Do you love yourself? I'm talking about outside appearance. Do you think you're pretty or handsome? Do you love the freckle by your nose or your awkward haircut or that one tooth that isn't perfectly straight? This is going to sound so very stereotypical but God loves all of it. Everything about you. I know this isn't going to change how you feel about yourself right there on the spot, but what I say later in this post might help.

I don't think you're ever going to truly be happy with your outside appearance and not worry about how people think of you until you're happy with yourself on the inside. You can't change your outside appearance. Yeah yeah, I know there's plastic surgery but thats a whole different topic. Without surgically changing your body, you are always going to have the same face and eyes and so on and so forth. You can definitely lose weight but that's also a whole other story.

Your personality on the other hand is something you can change. If you think you're to loud, you can change that. If you're to quiet, you can change that. If you don't like your anger issues, you can change that. BUT you have to do it because you want to, not because others want you too. Don't let others tell you that your personality is wrong. God created you a certain way, embrace diversity.

YWAM Vancouver Update -Week 8

Hey friends and family!

I've been here at YWAM Vancouver for 8 weeks so far but it seems like I've been here forever. Only 4 more weeks! I've been learning and making so many decisions. We've had teachings on things like communication, identity, personalities and disciple making. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the past few weeks: 

• "When we communicate, we are creating. We are taking something that doesn't exist physically (thought) and making it physical (word, art, movement etc). Be mindful of what you're creating." 

• "True humility is knowing who you are, nothing more or nothing less." 

• "Sometimes when we have so much, we forget how much we have." 

I have been learning so many things that not only I can use in missions BUT I also can use in every day life with others. Not to mention, my relationship with God is thriving and growing. 

Since being here I've made the decision to go to college this fall. I will be attending Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida and majoring in graphic design. I'm so pumped for this knew step in my life. Class of 2018! WOOHOO! 

I've also made the decision to postpone going on the outreach portion of my school until NEXT summer. At the end of June I will be flying back to Florida to begin preparing for college, spend time with my family and just relaxing (aka going to the beach!).

I am still raising money for the lecture phase of my school though. I need about $2,400 to pay it off entirely. I ask that you consider donating money to help me pay for my school. You can donate here:

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Thank you all for your support and prayer!

Blessings,

Dejah

Who Am I?

"You are not your body. You are not your weight on the scale. You are not the amount of calories you eat. You are not the way you dress or how you wear your hair. You are not your GPA, your education level, or your college degree. You are not your income, the cost of your clothes, or the size of your house. You are not the number of people you have slept with. You are not your sadness or your pain. You are not your scars or your mistakes. You are not defined by anything that can be seen by the naked eye. You are the things you love. You are your favorite music. You are your hopes and dreams. You are the size of your heart and your capacity to endure. You are your passions and the things that make you come alive. You are the jokes that make you laugh and the words that soothe your soul. You are the way you treat the people around you. You are everything and anything that moves you. You are what your bring to the world. You are a force of friendship and love. You are a warrior and a survivor. And no matter who you are, where you come from, or what you have been through, you are important and you matter."

I am a daughter of the risen King. I am a beautiful woman created by my Father in Heaven. He did not mess up. He did not forget something. He made me PERFECTLY. 

Life at YWAM Orlando: Post 1

One of my favorite things since arriving at YWAM Orlando is definitely this laundrymat. It's about 15 minutes away from the YWAM Orlando base, in a cozy little town called Winter Garden. I've been here countless times in the past week and a half and I absolutely love it. From the crazy asian man who owns it to the little kids who run around while there parents do laundry, the atmosphere is so energetic. After doing laundry we always walk around the little downtown and get ice-cream or coffee! I can't wait to spend many more afternoons here. 

This past weekend Winter Gardens had a music festival so a bunch of us went down to evangelize. The music was fun to dance to, the people were friendly and don't even get me started about the food. YUM!  We prayed with a few people and just asked them about their lives and got to know them. That night has been one of my favorites so far. 

What The Future Holds.....

Hey Everyone! 

       

   For years I have dreamed of "growing up" and starting on plans for my future. I'm happy to announce that I'm starting the first step in God's calling for my life.

   God has put missions and photography on my heart for years. He has called me to be a photojournalist missionary and I've been fortunate enough to be accepted into a Photography Discipleship Training School (PDTS) with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). YWAM is an international and interdenominational movement of Christians whose main focus is serving Jesus throughout the world. A DTS is a 5 month training experience containing two parts; a Lecture Phase and an Outreach Phase. The Lecture Phase is 3 months of spiritual training at a YWAM base. I have chosen YWAM Orlando and specifically a Photography Track.  The Outreach Phase is 2 months of outreach in a different country which won't be decided until I arrive in Florida.  

   I'm so excited for this adventure and chapter in my life! The most exciting part, is that I'll finally be getting to go out of the country on a mission trip. My passport unfortunately has no stamps in it so far but that will change soon! For years and years i've said that I love to travel, yet I really haven't been anywhere except in the United States. Missions have had my heart for awhile now but i've only ever really been on local trips. I'm excited to follow in the plans God has laid out for me involving missions. Ive honestly dreamed about this for years.

   The first and most important thing I need for this trip is prayer. It would be wonderful if you could keep me and this ministry in your thoughts. Pray for wisdom, direction, protection, God to continually shape me into who He has created me to be, and for me to use my photography to glorify and Him to the world. I know that there is power in prayer, and I appreciate you taking the time to help me in this way. 

   Secondly, I am in need of financial support of roughly $8,000. I have decided to give my friends and family an opportunity to participate by contributing money to my journey. Please make checks out to YWAM (my name cannot be anywhere on the check) and send the check to:

YOUTH WITH A MISSION ORLANDO

P.O. Box 6808647 

Orlando, Fl 32868

And in the envelope send a note saying:

Dejah Griffin

Photography DTS

September 26, 2013 - February 28, 2014

If you aren't able to help me financially, please pray that God would provide the money for me. 

To also help raise money, I will be having a fundraiser in September, so keep an eye out for more information on that soon. Also, all of the money I raise through my photography (Weddings, senior portraits, engagements, families etc) until I leave will be used to help pay so message, call, text or email for prices!  

   I'm so thankful for all the support from my family, friends and for the privilege to serve the Lord in missions. You can follow my journey here on my blog. Thank you in advance for your prayer and financial support!

                                                     God bless, 

                                                    Dejah Griffin

"A man’s steps are established by the Lord,
and He takes pleasure in his way.

Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,
because the Lord holds his hand."

Psalm 37:23-24

Beautifully Terrifying.

Music.

Music is beautifully terrifying. The emotions and feelings it can give you are crazy.

You'll be in the car listening to the radio on a long car ride home from work, or you'll be sitting in a restaurant waiting for the waiter to bring you your food or even just sitting alone in your room with your iPod on shuffle and then BOOM. That song comes on. You're instantly transported back. You think of that person. You think of that place. You can actually feel yourself back in that moment. You can feel your past self, all your emotions and worries, in your mind quicker than you can snap your fingers. Music gives you wings to transport back in time.

Sometimes you'll just be on pandora, or your friend will tell you to listen to a certain song and then BOOM. You'll hear a song for the first time and within just a few chords, you're hooked. You connect with it so easily. It's like someone knit the lyrics and chords together just for you to listen to at that exact moment. All you can do for the next 4 minutes is sit in complete silence, undisturbed, and just listen. You'll cry or smile and you can already hear it being played over and over throughout the week. Music can change your life.

It's terrifying to think that something can do that to you so easily. Something as simple as music.

The song that inspired me to write this is a version of one of Ed Sheeran's songs. The song is layered over itself 4 times. Its absolutely beautiful. I suggest you all listen to it! (but make sure you're listening with headphones or else you won't get the full affect)

Give Me (Too Much) Love - Ed Sheeran

A few other songs that can transport me back in time are:

Better Man Than He - Sivu

England - The National

Stab My Back - The All-American Rejects

Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club

Better Than Love - Griffin House

When Tragedy Strikes

A 13 year old boy that I used to go to school with, died this morning. I was never really close to him but I did see him a lot when I went to school with him and I hung out with him when he was little. Also most of my friends were really good friends with him.

I've never known anyone who's died really. The closest i've ever been around death was when a coach from a near school died from cancer, i'd met him a few times but it didn't really impact me that much.

Today though, this boys death affected me a lot. Not in the "I knew him really well" but in the "death can happen to any of us at any time" way. The fact that he was 13. The fact that he was just on his way to a dress rehearsal for a play he would be performing in. The fact that he woke up this morning, and he had no idea what would come of him. He probably had thoughts of things he'd be doing tomorrow or even tonight. At least when someone has cancer you know the possibility of them dying is there. You usually have time to prepare for it and say your goodbyes. But today no one had any idea what would happen. Which is the hard part for me.

I guess it's never really hit me how much we take for granted. We all assume we'll live to see tomorrow. We never can guess when tragedy will strike. I guess what i'm trying to say is that we need to live in the now. I'm not saying yolo, as in we should go out and get drunk and party. I'm saying that we should love our Heavenly Father and love the people around us like it could be the last time we see them because in the end love matters most of all.

I feel like we should also get in the mindset of "If tomorrow I die, would I be happy with how I left everything? Would I be happy with how I left my relationships with friends and family? Would I be happy with the reputation I'd be leaving behind? Etc." (Its really ironic because I just had a bible study this past Sunday night where we were talking about this.)

Here's some of the Bible verses that have been on my mind all day: 

^"Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” -James 4: 13-15

^"If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." -Romans 14:8

"Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." -Psalm 30:5

"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;  and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”." -John 11:25-26

I also want to thank God that Thanksgiving was yesterday. His family got to spend a whole cheerful last day with him. 

But to end on a happy note to those who are mourning, just remember that he's chillin with God right now!