wait for it...TODAY!! :) So yeah, that's pretty much all that's on my mind. ;) Will write more soon!

Plans, hopes, dreams, and surrender

Aren't there always things we want, things we long for? I find the rhythm and balance between my desires and God's dreams for me is sometimes hard to find. As long as I keep my eyes on Him, things make more sense, but as soon as I look away, it's so much harder to find my way. I'm so grateful for His love and guidance. Jesus is my ROCK. When I stand on Him as my truth, I will not be shaken.

New season; new start

The chapter with YWAM has closed, but God doesn't leave things hanging. Instead my life is wonderfully full here in Arizona. I love being a part of the youth ministry at my church (Vineyard Community Church) and slowly integrating into the worship team for the main services. God has been blessing these days with bucketfuls of peace and joy. What a wonderful life!

Why are we surprised?

I feel like after all of the prayers God has answered recently, I shouldn't be surprised that He continues to be faithful and do the things that He's promised, but I am! I ask Him to open doors, and I see them flinging open right and left. I ask Him to give me opportunities to serve and love people, and He sent me to Malaysia for 2 and a half! Wow. I just sense that there is so much FAVOR over this season. I want to write more, but it's just shameful how little I've posted, so I'll post this now, and write more soon!

Home! but not settling.

I know, it's been SO long. But it's better to write now than wait another number of

months, right? ;)

Where do I even begin? School of Worship was not what I expected; it was so much more!
I grew in security, confidence, and love of God. I made some friendships that will last a lifetime, deep ones that I know will stand the test of time and distance.

Outreach to the United States was incredible--it was a specific focus on youth and bringing the message of the Father heart of God. We had an original production formed from 4 of our testimonies (mine was one of them, almost exactly like it happened for me) and the School of Worship team worked lights (I teamed up with a lovely Mexican girl for this) and sound (We had a Chilean girl and a great guy from Nigeria working on these :) Our band is pretty multicultural!

I am home! but not settling. God is already opening up opportunities for me :). I am planning to work with the youth group at my home church (Vineyard Community Church in Gilbert) and do some childcare for some conferences, including one in Malaysia (that one is coming up in early April, and I'm flying back on Easter)!!

I want to start posting every week or every other week minimum, so you can be looking for more exciting new things that God is doing, and feel free to comment here or send me an e-mail at outofthebox.beautiful@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.

Praise God! He has done so much!