Props

There has been a lot of heat directed towards Kirk Cameron since his interview on CNN when he said that homosexuality was "unnatural," among other things.
If you have not seen the interview, here it is:

I have to say that when I watched that, there were two things running through my mind:
1) I was impressed at how eloquently he stated his beliefs.  When you are a Christian, and the majority of the world is waiting for you to mess up, or just looking for something to pick at so that they can try and tear you down, that is a lot of pressure. Everyone knows that, and by putting someone like Kirk Cameron, who is so vocal about his beliefs, on the spot like that with questions like those, you can't tell me that they weren't trying to set him up for failure.  You can see, if you watch the video, that there are a couple moments where he hesitated, but he still stated his beliefs, and you can tell that he tried to do so in a way that was fair to society and those who might be insulted by what he had to say, while still staying true to his faith. And I think he managed to do that, which is pretty impressive.
2) I was angry. And contrary to the majority, I was not angry at Kirk.

Even if you are not a Christian and you don't believe the way he does, you should be able to respect the fact that he was willing to stand up for his beliefs, despite the knowledge that it would come back to bite him.
Everyone was automatically so up-in-arms about what he said, and I do not understand why.
Did he sit there and say, "YES.I think homosexuality is a sin, and anyone who practices it is a horrible person, and they are going straight to hell, and I hate every single one of them"?
No.
Instead he took the approach where he basically said, "This is what I believe, and just as you might believe something different, I am going to stand up for it.You asked me what I thought and what I would do, so here is my answer."
He did not give a hate speech, he simply stated his opinions. And I read an article online earlier today where he later stated, "I should be able to express moral views on social issues, especially those that have been the underpinning of Western civilization for 2,000 years, without being slandered, accused of hate speech, and told from those who preach 'tolerance' that I need to either bend my beliefs to their moral standards, or be silent when I'm in the public square."
I must say that I agree with that statement wholeheartedly.  He has the right to state his opinions just as anybody else does, and it is not fair to try and take that right away from him, just because you don't agree with what he is saying. It's called "agreeing-to-disagree," and by not willing to do that, you are just making yourself look like you are afraid of what he has to say because you know that it's wrong. People who make hate speeches towards him because of what he said, are immature and are just as guilty as they make him out to be.

I'm sure, if I actually had anyone who reads my blog, there would be people who would think, "Of course you believe what he says and side with him. You are a Christian."
Dang right, I do.
I'm sure there would also be people that would make the age-old assumption that becaue I am a Christian, I am homophobic.
Wrong.
I have friends who are gay, and I love them just as much as I love my straight friends.  And before you try and condemn me for that, and try to say that that's not possible because what I believe doesn't allow that, you should think again. I am not for the practice of homosexuality. How can I be when my God and the Bible tell me that it is wrong? But I was also raised on the Biblical idea that you "hate the sin, but love the person." That is possible.

And I would stand up for Kirk Cameron out of respect for what he said in the position that he was in, and I would stand beside him and anyone else who said things like that because I believe in them and the truth that they speak.

So, Kirk Cameron, I give you props, good sir. You deserve them.

And with all of that,
Adieu

Brush,and brush,and brush,and BRUSH my hair..

May I just even try to express how much I love this movie?
I've seen it several times, and each time I do, I rediscover my love for it.
Earlier this last week, my roommates and I took a late night trip to Walmart just so we could buy this movie and watch it.
It is just that precious.

I mean, I love Disney movies anyways, but here's one Disney princess they hadn't really focused on yet.They did Ariel, Belle, Mulan, Aurora, etc., and did sequels for most of them.  But they hadn't ever touched Rapunzel, which is sad, because I feel like there are a lot of little girls (myself included :) who can relate to her.

Don't get me wrong, just about every Disney princess has something about them that little girls can relate to, personality-wise, but for the most part, they are just what little girls want to be.
But this?

This is me, all over, times two, and backwards (obviously besides the whole long-lost-princess thing).
Disney is finally giving me, and other little girls like me, a princess who is weird, crazy, fun, goes barefoot, and sings and all that other jazz.

Plus, you get him:

And he's just a precious bundle of sarcasm. What's not to love?

So, with all of that being said, I leave you with these....
And yes, you betcha I am singing along, word for word:

Beloved...

"My true love hath my heart, and I have his,

 By just exchange, one for the other giv'n.

 I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss;

 There never was a better bargain driv'n.

 His heart in me keeps me and him in one,

 My heart in him his thoughts and senses guides;

 He loves my heart, for once it was his own;

 I cherish his, because in me it bides.

 His heart his wound received from my sight:

 My heart was wounded with his wounded heart;

 For as from me, on him his hurt did light,

 So still me thought in me his hurt did smart:

 Both equal hurt, in this change sought our bliss:

 My true love hath my heart, and I have his."

-Sir Philip Sidney

Song of Solomon 6:3

"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine..."

Just cause everyone needs a little romance in their day :D
Have a good one!

I don't love you, but I always will...

Don't you hate it when you have somebody you really care about (whether it be a family member or just a friend), and you love that person with all of your heart, but then something happens that changes your relationship forever?

I can think of a couple people who would fall into this category, and it stinks.
Do I wish things had gone differently?
Of course.I will probably wish that for the rest of my life.
But there are some walls that go up that are extremely hard to take down, and even if you can manage to do that, to break through so that you can see that face that you love, it doesn't look the same to you anymore after what happened.  And it never will.
And sometimes, it's up to you to tear down that wall, and you would love to, but you can't bring yourself to do it--not just because you're afraid of what you'll find, but because you're afraid that they didn't want that to happen. Afraid that maybe they'll reject your peace offering.

It's not really a question of whether or not you still love or care about that person.  Of course you do.  When they've been so important to you for so many years of your life, or maybe are even genetically linked to you forever, I think you both know that you will always love that person and care about what happens to them, deep down.  If they ever came calling because they desperately needed you for some reason, you'd do your best to be there for them.
But you can't have the good days back.  You can just remember them, and hope that somehow there are more to come.

"And even if we never talk again, please remember that I am forever changed by who you are and what you meant to me."

-Chasing Amy

"If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever."

-Winnie the Pooh

Bloggityblogblogblogger...

I have no clue why, but I have been so tired lately!
All of the time, I just feel like I'm about to zonk out at any moment.  And that kind of sucks because, I don't take naps--don't really believe in them.  I kind of think of them as a waste of time.  And it also sucks because I'm just going to have to wake up even earlier tomorrow than usual. :/  It's worth it, but still...I'm going to be sooooo sleepy.

And also, may I just say that, when I moved to Wyoming, I knew that it was a lot windier here than other places.  But seriously, it seems like we have been having non-stop violent wind storms for the last week and a half. I guess this just comes with further adjusting to my new surroundings, but where I lived before, it was already getting warmer and sunny for spring.
Here, I actually walked outside the other day and thought, "This isn't so bad. Maybe Spring is on the way...it's nice and sunny and just a little breezy." Then I was assaulted by a huge rush of glacial air, and practically ran the rest of the way to my car going, "Never mind.It's cold."

I still love it here, though.  And I can't imagine myself living anywhere else.  Everytime I look out my window and see those wide open prairies with the majestic mountains in the distance, or I walk by a pine tree and hear the distinct and beautiful/refreshing sound of wind blowing through the fine needles, I just can't help but contentedly sigh with the knowledge that I am right where God wants me to be, location wise.
I have a lot of people from back East who either don't know where Wyoming is at all, or else just tease me about it and say, "Wyoming?Is that even a state?Seriously, there's nothing there.Why would anyone willingly live there?"  I understand that there are some people who just prefer to live in a big city or something like that, so they might not like it as much.  But I grew up here, I have tons of memories here, I still have friends I love dearly who live here, and I've known for a long time that I wanted to come back and settle down in this area.  Truthfully, I'm willing to bet that most people who tease me about living in Wyoming have never been here in their life--undoubtedly never even bothered to look up some pictures of what it looks like.

Why would you not want to live here?
It's so beautiful, and refreshing.  It's full of history, and besides the ocean, the mountains and prairies of this area are where I can go and feel closest to my Creator.I love my life here, and wouldn't have it any other way (except maybe not having to go to school.That would be a welcome change). :)

Isaiah 55:12

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; and the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."

Psalm 19:1-6

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."

Isaiah 40:8

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our Lord shall stand forever."

Lucky me...

So, I'm not even sure what it was, but something got me thinking...
Isn't it amazing how you get to know all of your friends?

I mean, just looking at myself as an example, I moved to the other side of the country for college.  I have gotten to know so many people, some of whom have become some of my closest friends, and I never would've known that they even existed if I hadn't moved out here, and God hadn't brought them into my life.
I've met people from all various walks of life, from all over, not just the United States, but the world.
Seriously.  I have friends from all over the United States--Tennessee, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, California, Virginia...Then I have friends from China, South Korea, Africa, Latvia, Bulgaria and Australia.  Before I met them due to various circumstances, I never even knew they existed.
And yet, now they are people who I love with my whole heart, care about, and can't believe I haven't been friends with them my entire life.It feels like I have.

I don't know, maybe that doesn't seem like a big deal to you guys, but it just seems more and more incredible to me, the more I think about it.  So incredible that all of these people who come from different backgrounds, different families, different states, different countries, different continents, can come together and build meaningful friendships and relationships.  It makes me think of all of the amazing friends I have made, and how much I love them.  It brings a smile to my face, makes me feel blessed, and oh-so-lucky...

Kickin' it Old School..Yeah..

Hello, all my imaginary readers that I make up to keep myself satisfied :)

So, I have a very wide range when it comes to my taste in music, both secular and Christian.  When I listen to Christian music, I love contemporary music as much as the next person who loves contemporary music, but sometimes I forget how much I really love hymns.

I'm one of those unusual people who has a great love for good poetry, and that's what hymns make me think of.  I love a good hymn. And I'm also really weird, in that I have to write down the lyrics to a song in order to get it out of my head.Maybe you'll enjoy the beauty of these as much as I do...

"Come thou fount of every blessing,
 Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
 Streams of mercy never ceasing
 Call for songs of loudest praise.
 Teach me some melodious sonnet
 Sung by flaming tongues above.
 Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it
 Mount of Thy redeeming love.
 Here I raise my Ebenezer
 Here by Thy great help I've come
 And I hope by Thy good pleasure
 Safely to arrive at home.
 Jesus sought me when a stranger
 Wandering from the fold of God.
 He, to resuce me from danger,
 Interposed His precious blood.
 Oh, that day when free from sinning
 I shall see Thy lovely face!
 Clothed then in blood-washed linen
 How I'll sing Thy sovreign grace!
 Come, my Lord, no longer tarry
 Take my ransomed soul away.
 Send Thine angels now to carry
 Me to realms of endless days.
 Oh, to grace how great a debtor
 Daily I'm constrained to be.
 Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
 Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
 Prone to wander, Lord I feel it.
 Prone to leave the God I love.
 Here's my heart
 Oh, take and seal it,
 Seal it for Thy courts above."

"And I hear the Savior sing,

 'Thy strength indeed is small.

 Child of weakness watch and pray,

 Find in Me thine all in all.'

 Cause Jesus paid it all,

 All to Him I owe.

 Sin had left a crimson stain,

 He washed it white as snow.

 Lord now, indeed I find,

 Thy power, and Thine alone,

 Can change the leper's spots

 And melt the heart of stone.

 Cause Jesus paid it all,

 All to Him I owe.

 Sin had left a crimson stain,

 He washed it white as snow.

 And when, before the throne,

 I stand in Him complete,

 'Jesus died my soul to save,'

 My lips shall still repeat.

 Jesus paid it all,

 All to Him I owe.

 Sin had left a crimson stain,

 He washed it white as snow.

 O! Praise the One who paid my debt

 And raised this life up from the dead!

 O! Praise the One who paid my debt

 And raised this life up from the dead!

 Jesus paid it all,

 All to Him I owe.

 Sin had left a crimson stain,

 He washed it white as snow."

"O Lord, my God,
 When I, in awesome wonder,
 Consider all the works Thy hands have made,
 I see the stars,
 And I hear the rollnig thunder,
 Thy power throughout the universe displayed;
 Then sings my soul,
 My Savior God to Thee,
 How great Thou art!
 When through the woods
 And forest glades I wander,
 I hear the birds
 Sing sweetly in the trees.
 When I look down
 From lofty mountain grandeur,
 And hear the brook
 And feel the gentle breeze;
 Then sings my soul,
 My Savior God to Thee,
 How great Thou art!
 And when I think that God,
 His Son not sparing,
 Sent Him to die,
 I scarce can take it in.
 That on the cross,
 My burden gladly bearing,
 He bled and died
 To take away my sin;
 Then sings my soul,
 My Savior God to Thee,
 How great Thou art!
 When Christ shall come
 With shouts of acclamation,
 And take me home,
 What joy shall fill my heart!
 Then I shall bow
 In humble adoration
 And there proclaim,
 'My God, how great Thou art!'"