Standing Out

My hand shook as I reached into my backpack to pull out a piece of paper.
I ripped it from the notebook and asked my friend next to me for a pencil.
I trembled all over now.
They were all watching me.
What was I going to do?
Was I going to back down like I had done so many times before?
The bus rolled along as it neared my house,
I trembled more, and I prayed for strength.
Jesus, what am I to do?
With a shaking hand I wrote my message on the piece of paper.
I knew my friend was watching me, what would she think?
The bus stopped at my house, as I got up, my legs shaking,
I handed the folded note to the girl across from me.
I got up.
I exited the bus.
As I walked up my driveway, I praised Jesus, because through Him I did it!
I did it it and I didn't back down.
I stood out.

Like an iPod

The Native Americans, the Greeks, and many others came up with myths and beliefs to try to explain certain things. For example, and I'm making this up, maybe one day a Native American said, "Hey, I wonder why it rains?" he scratched his chin, sat down by the fire in his teepee, and declared to his family, "It rains because the clouds are sad and shed their tears on the earth below."

And BANG! That's what all of the Native Americans think.

Huh. I guess we sorta think that way too, don't we? Okay, so we don't come up with some random myth about why it rains, but we tend to come up with all of these excuses about life and what and who we are.

So, I came up with a little metaphor about myself, a weird one, but a true and accurate one.

I decided, as I sat on the bus, listening to my iPod, blocking out the world around me, that I am just like an iPod.

Think about it, really. iPods have a hard shell, just like me. I'm a little rough around the edges(aren't we all?)but once you get inside, there's so much more. Just like an iPod, I am a commonly used and known device.

I am no surprise on the outside, no "new invention". Like an iPod, you can push my buttons, and choose my song, and listen to me, and turn me up, and turn me down. Just like an iPod, I am full of different, surprising things.

Have you ever secretly looked at all the songs on someone's iPod when they aren't around? Oh, whoops, I wasn't supposed to admitt that:). Any who, the person's iPod will have songs that you probably knew, just like someone might know somethings about you. But the iPod might also have songs that you didn't know, or that you didn't expect.

Just like me, there are some things not many people know about me, and that may surprise someone. The only thing that I do not have in common with an iPod is that you cannot, unforunately, turn me off. :)

Who knew we were all so much like an iPod?

Hey, Check it Out!

Hey, everyone!

I am officially BACK! And check out my AMAZING new blog!

Thanks to Sheila at Blog Designs By Sheila, my blog is now polished off, funky, fun, and just what I wanted. :) Thank you, Sheila!

Comments are greatly appreciated and welcome!

Thanks for your support!!!

Sorry, everyone!

Hey, everyone!

Sorry for the confusion! I am currently working on a new blog. It is being designed at the moment.

I will not being posting as much, since I am working on my new blog. I will alert all of you when it is up and running!

Until then: tomorrow is my birthday, pray for Haiti, and live your life serving Christ!

Lots of Love,
Anna

Where I'm Going is a Question that I'll never Know

I often wonder where I'm going....

What will my life lead me to?

This is just a little thought for the day.

Jesus has a plan for YOU and a plan for ME. He won't ever leave!

Psalm 139:9
If I rise on the wings of dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

Are You For Real?

So tonight I am home alone. It's so weird, the silence of this house when nobody is around. After I finished up my homework, put my backpack away and such, I decided to take a shower.

I checked on the dog, who causes lots of trouble at times, but is the sweetest thing EVER! I checked to make sure he was asleep. I thought to myself, 'I guess I trust him well enough.' And I bounded up the stairs to the hot shower.

Ahh...so warm and refreshing, the shower was. I sat there enjoying the relaxing water pour over me, while singing at the top of my lungs. (I give you my permission to laugh.)

I barely heard it at first, it was faint and coming from downstairs. It was a dog. A howling, barking dog. A beagle in fact. It was Snickers.

Ugh! I moaned as I regretted leaving him on the couch. I smothered a glob of conditioner in my drenched hair, and hobbled out of the shower, grabbing my towel. I dried myself of as well as I could, and descended the wooden stairs to the living room below. I was wrapped in my towel, and my wet hair was dripping all around.

And much to my surprise, there was Snickers, sitting on the couch, just as I'd left him, except with his head perked up and his mouth crinkled from barking. There was nothing outside, no dogs, no people, no burgalers.

In fact, Snickers hadn't done anything, he hadn't chewed up a shoe, or scratched the couch, or ripped a pillow. I had left my hot shower for nothing. Not one single thing.

Gee. You see the drama that goes on when you're home alone?

Weird

Weird is such a good word. I love it! I love it so much because it is a word that not only describes me, but describes every human being on planet earth! So, you listen to me, whoever you are, WEIRD IS NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF!

But today I am talking about the kind of weird that people treat Christians in this world. I'll tell you one thing, it ain't easy being a Christian girl in a fallen world.

But if it means Jesus and eternal life, and that one day I'm gonna be a beauty, then, fine, call me weird! I like to try everyday to look for as many opportunities as possible to shine the light of Christ.

So if I'm speaking to someone in need of reassurance today, then, please, don't be afraid to be WEIRD!

Trust me, it's so much better than being normal! :)

ISAIAH 40:31
THOSE WHO HOPE IN THE LORD WILL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH,THEY WILL
SOAR ON WINGS LIKE EAGLES',
THEY WILL RUN AND NOT GROW WEAK, WALK AND
NOT BE FAINT.

(Wow! Did you just read what I just read?? Dude! I think you should read it again!)

Welcoming 2010

Hey, 2010!
And goodbye, 2009!

2010 brings so many new things, so many great things, so many lovely things, and it's so exciting to get started on a new year!

For example, 2010 brings the graduation from high school of my oldest brother. I am so excited for him, and though I'll miss him so much when he heads off to college, and to start a life of his own, I know God has such great plans for him!

Also, this summer is my parents' twenty-fifth Anniversary, and, believe it or not, my grandparents' fiftieth Anniversary! WHEW!

So welcoming our new year of 2010 is a joy to me.

Speaking of the new year and all, I need to come up with some resolutions. I have a few in mind:

1.) Grow closer to Jesus and learn to love Him even more.

2.) Cook more often,and conquer the tricky process of ironing clothes.

3.) Okay, I'll admit it, I'd like to help my parents out more, whether it's doing the dishes more often, setting the table everyday instead of every other, and doing laundry.

I think these are some pretty good resolutions! I'd love to hear some of YOURS!

SORRY!

I am so sorry for the delay in writing!
I will write VERY soon, I promise!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!


-Anna