Sometimes in Life, Two Negatives Do Not Always Equal a Positive -- But That's Okay..

"But you belong to God, my children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world." - 1John 4.4

So throughout the past couple of months, I have learned that life is a pretty hard place -- It's not as soft as I thought it would be. Let's just say, it's been pretty easy until now. Being a live-in nanny you get the perks: you don't have to pay for rent, you have no bills, free food, and many others. Now, living on my own, life is hard especially when you want to keep up with your faith.. OKAY, OKAY I have an advantage with this one, I work at a Catholic school. But only 8hrs out of the day is spent there, and let's just say teaching is not like a walk in Vatican City.

I know that I am preaching to the choir when I say this, I mean look at me -- early 20's, low starting salary, still not able to cook for one, and every $20 that I happen to come across I find it more beneficial to spend it on a night out than towards student loans. I GET IT!! But still, in order for this thing we call life to work, there's one person we need to put before all, the Lord. Yes, I said the Lord, not your landlord. (I'm funny, right?--haha)
Anyways, back to the topic of this hard life we are meant to get through. I'm not saying to spend that $20 on some nice tacos -- PLEASE, by all means, buy the taco. But while you are eating those $20 tacos, maybe spend 20 minutes praying. When you spend 45mins getting ready for that hot date, spend 45mins on the rosary. When you decide to stay out until 12am at that really nice bar with the really nice drinks and the very hot bartender, maybe you could at least make it to that 12pm mass that has the really funny priest and the nice lady that sits in the front pew.
I am not saying to change your life, but to improve it. We get dealt many negative cards throughout life -- too many to count. But sometimes, JUST SOMETIMES, a couple of our negative situations in life can turn out to be a very positive thing.

So GO on that date, GO out with your best friends, and GO spend $20 on a taco. Life has a lot of negatives to not do these positive things, but sometimes we need to remember where our positive situations come from in the first place. Bless the one who gives us those precious few things to be happy about!!

"You Will Never Run" - Rend Collective

-Erika

There are so many beautiful reasons to be Happy..

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." -Ephesians 4.2 

One thing that I have realized over the past years is that there are so many beautiful reasons to be happy. People come and go in your lifetime, and you have no control over it. I like to think of that as one of the many blessings that is placed among us all. 
This isn't a post like my other posts, but yet a piece of joy that I have found

comfort in recently. If you have kept up with some of my posts over the years, you would know how precious my relationship with my mom was, and how I cherish the few moments I have with my close family and friends. With everything that has happened, I thought it would be harder for me to open my heart & love again, but yet it's not. I have learned that this life has thrown many obstacles my way. If I choose to dodge every single one, what point do I even have running in the race of life at all? Sometimes we have to move, jump over, or even go through many obstacles that we confront. Whether those things are meant to be positives or negatives, it's something that we all have to endure one way or another.
One way that I look at it is that we have a choice; we can either laugh and enjoy the good times over the bad times, or regret the laughs that we didn't have while the going was good. So many times I think that I have to have this "perfect life" and everything has to be a specific way; but why? Why are we forced to live life one way or another? I see myself as a butterfly in people's lives. I come and go, but many times you don't know I'm there. I like that when you do notice me, I can put a smile on your face. And when I am away, I am a happy memory. Many times, we strive to always be liked and remembered, but sometimes we forget that life on this planet is soon going to end, and we don't decide when it does.

All I know is that I try to live by these few words of wisdom:
When there is a happy moment, smile.
When there is a funny moment, laugh.
When there is a sad moment, cry.
And when there is a sorrowful moment, pray. 

We don't choose the happy or sad moments in our lives, but we can choose how we deal with them. Whether I am a butterfly in your life who comes and go's, or just a happy memory, I hope I made you smile. I hope I made you laugh. And I hope that I encouraged you to pray. 

We don't get to choose the people that we meet in our lives, but yet we do get to choose how to make those moments count!!


-Erika

It doesn't matter if you're black or white… or asian, hispanic, etc.

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." -Galatians 3.28

Okay, so let us talk about the topic that has been on most people's minds lately: RACISM. First, let's look at the definition of the term:

racism - both prejudice & discrimination based in social perceptions of biological differences between peoples. It often takes the form of social actions, practices or beliefs, or political systems that consider different races to be ranked as inherently superior or inferior to each other, based on presumed shared inheritable traits, abilities, or qualities. 

Please inform me, if anywhere in that definition, it says HATRED AGAINST BLACK PEOPLE ONLY.. Seriously, with our society today, when we hear the word racism we automatically think hatred amongst blacks against whites. I'm guilty of thinking the same thing too sometimes, but then I catch myself. I'm not saying that there isn't hatred against black's (I've been there and lived through that), but we tend to think if people are not like us, they are beneath us. Why is racism such a big topic today when we seem to come across as this "new and improved" society? It's because we are not a new and improved society when it comes to racism.

If we look up at the verse from above, it says that no matter who you are, we are all children of God. So are you going to disrespect your brother, make fun of your sister, and treat them like they are the dirt beneath your feet.. NO. You're answer should be NO! 

It's weird to think, as a black female mixed with any and every kind of race you could think of (I'm not kidding), I have to face a daily fear of being treated differently. I recently had a talk with a friend, and she asked me "Do you fear you will get treated differently because of your skin color when you're out in public?" and I so casually said "All the time." Why is that?

Why do I fear walking into an all white store? Why do I fear going to a certain part of town? Why do I fear the thought that I will be treated differently based on the color pigment of my skin? It's because that is what we were taught. 

We were not born to hate. We were not born to think that one skin color demands more prestige than another. We were all born to love each other like they are family, and that's what I do. 

I hate to think that one day my children will have to face this fear of hatred. Whether I mary a black, white, hispanic, asian, WHATEVER kind of person, my child will be looked at differently, not so much in a good way. 

I have a challenge for anyone who reads this: BE NICE! That's all you have to do. Treat others with the respect you would want to be treated. Base your friendship on the quality of someones character, and not by the color of their skin. You may say that's too good to be true, but that's it..

"I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Lets just say, I'm not letting him down!!

-Erika Watson

All You Need is Love..

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12.2


In today's society, I've notice that in order to 'be somebody' you have to be put into a specific category. Especially with today's elections going on, you either have to be one extreme or the other:

    - Democrat or Republican, Black or White, Straight or Gay, Virgin or Not, Married or Single -

WHAT!? Now, excuse my opinion, but WHO CARES!? Why do we have to be one extreme or the other. Whether we like to admit it or not, we all try to categorize each other to fit this somewhat 'norm' we have in our head. Now lets be honest, who knows what the norm is?

The reason that I bring this topic up, is because it's been very relevant in my life today. Who am I to say that everything that I do and believe is the right way.. I'M NOT! I'm going to say it.. I'm just going to do it.. I'M A VIRGIN? Why are people afraid to say that? Why does someone get looked down upon for believing and practicing what they want? Why does saving yourself for marriage make you seem like a prude? It's because, as a society, we have learned that there is something wrong with that person if they are different ---- NEWS FLASH, God made us all different for a reason. If the Lord wanted us all to be the same, believe the same thing, and act the same, don't you think He would have made us the same?
  *TIME OUT*   Let us take a moment and let that sink in --- GOD MADE US ALL DIFFERENT FOR A REASON!! He wanted us to choose to love Him, to choose to practice the faith of following His path, and to CHOOSE to put Him first before all. Does that mean I can't be your friend if you think the opposite.. Ummmm, no. I DON'T CARE!!

WOOOOAAAHHH Erika, you just said you didn't care if someone didn't believe in God? Okay, I lied, I do care. I care enough to say that I'll pray for you. I'll pray that you will someday have a strong relationship with Christ like I do. I pray that you will have a genuine true friendship with me. And I pray that I can be a positive role model, through Christ, as your friend.
It's funny, people think I'm weird/different from today's norm. People think that what I believe in can't possibly be right. I'm of mixed race (haha - DUH), I'm Catholic, I'm a democrat, I believe that anyone and everyone should be married no matter the sex or gender, and I believe that Christ died, rose from the dead, and will return again. Why is that so wrong? This topic has made me doubt some things that I have believed in my whole life.

Lets get down to business; why am I writing this post now? I recently had a conversation with someone saying that, through my religion and family, I did not have a choice in what I believed in, and that I was forced to believe my faith an morals. They said, if I didn't grow up in the Catholic church, I wouldn't think that sex was such a sin before marriage --- NEWS FLASH, again --- You're correct. My faith is the building block of how I live my life, but I'm not going to force that upon anyone else. God said to love your neighbor as yourself. If I believe heavily in my faith, why can't I accept others for their belief? It's about accepting and loving one another. Is that not what Christ did to those who didn't believe in Him at first?

I'm not saying believe in what I believe. I'm not saying that you have to be Catholic to live a happy and long life. And I'm not saying that if you don't save yourself for marriage, you're a horrible person. NO, that's the exact opposite. All I want for you is to accept and love your neighbor as you would love yourself; no judging, no categorizing, just simply love.

"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." -1 Samuel 16.7

-Erika Watson

This One's for You.. Thank You!

"Be Joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." -1 Thessalonians 5.16

I feel like I always start off my blog post by saying "I haven't posted in awhile", but I rather say that every time than to not post at all. ANYWAYS, this is one's for you - YES YOU!! I feel as though I have not expressed how grateful I am to have each and every one of you in my life; especially those of you who have kept me in your prayers. This blog is an ode to everyone who has supported me in my life; THANK YOU!!
First, thank you to my family. Thank you for keeping up with me, whether I'm on the east coast, west coast, or down south. Whether I'm laughing up a storm or crying down a river, you have never left my side. Through wedding, funerals, births, and deaths, my family is there to comfort me through the good and the bad. I don't know what I would do without the continuous support from my parents, sister, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
To my friends, THANK YOU. It's by chance we meet, by choice we become friends. -And honestly, I'm truly blessed that y'all have decided to be my friends even after all this time! Whether I've known you since grade school, met you randomly through a college organization, or have sang ridiculous songs with you by a camp fire, thank you for being there and making me smile. I'm honored to call all of you my friends.
To my camp family. SERIOUSLY, what would I do without you? Camp started as a fun summer job, that then turned into my summer home away from home. Who wouldn't want to work at a place like this? The director acts as a second dad, the other counselors as my long lost friends, and those few friends that I'm honored to call best friends, truly act as my second, third, and fourth sister. Camp has taught me how to be selfless and learn how to 'let it go'. [pun definitely intended] - THANK YOU!!
To my second family, yes that's you my nanny families. What would I do without your love for each other, and your love for me. From Meridian to Oxford, Rocklin, and now DC, I have been blessed to work with such amazing parents and children. All of these families have taught me so much about who I am, and the mother that I want to be to my children.
All in all, this ones for you. For the young I've changed diapers for, to my family who have seen me at my worse, and my friends who still continue to call on me when needed. Christ asks us to be joyful always, through the good and the bad. Knowing that His blessings come through anything and everything, shows that Christ is present in every minute of our lives. I can not imagine not having all of you in my life, and I'm so thankful that our paths crossed when they did.
Below is just a little slide show thanking those who have helped me become the person I am today!!

-Erika Watson

Be Not Afraid..

"For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." - 1Corinthians 14.33

There have been many times when I start off a new post that I know exactly what I am going to talk about, but with this one, it's just not coming to me. I knew that I needed to write a post though, so here are two reasons on why I should probably write one now: ONE - Because I haven't written one in awhile & TWO - There has been a lot of things laying heavily on my heart. --so I thought that was good enough for me--

As a lot of you may know I have been discerning becoming a full-time missionary for LifeTeen. What a lot of you don't know, is that I have been questioning this discernment. Whether it be family issues, cold feet, something that I'm just not suppose to do, or the Lord testing my willingness of faith, I've been having doubts. 

You may find this funny, but the first step is admitting you have a problem/doubts. A friend told me, in order to conquer our fears and doubts, we must admit/say them out loud. If not, it will slowly build up inside to where one truly does not know how to deal with such massive confusion.  With that said, I HAVE A PROBLEM!! Yes, I said it, I have a problem. And it's not my crazy dancing and wild hair either. I have a problem with doubting myself, and being afraid of what has yet to come. So many times, I find myself afraid of the 'what if's' in life instead of the enjoying the 'right nows' in life.

Which brings me to my bible verse of the post:

 "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." - 1Corinthians 14.33

I feel as if we are constantly reminded of this, yet we don't stop to think and pray on it. I took some time over the past week to just think about this verse; when I woke up & right before I went to sleep. So many times through these past few weeks, I have just felt 'confused' always wondering WHY? Someone would ask me how I was doing, and instead of saying "I'm good." or "Everything's okay" I would just say, "I'm confused. Like really CONFUSED." Instead of praying for clarity, I struggled and forced prayers that asked God "What should I be doing with my life?".  Instead of asking for the journey, I was asking God for the destination. THAT'S NOT LIFE PEOPLE, IT'S JUST NOT. And to think, I probably could have figured this out a bit sooner..

I'm not saying that I have everything figured out just yet, believe me, I DON'T. I am still a bit confused, but I'm confused with the hope for clarity. I have found peace in the decision of waiting for the destination and enjoying the journey. You may ask me "So Erika, what is  your plan?" [First off, if anyone asks you this question, ANYONE, they need to reevaluate that question, ask themselves that same exact question, and see if they have an answer for it. BECAUSE NO ONE DOES.] Buuuuuuut, if anyone does ask me that question, I will simply tell them "I don't know" not with a confused state of mind, but yet one with a bit more clarity than before. 

Last but CERTAINLY NOT LEAST (because this may involve me coming to you one day), if you ever need to admit your doubts to anyone, just know I'm here. And if anyone has any words of wisdom or clarity on the subject matter, please let me know.
Know that God is always there to listen, but I'm always here too!!

- Erika Watson

I got married without the Wedding.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." -Philippians 4.6

NO, I did not go and get eloped at a drive through chapel in Vegas. And NO, I

do not have some boyfriend that I've been secretly dating for the past couple of years (and believe me, you would have known if I did). Instead, I committed my mind, body, & soul to the Lord. So YES, I have committed myself  to a divine being before committing myself to man of 'this world'.
It took me awhile to figure out that I needed to take this step before I continued my search in hopes to find a future husband. First of all, it wouldn't be fair to me or the man that I would marry, if I didn't find myself through the Lord's teachings first.
You may ask, "What does this involve Erika?" Well, let me tell you. It goes along with the same vows that one would take at their wedding:

I give you my hand, my heart, and my promise to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, all the days of my life. 

Now, lets be honest, some people may think I am crazy. I AM. I am CRAZY for
the Lord. With marriage bonds, one can not fully seek out the intentions of others and cheat on their other half. This will be REALLY hard for me. Each and every day, we tend to cheat on the Lord. Who is this other person you may ask. Well, the devil can be one sly being that wants to break the bonds that we have with the Lord. Therefor, I am fully committing myself to be pure for the Lord. 
Let me just first tell you, this will be the hardest thing that I will have to encounter, and I encourage others to take up the challenge. If we turn our views of our relationship with the Lord into something that each and every one of us want to pursue at some point in our life, such as marriage, then I believe that our relationships with the Lord will be stronger than ever.
There are many different relationships that one can have with Christ, it just depends on the view point we take during our time here on this earth.
So go, take up your vows with the Lord, and build a stronger relationship with him than ever. 

-Erika Watson

We are ALL called to Serve

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29.11

Okay, so I am going to start off by stating the obvious; I'm crazy for driving across the country by myself, AGAIN!! I know, it may look like I might not have a plan, but there is one. Like the verse above says, "The Lord has plans for you to prosper, not to harm you." 
Any who, to keep you updated about this 'path' God has chosen for me, I wanted to update you about the upcoming months ahead. I will be a Program Director this summer (for my 5th summer) at Camp Rim Rock in WV. I am super pumped about this new responsibility I will take on. WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW is my plan after camp. Lets be honest, I just figured this out this week. 
As some of you may know, I have been discerning the idea of  becoming a full time missionary for Life Teen Missions for the next 2 years. What that entails, is that I will give my life up for two years to help serve the youth of society by helping them have a closer relationship with The Lord. 
Well, with A LOT of prayer and advice from my family members & friends, I have decided to accept this opportunity and follow the will of God. I am super nervous and excited at the same time. Not only do I need your prayer and support as my friends and family, but I also ask that you donate to the cause. Life Teen Missionaries depend completely on God's providence and mission partners as vital instruments. If you commit to my mission and cause, I will commit to praying for you and your intentions, as well as keeping you updated on my progress on how God is working within my life as a missionary. 
By no means do you have to decide today if you would like to financially support me, but I do ask that you pray for me. 
This journey, by far, is one of the most important things that I have committed my life, time, and soul to. I hope that you can help me through this journey with your support and prayers. 
I want to share this verse with you that I came across right after I accepted this opportunity to become a missionary: "Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful." -Romans 12.11-12
If this isn't a sign from God confirming this opportunity, then I don't know what is. I just want to thank you for your support in advance. You would not be reading this if you didn't believe in me. 
If you would like to know and find out more about the mission, please email me or call me. I would love to talk to anyone and everyone who would like to support me in my journey!! 

-Erika Watson
erwatso2@gmail.com
601-490-0840

Until The Whole World Hears..

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." -1Timothy 4.12

Hi guys, a lot has been going on over on this side of the country. I hope everyone is continuing to stay safe with the crazy weather going on. I can't complain, I wore shorts today - #californiaweather
Anyways, I just wanted to give you all an update on everything that has been going on. As you all know, I am still trying to figure out what God has planned for me these next couple of years, as well as most of you and my friends. BUT with lots of prayer and thought, I think I have slowly been shown the path I was meant to follow. With that said, I will let you know what has been going on.
A couple of months ago, my heart has definitely been leading me to continuing more work for Christ and his children. SIGNS, that's something that I firmly believe in, especially ones sent from up above.
The main sign I have received is one calling me to become a missionary for Catholic teens through Life Teen.

"Life Teen Missions “feeds the 5000” through local outreach, through meals-on-wheels routes, and through foreign missions to Haiti, but our focus is really to “train the twelve.” Centered on the Eucharist and Mary, rooted in prayer, community and outreach, and focused on the youth of our world, Life Teen Missions is committed to forming young adults, couples and families to become life-long missionaries who love our youth and believe in God’s transforming power through the Movement of Life Teen."

Through everything that has happened, all signs seem to leading me to this new chapter in my life.
So lets talk about the "signs" I have been receiving:

1. So you may think I'm crazy, but I took one of those BuzzFeed quizzes and it said that I should live in Georgia - aka - where the Life Teen mission is based out of.
2.  I've never felt more comfortable in a decision that I have made in the past couple of years than I have with this one. 
3. After all the many prayers and thoughts on this decision, I have never felt more at peace with something I think I should be doing, than with this.
4. The last sign was actually as mass tonight, when I heard the song "I will choose Christ" leaving church. As the closing sign, I think it was the last sign to confirm my decision in the this next step in my life. 

 I love working with teens and children, I love my Catholic faith, so why not do both and be a missionary to young adults?
With that, I just ask that you to send your love, thoughts, and prayers to this decision. I will be visiting the mission mid March to check it out in hopes that it will be a perfect match for both me and the mission. With much faith, lets hope that this will all work out! Spread the word of God, until the whole world hears..

-Erika Watson

"Let me learn from where I have been.."

"Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd." - Exodus 23.2

     I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile, I am still alive. A little update about my life: I am still in California, living in Rocklin (north of Sacramento). I have been nannying for  a 12 year old girl and a 6 year old boy. They are both so precious, and if you're my snapchat friend (if you're not then add me - erwatso2) then you should know how precious the little boy is. So life is going good right now.
With the nanny gig, there has also been a lot of things going on. I've been dating - SAY WHAT!? I know what you're thinking, "How does Erika act normal on a date." I don't know. I don't know what I am doing. I'm like an infant trying to walk. Anyways, I have also agreed to go back to camp this summer. So Camp Rim Rock look out, I will be your program director during my 5th summer working for you. I also have been doing a lot of research on what I am going to do after camp; the options are either teach or nanny (possibly on the east coast - holla). So if you stay tuned later on, you may just find out what I end up doing.
     ANYWAYS (enough with the updates).. As you know, I always have the bible verses up above to go along with what I am going to talk about within my posts. The topic this time is not giving in to the crowd. With this, I mean not doing what everyone else is doing; not doing what everyone is saying is the right thing to do; and definitely not doing something that you do not agree with. The past month I have been struggling with just that. Lets just say, the devil definitely has been tugging on my heart more then I want him to. With moving and finding a new job, I have been skipping church a little more then I have wanted to. This has had me second guessing my beliefs and morals on certain things. To not get too personal, I'm just going to say this. I have recently done things that I have soon regretted after doing them. I first asked myself 'Why?. Why did I do this? Did I want to do this?'
At the time, I thought yes. I also thought, everyone else is doing it, so why not me? I pushed my morals under the mat for awhile, and I let the pressure of society's thoughts cloud my judgement.
God has placed guidelines of how a person should act while living here on this planet. We have the option to follow them or disregard them. My whole life, I have tried my hardest to live by these guidelines and I have been doing okay. Though the past couple of months, I have never felt worse. Just by not going to church, not standing up for my beliefs, and giving in to the crowd, my whole demeanor changed.
     Once I realized what I was doing wrong, I found myself slowly mending my relationship with God back together. I never want to feel that way again, and I now know that what I believe in is way more important then what others believe is right.
     Now mending my relationship with God has not been the easiest thing. God easily forgives, but I felt like I need to do more. One way was by adding one more rosary to the one I was doing. I constantly think "What more can I do right now to show thanks for the life I have been given." It's simple; instead of just smiling at the person walking by, say hello. I try to share the joy I find out of life to others who may be struggling like I was.
     You only get one life on this planet. Stand up for yourself and your beliefs, its all you have.

-Erika

Your path is the one God paves..

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3.5-6

     So as you all may know, I have taken a big step in following the path that God has paved for me; I have moved out to California. To say the least, I have not had the best of luck with things, especially finding a job. Lets start off from the beginning:
     Graduating college, I knew that I was going straight to camp to work my "last" summer (who knows if that is true) at camp. Afterwards I had this big plan, I'M TRAVELING ACROSS THE COUNTRY!! Yes, I did it, in my 2 door, lime green, VW beetle. Let's make this plan even more of a dream story and say that I am going to move out to California and pursue the American Dream --- be a nanny. Okay, Lord knows that's not "The American Dream", but it was a close enough step of me saying "I finally have a hold on my life" which is something that I strived to do ever since I started college.

That one time I traveled across the country..

  *background*   Many of you know, there has been A LOT that I have had to deal with going through college, things that I wish I could change if I had the power to. I didn't have the normal 'college life'. I went to community college, then to 4 year, spent a total of 5 years in college, lost my mom, moved out of my home we lived in for 12 years (moved around a lot), and really didn't have stability in my life.
Which takes us back to the 'hold' I was trying to have on my life. Now, raise your hand if you have a hold on your life.. anyone?.. anyone at all?.. nope.. yeah, didn't think so. So why did I think that this was going to solve anything? I have learned that the more I try to take control of my life, the more I lose control of it. I need to rely on God. I need to pray more. I need to lose some of the anxiety of living this "American Dream", and let myself live the "ERIKA DREAM." Now you may ask me, 'What's the Erika dream?' If I knew, I would tell you, but you will have to just wait and find out.
      Our paths are not determined by what we think is right and wrong. Our paths are determined by the faith that we have in God, and the decisions that we make together with Him. If it was up to me, I would travel the world not once, but twice, live in places for 3months tops, and try to see everything I possibly can. Who knows, maybe that will happen, maybe it won't. But as a wise lady told me 'Opportunity knocks lightly, so you better be listening.'

To be honest, I have no idea what my next step will be, I don't know what my next job will be, and I definitely do not know what my next adventure will be. BUT I do know one thing, I know that I will be listening to the knocks of opportunity from God, instead of waiting for the signs that may never show?


Erika Watson

All it takes is a little FAITH..

"Jesus answered, Because your faith is too small. I tell you the truth, if your faith is as a big as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it will move. All things will be possible for you." -Matthew 17.20

Graduation day!! 

     So a lot of you may already know, but I am practically driving across the country all by myself to move to California. PLANS? Now that is something that I do not have much of. Plans change, whether you like it or not.  Like the bible verse suggests, all you need is a little faith. Faith is what I have been lacking these past couple months. I thought I had everything planned out perfectly. I had someone traveling with me, I planned the perfect route to take, and I even knew the exact dates of where I was going to be. {Now lets look back at how many times I said "I"..} A LOT. If you haven't notice (which it took me a while to) I don't get to plan my life. My life and journey is all planned according to Him.
     I look back on my "Perfect Trip", and I noticed not once did I pray about my journey. Not once did I consult my Lord, or even ask for help. That is where I went wrong. Journey's are not made with Him, but through Him.

My amazing camp friends I have
spent the last four summers with.

     I have been blessed with so many amazing journey's, that not once did I give all the praise to the Lord. To be honest, I have been pretty selfish, but the thing that has kept me going, has been my mustard seed of a faith. Through it all, because I had a little faith, the Lord has had my back. We go through everyday stressed and worried about the next steps in our journeys, that not once do we think to stop, pray, and put it all into His hands. The Lord knows our plan, we just have to have a little faith, may it be mustard seed side or the size of a mountain.
     This journey is definitely going to be hard for me. I have had to leave some amazing people that I have spent 4 wonderful years with at Ole Miss, and also some life long friends that I have spent 4 wonderful summers with at camp. Not having those constants in my life anymore is going to be hard, but I'm ready. I'm ready to take the next step into the unknown.

"My life may not be going the way I planned it, but it is going exactly the way God planned it."

-Erika Watson

Patient are the Strong

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and hope." -Jeremiah 29.11

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" -Psalm 27.14

A group of us in front of the Harbor
Bridge in Sydney, Australia. 

So talk about a long time since I have posted. From traveling to New Zealand and Australia to starting my last semester in college, a lot of things have happened in my life lately. This is why I have chosen these two bible verses to talk about. As you know, I usually just choose one, but I felt like these two went hand in hand, especially with what I have been struggling with these past few months. 
GRADUATION. That is the topic of discussion on a lot of my friends/seniors minds right now. This is the time when you are officially "grown up", you have to go and find a "real job", and your life pretty much sucks.  So why are we so worried about graduating? Well if you ask me, I'm not growing up, well at least not right now. 
We are all so worried about planning our futures, having a five year plan, and being told that we are suppose to have our futures figured out. NO!!
Okay, I get it, maybe you should have some idea of what you want to do when you graduate, but do we have to plan it down to the details of how long you are going to stay at that job, exactly who you will fall in love with and marry, and how many children you will have in that nice southern house with a porch and a rocking chair. Now don't get me wrong, all of that sounds pretty nice, but who says that's your future? 
We don't just go out and plan our every step without consulting our father, God. He's the one that knows our future, and if we have enough patience to wait for the Lord,  maybe we will then know our future as well. I don't know about you, but as a senior, I find myself counting down the days, wanting to know what's next, and wanting to know "Where do I belong?". STOP RIGHT THERE. That's the thing, we don't know what's next or where we are suppose to be in life, and we will never know our future until it's the present. 
The bible verses I have chosen talks about just that, patience and waiting. In the first one it talks about having trust and faith in the Lord for your future. As long as you pray and have that strong relationship with Christ, He will give you hope for the future. The second verse talks about waiting; not once, but twice. Find courage to trust the Lord in all He does. Wait for your time, and it will come. If you pray about it, do good works for the Lord, and live a life most holy, God will have great things in store for you, I'm sure of it. SO WAIT. 

So there's my summer road trip:
West Virginia to California

Now, I don't want you to think that I am the most patient person in the world, believe me, I'm not. But I have found that prayer helps me with the calmness of patience. These two words, calm and and patience, are probably the two hardest words I struggle with on a daily basis. We all want to know what's next and where we belong in this place called life, but we won't know. And who knows if we will ever know. Our place here on Earth is only short-come for our eternal life in Heaven. 
But before thinking about your eternal life, my advice to you would be to just take it one step at a time, and make smaller goals. For me, that includes planning for graduation, thinking about what's happening this summer, and then road tripping to California. I only have my life planned up to September with little details thought out. 
I know your'e probably thinking, "This girl is nuts." Well, I am. But at least I will have the patience to know that Christ has my back, and He will have yours too. All you have to do is wait. 

Building 429 "Where I Belong"

Erika Watson

Let Go, Let God.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
-Philippians 4.6-7

WOW, it's been awhile since I have been on here, BUT I'M BACK. This post will focus a lot on how, as humans, we need to let go and let God. This saying comes up in our everyday lives through situations and instances that we can not control. Of course, it is easier to think of this when your frustrated or something particularly doesn't go your way, but it's hard when a big situation arises and you don't always want to say "Let Go, Let God" because you want to fix it and control it now.
That's the problem with our society today. It's all about what's going to happen now, and have a future plan now, and knowing everything about every moment now. This is just my look on life, and you don't have to agree with everything I say, but it is all about the now BUT it's about living in the "now". It's not all about knowing what's going to happen every second of the day, just let go and let God. We read it in bible verse after bible verse "let go of your worries and suffering, and God will carry you through." Now I know that is not the exact words to any bible verse, but it can be summed up in various ways.
A lot of you may know, I have been through a lot of suffering the past couple of years. Believe me, its hard to let go and let God. I thought that I could control my emotions, control my feelings about certain things, and even control the exact way I 'think' I should live this life I have been given, BUT I CAN'T. Of course I have some say in the little things like how I'm going to perform on tests, or what my major will be, or even where I'll be living in a year (and yes those are the little things), but I have no control of how those exact steps are going to fall into place. That is where God comes in, and we have to let him intervene in our lives and help us out.
Today in mass, father talked about how the Lord is willing to help us as long as we ask. The verse Mark 10.51 says it all. "Jesus said, 'What do you want me to do for you?' and the blind man said to Him, 'I want to see'." Jesus gave sight to the blind, giving him the choice to live his life. The blind man chose the life of following Christ. Are we not all blind? Are we not all searching for sight of Christ's works? I believe that we should all take a moment and think about what is blinding us from Christ, and how we can ask for sight to better our faith in the Lord.
I know for me, there has been a lot of up's and down's going on, and I have been wanting to control them all, but I can't. I need to learn to ask for the sight of faith, that I can trust the Lord's judgement in his plan for my life. It might not be the most ideal, but I know it's the life I am suppose to live.

This song isn't a particularly christian song, but I do look at it as a song that is asking to be closer to God. It's this new group I found called The Paper Kites, and I love their music. Check out this song, Bloom:

-Erika Watson

You have a Question? ASK.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." (Matthew 7.7-8)

For those of you who actually read my blog, thank  you, but I just wanted to let you know that this post is kind of like my last one in a way. I talked a lot about asking for help when you needed it the most, and how as humans, that doesn't come easiest to us. Not only is asking for help a hard thing to do, but asking questions in general is something that goes away as we get older. I know a lot of you have experienced that time when a child keeps asking and asking and ASKING you multiple questions, and you wonder how they could have so much to talk about; it's because they are curious. We are all curious in some ways, it's just as children, we are not afraid to ask. As we grow up, for some reason or another, we feel like we are bothersome for asking questions, or that our questions are not important, but they are. How are we going to figure out anything through life if we don't ask questions and know the answers?

Do not be afraid to go and
live your life. 

Through this passage, Christ is telling us that if we do not seek for answers, we will never know. If we do not ask, we will never receive. As humans, we have to break down those barriers and make ourselves vulnerable to asking questions and opening up to others whether it makes you uncomfortable and awkward. And believe me, I have learned to just embrace my many awkward moments and situations.
One example that I have noticed in the past couple of days of how asking questions can change a life, is when I went to talk to  the dean of the School of Education, Dr. Rock. Just one day, I decided to email him and ask if I could meet up. I had no idea what exactly I wanted to talk to him about, just that I had a question about what I was going to do after I graduated. Just through that 30 minute meeting, Dr. Rock had different people I could contact, many opportunities that I could possibly do after I graduate, and he told me that I could come in and talk to him whenever I needed to. Through one simple email and a question, I had some kind of plan for my life after college.
It doesn't take extreme courage to ask a question, yet an open mind to do so. Do not be afraid to make yourself vulnerable to the unknown. We all have to do it one way or another, so do it with an open and steadfast heart. Christ calls us to ask questions, why not answer Him?


Erika Watson

This is your LIFE, are you who you want to be?

"Jesus said, 'Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.' Peter replies, 'Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water.' So Jesus invites Peter to come. Peter gets out of the boat and begins walking on the water toward Jesus. But when Peter takes his eyes off Jesus and sees the wind and waves, he begins to sink. Peter cries out to the Lord, and Jesus immediately reaches out his hand and catches Peter. As they climb into the boat together, the storm ceases. Then the disciples worship Jesus, saying Truly you are the Son of God."

What are the wind and waves in your life keeping you from following Jesus? This passage is relevant to all of our lives, yet we don't follow it to the best of our abilities. The Lord is there for us and will do anything and everything to help us follow his path, but once we lose sight of the Lord's teachings, that is when we begin to sink in our sins and sorrows. Yet we can all be saved by the Lord if we just ask and pray.
Recently being retold this story a couple days ago at CCM, I have constantly tried to live up to this passage. I have been reviewing the obstacles in my life that are keeping me away from Christ, asking myself "What people are in my life for the betterment of me?" and "How can I change my ways for the betterment of Christ?". Growing up, I always felt the need to belong, just like every other human being; but does that mean having to please everyone in order to do so? Not everyone I meet in my lifetime are going to be my best friend, are going to want to hang out with me, or even like me, and that is what has been my biggest "wave" keeping me from Christ. People are meant to come in and out of our lives, whether they stay there or not is our decision.

Life is too short not
to jump and scream.

That was just one example of what I have been trying to change in order to keep my eyes on Christ. Also, Lent is coming up soon; a time to truly reflect on your own personal life. Jesus gave his life in order to save ours, what can we do to honor that act? I know the biggest question coming up the next few days is "What are you giving up for Lent?" It is always nice to give something up, but you can also do something good instead of giving up something. To give you an idea, I am going to babysit for free. Some couples with children just need time to themselves in order to build on their relationship, so why do they have to pay for that? There are so many things that one can do through this time of forty days and forty nights, but do we have to stop there? Why not keep the good deeds flowing through the next couple of months, years, maybe even lifetime. We have to get out there and at least try to follow Christ's teachings.
What I'm trying to say through all this is that we can no longer be selfish. In order to love yourself and love others, you have to have a strong and loving relationship with Christ first. God gave us the power and will to do whatever we want in this lifetime, why not follow Him in the process? I am.

Through everything you go through, Christ is always there with you, holding you oh so tight!!

Erika Watson

The Road less TRAVELED..

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach." (Romans 12.6-7)


God has blessed us with many talents and instruments to use to the best of our abilities, but are we truly using them? This is an issue that I feel, as a student, I struggle with daily.

My amazing family:
Little brother Evinn, Me, Big sister
Erien, & Big brother EJ.

With the many pressures from family, peers, and social statuses, do we really know what we want to do for the rest of our lives? Luckily, I have not had too much of a problem with doing what I want to do. When I decided to be a teacher, my parents backed me up. When I decided to spend my whole summer working with kids in the middle of WV, my family supported me. And when I decided to go travel the UK twice, it didn't surprise my friends one bit. I have been truly blessed with a great support system, to figure out how to use my talents that Christ has given me.
I know that it is not that easy for others to do so. With the pressure from parents "strongly encouraging" them to graduate with this major, or with friends wanting them to be a completely different person. Who are they to say what kind of person you should become. Call me crazy, but I believe Christ gave us our own mind, body, and spirit to live the life we want to live through His name.

One of the amazing places I visited:
Big Ben

But stepping down from my soapbox, I just wanted to encourage all those reading this to do what you love. For the past couple of weeks, I went to go visit friends across England and Scotland. It had to be one of the best journeys I have ever done because it helped me to appreciate the meaning of friends. Even though I did travel to an amazing country, the best journey that I did make was to visit my family in California and Texas. Spending Christmas and time with them made me appreciate the value of my family and how blessed I am to have them. They support me in all that I do, that I can enjoy life and actually be me. I love teaching and helping children grow so why wouldn't I become a teacher? Traveling the world is my passion, so why not do it? Life is too short to worry about the if's, and's, and but's of life, so go out and live it.
I have learned through my many experiences from the past couple of years, that we do not know how long we are here on this earth, only God does. Life is too precious, so go do what makes you happy!!


-Erika Watson

Why are we waiting for Tomorrow?

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118.24)

Day in and day out we think about what we are going to be doing tomorrow, the next day, in a month, or next year, and not even focussing on the moment of today. I know my last post was about cherishing those around you, but how are we suppose to do that if we are all so focused about the future instead of the present?

My beautiful mother!!

I know a lot of you know that I lost my mom a year ago to cancer. The anniversary of her passing was actually Monday, and believe it was not the best of days. I kept thinking about how life would be if she was still here, and if there was anything at all that could have changed  her from leaving this Earth so soon. But then I realized, God has a plan for everything and everyone. "Something good must end, for something better to begin." I constantly think about the "what ifs" and what is going to happen next, instead of just living in the present. There is so much going on around me that I need to be thankful for right now, instead of focussing all of my attention on what is going to happen.
Like I said before, God has a plan for all of us. I know I don't always see it that way because I constantly stress about the future and what is going to happen to me, that sometimes I just need to stop and hand it over to God. That doesn't mean that we should stop trying all together and let Christ do it on his own, no. It means that we need to break those barriers of self sufficiency, and ask God for the help that he can give.
I know it's hard, because I struggle with it everyday, but we are put on this Earth to enjoy the greatness of "now" and "today"; not to stress out about what tomorrow has in store.
I want you to listen to this song and truly ask yourself, why am I waiting for tomorrow?

rest in peace mommy..

Erika Watson

Just thought this would BRIGHTEN up your day!!

I truly love this song!!

Stop, Think, and be Thankful

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" (Psalm 107.1)

In this fast paced world that we live in today, our lives are always "go, go, go" without even thinking exactly what we are doing.  How many times today did you stop and just think about the tress around you, the people walking by you, and the creator that made this all happen? NONE. Same for me too, until I went to adoration tonight at my church.  Adoration is a time of worship, where the Catholic Church c an come together as one.  While sitting in church, surrounded by all of 5 people there, I began to notice the pleasure of sitting in silence.  It allowed me to stay still for once, and just think. After I was done praying and meditating for awhile, I decided to just look around the church and began to notice the lights of the cars from outside flashing in and out of the stained glass windows that surrounded the church.  I then noticed, that is what my life is comprised of; me constantly moving. I am so glad that I have a place where I can just sit down, think, and be thankful for what God has provided me with, while the outside world is still running as it normally would be.

Megan Upchurch and I.. What
would I do without you?

Also, something that got me thinking about this topic, was a conversation I was having with my friend Megan Upchurch just a while before I went to adoration. We were talking about how other schools ran, and if we did decide to go to the other schools instead of Ole Miss. I jokingly told her, "Your life would not be the same with out me!!" As self centered that may have sounded, it truly wouldn't be. Megan, and many others that I have met here at my time at Ole Miss, have changed and shaped my life for the better. Who knows what I would be doing right now if I did not come here. Those are just the little things to be thankful for.
Everyday we go through life busy as a bee, not knowing who just passed on the road or the lives we changed by smiling, but sometimes we just need to stop, think, and be thankful. Those wonderful moments are the moments that shape you into the being that you are. We can not forget about the little things in our lives such as our precious friends, and we must always keep the big picture in mind such as wonderful God.
As some of you know, I have been sick the past couple of days (or semester if you want to add all the mishaps that have happened to me), but I can not let me get me down.  I still wake up everyday thanking God for giving me everything that I have because I know others have it worse than me. We take so many things for granted each and everyday, that we do not think about how others live who do not have the privileges that we have. We should all be thankful for what we have, because someone somewhere else is striving to be in our footsteps.