Yeah, it IS OK to be Different!

She sat in solitude on the swingset, kicking at the soggy mulch and dipping her toes in the small puddle below the swing. A gentle breeze lifted her dark brown hair off her neck for a moment. A group of kids on the kickball field were arguing over an unfair play, their arms flailing in every direction.
The distant sound of squealing could be heard as a clique of drama queens chased a boy around the blacktop. But she would never fit in. She was too weird, too mature, too out-of-fashion for the rest of the world. No one would ever accept her.
She thought to herself as she swished up and down on the swing, "What does it take to fit in? Coolness? The best clothes? The prettiest hair? A spectacular body? A dirty mouth?" A silent tear rolled down her cheek and splashed into the puddle below. "How can they not see?!" she wanted to scream, "How can they NOT know that the way they are living is never going to get them anywhere?!"
Three more fat tears raced down her face, and she wiped them away just as quickly as they had come. What is so wrong about being different? She started to get up and walk away, seemingly invisible to the rest of the children out playing. She walked and walked and walked until the whistle blew.
No one made sure she was there. No one walked with her. No one stood by her. It went on like this for weeks, months, and she couldn't stand it any longer. She wanted to make sure someone noticed her for once in her lifetime.
She left. She walked straight out of the playground, unto the busy road, into downtown, past her house, and disappeared. When the children lined up at the end of recess, no one noticed her absence. At the end of the day, her teacher didn't know where she was. By 6:00 that night, the police had been searching for nearly three hours.
When they found her, she was at a church, talking to the youth pastor that had stayed late to help clean up. She told him about how much she wished she could be heard, but no one would listen. She told him about how much she wished she could be seen, but no one would look. And she told him about how much she wished there was something or someone out there who loved her, but no one did.
He, in response, told her about God.
To all of you who are struggling to be different in this world, who feel alone and unloved, God is there for you. Just remember this girl. Think about what COULD have happened if someone would have approached her on that swingset, talked to her, told her SOMETHING nice.

P.S. It's OK to be different.

Saved

We've never met, but I know you so well.
I've seen you from the inside out.
I've seen you hurt, and cry, and I've seen you try to take your life.
You've come so far along the way, you've stumbled and fallen, your hands are bleeding.
Your face is stained with dirt and tears, but you will be clean.
I will wash you. Cleanse you. Set you free.
And if you ever fall again, I promise to catch you, and when your tears leak down, I will dry them.
And when you come stumbling to my feet, old and tired, forgiven and saved, I will let you in.

Haiti

My post today is about Haiti. I have no idea what they must be going through. I have no idea how they're going to fix up their mess. I have no idea how many people are dead, dying, or missing.

All I know is that God's got a plan.
Jeremiah 29:11
"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."





Hey! Sorry I'm late today! I had a bit of a busy afternoon:)!

Pray for Haiti.

Remembering

On Saturday morning I had nothing to do. I meandered outside into my driveway, kicking at lose asphalt and dry leaves. I slowly walked to our silver van, opening its rusted door, a tiny piece of paint chipping off the handle.
As the door swung open, the sunshine streamed onto the dull gray material. I sat down on the middle seat, thinking to myself how fast time flies, I chanted over and over in my head, "Sam is turning 18. 18! He's actually going to leave for college! 18! College!"
I stared down at the beaten old floor mat, remembering the many feet that had trampled it. The old van almost seemed to creak in remembrance too. Our Silver Bullet(aka: the van)has served us well for seven years, and is now the junky one compared to our new gold Honda.
Our Silver Bullet doesn't have automatic doors, or a super-nice sound system, or a pop-up table, it can't switch the track on a CD from the steering wheel or even blast cool air for more than a couple hours, but our beloved silver van holds so many memories.
It holds sandy feet from Rehoboth beach, it holds mud and sweat from thousands of soccer games. It holds the wins and the losses, the ups and the downs. This van has a map for crazy adventures, instructions on how to get lost, and a GPS that always knows the way home.
This van holds dirt from the wild west, laughter and music, hymns from Sunday mornings when there was no church, and unforgettable conversations. On the floor, as I look, I remember many liquid spills, chip bags opened improperly and strewn across the floor.
I sighed and let the memories take me away for awhile, before I would forget them. Who knew a van could hold so much?

The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This is one of my favorite poems ever, enjoy:


The tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveler hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
Darkness settles on roofs and walls,
But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands
Efface the footprints in the sands,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls
Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveler to the shore.
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Tickin'

Do you know one thing we humans are so good at?
Any guesses?
We're so good at wasting time. We're SO good at making a whole DAY of time into a fiesta of procrastinating. We're so good at putting aside things we NEED to do and coming up with excuses so we can do the things we WANT to do.
It's funny(funny?)how we waste so many chances to shine for the Lord, in our heads thinking that "there's always tomorrow". And then we shove it aside for another day.
Did we ever stop to think "what if there is no tomorrow"?
One of the reasons that I picked the verse that is under the title of my blog is because we should not be ashamed to tell others about our wonderful Lord.
Here is a little video that means a lot to me. Pass it on. Think about it. The clock is ticking....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piuoGb-Nhfw

Shoes

Hey, ya'll! I'm back! I'd like to share with you a weakness of mine....shoes. It's dangerous to take me into a shoe store because I almost always find something I like, but, no, I don't always get it!

So here is an exclusive look at my shoe collection:



Everyone's gotta have flip-flops.

The classic school sneaker, very classic. Classic.

Running shoes. The girl's gotta run, man!

Converse are awesome, okay? Everyone should have a pair of converse.

Ummm....church shoes...heh.

These are surprisingly comfortable church shoes...my first heel:).

These are strictly for soccer use only. Don't judge me, okay? They're for soccer. SOCCER.

You gotta love these, they're just so.....lovable.

These are soooo comfy and cute:).

Who doesn't like a good pair of mocassins?

I was scavenger hunting in my Grandmother's closet when I found these, and, well...
These were $5.00 at the good ole Walmart. $5.00!

Oh, come one! You HAVE to love these. Must.

I got these to go to a wedding. That's all. A wedding.

I got these when we were buying the ones for the wedding...I couldn't resist.

Cool shoes. Cool shoes.

These are my personal favorite. Aren't you jealous?

Shoes

Hey, ya'll! I'm back!

Today I'd like to share with you a little weakness of mine.....shoes. Shoe stores are dangerous with me because I ALWAYS find something I like, and, no, I don't always get it, if I did I would have thousands of shoes:)!

Bringing me to a shoe store is like bringing an alchoholic to a bar....okay, so that was rather exagerated and, well, you know....anyway, here is an exclusive look into my shoe collection:

A Temporary Break

Hey, ya'll!

I am going to take a little break from blogging! Especially with the new-found sunshine, I want to do other things!

I will be back be either Saturday or at the lastest, Monday!

Thanks!

See it All

God, you are the light.
I want to be blinded by Your light, like Paul no longer Saul.
Clear this mud from my eyes, so that I can see it all.
I want to see you, not a rear view.
I want to know you, so I may show you.
In every way, I'll bless your name, because for me you came.
You are the one real God.
There's no man behind the curtain.
You are the only God.
There's no mask to take off.
You are the one real God.
So clear this mud from my eyes,
I want to see it all,
take my heart, and I'll watch it thaw.

Food for a Hungry Soul

There are so many verses that I just LOVE! Listed below are merely a few of them.
Please, please, please feel free to leave a comment with some of YOUR favorite verses!

Here is a verse for when.....


IN DOUBT OF CHRIST:
Ephesians 2:12-13
Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from the citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

FEELING ALONE:
Isaiah 49:15-16
I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palm of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

HOPELESS:
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 weary, walk and not be faint.


UNSURE:
Psalm 115:3
Our GOD is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

AFRAID TO SPEAK OF THE GOSPEL TO UNBELIEVERS:
Matthew 5:16
Let your light shine before men that they will see the good things you do and praise our Father in heaven.
WORRIED:
Zeph. 3:17
The LORD your God is with you, He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love.

YOU NEED SOME REASSURANCE:
John 8:12
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

ANXIOUS:
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer…present your requests to God.
PRAYING:
Psalm 18:28
You, Oh LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

ANYTIME:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

YOU FORGET HIS POWER:
1 Corinthians 2:9
“No eye has seen, no ear has hear, no mind has imagined what he has prepared for those who love him!”
LOW SELF-ESTEEM:
1 Peter 3:4
The unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit is of great worth in God’s sight.

UNSURE:
Hebrews 11:1-3
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

FAILING FAITHFULNESS
Lamentations 3:21-23
Yet this I call to my mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.
Hebrews 11:6
Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

Isaiah 30:21
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”

Random Things for a Random Mood

First picture-George drinking coffee.
Second picture-Bad hair day.

I know I'm so random, but I don't know what else to write about, and I'm feeling glum, so sorry to disappoint you!