Monday, December 21, 2009
Straight No Chaser - 12 Days of Christmas
We watched this video in choir on Friday and I thought I would share it with those of you who read my blog...all 3 of you.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Finally! (:
school is finally out!! for 2 weeks at least! (:
i needed a break from school. all of my finals are done, most of the stress is gone, and the school year is already half way over! its crazy!
CHRISTMAS break (as i like to call it) has offically begun. and what did i do on my first night? well, i was going to go to a birthday party, but since rugby yesterday made my stomach hurt all day today, i didn't feel good enough to go. so i stayed home, watched Santa Claus, got on the computer, made and wrapped a few christmas gifts, and listened to music (which consisted of the backstreet boys and nsync. hahaha i was reliving my younger years (: ) although i felt as if i had no life, it was a quite relaxing night. now the next two weeks, next week for sure, there is going to be little time for relaxing.
tomorrow (saturday): second small group christmas movie/gift exchange (:, going to fort wayne, staying the night at my dad's house
sunday: first (kind of second) christmas of many, coming back home
monday: relaxing durning the day! (: then over to jordans for our small group sleep over! (:
tuesday: i have no idea. probably last minute christmas shopping.
wednesday: me, melia, and abby are going to swiss valley to eat (: hahaha and maybe ski?
thursday: back to fort wayne for christmas eve! coming back home later that night. christmas eve service at 11
friday: CHRISTMAS!! going back to fort wayne for the day. coming back that night.
saturday: christmas with the millers
sunday: back to fort wayne for christmas with my mom's side of the family and to celebrate my grandpas birthday! i have no idea when we are coming back.
monday: hopefully relaxing!
tuesday: rugby /: relaxing.
then nothing the rest of the week yet! (: me and olivia need to go shopping for our snowball dresses sometime that week...but i dunno when.
oh! and then on sunday: GSMMMMMM!!!! (:(:(:
so this was really a completely pointless post. but now you can stalk me for the next 1 and half weeks!
note to jordan: you will be quized over this post to see if you really creep me or not. i believe that you do. which kiiiinda creeps me out a lot. i'm honored to call you my friend.
i needed a break from school. all of my finals are done, most of the stress is gone, and the school year is already half way over! its crazy!
CHRISTMAS break (as i like to call it) has offically begun. and what did i do on my first night? well, i was going to go to a birthday party, but since rugby yesterday made my stomach hurt all day today, i didn't feel good enough to go. so i stayed home, watched Santa Claus, got on the computer, made and wrapped a few christmas gifts, and listened to music (which consisted of the backstreet boys and nsync. hahaha i was reliving my younger years (: ) although i felt as if i had no life, it was a quite relaxing night. now the next two weeks, next week for sure, there is going to be little time for relaxing.
tomorrow (saturday): second small group christmas movie/gift exchange (:, going to fort wayne, staying the night at my dad's house
sunday: first (kind of second) christmas of many, coming back home
monday: relaxing durning the day! (: then over to jordans for our small group sleep over! (:
tuesday: i have no idea. probably last minute christmas shopping.
wednesday: me, melia, and abby are going to swiss valley to eat (: hahaha and maybe ski?
thursday: back to fort wayne for christmas eve! coming back home later that night. christmas eve service at 11
friday: CHRISTMAS!! going back to fort wayne for the day. coming back that night.
saturday: christmas with the millers
sunday: back to fort wayne for christmas with my mom's side of the family and to celebrate my grandpas birthday! i have no idea when we are coming back.
monday: hopefully relaxing!
tuesday: rugby /: relaxing.
then nothing the rest of the week yet! (: me and olivia need to go shopping for our snowball dresses sometime that week...but i dunno when.
oh! and then on sunday: GSMMMMMM!!!! (:(:(:
so this was really a completely pointless post. but now you can stalk me for the next 1 and half weeks!
note to jordan: you will be quized over this post to see if you really creep me or not. i believe that you do. which kiiiinda creeps me out a lot. i'm honored to call you my friend.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Choir!
Sooo, the past week, we had 3 choir concerts. One Thursday night, one Friday night, and one Sunday afternoon. They were...interesting...haha. We got to wear those ever so attractive bright red robes! YES! i felt like a tomoato, the devil, a curtain, a gospel choir member (as you see in the second picture), a nun, and there was probably more...but i cant remember them all. The performance was great! We got a standing ovation all three concerts and Friday and Sunday were sold out, but behind the seens...things weren't so peachy. On Thursday night...umm wow. It was soooo bad. hahahha in the freshman girls holding area...it was not fun. at all. it was like a 4th grade sleepover. ya know when like everyone is yelling at each other, girls were crying, people were complaining left and right, shut up was being yelled every 3 seconds, and there was soooo much cussing! (okay i guess you probably wouldn't hear cussing at a 4th grade sleepover, but other then that...) I was getting so mad and annoyed!! hahaha seriously though! WE ARE IN 9TH GRADE! and we were so unorganized that day. and then my favorite part about thursday, after we had all yelled at each other, over each other, said shut up about 473 times, and just about pulled our hair out, we all got back on stage and happily sang the last 3 songs like nothing was ever wrong. it was interesting.
THEN ON FRIDAY: so first of all this girl got in a fight on friday, and she was in choir but no one thought she would show up. this girl just happens to stand right next to me, how peachy. anyways! she showed up, checked in so she could get her points, asked to use someone else's phone, told someone she was leaving to go to her friends house and she would be back after the concert, and left. with the phone that wasn't hers. after about a half hour of freaking out and calling and texting the phone, we got it back. only the girl who got her phone stolen (partially) was furious...it was not good. but we all got on the stage and sang once again like everything was perfect! (haha we sooo fooled the audience (: )
finally, on sunday, our last concert, the complications were nothing compared to what all happened on thursday and friday! the girl who stole the phone was back...and then girl who got her phone stolen was also there. and guess who stands directly inbetween then the whole concert? YEP. ME. how. awesome. don't worry though, nothing happened (thank goodnessss!) the only awkward thing was that at the end while we were in the middle of bowing, the lights went off on stage. hahahah and we only got like half a standing ovation casue the audeince didn't have enough time to stand up before the lights went off. but ya know...i'd say that was pretty successful compared to the past experiences.
tomorrow we have our last Christmas performance for 8th graders during school. i'm hoping we will have no issues with this one. hahahahhaah yeah right.
new songs
i just bought new songs from itunes.
i thought i'd let you know.
you should feel special.
you're awesome.
kay bye.
i thought i'd let you know.
you should feel special.
you're awesome.
kay bye.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
God Thinks Your Wonderful - Max Lucado
God is fond of you.
If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
If he had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, he’ll listen.
He can live anywhere in the universe, and he chose your heart.
Face it, friend, He is crazy about you.
By the way, it may be difficult for you to believe that God knows your name…but he does.
Written on his hand.
Spoken by his mouth.
Whispered by his lips.
Your name.
“I have written your name on my hand.” Isaiah 49:16.
Our hearts are not large enough to contain the blessings that God wants to give.
So try this. The next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leaves your speechless, remain that way.
Say nothing and listen as heaven whispers, “Do you like it? I did it just for you.”
If we give gifts to show our love, how much more would he?
He could have left the world flat and gray…but he didn’t.
He splashed orange in the sunrise
and cast the sky in blue.
And if you love to see geese as they gather, chances are you’ll see that too.
Did he have to make the squirrel’s tail furry?
Was he obliged to make the birds sing?
And the funny way that chickens scurry
or the majesty of thunder when it rings?
Why give a flower fragrance?
Why give food its taste?
Could it be he loves to see that look upon your face?
So promise me you’ll never forget that you aren’t an accident or an incident…you are a gift to the world,
a divine work of art, signed by God.
You were knit together
"You knit me together in my mother's womb" – Psalm 139:13.
You weren’t mass-produced. You aren’t an assembly-line product.
You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on this earth
by the Master Crafts-man.
He thinks you are the best thing to come down the pike in quite a while.
Turn to the sidelines; that’s God cheering your run.
Look past the finish line; that’s God applauding your steps.
God is for you.
Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled.
If he drove a car your name would be on his bumper.
If there’s a tree in heaven, he’s carved your name in the bark.
Maybe you don’t want to trouble God with your hurts.
But “he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7).
He is waiting for you, to embrace you whether you succeed or fail.
Your heavenly Father is very fond of you and only wants to share his love with you.
Untethered by time, God sees us all.
Vagabonds and ragamuffins all, he saw us before we were born and he loves what he sees.
Flooded by emotion, overcome by pride, the starmaker turns to us, one by one, and says,
“You are my child. I love you dearly.
I’m aware that someday you’ll turn from me and walk away.
But I want you to know, I’ve already provided a way back.”
You have captured the heart of God.
He cannot bear to live without you.God’s dream is to make you right with him.
And the path to the cross tells us exactly how far God will go to call us back
"It is not our love for God; it is God's love for us in sending his Son to be the way to take away our sins." -1 John 4:10
"Can anything make me stop loving you?” God asks.
“You wonder how long my love will last? Watch me speak your language, sleep on your earth, and feel your hurts.
Find your answer on a splintered cross, on a craggy hill.
That’s how much I love you.”
God does more than forgive our mistakes; he removes them! We simply have to take them to him. You can talk to God because God listens.
Let a tear appear on your cheek, and he is there to wipe it.
He has sent his angels to care for you, his Holy Spirit to dwell in you,
his church to encourage you, and his word to guide you.
As much as you want to see him, he wants to see you more.
If you want to touch God’s heart, use the name he loves to hear.
Call him “Father.”
He thinks you’re wonderful!
If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
If he had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, he’ll listen.
He can live anywhere in the universe, and he chose your heart.
Face it, friend, He is crazy about you.
By the way, it may be difficult for you to believe that God knows your name…but he does.
Written on his hand.
Spoken by his mouth.
Whispered by his lips.
Your name.
“I have written your name on my hand.” Isaiah 49:16.
Our hearts are not large enough to contain the blessings that God wants to give.
So try this. The next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leaves your speechless, remain that way.
Say nothing and listen as heaven whispers, “Do you like it? I did it just for you.”
If we give gifts to show our love, how much more would he?
He could have left the world flat and gray…but he didn’t.
He splashed orange in the sunrise
and cast the sky in blue.
And if you love to see geese as they gather, chances are you’ll see that too.
Did he have to make the squirrel’s tail furry?
Was he obliged to make the birds sing?
And the funny way that chickens scurry
or the majesty of thunder when it rings?
Why give a flower fragrance?
Why give food its taste?
Could it be he loves to see that look upon your face?
So promise me you’ll never forget that you aren’t an accident or an incident…you are a gift to the world,
a divine work of art, signed by God.
You were knit together
"You knit me together in my mother's womb" – Psalm 139:13.
You weren’t mass-produced. You aren’t an assembly-line product.
You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on this earth
by the Master Crafts-man.
He thinks you are the best thing to come down the pike in quite a while.
Turn to the sidelines; that’s God cheering your run.
Look past the finish line; that’s God applauding your steps.
God is for you.
Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled.
If he drove a car your name would be on his bumper.
If there’s a tree in heaven, he’s carved your name in the bark.
Maybe you don’t want to trouble God with your hurts.
But “he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7).
He is waiting for you, to embrace you whether you succeed or fail.
Your heavenly Father is very fond of you and only wants to share his love with you.
Untethered by time, God sees us all.
Vagabonds and ragamuffins all, he saw us before we were born and he loves what he sees.
Flooded by emotion, overcome by pride, the starmaker turns to us, one by one, and says,
“You are my child. I love you dearly.
I’m aware that someday you’ll turn from me and walk away.
But I want you to know, I’ve already provided a way back.”
You have captured the heart of God.
He cannot bear to live without you.God’s dream is to make you right with him.
And the path to the cross tells us exactly how far God will go to call us back
"It is not our love for God; it is God's love for us in sending his Son to be the way to take away our sins." -1 John 4:10
"Can anything make me stop loving you?” God asks.
“You wonder how long my love will last? Watch me speak your language, sleep on your earth, and feel your hurts.
Find your answer on a splintered cross, on a craggy hill.
That’s how much I love you.”
God does more than forgive our mistakes; he removes them! We simply have to take them to him. You can talk to God because God listens.
Let a tear appear on your cheek, and he is there to wipe it.
He has sent his angels to care for you, his Holy Spirit to dwell in you,
his church to encourage you, and his word to guide you.
As much as you want to see him, he wants to see you more.
If you want to touch God’s heart, use the name he loves to hear.
Call him “Father.”
He thinks you’re wonderful!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Feed the Children!
So yesterday, for school, one of the freshman "houses", as they call it, was taking a feildtrip to Feed the Children to pack food, personal hygiene, and Avon boxes. FCA got to go with them, so even though i wasn't in that particular house, I'm apart of FCA, so I got to go! It was an awesome experience! Some thoughts I had throughout the day:
It made me really happy that my peers were going out and making a difference! 3 bus loads full of students went! A huge majority of them being ones i sit next to, across from, or behind in class! They may not even realize the kind of impact they are going to have on someone's life. I know many of them only went because it got them out of school for the day, but they still went, they still worked, and they made a differece! While I was packing the peas into each box, I couldn't help but pray for everyone who came on the feildtrip. I wanted them to realize what they were doing. I wanted them to see and understand what kind of an impact they were making! And I wanted them to see all of that and also see that they are having fun at the same time! Celia and I were talking while we were breaking down boxes (more of our conversation is to come in a post later. we had a pretty deep conversation right there!) and we decided that we caught a slight, little, slim glimpse of what the world would be like if everyone wanted to serve God, if everyone knew of his love, if everyone wanted to please him. Not many were complaining, everyone looked like they were having a good time, and we were making a difference! Overall, we packed over 3200 boxes of food and personal hygiene and Avon items! It was awesome!
It was a great experience and I'm so glad that I got an opportunity to serve with my peers and make an impact in other people's lives. (The missing school part was pretty cool too (: )
It made me really happy that my peers were going out and making a difference! 3 bus loads full of students went! A huge majority of them being ones i sit next to, across from, or behind in class! They may not even realize the kind of impact they are going to have on someone's life. I know many of them only went because it got them out of school for the day, but they still went, they still worked, and they made a differece! While I was packing the peas into each box, I couldn't help but pray for everyone who came on the feildtrip. I wanted them to realize what they were doing. I wanted them to see and understand what kind of an impact they were making! And I wanted them to see all of that and also see that they are having fun at the same time! Celia and I were talking while we were breaking down boxes (more of our conversation is to come in a post later. we had a pretty deep conversation right there!) and we decided that we caught a slight, little, slim glimpse of what the world would be like if everyone wanted to serve God, if everyone knew of his love, if everyone wanted to please him. Not many were complaining, everyone looked like they were having a good time, and we were making a difference! Overall, we packed over 3200 boxes of food and personal hygiene and Avon items! It was awesome!
It was a great experience and I'm so glad that I got an opportunity to serve with my peers and make an impact in other people's lives. (The missing school part was pretty cool too (: )
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A Good Reminder
I was looking through my journal from this past summer last night and I came across this entry and it was a good reminder for me of how awesome God's love is.
From August 6:
For great is your love, higher than the heavens. -Psalm 108:4
God's love is truely amazing. It's so hard to grasp the concept of how great God's love really is. He loves us all enough to sacrifice his only son, so have all our sins forgiven and life eternally. He didn't do it for him, he did it for us. Jesus didn't just feel like dying on the cross, he did it because he loves us. God's love for us never cahnges and he loves everyone the same. Nothing you do can make God love you less, because his love is unconditional. And nothing you do can make God love you more, because he already loves us as much as possible. He loves you for you. His love is so awesome! I am so thankful that I worship a God that loves me for me, a God that shows his love for me.
Now my question is, how can I love God the same way he loves me? All the love I can give is no where near the greatness of God's love. Even if my love doesn't measure up to his, I should still give him my all. Sometimes it seems like nothing I give is good enough. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm good enough. Sometimes I just can't see how my God, who is so big, powerful, and awesome, would want someone like me, who is so small and imperfect. But none of that is true. God wants all I can give. It's enough. He loves me and I am good enough for him. And even though I may not see how God could possibly want me, he does. I can show my love for God through my actions, by obeying him, by serving him, by worshiping him and only him, by telling others about him, by loving my neighbors as myself. I want to love God with my whole heart. I want a heart that beats hard for him.
When I read that I was once again reminded of God's love. It's a good thing to be reminded of how much he loves us no matter what we do becasue it's easy to make yourself believe that God will love you less if you do this or that. At Renewal this past weekend I was once again reminded of God's love. I don't need to earn God's love.
His love endures forever -Psalm 136:26
Greater love has no one than this -John 15:13
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life -John 3:16
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 -1 John 4:9-10
From August 6:
For great is your love, higher than the heavens. -Psalm 108:4
God's love is truely amazing. It's so hard to grasp the concept of how great God's love really is. He loves us all enough to sacrifice his only son, so have all our sins forgiven and life eternally. He didn't do it for him, he did it for us. Jesus didn't just feel like dying on the cross, he did it because he loves us. God's love for us never cahnges and he loves everyone the same. Nothing you do can make God love you less, because his love is unconditional. And nothing you do can make God love you more, because he already loves us as much as possible. He loves you for you. His love is so awesome! I am so thankful that I worship a God that loves me for me, a God that shows his love for me.
Now my question is, how can I love God the same way he loves me? All the love I can give is no where near the greatness of God's love. Even if my love doesn't measure up to his, I should still give him my all. Sometimes it seems like nothing I give is good enough. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm good enough. Sometimes I just can't see how my God, who is so big, powerful, and awesome, would want someone like me, who is so small and imperfect. But none of that is true. God wants all I can give. It's enough. He loves me and I am good enough for him. And even though I may not see how God could possibly want me, he does. I can show my love for God through my actions, by obeying him, by serving him, by worshiping him and only him, by telling others about him, by loving my neighbors as myself. I want to love God with my whole heart. I want a heart that beats hard for him.
When I read that I was once again reminded of God's love. It's a good thing to be reminded of how much he loves us no matter what we do becasue it's easy to make yourself believe that God will love you less if you do this or that. At Renewal this past weekend I was once again reminded of God's love. I don't need to earn God's love.
His love endures forever -Psalm 136:26
Greater love has no one than this -John 15:13
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life -John 3:16
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 -1 John 4:9-10
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