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.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, December 15, 2008
SNOW DAY!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Heroes
I just want to dedicate this song to all of my heroes.
All these heroes come and go
But you're still standing
All these heroes come and go
But you're still standing
Monday, November 24, 2008
Whatever You're Doing (Something Heavenly)
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.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Opportunity Knocks
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."
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."
Sunday, October 5, 2008
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.
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!
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