Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Wuv, Twu Wuv

"Love is in the air" , True love, "Love at first sight",  We've all heard the terms before, but does anyone really know what that last one means? Has anyone ever felt "Love at first sight"? Now, I know we all have that celebrity crush that we say we are going to marry and we believe that we've loved them from the first sight, but that's not exactly what I mean. TRUE love a first sight, what does it mean? Does it actually exist? And can it actually work? I'm not exactly professional in the area of love, but someone asked me to write on this topic, so I am going to do my best.
Now, the girl who asked me to write on this said this, "I was wondering if you have ever met a guy, and it just took a couple hours of being with him to know that he is the one for you." I will say, I have actually felt this way, but soon enough, reality checks in and you have to realize that in those few hours, you still don't know nearly enough about each other to really call it love. True love does exist, don't get me wrong. Honestly, it's not necessarily all up to you. As I said in my last post, God knows who you are going to fall in love with, He has it all planned out, you just have to trust Him. Also, it sometimes can be easy to confuse "love" at first sight with "lust". Remember, it is not all about the looks, but I know, the looks do play a significant part in it. There may be a wonderful initial feeling, but you can't really love until you know someone. You've got to think, do you love them just for the outside, or for the inside as well? I guess the point I am trying to make is that true love exists, but love at first sight may be slightly unrealistic. Just trust in God, and He will bring you to your significant other, which will, in turn, bring you joy in your life.
To finish this off here is a video of spoken word by Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye called "When Love Arrives". Enjoy



Monday, November 12, 2012

Meet me in St. Louis


 I live in Texas, go to school in Wisconsin, and where do I end up? That's right, good old St. Louis. It's funny how things work out, sometimes, you know? Something always takes me back there; family, friends, church, just the scene in general. When I was there for fall break, a friend asked me “Why do you love St. Louis so much?” and I really did not know what to tell her, I guess you are just always connected to your roots somehow. Since we moved so early in my life I spend half my time trying to get back to something that I never really got, trying to rekindle friendships that had a very dim fire going in the first place, and wondering whether or not a love could have been had I stayed in St Louis. Now, having said that last part, I'm starting to sound like a friend of mine. He liked this girl so much; The crush lasted 12 years, and might still be there now, but the thing is, the girl moved away from him 10 years ago, and when she lived near him she was too young to even realize. Their relationship never even had a foundation and they did not even know each other, yet he tried to start something that wasn't even there. Anyway, the whole thing just ended in heartbreak, on both accounts. I guess the lesson, or point, that I am trying to convey is that it is very difficult, almost impossible to start something that was never really there in the first place, especially if you never see each other and you live far away from each other. In the off chance that you have the opportunity to start something, do not be obsessive about it, but let things go as they should. God has a plan for everything. He knows who you are going marry and what you are going to do in life. Trust that everything he does has a reason and it will be explained in time. If he moves you, he has something better in store for you.

Therefore, the moral of this story is this: God has his reasons for everything and there is really no use in arguing with him on it because you will always lose. So, you moved away from the place you'll always call home? There's no reason you cannot keep those friendships, just be careful how you go about them. Let God work things out in his time. You don't have to forget about the place you called home to make a new one. They say “Home is where the heart is”, so what if your heart is in two places at once? You don't have to forget the memories, the friends, the house, you can just revel in the amazing opportunity that God has given you to start fresh, make new friendships, new memories, and discover a new house, all to go along side the old ones.

To finish, here are some comforting words from one of our Lutheran hymns (Lutheran Service Book 754):
Entrust your days and burdens to God's most loving hand;
He cares for you while ruling the sky, the sea, the land
For he who guides the tempests
Along their thunderous ways
Will find for you a pathway
and guide you all your days.
Text by: Paul Gerhardt

Saturday, September 15, 2012

The beginning of the end...?

" The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things… The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things, and make them unimportant. " The Doctor

You're starting your first year of college. It's is the first day of the rest of your life. Your adrenaline is pumping, excitement is racing. You're meeting new people left and right, making friendships that are hopefully going to last a lifetime. Good thing? CHECK. Now, what's actually going on behind the scenes? No one wants to talk about it. No one wants to admit that there are still hardships going on in their life. They do not want anything to ruin these next four years. So, yes, the bad things can be pushed to the back of your mind, for a little while anyway. They may not ruin your day, your week, or the next few months, but, they come eventually, and usually pretty unexpectedly.  You never know what is going to come up. Disease, death, stress, work load is too overwhelming, relationship problems. To find the joy in life, you can't always let the bad things spoil the good things, likewise you have to realize that the good things might not always make the bad things not seem so terrible. Everything happens for a reason and you have to remember that God has a plan. 

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written; 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8: 35-37

With God we can do all things. He will bring us through any hardship. My prayer to all of you is that you find the joy God has in store for you. He only wants what is best for you. So, welcome everything with an open heart and an open mind, trusting that God is going to get you through it. And welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

penny for your thoughts?

Sometimes, given the time to think, just sit in silence and think, can be more of a curse than a blessing. Maybe you start to think of good memories with that person who did you wrong, but that makes you sick. So you start to think about the fun you're about to have where you are going, but you begin to get sad when you realize that some of those people who bring that joy are not here anymore. So your mind switches to something that you pray to God will not make you want to cry, like how much fun you're about to have at your churches youth conference, but of course, your mind shifts to the expectations people have for you, to the hope people hold out for you and all you can do is pray that you will not disappoint them. It is almost as if no space in your mind is safe. When you are given the time to just sit and think, your mind wanders to those things that you've tried to put aside, in a little box away from the rest of your thoughts for good.

I urge you, do not be overcome by the hardships of this world. The Lord took you down this path for a reason, and I guarantee he will lead you through it. So therefore, if you are given that time to sit and think, pray. Put yourself in his word if you can.
1 John 5:4 "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world- our faith."

So, take that person who did you wrong, forgive him/her, and then put their memory in a little box in the back of your mind. When the time is right, pull out only the good memories, and do not dwell on the pain they caused you. Pray for strength, the Lord will help you through it.
James 1:19 "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry."

When you begin to think about that fun loving person who is no longer with us, think only of the good times, the times of laughter and of joy. Keep a good image of that person in your mind and in your heart, and find peace in knowing that they are in a better place now and you will see them again one day. Pray for courage, the Lord will bring you past this hard time.
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

And finally, when you think of the expectations people have for you, and how you do not want to disappoint them, remember that it is impossible to please everyone (see "Sacrifice all for HIM, not him") All you can do is be yourself and do what is best for you. Pray that God will protect the hearts of those with high expectations. Do not let yourself become overwhelmed by the "ifs" "ands" or "buts" of things that you do not know the answer to. The Lord has a plan for both you and that other person, so just put your trust in God, He knows what is best for you, and He will make it happen.
2 Corinthians 12:20 "For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish-- that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, gossip, conceit and disorder." 

SO, I guess having this time to think was both a blessing and a curse this time around. Remember, as our friends on veggie tales remind us, "God is bigger than the boogie man, he's bigger than you and me."

Go to God for everything. He will help you through the hardships of life because he is the joy in life.

Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything be prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"




Thursday, June 14, 2012

mirror, mirror on the wall, I'm too skinny, I'm too tall

1 Samuel 16:7  "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'"

Especially as teenagers, our idea of our self image becomes twisted. All of the sudden every part of us seems wrong. For some, this image is more dramatic than others. Girls, in particular, are not happy with how they look. We've all fallen into the trap at least once, I will honestly say I have done it a lot. Sometimes, people have this idea that they need to be "perfect". Perfect for that special guy or girl you have a crush on to like you. Perfect for your parents to be proud of you. Perfect so that people will look at you and they will not be able to point out one flaw, therefore you can sit there and point out all of theirs. When we get this idea of being perfect in our minds, it's really our sinful nature wanting to be higher than others. Wanting to "out do" everyone else. We can never just be happy with our bodies the way they are. Say that you have something disproportional on your body. You sit there and think that everyone can see it, no matter how miniscule it may or may not be. There may even be man made things to cover it up, but you will always sit there, self conscious of your body. Here's the thing though,
Genesis 1:27- "So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
     male and female he created them."


God created us, in his own image. How amazing is that? He created us, from him. He took his time on every single one of us, and in his eyes, we are perfect, because his son came and died on the cross to save us from our sins. So, maybe you do have a disproportion on your body, or your not as skinny as you hoped to be. Just remember, God created us all, in his image, and He loves each and every one of us equally. He has a plan for you, and he made you that way for a reason. So the next time you look at your body and think "Man, I wish I looked normal", remember that you are perfect in God's eyes, and that is all that matters. You can go ahead and cover your flaw with the man made items, but do not dwell on your problem, for the Lord loves you, no matter what. If you go through life with this idea in mind, you will find 'joye' in your life.
God Bless.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

~Don't Forget to remember me~

Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'"

So, we did it! Graduates of 2012, we made it. I know I am a few weeks late, but here it is. We worked so hard to get here. 12 years of school, working our bottoms off till the very end(well, some of us), and what for? College. Our future. We worked so hard to get to what we finally want to do. We are headed off to college in the fall, most of us leaving the dust of these little towns behind us, or so we would like to think. As much as we are ready to move on to the next chapter in our lives, we want some characters to remain in this next chapter. Haven't any of you thought, "what if I'm gone so long that they don't remember me when I come home?"? I, personally, have thought about that because of my little niece and nephews that I am leaving behind. What if they don't recognize me when I come home? For my senior recital in May I sang Carrie Underwood's "Don't Forget to Remember Me", and let's just say my mom, along with all of my sisters were touched, a lot. Judging by their reactions, I can imagine I won't be forgotten very easily, but I do encourage you to make your mark and take your time with your family seriously before you leave for college. Friends will come and go, and those that matter will not forget, but family is always there, and will always remember, no matter what. God's plans are not to harm you, but to make you prosper and to give you hope and a future. He is going to use those in your life now to help with those plans, so put all of your trust in the ONE true God, and I guarantee you will find the 'Joye' in your life.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

What's the BIG idea?

Change... BIG decisions... and the big decisions that will cause that change....

I don't know about you guys but this has definitely been something that has been on my mind recently. From the little decisions like what to wear to prom to the BIG decisions such as where to go to college, my mind has definitely been hitting both ends of this spectrum, hard. It is at times like these that I go to many sources, and I encourage you to do the same. Of course, first and foremost, is God and his word. His word is filled with so many comforting things that have helped me out a lot when I get over stressed with everything.

"Do not be anxious about anything , but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"- Philippians 4:6
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me"- Philippians 4:13


Another source I typically go to when this stress gets a little out of hand is one of my favorite teachers, she's not just there to teach school work ya know, no matter how impeccable her nerdyness is:). So I asked her what advice she would give to a senior deciding where to go for college, and here is what she had to say:


Treat it like you would a relationship. You're not going to pick the "right guy" just because everyone else thinks he is the right guy. And that goes the same way for picking schools. Basically, know yourself. Know your strengths and your weaknesses and pick a school that highlights the strengths and builds on the weaknesses. Don't pick it based on the mascot or because your best friend or boyfriend is going there. Pick it because that is where YOU want to be, and don't listen to anyone elses opinions on it. 


so, I'm just gonna lay it out there. And I know, people don't usually comment on my posts but I hope maybe you will for this one. You see, I think of this as my safe haven. No one is going to judge here, no one can give you a dirty look because hey, we are all behind computer screens. Besides, I know you're all thinking it anyways so here it is. I'm scared. I'm afraid of the future because I don't know what's going to happen, where I am going to end up, what I'm going to end up doing. But the thing is, we don't have to be afraid because God has a plan for us. No matter what happens, he will bring us through, because he loves us. So in the end, realize that there is no use worrying about these big decisions or these changes that are going to come because, truth is, change is going to happen( see: Change? no thanks, you can keep it) but we have ways of managing it, like talking to people we trust and look up to, and talking to God and reading his word.  So, yes I know that the future is a scary thing, but all we can do is take it one day at a time and trust that God will work everything out. He always does. If you keep that mindset, I know that you'll find the joy in life.

"Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand"- Isaiah 41:10



Tuesday, February 28, 2012

All about me... sort of

Thank you for the suggestions. They were all very helpful! So, here we go. One reader said they wanted to hear about me and my dreams. Now, when I started this blog, my main goal was to make a difference with my posts. I don't want this blog to be all about me. So, you want to know about me? about my dreams? My dreams are to help people. I want to be an elementary school teacher because I feel like that is when the kids are most influenced and I want to be part of that influence. I want to make an impact on peoples' lives. I want to make people think about things, I mean, really think. I want to make a difference in the way people look at things. So, that's me. My biggest dream is to make a difference. So, what about you? What are your dreams? your ambitions? Nothing is too trivial or stupid. Comment below, I want to hear from you :) Tell me about you.

Thanks for reading:) More to come...

Sunday, February 26, 2012

writer's block....

OK guys, so I know I haven't posted in a while, I've been super busy with choir and color guard and college visits:) But also, I'm having a bit of a writer's block. I want to know what's on your mind. I'm reaching out to the readers so, give me a topic or tell me about some experience in your life that could be related to a topic, let me know what you want me to write about next. I'm open to ANY suggestions. So, comment on this post, message me on facebook, text me, call me, talk to me in person. Anything. Help me out here guys so we can get this blog started again:) You're opinions are very welcome and much appreciated! Thank you!:)

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Practice, Practice, Practice. But, for what?

We've been spending months preparing. Practicing every day for up to 5 hours some days. Exhausted at the end of the day, especially as the performance gets closer. And there are always those lingering questions, "Is all of our hard work going to be worth? Are we ready? Isn't there any more we can do?" After all of the practice, all of the preparation, it all comes down to one moment. One point in time that consists of one of the most important performances in your life. It all comes down to THEN and THERE. There's no going back and changing anything that you've done or could have done. You hope and pray that all of your preparation was enough. Does this remind you of anything? How about the coming of our Lord? We spend our lives preparing for our Lord's return to earth for the final judgment day. We have the same thoughts when it comes to this. "Have I done enough?" If Jesus were to come right now, would you stop him and say "Oh wait Lord, I'm not ready, there's still more I need to do here"? No, of course not. We should always be ready for Christs return and we should have faith that what we have done is enough. Everything we do in this life all comes down to that one final judgment day, and when it comes, there will be no going back. Therefore, make what you do on this earth count. Go out and preach the word of God to others. Practice what you preach, but remember, it's not you're good works that get you to heaven, but your faith that Jesus Christ came to save us all from our sins.Find your joy in life on earth, because when you die, you will have eternal joy you cannot even imagine for eternity in heaven:)

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Change? no thanks, you can keep it.

We have all probably learned at some point, whether it be from high school musical or not, to stick to the status quo. Status Quo? What does that really mean? official definition: "The existing state or condition". That doesn't sound too bad, does it? Keeping things just the way they are. We all know that's how Lutherans like to do it. People become so comfortable with how things are that change just seems strange and tedious to them. Why change when everything is perfectly fine the way it is? Well, if we never changed anything, we would never lean new things. We wouldn't take chances, learn from those risks. God calls us to be fishers of men. Sometimes, to do this, we have to change the status quo. We have to venture out into other groups of people, make new friends. A little change never hurt anyone, and you may even find more joy in it. Joy in knowing that you have ventured out of your comfort zone, and it is ok. Sometimes, to find our joy in life, you have to change a few things. You have to find the perfect mixture of random things in your life to really find what makes you happy. Then, you will truly find the joy in life.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

sacrifice all for HIM, not 'him'

No matter how much we try, it is impossible to please everyone that we meet. Some people, like myself, will do everything that they possibly can to make other people happy, even if it means sacrificing their own sanity or happiness. One lesson, that needs to be learned at an early age, is that, no matter how hard we try, we cannot please every single person. Nor do we need to. God didn't put us on this earth to please everyone, he put us here to spread his word. That, may not always be accepted very well by some people. Some people don't like hearing about God. They resent him. And because of this, we cannot please everyone. There will always be at least one person, who doesn't like what you have to say, even though it is the truth. You just have to learn to persevere through that and keep preaching his word. The most important thing is that we do what is pleasing to the Lord. Don't let earthly things, or people, keep you from doing that.

 "So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."- Colossians 1:10;
"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."- Hebrews 13:16
There is no greater joy than pleasing our Father.

Monday, January 16, 2012

The trouble with stalkers

Something posses' people to be creepy or a stalker. That something, is called the devil. He is always trying to drive us into temptation, make us fall. Well, truth is, we have already fallen in sin. We are not perfect and we never will be. But, we are always perfect in God's eyes. The devil has nothing on us. He cannot phase us because Jesus Christ came and died on the cross to save us from sin, death, and the devil. When you are faced with temptation, or maybe someone following you who really scares you, just think, it's the devil. He's trying to make you believe that God is not there to save you. That God is not going to be there, but He is. God is always there, even if sometimes we don't see it. He loves us all. And He will never leave us. Always remember, "For God so loved the world, that He gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16. If knowing that doesn't bring joy to your life, then I don't know what will.

Friday, January 13, 2012

two-faced? or just too afraid of what others will think?

Have you ever tried to put on a face so that those around you don't know that something is wrong? Story of my life. I've found that it's easier to just hide what's wrong, you don't wanna inconvenience people with your problems. Especially if they have other things to worry about. God, he always listens. He knows when you have a problem, and he is always doing things to help you, even if you don't see it at the time. So, even if you think you need to hide your problems from others, God is always there. He will not judge. You are always safe and perfect in his eyes. Lately, I have been remembering this a lot. There are some things you just can't tell people, not even your best friend, sometimes. But, always remember, you can always talk to God about your problems. He listens. He loves you. And again, the one place, for sure, that you can turn to for joy in your life, is always God.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

When life gives you lemons, make.... a mess?

Do you ever feel like you might make the wrong decision? Do you ever freak out about "What if this isn't what God has planned for me?" Yeah, I feel your pain.
For the past few months I have been having these thoughts. Especially in deciding where to college. My top 2 choices are both great schools, and there are fantastic pro's to both, but I can't help but wonder, what happens if I pick the wrong one? One day I finally woke up and realized, whichever one I pick, God will make it work. He always has and he always will. It is such a relief, and really, I knew it all along, it just took a little reminder from some special people around me to realize it.
Now, the reason for this completely random post; It was partially because of that, but here is another idea to think about. Life gives you choices, a lot. Sometimes you just get so over stressed that instead of making "lemonade" as everyone says, you make, well, a huge mess. Things go wrong. They end up worse than before sometimes. But, ya know what, that's life. And I have come to realize that there is nothing more you can do about it than just to do your best and God will do the rest. Put all your trust in Him, and I guarantee, you will find your joy in life <3