Its one of those days...a summery day. Gotta love those. Sitting in your room with the window open, listening to pop radio and gettin stuff done. eating healthy, exercising... and dont you pretend you dont talk out loud into your fan to hear how funny your voice sounds. all day long yo. Anyways, this weather is inspiring and getting me excited to be healthyyy. I haven't had any gluten or sugary stuff (other than frozen yogurt which I decided would be my weekly sweet treat) for 3 days straight! I am sensitive to both those things so it's really good that I'm finally staying away from them and not succumbing to temptation :P I almost did earlier today... a chocolate cake was sitting out right next to chocolate chip cookies and a chocolate bar (usually we dont have these many sweets in our house, believe me!) and I just looked at it and wanted to eat it sooooo badly, but I grabbed a cucumber instead. and then some carrots....and then I made a salad for myself cause I was really hungry. :P
All that to say, I'm feelin good, feeling like this is a start to living a healthier lifestyle. :)
Monday, April 16, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Surveys
For speech we had to take surveys of fifteen or more people and talk personally with at least ten of them.
What did I learn from this experience?
I learned what it feels like to be in their shoes. What do I mean when I say their? The shoes of the sales people of course! Or people who stop by your house and bother you for not reason. Or those people who stand outside of popular shopping centers and bombard you with questions as you try to make your way to your car.
Many of the people I engaged thought I was one of those people - I could tell. :P I was standing outside of Target and Costco for most of the time and people constantly shooed me away so they could get to their cars. Fortunately, some people, when they heard me say "Do you have a minute? I'd like to ask you a few questions for a school project I'm doing" would considerately stop, and give me a moment of their time.
I think I'll be less ready to shun and shoo those pesky sales people from now on. ;)
What did I learn from this experience?
I learned what it feels like to be in their shoes. What do I mean when I say their? The shoes of the sales people of course! Or people who stop by your house and bother you for not reason. Or those people who stand outside of popular shopping centers and bombard you with questions as you try to make your way to your car.
Many of the people I engaged thought I was one of those people - I could tell. :P I was standing outside of Target and Costco for most of the time and people constantly shooed me away so they could get to their cars. Fortunately, some people, when they heard me say "Do you have a minute? I'd like to ask you a few questions for a school project I'm doing" would considerately stop, and give me a moment of their time.
I think I'll be less ready to shun and shoo those pesky sales people from now on. ;)
Monday, March 19, 2012
We are the body - the hands and the feet
Christians...here's a reality check for you. Ready?
Everyday that you put your comforts, needs and wants above others' comforts, needs, and wants....you are literally spitting in God's face.
Listen, God has given us a set amount of time on the earth. As Christians, we are given the calling to pick up our crosses DAILY. DAILY people! Every day without fail. We should bear the burden and seek out the lost. But do we do that? Not often. As sinful creatures by nature, we usually seek to satisfy our own necessities without putting others first. But do you know why its so sad that we do this? It's because we are being like the man in the parable who was given grace by the King and forgiven his debt. Then he went and put another man in jail because he would not pay his debt. That's straight up hypocrisy!
We've been given grace, yet we often refuse to give it to others.
We have been shown kindness, yet we are kind only to the people we want to impress. We have been loved, but we don't show love to those who need it most.
Why do we pick and choose like this?? We think we can act like a nice, obedient, respectful Christian around those who's opinions matter to us. But those new people or those people who have no friends....we snub them. We ignore them. Why is that? Doesn't that seem just SOOOO messed up to you???
I am guilty of this sin. I do it so often, I don't even realize it. None of us do because, we care only about ourselves, first and foremost.
But because of the work Jesus has done in our lives, we should NOT act this way.
We should respond to his kindness by showing love to others. By being the hands and feet of the Body of Christ and seeking out the lost and broken hearted.
We are to be the healers. We are to be the lovers. We are to show great love to glorify HIS name and bring people to the foot of His cross and tell them to look at all He's done for them.
But if we have been brought to that place already, why aren't we following the call to spread the good news?
Well, we can feel like we're doing good works, or we're being diligent in our school, or we are feeling like we are in a healthy relationship with God, but if we don't change our ways by the impact of His love, what is the point of being a Christian?
This is a big deal, guys. I mean, most people say, "Well, come on. Not reaching out isn't that big of a deal. I mean,I understand. It's hard to reach out to new people - it's awkward." But we are called to do hard things! Jesus did the hardest of them all! He didn't put his own comfort first and say "God, I realllly don't want to have my hands and feet nailed to a tree, so can I just not?"
He did it as a sacrifice for OUR benefit and so we are called to do the same.
We are called to sacrifice our own comforts and insecurities and go into the World as LIGHT! THAT is our number one calling. We must fulfill it.
We owe it ALL to Him, so we MUST respond to the love and mercy that we have been given in this way.
There is grace in God to help us change and become more like Him, but we HAVE to realize that this is what He asks us to do and we must try to obey Him in our lives!
I pray that we will realize the truth of God's purpose for our lives and live in obedience to His will. It's a constant struggle to pick between putting yourself first, or putting others first - but through Christ, we will make the right decisions EVERY day if we trust Him to change us, and use us.
To God be the glory forever and ever.!
Everyday that you put your comforts, needs and wants above others' comforts, needs, and wants....you are literally spitting in God's face.
Listen, God has given us a set amount of time on the earth. As Christians, we are given the calling to pick up our crosses DAILY. DAILY people! Every day without fail. We should bear the burden and seek out the lost. But do we do that? Not often. As sinful creatures by nature, we usually seek to satisfy our own necessities without putting others first. But do you know why its so sad that we do this? It's because we are being like the man in the parable who was given grace by the King and forgiven his debt. Then he went and put another man in jail because he would not pay his debt. That's straight up hypocrisy!
We've been given grace, yet we often refuse to give it to others.
We have been shown kindness, yet we are kind only to the people we want to impress. We have been loved, but we don't show love to those who need it most.
Why do we pick and choose like this?? We think we can act like a nice, obedient, respectful Christian around those who's opinions matter to us. But those new people or those people who have no friends....we snub them. We ignore them. Why is that? Doesn't that seem just SOOOO messed up to you???
I am guilty of this sin. I do it so often, I don't even realize it. None of us do because, we care only about ourselves, first and foremost.
But because of the work Jesus has done in our lives, we should NOT act this way.
We should respond to his kindness by showing love to others. By being the hands and feet of the Body of Christ and seeking out the lost and broken hearted.
We are to be the healers. We are to be the lovers. We are to show great love to glorify HIS name and bring people to the foot of His cross and tell them to look at all He's done for them.
But if we have been brought to that place already, why aren't we following the call to spread the good news?
Well, we can feel like we're doing good works, or we're being diligent in our school, or we are feeling like we are in a healthy relationship with God, but if we don't change our ways by the impact of His love, what is the point of being a Christian?
This is a big deal, guys. I mean, most people say, "Well, come on. Not reaching out isn't that big of a deal. I mean,I understand. It's hard to reach out to new people - it's awkward." But we are called to do hard things! Jesus did the hardest of them all! He didn't put his own comfort first and say "God, I realllly don't want to have my hands and feet nailed to a tree, so can I just not?"
He did it as a sacrifice for OUR benefit and so we are called to do the same.
We are called to sacrifice our own comforts and insecurities and go into the World as LIGHT! THAT is our number one calling. We must fulfill it.
We owe it ALL to Him, so we MUST respond to the love and mercy that we have been given in this way.
There is grace in God to help us change and become more like Him, but we HAVE to realize that this is what He asks us to do and we must try to obey Him in our lives!
I pray that we will realize the truth of God's purpose for our lives and live in obedience to His will. It's a constant struggle to pick between putting yourself first, or putting others first - but through Christ, we will make the right decisions EVERY day if we trust Him to change us, and use us.
To God be the glory forever and ever.!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Combating Shades of Light
The sun parts the shade and rays of light rest peacefully on my cheek. The glint and shimmer of the light echoes all around and breaks the darkness of shadows and gloom. They shout with joy and dance and illuminate and set the world ABLAZE. The mellifluous expressions of happiness lasted only for a moment. Time shifted, the light danced away and fathoms upon fathoms of darkness overcame the light - overwhelming the place where golden beams had once resided.
-- Spontaneously decided to write this down. I have this spot on my deck where I like to do my homework JUSt about at 3:30ish until around 5ish. Its all shadowy before then but as the sun shifts, the light filters in and seemingly invades the darkness...until darkness falls everywhere, and I have to go inside.
Hope you like it! :)
Michele
-- Spontaneously decided to write this down. I have this spot on my deck where I like to do my homework JUSt about at 3:30ish until around 5ish. Its all shadowy before then but as the sun shifts, the light filters in and seemingly invades the darkness...until darkness falls everywhere, and I have to go inside.
Hope you like it! :)
Michele
Friday, March 2, 2012
aspirations and ambitions
Today I was doing somethinking and I wondered (quite randomely) how many miles he average person walks in a lifetime...well I looked it up and found out that he average person (given that they started walking at about the age of one and lived until they were 80 years old) would have taken around 2,000,000 steps (thats a heck of alot of steps. Think about that number for a few minutes) and therefore (assuming that the person in question takes has an average stride) they would have walked around 108,131 miles in a lifetime.
Now, I gave that statistic a little thought and I challenged myself to walk across the Usa or maybe around the entire earth just walking and speaking the gospel to everyone and anyone I encounter. I mean, wouldn't that be soo awesome to just put all responsibilities and worries of everyday life aside and just walk and travel and preach? To live for and by Christs provision with your every waking breath. It just sounds amazing to me. It would take a lot of faith but everyday you would be living for Christ with your whole existence.
I've decided I'm going to do that one Day. Ill just drop everything and just go.
Now, I gave that statistic a little thought and I challenged myself to walk across the Usa or maybe around the entire earth just walking and speaking the gospel to everyone and anyone I encounter. I mean, wouldn't that be soo awesome to just put all responsibilities and worries of everyday life aside and just walk and travel and preach? To live for and by Christs provision with your every waking breath. It just sounds amazing to me. It would take a lot of faith but everyday you would be living for Christ with your whole existence.
I've decided I'm going to do that one Day. Ill just drop everything and just go.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Posting - Summer Ambitions/Bucket List
Below is a list of things I want to do this summer.... but in a sense its my bucket list.... no I'm not planning on dying this year, I just want to do all these things as soon as I can :)
learn pottery making
press flowers for art and notecards
learn to play the drums
learn how to blow glass
get hunting license hunt with my cousin (Hunter is his name ;) in the duck blind
go to the rifle range with my uncle
go to nyc
Learn how to sail a sail boat by myself
Learn how to surf
Go to canada again
go to lake michagan again ( i wanna camp out there ;)
get colored contacts
re-decorate room
get polaroid film for my camera
go to charleston (i wanna go and work and live there with my cousin for the summer)
watch wizard of oz
go to savannah in the summer and do photo shoot!
go to grand canyon
see presidents faces in rock at mt. rushmore
i REALLLLLLLY hope i get all these things done. :) its a longggg running list. haha
learn pottery making
press flowers for art and notecards
learn to play the drums
learn how to blow glass
get hunting license hunt with my cousin (Hunter is his name ;) in the duck blind
go to the rifle range with my uncle
go to nyc
Learn how to sail a sail boat by myself
Learn how to surf
Go to canada again
go to lake michagan again ( i wanna camp out there ;)
get colored contacts
re-decorate room
get polaroid film for my camera
go to charleston (i wanna go and work and live there with my cousin for the summer)
watch wizard of oz
go to savannah in the summer and do photo shoot!
go to grand canyon
see presidents faces in rock at mt. rushmore
i REALLLLLLLY hope i get all these things done. :) its a longggg running list. haha
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