Here is a video my family made in the beginning of the year after JJ Heller introduced her new song “This Year” along with a cover contest. Although we didn’t win we had fun putting it together and are happy to have such a cool music video 😉
Author: riahjoy
After the Tears
On September 27th I stepped out, way out of my comfort zone and shared some personal words of deep struggle. Now I step out again in sharing it with you…
A New Look {part 2}
There’s another new look that’s happened in my life…
Yup, I got glasses.
Thanks to everyone out there who has “approved” of me wearing them (you wouldn’t believe how many! It’s not like I have a choice! 😉 ) But really. I don’t like them that much, so when you’ve let me know that they don’t negatively change my appearance it’s really helped. I know it could be considered vanity, but thanks anyway 🙂
A New Look
Since Jordan moved away to Kansas, Bethany moved into her room, which means I got my own room! I haven’t had my own room since I was 2. I didn’t really care that I had to share, I actually enjoyed it (the tough part was sharing a tiny closet). After Bethany moved out I knew I had to reorganize a lot in my room. That’s when the wheels started turning and I got the idea to move some furniture around and add some more colors!
We painted our room purple and got new white bunk beds in August of 2009:
The only things that had changed since then was our new white desk and new bedspreads. My goal was to make my room a little more modern and “older” (since I’m almost 18!) Did I reach that goal? I don’t know… You’ll have to be the judge!
This is how you would first see my room walking in… I’m hoping to change the top quilt, but for now it works fine 😉
From L to R: My vanity, locker, file cabinet, bunk bed, desk
I love my shelves 🙂
This is where I had the most fun. Six of the cubbies are color coded. After originally organizing like this, my brothers had fun sticking some of their things in the right cubby holes. What’s better than books in a book shelf? Books organized in rainbow color 😀
For now my desk has the book of James under the glass along with my memory verses from AWANA. My calendar sits on my desk for the time being since I don’t have anywhere to hang it.
My vanity: The rest of my room is somewhat “modern” except for this part. This is where I get to have fun with a vintage theme 🙂
My locker is one of my favorite things in my room because my great grandpa built it decades ago and I’ve covered it in pictures that hold sweet memories from my trip to the Dominican Republic. (The two bottom ones are from when I was little) My file cabinet has random quotes, notes, and art from my brothers.
So? Did I accomplish my goal? Let me know what you think 🙂
Exciting news…
I’m really excited to introduce my new blog!
His Face – My Vision
It’s a little place I share quotes, verses, music, thoughts and poetry I come across or write and want to share!
So, head over there right now and follow me! I’d really like it if you’d click the link and check it out… and follow me if you like what you see! 🙂 Comments are always welcome too…
❤ Riahjoy
The Children
The children we got to work with weren’t just kids needing something to do in the hot afternoons. They weren’t just faces we took pictures with and took back to show our friends and family how many wanted to hold our hands. They weren’t a number we needed a certain amount of crafts for. No. These children were God’s Children. They had names and futures in His kingdom.
Like Lucia, the shy but compassionate girl who patiently helped me with my spanish.
Or Luis Fernando, the small but charming boy who loved unconditionally.
And then Jueniel, the one who remembered and loved and taught us a lesson when he turned the other cheek when being mistreated.
Oh, and none of us can forget Kendry, the one with no loss for words. (but he didn’t just say them, he sang them.) (watch him HERE)
And then there’s Elito, the one who chose me and looked past the dirt and the grime of the worksite and called me beautiful. God has given me the incredible opportunity to continue a connection with this child through sponsoring him and watching God work in his life as he grows into a young man.
Before going on our trip I think some of us thought that the children we were going to work with were so lucky to have us visit them, to make them smile and laugh and to have us, the amazing americans, take time to interact with them. But we were wrong. We were the ones who were blessed. We were the ones that they made smile and laugh. And they are the amazing Children of God who willingly took time to interact with us.
(Photo credit Chris O'Neill)
Elito. The eleven-year-old boy who chose me.
He wasn’t smiling like all the other children when he came through the gate. His reply when I asked “como estas?” was not “bien” like all the other children. He was frowning and feeling “mal”. As all the other children skipped off, excited to go to VBS, he walked slowly, so I matched his pace and let God show a little piece of His love through me. I prayed this little interaction would somehow impact his life for the better.
At craft time he insisted on writing my name all over his craft, and by song time he didn’t want to let go of my hand. When it was time to say goodbye, his frown returned, and he told me he was sad about me, that I had to say goodbye. “Tomorrow, “ I said, as he hugged me tight and I fought back tears. What if he didn’t return tomorrow? I walked him to the gate and he turned to hug me again. I reminded him “Tomorrow…please come back.” His sad eyes connected with mine and then he turned and didn’t look back as he began his walk home.
The next day I waited at the gate, but only a few children showed up. I searched each face and smiled, but he was not there. We opened the gate; VBS was about to start and he was still nowhere to be seen.
I searched the road with my eyes as more children made their way from their homes to join us one last time.
And then, there he was, smiling this time, and I began to think that maybe I had made some small impact on this young boy. He came through the gate and hugged me tight, then took my hand as we walked towards the main building.
The day continued much like the last one, though this time with added smiles, more words, and maybe even a skip in his step. Once again he told me he loved me, once again he wrote my name, once again he held my hand, and once again we found ourselves back at the gate, needing to say goodbye. We hugged three times, not wanting to leave. This time he flashed one last smile before he started on his way back home. I waved goodbye and watched til he disappeared, then looked in my hands where he had left me his craft with “Moriah I love you” covering the front and back.
But the story doesn’t finish there because this little boy chose me and this couldn’t be the end.
Curious, I asked the sponsorship coordinator if this boy had a sponsor to support him and found out that no, he didn’t. He’d been waiting for me. At this point I had no say in the matter; no, it wasn’t up to me. Because you see, Elito, he chose me.
(Photo credit Chris O'Neill)
Hello Blog
Wow.
It’s been awhile.
I practically feel like I’m starting a new blog!
So far 2014 has looked like this for me:
January- I housesat 14 days, we celebrated my parents 25th Anniversary (woot!), and participated in a Civil War reenactment across town.
February – I started leading our HighSchool worship team on Wednesday nights and went with Jordan to Pheonix for 5 days to participate in a Justice For All training and outreach.
March – Enjoyed fellowship around a bonfire, as well as at our Church picnic a couple days later!
April – Performed with a band in our homeschool group’s talent show and celebrated Joshua’s 7th birthday on the 10th along with my Dad’s birthday at the end of the month. AND we went to the Grand Canyon and stayed in a trailer (but that’s a long story for another time)
May – Choreographed Musical Bootcamp and taught 50+ teens in one week!
June – Left for the Dominican Republic on the 6th, Jordan’s 22nd birthday, and had an amazing 2 weeks there working hard, building a great team, reaching out, loving on children and sharing God’s love. I missed Father’s day with my dad, but made him this song. 3 days after arriving back in the states my Dad and I drove my sister to Kansas, her new home! She is now working as an intern with Justice For All!
And that brings us to July! The coming weeks are packed for me, so it’s likely I’ll disappear again, though not so long this time! Family coming into town and a lot of housesitting for my sister and me!
Hope that helps get this blog up to speed 🙂 I’ll be posting about a highlight from my trip to the Dominican Republic soon, so stay tuned…
❤ Riahjoy
PS How do you like the new blog look?
In It To End It
Shining a light on slavery today! Wearing a RED “X” on our hand to tell the world that slavery still exists and WE WON’T STAND FOR IT!
Together we can end it!
Riah's Random Ramblings 
