Silly Basketball Camp Gals :)

I just realized it's the last day of June! Oh, June. June is the month of weddings, because everyone wants to be a June bride, after all ;). June is such a nice month; it's when summer truly comes.

This week, Monday through Thursday, our church is having a basketball camp. Hannah and I are coaching a team of about 8 girls who are going into 3rd and 4th grade. Today was less hectic than the first day, when the teams were still being settled. (Some girls switched because of people they knew on other teams... hence, I cannot remember how many are on my team!) They're really sweet though. In doing this I've realized that because I've done camp, babysitting, and etc. with kids, being with them is coming a lot more naturally now. It's strange how much younger they seem, since I actually am (I suppose?) getting older! Older than 3rd graders, oh my ;). Today I felt that and was laughing because of what they asked me...

I was sitting on the side of our game/scrimmage with whichever girls were sitting out for a period of the game. We always basically rotate as evenly as we can. I'm not exactly sure who started it, but they were playing with my hair... and it was sooo cute :). They were saying things like, "Your hair is smooth" and "Ooh it smells good!" followed by I think whoever was currently messing with my hair smelling it! Hahaha. I must laugh at that idea. It was so sweet, and quite amusing! Oh, and have you heard the rumors that at camp the girls will go through your stuff and ask you whether or not you have a boyfriend? Well, at the overnight camp I volunteer with, that's never really come up. But while they were doing my hair, they asked whether I had either boyfriend or tattoo! Noooo. I don't. I didn't elaborate on the boyfriend question, but I told them that while some people have tattoos and that's fine, I wouldn't get one. One of them told me her mom said they were "gross," if my memory serves correctly. This fun time reminded me of one downside of day camp: there's not the limitless time in which you can have normal conversations with your girls. But today was fun, and I think we had a nice girl bonding time :). 

New Friends & Back to the 50's

Well hello. I'm sitting in our kitchen watching another Hallmark movie :). This one's good, hardly even sappy.

So Michael Jackson died on Thursday. I suppose I'll always remember where I was when I heard the news; I was at Caleb's/Josh's graduation party. I was sad because he died still in a state of... unusual...ness. I mean, it could happen: couldn't he have had a turnaround? Anyone can. But. He wasn't a Christian (I assume). That made me sad :(. One thought I had, though. I'm guessing that some people will be in denial. I predict there will be conspiracy theories about his death: how it happened (that one's a given) and mostly that some people won't believe he actually died... like with Elvis! 

Which brings me to something else. Elvis! This afternoon our church had a sock hop. It was great! Lots of people came. Young people and not so young people... but nearly all young at heart :). We danced on our own, in groups, in pairs (but mostly only when made to by the dance instructors. Besides the married couples. They were cute :) ). "Elvis," who was actually a professional impersonator, made a surprise visit. Everyone got really excited then! But I have to say, "Sonny" and "Sher" were the ones who we all REALLY loved :D. Our senior pastor and his wife got up there and sang "I Got You Babe." They were totally dressed in outfits and wigs :). Everyone screamed and cheered. Also, one lady from our church was the main planner and organizer. She did SO much work and it all turned out completely amazing :). Thank you Miss Linda! 

Which... reminds me of another something else! New friends. I have three new friends who I kinda sorta wish I could've known all my life. Justin, Nathan, and Calli-Jade. I finally met Justin and Nathan after hearing about them from my sister, Maggie, who is in a awesome play with them :). They sing and goof around... but, yes, can apparently be serious too! They also share a twin-like sibling connection with each other, which possibly spread between the two of them and my sister and I. And there's Calli-Jade. She is so encouraging about faith and just life! I love talking to her. I'm really glad I met all three people. Even though I do wish I'd known them a lot longer, God let me meet them in His timing. Yay! :)

Well, it's rather later. Ta ta!

Summer - What are we doing?

Everybody is usually one or the other. Either you're the one who becomes even more extra-busy during the summer and are always out, or you're one who sits at home most days, reading and surfing Facebook. Or maybe you're a slight mix - but usually it's easy to put ourselves on one side, more or less.

This summer I think I'm on the homebody side. I have stuff to do on certain weeks such as different camps (yay!!!) and going to the beach (yay again!) but other than that, you can usually find me at my house!

I can hardly imagine how on earth I was functioning during the school year. I had homework and youth group and rehearsal and yadda yadda - all good things! But now I'm thinking, if I'm wasting days so easily now, how on earth did I get all that stuff done a few months ago? And then I'm kinda sad and feel like I should be doing more productive things. 

But really - it IS good to have a break! Spoiled Americans as we are, our constant activities of the school year are indeed tiring, and summer lets us relax for an extended period of time. 

So we do all this stuff during the school year. And it's stressful. But it's fun to do the stuff we do. But then... there are millions of children in the world who have next to nothing. So I feel bad about needing a break from the many privileges I recieve during the year. 

But just as God has those millions of children where He does, He has us in America to live our lives right now. But I still feel bad. I don't understand how I could have so much, and at the same time not be able let go of countless possesions that clutter my room. Like in Mexico - the children would give you nearly anything. I shared with you near the beginning of my blog about the time Veronica brought me a stuffed bear as a present. God does call us to take care of the poor, in many verses. Just read through a few chapters of Proverbs and you're likely to come across one. 

Anyways. I'm mostly talking to other teenagers like me in this post. I guess my point is that it's okay to enjoy summer break and have a great time :). But don't always relax by serving yourself - instead serve the people around you, including and especially your family, particularly if you're like me, sitting around by them most of the day! Also consider in some way how you can share our blessings with children in other countries. I reccommend Compassion Interenational, but there are tons of other organizations that do good work in Jesus' name as well. I'm just most familiar with that one. Compassion reminded their sponsors that while we might be hesitant to give now, especially with our coutry's financial situation, many other countries are suffering from the same deal. And when you add those problems onto poverty, well, it's not good at all. 

Me vs. the Yard.

I enjoy mowing the lawn. So today when the sun was shining and a pleasant breeze was spinning through the neighborhood, I asked my dad if I could.

There's a large, mostly flat area to our yard, out by the road, but behind the fence. It's full of clover and sticks and an occasional dandelion and weeds and even an old tree stump and all kinds of naturally growing stuff like that. It's actually quite pleasant, not your average perfectly manicured lawn. But today it was time to tame down the growth.

My dad outlined the section I was to mow, simply enough. Then I began. I bounced along, rolling around the wide perimeter. The sun shone bright. I was loving the blue sky and the breeze that came from moving along on the John Deere. I waved to my dog every time I passed her.

After a few times around, I noticed that the sunshine was starting to fade a bit. Every time I came around the path to the same spot, I saw that it was a bit darker than the time before.

Then the pleasant breeze began to pick up a bit. Not viciously, mind you, just noticeably stronger than before. My brother, who had been swinging for a while near my dog, went inside. The wind knocked the swings around, unsettling them.

It became darker still. The clouds above me had rolled in and were looking potentially rainy. It sure felt like a soaking in the making. But I could still see a bit of bright blue sky of in the distance. Please, God, let me finish this if it's going to rain!

I kept mowing, around, around, around. I urged my steed (ahem... lawn mower) on, overtaking the mess of grass and clovers. The breeze never stopped; it never stopped blowing the clouds, apparently, either.

Soon enough, before the suspected rain ever made its appearance, the ominous clouds went along on their way. Deep blue reigned overhead once more, with the exception of some innocent-looking clouds.

I sang my celebratory songs as I continued on in the sunshine. Days of Elijah, Mighty to Save, No One Like You, You Are Holy. I sang, stopped singing, and continued on, who knows when. I could hardly hear myself over the roar of the mighty beast beneath me. Off key, on key? I made myself sing all in chest voice for a while, even if I went higher than I normally would've, considering the fact that no one could hear me. Hopefully. After all, what's "on pitch" to God anyways? A song, if from the heart, is precious to Him no matter what we think it sounds like.

Plethora

Hello there! So today I thought of a few things I just felt like sharing.

First - nursery was so awesome today :). There were two baby boys. They both have parent(s) who are our youth leaders, so it was extra-lovely to hold thm and play with them. 

Second... guess what CD I bought? That's right, the new Jonas Brothers one! ;). So far I've only listened to the first few songs. I'm not really sure what I think of it yet; I'll have to soak it up more first.

Third, my siblings and I are about to watch WALL-E... yay! I love this movie. I first saw it when it came out in theaters. I sat with Luke and Amelia and Eliana! It was great. It's sooo cute when WALL-E and EVE hold hands and stuff :). 

Today is also, as I hope you know, Father's Day! We're not doing much since my brother, sister, and mom are sick. I love my dad so much, I don't know what I'd do without him. If you feel the same way make sure you tell your Daddy! 

On another WALL-E note, as a I watch the opening scene: I sure hope the world doesn't end up like it starts out in this movies. But we shall see. Either way, God will take care of us. :)

Hallmark Movies

Today I've watched four Hallmark movies on television. Yep... four ;). Well, actually, I'm in the middle of the fourth right now. 

Hallmark has the stereotype of being sappy and predictable, but by watching the three in a row earlier I've noticed something more specific. The makers of these movies reeeally like to take normal people and put them in a rustic setting where they're stranded until further notice. Either a farm, a log cabin, a small Mexican town, or something else similar. 

I do like Hallmark movies. But... I probably wouldn't recommend watching quite so many in one day. The one that I'm watching right now isn't quite so bad. Maybe a little goofy, though. It's about a woman who runs a small matchmaking service and a man who runs a big  online business for matchmaking. The online service is starting to steal business from the woman's company, so she creates a profile with the online service to prove it won't actually work like hers does. Meanwhile, the man's daughters decide he needs to start dating again. They get a hold of her profile and set them up. But the dad doesn't realize what his daughters are doing, and neither of them have realized the other's profession yet. As to what happens later, you'll just have to watch... except there are tons of these movies and... you maybe not actually want to. But just so you know, it's called "A Kiss At Midnight." 

Well, this is a bit of a random post :/. But I'll try to write again tomorrow. Tomorrow morning at church I have infant nursery :) yay!

"While I'm Waiting"

There's a song that I really like. It's by John Waller (I'd never heard of him before I bought this song). The song is called "While I'm Waiting." The word "waiting" could apply to many different reasons for waiting, which is one of the reasons why I like this song. It can usually apply to my life in one or more ways. Here are the lyrics:

While I'm Waiting
I'm waiting 
I'm waiting on You, Lord 
And I am hopeful 
I'm waiting on You, Lord 
Though it is painful 
But patiently, I will wait 

I will move ahead, bold and confident 
Takeing every step in obedience 
While I'm waiting 
I will serve You 
While I'm waiting 
I will worship 
While I'm waiting 
I will not faint 
I'll be running the race 
Even while I wait 

I'm waiting 
I'm waiting on You, Lord 
And I am peaceful 
I'm waiting on You, Lord 
Though it's not easy 
But faithfully, I will wait 
Yes, I will wait 
I will serve You while I'm waiting 
I will worship while I'm waiting 
I will serve You while I'm waiting 
I will worship while I'm waiting 
I will serve you while I'm waiting 
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

Something else about that's neat about this song is that it's in the movie Fireproof. I absolutely love that movie! Maybe I'll write a post on it sometime... most of the acting isn't outstanding, but the message is incredible as well as incredibly conveyed. This song plays during the movie. That's actually why I bought it, when I realized it was in the movie. Aside from loving the lyrics, I really like the song of the song. It's encouraging. The feeling from this song is one to keep pressing on. 

Library Books, YA?

Right now I'm sitting in a public library of my county. I looove the library. I love putting books on hold online and then picking them up next time I get a chance to stop and pick them up. I love the atmosphere of quietness and the fact that on occasion I can find books I never expected to.

But I was actually just thinking about where I'm sitting. I'm sitting behind a desk of four computers, in the Young Adult, or, YA section. Obviously I have enjoyed books from this section before. Many good ones come from this section. But good books in this area are hard to find unless someone has recommended one to me, or I find a book by an author I already know. Then I'm safe. In this case, I'm referring to "good book" as a book that is appropriate enough for me to feel okay reading. I know in reality that it takes a lot more than cleanliness to make a fictional book "good." But for now.

You probably can't tell what books are in the picture I posted, but let me tell you a few titles. (By the way, sorry about the quality; webcam.) Here are just a few that are within my view:

1. Vampire Beach Ritual

2. Teen Queens and Has-Beens

3. What if... Your Past Came Back to Haunt You

4. The Hollywood Sisters: On Location

5. Dial for Loser

6. Drama High: Courtin' Jade

And... yeah. There are others, possibly even a few that I could read...? Maybe even one that I listed is decent, and I shouldn't judge it by its cover. But there are so many books that look like garbage. It's kind of scary.

I've read the first three Twilight Saga books, and no, I really don't want to argue about Twilight, but let me just us this as an example: those three books succeeded in prompting me to think lustful thoughts. I didn't read the fourth; I heard those matters only got worse. These library books look like they would have the same effect. Probably worse.

Girls like to wish themselves to be romanced someday. Many of us like to think that we are princesses and someday a prince will "carry us away." If we choose to read these kinds of books, we're negatively feeding this natural desire that we carry in our hearts. I'm not saying all romance books are evil; but, from what I'm seeing there is definitely a temptation and danger for girls right here.

Perhaps if you are reading this post you'd like to comment and suggest more wholesome but still enjoyable books for teen girls? :). It would be greatly appreciated by me and anyone else who seeks better books.

Movies: The Lion King

Today in Sunday School we watched clips of The Lion King and looked for worldviews in the movie. I do hope you already know this, but in case not, The Lion King is an animated Disney movie from 1994. This movie had a huge audience - it still holds the place of the highest grossing animated film in the United States. 

I remember getting this movie - I truly do. Well, mostly. I remember seeing it in... the Disney store in the mall, I believe, and wanting my mom to buy it. She didn't, but I actually got it for my birthday! Wow, now that I try to put those memories into a story I'm doubting their full accuracy. Well, anyways. We owned the VHS (and still do). My sister was afraid of Scar's dark song in The Lion King, and it wasn't wholesome anyways, so my parents usually fast-forwarded it. I remember many lines from this movie... but as things tend to happen, it was really different seeing it as someone with a bit more knowledge of the world. I mean, I'm a pretty naive person, it's true. But I obviously was more so as a four-year-old! 

There are LOTS of worldviews expressed in this movie. After the first few minutes, the main one is clear. The one that we figure the movie-makers meant to portray, even though they contradict themselves in multiple ways, is the "circle of life." Simba, the young lion cub and heir to the spot of animal king, has a talk with Mufasa (his dad, the current king) about this. Mufasa tells his son in a very fatherly way that the circle of life is just the way things work. They, the lions, eat the antelope. But, ah, after the lions die, they become grass to be eaten by the antelope. Our teacher explained to us that by implying this, are they implying death matters at all? It's all part of the circle of life, they say. They don't mention how lions are ferocious hunters who brutally kill and devour the antelope. And what are we to think later on in the story when Mufasa is trampled by wildebeests? Who cares about his death? Obviously his family does, and we're saddened and touched as viewers. But wait - isn't it all just part of the circle of life?

Another theme that comes up in this movie is good vs. evil. Now, this isn't exactly an uncommon theme; nearly every single movie has to have some kind of struggle, right? Scar is Muafasa's brother gone bad. He rules the scores of hyenas and plots to kill Simba too so that he will become the true king of the beasts. Another theme is ancestor worship. It's actually kind of strange for me to watch now, as a Christian. Mufasa, before his death, tells Simba that the past kings are always watching over him. Later Mufasa appears as a cloudy and then radiant image in the sky and speaks to his son. 

One last worldview is the philosophy of Timon and Pumbaa. Oh, the goofy pair; we all know their song! Hukana matata! It means "no worries." While this at first seems innocent, this lifestyle is actually true, fully or in part, for many people. It's the idea blocking out guilt and past un-atoned sins with pleasure and a "no worries" mindset. Which reminds me of something else from church today - from the sermon. 

So let me sidetrack for a moment. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus says, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both body and soul in hell." If we try to hide from our fears and past sins be throwing ourselves into the world's distraction and pleasure, we're running from the One who can either save us or condemn us. After all, He created us out of absolutely nothing, along with the whole world we're standing on right now. God, infinitely powerful. The One who saves us just for asking and commiting our lives to Him. Then Jesus goes on to say in the very next verses, Matthew 10:29 and 30, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." If you heard this sermon at CPC today, you probably have already begun to have these verses truly impressed on your heart. Pastor Harris explained to us how these things are such details, and yet the most powerful One, who is outside of time itself, cares. No detail is too small for Him to miss. 

Anyways - after watching these clips and realizing these things, I was thinking that if I had children I wouldn't want them to be okay with seeing so many non-Christian worldviews. But as I also remembered, when I was little, none of this sunk in. So I think we're safe, hopefully, to know where we stand by the time we can grasp what the media is adjusting our brains to. 

And this: most and many of the ideas I wrote here for you were originally brought up today by Pastor Harris, Dr. Koch, and the other people in Sunday School. Just passin' the word along. :)

TAYLOR SWIFT!!!

So. Taylor Swift. As I told you in my previous post, Taylor Swift had a concert tonight about a mile from my house. It was totally amazing!!! I thought I was going to sit in my driveway all night. But well.... I shall tell you what happened :D

Maggie and I conspired to have our friend Christine (and Elisabeth, but she didn't come until after) over because she is a fellow Taylor Swift fan. This year, Christine and I went through a phase of constantly Sharpie doodling Taylor Swift's lyrics of the Fearless album on notebook paper ;). So after our parents said it was okay, we hopped in the care with my dad. But before we went to get Christine, we drove down by the place where the concert was. We could hear her singing and talking even more loudly and clearly! Then we went to get Christine. Finally we got back to where the concert was. There were other girls just like us walking around on the sidewalk singing along. After driving around a short stretch of road about three times and listening to TAYLOR SWIFT sing LOVE STORY (!!!) and other songs, my dad decided to park! AHHHH!!!!!! It was so awesome! I'm so glad my dad is kind of a Taylor Swift fan too and that he let us have this unforgettable adventure :). We ended up going to the fence and "watching" we could see the stage... but not her ;). But we could see her on a live feed screen!!! After she sang "Change," we started back to the car. She sang a few more songs but that was a good finale :). So yeah... IT WAS SO AMAZING. Yay!!! :D

Building Excitement!!!

Well.... I was going to write about this later or tomorrow but I'm sooo excited!!! Tonight Taylor Swift is having a concert. I'm going to write you a review. YAY! And.... um no. I'm not going to the concert ;). But I am going to sit in my driveway because the concert's about a mile away from my house! 

Admittedly, Taylor Swift isn't known for astounding live preformances. I've seen her live through television before and I was... not very impressed. But hey, I like her songs, I listened to her new CD so much I could probably sing through all the songs (well almost), and SHE'S GOING TO BE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD!!! So I am excited. Indeed. :D

So anyways, this post is mostly pointless, just letting you know that I'm just a bit excited and tomorrow or tonight I'm going to write about the listening experience. In the words of Tigger, TTFN!

"Reply All" Emails: Good to bad...really fast.

Today I've been cleaning my room. And yesterday.... and the day before! But it looks very much more clean than usual. Which is great! I've been kinda sleepy because I keep staying upa bit too late; note to self: tsk, tsk, go to bed earlier. Heh heh, anyways.... I'm not exactly sure why I haven't written in serval days, maybe the unwise bedtimes, but either way... I am now. Okay! Well. I am going to make a list! Of what? Well I'll decide once I start writing it. 

1. I found LOTS of bobby pins in my room. Haha... pretty ironic because I could hardly find any when I needed them for ballet a few weeks ago.

2. My sister gives away old stuff WAY more easily than I do. I'm always saying or thinking... do you really want to get rid of that? Half the time I end up rescuing her give-aways. Well, not half the time. But occasionally. 

3. I have a lot of scarves in my closet. I'm putting them in my plastic box downstairs. 

4. Oh! Not really in the theme of this list... but for some reason I have bought and listened incessantly "Don't Forget" by Demi Lovato. Which reminds me.........

One guy sent an email to a bunch of his friends asking them to suggest songs; he wanted to make a long collaborative playlist. It started off slowly enough, people suggecting songs. But as most emails sent to many people usually do (at least in my circle of.... people), it turned into a huge conversation... debate... arguement... fight, completely with and insults abbreviated cussing. I read the whole thing more or less. Finally some people started trying to hold down the fort. Then the guy who started the email told them to stop responding and end the conversation. I think it's basically over now... but the exchange was quite something. Now, if you're reading this, yes, I am fully aware that you might've been on this list ;). But that's fine, we can both continue on, me writing and you reading, of course. Anyways, I was really surprised at what some people said on this email. I understand that some people enjoy arguing more than others, and that's totally fine. But considering that this email chain could be summarized as [Jonas Brothers and etc.] vs. [Indie artists and etc.], I think everyone should've drawn a line before they let themselves go so far. That being said, if you were someone arguing on the email, I'm not writing this to accuse you, and I doub't I'll be any different toward you than before, we're all still friends, that's why we were on the email in the firsts place :). But at the same time... reading what some people said was saying was an eye-opener for me. Anywho, reply-all emails are inevitable, and I'd advise anyone to be sure they're following the standard that many of us claim to strive for: 

1 Thessalonians 5:11a: "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

Phillipeans 4:8: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent of praiseworthy - think about such things."

Proverbs 10:19: "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."

As I often do, I have to finish up this entry saying that I don't want to write this saying I'm better than anyone. I usually feel hypocritical writing entries like this and yes, I often forget to practice what I preach. But if you are encouraged or convicted or even God uses something I say later for you... then I'm very glad. I want to show you my views as a Christian in this world. Hopefully I am glorifying Him. And thanks if you read my posts ;)

Another lowly sinner who is saved by God's amazing grace (YAY!!!),

Lindsay Anne :D

POST SCRIPT!!!! I just found our two AWESOME things: first, one my my friends got a blog! check it out :)  ~  http://katydidsings.blogspot.com/

ALSO, someone is proposing to someone tomorrow....!!!!!!!

Feminism and Christianity?

After having a brief conversation with a friend about Biblical positions in families, I decided to look more into this idea. Most Christians are aware of the fact that God made the husband's role a leading one. The wife is to be submissive to her husband. I searched Google for some verses on this topic, and the results were a bit surprising! Some may consider it "old-fashioned" for the wife to be second in command to her husband. But the verses describing the Biblical family hierarchy and other dynamics are interesting. Let's look at some! 

1 Corinthians 11:3 ~ "But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God."

The first two parts of this verse apply pretty directly to what we're talking about. The basic biblical picture of this is: the husbands submit to Christ, and the wives submit to the husbands. Indirectly (and directly of course, since wives also have a personal relationship with Christ) wives submit to Christ by submitting to their husbands. 

1 Peter 3:7 ~ "Likewise, husbands, love with your wives in a understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered."

WOW. "Weaker vessels." Now, I am NOT of a feminist leaning by any means... but if you're a woman, doesn't that tempt you to be even a little bit annoyed? It does for me! But this is the Bible. I'm not exactly sure what "weaker vessels" is referring to, but the emotional and physical state of women comes to mind. But I know not all people fit into those stereotypes. Either way, this is a really neat verse. It calls husbands to love their wives "in an understanding way." 

Ephesians 5:25 ~ "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." 

This is such a profound picture - an example for everyone, but especially husbands and wives to look to. And although husbands are called to lead and be the head of their family, they are called to be as Jesus to them. 

These are just my thoughts and inductions on these verses... I'm not claiming to be a theologian ;). But another thing I was thinking about: after reading these verse, and knowing these things, is it wrong for Christian woman to believe themselves equal to their husbands? I think yes, it is wrong. While women obviously should not stand for unjust or cruel abuse and prejudice, we cannot think ourselves in authority to men. The Bible puts us second in command. If this strikes you as profoundly unrighteous, it may help to remember that God calls husbands to love and serve their wives as Christ did... NOT be evil dictators over them.

Friendship

Sometimes growing up is hard. Whether it's the first sleepover, first real crush, start of middle school, college decision, or even... becoming a grandparent, growing up can be hard for everyone! I happen to be in the phase of life where:

1. People like to ask me what I'm thinking about for college/career. I'm not complaining about this aspect, it truly can be exciting and interesting to share about. 

2. I should be studying for the SAT. I already took the SAT once, but I plan to take it again after I brush up in some certain areas!

3. High school is getting (overall) close to the end. That. is. weird. I almost feel like I just started! It's funny how the media (teen TV shows, for example) makes SUCH a big deal out of the high school years. If you're not in high school yet, don't stress too much about it. It's not as if you go from middle school to college, but high school does go by faster than the world tends to dwell in it. 

Well, that list could go on... and on. But you probably get the picture. Even if you haven't yet experienced that phase of life, you probably still have an idea!

But this post is about friendship. Throughout our childhood and school years we have so many chances to become friends with different people. There are friends we are suddenly best friends forever with, and there are friends that friendship blossoms slowly but surely with. Friends who are the leader, more outgoing, and friends who are quiet observers. Friends from school, friends from church.... friends! :)

I like my friends.

Hopefully they like me too!

If you're my friend and you're reading this, hi! I'm glad we're friends :). I'll probably always remember you and care about you, even if you don't think I will (I do hope I can live up to that, anyways!). People in general think that they are the only ones who remember anybody. It'd be a shame for two friends to miss reconnecting just because they think the other had passed them by. Remember the friends that you may have let fall to the sides of your life; I've done that before, and believe me... it's NOT good! Pray that God will give you love to find fading friendships once again :). 

What is a friend? A friend is someone you can trust with your secrets, no matter what you tell them. Someone who understands how you feel when nobody else does, and cares enough about you to keep your friendship strong. A friend is a person who listens when you just need to talk. A friend is someone who likes you for you, no matter who else is around. A friend is someone who laughs with you. And a friend can be themself with you, and you with them. Friends are always there.

Hmm. If you've heard that last paragraph before, I probably gave you a Thanksgiving card in 2007 ;).

Alright. So this post has been slightly sporadic. IF YOU'RE SKIMMING, STOP AND READ THIS NOW!!! Thanks! :D

I know when I go to college in a year or so, my friendships will change. But as the song goes, "Friends are friends forever, if the LORD's the Lord of them." I do like those words. If the LORD's the Lord of them. <3

Photography Tidbit - Self Portraits

Today I tried something new with my camera. I sometimes hold my camera in front of myself or myself with friends and snap a photo, but I'd never really tried much of the whole... self-portrait thing. So today I did.

I felt kinda silly. I mean, here I am, setting the self-timer to ten seconds and then dashing to do whatever I had in mind to do. What if someone was watching? Boy, would I feel weird. Besides, I'm never quite sure what facial expression to make. Hence my inexperience in this area...? 

What do you think about self-portraits? My view of them may be better left mostly unspoken, but I generally wonder why people post hundreds of pictures they've taken of themselves. But I am a hypocrite, since I posted a few from my experimenting today on Facebook. Obviously it's not wrong to take and post pictures of yourself, but I'd encourage anyone to check their motives and to make sure their pictures aren't a stumbling block in any way. That being said, I realized it really can be fun to set up shots in interesting places and place yourself in them.