Be strong in the Lord and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got His hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say
So I've been feeling super stressed lately with my future plans and the song the words I would say by the sidewalk prophet makes me feel so much better! Even though I have my doubts, it reminds me that every thing is going to be okay!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Maybe?
Hey guys! So it's been awhile, I know! There has been some really awesome things in my life going on (RACHEL'S CHALLENGE AND YOUTH RETREAT!!) and I've tried to blog about them. But I just can't. They are experiences that I can't seem to put into words. I don't do them justice. So I realized maybe I'm not supposed to share these events. Maybe I can't put them into words. Maybe these experiences happened to me for a reason. Maybe I'm not ready to share. Maybe these things impacted me and touched my heart so much that I still do not understand them. Maybe I still have to comprehend these things before I can write about them. Maybe some day when I am ready and able I will blog these things. Maybe...just maybe...
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The Silence is Deafening
This Sunday I attended a lock-in called We Stop Hate. It was focused on bullying and it really got me thinking about some things...
We all know them. The person in the corner. The person in the hallway. The person that never says anything. The person who has no friends. The person with no point of view. The person who is invisible.
NO. NO, NO NO. That is all wrong. That person in the corner does not want to be in the corner, but is probably scared of the rest of the people taking up the room. That person who never says anything, probably has a million things to say, but no one is taking the time to care or listen. That person with no friends, has Jesus as a friend, a true friend, and maybe that special friend is the only thing keeping this person from taking their own life at night. The person with no point of view, trust me they do. And it's probably a greater view than anyone else because they see things that others are too narrow minded to see. And the person who is invisible. They're not. They are shining, they are beautiful. They deserve to be seen. ...and maybe we are all of these people. We all have felt like this at some point in our life.
“Turn to me and have mercy on me, because I am lonely and hurting.
My troubles have grown larger; free me from my problems.” -Psalm 25:16-17
It is our job to seek out these people. To notice these people, to acknowledge these people, to speak to these people, and most importantly, listen to these people. They need to be heard. Too many shootings and suicides occur. And the majority of these tragic events happen with teens. This is because some individuals are ignored. No one should live a life that they want to end. No life is worth ending.
So reach out to these individuals. Make them feel as important as they are. Be caring. Show kindness. Share God's love. Make a difference. Change a life <3
We all know them. The person in the corner. The person in the hallway. The person that never says anything. The person who has no friends. The person with no point of view. The person who is invisible.
NO. NO, NO NO. That is all wrong. That person in the corner does not want to be in the corner, but is probably scared of the rest of the people taking up the room. That person who never says anything, probably has a million things to say, but no one is taking the time to care or listen. That person with no friends, has Jesus as a friend, a true friend, and maybe that special friend is the only thing keeping this person from taking their own life at night. The person with no point of view, trust me they do. And it's probably a greater view than anyone else because they see things that others are too narrow minded to see. And the person who is invisible. They're not. They are shining, they are beautiful. They deserve to be seen. ...and maybe we are all of these people. We all have felt like this at some point in our life.
“Turn to me and have mercy on me, because I am lonely and hurting.
My troubles have grown larger; free me from my problems.” -Psalm 25:16-17
It is our job to seek out these people. To notice these people, to acknowledge these people, to speak to these people, and most importantly, listen to these people. They need to be heard. Too many shootings and suicides occur. And the majority of these tragic events happen with teens. This is because some individuals are ignored. No one should live a life that they want to end. No life is worth ending.
So reach out to these individuals. Make them feel as important as they are. Be caring. Show kindness. Share God's love. Make a difference. Change a life <3
We. Stop. Hate.
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. "-Ephesians 4:31-32
Friday, February 24, 2012
One day too late.
Just another song that goes with my blog titled when the sand runs out.
Tick tock hear the clock countdown
Wish the minute hand could be rewound
So much to do and so much I need to say
Will tomorrow be too late
Feel the moment slip into the past
Like sand through an hourglass
In the madness I guess I just forget
To do all the things I said
Time passes by
Never thought I'd wind up
One step behind
Now I've made my mind up
Today I'm gonna try a little harder
Gonna make every minute last longer
Gonna learn to forgive and forget
Cause we don't have long, gonna make the most of it
(Today) Today I'm gonna love my enemies (today)
Reach out to somebody who needs me
Make a change, make the world a better place
Cause tomorrow could be one day too late
One day too late
One day too late
Tick tock hear my life pass by
I can't erase and I can't rewind
Of all the things I regret the most I do
Wish I'd spent more time with you
Here's my chance for a new beginning
I saved the best for a better ending
And in the end I'll make it up to you, you'll see
You'll get the very best of me
Time passes by
Never thought I'd wind up
One step behind
Now I've made my mind up
Today I'm gonna try a little harder
Gonna make every minute last longer
Gonna learn to forgive and forget
Cause we don't have long, gonna make the most of it
(Today) Today I'm gonna love my enemies (today)
Reach out to somebody who needs me
Make a change, make the world a better place
Cause tomorrow could be one day too late
One day too late
Your time is running out
You're never gonna get it back
So make the most of every moment
Stop saving the best for last
(Today) Today I'm gonna try a little harder (Today)
Gonna make every minute last longer
Gonna learn to forgive and forget
Cause we don't have long, gonna make the most of it
(Today) Today I'm gonna love my enemies (Today)
Reach out to somebody who needs me
Make a change, make the world a better place
Cause tomorrow could be one day too late
One day too late
One day too late
One day too late
One day too late
Share
Tick tock hear the clock countdown
Wish the minute hand could be rewound
So much to do and so much I need to say
Will tomorrow be too late
Feel the moment slip into the past
Like sand through an hourglass
In the madness I guess I just forget
To do all the things I said
Time passes by
Never thought I'd wind up
One step behind
Now I've made my mind up
Today I'm gonna try a little harder
Gonna make every minute last longer
Gonna learn to forgive and forget
Cause we don't have long, gonna make the most of it
(Today) Today I'm gonna love my enemies (today)
Reach out to somebody who needs me
Make a change, make the world a better place
Cause tomorrow could be one day too late
One day too late
One day too late
Tick tock hear my life pass by
I can't erase and I can't rewind
Of all the things I regret the most I do
Wish I'd spent more time with you
Here's my chance for a new beginning
I saved the best for a better ending
And in the end I'll make it up to you, you'll see
You'll get the very best of me
Time passes by
Never thought I'd wind up
One step behind
Now I've made my mind up
Today I'm gonna try a little harder
Gonna make every minute last longer
Gonna learn to forgive and forget
Cause we don't have long, gonna make the most of it
(Today) Today I'm gonna love my enemies (today)
Reach out to somebody who needs me
Make a change, make the world a better place
Cause tomorrow could be one day too late
One day too late
Your time is running out
You're never gonna get it back
So make the most of every moment
Stop saving the best for last
(Today) Today I'm gonna try a little harder (Today)
Gonna make every minute last longer
Gonna learn to forgive and forget
Cause we don't have long, gonna make the most of it
(Today) Today I'm gonna love my enemies (Today)
Reach out to somebody who needs me
Make a change, make the world a better place
Cause tomorrow could be one day too late
One day too late
One day too late
One day too late
One day too late
Share
Quotes I adore
Never forget the essence of your sparkle
Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you others can see Him.
When one door closes another opens. But often we look so long so regretfully upon the closed door that we fail to see the one that has opened for us.
Sometimes you have to stand alone to prove that you can stand.
It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.
You see imperfection...I see the uniqueness in your heart and the saneness in your mind. Be true to yourself... not fake for perfection
We learn from every mistake we make. Let's not judge people who make mistakes because we make them too
If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything.
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.
Ability is what you are capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it.
God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Average is Your Enemy.
The only man a girl can trust is her daddy.
I think exercise tests us in so many ways, our skills, our hearts, our ability to bounce back after setbacks. This is the inner beauty of sports and competition, and it can serve us all well as athletes.
I don't know where I'm going, but I know who I'm following.
Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you others can see Him.
When one door closes another opens. But often we look so long so regretfully upon the closed door that we fail to see the one that has opened for us.
Sometimes you have to stand alone to prove that you can stand.
It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.
You see imperfection...I see the uniqueness in your heart and the saneness in your mind. Be true to yourself... not fake for perfection
We learn from every mistake we make. Let's not judge people who make mistakes because we make them too
If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything.
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.
Ability is what you are capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it.
God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Average is Your Enemy.
The only man a girl can trust is her daddy.
I think exercise tests us in so many ways, our skills, our hearts, our ability to bounce back after setbacks. This is the inner beauty of sports and competition, and it can serve us all well as athletes.
I don't know where I'm going, but I know who I'm following.
Ahhhhh.
Wow. I just wrote a really cool lent blog and it's gone! Debating whether I'm going to make it again? No way will I get it to sound the same :(
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Bad Hair & Black Gunk
I can definitely relate to this!
It was not the best morning I've ever had.
It started with me frantically shoving apart the clothes hanging in my closet, looking for something to wear to church. Nothing!
I yelled downstairs, "Mom, where's my red dress? You know, the new one!"
"In your closet, dear."
"No, it's not! I looked a million times! Is it at the dry cleaners?"
"Oh, yes. I forgot. Wear something else."
I flew back into my room and continued my search. Out of desperation, I tried on the dress with the lace trim Aunt Myrtle gave me for my birthday. I took a look in the mirror. I looked like a 4-year-old dressed by her mother. "Forget this,"
I said to myself. I got out of that awful dress and tossed it on the floor.
HONK! Dad was leaning on the car horn, getting impatient. I threw on a pair of khakis and a sweater and dashed downstairs. As I hurried out to the car, I took one last glimpse of myself in the hall mirror. Something's wrong. I have no eyelashes. I'd forgotten my make-up. I grabbed my mascara and a small mirror and headed for the car.
As I jumped into the car, my 12-year-old brother demanded, "What took you so long?"
"Don't ask!" I snapped.
Dad pulled onto the street and I started putting on my mascara. Suddenly, we hit a bump, which caused my mascara wand to go into my eye, which then began to water, sending streams of black gunk down my cheek. "Great," I said under my breath.
I tried to clean off the ugly smudges, first with my hand, then with a tissue, but that only made them worse.
My brother laughed, "Nice face!"
We pulled into the church parking lot. I got out of the car and rushed into the church with my hands covering my face.
I headed straight for the bathroom, praying I wouldn't walk into anyone.
It took me a few minutes to get the streaks of mascara off my face. But once my face was clean, I couldn't help but notice that I was having an exceptionally bad hair day. "That's perfect," I muttered sarcastically. My attempts to fix it only made matters worse, so I gave up and hurried out the door.
Naturally, I bumped right into—and I mean literally bumped into!--Adam Smith, the guy I'd had a major crush on since I was 10.
"I'm so sorry," said Adam.
"Uh … no, no. It's my fault!"
I answered. Great, Jamie, I thought. You're making such a good impression.
As we stood there, I couldn't help but think of "Beauty and the Beast," only this time the "Beauty" was the guy. I was sure Adam could see my hands trembling as I struggled for something clever to say. After what seemed an eternity, I told him I needed to find a seat and walked away.
Considering the morning I'd had, I was in no mood for company. So I grabbed a spot in the back row, away from my family. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Adam. Go away! I thought, but he sat down next to me anyway. OK, as long as I don't have to say anything, I think I'll be alright. So, of course, he said, "Did you have a good week?"
"Um, yeah," I answered. Thankfully, the service started and I didn't have to elaborate. By the time the pastor got to the sermon, my mind had begun to wander. I was thinking about my horrible morning and worrying about what Adam was thinking. For a moment, my mind tuned back in to the pastor. He was reading from Matthew 6.
"And why do you worry about clothes?" he read. "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 tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"
It was like he was talking right to me. Getting a little defensive, I thought, Everyone I know stresses over clothes! What's wrong with that?
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Yeah, right, Pastor. That's a lot easier said than done. You haven't had a morning like mine.
At the end of the service I hurriedly said goodbye to Adam and headed to the car. The ride home crept by as my family drilled me with questions. "No," I answered, "he's not my new boyfriend."
When we got home, I went to my room. Aunt Myrtle's dress lay in a heap, along with about half of my wardrobe. What a mess! Between trying to find the perfect outfit, getting the mascara off my face and running into Adam, it was amazing I'd lived to tell about it.
But as I started picking up my clothes, I remembered the words the pastor read: "Don't worry." And I couldn't help but wonder if I'd worried too much about what I wore, what my eyelashes looked like, or even what Adam might have thought of me. After all, my morning wasn't even close to perfect, but I got through it. And all my worrying didn't make things go any smoother. In fact, my panic to look the right way and say the right things actually made things worse.
Maybe next time things aren't going quite the way I want them to go, I'll remember those lilies of the field.
It was not the best morning I've ever had.
It started with me frantically shoving apart the clothes hanging in my closet, looking for something to wear to church. Nothing!
I yelled downstairs, "Mom, where's my red dress? You know, the new one!"
"In your closet, dear."
"No, it's not! I looked a million times! Is it at the dry cleaners?"
"Oh, yes. I forgot. Wear something else."
I flew back into my room and continued my search. Out of desperation, I tried on the dress with the lace trim Aunt Myrtle gave me for my birthday. I took a look in the mirror. I looked like a 4-year-old dressed by her mother. "Forget this,"
I said to myself. I got out of that awful dress and tossed it on the floor.
HONK! Dad was leaning on the car horn, getting impatient. I threw on a pair of khakis and a sweater and dashed downstairs. As I hurried out to the car, I took one last glimpse of myself in the hall mirror. Something's wrong. I have no eyelashes. I'd forgotten my make-up. I grabbed my mascara and a small mirror and headed for the car.
As I jumped into the car, my 12-year-old brother demanded, "What took you so long?"
"Don't ask!" I snapped.
Dad pulled onto the street and I started putting on my mascara. Suddenly, we hit a bump, which caused my mascara wand to go into my eye, which then began to water, sending streams of black gunk down my cheek. "Great," I said under my breath.
I tried to clean off the ugly smudges, first with my hand, then with a tissue, but that only made them worse.
My brother laughed, "Nice face!"
We pulled into the church parking lot. I got out of the car and rushed into the church with my hands covering my face.
I headed straight for the bathroom, praying I wouldn't walk into anyone.
It took me a few minutes to get the streaks of mascara off my face. But once my face was clean, I couldn't help but notice that I was having an exceptionally bad hair day. "That's perfect," I muttered sarcastically. My attempts to fix it only made matters worse, so I gave up and hurried out the door.
Naturally, I bumped right into—and I mean literally bumped into!--Adam Smith, the guy I'd had a major crush on since I was 10.
"I'm so sorry," said Adam.
"Uh … no, no. It's my fault!"
I answered. Great, Jamie, I thought. You're making such a good impression.
As we stood there, I couldn't help but think of "Beauty and the Beast," only this time the "Beauty" was the guy. I was sure Adam could see my hands trembling as I struggled for something clever to say. After what seemed an eternity, I told him I needed to find a seat and walked away.
Considering the morning I'd had, I was in no mood for company. So I grabbed a spot in the back row, away from my family. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Adam. Go away! I thought, but he sat down next to me anyway. OK, as long as I don't have to say anything, I think I'll be alright. So, of course, he said, "Did you have a good week?"
"Um, yeah," I answered. Thankfully, the service started and I didn't have to elaborate. By the time the pastor got to the sermon, my mind had begun to wander. I was thinking about my horrible morning and worrying about what Adam was thinking. For a moment, my mind tuned back in to the pastor. He was reading from Matthew 6.
"And why do you worry about clothes?" he read. "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 tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"
It was like he was talking right to me. Getting a little defensive, I thought, Everyone I know stresses over clothes! What's wrong with that?
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Yeah, right, Pastor. That's a lot easier said than done. You haven't had a morning like mine.
At the end of the service I hurriedly said goodbye to Adam and headed to the car. The ride home crept by as my family drilled me with questions. "No," I answered, "he's not my new boyfriend."
When we got home, I went to my room. Aunt Myrtle's dress lay in a heap, along with about half of my wardrobe. What a mess! Between trying to find the perfect outfit, getting the mascara off my face and running into Adam, it was amazing I'd lived to tell about it.
But as I started picking up my clothes, I remembered the words the pastor read: "Don't worry." And I couldn't help but wonder if I'd worried too much about what I wore, what my eyelashes looked like, or even what Adam might have thought of me. After all, my morning wasn't even close to perfect, but I got through it. And all my worrying didn't make things go any smoother. In fact, my panic to look the right way and say the right things actually made things worse.
Maybe next time things aren't going quite the way I want them to go, I'll remember those lilies of the field.
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