To Love

"Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken.

If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, 

not even an animal. 

Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; 

avoid all entanglements. 

Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. 

But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. 

It will not be broken; it will become 

unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. 

To love is to be vulnerable."     

~ C.S. Lewis

Ah, C.S. Lewis, you've done it again. Thoughts that I've never quite been able to get from my mind to my lips he said so eloquently. This is such a true quote. To be able to love anything, you must give something of yourself. It is your choice. To either live inside a guarded tower, with heart completely guarded, and never love; or, to step beyond fear and take the chance to open your heart and experience love or even rejection. 


My friends, let's go beyond our fears and learn to love.



[I saw this quote by C.S. Lewis on my friend's blog (Binding the Main) and it was too good to pass by. If you have the time, you should seriously check out her page.]

Superheroes and School work

Every great hero in the novels has something to hide.  Something, that if discovered, could ruin them.  Some mysterious cloud hovering over them, that others never can seem to figure out.  A bane.  


Like Superman and kryptonite.  


Well, I'm no superhero, but I do have a problem;  yes, a great cloud that seems to hover over my existence at this moment in time.  My secret, or not-so-secret-anymore-when-I-tell-you, is this:  Procrastination.  Or, more importantly, procrastination regarding writing papers.  I dislike (with a passion!) writing any type of school-related paper, essay, book report, or anything that must be turned in for a grade.  


It's as if the moment I receive the assignment and subject matter, my mind turns into an unidentifiable mound of mush.  Then I mull over it for the next few weeks, refusing to dive into the assignment until the day before it's due.  As I finally begin the arduous task, I seem to remember all the other things that I haven't accomplished yet, and soon my mind is elsewhere caught up in some imagination or another.  And then, out of nowhere, I find myself writing this post.  


Oh, Procrastination, how I despise thee!






... Sigh. That is my bane.

He Likes You

God is so good.

He sees beyond our blunders and mistakes, knowing us for who we are. He knows our hearts. He knows the deep desires each one of us holds tightly within our grasp. Gently, He loosens our fingers from their death-like grip, letting us know that it’s okay to give those desires to Him. When they are safe in His hands, He is able to use us in ways we never even thought possible.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” -Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

You’ve probably heard it said before, but it’s true: God loves you. He deeply, intimately cares about you. Out of all the worries flying through your mind, He knows every single one.  

… God likes you.  

The first time I heard someone say, “God really likes you”, I nearly broke down in tears. I knew that God loved me, but I never really knew that He liked me. When you like someone, you want to be wherever they are. Your heart dances when you think about them.


To me, love seemed to be more of a duty, "Ok, so He's God, He has to love me". But, that's not it.

He wants to be with you, to be included in every part of your life. His heart dances when He thinks about you. He knows you by name. He sees you, even in those moments when you feel like no one else does.


H e   l i k e s   y o u .

More Thoughts...

Here are a few thoughts I've had the past few days. Maybe you can relate.
   
    I tend to judge my relationships with people by the relationship they have with other people... Meaning, just because A was best friends with B, and I also had a somewhat friendship with B, I felt like I ought to have the same friendship with B that they had with A. 
   
   Does that make any sense?? 
   
   You need to know people and relate with them on your own individual relationship with them, and not base it on someone else's relationship with them. It takes time and effort to become close with someone, you can't skip over anything, or wish you had someone else's relationship with them. You need to take your own time and your own effort to build that individual relationship.
   
   Like... With God. You can't become best friends with Him only on the fact that your parents or friends are close to Him. You need to know Him through your own relationship with Him. You can't skip that process of "getting-to-know-you".  Know God. Have a relationship with Him that is completely His and yours, and not based off someone else's personal relationship with Him. You need to be diligent in spending time with Him, like you would with a person you want to get to know better. Time. You aren't going to automatically have the same closeness with Him as someone else who has been in relationship with Him longer. It takes time. One step after another, day-by-day, no shortcuts. Fellowship with Him.
   
   Relationships are a dear, delicate and sought after thing. They must be nurtured and cultivated. They are not automatic. You can't skip over some parts because they're uncomfortable, you need to experience all of them, because that will shape and grow and build the relationship to be all it was meant to be. If you leave things out, or try to skip around things, it would be like building a house with pieces of foundation missing.
   
   How much time and effort you put in a relationship is how much you will get out of it. Real relationships will cost you something. Pride, letting go of fear... There will be times when it will hurt and you must give something of yourself. It is not a real relationship if you never allow the other person to see who you really are. You need to be real to each other, open and honest. Trust.




I   w r i t e   t h i s   n o t   o n l y   f o r    y o u ,   b u t   f o r   m y s e l f   a s   w e l l .

What is This Thing Called Love?

This generation is constantly seeking out the meaning of love. What is it? What is love?

According to the dictionary [on my computer], love is defined as:

• "an intense feeling of deep affection"
• "a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone"
• "a great interest and pleasure in something"
• "an affectionate greeting conveyed to someone on one's behalf"
• "a formula for ending an affectionate letter"
• "a person or thing that one loves"

We tend to use the word "love" rather flippantly. We base it on our feelings, our emotions. By today's standards Love can mean anything from, "I love cheeseburgers" to "I love you, let's get married." We use it to determine our identity. "I love cars" [Okay. So I guess that means you're really in to different types of cars.] Or, "We've been dating for a week... I think I'm in love." [Finding identity in knowing that someone is attracted to you.]

Go here : What is love?

Love is a choice. A direction of one's will. Love is sacrificial. A choice to give up something for someone. It is patient, it protects, it perseveres.

Ultimately, God is love.

1 John 4:8-11 says, "God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

This is an awesome post you should read:

www.awhitestoneblog.wordpress.com/2010/09/23/what-google-says-about-you

Did you know that in August 2010, the two most searched for phrases in Google were "Who is God" and "What is love"?

People want to know.

... Just something to think about... And act on.

3 Things

It's kind of amazing what you can learn about yourself just by answering statements like these (even if they're simple) :

3 Things That Make Me Happy:

• Uncontrollable laughter
• Exploring/ Adventures
• Rain :]

3 Things That Bother Me:

• Disrespect
• Bees landing on my food
• Not knowing what to say

3 Bands I Enjoy:

• Owl City
• Leeland
• Movie soundtracks (P.S. I Love You, Chronicles of Narnia, August Rush, The Time Machine... on and on)

3 Authors I Like:

• C.S. Lewis
• Ted Dekker
• Francine Rivers

3 Things I Love About My Life:

• My family and friends
• God's provision
• Freedom to be who I was created to be

3 of My Favorite Sounds:

• Snow falling on the ground
• The acoustic guitar
• Silence

3 Smells I LOVE:

           

• Rain
• Pine trees
• Old books

What about you?

 :) 

Be blessed!

"Faith never knows where it's being led, but it knows and loves the One who is leading." 

-Oswald Chambers

Graduation is coming up a lot sooner than I expected. I can hardly believe I've been in college for two years already... It's gone by fast. I wish it would slow down. One reason being, I have no idea what I want to do with my life. Better yet, I have no idea what God's plan is for my life. Several friends already have a general idea of what they want to do, what God is calling them to do. When people ask what I want to do after graduation, I panic a little, my palms become sweaty, and my heart pounds in my chest. How do I answer them? Can I only say, "I don't know"? That's not the answer people want. But, I don't want to just conjure up some wild idea and use that as my story to please their curiosity. I want give them the truth.

... So, here is the truth:  I don't know what my future holds. But I do know a God who does. Whatever He has planned, that's what I want. His dreams are my dreams. I want to always be in His will, following Him wherever He leads. When He opens a door, I'll go through it; when He closes it, I will wait. That's why I like the quote above by Oswald Chambers. 

That's where I'm at right now.

Shalom :]

Why Goodbye?

I don't like saying 'goodbye'. It's a part of change and growing up, but I don't like it. I don't think anyone really likes it either. It's one of those things where you are happy for the person leaving because they get to experience something new, start the beginning of the rest of their life, but it leaves you with an ache in your heart for the days gone by. 
I just said goodbye to a dear friend today. I know I will see her again one day, and I'm excited for her, but I feel that a small piece of me will leave with her when she goes back home. After seeing her one last time, I went off to be by myself and thought about it for a while. Why do there have to be so many 'goodbyes'?
It didn't take long for me to receive the answer:
      To make room for so many more 'hellos'. Goodbye is not the end, it's only the beginning of more good things to come.
I just need to keep reminding myself of this.
There are a lot more goodbyes coming up.

"Say What You Need to Say"

Have you ever wanted to tell someone something, but were too afraid to actually tell them? 

You were afraid of what they might think of you, so you didn't say anything? 

You figured that they accepted how you were already, so if you said anything contrary to how they already thought of you, it would 

make them question whether they really wanted to get to know you after all? And because of all of this running through your head, you couldn't be yourself around them?

Ugh... Isn't it frustrating? Why do we care so much about what others think of us? 
D o e s    i t    r e a l l y    m a t t e r    t h a t     m u c h  ? 

I'm sure if you were to go around the room and ask several people, the answers would be similar. Everyone has dealt with this in one way or another.

       "What will they think of me if I say this?" 

                     We tend to put ourselves into a box when we do this.  

                Limiting 

                                      ourselves and those around us too.

I've never really thought about that before... But really. 

You are not only limiting yourself when you don't speak up, but you're also limiting those around you by not sharing your thoughts. 

You're building a wall around yourself that others can't get through.


So my charge to you is this:

Don't worry about what others may think of you. 
If you have something to say, share it with them. "Just do it." 

   

Be bold.

We need to encourage one another in this. Build each other up, and not tear down.
 If someone needs cheering up, be that person who goes out of the way to lift them up.

This is something I have to work on too, so you're definitely not alone in this. ;)

Gianna Jessen Abortion Survivor in Australia Part 2

Here's the second half.

Gianna Jessen Abortion Survivor in Australia Part 1

This woman's testimony is amazing!!

Love is...

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.  But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.  And now these three remain:  faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13 - NIV

Think Outside the Box...

Hey~

When you and a friend want something fun to do for free, or if you are extremely bored (and I'm not talking about watching TV), I think I may have a few suggestions for you. =]

This is a post I wrote this past spring on the fourth journal blog. Since then, I have come up with more ideas.

So here are a few thoughts:

1. Keep paper, color pencils and glue with you at all times...

2. Make a paper basket out of notebook paper...

3. Play crazy card games... Or just end up building card houses and then knocking them over for the fun of it.

4. No one is ever too old to play dress-up...

5. Make up your own version of a game that you do not know how to play...

     

     -for my friend and I, the game was Backgammon. It ended up being a game about canoes, trying to land on the islands, and not falling off the edge of the world.  Yes, we were bored, and had a little too much ice cream. :P I still have no idea how to play Backgammon...

6. Wear your roommates hair extensions and take crazy pictures with a fan blowing through your "hair"...

7. Bring a camcorder with you outside and interview random people and make a short documentary...

  (I haven't done this one yet.)

8. Go to the mall and walk around. You don't need money for that! Besides, if you are a people watcher, this is the one place where so many different people come together...

9. Learn a different language! There are many websites out there made specifically to teach people the language of their choice. I have 3 that I am working on. Each one is completely different from the other, so it becomes confusing at times, but it is a great way to learn about different cultures and how to communicate with them...

10. Make a crazy video with a few friends, for laughs, and years down the road, great memories...

11. Record a story using only one person's voice, changing for different characters, and adding background sound effects...

12. Take a walk around the park. Feed the geese...

13. Play in the rain/snow/sunshine -whatever season it is...

14. Climb a tree...

15. Feed a squirrel...

16. Drive through the wealthy area of town and just look at all the different homes, with their interesting manicured lawns, and tall fences...

17. Go downtown with friends and ride on a free trolly...

18. Take a trip to a nearby lake with a group of friends. Carpooling is the way to go. You don't necessarily  need to buy anything to eat/drink, just bring what you already have in a small ice box. A blanket is handy for sitting on. On the way to and from the lake, play some of your favorite or craziest songs and have everyone sing along...

19. Find a fire pit, have a group of friends with you, and roast hot dogs and marshmallows while telling crazy stories. Don't forget to look up at the stars...

20. If you don't own the game Battleship, no fear! All you have to do is grab two sheets of paper, fold them in half, make two grid boxes on both, label the sides A-H and the top 1-10, and there you have it! Your very own Battleship game board! --If you are extra enthusiastic, find some old Civil War songs on Youtube and listen while you play... :)

21. Find whatever edible thing you have in your refrigerator, and try to make something to eat using it ALL...

22. If you have several friends with birthdays coming up at around the same time, try to have a huge combination birthday. That way, gifts are optional, and it's less awkward for the birthday people since they won't have to be the constant center of attention.

Hmm... That's all I have for right now. If I remember anything else, or happen to do anything super cool, I will make note of it and add it on here.

:]

How Can I Stand Here With You and Not Be Moved By You?

Lifehouse : Everything

Find me here, speak to me

I want to feel You, I need to hear You

You are the light that's leading me

To the place where I find peace again

You are the strength that keeps me walking

You are the hope that keeps me trusting

You are the light to my soul

You are my purpose, You're everything

How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?

Would You tell me, how could it be any better than this?

You calm the storms, and You give me rest

You hold me in Your hands, You won't let me fall

You steal my heart, and You take my breath away

Would You take me in, take me deeper now

How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?

Would You tell me, how could it be any better than this?

'Cause You're all I want, You're all I need

You're everything, everything

You're all I want , You're all I need

You're everything, everything

And how can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?

Would You tell me, how could it be any better than this?

How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?

Would You tell me, how could it be any better than this?

How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?

Would You tell me, how could it be any better than this?

Would You tell me, how could it be any better than this?

[Lifehouse skit taken to carnival in LA...Criscilla Crossland]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9VfDhKA4p4

Change. Friendships. Relationships.

I wrote part of this post a few months ago on a blog I co-write with a friend. This subject is something that is close to me. You can check out the other blog at The Fourth Journal.

Okay, here it goes...

I sit here beside the open front door with a cool rainy breeze floating through the stuffy air. The blackbird is cackling, the mockingbird is ‘mocking’, and the red robin is trilling. Cars whiz by on the street, some confident and smooth, others as if they’re on their last drive. So many things I ought to be doing, but, at this moment, I can’t seem to make myself. Hmmm.

Here, let me pour you a cup of Jasmine tea. Do you see that little table by the window? Yes, the white wicker one with the tablecloth. Why don’t you go ahead and sit down while I bring the tea over? It’s no trouble at all. I am sorry about the papers, they seem to be all over the place. Ah, here you go, I’ll just set this on the saucer for you. Now, let me bring out the cookies and then we’ll be ready. There we are. Alright, let’s talk.

Change... It's hard. It’s different. Change is stepping out into the unknown, leaving what is familiar behind, and pressing forward. Change is getting out of your comfort zone. Change really can be a good thing; you wouldn't want to be in high school for the rest of your life, now would you? No way! Change is a part of growing up, it is the defining point and determines how you will be for the rest of your life. You can either change for the better or the worse. But, keep in mind, the choices you make now can determine where you will be in the future. 

Make the right decisions, choose the right friendships. If there are friends in your life who do nothing but tear you down and ridicule you, get out of that relationship, it's unhealthy. You want friends who will be there for you, who will encourage and build you up. They are the ones who want the best for you, and will tell you when you are messing up... Choose your friends wisely.  

Relationships. Lately, dating relationships have been budding up all around me, some happening to good friends. It isn’t a bad thing, it just takes time getting used to. I feel like it’s my responsibility to watch over my friends and it worries me when they aren’t careful. When it comes to marriage and finding the ‘right one’, it takes time, no rushing. Please don't fall for the first guy or girl who tells you that they "love" you. You need to know that they really, truly, deeply know what it is that they are saying. Love is a commitment. If they don't want to commit, then they probably don't love you. They're just in it for the ride.

It's easy to want to be in a dating relationship: the thrill of having someone like you, going on dates, your first kiss, not being lonely... But, remember to be yourself. Don't think that you have to act in a certain way for a specific guy or girl to like you. They need to like you for who you really are, who God created you to be. In the words of my dear friend and fellow writer, Tsahov Vered, "You do not need to change in any way except in growing closer to God. Seeking Him with all your heart and being. Rely on Him wholly." 

Even if you feel like you are really "in love", please be open to what those closest to you have to say. They are watching from an outside perspective and can see what you aren't able to see (or what you choose to ignore). Don't give your heart away so easily. Keep some mystery about yourself :). Once easily given, also easily broken. Relationships take time, trust, friendship, purity, mystery... I don't want you to have a broken heart.

Sigh, I've probably talked your ears off now, haven't I? Oh dear, I think your tea has cooled, and I see you haven't even made a dent in the cookies. Here, let me take your cup and warm it up. While I'm doing that, go ahead to the back porch and sit on one of those rocking chairs. Ah, just look at that view of the mountains. I'll join you in a minute to breathe in that sweet rainy air. Oh, and don't forget to think about what I've said! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

:)