Story.

Story.

Everyone has a story to share. The 80 year old man with his whimsical jokes and war stories, the grandmother with stories of joy and laughter and cooking recipies, the new mother and baby moments, to the 4 year old sharing about her day at school. The thing I find the most intriguing is not everyones story is heard. Not enough people are willing to hear, to listen, or lend an ear to peoples experiences. Each memory and experience had shaped and added personality a person contains. Each freckle reflects endless memories in the sunshine, crows feet to reflect each moment spent laughing. Anyone and everyone can learn from each other; it is up to us to ask, to listen, and to learn from them.

From people I have personally met or heard stories from others, have shared many things with me. I may have not always follow the advice they gave, but after experiencing some things on my own, I wish I would have listened. The life lessons from our elders, peers, parents and grandparents really do reflect the experiences we come across in our own life, regardless of how silly it may seem at the time. 1 Peter 5:8-0 "Be sober, viliginate, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." I remember rolling my eyes at my parents as a kid, thinking o great another lecture. But as I grow older, I will get better at listening and remember to listen.

History; a topic I thoroughly hated growing up. This is something horrible to admit, but its true. Granted I loved hearing stories from my grandpa and was intrigued by the memorials in D.C, but i never really appreciated or actually understood history. But when it comes down to it, everything one does changes and affects the future. The decisions and the actions one makes is a cause and effect to the future. If Nixon was never president, would the Watergate scandle ever exisited? What if Martin Luther King never shared his dream? How would that of changed history? I find it amazing how the decisions and choices we make not only affect ourselves, but can also affect those around us. There are a LOT of people who have greatly impacted my life, mostly for the better. And i am sure I know i have adjusted peoples lives, whether in a good way, or not.

Whats important with people's story, is that in each story..there is God. Right in the middle. in the crap, the good, etc etc in the story.

***G***

ST*O*R Y

***D***

This weekend, I had the blessing to hear a story; the story of an incredible woman. How much she loved people. How she was loved. and so on. Daisy.

What an inspirational person. It was so great to hear stories about her, and to learn and see what an amazing woman she was. I might not of known her well, but I know she is someone I want to be like. Someone to look up to, to learn from, and to remember. Her positive attitude and perspective on life is one to mimic. Daisy has spread her "seeds" to us all, and it is up to us to enrich the "seeds" and gifts she gave us, and to spread our own. I know there is a lot of "daisy" in me, and Im going to work on making the daisy in me shine. Her story is one I will share, learn from, and spread.

Matt 13:31 "Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants...." Simply put...plant seeds in the seeds of people and of Gods word through love.

Thank you Daisy for your faith, attitude and hope, and especially, for showing us all how to love. Have fun dancing, singing, sewing, and loving in heaven :)

Power of Prayer.

"Pray as though everything depends on God. Work as though everything depends on you." -St. Augustine.

This was a quote that really stuck out to me today at church... I find myself working so hard...but forgetting the most important thing...the power of prayer.

When you look in the bible, many people put prayer as a first priority. I remember from studying the book of Daniel, he is a huge example of this. In Daniel 6:10 it says, "he went into his house with his window open towards Jerualem, he knelt down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God..."

Or even Nehemiah, whom we talked about it church, how he cried out for help for being mocked.

In Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be open." Ask. Seek. Persist in prayer.

A crutial part to prayer, is in 1 John 1:9. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Thinking about this quote has really got me thinking about prayer. God. and so much more. A funny picture came into my head at one point today. I was thinking about that stupid energizer bunny. it can run and run and run and work ALL day, but the battery is EVENTUALLY going to fail. Without the power of the battery, its not going to work. Just as us...we can work and work and work, but without the power of God, the power of prayer, we will fail.

I feel like this quote is implying a balance between my prayers and my actions. And that it depends on me and my prayer, and the power of God to fulfil anything.

Its like saying, everything could come down to me, and my power of prayer. People are depending on me, and my God. And I am depending on God.

therapy

It was funny when I was laying in bed last night my mind was twirling. I was like God i wish I had a therapist, someone who i could just talk to who I could just bitch and complain to, share my worries, concerns, fears, etc. I have so much going on! Granted I have friends who are amazing and do so much for me and put up with my crap, but sometimes i feel bad putting it on their shoulders! but anyways, after I had this thought i was like DUH!!. God is my therapist. God is anything and anyone I need. He is there always. and is always there listening and by my side.

God is great.

Thats all.

serve

Mark 10:42-45 " Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Being a volunteer this weekend at Timberwolf Lake was so great. I enjoyed serving others and seeing God in everyone around me. People truely were leading by example and i know i learned from watching serve adn show love and by talking to others.

Live a life of love.

I wish i didnt have so much reading/hw to do otherwise id go into it more. maybe i'll add tomorrow.

Look where we are now.

Writing has and will always be a passion of mine. And right now im on "flu recovery" and did a little writing. However, as I laid around the past couple days, I went through old papers, letters, poems, short clips etc i had written. And I came across a page long poem I wrote a while ago, a huge shoutout for help. I am speechless from the words that came out. I will not put the whole poem because its between the pen and paper, but I will include the first line....

"My smiles disguises
What I'm really thinking.
My eyes reflection
Holds a hidden confession"

and last line....

"I cant understand what im feeling
Acting in ways so unappealing
Putting up a front, pretending
Waiting, hoping,
I cant keep defending
Someone come find me
This train has fallen off track
Someone come find me
And put me back"

Is I read the words, I remember. I remember the pain. I remember the rock bottom feeling. The uselessness. Looking in all the wrong places and finding nothing. The hopeless feeling. The tears that no longer fell. The feeling alone.

Its amazing to look back at this poem I wrote, and to see where I am now.

God has reshaped this heart of mine. He has wiped the tears. Listened to my cries. Erased my fears. Took control. Became my escape. Healed my bruises. Gave me hope. Made this train go back on track.

I hope that i never go back to where I once was. I actually dont think I could from what I know and feel in my heart. I praise God for bringing me back to life. To being who I was made to be. There are times when I think, ok God what now and have moments where I stumble. But I think its good to look back and say, wow...God, look where we are now.

to busy to notice.

Soccer at one point fulled my schedule. Especially, when i played in college, it was my everything. schedules for classes was picked around it, activities after school, friends, etc. So after i "retired" I didnt really touch a soccer ball. 2 years. And friday was the first time in 2 years.

Thanks to my friend matt inviting me to summit...i was reminded the joy & love i feel when i play soccer. I have pushed soccer out of my life for far too long. I have forgotten how great it felt to run up and down and up and down the soccer field. how great it feels to high five your teammates. to sweat. to kick a ball. to pass. to huff adn puff. to push. to get pushed. to run. to play. O the joy of soccer. I get a feeling i cant explain when i play soccer, like im on cloud 9. my life was too busy to notice what my true feelings were. I forgot the real reason why i went to college to play soccer. I made it my life instead of it making my life.

I think being so YOU HAVE to play soccer, the eat sleep soccer life in college made me forget how much passion and love i have for soccer. touching on this reminds me too, to set back and to look at the things I may be looking over, have taken advantage of, or barely notice due to how busy i am. i am going to work on this. :) like start writing again. or actually pick up the guitar more than once in a while. and to take on things that reallllly freak me out-like driving.

I am so lucky to have such great people in my life. To challenge me, to remind me, to help me, to love me and accept me as I am. For a long time i was lost, but the people and things i have been doing in my life has been helping me find me again. and as each day that goes by, I praise God for His work in me.