"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion--do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers--most of which are never even seen--don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."
-Matthew 6:25-34
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
I Tag You All. Mwuhahaha.
Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 30 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you.
1) I have a pet fish named Tina. Tina is a pink fish. Tina is a boy fish.
2) I laugh really loudly... It's kind of embarrassing.
3) I love Perrier.
4) I make YouTube videos. It's my favorite hobby.
5) I get really weird and giggly.
6) The goal of my life is to live it to the fullest. I want to accomplish every task given to me and go on many adventures.
7) They call me a world-traveler.
8) I broke my collar bone once. The story? I was spinning in circles in the driveway, which caused me to fall, which caused me to BREAK MY COLLAR BONE.
9) I'm happiest when I'm at the beach/ocean. It's literally my favorite.
10) I like code names. They allow you to talk freely :)
11) I'm a stellar speller.
12) I eat too many cookies.
13) I love star-gazing.
14) Fall is my favorite season, but snow makes me super happy!
15) I love Christmas music. I listen to it way before it's time for it. :)
16) Big fluffy blankets are so fun to snuggle in!! I love blankets.
17) I'm obsessed with Amish people. They make me so happy. I met this Amish guy once and as I was leaving, I had a strong urge to say, "I love you." He was an old man, mind you. Not some stud muffin!
18) I love baking. My specialty is brownies. :)
19) I also love cooking!
20) I'm going to be an elementary school teacher someday. Just call me Teach!
21) I want my new nickname to be Jaylor. Can that happen? Please?
22) I love summer smells like coconut, fruit, tanning lotion, sunscreen, salty air, sweat.
23) I have a Twitter, but I don't fully understand the point of it.
24) I'm full of stories. They're waiting to be unleashed on eager ears!
25) I really love reading the backs of bottles. You know, like shampoo bottles and stuff.
26) I gave a hair-tie to an orphan in Malawi. I wonder if she still has it?
27) I love movie beds. They look SO COMFY. Why can't my bed look that soft, fluffy, and cuddly?
28) I'm a high school graduate. (I know this one's obvious, but I just like saying it!)
29) I love Say Yes to the Dress and House Hunters. You can guess a lot about me just from knowing those facts.
30) I try to read my Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth as often as I can. It has so much power, so much more than many people realize.
1) I have a pet fish named Tina. Tina is a pink fish. Tina is a boy fish.
2) I laugh really loudly... It's kind of embarrassing.
3) I love Perrier.
4) I make YouTube videos. It's my favorite hobby.
5) I get really weird and giggly.
6) The goal of my life is to live it to the fullest. I want to accomplish every task given to me and go on many adventures.
7) They call me a world-traveler.
8) I broke my collar bone once. The story? I was spinning in circles in the driveway, which caused me to fall, which caused me to BREAK MY COLLAR BONE.
9) I'm happiest when I'm at the beach/ocean. It's literally my favorite.
10) I like code names. They allow you to talk freely :)
11) I'm a stellar speller.
12) I eat too many cookies.
13) I love star-gazing.
14) Fall is my favorite season, but snow makes me super happy!
15) I love Christmas music. I listen to it way before it's time for it. :)
16) Big fluffy blankets are so fun to snuggle in!! I love blankets.
17) I'm obsessed with Amish people. They make me so happy. I met this Amish guy once and as I was leaving, I had a strong urge to say, "I love you." He was an old man, mind you. Not some stud muffin!
18) I love baking. My specialty is brownies. :)
19) I also love cooking!
20) I'm going to be an elementary school teacher someday. Just call me Teach!
21) I want my new nickname to be Jaylor. Can that happen? Please?
22) I love summer smells like coconut, fruit, tanning lotion, sunscreen, salty air, sweat.
23) I have a Twitter, but I don't fully understand the point of it.
24) I'm full of stories. They're waiting to be unleashed on eager ears!
25) I really love reading the backs of bottles. You know, like shampoo bottles and stuff.
26) I gave a hair-tie to an orphan in Malawi. I wonder if she still has it?
27) I love movie beds. They look SO COMFY. Why can't my bed look that soft, fluffy, and cuddly?
28) I'm a high school graduate. (I know this one's obvious, but I just like saying it!)
29) I love Say Yes to the Dress and House Hunters. You can guess a lot about me just from knowing those facts.
30) I try to read my Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth as often as I can. It has so much power, so much more than many people realize.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Today was Wonderful
What's one of the best ways to start your day? With an extra hour of sleep. Oh, time change, how I love you! It was so nice to just snuggle up in the covers and have a relaxed time of waking up. So opposite from the harshness of my alarm clock that I usually wake up to. That got me off on the right foot, for sure. After waking up, I ate a bowl of cereal then baked a Mississippi Mud Cake for my brother's and sister's birthdays. I love baking. Some might find it stressful, but I actually find it really relaxing. It takes my mind off of everything else because I have to focus all of my attention on what I'm doing. If I were to think about anything else, I'd surely skip a step or put too much of something in. Anyway, baking is nice.
After the cake was done, I had to get on with preparing lunch for my family while they were at church. It took a load off my mom and went really smoothly! I put a ham in the oven, took a shower, then finished up lunch by glazing the ham, making scalloped potatoes, and heating up some broccoli. The family came home from church at just the right time and we all ate up! It was really good and really rewarding for me to have prepared that whole meal by myself.
After lunch, we decided to go out to a bridge/lake beach that we love, since the weather was so nice. We had a really good time taking videos and pictures. I love my niece and nephews. They are so cool. I genuinely admire them for their uniqueness. What other kids like the things they like and play together so well? They are truly country kids, which seems funny to me because I never would've expected them to be, but we're all country folk now, and I think it's awesome. Those kids are one with the earth. They love nature and all the creatures that crawl around in it. They ask brilliant questions, and they're just so, so beautiful. I don't want them to grow up, but at the same time I do, cause they'll be great adults. This world needs people like them. They will make this planet a better place to live.
After we got home, I packed up my stuff and headed back to college. My emotional state could be called a wreck at this stage of my life. I don't know what I want, but there are certain things I want so bad that I would do almost anything to have them. I feel disconnected from my family, but also closer with them. What's that saying? Distance makes the heart grow fonder? I'm so unsure of my life right now. I want everything. I want to experience all that life has to offer. My adventurous spirit doesn't like to be contained. Being at college makes me feel stagnant. It also makes me feel accomplished and wise. I want this, but I want that. At some point, I suppose I'll learn a happy compromise. Freshman year is rocky. It's probably rocky for everyone, but I never like generalizing myself into the 'everyone' category. It has to be rocky for me in a different way than for everyone else.
I'm getting older every day. When I was younger, all I wanted was to be old enough. Old enough to drive, make my own decisions, live on my own, get married, have kids, stay up as late as I wanted. Now that I'm at that proper age (well... for the most part), I'm not so sure that's what I want anymore. I miss the innocence of childhood. I miss being with my mommy and daddy all the time. I miss how excited I used to get for Christmas. I still get excited for Christmas, but it's not anywhere close to how I used to be. It just feels like every other day the older I get. I have responsibilities now. I have to be smart with my money and time. I have to care for my own well-being. I have to deal with gaining weight and not having the skinny figure I used to have. Eating is one of the funnest things I do, but I can't eat whatever I want anymore. I used to worry about math equations like 4x6. Now I worry about the rest of my life. The rest of my life used to be something way off in the distance, but it just keeps getting closer and closer.
This may all sound negative, and parts of it are, but really, who doesn't experience all of these feelings? Everyone may not put them into a blog like I'm doing, but like I said, I'm not 'everyone'. Wow, I really went off on a tangent there, didn't I? Anyway, the point of this is to say that today was really, really great and I couldn't have asked for much more. It got me thinking about life. It made me realize the truth in the statement, "We should appreciate the simple things." Life is a contradiction. It's messy, it's sad, it's complicated, and it's awful. But it's also amazingly planned out, happy, simple, and wonderful. You just have to focus on the best things. Like the cake you're baking.
After the cake was done, I had to get on with preparing lunch for my family while they were at church. It took a load off my mom and went really smoothly! I put a ham in the oven, took a shower, then finished up lunch by glazing the ham, making scalloped potatoes, and heating up some broccoli. The family came home from church at just the right time and we all ate up! It was really good and really rewarding for me to have prepared that whole meal by myself.
After lunch, we decided to go out to a bridge/lake beach that we love, since the weather was so nice. We had a really good time taking videos and pictures. I love my niece and nephews. They are so cool. I genuinely admire them for their uniqueness. What other kids like the things they like and play together so well? They are truly country kids, which seems funny to me because I never would've expected them to be, but we're all country folk now, and I think it's awesome. Those kids are one with the earth. They love nature and all the creatures that crawl around in it. They ask brilliant questions, and they're just so, so beautiful. I don't want them to grow up, but at the same time I do, cause they'll be great adults. This world needs people like them. They will make this planet a better place to live.
After we got home, I packed up my stuff and headed back to college. My emotional state could be called a wreck at this stage of my life. I don't know what I want, but there are certain things I want so bad that I would do almost anything to have them. I feel disconnected from my family, but also closer with them. What's that saying? Distance makes the heart grow fonder? I'm so unsure of my life right now. I want everything. I want to experience all that life has to offer. My adventurous spirit doesn't like to be contained. Being at college makes me feel stagnant. It also makes me feel accomplished and wise. I want this, but I want that. At some point, I suppose I'll learn a happy compromise. Freshman year is rocky. It's probably rocky for everyone, but I never like generalizing myself into the 'everyone' category. It has to be rocky for me in a different way than for everyone else.
I'm getting older every day. When I was younger, all I wanted was to be old enough. Old enough to drive, make my own decisions, live on my own, get married, have kids, stay up as late as I wanted. Now that I'm at that proper age (well... for the most part), I'm not so sure that's what I want anymore. I miss the innocence of childhood. I miss being with my mommy and daddy all the time. I miss how excited I used to get for Christmas. I still get excited for Christmas, but it's not anywhere close to how I used to be. It just feels like every other day the older I get. I have responsibilities now. I have to be smart with my money and time. I have to care for my own well-being. I have to deal with gaining weight and not having the skinny figure I used to have. Eating is one of the funnest things I do, but I can't eat whatever I want anymore. I used to worry about math equations like 4x6. Now I worry about the rest of my life. The rest of my life used to be something way off in the distance, but it just keeps getting closer and closer.
This may all sound negative, and parts of it are, but really, who doesn't experience all of these feelings? Everyone may not put them into a blog like I'm doing, but like I said, I'm not 'everyone'. Wow, I really went off on a tangent there, didn't I? Anyway, the point of this is to say that today was really, really great and I couldn't have asked for much more. It got me thinking about life. It made me realize the truth in the statement, "We should appreciate the simple things." Life is a contradiction. It's messy, it's sad, it's complicated, and it's awful. But it's also amazingly planned out, happy, simple, and wonderful. You just have to focus on the best things. Like the cake you're baking.
Friday, October 1, 2010
I'm Sorry
I just feel like I need to write about this to get it out of my system. I'm not gonna be able to sleep, cause it's gnawing at me.
I'm sorry. I wish I could do it again and think more clearly. I wish I had written back or called... or just even checked my phone in the first place. I was having a really great time and I was excited to tell you all about it, but now this will always have a twinge of regret and/or bad memories. I wish I could take it all back. I've marred my time. I wish I could make it all better and have you forget that it even happened. I wish I could erase the pain and worry that you felt. This bothers me. It bothers me that a day can be so good, but then one mistake can just put a damper on the whole thing. I'm not saying I'm depressed now, cause I'm definitely not.. I just wish it hadn't happened the way it had. I've noticed that I keep saying the word 'wish'. Wishing doesn't really get us anywhere, does it? So I guess there's really no point in it. I should be saying 'hope'. I hope you will forgive me and trust me again. I hope that you will forget and never worry again. I hope that all this regret disappears. Can we get back to where we were? Pure happiness? Pure trust? Purely carefree?
I'm sorry. I wish I could do it again and think more clearly. I wish I had written back or called... or just even checked my phone in the first place. I was having a really great time and I was excited to tell you all about it, but now this will always have a twinge of regret and/or bad memories. I wish I could take it all back. I've marred my time. I wish I could make it all better and have you forget that it even happened. I wish I could erase the pain and worry that you felt. This bothers me. It bothers me that a day can be so good, but then one mistake can just put a damper on the whole thing. I'm not saying I'm depressed now, cause I'm definitely not.. I just wish it hadn't happened the way it had. I've noticed that I keep saying the word 'wish'. Wishing doesn't really get us anywhere, does it? So I guess there's really no point in it. I should be saying 'hope'. I hope you will forgive me and trust me again. I hope that you will forget and never worry again. I hope that all this regret disappears. Can we get back to where we were? Pure happiness? Pure trust? Purely carefree?
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Wait by Lecrae
That man don't love you like he need to
If he ain't following Christ, he can't lead you
I ain't tryin' to deceive you
I know he look better than most men
But without Christ, looks are no reason for bragging and boasting
You got your heart on him
Now you can't depart from him
You knew from the beginning not to even start on him
Compromising your faith for sex
Hurting yourself and God
Cause you outside of marital context
What's next?
Mami show respect for your body
Instead of getting naked and naughty
Like sex is a hobby
You know what you're supposed to do
Let him loose and cling to the God that wants to get close to you
You've been blessed as a chosen few
Mami, if ain't rollin' wit Christ
Then don't let him roll wit you
Cause you've been blessed as a chosen few
And if ain't rollin' wit God
Then don't let him roll wit you
WAIT!
CHORUS:
I know you're the apple of momma's eye
A star in your daddy's sky
But God knows you living a lie
You giving a guy, everything your husband deserves
It's absurd
Don't follow your feelings, just follow The Word
You wanna be in a relationship
Well, you can give him your all, but how deep can the relations get
If your God's on the sideline
You won't be happy I promise
Until you understand, that God is the lifeline
He ain't pleased with lust
So even if it feels right
Remember, he ain't pleased with us, when we
Let our emotions loose without a ring on the finger
It's only gonna come back to sting ya
Don't let the singers sing you sweet lullabies
Without giving The King's sweet love a try
It ain't none better
Who else you know,that would give up his life
Just to love you forever
WAIT!
CHORUS:
I know you thought that ya'll could win together
Ya'll been together
But all ya'll do is sin together
You're wasting your own time
You keep deceiving your mind
Saying that this is part of God's design
Knowing he treating you good
Know his ways is nice
But he can't love you like he should
He's not engaged to Christ
And you know this ain't the man for you
But you hold on like God ain't got better plans for you
The whole worlds says 'you should be dating'
God says you should be serving him while your patiently waitin'
Everybody rushin and racin
Huggin' and kissin' and hold hands, all before their days end
Yea, I know it's hard but TRUST
I wouldn't waste my breath on this song if it wasn't a MUST
The same God that made you
The same God that died for your sins and saved you
HE ain't tryin' to play you, WAIT!
CHORUS:
Your ready to go'..wait!
Can't take no more'.wait!
I know it's hard but, God is never late
Don't follow your feelings'wait!
Just follow HIS Will and'..wait!
Girl, serve the Lord and don't anticipate.
WAIT!
If he ain't following Christ, he can't lead you
I ain't tryin' to deceive you
I know he look better than most men
But without Christ, looks are no reason for bragging and boasting
You got your heart on him
Now you can't depart from him
You knew from the beginning not to even start on him
Compromising your faith for sex
Hurting yourself and God
Cause you outside of marital context
What's next?
Mami show respect for your body
Instead of getting naked and naughty
Like sex is a hobby
You know what you're supposed to do
Let him loose and cling to the God that wants to get close to you
You've been blessed as a chosen few
Mami, if ain't rollin' wit Christ
Then don't let him roll wit you
Cause you've been blessed as a chosen few
And if ain't rollin' wit God
Then don't let him roll wit you
WAIT!
CHORUS:
I know you're the apple of momma's eye
A star in your daddy's sky
But God knows you living a lie
You giving a guy, everything your husband deserves
It's absurd
Don't follow your feelings, just follow The Word
You wanna be in a relationship
Well, you can give him your all, but how deep can the relations get
If your God's on the sideline
You won't be happy I promise
Until you understand, that God is the lifeline
He ain't pleased with lust
So even if it feels right
Remember, he ain't pleased with us, when we
Let our emotions loose without a ring on the finger
It's only gonna come back to sting ya
Don't let the singers sing you sweet lullabies
Without giving The King's sweet love a try
It ain't none better
Who else you know,that would give up his life
Just to love you forever
WAIT!
CHORUS:
I know you thought that ya'll could win together
Ya'll been together
But all ya'll do is sin together
You're wasting your own time
You keep deceiving your mind
Saying that this is part of God's design
Knowing he treating you good
Know his ways is nice
But he can't love you like he should
He's not engaged to Christ
And you know this ain't the man for you
But you hold on like God ain't got better plans for you
The whole worlds says 'you should be dating'
God says you should be serving him while your patiently waitin'
Everybody rushin and racin
Huggin' and kissin' and hold hands, all before their days end
Yea, I know it's hard but TRUST
I wouldn't waste my breath on this song if it wasn't a MUST
The same God that made you
The same God that died for your sins and saved you
HE ain't tryin' to play you, WAIT!
CHORUS:
Your ready to go'..wait!
Can't take no more'.wait!
I know it's hard but, God is never late
Don't follow your feelings'wait!
Just follow HIS Will and'..wait!
Girl, serve the Lord and don't anticipate.
WAIT!
Friday, September 24, 2010
War.
"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance ansd supplication for all the saints -
and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."
-Ephesians 6:11-20
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance ansd supplication for all the saints -
and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."
-Ephesians 6:11-20
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Is That Me, Or Do I See Things Differently?
I want to be that girl.
The twin of me that I see when I look in the mirror.
She's all that I could be.
All my unspoken opportunity.
When she and I peel away from the mirror, she goes on to live the life I dream of.
She's the epitome of my self to the Nth degree.
Why? Oh, Why? Why can't she be me?
She has all the confidence I have and lack.
She follows through.
She knows exactly who she is.
She's eager to learn.
Skilled in all things.
She follows her dreams.
Works for success.
She wakes up early and gets things done.
She does everything right.
She fills every room with light.
She's all that I desire to be.
But then, she probably mistakenly feels the same about me.
The twin of me that I see when I look in the mirror.
She's all that I could be.
All my unspoken opportunity.
When she and I peel away from the mirror, she goes on to live the life I dream of.
She's the epitome of my self to the Nth degree.
Why? Oh, Why? Why can't she be me?
She has all the confidence I have and lack.
She follows through.
She knows exactly who she is.
She's eager to learn.
Skilled in all things.
She follows her dreams.
Works for success.
She wakes up early and gets things done.
She does everything right.
She fills every room with light.
She's all that I desire to be.
But then, she probably mistakenly feels the same about me.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
The Potter
You know, it's so easy to get caught up in labels and stereotypes. It's so easy to feel down on your confidence and inadequate. But you know what else is easy? Praying, picking up your Bible, and letting God lead you to what you need to see. We all have a purpose. We're all here to complete the body of Christ. You can't have one thing without something else. We're here to complete the master plan! And we're all pottery...
"Who in the world do you think you are to second-guess God? Do you for one moment suppose any of us knows enough to call God into question? Clay doesn't talk back to the fingers that mold it, saying, "Why did you shape me like this?" Isn't it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans? If God needs one style of pottery especially designed to show his angry displeasure and another style carefully crafted to show his glorious goodness, isn't that all right?" -Romans 9:20-33 (The Message)
It's like, How could I ever not feel good enough? I was crafted for this! For what I'm doing right now. For writing this blog! For wearing these clothes. For listening to this music. For feeling these feeling in my heart. For having the passions that I do. For loving the things I love. For being the aunt that I am, the daughter, the sister, the friend. I'm here on this earth to be me. The me that God intended me to be. I have a job here that no one else can do, because it's mine, and even if someone else attempted to do my job, it would not get done, because it would be them doing it and not me, which would change everything. Why would I want to be someone else or even just a different version of me? Sure, I should strive to be the best Taylor Alissa Weir that I can, but I should not want to change myself, only improve myself. It's so obvious, really. This is all for God, by God. Why would anything else matter?
"God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God." -Lamentations 3:25,26 (The Message)
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
The Teen Missions Verse
So, in Malawi, our team went to a Sunday School, and someone read a verse from 1 Thessalonians. When a pastor points out a verse or if a verse is just mentioned in general, I like to look at the verses around it. I like to know the whole story. When the lady mentioned that verse from 1 Thess., I read around it and couldn't believe what God was showing me! Our team had become a little bogged down, homesick, and argumentative (with each other). We'd also been having a minor problem with disrespect towards the leaders, so when I saw these verses, I nearly cried. I shared them with the team, and now I'll share them with you!
"And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!
Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live."
-1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 (The Message)
"And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!
Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live."
-1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 (The Message)
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
All About Africa!!
Sorry that it took me so long to get around to writing this. I've had a lot to do and think about this past week. But here I am! Fresh off the land of Africa, fresh on the campus of college! I guess I should get to it then, eh? Here we go:
Let's start off with Boot Camp. :) Because it's such a fun thing to discuss! haha. It went surprisingly well. It was the best boot camp I've been through. The kids on my team had such good attitudes! They were always ready to work.. Hardly ever complained. Not to mention, the weather was pretty great the whole time. Don't get me wrong, it was hot and definitely humid! But the heat was fairly tolerable and it only rained once. :) I was worried about how the team would take to the obstacle course, but they were all EXCITED to run it! And they were sad when the days of running the obstacle course were over. The last day to run the O.C. was actually leader day!! So all of us leaders ran that O.C!! I fell in the slough for the first time EVER, which is this little river that you have to swing over on a rope. It was sad, but it was probably good for me. Everyone should fall in at least once :) Or maybe I'm just saying that to make myself feel better.... Possibly!
Now, about Malawi. It was so awesome! The people there are so nice! The most courteous people I've ever been around.. no joke. Anyway, the team planted 500 fruit trees and handed out coloring books that tell the story of Jesus. The Malawian people really loved those coloring books.. Even the adults were coming up to us, asking if they could have one. We had a few bumps and curves along the way, but for the most part, we all got along with each other. Another thing that's really cool is that whatever us leaders cooked for our team turned out great! Like, every time! We would stand there looking at our food options, say, "what should we make for dinner? We don't have very many options." And then we'd basically throw a bunch of stuff in a pot, cook it over our stove that had no temperature settings (the options were high and off), and serve it up! The kids ALWAYS wanted seconds; sometimes they even wanted thirds. It always turned out good! Praise God for that. If the food was gross, the summer would've been much more testing.
If there's one thing that our team learned this summer, it was the power of prayer. I always knew that we were supposed to pray for things and people and issues, but I had never realized how effective it can really be! For example, one night during boot camp, I was praying with the girls in a tent. I asked if they had any prayer requests, and one of them said that she lost her red Sharpie and really wanted to find it. So, we prayed. In the morning, the girl came and told me that right after we got done praying, she found her Sharpie! Even requests that seem small or maybe insignificant can have great importance in that person's heart. She really wanted to find that Sharpie, and I know that when we prayed together, she was trusting God completely to find it. . . and she did! Another time our prayers were answered in a big way was in Malawi.. We were about to leave for Senga Bay, our sightseeing destination. We were all seated in this truck, ready to go, when the driver told us that the truck wouldn't start.. He asked that we pray for it. We prayed, and. . . the truck started! Things like this happened all summer for us. God really blessed our team. We all learned so much! We were really sad when it was time to go home... There were many tears! Especially on my part! haha! I will always look back on this summer with love and amazing memories.
If any of the parents of my team members are reading this, I'd just like to say that you have great children! They truly amazed me. Thank you for raising them so well. :)
Let's start off with Boot Camp. :) Because it's such a fun thing to discuss! haha. It went surprisingly well. It was the best boot camp I've been through. The kids on my team had such good attitudes! They were always ready to work.. Hardly ever complained. Not to mention, the weather was pretty great the whole time. Don't get me wrong, it was hot and definitely humid! But the heat was fairly tolerable and it only rained once. :) I was worried about how the team would take to the obstacle course, but they were all EXCITED to run it! And they were sad when the days of running the obstacle course were over. The last day to run the O.C. was actually leader day!! So all of us leaders ran that O.C!! I fell in the slough for the first time EVER, which is this little river that you have to swing over on a rope. It was sad, but it was probably good for me. Everyone should fall in at least once :) Or maybe I'm just saying that to make myself feel better.... Possibly!
Now, about Malawi. It was so awesome! The people there are so nice! The most courteous people I've ever been around.. no joke. Anyway, the team planted 500 fruit trees and handed out coloring books that tell the story of Jesus. The Malawian people really loved those coloring books.. Even the adults were coming up to us, asking if they could have one. We had a few bumps and curves along the way, but for the most part, we all got along with each other. Another thing that's really cool is that whatever us leaders cooked for our team turned out great! Like, every time! We would stand there looking at our food options, say, "what should we make for dinner? We don't have very many options." And then we'd basically throw a bunch of stuff in a pot, cook it over our stove that had no temperature settings (the options were high and off), and serve it up! The kids ALWAYS wanted seconds; sometimes they even wanted thirds. It always turned out good! Praise God for that. If the food was gross, the summer would've been much more testing.
If there's one thing that our team learned this summer, it was the power of prayer. I always knew that we were supposed to pray for things and people and issues, but I had never realized how effective it can really be! For example, one night during boot camp, I was praying with the girls in a tent. I asked if they had any prayer requests, and one of them said that she lost her red Sharpie and really wanted to find it. So, we prayed. In the morning, the girl came and told me that right after we got done praying, she found her Sharpie! Even requests that seem small or maybe insignificant can have great importance in that person's heart. She really wanted to find that Sharpie, and I know that when we prayed together, she was trusting God completely to find it. . . and she did! Another time our prayers were answered in a big way was in Malawi.. We were about to leave for Senga Bay, our sightseeing destination. We were all seated in this truck, ready to go, when the driver told us that the truck wouldn't start.. He asked that we pray for it. We prayed, and. . . the truck started! Things like this happened all summer for us. God really blessed our team. We all learned so much! We were really sad when it was time to go home... There were many tears! Especially on my part! haha! I will always look back on this summer with love and amazing memories.
If any of the parents of my team members are reading this, I'd just like to say that you have great children! They truly amazed me. Thank you for raising them so well. :)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Beautiful
More -Matthew West
Take a look at the mountains
Stretching a mile high
Take a look at the ocean
Far as your eye can see
And think of Me
Take a look at the desert
Do you feel like a grain of sand?
I am with you wherever
Where you go is where I am
And I'm always thinking of you
Take a look around you
I'm spelling it out one by one
I love you more than the sun
And the stars that I taught how to shine
You are mine, and you shine for me too
I love you yesterday and today
And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again
I love you more
Just a face in the city
Just a tear on a crowded street
But you are one in a million
And you belong to Me
And I want you to know
That I'm not letting go
Even when you come undone
I love you more than the sun
And the stars that I taught how to shine
You are mine, and you shine for me too
I love you yesterday and today
And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again
I love you more
I love you more
Shine for Me
Shine for Me
Shine on, shine on
Shine for Me
I love you more than the sun
And the stars that I taught how to shine
You are mine, and you shine for me too
I love you yesterday and today
And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again
I love you more
Than the sun
and the stars that I taught how to shine
You are mine, and you shine for me too
I love you, yesterday and today
Through the joy and the pain
I'll say it again and again
I love you more
I love you more
And I see you
And I made you
And I love you more than you can imagine
More than you can fathom
I love you more than the sun
And you shine for me
Indescribable -Chris Tomlin
From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God
Take a look at the mountains
Stretching a mile high
Take a look at the ocean
Far as your eye can see
And think of Me
Take a look at the desert
Do you feel like a grain of sand?
I am with you wherever
Where you go is where I am
And I'm always thinking of you
Take a look around you
I'm spelling it out one by one
I love you more than the sun
And the stars that I taught how to shine
You are mine, and you shine for me too
I love you yesterday and today
And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again
I love you more
Just a face in the city
Just a tear on a crowded street
But you are one in a million
And you belong to Me
And I want you to know
That I'm not letting go
Even when you come undone
I love you more than the sun
And the stars that I taught how to shine
You are mine, and you shine for me too
I love you yesterday and today
And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again
I love you more
I love you more
Shine for Me
Shine for Me
Shine on, shine on
Shine for Me
I love you more than the sun
And the stars that I taught how to shine
You are mine, and you shine for me too
I love you yesterday and today
And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again
I love you more
Than the sun
and the stars that I taught how to shine
You are mine, and you shine for me too
I love you, yesterday and today
Through the joy and the pain
I'll say it again and again
I love you more
I love you more
And I see you
And I made you
And I love you more than you can imagine
More than you can fathom
I love you more than the sun
And you shine for me
Indescribable -Chris Tomlin
From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Carpenter's Bluff Bridge
So, about a week ago, my parents were driving home from Sherman, but the freeway was in a huge traffic jam. They had to take another route, and what they found along the way could be called a hidden treasure!
They found the Carpenter's Bluff Bridge. It has a "walkway" on the side of this 1-lane driving part:
Apparently, they turned a corner, and then all of a sudden, "there it was!" They didn't have much time to look at it, though, so they wanted to go back today.
I went with them, of course. :)
Apparently, it's the thing to do in this area of Texas/Oklahoma to go to this bridge and party! There were people everywhere: drinking, four-wheeling, 4-wheel-drive-ing, and swimming in the river that the bridge crosses over.
We had originally thought this was a walkway, but it's more like an Indiana Jones movie. The Texas side of the bridge has it blocked off, but Oklahoma let's you figure things out for yourself ;)
Here's why it's scary:
My dad wasn't afraid, though. :)
While we were on this rickety "walkway" a teenager started walking on it. We asked him if it was safe, and he said "just stay on the beams." He also said that the "walkway" part used to be the driving part, and that his grandparents drove on it when it still was! I can't imagine that.. But anyway, after he told us this, he proceeded to jump off the bridge, into the water.. which was at least 50 feet down. Guess he's been going to the bridge for a while.
So that was our day at the Carpenter's Bluff Bridge. :)
(Oh and by the way, it's 100 years old this year)
-pictures compliments of my mom :)
Friday, June 11, 2010
Some facts :)
-Malawi is called 'the warm heart of Africa': Malawians are warm and friendly people.
-Population: 12,341,000
-Language: English, Chichewa
-Money: Kwacha
-Lake Malawi has more species of fish than any other inland body of water in the world, with a total over 500.
-Religion: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Muslim
-Life Expectancy: 39
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Afri-can you believe it?
I leave for Africa in 8 days... Exciting stuff! I can't believe it's so close. I've been planning this trip since Novemberish. Not only is Africa happening, but about six days after I get home, I'm off to college!! Right now, I'm in this weird transitional phase of life where I'm not really part of anything. It's odd... I'm not in high school anymore, and I'm not technically a college student yet. I enrolled for ECU on Tuesday! I will be taking 16 hours (I don't know what I was thinking). I hope I can handle it!
Anyway, here are my classes:
Survey of Mathematics
US Government
Perspectives from Western Humanities (Honors class)
Fundamentals of Speech
US History
Freshman Seminar (Mandatory once-a-week class)
I'm so excited! I found out on enrollment day that I am eligible for the Honors Program, which means nicer dorms and better chances of getting a job later in life!
Also, I'm fairly certain I am lactose intolerant. :-/ I had some Reddi Whip and now my stomach is all kinds of gurgle-y and it burns really bad.
Until next time!
Taylor Alissa :)
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