It's going to be a long year..

"There's a note underneath your front door,

That I wrote twenty years ago.

Yellow paper and a faded picture,

And a secret in an envelope.

There's no reasons, no excuses.

There's no secondhand alibis.

Just some black ink on some blue lines,

And a shadow you won't recognize.

In the meantime, I'll be waiting

For twenty years, twenty more.

I'll be praying for redemption

And your note underneath my door."

 

 

20 Years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyLsj0xKCuA

 

"The human heart has hidden treasures, in secret kept, in silence sealed; the thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, whose charms are broken if revealed."

-Charlotte Bronte



Are you passionate?

In one of my favorite movies, Serendipity, starring Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack, there is a line quoted by one of the characters who wrote Obituaries for the NYTimes saying, "You know, the Greeks didn't write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died--Did he have passion?"

The movie isn't super serious, it's fun, lighthearted, romantic, etc. But I've always really liked that line, because honestly, it has a lot of truth to it. How many people spend months, days, even years of their lives doing things and working jobs that they don't enjoy, where there is no passion in it for them?

I know that for the majority of people out there, you don't always get to work your dream job. Sometimes, for the sake of making ends meet and paying your bills, you have to work a job that might not be your favorite until you can get something else lined up.Understandable, yet still, at the end of it, that saying still rings true.

Did you have passion? Did you do something with your life that you enjoyed? Did it impact others in a beneficial way? Was it something that you chose to do for the wrong reasons, even with good intentions? Or was it something that God asked you and called you to do?

I think that once you get past some of the rough,beginning stages in Careerland, there is a job out there for everyone that they are truly passionate about, something that they will put their heart into, and work so hard at it that it will be a benefit and a blessing, not only to those they come in contact with, but also themselves.
I also truly believe and feel that I've found that thing that I am passionate about. I love teaching, specifically preschool aged kids, but also elementary school. Even though I already know how much I love it, there are some days when it just seriously hits me more then others how passionate I am about it, and how blessed I am to be able to do it.

Like today. I've been working with the KidsTime program at my mom's church since I was old enough to volunteer in the 5th grade, and I've worked with these kids, often from some of the same families, for years of my life. I usually work in nursery, or else preschool. I've literally watched them grow up. But this summer I've been working with older kids in elementary school, many of whom were part of the first groups that passed under my care when I first started volunteering. During the third hour at church on Sundays the kids have their own worship hour. Today is the last Sunday that I really got to work with them before moving back to Wyoming, and even though I'll be back in the area to visit family occasionally, I won't be volunteering there anymore. So standing there, looking at these kids who I've taught, held, babysat, and helped take care of for the last several years of my life--seeing them seriously growing, not only physically, but also spiritually, singing worship songs at the top of their voices, some of them taking communion--I surprisingly got emotional, and was actually blinking back tears.

My job is hard work, yet it is something that I typically always enjoy, even on the most hectic or difficult days. Yet, just like with any job, there are just some days that really hit you and remind you of how much you love it, and how blessed you are to get to do it--days that remind you of why you are so passionate about it. And today was just one of those days.

Do you have passion?

I can't wait..

This song always takes my breath away, but I'm just feelin it even more than usual today:

"You wrote a letter and You signed Your name.

 I read every word of it page by page.

 You said that You'd be coming, coming for me soon.

 Oh, my God, I'll be ready for You.

 I want to run on greener pastures.

 I want to dance on higher hills.

 I want to drink from sweeter waters

 In the misty morning chill.

 And my soul is getting restless

 For the place where I belong.

 I can't wait to join the angels and sing my heaven song.

 I hear Your voice and I catch my breath,

'Well done, My child, enter in and rest.'

 Tears of joy roll down my cheek.

 It's beautiful, beyond my wildest dreams.

 I want to run on greener pastures.

 I want to dance on higher hills.

 I want to drink from sweeter waters

 In the misty morning chill.

 And my soul is getting restless

 For the place where I belong.

 I can't wait to join the angels and sing...

 I want to run on greener pastures.

 I want to dance on higher hills.

 I want to drink from sweeter waters

 In the misty morning chill.

 And my soul is getting restless

 For the place where I belong.

 I can't wait to join the angels and sing.

 No, I can't wait to join the angels and sing my heaven song."

Refreshed and renewed

You know, it is such a blessing as a Christian to see and be around others who have understood and fully accepted the love and salvation of Christ for the first time.

I know that I'm still young,but it seems to me that no matter how many years you have been a Christian and have woken up striving to live your life for Christ,it kind of refreshes you to be around someone like that--it makes you remember and relive the days when it was so overwhelmingly new and exciting to have newly accepted Christ into your life, and it reminds you that you still have that exciting love,and that there is only good to come from it.

I guess I've just been really reminded of that recently because someone I went to high school with went on a youth retreat a week or so ago and accepted Christ. I talked to them about it after and I told them that I'm so proud and excited to already see the excitment they have in this newfound love and salvation in their life and their enthusiasm to share it with others.
And getting to see how Christ is changing their life already,and getting reminded of the power of my Savior's love just reminds me of one of my biggest role models, Julie Mun--one of my friends that I graduated high school with, and one of the strongest Christians I've met.

I remember Julie coming to our school as an exchange student from South Korea when we were in 9th grade. She could barely speak English, she didn't know anybody, and seemed kind of shy at first. We went to a small Christian school,and it didn't take long until she started hearing so much about Christ and His ultimate sacrifice for us that she started asking more and more questions. I remember the day she accepted Christ as he Lord and Savior--I remember her excitement.And from that day on,she was going,going,going.She never stopped--she was always,every single day,overflowing with God's love poured out towards those around her.She was always so passionate, always lived every day for Christ. He created a new heart in her that I think anyone who knows her would agree made her literally radiantly beautiful inside and out because of the love and happiness she found in Him.I honestly can't think of a better way to describe it--she is radiant with the love of God.
She came from another country,from  a completely different spiritual background,spoke a different language,etc. She's only known Christ as her Savior for about 5 years or so now,but seeing her strength and how solid her relationship is with Christ, you would guess she's been a Christian her whole life.
Julie has always amazed me, and inspired me to be a better Christian.If she can jump right into Christianity out of the blue and impact so many people with the beautiful heart God has created in her, then I should be able to do that too, as a fellow child of God.I've adored Julie as my friend and sister-in-Christ ever since I've known her, and I hope I can be as radiant with God's love as she always is,thereby being the best example I possibly can to others who I come in contact with.

I love you, Julie Mun!I hope you know how much your heart has meant to me, and to others around you. :)

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Psalm 51:10

"Therefore,if anyone is in Christ,the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!"

2 Corinthians 5:17

"So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, 'Abba, Father.'"

Romans 8:15

For what it's worth...

So, obviously there are thousands of people in the US right now who are seething about this whole Chick-Fil-A business.

I'm frustrated by the entire situation myself, but not in the way that most people are. I'm frustrated because this entire situation has gotten completely blown out of proportion.
I really don't want to go off on a rant saying I'm definitely on one side or the other and therefore am opposing anyone who thinks differently, because I'm sorry but that's just a little on the extreme. I am making this post to hopefully inject a little voice of reason into this whole fiasco.

I'm getting a little weary with seeing all of these explosive rants take up my facebook newsfeed, people going on and on,stating their opinion, being judgemental, and saying time and time again that they have the right to do so. They absolutely do have the right to say whatever they feel, but I don't think people realize that by stating things the way they are, they are completely undermining/overlooking the fact that Chick-fil-A, whether as a company as a whole, or the president, founder, CEO, whatever has that same right. By making the statements they did, they were merely exercising their right to freedom of speech, a right that they undeniably have just as much as any of you do.

And really, why is nobody focusing on the fact that it is actually a good thing that Chick-fil-A took a definite stance?Honestly, isn't it much more frustrating when a company like that stands up for nothing and is just lukewarm and unopinionated about everything?I at least give them props for taking a stance in general and sticking to what they believe--again,a right they share with everything else,to stand up for whatever they please.

I'm not angry at anyone here,honestly.Like I said,I'm just weary of having to scroll over half my facebook newsfeed because of all the rants that are continually posted.And I was not trying to make this post an equally annoying rant.
The only other things I have to say are that 1) How did people honestly have this kind of explosive reaction to the whole thing when just about anyone with two brain cells that can string together an idea should know that Chick-fil-A has always been a Christian company,has always had these values, and hasn't exactly kept them quiet? and 2) One of my friends on facebook basically summed up how I feel about the whole thing perfectly: "All this talk about Chick-fil-A is making me hungry!I love all people and hate all sin, which is God's and CFA's opinion too." 3) To the mayor of Chicago, if you think that those values are not Chicago's values, perhaps you should go back and read a history book to brush up on exactly what values this country, as a whole, was founded on (I'll give you a hint: it just might have something to do with Christianity).

If anyone has any questions or concerns on my views on gay rights, I'll just refer you to a couple of my first posts that should help you understand, This Is Me and (especially) Props, because beyond all of this, I truly wash my hands of the whole situation.

Do something.

I'm sure everybody has heard of the tragedy that took place in Aurora, Colorado this weekend when people at the Dark Knight Rises midnight premier were open fired upon at a movie theater outside of Denver by a man named James Holmes.12 people were killed, and even more were injured.

I was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and I live there--only a short distance away from areas like Aurora and Denver. I have many friends and family members who live in the surrounding communities. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we had moments of panic when we heard of the attack, knowing that there are people we could think of that could've been involved.I am fortunate and blessed enough that nobody I personally knew was there. However, I do know people who have friends who were there, and who have been living in the same apartment building as Holmes and who are now evacuated.

I therefore find it crass, sickening, rude, crude, heartless, and ignorant that someone created a page dedicated to James Holmes--a man who mercilessly killed 12 people, and injured many more (children among them), thereby tearing families apart. The page attempts to make the entire situation into a joke.
And I'm not sure what I find most sickening--the fact that one person was ignorant and heartless enough to create the page in the first place, or the fact that 420 people are apparently ignorant, hurtful and rude enough to like and support it.

You can view the page here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/thedarkknightfalls
I encourage everyone to go to this page, report it, AND report all of the images posted on it.
There is no excuse for this absolute mockery of a real tragedy.
Reporting the page and images may seem like something very simple, but if enough people take a few seconds to do it, then maybe Facebook and it's administrators will take a hint, get the picture, and shut it down.

I also encourage you to like, support and share the Shut Down the James Holmes page, which you can find here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Shut-Down-the-James-Holmes-Page/476310009048928
I know of at least one of my friends, who is from a surrounding Colorado community, who has stated that since Facebook so far refuses to shut down the James Holmes page, that they are deleting their account, saying, "If Facebook does not remove the James Holmes page mocking this tragedy I will be permanently deleting my account. I will not be part of a hate supporting community."

If necessary, I would actually encourage people to think about doing the same. I am considering doing the same thing if Facebook sends me back a response still refusing to shut it down. Hit them where it hurts--at the end of the day, Facebook is a business organization, and it's creators, organizers, and administrators get money off of the site. If they really refuse to shut down the James Holmes page, and everyone who disagrees with it deletes their account in return, that'd be alot of people.It would make a statement, that's for sure.

DO NOT LET THIS SLIDE.Do NOT let these people get away with this. Take action, do your part. DO SOMETHING.

The unspeakable

If you know me at all, briefly, in any way whatsoever, then you know that I never, never, EVER listen to country music.
I know what you're thinking--How can you be from Cheyenne, WY and have lived half your life in TN and not listen to country music?
Well, I just don't.It has never really appealed to me.At all.Something that my roommates, who are both well versed in their country music,have tried to cure me of, and which they were unsuccessful with throughout the last year.

But they should be proud now.Due to the tragic death of the central consul in my mom's car out here, I have been reduced to listening to whatever radio stations I can find on a little boom box that we're now keeping in the car (ghetto all the waaayy,gurl!)And wouldn't you know the only station that comes through clearly on that piece of junk is WXBQ--a country station. Much as I still ponder over the ridiculousness of such classy lyrics as "You make my speakers go boom boom," or "I want to check you for ticks," I have to admit....

Oh wow,this is really hard to choke out....
...I kind  of like it.
But I didn't say that.You never heard it.
Seriously though, even just a month ago, who in their right mind would have guessed that I would now know so many country songs by heart?Certainly not me. There was this one song that I thought was totally dumb when I first heard it (but I have thought that the first time I've heard pretty much every country song), but now it has really grown on me. I listen to it and I think, you know, this seriously is exactly what a southern summer is like...this is actually just about what my southern summer vacation here in TN is like.

So,cheers to your classy,hoodrat,ghetto,southern summer--long may it last ;)