Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Really??

   HOW can people that are terrible singers and try out for American Idol, really truly think they are a good singer?! Wow. This is something that really bugs, but homors me at the same time. People get on that show and walk in with big bird costumes on, or sing about their pants being on the floor, or men that sound like a really bad girl (or in some cases, the complete oppposite)!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl_HvEHSlxQ

I must say, the producers of the American Idol show definitely know how to catch people's attention (as observed) and they do a good job! But when it comes to the actual people on the show, how they SINCERELY believe they are good and be completely upset when they don't get through (even though there wasn't any chance at all for them)?! It's one of those things that will probably always confuse me is other people's mindset and how someone can be soo terrible, but they still think they are good. Even if I had a terrible voice, I would be saying the same thing. I don't wanna sound like I'm coming from a judgemental point of view because "I'm so great," but "really?"
            For all of you terrible singers who try out for American Idol....
                                                                                                       "Really?"

Monday, January 25, 2010

I can read your license plate all too easily

I'm tellin' ya. The Lord must really love me when it comes to me and driving! I love driving, but when it comes to vehicles and other drivers, they don't tend to like me as much. Now we all have pet peeves right? Well I would sure hope you say yes, because if you say no... you're lying. Well, unfortunately I have a plethora of those pet peeves. It's kind of something I need to work on... a lot, but I am quite the opinionated person. Yeah it helps with some things, but it also proves my lack of patience sometime. Ha Well one of the places that my patience is tested the most is driving. Why would you intentionally drive 5+ (mostly more) mph UNDER the speed limit?! "Wow. You think you would be able to tell that you're going slow when there is a line of thirty cars behind you. Like who taught you to drive anyway? Your dog? My Great Grandma drives better than you are right now! *Flash of highbeams* C'mon man... you just made me spill my hot tea all over my lap because you drive like a child!" Haha these are a lot of the typical rants I carry on while someone is being ridiculous driving. I must say though that probably the most common thing I say is "really? Seriously?" Seriously... why would you "really" be going this extremely slow? Does this not bother you at all, or am I the only one? (Please don't tell me I'm the only one) Just ask my siblings... I get bothered easily while I'm driving. Now, I am trying to work on this... I really am. Music helps set off the mood. I've also noticed that one of the biggest things that helps is leaving early! Who would've thought?! Yep. I've noticed that almost every time I leave early, I don't that problem of tailgating following people closely.
   So just kind of a random thought... but while I was driving today, I really picked up on all of the little things I say to other drivers who can't even hear me. lol It's almost comical when you think about it. My sister laughs at me all the time because we'll be driving, and all of sudden, just randomly I start talking to another driver, and she's like "Whaaat?!" Ha Then we both laugh. Good times.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Some random pictures

Gahhh! Older pictures... gotta love 'em. Here are a few pictures of our yg that surfaced just recently on the good 'ol facebook. So I though I would share some :)

                                








                                                           Singing at Church :)







                                        Here's the YG doing some specials for singing. Good times.





Ha Good 'ol Q & A time. I'm obviously smarter than everyone 'cause I don't have my hand up.
I'm just joshin'





Me and Jesse bein' weirdo's. :-]p





Haha... oh this picture. So the only reason I'm posting this is because there was a funny story behind this. I had just gotten a new coat and scarf (as observed) and my friend brandon was looking at a friend's phone. Well, out of the immaturity of some people, they were saying that we looked really weird standing together like that with my preppy coat and scarf, and him oddly wearing his sweater like that, aaand looking at a pink phone. lol which I do have to agree.. it does look pretty funny. So I laugh every time I see this pic.





Aaaaand last, but not least, my personal favorite. We were playing a game where people has chocolate covered marshmellows and they had to try and toss them in our mouths. That was insanely gross, but pretty fun :D lol


So there they are! I wish I could post pictures more often, but unfortunately I can't as much. :p so there are some I was able to finally post :)

Friday, January 15, 2010

Keep on jogging!!!

  What is hard? What do you find difficult? What just tires you out, but you stick through it because you know the outcome will be enjoyable or worth it? Even when you don't see the outcome, or can't see past the next few minutes, do you keep going? Now obviously, you can say it depends on the situation. So here's one situation. You could be going on a jog and you have a really bad blister on your ankle, and you know that it is just going to get worse. After a while of jogging through a little pain, it just gets worse, and worse. You realize after it grows to tremendous pain that the negatives are going to totally out-weigh the positives, and "you know what?.. It’s just not worth it." Now obviously, that's probably the smart, logical choice. Why would you keep on doing something if the negatives are going to supersede the positives? Well, quite frankly, most likely you wouldn't.


Now let’s say that blister doesn't get worse, and it only hurts just a little bit, buuuut it still hurts. You keep jogging for a bit, and start to get a little annoyed. But you think twice and remember how much you love jogging. "Besides, after a while of doing this, I can get in such great shape!" It seems though that right after you think that thought, that blister just seems to slide back into our mind and remind us that it is still there and it hurts. After a while, it seems like it is getting worse and it is definitely getting more annoying. You know in the back of your mind that the blister really can't get worse and do much more damage, but it just getting harder and harder. Finally after a while of dwelling on it, you stop your pace and just start walking thinking you can just "walk it off." After a short while a walking, you start back up your pace of jogging. Feeling good, you jog even a little faster and you "feel" like you're making great progress. But once again, that stupid little blister just starts eating at the back of your mind! A short while later, you start walking again. This cycle just keeping happening over and over again. Discouragement just creeps its ways over you. You don't know what to do.

This sound familiar? Obviously you may not be able to relate to the whole jogging thing, but maybe the analogy? This is so often the description of the Christian life. I know I often find myself in this position. The idea of walking with God, doing His work, and all of a sudden a few trials come along the way. You seem to "get over" them after a while, and it just feels like you're walking great with God again. But that cycle keeps coming around, and you just get discouraged. So, why does this happen? It happens because we don't REALLY realize the benefits of the Christian life.

Matthew 16:24-26 - "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lost it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

If anyone REALLY wants God, let him DENY himself and TAKE UP his cross AND follow Him. Trials will come, and those who persevere and don't "start walking" will experience the Lord more than anything. The fact is, we should desire God more than we desire ourselves.

Deut. 6:5 - "Thou shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, soul, mind and strength."

There won't be any room left for you if you are loving God more than anything. God will consume the contents of your heart that you won't want to stop when you're out jogging. Little annoyances will be a piece of cake to overcome.

Ephesians 6:17b - "And take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."

This is our only offensive weapon listed in the Armor of God. The Bible, God's Word IS what we need and can use every single day to fight off those little "blisters" in our life. Reading God's Word is a huge way to get to know and love God more.

John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS God.

...Reading God's Word and staying in It or Him is imperative to grow in our walk with Christ and keep up the good pace. Another aspect of loving God with all of your heart is prayer. Jesus Christ is our heavenly Father. I heard someone say once, "When you get up every day, why would you just not talk to your dad? And that is just your earthly dad! WHY would you get up every day and just not talk or communicate with Him?" He should be everything! People don't realize the sovereignty of our Lord and Savior, and it's sad.

John 1:2 - "All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made"

... basically saying, without God, we would and basically are, nothing. BUT, Christ came to this earth to die to save us "nothing people" because He loved us with a love that is Indescribable. That right there is the biggest reason in the world to love and serve God! Why wouldn't you is what I ask?

So ultimately, if we actually realize who God is and what He has done, is doing and will do for eternity!... that little "blister" won't be a problem anymore.

Philippians 1:21 - "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Amen! How reassuring is it that if we are living in Christ and He has Justified us from eternal damnation, and sanctifies us every? All the more reason to keep loving Christ and showing it! When those little annoyances or even huge trials come along, we can know that we have the victory in Jesus. Stephen in the New Testament got it. He was stoned to death because of his Faith in Christ, but you know what? He gained EVERYTHING when he died that day. He is now living in heaven with his Father and Lord because he stood up for Christ. Either dead or alive, we have won the ultimate battle. How awesome is that?!


So, sorry about the super long post here, but this is something that is very dear to my heart and I kinda just wanted to share some of it. :) It's great to know that we can look forward and know that anything we may go through is totally worth it for Christ. Keep on jogging!

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -”Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Call me sicky...

   Wow... so it's nearly the middle of January. Very weird to think about. It seems like just yesterday I was celebrating New Year's Eve. But nope,, more than two weeks are now done and through. I try not to think about it too much because it scares me when I think about how fast time goes. Another thing I'm slightly disappointed about is how little I've been blogging. Before I started this blogging thing, I had soo many ideas and things that I would've loved to write on, but the inspiration for topics and posts has just come and gone when it pleases. More going then coming unfortunately. So when I was out driving today, I had my laptop sitting next to me calling out my name. He was telling me that I needed to write a blog, and I HAD to agree. So, without further thinking, I stopped at our local Panera Bread (which is one of my favorite food places) because I was craving a good latte, and of course, they had Wi-Fi. Hehe Well I got in the store, got my gingerbread latte (mmmm), sat down and got all cozy then opened my laptop getting ready to write a blog. I get to that spot we all go to write out blogs, aaaand nothing. Nothing came to me. The inspiration for writing a blog just left me. I was kind of upset a little. I sat there for a good three minutes just staring at the blinking insertion point before I decided I wasn't able to think of anything. So here I am, sitting here on the couch, watching American Idol... sort of. I've come to the conclusion that I really don't need a "topic" to write on. So, without further a due, I will now "blog."


   Well, the last few days I have been sick. Not exactly something I enjoy. I would say that I don't enjoy it, but that wouldn't be a sufficient explanation. Quite frankly, I HATE getting sick. I always feel so unproductive and lazy, and not to mention you feel terrible. The aches and pains, the tastes or not very desirable tastes you get, the smells, no sleep, etc. etc. You know how it is. Terrible. So pretty much, my last two days, in its ways have been very blah. But then I stopped and thought again. I realized that I could've been at school sitting learning behind a desk wasting utilizing every moment of the day to excel in my academics. So when I wasn't feeling too terrible, I tried to make the most of my "not at school" days here at home. So I did a few things I wouldn't have normally done and did some stuff I needed to do.

   So it started with with Monday morning, or Sunday night if you would say. I could not sleep for anything because my stomach was twisting and turning. Felt like someone stabbed my stomach and was twisting the knife (not that I would know what that feels like). I didn't think too terribly much of it until I got up to go to school and went to get a shower. Well as soon as I walked in that stupid 'ol bathroom, I found out how sick I really was. : p I don't need to go into any more details. So, I did what I want to do every morning I wake up for school... go back to bed. Ha. But I didn't end up waking up until noon! I really felt like a bum then. So I went upstairs, almost embarrassed to enter everyone else's day when they were most likely already into lunch. Well, lucky for me, no one was in lunch. My mom was actually preparing for a ladies thing she was hosting that night at our church, and she was cooking cooking cooking. So she got me right to work... and ya know what I ended up doing?! Nope... didn't end up cooking anything. Worse... I got to cut small pieces of paper for over an hour! Yup... cut paper for over an hour. I won't go into details because I don't want you to feel any worse for me. So, after that torture, I got to run errands for about two hours. Now, for me, I enjoy running errands. Yep, another random fact about me,, I enjoy running errands. Ha So I came home and felt terrible still, so I plopped on the couch, and watchya know, I fell asleep. For two hours in fact. I was all excited that my family was leaving the house to go somewhere, and I would be home by myself where it's quiet, and I could play the piano. :) It's always great to play the piano in a super quiet house, all by yourself. Well, that didn't happen because I fell asleep. HA! And I didn't wake up until my family walked BACK into the house! Oh man I was so disappointed! Lol But oh well. I ended the day peacefully and quietly. Now today, I woke up at eleven, which I was a little more satisfied with, and I felt a lot better. Thankfully, I didn't start out the day cutting little pieces of paper. :D Instead it was a pretty uneventful morning, which was pretty nice. But later I went out running more errands :) I went out looking for a job. :-/ I worked at Aeropostale (the clothing store) as a temp worker over the holidays. I enjoyed it a lot, and planned on staying longer, but unfortunately there weren't any positions available. Oh well though,, it was a great experience. So here I am now,, jobless.. again. The job pursuit turned out okay today. Unfortunately, I am picky. Probably not a good thing. But either way, I ended up applying at JCPenney's, and while I was sitting in Panera Bread sipping my latte, sulking over the fact that I couldn't think of a something to blog on, I decided to apply at Panera for a job! So I got something accomplished while I was there! Now I'm just trying to think of one more place to apply for a job. I'm thinking Dicks Sporting Goods, but not totally sure. Any suggestions? Oh! And also, while I was out, I picked up a special piano book I ordered a week ago. It finally came in which I was pretty excited about. So I picked it up, brought it home, and played it for over an hour. :D The book is Hope by Jim Brickman, and the music is so beautiful. I love it already. So, that is pretty much what happened my last two days when I was sick. Probably doesn't sound like the normal activities of someone who is sick, but I didn't want to dwell on the whole sick stuff, but more on the stuff that kept my mind off of it.

   So, there it is. I gave in and just "blogged." The last two days have been "sick days," but they've been "good" days. :) Tomorrow I will return to the "normal" schedule of school and busyness. It's good though, and I enjoy it. Going back to school will be refreshing. I most certainly hope my school won't impeach me from being president because I missed school for two days! Ha! I would sure have something to blog on then! Lol

Friday, January 8, 2010

What lengths we will go to for cravings...

So... on the last day of my Christmas break (which is sadly wayyy over) I woke up super late... like really late. *Hangs head in shame* Either way, about 50% of the mornings I wake get up, I will be really craving some OJ. (For those of you who don't use abbreviations all that much, OJ is short for Orange Juice... OJ just sounds so much cooler) Well that particular morning, the craving was really gettin' to me. I just HAD to have it. Ya know how that feeling is? Terrible... So, after a very short mental battle, and returning to the fridge repeatedly hoping some OJ would just materliaze out of thin air, I gave in. I took my lazy person and threw it to the wayside for a bit, and I decided to make some OJ. Yup... I said MAKE. Heaven forbid! Well at first, I thought it would be this huge ordeal that would take forever, and it wouldn't be worth it, etc. etc... whatever excuse my mind could think of to not do it. But I ended up doing it anyway.


Well... first step is complete. Find some oranges and slice 'em in half. This took about an amazing two minutes.

Second step: Find the orange, de-juicing, twisty, white thing... This took roughly another 2 to 3 minutes. Found it hiding in a cupboard...

De-juicing those yummy looking oranges took 5 minutes tops... and I only did two of them. My craving was reeaaally getting to me at this point... it's almost here though!

Yay!! The amazing product of my work resulted in this amazing 7 oz. of some really good OJ. Oh it was so good! Definitely the best 7 oz. of liquid I have had in quite some time!! :) My silly craving was satisfied almost instantly after drinking that good 'ol OJ :)

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Redemption

   Just today, I was going through my journal and happened to stumble upon an older "post" (on paper) that I had written. I remember writing this sort of wanting to have a creative feel to it, but have a purposeful meaning. It was somewhat based on a song called "Feels Like Redemption" by Michael English (I believe) which I loveee. The theme of redemption through Christ really motivated me at the time (and still does continually) so for some reason, one night, I felt like writing this short little "story type thing." This was written back in March of 2009 (weird to think that 2009 is in the past) and when I read through it, I felt like I wanted to share this on my blog for others to read. It may not be that great,, especially for those of you who are english majors and have degrees in story writing, lol but this was just out of fun and I think it has an important message,, and that was my main focus. :) So... here it is!
                      "Redemption"

   Despised and rejected, feeling out of place, treated like a stranger, even though you know my face. It's the way you have learned, to hide yourself, and everything you've earned. To not face the day, or the people within it. To hide your face in dismal despair, as if you never existed. You sit in the darkness, simply waiting to die. They evil one encourages you, and tells you that you amount to nothing. You've become so blind with hate, that you don't see The One's hand reaching for you. You're emotions are filled with so much self pity, that you've deafened yourself to The One who is calling your name. He tries to reach out to your heart, but one time after another, you reject Him and harden your heart even more. You don't even realize it, but you are starting to fade away. Others around you feel painfully hurt and are sorrowful for you. They try to help you, but you've blinded yourself so much that you don't even recognize or notice their efforts. Day by day, minute by minute, thought by thought, you slowly fade into the darkness. You begin to look like and become more like darkness himself. He encourages your despair and weariness. He delights in all of you. You have occasionally have second thoughts, but he just reminds you of how pathetic and miniscule you really are, and you immediately are reminded why you are as low as you are. It is because you are really, nothing.


   Just as you feel that you will fade into the darkness completely, give up on everything you have ever known or heard of, and disappear into darkness, letting eternity take it's rightful place, The One appears and calls out to you one last time. You faintly hear a name which you haven't heard in such a long time.. your's. You listen closely in anticipation, as if hearing your name called out would save you from such despair you have grown to recognize as normal. Your name is called out again, and your heart skips a beat. You try and call out, but you realize you can't because your fear is keeping you silent. In desperation, you throw the chain of fear off of your shoulders that has been for so long weighing you down. You call out once again, projecting a voice that you haven't heard in such a long time. The One's voice echoes through the darkness again, then, nothing. You try and peer through the shadows, but you see nothing. All of a sudden, you see a small beacon of light shining from what you believe to be upwards. You stare persistently, transfixed upon the light. Amazed, it looks like a beacon of hope after not seeing light for what seems to have been an eternity. You hope and pray that it could be a source to pull you out from your pit of despair. You hear your name called again, followed by the words "Come unto Me." You see a single hand descend from the light that is now growing much more intense and brighter. Your eyes squint as you try to reajust to the light. The hand slowly descends and lowers to eye level as the words "Come unto Me" continue to echo thorough your head. You try to reach this hand, but it seems to be way out of reach. You attempt to walk toward the hand, with the hope of a rescue from darkness you know you can't live with for the rest of time, but you are unable to move. You glance at yourself with the now visible light, and remember why you were here in the first place. You see chains covering your body, weighing you to the floor, holding you down from any easy escape. You read the chains, for each boldly pronounces itself. "Chain of PRIDE" you read off the biggest of them all. You read the other chains bearing the names "Chain of DESPAIR," Chain of DISCONTENTMENT, and "Chain of SELFISHNESS and GREED." You try and move again, and again, trying harder each time, but you proceed not one inch, for your chains are surely weighing you down. Frustrated, you get mad at yourself as you feel the evil one himself add another chain to the collection you already posses, "Chain of FAILURE." Depressed instantly, you begin to completely give up, but the voice calls out one more time, Come unto ME." With the last bit of hope you have left, you call out at the top of your lungs, "I can't on my own! You must help me." And with that, you drop your head in sorrow thinking of all the things that you had done to get yourself in this position. You open your eyes catching a glance at the largest chain of the all, and read the words, "Chain of PRIDE." You tell yourself that you are the only reason you are here and lost so deep in this darkness. You call out one last time, looking to the hand that is still set before you, " You are the only One who can help me! For I am weak and am nothing without You!" And as soon as the last words leave your mouth, you hear the sounds of metal hitting the floor, You open your eyes and are nearly blinded from the intense light that surrounds you. After catching your senses, you look at the ground and see the chains that were at once bound upon your neck, now lying in pieces on the ground. You look up and see a man in white robes standing right in front of you with His arms open wide. His hands have holes in them, but you barely notice because of how awestruck you are. You stare at His face trying to recognize Him, but He breaks the staring by saying three words. He simply says, "Come unto Me." And without any hesitation, you run up to Him and give Him a big hug knowing that this man is The One who saved you from your darkness. He hugs you back and once again says three words. Through your tears of joy He simply says, "Welcome home, son."

Praise God for His redemption for us through Calvary!

Time

Time slips away. It passes by like it was never even there. Where does it go? Where does it end? Why does it seem to go so fast? One moment, then another, then another,, the same pattern carries on as we spend all of our "moments" just "doing." Actions last for a while, but are soon forgotten. Your whole life comes and goes as if a blink of an eye. Before you know it, you're childhood days are gone, and you are now an elderly man or woman. You're sitting quietly to yourself reminiscing your whole life, and then, you are gone. You go to one of two locations, and that's where you will spend the rest of eternity.
   Eternity: no beginning, no end, no time, no rushing, no care for the past, present or future. Eternity is Eternal meaning forever, and words cannot even begin to scratch the surface of describing these real concepts. It is impossible (without God). Only One person that walked on this planet could have ever understood this conept of eternity,, and that was Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Now I don't understand eternity, or even begin to wrap my mind around it, but all I know is that I want to spend my "never-ending time" with God... the One who holds time and Eternity in the palms of His hands, yet IS eternal and abides outside of time. He WAS, is, and ALWAYS will be. God KNEW us before anything man's feeble mind has ever come to understand was put into place. That's about the best way to describe it. He has ALWAYS known us, and cared for us.  Now that's the God I want to spend the forever part of eternity with! Man that will be amazing!

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