Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Grandpa and his first great grandson, David

Grandpa and Grandma 

Today would have marked seventy-four years for my grandpa, Dave Smith. It's been almost six months since he passed away, and this year he celebrates in Heaven! Grandpa was an amazing man and he's greatly missed, but it's good to know that he's no longer in pain and he'll never again be hurt or need to shed tears. No more painful tomorrows to face, only an eternity of joy! I can't wait to see him again, in Heaven!

Individuality

One of my pet peeves is cliques! I hate where there has to be an 'in group'! I hate how people think that if they wear the right clothes, say the right things, act the right way... they'll be cool. Who has the right to judge what 'cool' is anyways? Everyone tries to be like 'such and such' 'cause she's the hot thing! But why should we all be the same? Why should I try to be just like you? I'm cool like me, my individualism makes me who I am and that's cool! God didn't create us all blond with blue eyes, 5'5" and slender with perfect skin... because what would be the fun in that? 

God created variety! And not just in people, think of the wide variety of animals, flowers, trees, etc. If all flowers were red poppies and all trees were oaks. If there were only black dogs and orange tiger stripe cats... wouldn't life be boring? We accept individuality in nature, why not in ourselves and others around us? People get made fun of for being 'different'! But if we were all the same, the world would be boring!

I love going to a store and watching people, old people, young people, tall and thin people, short, heavy people, blond haired people, dark skinned people, people with light skin... what would be the fun in watching those people if they were all identical? Each one of us was created different, and each was created in His image, thus we were created perfect! 

So before you compare yourself to someone else, or judge someone for being different, stop and think, what would the world be like without individuality? Each of us is unique, we've got our own laugh, our own eyes, our own build, our own personality, and each of us is perfect the way we were created! 

Where's the love?

I heard a song on the radio station the other day and one phrase really stuck out to me about practicing what you preach and I liked the chorus and so I decided to look up the lyrics. When I finally got around to it my mind blanked but I finally got on the right track and found the lyrics and they really made me think...

Where Is the Love?

Black Eyed Peas

What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Badness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how angers works and operates
Nigga, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek
Father help us
Send us some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love?

It just ain't the same, always unchanged
New days are strange, is the world insane
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With the ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin'
in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek
Father help us
Send us some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questioning
Where is the love?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' our own direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead in spreading love we spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek?

Father help us
Send us some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love?

1 Corinthians 13 says...

 ¹ If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. ³ If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

 ⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

 ⁸ Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! ⁹ Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! ¹⁰ But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.

 ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. ¹² Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

 ¹³ Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

I think about love a lot, I talk about love, and how it could fix problems, if people loved each other and understood each other! I want to show love to others, but when I read this passage I realize how much I fail! Mostly because I try to do it myself. I can't truly love others unless I open up and let God love others through me. 

I look around me like "Where is the love? What's up with this world? Everyone's hating on each other! We're supposed to love!". But just looking at the problem and going 'why is nobody fixing it?' isn't going to help!

Love starts with me! It starts by letting Jesus love through me, by holding my tongue instead of making an unnecessary comment, by not losing my temper when a sibling is annoying me, building others up instead of tearing them down! 

It's not enough to talk about love, I need to put love into action! I need to love the people God has put in my life right now! Nothing is accomplished by hating! 

 'Three things will last forever-- faith, hope and love--and the greatest of these is love!' 

Quotes and Photography

A man who dares to waste one hour of his life has not learned the value of life.
Charles Darwin

Believe you can and you're halfway there.
Theodore Roosevelt

Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength. -Unknown

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.
John Burroughs

Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.
Henry Ward Beecher

Every man dies. Not every man really lives.
William Wallace

Just because someone doesn't love you how you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with everything they've got!

We were made to lead the way, we could be the generation that finally breaks the chains, we were made to be courageous!
Casting Crowns

God's gift put man's best dreams to shame.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
William James

Daring To Dream

Daring to Dream

When we dare to dream

And step out so vulnerable

When those dreams are shattered

And we feel so broken up inside

We  just want to hide.

We gotta keep believing,

Dreams can come true,

If we give up now, we’ll never see

The  beauty that He can make,

How He can heal the ache.

I’m in the darkness now,

I took a chance and loved,

I dared to dream and broke in pieces,

Feeling like I’ve got no hope

Only blackness in my scopes.

But tomorrow’s gonna be different,

Tomorrow’s gonna be okay,

Tomorrow all the darkness has to fade,

It’s gonna get better than this,

Better than this!

I dared to dream,

I stepped out so vulnerable,

My dreams are shattered

I feel so broken up inside,

But I won’t hide,

I’ll keep on believing,

That dreams do come true!

I’ll wait to see what He will make,

Wait for Him to heal the ache

Everything’s gonna be okay.

Welcome Winter

Well, I didn't think I was quite ready for snow, and after the first snow melted off I was pretty happy, but as I sit here, little snowflakes floating lazily through the air, and being warm inside, I'm deciding, maybe it is time for the snow. 

There's something so cozy about snow! Snow means the holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, getting to see the relatives, sitting around reading, wood fires, hot cocoa. We get to bring out the winter things, boots and hats, scarfs, mittens and coats. 

With the snow comes sledding, skating, snowball fights, making snow men and snow angels! 

So I guess I'm excited about the snow in a way, as my cousin said, 

"It's November, this is Minnesota, it's about time it snows!" =) 

Here are some pictures I took yesterday when it first started snowing, the flakes were so big and fluffy and the snow was super wet and cold!
Winter is here! =)

 

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

The little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely and dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

And miles go go before I sleep.

~Robert Frost

Colors

I love colors! Colors can be warm, cold, inviting, repelling, disgusting, beautiful, romantic, stark, relaxing, invigorating... different colors say different things to me.
When I think of the color black, I think of mystery, dark makeup, castles, night skies studded with a million brilliant stars. Black is sad, like death, stark, like black and white photography, dressy like a wedding tux.
Red is the color of blood, meaning life, red and white stripes are holiday colors, red, white and blue symbolize freedom on our flag, red and white are colors of Christmas candy, the spiciness of cinnamon, red makes you hungry.
Yellow is a bright happy color, yellow is warm like sunshine, sour, like lemons, sweet like honey, crisp like fall leaves and fluffy like chicks.
Green is cool, refreshing and calm, like new leaves budding on trees in spring, the smell of fresh cut grass, picnics in June, pine trees that last all year ‘round...
Blue is like the sky, so deep and seems to stretch endlessly, blue is cool and inviting like a lake in summer, it’s enormous like a giant blue whale.
Purple is a rich color, it’s the color of royalty, the sweet juiciness of a plum, the delicate, velvet petals of a pansy.
Orange is a bouncy color, it’s bright, and wild and retro, it’s the pungent flavor of cheddar cheese, the bright color of a clown’s hair, the brilliance of hunters garb.
Pink is like a rose, delicate and fragrant, pink is the color of hearts, symbolizing love, pink is girlie, pink is rosy cheeks and noses after sledding, soft like a new sweater knit by grandma.
White is and blank sheet of paper, an empty room, icy snowflakes and fluffy clouds floating across the sky, it’s starchy potatoes, creamy milk, the flavor of salt, the chilliness of mist.
Brown is the warm, earthy smell of dirt, the smooth, deliciousness of chocolate that melts in your mouth, the roughness of tree bark, the camouflage of a deer in fall, various shades of wooden furniture.
So colors can mean so many different things. What do you think of when you think about these colors?

A short paper I wrote for school and mom thought I should post it.