Think about it, come on, think.

How dare you call them foolish men
As you lounge in the family den
You sit and watch your plasma screen
While they fight so your grass stays green
In the Land of the Free
I wish you could simply see
That they are dying for you
So tha our anthem will always ring true
"The war solves nothing" you say again
No thought you give it, not now, not then
But if you sit and really think
That a man dies as you blink
Would you still look at them with a cynical eye?
The cynic that watches our young men die
To convict the soldiers with your heart
Then stand in church and sing "How great Thou art"
Is utter foolishness all in all
How can you sit and laugh while soldiers fall
To be free is maybe the greatest gift
So now you watch my right hand lift
To salute the ones who died out of love
And hope to meet them up above

An end and a beginning

There is always something really sad about December to me. We count down all year until the fateful day of December 25, but when the hours and minutes dwindle down to December 26, our hearts seem to grow heavy. Heavy because the Holy day is over, heavy because school starts back, or heavy because the year is coming to an end. Memories flood back into your mind of the past year and you wish to make more joyful ones. I know I'm not ready for it to end. The start of new things always seems scary, yet inviting; confusing, yet clear. Are we afraid of what's to come? Of what the future holds for us? The new year opens so many doors for you! You have a chance to start anew and define yourself. You have another chapter to fill full of adventures!!! The past year is such a small fraction of the life you have to live. The coming year is awaiting you to come and make memories with it, to walk not yet taken by anyone before. Don't look at the new year as a dragon ready to eat all of your hopes and dreams, but as the Lord waiting to use you for wonderful things. His loving hand will guide you through each day if you let him. It's so cliche, but with every closed door, another one opens.

A sin is a sin

I once talked to a girl who said she had accepted her "fate" of going to Hell because she thought her sins were too big. She said that she "tried the whole God thing" and it didn't work out. It broke me heart to hear her talk like that. She's a work of art by God and I hoped so dearly that she could see that. I'm here to tell whoever is reading this that all sins can be forgiven, but it's your choice. 1 John 1:9 says that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." A sin is a sin. Either a lie or adultery or anything, God WILL forgive you. That does NOT mean it's okay to look at porn or lie to your parents, but you can be forgiven if you're like "God, I know what I have done is wrong and I need your forgiveness. Please help me to stay close to you." There are a million different ways to say it, but you get the point right? Acts 13:38 says "Therefore, my brothers(sisters are included...), I want you to know that hrough Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you." God didn't send his one and only Son to die to watch him suffer. He loves us so much that He send His Son to die for the world (John 3:16). If you think you've done too much wrong, think again. Your sins can be forgiven if you admit them to God. Think about it.

God bless,
Emily

I just don't know

Am I a liar? A Hypocrite? A failure? A Fiend?
How many times have I tried to fly with broken wings?
A jump and begin to soar
But it's not long until I fall to the floor
I never meant to disappoint you
I just wanted to be happy too
I've done so much wrong through out this year
Have I broken all that I held so dear?
When did everything begin to change?
In my heart, a feeling so strange
A heart break that never heals
From the family that shuffles and deals

To the ones who have been there

Dealing with this pain
Sometime seems unbearable
Seeing through the dark
Sometimes seems impossible
I've been given angels
Ones from heaven in the form of friends
We all sing a song of praise
We smile and know
That we're always there
In the pain and the sorrow
Each one is loved so dearly
They are treasures in our heart
A rare jewel that isn't to be let go
No matter where life takes you
Always will you stay with me
Never will you leave my heart
Distance means nothing to us
Because we're all so close
I'll see you again, this I know
Don't forget the good times
We cannot cease to live
Because love keeps us alive
Always and forever
I promise to be your friend
Like the stars in the sky
Our friendship is unmeasurable
Always growing, always forgiving

Get me a mood ring please!

God made me a really emotional person. I must go through more moods a day than anyone else on earth. I go from laughing to crying, from rejoicing to defeated, 100 to zero in a matter of seconds. But because that happens, I'm made stronger. I'm not like your average depressed teen: I don't cut, I don't run away, I don't turn to drugs or alcohol. My release is in writing. I put emotion into what I write because I can't find a better way. Some people cut or do drugs to mask over the pain. I'm not into that. I don't want the pain to stay in me, I get it out. Like the Relient K song "Let it all out, rip it out, remove it. Don't be alarmed when the wound begins to bleed." When you put your emotion on the table, it's gonna be a little while until you can cope with it. But Jesus is there to heal all wounds. Hand your troubles to Jesus, he cares that much for us that he'll take the suicidal thoughts, the anger, the pain you feel away. 1Peter 5:7 say to "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." They don't want to look down from the Heavens and see you crying or to see the blood pour out from the razor cuts. Jesus will take that from you without hesitation. Lamentations 3: 19-24 goes like this "I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him'" Jeremiah wrote that because he was so sad that he couldn't help the city of Babylon. He was basically depressed about that. But he kept hope because he knew the God was there for him. He knew that God wouldn't let him stay in such sorrow, that he would persevere through it all. When times are bad and you feel like giving up, remember Jeremiah. He might not have gone through the same thing as you, but he knew depression but still held his faith. He's an amazing prophet that we can learn a lot from. A friend of my dad's wrote to me saying that death is permanent and it's not worth it AT ALL. What we go through is such a small fraction of our lives that might just fade into memory. If you've overcome awful situations, anything at all, I'd love to listen. When no one else cares, you've got me and Jesus.

Singing Praises,
Emily

Ready, Set, heave for breath

I learned something today while I was running. Yes, running. I need to get into shape. Round isn't exaclty my shape even though I pull it off nicely. Anyway, I was running and I realized that my heart isn't ready for it. Literally. I've never been the girl to go running just because I love it. I run if I need to get into shape, am running from someone, or am running towards something (Like the ice cream shop, haha.) Since I've never been a keen runner, I don't have the endurance to keep running. My muscles are weak and my lungs aren't prepared for that kind of thing. I mean, it would've helped to have eaten something before, but I didn't really think of that because I'm really suppose to be blonde... That was like 30 minutes ago and now I feel really healthy. Like I can breathe better and my heart is all YAY. It's like that whenever we try something different that might take a little out of us. The good stuff, nothing illegal! Standing up for your faith is REALLY similar to that. It's tough at first, but as you work through it, it gets a little easier as time goes on. A good verse to remember is James 1:3-4, "Because you know that testing of your faith developes perseverance. Perseverance must finsih its work so that you maybe be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Standing up for Jesus and your beliefs is testing your faith and therefore developing perseverance! There's a verse somewhere that says "Run the race to win" which is what we need to do. We're not here to try and backdown when our hearts are under pressure. We're here to give our all for Christ! God gave his only son to die for us and to let us live a good life, not so that we can go "I believe in Jesus" and then sit on our butts all day. If you can run the race in real life, can you run the race for Christ?

So sick of the worries, so sick of the pain

Project SOS came to my school the other day, and they really had me thinking about self-worth. So many people turn to sex, drugs, and alcohol to feel important. In the end it makes them feel worse. One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalms 139:13-14 which says "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful and I know that full well." God made you with care and he made you to be the amazing person you are now! Ecclesiastes 11:10 says "So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast all the troubles off your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless." Going out and partying isn't going to take the pain you feel away. Taking the pain out on your body by cutting and drinking is going to make everything worse. I need you to remember those verses; write them down something! I hate seeing people I care about sad and turning to awful things. I'm begging you to pray to God that you figure out how amazing you are. I know it, and I'm hoping that you can see it one day.

I'm so sick of the worries
So sick of the pain
So tired of waiting for a light in the rain
I'm praying to God to open my eyes
To see the person I am without all the lies
Just tell me the truth
I need nothing else
Am I beautiful? Am I great?
Do you love me or do you hate?
Leave the sugercoated truth on the curb
Give me the truth, I need to know
It'll make me stonger
It can't bring me down

God bless all of you,
Emily

Music is good for the soul

Music has saved my life more than once in the past. About 2 years ago I was at a point where I thought God didn't care about me and that he wasn't real. I was at an all time low and I kept debating. Relient K was my favorite band at the time and their music was full of Godly praises but I thought 'How can I listen to this music if I don't believe in God?' I didn't want to give up my favoirte band for a stupid decision. I listened to the songs like 'Getting into You', 'For the Moments I feel Faint', 'Over Thinking', and 'Wake up call' and thought how foolish I'd be to give eternal life. Songs like that made me think about how you can be at an all time low and God is there, you just have to ask for His help. You may think it's sad that music was the deciding factor of my faith then, but I'm thankful that God gave me it.What does your music Say about you? My music says that I love God and want to praise him. Music can define a person and music has the power to change the world if we let it. Music has also helped me through some tough times when I thought I couldn't make it. Music that praised God and spoke of how He saves you made me stronger. Bands like: Barlow Girl, Super Chic[k], Toby Mac, Stellar Kart, Run Kid Run, EleventySeven, Pillar, Sanctus Real, The Rocket Summer, Skillet, Relient K, and so many! They can be great to listen to but their songs can also help you to feel better. Maybe you should pick up one of their albums, I hope they can help you like they helped me.

There's room for you!

A whole bunch of people think that Heaven is completely bogus and that there's no room for such a sinner there. But think about that Audio Adrenaline song 'Big House'. It's like that in John 14:2-3. Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am." When Jesus died on the cross, he did it to save us. In him doing that, he made it that we didn't have to sacrifice lambs or doves or anything anymore. He was and is the perfect sacrificial lamb. All we have to do is ask Jesus to guide our lives and to accept Him as our savior because that's exactly what he is. When we become Christians, a place is prepared for us in Heaven. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty nice. In the Bible it says that nothing can compare that it's better than any mind can concieve! So if you think about the nicest place in the world... IT'S BETTER. I don't know about you, but I'm not about to miss out on that. Jesus told us he'd come back and take us to our neato room that He prepared for us. Don't miss out on spending forever in paradise with the perfect person that had ever walked the earth. Not only did Jesus die for you, but he wants to give you this awesome place to stay. He's just that cool.

Once upon a time

Once upon a time, there were four best friends. Jane was the talkative one obsessed with boys; Anne was the tall graceful one who everyone loved; Jessica was the small smart one who could stand up for herself; Molly was fun loving and always a bit confused. The girls shared everything with each other from Jane's latest crush to Anne's beliefs. They were happy and nothing could be better. They exchanged gifts at Christmas, went to each others Birthdays and laughed until their sides hurt. They swore to be best friends forever, no matter where life took them. Summer rolled around and it was time for each girl to do their own thing for a while, Anne went to visit her friends in another state, Jane went to London, Jessica was staying home, and Molly had to visit her dad even though she wanted to stay. Reluctantly, Molly went and had the best time ever. She couldn't understand why she hadn't wanted to go. She wanted to stay with her dad because things were amazing there. Molly had really great friends back at her moms, but life at home was getting worse. She didn't want to have to leave her friends behind, but she thought that they would understand. She told Jane that she wanted to stay with her dad and they stopped talking. Molly was forced to go back to her mom's and leave everything she loved behind as summer memories. Each girl was starting a new school, and it was hard to stay in touch with each other. Molly saw Anne once, but it was awkward. Jessica called Molly once, but the plans they made fell through. Jane never answered her phone and it became that way with Anne and Jessica too.The friendship that had once been crumbled and brought tears. Molly had people that cared about her, but they were hundreds of miles away. Her mom wouldn't let her go back, she thought everything was fine and that Molly was happy. Her sisters seemed to be too. The girl went around wearing a mask because she was to scared to show her face, so scared of the tears. She was terrified of what might happen, because people kept leaving her. She prayed to God for his help, and she got stronger. But her story is still being written, she lives day-to-day with hope and fear and her faith that keeps her alive.

Well, it's what I believe.

War... it's a touchy subject to a lot of people, and some don't like to talk about it. I'm here to tell you though, that it's not just going to go away. So many people think it's retarded and useless, but I'm here to tell you that it is necessary. Without war, Nazi's would probably be controlling Europe, America wouldn't be so united, integration would have never happened, and America would not be the Land of the Free. The war today is to protect the nation we live in because prejudice is too high in society. It's to ensure that we can be safe! Granted the past has given way to prejudice now, but it's history. Countries don't like one another and part of it is from war, but it's suppose to happen. People fight over right and wrong everyday, good and evil. The bad in this world is the absence of all that is good. If you say that war in the past was okay and that the war that we're fighting now is wrong, then you're a hypocrite. War is ugly and bloody, but we're fighting for what we believe is right.

A little Advice

This is for the girls, please read it all.
We all know that 75% of the time, it seems that most guys are really perverted. Don't you find yourself asking "Why are guys so perverted?" I know I do ALL the time. Part of it is from the media, but us girls play a big part in it too. Most of us think we dress and act perfectly fine and that we're all that a million half caf double mocha lattes. But did you ever think that how you dress and act gives way to guys being so perverted? Sometimes they can't help it, they just happen to be pretty visual. Sometimes it's not easy for them to keep their minds out of the gutter because of what girls wear. A lot of girls dress half-dressed, wearing things that make other girls blush! Don't you wish some guys would treat you with more respect?It's hardly fair of girls to make guys have to take cold showers all the time. A t-shirt from Stand-True Ministries says "Modesty Honors Beauty" and I totally believe that. Beauty should come from who you are inside. I know that it's really dark in squishy in there, but I'm talking metaphorically. And you probably hear that all the time, but it's true. Do you want a guy to like you because you have big boobs or because you have an awesome personality? I'm going out on a limb here and thinking you want them to like you for your personality? Matthew5:8 says "Blessed are the pure at heart, For they shall see God." Girls, you make it hard for guys to stay pure at heart when you advertising what your momma gave you. Take my advice, cover everything up you don't want your great great grandma seeind and you'll be good. Respect guys and keep their minds out of the gutter. Please don't dress and act in ways that are going to make them stumble.

Your awesome sister in Christ,
Emily

No excuses for a chosen people

Throughout history and nowadays, many Christians are discouraged because they think they're not worthy of God. The truth is, we're not. Not even close to being worthy, in fact. But here's a little tidbit of coolness: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" -1 Peter 2:9. Basically, we are God's people and he wants us to turn our lives over to him. John 3:16 says this, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone who believes in Him should perish but have everlasting life." It's for real, God loves us that much and wants us to be happy and have eternal life. It's your choice, God doesn't want to make us into puppets. A lot of people are going to offer up excuses as to why they can't praise God or spread his word a lot like Moses and Jeremiah did at first. But if you put God in control, he's going to help you. He's not into leaving you a flopping fish on the banks of a river. Jeremiah 1:4-9 goes like this: "Then the word of the Lord came to me saying:
'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born a sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.' Then I said: 'Ah, Lord God! Behold I cannot speak, for I am a youth.' But the Lord said to me: 'Do not say, "I am a youth," For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do Not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,' Says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: 'Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.'" You see, God is going to to help us to witness to others, he's not going to send you out without helping you! It doesn't matter how young you are at all! You're God's chosen people!!! "Get out and do what we were meant to do"-Super Chic[k]

Lets get rolling

Switchfoot one wrote in the song Meant to Live "We were meant to live for so much more. Have we lost ourselves?" That's exactly what I want you to think about. In this day and age, we're told to conform and be like everyone else because individuality isn't the norm. While we tell people to be individuals, we shove trends and idea's down each others throat. Many of us refuse to let anyone be different because it goes against the grain. So many people have lost themselves because they want to be liked by certain people, and they can't figure out who they are anymore. I'm asking you to swim upstream and to be your own person. You don't need to wear Hollister or dress all in black to have friends or to be liked. You need to show your true colors, and let people see who you really are.
"You were born an original, don't die a copy." - Some icon. What we were put on this earth for wasn't to degrade other people, but to help each other. There so much more to life than who Hillary Duff is going out with or the latest eating disorder. Do you want to look back on your life and see a life of good or a life of confusion and sorrow?

Warm and fuzzy feeling?

There are just some people in life that make you feel really happy even when you're feeling down. Maybe it's a friend or someone in your family, but they just make you smile and laugh. That one of my favorite things, when someone makes me smile after I've been crying or something. It somehow takes that horrible feeling away, even just for a little while. When someone tells you that they love you (and they really mean it), doesn't that make you feel good? You may tell people that you don't care if they care about you, but I think everyone acutally does care, even if a little bit. In fact, if no one else cared about you, Jesus would. Heck, he DIED for you. If that's not caring... I don't know what is. When you feel like giving up because everyone seems to have deserted you, remember that Jesus cares about you. Whoever you are, know that I care about you too. You're my brother or sister in Christ and you're flippin awesome. God made you for a reason, and if he didn't care, you wouldn't exist. He knew that you would make an impact on this world, big or small. Don't EVER think that no one would care if you were gone, because believe it or not, people would be devastated. Okay, if you ever buy one CD in your entire life, I think you should buy We Can't Stand Sitting Down by Stellar Kart. The third track is called "Me and Jesus", give it a listen. That CD helped me through some tough times when I got it, and maybe it will help you. Remember, you were created with care by God.

Dude, you have a cheerleader!

Open your bible, go ahead. Read the first thing you see and try to connect it to your life. It works for me, even if not for you. Bad example. I don't know if this works for everyone, poop. ANYWAY. I stumbled upon this little goodie when I flipped open to the book of Daniel. So this guy (Daniel...) is all like this in chapter 10:16-17 "And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke saying to him who stood before me, 'My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. For how can this servant of the lord talk with you, my lord. As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breathe left in me' " Honestly, that is one of the only verses I've read in Daniel, so I'm hazy on what's going on. You're totally might be thinking "Hypocrite" but oh well. ANYWAY. I think we all feel like the sometimes, like we're not worthy of anything. Especially not worthy of the grace which God has given us. We see things that make us so sad, and we just feel like poop about it. We beat ourselves up about everything! Verse 18-19 says this: "Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said 'O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be with you; be strong, yes, be strong!' " God is ALWAYS there. When we're feeling downright awful, he's there giving us encouragement. I know how it feels to want to give up, but God is like a cheerleader for us! Seriously, if you had someone following you around giving you encouragement, do you think you'd be more brave? It's how it goes when we turn our lives over to God. It's is so SPIFFY. So when you want to fall, be strong as God wants us to be.

And the lies just tumble out

Lying is the easiest thing to do. It gets you out of a tough situation. It hides your emotion. It makes your life seem OK. I realized earlier how easy it is to lie. My sister had yelled at me about something, and it just added to the pile of hurt on my heart. I just went to my room and cried and cried. I came out and my other sister asked me if I was okay, and I said that I was and that I was just tired. The moment I said it, I wished I could gobble those words back up. I want to tell people that I cry every night, but I don't want to be repeating the past. It's the same thing over and over. We just cover things up in lies, and sometimes we start to believe them. The truth gets buried in lies, and it's hard to find sometimes. Try to tell the truth, even if it hurts or if it seems inappropriate. The truth is always better, it sets things in the right direction even if it seems to mess things up at the moment. I have a t-shirt that says this: 'Truth is not Relative. Truth is Truth.' Think about it. I'm going to challenge myself and you not to lie for 24 hours. Think it sounds easy? Try it. It could be one of the hardest things you ever do.

Who am I?

I was watching One Tree Hill with Mandy just now, and it was an episode about the person you're defined as. A lot of us have a someone inside of us that we want to get out. Your guess is as good as mine. You have to take the mask you've been hiding behind off, in my opinion. Let everyone see the person you really are! I know that sometimes it's hard to figure that out, it took me years, but you have to define yourself. Some people are going to label you, and you have to take that label off and put your own title on yourself. Each person has a mix of ingredients, if you will. Maybe you're quirky, geeky, a jock, popular, or a loner. Who do you want people to see? Some outer shell or what's on the inside.

Idk... maybe it's good. Maybe it's horrible

Light a fire and watch my heart glow
If you never jump, you'll never know
Up a slippery slope is my chosen way
I might fall more than once, maybe twice in a day
When I fall, there will be a hand to hold
"It'll all work out" is what I'll be told
Even when I want to lay down and die
As my heart heaves each time I cry
I know I'll eventually be happy again
I only wish I could tell you when
But a fire is lit, it makes my heart glow
If I dare to jump, I'll finally know

A needle in the haystack of life

There are sometimes when I want to jump out a window, walk out in front of a moving car, or sometimes just to slam my head into a wall and hope I don't wake up. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, but I feel so alone at the same time. Nothing seems to go right and all the things I love are 750 miles away. Sometimes I wish someone would just shoot me so I don't have to deal with this stuff anymore. But then I think that it would hurt so many people if any of that were to happen and how God has a plan for my life. I got this E-mail that said that sometimes it seems like God gives you stuff you don't need. But God knows exactly what you need and he would give you anything you don't. Sometimes it looks like it's wrong, but in reality it's right. You have to search for the light through the darkness. It may be one teeny tiny speck of light, but you'll eventually find it. Sometimes it could take days, weeks, or months. As long as we look for the good, things get better. If you feel like giving up, think about others and think about the good that is somewhere inside you and around you.
"You're invincible until God is through with you"- Justin Lookadoo

A shoulder to cry on

She looks to the ground as people walk by
With stares of pity and a heart on the floor
She just wants to go home
To live freely and to fly
To be not afraid to live or to die
Only few people her know her by her heartS
he wishes everyone could understand
The pain she felt when taken away
She hurts to much and she can't even say
What is on her mind, the pain that blinds
That she would rather be anywhere but here
Even to die

I'm here to say that even the strongest people need help sometimes. It's like the Roman Empire, it was great for a long time, but it eventually fell. To stay strong all the time is sometimes a lot to ask for. When someone needs you, be there for them. Don't think that you have better things to do, because the best thing you could be doing is talking to them and helping them out of the hole that they're in. To have friends, you need to be a friend. Friends help each other out when you feel so much pain, when you feel like dying. Without them, I don't know where I'd be right now. Be thankful for the people in your life, don't ever take them for granted.

A smile from you makes the sun shine on a cloudy day
And makes all of my troubles melt away
When you smile, you seem to glow
And I have yet to see that face go
When times are hard, you look to the Light
And you fight the bad with all of your might
I wish I could always be just like you
And to be not afriad to smile true

Don't you dare judge me

Today's generation, in my opinion, is the most judgemental. We're separated into cliques and we don't like anyone that's a little different. If they can't be just like us, we don't like them. There's something majorly wrong with that, but I'm as guilty as the next person. Mathew 6:21 says this: " Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use it, it will be measured back to you" Nobody wants to be judge. If you do... that's kinda weird. If you don't want people to judge you, quit judging them. God is the only one that can judge accordingly, he's the only one you should listen to and all. That jerk who is surrounded by 15 other people and calls you all of these name... they don't matter. God has even told us in Mathew 10 that persecutions are coming. In verse 26 it says that "Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known" God knows their hearts, and he knows yours. Whoever said that words will never hurt you didn't really know what they were talking about. Being judged hurts. But God is there to help you out when you out after words are thrown around. He's always there.

Eggs.... yes eggs.

A week or so ago, I was sitting in Biology doing a lab called "Psychedelic Milk" which has nothing to do with what I'm going to tell you. But everyone knows that you need a setting. So somehow, we get on the subject of Easter eggs and how the color somehow makes it on the inside of the shell. Haven't you ever wondered how that is? It's because the shell has pores. The yolk of the egg is the chicken, right? Wrong. The whites of the egg are actually the beginning of the chicken! I was totally surprised 'cause it was just plain weird to me. But the yellow part of that egg is where the little chicken white thingy gets energy and all. It's not connected to it's Mamma like we are, ya know? Bet you never thought of that. The chicken thingy pulls stuff from the yolk to live and develope. The chicken kinda becomes what was in that yellow gunk. That's how people should be. Our inside should match our outside. I don't mean we should be all squishy and slimy on the outside. I mean that who we are inside should be projected outward. Thinks tend to go askew when who were are inside is totally different from how people see us. You need to together. Like the egg, we need to become one whole person with one personality. If you have a multi-personalities... pull yourself together... When you act different then how you feel... think eggs. Whatever is inside needs to be part of who you are, whether you like it or not.

It's kinda neato

"For everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born,

And a time to die;

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill,

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

An a time to build up;

A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away;

A time to tear,

And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

And a time to speak;

A time to love,

And a time to hate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace."

-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

That's my favorite Bible verse. It's kinda self explanatory. I'll leave it for you to interperate. But it's one of the best things I've ever read. It fits my life, and I think many others.

I love 4 year olds

I was over at my Aunt and Uncle's house today, and me and my cousin are playing hide and seek, Which is pretty amazing with her. :D But the last place I hid was under the bed. They looked everwhere else, then Kate just leans over and goes "I found you!" Then she crawls under the bed with me telling me that I should take a nap because it was cozy under there. Then she asked me if I was going with Mandy to live with my Dad in Kentucky. I explained to her that my mom doesn't want me to live with my Dad, and that I didn't know why. Kate said that I should be able to, and that she wanted me to be happy. I wish other people could have to view of a four year old. When happiness was all that really mattered. If she wants me to be happy, then why doesn't my mother who has a much more complex mind than my cousin. I love Kate so much. She understands me more than my mother, which may seem strange. I say be like a 4 year old, and value happiness more than your prejudices.

Put on the Armor of God

So I'm sitting in my HOPE (Health Opportunities thru Physical Education) class reading my Bible and all. In 1 Thessalonians, while searching for the "Pray without ceasing" verse (1 Thess. 5: 17 if you were wondering) I stumbled across this: "Let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope and salvation"- 1 Thessalonians 5: 8. That's some pretty sweet stuff there. Without faith, love, hope, and savlation... we don't really have anything. Those things sustain us and help us to carry on with our lives. Those are the building blocks of all we have, Jesus is our foundation. If you believe in God, those things are kinda nessasary in my opinion. You haveto have faith in Him, You have to love Him and one another, you have to have hope for everyone and believe that you can help, and lastly you need the salvation given to us through Jesus Christ. It's pretty neato if you ask me. All of that protects us from the hate of this world, it helps us work through all of the bad stuff that happens. It's your choice to put on the armor, God's not going to make you. Remember that God's armor is always there to protect you.

It's doing nothing for your soul

Okay, the other night I was looking for something to wear, but all of my jeans were dirty from my lack of laundry washing... So I go to my sisters room to borrow something. She's like a twig, but all of her jeans are my size, because she's weird like that. Anyway, I found a great pair of jeans that would go over my big hips. BUT... I bend over to pick something up... and the seat of those jeans ripped. A hole about the size of my hand too. Now that makes a girl feel big. You might be wondering why I would tell you this, since it obviously is kinda embarrassing.... I don't really care. I spent a good hour calling myself fat and wishing I was a size 4 instead of a size 9. It was bring me down in all ways: Spiritually, physically and emotionally. Then my sister who was reading a Justin Lookadoo book read a Bible verse he put in it. Romans 8: 16-17. It talks about how we are children of God, and so heirs of God. Since he is the King of Kings... we must be princes and princesses. And when princess rip their jeans, the king makes it okay. And then no one really cares. If you make a big deal out of ripping your jeans, then everyone else does. But calling yourself fat really isn't solving anything at all. It's hurting you, in fact. God made you a certain way, and he love you no matter what you look like. Psalms 139 13-14 says this: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well" God created you as a work of art, and calling yourself and others fat and stuff like it is making fun of his creations. True beauty starts in your heart. Faith makes you a beautiful person, inside and out. And God's love makes your beauty glow. He looks past whats on the outside to our hearts. So even if its a rip in your jeans because you have a big butt or if it's a zit in the middle of your forhead, remember that you are loved always by a King and a Father.

They don't call it the Golden Rule for nothing.

The easy definition for empathy is having compassion for others. We should be required as human beings to have it, but it's a choice we have given by God. So many people really couldn't care less about what they say about others, or how they treat them. You want people to treat you with respect... am I right? It goes both ways though. Mathew 7:12 says: "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" It's the Golden rule. You have to treat them the same way you wanna be treated. So if you're treating them like poop... they're gonna do the same. Poop for poop. But if you're being the better person, maybe you should let them know. Be like "Hey, I treat you good, so what's your deal?" they could tell you... but more than likely they won't, so some prayer about this couldn't hurt. Maybe they treat everyone like that because their life at home is all icky... it happens, so pray for them.
Maybe you like totally dislike the person. I know how it goes... take my word for it. Luke 6: 27 says this: "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you" That's totally deep. God wants us to love everyone, and have compassion for everyone... even that chick at school who keeps making fun of your shoes. Or that guy who keeps calling you scrawny. Do nice stuff for people... it could change their life.