The Skydiving Story

So. . . a friend and I did this crazy thing. A bucket list one of course. We decided to jump out of a perfectly functioning airplane and fall through the sky—just for fun. Some people think we are crazy but seriously—IT WAS AMAZING.

We have been planning to go skydiving for a while and because of all the life happening lately I wasn’t that nervous because I had been going from one thing to the next and I just went with the flow and on to the next task.

While this was true… it was a little different. We had the whole day of waiting, anticipation, nervousness (just a little bit), adrenaline, and excitement.

Accomplishment of the day:

à We drove and arrived minutes ahead of schedule without a GPS.

à We walked through the Archway Monument, learned a bit of history and ate lunch beforehand (and didn’t let any of it come back up).

à While waiting we ate ice-cream and didn’t get covered in it.

à We stopped at a coffee shop and got inspired about ideas for ours (in the future).

à We wrote stories while we waited.

à And waited some more… and more.

à We talked with my wonderful family who came out to take pictures, video tape and decide if they want to do it. They answered yes.

à It was finally our turn-- we got our instructions and got strapped in.

à We met our instructors and piled into the tiny plane (after it safely got more gas).

à While going up Honey pushed the panic button—but we lived.

à The only time I actually got a bit freaked out was when I moved from the safe inside of the plane towards the wide open door preparing to jump out… and then we JUMPED. Best part right here.

à My heart jumped, skipped a beat and for a moment I couldn’t believe what I was doing. I thought I was crazy. But never did it once cross my mind to turn back. Never.

à We shot through the air, flipping, flopping and flying upside-down… and yes I was screaming and smiling the whole way.

à The worst part of the whole day was when they unexpectedly pulled the whole parachute and we got jerked up. But it wasn’t really that terrible, just uncomfortable.

à But then came the most relaxing and enjoyable part—coasting through the air thousands of feet above people with goggles off and air sailing across your face. I could do this every day.

à I got the control straps and steered for a while. It was scary fun being in control.

à We were up there just floating around. It was so uplifting and hard to explain the exact feeling but it was great. I loved looking down.

à I saw the ground getting closer and close and I didn’t seem like we were going any slower.

à Three guys were staring at us and running around trying to see where we were going to land so they could catch us and the parachute.

à Feet hit the ground lightly. I was back… wow that was fast. I could have stayed up there a lot longer but ya know it was a blast.

à Honey smiled and screamed on the way down just as she promised.

à We did it. We survived and if I could I would have stowed away in the next flight.

à We watched our videos and laughed.

à Drove home with the fam—windows down, cookies out and heads nodding off.

Today was a success. We took advantage of this adventure and had more of a blast that I expected. It was a great experience and now we both want to become instructors which means we have to go hundreds and possibly thousands of more times. I am down for that.

Hope you guys enjoyed hearing our adventure. If you did, share this post and show it to someone who you think would like skydiving and encourage them to just do it. That’s what we did and it was so worth it. I would LOVE to see what adventures you all are taking. Let me know where you’ve been or are going and show me pictures. Tag me on Facebook (Grace Bornschlegl), Instagram (graciebeth_52) or send me a snapchat (gracieb9752).

Always take advantage of opportunities like this because if you say no to the first time you may never get another chance.

Blessings in all your adventurous summer activities,

~Grace

A Mountain Top Moment

P E A C E F U L

To choose a single favorite moment from our trip to Colorado is way too hard. I don’t know if I have an all-time favorite but there is one that has stood out more than the rest.

It was on the second day of hiking. We were driving through the mountains, trying to find our hiking trail, and no we didn’t get completely lost, but I finally just sat back in the seat and started to soak it all in… driving through the mountains, the windows down and the icy mountain air brushing across my face, my hands out the window feeling the breeze with the Jesus music blaring, yet all I saw and felt was a horizon filled with breathtaking snow topped mountains and peace.

This is my happy place. This is my moment. This is peaceful. This is priceless.

I realized in this moment that life is good. God is good always. And trials become good. Yeah we got kind of lost in the mountains but I was only lost in the beauty and majesty of this place.

Then… it started snowing. What could be better? It was magnificent. Glorious and perfect. You could see the clouds of blustering snow come in and covering the green tree filled mountain side. It only lasted for ten minutes or so but seeing that and knowing who created it was worth a thousand tree covered mountains.

- Mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of Your Name - Chris Tomlin

During these moments the only words I could really say was thank you, God. My heart was full and I could not express exactly how I felt except thank You Lord for who You are and for the daily blessings that You give me—the both small and big ones.

“It’s a crazy life” accurately describes mine. The past month has been one of the best times of my life. It was a jammed packed life session but so worth every moment. My head rarely hit the pillow, my car ran and ran, my mind was constantly filled with thoughts, to do lists, test knowledge, and my hands never stopped moving.

I look back over the days and think of how incredibly blessed I am. God is good, always, and I see that more and more every day I live on this earth. My time in the mountains helped me realize that life is about the One who created all of this. I serve Him and only Him. My life, who I am, what I do or have just done (graduated for high school) is not about my accomplishments but solely about the One who moves mountains and calms the seas.

- I live my life to declare You are King -

I love my life. I truly do. I love the good times and the bad. I am growing to like the bad times more because it is when I encounter trials that I truly grow and see more of how great my God is.

James 1:2-3, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." (NASAB)

In the moment on the mountain I breathed for the first time in a long time. I couldn’t form all the words of gratitude that I wanted to say so I just said thank you over and over. Remember to take those moments in your crazy life to recognize God and thank Him for who He is and what He has done and is doing in your life.

Holla to my mountains… see you again in three weeks.

~Gracie

Perfect Life? Perfect Senior Prom?

« Meaningful Mondays »

Life is beautiful. Life is not always easy. Life is not always about you. Life is about serving. Life is about being a good friend. Life is about dancing. Life is about enjoying the moment. Life is about laughing. Life is about being crazy. Life is about crying (only occasionally). Life is about taking chances. Life is about relying on God. Life is about faith. Life is about adventure.

Life is about so much. This is life on a smaller scale. But in the big picture. . . What is your life about?

Is it about success? Fame? Money? Goals? Family or friends? Just having a good time? Relationships? Food? God? Faith?

It may be one or two of those things. It may be all of them or none.  Each individual is different. There seems to be a variety of different answers and explanations. Whatever it is that we are seeking in life we want it to be fulfilling and make our lives more perfect. Right?

Well, I am here to tell you today that your life is not perfect and it will never be completely perfect, but that is OKAY because GOD IS PERFECT and HE IS IN CONTROL. He knows the plan for me (and for you) and that should be enough. We just need to live each day with the mindset of honoring God and being chill with whatever circumstances He brings our way.

After senior prom two nights ago it hit me how perfect and imperfect that night was. It is an accurate example of how the rest of my life feels right now. It was a beautiful night full of glamor, pictures, crazy dance moves, yummy food and awesome friends. It was wonderful. But it was nowhere close to perfect. I had friends who got engaged (that part was perfect). And I had other friends who were hurting and confused that night.

Was it a good night? Definitely. Best (and last *tear*) prom ever. However it was a complicated night. A lot happened. It is just how each day of my life goes and I am so thankful for both the happy and bit more challenging moments. I learned and grew from both of them as I do every day.

Life is about perspective and response. The saying that life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you respond to it is SO TRUE. It is taking those breathing taking good and bad moments and choosing to look at them positively. It is not discarding the negative elements but you have a choice to be a conqueror. God is always there to hold your tears, to give you comfort and strength-- He helps you truly conquer. He is also always there to rejoice with you. He is with you through thick and thin— confusing times and beautiful moments. He is the rock that does not move.

Whatever your life is about it should revolve around Christ. Without Him in my life, personally, I would literally go crazy. Throughout the day I am constantly thanking Him for the blessings, the special moments, and the difficult times. I am asking for strength. I am seeing His council. I am communicating with Him daily and it helps me to see more clearly the choices I have and it brings clarity to my life mission.

My life is the farthest thing from perfect. I am okay with that. I am not striving for a perfect life. I am striving for a Christ centered, godly life that brings honor and glory to my Creator.

Whatever stuff you are going through—the happy and the sad, let God be a part of it. I am so thankful for each and every trial He has given me in just this past week. Sure they were hard days to overcome, but with God they were (and are) so much bigger, better, and more rewarding than trying to do it on my own.

Do not be a perfectionist. Be a Christ follower. Be a joy (& peace) seeker. Be a perspective changer. Choose positive responses. Choose the imperfect life.

Blessings,

~Gracie

A Life of Adventure

« Meaningful Mondays »

-->> "An adventurous life does not necessarily mean climbing mountains, swimming with sharks or jumping off cliffs. It means risking yourself by leaving a little piece if yourself behind in all those you meet along the way."

Goals right here guys. Life goals.

When I first read this I was convicted because to me that is what adventure is. Adventure is doing the crazy, insane, wild and unheard of things in life. To me adventure is spontaneous actions, uncertain situations, unique ideas, different places and crazy things. While that is true, adventure is SO MUCH MORE.

True adventure is . . .

- Living with an attitude of adventure -

It is not waiting for the perfect time or event to suddenly become actively adventurous. It is a mindset of living each and every day with the people around you striving to impact them.

That is adventure. Giving of yourself to others. It is taking a risk on that person or thing without knowing the outcome. It is giving your all in every situation. It is living in the present and not searching for the crazy “things” to do in life. Part of the adventure is experiencing those things. However, it is giving your time, your money, your resources, your knowledge, your insight, your love and your self to others wherever you are without hesitation. That is what is going to change your life and change the lives of those around you.

Isn’t that our goal in life? To impact others? To encourage others? To take risks on other people because we care about them and not about the outcome of the situation?

My goal in life is to go on tons of crazy, fun, spontaneous and uncertain adventures to the beautiful places I’ve only dreamed about. However, those are not the only adventures I will be taking. Wherever I go, whoever I am with, whatever circumstance I am in, I will be living an adventure.

I choose to live this life where I am at. I choose to explore and experience all the wonderful moments around me, even if it is in my own front yard. I choose to not be worried about what others think of me or scared about the outcome of a situation because that is out of my control.

Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,” (NIV)

Christ wants to blow our minds. He wants us to capture the craziest adventure we can think of and He will completely take it to a whole new level. We cannot imagine what He has in store for us. The adventures and possibilities are endless. But they start at home. They start with Christ working inside us. They start with investing in others and embracing our daily adventures. Even the small ones. They are just as important as the big ones.

- We need to look at every moment, in every place, with every person for whatever reason as its own adventure worth taking -

Blessings,

~Gracie

--> CHANG3 <--

It is a goal. An idea. A dream. A desire. It is something most people want. “Want” being the key word. CHANGE is what people desire in their lives. No one is perfect and therefore they want to become a better person and more like Christ. Only dilemma it is not as easy as saying the words “I want to change xyz in my life. Right now!” And suddenly all your problems are solved! It is a bit more complicated.

Here are three things I have discovered about change.

1. You can only change yourself

There are many times in life that I would love to change the people around me. Unfortunately that is not the way life works. You are never responsible for other people actions or helping them change. You can only change YOURSELF and your reaction to others. You will not be able to change them but you can impact them by changing yourself, your attitude and by showing them love and compassion.

2. You cannot change everything

You cannot walk up one morning and make a decision to take a 180 in your life and expect everything to be different and wonderfully changed for good. You may make that decision and that is great but you have to start out small. Choose one maybe two things in your life that need to be changed the most and focus making yourself more like Christ in those areas.

You have to take it one day at a time. One area of your life at a time. Goals are great but you are not God and you cannot do miracles being becoming a whole new person overnight. It is a process.

3. Change will be a journey. Stay encouraged.

Keep your VISION

The first time ever one of my brothers learned to ice skate he was immediately skating backwards and he looked like a pro. I on the other hand have gone twice and I still look like an idiot. Just as learning to ice skate takes time for some people, so does change. Do not base your success or lack of it on how other people achieve the same thing. You are not them and you both have different strengths and weaknesses.

Change really is a journey of itself. Some days are great and others are incredibly difficult. You think you’ve finally come around the bend then bam you are right back in square one. But that is okay. Life is the long journey with many ups and downs and in-betweens.

Along the way you must never change your vision. You can never give up. You must fight for change. Fight for your goals. They will not come easily. The road will be bumpy. You may have to reroute, restart and try different ways.

However, stay encouraged during these times of trials ( see James 1:2-3) and keep faith knowing that you are growing. Stay patient. Being a Christian is not supposed to be easy. But it will be rewarding. Stay strong.

Hebrews 12: 1;3, "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (3) For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (NASAB)

No matter what obstacles comes your way God knows about it. This might take you by surprise and it might take your dream of changing a bit farther away for now but never lose heart.

Luke 1: 37, "For nothing will be impossible with GOD." (NASAB)

Endure the process of change with grace and ease knowing that with the strength of the Lord CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.

Now! Go out there and attack whatever area of life you want to conquer, succeed and change for good!

Blessings to you all on your life changing adventures!

~Gracie

Snapshots of 2K15

2015 was one of the best years of my life. It was full of new experiences and life lasting memories.

It is hard for me to believe that exactly a year ago today I was in Haiti shooting of the New Year serving the Lord.

It was the first day that our team went into the heart of Haiti—the villages. I just read through my journal entry for that day. I remember coming into a place that I knew close to nothing about. A people that I couldn’t communicate with. But somehow they managed to touch my heart forever. I came there with a few expectations but God threw them out the window and taught be something else— the power of prayer and faith. I will forever remember the people I met while serving in Haiti.

At high school camp in my favorite place (Colorado) I learned what true worship looks  like—it is so much more than music. It’s living like Christ every day of your life. Glorifying Him with every action.

Spending a week in Mexico struggling through the Spanish language taught me the power of the church. I went down there to serve in a VBS and help with the construction of a church. While I did all those things, the church served our team. I was amazed how much time  and resources the people at the church gave to serve us food, do music and minister to us while we were there supposed to be ministering to them. But I realized that we are all a part of a team. God’s team. Ministering to the lost people in Mexico. We were body of Christ working together to further the gospel.

Having a supportive youth group, youth pastor and youth leaders who truly care about the students has so impacted me. Being on the leadership team has taught me things I wouldn’t expect. Leadership is more than being the top guy. It’s an attitude and heart, not a position.

Starting this blog has helped me realize and express the truths I have been learning throughout this year.

^ Goals ^

I am so incredibly excited to see what this year will bring! I am ready for new adventures and challenging trails. One thing I know for sure about this year is that Christ will be with me through the whole journey. He is my rock.

People make goals and New Year’s Resolutions that usually last a few months. Well I don’t want to be that person. I do not want to make goals that I cannot achieve or that I am not willing to work for. My goal for this year is simple. ———————————>>>

This list will be harder than it sounds. It will be a challenge but at the end of the day it will be worth it. Every morning is a choice to MAKE THIS DAY RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING!!!!!

A Nebraskan Adventure

Because Life is worth jumping for

I have decided to go a little out of the norm and write about Fall because it is one of my favorite times of year!!!

Adventures are the best part of life. They are the event and things that help form us into the people we are today. They make us stronger. They can be trials, times of uncertainty or times of joy. Good and bad things. Happy or sad. But let’s be real, without any adventure, life is just an existence, it’s not actually a life being lived to its fullest potential.

Since I live in Nebraska and do not have all the money in the world to travel wherever I want, Nebraskan adventures are the Best option right now.

And fall is the PERFECT time to go exploring. My favorite aspects about fall adventures in Nebraska are (btw the following pictures were taken by me and are all, of course, in our beautiful state of Nebraska:)

Nebraska Sunrises are BEAUTIFUL

1.)    The air is crisp. Probably my FAVORITE part. No bugs. Just you and the refreshing sun during the day and freezing, freezing weather at night (and yes I am speaking from experience of sleeping in a tent when it was 39^o F with only a sleeping bag). One of my favorite things to do is just pause outside and deeply breathe in the glorious air, it is so reviving. Also, this makes hiking and being outside so much more enjoyable than all the hot and sweaty summer months.

The train. The trees changing colors. The river.

2.)    All the different colors are plainly breathtaking. Every stunning shade of red, orange, and yellow are differently and uniquely shaped and shaded. Although the grass is turning brownish and the plants are fading, beauty I still everywhere.

 

^ This is Nebraska ^

3.)    The noises of autumn. The everlasting crunching sound of leaves under your feet wherever you walk. Birds sailing south forming V's as they go. The wind creating its peaceful wistfulness.

 

4.)    The unwavering smell of any and everything pumpkin spice. Cookies, cakes, pies, and drinks. You only get to have pumpkin things once a year, might as well take complete advantage of it. The sweet, homey aroma of coffee drinks and apples. Something apple or something pumpkin is all you need for fall.

5.)    Clothing. Yes I love fashion and fall is the Best time of year for fashion! It so fun and versatile. Scarves. Vests. Sweaters. Flannels. Boots. And everything together at once, just to keep warm... actually don’t do that, you’ll look like a clown. But they are practical items that can be outdoorsy and keep you warm and comfy while exploring.

Whether you live in Nebraska or not, take advantage of this time of year! It is so perfect for traveling through God’s lovely world full of surprises.



And yes we all love Colorado! Like a ton. :)

Dig deeper. Go a little farther that a mere 2 second encounter with nature on a walk to and from your car. This does not mean you have to go hundreds of miles away to the ocean or way up in the mountains to find beauty (as much as we would like to sometimes go to… say… Colorado, one of my personal favorite places ever, for a week and hike in the endless majesty of the mountains, we need to be embracing where God has put us and what He has placed in front of us—that would be good old Nebraska). 




Be Still

Dig your head out of the books for a few moments and go out into your surroundings. It’s in front of you.  Beside you. Below you. Out your window. At your door step. And encompassing you outside. Waiting, just waiting to be discovered, recognized, and embraced. Take a moment to recognize the simply beautiful world God has created for you to dwell in.



Feet on their way somewhere

 

 

Psalms 46:10a, "Be still and know that I am God." (NIV)