Oh, and, um... Staying up until 5 AM isn't always the best plan. But it sure is fun! ;)
Thank you Maggie for staying up with me and taking funny pictures and videos with me!
December 29, 2011
Lesson #91: "Reunited and it feels so good!"
I always forget how much I really do miss my friends until I haven't seen them in a week, or a year. Being reunited with close friends is always a blessing, and I will always cherish the friendships I have, and will have in the future!
Oh, and, um... Staying up until 5 AM isn't always the best plan. But it sure is fun! ;)
Thank you Maggie for staying up with me and taking funny pictures and videos with me!
Oh, and, um... Staying up until 5 AM isn't always the best plan. But it sure is fun! ;)
Thank you Maggie for staying up with me and taking funny pictures and videos with me!
December 27, 2011
Lesson #90: Forgive and Forget
Grudge - noun: a feeling of ill will or resentment.
Bitter - adjective: resentful or cynical.
We all have held a grudge or felt bitter feelings towards somebody or something. But honestly, what does that do? Does it help you? Does it make you feel better? Well I can tell you one thing. It doesn't make the other person feel better. I hate when people hold grudges against something I've done in the past. But how can I say that, when I'm holding my own grudges? I've done a lot of thinking this past week. How is holding a grudge going to help you for the future? If you held grudges against every person who has done you wrong, intentionally or unintentionally, eventually you wouldn't be left with anybody.
I'm just as equally guilty of this as anybody.
Forgive and forget.
Mend relationships.
Let things go.
Get over it.
Move on.
Don't let the little things determine relationships.
Where would we be if Christ held grudges? Not here, I'll tell you that. And we sure wouldn't be going to heaven either. Romans 3:24 says, "All are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus."
Love, as He loved us. And forgive, as He forgave us.
Bitter - adjective: resentful or cynical.
We all have held a grudge or felt bitter feelings towards somebody or something. But honestly, what does that do? Does it help you? Does it make you feel better? Well I can tell you one thing. It doesn't make the other person feel better. I hate when people hold grudges against something I've done in the past. But how can I say that, when I'm holding my own grudges? I've done a lot of thinking this past week. How is holding a grudge going to help you for the future? If you held grudges against every person who has done you wrong, intentionally or unintentionally, eventually you wouldn't be left with anybody.
I'm just as equally guilty of this as anybody.
Forgive and forget.
Mend relationships.
Let things go.
Get over it.
Move on.
Don't let the little things determine relationships.
Where would we be if Christ held grudges? Not here, I'll tell you that. And we sure wouldn't be going to heaven either. Romans 3:24 says, "All are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus."
Love, as He loved us. And forgive, as He forgave us.
December 19, 2011
Lesson #89: Chivalry isn't dead!
So being the week before Christmas, all the shopping centers are nuts. Today I ventured to Walmart to buy some last minute stuff to finish my Christmas gifts. Every check out line had at least three people in it, so I knew I would have to wait wherever I went. I didn't get a basket because, well, I didn't think I would need one. I had this wooden sign that I bought for my grandparents that's about the size of a movie poster, and 5 small bottles of paint, some wooden craft items, my wallet, phone, keys, and paintbrushes all sitting/rolling/sliding around on the wooden sign as I was trying to get money from my wallet. The elderly man in front of me, who had much less than I did in his basket, asked if I wanted to get in front of him. I kindly declined his offer, because, well, I wasn't in much of a hurry and he had very few items. After he emptied the items from his basket onto the counter, he asked if I wanted to set my things down in the basket until there was room. This time I accepted his offer, seeing as there was no way I was going to get my money out of my wallet while holding everything. While trying to put everything down, the bottles of paint fell onto the floor. The man was slow bending down, but he picked up all of the bottles and set them in the basket and smiled. I thanked him and he went on to pay for his things. As he was walking away, he said, "Merry Christmas, Sweetheart!" and I replied "Merry Christmas, sir!"
And a very, merry Christmas it is. Small acts of kindness are really what matter in this season of giving. Sure, we love presents and family get-togethers, but isn't Christmas about sharing the love? A small act of kindness can be the one thing that gets somebody through the rest of the day. And if somebody declines it, well, try again! Eventually they'll give in a put their things in the basket (metaphorically speaking). Chivalry is still alive! All it takes is one small action.
And a very, merry Christmas it is. Small acts of kindness are really what matter in this season of giving. Sure, we love presents and family get-togethers, but isn't Christmas about sharing the love? A small act of kindness can be the one thing that gets somebody through the rest of the day. And if somebody declines it, well, try again! Eventually they'll give in a put their things in the basket (metaphorically speaking). Chivalry is still alive! All it takes is one small action.
December 18, 2011
Lesson #88: Stephen King writes creepy stories.
So it's December 19, and it seems that this year is quickly coming to a close. I can't believe that it's been almost a year since I started this blog. I'm still debating whether or not to create a new one for 2012, what do you guys think?
Tonight I watched Stephen King's Bag of Bones. I definitely recommend it if you like scary, creepy, weird stories! Of course, I'd recommend pretty much anything Stephen King. (Children of the Corn, The Green Mile, The Shining, Secret Window, 1408, etc etc). I already knew he was an incredible writer, and that he wrote some pretty creepy and weird stuff, but Bag of Bones was beyond that. It wasn't necessarily scary, so to speak, but it was creepy. It had its jumpy moments. It had its sad moments. It had its twists and turns in the story line. (Of course my favorite part of these kinds of movies is always trying to figure it out and predict what will happen).
All and all, today, I learned that Stephen King writes creepy stories. But he is one incredible writer!
Tonight I watched Stephen King's Bag of Bones. I definitely recommend it if you like scary, creepy, weird stories! Of course, I'd recommend pretty much anything Stephen King. (Children of the Corn, The Green Mile, The Shining, Secret Window, 1408, etc etc). I already knew he was an incredible writer, and that he wrote some pretty creepy and weird stuff, but Bag of Bones was beyond that. It wasn't necessarily scary, so to speak, but it was creepy. It had its jumpy moments. It had its sad moments. It had its twists and turns in the story line. (Of course my favorite part of these kinds of movies is always trying to figure it out and predict what will happen).
All and all, today, I learned that Stephen King writes creepy stories. But he is one incredible writer!
December 17, 2011
Lesson #87: You don't really need to study as a senior...
Wow! It has been forever. Life is crazy, and school has been killer. This past week I took finals, and I didn't do so bad! I passed all of them, which I wasn't expecting to do. But I did, and I am very happy! And you know what I learned? Studying doesn't always help. I didn't study for any of my finals (except English) and I did good on all of them. We're seniors, we don't need to study! ;)
As this year is coming to a close, so is this blog. I've learned a lot this past year, obviously that I was so busy I couldn't post every day, seeing as I'm only on Lesson #87. Maybe I can get to at least 100 by the end of the year. Thanks for sticking with me this year, and we'll see what we can learn in 2012!
As this year is coming to a close, so is this blog. I've learned a lot this past year, obviously that I was so busy I couldn't post every day, seeing as I'm only on Lesson #87. Maybe I can get to at least 100 by the end of the year. Thanks for sticking with me this year, and we'll see what we can learn in 2012!
November 18, 2011
Lesson #86: People at midnight showings are fun.
So last night I went to the midnight premiere of Breaking Dawn pt 1 (Yeah, judge me all you want! I don't care!). And, needless to say, it was actually REALLY good (Again, judge me all you want). I didn't just learn that they did a waaaaaay better job on this movie than the last 3, I also learned that people can be extra crazy when it's really late. One girl ran to the front of the theater and ran back and forth yelling "ONE MINUTE! ONE MINUTE!" It was very entertaining to watch everybody. Some people brought blankets and were sleeping until the movie started, and some people were laughing rather loudly and talking. Some people, like my friends and I, watched Eclipse while we were waiting.
Midnight showings are fun. Getting 4 hours of sleep is not.
Midnight showings are fun. Getting 4 hours of sleep is not.
November 15, 2011
Lesson #85: Texas failed kindergarten. Part II.
Yes, if you can remember I have used the title "Texas failed kindergarten" once before. Well, let's just say Texas just keeps failing.
In the morning I leave the house with jeans, tennis shoes, a long sleeve shirt, a jacket, and possibly my letter jacket as well. By the end of the day, I wished I was in shorts and a t-shirt. It's the middle of November. Make up your mind already!
If there's one thing I hate about Texas, actually this is probably the only thing, it would be the bipolar weather.
Is it too much to ask to just be cold and stay cold? We also would like some snow...
In the morning I leave the house with jeans, tennis shoes, a long sleeve shirt, a jacket, and possibly my letter jacket as well. By the end of the day, I wished I was in shorts and a t-shirt. It's the middle of November. Make up your mind already!
If there's one thing I hate about Texas, actually this is probably the only thing, it would be the bipolar weather.
Is it too much to ask to just be cold and stay cold? We also would like some snow...
November 8, 2011
November 6, 2011
Lesson #82: "Make 'em laaaugh, make 'em laaaaugh, don't you know everyone wants to laugh?"
Today I am thankful for laughter. Besides sleep, laughter is the best medicine to any situation. I am thankful that God gave us laughter, because if we didn't laugh, this world would be a pretty boring place...
This post is short, but I don't think it needs more words.
What did the triangle say to the circle?
"You're pointless."
This post is short, but I don't think it needs more words.
What did the triangle say to the circle?
"You're pointless."
November 4, 2011
Lesson #81: Safety First
Today, I am thankful for safety. And seat belts.
At about 3:30 PM today, an ACU bus carrying twelve students, three faculty members and the spouse of one faculty member, representing the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, crashed near Runnels County. Only one fatality has been confirmed, the bus driver was unharmed, and the rest were severely injured. This was an Ag group on their way to Medina, TX to help the kids at the Medina Children's Home. President Phil Schubert and others from ACU are headed to the different hospitals to console with the students and families as they arrive.
If you're reading this, stop what you're doing and say a quick prayer for the students and faculty involved in the crash, and pray for the families of those students, especially the two families who lost their children. Thank God for the guardian angels He sends our way everyday.
This is a picture taken at the scene. Please please please keep this people in your prayers. The top of the bus was completely ripped off. Please wear your seat belts from now on. I know I am.
At about 3:30 PM today, an ACU bus carrying twelve students, three faculty members and the spouse of one faculty member, representing the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, crashed near Runnels County. Only one fatality has been confirmed, the bus driver was unharmed, and the rest were severely injured. This was an Ag group on their way to Medina, TX to help the kids at the Medina Children's Home. President Phil Schubert and others from ACU are headed to the different hospitals to console with the students and families as they arrive.
If you're reading this, stop what you're doing and say a quick prayer for the students and faculty involved in the crash, and pray for the families of those students, especially the two families who lost their children. Thank God for the guardian angels He sends our way everyday.
This is a picture taken at the scene. Please please please keep this people in your prayers. The top of the bus was completely ripped off. Please wear your seat belts from now on. I know I am.
November 3, 2011
Lesson #80: Tears of joy, tears of sadness.
Today I am thankful for tears. Whether they be tears of joy, tears of sadness, or tears of anger, tears help heal the heart. God gave us tears to express what we're feeling without the use of words.
When we're upset, we cry. When we're incredibly happy, we cry. When we watch or hear sappy love stories, we cry. When we're stressed out, we cry. (Girls cry more than boys, but hey, a hint to the fellas. Crying IS okay. It really does relieve stress sometimes). Tears are a part of life, God gave them to us for a reason!
"But smiles and tears are so alike with me, they are neither of them confined to any particular feelings: I often cry when I am happy, and smile when I am sad." --Anne Brontë, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
When we're upset, we cry. When we're incredibly happy, we cry. When we watch or hear sappy love stories, we cry. When we're stressed out, we cry. (Girls cry more than boys, but hey, a hint to the fellas. Crying IS okay. It really does relieve stress sometimes). Tears are a part of life, God gave them to us for a reason!
"But smiles and tears are so alike with me, they are neither of them confined to any particular feelings: I often cry when I am happy, and smile when I am sad." --Anne Brontë, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
November 2, 2011
Lessons #79: "Sunnnriiiiseee, Sunnnseeetttt.."
Today I am thankful for the sunrise, for another day. We have no clue what the future may hold. We know what we hope is going to happen, but only God knows what's going to happen in five minutes, two hours, five years, or a thousand years. Every morning when I wake up, my first thoughts are, "Why is it sooooo early?! Why do I have to be up right now?!" and then I remember I'm 18 and I have to go to school every day.
Then when I'm driving to school, I see the sunrise. I stop and marvel at the beauty of such a simple thing. One thing I love about living in Texas, it's a blessing and a curse, is the flat land. It may be flat, dry, and plain, but boy are the sunrises amazing. As you may have heard, "You ain't seen a sunrise until you've been to Texas." (However, Colorado comes in a close second I must say).
I am thankful for every day I'm alive. I sometimes take it for granted, waking up every morning. Seeing the sunrise on my way to school reminds me to thank God for giving me another day.
Then when I'm driving to school, I see the sunrise. I stop and marvel at the beauty of such a simple thing. One thing I love about living in Texas, it's a blessing and a curse, is the flat land. It may be flat, dry, and plain, but boy are the sunrises amazing. As you may have heard, "You ain't seen a sunrise until you've been to Texas." (However, Colorado comes in a close second I must say).
I am thankful for every day I'm alive. I sometimes take it for granted, waking up every morning. Seeing the sunrise on my way to school reminds me to thank God for giving me another day.
November 1, 2011
Lesson #78: I am thankful.
It's November 1st! ...Woah.
The month of November is a month dedicated to being thankful. (Really, we should always be thankful, but it's good to dedicate a whole month just to one topic).
Today, I am thankful for the wonderful, amazing, crazy, adorable, fun, incredible, and indescribable people in my life. Friends, family, teachers, famous people I don't even know, people I see everywhere that I don't know. I'm thankful for everyone! Whether you realize it or not, you create a relationship with every person you meet, even if it's only one encounter.
My friends are incredible. I don't know what I would do without them. I could go on and on naming those people but that would take up too much room. I have been blessed immensely with the friends God has put in my life. I know that if I needed any one of them, they'd be there for me in a heartbeat, and I'm do the same for them. I love them with all my heart!
My family. My family is INDESCRIBABLE. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am for my family. My parents are the best, I know that I can go to them about any and everything at any time! They love me even though I mess up, and I know they always will. I have the most amazing big brother. He was always there for me when we were little, even though I was the annoying little sister. He always treated me like a big brother should and set a good example for me. He was my hero, and still is! I also have an awesome sister in law. I couldn't have asked for anyone better! She didn't see me as just her boyfriend's little sister. She saw me as a friend, and that meant a lot to me! So I approved, naturally. She's the best sister I could ever ask for! My grandparents, on both sides, are absolutely the best! They're each different in their own way and I love them so much! They set a good example and I really wish I could see them more often. My aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, fourth cousins, they're my favorite. I love them so much and I really wish I got to see them more! My whole family in general is amazing. I love them so much, and I feel incredibly blessed to be called a Hardcastle!
I have some pretty awesome teachers, not gonna lie. (And I'm not just saying that because my mom and dad are my teachers). My school is privileged to have some of the best people teaching us. My math teacher, Mrs. McConnell, is an amazing woman. She's like my school-mom. (Even though my mom is a teacher...). I can talk to her about anything and I love her to death! Mrs. Baker, oh I love her! And her children! That whole family is amazing. Mrs. Baker and Rosie bring such a light to our fine arts classes. They make it so much fun! Mrs. Robbins, well, she's just incredibly awesome. You can ask anyone, and they'll agree. Not every teacher keeps an axe and a sword on her wall. Granted, they're plastic, but still cool. And Mrs. Gilbreth. I know we all say we don't like what she gives us now, but I know we'll be thanking her later in college when we're the only ones who know how to write a research paper! I love those people, and I'm so glad they're teaching me.
Sooooo I know it's weird to be thankful for famous people I don't even know, but really, it's not weird at all actually. People like Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, Christopher Columbus, Michael Jackson, and Steve Jobs are good examples. They all changed the world in some way or another. Ghandi promoted love and peace, as well as Mother Theresa. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr stood up for what they believed in, and will be remembered for it. Christopher Columbus helped discover America! Michael Jackson changed pop music forever, and will ALWAYS be remembered, even if he was a little weird... He was still incredibly talented. And Steve Jobs, the co-creator of Apple, created some pretty advanced technology that has helped the way people communicate and convey things to the world. Without these people, our world would look completely different.
Then there's those people you see everywhere, but you have no idea who they are. There's an elderly man who walks his dog around the Lunsford Trail at ACU every single night. I go running every night and I see him! Well it's been about a year since I first saw him, and now every time I see him, he says hi and encourages me. He tells me I'm doing great and to keep going. He may not realize what that really means to me for him to encourage me and motivate me to keep going. I don't know his name, or his story, and he doesn't know mine, but yet we have this relationship that I'm thankful for. I hate running sometimes, on those really windy or scolding hot days, but he comes around the corner just at the right time and tells me to keep going. And you know what? I keep going! It's the little things in life that really mean the most.
So take time today to remember those special people in your life that God has blessed you with. Make sure you thank God for those people, because He puts them there for a reason. We are all blessed with the relationships we have.
To whoever is reading this, I thank God for you. I thank God for the relationship we have and what a blessing you have been in my life. If I've never met you, well, I'm still thankful for you. :)
The month of November is a month dedicated to being thankful. (Really, we should always be thankful, but it's good to dedicate a whole month just to one topic).
Today, I am thankful for the wonderful, amazing, crazy, adorable, fun, incredible, and indescribable people in my life. Friends, family, teachers, famous people I don't even know, people I see everywhere that I don't know. I'm thankful for everyone! Whether you realize it or not, you create a relationship with every person you meet, even if it's only one encounter.
My friends are incredible. I don't know what I would do without them. I could go on and on naming those people but that would take up too much room. I have been blessed immensely with the friends God has put in my life. I know that if I needed any one of them, they'd be there for me in a heartbeat, and I'm do the same for them. I love them with all my heart!
My family. My family is INDESCRIBABLE. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am for my family. My parents are the best, I know that I can go to them about any and everything at any time! They love me even though I mess up, and I know they always will. I have the most amazing big brother. He was always there for me when we were little, even though I was the annoying little sister. He always treated me like a big brother should and set a good example for me. He was my hero, and still is! I also have an awesome sister in law. I couldn't have asked for anyone better! She didn't see me as just her boyfriend's little sister. She saw me as a friend, and that meant a lot to me! So I approved, naturally. She's the best sister I could ever ask for! My grandparents, on both sides, are absolutely the best! They're each different in their own way and I love them so much! They set a good example and I really wish I could see them more often. My aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, fourth cousins, they're my favorite. I love them so much and I really wish I got to see them more! My whole family in general is amazing. I love them so much, and I feel incredibly blessed to be called a Hardcastle!
I have some pretty awesome teachers, not gonna lie. (And I'm not just saying that because my mom and dad are my teachers). My school is privileged to have some of the best people teaching us. My math teacher, Mrs. McConnell, is an amazing woman. She's like my school-mom. (Even though my mom is a teacher...). I can talk to her about anything and I love her to death! Mrs. Baker, oh I love her! And her children! That whole family is amazing. Mrs. Baker and Rosie bring such a light to our fine arts classes. They make it so much fun! Mrs. Robbins, well, she's just incredibly awesome. You can ask anyone, and they'll agree. Not every teacher keeps an axe and a sword on her wall. Granted, they're plastic, but still cool. And Mrs. Gilbreth. I know we all say we don't like what she gives us now, but I know we'll be thanking her later in college when we're the only ones who know how to write a research paper! I love those people, and I'm so glad they're teaching me.
Sooooo I know it's weird to be thankful for famous people I don't even know, but really, it's not weird at all actually. People like Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, Christopher Columbus, Michael Jackson, and Steve Jobs are good examples. They all changed the world in some way or another. Ghandi promoted love and peace, as well as Mother Theresa. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr stood up for what they believed in, and will be remembered for it. Christopher Columbus helped discover America! Michael Jackson changed pop music forever, and will ALWAYS be remembered, even if he was a little weird... He was still incredibly talented. And Steve Jobs, the co-creator of Apple, created some pretty advanced technology that has helped the way people communicate and convey things to the world. Without these people, our world would look completely different.
Then there's those people you see everywhere, but you have no idea who they are. There's an elderly man who walks his dog around the Lunsford Trail at ACU every single night. I go running every night and I see him! Well it's been about a year since I first saw him, and now every time I see him, he says hi and encourages me. He tells me I'm doing great and to keep going. He may not realize what that really means to me for him to encourage me and motivate me to keep going. I don't know his name, or his story, and he doesn't know mine, but yet we have this relationship that I'm thankful for. I hate running sometimes, on those really windy or scolding hot days, but he comes around the corner just at the right time and tells me to keep going. And you know what? I keep going! It's the little things in life that really mean the most.
So take time today to remember those special people in your life that God has blessed you with. Make sure you thank God for those people, because He puts them there for a reason. We are all blessed with the relationships we have.
To whoever is reading this, I thank God for you. I thank God for the relationship we have and what a blessing you have been in my life. If I've never met you, well, I'm still thankful for you. :)
October 8, 2011
Lesson #77: Love is not a fight, but it's something worth fighting for.
Love is not a place
To come and go as we please
It's a house we enter in
And then commit to never leave
So lock the door behind you
Throw away the key
We'll work it out together
Let it bring us to our knees
Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
If we try to leave may God send angels to guard the door
No, love is not a fight but it's something worth fighting for
To some, love is a word that they can fall into
But when they're falling out
Keeping that word is hard to do
Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
If we try to leave may God send angels to guard the door
No, love is not a fight but it's something worth fighting for
Love will come to save us, if we'll only call
He will ask nothing from us, but demand we give our all
Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
If we try to leave may God send angels to guard the door
No, love is not a fight but it's something worth fighting for
I would fight for you, would you fight for me?
It's worth fighting for.
(Love is Not a Fight by Warren Barfield)
This song came on Pandora and it hit me. What do we see love as? Do we take it for granted? Do we see it as something petty and naive? Or something passionate and real? Has the word "love" lost all it's meaning? I watch these movies like Tangled and my hopeless romantic self comes out and wishes that I could find my own Eugene Fitzherbert! I watch all these love stories and just wish that maybe my life could be like a Disney fairy tale, where every one lives happily ever after. Unfortunately, life is not a Disney fairy tale. But it IS a story, and everyone's is different.
"You're a teenager! You don't know what love is!" So, at what age does somebody REALLY know what love is? 30? 40? 50? Does anybody really and truly comprehend love? I may not "know what love is" but I do know the people that I do love and what I would do for those people. I know how to love somebody and how to show love to every one. Love is something that anyone can do. Whether you be 65 or 3 years old. Love is real and true, and probably one of the most difficult things in life. Love is something you have to work for. It's not easy. It's going to be really hard. But love is something that is worth it.
Love is not a fight, but it IS worth fighting for. Think about the people you in your life that you care about and love. Have you told them that lately? Even if you have, tell them again! Love is what makes the world go round. Don't take it for granted. Don't just throw around the word, because then it won't mean anything. When you tell somebody you love them, mean it. Be real about it. Love everyone. And love yourself. Because love is worth fighting for.
To come and go as we please
It's a house we enter in
And then commit to never leave
So lock the door behind you
Throw away the key
We'll work it out together
Let it bring us to our knees
Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
If we try to leave may God send angels to guard the door
No, love is not a fight but it's something worth fighting for
To some, love is a word that they can fall into
But when they're falling out
Keeping that word is hard to do
Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
If we try to leave may God send angels to guard the door
No, love is not a fight but it's something worth fighting for
Love will come to save us, if we'll only call
He will ask nothing from us, but demand we give our all
Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
If we try to leave may God send angels to guard the door
No, love is not a fight but it's something worth fighting for
I would fight for you, would you fight for me?
It's worth fighting for.
(Love is Not a Fight by Warren Barfield)
This song came on Pandora and it hit me. What do we see love as? Do we take it for granted? Do we see it as something petty and naive? Or something passionate and real? Has the word "love" lost all it's meaning? I watch these movies like Tangled and my hopeless romantic self comes out and wishes that I could find my own Eugene Fitzherbert! I watch all these love stories and just wish that maybe my life could be like a Disney fairy tale, where every one lives happily ever after. Unfortunately, life is not a Disney fairy tale. But it IS a story, and everyone's is different.
"You're a teenager! You don't know what love is!" So, at what age does somebody REALLY know what love is? 30? 40? 50? Does anybody really and truly comprehend love? I may not "know what love is" but I do know the people that I do love and what I would do for those people. I know how to love somebody and how to show love to every one. Love is something that anyone can do. Whether you be 65 or 3 years old. Love is real and true, and probably one of the most difficult things in life. Love is something you have to work for. It's not easy. It's going to be really hard. But love is something that is worth it.
Love is not a fight, but it IS worth fighting for. Think about the people you in your life that you care about and love. Have you told them that lately? Even if you have, tell them again! Love is what makes the world go round. Don't take it for granted. Don't just throw around the word, because then it won't mean anything. When you tell somebody you love them, mean it. Be real about it. Love everyone. And love yourself. Because love is worth fighting for.
October 7, 2011
Lesson #76: Where have I been?
Well hello my friends. It's been awhile. And I'm terribly sorry for that. Life happened.
Where have I been?
Physically, I've been at school. Being involved with school things such as, well, the schoolwork (obviously), student council, choir, one voice, theater, ahhhhhhhhhh!! I barely have time to eat and sleep!
Mentally... Where have I been? I can honestly say I don't know. I've kept myself busy that I haven't just stopped. I haven't just stopped, and done nothing. I may have had a few breaks now and then, but when was the last time I literally just sat there and did nothing for longer than an hour? When was the last time I truly relaxed? When was the last time I opened my bible outside of school or church? When was the last time I actually cared to do so? I've let myself be so distracted that it didn't even occur to me that I hadn't sat down and read from God's word. I hadn't done something for somebody else. I hadn't prayed about it. I may have thought about it, but I was never proactive in actually doing it.
I became so consumed with life that I forgot to live.
Living is something that is debatable. To some, living is simply breathing and going through the motions every day. To others, living is doing what you enjoy. To me, living is everything. I'm a teenager. It's my last year of high school! I want to enjoy it, and be done with it! I decided I wasn't going to do sports so I could relax. Well, turns out I forgot how much time the other extra curriculars could take up. The past few weeks, actually the past couple months, I have been nonstop. Whether it be homecoming week or research paper, I was hardly ever home. I was either up at school or at the library. I knew what I needed to get done, and I got it done when I needed to. It's taken me a few months to realize that I seriously just need to stop. I'm not saying it's bad to be involved in various activities, but when your life is consumed with this and that, you might forget to actually live!
So live your life!
No, don't live it like it's your last day... Because if we all did that, all the banks would be broken into, everyone would go steal a sportscar, everyone would go skydiving, everyone would confess their undying love for someone, and then the next day we'd have to find something else to do all over again. No, I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is this:
Do what you enjoy, and don't let anybody tell you how. You are the captain of your ship, and only you can set the sails in the direction you want to go. Don't let others influence your decisions. Do what is best for you. Love everyone and don't judge too quickly! Love yourself, and think highly of yourself. Have a positive attitude in negative situations! Don't be overly positive, because that gets to the point when you become fake. Be yourself and be real. All the time. Not just when you're around certain people. Love everyone. If you love others, you will get love in return. Its not your place to judge others. If you disagree with somebody, don't tell them their opinion is wrong. Opinions aren't meant to be wrong or right. (Hence why they're called "opinions"). In disagreements, listen to the person. Listen to what they have to say, and understand their perspective. Respect them, and you will get respect in return. No judgin', just lovin'.
Life is hard, and it comes at you so fast that you don't even realize it until it's gone. I turn 18 on Tuesday. Wasn't I just starting to drive yesterday? I got accepted to ACU and I already have a roommate. Didn't I just start high school?
There's no easy button, but you are you. And don't let anything get in your way of living.
Where have I been?
Physically, I've been at school. Being involved with school things such as, well, the schoolwork (obviously), student council, choir, one voice, theater, ahhhhhhhhhh!! I barely have time to eat and sleep!
Mentally... Where have I been? I can honestly say I don't know. I've kept myself busy that I haven't just stopped. I haven't just stopped, and done nothing. I may have had a few breaks now and then, but when was the last time I literally just sat there and did nothing for longer than an hour? When was the last time I truly relaxed? When was the last time I opened my bible outside of school or church? When was the last time I actually cared to do so? I've let myself be so distracted that it didn't even occur to me that I hadn't sat down and read from God's word. I hadn't done something for somebody else. I hadn't prayed about it. I may have thought about it, but I was never proactive in actually doing it.
I became so consumed with life that I forgot to live.
Living is something that is debatable. To some, living is simply breathing and going through the motions every day. To others, living is doing what you enjoy. To me, living is everything. I'm a teenager. It's my last year of high school! I want to enjoy it, and be done with it! I decided I wasn't going to do sports so I could relax. Well, turns out I forgot how much time the other extra curriculars could take up. The past few weeks, actually the past couple months, I have been nonstop. Whether it be homecoming week or research paper, I was hardly ever home. I was either up at school or at the library. I knew what I needed to get done, and I got it done when I needed to. It's taken me a few months to realize that I seriously just need to stop. I'm not saying it's bad to be involved in various activities, but when your life is consumed with this and that, you might forget to actually live!
So live your life!
No, don't live it like it's your last day... Because if we all did that, all the banks would be broken into, everyone would go steal a sportscar, everyone would go skydiving, everyone would confess their undying love for someone, and then the next day we'd have to find something else to do all over again. No, I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is this:
Do what you enjoy, and don't let anybody tell you how. You are the captain of your ship, and only you can set the sails in the direction you want to go. Don't let others influence your decisions. Do what is best for you. Love everyone and don't judge too quickly! Love yourself, and think highly of yourself. Have a positive attitude in negative situations! Don't be overly positive, because that gets to the point when you become fake. Be yourself and be real. All the time. Not just when you're around certain people. Love everyone. If you love others, you will get love in return. Its not your place to judge others. If you disagree with somebody, don't tell them their opinion is wrong. Opinions aren't meant to be wrong or right. (Hence why they're called "opinions"). In disagreements, listen to the person. Listen to what they have to say, and understand their perspective. Respect them, and you will get respect in return. No judgin', just lovin'.
Life is hard, and it comes at you so fast that you don't even realize it until it's gone. I turn 18 on Tuesday. Wasn't I just starting to drive yesterday? I got accepted to ACU and I already have a roommate. Didn't I just start high school?
There's no easy button, but you are you. And don't let anything get in your way of living.
August 1, 2011
Lesson #75: July was a stressful month.
Hello everyone! I am so sorry it has been forever and a day since I have blogged. A lot has happened!
So July was a very... interesting month. I went through a lot that changed the way I looked at life. Like I've said before, I'm a very positive person. I like to look at the positive side of things (which sometimes can be annoying to some of my friends!) and I like to think in an optimistic way. I went into a slump when I found out I had Mono and would not be attending Wilderness Trek (and not just because I was physically drained). I was so angry at God. I thought things like, Why would He let this happen? He knows how much I look forward to Trek! How could this happen to me? Why would He do this to me?. I still don't understand the timing of things, but through those two weeks I was stuck at home, I realized some things. I did some "soul searching" if you will. I came to realize that there were things in my life that really just shouldn't have been there, and there were some things that weren't in my life that should have been! I prayed and prayed for God to show me what I need to do about it. I went out on a limb and everything turned out okay!
This past Saturday, my brother married his best friend and love of his life. I'm one of those people who cry at every wedding I go to, even if I hardly know the people getting married. I knew that I would cry like a baby at my brother's. And guess what? I did! I've never been happier for anyone in my entire life. I've never seen my brother happier than when the doors opened and he saw Whitney for the first time. It was an awesome day, shared with the most important people in my life.
Yesterday I filled out and submitted my first college application. It hadn't hit me until that moment that I was going to be a senior. I'm graduating in 291 days. I'm going to college. I'm going to be independent. And it scares me! I'm so excited, but it really scares me. I just don't know if I'm ready! I don't want to grow up! Yes, I'm ready to leave high school, SOOO ready. But to go to college? Away from my parents? From my friends? I still don't even know where I'm going to go! ACU? LCU? OC? So many decisions.
You know what my response is to all of these? Prayer. Whether it be a prayer of anger, a prayer of thanks, or a prayer of guidance, God is the only one who can give us the answers we need. Even if we don't understand at the time, He knows what He's doing. He's already planned everything out. Crazy, huh?
So July was a very... interesting month. I went through a lot that changed the way I looked at life. Like I've said before, I'm a very positive person. I like to look at the positive side of things (which sometimes can be annoying to some of my friends!) and I like to think in an optimistic way. I went into a slump when I found out I had Mono and would not be attending Wilderness Trek (and not just because I was physically drained). I was so angry at God. I thought things like, Why would He let this happen? He knows how much I look forward to Trek! How could this happen to me? Why would He do this to me?. I still don't understand the timing of things, but through those two weeks I was stuck at home, I realized some things. I did some "soul searching" if you will. I came to realize that there were things in my life that really just shouldn't have been there, and there were some things that weren't in my life that should have been! I prayed and prayed for God to show me what I need to do about it. I went out on a limb and everything turned out okay!
This past Saturday, my brother married his best friend and love of his life. I'm one of those people who cry at every wedding I go to, even if I hardly know the people getting married. I knew that I would cry like a baby at my brother's. And guess what? I did! I've never been happier for anyone in my entire life. I've never seen my brother happier than when the doors opened and he saw Whitney for the first time. It was an awesome day, shared with the most important people in my life.
Yesterday I filled out and submitted my first college application. It hadn't hit me until that moment that I was going to be a senior. I'm graduating in 291 days. I'm going to college. I'm going to be independent. And it scares me! I'm so excited, but it really scares me. I just don't know if I'm ready! I don't want to grow up! Yes, I'm ready to leave high school, SOOO ready. But to go to college? Away from my parents? From my friends? I still don't even know where I'm going to go! ACU? LCU? OC? So many decisions.
You know what my response is to all of these? Prayer. Whether it be a prayer of anger, a prayer of thanks, or a prayer of guidance, God is the only one who can give us the answers we need. Even if we don't understand at the time, He knows what He's doing. He's already planned everything out. Crazy, huh?
June 28, 2011
Lesson #71: Sometimes Life is Just Plain Unfair.
As you probably know, Wilderness Trek is something I look forward to every summer. In fact, it's one of the only things I look forward to besides getting to sleep late. Wilderness trek is a week long hike in Colorado. You get to summit a mountain! It is one of the most amazing experiences ever!
I haven't been feeling well the past few days, and since we leave on Friday we decided to go ahead and go to the doctor before trek. I'm glad we did. Turns out I have mono. Thus making me miss trek this year. You could say I was upset, but that would be an understatement. I was crushed. Why would this happen to ME? Right before trek? The only thing I look forward to about summer? The only thing I keep on my countdown on my iPhone? The one thing I do that actually gets me to exercise?
Sometimes in life, things happen that we don't understand that are just plain unfair. And we don't like it! So we often question God and why He does what He does for whatever reason. It's okay to be angry at God, but we shouldn't doubt Him or question Him. That's something I struggle with every day. I often find myself wondering if He's really up there, or if everything happens by chance.
I think maybe this is God's way of saying, "Yep, I'm still here Jenae. Just trust me." The saying "Everything happens for a reason" is one of those phrases that I do not agree with. I stepped on gum. Is that supposed to be a sign that I need new shoes? No. There are things in life we can't control. Not everything has some deep and meaningful back ground of why it happened. Some things really are just coincidence.
So what have I learned today? There's always sunshine beyond the rain. I'm a pretty positive person for the most part, but when something like this happens, I tend to just look at the negatives of the situation, and that obviously isn't going to help me. Since there's nothing I can do about this other than let it run it's course, I'm looking at the positives. Now I actually have an excuse to be lazy and sit around watching movies and reading books all day without getting in trouble. Now I won't miss July 4th fireworks! I mean, I can't go anywhere, but watching them from my roof isn't so bad! Now I'll get to watch all the shows I wouldn't normally have time for! And not to mention we are getting Netflix!
Sometimes life is just plain unfair, and most of the time, it's out of our control. So look at the positive sides. You'll often find it's a little easier to deal with. When life gives you lemons, throw the lemon back and say, "no thanks! I've already got something to drink."
I haven't been feeling well the past few days, and since we leave on Friday we decided to go ahead and go to the doctor before trek. I'm glad we did. Turns out I have mono. Thus making me miss trek this year. You could say I was upset, but that would be an understatement. I was crushed. Why would this happen to ME? Right before trek? The only thing I look forward to about summer? The only thing I keep on my countdown on my iPhone? The one thing I do that actually gets me to exercise?
Sometimes in life, things happen that we don't understand that are just plain unfair. And we don't like it! So we often question God and why He does what He does for whatever reason. It's okay to be angry at God, but we shouldn't doubt Him or question Him. That's something I struggle with every day. I often find myself wondering if He's really up there, or if everything happens by chance.
I think maybe this is God's way of saying, "Yep, I'm still here Jenae. Just trust me." The saying "Everything happens for a reason" is one of those phrases that I do not agree with. I stepped on gum. Is that supposed to be a sign that I need new shoes? No. There are things in life we can't control. Not everything has some deep and meaningful back ground of why it happened. Some things really are just coincidence.
So what have I learned today? There's always sunshine beyond the rain. I'm a pretty positive person for the most part, but when something like this happens, I tend to just look at the negatives of the situation, and that obviously isn't going to help me. Since there's nothing I can do about this other than let it run it's course, I'm looking at the positives. Now I actually have an excuse to be lazy and sit around watching movies and reading books all day without getting in trouble. Now I won't miss July 4th fireworks! I mean, I can't go anywhere, but watching them from my roof isn't so bad! Now I'll get to watch all the shows I wouldn't normally have time for! And not to mention we are getting Netflix!
Sometimes life is just plain unfair, and most of the time, it's out of our control. So look at the positive sides. You'll often find it's a little easier to deal with. When life gives you lemons, throw the lemon back and say, "no thanks! I've already got something to drink."
June 16, 2011
Lesson #70: "We stay up late and we REMEMBER what we did last night!"
Today was a lot less emotional than yesterday thankfully! It was odd for God day today, and lemme tell you there were some interesting costumes today!
The first class we went to was called Roll your dice, move your mice, and no one gets hurt. If you've seen Veggie Tales you know what that's from! In this class, we talked about traps, the traps in life that Satan sets. He just loooves to set traps that seem impossible to escape from. One we get caught in a trap, we feel pain and we hurt, but after awhile it goes numb and we can't feel it anymore. So we leave it for awhile. But then we realize that we need to get out of there, and we need to escape. So we look to God for guidance, help, and strength, because only He can set us free from our traps!
The second class we went to was called There's An iPad in the Pyramid. This class was about things that don't belong, that shouldn't be there. He showed us movie clips showing examples of just that. Nobody believed the guy who discovered germs. They thought he was crazy! Nobody believed that the earth orbited the sun, they thought the other way around. But all through out the bible, there is proof of every contradiction that people have made about God's existence. God knew what we was talking about! Rob Bell does a video called Everything is Possible. It's a really good video, so if you have an hour or so, go watch it sometime. God made sure every little detail mattered. He knows what He's doing.
The third class we went to was called Kryptonite. When Superman and Batman were working together to destroy all the Kryptonite in the world, Superman actually keeps the last bit of it and gives it to Batman. Why? Because he knew that one day, if he let his powers take over and he lost control and was hurting himself and other people, Batman would be able to stop him. In our Christian walk, what is our Kryptonite? What is our weakness? What is it that can stop us from hurting ourselves and other people? For me, it's the people closest to me, the ones I trust the most. I know my friends, and I know that they will tell me if I'm acting up and if I need to change my life.
Tomorrow is the last day, and it's a bittersweet feeling. I've made a lot of new friends, bonded closer with my current friends, and caught up with old friends from past camps. I'm not ready to leave, but I am ready to be home. I'm super excited already for next year's Encounter! if you've never been, and you're in high school, please consider going next summer. If you want more info, go to www.lcucamps.com. And for real, thanks so much for staying with my blog this week. It's been an awesome ride!
The first class we went to was called Roll your dice, move your mice, and no one gets hurt. If you've seen Veggie Tales you know what that's from! In this class, we talked about traps, the traps in life that Satan sets. He just loooves to set traps that seem impossible to escape from. One we get caught in a trap, we feel pain and we hurt, but after awhile it goes numb and we can't feel it anymore. So we leave it for awhile. But then we realize that we need to get out of there, and we need to escape. So we look to God for guidance, help, and strength, because only He can set us free from our traps!
The second class we went to was called There's An iPad in the Pyramid. This class was about things that don't belong, that shouldn't be there. He showed us movie clips showing examples of just that. Nobody believed the guy who discovered germs. They thought he was crazy! Nobody believed that the earth orbited the sun, they thought the other way around. But all through out the bible, there is proof of every contradiction that people have made about God's existence. God knew what we was talking about! Rob Bell does a video called Everything is Possible. It's a really good video, so if you have an hour or so, go watch it sometime. God made sure every little detail mattered. He knows what He's doing.
The third class we went to was called Kryptonite. When Superman and Batman were working together to destroy all the Kryptonite in the world, Superman actually keeps the last bit of it and gives it to Batman. Why? Because he knew that one day, if he let his powers take over and he lost control and was hurting himself and other people, Batman would be able to stop him. In our Christian walk, what is our Kryptonite? What is our weakness? What is it that can stop us from hurting ourselves and other people? For me, it's the people closest to me, the ones I trust the most. I know my friends, and I know that they will tell me if I'm acting up and if I need to change my life.
Tomorrow is the last day, and it's a bittersweet feeling. I've made a lot of new friends, bonded closer with my current friends, and caught up with old friends from past camps. I'm not ready to leave, but I am ready to be home. I'm super excited already for next year's Encounter! if you've never been, and you're in high school, please consider going next summer. If you want more info, go to www.lcucamps.com. And for real, thanks so much for staying with my blog this week. It's been an awesome ride!
June 15, 2011
Lesson #69: "This is how you float down the river boys.."
And the emotional roller coaster Of Encounter begins. Today was a powerful day. I'm not going to say much about the first two classes, simply because the third class was the one that stuck with me the most, and is still on my mind.
The first class we went to was called Bare Necessities. Basically the point of this class was that we don't need to wear all these different layers, such as pride, envy, jealousy, etc. And we just need to get down to the bare necessities of life: Jesus. He's all we need.
The second class we went to was called Bungalows for Vagabonds. That was also a really good class. Earth is not our permanent home. "This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through" you know, the church song. Heaven is our home, we are just wanderers here on this earth. And we are to help others find their way home.
Okay. The third class we went to was called Relationships. There were giant jenga towers and on each block there was an adjective. There were positive words and there were negative words. We were to try to only take the qualities that we wanted in a relationship, such as loyalty, respect, positiveness, etc. Well we were doing really good, and all the sudden this guy from another group comes and joins us. At first he just watches. Then he starts trying to help, which is totally fine, but he was just ripping the blocks out, like he was TRYING to knock it over. You could tell he was a bit off. We had seen him around camp this whole week, and so we knew he had to be. But we were nice to him and we let him play with us. He eventually ended up knocking our tower down and moving on to the next group. He actually went to every group I'm pretty sure. Soon after each group had played at least once, we started hearing voices from the speakers. They were conversations, and they were about that kid who went around to each group. They were saying stuff like, "Why does that guy have a fanny pack?" or "Why is he annoying us?" And that moment was when it hit me: He was faking it, it was part of the class. His name was Garret. His youth minister asked him if he wanted to help with his class, and he paid for him to come and everything. Garret's job was to be as annoying as possible. He would squirt people with a water gun, interrupt conversations, ruin the jenga game, stuff that would make people so annoyed with him. I remember watching him in one group, and this girl got so mad at him for butting into their jenga game, and she just yelled at him to stop it. After the teacher explained everything, Garret got up and talked to us. He told us that this was probably the hardest thing he's ever done. He said he wanted to quit after the first day. He gets breaks from acting this way when he's with his youth group or in the dorm, but doing this every day for the majority of the day? That takes strength. And bravery. And patience. I can't even imagine doing what he's doing. This class was like a slap in the face to me. We need to watch how we treat people. Because who knows what's going on in their life, and how even a simple word can change someone's day, whether it be for the better or for the worse. That class has been the most impactful to me this week so far. So just remember: Don't treat people rudely just because they're different. Even if they are annoying the heck out of you, what would Jesus do? (Yes, that's cliche, but it's true).
The song I chose for today isn't a song we sang in worship. As I was sitting here thinking about what to write, a song came on Pandora and the light bulb went off. Casting Crowns has a song called "Does Anybody Hear Her?" and I think that song could fit perfectly in with this post. If you haven't heard the song, go listen to it. It's one of my favorites.
The first class we went to was called Bare Necessities. Basically the point of this class was that we don't need to wear all these different layers, such as pride, envy, jealousy, etc. And we just need to get down to the bare necessities of life: Jesus. He's all we need.
The second class we went to was called Bungalows for Vagabonds. That was also a really good class. Earth is not our permanent home. "This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through" you know, the church song. Heaven is our home, we are just wanderers here on this earth. And we are to help others find their way home.
Okay. The third class we went to was called Relationships. There were giant jenga towers and on each block there was an adjective. There were positive words and there were negative words. We were to try to only take the qualities that we wanted in a relationship, such as loyalty, respect, positiveness, etc. Well we were doing really good, and all the sudden this guy from another group comes and joins us. At first he just watches. Then he starts trying to help, which is totally fine, but he was just ripping the blocks out, like he was TRYING to knock it over. You could tell he was a bit off. We had seen him around camp this whole week, and so we knew he had to be. But we were nice to him and we let him play with us. He eventually ended up knocking our tower down and moving on to the next group. He actually went to every group I'm pretty sure. Soon after each group had played at least once, we started hearing voices from the speakers. They were conversations, and they were about that kid who went around to each group. They were saying stuff like, "Why does that guy have a fanny pack?" or "Why is he annoying us?" And that moment was when it hit me: He was faking it, it was part of the class. His name was Garret. His youth minister asked him if he wanted to help with his class, and he paid for him to come and everything. Garret's job was to be as annoying as possible. He would squirt people with a water gun, interrupt conversations, ruin the jenga game, stuff that would make people so annoyed with him. I remember watching him in one group, and this girl got so mad at him for butting into their jenga game, and she just yelled at him to stop it. After the teacher explained everything, Garret got up and talked to us. He told us that this was probably the hardest thing he's ever done. He said he wanted to quit after the first day. He gets breaks from acting this way when he's with his youth group or in the dorm, but doing this every day for the majority of the day? That takes strength. And bravery. And patience. I can't even imagine doing what he's doing. This class was like a slap in the face to me. We need to watch how we treat people. Because who knows what's going on in their life, and how even a simple word can change someone's day, whether it be for the better or for the worse. That class has been the most impactful to me this week so far. So just remember: Don't treat people rudely just because they're different. Even if they are annoying the heck out of you, what would Jesus do? (Yes, that's cliche, but it's true).
The song I chose for today isn't a song we sang in worship. As I was sitting here thinking about what to write, a song came on Pandora and the light bulb went off. Casting Crowns has a song called "Does Anybody Hear Her?" and I think that song could fit perfectly in with this post. If you haven't heard the song, go listen to it. It's one of my favorites.
Lesson #68: "Cassie is awesome, I don't know?"
Okay. Tuesday at Encounter was awesome.
The first class we went to was called Zero. He brought out a pringles can, and it was one of those low-fat, 50% less calories, sour cream and onion, delicious cans. It looked good on the outside with all those "positive features", but when you read the ingredients, is it so good? Is that how we are sometimes? We look so good, so healthy, so positive, so much in love with God, but...are we? We try so hard to look so, but on the inside we are something completely different. He then proceeded to bring out a water bottle. Zero calories, zero grams of fat, zero zero zero. Completely transparent and pure, clean. Isn't that how we SHOULD be? People should be able to look at us and see who we really are on the inside, and the outside. The tough question from that class was this: "Would you be the same if God didn't exist?" The answer for most people is kind of sad, because they'd say no.. I know for me, my life would be dramatically different for the most part, but I know there are parts of my life that wouldn't be different...
The second class we went to was called Beautiful Things. This was Evan's and Marshall's class. There were 3 pots: Brad, Hannah, and Jacob. Brad was a nerdy, quiet kid who didn't talk to many people. Brad was addicted to porn. Hannah was the sweet, well-raised girl who everyone loved. Her parents sang to her and read to her when she was little, and they raised her to be a good person. But yet she felt insecure and broken. Jacob was the perfect kid. He did everything right and he lived the perfect Christian life and everyone looked up to him. But he had leukemia. How could something so tragic happen to him? He's living out the Christian life, yet he has to go through this. After each story, the pot was broken. Smashed into pieces. Even though each person was completely different, they were all the same in one way: they were broken. But God takes us in our broken stages and He makes something beautiful. They represented this by pushing all the broken pots together and formed a cross. Even when you feel absolutely down and broken inside, God will take those pieces and make something beautiful. Like the song says, "God makes beautiful things."
The third class of the day was called Fight of Your Life. Honestly, we only went to that class because it was in the lobby of our dorm and we wanted to be able to go straight to our room to take a nap. But really, that class was awesome. And not because we got to watch guys duke it out in the boxing ring. (That was pretty cool, though). The point of this class was to get back up when you're knocked down. Like in TobyMac's song, he says,
"We lose our way,
We get back up again
It's never too late to get back up again,
One day you will shine again,
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever."
When we get knocked down, we get back up again. We won't be down forever, because God is there to help us up! Walking the Christian walk really is the fight of your life. Satan does everything in his power to mess it up, but we have to fight him. He can't win.
The song I chose for today is "Here In This Place".
"Lay your burdens down,
Every care you carry.
And come to the fountain of God
For there is mercy.
Come just as you are,
We are all unworthy
To enter the presence of God,
For he is holy."
The first class we went to was called Zero. He brought out a pringles can, and it was one of those low-fat, 50% less calories, sour cream and onion, delicious cans. It looked good on the outside with all those "positive features", but when you read the ingredients, is it so good? Is that how we are sometimes? We look so good, so healthy, so positive, so much in love with God, but...are we? We try so hard to look so, but on the inside we are something completely different. He then proceeded to bring out a water bottle. Zero calories, zero grams of fat, zero zero zero. Completely transparent and pure, clean. Isn't that how we SHOULD be? People should be able to look at us and see who we really are on the inside, and the outside. The tough question from that class was this: "Would you be the same if God didn't exist?" The answer for most people is kind of sad, because they'd say no.. I know for me, my life would be dramatically different for the most part, but I know there are parts of my life that wouldn't be different...
The second class we went to was called Beautiful Things. This was Evan's and Marshall's class. There were 3 pots: Brad, Hannah, and Jacob. Brad was a nerdy, quiet kid who didn't talk to many people. Brad was addicted to porn. Hannah was the sweet, well-raised girl who everyone loved. Her parents sang to her and read to her when she was little, and they raised her to be a good person. But yet she felt insecure and broken. Jacob was the perfect kid. He did everything right and he lived the perfect Christian life and everyone looked up to him. But he had leukemia. How could something so tragic happen to him? He's living out the Christian life, yet he has to go through this. After each story, the pot was broken. Smashed into pieces. Even though each person was completely different, they were all the same in one way: they were broken. But God takes us in our broken stages and He makes something beautiful. They represented this by pushing all the broken pots together and formed a cross. Even when you feel absolutely down and broken inside, God will take those pieces and make something beautiful. Like the song says, "God makes beautiful things."
The third class of the day was called Fight of Your Life. Honestly, we only went to that class because it was in the lobby of our dorm and we wanted to be able to go straight to our room to take a nap. But really, that class was awesome. And not because we got to watch guys duke it out in the boxing ring. (That was pretty cool, though). The point of this class was to get back up when you're knocked down. Like in TobyMac's song, he says,
"We lose our way,
We get back up again
It's never too late to get back up again,
One day you will shine again,
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever."
When we get knocked down, we get back up again. We won't be down forever, because God is there to help us up! Walking the Christian walk really is the fight of your life. Satan does everything in his power to mess it up, but we have to fight him. He can't win.
The song I chose for today is "Here In This Place".
"Lay your burdens down,
Every care you carry.
And come to the fountain of God
For there is mercy.
Come just as you are,
We are all unworthy
To enter the presence of God,
For he is holy."
June 13, 2011
Lesson #67: "It's so hot Sam, but I feel so cold..."
Okay, so day one (officially) of Encounter was awesome. No doubt about it. The worship was incredible, the classes were amazing, Brad Eason was the keynote tonight, and Taylor Mason was hilarious as usual!
The first class we went to was called Aliens and Exiles. Judging by the name, I'm sure you can figure out what this class was all about. He talked about how we needed to be aliens in this world, and be in the world but not of it. What is an "alien" really? And no, I'm not talking about the little green guys in outer space. An alien is someone that doesn't belong, it is someone who is out of their comfort zone and out of their normal every day life style. Christ calls us to be aliens in this world. We are called to go out and preach the gospel every moment we can to those who haven't heard. If we aren't uncomfortable, we aren't doing our job right.
The second class we went to was called There's an App for That. The main point of this class was to not take the easy way out. In our world today, almost everyone has an iPhone, iPod, iPad, iEverything. Need to find a restaurant? There's an app for that. Need to know the definition of word? There's an app for that. Need to lose weight? ...There's kind of an app for that. In the class, we were given a tub. The tub had a dictionary, a map, a phonebook, paper, crayons, and then an iPhone or android. Instead of looking up a word in the dictionary or finding the mileage from Lubbock to Abilene using the map, everyone went straight to the phone. Why? Because there's an app for all of those. Unfortunately, though, in life there aren't apps to fix your problems. If there were, I would download every single one of them. With our real life problems, we can't take the easy way out. There isn't an "app" for that. GOD is the only thing we can use to fix our lives. He doesn't always make it easy, but He does listen to us, and we don't have to download Him. He comes with the package.
The third class was called Shame. This class was probably the best out of the three, and my personal favorite so far. We all have shame, because we are human. It's natural to feel embarrassed about something in life. Whether it be what kind of music we secretly like, or what movies we watch, or even playing Just Dance. (That game is intense and can get pretty embarrassing at times). But you know what? WHO CARES?! During the class, each person got a mask to wear. It was dark and there were four different places to go. There was karaoke, Just Dance, Tron (for the girls) and Princess Diaries 2 (for the guys). Oh, and a "Female Flatulence Station" for girls (hahaha). Once every one had their mask on, nobody knew who anybody was. So nobody was ashamed to watch the movie or play the game. But would we have done that if people could see who we were? That was the main point that was made. In life, we don't do certain things because we are ashamed. We don't tell people certain things because we are ashamed. Well, we shouldn't be.
Each day I choose a song from worship that spoke the loudest to me. The song I chose today was In Christ Alone.
"No power of hell
No scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from his hand
Till he returns
Or calls me home
Here in the love of Christ
I stand."
This part of the song is my favorite. Always and forever I will stand in the love of Christ Jesus, and nothing will take me away from that. Ever.
I love the movie Holes, don't you?
The first class we went to was called Aliens and Exiles. Judging by the name, I'm sure you can figure out what this class was all about. He talked about how we needed to be aliens in this world, and be in the world but not of it. What is an "alien" really? And no, I'm not talking about the little green guys in outer space. An alien is someone that doesn't belong, it is someone who is out of their comfort zone and out of their normal every day life style. Christ calls us to be aliens in this world. We are called to go out and preach the gospel every moment we can to those who haven't heard. If we aren't uncomfortable, we aren't doing our job right.
The second class we went to was called There's an App for That. The main point of this class was to not take the easy way out. In our world today, almost everyone has an iPhone, iPod, iPad, iEverything. Need to find a restaurant? There's an app for that. Need to know the definition of word? There's an app for that. Need to lose weight? ...There's kind of an app for that. In the class, we were given a tub. The tub had a dictionary, a map, a phonebook, paper, crayons, and then an iPhone or android. Instead of looking up a word in the dictionary or finding the mileage from Lubbock to Abilene using the map, everyone went straight to the phone. Why? Because there's an app for all of those. Unfortunately, though, in life there aren't apps to fix your problems. If there were, I would download every single one of them. With our real life problems, we can't take the easy way out. There isn't an "app" for that. GOD is the only thing we can use to fix our lives. He doesn't always make it easy, but He does listen to us, and we don't have to download Him. He comes with the package.
The third class was called Shame. This class was probably the best out of the three, and my personal favorite so far. We all have shame, because we are human. It's natural to feel embarrassed about something in life. Whether it be what kind of music we secretly like, or what movies we watch, or even playing Just Dance. (That game is intense and can get pretty embarrassing at times). But you know what? WHO CARES?! During the class, each person got a mask to wear. It was dark and there were four different places to go. There was karaoke, Just Dance, Tron (for the girls) and Princess Diaries 2 (for the guys). Oh, and a "Female Flatulence Station" for girls (hahaha). Once every one had their mask on, nobody knew who anybody was. So nobody was ashamed to watch the movie or play the game. But would we have done that if people could see who we were? That was the main point that was made. In life, we don't do certain things because we are ashamed. We don't tell people certain things because we are ashamed. Well, we shouldn't be.
Each day I choose a song from worship that spoke the loudest to me. The song I chose today was In Christ Alone.
"No power of hell
No scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from his hand
Till he returns
Or calls me home
Here in the love of Christ
I stand."
This part of the song is my favorite. Always and forever I will stand in the love of Christ Jesus, and nothing will take me away from that. Ever.
I love the movie Holes, don't you?
June 12, 2011
Lesson #66: "ENCOUNTERRRRRRR!!!"
So this week, I am at Encounter! (For those of you that don't know, Encounter is a summer camp at Lubbock Christian University, it's like Kadesh at ACU, but better). This week I am going to blog every night and share my thoughts from the day. This week's theme is Apart. I really hope you take something from my blog thoughts this week.
Since today was the first day, we haven't had the full experience of Encounter just yet. But I expect tomorrow will be absolutely indescribable! (As Encounter always is). We sang one song tonight called, "How Can I Keep From Singing?" and it really spoke to me. God is so wonderful to us, and I feel like we don't give Him enough credit for everything He's done for us! We should constantly be praising Him. How can we keep from praising Him? How can we keep from singing His name? He is so absolutely amazing! Coming together with 900 other teens who love Jesus as much as I do is such an uplifting experience! Thank you God for blessing me in this way. :)
Since today was the first day, we haven't had the full experience of Encounter just yet. But I expect tomorrow will be absolutely indescribable! (As Encounter always is). We sang one song tonight called, "How Can I Keep From Singing?" and it really spoke to me. God is so wonderful to us, and I feel like we don't give Him enough credit for everything He's done for us! We should constantly be praising Him. How can we keep from praising Him? How can we keep from singing His name? He is so absolutely amazing! Coming together with 900 other teens who love Jesus as much as I do is such an uplifting experience! Thank you God for blessing me in this way. :)
June 5, 2011
Lesson #65: Little Children Know Best.
Matthew 18:3, "And he said: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven'."
Every Sunday morning during church, I hear at least one child cry. And every time I do, I always think to myself, Goodness gracious, can somebody please shut that child up? (Admit it, we've all thought that at least once). This morning, a mother with her three kids were sitting in the pew in front of me, and I thought "Oh great..." But through out the service, my attitude towards those children changed. They sat there quietly, attempting to sing every song. When one of the men went up to pray, the younger sister would lean over to her older sister and whisper, "You gotta bow your head! And close your eyes!" And all three would sit there and listen to the man praying. Sometimes we just go through the motions of church, we sing, pray, take communion, and listen to the sermon, go to class, alright now who's ready for lunch? But little children... Little children love to sit and listen. They WANT to be there. (For the most part, anyways). Sometimes, actually a lot of the time, I wish I could just go back to being a child...
So I know next time I hear a restless child during church, I just remember that little girl sitting in front of me.
Every Sunday morning during church, I hear at least one child cry. And every time I do, I always think to myself, Goodness gracious, can somebody please shut that child up? (Admit it, we've all thought that at least once). This morning, a mother with her three kids were sitting in the pew in front of me, and I thought "Oh great..." But through out the service, my attitude towards those children changed. They sat there quietly, attempting to sing every song. When one of the men went up to pray, the younger sister would lean over to her older sister and whisper, "You gotta bow your head! And close your eyes!" And all three would sit there and listen to the man praying. Sometimes we just go through the motions of church, we sing, pray, take communion, and listen to the sermon, go to class, alright now who's ready for lunch? But little children... Little children love to sit and listen. They WANT to be there. (For the most part, anyways). Sometimes, actually a lot of the time, I wish I could just go back to being a child...
So I know next time I hear a restless child during church, I just remember that little girl sitting in front of me.
June 1, 2011
Lesson #64: When it's 10047292 Degrees Outside, Wear Sunscreen...
So the other day, I went swimming with some friends. And it was fun, you know, fun summer time activities. Well, the high that day was 109. The actual temperature was 114 (according to my car). Let's just say it's sad when the weather man says, "Looks like it's cooling down to a nice 90 degrees outside." Oh Texas, how I love you. Well, long story short, my friend and I forgot to put on sunscreen before we went. I had a pretty funky tanline. Some of my friends (mostly guys) enjoyed slapping my sunburn. *jerks*
On a more serious note, tonight at church we talked about being made in God's image. Well, if we are what God looks like, then that worries me. I don't think God intended for the world to be this way when he was creating it. Therefore, we seriously need to shape up and not let the devil win. Because that guy is an idiot. We, as Christians, have a purpose on this earth, and that purpose is to spread God's word and deed into this messed up world of ours. We should act as if God is walking with us everywhere we go. I know I'd act a bit differently. We all would! We need to be the image of God that He originally intended for us to be.
On a more serious note, tonight at church we talked about being made in God's image. Well, if we are what God looks like, then that worries me. I don't think God intended for the world to be this way when he was creating it. Therefore, we seriously need to shape up and not let the devil win. Because that guy is an idiot. We, as Christians, have a purpose on this earth, and that purpose is to spread God's word and deed into this messed up world of ours. We should act as if God is walking with us everywhere we go. I know I'd act a bit differently. We all would! We need to be the image of God that He originally intended for us to be.
May 31, 2011
Lesson #63: Always Use An Otter Box!
Wow. So, it's been awhile. And I am terribly sorry! My life (as always) has been extremely hectic, crazy, dramatic, exhausting, exciting, and simple amazing all at once! In the past few weeks, I've learned three very important things.
#1. Life goes on! My junior year could be described as the most difficult year in my 17 year old life. BUT it could also be described as the best. I made so many new and exciting memories with so many different people. The band/choir trip, the musical, movie nights, etc. This year was tough: academically, physically, and emotionally. I still made Top 5 of my class, but not without some hard work. I had some health problems at the beginning of the year, but those are getting better! My knees will never get better (haha). Some of my greatest and closest friends graduated this year... And I will miss each and every one of them! I feel like I became so much closer to certain people this year and then they have to leave! At least the majority of them are going to ACU! ;) But seriously. Even if you think that your life is over because of something that happened, it's not. As cliché as it may sound, everything happens for a reason. Just give it time! Life goes on!
#2. If you want to do something, DO IT. Last year I thought about running for student council president, and when I saw who I would be running against, I backed out. I regret doing so, but hey, I had no chance against those guys! But this year I stuck to it, and what do ya know? Student council president of 2011-2012 :D. I love my school SO much. I feel like I have gone there my whole life, and I've only been there for four years! (Well, three and a half really). My school and my friends and my teachers are the greatest!
And #3. Always use an Otter Box. They make them for a reason. I learned that the hard way. Which is another reason why I haven't blogged in awhile. It was hard to read on that cracked screen!
#1. Life goes on! My junior year could be described as the most difficult year in my 17 year old life. BUT it could also be described as the best. I made so many new and exciting memories with so many different people. The band/choir trip, the musical, movie nights, etc. This year was tough: academically, physically, and emotionally. I still made Top 5 of my class, but not without some hard work. I had some health problems at the beginning of the year, but those are getting better! My knees will never get better (haha). Some of my greatest and closest friends graduated this year... And I will miss each and every one of them! I feel like I became so much closer to certain people this year and then they have to leave! At least the majority of them are going to ACU! ;) But seriously. Even if you think that your life is over because of something that happened, it's not. As cliché as it may sound, everything happens for a reason. Just give it time! Life goes on!
#2. If you want to do something, DO IT. Last year I thought about running for student council president, and when I saw who I would be running against, I backed out. I regret doing so, but hey, I had no chance against those guys! But this year I stuck to it, and what do ya know? Student council president of 2011-2012 :D. I love my school SO much. I feel like I have gone there my whole life, and I've only been there for four years! (Well, three and a half really). My school and my friends and my teachers are the greatest!
And #3. Always use an Otter Box. They make them for a reason. I learned that the hard way. Which is another reason why I haven't blogged in awhile. It was hard to read on that cracked screen!
May 15, 2011
Lesson #62: 2 Weeks! That's All We Have!
With the school year coming to a close, things have been pretty hectic. With Fine Arts Night, One Voice auditions, Sports Banquet, Choir/Band concert, and so much more, my life has been crazy. It's safe to say I'm ready for school to be out. But life is good, and I couldn't be happier. God is amazing. :)
May 1, 2011
April 28, 2011
Lesson #60: Are horoscopes actually accurate?
Tomorrow's Friday, but no, I'm not "gonna get down" and go "partyin partyin". I think the lesson to be learned today is this: RELAX SOMETIMES. You don't need to constantly be doing something. Sometimes it's okay to just sit down and do absolutely nothing. Of course with the end of the school year coming up, that's hard to do. I'll make time.
Oh, are horoscopes accurate? Because mine for the past month have been dead on... Hmm...
Oh, are horoscopes accurate? Because mine for the past month have been dead on... Hmm...
April 27, 2011
Lesson #59: God doesn't make mistakes.
God definitely has a sense of humor. I mean, look at animals for example. The ostrich, the giraffe, the baboon, the bulldog, the platypus. All of these animals have an interesting and quite unique quality about them. Interesting, and also rather humorous. Humorous, and also quite unique. Even though God did make these animals amusing to look at, God looked at and concentrated on every little itty bitty detail when he created the universe. And thank goodness he did! How boring would life be if he hadn't? Even though there's something about ourselves that we all wish we could change, God doesn't make mistakes. We were born this way! (Yes, this blog post is based off of last night's episode of Glee). Even though humans may share similar qualities such as hair color, eye shape, body type, or skin color, we are all completely different. NOBODY is perfect. We may see somebody and think, "Oh, if only I was that skinny, that tan, that hair color, maybe people would like me." But honestly, we shouldn't need to think that. I am guilty of this, but I really am trying to stop. God made us how we are for a reason. So we should stop hating ourselves and just live life without the worry of looking like a barbie doll every time we leave the house. Be comfortable in who you are! If you're worried about finding someone who will love you, stop worrying about looks. True love looks at the inside. Sure, looks can be a perk, but it shouldn't matter what you look like. If we were all created blind, we would never know what looks really are. It wouldn't matter. So love yourself and who you are! Because God doesn't make mistakes.
April 26, 2011
Lesson #58: Across the country, down the street, what's the difference? You're still leaving me!
So today was the first day in a long time when I didn't HAVE to be somewhere. No sports practice, musical rehearsal, work, absolutely nothing! And boy did it feel good to relax. Days like this remind me that taking a break from things can be good. It may not always feel right at the moment, but I always look back and think, "Huh... That was a good decision." Too much of something can wear you out, making you beyond the point of exhaustion. That's where I've been the past month or so. But lately (being this past week) I've felt more relaxed and less stressed. It's given me a chance to think about some important things that could, and probably will, affect my future. It's always good to have those days off. Let your mind rest!
Oh, and I'm going to miss my senior friends. A lot. Some are going as far as Arkansas. Some just to Lubbock. Some to Waco. Most are just going down the street. But it won't be the same at school everyday. Especially lunch. (I'm going to miss you the most Mallory!) I don't like the thought of growing up. Not just yet.
Oh, and I'm going to miss my senior friends. A lot. Some are going as far as Arkansas. Some just to Lubbock. Some to Waco. Most are just going down the street. But it won't be the same at school everyday. Especially lunch. (I'm going to miss you the most Mallory!) I don't like the thought of growing up. Not just yet.
April 24, 2011
Lesson#57: "If you want the rainbow, you gotta deal with the rain."
This weekend couldn't have been more perfect. Friday night, our musical SOLD OUT! It went great! Saturday's performance was great, too! Even though I had to miss HEB Camp for the first time in almost ten years, it was worth it! I have the best friends ever! I couldn't have asked for a better cast, crew, and directors! What a great experience for my first show!
You know the saying, "Be careful what you wish for."? Well, I think everyone in Abilene can apply that saying to their life right now. Our forecast this past week was full of rain and thunderstorms. Did we get any? No. All week I had been wishing that we would get some rain. Well, today, we got our wish. For about 3 hours straight, it rained, thundered, and hailed. The hail got up to be a little bit bigger than golf ball size, and it flooded up to my knees. Our street was completely covered in water! We were also under a tornado warning for a little while. I'm not saying I didn't appreciate the rain, because we definitely needed it with all the fires we've had. But I will admit, the tornado thing had me scared for awhile!
So what is there to be learned from today? Well, two things.
1. Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. And more.
2. If you want the rainbow, you gotta deal with the rain.
You know the saying, "Be careful what you wish for."? Well, I think everyone in Abilene can apply that saying to their life right now. Our forecast this past week was full of rain and thunderstorms. Did we get any? No. All week I had been wishing that we would get some rain. Well, today, we got our wish. For about 3 hours straight, it rained, thundered, and hailed. The hail got up to be a little bit bigger than golf ball size, and it flooded up to my knees. Our street was completely covered in water! We were also under a tornado warning for a little while. I'm not saying I didn't appreciate the rain, because we definitely needed it with all the fires we've had. But I will admit, the tornado thing had me scared for awhile!
So what is there to be learned from today? Well, two things.
1. Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. And more.
2. If you want the rainbow, you gotta deal with the rain.
April 21, 2011
Lesson #56: "Oh be quiet you crazy tuffit fiend!"
Time. It's something that everyone wishes they could change in some way. Some people wish they could go back in time, to change something in their past that will change their future. Some people wish they could go to the future, to see what they have to live for. Some people wish time would move slower, so you have more time in a day and more time to simply have fun and live! Some people wish time would move faster, so they can hurry through parts of their life that they don't enjoy. Some people, like myself, wish that they could freeze time. And just sit, sleep, think. Unfortunately, none of these dreams have yet to become a reality. And who knows if they ever will! But there is one thing that we DO know: There will be a day when time doesn't exist. When we won't want to change anything about our lives, because our lives will be perfect, and we will be with Jesus. But until then, let's spend every moment we have living life to its fullest. Praising God and thanking Him for everything He blessed us with for our time on this earth. Let's spread our joy and laughter to everyone we meet, because we never know who might be going through some kind of battle in his or her life. But a smile or a hug is something that can make anyone's day. Let's do it. :)
Don't forget about our musical this weekend! Spread the word!
Don't forget about our musical this weekend! Spread the word!
April 20, 2011
Lesson #55: "Big Bad! Diabolical, yes! Big bad!"
I realize my blog posts are becoming scarce... Life has been scary busy. Musical rehearsals every night, band and choir trip this past weekend, school, homework, life in general! The musical is actually this weekend, and every single one of you should go! Friday at 7 and Saturday at 2 in Van Ellis theater at Hardin Simmons University. It's going to be a great show!
Ephesians 5:2 says, "Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ Jesus." There are many verses like this. The Bible can get somewhat repetitive. But maybe the reason they say these things over and over is because, oh I don't know, it's important? Jesus loved EVERYBODY, even the worst of the worse. So shouldn't we? If we live a life filled with hate and remorse and just all around negativity, where are we going to go in life? Nowhere! I know I've said this many times before, and I'm not saying God will smite you for making a negative comment every now and then, but we should always look on the bright side of life! You know, look at the glass half full. Trust me, you'll find yourself happier more often! A smile will not only brighten your day, but someone else's as well. You never know who will see it and smile, too.
So come to the musical this weekend, and believe me, you'll smile a lot!
Ephesians 5:2 says, "Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ Jesus." There are many verses like this. The Bible can get somewhat repetitive. But maybe the reason they say these things over and over is because, oh I don't know, it's important? Jesus loved EVERYBODY, even the worst of the worse. So shouldn't we? If we live a life filled with hate and remorse and just all around negativity, where are we going to go in life? Nowhere! I know I've said this many times before, and I'm not saying God will smite you for making a negative comment every now and then, but we should always look on the bright side of life! You know, look at the glass half full. Trust me, you'll find yourself happier more often! A smile will not only brighten your day, but someone else's as well. You never know who will see it and smile, too.
So come to the musical this weekend, and believe me, you'll smile a lot!
April 14, 2011
Lesson #54: Where did my junior year go?
Hello. I realize it has been awhile since I have posted a blog. Life has been, well, indescribable. So many things have happened all at once. Lit meet is over! (thankfully). Kyle and I did not place. However, Mr. Strange (and everyone else) agrees in the fact that we should have placed. But that's okay, there's always next year! The fifth six weeks is over, and I managed to finish with 2 Bs and the rest As. I even got 102.6 in Spanish. Thank goodness for those ten extra points! Musical rehearsals are getting better and better each time! Tonight was the first night we went off-book, and I thought everybody did pretty well. Our show opens a week from tomorrow! (April 22-23 at Van Ellis at HSU! Check the facebook event for more details!) We leave tomorrow for my school's band and choir trip in Dallas. It's going to be a blast!
I just can't believe how fast this year has gone by. I'm definitely ready to be a senior, but I'm not ready to grow up. My friends are the greatest. And if there's one thing I've learned in the past two weeks, it has to be that life happens. But no matter what happens, there's always SOMEBODY there you can lean on. But most importantly should we lean on God. I helped with the middle school retreat this past weekend, but I didn't feel like I was there to help. I felt like I was there because I needed to be there and to think about my past, present, and future. It's all in God's hands. And all I need to do is stop trying to fix everything myself.
I just can't believe how fast this year has gone by. I'm definitely ready to be a senior, but I'm not ready to grow up. My friends are the greatest. And if there's one thing I've learned in the past two weeks, it has to be that life happens. But no matter what happens, there's always SOMEBODY there you can lean on. But most importantly should we lean on God. I helped with the middle school retreat this past weekend, but I didn't feel like I was there to help. I felt like I was there because I needed to be there and to think about my past, present, and future. It's all in God's hands. And all I need to do is stop trying to fix everything myself.
April 3, 2011
Lesson #53: Life happens.
Things have been crazy lately. Musical rehearsals have started, more homework with the end of the six weeks coming up, lit meet this Friday, and of course I have to sleep somewhere in there. Life happens, and it happens way too fast for my liking. I just want to be in first grade again.
March 28, 2011
Lesson #52: Texas weather hates me.
I get the Air1 verse of the day emailed to me, and the one from Saturday was Psalm 97:11, "Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right." This week, instead of being negative towards others and selfish, let's focus on where our hearts are. On ourselves? No no no. They should be focused on God and on others. Let's let our lights shine! Then, we will have true joy.
Texas weather is too spastic and bipolar!
Texas weather is too spastic and bipolar!
March 26, 2011
Lesson #51: Light, light, light up the sky...
I know it's been awhile, I apologize. This past week has been crazy for me. I am absolutely exhausted. Here's my thoughts for today. I was listening to Pandora and the song "Light Up the Sky" by the Afters came on. I've heard this song a million times. But today it just kind of spoke to me.
When stars are hiding in the clouds
I don’t feel them shining
When I can’t see beyond my doubt
The silver lining
When I’ve almost reached the end
Like a flood You’re rushing in
Love is rushing in
Light, light, light up the sky
Light up the sky to show me You are with me
I, I, I can’t deny
Oh I can’t deny that You are right here with me
You’ve opened my eyes so I can see You all around me
When I'm having a bad day, and I just want to curl up in a ball and give up, God reaches out to me and holds me in His arms. Just like in the song, He lights up the sky to show me that He IS there. That I don't need to give up. I love this song so much. I hear it almost everytime I turn Air1 on in my car, but I've never actually thought about the words. God has a way of telling us something that He wants us to know.
When stars are hiding in the clouds
I don’t feel them shining
When I can’t see beyond my doubt
The silver lining
When I’ve almost reached the end
Like a flood You’re rushing in
Love is rushing in
Light, light, light up the sky
Light up the sky to show me You are with me
I, I, I can’t deny
Oh I can’t deny that You are right here with me
You’ve opened my eyes so I can see You all around me
When I'm having a bad day, and I just want to curl up in a ball and give up, God reaches out to me and holds me in His arms. Just like in the song, He lights up the sky to show me that He IS there. That I don't need to give up. I love this song so much. I hear it almost everytime I turn Air1 on in my car, but I've never actually thought about the words. God has a way of telling us something that He wants us to know.
March 19, 2011
Lesson #50: Never forget.
I literally haven't stopped thinking about those Como kids. I didn't realize how much of an impact they made on not only myself, but everyone who went on the trip. God has a way of showing us what He wants for our lives. And this week, I learned that I need to be less selfish, that I need to stop thinking so much about myself and think about others. I was definitely humbled this week.
Never forget to live in the now. And never forget those moments that can change your life forever. God is amazing, and He has a plan for you. It's the little things that count the most.
Never forget to live in the now. And never forget those moments that can change your life forever. God is amazing, and He has a plan for you. It's the little things that count the most.
March 18, 2011
Lesson #49: "You Como now!"
Day five. Last day. My emotions didn't hit me until just now. We left Como about 20 minutes ago, and I can't stop thinking about those kids. Physically, I am exhausted. It's a good exhausted though. I am tired and sore and worn out, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Emotionally, I'm happy, sad, depressed, pumped, and content all at once. I'm homesick, I miss my family. But if I could do something like this every week, I would. These kids amaze me. I'm so sad because I don't want to leave these kids. Spiritually, I feel filled. My cup is just overflowing. The past few weeks, I've felt lower than empty. I've been running on E for a long time, I felt like I was going to run out of gas soon. Coming to Como and working with these kids just filled me up completely. I don't normally cry at these kinds of things, but I can't help crying, I haven't stopped thinking about these kids since we left. The way their faces lit up when we arrived everyday made me smile from ear to ear. Today we went to iT'S, which is like a Mr. Gatti's but 173 times cooler and bigger. (It was a little easier to keep an eye on them in the small confined space, unlike the museum.)
One kid who is really just on my heart is Malik. He wasn't there today, which resulted in me being even more depressed when I didn't get to say goodbye to him this afternoon. I didn't really get to know him until yesterday when he was in my group at the museum. I only really knew him for one day, yet he is the one who impacted me the most. When we got back to the CCC, we made capes, since we were "superheroes foe God" this week. He ran up to me holding his cape and said "Look Jenae! Look!" the cape said, "Malik and Jenae." And that's all. I only knew this kid for a day. I didn't realize that just talking to him and being with him would make such an impact... He was going around showing everyone his cape, and his little face just had the biggest smile on it. So while I was making mine, he says, "Jenae, can I write something on your cape?" I said sure, so he grabbed a marker and wrote, "I luve Jenae. -Malik."
I will never forget these kids. I will make it a priority to come back here and Spend a day or two with these kids. They remember our group from last summer, so it comforts me to know that they won't forget us. I have so many stories, but I'm sure you all will hear them eventually.
Thank you guys for following my blog this week. It was an amazing week that I will never forget.
One kid who is really just on my heart is Malik. He wasn't there today, which resulted in me being even more depressed when I didn't get to say goodbye to him this afternoon. I didn't really get to know him until yesterday when he was in my group at the museum. I only really knew him for one day, yet he is the one who impacted me the most. When we got back to the CCC, we made capes, since we were "superheroes foe God" this week. He ran up to me holding his cape and said "Look Jenae! Look!" the cape said, "Malik and Jenae." And that's all. I only knew this kid for a day. I didn't realize that just talking to him and being with him would make such an impact... He was going around showing everyone his cape, and his little face just had the biggest smile on it. So while I was making mine, he says, "Jenae, can I write something on your cape?" I said sure, so he grabbed a marker and wrote, "I luve Jenae. -Malik."
I will never forget these kids. I will make it a priority to come back here and Spend a day or two with these kids. They remember our group from last summer, so it comforts me to know that they won't forget us. I have so many stories, but I'm sure you all will hear them eventually.
Thank you guys for following my blog this week. It was an amazing week that I will never forget.
March 17, 2011
Lesson #48: And alllllll that jazz.
Day four. Was. Awesome. We met the kids at the Fort Worth Science and History Museum at ten. We split up into groups, and Jaci and I had a group of 12 kids (Bad idea!!) while everyone else had about 2-5 kids. Talk about stressful! We eventually split into smaller groups, so I had 4 kids. But it was so much fun, I loved watching how excited and entertained they were by the smallest things! For those of you that know me, you know I love space and that kind of scientific thing, so it was really cool for me too! There were times when I couldn't actually enjoy the museum because I had to keep an eye on my group, but when we got to the space area, I was so excited. Sadly, though, we didn't have tickets for the show. But it's okay, I love just looking at pictures. I know, nerd. But it was a lot of fun! I'm pretty sure when we got back to hotel I CRASHED. This week has been so exhausting! But so amazing! I'm homesick, but I never want to leave these kids.
One kid in particular I really attached to today. His name is Malik. He was a handful, but he is absolutely adorable! He told me something today that just broke my heart. We were sitting outside the museum and leans over and says, "Jenae guess what. My grandmother died a year ago. She was killed. Somebody set her room on fire. I was walkin' into the house and I smelled smoke so I went into her room and called 811. (I'm guessing he meant 911.)" I couldn't believe how casually he told me this. He got a little teary-eyed, but he was so casual about it. I just wanted to cry, and sit there and hug him. I just can't believe that could happen. And it just breaks my heart more that he had to watch it and be the one who called 911. He's only 7 years old. When I was 7, I was worried about who was stealing my crayons. He has to worry about his family members surviving. It just breaks my heart. As we were leaving today, he told me that he wouldn't be there tomorrow because he has to go see his brother. That made me so sad because I probably won't ever get to see him again, unless we come back to Como. (which I really hope we do!) Malik is one of the sweetest kids I've met this whole trip. And I hate to leave him.
Tomorrow is our last day. I really cannot believe how quickly this week has gone by. I never want to leave these kids. They have made a huge impact on me. I know the reason we came here was to make an impact on them, but I think they've made a bigger impact on me. God has a way of helping us grow, and He knows what He's doing.
Right now we are sitting at Danny D's Barbecue singing karaoke. Sam, Jaci, Cassie and I sang some T-Swizzle and Evan is singing some Journey. We're bringing the house down!
One kid in particular I really attached to today. His name is Malik. He was a handful, but he is absolutely adorable! He told me something today that just broke my heart. We were sitting outside the museum and leans over and says, "Jenae guess what. My grandmother died a year ago. She was killed. Somebody set her room on fire. I was walkin' into the house and I smelled smoke so I went into her room and called 811. (I'm guessing he meant 911.)" I couldn't believe how casually he told me this. He got a little teary-eyed, but he was so casual about it. I just wanted to cry, and sit there and hug him. I just can't believe that could happen. And it just breaks my heart more that he had to watch it and be the one who called 911. He's only 7 years old. When I was 7, I was worried about who was stealing my crayons. He has to worry about his family members surviving. It just breaks my heart. As we were leaving today, he told me that he wouldn't be there tomorrow because he has to go see his brother. That made me so sad because I probably won't ever get to see him again, unless we come back to Como. (which I really hope we do!) Malik is one of the sweetest kids I've met this whole trip. And I hate to leave him.
Tomorrow is our last day. I really cannot believe how quickly this week has gone by. I never want to leave these kids. They have made a huge impact on me. I know the reason we came here was to make an impact on them, but I think they've made a bigger impact on me. God has a way of helping us grow, and He knows what He's doing.
Right now we are sitting at Danny D's Barbecue singing karaoke. Sam, Jaci, Cassie and I sang some T-Swizzle and Evan is singing some Journey. We're bringing the house down!
March 16, 2011
Lesson #47: "You see these bags under my eyes?!!"
Day three of our mission trip was interesting to say the least. Our original plan was to finish VBS today. Buuuuuut the power went out and so we had to improvise. They took the kids outside while I and a few other people sat in the craft room cutting out the paper Goliaths (in the dark!) It was so much fun! The power outage lasted about an hour or so, and then we just played games until it was time to leave. My favorite memory today with the kids was the looks on the kids' faces when we were leaving and when we told them we were coming back. All I heard was, "You guys are coming back right?!" and "I can't wait to see you guys tomorrow!!" and just things like that. It made me smile to see how excited they were to know that we were coming back. These kids have been so amazing, and I really don't want Friday to be here.
After working with the kids, we went and relaxed at the hotel until we went to speedzone. That was a fun time. This was probably one of the best days I've had so far! And now Cassie, Jaci and I are going to make funny videos. These poor other hotel guests.
After working with the kids, we went and relaxed at the hotel until we went to speedzone. That was a fun time. This was probably one of the best days I've had so far! And now Cassie, Jaci and I are going to make funny videos. These poor other hotel guests.
March 15, 2011
Lesson#46: "GET TANGLED UP IN JESUS!"
Day two of our time here with the Como kids was awesome. We started with some silly songs and then the Grouchy Rooster (Kyle) came and interrupted Matt! So Captain VBS (Trey) came and saved the day! My attempt to start the Captain VBS chant failed, but the kids made up their own, and Captain VBS still came! After the skit, we split into our different stations: crafts, silly songs, games, and skits. Ben, Rachel, Matt and I led silly songs. We found out that the older kids really aren't in to the whole 'silly song' thing. The younger kids got really into it, and it was so much fun! There was one girl in the older group, however, who finally got into it. We were singing "I'm All Wrapped Up" and there was one corner of girls who were just not doing it. So this girl goes up to the corner and says "Guys! Do it! Get tangled up in JESUS! Come on!" That was just cool to watch, because she was one of the people who, at the beginning of the time together, didn't want to do anything. So after our first session of VBS, we went rollerskating with them. That was a crazy time, let me tell you! Our group wasn't the only one there, so it was confusing at times! But still fun all the same. 2 little kids came and sat with me for a minute and wanted to take pictures on my camera. It was fun to watch how excited and happy they got when they took one picture. (If I could upload pictures from my phone to my blog I would, but they'll be on Facebook Friday!)
Today was so impacting. These kids just keep amazing me every second I am with them. Most of them are some of the most polite kids I've ever met. These kids are awesome. I don't want Friday to come. Keep praying for our trip. Thanks for reading about and following our trip so far!
Today was so impacting. These kids just keep amazing me every second I am with them. Most of them are some of the most polite kids I've ever met. These kids are awesome. I don't want Friday to come. Keep praying for our trip. Thanks for reading about and following our trip so far!
March 14, 2011
Lesson #45: "Didn't you know Lincoln freed the slaves?!"
Today was the first day of our mission trip to Fort Worth. We're working with the Como Community Center here. We left this morning at 6:15, not-so-bright and early. Luckily our drive wasn't as long as our past trips (14, 16, 17 hour drives). We arrived at the community center and waited for the kids to arrive. We were exhausted, but extremely excited! We sang silly songs with them, and after about 5 songs we had to get out of our cool shells. (There were some kids who were not participating). We sang more songs, played different games, and just spent time with the kids. Today's project was working in the community garden. It was really interesting at times. But this was the perfect opportunity to get to know the kids early in the week. I met a girl who wants to be a singer, she's going to a performing arts school next year. I also met a little girl named Ananiah. She's so sweet and fun! After lunch we went and played more games with the kids until 3 whenever their parents came and got them.
Today was exhausting, but absolutely amazing! These kids are going to change my life this week. I am pumped.
Today was exhausting, but absolutely amazing! These kids are going to change my life this week. I am pumped.
March 13, 2011
Lesson #44: God is amazing!
This week we are going to the Fort Worth area for our Jr/Sr mission trip. I'm so looking forward to this opportunity! I'm excited to see what God has in store for us this week. Stay tuned for my daily posts this week!
March 10, 2011
Lesson #43: Little kids have way too much energy.
Today my Bible class went to go play with the kids on the playground. There's one little girl who has decided she wants to be my best friend. She probably has the most energy I have ever seen. I really miss having that much energy. Life was so simple in elementary, when all you had to argue over was who got the markers and who got the broken crayons.
I'm so ready for spring break.
I'm so ready for spring break.
March 9, 2011
Lesson #42: "You're not stupid, you're just wimpy."
I hate school sometimes. And lately, it's been all the time. In history, we've been studying the Holocaust. And on our essay portion of the test, one of the essays was to explain and apply this quote to our lives: "The only thing it takes for an evil man to succeed is for a good man to do nothing." This quote hit me. I've never thought so hard on an essay question before. How true is that statement? Its true enough to let Hitler kill millions of innocent people! It's true enough to allow bullies in schools! We, as Christians, need to stand up for everyone in need. If we stand by and do nothing, Satan will just get stronger and stronger. We absolutely can't let that happen. We are the good people, and we cannot let Satan win.
(To explain the title, my English teacher says the funniest things sometimes. Everyone was complaining today about a question on the quiz and someone mentioned how they were stupid, and she replied with, "You aren't stupid, you're just wimpy." I love her.)
(To explain the title, my English teacher says the funniest things sometimes. Everyone was complaining today about a question on the quiz and someone mentioned how they were stupid, and she replied with, "You aren't stupid, you're just wimpy." I love her.)
March 6, 2011
Lesson #41: Study hall actually can help you.
I had zero homework this weekend. It was probably the best feeling in the world! This weekend was all about fun and relaxation. It was good to spend time with some of my favorite people in my life! I absolutely love weekends like this. Sadly, I don't get them very often.
Philippians 2:14, "Do everything without complaining or arguing." This is one of my favorite verses, but it's hard to follow sometimes. Being the week before Spring Break, all the teachers decide to pack as much as they can in this one week. (Which is not fair, because we DO have lives! Whether they think we do or not. Haha) It really is hard not to complain sometimes. I know, trust me. But honestly, there's a point when you really just need to stop. Because nobody likes hearing somebody complain about every little thing. It gets old. So let's be positive! No matter what our circumstance!
Use your study hall time. I think I'll start using mine a little more wisely from now on.
Philippians 2:14, "Do everything without complaining or arguing." This is one of my favorite verses, but it's hard to follow sometimes. Being the week before Spring Break, all the teachers decide to pack as much as they can in this one week. (Which is not fair, because we DO have lives! Whether they think we do or not. Haha) It really is hard not to complain sometimes. I know, trust me. But honestly, there's a point when you really just need to stop. Because nobody likes hearing somebody complain about every little thing. It gets old. So let's be positive! No matter what our circumstance!
Use your study hall time. I think I'll start using mine a little more wisely from now on.
March 3, 2011
Lesson #40: It's beyond my control.
Do you ever feel like you have absolutely NO idea what you're here for? Why you were created? What your purpose is? Well, me too. I feel that way a lot, actually. But we all have a purpose, and that purpose is what? Well, it's different for everyone.
When I feel like I have no purpose, one verse always comes to mind. Jeremiah 29:11. It's a pretty well-known verse. "'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 a hope and a future.'" Doesn't that just give you some sort of sense of security? To know that God knows every plan he has for you? And for your future? God isn't just making this up as He goes. He's known forever what it is. So just trust him.
It's beyond our control.
When I feel like I have no purpose, one verse always comes to mind. Jeremiah 29:11. It's a pretty well-known verse. "'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 a hope and a future.'" Doesn't that just give you some sort of sense of security? To know that God knows every plan he has for you? And for your future? God isn't just making this up as He goes. He's known forever what it is. So just trust him.
It's beyond our control.
March 2, 2011
Lesson #39: "True to ya heart, you must be true to ya heart..."
Be true to your heart, and yourself. Not everyone or everything around you. Don't try to just do things because it will please everyone else. Don't lie about things to make yourself seem better. It isn't worth it! If people can't accept you for who you are, then they DO NOT MATTER. "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." --Dr. Suess. So be who YOU are. Not who other people expect you to be. Live YOUR life.
February 28, 2011
Lesson #38: "When life hands you lemons, make... Grape juice?"
Everyone knows the saying "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade!" Well, lately I've been making a lot of lemonade. Or, trying to. But life keeps throwing too many lemons at once! So I was thinking, maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. Maybe the lemonade I'm making isn't the right kind. Maybe I should take these lemons that life keeps throwing at me and making something completely different: Grape juice. (No one will ever see that coming!) When I think lemons, I think sour. Sure, you can add sugar to it to make it sweet, but you will eventually run out of sugar to do so. I don't know how many of you have tasted freshly made grape juice, but it is out of this world. Just requires a little time and work. Same with our lives! You can keep putting sugar on those lemons, but eventually you'll run out and then what? OR you could make grape juice. It's not always fun, or quick, but in the end, it's worth it. It's not fake, and it doesn't require anything but yourself.
Does 2+2=5? No, but you can most certainly make grape juice from lemons.
Does 2+2=5? No, but you can most certainly make grape juice from lemons.
February 24, 2011
Lesson #37: "Why not?"
"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." ~Milton Berle. We can't just wait for something to come along in life. Because nothing will come to those who don't make an effort. So build a door, and odds are, opportunity might come knocking. Could be a small opportunity, but many small ones can get us somewhere quicker than waiting for one big one to come along!
Oh yeah, and when you ask why I'm going to tour ACU if I already "know the campus", well, why not? Free food, a day of fun, learn more about college, and skipping school? I think that answers itself.
Oh yeah, and when you ask why I'm going to tour ACU if I already "know the campus", well, why not? Free food, a day of fun, learn more about college, and skipping school? I think that answers itself.
February 21, 2011
Lesson #36: Life is tough, wear a helmet.
Psalm 34:18, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Amen.
Amen.
February 20, 2011
Lesson #35: Friends are the best medicine.
When times get tough, surround yourself with good friends. They always make things easier for you! So to all my best friends, I LOVE YOU.
February 18, 2011
Lesson #34: "You remember that one old computer game? With the mouse?"
Today was ahhhhhh-mazing. The weather was beautiful, it was a Friday, and I got to spend time with my wonderful friends! The last three periods today were all free days. In physics, Reilly, Beth, Kyle and I went and laid in the grass in the courtyard. In study hall, Daniel and I rediscovered an old computer game! (I'll get back to that). In Theatre, well, today was supposed to be a half day so he didn't have anything planned. Our class just went back outside and chilled. Anyway, back to the old computer game. On our old computer, when we still had windows '95, there was a game called 'Rodents Revenge'. Anyone else remember this game? I used to play it ALL the time! I'm not the best at it, but I still love playing it. (I found a link to the game if you'd like to play it, also!) It just brings back memories from my childhood, when we still had dial-up Internet and I wasn't allowed to be online 24/7. (Oh the good ole days..)
Today was awesome.
Today was awesome.
February 17, 2011
Lesson #33: Don't judge a book by its cover.
I'm pretty good at hiding my emotions when I want to. But there's those days where I just can't hold them in any longer. I hate it when I'm like that, because I don't like attention. So I normally try to hide the fact that I'm upset or angry. But there are those times where its easy to tell how I'm feeling.
I'm sure a lot of people try to hide their emotions as well. Everyone is going through some kind of battle. Just because they look happy and care-free on the outside, doesn't mean they feel that way on the inside. Just remember that even the super happy positive people like I try to be go through sad times. And remember that they need care and love just as much as those who show their emotions. I honestly don't like attention, but I don't particularly like being ignored just because people think I have everything right and I'm perfecty fine. Everyone needs the same amount of love. No matter what they're going through on the outside, there's always something different going on on the inside!
So don't assume that just because the outside of this book looks good that the inside is good, too. Take the time to find out!
I'm sure a lot of people try to hide their emotions as well. Everyone is going through some kind of battle. Just because they look happy and care-free on the outside, doesn't mean they feel that way on the inside. Just remember that even the super happy positive people like I try to be go through sad times. And remember that they need care and love just as much as those who show their emotions. I honestly don't like attention, but I don't particularly like being ignored just because people think I have everything right and I'm perfecty fine. Everyone needs the same amount of love. No matter what they're going through on the outside, there's always something different going on on the inside!
So don't assume that just because the outside of this book looks good that the inside is good, too. Take the time to find out!
February 16, 2011
Lesson #32: Only God can make this flower grow.
I love flowers. They're just so happy and beautiful, and by far one of my favorite of God's many creations. My favorite flowers are daisies. They just seem so happy. Even the name is happy. I don't know about you, but when I hear daisy, I think of smiles! If I was a flower, I'd be a white daisy.
1 Corinthians 3:7, "So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." There's the planter, and there's the seed. There's the sun, and there's the water. All of these things can help produce a flower. But God is the only thing that actually makes it grow. Everything ties back to God. In life, we are the seeds. As we grow, we go through cycles of dry heat, bitter cold, and lush sunlight. In the bad times is when we need to look to God for our water and sun. Without it, we would just be a dead plant sitting in the dirt. How does that sound?
Sure, we have the "planters" who help us grow in our spiritual life. We call them preachers, ministers, mentors, elders, etc. But who put them in our life? God. We have the "water" in our life, we call them friends. Who put them there? God. We also have the "sun" in our life. We call him Jesus. (No pun intended.) And who put Him there? God. Everything in our spiritual life ties back to God. So let's remember that He, and He alone, is the rock. I'm not perfect, I struggle with this concept a lot.
Only God can make this flower grow.
1 Corinthians 3:7, "So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." There's the planter, and there's the seed. There's the sun, and there's the water. All of these things can help produce a flower. But God is the only thing that actually makes it grow. Everything ties back to God. In life, we are the seeds. As we grow, we go through cycles of dry heat, bitter cold, and lush sunlight. In the bad times is when we need to look to God for our water and sun. Without it, we would just be a dead plant sitting in the dirt. How does that sound?
Sure, we have the "planters" who help us grow in our spiritual life. We call them preachers, ministers, mentors, elders, etc. But who put them in our life? God. We have the "water" in our life, we call them friends. Who put them there? God. We also have the "sun" in our life. We call him Jesus. (No pun intended.) And who put Him there? God. Everything in our spiritual life ties back to God. So let's remember that He, and He alone, is the rock. I'm not perfect, I struggle with this concept a lot.
Only God can make this flower grow.
February 15, 2011
Lesson #31: Only Justin Bieber can sing 'Baby'.
Today was great. It felt so stress free. Mainly because I missed half the day, but still, I'll take days like this any day! I think I seem to take days like this for granted. Despite not feeling well, today was wonderful. This week has just been wonderful so far! I have the best friends I could ever ask for, and I am so blessed.
Oh, and I love Sam on Glee, but only Justin can sing 'Baby'. Sam comes close, though, I have to admit! 'Somebody to Love' was also a good choice, but JB is one of those artists you can't redo their songs. Along with Journey.
Oh, and I love Sam on Glee, but only Justin can sing 'Baby'. Sam comes close, though, I have to admit! 'Somebody to Love' was also a good choice, but JB is one of those artists you can't redo their songs. Along with Journey.
February 14, 2011
Lesson #30: Life is what you make it.
After writing the title, I immediately thought of a song. Yes, it's by Hannah Montana. No, it's not what inspired this blog tonight. (Although the song could be nicely applied here!) Today was Valentine's Day! And today was probably one of the best days I've had in awhile! Not necessarily because it's Valentine's Day, but because I decided to make it a good day. This morning on my way to school, I was rushed and trying to hit every green light and take shortcuts. Well, I got behind a really slow person who just would not get out of my way! I got so mad and frantic because I was afraid I would be tardy. (I wasn't, thankfully!) As I finally got past the slow car, I thought about how stupid would it be if I let that ruin my day? Pretty stupid. So I said to myself,"I am going to make this a good day." I actually did say it out loud to myself. And it stuck with me the rest of the day. I knew there would be some negativity today, as part of Valentine's Day every year, but I just stayed as optimistic as I possibly could, and you know what? I had a great day! I have great friends, a great boyfriend, an amazing family, all of which I wouldn't trade for the world.
Life is what you make it. It really is. If you go into the day thinking it's gonna be "one of those days", say aloud to yourself, "This will be a good day." Odds are, it won't turn out too bad.
Life is what you make it. It really is. If you go into the day thinking it's gonna be "one of those days", say aloud to yourself, "This will be a good day." Odds are, it won't turn out too bad.
February 13, 2011
Lesson #29: Read the instructions..
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day! I remember in Elementary when everyone would bring a box of valentines and each person in the class would get one. There were always different ones: Batman, Barbie, Spongebob, Little Mermaid, and so many others. Then we got into Middle School. At Franklin, we had the VPO (Valentine's Post Office). You could buy a rose or some chocolates for that cute guy in your Algebra class or that girl you've had a crush on since the fourth grade. Then along comes High School. All the hype and celebration kind of died down school wise. High school classes don't normally have Valentine's parties. (Which stinks! You're never too old to get a Scooby-Doo valentine!)
Valentine's Day can be fun if you choose to make it fun. If you have a valentine, great! If you don't, don't let it ruin your day. It's not the end of the world, believe me! (Singles Awareness Day, right?) Just love yourself and share the love with the people you love! Isn't that what Valentine's Day is all about? LOVE? So tomorrow, tell those you care about how much you love them! For those reading this, I love you! You guys are the greatest, and I couldn't ask for better friends in my life!
Oh yeah.. And read the instructions when baking.. Otherwise your cookies might burn..
Valentine's Day can be fun if you choose to make it fun. If you have a valentine, great! If you don't, don't let it ruin your day. It's not the end of the world, believe me! (Singles Awareness Day, right?) Just love yourself and share the love with the people you love! Isn't that what Valentine's Day is all about? LOVE? So tomorrow, tell those you care about how much you love them! For those reading this, I love you! You guys are the greatest, and I couldn't ask for better friends in my life!
Oh yeah.. And read the instructions when baking.. Otherwise your cookies might burn..
February 11, 2011
Lesson #28: Never say never!
Yes, cliche title, I know. I saw the Justin Bieber movie tonight, and may I just say that it was probably one of the best and one of my favorite documentary type movies I've seen so far. Yes, I like Bieber, but I am not, nor will I EVER be, one of his crazed fans, crying (literally) to him... But he IS very talented, despite what all you haters say!
Anyways, the title of the movie was "Never Say Never," which is what inspired this blog. The song Never Say Never is probably my favorite song by him, (And I may or may not have memorized the rap by Jaden Smith...) and the words really are inspiring. In life, we have our goals and dreams that the world tries to tear down. For instance, my goal in life is to be a physicist or scientist. And I'm pretty sure that every single person I have told this to has either tried to talk me out of it or tell me it's a bad idea. "You have no idea what you're getting into!" or "Yeah, good luck with that!" Well, no, honestly I don't know exactly what I'm getting myself into, but I love physics and math, and I'm willing to try. So can people just stop telling me otherwise? Everyone has to start somewhere!
When the world tells you no, prove them wrong!
"Never say never!"
Anyways, the title of the movie was "Never Say Never," which is what inspired this blog. The song Never Say Never is probably my favorite song by him, (And I may or may not have memorized the rap by Jaden Smith...) and the words really are inspiring. In life, we have our goals and dreams that the world tries to tear down. For instance, my goal in life is to be a physicist or scientist. And I'm pretty sure that every single person I have told this to has either tried to talk me out of it or tell me it's a bad idea. "You have no idea what you're getting into!" or "Yeah, good luck with that!" Well, no, honestly I don't know exactly what I'm getting myself into, but I love physics and math, and I'm willing to try. So can people just stop telling me otherwise? Everyone has to start somewhere!
When the world tells you no, prove them wrong!
"Never say never!"
February 9, 2011
Lesson #27: It'll warm up to 39 tomorrow.
Today was possibly the coldest day ever in the time I have lived in Abilene, TX. it was only 18-29 all day, but the wind chill made it feel like it was -5! I walked to chapel this morning and when I made it to the band hall, my eyes were watering so bad it made it look like I was crying. I do not like being cold. At all.
But hey, it'll warm up to 39 tomorrow.
Where's the 70s?
Which reminds me of a song.
Cause I'm sunny with a high of 75 since you took my heavy heart and made it light. And it's funny how you find you enjoy your life when you're happy to be alive. --Relient K.
This song always puts me in a good mood. No matter what. God puts us on this spiritual high, and it makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I love that feeling! The last phrase speaks the loudest in my opinion. "And it's funny how you find you enjoy your life when you're happy to be alive." If you're negative all the time, do you wonder why you're never happy? So enjoy life. Because odds are, you will be a happier person when you look on the bright side of life!
But hey, it'll warm up to 39 tomorrow.
Where's the 70s?
Which reminds me of a song.
Cause I'm sunny with a high of 75 since you took my heavy heart and made it light. And it's funny how you find you enjoy your life when you're happy to be alive. --Relient K.
This song always puts me in a good mood. No matter what. God puts us on this spiritual high, and it makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I love that feeling! The last phrase speaks the loudest in my opinion. "And it's funny how you find you enjoy your life when you're happy to be alive." If you're negative all the time, do you wonder why you're never happy? So enjoy life. Because odds are, you will be a happier person when you look on the bright side of life!
February 8, 2011
Lesson #26: Life is crazy.
Last week was crazy. We had 4 days off of school because of the snow, and now we are expecting another snow storm tomorrow? Really Abilene? NOW you decide to give us snow? It's nuts!
"I'm in love alright, with my crazy beautiful life."
Life gets crazy sometimes. But if life wasn't crazy, what would it be? Dull. Boring. Lifeless. So always remember that when you get frustrated and stressed, just remember that you'll always look back on these crazy times, and smile! It may seem frustrating, stressful, annoying and well, crazy at the time, but later in life you'll always look back and smile or laugh.
So just love life while you can, because it goes by in the blink of an eye!
"I'm in love alright, with my crazy beautiful life."
Life gets crazy sometimes. But if life wasn't crazy, what would it be? Dull. Boring. Lifeless. So always remember that when you get frustrated and stressed, just remember that you'll always look back on these crazy times, and smile! It may seem frustrating, stressful, annoying and well, crazy at the time, but later in life you'll always look back and smile or laugh.
So just love life while you can, because it goes by in the blink of an eye!
February 5, 2011
Lesson #25: I can't wait until college.
Today I visited my future college: Lubbock Christian. My dad drove Brantly, Jaci, and myself to Lubbock for LCU's Master Follies. (For those of you that don't know, it's like Sing Song or Spring Sing). We got there a little early, so we decided to take a tour. I've grown up going to LCU, so I pretty much already know my way around. But I still like to take tours, because I love to just know more about the school. I'm pretty much set on LCU. I know it's only my junior year, and I have a whole nother year to think about it, but I like to think way ahead. LCU is kind of like ACS to me. It's a small school; the student to teacher ratio is about 15:1. I'm a social person, but I love small schools. I love getting to know the teachers personally and also getting to know everyone in my classes. I also love the Christian atmosphere that LCU has. ACS has a good Christian atmosphere. And I would feel right at home at LCU. I plan on trying to be involved in everything I can! I want to play indoor soccer, maybe golf, do choir and theatre, and most definitely participate in club! (I'm thinking Kappa?) Aaaaaand MASTER FOLLIES! Which is what inspired this blog post. I went to Master Follies for the first time last year. And I have been looking forward to it since then! I just can't wait until I get to be on that stage with my club, or even being a hostess! I LOVE singing, and I really want to be involved in more "singing" activities.
I can't wait until college.
I can't wait until college.
February 3, 2011
Lesson #24: The bikini was named after a nuclear test site.
So it is day three of the great blizzard of 2011, and I'm pretty sure I am suffering from cabin fever. Again, we have no school tomorrow... (So one good thing is that I only had school one day this week!) Earlier today, my parents, Jaci, Maggie and I ventured out into the frozen tundra and had lunch at McDonalds. A usual two minute drive from my house to McDonalds took us around ten minutes. We saw about 6 cars stuck on the road, and even more being helped. It was scary! But I had so much fun! (Especially since I hadn't left my house in a couple of days!) My family and I just got done playing games such as Scrabble SLAM and Cranium. It was so much fun! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! As I said before, we should use time as family time! Most of a normal day, we (the kids) are at school, and our parents are at work. Not to mention the time we spend after school playing sports. We don't really get much family time. So, since we will still be staying in our homes for the next few days, let's use this time to spend with our family. We don't take advantage of it as much as we should.
Oh, and did you know the bikini was named after a nuclear test site?
Oh, and did you know the bikini was named after a nuclear test site?
February 2, 2011
February 1, 2011
Lesson #22: Texas failed kindergarten.
Texas weather is unpredictable. Yesterday, at 4 o'clock, it was sunny and 69 degrees. As I was leaving the golf course at 6, it started raining. As I was about half way to my house, it started hailing. Today, I woke up with almost a foot of snow. Who knows what tomorrow is going to be like! I love snow, don't get me wrong. But the only thing I don't like about it is that on days like this you can't leave your house. Well, you could, but it is discouraged for safety. Maybe days like this are the times you need to just spend with your family. Go outside and build a snowman or watch a movie together. I know that's not always the ideal thing to do on a snowday, because all you want to do is play with your friends! But take this time to appreciate the little time you get with your family!
(And your pets!)
(And your pets!)
January 27, 2011
Lesson #21: There is a time for everything
Time is everything. We can't go back in time (yet), so what we do with our time is important. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven. A time to give birth, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to shun embracing. A time to search, and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep, and a time to throw away. A time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; A time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; A time for war, and a time for peace." A time for everything. I love this passage, because it covers pretty much all aspects of life. But the one I want to focus on the most is a time to be silent and a time to speak. I think this one speaks for itself. There are times when you need to be silent, but there are also times when you need to speak up for yourself. Depending on the situation, if you don't say something, you'll wish you had. But sometimes if you say something, you'll wish you hadn't.
There's a time for everything. Think about it.
There's a time for everything. Think about it.
January 23, 2011
Lesson #20: Make the most out of every opportunity.
Colossians 4:5, "Be wise in the way you act toward everybody; make the most of every opportunity." This verse spoke to me today (And kind of all week!). Making the most out of every opportunity doesn't mean that we should just try to do everything good enough to pass or get it done. No, what it means is that we must go beyond that! A good everyday example is school. Sometimes, we do our work with only the effort of passing. Because if we're passing, does it matter how well we do it? Uh, yeah! This past week, we had auditions for our musical, The Big, Bad Musical. I was so nervous to try out, because I've never been in a play or a muscial. But like I said in a previous blog, you have to get out of your comfort zone and do something crazy. Make the most out of every opportunity.. That's exactly what we have to do! And you know what? When you do, you might actually be surprised at yourself! I got a role I wasn't expecting, but it was the one I wanted!
Make the MOST out of every opportunity, not the half.
Make the MOST out of every opportunity, not the half.
January 21, 2011
Lesson #19: Awkward moments are awkward..
Today I learned that I don't really do well in awkward situations...
Yeah.. Awkward moments are awkward..
Yeah.. Awkward moments are awkward..
January 20, 2011
Lesson #18: Who's afraid of the big bad wolf...
Today was the day of auditions for our musical "The Big Bad Musical." I have no Theatre experience whatsoever, so of course I was nervous! But I thought I did rather well! I'm really anxious to see the cast list tomorrow! Anyways, today I learned that when you get out of your comfort zone, you can have a lot of fun! I had to get way out of my comfort zone today. (And I had a blast!) So, all this to say, get out of your comfortable box! Do something crazy! Be wild! Let people know the REAL you! Otherwise you will miss out on a lot of fun things in life! And sometimes that one time is the only chance you get! So try out for a solo, audition for a lead, play a different sport. Just DO something different. It'll be fun!
"Tra la la la la laaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Tra la la la la laaaaaaaaaaa!"
January 19, 2011
Lesson #17: Duuuun uh. Duuuun uh. Duun uh duun uh dun uh dun uh dun uh DUNNNAANANAA!
In life, we experience some pretty crazy, and scary, stuff. I'm the type of person that loves scary movies, but when it comes to Jaws, I run away. As fast as I can. I don't know what it is, but sharks just creep me out. I remember one time in elementary, my brother was watching a Jaws movie on TV. I asked him to change it so many times, but he wouldn't! I couldn't watch TV in my parents' room because they were watching something, otherwise I would have. I was so mad at him for not changing it! So I got on the computer, which was in the same room, and instead of watching it, I had to listen to it. So later that night, I went over to my friend's birthday party. We were having a great time, I had totally forgotten about the whole shark movie. We were watching movies and eating cake, when all the sudden I heard this sound. Duuuuun uh. Duuuuun uh. The Jaws theme song? No.. But it sure sounded like it. I got so scared! I have no idea what the music was on the movie, but for a second, it sounded exactly like Jaws. So, being the third grader I was, I called my mom. She came and picked me up and I had to explain to her why I was upset. (It's kind of embarrassing to think about now!) I've never been to a beach, and I'm kind of scared to go to one, because I think that I'll get eaten by a shark. (I know, a little dramatic). I've watched too many movies that I wish I hadn't..
So point being, we all get scared in life. Even if it is about something that rarely happens. Joshua 1:9 says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." God commands us to be strong and courageous! That might be hard sometimes, but He knows we can do it. He'll never put us through something we can't handle. So next time you're in a situation that scares you, don't forget that God is with you. So be strong and courageous!
I hate sharks.
So point being, we all get scared in life. Even if it is about something that rarely happens. Joshua 1:9 says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." God commands us to be strong and courageous! That might be hard sometimes, but He knows we can do it. He'll never put us through something we can't handle. So next time you're in a situation that scares you, don't forget that God is with you. So be strong and courageous!
I hate sharks.
January 18, 2011
Lesson #16: Just keep on keepin' on
Endurance noun; the ability or strength to continue or last. Romans 15:5, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus." Times get tough, but God gives us the endurance to get through them! No matter what we're going through, God will help us. It may be through strange ways. Whether it be a positive encounter with a stranger, or simply a short sweet conversation with a friend. God will send someone or something into your life during your struggle to help you get through it.
So just keep on keepin' on, my friends.
So just keep on keepin' on, my friends.
January 17, 2011
Lesson #15: I just absolutely love the Bible!
I love the Bible. I have many favorite verses and passages, but I just want to share a couple that really stuck out to me today.
Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah is one of the more well-known books of the random books of the Bible. (If that made ANY sense at all). But this verse is one of my personal favorites. It gives me hope and encouragement through life when I am struggling. It reminds me that God is always with me, and He will be forever. He takes great delight in me! How awesome is it to know that God, our Creator, takes delight in his own creation! As artists take delight in their masterpieces, so God takes delight in us. As a poet takes delight in his poetry, so God takes delight in us. How awesome it is to know that!
James 2:1 says, "My dear friends, don't let public opinion influence how you live our our glorious, Christ originated faith." This is from the Message, which I personally really like. (The NIV states this verse differently, but for what I'm trying to say, we'll stick with the Message). We are a very influenced people. But shouldn't we be the ones who are influencing? Like this verse says, we shouldn't allow public opinion to influence how we live our lives! No matter what, we need to stand firm in our faith and live our lives to the best of our ability to show Christ in us! A lot of times we want to conform to the world so we will be liked or appreciated. But it says it Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." So let's quit being the influencees and become the influencers!
I just absolutely love the Bible. Who's with me?
Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah is one of the more well-known books of the random books of the Bible. (If that made ANY sense at all). But this verse is one of my personal favorites. It gives me hope and encouragement through life when I am struggling. It reminds me that God is always with me, and He will be forever. He takes great delight in me! How awesome is it to know that God, our Creator, takes delight in his own creation! As artists take delight in their masterpieces, so God takes delight in us. As a poet takes delight in his poetry, so God takes delight in us. How awesome it is to know that!
James 2:1 says, "My dear friends, don't let public opinion influence how you live our our glorious, Christ originated faith." This is from the Message, which I personally really like. (The NIV states this verse differently, but for what I'm trying to say, we'll stick with the Message). We are a very influenced people. But shouldn't we be the ones who are influencing? Like this verse says, we shouldn't allow public opinion to influence how we live our lives! No matter what, we need to stand firm in our faith and live our lives to the best of our ability to show Christ in us! A lot of times we want to conform to the world so we will be liked or appreciated. But it says it Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." So let's quit being the influencees and become the influencers!
I just absolutely love the Bible. Who's with me?
January 16, 2011
Lesson #14: It's what's on the inside that counts
Sorry I've been so behind on my blogs lately. I really should work on that. Anyway. Tonight at huddles, we talked about our appearance. We had to draw ourselves by following a certain code, I think it was called "bioglyph"? Mine looked rather interesting.. hair sticking up straight, eyes cross-eyed, one ear, a triangle for a nose.. But hey, that's me! The point of this whole exercise was this, (or at least this is what I got out of it, with a few of my own thoughts thrown in there): We are judged based on our outward appearance. What sports we play, what activities we're involved in, when we were born, who we hang out with, and what we look like. But what does that matter? God doesn't care about any of that. He looks at our heart. If we were to draw our heart, what would that look like? Would it be broken? Full of love? Full of regret? In pain? Everyone's would look different. I know mine would be broken and hurt, but it would also be full of love and compassion for the people around me. So since God looks at the heart, so should we. That's the only thing that should matter when you look at a person. I can tell you right now I am terrible at judging a book by its cover. But I have come out of that and have gotten to know some really neat people, and I absolutely would be lost without them! I know that everything these days says that image is everything. And yes, it IS a big part of life. We need to make sure that along with our inward appearance, our outward appearance shows Christ as well. Obviously we aren't perfect, nor will we ever be. It's what's on the inside that counts.
Let's make it count.
Let's make it count.
January 12, 2011
Lesson #12: I have the best friends in the entire world. Literally.
I have THE best friends, ever. I've had a hard week, just very stressful. And my friends have been there for me through it all! I have been blessed richly by the people in my life. I know I can always call up any of my friends and they'll be there right away for a pow wow! Or a sonic run! Or just an hour long phone call! I know I can always count on my friends. I can tell them anything and everything, anytime of day (Or night). Girls' nights are always a personal favorite of mine. Movies, ice cream, crazy pictures, and tons of laughing and talking about boys! My friends always make me feel good about myself, and I love how we can just sit there and laugh for hours. I can't even begin to describe what my best friends do for me, I owe them SO much. Thank you to all my friends, I love you all so much and you are a tremendous blessing in my life.
"Don't believe in all that you've been told
The sky's the limit, you can reach your goal
No one knows just what the future holds
There ain't nothing you can beat
There's a whole world at your feet
Never, ever forget that I got you
And you got me"
--S Club 7, "Reach"
Today (and yesterday, and the day before) I learned that I have the best friends ever. I knew this already, but it's good to be reminded :)
"Don't believe in all that you've been told
The sky's the limit, you can reach your goal
No one knows just what the future holds
There ain't nothing you can beat
There's a whole world at your feet
Never, ever forget that I got you
And you got me"
--S Club 7, "Reach"
Today (and yesterday, and the day before) I learned that I have the best friends ever. I knew this already, but it's good to be reminded :)
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