Stand Up, Speak Out

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

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!

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:

Ragen

Paige

Stepheny

Alicia

Amanda

Matt

Chase

Be Fearless

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

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

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

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