“Never be ashamed of a scar. It simply means you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you.” Unknown
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         This is a quote my mom sent me recently and it really resonates with me. She knows after my accident  I really struggled to come to terms with my scars. I had a scar on my face that looked like a teardrop tattoo but that faded away. I also have a small scar on my right foot, but the scars on my left arm are the most prominent to remain. I have a couple of keloid scars on my left arm that always make me self-conscious, especially when I wear something sleeveless.

           I remember when my nephew was probably 2 or 3-years-old and he was staring at my arm and asked: “What’s that?” I said, “A scar.” And he said, “What’s a scar?” It was a hilarious exchange looking back but most times, that’s not the case. Most people just steal glances at my arm but never ask. I feel like with my scars I’ve been missing out on an opportunity to witness. What easier way is there to talk about God than to recount how He saved me from a serious accident? 

          Something that I saw on Twitter that I liked:
          “Don’t allow the scars from the battle cause you to miss out on the celebration of your victory!”  

           I always have to remind myself that it could be so much worse. Some people who have as serious accidents like me, don’t walk the same, talk the same, or even look the same. Unless I tell people, they wouldn’t know I suffered a traumatic brain injury. They might think I’m a little kooky, but most wouldn’t suspect my brain swelled as bad as it did when I was 17.
But today, I’m taking pride in my scars because it’s a daily reminder of God’s glory and what He brought me through. I always say May 19, 2008, wasn’t my day to die, and ever since that day, I’ve been living my life to the fullest. I hope you are too. God bless!
 
           *** I can't speak too much on emotional scars, but I know God can heal those too.  Recently, I heard a sermon about getting past our pasts. It was really great, the biggest point I will take away is no person can deter me from my destiny. How cool?! No man can mess up what God has for you even if you've had a crazy past! Take that and run with it folks! ;)
     

   Summer is officially here (6/21) and I’m going to get excited.  Sure I get no two month break like the good old days but hey it’s still summer.  Something about summer is so refreshing, and exciting. Maybe it’s the warm weather and opportunity for trips or the idea of a summer romance! hehe  Whatever it is I’ve always looked forward to summer and all the season has to offer. With summer comes the idea of lounging around and enjoying lazy days which is cool but I think summer also presents the opportunity to improve ourselves and reflect.  

   “He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” Proverbs 10:5

     The seeds we sow in the summer could mean a harvest in the fall.  Many churches have revivals during the summer because summer is halfway through the year and we need refreshing. It’s so easy to lose the fervor we once felt coming into the New Year. Looking back on my new year’s post I’m not feeling too bad about my progress halfway into the year. Not going to lie that 30-day journaling challenge fell off pretty quick but I am reading my bible daily and trying to stay in constant conversation with God throughout the day. So I don’t think I’m doing too bad but the important thing for me is to always stay on top of the grind; never lose the hunger for my goals.  Something that always motivates me is avoiding the scenario where I’m older, look up, and realize I never pursued my goals/dreams. That “fear” motivates me and pushes me past the laziness and fatigue. I just have faith that if I do my best God will honor that and take care of the rest.

   “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23

   “The Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” Psalm 84:11

   So stay encouraged my friends and I hope you have an awesome summer!







 

 **image courtesy of youtube.com

   Recently my family did an impressive blitz tour of Australia.  We landed Sunday morning and left the country Thursday morning but in that short amount of time we were able to see Australian cities, rain forests, seas, and country side.  Each day was jam-packed complete with an itinerary only a member of the organized Vaughn clan could pull off. Here's what we accomplished in give or take 100 hours in Australia.  ***hover over pics for captions!!!***