No Ordinary Girl

The Power of Words

2009-10-27T16:19:00.008-05:00

Words are a powerful thing
They say something is only
As powerful as you let it be
But everyone has felt the sting
Of nasty words, comments, and insults.
No one wishes that upon themselves.
Yet we never hesitate to spit daggers
Into someone else's already damaged heart.
As if our own suffering
Wasn't enough to make us finally see.

On the North side of the city
Tears leaked out of Eric's
Cold, tired eyes.
Tears that he had worked
So hard to keep held in
Now betrayed him as they
left streaks down his face.
Every day his father scolded him,
slapped him with words
that were never carefully thought out.
Words that were formed
In the heat of the moment
Were causing a world of pain
In a young man's soul.
Why can't you be more like your brother?
Why haven't you cleaned up your mess?
How come you only made a B on this test?
Can you not slouch for once?
Hit after hit
rolled out of his father's mouth
Unaware of the sharp edge
he gave the words.
He didn't know how hard Eric worked,
Day after day,
only to hear
that his best wasn't good enough.
But when his father would set him down,
on the worn couch in the den
And turn to Eric
Red stained test paper in hand
The words that made Eric wince
Flowed from his father's dry lips,
"I'm very disappointed in you."

On the South side of the city
A beautiful girl named Hannah
Wears herself down
With a busy schedule
Her mother has formed for her.
Never time for rest,
always go, go, go.
Placed in dance lessons,
piano lessons, beauty pageants,
and modeling auditions
Without ever consulting Hannah
about her actual desires.
None of the hectic activities
she was in,
were what she really wanted to be doing.
Her real dream was drifting away.
Vivid colors of hope
Were replaced with the dull grays
Of hopelessness and fatigue.
Never would she be able to pursue
being a doctor.
For where was there room
for Miss America in the operating room?
She was missing the support
From whom should have been
Her biggest fan.
Her mom.
When she came off the runway
Only a runner-up ribbon in her hand,
Or was late
Because she lost track of time
While researching her dream job
Her mother's eyes would dance
With anger, resentment, and disappointment.
And all too well
Hannah knew what was coming next.
"I'm very disappointed in you."

As people suffer in silence
All over the world,
As false words seep into their skin
Filling their lifeless veins
And poisoned minds,
Hopeful eyes grow dim
With the crushing weight
Of the pressure to be perfect.
Some say that
Sticks and stones
may break my bones
but words will never hurt me.
But talk to someone
Who's heart has shattered
Because of careless words
thrown their way
And they will tell you
a different story:
Sticks and stones
may break my bones
but words
will completely
destroy me.

SNOW DAY!

2008-12-15T16:47:00.003-06:00

Today was our very first official snow day of the year! Here's to everyone else who got a relaxing day at home!

photo: http://www.jmphoto.com/images/snowflakes.jpg

Heroes

2008-12-08T20:42:00.010-06:00

I just want to dedicate this song to all of my heroes.

All these heroes come and go
But you're still standing

Whatever You're Doing (Something Heavenly)

2008-11-24T18:58:00.007-06:00

Whatever You're Doing (Something Heavenly)
By Sanctus Real

It's time for healing, time to move on
It's time to fix what's been broken too long
Time to make right what has been wrong
It's time to find my way to where I belong
There's a wave that's crashing over me
All I can do is surrender

Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something heavenly

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Reevaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow Your will
or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is you want from me
I give everything, I surrender...to...

Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something heavenly

Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I've wanted to say for so many years
Time to to release all my held back tears

Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but I believe
You're up to something bigger than me
Larger than life something heavenly
Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but now I can see
This is something bigger than me
Larger than life something heavenly
Something heavenly

It's time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out

I really don't know what else to add to this song. It says everything so perfectly. I know my life has seemed like completle chaos before. I mean, let's face it. At the time everything seemed completly hopeless. But the beautiful thing, the thing I always need to remember, is that God is at work even in those desolate times. We can only see how things look on the surface, but God can see below the surface. He knows the bigger picture and what is going to come out of those hard times. The song says it well: It's hard to surrender to what I can't see. I know I find it hard to surrender to what I can't see. But when I do what the next line says: But I'm giving in to something heavenly, then I'll really be able to experience peace in the chaos and see the miracle of the moment.

There's only One who knows
What's really out there waiting
In all the moments yet to be
And all we need to know
Is He's out there waiting
To Him the future's history

So breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss
the miracle of the moment

God, please help me to surrender it all to You. Help me to remember that You are always in control no matter what and that You've got a bigger plan than I can imagine. I love you. Amen.

Opportunity Knocks

2008-11-05T17:55:00.004-06:00

Today I witnessed another one of God's reminders. It was one of those moments where it hit you smack between the eyes. It's amazing how the smallest things can tell so much.
Today the school started locking all of the outside doors. At lunch, you can go just outside the doors to some soda machines to get a drink. Well, two girls went out to get sodas. One girl actually went to the machines and another stood and held the door open so they wouldn't get locked out. Now I'm not sure if she kicked the door or it slipped or what but it ended up closing on her locking her and her friend out. What happened then? People started laughing. They thought that, that girl's mistake of letting the door close was hilarious and needless to say no one was exactly jumping up to open the door for them. Now on the far side of that same wall the door is on, is where they sell Domino's pizza everyday. Now some kids from Project Life, which involves the special ed. kids, take turns every day serving the pizza. Well the young gentleman today serving pizza left his spot at the pizza table, crossed the cafeteria, and opened the door for the girls when no one else would. Isn't that just awesome?? He didn't think twice about it, he didn't care what anyone else said about him, he just got up and did it. It was such a good reminder for me of how my reaction to those situations to be.
Now, put yourself into that situation. What would your response be? Since I was in the situation I can already see what I've done. And I'll admit I'm not exactly proud of my response. I simply sat there I watched. Even worse, the thought to go open the door myself never even crossed my mind. How awful is that?? It took someone else finally stepping up to the plate and opening the door for me to even think about that! I've thought about what I was thinking at that moment, and I've realized this. It didn't cross my mind because I thought it wasn't my job, or my duty. I wasn't sitting close to the door so I figured the ball didn't land in my court. I mean, there were plenty of people close to the door capable of opening it, right? They could do it. But yet, there's my problem. I tried to put the job, the responsibility, the blame on someone else's shoulders. I figured I was "in the clear." Where I was sitting didn't matter though. I very easily could have gotten up from my chair and opened that door. But instead, I decided to let someone else do it, and just like Pilate from Bryan's story a couple of weeks ago, I washed my hands of the entire thing. I always have an opportunity. Every day there are plenty of opportunities for me to step out of my comfort zone and help someone else. But yet, how many times do I actually take those opportunities??
Being a disciple of Christ isn't just about thinking about doing the right thing or saying the right thing, its about DOING the right thing and actually living out what God has commanded us. I know I haven't exactly being living up to that lately. So, I pray tonight that God would help me show love through my actions. Like Bryan said during the Disciple series: "It won't necessarily be easy, but it will be worth it."

Stand Up, Speak Out

2008-10-05T20:44:00.002-05:00

Alright..so here is a very short, very quick story I wrote a couple of months ago. I'm still not completely sure how I like it. So, let me know your thoughts and/or suggestions on it! Thanks and enjoy!

Stand Up, Speak Out

Her body shook, her voice trembled, and her stomach was in knots. Word after word spilled out of her mouth. Each word dripped with honesty and sincerity. Every sentence was directly from her heart. The room felt like it was spinning but she stood her ground. Frustration climbed up her throat and choked her words. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks. She had come too far and too long to give in now. Determination squelched the frustration and she pressed on. The people that sat in front of her listened and watched her intently. She noticed as their faces contorted into many different stares. Each facial expression matched the emotion that was carried in the different parts of her story. In the corner two teenage boys snickered and made faces. She ignored them. She was halfway home now.
Just moments before she had been backstage almost regretting her decision. Speaking in front of people was not a strong suit for her. But for the purposes of competing in the contest she had to do it. She had entered her local creative writing contest and she was one of the finalists. That meant she had to read it in front of a crowd. No exceptions. Which brought her back to that moment on stage.
As she read the last sentence she noticed tears on the faces of the others. She let the last word dance on her tongue before vocalizing it, adding a bit of a dramatic effect. Her arms fell to her sides signaling she was done. The room was still. Not a single person moved. Worry began to creep up through her bones. Maybe reading her story was a mistake. As she was about to move off the stage the crowd jumped to their feet as if zapped by an electric shock. They all started in a thunderous applause. She could feel the vibrations through the small wooden stage. Pride welled up in her. For a deaf girl who had never heard herself speak before she had done a great job. The story that ended up winning the contest? Her very own life story.

Filling in the Gap

2008-10-05T13:58:00.002-05:00

Alright so I know my blogging has been severely lacking lately. I'm so sorry about that. Truth is..I have had absolutely no idea what to write about. Honestly I still don't, but hopefully I'll have a blog up soon! Thanks for all of your patience!

I've been tagged!

2008-09-12T21:57:00.011-05:00

I've been tagged and given an award!! Thanks Mackenzie!!

So, what I have to do is answer the following questions with 1-word answers then tag and pass along the award to 7 people!

Alright! Here we go!

1. Where is your cell phone? Table
2. Where is your significant other? None
3. Your hair color? Brown
4. Your mother? Awesome

5. Your father? Silly (But I love you!!)

6. Your favorite thing? Family

7. Your dream last night? Sweet

8. Your dream/goal? Marry
9. The room you're in? Dining-Room
10. Your hobby? Writing

11. Your fear? FEAR

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? College

13. Where were you last night? Wal-Mart
14. What you're not? Decisive

15. One of your wish-list items? Laptop
16. Where you grew up? Missouri
17. The last thing you did? Danced :-p

18. What are you wearing? Clothes
19. Your TV? On
20. Your pet(s)? None

21. Your computer? Toshiba
22. Your mood? Pleasant
23. Missing someone? Yes

24. Your car? Mini-van
25. Something you're not wearing? Socks

26. Favorite store? Target
27. Your summer? Fun

28. Love someone? Yes
29. Your favorite color? Purple
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Dunno

Okay, so I tag:

Be Fearless

2008-09-07T20:45:00.004-05:00

This weekend's message at MH was PHENOMENAL! It was really really great! It really had me thinking this week.
FEAR.
What a harsh four-letter word.
FEAR.
The word itself seems to haunt me. I know that I have too often let fear control my life. Its almost as if its become who I am. A fearful, worrying, anxious person. I hate that the word fear and my name could almost be synonymous. This weekend's message really seemed to kick me and say, STOP BEING SO FEARFUL! BE FEARLESS! GET OUT THERE AND DO WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO DO!

Here are some points that really jumped out at me:
-God sees in you what you can't see in yourself.
-The Gideon: When God uses an unsure, insecure, and fearful person to do the impossible.
-When you believe God is with you the deal is done.
-You don't have to lay awake at night tossing and turning. Replaying a situation over and over again in your mind; thinking I should have said this, I should have done that, I shouldn't have done this or that.
-Many people are paralyzed by fear.
-Its time to send fear packing.
-Rub fear against faith and let faith conquer fear once and for all!
-If God is for you, who can be against you? (My favorite!)

Those points are so powerful, so true. Another thing Bryan mentioned is that the only reason we become afraid is because we don't really truly believe God is with us. And sadly, I know exactly what he's talking about. The moment I go into a situation thinking, "I'm on my own....I'm all by myself..." then I've created a roadblock for myself. I am NOT alone. GOD IS WITH ME. What else do I need?? GOD IS WITH ME!!!

That's such an exciting thing to know, isn't it? The creator of the universe is WITH ME! He's with YOU! He's with us all!! We never have to be alone!!!

Now, I will leave you with this question that Bryan used in his message;

WHAT IS GOD TELLING YOU TO DO THAT FEAR HAS KEPT YOU FROM DOING?

The Journey of Life

2008-08-31T14:29:00.004-05:00

So, today as I was looking through old saved files on my computer I came across this. Its been a long time since I've written this but, I figured I'd share it.

LIFE

Tumbling, falling
Flying, soaring,
Crashing, burning,
Shining, glowing,
Learning, teaching,
Finding, growing
Breaking, hurting,
Playing, laughing,
Gaining, losing,

Incredible heights, terrifying lows, thrilling speeds, crazy loops, enjoyment and fear
This is no roller coaster:
IT’S LIFE
There are no pit stops, no way to get off early, and no guarantees of a safe, comfortable journey.
God is willing to go on the ride with you, so no matter where you are on the ride you’ve go someone there with you, someone who will help you through those ups and down. So, are you riding alone, or with God??

Don't Delay

2008-08-29T13:40:00.005-05:00

So, back two weeks ago, on my first day of school, my government teacher had the following quote on his board: "You may delay, but time will not." ~ Benjamin Franklin

He of course asked us what we thought it meant. At the time I had thoughts but, really wasn't sure what it meant. But, over the weeks I've been thinking about it off and on. I've tried to think and put into words what I thought of it.

I think that what Benjamin Franklin is trying to say is that you can try and avoid your reality, put it off for a bit, and just wrap yourself up in your own world but time is still going to move forward. The real world around you is going to keep right on moving. Things may happen in life, maybe shake you up but that doesn't stop the grand picture of things. If you get too wrapped up in that little bubble you've created where nothing changes, nothing hurts you, then you could miss out on a lot. You can't live in the past. You have to live in the here and now. Time will keep ticking as long as God allows it, and refusing to keep up with it could result in precious moments wasted. Moments you'll never be able to get back. So you have to keep moving forward no matter what.

That's just my opinion on it.

What do you think of that quote?

Fearless Heart

2008-08-15T20:47:00.002-05:00

For even the most trusting soul
This world can be a scary place
So much that we can't control
In every moment that we face

When a thousand what ifs
Whisper in our ears
We remember who's we are
And watch them disappear

I wanna live with a fearless heart
Courage that's coming from trust in God
It's constantly guiding me though the road may seem dark
I wanna live, wanna live with a fearless heart

There are worries chasing everyone
It's evident in times like these
But I have found the confidence that comes
From time I spend on my knees

There's a truth I'm holding onto
As these days unfold
Greater is He, God is in you
And hear it in the world

I wanna live with a fearless heart
Courage that's coming from trust in God
It's constantly guiding me though the road may seem dark
I wanna live, wanna live with a fearless heart

He's my strength, He's my shelter
He is with me all the wayHe's my light and my salvation
Of whom shall I be afraid, of whom shall I be afraid?

I wanna live with a fearless heart
Courage that's coming from trust in God
It's constantly guiding me though the road may seem dark, yeah

I wanna live with a fearless heart
Courage that's coming from trust in God
It's constantly guiding me though the road is dark
I wanna live, wanna live with a fearless heart
With a fearless heart, with a fearless heart
With a fearless heart

JONAS BROTHERS CONCERT

2008-08-05T18:30:00.002-05:00

Okay, so here is my LONG overdue post about the concert!!!

7/22/08

3:20 p.m. Leave the house, we run by the office really quick to say hi to mom then off the Shelby's house!

3:30: Arrive at Shelby's house. Pick her up.

3:35 We're off!!!!

On the Road: On the station Y98 they were at the Verizon Wireless Ampitheather and they interviewed the Jonas Brothers! And Demi Lovato! Shelby had to do our best to hold in our excitement. It was awesome! In the intervew we learned that, that morning the Jonas Brothers had done some sort of interview, the went down to field at Busch Stadium and hit some balls, and then went to Ted Drewes!! That's so cool!! Then we stopped at a Red Robin and grabbed some burgers to go. I didn't really get to enjoy mine because I was so nervous my stomach was in knots!!

6-ish: Arrive at the Ampitheater! It was so cool getting there knowing that the Jonas Brothers were in the same vicinity as you!! lol. After we went through the ticket gates we got in line for T-Shirts. Shelby and I each got matching ones, and they we each got ones for our sisters.

6:30-ish: We found our seats and sat nervously anticipating the amazing show to come!

7:00: Demi came out singing That's How You Know and rocked it!!! She did an awesome job! My favorite song of hers was Forget.

Close to 8: Avril Lavigne opened with Girlfriend. She also played many older songs such as Sk8er Boi, Complicated, My Happy Ending, I'm With You, then she also played When You're Gone and many many more.

9-ish: THE TIME WE HAD BEEN WAITING FOR. THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, SPOTLIGHTS FLASHED ALL OVER THE STAGE. THE BACKUP BAND CAME OUT. LIGHTS AND LASERS WERE FLASHING ALL OVER. THEN THE BAND GOES INTO THATS JUST THE WAY WE ROLL. THE JONAS BROTHERS POP UP OUT OF THE STAGE AND STEP ONTO THIS GIANT METAL ARM THING THAT CARRIES THEM UP AND AROUND, DOWN TO THE STAGE!! Then they sang many many of their songs! Their classic Year 3000, some from the recent album, and then quite a few from their album soon to be released!! (6 more days!)

During the song Goodnight & Goodbye Nick fell onto his back when he sang a part about being pushed around which then went into the bridge and from the ground he swung his legs over his head and Joe came and took his feet and flipped him over. Then Nick faced his back towards Joe and gave him his right foot and Joe flipped him forward. Then Nick did a cartwheel into a backflip down the runway thing on the stage. Then he bent down and Joe came and did a sweet flip over him!! During Hold On Joe went onto the runway and did an awesome air kick! Kevin also did this awesome spin while playing the guitar!! All of their new songs are amazing! They even did a cover of Shania Twain's Getcha Good!! It was incredible!! They sang their touching song A Little Bit Longer which Nick wrote about his diabetes. You can check it out here > (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD3T4OK3R5Y) He gave an incredible speech along with it. Then during Hello Beautiful, part of the song goes, Hello Beautiful, hows it going, I hear its wonderful in California. Well they sang, Hello beautiful, hows it going, I hear its wonderful in Missouri. IT WAS AMAZING!!! Then when they sang tonight I'm gonna fly they each rose up off the stage on this little podium things!! IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!! During one of their songs they shot this water or foamy stuff into the crowd then Joe slid down the runway through it! During Gotta Find You from their DCOM Camp Rock, Joe picked a little girl up out of the crowd and had her help him sing it! It was adorable! Of course they did their newest hit, Burnin' Up and BIG ROB CAME OUT OF THE STAGE AND RAPPED!!! I LOVED IT!!! BIG ROB ROCKS!!! Then they all ran off the stage, then shortly they came back and sang When You Look Me in the Eyes and SOS!! KEVIN DID HIS SOS DANCE!!! IT WAS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!! Shelby and I left that show with a serious adrenaline rush!!! We were on a Jonas High!!
It was a good thing too because it took us almost an hour just to get out of the parking lot!!! We didn't get home until 2 a.m.! But it was so worth it!!! I definitely reccommend going to a Jonas concert!! My dad even enjoyed it!! They really do put on a fantastic show!!

This Puzzle called Life

2008-07-23T23:42:00.002-05:00

I spent much of today working on a puzzle left on my dining room table. I managed to finish it a few hours ago. Now as I sit and think about it, its kind of like life. In life there are so many pieces. Every one unique. Many times as we go along, it feels as if though someone threw all the pieces on the floor and we're scrambling to find them all again. Then it feels like pieces are missing and we do anything and everything to find them. As we work our way through our life puzzle we may get sections of it done here and there. We can see bigger glimpses of the final puzzle but still not all of it. Sometimes the pieces can be very deceiving. You think they fit in one area of your life when they really fit in another. Sometimes you just need other pieces to make certain ones fit. Then, finally when the puzzle is finished you can see the big picture. You can see and understand how all those pieces worked. How they were important in achieving the final picture.
The great thing about the puzzle of our life? God is the one putting it together. Not us. God is putting every piece together in the way they were designed to be. He knows which piece fits where, which pieces don't and he already knows the bigger picture. When we try to take over and put the puzzle together ourselves, it doesn't come out right. But, when we finally just fully let go and just say, "God, You are in control. You know how my life is going to go and you know how to put the pieces together. I'm handing it all over to You." Then we have that peace knowing that God IS in control! He always is. The small sections of the puzzle may be rough, but with God, you'll get through them. Then one day we'll be able to look and see how perfectly God has placed the pieces. I'm so glad its not in my hands. I make enough mistakes in the small areas of life. So tonight, I'm letting go of the puzzle pieces in my hands, and I'm placing them in God's hands; fully trusting God to do, what only He can do.

I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-21T20:35:00.003-05:00

Oh my goodness!!! I get to go to a Jonas Brothers concert tomorrow!!!!!!!! I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH MOM AND DAD!!!! If you couldn't tell, I'M SUPER EXCITED!!!!!!!!!! I'll be sure to write all about it afterwards!!! Goodness gracious I am so excited!!!!! Demi Lovato is going to be there too!!!! Well, Avril Lavigne will be too but I'm not quite as excited about that. But, it's still going to ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, be on the look out for the post afterwards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~Bloggergirl24

Our Trip!

2008-07-13T18:23:00.004-05:00

Alright, so now that I'm back from my week away I guess its time to fill all of your wonderful bloggers in!!

DAY 1: Driving Day
Day 1 was definitely not the most fun day of the trip. We picked my mom up after last service and hit the road!! It was a pretty long trip but we made it!! We managed to arrive at about 10:30 est. time. Our cabin was way up there over hills and through winding roads. And it was dark. We made a few wrong turns. It was interesting.

DAY 2: Get settled, Check everything out.
We all slept in on Day 2 after our late night. Then we headed over to the Old Mill for an early lunch. We got a window seat on the upper level. It was an amazing view!! We could see the water, ducks, and pigeons were flying right outside the window!! I had the grilled chicken on a bed of rice with mashed potatoes and green beans. Very good. Plus the corn chowder and corn fritters you get with your meal. Next we visited the General store next door. Then we went to Ripley's Old MacDonald's Farm mini-golf with my grandparents. That was a lot of fun! Its interactive and has talking sheep, horses, cows, rats, and pigs!! Even flying pigs!!! For dinner we ate at Johnny Carrino's. DELICIOUS!!! Then we hit the Marble Slab creamery (or slabbery as my uncle calls it.) and then headed back to the cabin for the night.

DAY 3: Dollywood
On day 3 we went to Dollywood! So much fun! Although, I must say watching my uncle and cousin ride some of the big roller coasters was almost more fun than actually riding! I did ride the train and River Battle. You should have seen how soaked we were! It looked like we took a shower!! (Pictures will probably follow soon!!) After Dollywood we grabbed some sandwiches from McAllister's deli and headed back to the cabin to get cleaned up.

DAY 4: Shopping
Day 4 consisted of lots of shopping. We visited Old Navy (where I got lots of clothes =D ) and some other stores my mom wanted to go to. We also played another round of mini-golf with my grandparents! We ate at the Bullfish for dinner. It was VERY VERY VERY good!!!

DAY 5: Cade's Cove/Gaitlinburg
On day 5 we were up early and headed over to Cade's cove. It was really pretty. We saw tons of deer and a few babies too. And a couple of turkeys. The highlight of the Cade's Cove trip though, was when we were driving along when suddenly a huge buck jumped out of the trees, right into the road, right in front of us!!! It was really cool!! The buck just walked in front of us over the large field on the other side! (Again, pictures to come soon) Then we went to Gaitlinburg and ate at Bubba Gumps. It was OK. Then we walked up and down the streets of Gaitlinburg. My sister and dad went to the aquarium and my mom and I went to Ripley's Believe it or Not museum. It was very interesting. We ate at the Applewood Farmhouse with my grandparents.

DAY 6: NASCAR!!!
This was our last day so we tried to pack in everything left we wanted to do. We also went the NASCAR speedpark with my uncle and cousin. Sadly, he beat me. All 3 races. haha. He's quite the racer!! That night we ate our last meal on vacation at the Bullfish with my grandparents and Aunt, Uncle and two cousins. Then we went into one of those tacky souvenir shops and my sister and I got air brushed shirts. Then back to the cabin to pack.

DAY 7: Parting is such sweet sorrow
On Day 7 we ate a good breakfast at IHOP then hit the road! So this day was also a lot of driving. When we hit Kentucky though it got scary. Storm clouds rolled in and it looked like it was going to tornado. I was very scared. But, God got us through it and we made it home!

Our cabin was very nice to. Many, many pool games, air hockey games, and Guitar Hero battles took place in the basement!

Alright, I'm sorry for the monstrous post! But, when you're gone for 7 days, a lot of things happen!!

So, that's all from me for now! I'll try to have pictures up as soon as I can!!!

~~BLOG ON!!!~~

Happy 4th!!

2008-07-05T21:28:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I haven't said this yet....

I was Asleep

2008-06-28T22:39:00.003-05:00

This blog is sort of in a way a reply to my last blog, "Open up my Eyes". This evening was another amazing service at M.H. As my uncle Greg got up and began giving the challenge at the end his words hit me and I was like, "Hello!" They made me think back to my previous blog and I realized an awful thought. My eyes weren't just shut, it was far worse: I was asleep. That's scary. I don't want to live my life asleep to all the good things God has for me and the plans He has for me. I'm awake now. My alarm is blaring, 5:14...5:14...5:14. I'm done sleeping and just dreaming, I'm ready to be awake and alert and living out the great plans God has for me. Forget living life on the sidelines not fully aware of my surroundings. It's time to get into the game.

Open Up My Eyes

2008-06-26T12:32:00.004-05:00

Have you ever had one of those, 'Duh!' moments? I know I sure have! The past couple of days haven't been much different either. I mean, I get so caught up in the bad stuff in life I completely miss the good. I'm too absorbed in that car crash on the news, that bad grade, that injury, illness, and the list goes on and on. When, in reality, most of those bad things don't matter much. Of course there are bigger things that happen that do really make you feel bad. But a lot of the time there small things that really aren't worth your worry. I know how bad I get about that. Fortunately, I have recently had the privilege to sit and talk with a good friend and it really opened my eyes. It made me really stop and think about my life and how it's so much better than I think. I realized just how many blessings God has placed in my life. I mean, so many great friends from church, so many fun evenings I've gotten to spend with my family and at the ball games. I'm in good health, I have a roof over my head, clothes to wear, food to eat, friends and family, what else could I need? All the rest of the stuff I think I need is most likely want not necessity. I'll have to learn that lesson in time...(I'm working on it!) So, what I'm really trying to say here, is OPEN YOUR EYES! Don't miss out on all the good stuff God has placed in your life and all of the good stuff He's doing in your life! When you open your eyes to all those blessings it will blow your mind! I know it blew mine!

I'm At it Again!

2008-06-21T19:03:00.003-05:00

Okay...So I'm at it again! Writing another story! So, of course, I'm going to post it for you all. This one is another lyric-infused story. This song is A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton! So, enjoy! Let me know what you think!

A Thousand Miles

Makin’ my way downtown
Walking fast
Faces pass
And I’m home bound

Lacey couldn’t see. Her vision was blurred with tears. Her nose ran uncontrollably. The icy December air bit at every inch of exposed skin. Her tears felt like ice frozen on her face. Her fingers were numb, her lips blue. She was probably quite a sight to the others she passed on her way through town but she could care less. They had their own problems and she had hers. She could only focus on her own at that moment. Hate and anger consumed her body into a rage. She flung herself against a building then fell into a heap on the ground. Her body convulsed with her steady sobs. Then as quickly as the anger filled her, it left her. Now she was left scared and upset. She picked herself up and continued on her way.

Staring blankly ahead
Just making my way
Making my way
Through the crowd

She reached the thick part of town. People were jammed onto every possible spot on the sidewalks. Lacey pushed her way through, not excusing her self in doing so. She forged through one way, and then shoved her way through the other. She received many glares and some choice words but she didn’t take notice to any of them. She kept her focus ahead. She was just determined to get home.

And I need you
And I miss you
And now I wonder…

She reached the outskirts of the city and slowed her pace. She thought back to just hours earlier. She sat through a funeral service, her family members surrounding her. Not a dry face could be found. People she didn’t even know had shown up to give her their condolences. She had slightly smiled to acknowledge their kindness then looked away. She was in no mood for small talk with strangers. As soon as it was over she grabbed her coat and scarf and left. She called to her family that she would meet them at the house. None of them argued with her to stay. Smart family.

If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time,
Would pass us by?

She found a park bench and sat on it. How could this have happened? How could have her mother just died like that? It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that she had to lose her mother, her best friend, at just 15 years of age. Who would she go to when she needed to talk? Had a guy problem? Or just simply needed some one-on-one girl talk. Her dad? As much as she loved him, conversations about some things just wouldn’t be the same, and slightly awkward. Her best friends? Of course she had them but the bond between them just wasn’t the same as the bond between her and her mother. She loved all of her family and friends dearly but nothing was going to be the same ever again. She just wished she could simply sit there forever and forget the world. Forget time. Forget every pain and heartache she had ever gone through. Life just seemed so unfair.

I’d walk a thousand miles
If I could just see you
Tonight.

As strong as her desire to sit and forget the world was, just as strong was her desire to run. Run so hard it felt like her lungs would burst. Running like that would help take some of the pain away. Get her mind off things. But she had nowhere to run. She lived in a city. She almost decided on running in circles. Anything was better than nothing at that point. She would have run forever if it would bring her mother back. Or at least brought her close. Close enough to reach out and touch her, to hug her last one time, to actually say goodbye. It was the simplest thing that would do so much for her at that moment. The one thing she had been deprived of.

It’s always times like these
When I think of you
And I wonder
If you ever think of me

It had been six long months since her mother’s death. The pain was finally beginning to fade. All the same, it was still there. It was warm June afternoon and Lacey was walking around the park. The same one she had come to the night of her mother’s funeral. It had become her “spot”. It was her place of refuge, where she felt safe and protected. She would just sit and breathe. Something she needed desperately to do to stay sane. It made her feel refreshed and more alive then before she had come. She always left wondering though, if somehow, somewhere, her mother was still watching her.

‘Cause everything’s so wrong
And I don’t belong
Living in your precious memories

The moving on part during those six months was hard for Lacey. It was near impossible. Cooking Christmas dinner without her mother just didn’t feel right; the gingerbread men lost their taste, the ham was too dry. Christmas morning held no joy, no excitement. They had always been a Christian family but after their mother’s death, they had all forgotten the real reason for the season. Lacey woke up Christmas morning impassive and barely there. By mid March life had begun to return to normal. Then by June it was as if her mother never existed. That thought killed Lacey inside. She kept quiet though. She didn’t want to bring back that black cloud that had hung over them for so long.

It’s always times like these
When I think of you
And I wonder if you ever think of me

Lacey had returned back to the park one late July evening. Happy, precious memories of her mother floated through her mind. She sat on her usual bench, although there was another woman on the opposite end. Lacey minded her own business, and the lady did the same. Lindsay sighed as a gentle, steady rain began to fall from the gray skies. The lady got up and headed for shelter. She offered Lacey her umbrella since she was returning inside. Lacey politely declined and the woman left. Lacey noticed a small folded piece of paper on the side of the bench that the lady had recently occupied. She reached over and grabbed it before it received more rain damage. She turned to call after the lady but she was already gone. Lacey carefully opened it up. A bible verse was scrawled across it. “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:10
Lacey smiled. So she was being watched. Not by her mother but by God. He cared about her no matter what. He was there for her no matter what. He had been with her the entire time. Why hadn’t she realized that before? She pushed the thought aside. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t thought of it before, it mattered that she realized it now. She got up from the bench with an added spring her step. The rain had stopped and the clouds were parting. Lacey began her journey back home. The journey that once seemed like a thousand miles. Now, it was like nothing. She moved quickly as she had some very important things she needed to remind her family. This time instead of that black cloud though, she was bringing the sun.

Any Suggestions??

2008-06-20T14:14:00.002-05:00

Okay...I am at a serious writer's block here. I cannot think of anything to write about!! So...now...its up to you guys. What do you want me to post about? Anything in particular? Any input and suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!

~bloggergirl24~

Filling in the Gap

2008-06-12T14:15:00.002-05:00

So...since I don't have anything to write about...I decided to post yet another story for you all to read. Hopefully you guys like this one. It's a little different because I incorporated song lyrics into the story. So, let me know what you think!!

BREAKAWAY

Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window

She sat motionless in her bedroom. Rain pounded on the roof of her small, run-down house. She listened as the shutters flapped furiously against the wall just outside her bedroom. Barely hanging there, she was sure they would fly off in this storm. Lightning flashed and the lights in the house flickered. She still didn’t move. Thunder rumbled so loud it shook her house. She still didn’t move. The sound of the front door slamming did move her though. That meant her father was home. She quickly closed her shabby curtains and dove onto her mattress on the floor. If her father found her up this late he would make sure she regretted it.

Dreaming of what could be
And if I'd end up happy
I would pray

She had only wanted to do what she loved; to sing. She was the top singer in her choir at school. Her music teacher thought highly of her singing abilities and highly of her as a person. Her father however, had different opinions. To him, singing was a waste of time. He thought she should be at home doing chores and helping her mother rather than staying late after school just to ‘speak songs faster than normal’. He just didn’t understand. Her mother did however, but her fear of her husband often crushed her hopes and dreams for her daughter. At least the ones she displayed publicly. Inside, she believed her daughter could do anything. She would never tell her husband that though.

Trying hard to reach out
But when I tried to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me

She rolled over onto her back and flipped on the lamp next to her bed. Pulling up her sleeves she revealed bruises and scars. Along with some fresh ones she received just that afternoon.
She had stayed late after school to practice with her music teacher, thinking her father would already be at work. Unfortunately she didn’t know he worked a later shift that evening. He was sitting in the living room, waiting for her when she entered the door.
“Where have you been, young lady?” he asked.
“Nowhere,” she answered quietly.
“I said, where have you been?” His voice grew louder.
“At school,” her voice still small.
“At where?” his voice grew louder still.
“School.”
“You weren’t doing that awful singing junk, were you?” He was on his feet now.
“Yes I was,” she whispered and closed her eyes, knowing just what to expect. Sure enough, only seconds later she felt his rough hand ram into her arm, then his heavy boot into her shin. She bit her lower lip to keep from crying out; it would only make things worse. He grunted and then walked away. She ran to her room and had been there ever since. She pulled the sleeves back down. The memories those scars brought were too painful to think about. Her pain ran much deeper than just physically.

Wanted to belong here
But something felt so wrong here
So I prayed I could break away

Hours later she was still awake. She could hear the soft melodic tick of the clock as seconds passed by. Thought after thought kept rolling through her mind. What had she done to deserve this? Wasn’t her best enough? Did he not love her? All she wanted was for him to love her as much as she loved him. Was that too much to ask? She would paint pictures for him in kindergarten and bring them to him with pride. He would take one look at it, mutter something like pathetic or worthless under his breath, and then tear it to pieces and throw it away. Then later, when musicals and performances rolled around she figured he would like those. He never showed up. Not once. In fact, he had forbidden her to continue singing. She couldn’t, of course, so she stopped mentioning her upcoming musical, or choir practice. He still knew though. He always seemed to know. She was determined to get out of there though. She knew something better was out there waiting for her. She just had to find it.

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes til' I touch the sky

The next morning she was up early. She fixed breakfast and left her mother and father each a plate on a table. She grabbed her small backpack of things, the keys to the car, and was gone. By the time anybody missed her, she would be halfway across the state.

And I'll make a wish
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway

Driving down the highway, she knew this may not be her best idea but it was all she had. 45 more minutes and she would be living with her aunt and uncle in LA. She’d be away from all the pain and abuse. Living in a place like LA would give her more of a chance of being discovered too. She wasn’t about to turn around anytime soon either. This was one change that had to be made.

Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget all the ones that I love

She pulled into her aunt and uncle’s driveway and parked the car. She sat in the driver’s seat for a moment. She thought about her poor mother. She should have at least left her some sort of note of explanation. No, it would have been too risky. Her father would have been sure to get a hold of it. Besides, it was much too late to be worrying over things like that. She stepped out of the car with the sense of a new beginning; and this time she was going to start it right.

Wanna feel the warm breeze
Sleep under a palm tree
Feel the rush of the ocean

Months had past since she joined her aunt and uncle. School was going great and she was headed to a possible recording contract. LA’s top talent agent had overheard her one-day after school singing. The rest was history.

Get onboard a fast train
Travel on a jet plane, far away (I will)
And breakaway

She was headed out on her first headlining tour. Tickets were selling out fast, news stations nationally were running stories on her, and she had finally made it. But to her, it wasn’t just the thrill of fame or fortune. It was about the breaking out of her abusive home and stepping into new light. She had finally gotten away from it and made her dreams come true. She knew back at home her father still wouldn’t be proud but she didn’t care. For once, his approval didn’t matter to her. True, the scars were still there and memories flashed through her mind, but they were hurting less and less each day. She was breaking away and that was all that mattered.

She reached her hotel and sat on the edge of the bed facing the window. She sat motionless. Outside, rain poured down. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. She didn’t move. Out in the hallway, a door to a room slammed shut. Still, she didn’t move.

Sneak Peek ;)

2008-06-08T22:19:00.007-05:00

Alright..so...I often have little thoughts and short parts of stories come up in my head. I like the ideas but..usually get nowhere with them. Although, I had this one come up that I really liked and so I'm going to post it here and let you all tell me what you think. Thanks for any input guys!! (P.S. I'm thinking about titling the story or book or whatever it is I may do with this excerpt, The Piano Man. Alright..enough babbling...here's the excerpt!)

She silently slipped into the back of the room. It was completely dark aside from one spotlight that shone above a man playing a piano. Her heart raced and her body trembled as she listened to his song. Gentle rhythms, amazing melody, and stunning chords captured her heart and soul. She watched intently as his graceful fingers danced upon the black and white keys. He carefully pressed each one but he composed a remarkable piece of work. It was obvious this man put his everything into the song. His body moved back and forth in jerking motions to the beat of the song. His head thrust down toward the piano and then back up again as if shouting to the sky. The man began to play louder, the adrenaline in the room increased and he thrashed about on the piano into a crescendo of hard-hitting notes. But they still fit that incredible piece of work that he had being softly playing just moments before. Suddenly, all was quiet. The man looked frozen in his spot on the piano bench. Then slowly, his right hand went down and played a simple note. His left hand followed, and another note followed. Four more chords floated through the room before all was silent once more. The man let out a deep breath and his head fell downward. There was a quick click from somewhere in the room, and then it was completely dark.

Valedictorian Speech

2008-05-26T22:41:00.003-05:00

Here is my Valedictorian Speech. Hope you like it!

Good evening, thank you all for coming tonight. It is an honor and privilege to stand and speak in front of you this evening. To my classmates I would just like to say how amazing these past few years have been. Life just wouldn’t be the same if I hadn’t met you guys. Thank you for that. I’d also like to thank God for the opportunity to attend such a wonderful school. I’ve learned so much over the years. St. Paul not only teaches you math, science, language, reading and social studies, St. Paul also teaches its students good morals and values; about being our best and respecting others. Most importantly they teach us about God. About His love for us, how much he cares for us, and how he died for us. The teachers at St. Paul also set the standards high. Sometimes they may seem a bit too much but they only do that because they expect our best efforts and know that we all have the potential to succeed. Their faith and belief in each of their students is just another great quality of this school.
With everything said about the great teachers, I would like to take a moment and personally thank every teacher that helped us make it this far. They are: Mrs. Pacilli, Ms. Koewn, Mrs. Hennrich, Mrs. Easley, Mrs. Sherrill, Mrs. Bishop, Mrs. King, Mrs. Judge, Mrs. Revoir, Mrs. Smith, Mr. Sherrill, Mrs. Johnson, and Mr. G. They made our journey through St. Paul so much more enjoyable, fun, and meaningful. THANK YOU for that. There are also a few other people that should be mentioned: Mr. Joe for the great coaching and all the times he’s had to clean up after us; Mrs. Rickus for every scrape she’s put a band-aid on, every headache she’s medicated, and every paper she’s copied; Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Province for the numerous school lunches they have cooked for us; Mrs. Voglesang for all the times she’s had to clean up after us also, Mrs. Hovis for teaching us the value of reading, Mrs. Towler for teaching us the value of music, and Mrs. Gierse for keeping us in shape.
As we stand before you all now and we finally graduate, there is only one question left in our minds: Do we make you proud? Have we done enough, said enough, become enough to make you proud of us? Parents? Teachers? Friends and other family? Are you proud of us? This past week one song keeps playing in my mind. Some of the lyrics go like this:
I've never been the one to raise my hand,
That was not me and now that's who I am
Because of you I am standing tall,
My heart is full of endless gratitude,
You were the one, the one to guide me through,
Now I can see and I believe it's only just beginning
This what we dream about
But the only question with me now
Is do I make you proud?
Stronger than I've ever been NOW
Never been afraid of standing out
But do I make you proud?
I hope that we do make you proud. I hope that each one of the teachers that helped and encouraged us along the way are proud to say, ‘I taught those kids.’ I hope every parent in the room is able to stand tall, and stand by their children and say with pride, “This is my child. I am proud of him or her.” The same with all the friends and family members. I know we’re proud of our accomplishments and we’ve worked hard to earn them.
Our journey to this moment hasn’t always been easy. No one ever said that it would be though. Along the way we’ve had some bumps and bruises and low and hard times. But they all have on thing in common: they brought us closer. Yes, sometimes we may have fought or gotten in an argument but we always got through it. We realized what we were fighting over was a small matter, so we let it go, forgave each other, and kept moving forward. There were other times though, that hit us harder. There were some really difficult situations; both personal and as a class. At the time, the situations were awful, almost unbearable. But we all came together as a class and worked through our problems. We encouraged and comforted each other. The end result? A stronger and more mature class. Looking back today, I’m almost thankful for those hard times. Those times are what helped shape us into who we are today. Every time we overcame a problem a little piece of who we are fell into place. So, if trading those bad times for some happier times meant losing who my classmates are today…I wouldn’t do it. These people sitting here, whom I’ve grown up with, have become some amazing people. I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
So, as the year has wrapped up and we’ve come to the end, all of us eighth graders have realized just what we’ve taken for granted all these years; all of the fun activities that won’t be the same at public school such as chapel services and National Lutheran Schools Week. We’ve also begun to look back and remember all the good times we’ve experienced and how quickly all the years flew by. The things we’ve enjoyed everyday without even noticing it have become cherished events. We realize now that nothing can truly last forever. Even though we may be leaving St. Paul physically, it doesn’t mean that we’ll be leaving it emotionally. With all of the memories, experiences, life lessons, and friends we’ve made, it would be impossible to leave St. Paul all together. The people that I’ve called classmates for the past 8 years are no longer just classmates; they’re family. Even though leaving here is incredibly hard, it is inevitable and the necessary next step for us all to take.
For the kindergartners here today it is the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. For the 8th graders, it’s the end of that same chapter we began 8 years ago. But it doesn’t stop there for us. We’ll all move on to high school and begin yet another chapter. We may move into a different setting with different people but we’ll always remember St. Paul; all the things we learned, the people we met, and the memories that we made.
I pray that as we all go to high school we’ll always remember that most important thing St. Paul taught us about. I hope we never forget how much God cares about us. About how He’s always there for us. Just like it says in Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I hope we’ll always trust and put our faith in God. To rely on him and seek his guidance. So…congratulations St. Paul class of ’08! WE MADE IT!!!!!

It's All from Your Perspective

2008-04-24T20:53:00.002-05:00

You wake up and look in the mirror. There, glaring at you is a huge zit. You freak out, you can't go to school, your life is over. You determined to stay home today, not even world war III is going to get you out of there. Then you get a phone call from a friend, co-worker, or family member and you whole perspective changes. That little pimple on your forehead is now nothing compared to your friend, co-worker, or family member's problem. You pick yourself up out of bed, get dressed, and are out the door. That pimple means nothing to you now.

I'm sure you've had one of these days. You have a problem and suddenly life is miserable for you. Then you take one quick look outside your own world and realize its nothing compared to the real world around you. Now, I'm not saying you don't have serious, big problems (you know who you are. Just Kidding! :-P ) but..sometimes...you're "Goliath" is somebody else's speck of dust. There's hunger, AIDS, war, poverty, and the list goes on and on. But not only is it world wide, it's locally too. It can be even closer than that with friends and family. Sometimes you don't even know they're hurting, and here you are going on about that zit on you're forehead when they're breaking inside from a divorce, death, illness, or so on. Sometimes its best to take a minute and look at life from other's perspectives and not just our own. Sometimes...It can make a world of difference.

So...before you start freaking out over that pimple...think of that other person's Goliath. I know it gave me a perspective check today.

I'm Back! Sorta

2008-04-14T20:29:00.003-05:00

Hey! I'm back! Sorta.... I'm with Kayla (www.aheartlikedavid.blogspot.com) I got tired of looking at the same blog every time I signed in. But anywho..I've been thinking and thinking and trying to find something to write about but I've come up short. And then I tried writing some more one-shots and have a story started but...I have yet to finish it. So...I am working on starting up my posting again...hang in there! Most likely my next post will be a one-shot but...then again..who knows..I may have another sort of inspiration. So stayed tuned! The best is yet to come! (or so they say...)

~*BLOG ON!*~
!BLOGGERGIRL!

Light Through the Madness

2008-03-19T16:30:00.003-05:00

As many people around my area know, we have had some MAJOR rain and some MAJOR effects. Quite a bit of flooding has been going on. If you drove down by the park and soccer fields yesterday you would know how bad it got. I know many people weren't exactly excited to get all the rain and flooding, I know I wasn't exactly enthralled. With water leaking into the basement and having to use a shop vac to get it up wasn't exactly my idea of a good time. But, anyhow, back to my point.
Today as the rain continued to pour down for the probably the 30th hour straight, something happened. It started to SNOW! And I'm not just talking these little flurries or whatever, I'm talking BIG snow flakes! Thankfully we had a substitute today (yes, I was one of the "lucky" ones who got to go to school today) and she took us outside for a quick minute. As we got outside we realized it wasn't really snow, it was more like slush falling from the sky. It was the wettest snow I have ever felt. We all returned back into the classroom and continued our work. As I looked down at the red hooded sweatshirt I was wearing today I saw all of the rain/snow drops that were still clinging on. I began to wipe them away but stopped. One dropped looked a lot like blood. I checked my wrist, I wasn't bleeding. I then realized it was because my sweatshirt was red that it made it looked like blood. It reminded me of something. It reminded me of the blood that Jesus shed on the cross for our sins. It was so amazing to me how symbolic it all was. There I was covered in the "blood" of Jesus, and then I looked out the window and realized the whole reminder went one step further. It was snowing. Because I am I covered in the blood of Jesus Christ, I am washed as white as snow. It was just so awesome how even through all of this flooding and crazy weather, God was able to use it as an opportunity to teach me something through it. He used the whole thing as kind of a reminder of what this weekend is about. All of this flooding is so symbolic of Him washing away all of our impurities, all of our dirt, and sins. Then with my slushy snow and "blood" symbol. So, for all those affected by this is some way. Think of it as a blessing. As a message from God. I think He's just preparing us for Easter weekend in the most memorable way there is.

Never Alone

2008-03-17T18:08:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I thought I would go ahead and post this one-shot I wrote (In case you're wondering, a one-shot is a short story, very short, in fact, what you see written here is the entire story.) I wrote it awhile back. Hopefully you guys think it's alright.

Never Alone
A One-Shot

An icy, stinging rain poured down all around her. She pulled her coat tighter around her frail, thin body but it didn’t help. Nothing helped anymore. She had no one who cared about her and nowhere to go. She felt so helpless, so alone. She was one in a crowd of millions; she was invisible.
Her breath came out in short quick puffs. She watched as her breath formed quickly into a little cloud and just as quickly dissipate. Her whole body shook as she cried. Her tears were lost; mixed in with the rain running down her face. Her clothes felt heavy, her shoes sloshed with every step.
She stumbled and fell into the flooding streets. She didn’t even bother to exert any of the little energy she had left to pick herself up. She lay there shaking. Her entire body stung with cold biting at her. She felt panicked but relaxed at the same time. It would be over soon. She wasn’t in the physical condition to live much longer. Her eyelids grew heavy, and her head felt light. She slowly let her eyelids relax until her eyes were fully closed.
She felt herself drifting off when she heard a voice. At first she thought she had just dreamed it and ignored it. Then it came again. She felt someone’s hand on her shoulder. She gradually rolled over and saw a man looking at her.
“Why are you just laying here, Jessica?” He asked.
How does he know my name? She wondered. She didn’t respond but instead just looked up at Him puzzled.
He gently lifted her onto her feet.
“It’s going to be alright,” He said.
“Who are you?” She asked. The first words she had been able to speak since her encounter with this man.
He looked at her lovingly. “I know you better than you know yourself, Jessica. I was there the day you were born and every day since then. You are mine.”
Under normal circumstances she would have felt worried and frightened. For some reason though, she felt extremely calm and at peace.
“I love you Jessica,” He said. “I love you more than you know. I died for you.”
Suddenly Jessica was in awe. She knew who He was. He knew she had made the realization. He embraced her in a hug. She cried on His shoulder because she knew soon it really would be over. Her pain and suffering was about to cease and eternal life and joy was awaiting her.
“Just have faith and follow me,” He said. And she did.

The Lake View

2008-03-02T19:36:00.008-06:00

Me and a couple of my good friends went to the lake in FredTown...(i had no idea we had a lake...lol) and it was absolutely amazing!! It was so beautiful! And we got a good workout in the process!! I definitely recommend going down there sometime if you haven't been already.

Student Life Tour '08

2008-02-21T21:52:00.002-06:00

Okay here is my long overdue blog about Student Life Tour '08. I'll try not to leave anything out.
Alright, so we left on Friday afternoon at about 2 o'clock. We drove for about 2 hours when the unexpected happened. We blew a tire while driving down the highway. When this happened we were next to a really big truck, I think an 18-wheeler. There was a loud POP! and then we served over and then Dave Ruhman, (the best bus driver ever!) managed to get the bus back into our lane and then off onto the shoulder. So, there's a school bus on the side of the road, with 40 kids and Life Group leaders in it. Jeremiah and some of the other adults managed to get a hold of someone to come fix the tire. The high school bus took the high-schoolers to an eating stop and then came back for us. Looking back, it was probably quite a sight. 40 kids and some adults, walking along the side of the highway and then up the hill to the overpass and onto a school bus. It was quite the adventure. The bus took us to where the high-schoolers were and we all ate dinner. We were back on the road at about 6:45-7:00. We were going to be late for the conference.
We reached the conference at about 8:45 or 9:00. That left only 1 hour of that night's session. We managed to slip in for music and that was it. We all headed back to our hotels and then got some sleep. In all it totaled to about 5 hours of sleep. Then we got up ate breakfast and headed to the church for the morning session. Then we ate lunch and went back for the afternoon session. The speaker, David Platt, was PHENOMENAL! While I was ready to head home at that point, I was also sad to see it end.
We headed off once again for another 5 hours of driving. We stopped along the way to eat some dinner. We reached Jackson and decided to stop and get some gas. They filled it up and Dave got back into the bus and tried to turn the bus on. Nothing. He tried again. Nothing. The bus wouldn't start. We had to get someone to help and like...jump start the bus or whatever it is they did. They managed to get the bus going and we headed off again although we knew the bus ride home could and would be tricky. To begin with, it was dark, rainy, foggy, our headlights barely worked, and we were on curvy back roads. On top of that we were running on the bus's low battery. We were about 10 miles away from Fredericktown when I heard Dave tell two of the small group leaders to pray. He said our battery was running really low. One of them got up and lead us all in prayer. Then we were told not to talk so we wouldn't fog up the windows or anything and Dave had to turn off everything he possibly could. He had to turn off his wind shield wipers, defogger, heating, everything. People were getting up and wiping windows for him when the windows began to fog up bad. I sat there in that bus seat and prayed and prayed that we would make it home safely. We came up on Calvary Temple and Dave goes, "Praise God, we made it." And we all began to cheer. I had never been so happy to see Fredericktown in my life. We pulled into the parking lot of the church and I was off the bus in a heartbeat. In fact, I probably won't get on another bus for a long time.
But let me just say this. You can read my story and think, "Oh my goodness! That had the worst luck! Their trip was probably awful!" and come off with a negative perspective. Or, you can find God in this story. It was God that pulled us away from the truck to safety. He was with Dave, our bus driver, and the driver of that truck next to us. The truck next to us was able to swerve at the right time so that we didn't hit him. Had he not moved, it may not have turned out so well. Thanks be to God for getting us through that situation safely. When the bus wouldn't start, when we were on those dangerous, curvy, back roads, when the battery almost died on us, God was there. God was with us and taking care of us, and God got our little old rickety bus home to Fredericktown. I thank God for this past weekend and all that He showed me through our tricky bus situations.
At first I was beginning to have second thoughts about going on the trip at all. I began to fear that I wouldn't make it that far away from home. I stood in the parking lot of the church before the trip with my dad and he told me I had to make a choice. I stood there unable to decide. And then, with the strength only God could have given me, I turned around and walked into the church building. Then getting onto the buses I almost decided to go over to the office where my mother was and just stay with her but I got on that bus with God helping me the whole way. After our tire incident I began to wonder if going on this trip was a mistake but as the weekend went along it was made clear to me that it was no mistake, no accident, and there are no regrets now. I thank God for giving me the strength to go on that trip and for those bus situations. (weird I know but bear with me) Through those tough times, God was able to show me that He was always there with me and that He is strong enough to overcome anything. His strength was made perfect in our weaknesses with the bus. So don't take negative things away from this story, take positive God things away from this. Maybe its time for you to get on the bus and let God show you just how strong He is and how much He cares for you.

It's the Inside that Counts

2008-02-09T21:12:00.000-06:00

I've been reading this book No Body's Perfect and it has some very good stories in it. Sort of like a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. In it are many poems and there was one I really wanted to share with all of you. (actually there's many which I may post later.)

It's the Inside that Counts

Once upon a time, not too long ago,
There lived an old man by the name of Joe.

Joe made dolls of all shapes and sizes.
Some wore coats and some wore disguises.

They ranged in colors from black to white,
And came in all sizes from heavy to light.

There were some that were simple and some could light up,
Others would talk and never shut up.

Each doll was different, no two were the same,
And every doll had its own name.

Roger resembled a star football player,
And William looked a lot like the mayor.

Bertha was short, a bit round and quite plain,
While Jenny was pretty and destined for fame.

Joe sold the dolls in a small, redbrick store,
Twelve hours a day people came through the door.

Folks bought the dolls for kids, sisters, and brothers.
Needless to say, some sold better than others.

The boys liked the ones
That held knives and ray guns.

A doll with long hair and a long, puffy dress,
Is usually the one that the girls liked the best.

Some people collected one of each kind.
Others had one special figure in mind.

One day a girl, who was unlike the rest,
Came in to pick out the doll she liked best.

She would randomly pick out a doll from the pile,
Keeping her eyes closed, she would hold it a while.

Then ever so careful, she'd put that doll back,
And pick up another doll from the rack.

Joe watched the girl as she held Annie, then Nick,
Secretly wondering which doll she would pick.

Then she picked up a doll no one handled before,
Not noticing the face or the clothes that it wore.

The doll had loose seams and was missing a leg,
And the clothes that it wore were made out of a rag.

The hair on the doll was like the hair of a clown,
And the face of the doll bore an unpleasant frown.

This doll was about as worn out as they came.
It was the only doll that didn't have a name.

But as the girl held it, she knew with no doubt,
That this was the doll she'd been dreaming about.

Joe rang up the doll and when he was done,
The total came to $3.71.

As she gave him the money she said, "It's too bad,
The doll that I want has a face that's so sad."

"What made you pick her? She looks such a dread.
Why didn't you choose one with a smile instead?"

The girl looked up at Joe and said, "I just bet,
I know why this doll is so very upset.

She sat on the shelf being the best she could be,
But an ugly old doll was all people would see.

Since no one would hold her, they never found out,
It's not the outside, but the inside that counts."

Joe was impressed by this little girl,
She's one of those people who sees a rock as a pearl.

She was unlike the rest and what set her apart,
Was instead of her eyes, this girl saw with her heart.

Mollie Thill

Don't Worry Now

2008-02-04T20:18:00.000-06:00

Today I was reading my Bible and looked up the word worry in the back index of topics. It referred me to anxiety which then lead me to this passage:

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more vauable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomnorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kinbgdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. ~Matthew 6:25-34

That passage speaks so much to me. If you're like me you worry about a lot. I worry about stuff all the time, including all the things mentioned above. I worry about what I'm going to eat that day, what I'm going to wear, and a wide variety of other things. Another big thing I worry about is storms. As you know, we've been having some pretty crazy winter weather this season. Many heat waves and severe storms have been popping up. Now, thunderstorms freak me out. Well, its mainly the high winds and possibility of tornadoes that really freaks me out. I can take the rain and some occasional thunder and lightning but I really don't like the severe stuff.
But I shouldn't be worrying about all of this stuff. God knows whats going to happen tomorrow, and no amount of worrying on my part is going to change the outcome of what's going to happen or add another minute to my life. So instead of sitting at my desk at school biting my nails down to little nubs I just need to relax. God is in control and the thought of that to me is just overwhelming. No matter what, God is in control. He knows me and knows where I am at all times. He is constantly watching over me and taking care of me. It just blows my mind that a God as awesome as He is, would take the time to watch over ME. I don't deserve it. I don't deserve a second glance but God loves me. I am SO thankful for that. SO SO SO thankful for that.
So no longer do we need to worry about food, drink, and clothes. We just need to put God and His kingdom first and God will take care of the rest. I definitely need to just give it all to Him.

Dear Father,
Thank you so much for loving me. Thank you so much for caring about me. Thank you for taking care of all my needs and being stronger than all of my fears. Please help me not to worry about so many things. Especially the little things. Help me keep my focus on You. I love you.
In your name I pray,
AMEN

Constant Reminders

2008-01-22T20:32:00.000-06:00

As I sit here, (breathing very hard by the way) I watch as my sister executes an excruciating stair climb exercise. As I started volleyball practice for my USAV team this week I have begun my own at home conditioning training. As I ran my stairs my sister decided she was going to try doing it too. It is NOT easy folks, the longer you climb up and down the heavier you legs seem to get. That didn't stop Megan. She started up the stairs giving it all her energy, all her focus, and all her determination. As I watched it reminded me of how we should be doing this everyday. Not running up and down stairs, but giving all our energy, focus, and determination into having a life-changing relationship with Christ.
We usually don't give God all the attention He deserves from us. I fall short in that area quite often myself. That's definitely something I need to work at in 2008. I think sometimes we only half-heartedly seek a relationship with Christ. We decide we will work harder at it tomorrow. Oh, our personal God time can wait another day or two. I'm too hungry to wait and say a prayer or I'm too tired to say a prayer before I go to sleep. TODAY IS THE DAY! Don't wait until tomorrow. What if it doesn't come? What are you going to tell God? I'm sorry God, but those extra minutes of sleep were more important to me than spending time with You. That sports practice, or that shopping spree was just higher on my priority list. I don't think that's going to fly with God. He expects our best and that's the least that we can give Him. He gave His only to Son to die for US. We had a great debt in sin and God paid it in full.
As my sister completed her last climb up the stairs she shouted, "Victory is mine!" With Christ we can have a victory too. A victory so great its incomprehensible. When we finish our race we'll be able to stand at the finish line and shout, "Victory is ours!"

Some Quick Updates

2008-01-22T19:24:00.000-06:00

Okay...since absolutely NOTHING else is coming to mind to write about I'm just going to post some quick updates on whats going on with Blogger_girl.

*Testing at school this week! UGH!! =(
*My aunt just had her triplets last week!!! They are so tiny!!! And soooo cute!!! hehe
*I just started volleyball practice with my new USAV team...I LOVE IT!!! All the girls are so nice!!
*I beat Guitar Hero III on the Medium Level!!! Now I'm working on Hard!
*I can barely move because I'm so sore from volleyball practice. I never knew I was this out of shape!! hehe...Time to head to the GYM!!!
*My sister is dancing randomly through the basement...strange...;)
*Went and ate lunch with my Grandma in the Nursing Home yesterday. She always looks so happy when we visit. Hope you enjoyed your turkey sandwich Grandma!! =)

Thats about it for now!! Talk to ya'll soon!!

In Honor of Barry Phegley

2008-01-15T18:10:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, the father of one of my good friends passed away. He had been sick for a long time; he had been battling cancer. So if you all could remember his family in your prayers that would be great. I just wanted to make a post in honor of him.

Meadow Heights and the Ark

2008-01-11T15:45:00.000-06:00

Well, as many of you all know, Meadow Heights is now officially 1 church in 2 locations. How stinkin' awesome is that? As I think about how everything has gone concerning the project and after I read a post on http://www.bucketology.com/ (if you aren't already reading this blog you definitely need to check it out!) I realized something. This whole event going on with Meadow Heights church reminds me of a very well known Bible story. It reminds me of Noah and the Ark. You're probably going, "What? We're not building a boat! There's no torrential downpours coming!" but that's not exactly what I mean. In Noah's story, God tells Noah to build this boat. We're not just talking your average sailing boat, we're talking an enormous boat! These are the dimensions from the book of Genesis, chapter 6 verses 15-16: "This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks." Now that's a pretty big boat, right? So in quick summary, God has told Noah to build a boat, this boat is to be BIG, and Noah really has no idea what is going on. In verse 22 its says: Noah did everything just as God commanded him. That's pretty amazing that Noah just completely trusted God and did everything He said, just the way He said to. Then God tells Noah to get into the boat with his family and 2 of every animal for He is going to flood the earth and wipe out every living creature He had made.

Now, I don't think with this new worship site in AV God is telling is to all get inside the church to escape from flood waters, but with this new worship site He is going to save so many people. See, just like when Noah was building the boat and everybody was coming up to him and mocking him saying, "You're crazy! You're never going to build that Ark! It's impossible!" people also said that about the AV church. They said we were crazy, they said it was impossible and that we would never be able to pull it off. But just like Noah, with the help of God, we've been able to complete the AV site. Something else so similar to the story of Noah is that it was all done by ordinary people. I'm pretty sure Noah was just an ordinary guy who loved God and was ready to serve him. With the new worship site God used just ordinary people, (no offense to any Meadow Heights people reading this, you guys are truly amazing to me and to God as well!)
He didn't use the President of the United States, or Albert Pujouls and He didn't use some well-known celebrity. Its so amazing what God has done through us, doing through us, and will do through us at Meadow Heights and I feel so blessed just to be a part of the church. I may not have been able to do much in the building process and everything and I may still not be able to really do anything right now but I will. I'm so ready to give back to the church, to do something that will help further the Kingdom of God and give Him the glory. For God deserves so much more than what we are able to give to Him. I'm sure that I will find my spot in this amazing church. I know that when the time is right God is going to show me what I need to be doing at Meadow Heights and I've decided that I'm going to be ready.

I am so thankful to everyone on the Meadow Heights staff and everyone who helped turn that AV site dream into a reality. You all are my heroes and I'm so thankful that the Meadow Heights church said YES to God and took that next right step. THANK YOU EVERYONE!! THANK YOU GOD FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO IN US!

Happy New Year!!

2008-01-01T23:48:00.000-06:00

Goodness...I almost forgot!!
H*~A*~P*~P*~Y*~ N*~E*~W*~ Y*~E*~A*~R*~!!!!

Branching Out

2008-01-01T23:42:00.000-06:00

Alright, as you can probably tell I have many posts on music or lyrics. Since there are so many I decided to create another blog just for music called P.S. Turn it Up! Here's the link for anyone interested:
http://www.musicuploud.blogspot.com/

Thanks for all comments and support!!

Say It

2007-12-31T12:58:00.000-06:00

Say It
By Britt Nicole

Okay, so I’m gonna say it
I’m not afraid to say it
The clocks on my wall keep ticking,
the moments that I keep missing
Okay, so I must confess that
I’ve settled for so much less than
What You designed, I’m not taking my life one day at a time
‘Cause life is short and quickly passing by
Father, will You help me make the most of what is mine

With eyes open wide
I’m taking You in
Making the time mean all that it can
I don’t need a sign I just need to begin,(need to begin like this)
With every second of every minute
I’m livin’ in it and that’s how
I Say it
Oh yeah, I’m gonna say it,
oh yeah, yeah
That’s how I say it
Oh yeah I’m gonna say it, oh, oh

I got so much to discover
A hand I could lend another
A word that could bring some healing
Is there any better feeling?
Hold up, gotta see the beauty
Hold up, gotta let it move me
I wanna be, with You here in the now
I’m done missing out

[CHORUS]

Let me fall in Your arms
Resting here in Your arms,
I found A peace like I have never known, like I have never known
Counting every star
Nothing’s ever too far
With You here
I see it all so clear

[CHORUS]

[source: christian-lyrics.net]

You

2007-12-31T12:54:00.000-06:00

You
By Britt Nicole

I've been looking for love in another's eyes

Searching for water, but I come up dry

Thought that I could find

Happiness in the world's applause

Peace of mind in a worthy cause

Take me back, take me back

Got to trust in the simple truth

Got to trust all I really need is

[CHORUS]

You

I'm coming back to You

The only thing I know worth living for

Will You take this heart and make it more like

You

I give it back to You

It's obvious no one could love me more

I'm Yours

I'm coming back, yeah

I'm coming, coming back

To joy that speaks to my deepest need

To arms never far out of reach

Yeah, how Your love it

Calls to me when I lose my way

Holds me close when I feel afraid

Take me back, take me back

Got to trust that I'm safe and sound

Got to trust that it all comes down to

[CHORUS]

So no more getting caught in the middle

No more waiting for what is unsure

Back to Your love so true and so simple

Don't understate it or complicate it

It's so simple, yeah, it's so simple

It's You

I'm coming back to You

The only thing I know worth living for

Will You take this heart and make it more like

You I give it back to You

It's obvious no one could love me more

I'm Yours

I'm coming, coming back

You I'm coming back to You

The only thing I know worth living for

Will You take this heart and make it more like

You

I give it back to You

It's obvious no one could love me more

I'm Yours I'm coming, coming back

You, coming back to

You, You coming back

You, coming back to You, You coming back

I'm Yours, I'm Yours, yeah, yeah

[source: LyricsMania]

Artist of the Week

2007-12-31T12:44:00.000-06:00

*drumroll* Its Artist of the Week time!! It was originally going to be Song of the Week but this week I couldn't choose just one song from this artist...she's absolutely amazing. The Artist of the week is Britt Nicole! I'll post just a couple of them; the ones that mean the most. (To me anyway.) She is an incredible Christian artist and I hope you enjoy!

Set The World On Fire
I wanna set the world on fire
Until it's burning bright for You
It's everything that I desire
Can I be the one You use?

[CHORUS]
I, I am small but
You, You are big enough
I, I am weak but
You, You are strong enough to
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
There's nothing I can not do
Nothing I cannot do

I wanna feed the hungry children
And reach across the farthest land
And tell the broken there is healing
And mercy in the Father's hands

[CHORUS]
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
There's nothing I cannot do
Nothing I cannot do

My hands my feet
My everything
My life, my love
Lord, use me
I wanna set the world on fire
I wanna set the world on fire, yeah
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
There's nothing I cannot do
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
There's nothing I can't do
Nothing I can't do
I'm gonna set the world on fire
Set the world on fire

[source: LyricsMania]

~MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!~

2007-12-25T23:26:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!! Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed holiday!!! Next up: The New Year!!! This year sure has gone by quickly!!

Music for the Soul 3

2007-12-22T18:08:00.001-06:00

Now for the last one. Its kind of about my life too. Enjoy!

WHY DO I DO - JUMP5

Why do I do the things I do?

Sometimes I feel like I am so insecure.

If I could learn a thing or two from you,

then popular opinion I could ignore.

You are enough for me, I don't need anything but you.

Ya.You are enough for me, and I don't need anything,

CHOURUS

'Cause you have given me more than I could ask for,

more than I could ever imagine.

And you keep givin' me love,

you keep on liftin' me up,

it doesn't get any better.

Why do I do the things I do?

Lord, everyday is showing me something new.

I need to slow down, need to learn from you.

'Cause you're the only one I should listen to.

You are enough for me, I don't need anything but you.

Ya.You are enough for me, and I don't need anything,

CHOURUS

'Cause you have given me more than I could ask for,

more than I could ever imagine.

And you keep givin' me love,

you keep on liftin' me up,

it doesn't get any better.

Lord you show me how,

to deal with life as it comes around.

Even when I'm down,

I can count on you to help me stand my ground.

'Cause you have given me more than I could ask for,

more than I could ever imagine.

And you keep givin' me love,

you keep on liftin' me up,

it doesn't get any better.

CHOURUS

'Cause you have given me more than I could ask for,

more than I could ever imagine.

And you keep givin' me love,

you keep on liftin' me up,

it doesn't get any better.

You keep givin' me love,

you keep liftin me up.

You keep givin' me love,

you keep liftin' me up.

You keep givin' me love,

you keep liftin' me up.

You keep givin' me love,

you keep liftin' me up.

*I can't find a link to this song...sorry....*

Music for the Soul 2

2007-12-22T17:57:00.000-06:00

Here's the next one!! The last one was about a boy (hehe... =D....obviously) the next one is more about my life.

LEGACY - NICHOLE NORDEMAN

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me

And I enjoy an accolade like the rest

And you can take my picture and hang it in a gallery

Of all the Who's Who's and So-and-So's

That used to be the best at such and such

It wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights

We all need an "Atta boy" or "Atta girl"

But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides

The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love?

Did I point to You enough

To make a mark on things

I want to leave an offering

A child of mercy and grace

Who blessed Your name unapologetically

And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile

To make a lengthy list of all that I enjoy

It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile

Where moth and rust, thieves and such

Will soon enough destroy

I want to leave a legacy

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love?

Did I point to You enough

To make a mark on things

I want to leave an offering

A child of mercy and grace

Who blessed Your name unapologetically

And leave that kind of legacy

Not well-traveled, not well-read

Not well-to-do, or well-bred

Just want to hear instead

Well done, good and faithful one

I want to leave a legacy

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love?

Did I point to You enough

To make a mark on things

I want to leave an offering

A child of mercy and grace

Who blessed Your name unapologetically

And leave that kind of legacy

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me

LINK TO SONG: http://youtube.com/watch?v=d0S0ep-QsNI

Music for the Soul

2007-12-22T17:42:00.001-06:00

I just love how much songs really do express our emotions and feelings about situations, past or present, we are going through. It seems like every week I'm finding a new song to go with my life at that moment, or coming across an old one that fits perfectly now, rather than whenever I found it. So, as of now, I'm going to try to have a post every week designated for my, "Song of the Week." Right now I actually have three so I'll have to break it up into three different posts. Maybe one of these songs I post now or will post in the future will fit into your life too and will help you.

SONG 1: See You Again - Miley Cyrus
I've got my sights set on you
And I'm ready to aim
I have a heart that will
Never be tamed
I knew you were something special
When you spoke my name
Now I can't wait to see you again
I have a way of knowing
When something is right
I feel like I must have known you
In another life
'Cause I felt this deep connection
When you looked in my eyes
Now I can't wait to see you again

The last time I freaked out
I just kept looking down
I st-st-stuttered when you asked me what I'm thinkin' 'bout
Felt like I couldn't breathe
You asked whats wrong with me
My best friend Leslie said, "Oh she's just being Miley."
The next time we hang out
I will redeem myself
My heart can rest til then
Whoa Whoa, I
I can't wait to see you again

I got this crazy feelin' deep inside
When you called and asked to see me
Tomorrow night
I'm not a mind reader, but I'm reading the signs
Bet you can't wait to see me again

The last time I freaked out
I just kept looking down
I st-st-stuttered when you asked me what I'm thinkin' 'bout
Felt like I couldn't breathe
You asked whats wrong with me
My best friend Leslie said, "Oh she's just being Miley."
The next time we hang out
I will redeem myself
My heart can rest til then
Whoa Whoa, I
I can't wait to see you again

I've got my sights set on you
And I'm ready to aim

The last time I freaked out
I just kept looking down
I st-st-stuttered when you asked me what I'm thinkin' 'bout
Felt like I couldn't breathe
You asked whats wrong with me
My best friend Leslie said, "Oh she's just being Miley."
The next time we hang out
I will redeem myself
My heart can rest til then
Whoa Whoa, I
I can't wait to see you again

Whoa Whoa, I
I can't wait to see you again

LINK TO THE SONG: http://youtube.com/watch?v=PDET_TrS4_Y
NOTE: When it says, "Oh she's just being Miley." I usually substitute my name in there in my mind...hehe...makes it REALLY fit me... ;)

LIVE IN THE MOMENT

2007-12-08T23:05:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I already was in love with this song, but after going to church and hearing it along with an amazing message, I love it even more. Listening to it being sung, it was almost as if Steven Curtis Chapman himself wrote it for that very moment. I thought I would share the lyrics to the song for all of you. Definitely check it out sometime.

MIRACLE OF THE MOMENT
By Steven Curtis Chapman

It's time for letting go
All of our if only's
'Cause we don't have a time machine
And even if we did
Would we really want to use it?
Would we really want to go change everything?
'Cause we are who and where and what we are for now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about

So breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss
The miracle of the moment

There's only one who knows
What's really out there waiting
In all the moments yet to be
And all we need to know
Is He's out there waiting
To Him the future's history
And He has given us a treasure called right now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about

So breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss
The miracle of the moment

And if it brings you tears
Then taste them as they fall
And let them soften your heart
And if it brings you laughter
Then throw your head back
And let it go, let it go
You gotta let it go
Listen to your heartbeat

Breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
Its right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss
The miracle of the moment

Breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
Its right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss
The miracle of the moment

Regret and Trust 2

2007-12-08T23:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I posted a post about regret and trust; a few hours later I went to church and guess what two things showed up at one time or another? Yep, you guessed it: REGRET and TRUST. Bryan talked about how being busy this season you could miss out on things and REGRET them looking back. Then, in a song there came the word TRUST. It said TRUST in the Lord and in Him alone. That was my answer to my prayer, I need to TRUST in the Lord and LIVE IN THE MOMENT so I won't regret anything later on.

PRAISE GOD!!

Regret and Trust

2007-12-08T13:03:00.000-06:00

For some reason these are the two things that are on my mind right now. Regret and Trust. Regret is always the last thing anyone wants to feel. (Next to pain) Regret: when you've done something you wish you hadn't or hadn't done something you wished you had. It seems to fill you and stay with you for days, even weeks. It keeps you from doing the things you love or not allowing you to be happy. Its close to depression I guess, if you really think about it. Eventually it leaves you, just never soon enough it seems. Just when you think you've gotten over it and you're going to be okay, something pops up that reminds you of that situation that you regret so much.

Trust: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.
The real definition of trust. Since its confidence and reliance on someone or some thing, when you lose trust in that person or thing, you've lost a lot. It's especially hard to for that person or thing to gain back your trust, it takes time to build back up that confidence and reliance. So be careful when you say things to your friends or family, or when making decisions; you don't want to regret it later. Be careful too, when sharing those 'secrets' with you friends, or with family; think about that trust and how valuable it really is.

Just a few "pick-me ups"

2007-11-28T20:35:00.000-06:00

Well, since I've been rather down lately, (being sick and all) I figured a few "pick-me-ups" wouldn't hurt. These are just some funny quotes I found on the internet.

"If Barbie is so popular then why do you have to buy all her friends?"

"Borrow money from a pessimist, they don't expect it back."

"What are the three words guaranteed to humiliate men everywhere? 'Hold my purse.'"

"A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kickboxing."

Worst excuse for not turning in homework: "I couldn't find anyone to copy from."

"He who laughs last didn't get it."

"Everyone has a photographic memory, some just don't have film."

"Who are you and how did you get in here? Frank: I'm a locksmith...and I'm a locksmith."

"Why is it called 'after dark' when its really 'after light'?"

Just thought those were funny and hopefully at least one of them made you smile today.

source: http://www.coolfunnyquotes.com/

Just a Little Inspiration...

2007-11-26T19:58:00.000-06:00

I know that as kids, (I like to say young adults) sometimes we get looked down on. We're younger, so we're less experienced; at least that's what they say. While that is very much true there always seems to be one light that breaks through. In this youtube video, a young famous teenager (age 14 at the time) reveals he has diabetes for the first time. Even at this young age he knows just the right words to make you tear up and actually feel something about the subject he is talking about. I hope you take the time to watch it and realize just how inspirational us "kids" can be sometimes. Take a look:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RDQkejvNi5k

No Ordinary Girl

2007-11-25T16:31:00.000-06:00

I may live in an ordinary world, in ordinary circumstances, in ordinary settings, but I, by no means, am an ordinary girl.

You see that at the top of my blog and I think that does describe me and just about any other girl out there. We're all different and beautiful in our own ways. No one can tell us otherwise. The word ordinary has many different definitions. Some of them being: 1.) Of no special quality or interest; commonplace; unexceptional. 2.) plain or undistinguished. 3.) Somewhat inferior or below average; mediocre. 4.) customary; usual; normal.

I don't know about you, but I definitely do not want to be any of those. In spite of the dictionary's definitions, each of us have our own special qualities. I love this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

How painfully true that is. The only way other people can makes us feel inferior, like we're nothing, is when we let them. That happens when we let our guard down, we believe what they say, and let their words get to us. No more, I've decided that. I'm not going to let them make me feel inferior. I'm going to stand up for what I believe in and what is right. Today, I officially am NO ORDINARY GIRL.