The Life of Destiny Jane

Life is short-

2012-01-28T13:39:00.000-08:00

3 years ago- 1/28/09- we were faced with the news that my little brother, Christian, had gone to be with Jesus...

As each year passes, I can still remember as clearly as yesterday all the things that took place that day. I was so confused... had so many questions- "Why? Why?!" "How could God let this happen?"... they filled my mind and heart.

And yet through it all, God showed Himself glorified.

We still grieve. Some days more then others. Knowing we never got to see Christian open his eyes, never got to hear the sweet sound of his laugh or watch him take his first step, cuts deep. We know Jesus has him in His arms and is treating him better then we ever could have... But the pain is still there.

However, we are thankful for the time we did get to spend with Christian. Thankful that God brought him into our lives. And thankful for the work we saw the Lord do through him.

Life is so short.

Whether we live to be 100, or die inside the womb, our life here on earth is so short in comparison to ALL of eternity. And we have one goal in life- To glorify God.

My "questions" after Christian died may not have ever been answered completely, but now I know not to ask them.. because I can see beyond just the "here" and "now". God has a bigger plan. And through His grace, we get to see Christian someday soon! :)

I will treasure your memory forever little brother... you are missed and loved. Can't wait to see you. :')

-Destiny

Jesus, You satisfy!

2011-11-11T01:48:00.001-08:00

Jesus, only YOU satisfy. May I never forget that. :)

-Destiny ♥

What is BEAUTY?

2011-11-02T01:40:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder for all us girls (and guys feel free to read as well!)- :)

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Have you ever passed through a grocery line and seen the many magazines scattered on the shelves with headlines such as "Tips for bigger, brighter sexier eyes" or "131 little ways to your best body"?....

I don't know about you, but it seems to me that our culture views beauty as what you look like externally. You can't even walk through a store without passing a million posters and signs on why you should get the latest brad of "make-up" or newest trend of "fashionable clothes". Adorning yourself externally is emphasized almost everywhere in our world today.

But.... is that what Jesus finds beautiful about a woman? Just what her appearance looks like?

Proverbs 31:30 says- "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

1 Peter 3:3-4, "Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."

God looks at the heart. No matter how much make-up or jewelry we put on (or even if we go as far as to paint our nails), Jesus is not going to see us as truly beautiful unless we love Him and have a heart to serve Him. A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (not a pop star who has a perfect body, pretty face, and nice voice), but someone who is beautiful internally.

I'm not saying that woman shouldn't want to be lovely on the outside. God has made us feminine and it's not a bad thing to want to look pretty. But it can become dangerous when you put that above desiring to be beautiful on the inside.

Like Prov 31 put it, beauty on the outside is fleeting.... it fades. There will come a time when you have wrinkles, and maybe aren't as slim as you hoped to be, etc., but inner beauty will always shine bright! I know several woman in my life who have impacted me greatly and have such beautiful countenance's and hearts like gold! :) The Culture may not view that as "beautiful", but I do! And more importantly, I know the Lord does!!

"'Deep beauty is the kind of beauty that shines from the inside out. It is the kind of beauty that cannot be painted on, surgically created, or purchased. It is the kind of beauty that doesn't wash off. It is spiritual attractiveness. Deep beauty springs from virtue. It is the beauty of being chaste and morally clean. It is the kind of beauty that you see in the eyes of virtuous women like your mother and grandmother. It is a beauty that is earned through faith, repentance, and honoring covenants." -Elaine S. Dalton

That is true beauty.

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So when you wake up in the morning, before you put your make-up on and get ready for the day, remember to adorn yourself internally (not just externally).... seek God first, and become beautiful in His eyes... because that's truly all that matters! :)

Blessings to all,
-Destiny ♥

Happy Birthday, Emma :)

2011-10-21T03:07:00.000-07:00

Today is my little sister's 15th birthday......

The words "Happy Birthday" just don't seem to cut it though.... so I've attempted to dedicate a post to her, and begin to explain to you why I think this young lady deserves the best birthday ever. :)

Gosh, where to even start?......

Ok, well first off: Emma is an AMAZING sister! And I don't say that lightly. She's the type of sister that every girl wishes they had! She's the one that makes you smile when you feel like crying, sticks up for you when people are making fun, hits you in the face when you're being an idiot (figuratively... not literally;)), has spontaneous dance parties in the living room with you, tells you the truth when no one else will, laughs at your dumb jokes.... and, that loves the heck out of you even when you don't deserve it! Yeah, told you. She's AMAZING. :)

I must confess though, we weren't always the best of friends... growing up she was the little sister who, at times, I got annoyed by - She got all the attention cause she was super adorable (and still is, btw, but I'm sure you all already know that ;)) - She always seem to be better at everything then I am (even though I am older :P haha) - But, through thick and thin, she has stuck with me... and, to this very day, I'd call her one of the BEST FRIENDS I could ever have asked God to give me!!!

The thing is, Emma and I know each other book-cover to book-cover. There's times where we won't even be talking but have a complete conversation just by the expressions on our faces! haha.We have so many silly memories, and continue to make them every day! She knows pretty much all my faults, strengths, weakness', what makes me tick and what doesn't, etc, (and vise-versa). We get into fights sometime, the funny thing is though, 5 min later we're hugging and everything's all good. lol:) She always seems to listen to me when no one else will and comforts me when I'm sad. I love it when she talks and shares her opinion on things! At times we'll stay up till 2-3am talking about life, God, fashion, theology, and the list goes on! We tell each other pretty much everything.

Yeah. We're sister-friends.

Truth is, I don't know where I'd be without her. I don't tell her enough how much I am grateful that she is in my life. I don't treat her half as good as she deserves..... but still, she continues to love me.

I've learned so much from her! She struggles with some of the same things I do. And she doesn't deny or hide her faults. She sees them and seeks to change. She's not perfect. But by the grace of God, she's covered by Christ and is being molded into the woman He has created her to be! It's an amazing thing to watch! She may be my little sister, but I do look up to her (literally too, she's like 2 inches taller... but I'd rather not talk about that :P lol) the point is, I've grown to view Emma not just as my sister, or even as my friend.... but as one of my role-models that I greatly admire.

I LOVE you so much Emma, and am proud to be called your older sister! :) May this birthday be the best you've ever had! And may you grow even closer to Jesus this coming year! You mean so much to me, and don't you ever forget that!! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMMA!

-Destiny ♥

Stop and enjoy the sunsets...

2011-10-19T00:15:00.001-07:00

Only God could create this out of NOTHING. What a spectacular artist He is!

Do we take time to enjoy the little things in life? We may lead busy lives, have hectic times and chaotic moments, but just as a reminder....

...Take time to stop and enjoy the sunsets. God put them there for a reason. :)

-Destiny ♥

Birthday Ball-

2011-10-18T00:57:00.000-07:00

Emma, I love you! ♥

The whole gange... a lot of people showed up, and this isn't even everyone!

The birthday girls! So pretty :)

Caitlin, Karissa and I. Gosh I ♥ these girls :)

My sisters..... they're each amazing!

Cassie, Mercy and Esther!

Emma's 15th and Alicia's 16th birthday party! It was a beautiful Birthday Ball. What a blessing it is to have these two girls in my life. :)

The dancing was SO much fun, the DJ was awesome, food yummy, and fellowship fabulous! :) God is good!

Blessings,

-Destiny ♥

(pictures taken by Anne Turner and Esther Anderson)

Art of Destiny-

2011-10-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, please follow me on my art blog- Art of Destiny!

A collage I made of all the famous people I've drawn.. :)

-Destiny ♥

Lead me to the Cross-

2011-10-09T23:43:00.000-07:00

Do I really live as if NOTHING else matters... but Jesus? Do you REALLY live as if Christ is your ALL? Do we, as the body of Christ, live like Jesus is EVERYTHING we hold dear?

It's so easy to give that typical, Christian answer.... "Of course I do."

However, deep down inside.... we know we all fall short of this. I know I do.

Time after time I let my flesh rule.... I give into the things I want and put other things before Christ.

But God is always faithful to whisper ever so softly (or maybe He has to shake me till I'm blue in the face), but no matter what, He always seems to say- "Destiny, I love you. Put me FIRST in your life... count everything else as LOSS, and allow ME to be the CENTER of your life."

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I absolutely love this song "Lead Me to the Cross"- The first verse and chorus have really touched me this week, and I find myself constantly singing it :)-

"Savior I come, Quiet my soul, remember... Redemption's hill, Where Your blood was spilled, For my ransom... And everything I once held dear I count it all as loss;
Lead me to the cross where Your love poured out, Bring me to my knees, Lord I lay me down, Rid me of myself, I belong to You, Lead me... Lead me to the CROSS."

I'd encourage you to listen to the whole song (Francesca Battistelli does a beautiful job of singing it)-

Philippians 3:8 "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.

Blessings,
-Destiny ♥

Oregon FUN! ;)

2011-10-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

Emma, mom and I!

I love riding horses! :)

Emma and I ♥

All the moms and..... me? :P haha

I love my family so very much!

So last Sunday we went to a friends house and got to right horses... YESSS! I love horse back riding! It was so much FUN! :) Anyway, here are some of the pictures taken that day (photo credit goes to Anne Turner). Anyway, hope you like 'em! :)

-Destiny ♥

Be the Light-

2011-10-05T01:36:00.000-07:00

In 80 ad, the Christians were being persecuted greatly in the Roman empire by Nero. Many of them lost their lives because of their faith in Christ! One of the ways Nero would torture them would be to set them up on a lamppost, drench their tunics in tar which would then begin to suffocate them as the thick heavy tunics soaked up the sun and clung tightly to their bodies. But the worst part was yet to come. Toward the end of the day, when the sun went down, the Roman soldiers would then proceed to light their tunics on fire... they became "human torches" along the city road for those passing by.

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We live in a world where darkness is visible. Sin is evident. And everyone is destined for the same fate.

Death.

But somewhere along the lines, something miraculous happened! God's son, Jesus, came to earth and paid the penalty for us... died upon the cross, and then rose again. He set all those free from the bondage of sin who profess Him to be Lord! They are no longer in the darkness... but in the light! John 8:12 says-

"Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows ME will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of LIFE."

Now, being a new creation, we are called to imitate Christ... we are made in His image and are to be a reflection of who He is!

So what does that mean exactly? Well, by living a Christian life, and being a reflection of who Christ is, we should be noticed by the world. We should be different. We should not be the norm. We should be seen by all! And if we are, that's Christ SHINING through us! He's the Light, and now we have the privileged of shining that light to this dark world!

Jesus calls us to put away our old self (the desires of the flesh), be filled with the Spirit, and walk in His light! I love the way Ephesians 5:1-14 puts it-

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.” "

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Now to tie back to what I began with: Nero was making human torches out of the Christians... but the thing that I find most intriguing about this situation, is even though they were being persecuted because of their faith, they were still shining the LIGHT! They were the ones who- when it was dark- were beacons of light so that others might see the pathway. Though they were tortured and persecuted for their faith, they would not recant! And through much pain, being burned alive, they ENDURED! They are an example to all of us!

In the end, when all is said and done, they will be seated at the right hand of God the Father, and live for all eternity with Him!

So my challenge to you is, be a light to this world! Don't stand by and give into the desires of the flesh (forsaking godliness and fleeing your faith) because it "feels good" or you are "tired of living the Christian life". Persevere, and never give up! For in the end, you will receive the crown of everlasting life!

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
-Matthew 5:14-16

Be the LIGHT!

Blessings,
-Destiny ♥

:)

2011-09-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

I love these kids soooo much! And can you tell we're related? Yes, I am a very proud big sister! :)

Friends....

2011-09-23T17:35:00.001-07:00

.....what would we do without them?! :)

Haha! :D Btw, these pictures were taken the other day by Josh Eddy! :)

-Destiny

Interpreting the bible-

2011-09-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a paper I had written a couple years back that I just came across and thought I'd share it with you all!

7 Criteria's for the common person to interpret the word of God:

1. You must be born again-

1 Cor 2:14 "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
If you're not born again, then the actual truths in the bible will remain a mystery to you. An unregenerate person may have an interpretation of the bible, but most likely it'll be the wrong one.

2. You must work at it-

2 Tim 2:15 "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
It takes time, effort and work to interpret the bible correctly.
Minimal time and effort=minimal understanding - Maximum time and effort=maximum understanding -

3. You must want it-

1 Peter 2:2 "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.."
A baby desire milk. We may give him other things, such as toys, warm cloths... etc. but he will always desire milk! We are God's children, and should want and desire to know the truth just as babies desire milk. If we do not have that desire, we must ask and pray for it.

4. You must be holy-

1 Peter 2:1 "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking."
We must constantly be reading the word. The lack of reading the word is not because the word is not exciting, but rather because you are not excited about reading it, therefor creating a sin.

5. You must have no idols-

Ezekiel 14:4 "Therefor speak to them, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols."
Sin has the ability to guard godly men of the truth.
You must learn how to interpret the scripture, because even preachers, and Sunday school teachers can have wrong interpretations of it [Acts 17:11]
God will give us what we want [our idols] just in order to show us that we "don't need them!"

6. You must be Spirit-Controlled-

1 John 2:26-27 "These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him."
Some people interpret 1 John 2 to say that "the spirit guides them in all truth and they don't need teachers, and don't need to study the word of God and learn how to interpret it." But, they themselves are interpreting this passage wrongly by saying that. In this passage Paul is "teaching" the first century church that they need to be careful of gnostic teachers, he is not saying that they shouldn't listen to any teachers at all [after all, Paul was a teacher]. He also wasn't saying that all you need is the spirit abiding in you and you will know all truth. Paul was simply saying that you must be controlled by the spirit and confided by the boundary's set by the scripture. The spirit and the word go hand in hand!

7. You must be a person of fervent prayer-

Eph 1:15-18 "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of the Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of you understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."
Paul was even praying for understanding. He was an apostle of Christ, he wrote many of the books of the bible, and yet he prayed for understanding and for those whom he was writing to. How much more then should we be praying!?!
"There's no true prayer without the study of the word of God, and there's no true study of the word of God without prayer." -R.A. Torrey
Prayer is vital for good bible studies! Psalms 119:145 says "My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word."

-Destiny

Coast Trip!

2011-09-17T02:19:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the pictures taken on the coast trip I went on with my friends Kaila, April and Karissa! It was so much fun and the perfect way to end the summer! =)

Oh and btw, the ocean is SOOO BEAUTIFUL! Like I've said countless times before.... God is the most amazing artist!

-Destiny ♥

[Note: I updated my blog header and template, changed the look a bit... you'll have to tell me what you think! I had fun messing around with it! =)]

Yes, I ♥ learning! =)

2011-09-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

I just love learning new things! It's so exciting! It's funny though, the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.
When I was young I was sure of everything; in a few years, having been mistaken a thousand times, I was not half so sure of most things as I was before; at present, I am hardly sure of anything but what God has revealed to me. -John Wesley

^Isn't that just so true? I think so. =)

Anyway, yesterday I attempted to write an Apologetic's card. I looked at the different topics and was intrigued by the one- "explain the meaning and significance of Sanctification". Hmm, "Sanctification?" I thought, "that would be fun to study and learn about on a deeper level." So, needless to say, that was the topic I chose!

As a side note, I must say, the internet is a wonderful thing. It makes studying so much simpler, enjoyable and easier! And I'm assuming you all would agree. ;)

So, there I was, in over my head with information about what Sanctification means... and the different views people held on the topic, etc, etc. It was fascinating. As I sat on my bed, under my blanket, pj's still on (oh the joy of being home-schooled ;)) and laptop on my lap (coincidence? i think not =P), I was overwhelmed with excitement and delight just studying.

I can't say I've always been this way! I think as children we often times look at school as...... well, not the the best way to spend our time (thus displaying our immaturity). But I must say, once we truly decide to shift our way of thinking and start loving it instead of hating it, there seems to be a whole new world to explore!! It's pretty awesome. =D

At the end of the day.... yes, my brain was sort of fried (only because it had been stretched and filled with things of absolute amazingness). I didn't end up getting a whole apologetic's card written. But I learned a lot! I may not remember everything I took in, but I know more then I did. And for that I am truly grateful!

Like the quote I put up at the beginning of this post, the more I learn, the more I become aware of how much I don't know. However, I am blessed by what God has revealed to me at present.... and it just goes to show how BIG God is! :)

Alright, I'll stop talking now and let you all go back to whatever it is you were doing before. The one thing I hope you at least got out of this post (ignore all my silly remarks and rabbit trails =P) is that learning is truly a wonderful thing and a gift from God!! :)

Blessings to you all,
-Destiny ♥

Jesus is EVERYTHING to me!

2011-09-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

I just love this song so much! The words are so impacting. I encourage each of you to listen to the song and read the lyrics while doing so.. you won't regret it!
Jesus is EVERYTHING to me! :)

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I grew up in Sunday school
I memorized the Golden Rule
And how Jesus came to set the sinner free
I know the story inside out
I can tell you all about
The path that led Him up to Calvary
But ask me why He loves me
And I don't know what to say
But I'll never be the same
Because He changed my life when He became...

Everything to me
He's more than a story
More than words on a page of history
He's the air that I breathe
The water I thirst for
And the ground beneath my feet
He's everything, everything to me

We're living in uncertain times
And more and more I find that I'm aware
Of just how fragile life can be
I want to tell the world I found
A love that turned my life around
They need to know that they can taste and see
Now every day I'm praying
Just to give my heart away
I want to live for Jesus
So that someone else might see that He is...

Everything to me
He's more than a story
More than words on a page of history
He's the air that I breathe
The water I thirst for
And the ground beneath my feet
He's everything
And looking back over my life at the end
I'll go to meet You saying You've been

You're everything to me
You're more than a story
More than words on a page of history You're everything to me
You're more than a story
More than words on a page of history
You're the air that I breathe
The water I thirst for
And the ground beneath my feet
You're everything
Lord, You're everything to me

Great quote!

2011-09-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

"The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.”
–Charles Spurgeon

I think I'm in love with this quote!

2011-09-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

God has a plan for your life. The enemy has a plan for your life. Be ready for both. Just be wise enough to know which one to battle and which one to embrace.

Just have FAITH- :)

2011-09-06T23:53:00.000-07:00

I know it's late. 11:54pm to be exact. I'm assuming once I finish this blog post it'll be at least past midnight though... haha. :)

Anyhow, I just felt like I should post something. And actually something that's worth taking time to post.... lately, as I'm sure you've noticed, I've just been posting random pictures, quotes, etc... but here's something that takes a little more then "copy and paste" or the "click of a couple buttons".

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My life lately, I suppose you could say, has been... somewhat of a roller-coaster. And not the type that are super fun... more like the kind that make your tummy hurt and swipes the smile off your face replacing it with fear. Yeaaa... I think you guys get my point. Not the fun kind.

I've been put through some stuff that has shaken my world up quite a bit. Stuff that, I wasn't necessarily expecting... it's almost as if God was saying to me in a very vivid way "Even if I take this, and that, away from you, will you still love ME this MUCH? And trust ME, ALL the time?"

I was talking to a friend the other day, telling her a few of the things that have been going on in my life... and here's one of the things she said to me- "you're a "church kid" right? So like me, you know all the right things & have been brought up with truth, it's just hard to truly apply it when you're going through a trial.."

You know what's funny, she's completely right! Now I don't know if whether or not you all were brought up in a Christian home, but I've been blessed to be placed in one. My parents have been wonderful, teaching me diligently the word of God, going to church regularly, etc...

But one of the things I've been realizing, is, none of that matters unless I actually TRULY APPLY it to my life. During the good times... and even more difficult, in the midst of trials. <--- That's the hardest part. It's one thing to "know" the answers... but another to actually "live" them out.

I've been reading through the book of James this past week, and James 1:2-4 is such a good passage. The Lord has really used it to minister to me, and show me through it that He has everything under control, and does everything for a reason! All I have to do is trust Him, have faith in HIM, and persevere, knowing He is the author and has written my story!

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4

TRIAL => TESTING => PERSEVERANCE => MATURITY

I absolutely LOVE this quote-

"One of the marks of spiritual maturity is the quiet confidence that God is in control without the need to understand why He does what He does."

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To HIM be glory forever. Amen. -Romans 11:36

Blessings,

-Destiny

Best Friends! ♥

2011-08-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the pictures my cousin Kaila took of Karissa and I on Sunday. It was a fun photoshoot!! :)

Tel me which ones are your favorite :)

Blessings,

-Destiny ♥

I Love my siblings! =)

2011-07-25T17:10:00.001-07:00

....and each picture completely describes our relationship. ;)

haha! <3

-Destiny

I think....

2011-07-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

...I'm in love with this picture.

Purple.

E v e r y w h e r e.

:) :)