A Beautiful Letdown

I Have Relocated

2010-12-09T19:37:00.001-06:00

www.ebethampton.wordpress.com

2010-07-14T11:43:00.002-05:00

Well I guess you could say the three weeks of my life have been pretty crazy and slightly overwhelming. I had freshman orientation at Samford which was an information overload, and almost made me want to wait another year before starting college. Immediately following that I participated in Samford's Urban Adventure, making me remember how excited I actually am about college. It was great to spend a peaceful week on campus, and I am glad to see that I almost know my way around now. After that it was one day of rest before I traveled down to Orange Beach and had a great week with friends and family, where oil was not a hindrance at all. Then I came home and got a few hours of sleep before I left bright and early to go back to Orange Beach for Student Life Camp. All in all, camp was just a great experience getting closer to God and the other people I go to church with.

Altogether, I learned so much about myself, God, and my Christian duty over the last few weeks. Maybe a lot was stuff I already knew in the back of my head, but it certainly needed to be instilled in my every day thought. Particularly, Student Life Camp and Urban Adventure gave me so much food for thought. In a way I wish I could have attended camp first because I could have applied it more to my work in Birmingham with Urban Adventure.

Everything about camp was great. Aaron Keys, the worship leader, was awesome and his knowledge of Scripture really motivated me to start memorizing more verses. Matt Chandler, who was our main speaker, really opened up my eyes to knew things. And when I got home I immediately downloaded some of his podcasts because I just can't get enough of it. The fellowship time with all of the other students and chaperones was also amazing. We have funny memories that we will never forget, and also serious moments that we all took away. One particular night on beach was one I will always remember because William got saved. Through that, God not only opened up his heart, but I'm pretty sure he opened up every heart on that beach. I can't speak for everyone else, but I know that I saw God through William that night. I've never seen the kid cry, but tears of pure joy were streaming from his eyes and he couldn't even sit still because he was so excited.

But if I could say the one thing about camp that challenged me the most was how flawed my relationship with God is. It seems like such a simple thing, but for me it's incredibly difficult. There are only a few people in my life who I am close to, and to be honest I don't think there is a single person who knows me entirely. I'm a hard person to get to know, and I don't open up to people very easily. If you want to get to know me then it's something you have to work at. You have to tear down the defensive barrier that I have built up, and that takes a lot more than one conversation. I've always been okay with being like this, simply because I don't want to become vulnerable. I don't want people to know my weaknesses, or even my strengths for that matter. But I guess I've realized that this way of living has effected not only my relationship with my peers, but also my relationship with God. I don't know how to pray. Prayer is awkward for me. The idea of it sounds so easy, but in my mind it is so complex. There was a point in my life where I believed in God, yet I didn't believe he cared anything about having a relationship with me. If he did, then why doesn't he talk back? Why doesn't he show me his plan for my life more blatantly? Although these are questions I will still struggle with, I have decided to do something very uncharacteristic of myself and pursue God. Because if I don't pursue Him then why should He (or anyone else for that matter) pursue me?

I guess that I just needed to be reminded over and over throughout the week that God wants to be my best friend before I actually started to believe it. Communication is hard for me, but I know that it is essential to a healthy relationship. I've made these statements in previous posts, but I need to say it again just to get it through my own head. Because writing is so much easier for me than speaking, I got to the point that I was writing my prayers each night rather than saying it out loud or in my head. It was great at first because I feel more connected through writing, but now it's at the point that it's just something I do before I go to bed. I want my prayer life to be more than just a daily quiet time. I want to wake up in the morning and thank God for the sun shining in my window, or even just the fact that I have a window because I have a house. When I get out of bed, I want to thank Him for giving me a properly functioning body. I want to thank Him every time I crank my car, every time I experience the pleasure of a good book or good music. I want to be reminded of Him in every aspect of my life. Because He is in every aspect, I just continually fail to see it.

Urban Adventure, on the other hand, taught me about another important aspect of Christianity: Servitude. Urban Adventure was basically a group of about 30 Samford Freshman who had a desire to serve. We spent two full days at North Star Youth Ministries, a summer camp for kids of the College Hills community. North Star is coordinated pretty much through a family in their home, and it is designed to give kids a place to come during the summer where they can have lunch, participate in activities, and be surrounded by the love of Christ. Our job was to fix the place up a little by painting, landscaping etc. Before we started our work, we had a short training session on what it meant to be a neighbor. We distinguished the difference between what it means to volunteer, serve, and to neighbor. Sometimes we get too caught up in the idea of doing volunteer work that we forget its purpose. The Bible doesn't call us to volunteer at the local homeless shelter, but it commands us to be a neighbor to those in need. Being a neighbor requires more than a couple of Saturdays out of the month, it requires a lifetime commitment and an emotional connection. We are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, meaning that we should devote as much time to others as we devote to ourselves. However, I fall short of this over and over again.

And although we continually neglect our duty, the world is still not forsaken. While I was at camp we made a list of all the things that God is. The one I wrote that stood out to be the most was that God is hope in a forsaken world. God is working through organizations such as North Star to further his kingdom. As Christians, we have to realize that we are not called to live a practical life. Luke 9:57-62 talks about the cost of following Jesus. A man says he will proclaim the name of Christ after he buries his father who had just passed away. But Jesus replies saying "Leave the dead to bury their own dead". Nothing is more important the task we are given in the great commission. Although I do believe that our belief in God comes from the heart and through a personal relationship with Him, I also believe that if we are not doing His work then we may need to question where our heart truly is. The two go hand in hand, and one cannot fully exist without the other. So where are your priorities? After the last 3 weeks that is the question I've been asking myself, and my prayer is that God will show me and constantly remind me what is most important.

College??

2010-05-22T21:49:00.002-05:00

Well. Samford it is. I know I seem horribly indecisive for changing where I am going to attend college this fall at pretty much the last minute, but if I could describe my entire nature or state of being in one word it would probably be indecisive. Saying that, now that I'm officially registered and it's all set in stone, I'm nearly positive that I made the right choice. Because maybe I really wasn't all that indecisive. I think this is what I wanted to do all along.

It was kinda hard for me to change my plan so suddenly. I already told everybody that I was going to The University of Montevallo as an English major, so once I had a plan the idea of backing away scared me. When I started my college search, my choices were Samford and Alabama. There was a lot about Samford I loved, but part of me just wanted to get away from the "Christian Circle" I had isolated myself in and just experience the world for what it truly was, whether for the good or for the bad. However, after visiting the school formally, I realized that Samford isn't one of those exclusive Christian schools as I perceived it to be. They were open to anybody, and did not reject people based on religion as long as they did not corrupt campus life with immoral things. And even though I will always support the Crimson Tide, I quickly realized that UA wasn't the school for me. I don't want to attend a big university where it takes me a whole year to learn my way around, and I'm nothing more than a number in a crowd. So even though I always said I wanted to go there, I ended up not even applying. In order to keep my options open I also visited North Alabama and Montevallo. UNA was nice and seemed like a great place to go to school, but I knew I wasn't ready to move three hours away. So I visited Montevallo and I loved it. The campus had a very similar feel as Samford's but without that high of a price. At this point, I didn't really allow myself to think about Samford because I was too consumed by the cost.

So Montevallo was my choice. English would be my major, simply because it was the best I could come up with. I was content and mostly happy, but I never really got excited. But over time, little things kept popping up pointing me back to Samford. At first I ignored it because my decision was made, but it got to the point that I didn't even want to go to Montevallo at all. Nothing about the school seemed appealing anymore, because I knew that Samford was what I wanted. But as I suspected, cost became a burden.

My life seemed meaningless, and I felt incredibly unfulfilled. I did everything in my life half-way because I never wanted to put any time and effort into it. And at the very top of this would be my life as a Christian, a follower of Christ, and a disciple to many nations. I claimed Christ in my life, but I didn't go out of my way to show it. I've always been a pretty good kid. I don't drink, do drugs, sleep around, or swear excessively, but that does not show anything about my character. I can't explain exactly what happened, but I've recently made a commitment. I want my life to be a living representation of the Word of God. I believe that faith is not only our belief in God, but it's also a verb. I want to put my faith into action. Sometimes we become to consumed by the concept that works do not save us, that we forget our Christian duty altogether. I truly feel that God has called me into His service in some way. Not to say that I'm supposed to become some form of minister or travel across the world spreading the Word(although I would love to do that), but I think that God wants to use my life to further His kingdom. And I believe that my time in college would be a great time to figure out exactly what that entails.

There are a lot of reasons I'm choosing Samford. It's a school with great academics, and a very prestigious university that I have been blessed with the opportunity to attend. It has a beautiful campus placed in the city I know and love. Also, I feel like the staff at Samford actually took the time to get to know me. As much as I hated writing the essay and doing the resume for admission, I can now appreciate that they had a desire to know me on a personal level. The admissions department sought me more than I sought them. My recruiter called me on a regular basis to see if I needed help with anything, and I actually grew comfortable speaking to him. That was an experience I didn't have from any other school I looked into. I've never really felt wanted or that I belonged anywhere before, but I feel like Samford is where I belong and they actually want me to be there. I know this sounds cliche, but it seems more like Samford chose me. It's a nice feeling. But if I could narrow my final decision down to one thing it would be God's will in my life. For so long I held this resentment against God because it seemed that he was ignoring my requests and I didn't sense his guidance in my life. But now, for once, I'm pretty sure my life is heading in the right direction. Samford has so many mission opportunities I plan to get involved in that Montevallo just didn't have to offer.

So even though I had to give up my fantasy of moving away to college and having that true "on campus" experience, I am very pleased with the decision I made. I can't even consider giving that up a sacrifice, because I am still blessed immensely. I have this amazing opportunity lying before me, and every day I get more excited to see what God has in store for me.

The Beginning

2010-04-21T13:04:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago David and I were talking when he randomly says "I think we should start a Bible Study". It was weird because that was something I had in the back of my mind for a while, but I never really thought anybody else would actually be interested in it and I just assumed the idea would get pushed aside if I mentioned it. But David brought up the idea and we both immediately got excited. We weren't sure what direction we were going to take this, when we would begin, or where it would be held, but we both knew it was something we wanted to do.

In the midst of this, both of us were reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and were really enjoying it, so we pretty much decided that we would start leading the Bible Study through that book. After further planning we finally set a date, and I think our excitedness began turning to nervousness. I'm a shy person. I'm a listener and a follower, not a leader or a speaker. Although David and I had no intention of "teaching" this Bible Study, we both knew that we would have to be the ones to get the discussion going and come up with questions and flow for the conversation. I know, for me, it was a huge step forward because for the first time I was actually taking initiative to get things done.

Yesterday was our first session and I think, aside from a few distractions, it went very well. I expected only four maybe five people to show up, but we ended up having 9. Although David and I were the main ones proposing ideas and questions, there was really no problem getting other people to talk. Nearly everyone had their own opinion to put forth, and those who didn't I knew were actually listening and thinking through what we were talking about.

The main issue that chapter one talked about was the vastness and intricacy of God's creation. In the book, Francis asks you to go watch this video. After watching it, I kinda had mixed emotions. Part of me was in awe of my Mighty Creator, while another part of me wondered why the heck he felt the need to create the world like this. Were all those other galaxies really necessary? Does a caterpillar really need 228 distinct muscles just in its head? Does an elm tree really need 6 million leaves? Practically, maybe not. But it goes so much deeper than that. During our discussion I asked the question: Why did God make the world so excessively big? We tossed different ideas around like the fact that God's creation is his own work of art, and his personality is seen through it. Another idea was that maybe God just wanted to show us how much he really cares. He cares so much that he added such great detail to his work to show us that we are worth the time and effort. Another reason would be just to show how big and powerful he really is. I also think a great explanation for the complexity and vastness of creation is seen in Romans 1:20. "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." God made his creation so detailed so that we would know there is a divine being, a mighty Creator, a God loves us so much that he would make himself man and die for us. We spend our lives asking for proof of this God we can't see, when the truth is he shows himself blatantly in the world around us. His creation is our proof, and we are left with no excuse to turn from him.

So after concluding that God shows his majesty through the magnitude of his creation, we began asking the question: Why is it so hard to love God, and why do we have to constantly remind ourselves of him when his presence is so obvious? We all agreed that we have too many distractions in our lives. Just sit back and think of how much time you've wasted in your life doing things that in reality are meaningless. I spend way more time on facebook than I do reading my Bible. The amount of time I spend talking to God would have to be multiplied by a fairly large number to reach the amount of time I spend talking to my friends. I work for money that I don't even really need way much more than I spend time serving those around me without pay. Am I saying that you should quit your job and spend your life working for no pay? No, you must still think about what's best for yourself. But at the same time, nothing about Christianity is practical. It wasn't practical for the disciples to leave their jobs and their families in order to follow Jesus, but it was something he demanded and was a risk they had to take. I tend to play life safely. I don't take many risks, and I usually leave the big things for other people to handle. But I think I've reached the point in my life where I want to give more. I'm tired of living a boring, half-way life and I want to dedicate myself completely to his work.

And aside from distractions of life, we also discussed that it's hard to love God because life can be so unfair sometimes. Death, poverty, illness, and hatred tell us that there is no God. Last Thursday I attended a memorial service of a two year old little girl who was hit by a car. How is that fair? How is it fair that she will never be given a chance at life, and that her family and those close to her will have to spend the rest of their lives missing her? It's not fair, not at all; but we will never be satisfied asking why things happen. This was the main theme of the message presented at her service. The man who did the eulogy said that we must stop asking why things happen, and just accept the fact that it did happen. In her short two years, Abigail was able to impact lives more than someone who died a natural death of old age may have been able to. Because of her accident, parents are encouraged to build stronger relationships with their kids while they still have the opportunity. People are reminded that we are never guaranteed tomorrow, and every minute of our lives count. Drivers now feel the need to be more aware and cautious of their surroundings in order to eliminate the number of accidents that happen. As horrible as it may seem, tragedy is what brings us together. We discussed 9/11 and how it brought us together as a nation, and as families. People strengthened relationships with one another because of the event. People were in churches, and we were once again a Christian nation. Although the impact may not have been lasting, it did bring us together for a while. Love was surrounding us, and we could feel God's presence in the midst of disparity. But still, we look at the world around us and see its imperfection, people die for seemingly no reason, and humanity is cruel. We fail to comprehend how a loving God can exist in the midst of that. So instead we reject him, or maybe just forget him. We become immune to him and his creation, and it gets to the point that we just really don't care.

There are several other things we discussed yesterday, but these are just the highlights I wanted to hit. I could be the only one, but I'm really excited about where this is going. For once, people actually seem like they care. We also kept throwing out the concept of how this can impact us as individuals, our youth group, our church, our community, and even the entire world we live in. I'm hoping that each session we will be able to bring up new ideas and topics of discussion. I hope that we will be able to strengthen relationships, and be able to put our beliefs into action by opening up to the community. David titled the event of our first meeting "The Beginning", but I think that would be an excellent title for the small group as a whole. Maybe this is the beginning of something new, maybe for the first time in quite a while we will all begin taking initiative and getting things done rather than waiting on someone else.

2010-04-06T17:18:00.002-05:00

I really planned on writing this on Easter when it would fit more appropriately, but I ended up falling asleep instead. This year I just really started thinking about how horrible the commercialization of holidays are. It's like we can't even celebrate a significant day without forgetting what the significance of the day is. Days like Valentines Day, Mother's Day, and Father's day seem completely ridiculous to me because I think it's horrible to pick just one day out of the year to show love to our parent of significant other. In the same way, I hate that we reserve Good Friday and Easter as the days to recognize Jesus' death and resurrection when it's something that impacts our lives so heavily every day.

It really hit me Sunday afternoon when I was at my aunt's house for our typical Easter family gathering. I was playing with my 6-year old cousin while she was rambling on telling me about our plan to "defeat the boys" when out of nowhere she looks at me and says "Elizabeth, why does the Easter Bunny come if that's not what Easter is really all about?". It kind of took me off guard, and I honestly had no idea what to say. I ended up mumbling out something about how even though Easter has a much more important meaning, the Easter Bunny still brings us things because he wants us to be happy. Blah blah blah. As it turned out, Madeleine had a much better response for herself than what I had to give her. She simply said "I'm just happy that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead".

Sometimes we forget how simple it really is. We forget that we don't actually have to run around hiding eggs or decorating our homes with pink bunnies to make us happy. Just sit for a moment and soak in the concept of this God, who is Creator of the universe, humbles himself to become the Redeemer of the universe. He made himself man, took on the lowly life of an ordinary human being, and then bore the weight of our sins on the cross so that we may be free. So that we could live a life knowing we are forgiven even though we have done nothing to deserve it.

And aside from dying to pay the price of our sins, I believe that there is a much greater meaning behind Christ's death. Dying for our sins was mere symbolism. If that was all that was at stake then I'm sure God would have found a better solution. The God I worship is the only god(that I know of) who lowered himself to grow closer to us. The fact that the Almighty God, who has the ability to wipe us all out by just thinking it, made himself human provides an emotional connection between God and man. Christ had to live. Christ had to die. It's what set him apart, what made him respectable, what made it him real.

As anyone who is reading this probably already knows, I love the show Lost. Despite the confusion and craziness of the 5th season, it ended very interestingly. The 4th season ended with six of the characters finding their way off the island and back to the United States. John Locke, is one of the main characters of the show who I always titled the Christ-figure. At the beginning of the 5th season, Richard tells John that it is vital for him to bring those six people back to the island, and in order to do so he must first die. He spends a great deal of time trying to convince them to return, but nobody even dreamed of doing so. They would rather die then go back to the island. By the end of the season, they all find out that John died by what they thought was suicide. After hearing this, they knew that they had to go back. They didn't know why they did or why they felt this way, but it was like fate was drawing them back. John Locke's death ignited an emotion in them all and brought them back together.

In the same way, I think Christ's death acts as a bridge between all Christians, and really all of humanity. It's the one and only thing we have in common, the only thing that can connect us to one another. Without his death, we would worship him out of fear and obligation rather than out of love and admiration. Right now I'm reading through the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. If you haven't read this book then I highly recommend it. And that's coming from someone who really isn't a fan of religious books. Anyway, at one point he says "No worship is better than apathetic worship". The truth is, I usually don't care. I want to care, but it's hard when you enter worship and feel no emotion. And I've spent all of this time blaming God for not giving me inspiration, but really it's my own fault. He gave his life over 2,000 years ago to give me inspiration. The only time I ever sit and think about what actually happened on that day is around Easter, and even then I'm distracted by things like going to the store to get vinegar so my mom can have colored eggs. Maybe if I treated everyday like Easter, outside of the commercialization, then I wouldn't be so lukewarm. I don't want to be apathetic anymore. I want to live for a reason. I want to live because he died.

2010-03-18T13:30:00.002-05:00

Writing this blog will most likely end with a group of people, who once respected me, coming together with plans of lynching or decapitating me. Why, you may ask? Because I am about to do something very bold and daring. I am going to bring up the dreaded issue that we were all glad to declare part of the past. *deep breathe* Yes, I am referring to the infamous Evolution Debate.

And, just to clarify, I am not bringing this up because I wish to start another argument. I know that we were all relieved to just bury the hatchet when it came to that debate. I am not reigniting the fire because I wish to insult anyone else or denounce their method of argument. In fact, the reason I am writing this is because I am more ashamed of my own method of argument than anyone else's.

Reading back through Matt's argument and the comments of others, particularly myself, made me realize how differently I thought through things back then than I do now. In fact, I remember actually being scared the first time I read it. This probably sounds ridiculous, but the idea of someone believing in a concept that I felt was so radical actually made me afraid. Looking back, I think that my fear of the idea was the reason I opposed it so strongly. I grew up being taught over and over again that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. He did this by speaking the world into existence and breathing life into mankind. There was no giant egg involved, and the species of man did not originate from apes. Anyone who believed otherwise, in my mind, was blasphemy (for anyone involved in the controversy, I did not look down on you, this was just my initial reaction). With the way I think about things now, reading through the second time made me realize that if anyone was blasphemous in the situation then maybe it was me. I went in thinking I had all the answers, and refused to open my eyes to an alternative point of view. When I made my defense, I appeared to be open minded when really all I was doing was finding ways to support what I already believed.

When I read through everything again, the defense for evolution actually made sense to me, whereas it did not before. I feel that I have become more open minded and matured in my way of thinking, and although I still disagree with the theory, I disagree for different reasons than I said before. A major concept that my mind simply could not grasp was that the Creation story was a poem that may not necessarily be meant to be taken literally. I feel that, while the Bible does hold many of life's answers, it is also a beautiful work of literature. In fact, I would love to be able to take an entire class focusing on the Bible as a work of literature rather than strictly the word of God. I think that would open my eyes to what God has to say to me even more. Anyone who was raised in a Christian family or has even stepped foot into a church has been taught that the Bible is the infallible word of God. But where is the basis of our belief? I remember when I wrote my blog against evolution I opened by referencing 2 Timothy 3:16. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness." Already my debate was flawed because I had committed a terrible fallacy. I was basically saying that we should believe literally everything the Bible says, and the reason we should do this is because the Bible tells us to. This screams circular reasoning and pretty much crosses out my entire argument.

So am I saying that we can't rely on the Bible to give us answers and guide us through life? No, absolutely not. I can already see my dad sitting here reading this, turning red in the face, trying not to scream (and I already expect a pretty lengthy comment). The point I'm trying to make is that Christians sometimes try to fit the world into their Christian circle, and refuse to open their eyes to reality. Reality states that the Bible was written by man. Yes, inspired by God, but nonetheless written by man ,who is flawed in every action. Additionally, the Bible has undergone many translations(also done by man), and we cannot expect that to be done perfectly. On top of all of that, the Bible is read and interpreted by man. We make Scripture mean what we want it to mean in order to fit into our beliefs. I could say that I believe just about anything, open to the reference in my Bible, and find a verse that supports it.

I think that I've reached the point in my life that I have realized there really isn't a correct answer to anything. All of us who did not support the evolution theory had good reasons for doing so. Those who did support it had excellent reasons as well. Who is to say that one person is right and the other is wrong? Maybe I am saying this because I have become weak or a person of little faith, but I think that to some extent truth is relative. If we all believe something, believe it with passion, and carry it out in our lives, then maybe to some degree we are all right. God wants passion, not apathy. He wants us to seek Him in our lives, and hold strong to whatever we find even if it may be different than what others find.

I feel like, over the last six to eight months, I've reached a pretty low point in my life. I've doubted more than I ever have before, and I don't have nearly as much "faith" as I used to. You may look down on me for saying this, but that does not matter to me. I quit trying to make my beliefs fit in to what my parents believe, what my friends believe, or what pastors have said. Maybe I am not as strong as I used to be, but now I am real. I don't want to look back on things I have said or written and feel like a hypocrite anymore. I want to live what I speak, and do it proudly. Unfortunately, in order to do that, I had to start clean. I had to tear down rebuild my relationship with God instead of continuing in the fake one I already had. So maybe I have taken a few steps back, but to me that is ok. Because now I am, hopefully, making progress, and that is better than staying in the same place for the rest of my life.

2010-03-15T22:35:00.002-05:00

About a week ago I began writing a blog about how much I have changed over the past few months. How I have changed both for the better and for the worse. It was already a really long blog, and I hadn't even finished yet. I got so lost in my thoughts that I just had to quit for a while and come back to it. But then I realized I was writing it pretty much just for myself, because I wanted to convince myself that I had become a better person. The truth was, I really didn't even want anyone else to see it. That blog will probably sit in my drafts forever, never finished, never published. Because maybe, after all, I haven't changed so much. Maybe I'm still the coward I've always been. Afraid to speak. Afraid to let people in. Afraid to reveal myself. Maybe some things never change...

2010-01-25T15:00:00.001-06:00

I feel like I should say something, but I really have no idea what to say.

Jack and Jill

2009-11-21T20:12:00.002-06:00

We've all heard the story of Jack and Jill,
and how they went up a hill to fetch a pail of water.
When Jack falls down, breaks his crown, and Jill comes tumbling after.
But this rhyme leaves the reader unfullfilled, for such crucial details it leaves out.
For we don't even know how the journey began, or even how Jack's stumble came about.
It all began on a bright summer's day when Jack was summoned by his father.
He felt slightly afraid and his hands trembled, for his dad was a man in which one shouldnt bother.
Now don't get me wrong, he was a wonderful man filled with love and compassion.
But he was the sort of father, who if you failed to obey, you knew you were in for a lashing. When he timidly approached he found his father waiting with a bucket in hand.
He pointed to the East and said firmly yet softly, "Son, this is my command."
He continued by saying "Take this bucket, and together with your sister, climb the hill in the East."
Once you have passed all obstacles and reached the top, you will find the River of Peace.
I want you to fill this bucket to the rim and bring it back here to me.
If you do what I ask and you do it correctly, then your reward you may see.

Now Jack was a smart boy and knew not to question his duty and further. So with the bucket in hand and Jill by his side, he ascended the hill never dreaming it may lead to murder
At first the task seemed so simple, they felt wild and free
Until suddenly it was as if they could barely breathe.
The came upon their entrance of the Forest of Desparity.
At once, every happy feeling or emotion had vanished.
As if they would never smile again, they were terrifyed. Even too afraid to panick.
They were surrounded by cold, foggy mist whishpering torments in their ears.
"You are failures. You will never survive. Your feet will never reach the top!"
Then Jack looked down to find Jill's eyes filled with tears.
But he suddenly remembered the task that lie before him. He musn't give up. They must proceed!
He then took a deep breath and said to himself, "I will not have my father ashamed of me"
The continued for what seemed like hours, in what felt like quicksand beneath their feet.
All their failures and shortcomings rest upon their shoulders, and they felt bruised and ever so beat.

But soon they learned that perseverance pays off, when a ray of sunlight shone through ahead. They proceeded even faster until they landed in a feathers, as soft as a bed.
When Jill opened her eyes, she couldn't help but laugh and stare.
For Jack did look rather funny with feathers in his hair.
Jack then looked at her with a grin But it was mostly because he was able to smile again.
They layed there for a while enjoying the scene that surrounded them, But they both stood up knowing there was work to be done.
So they began with a slow walk, then dashed into a run.
Jill was cooled by the wind in her hair, and Jack by the glistening sweat rolling down his temple. Once again everything seemed to them so beautifully simple.
The suddenly halted when out of the corner of her eye, Jill spotted an innocently majestic lamb lying by her side.
She cautiously approached, but the lamb seemed welcome by any visitor nearby.
She petted it softly, and Jack joined in. The animal did not seem at all shy.
After a few moments had passed, Jack came to the realization that sheep do not travel alone.
The poor thing must be lost or abandoned, or somehow found its way from home.
Enthralled by its beauty and peaceful nature, they decided to carry it along.
Maybe they would find its flock, at least they certainly werent doing anything wrong.
So Jack picked up the lamb, and they proceeded until nightfall forced them to make camp.
They slept on the ground which was warm only hours before, but now was cold and damp.
They fell into slumber until Jack was awoken by hot air blowing on his neck.
Where the lamb had once laid was now an ugly wolf-as if it had been in a fight or a reck.
It stared at him menacingly then charged toward his face.
When the claw hit his skin, Jack knew it would leave a scar that would never erase.
But, surprisingly, the wolf did not again strike.
Yet Jack somehow knew this was not the end of the fight.
It took the bucket for the water, and clenched it between its jaw.
Jack sprinted after him and began to follow.

Jill wept as she slowly followed behind, not knowing which direction they went.
She felt useless, questioning her own existance or why she was even sent.
She had been alone before, but had certainly never felt as alone as this.
She continued to cry when she met someone who made everything make sense.
"Why are you crying, dear one?", a voice came from behind.
She turned around swiftly, and what a surprise she did find.
It was a well-dressed lad, and ever so handsome!
Paralyzed by shock, she just stared at him while blinking.
She didn't know what to say, or even what she was thinking.
He went on to tell her how beautiful girls such as herself shouldnt spend so much time in misery He boosted her self-esteem and did simply anything he could to make her feel less weary.
Jill was not entirely sure what love was, or how it felt; but she guessed it was something like this. They gazed at each other and leaned in to kiss,
but after the release- She was horrifyed to find him running into the forest, never again to be seen.
She felt heartbroken but knew this had been a distraction.
Now she was reminded the nobody cares of her turmoil, and it was time to take action.

Meanwhile, Jack continued until eventually he found himself alone and lost.
He felt a terrible brother for he abandoned his sister, and the price to pay would be of high cost. He placed himself down upon a moss-covered rock, and reviewed the adventure over the last day.
He attempted to postulate a plan in his mind, but couldn't see past his own dismay.
As he sat, he began hearing a quiet thumping noise coming from behind.
It gradually grew louder and he saw people running-people unlike his kind.
They appeared savage and with a murderous look in their eyes.
But he did not stay to examine, for these people were much larger than his size.
He ran until his feet could carry him no more.
Even still he continued until suddenly through the air he soared.
He had tripped over something, but what could it be?
He tried to move forward but did not get very far, for little did he see-
his foot was stuck in the pail his father had given him just one day previously.
The pail did not look the same, for now it was dented and beat.
There was now one thing he knew, and that was that he must reach the River of Peace.

He was unsure which direction he was heading, so he let his feet carry him instead.
The vicious army behind him still followed, appearing as if they had not been fed.
Jack had never experienced an adrenaline rush like this before.
He WOULD make it to the top, by this he swore!
Then at last he saw only a few yard straight ahead-
A river, streaming so peacefully. He had made it just like he said.
Along the river bank, he spotted a young girl.
He rushed by her side, picked her up, and gave her a whirl.
Im sorry for leaving you, he began to cry.
"No time for apologizing now", she replied. "We must hurry or we will surely die!"
Jack took the beaten bucket, and filled it high.
And with Jill's hand in his other, they charged into the night.
It was now a downhill run, they were sure they could make it.
But the savages still followed, and their lives were forsaken.
"Not much further", he yelled. "I see our cottage in the distance"
What he didn't know is that the savages were given assistance.

In midair as he lept, an arrow pierced through his back.
He fell to the ground, and Jill followed behind as the bucket of water splashed.
It was a double-ended arrow, and the other end went through Jill too.
Their journey was now over. They were finished. They were through.
Their bodies were now connected by the arrows in between,
But the cuts went deep, and they went through clean.
The catastrophe happened not far from home, so their father rushed to the scene.
He began weeping mournfully, and fell down to his knees.
He saw the bucket beside them, it was empty indeed.
But instead the children were dripping with water from the River of Peace.
And it was true that they had never looked so peaceful as now that their lives had ceased.
As the grown man cried he said, "My son, my daughter, in you I am well pleased."
From his eye, a single tear dripped upon Jacks lips.
After of moment of time, he felt his son's grip.
Their father knew now this fight was not over, so he cried even harder.
Soon his tears streamed all over his son and his daughter.
At last they were awoken by their father's loving compassion.
All their fears and strife were now in passing.
The arrow wounds on their bodies healed in a moments time,
But the scar from the wolf would be something to always remind.
They hugged and they kissed, and they wept a little more
Until finally they made it back to the cottage door.
I tell you, this sotry was written so that one may never give up,
and will always remember that there is nothing so pure as a Father's love.

~*Elizabeth

2009-11-03T21:25:00.001-06:00

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
4 One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.
13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27

From Casey's Point of View

2009-10-13T14:09:00.002-05:00

So I started writing this story. I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with it. I started it a certain way, and now it's heading in a different direction. But anyway, this is the beginning of it.

Casey Cronan seemed like the average 8 year old girl. She wore her long golden hair in braided pigtails to school everyday. She played hopscotch and jumped rope with her friends at recess, and ate her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the crust cut off. Every night when she laid her head down and closed her dreary eyes, she dreamed of being a princess dressed in an elegant pink gown. However, Casey was far from ordinary. Casey noticed more than most kids her age, and she understood the realities of this cruel world we live in better than most adults.

Casey waved goodbye to her neighbor Mr. Foreman as her dad pulled out of the driveway to take her to school. Mr. Foreman was an elderly man with little hair on the top of his head, who was always ready to share a cup of hot chocolate over a warm conversation. He was the only one who really understood Casey for who she was, and was the only person who Casey truly trusted. On most days after school Casey would run to Mr. Foreman's door and wait impatiently for him to come out and sit in the chairs on the front porch and tell her stories from his past. Sometimes Casey would share stories too. Each evening when dusk came and darkness began to swallow what was left of the sunlight, Casey knew it was time for her to walk across the yard back to her own home. Whenever Casey would stand up to leave, he would look into her sparkling blue eyes and whisper ever so softly, "Remember who you are, and don't ever let anyone try to change that." Casey heard this nearly everyday for the last two years, but was still not entirely sure what it meant. All she knew at this point in her brief life was that she was different than most kids, and that Mr. Foreman was the only person including herself who knew why.

Like most evenings when Casey shed her coat by the front door, she entered her house to find her dad in the office on his phone. She sat quietly by the door and waited for him to end his conversation. However, Casey's dad worked for the government ans was a very busy man. At the age of six, Casey already knew all about taxes and I.R.S. agents because that was all her dad knew how to talk about. It wasn't that he wasn't a good father. He tried his very best to provide for her every need, but sometimes it was the things she needed the most that he neglected. It was times like these that Casey wished even more that her mother was still around, because the truth was George Cronan didn't know how to be both a dad and a mom. Casey's mom was murdered in her own home about five years earlier. Although Casey was only two years old at the time, she knows more about the catastrophe than anyone would ever give her credit. Casey was the only witness of the murder, and the images of her mother's brutal death are some that will remain with her for the rest of her life. Besides her own majestic blue eyes, these visions are really the only thing Casey's mother left behind for her. Sometimes in the dead silence, she can still her the shriek that was her mother's last cry. A plea for help. And because Casey was merely an infant, there was nothing she could do to save her mom. She thinks about these things daily, but rarely does she ever speak of them. Casey was strong, and although she lived nearly every second of her life in fear, she never let her fears consume her. Mr. Foreman was the only one she really ever talked about these things to, and he always seemed very intrigued. She thought his may have something to do with why he always told her to remember who she is. She wasn't sure. But if there is one thing she knew, that she learned from her own mother's death is this: You can't trust anyone.

2009-10-07T13:45:00.004-05:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm completely lost. Sometimes I feel like everything I've spent my life living for is completely and utterly useless. I spend all this time searching myself to figure out who exactly I am, what I stand for, and what I believe in; then I sit here and question myself. I ask myself if it's really all worth it. Is it worth my own thought to try to decide what I believe, when nobody really knows the right answer to anything anyway? Is it worth swallowing my pride to reach out to others when I only get a slap in the face in return? Is it worth staying up all night to study for a test that I end up failing anyway? It's like I'm at that point where I'm so close to the end, yet everything is pressing down on me to the point that I just want to drop it all and give up. Like a runner in a marathon who has been jogging a steady pace for miles, and just when the finish line is in sight he thinks he can't make it any farther. Or maybe he just doesn't want to finish because, after all, running is what he does and after the race is over he just won't know what to do next. I read a John Steinbeck book a while back Cannery Row. At one point there was a guy in the story who they said had spent a major part of his life building a boat. Somebody asked why it was taking so long for him to build the boat, because it really wasn't that big or extravagant and didn't seem like it would have taken that long to build. The guy talking about it replied that he really finished the boat a long time ago. The truth was he really didn't like the water, he was afraid of it, but his enjoyment lied in the building of the boat so that's what he spend his time doing. He never considered the job finished.

I guess that's kinda how I am. I spend all this time anticipating life after high school. I wanted to grow up so fast and just get out of here. I wanted to leave this all behind and start a new life. And although part of me still does, now that the time is so quickly approaching I don't even know what to do with myself. I've spent all these years "building my boat", but now I don't even know if it will be able to withstand the rough waters. Like the character in Cannery Row, I'm scared of what's out there because so far, the comfort of my own home is all I know. But I guess it's up to me now to take a deep breath, face reality, and realize that although I may not have much of a past, I do have a future. Because the truth is, all I have to do is look around me and remember all the incredible memories to remind myself that it really is all worth it. Even the pain of leaving everything behind becomes bearable knowing that memories are something that take a long time to fade. I've seen through myself that life comes in Seasons. Even though today is cold and dreary, tomorrow I may wake up to sunshine. It's up to me to seize the day and make the best of what it is instead of soaking in self misery.

~*Elizabeth

2009-09-02T23:15:00.002-05:00

I really don't like AP World History. Its bores me and stresses me out. However, while skimming through the pages of my history text trying to find reasons why the Roman Empire fell so I can write this essay that I should have written yesterday instead of 10:00 tonight, I read something that caught my interest.
I think it's good to look at Christianity through they eyes of an unbeliever. Sometimes that means looking at it through someone who hates Christians in general. Other times it means just looking at it as someone who is apathetic towards the matter. My history book is written from a non-Christian (supposedly) unbiased perspective. I started reading about early Christianity in Rome and for some reason I found the description of Jesus and his followers to be stunningly beautiful. Here are some snippets from the text:

"The Christians formed their community around Jesus of Nazareth, a charismatic Jewish teacher whom they recognized as their savior. He was a peaceful man who taught devotion to God and love for fellow human beings. He attracted large crowds because of a reputation for wisdom and miraculous powers, especially the ability to heal the sick... Jesus' crucifixion did not put an end to his movement. Even after his execution Jesus' close followers strongly felt his presence and proclaimed that he had triumphed death by rising from the grave. They called him 'Christ,' meaning 'the anointed one,' the savior who would bring individuals into the kingdom of God. They taught that he was the son of God and that his sacrifice served to offset the sins of those who had faith in him. They taught further that, like Jesus, the faithful would survive death and would experience eternal life in the spiritual kingdom of God. Following Jesus' teachings, the early Christians observed a demanding moral code and devoted themselves uncompromisingly to God...Christians refused to honor the Roman state cults or revere the emperor as a god. As a result, Roman imperial authorities launched sporadic campaigns of persecution designed to eliminate Christianity as a threat to the empire. In spite of the repression, Christian numbers grew rapidly...The remarkable growth of Christianity reflected the new faith's appeal particularly to the lower classes, urban populations, and women. Christianity accorded honor and dignity to individuals who did not enjoy high standing in Roman society, and it endowed them with a sense of spiritual freedom more meaningful than wealth, power, or social prominence. It taught the spiritual equality of the sexes and welcomed the contributions of both men and women. And it provided a promise of future glory for those who placed their faith in Jesus."

Maybe its because I'm a dork, but this just really got me thinking. In the midst of persecution and martyrdom Christians stood strong the most. Christians were respected as people who did not compromise their beliefs, and now many Christians are looked at as nothing more than a bunch of hypocrits. Today, we don't have to worry about being fed to lions or burned to death for what we believe, yet we do not stand out like the early Christians did. I think a big problem is the fact that the term "christian" has become watered down. Its cliche' and too many people claim it. The early Christians were not merely Christians, they were followers of Christ. It makes me want to examine myself and see if I really am as devoted as I should be.

~*Elizabeth

Got a Plan?

2009-07-24T09:49:00.002-05:00

John Locke is a man of faith. He believes that everything happens for a reason, and though he has his times of disbelief, he knows that fate and destiny will pull him through in the end. He believes in a greater purpose for himself and does quite a bit of soul searching in order to find that purpose. If you don't watch the tv series Lost then you probably either have no idea what I'm talking about or are wondering how in the world I know all of this about that old philosopher guy, or why I would even want to know. Locke is one of the characters who is sometimes almost annoyingly faithful. He's an out-of-the-box kind of guy, but he's always the one to say things that leave you thinking or wondering. In the first season, not too long after the plane initially crashed on the island, the survivors begin to realize that they are not the only ones on the island. And the people they find are not very welcoming. In fact, they kinda seem like they are out to get them. Of course when you have about 40 people coming from all different directions, thrown together on an island in the middle of nowhere, there are bound to be some feuds or disagreements. In the midst of one of these disputes, John Locke steps in and says that they will get nowhere while fighting like this. He says that there is an enemy out there and the more dispersed they become over these arguments, the easier it will be for the enemy to take over and the more difficult it will become for survival.

I believe that the same theory applies to our lives. Obviously we're not stranded on an island with unknown savages out to kill us, but similarly we are on earth away from Savior and there is an enemy out there waiting for our moments of weakness. Just how Locke was talking about, being dispersed is our greatest weakness and I believe it will be the one to fail us in the end. Sadly, I feel that religion is the one thing that pulls us apart the most. It should be the thing that brings us together, but instead it draws lines and builds up walls between us. From what I can tell, religion has been a topic of argument for pretty much all of mankind's existence. When Jesus was around roaming the earth, the Pharisees were the religious freaks of the time. While many of their beliefs may have been closely in line with what God wanted, they focused so greatly on the rules and forget where love comes into play. Instead of helping the helpless, they would turn away because they religious believes told them that would make them unclean. They condemned Jesus for associating with those who were considered of greater sin, but it was being with them that led more people to Christ in the end.

Knowing all the rules, and studying deeply into what the Bible tells us is a great thing. In fact, I think everyone should know what they believe, and stand by it firmly. But I have found that religion is the thing that pushes people away from Christianity the most. This is because it separates us from one another when we should be united. We claim to have this perfect life with Christ going for us, but we are only being hypocritical. We focus so much on following all the rules that we forget about love and helping those in need. We are not welcoming to those who are not like us, and we put off the impression that we think our lives are so much better than everyone Else's. Are religious believes are getting in the way of what's really at stake.

Earlier this year I read the book Blue Like Jazz. I really enjoyed this book because it made me think about my religion with being religious. In fact, the tag line for the book was "Non-religious thoughts on Christian Spirituality". At the beginning of the book Donald Miller says, "I believe that the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather to have us wasting time. This is why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be religious. If he can sink a man's heart into habit, he will prevent his heart from engaging God." And I think that's just it. Our religion drags us into habits that end up being a waste of our time. We have to pray before we go to bed, but if that prayer is forced does it really mean anything? We read the Bible regularly because well, that's what the Bible tells us to do. We stay away from people who we think are more sinful than us because we don't want to become corrupted. But if we're doing this all out of habit does it really mean anything? We need to pray and read our Bible out of desire. We need to do it because we can't make it through the day without it, not because it says to in the rule book.

Hebrews 10: 11 says, "Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins." The problem here was habit, the priest did these things because he had to, not because he wanted to. Not because he had this overwhelming desire to worship God. And it says that this got him nowhere, it did not even grant him the remission of sins. His religious duties were eating away at his heart until there was no desire left in him.

I believe that Satan has a battle plan, and I think a major part of that plan is Divide and Conquer. If he can get us broken up into little segments, he can take over each one. If he can get us arguing we will forget that we are arguing because of a God thing and it will turn into a Satan thing. He wants us to reject people. He wants us to tell people that they are not welcome in our church because they are homosexual or because they became pregnant outside of marriage or maybe just because they dress differently than us, listen to different music, or have a different background. He wants us to stay within our small little circle of Christian friends and not let the "others" in. He wants us to become so focused on religion that we forget about loving our neighbor, we forget about helping those in need, and we forget about our true Christian purpose. Why are giving our enemy what he wants so easily? Why are we supplying him with ammunition?

He doesn't want us to be a servant to those in need, so I've been thinking that maybe that's what I will do. I believe that if some people spent half the effort they do studying scripture details or trying to prove why their denomination is right, there would be a lot less people who die of hunger, or are left to sleep alone on the cold streets. I believe that if people like myself wouldn't waste so much time thinking about doing good things and actually do them, then there wouldn't be so many hurting people in this world. I think that God has blessed us with enough resources in this world to save every person who dies of hunger or hunger related illnesses. Unfortunately, the problem lies in the people and their unwillingness to get off their high horse and help the lowly.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world
-James 1:27

So just as Satan has a battle plan, so do I. Just as the character of John Locke has a purpose, so do I. My plan and purpose is love. And in this case love being a verb, an action word. I want to serve those in need rather than looking at it as a hopeless case. In my life, I'm in the process of decided what I want the rest of my life to be like, what I want to do with my time. I still don't know what my major in college will be or what job I want to have after college, but I do hope it will involve outreach and service. I want it to be love in action. Because that, I believe, is my purpose in live, it's my battle plan.

But if we are the body why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching? And if we are the body why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way?

~*Elizabeth

The Sweet Release

2009-06-06T21:02:00.004-05:00

A long time ago in Southeast Asia hunters invented a simple yet effective way of capturing monkeys. All they had to do was get a pot with a narrow opening, put fruit into the bottom, bury it, and then wait for a monkey to come. The monkey would be attached to the scent of the fruit and fit its hand into the hole to grasp a fistful. This was a trap because there is no way for the monkey to get his hand out without first releasing the fruit. So the monkey fights and struggles but it is a hopeless case because he is too enthralled to just let go. All he needs to do in order to save himself is just simply let go, yet he is too stubborn so now all the hunter has to do is throw a net over him and the monkey will most likely never be free again.

Letting go is sometimes the hardest thing to do. It shouldn't be because it seems so simple, yet it is. I love to reminisce and recall the memories, but I've realized that all I'm doing is clinging to the past which is completely and utterly meaningless. Some people have a hard time letting go of pain. If you have been hurt by someone its hard to just leave that in the past and move on without any hard feelings. For me, I have an even harder time letting go of the good things. I honestly have a hard time dealing with the fact that all good things will eventually come to an end. But time and time again I feel like a thousand rocks are being thrown at my head when I realize that what once was, no longer is. But that is just a fact of life and all that's left to do is accept it and move on.

I think I'm starting to live with the mentality that when things are good disaster should be expected, but when things are bad relief is on it's way. I try not to let myself get attached to people or things especially when I think its something I care about so greatly. I feel like the more emotionally involved I get, the harder it will be to move past it once its over. But the truth is, I can't stop myself from enjoying what I find to be a good thing. I can tell others that I don't care, but all I'm doing is lying to them and to myself. In the end though, it hits pretty hard and I'm left wondering where in the world that bullet came from. So just like I try to prolong the enjoyment, I also try to prolong the pain. This, too, catches back up with you.

I've realized that most of the time the people or things you think you need the most are really the things that don't have a place in your life at all. Almost everything is ok in moderation, but if you feel that strongly about something then there is no moderation. It will consume you. And being consumed by just about anything will always have disastrous effects.

I have some things in my past that I have recently decided I'm ready to let go of. I'm a pretty decent kid and I've never really done anything that bad, but the things I'm ready to rid myself of are the memories I've held on to but clearly can not relive. But now I realize that it's not worth even talking about because good things come and go and all I have to do is accept that as part of life. Sounds easy enough, right?

Chances are you have no clue what I'm talking about, and that is ok. But for the few of you who do, just know that I've decided to be honest and have now officially buried the hatchet. And I'm sorry for not being honest before. To everyone else and myself. But like the monkey sometimes we humans fight for so long because we are too stubborn to just let go. The difference between us and the monkey is that we know it's best to let go, yet we don't. We keep struggling against it until it gets to the point that our hand is all cut up and swollen. When you hold on for that long, even if you do decide to let go of the fruit, your hand is too swollen and bruised to even slide back through the hole. So I want out now, before it's too late. Because I really do believe there is a hunter out there, and the chances of me being caught in his net grow stronger and stronger every minute that I hold on to these meaningless things. Right now I'm thirsting for the sweet release, and I won't let myself give up until I experience it.

Letting go doesn’t mean giving up, but rather accepting that there are things that cannot be.

~*Elizabeth

You See Strange Things When You Are Downtown

2009-05-14T22:13:00.002-05:00

So we are driving downtown to go serve food to people at Jesse's Place when I glance over at the car to the right of me. I have to do a double take because in my head I was thinking "woah, does that person really have a lizard on their shoulder?" Yes, indeed. There was a woman driving down the road with an IGUANIA ON HER SHOULDER!
Probably one of the most random things I have seen in like...ever? maybe. haha

~*Elizabeth

The Long Awaited Summer

2009-05-05T00:17:00.005-05:00

The grass is green once again, and it's covered in those weeds I always used to pick for my mom because I thought they were pretty flowers. The weather is finally warm and since I live in Alabama, the air getting pretty wet and sticky. You can only stand outide in the same place for about three seconds before there is at least one gnat up your nose or down in the corner of your eye. James Spann probably has only gotten a couple of hours of sleep in the last week because everybody is worried about the tornadoes that come through this time of year. Students are feeling those extra pounds upon their shoulders because exam week is quickly approaching. We all long to be able to breathe evenly once again, without the stress of school. We will be able to sleep until noon and eat two bowls of cocoa puffs before enjoying a long day of relaxation. Yes, summer is almost here.

Summer has always been pretty much what I live for. I love absolutely everything about it. No school. Hot Southern weather that everybody else complains is miserable. My birthday. Sleep. Laziness. Of course, summer isn't quite as carefree as it used to be. I have a job now, and I am in desperate need of getting more work hours once I can. I'm approaching my senior year which means I need to start focusing on applying for colleges, doing community service work, and earning as much money as I can. But even with all that to think about, I am looking foward to this summer more than I have most summers in my past.

I feel like this is going to be a summer that really counts, and I want to make it great. I want to waste a day reading a good book out by the pool. I want to fry my skin in attempts of getting a decent tan. I want to wear tank tops and shorts while running around in those afternoon thunderstorms that come about every day in the summer. Hopefully I'm getting a car soon and so for the first time in my life, if I want to hop in the car and go to Smoothie Joes I can do it. And that thought makes me happy.

I also want to help others this summer. I really need to be more involved in my community, and hopefully doors will be opened to do that in these next few months.

I want to rebuild broken relationships. There have been numerous people who have come and gone in my life, and there is absolutely no good reason they shouldn't still be here. I want to go back to the good ole days and relive some old memories even if it means me swallowing my pride or stepping out of my comfort zone.

Everybody says they want to "find themself". Not me. I'm ready to begin creating myself. I've wasted so incredibly much time in my life so far, and I regret so much of that. I want to start living for the moment. Enjoying every single second of life. Stepping up doing what I want to do, despite the fears or hesitations that may be involved. When people ask me who I am and what I want to do, I want to be able to give them a good answer.

This summer I want to write more. I want to write things that to other people are completely meaningless, but to me are a form of expression. I want my blog page to be full of several posts a week even if that means just talking about what happened in my day.

All in all, I want this summer to be a perfect array of both productiveness and laziness. And I want to find out things I never knew about both other and myself. But I want it to be one that is going to stand out to me in my future. One that I remember for particular reasons. It's going to be the summer right before the bridge that crosses over into adulthood. So I am going to enjoy my youth while it lasts instead of rushing through it like I once did.

~*Elizabeth

Come Break Me Down

2009-04-17T17:56:00.004-05:00

Is anger a bad thing? Is it wrong to be mad at someone and be straight-forward about it even if it may hurt them to hear it? Even if our emotions are wrong or illegitimate, should we be up front about it or suppress it so that nobody knows what we are really feeling?

Not knowing how to express my emotions would definitely be one of my character flaws. Usually if I'm mad or upset about something I don't really like to talk about it. The truth is, I have a hard time trusting people. I don't really know why because there are some truly amazing people in my life, I just don't trust society as a whole to know what I'm feeling. Also, I don't cry. Ever. This too is a terrible way to be, and I do not encourage it at all. I think its good to cry every now and then, especially for girls. It's like casting away your burdens, and the feeling of relief is amazing. I'm not entirely sure why I don't cry. I suppose its almost like a sign of weakness, and I strive to be an emotionally strong person. These are problems I'm working on, and maybe one day I will get better at this whole "expressing yourself" thing.

Actually, I think we should be completely straight up about our feelings with people. Not to the point that we critique everything people do and lower the self esteem of others, but I don't think we should be fake about what we think of them. Its almost like the whole world is wearing this mask, and we are too afraid what people will think if we take it off. So instead, we never say the things we feel and continue to say the things we don't just to feel acceptance.

Everyday we lie with a smile. Women lie when they make their voice really high pitched saying "hey, girl" and wave at that person who you really wish didn't just walk in the room. Men lie by saying "hey man, whats happening?" and shake hands with the guy you didn't feel like seeing today. In fact, I would go as far as saying that we lie to God on a daily basis. At least, I know I do. I say that I want to abide by his plan for me and I try to wait patiently for the answers I seek, but inside I'm screaming. Is it wrong to be angry with God? You know, the big guy who created the world. The one who put me here, and does have a plan for me even if I don't see or understand it. As strange as it may sound, I don't think there is anything wrong with being a little angry at God sometimes. That is, if we are upfront about it. I think that the thing God really wants is for us to let him know what we are thinking even if that does mean unjustified anger.

If you think about it, Jesus wasn't always exactly happy with his Father. Actually, I think he was pretty angry and distraught that night in the Garden of Gethsemane. But the difference is, he went forward with his feelings and spent a great deal of time in prayer and supplication. Most of time, I swallow the lump my throat and tell myself that what I'm feeling isn't important. In other words, I run away from my problems. When reading the passage in the garden, I don't get the impression that God cursed him for being worried or upset. In fact, I think he blessed him by giving him the strength to get off his feet and do what he was born to do. I believe that if I was more honest and telling about my feelings, then I would experience these same effects.

I read the book The Shack a few months ago. If you haven't read this book then I'm sure you've at least heard of it considering that it's one of those cliche' "everychristianhastoreadit" books. Personally, I thought it was kinda strange and highly overrated. The basic story line is about this guy, Mack, whose daughter was abducted by a mass kidnapper and later found to have been murdered in a shack in the middle of the forest. One day Mack gets a letter from this guy named Papa, who turned out to be God, telling him to meet him at The Shack. The main thing I got out of this book was not exactly what I think the intended message of the story was. When Mack goes to The Shack he finally relieves himself of all the fury and emotion he had been suppressing for so long. He basically lashes out against God in anger, and tells him that he doesn't see how someone who supposedly cares so much about him could allow something as tragic as this to happen. For Mack, letting go of all of this was the first step to recovery. Once he was honest with himself, God, and later the rest of the world, he was able to deal with his emotions more rationally.

Of course, I'm not suggesting that anyone should hate God or anything like that. However, I believe that God desires to be on a personal level with us and in order for that to happen we must be honest with Him. It's not as if he doesn't know how we feel already, but for us to come forward ourselves is a giant leap toward this desired relationship.

When I was reading the Harry Potter series, one of my favorite parts was at the end of each book when Harry and Professor Dumbledore would have their one-on-one conversations. This is when everything that happened in the book finally made sense because Dumbledore explained it all to Harry. To me, the Dumbledore/Harry relationship was a symbolic God the Father/God the Son relationship, with Dumbledore as the father. Harry always held great respect for Dumbledore, but at the end of the 5th book he was very angry at him. Harry released his fury by yelling at Dumbledore and destroying his office. Strangely, all Dumbledore did was sit there and tell Harry to continue expressing his anger even if it was towards him. He didn't try to defend himself or bash Harry, he just sat there and took it all in.

Sometimes I have a hard time accepting the beautiful truth that there are actually people who care. There are people who care about my ridiculous problems that are really meaningless in the grand scheme of things. And more importantly, my God cares. He cares enough to listen to me express my anger towards him even when he has done absolutely nothing to deserve it. He cares enough to want to know me on a personal level, yet I'm too concerned about my reputation to let that happen. He cares enough to put other people out here that care, even though I'm not trusting enough to let them.

I'm ready to be broken down. I'm ready to be that overly-emotional teenage girl that I'm supposed to be. I'm ready because I'm tired of being emotionally barren and semi-cynical. Its not that I don't love humanity, because I truly do. I just don't trust other people to know what I'm feeling. Maybe one day there will be someone who figures out how to break through my stubborn defense barrier that I have built up. And when they do I hope they tear it to pieces so that it can never be built up again. So go ahead, come break me down because I am finished with this.

~*Elizabeth

You Are Who You Are But Is That All You Can Be?

2009-02-19T20:59:00.002-06:00

It seems to me that in today's society we try to justify things to easily. Things that people could have been hanged for a couple of centuries ago, we now pass off as insignificant. Today everyone always has an excuse for what they did, and often that excuse releases them from deserved punishment. Although I do feel the punishments of several hundred years ago were a little extreme, I also think that society now lets us get away with too much. For instance, I think it's completely out of line for a child to be stoned to death for talking back to their parents; but I also feel that some kids today need to be slapped around a few times for the things they say. But the truth is, we are all prone to sin and can fail at any given moment.

I finished reading the book Frankenstein a couple of weeks ago, and although the story was somewhat boring and highly depressing at times, I found that the book had a lot of depth to it. The monster that doctor Frankenstein creates turns malicious and violent, which can be traced back to his biological source and lack of human nourishment. The Creature blames his behavior on this and uses it as an excuse to make the lives of others as miserable as his own. At certain points in the story you grow compassionate towards the Creature because of his loneliness, while at the same time you condemn him for the havoc he has wreaked. I think we often see this in our world today. A person may have done something terrible that truly can be traced back to their nature, but does that make it justifiable?

A common debate similar to this that we hear about today is the issue of sexual orientation. Homosexuals often use the excuse that they were "born this way" and can't really help it. As a Christian I disagree with that because I do not believe God would create one to live every day of their life in that manor. Although we should still be loving and accepting of them, I do not think we should accept it as fact that that is who they are and it cannot be changed. It is simply an excuse. It is our nature to sin, but do we just accept that and decide it to be a hopeless case? No, we push past that and realize there is something we can do about it instead of making excuses for ourselves.

Scientific research has found that many of our most violent male criminals have an extra y chromosome in their genes which gives them more "manliness" and causes them to be more aggressive. Scientists wonder if many criminal cases could have been avoided if it wasn't for this. So it becomes a major controversy: Are the people really guilty if it is simply in their nature to be this way? This is a very complex issue and I'm not going to side either way, but I do think it is important to remember that we all have to work with what we are given and control whatever emotions or desires we may have. And even if this does become excusable, what happens to the criminals then? Are they released into the world to cause more trouble and ruin more people's lives? Like I said, it is a very complicated issue but I am just using it as an example.

It just seems to me like we are all constantly making excuses. When is the last time you have admitted that you have done something wrong just because you messed up? There is nothing wrong with failure as long as we overcome. Yet we continue to make excuses to justify our own mistakes. It seems like over half the kids in America are "diagnosed" with ADD. While there are some kids who truly do have these sort of problems they must deal with, it has now become an easy excuse for disruptive behavior. When will will attempt for more than just the status quo? We must endeavor beyond what is thought of as acceptable by society. Because, honestly, society will accept almost anything today.

~*Elizabeth

Tabula Rasa

2009-02-17T22:48:00.003-06:00

Tabula Rasa is the Latin phrase meaning "blank slate". It comes from the theory that humans are born as basically nothing and, as we develope, we learn from experiences and basically create ourselves.

I think that life is like a never-ending math problem that I've been working on my slate. I've been working on this same equasion for 16 and a half years only to get to the point that I realize I'm using the wrong formula. As frustrating as it may be, the only thing I can do is wipe my slate clean, and start over again.

I didn't realize it, but I've been away for a while. I've been lacking inspiration, and searching for it in all the wrong places. Hopefully, I'm back here to stay for a while. Although, I'm not entirely sure where "here" is. But now that I look back on my little escapade, the one thing I have realized is that what you want isn't always what you need and what you need isn't always what you want. So with that in mind, I'm starting fresh with a blank slate. Tabula Rasa.

~*Elizabeth

A Change in Prayer

2008-12-01T14:04:00.003-06:00

I have found myself thinking a lot about prayer lately, and I've come to the realization that I've been thinking so much about it because of the guilt I feel because of my prayer life. I'm going to be honest and say that the extent of my prayer life lately has been saying a few words to God before I fall asleep at night. Sometimes I think we get the wrong idea of prayer. We see the Precious Moments pictures of the little children kneeling before their beds at night and that is the image in our head of how prayer is supposed to be. Or maybe we hear ministers prayer an eloquent prayer and it makes us feel as if our own words are inadequate. We have the idea that prayer is the act sitting alone with your eyes closed and head bowed and going through the routine of repentance, confession, and acceptance. Although I believe this type of prayer is entirely necessary, I feel that there are various routes you can take when praying.

A lot of times, I forget to pray. I think that its the times when God blesses us so wonderfully that we do forget to pray. Sometimes I forget that prayer is so much more than just asking for things that we need. Prayer is a simple means of communication to the one who gave us life. Sometimes it seems ridiculous to sit there talking to a God who already knows what your about to say. It sounds strange and Innecessary, but it's not. It's not because its a way to enhance our relationship with Christ by pouring out our soul to someone who will actually listen and not think any less of you. I'm not the kind of person who really likes to talk about myself or my problems. Sometimes my parents think that I don't tell them anything, but really it's just that most things I don't talk about to anyone. Unfortunately, I'm beginning to realize that this is probably not the best thing. But I do feel like if I can first reveal myself to God, then I may be able to reveal myself to others more easily.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I want a change in my prayer life. I want it to be more than just saying a couple of things before I go to bed. I want to wake up in the morning and thank God that for the beauty of the world he created right outside my window. And when I walk to the bathroom to brush my teeth, I want to thank him for giving me legs to carry myself. And when I get bored I want to engross myself in His word and ask for wisdom to comprehend what I read. I want to finish reading a good book and thank Him for giving people such a remarkable gift of words for me to enjoy. And at the end of the day, I want to fall asleep telling Him about what is going on in my life because that's what I often do with my best friend.

Like I said, I believe it is sometimes necessary to have a rutine form of prayer; but sometimes I think people get so caught up in that and they forget what the purpose of prayer is. It is to give us a personal relationship with our Maker, and I think we should take every opportunity to make that stronger.

~*Elizabeth

Facebook Statuses

2008-11-05T12:45:00.004-06:00

I found it very interesting to look at how everyone updated their status's on facebook after Obama was announced president elect last night. Some of these have a good message to them, some are flat out mean, and other's are just flippin hilarious. Don't read these and get angry, read them and laugh. Laugh about how stupid we are all acting right now. Laugh at how so many people think they can do something about it, but can't. Laugh about how, as much as I myself don't like Obama in office, the world is not coming to an end! Laugh at how people are too ignorant to realize that this is all happening for a reason because God would not let Barack Obama in office if there was no reason!

obama stinks!! just know that!!
wondering why people actually think it is the government's job to take care of them. How pathetic we have become. Get ready for the cheese lines people.
is going to quit his job now...that way he can stay at home and let Obama steal from the rich and give to me!!!
go obama :)
is thinking saban should run 4 presedent!!!haha
is accepting the election of Barack Obama as God's rightful judgement on a wicked nation.
is praying for the best with our new leader....God is in control and knows what is best believe it or not.
Doesn't have to go to school this spring. Why would I want to become successful? Why work when someone else can do it for me, then share the wealth with me?
is socialism....this cant be good....
is glad to see hope triumph over fear
knows that God will use President Elect Obama to bring glory to His name ~ The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse...
is a sad day in america as a socialist prick is elected to presidency
is so irritated at the foolish, blind, ignorant liberals... What happened to "One nation under God..."? What has happened to our country?
is it's high time Christian stopped being so negative and start having Faith that God is gonna make everything okay
guesses its no longer called the white house...
just prays that Obama will be a good president, God bless and good night
is buying a bicycle!! I would at least have transportation amongst the riots caused by the poor choices of our newest president!!! BLAHH!
is BARACK AND ROLL--i know das rite
is saying "I support him...but I'm still running for President in 2028."
is praying that God has mercy on our country. ]:
knows that even though they screwed up, it's okay. "...There is no authority not established by God. The authorities that exist have been established by God."
welcomes you to Alobama, one of the fifty districts within the Federated Provinces of Socialist America!
knows that this day is a very sad day for the United States Of America... here come 4 years of death, and destruction to all that this country was founded upon
get ready for hitler the second
glad there will be no more politcal commercials for 4 more years
doesn't have to be afraid! Jesus said, "Take heart; I have overcome the world." Have faith in Jesus, my friends! He is God over all, even Barack Obama
is noo obama whyy....we're doomed..:'(.
is encouraging ANYONE who doubts Barack Obama to read Romans 13:1-7. God bless America!!!
is sad that people have voted socialism into America. Let's spread that wealth around!!! IDIOTS!!!
..obama is not going to kill us all. we are not going to fall over dead, there's nothing we can do about it..don't freak out.
wants to remind everyone that is bashing obama because they are "christian" that Jesus said LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
is reminding people that George Bush is still our President, and until Obama is sworn in, Bush needs our prayers as President every bit as much as Barack
is getting out his wealth-spreading machine!!!
can't wait for that government medicine!!! I may even have the ability to die in line for my Obama-paid medicine.

Don't let our country be taken over by malicious words, let it be taken over by prayer and supplication! Whether you support Obama or not, he still needs are prayers. Whether you support him or not, we are commanded to show him respect. I don't know what the next several years may hold for us, but I do know that Obama is our president for a reason. God just doesn't reject millions of prayers for no reason.

~*Elizabeth

With Less Than 24 Hours to Go

2008-11-03T15:32:00.003-06:00

In less than 24 hours, many Americans will be going about their daily routine proudly wearing their "I voted" stickers. While that is somewhat a terrifying thought for me, I am actually ready for this election to be over. Personally, I am quite tired of political argument. I'm sick of people getting angry with each other because they don't support the same candidate. There is nothing wrong with calm debate. In fact, I think it's a great thing; but calm debates tend to lead to heated arguments and sometimes heated arguments end in anger or hate towards a person you've always held high respect for. Apparently some people just don't know how to accept the fact that there is nothing wrong with disagreement. Yesterday Mary and I went into Rue21 and when we got to desk to pay the three cashiers were in one of these "heated arguments".(one of the people we actually knew already) Well the two girls were getting all upset because the other guy doesn't support Obama, and personally I found their method of arguing highly annoying. I don't think I once heard them say what they even liked about Obama. All they talked about was how "it's time for change" and "John McCain is so old" and "Sarah Palin is so stupid" or "she doesn't have any experience. Well, yes, maybe John McCain is old, but please tell me why that is going to make him so much worse of a president than Obama. Yes, sometimes Sarah Palin doesn't sound like the sharpest knife in the drawer when she talks, but have you listened to Joe Biden lately? And maybe she doesn't have as much experience as we would like our potential vice president to have; but the only experience Obama has is spending a little over a hundred days in the Senate. These hypocritical and highly ill-informed supporters belong to both of our candidates, but I'm just making the point about Obama because this was an argument I listened to just yesterday.

I guess I am just extremely aggravated by all of this un-needed controversy. During the Relient K concert last week, Matt Theissen made a comment about politics. He said he was probably the only one there who wasn't sick of politics because he's Canadian and can't vote. I found it interesting when he said that the thing he is sick of is all of this hatred between people, because from the perspective of an outsider that's all he notices. So ask you self, "Is this really all worth it?" Is it really worth getting so much into an argument that you find yourself fed up with the person on the other side? Is it really worth dividing up this nation, dividing up these states, these cities, these schools, these churches, and even these families? Absolutely not. Of course it's important to know who you want to vote for and why you want to vote for them, but in the end one person is going to be elected and we all have to live with that. My hope and prayer is that the citizens of the United States will once again become united instead of broken into millions of pieces. I hate to say this, but I feel like there are dark days ahead of us. With the state of the economy right now, things are probably going to get worse before they are better. I believe that the key to getting past this is through each other, and the only way it will work is by being united. Don't let us be separated by our preferred candidate! Don't let your political views get in the way of helping those in need! Love can do things that John McCain and Barack Obama could never do alone. Don't let your personal opinion take over.

I'm scared that we are going to let government take over our lives. We are going to invite elected officials into places they don't need to be. Why are we doing that? Isn't that what we wanted to get away from? Isn't that what we fought in countless wars for? We broke away from Great Britain because we wanted our own freedom and liberty. People were tired of Parliament invading their lives, telling them what they can and can't do. Part of the reason we fought in World War II was to free the people from Nazi oppression. Are we going to sit here and let thse be wasted efforts? One day, maybe several generations from now, will that happen to us? Will we be taken over by a power-hungry totalitarian ruler? If we continue to invite the government into our lives that may happen! Will a group of people become sick of not being able to live their own lives and make their own decisions that they will attempt to break away from the United States of America like was done before in the Civil War? Is that what is going to take to get things the way they need to be? I surely hope not.

I just think that the first step towards the road to success is that we put our differences aside and think about what's at stake. Just get over the fact that people have different opinions, and let them believe what they want to believe. I encourage you when we find out who will be our next president that you will just accept it for what it's worth. The voting booths may close tomorrow night, but the end is not yet in sight. Unfortunately, there are still many "I told you so"s to be said. There are still many fingers to be pointed and accusations to be made. When, if ever, will we remember that we have the privilege of liberty? A privilege that many deserving people go without. Take the opportunity to form your own opinion; but, please, don't condemn your neighbor for doing the same.

~*Elizabeth

And That's What It's All About

2008-10-06T23:04:00.004-05:00

Lately I have noticed that when I am reading a book I read it not only for the story like most normal people tend to do, but also for the literary content and the message that the author is trying to present. Sometimes when I read a part in a book that really stands out to me, I even mark the page so I can go back later and read it again. I find a story so much more beautiful when you jump in and try to figure out what the author's purpose in writing the story was instead of reading it simply because its a romace novel or an incredible action story. I think it was partially because of this that I enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series so much, but I'm not allowed to write about that yet because Danielle hasn't finished the last book.

Right now, I'm reading through the last few chapters of a book called The Host, and I must say it's one of the strangest books I've ever read. It's basically a story about aliens and how they take over earth, but it's not one of those typical sci-fi alien stories. The aliens(souls as they call them in the book) are just little worm-like creatures who have to be inserted into a body in order to function. They are only a soul, useless without a body as a host. In the story, the souls are living basically this perfect life. Hatred and violence doesn't exist in their world, and the only reason they took over earth was because they truly felt like it was the right thing to do. When they look at earth they see people killing each other every day. They see parents abandoning their children. They see hatred, deciet, hopelessness, and despair; and they feel the need to put an end to it. So they do. And then the world is at peace. I remember at one point in the book they were watching a baseball game on tv and there was a converstation between two players that went something like this, "No, I think you were safe." "No, I'm pretty sure I was touched before I hit home plate. It was definatly an out." It was so ironic because, in our lifestyle, the arguement would be completely opposite. The world now lives a Utopian lifestyle where everybody did the right thing. There was no need for money because everybody was honest. The souls didn't have jobs, they had Callings; and everybody did their part.

One part I marked in my book was when the main soul of the story, her name was Wanderer, began to realize what human life on earth was about. She started to see that maybe turning this corrupted planet into a "perfect" planet wasn't the best thing. She said, "This place(talking about earth) was truly the highest and the lowest of all worlds--the most beautiful senses, the most exquisite emotions...the most malevolent desires, the darkest deeds. Perhaps it was meant to be so. Perhaps without the lows, the highs could not be reached." This is really when I started to pick up on Stephenie Meyer's hidden meaning in this story. I think she's trying to get the point across that there is a reason for all of this imorality. That's a thought I've always struggled with. I never have really understood why God allowed the fall of man to happen. Why did Adam and Eve have to sin in the garden. I always knew that it was part of his plan, but it never made much sense to me.

It's strange how such simple things such as reading a book about aliens taking over the world can open your eyes up to things you never really thought about before.

When Wanderer spends a great amount of time with the few humans left, she really begins to understand what love is. With the souls, everbody "loved" everybody just simply because hate basically didn't exist. With humans, it was different. These were her thoughts,

"What was it that made this human love so much more desirable to me than the love of my own kind? Was it because it was exclusive and capricious? the souls offered love and acceptance to all. Did I crave a greater challenge? This love was tricky; it had no hard-and-fast rules--it might be given for free, as with Jamie, or earned through time and hard work, as with Ian, or comopletely and heartbreakingly unattainable, as with Jared. Or was it simply better somehow? Because these humans could hate with so much fury, was the other end of the spectrum that they could love with more heart and zeal and fire? I didn't know why I had yearned after it so desperately. All I knew was that, now that I had it, it was worth every ounce of risk and agony it had cost.
It was better than I'd imagined. It was everything."

So that's when I figured it out. Or at least I think I have. The reason we need hatred, the reason we need violence, the reason we need deciet, and all other immoral things is because that is what creates love. If none of that existed, then neither would love. And without love, hate wouldn't have meaning either. And now it seems so obvious to me. Why didn't I think of that before? Without hate, love would be non-existant.

~*Elizabeth

A Generation of Change

2008-09-12T18:01:00.003-05:00

I wrote this on my facebook, and I figured I might as well go ahead and post it on blogspot. So here it is...

With all of the events going on in the upcoming election, the subject of change has been a major conversation topic. Most people are looking for a president who will make many changes and alterations in our nation so, naturally, that's what our candidates are offering. Particularly in Barack Obama's campaign, we see the constant emphasis put on this idea of change. If you drive five minutes down the road you will see at least one sign or bumper sticker that says something along the lines of Change: Obama 2008. If you turn on the tv and watch one of his speeches you will constantly hear the term change thrown around. McCain also offers a form a change, but does not really model his campaign after it as much as Obama. I am in agreance with the fact that change is a major thing our country needs, but is any change necesarily a good change?

If you look throughout history, you will see how things are going one particular way for a while until suddenly something goes wrong. Then the people either get angry or get bored with the way things are going so they want something new. Every time, somebody comes along claiming that they can offer this change, and so everyone bends over to let this person step right in. Sadly, through this, we get people like Hitler and Stalin in charge. Its strange and kinda sad to think about the fact that Hitler was ELECTED into office, but its true. People are constantly misguided and are really only told what they want to hear. I'm not saying this because I believe that any of our political candidates are going to be like Hilter, I'm just saying it to point out the incredible dangers any time someone is put in office.

Sometimes I think that people forget we are a mixed government, and entirely too often I think people dont realize that because we are a mixed government our president only has one third of the power. Through our three different branches of government, there a checks and balances to keep all of the powers in line. The President of the United States doesn't even have the right to wage or declare war, yet when we are in a war which people feel are illegitimate, he is the one blamed. Because the president doesn't have unlimited power, half the things our candidates are promising to do are next to impossible. So now back to my original point: this idea of change. I whole-heartily believe that change is a great thing as long as the right changes are made. I have this terrible feeling that we are headed down the road to socialism. Our candidates would never use the term, but when you are trying to put government programs into everything, that's what's going to happen. This is not the kind of change we need. The change we need is to take a few steps back, or maybe more than a few. We need to take it back to the way it was supposed to be, when our Independence was declared and our Constitution was originally written. THAT is the change that I believe is needed.

And you may say that back then people didn't care about the poor and needy because we didn't have any government aid that, to put it bluntly, robs from the rich to give to the poor. Well, this is where the real change comes in. YOU can be the change, not your government. YOU can help the poor and needy, not your government. YOU can reach out to those in need in ways that your government cannot. YOU can give love and affection that no government system can or ever will be able to give. The government can raise taxes on the wealthy and give that money to the poor, but where is the love? It's non-existant. Somehow, I have this strange feeling that God really doesn't care much about works without love. I think I may have read that somewhere...I don't know...maybe the Bible? Yes, I believe that was it. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says, "If I speak in 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 prophecy 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." I've used this verse as a reference to this very issue before because I think it fits so perfectly. Why can't we just stand up and be the change? Why do we have to rely on government funds that, in the end, are meaningless?

I hate using those cliche' sayings that everyone has listed under their favorite quotes on facebook, but I think the best way to sum it up is by saying "Be the change you want to see in the world". My point in all of this is that if you want to see change, then you can get out there and do something about it. The truth is we are living in a era of change, and I don't know about you but I want it to be the right kind of change. I want it to be an affective change, and one that lasts. I don't want this great change to be our nation going even more millions of dollars into debt, I want it to be a change of outreach, a change of care and of compassion. Sadly, I think we're heading opposite of this. And unfortunatly, I don't think we're ever going to get back to the basics. We are too divided, and everyone is headed in a million different directions with a million different hopes and dreams. But, maybe, if we can at least come together with the midset of helping others then we may get somewhere someday. But either way, I do believe we are living in a generation of change, and whether that is a good change or a bad change is up to us. So maybe the change we need doesn't lie in the hands of John McCain or Barack Obama. Maybe it lies upon us, the citizens of the United States of America. What will you do to make things right?

Any thoughts or comments?

~*Elizabeth

Something I Hate

2008-08-27T21:21:00.001-05:00

After writing blogs all summer, it is incredibly difficult for me to get back to the style of essay writing.

Blog in the Round: Would I Rather Marry the Ice Cream Man Or the Garbage Man?

2008-08-25T15:36:00.004-05:00

What an interesting topic.

I think that if you asked the average person if they would rather marry the ice cream man or the garbage man they would say, "Duh. The ice cream man. You get free ice cream!". Well, if that was really true then that would be awesome. The problem is, its not.

Actually, the ice cream man scares me a lot. At least the only ones I've ever seen have. I think that the requirements for getting that job is to be mean scary looking ghetto man, and know how to rob little kids of their money. I think that these kind of people should be put in jail.

Ice Cream men used to be nice. When I was younger there was a really nice man who used to come every day and even if we were missing a quarter, he would still give us the Popsicle we wanted. Once this guy came in a van. He was selling Popsicles really cheap so I bought like 5 of them. A few years later I started thinking about it and I'm pretty sure that his business was illegal and I'm actually surprised that we didn't die from any kind of poisoning he put in the Popsicles.

Garbage Men, on the other hand, stink. They have been around garbage so much that they can probably never get rid of that smell no matter how many times they shower. However, they always seem to be nice. Whenever the garbage man would pick up our trash, I would wave at him(although, I'm not sure why) and he would always smile and wave back. Unlike the ice cream man, he always seemed very friendly.

If it wasn't for the fact that there is smelly garbage involved, I think I would want to be a garbage woman myself. I mean, who wouldn't want to ride on the back of a truck? Sounds like fun if you ask me.

So I guess the only set back on a garbage man is the fact that he stinks all the time. And most likely he's a redneck. But I'm sure the ice cream man smells like cigarette smoke, so it doesn't really make a difference. So I think that my final answer is that I would rather marry the garbage man then the ice cream man, because honestly I would rather be married to a smelly red neck than a man who smokes weed and tries to steal my quarters.

~*Elizabeth

BITR: Auburn Football

2008-08-17T20:44:00.004-05:00

Thanks to my wonderful friend Davis, I get to write about Auburn football this week. I don't think this will be a whole lot of fun because as I'm sure you already know, I'm an Alabama fan. BUT that doesn't mean I hate auburn like a lot of bama fans though. It's kinda hard for me to hate auburn because my dad and brother are auburn fans, and so is my best friend. Some people think it's crazy that our family actually gets along during football season because we are a house divided, but I think thats dumb. Why should a stupid thing like football get in the way of life? I don't think that the reason it took my dad so long to propose to my mom was because he couldn't decide if marriage would be worth it since she is an alabama fan. Or at least I hope not.

But anyway, I'm getting off subject. I think that auburn football is pretty cool. That is, as long is Alabama is doing better than them. Unfortunatly, the last few years hasn't been that way. I found the fear the thumb thing to be a little annoying. I hate obnoxious fans, even Alabama ones. I really like to celebrate when we win, but I'm not going to rub it in other people's faces. So if your an auburn fan who doesn't do that then I will still like you.

But overall, I really like football in general. I can't wait until this season starts, and I especially can't wait until the Iron Bowl. I'm really hoping that this year we will step up our game and beat Auburn. We haven't beat Auburn since I've actually really cared about football(and understood it.) I am most definatly ready for a good season!

This is probably one of the worst-written blogs I have ever done, but sorry I just couldn't put my heart in this one.

~*Elizabeth

Blog in the Round: People That Annoy Me

2008-08-11T14:49:00.003-05:00

Here is a list of people that annoy me and why. Some are specific while others are very generic.

Preachers that yell: If going to church and getting yelled at is your kind of thing, then that's fine with me. Personally, I think that yelling is what you do with your family so it is not very enjoyable to go to a church where a preacher screams at the top of his lungs.
Teachers that think their class is the only important one: I hate it when teachers think that whatever class they teach is the most important class you will ever take in your life. Therefore, they expect you to put all your time and effort into all of their assignments; forgetting (or maybe just ignoring the fact) that we have 5 others classes to deal with.
Rosie O'Donnell: Rosie is annoying because Rosie scares me.
Politicians: Politicians annoy me because they have a tendency to change their "beliefs" according to what the general public wants to hear. Most Politicians are very inconsistent with what they say.
Jef Park: For the few people reading this that actually know who this is, I think it is pretty self-explanatory. Although Jef(yes, it is spelled with one f) and I get along much better than we used to, he is still way too loud and obnoxious for me to be around for more than a short period of time.
People who don't know how to shut up: I already wrote a whole blog about this, so I don't think there is a need to say anything else.
Ryan when he won't just give up an argument: My dear brother Ryan always has to have the last word in every single conversation. In every single debate he has been in, Ryan has ALWAYS had the last word. Even if the conversation has come to an end, Ryan must jump in with his last input. My father has a tendency to do this sometimes too, but I'm not gonna talk about that because I don't feel like getting in trouble.
People who stereotype things: Being homeschooled for however many years I have been now, I think I would know a lot about stereotyping. Because of course we all know that homeschoolers are dorky kids who wear glasses and braces, don't have a life, read Shakespeare all day long, and always have a sinus infection. We don't know what grade we are in and we cringe when people say words like stupid and fart. Our hobby is planting tomato seeds, and our best friends are our stuff animals. I'm just naming this stereotype because I am very familiar with it, but there are also many more.
People who actually are the stereotypical homeschooler: Seriously, how hard is it to keep up with what grade your in? I'm counting down the days until graduation(which is still 2 years away), and all you know is that your somewhere between 8th and 11th grade. So please just put down your kazoo, pick up a calendar, and figure out that we're not in 1872 anymore. You give us all a bad name!!!
People that never admit when they are wrong: My brother Ryan is once again a perfect example of this. Everyone knows that humans make mistakes, so how hard is it to admit when you have??
People who cut in line: By cutting in line, you are basically saying "I am better than you so I do not deserve to wait like everyone else does". Once I accidently broke in line, and after I realized it I felt horrible! Do you line breaking people not have a conscience or something?
People like my wonderful sister who don't know how to show anyone respect: I believe that everyone deserves respect no matter how annoying I may think they are. Laura, on the other hand, apparently only cares about herself and it doesnt really matter to her how she makes other people feel.
Danielle Goodwin: Enough said.

~*Elizabeth

BITR: What Scares the Living Daylights Out of Me

2008-08-01T19:25:00.004-05:00

Even after all the talking I did about how I am fearless, I suppose it's time for me to face the facts and admit what I do actually fear. So I've been thinking about it, and have realized that the one thing I fear the most is the unknown. Not knowing what is there, or what is going to happen, or what my future holds does scare the living daylights out of me. While I was on the cruise, I would stand at the balcony and look over into what seems like an endless sea and although I knew that I was safe, it sorta gave me this weird feeling. I really started to think about how we are floating in the dark and who knows whats down there swimming around ready to eat me. I starting thinking about how incredibly scary it would be if I fell over, and how the scariest part would not be drowning but being out there and not knowing where you are or what is around you. That all goes back to the unknowns. I think the reason the unknown is so scary is because we experience a complete lack of security. Its easier to walk down an alley in the daytime because we can see what is there; but at night, when we have no clue, it is much more terrifying.

I just finished reading Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and there was one line in the book that really stood out to me. Harry and Dumbledore are crossing a lake at night and Harry is afraid when he sees a dead body floating in the water. Dumbledore offers these words of encouragement, "There is nothing to be feared from a body, Harry, any more than there is anything to be feared from the darkness. Lord Voldemort, who of course secretly fears both, disagrees. But once again that reveals his own lack of wisdom. It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more."

So I suppose that gives the answer to why we fear the dark, why we fear death, why we fear the middle of a deep ocean, and why at times we fear tomorrow. It is because it is all unknown and we can't stand not knowing. But I guess that's what faith is, isn't it? Having courage through the unknown. As Christians, we live in a world of unknowns. There isn't much of an explanation to many things that happened in the Bible, and I think that's what turn a lot of people away from Christianity. They have a fear of not fully comprehending what they believe. At times, I think we all do. But without the unknowns, where would faith come in? If we knew everything then faith, one of the key essentials to being a Christian, would be meaningless in itself.

Tony Snow was a television commentator who later went on to become President Bush's secretary. In the midst of his terrible fight against cancer, he shares his testimony. I read it, and found a lot of it to be encouraging. He is staring death in the face, the ultimate unknown and that's when it all makes sense to him. Here is a paragraph of his testimony:

The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change.
> You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious,
> and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
> of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful
> caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger,
> shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies. Think of Paul, traipsing
> though the known world and contemplating trips to what must have seemed
> the antipodes (Spain), shaking the dust from his sandals, worrying not
> about the morrow, but only about the moment.>

Faith being the evidence of things not seen may not be an answer that will get us very far; but if that's all we really have to lean on it. Lean on it and allow it to hold you up until we leave this world of unknowns and realize that maybe what we come to know doesn't matter as much as we once thought it did. We know what we need to know and nothing more, so what is there to fear? I don't really know. I just know that I do, and it's most likely because of the fact that I'm human.

Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

~*Elizabeth

BITR: What Annoys The Living Daylights Out of Me

2008-07-17T16:04:00.003-05:00

I guess it's about time I write this blog...

There a lot of things that annoy me. In fact, it seems like every day I find new things that annoy me. I, like most average people, am annoyed very easily. So you would think that when it came time to write a blog about something that annoys the living daylights out of me it would be easy. Wrong. I spend half my life complaining about all of these annoying things, and then when it comes time to write about just one of them I draw a blank. I actually considered writing on that at one point. About how I think of things all the time, but can never think of it when I need to. I decided that would be to complicated so I better just think of something else. So I did, and this is what I came up with:

One thing that annoys the living daylights out of me is when people don't know how to shut up. Yes, I know that I am quiet. And you may be surprised to find that I even know how to talk. And maybe people like me annoy the living daylights out you. But it annoys me when people talk constantly. Oh, and it makes it a million times worse when they don't even know what they're talking about. They just talk because they like the sound of their voice or something. It makes me want to tie them to a chair and duct tape their mouth shut so they have to just sit there and listen. For a constant mouth-runner, having to shut up and listen is nothing but pure torture.

I used to work with this lady who I swear told me her life story 20 times over again. At first I found it as a source of entertainment, but after about 3 times of hearing everything from the details of her first marriage to what kind of underwear her 14 year old son wears, I was about ready to slap her.

So that is one thing that annoys me. People who never shut up. Yes, I will listen to what you have to say and if you need help then I will help you; but don't come to me running your mouth about nonsense that you don't even know what your talking about.

~*Elizabeth

Why I believe in Jesus(the new and improved version)

2008-07-12T18:07:00.004-05:00

You know all that other stuff I said about believing in Jesus? Well, forget that. This is that real reason!! HAHA

Blog in the Round: My Purpose in Life

2008-06-26T14:23:00.003-05:00

So this week my blog topic is to discuss what I think my purpose in life is. Of course, the typical Sunday School answer would be to say that my purpose in life is "To live out God's will...to love others as I love myself...to serve those in need" and so on and so forth. Although this is true, I think the real question is "What is God's will for my life". My answer to this is that honestly I have no clue. So I'm probably not going to write this blog in the way ya'll want to hear it, and it may be kinda long and boring. Instead, I think I'll just be honest with myself and others and write about some things that have been on my mind for a while now.

I have no clue what I'm doing. I have no idea where I'm going. I really don't know what the plan is, and that bothers me. In my 15 years and 11 months of life, I have yet to find one thing that I really enjoy. Something that I am passionate about. For a while I have told myself that that is ok because I am young. It's ok because I still have two years of highschool left, and then (possibly) a few years of college. And while in a way I still hold on to that mindset, I sit back and realize that I am living through the years of my life that molds the shape of my entire future. And then I look around at other people who know exactly who they are and what they want to do. Their gifts and talents shine though so brightly. So I look at myself, and I just have no idea. I don't know what it is that I should be doing, because I don't even know what I want to do. So I just keep waiting, hoping that God will show me what path I need to take. And I keep praying that he will give me the wisdom to take that path. Yet, I still have no idea. Don't get my wrong, I'm not saying I've lost my faith in God. I still whole-heartily believe that he has a plan for me, I just get discouraged because I don't know what that plan is. I realize that this is part of life and everyone goes through it, but I feel like I'm missing out on something. As if, maybe, it's right before my eyes and I'm just blinded my own selfish thoughts and desires. But that, too, I don't see because I'm not quite sure what my own desires are.

I try to be the kind of person who is always happy even when there isn't really anything to be happy about. I'm happy just simply because there is nothing to be sad about. After a while, though, that gets kinda old. I'm a middle-of-the-road, mediocre girl; but that, too, gets old. I'm tired of settling for mediocrity. I'm tired of apathy because there just really isn't anything to care about. I need something exciting. I need something to live for. I need something that I know in my heart I am supposed to do. This was a lot of our discussion Wednesday night. We talked about how everyone has different gifts and abilities and we are supposed to go out and do that and that only. If we try to do what someone else is supposed do, then it just doesn't work. Well, I'd love to do what I need to do. But first I have to figure out what that is.

My brother, Ryan, is going to attend Samford University this fall. Last week he had orientation and I guess that got the wheels in his head turning because the next day he writes a blog about college. It was one of my favorite blogs he has written in a while because it actually made perfect sense to me(and rarely his blogs do). He was talking about how people put too much pressure on teenagers approaching college age to know what they want to do. I'm pretty sure I'm doing this to myself. I think sometimes I forget that next month I will only be turning 16. I forget that this year I will only be in my junior year of high school. I guess I'm just tired of giving the answer "I don't know" every time someone asks me what my future plans are. I really just want something that I am good at and something I have a passion for. Andy made what I thought was a very good point when he said that you shouldn't go to college to find a job, you should go to college to further your passion.

I've been spending all this time searching myself through and through, trying to figure out what is really in my heart and just follow that, and it got me thinking about things a little bit differently. Maybe, as of now, I am barren. And maybe this whole time that I've been looking for something within myself, there really just isn't much to find. So I'm thinking there is a possibility that instead of finding myself, I should begin creating myself. Creating myself to be the kind of person that God wants me to be. A person who is loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, gentle, and self-controlling. And that may be the key to open up the next door. A door that has my own passion inside and takes me down the path of the rest of my life. And There I go with the Sunday School answer, but I suppose that's really all I have to start with.

Again, this is just life and life isn't always easy. Life is full of decisions. Sometimes you make the right ones, and sometimes you don't. Life is full of both encouragements and let downs. So all I can really do is go out into this brutal world realizing that the sun doesn't always set in happiness, but tomorrow there is always a sunrise. Giving hope and a promise of a better day ahead.

So maybe the answer to the question "What is my purpose in life?" is right around the corner; but as of now my answer will continue to be that I really just don't know. As of now God is really the only thing I can hold on to, but for some reason I want more. I feel like that is wrong though. Is it wrong? Is it wrong that I want something more than just knowing He is there? I guess I what I really want is to see Him played out in my life. But I will continue to wait; because, somewhere, I know it's there. And waiting is what a majority of life is comprised of.

~*Elizabeth

BITR: Who Would I Marry?

2008-06-23T15:36:00.003-05:00

I mean the guy(James Marsden), not the girl. Oh and of course this is set to Lifehouse music.

A Defense For Twilight and Harry Potter

2008-06-20T10:21:00.003-05:00

If you know me well, then you probably know that my two favorite book series right now are Twilight and Harry Potter.(although twilight does beat h.p.) These two book series are very controversial among Christians because of their content. Harry Potter is all about witches, wizards, and of course magic, while because Twilight is also a love story it has been described as "Harry Potter with sex appeal". If a Christian thinks is wrong to read these books I can see where they are coming from, BUT I, of course, disagree. Let me tell you why.

I will start off by saying that the Twilight series changed my whole perspective on reading. Before reading the books, reading was pretty much only something I did because I had to. It wasn't that I absolutely hated reading, I just didn't really enjoy it. Once I started reading them, I couldn't put them down. I read all three of them in about 2 weeks and they are between 500 and 600 pages each. After this, all I wanted to do was read so that's when I picked up Harry Potter. After just a few weeks, I'm on the fourth out of seven books. Then I started actually enjoying the stuff I was reading in school. The last book we read was To Kill a Mockingbird and it is now one of my favorite classics. So my point is that before these books reading was boring, now I even enjoy required reading for school.

Since Harry Potter is better known, I will start with that. Legalistic Christians would argue that Harry Potter is bad because it teaches that magic is real and it can overpower anything. Well, maybe it does, but so what? Its called fiction, meaning that it isn't real. I read the books, but it hasn't changed me to think that there is no God and our world is really just full of magic. So as long as you don't let yourself fall into that stupid way of thinking, then you'll be fine. Also, it contains good literature. If you pay attention to the details, then you could find a lot of symbolism. The scar on Harry's face is major, because it symbolizes Voldemort's presence. Book three, which is so far my favorite, has a lot to do with animals and the different animals symbolize the different characters of whom they represent. Also, there are a lot of things in Harry Potter that can represent the Christian worldview. I could go on about this forever, but I'm not going to bore you. I did, however, find a website about this that I thought was interesting. Here is the link if you want to check it out: http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/editorials/edit-amandah01.shtml

Now, on to Twilight. This is a three book series(soon to be four) full of action, romance, and suspense. There are two major things in this book that many people find to be bad. The first is the fact that it is a book about vampires and werewolves, hence the magic. I guess people think that any kind of fantasy thing with magic that isn't real is inherently bad. Of course, I tend to disagree. I think that sometimes reality gets a little boring, and our minds and souls need something to focus on every once in a while to bring us back up to speed. This probably doesn't make any sense, but just bare with me. I don't think there is anything wrong with getting emotionally involved in fantasy stories, as long as you know it's not real in the end. Again, I think there is a lot of symbolism in these books too. Even Christian symbolism. In the story, the Cullens are a family of vampires. They are not what you think of as the typical vampire though, they stand out for something different. The don't feed on humans, which in the story is kinda a big thing. The Cullen family in the vampire world is kinda like Christians in our world. They are fighting against their own nature to stand out for something different. Something they believe in, which is morality, and not killing humans. It is the same for us. We are fighting against the world, which tries so hard to pull us in. But we resist and do our best to fight the temptation. This is hard for the Cullens, because it really is their nature to live off the blood of humans. But to the best of their ability, they don't.

Another major argument in Twilight is that the romance is a little too graphic. I can defiantly see where this argument is coming from, but the thing to remember is that it is done the morally right way. Edward has this whole thing about saving Bella's morality, therefore, they will not have sex before marriage. So, although it is talked about a lot, I think it's talked about in a good way. It doesn't encourage anything bad, in fact, it looks down on it. Morality is a key thing in Twilight. And I don't mean throwing your morality down the drain, I mean preserving it. Living life out the right way.

So if you think that Harry Potter and Twilight are evil because of their magic, then what about all the fairy tales we watched when we were little. Almost every one had magic, and they also had witches and all that kind of stuff. What about the Little Mermaid? Mermaids aren't real, magic isn't real, witches aren't real. But when I was a little kid, I remember to a certain extent actually believing in this stuff. Oh, and then there is the love. The love was pretty screwed up if you ask me. Cinderella met Prince Charming at a ball one night and suddenly they were madly in love. Umm....that doesn't seem like the real idea of love. If you are a Twilight/Harry Potter hater, then I challenge you to look at it from a different light. You get out what you put in. So if you go in thinking that these books are bad and they go strictly against Christian beliefs, that's what you will get out. But if you go in thinking that there might actually be something more to these books, then that is what you will get out.

~*Elizabeth

We Wear the Mask

2008-06-17T15:28:00.003-05:00

This was written by Paul Laurence Dunbar(whoever that is) and I really like it because I think we all kinda wear a mask.

We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,--
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtelties.

Why should the world be overwise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Chrsit, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!

Blog in the Round: The Basement

2008-06-13T21:53:00.002-05:00

So here I am writing a blog on yet another controversial topic. Most likely, it will end then same and some people will agree with what I say while others disagree whole-heartily. But that's ok, not everybody has the same views. When Davis first gave me the topic, I really wished that he hadn't. I kinda wanted something dumb like Wal-mart or Jeff Roberts, but no, I got The Basement. I thought of a couple of different routes I could take on it. Andy suggested that I use this blog as a time to bash Matt Pitt. I thought about it, but I really don't know Matt Pitt so I decided that wouldn't be the best way to go. I thought about writing about my actual basement, but I decided that was pretty dumb and it sounded like something Jeff would do.( I love you Jeff Roberts) Then I really just thought I would do something very out of the ordinary for this topic and actually states my opinions on The Basement. So here goes nothing.

I would like to start out by saying that I have never actually been to The Basement. So maybe your thinking that I am not entitled to have an opinion if I've never actually been, but I think that The Basement is one of those things you hear about so much you know pretty much what its like without going. Of course, I've never experienced it first hand; but I still think I can somewhat form my own opinion on the issue. I haven't not been to the basement because I think its full of a bunch wanna be Christian heathens. I haven't not been to the basement because I myself am I heathen. And I haven't not been to the basement because I don't have a life and I never leave my house. Actually, I think the reason I haven't been is because everyone loves it so much, because I get tired of being "basement witnessed", and actually just the response I get when I say I haven't been. To me, being basement witnessed is kinda like chain letters and forwarded messages. Sometimes I run across one that I actually like and I plan on sending it to a few people. That is, until I read 47,000 times how you have to send it to 16 people within an hour. I hate that. Maybe I'm just being some kind of rebel or something, but it's almost like I don't want to do it just because it says to do it. Oh and then is the part where it tells you that you are being cursed if you don't send it on. That makes me wanna delete the message and then go shoot the person who sent it to me. This also reminds me of basement witnessing. It's almost like these kids are brainwashed to think that your some horribly sinful person if you don't go. But let me tell you something. I do in fact attend church regularly, and just because I don't go to the basement and "get crunk for Jesus" every Tuesday night, doesn't mean that I am any less of a Christian than you.

Moving on to the next issue. Even if you haven't been to the basement, I'm sure you know that they use rock and rap music as a lot of their worship. Do I think this is necessarily wrong? No. But one thing that does bother me is how they take secular rap songs that are full of terrible lyrics that pretty much slap every Christian moral right in the face, and make it a song to supposedly glorify God. God tells us to be in the world, but not of it. In my opinion, this is trying to make all of Christianity a thing of the world which is not something it should be. Singing songs like "Jesus is my rock star" and "meet me at the basement, its going down" do not really sound glorifying to God at all. In fact, it sounds pretty degrading to me. Most rock stars are just a bunch of drug addicts who sing about immoral filth. I mean, I'm not one of those people who thinks that any music besides Christian music is bad; but I don't really think that kind of music belongs in church. I think that people in this world are supposed bring God/The Bible into their lives, but it seems to me like the basement is doing it backwards. They are bringing the world into Christianity. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not fall into the ways of the world". We do that enough ourselves, and when church events bring us more into that I think it's just making it worse. I know that all of this is really just a way to bring outsiders to Christ, and I think that's great; but I also don't think that are really getting what Christianity is all about this way.

Although I said I was not going to use this blog to bash Matt Pitt, I do think it is necessary to talk about him. Like I said, I do not know Matt and I do not know what is in his heart. I do not know this from experience, but I have heard that he is notorious for not quoting the Bible correctly. Like with anybody who preaches to you, I think that you should listen to what they have to say but not necessarily believe everything they say until you really get the chance to think about it and back it up with scripture. We are all humans and are prone to mistakes, and by accepting every word that comes out of a preachers mouth you are bound at some point to hear something that is not fully the truth. This is a problem I see in a lot of people who go to the basement. It's almost like they seem to look at it as "Matt's infallible word" instead of God's. I've heard people talk about how Matt Pitt changed their life, and I don't really think that is right. Matt Pitt didn't change your life, God did. Maybe God worked through Matt Pitt to make a difference in your life, but Matt Pitt did not change your life. So if your going to the basement because its about Matt, then I think you need to change your motives.

I think that whether you go to the basement or not you should still have a home church that you attend. I have heard that Matt does a good job of making that a major point and that is something I can respect in him. I've heard all the way from "Matt is one of the greatest and most Godly men I know. I look up to and respect him a lot." to "Matt is a stuck up arrogant jerk who really doesn't know anything about the Bible." I am not going to side one way or the other because I've never talked to the guy, heck I've never even heard him preach. Because of this, I don't think I am in the right position to judge his character either way.

To a certain extent, I think the basement has almost lost its dignity. It's lost its fire that it used to have. Now, its really just a place to hang out. They call it "club Jesus". I once heard someone describe the basement as just like a club but it's with Christians. Well, think about what goes on at a club and should church events be anything like that? I think not. My friend told me that she was talking to someone who went to the Basement for the first time and when she asked if he liked it he said "Oh yeah, I thought it was great! That is, until I went to the bathroom and some guy tried to sell me drugs". I find this sad. As Christians, we are supposed to be out in the world fighting against these kinds of things, but instead these things are coming into our churches and are fighting against us. Again, we must not fall into the ways of the world.

Now that I've said all of this, and I've probably offended some people I would like to say that I think The Basement ministry is doing great things. I find it amazing how thousands of people across the nation are coming to Birmingham, Alabama for this one church event. I find it amazing how more and more people are coming to Christ through this ministry. And I find it amazing how Christians no matter what denomination are coming together as one. I think that Christian fellowship is a great thing and I think there should be more of it. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching". So although I've stated my disagreements with the basement, I think the ministry has a lot of great things going for it and I hope that it can continue to bring more people to Christ.

So who knows. Maybe one of these Tuesday nights I'll make it up there. Maybe one night I'll feel like staying up until 1:00 to watch it on tv. But until then this is my opinion so take it or leave it.

~*Elizabeth

BITR: I Were Gonna Die Tomorrow

2008-06-09T13:04:00.005-05:00

If were walking down the street one day and I heard God's voice say to me "Elizabeth, you are going to die tomorrow" I would want to give my life something worth living for. I would want to be known as more than just 'that girl' or 'whatshername'. I would want to be known as "Elizabeth Hampton! She's the girl who 'risked her life' doing ____". But before doing something extraordinary, I would first fix the little things. I would work out all broken relationships and tell all of my family and friends how much I love them. Also, I would right my will which would be something like this:

First I would ask that my funeral would be a festive celebration of my life. There will be dancing and the guests will be served taco bell and hot pockets in which Andy will say a very heart-felt and touching prayer over. My dear brother Ryan will write a song in my memory and Danielle and Matt will sing it together while Timothy plays the violin.

My little sister Laura will receive my iPod and cellular device(because you know its worth so much money and everything)

My older brother Ryan will receive my bed and my 13 inch TV(because of course they are very expensive too. haha)

My mom and dad will get all of that sentimental stuff and they can sell whatever they don't want.

Danielle gets my car and laptop that I don't have. She will also take my place on the cruise and July and she will inherit my bazooka.

Matt gets my blogspot and he has to write my blogs every week and make them sound like me.

Andy gets my Bible, because I think he needs one.

Now I would take a trip to the bank and empty every penny out of my account. With that money I am buying a one way ticket to Nagashima Spaland Mie, Japan. Your probably thinking, why Japan? Well let me tell you. Nagashima Spaland Mie, Japan is the home of the world's longest roller coaster. I like roller coasters. I think they are fun. And I think that riding the largest roller coaster right before I die would be pretty much awesome.

Now comes the part where I do something eventful. Japan is a nation of only 0.8% Christianity. 95% of the people there practice Shinto and Buddhism. Pretty much, they hate Christians and you will be killed for speaking of it. For being a country with such desperate need for missionaries, very few are able to spread the word there because they have a severe threat of getting killed. If my life is the most I can lose(besides my soul, which is already safe) and I'm already going to die, then what do I have to risk? Absolutely nothing. So in those few hours I have left I will share what I know and hope that possibly in the slightest chance it may save someone Else's life. This is how I will most likely be killed. Maybe I'll be beheaded, maybe shot, or maybe burned but what does it matter if I'm gonna die anyway.

What little I have for political views

2008-05-28T22:12:00.008-05:00

[I really don't like politics at all, but with the upcoming election me and Danielle have been talking about it a lot and we decided to voice our opinions. So hear are my thoughts, you can agree or agree to disagree and it won't offend me. In fact, I'd like to hear your opinions. Maybe I'm an idiot and havn't thought this through enough. Who knows? So here goes nothing.]

I have come to see that the main reason a person would support a democrat is because democrats are known for "helping people". You know, like forming government programs to help the poor, or disabled, or just anyone in need. Well, that sounds great on paper, but in the long run is it really whats best? Most of the programs such as FDIC and Social Security were created by Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. These systems may have helped our country a lot at the time, but I think that it just made things worse for the future and may possibly cause another depression.(which is a thought that scares the crap out of me)

Of course I want to help those in need, and I think that most decent people do; but I don't know if government programs are the best way of doing this. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says, "If I speak in 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 prophecy 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. "
In order to be able to fund these programs, there must be a lot of money. Therefore, with every new program taxes get higher and higher. I honestly don't know of anyone who writes their taxes out of love. And while we're doing this, our country is falling more in more into debt. I think there has to be a better way to help people. The solution to this, I believe, is through the church. The church is not only somewhere you go to learn about God and worship, but it's also supposed to be a ministry to reach out to those in need. If people used the money that would be their tax dollars for these "aid programs" and gave it to the church instead, I think we would be in a lot better position. Of course, this is a lot easier said then done; but I'm just saying I think that's how it should be. Truthfully, I don't have a better solution for the Great Depression. Maybe what FDR did was the best thing at the time, but at this point I think that all of these government programs have gone to far.

Now, the war is another major issue in the upcoming election. It's something I have a hard time with, because there are two ways you can look at it. From one perspective you could say that we are in a pointless war in which we are accomplish nothing. From another perspective you can look back to the day of the attack and remember exactly what happened. Remember all those innocent victims who lost their lives, and think that maybe some thing are worth fighting for. I think I tend to come more from this point of view. Our country was attacked by terrorists. That is not something you can just brush off like it never happened, if we do then I think that we would be attacked over and over again. Sometimes I try to think about what position our country may be in if we weren't in this war, if we didn't stand up for our well-earned freedom; and part of me thinks that we would have lost more lives than what we are in this war. A threat for nuclear weapons is a major thing. If they dropped a bomb on us, we are ALL gone. And if you sit back and look at it, America is at more of a risk for a nuclear bomb than most other countries are. Most other countries hate us and think we're all rich spoiled brats. Also, the first and only atomic bomb was dropped by the U.S. to end WWII. I bet there are a lot of people out there who want revenge. So, although I think that a lot of the things we are doing in this war is a waste of time, I believe that altogether war was the best option. We have people(or better put, heroes) who voluntarily laid down their lives for our freedom, and if we elected someone who would pull the troops out then the lives of all those people would have been wasted.

Another thing that is and has been a major issue in elections for a long time is that of abortion. Personally, I don't see how one could make the argument that abortion is not murder. I guess the argument would be that when a baby is first conceived, it is not yet living. But my question is this. If life does not begin at conception, then where? You can't just mark a line and say "it begins here, exactly __ weeks into the pregnancy". That's just making a blind guess when it clearly makes the most sense that life begins at conception. I'm not trying to sound like I don't care, but if a girl ends up pregnant before she intended to then that's her fault. Murder is NEVER the answer, and I believe that abortion is murder. I also don't understand how someone could possibly have the heart to do that to their very own child. I know I couldn't. So the first solution, I believe would be to reach out to the troubled women who get themselves in these terrible situations. Show that there are people who care about them, so they won't get desperate and result to having sex with someone who probably doesn't care about them at all. This is another place the church should be. Reaching out and loving those who are in need. Of course, this does not eliminate all unplanned pregnancies but I think that it will reduce the number. And if the result is a woman baring and unexpected child that they know they will not be able to care for properly, then this is where adoption agencies come in. The government should use the money spent aborting babies and send it to orphanages and adoption agencies. Way too often people get themselves into terrible situations, and to get out the take what they think is the easiest road. I would argue that there are other options. There are other ways to deal with an unplanned pregnancy other than abortion. That child, as tiny as it is, still has rights. It has a reason to live. If it didn't then God wouldn't have put it there. We are told that He knows everything about us even before we are born. That child has a future, and abortion destroys everything about it.

One more thing I wanted to throw out is that even though President Bush might not have handled everything in the best way, and even though he may have done some stupid things; he is still our president and we are still supposed to respect him. Jesus tells us to respect those in authority over us, whether we like them or not. I think Bush has done some good things and I think he has done some bad things, but altogether I still try to show respect for him and not constantly put him down. If someone else who is elected does worse things, then I hope that I will be a big enough person to show the same respect for them.

So that is why I would not support Obama or Hillary. Not because I think Obama is the anti-Christ, and not because he is black. And not because Hillary is a woman. And honestly, I don't think that McCain could do a much better job then either one of them. I really don't care for politicians in general, or politics at all for that matter. But I think I'm just gonna stick to what Thomas Jefferson, one of our founding fathers said: "Government that governs least, governs best".

That ended up much longer than I intended.

~*Elizabeth

BITR: Why I Believe in God(and you can't quote scripture)

2008-05-22T20:47:00.005-05:00

When first given this topic, I thought it would be really hard. While attempting to write on this topic, I still think it's hard. And I think the reason it's so hard is a lot of what Christianity is. Because, to put it simply, God is so indescribable. Or, better said, a true relationship with God is indescribable. Sometimes it's hard for people to have a relationship with God because often when you try to talk to Him you don't feel like there is anyone there listening, or anyone there to talk back. It's almost like there is just a brick wall. And I don't think there is anything wrong with us feeling this way, even the strongest of Christians feel this way quite a bit. And I think that's just it. God doesn't sit there and scream all of life's answers in our face. If he did then it would have lost its dignity, and would be meaningless. Instead, when we have had as much as we can take, when we're down the the last straw, or when we've come to the end of the road; he always shows us the way.

Its seems like every time I find myself very frustrated with life, I read something in the Bible or I talk to a friend and I honestly have no doubt that God sent that person or that verse into my life for a reason. That is why I believe in God.

Our God is intangible. He's not like some statue or idol that we can touch. He is nothing man-made. But he is still there, I can feel that he is there. And that is why I believe in God.

I was raised a Christian, and I was raised in church, so I guess that has a lot to do with why I believe in God. Because for so long I really didn't know anything different. But it wasn't until I had the ability to chose for myself, and make my own decisions that my relationship with Christ excelled. When I was younger, I guess I thought that everyone was a Christian and I didn't really see how you couldn't be. But as I've grown older, I've seen for myself that Christianity isn't the only choice. People make that other choice every day, and seeing how their life turns out is a perfect example of why I believe in God.

I know it's a "small world" and I know that a lot of things are coincidental; but LIFE is no coincidence. Science can't explain love. Science can't explain beauty. Science can't explain compassion. Even science can't explain the complexity of this world we live in. Nothing else can explain the fact that we don't have to think to breathe. Nothing else can explain the fact a man falls in love with a woman. Nothing else can explain the fact that miracles happen every day. Nothing else can explain the fact that millions have people have left an easy life of sin to pick up their cross and follow Him. Its not because humans are stupid and gullible, and it's no conspiracy. That, my friend, is the work of an Almighty Creator. So maybe God doesn't bluntly speak to us everyday. Maybe he doesn't tell us every move to make in our life. And maybe sometimes we even feel like he's not there at all. But I don't see how anybody can walk outside and look around at this beautiful world we live in, how somebody can feel their own emotions, how somebody can see the power of prayer daily and say there is no God. And that is exactly why I DO believe in God.

I think C.S. Lewis said it pretty good: "I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

~*Elizabeth

My Greatest Fear

2008-05-21T21:54:00.002-05:00

When I think about it, I actually have a lot of fears.
I am deathly afraid of jellyfish.
I am afraid of someone invading my home while I am there alone.
I am afraid of a giant tick sucking all of my blood.
But I think my biggest fear is getting old.
Not dying, just getting old.
I hope when I go to bed tonight, Peter Pan comes and takes me off to Neverland.
Then I wouldn't have very much to fear.
Except of course the ticks and the jellyfish...

BITR: Reality TV

2008-05-20T13:02:00.001-05:00

Reality TV is an oxymoron

That is all I have to say

The end...

~*Elizabeth

And they call this love?

2008-05-19T14:37:00.003-05:00

I think that love is a word, emotion, thought, or whatever that is used way too loosely. I mean, in one way you could say that you love everyone which is fine; but that's really just a general love. I'm talking about an 'I'm madly in love and I want to marry you' kind of love. I think that sometimes love and lust are combined together as one and what is really lust people will justify by saying it's love. Seriously, how many teenagers have you seen who maybe just decide someone is cute or hot or whatever and next thing you know they're dating or going out. But was there really any real connection there or did they just do it because maybe they were bored with life and thought having a boyfriend/girlfriend would make things a little more interesting? I can speak on this because I am a teenager, and I have other friends who are teenagers and I've seen my friends go through relationships that maybe last for a week because it was a stupid idea that should have never happened in the first place or maybe it lasts for months and in the end it just doesn't work out. But in the end, are any of them really happy? Do any of them feel like they've benefited from the whole situation? In the end, do they end up as friends or hating each other? Usually, the result is not the best. And they call this love?

I think that people judge by looks a lot more than they say they do. And I say this for myself too, not just the people around me. Its a sad reality, but I think its true. There are a lot of people(like myself) who have every intention of judging by what kind of a person someone is, rather than how they look but in the end its only an intention. I started thinking about this last year when I was taking dance class. The guys had to come and ask a girl to dance, and I remember cringing when some ugly, nerdy, fat, or weird looking guy would come and ask me to dance. I hate admitting this because its really mean, but its true. And I know I wasn't the only one. I heard other girls talk and they felt the same way. I find this kinda sad, because God made us all equal it just so happens that some people look better than others.

I find it odd how its so much easier to be "in love" with someone who is good looking, rather than someone who isn't. The way people look can make us do crazy and flat out stupid things in our life. The story in Mark 6:14-29 is an example of this.
Basically, King Herod throws a big party and has a woman come dance for the men. Verse 22 says that when she danced, it pleased Herod and the party guests. So of course Herod was now in love with her. So he promises her that he will give her anything the wants. After putting much thought into it, she comes back to him and tells him that she wants the head of John the Baptist served to her on a platter. Reluctantly, Herod keeps his promise and gives her what she asked for. Actually, it says that Herod even enjoyed listening to John speak; yet he had him killed all because of a beautiful woman who was a good belly dancer. And this was called love?

So maybe I'm weird because I haven't dated 37 guys in the last year. Maybe my life is a little boring. Maybe I'm missing out on something. But I really just have to look around at other people for me to see that this isn't what I want. Because I am honestly sick of seeing stupid hook-ups that are completely meaningless. I'm tired of having to give my friends the "your too good for him. he was just a jerk. boys are stupid" speech over and over again. I'm tired of seeing people do things that they think will make them happy, but in the end they are more unhappy then they were before it started. I am tired of people being with the supposed love of their life and then hating them in the end. And I am tired of watching people get involved in relationships that they don't need to be in. Every time it ends in hatred, unhappiness, and fighting. And if this is love then I don't want to have anything to do with it.

~*Elizabeth

Evolution: My opinion. Take it or leave it

2008-05-14T16:24:00.004-05:00

[before i begin, please realize that I am not writing this blog necessarily to try to prove anyone wrong. honestly, i don't think my words can do that. i am also not writing this to create any tension between friends or between christians because of all things that is NOT what i want to do. I am writing this for myself. i'm an over-thinker kind of person and this has been on my mind so much lately that i know i won't be able to move on and think about other things until i get it out. also, before, i never believed in evolution but i never had a real reason why. now, i have taken the time to study it a little more and find for myself what i believe and why i believe it. thanks!]

Before I jump into this oh-so-controversial topic, I would like to begin with a verse that I am basing a lot of what I say on. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Therefore, I believe that the word of God is infallible and should not be changed, twisted, or altered in anyway. Not that I'm accusing anyone of doing that, I'm just going to throw that out there.

Now, where do I begin? The first thing I do not understand about the whole evolution theory is this: If evolution is so much more believable than the 6-day creation story, then why didn't God just tell us about evolution in the Bible? It seems to me that he could have simply stated that mankind evolved from other animals after millions of years. He wouldn't have to go into any scientific detail and turn the Bible into a science book, but the theory of evolution could have been simply stated. But He doesn't. Instead, He tells us day-by-day exactly how the world came about. Of course, I cannot undermine what God thinks and in no way am I trying to do that, but I cannot comprehend why he would tell us the story in a completely different way than it happened.

That leads me to my next point. One of the major arguments being made is that the creation story was a symbolic and metaphorical poem, not meant to be taken literally. If the creation story really is symbolic, then what is it symbolic of? Nobody has quite given me that answer yet. I know that I've written numerous paper for school where I had to discuss symbolism in a book. If I turned in a paper just stating that a certain number, color, word, etc. was symbolic then I would fail. I have to say why it is symbolic and what it is symbolic of. If the first two chapters of Genesis is poetic, then obviously it is meant to be read metaphorically and by interpreting symbolism. If evolution is really the way God created the world, then there had to be some symbolic reason why God tells us the 6-day creation story instead. I have yet to find that reason. Matt said that you can tell the first two chapters are poetry because it is written to look like a poem, with indentations. But in my Bible, it is written as any other book of the Bible. Other than a few small sections where it does look like poetry, most of it is written in standard paragraph form. How, then, do you determine whether or not it is poetry? It looks and sounds the same as the rest of the Bible.

Now, as I have said before, I do believe that the Bible does contain a lot of symbolism. And I do believe that a lot of things are meant to be read poetically. And I do believe that a lot of things are poetic. Heck, the book of Psalms is full of it! An example of this in Genesis is in 2:24: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Of course I don't believe that man and woman will literally unite together as one. It is completely symbolic. God says that when a man and woman gets married it should be as if they were one body. Also, Jesus was constantly using parables as metaphors of how we should live our life. But I do not find the creation story as a parable or as anything metaphorical at all.

Now comes the part I really don't want to talk about. Science. I hate science and it is something that is pretty hard for me to understand, but I am going to at least try. As many of you already know, I have been raised in Christian education. Last year in my biology class, we had a section in our book that explained scientifically how evolution is not true. So I looked back through that chapter, and it helped a lot. (you know your a dork when you re-read stuff from last years Biology) As I said before, I'm not the kind of person who is going to throw out any science if it is not in the Bible. However, if I believe it contradicts the Bible then I do. I think that science and God's word together is an amazing tool. First off, there are two different kinds of evolution: microevolution and macroevolution. In case you don't already know what these are, I will try to explain these complicated issues in simplest terms I can.

Microevolution: The theory that an organism, over time, can transform into a more specialized species of that SAME organism.
Macroevolution: The hypothesis that over a very long period of time, an organism can change into a completely DIFFERENT organism.

Microevolution, on one hand, can be explained scientifically and without contradicting the Bible. God created plants and animals with much variability. As they reproduce, the genetic codes intermix, therefore producing different species of different animals. It is almost the same as having a blue-eyed blond haired mother and a green-eyed brown haired father producing a blue-eyed brown haired child. Microevolution has passed a lot of tests to the point that it is now a theory, which is I think one step shy of a scientific law.

Macroevolution, on the other hand, is a different story. Notice that while micro is a theory, macro is still a hypothesis. In order for macroevolution to exist, organisms must first have an unlimited supply of different genes. Of course, this is impossible. So in order to get an unlimited amount, genes must be ADDED to the genetic code. Darwinists explain this through mutation. The reason this does not work is because mutation results in a LOSS of information, instead of the increase they were looking for. While the mutations do increase the survival advantage, it does not add information to the genetic code. This contradicts the original statement.

Another thing to point out is that changes are constantly being made in macroevolution. Its almost like the scientists realize they are wrong so they come up with a way to cover it up. Years after Darwin's time, scientists came up with the idea of neo-darwinism and punctuated equilibrium. Macroevolution seems to be very contradictory of itself, and the scientists who believe it seem to be a little hypocritical because they are always altering it. There is no data that provides proof for the hypothesis, yet there is a lot of data contradicting it. (i.e. geological column, fossil records, etc...)

I find it a little odd how macroevolution is forced to be taught in public schools and colleges. It seems to me that we should be given the right to consider alternate ideas. Every time a school tries to do this, they are slammed with law suits. If these scientists are so sure that their data can be proven, then why are they so afraid of other ideas being brought to the table? Also, I find it interesting how if a student challenges their professor on the issue, often times, they are publicly ridiculed and humiliated instead of being shown the reasoning behind it.

I think that the reason many scientists today accept the idea of evolution is because it has become the main system in science. If a new scientist takes the time to explore the issue for himself, then it slows him down tremendously in his career path. Instead, they just accept the idea and move on.

Matt made the argument that scientists come to the table with nothing, such as the Bible, to base what they're looking for off of. To a certain extent I think this is true, but not entirely. I think the idea of evolution came up because somewhere along the way, somebody wanted another alternative besides the Bible. In a way, I think they were purposely looking for something to contradict the Bible, so in a way they did have something to base what they were looking for off of.

Whether or not Darwin recanted his theory on his deathbed, I do not know. I'm not going to make a claim one way or the other. The book I got a lot of my information from, which is Christian based and against macro, says that it is a myth. He says that his wife or somebody like that made it up because she was ashamed of what he had done. To me, that is beside the point. Charles Darwin wasn't the only man who studied this stuff.

So my conclusion is that while microevolution has a lot of proven scientific data and does not contradict the Bible in any way(at least that I have found), macroevolution is at best an unconfirmed hypothesis that does contradict the Bible. In order for this idea to be true, it would have taken millions of years for man to evolve. The Bible specifically tells me that man was created on the 6th day.

Now I will go back to my original statement in my first comment on Matt's blog. It is hard for me to put all of my trust in something, like science, that is constantly changing. Dr. Wyle, scientist and the author of my book, said pretty much this exact same thing. "Science is limited and is constantly changing. What we thought were scientific laws less than a century ago are now known to be wrong...You simply cannot put your faith in something as limited and subject to change as science."

I know this was really long, and probably complicated at parts but if you read it then thanks. Feel free to leave me your opinions. Whether you agree or disagree. Unless you are a jerk about it, your disagreements will not offend me in any way.

~*Elizabeth

"Be Still and Know that I am God"

2008-05-12T15:38:00.004-05:00

The other day I started thinking. It seems like every time I start thinking about something I end up writing a blog about it. But anyway, I was thinking about pleasure and emotion. If you really think about it, what is the purpose of pleasure? I know I find pleasure in a lot of things. I find pleasure in beauty, pleasure in people, pleasure in food, pleasure in a lot of things; but it's really hard for me to define exactly what this pleasure is. I mean, it doesn't seem really neccissary at all. Life would still be possible without it. All it really does it make life a little more worth living.

Even if food didn't have a taste, we would still eat it because we know that we have to eat to stay alive. So why do we have the ability to taste? Even if the world was dull and gray, we could still continue to live in it because its beauty doesn't really affect whether or not we can breathe or whether or not our heart still beats. So why did God create the world with so many beautiful colors when he could have left it plain and simple? If we never felt any emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, joy, or excitement, then live could still go on. Yet he did give us emotions and the abilty to feel things for ourselves. But why?

My answer(which may not be right) is this: He gave us the beautiful sky, the colorful flowers, the pretty trees, the abilty for something to taste satisfying, and just flat out pleasure in anything so maybe once in a while we will stop our busy lives and just remember where it came from. I think that pleasure is a gift of inspiration given to us maybe simply just to bring a smile to our face when we remember where it came from. And however big and powerful God is, that thought just shows me how personable he can really be.

I think that pleasure is an a privledge and is sometimes taken advantage of. Think about it. If it wasn't for the fact that food tasted so dang good, then I think there would be a heck of a lot less overweight people in our world. Also, I think sex can be another example of this. The only real purpose of it is to reproduce, but God made it pleasurable. I'm not going to go into detail with this, but I think you and I can both agree that it has been taken advantage of a lot.

So I think God gave us those beautiful summer days, that amazing transition going into fall where the leaves are all different colors, a gorgeous sunset, the delicious taste of food, and clear-blue ocean just so every once in a while we will be still and know that He is God. So maybe we will forget everything else and just take that in for a minute.

Something that tells me that our world didn't come out of a giant egg are the intangible things in life such as emotion. Again, emotions are not a vital thing, but we still sometimes feel happy and sometimes feel sad, feel angry, jealousy, joy, or excitement. I don't see how that is something that could have evolved. Apes don't have emotions, but if I evolved from an ape then how do I suddenly end up with emotions? It's a hard thing for me to explain, but try to understand what I'm saying.

I honestly don't understand how someone can feel love, can feel happiness, can feel anger; and how someone can look around at this beautifully complex world and then tell me that there is no God.

~*Elizabeth

Blog in the Round: Justin or Lee

2008-05-10T14:32:00.005-05:00

I was recently asked a very strange, awkward, and highly complicated question. If you know Justin or Lee, then you know what I'm talking about. The question was this: If I had to be either Justin Gilbert or Lee George, who would I choose.( Thank you Danielle for slightly altering my topic. The original was for me to choose who I would rather marry) So to make my decision I decided to think about what I knew of the two guys and decide which I would rather be; even though I was already pretty sure of my decision. I will begin with Justin.

Justin: Oh Lordy, Justin. Where do I begin? Well I think I should start off by saying he is one of the loudest people I have ever met. About a week ago I was standing in line at the Skillet concert waiting to get my tickets when I heard a very familiar yelling sound way off in the distance. I knew immediately who it was and when I turned around I saw Justin yelling at someone standing 5 feet away from him. If you haven't figured it out already, his loudness leads to his obnoxiousness. Umm...he tries to play the guitar...also very loudly. That gets kinda annoying too. I think he dated Leanne, although few guys haven't. I think there is probably more to Justin than meets the eye, but I don't know him personally so its hard for me to really say exactly what that is. But I guess with his guitar playing he has gotten better in the past few weeks. I remember how horrible it sounded the first time he tried to play a song, and now when he plays I can actually tell what song it is that he is playing. So I guess that shows that he's a hard worker and if he puts his mind to something then he can do it. He's still not great, but defiantly better than he used to be.

Lee: Lee is the hairiest man I know. If you ever meet Lee then I can bet you money that the first thing he will say to you is "How old do you think I am?". This is because Lee does look much older than he actually is, and I think he's been told this many times. I remember when I first met him he was only about 13 and I thought he was like 18. Lee is the kind of guy you have to love, and his presence brings a smile to your face. Sometimes I feel bad for Lee though. I remember this one time he came up to me and Danielle almost in tears because he said people were making fun of him. Lee is the kind of guy who gets made fun of a lot. He lost his mom a couple of years ago, and he told me that the kids at school said that he can just go cry to his mamma's grave. I don't really see how anyone could have the heart to say something like that to him. But Lee has never hurt anyone; or if he has it was only an accident.(For he is a rather large man) A couple of months ago I read John Steinbeck's book Of Mice and Men, and came to the conclusion that the character Lennie reminds me a lot of Lee. If you haven't read the book then you should read it, and I'm pretty sure you will agree with me. He gets excited very easily, and that is something I can admire in Lee. After all he has been through, he still gets excited about life and excited for Jesus. To nobodies surprise, Lee raised the most money for the 30 hour famine. This is because he's the kind of guy who can talk to complete strangers about God and never feel ashamed or embarrassed.

So in case you haven't already figured out my answer, which I'm sure you have, then it is that I think I would rather be Lee. Even though Lee is a goofy kid who gets made fun of a lot, he's the kind of guy who you have to be a complete jerk not to love. He stands out and is unforgettable. He will shake a man's hand 30 times in a 2 minute period. He's probably a really good defensive lineman. He gives big sweaty hugs. He loves Jesus. He always brings a smile to my face. No matter who you are, he will never be embarrassed to talk to you in public. If he gets made fun of a lot, then I think in the end he is persecuted for righteousness sake.

BITR: If I were a food...

2008-05-05T15:44:00.004-05:00

There comes a point in every persons life where we must ask ourselves this one very important question: If I were a food, what would it be? I have recently asked myself this question, and I searched through the depths of my mind and soul trying to find the answer. It is not an easy answer to find. In order to find it, food must be personified. So after much thought, I finally came to a conclusion. If I were a food I would be a pecan. You may be thinking "A pecan? Why in the world a pecan?" Let me explain.

Pecans are delicious nuts that come in a hard shell. Like a pecan, I come in a shell that is pretty hard to crack. I'm not the kind of person who just opens up easily to let the whole world know who she is. You see, some people are like a bag of chips. So easy to open, but once you do its just half a bag full of fatty salty chips. With me, you have to work a little harder to get me open but once you do it's worth it in the end. Once you open a pecan you have an all-natural, God-given snack. There are no artificial flavorings. There are no preservatives. There is no added fat. Just a simple little pecan. I'm not the type of person who needs to be like everyone else. I don't neccissarily need to change to please others. That kind of person would be a coke. You have regular coke, diet coke, caffeine free coke, cherry coke, vanilla coke, coke zero, etc...I do not need to change to please the needs of others.

And like a pecan, you never know what your going to get with me. My dad uses the "Elizabeth is like a box of chocolates..." quote with me all the time. Its kinda like that, sometimes you open the shell of a pecan and its rotten inside. Other times you open up a pecan and it tastes so good you think "I would rather have a pecan more than anything right now".

So there you have it. I'm a pecan. It's simple, and actually kinda boring; but its natural. Nothing really interesting has ever happened in my life before. I remember my grandparents had this pecan tree, and every year when I was little me and my Papa would take a basket and fill it up with pecans. Thats why they always tasted so good. Because it was a tradition. I don't even really like the pecans you buy in a bag at the store, but those pecans we picked up from the front yard were delicious. I digress... But I'm just gonna keep on being the same ole me because pecans don't change either. They just fall off of trees every year and when we pick them up and eat them they will always taste the same.

~*Elizabeth

I painted a pretty picture of a butterfly!

2008-05-02T21:53:00.003-05:00

About a month or so ago my mom, my sister, and I were looking through a box of old things that we had written when we were little. I think there were about 482 birthday/Christmas/mothers day/fathers day/valentines day/every-single-flippin-holiday cards that my and my brother and sister had given to my parents. I remember how we used to get so excited about every birthday or holiday that would come so we would gather our supply of crayons, construction paper, scissors, and glue and we would use our imaginations to create a masterpiece. And then when the project was complete we would be so proud of what we had done and run to our parents to show them how good our coloring was. Of course now I look at it and think what a horribly un-talented child I was; but back then we actually thought it was really good. And then there was the poetry. Oh Lord, the poetry. None of it even make sense, but the thing was we thought we were doing something special and somehow our parents actually liked it.

That's the thing that sticks out to me the most about being 6 years old...the excitement that I would feel about the little things. And then now, being 15, life just lacks excitement. And then you have those people who try to do things that make "the important things in life" exciting for teenagers, but it never really works. For example, my Algebra teacher last year, who was a very nice lady, somehow got her hands on a bunch of books titled "How to Make Good Grades and Have Fun with it" so she decided she would give one to each of us for Christmas. Of course, I put that book on my bookshelf and haven't read a word of it. When we were in elementary school it was easy for the teachers to find things that make learning fun, but now that we're older it just doesn't work. I think the older you get, the harder it is to get excited about things.

I think this is kinda what Jesus means when he tells us to be like the little children. He doesn't mean we should go around acting like immature idiots, or crying like little babies. He wants us to feel that enthusiasm for life, that enthusiasm for Him like we did when we were young. And even though most things we do on earth are almost meaningless, they mean something to Him because we did it to the best of our ability and we were actually happy about it. In the same way that my stupid little poems or drawings meant something to my parents, anything we do out of love means something to Him.

I think that's something that's really hit me lately. I know I'm only 15 and I (hopefully) still have a lot of life ahead of me, but sometimes I just feel like I've lost all the good times and I will never be able to really feel excited about life again. I think sometimes I try too hard. I really just need to sit back and realize how wonderful life really is and try not to let it just pass by me.

Ok. Enough rambling for now.

~*Elizabeth

BITR:The Flying Dutchman

2008-04-29T20:16:00.003-05:00

Although the Flying Dutchman was not in every Spongebob episode, he plays a very important role in the t.v. show. The Flying Dutchman is the green, ghost-like figure who uses his wicked-tight pirate skills to scare people. In one particular episode, he drops an anchor on spongebob's house. Of course, spongebob became curious and went to the smartest person he knew. Squidward. Even though Squidward is generally a pretty smart guy, he doesn't always make the wisest decisions. Climbing up the anchor was one of these un-wise decisions. Naturally, Spongebob and Patrick follow him and after a tedius climb they finally end up aboard the Flying Dutchman's ship. This is when we discover the Flying Dutchman's motives. What he wants is for them to help him scare poor, innocent, little sea creatures all over Bikini Bottom. This episode ends in the Flying Dutchman deciding he will eat Spongebob and Patrick. Luckily, the Flying Dutchman actually has a little kindness deep down in his pirate heart.(if ghosts even have hearts) so he grants them three wishes. After wasting two of the wishes, you would think spongebob would be smart enough to wish that they could get off the boat. But no, instead he wishes that the Flying Dutchman was a vegetarian so he wouldn't eat them. Although his wish was granted, Spongebob and Patrick soon found themselves in the form of fruit inside of a blender. Nobody knows how this ends up.

Although the Flying Dutchman may seem like an evil character, he actually does some things for the good of others. An example of this was when he taught Mr. Crabs a lesson about being cheap. Mr. Crabs forces Spongebob to sell a rotten craby patty found under the grill. After tasting the food himself, Mr. Crabs ends up on his death bead. When the Flying Dutchman comes to visit him, he sentences him to Davy Jones locker full of sweaty socks, which is ironic because the Flying Dutchman refuses to eat without his lucky sock. This makes Mr. Crabs feel very bad for his terrible sin. In result, Mr. Crabs becomes a happier person and hosts a "Grand Re-opening" at the Krusty Krab. Even though Mr. Crab's generosity doesn't last for long, and he sold Spongebob's soul for $.62, the Flying Dutchman still teaches him a valuable lesson.

So next time your being a penny-pinching cheap wad remember that the Flying Dutchman might come and throw you into a stinky locker full of socks...in humbles us all.

"This is my commandment that you love one another and your joy may be full"

2008-04-28T15:07:00.003-05:00

Have you ever had those times where you feel like everywhere you go and talk to people its almost as if God told them to say something just because he wanted YOU to hear it? Almost like God is talking directly to you through those people? Well, I think I've been experiencing a little bit of that lately. Since we just did the 30 hour famine, we've been talking a lot about love lately. Talking about how hard it is to love someone you don't even know, and drawing the line between selfish and self-less love. Also, part of what my pastor has been talking about is basically how we are no better than anyone else.(or maybe that's just how I interpreted what he was saying. who know?) I think that these two things were connected together and shown to me because in a way its kinda something I've been struggling with in my life.

I never really realized very much, but now that I look back on my life I realize that a lot of times I can be a stuck-up jerk. I sometimes tend to push away people who I feel aren't like me or I think can't relate to. Sometimes its annoying people who just flat out get on my nerves, and sometimes its people who I just think are weird. But when I really think about it, there really is no definition of normal. In fact, I'm pretty weird myself, and I'm really nothing like the "average" 15 year old girl. So who am I to judge other people for being weird? A few weeks ago, my brother was getting mad at me for not liking one of his friends and accepting him for who he is; and although the kid is still loud, obnoxious, and gets on my nerves I've been trying harder to have patience with him and realize that not everyone is like me. The sermon text from this week was really something that stood out to me. Although we would never come out and say it, I think we tend to be a lot like the Pharisees in Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector:

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess."
-Luke 18:10-12

I think a lot of times we look at ourselves and think "Well I go to church every Sunday, I read my Bible, and I pray, so therefore I am better than the average person". This got me thinking back to the 30 hour famine and the fact that every day twenty-nine THOUSAND children die because of hunger. But why? I am no better of a person than they are, yet I am blessed with food and clean water to drink everyday. I have a house to stay in, a bed to sleep in, a shower to get clean in, I've never had to flee my house for the sake of my life; yet they do, and I am no better than them. It kinda makes me want to help them more. It makes me want to use the resources that I have not only for the well-being of myself, but also for others.

Someone(I forgot who it was) said that the difference between the most righteous man and the most sinful man is no greater than the difference between owing somebody $8,000,000 and $8,000,001. I thought that was a pretty good comparison because God is so much higher than us, that when we compare ourselves to one another there really is not much of a difference at all.

Another way God spoke to me in the last couple of weeks was actually through myself. A lot of times when I write things, I like to write things that I'm convicted of myself so I can try to work on my own problems. Apparently that's what I was doing in one of my few attempts to write poetry. I found a poem that I wrote basically about how we should show love to everyone and do what we can to help them, and one of the lines in it said "I believe that the day we realize we're no better than the man next door There would be less hungry, and fewer poor". I found this like a week before the famine and I'm pretty sure that I found it for a reason. In a way I kinda thought of myself as a hypocrite because I haven't really changed much since now and the time I wrote it. So I took those words and tried to use them as my motivation for the famine. In a way, I guess it helped because I tried to make what I was doing a little less selfish and a little more self-less. I tried to do what I was doing for the write reason, and knowing in the end that it helped other people besides myself. Because most of the time, my life is all about me and for once I wanted to make it about someone else.

So instead of being like the Pharisee and thanking God for not making me like the other people in the world, I am going to try to be more like the tax collector was because in the end he was the one better off. "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Lk. 18:13-14)

Scripture also tells us that we cannot love God if we don't love others. Its kinda a sad thought....not loving God, but I guess I've done it.
Just something to think about.

~*Elizabeth

Blog in the Round: Jeff Roberts and why he is every woman's dream

2008-04-16T21:38:00.008-05:00

[before reading this blog please take note that these are not my actual opinions. I just wrote it like this because it might be funny. but i do NOT in any way feel this way. That is not meant as any offense to Jeff, but I firmly believe that Jenifer is the only woman for him]

So here are a few of the many reasons(not in any particular order) why Jeff Roberts is every woman's dream:

He is a skateboarder. nuff said.

When he got married, he had hair halfway down his back.

He can run power-point with his eyes closed and his hands tied behind his back.

He has a son, Ian, who eats mustard with his poptarts.

He is the only man who would actually look good with tatoos all over his body.

Cool is so much of an understatement for Jeff thats its actually an insult.

He can pull off red neck jokes even though he's a red neck himself.

He gets a new BlackBerry every week.

He built a skate park in his very own yard.

I'm pretty sure he can hack computers.

He's probably beat every video game that ever existed 3 times each.

Back in high school, he was what all the girls wanted but couldn't have.

He has a six pack, but Jeff is not conceited so he wears clothes that fit loosely so nobody knows.

He has a heart-warming smile, and when Jeff laughs, you can't help but laugh yourself.

Despite the rumor, he is straight.

Nobody has ever seen him mad. In fact, I don't think anger is a possible emotion for him.

So there you have it, just a few of the uncountable reasons why Jeffrey Lee Roberts is...every woman's dream.

Blog in the Round: Red Heads

2008-04-12T13:24:00.004-05:00

So the other day I had to go spend some good quality time at my mom's office. I knew that there wouldn't be much to do there so I brought some chemistry homework and planned to work on that. After realizing I didn't have my calculator, I put homework aside and moved on to something much more productive and beneficial to my life. Ipod solitaire. Frustrated, after only having won two of the 27 or so games, I put the iPod down and sat in the silence. Then I remembered Blog in the Round and the task that lie ahead of me. Red heads. So I searched through my binder and found a sheet of paper that already had a couple of math problems on it, grabbed my pencil and was about to jot down a few ideas. I thought, "This should be easy, my best friend is a red head". Only I couldn't think of anything. Nothing. My mind was blank. So then I started to think of it through a little bit different perspective then what I originally began. I tried to think of the stereotypes, and what comes to most people's mind when they think of a red head. I came up with a short Irish person who only wears green clothes and whose goal in life is to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In other words, a leprechaun. This stereotype, however, does not really have anything to do with what I planned to talk about.

Still feeling as if I haven't really gotten anywhere, I once again searched through the depths of my mind, hoping this time I would find something a little better. Then I remembered how red heads are often thought of as having a bad temper. I think this may be because red is like fire and fire is like anger and anger is like getting mad easily which is like having a bad temper, but I don't know maybe I'm wrong. So I started to think of all the red headed people i knew. My list was very short. Danielle. My good ole best friend Danielle whom I love very dearly. She knows that she sometimes gets angry easily, and I'm pretty sure she's not afraid to admit it. We still love her for who she is though. Then there is Matt. I don't know him as well as Danielle, but I've never really noticed him having a bad temper. (his family would probably disagree with that though) I know of a couple of other red heads, but I don't really know them well enough to know anything about their personality. There is this one guy who really does look just like a leprechaun though. If you know me well enough then you probably know that I do tend to get mad over nothing and sometimes on occasion show a side of me that is ill-tempered. But I don't have red hair.

So my conclusion is that the color of your hair really has nothing to do with your personality. Red heads having a bad temper is kind the same thing as the "dumb blond" stereotype. Although sometimes there are red head with fiery tempers or blonds who really are stupid, I don't think this really has anything to do with the color of their hair. Another thing I think about red heads is that they are so natural and unique. To me at least, it never looks right when a red headed person dyes their hair another color or when someone else dyes their hair red. I think the reason for this is because there are much fewer red heads, and this makes it so natural for a person that actually does have red hair.

So even though I don't really know what I'm talking about, that is my conclusion. And I guess you only really have a right to disagree with me if you actually do have red hair. So there you have it.

~*Elizabeth

Wal-Mart: The Evil Empire?

2008-04-05T14:51:00.006-05:00

Within the last couple of decades, Wal-Mart has been a store that is slowly taking over other stores across the nation. Wal-Mart began primarily as a retail store selling things from shoes and clothes to sports and car equipment. One day there was a meeting with the board of directors at their headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, and soon, Wal-Mart was moving up to bigger and better things. This is when they opened their first "Super Wal-Mart". Customers became excited and overwhelmed when they found out that they could do all of their shopping in one big store. Before we knew it, many other companies were going out of business. K-mart, struggling to keep up with their arch-enemy, opened up the "Big K-mart". Unfortunately, this was a failed attempt and Wal-Mart still continued to soar past them. Many popular grocery stores such as Food World, Delchamps, and Win-Dixie were closing down. In fact, the Delchamps in Center Point, Alabama was replaced, to nobodies surprise, with a "Wal-mart Neighborhood Grocery Store". The Question is, is Wal-mart a wonderful store that contains all of life's needs at a low price, or is it really just the evil empire?

For the average person, a trip to Wal-mart begins after falling out of bed and realizing that they are out of coffee. Still dazed and with your hair a mess you get in the car and drive 5 miles to choose from the 7 Wal-mart stores along the way. On the way to the coffee isle, you spot from the corner of your eye a delicious looking chocolate cake. Knowing that you couldn't make it through the day without that cake, you pick it up and proceed. While looking through the 3 rows filled with numerous kinds of coffee, you see your old friend that you haven't seen since your last trip to Wal-mart. After indulging in a long conversation, you decide to use the restroom before you leave. On the way there you become distracted by the clothing department(or for men the automotive department) and decide to take a detour. Finally, after searching through all 47 of the checkout lines to find that only 3 of them are open, you take what seems to be the shortest line and you wait...and wait...and wait. After realizing that you still have morning breath, you pick up a couple of packs of Wrigley's $.25 gum. And at last, two and a half hours later, you are back in your car after having spend $87.43 when you originally planned to buy a three dollar can of coffee. That is a trip to Wal-mart.

Many people claim that Wal-mart is a greedy, money hungry company who really doesn't care about their customers or employees. Although this is probably true, we still continue to shop there over and over. Why is this? Maybe it's because we are lazy and we like Wal-mart because it is convenient. Or maybe it is because Wal-mart is cheaper than most other stores. Most likely, its both. After nineteen years of having the slogan "Wal-Mart, Always low prices, Always", they changed it to "Save Money. Live better." Although many agree with the fact that Wal-mart saves you money, they don't all agree that it causes you to live better. A parody of their first slogan is "Wel fare, always low wages, always".

A lot of the problem people have with Wal-mart is the way the treat their employees. Many complain that associates don't earn enough money to support a family. Actually, health care fails to cover 775,000 employees, and even those in charge of this admit that public health care is a better value. Also, employees complain that the growth of the company actually hurts them. This is probably because power corrupts, and the more powerful the company gets the less they care about the little people. Is there a solution to this problem? Of course. If you don't like it then DON'T WORK THERE!

While many Americans think that Wal-mart is saving them loads of money a year, it may not be saving them as much as they think. This is because our tax dollars are helping to pay for Wal-mart's greed. So as the business grows larger and the sales increase, so do taxes. While this is a valid complaint, many Wal-mart haters are making stupid claims against the company. Some of these are that it destroys the environment, increases vehicle traffic, and is blighting communities. Actually, I found on walmartsucks.org(which i think is a hilarious name) that one man wanted to sue Wal-mart because a manager asked if his girlfriend was gaining weight. While Wal-mart may be a selfish company that really only cares about our money, some people are making stupid claims in attempt to drive them out of business.

So maybe Wal-mart is a greedy power/money-hungry company, and maybe to some degree it is the "evil empire", but there is a reason for this. Hilary Clinton actually served on the board at Wal-mart for several years. If she can do this much damage to one business, then how much damage can she do to our country? Although, her time serving on the Wal-mart board was quite a few years ago...back when she actually looked like a woman. haha But in all seriousness, if Wal-mart is as bad as some people say it is then the shoppers must be pretty bad. If Wal-mart is really this terrible, then we much be pretty greedy, lazy, penny-pinchers ourselves for shopping there. But whether Wal-mart is good or bad, or whether it is worth saving a little time and money is your choice not mine.

~*Elizabeth

"Iron Mixed with Clay"

2008-04-02T15:22:00.002-05:00

Several months ago I was invited to a group on facebook called "I bet I can find 1,000,000 Christians" or something like that. When I went on the group page to check it out, I saw a discussion board titled "God doesn't exist". I was a little interested to see what people were saying so I started reading some of the posts on it. I was in complete disagreement on almost everything said and actually felt somewhat offended at the things people were saying about my God. So I jumped into the argument and quickly found out that I was very outnumbered. In fact, there were very few Christians on there at all. Most of the argument was between atheists arguing on the many ways that "God doesn't exist". Of course, I never have had any desire to be an atheist; but watching them argue about every detail like that turned me even more against it. But then I started thinking....isn't this what Christians do. Like the atheists were arguing the many ways God doesn't exist, Christians argue the many ways God does exist. Although there is nothing wrong with debating the details of Christianity, it seems to me like a lot of this debating is just pulling Christians farther away from each other and pushing others away from Christianity. Actually, one lady told me that this was what made her decide to no longer be a Christian. She said that she used to be a Christian but she hated the pressure, and she hated the constant disagreement in the church. So I started thinking some more....

As some of you know I attend a Presbyterian church with my family on Sunday, but on Wednesday nights I go to a Baptist church. To some people that seems very strange, but to me its not. I enjoy taking things from both sides and forming my own beliefs. Sometimes, it seems to me like different denominations are almost like different religions. We all have our different ways of worship, different ways of preaching, different ways of baptism, and just flat out different ways in general. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it seems like we are just getting away from what Christianity is all about. Its about us all coming together and living our life for the one true God. Actually, He tells us in his word that we will not be complete until we do so. "...to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to be whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:12-13 We, throughout all different churches, are to be brought together and united as one through Christ.

So here are the two points I am trying to make in this blog:

#1. From my minor experience, I learned that it is very difficult and nearly impossible to win an argument against atheists or evolutionists. The reason for this is because they have science and facts on their side. And what do we have? We have faith. The word faith is completely meaningless to an atheist. As a result, every argument went in circles because they threw the fact that there are certain molecules in a specific arrangement that somehow proves that there was never a creation story right in my face; and back at them I threw faith and hope. His answer meant nothing to me, and mine nothing to him. But do I feel like i wasted my time? Absolutely not. I learned a lot about myself and what I believe. I thought about things I had never really thought about before, and I felt challenged to prove myself. Although it became discouraging when a group of people declared that I had won the "f***ing idiot of the day award", there were a few people who gave me encouragement. One guy in particular who disagreed with everything I said actually encouraged me the most. He said, "Elizabeth, I don't know what it is, but for some reason I have a soft spot for you. Maybe it's the fact that your so young, yet so eager to defend your faith. Although I disagree with what you have said, I have no doubt that you are a good person. So I wish the best of luck to you." I was those kind of things that made me begin to think of myself and what kind of a person I am. What I found out is that if I have something I firmly believe in, then I will defend it and not give in to what other people say. Really, I just love a good argument.

#2. The whole human race is divided. Whether its your gender, the color of your skin, or your religion, everywhere you look there is division. I think that Christianity is supposed to be something that stands against that. Something that knocks down the wall between us; but its not. Instead we are creating more divisions. I long for the day when all Christians, whether Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, or whatever denomination will come together in unity and worship Jesus Christ. When He died on the cross for us, he tore the veil, crushing all separation, and now we are sewing it back together. Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not saying that there should not be any denominations, if there weren't then I think there would be more argument. I am only saying that every once in a while we should push aside the minor details and focus on what really matters. Christ Jesus the Lamb.

~*Elizabeth

How Death Inspires Me

2008-03-24T15:05:00.002-05:00

It seems like death is a very hard thing for us to talk to people about. I think this is because every time someone mentions the word death, people automatically associate you as being "Gothic" or "Emo" Also, death is just flat out a scary thing when you start to think about it. I think that's where the problem lies. I know for myself, I have a hard time accepting death as a reality. I mean yeah, I've been to funerals and I've stood there staring at this lifeless person lying in a coffin, but I have a hard time accepting that one day I myself will die. I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only person who feels this way. Maybe that's where the Gothic cultured people are right. They've spent so much time pondering on death, that now its so real to them. The truth is, we are never promised tomorrow. In fact, in the middle of writing this, I could fall over dead. Now, where I think these death-obsessors have gone wrong is this: They use the time spent thinking about death to become depressed. Some even put their life to an end at their own will. I believe that death should be what gives us a reason to live. We should spend our lives doing something actually worth living., because guess what. Life doesn't last forever! We must bury ourselves in Him to receive life. Scripture tells us that anything else leads to death. "For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death." To sum that up: Christ=Life, anything else=death. Death should not be something we desire, but it also shouldn't be something we fear. Death should be something that gives us inspiration. Inspiration to life life to its fullest, but to live life the right way. To live life in a way that glorifies God, the one who gave us life. The thought of death always seemed scary to me, although i never knew why. But there is hope! 1 Corinthians 15:55-58 says, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brother, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." God has given us victory when he sent his son to triumph over death. All he asks of us is to devote ourselves to doing His work. So go and what is right in His eyes and let nothing bring you down. One last thing to think on. Christ DIED on the cross in order to give us eternal LIFE.

~*Elizabeth

Here I go again

2008-03-17T18:15:00.001-05:00

Imagine this:Judgement day comes, and your standing before the throne of God. To your surprise, He reminds you of an old friend. THen you see this friend. A grown man with tears rolling down his face crying out, "Why didnt you tell me? Why didnt you tell me that there was a God who loved and cared for me? WHy didnt you tell me that the things I was doing was destroying my whole life and future? Why? Why?" Suddenly this horrible feeling of guilt came over you, and you knew exactly why God was showing this to you. You remember questioning your friends faith. You remember watching the wrong things he was doing. Maybe he was doing drugs, having sex with his girlfriend, stealing, or getting drunk. Yet through it all you remained silent, and now it was too late.
"When I say to a wicked man, 'you will surely die', and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuage him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin and I will hold you accountable for his blood." Ezekiel 3:19
When I found this verse it sent chills down my spine. Maybe it was because the words "hold you accountable for his blood" kinda freaked me out a little, or maybe it was because I had no doubt in my mind that God was showing me this verse for a reason. It was really the first time I ever felt God so blatantly speak to me. But when I look around at the world I see so many broken people out there. People searching for something to hold onto, something that makes them feel better about themselves when the rest of the world has ridiculed them, they need something real. Sadly, many of them turn to getting drunk or high to numb the pain they feel instead of seeking the one true God who loves them with a passion that no one can even begin to comphrehend. You and I know this God and(hopefully) have a personal relationship with him, yet why do we sit here silent? Why havnt we told them? So maybe your reading this and you know exactly who this person in your life is. Do something about it! Dont let the ones you love live like this any longer! Trust me, I know that these things are a lot easier said then done, but at some point in every Christians life you are going to be persecuted. But if we are persecuted for righteousness sake then isnt it worth it in the end??!! When I read the verse in Ezekiel I became interested and began to read a little further. In the next verse it tells us that if we warn the sinner then we would have saved ourselves. If you dont have the heart to save someone else, then at least save yourself. I also found in 33:8 it repeats these exact same verses. Why would he tell us this more than once if it wasnt so important? That is why I am sharing this with, because I believe it is important. In the Great Commission Jesus commands us to "Go and make disciples of many nations", but still we sit here and do nothing! We only speak about God within our Christian circle of friends, while the ones who really need it never know. What are we so afraid of??? YOU can make a change in someones life. Sometimes all it takes is inviting someone to church, or just being a friend to them. Never underestimate the power of what Christ can do through your life, and and always keep your eyes and ears open because you never know when he is speaking to you.
The lyrics to this Casting Crowns really reminds me of what we go through. Have you been there before?
Father, hear my prayer
I need the perfect words
Words that he will hear
And know they're straight from You
I don't know what to say
I only know it hurtsTo see my only friend slowly fade away

So maybe this time I'll speak the words of life
With Your fire in my eyes
But that old familiar fear is tearing at my words
What am I so afraid of?

'Cause here I go again
Talkin 'bout the rain
And mulling over things that won't live past today
And as I dance around the truth
Time is not his friend
This might be my last chance to tell him That You love Him
But here I go again, here I go again

Lord, You love him so,
You gave Your only Son
If he will just believe; he will never die
But how then will he know what he has never heard
Lord he has never seen mirrored in my life
I know this was kinda long, but if you read it all then I really appreciate it!If you want, check out this video. I thought it did a good job of showing the statistics of where our world is today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtEa9Dr22bA

~*Elizabeth
first written: 2/4/08

just a poem

2008-03-17T18:11:00.000-05:00

There are those who deny a God in any form
It is these who only once were born
They spend their whole lives searching for something in which to believe
But they have a hard time trusting in a God they cant even see
So they put all their faith in science and facts
But there is this one thing that their science lacks
A God with a power that surpasses all wisdom
The blessed Trinity, may his kingdom come

And then there are those who say an athiest doesnt exist
That God rules over us all with his mighty fist
They fight against human nature and try to rebel
For this, one day their souls will be cast into hell
Because we all have something deep insideThat draws us to him and keeps us alive
But still, some say they dont believe
Yet only themselves are the ones they decieve

For me, its an instinct, a calling or intution
That shows me the way and gives me remission
I'm not one to lie, I've been lost before
But when I pray, he leads me to an open door
And there have been times I've lost all faith and hope
Yet he pulls me close, he hasnt dropped the rope
Also the times i dont understand and I just cant see
But thats ok, even Jesus cried out "Lord why have you forsaken me?"

~*Elizabeth
first written: 2/29/08

Why is this happening to me?

2008-03-17T18:10:00.000-05:00

This is the question that many people ask over and over again . I thnk that a lot of times Christians have the most trouble understanding why God makes us go through so many hardships and struggles. In the same way, non-Christians look at us thinking we are complete idiots for putting our whole lives in the hands of this "God" who allows things like natural disasters to kill thousands of people or tragedies such as 9/11 to happen. I was once asked this question by a non-Christian and I honestly had no clue what to say. I quickly found out that saying thinkgs like "all you neeed is faith" doesnt really mean anything to athiests. Now I realize that it is these hardships that build character. We are filled with hope and perserverance. Even just the small things build us up and bring us closer to Him. On a much larger scale, things such as September 11 and Huricane Katrina did this same thing. Not to one individual, but to millions of people across the world. Although I was only about 10 years old when our country was attacked the thing I vividly remember is how much everyone suddenly cared for each other and how much unity there was among us. Because for those few weeks, just that day, or maybe even a moment, we werent millions of people or 50 states, we were one nation and that how we wer founded so thats the way its suposed to be. For once people could talk about God without the fear of being sued for all they were worth.
James 1: 2-4 says: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trial of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complet, not lacking anything." So the next time ou are going through ar hard time and you think that it cant get any worse, remember that you are building yourself. You are building yourself through perserverance to become stronger and ultimatly closer to Christ, the one who gives you your every breath.
~*Elizabeth
first written: 1/9/08

"What lies behind us and what lies before us...

2008-03-17T18:06:00.001-05:00

.....are all small matters compare to what lies within us."

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the past. Reminiscing on the good times, regretting the bad. But now that I really start to think about it, I realize that I'm just wasting my time. The past in unchangable. I can't go back in time and fix my mistakes, I can't relive the memories. Plus, humans naturally make mistakes and by trying to fix them I would probably just make it worse. I've had friends from the past who I miss the good times with, but now I realize that if their not here with me now then they probably didn't have a place in my life anyway. But the friends that are here for me even when I don't need them, the ones that know when I do just by a simple word, and the ones who take my hand and walk beside me; those are the people God placed in my life for a reason. I'm learning that everything happens for a reason. Everything leads up to something in the future. Whats going to happen in my future, I have no idea. Nobody knows. But worrying about the future is just as bad as worrying about the past. I think sometimes people(often including myself) live in fear of regretting things. From past experience I know that sometimes you don't something because your afraid of regretting it, but in the end you actually regret not doing it. Life is full of regrets, you just gotta learn from your mistakes to avoid making them twice. I have no idea what the plans for my future are, but someone does and one day He'll show them to me. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Knowing this, I have no reason to be afraid of what lies ahead of me, because there is hope. Everyday I can just be as happy as the happiest person in the world. Not to say there aren't those days I just feel down, but when I do he always sends someone along to bring me right back on my feet. From now on I'm gonna live life to its fullest. Not because life is perfect, but because I'm willing to see beyong the imperfections and make the best of whatever comes my way!
~*Elizabeth
first written: 11/14/07