Words of a Belle

Life is full of many wonderful and exciting things, but it can become painful or  tragic. When  I was  a  little girl I was in such a hurry to grow up, instead of living in the moment as a child. As I progressed through high school everything was different, more temptations, peer pressure, an d constantly feeling like I was lost . I had  a happy  childhood and two amazing parents   who loved me dearly, but I still felt a gaping hole in my chest.  I grew up in church most of my life, but I  wasn’t where I needed to be in Christ.  At  a (very) young age , I gave away a precious gift in hopes of finding myself “worthy” in the eyes of my previous love .  My first love, what an amazing, but painful experience it was.  We were inseparable from the start,  until one day we weren’t. I fell head over heels in love,  and  I honestly  thought this was it, the one for me. Have you ever heard the expression, “Love is blind?”  I can say that statement was true in my case. I  had no idea that I was i

When God says wait. He isn't saying it just for the sake of the waiting. You'll grow in the process. You'll see the beautiful things about yourself, as well as many other things that aren't as pretty as you thought they were.  You'll see yourself through the eyes of someone who loves you more deeply than anyone can.  You'll see the that the hidden secrets that have held you captive don't have to anymore. No matter how ugly they make you feel.  You'll see that your pain isn't meaningless after all & you're not the only one who has this struggle.   You'll find comfort when you realize that no one needs you act a certain way to be free from whatever it is that is driving you insane. Because true love is unconditional. Be yourself. Because love doesn't lie. Love knows you are hurting and wants to be right there beside you. 

My week has been so crazy that I wasn't going to write a post this week. I changed my mind after watching a Liberty University convocation with Jim Kelly & his daughter Erin. I don't want to give away the details, but if there's one thing you take away from this convo, remember that God is BIGGER. time after time in my childhood we didn't know if I would live. We didn't know if I would talk. But the one thing we did know was that it was all in His hands. 

When Kelly asked me to submit something for this blog I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write about. I feel like I have so much, yet nothing to talk about all at the same time. So I decided to talk about something that has unfortunately been a huge part of my life, waiting. Waiting is horrible. No one enjoys waiting at the bank. Waiting in line at Disney for a ride is a nightmare with how hot it is. Waiting in traffic stinks. Waiting to hear results from a test drives you mad. The waiting is the worst. On June 20th, 2009 I married my wonderful husband surrounded by our friends and family. In March of 2011 we decided that we wanted to start a family. I imagined it would come easy for us, and that we would have enough kids to make a baseball team. I quickly learned that this would not be the case. After 6 very disappointing months, we went to the doctor’s office. She seemed optimistic that a few rounds of medicine would do the trick and we would be pregnant in no time. Six months o

I don't smile because I have to. I smile because it's within me.  People sometimes wonder how I can smile "all the time," after all the things I've gone through in my lifetime. The truth is that I don't smile because I feel I have to fake being happy. It's because it's a part of my personality. I'm always laughing. I seem to find something funny in just about every situation. If you look though any family photo and don't see me laughing so hard I have to catch my breath, know that it was take 500. 😉   The truth is that without my faith I would most likely be bitter a decent amount of the time. But I know that the things that have happened to me aren't without divine purpose. Looking at all these little things & putting them into a "big picture" prospective changes my outlook on life. If I didn't have that, I'd most likely feel miserable.  So, what is it for you that you need to put into a "big pictur

Last week, September 9-12, I traveled to Nashville Tennessee for the first time with the Worship Arts department at Grace College where I study. We were attending the Sing Conference lead by Keith and Kristen Getty. It was a great couple of days, but also very hard. I learned a lot about worship and using the Psalms in our individual and congregational worship. I was also reminded that God holds me fast, and will never leave. That was a comforting thought especially since the week previous I had broken up with my boyfriend and felt like my friends had started to act differently around me. When we got back to campus, college life continued as normal, but internally I didn’t feel normal or ok. You know those times where you just have a mass of emotions that grows in your chest? And then you watch a movie you’ve seen a hundred times, but this one time the struggle between friends or the separation of a couple knocks you off your feet and you lose control of your emotions? Yep. That was

Brain injury survivor Cristabelle Braden talks hop, inspiration, & everyday life!  About Cristabelle After my brain injury I basically had to re-learn almost everything - taking a shower, getting myself dressed, dealing with short-term memory loss, muscle atrophy, losing my vocabulary & conversation skills..    just to name a few. Honestly the only thing that kept me going was my faith in God, reminding myself that He has a plan, He loves me, and that He’s working even when I can’t see it. And now, He has healed me beyond any doctors or anyone’s expectations! They didn’t think I’d even be able to finish high school, but now I’ve graduated college! So when I have tough days I just remind myself that God is truly a God of miracles… that He is my strength, I can depend on Him in all of my weakest moments. What got you started in music? I’ve been singing since I was a little kid, but I started writing music after my brain injury! It was through the recovery time wh

Sitting here in my room trying to write an impromptu blog post for today. I wasn't sure what I was going to write about, but then I remembered the last 8 months.  The last 8 months were some of the most trying in my life. I wondered why this was happening to me. I wondered why now? I wondered why this? This January, I started having ear issues. It started out as a simple pain then turned into something much worse. I had vertigo; we thought it was because of allergies or something of that nature. Then, I got an ear infection. The infection went away and we thought the pain would too. But it didn't. I went back to an ENT Who suggested that since my hearing was perfect and there seemed to be nothing wrong with my ears themselves, it was probably because I needed my wisdom teeth removed.  After getting this news, it took several months to get to the right doctor to get it done. During the time my ear pain first started, I was in the middle of 8 week college courses. I

Being a college student can be tough. Doing it fully online is even more challenging. Now that I've been doing it for awhile, I have a few tips to share for online students.  Stay Organized  I know you've probably heard this tip 1,000 times, but it's key. Especially when most classes are now 8 weeks instead of 16. Each person has their own way to stay organized. Once you find your niche, stick to it!  Get Books ASAP If you're books aren't going to be sent to you, order them 2-3 before classes start. There are so many factors that could cause a delay in reviving them, that it's worth it to get them early.  Take Advantage of preview week!  Most schools offer preview week for online students. This allows you to get a peek into what will be due for the course, as well as a look at the syllabus. Preview week is also the time to ask any questions about things that look confusing.  Ask Questions   Mask as many questions as you need to! Take

Everybody has a love language. Finding out what each person values can enrich every type of relationship. In friendship it can be used to show each person in your life that you care about them & you value their interests. This applies to any type of friendship. It could be your childhood bestie or your little brother.  Doing this doesn't always come easy, but here are a few things I've learned.  Remember the little things Doing this shows that you pay attention to what's important to the other person(s) involved. This can mean remembering their favorite coffee order, or remembering that they hate seafood.  Find a common interest Sometimes you & a friend aren't going to like a lot of the same things. That's ok! Try to find out the things you have in common & try doing those types of activities together. That way there's an element of interest for each of you.  Stay connected   I'm not saying you both have to follow each

Want to know how I got started with Odyssey? Watch below! 😊

I remember back in March of 2017, I was preparing for the degree I'd always wanted at the school I loved. I was anxious about what would happen. I kept asking myself how I would handle it if I didn't get in & how I would react if I did make it. I spent so much time preparing, that I became convinced I was ready to get my feet wet in the degree I'd hoped to have since I was in preschool. A Worship Arts degree.  I decided to set up a time for the audition. Then the unexpected happened. I felt called to leave that college & ended up changing my major. Changing my major was difficult, but something I don't regret.  I know this story seems to end on somewhat of a sad note because I left that dream behind for the time being, but it didn't. Even though I'm  not where I though I would be, I know I'm where I'm supposed to be for the time being.  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and

"Walk Worthy" is August's club adventure of the month. This episode introduces a new character to Odyssey. Rather than giving away who this character is, I'll just say this- not all the kids in town are pleased when being graced by his presence. Buddy in particular let's his imagination run wild when it comes to this new face in his neighborhood.  Overall, this episode teaches us not to judge by first look, to maintain good character at all times, & to treat all things with respect.  Listen now in the AIO Club! 

"I'll never be like her." These are the 4 words I remember going through my head the first time I went to a youth group at age 13. I looked around the room & saw several girls that to me, looked like models. Their hair looked perfect, they were poised, and had many friends. They seemed to have it all together.  It wasn't until I was in high school that I realized how unrealistic my view was. At the time tough, it seemed completely legitimate.  If you're reading this & out of school, I'm sure you can relate to what I meant when I said my view was unrealistic. However, if you're younger than you may be dealing with some of these same feelings, too!  Yes, I thought I would never be like her. There is truth in that statement. I never did everything like her. That's because I'm not her and I'm proud of that. Because nobody else can ever be me.  However, I did change in those growing seasons & am proud to say that I lear

I promised there would be more about me coming. So, here it is.  My favorite things: Music. Specifically Jamie Grace, Hannah Kerr, Dan Bremnes, & Sarah Reeves to name a few. (And I dabble in it a little myself!) Basically anything with sparkle. On any given day I'm wearing at least one thing sparkly!   Podcasts! Lately I can't get enough of them! They're a part of my morning routine now 🙂 Boots. Some girls have a thing for all shoes, but I can't get enough of boots. (Even in warm weather) ☀️ Ice cream & pizza are my go to foods when it's movie night! I adore mint chocolate chip. I don't like "fancy" pizza. Plain cheese or sausage are my favorites!

Liza Proch, an artist from Texas, graciously gave her time to tell us more about her art, faith, & family.  What got you started in art?  I’ve loved art ever since I was little!  My dad is an amazing artist, so being able to learn from him has been a huge gift. I’ve always loved experimenting with new techniques of painting, drawing, and lettering. Who inspires you to keep going through with your dreams on the tough days?  My parents and siblings are the best cheerleaders. It’s so neat to be able to encourage each other in our creative pursuits, and inspire each other to push through the hard times! You're known for your art, but recently got started with "Willow City." Can you tell us more about it?  Several years ago my three brothers and I realized we loved playing music together, and wanted to share that love with the world. We started Willow City, a pop-folk band, and have loved getting to tour around the U.S. sharing songs and the stories b

When I was little, I hated going down the slide at the park. I was so scared that I would scream when my parents would try & put me on one. Finally, I decided to try it on my own. I LOVED it. I cried when they told me it was time for us to leave the park. By the time I actually had the courage to give it a try, I was only able to go down it 2 or 3 times.  This reminds me of how we tend to treat God at times. We say we trust Him & believe that everything is in our best interest, but when something bad does happen we can blame Him, instead of trusting that He knows what will happen & can help us get through it.