Colossians 3:1-2

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 

"Friends are not a phase. Friends are forever."

- Danielle Lima

"I'm done looking for my future someone"

Dear No One

"I like being independent

Not so much of an investment

No one to tell me what to do

I like being by myself

Don’t gotta entertain anybody else

No one to answer to

But sometimes, I just want somebody to hold

Someone to give me their jacket when its cold

Got that young love even when we’re old

Yeah sometimes, I want someone to grab my hand

Pick me up, pull me close, be my man

I will love you till the end

So if you’re out there I swear to be good to you

But I’m done lookin’, for my future someone

Cause when the time is right

You’ll be here, but for now

Dear no one, this is your love song

I don’t really like big crowds

I tend to shut people out

I like my space, yeah

But I’d love to have a soul mate

God will give him to me someday

& I know it’ll be worth the wait

So if you’re out there I swear to be good to you

But I’m done lookin’, for my future someone

Cause when the time is right

You’ll be here, but for now

Dear no one, this is your love song

But sometimes, I just want somebody to hold

Someone to give me their jacket when its cold

Got that young love even when we’re old

Yeah sometimes, I want someone to grab my hand

Pick me up, pull me close, be my man

I will love you till the end

So if you’re out there I swear to be good to you

But I’m done lookin’, for my future someone

Cause when the time is right

You’ll be here, but for now

Dear no one, this is your love song"

     This song expresses the attitude single women of all ages should view being single. God is writing you the perfect love story that'll be so worth the wait. You future someone is out there, so write them a love song. 

Bones

"Somethings are easy to make fun of. That doesn't make them any less important. "

Proverbs 4:23

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

   Do you know how hard it is to miss someone and not be able to tell them because your heart will then be unprotected, unguarded? Well the answer is extremely hard. 

   When the pain of a simple hello becomes to much, Does that means it's time to walk away?

   Protect your heart enough to know when it's had enough. In order to do that  you must know your limits. To know your limits you must first know yourself. I can't tell you how because I myself am trying to find the secret. I do know that vulnerability is good and reliance is a recipe for disaster. If you have anymore incite, please share it with me. For now guard your heart because your happiness and peace of mind depend on it. 

Paul

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:6-8 NIV)

John Mayer

Me and all my friends 

We're all misunderstood 

They say we stand for nothing and 

There's no way we ever could 

Now we see everything that's going wrong 

With the world and those who lead it 

We just feel like we don't have the means 

To rise above and beat it 

So we keep waiting 

Waiting on the world to change 

We keep on waiting 

Waiting on the world to change 

It's hard to beat the system 

When we're standing at a distance 

So we keep waiting 

Waiting on the world to change 

Now if we had the power 

To bring our neighbors home from war 

They would have never missed a Christmas 

No more ribbons on their door 

And when you trust your television 

What you get is what you got 

Cause when they own the information, oh 

They can bend it all they want 

That's why we're waiting 

Waiting on the world to change 

We keep on waiting 

Waiting on the world to change 

It's not that we don't care, 

We just know that the fight ain't fair 

So we keep on waiting 

Waiting on the world to change 

And we're still waiting 

Waiting on the world to change 

We keep on waiting waiting on the world to change 

One day our generation 

Is gonna rule the population 

So we keep on waiting 

Waiting on the world to change 

We keep on waiting 

Waiting on the world to change

"The scariest thing about distance

Is you don't know whether they'll miss you or forget about you."

     - The Notebook

   Coming from someone with a lot of distance relationships, this statement is so very true. I'm sure I have this thought at least once a day for at least three of the people in my life that aren't by my side. And it scares me. It scares me half to death. 

   The thing that gets me through the day is love. "Perfect love drives out fear," 1 John 4:16. I can go on knowing that the love I have received and will always receive from God is enough. A relationship that is meant to live on will live on. One that is not meant to be won't be, and that is something that I and all of us have to except. 

   

   Recently I've gotten hooked on the TV series, Once Upon A Time on nbc. Two of the main characters, Snow White and Prince Charming have a saying. "We will always find each other." In the show they always get separated, but because of love they always find each other in the end. That is the writer's decision. In the same way, it is God's decision who is put in our lives to stay. And I can't wait to see just who that'll be. 

"If I dream dream dream dream Dream dream dream dream It just might be the only time that I'm with you

When I dream dream dream

Dream dream

Oh I dream

Yes I dream

Dream dream

Dream dream

They say that dreams they sometimes do come true"

  - John Legend

@risenapparel

"I am not alone. God is by my side."

Tell them

I want you to think of someone who makes you smile. Now go tell them how much they mean to you. 

Don't get bogged down with the people who make you mad or sad. Those people just need an extra sugar cube in their morning coffee. Instead of focusing your thoughts on the ones who make you unhappy, focus on the ones that make you happy. The ones who love you and you them. Those are the ones who matter. If they don't know that they make you happy, tell them. I'm sure it'll make them happy too. 

" I'm not a

stop along the way, I'm a destination"

- Blair Waldorf


       Yes this is a quote from Gossip Girl, don't judge. No one can deny that they want to matter to someone. And when I say that I don't mean in a "check list" kind of way. I mean the way that matters and will continue to matter forever. I have not met anyone who wants a drive by relationship. There might be those people who have been hurt in their lives that claim otherwise. They may live there life day by day, dumping the people in there life like last years shoes. But I tell you the truth, they want what everyone else wants. Love.

"When you have a bad day,...

a really bad day, treat the world better than it treated you."

- Patrick Stump

   I've come to realize that bad things happen in life. That bad days happen in life. That things won't always go my way. I've had to learn what the popular phrase "turn that frown upside down" actually meant. One cannot physically rotate their mouth into a smile. So what does this mean?

   For me it means that I must first change my heart. If I do not first step back and change my perspective of my current situation, I will get nothing accomplished that day. I must first change my heart to a willing heart. To a heart that understands every aspect. 

   From there I must change my attitude. I have to take all that negative energy coming from the world and channel it into something totally different, something positive. Smiling and being grumpy don't really go together. Try it now. Try and say "bubbles" in an angry voice. It is extremely difficult if not impossible. Same goes for life. You can say you're one way and continue living life in a dreary manor. You might be able to, for a little while, and then slowly but surely your smile turns back into a frown. This is where the attitude comes into play. An attitude is a decision. Once you make the decision to be happy and not just saying you're happy you are allowing that "willing heart" to take over. 

  Finally I act positively. I take my focus off of myself and project it onto some one else. For instance; I would compliment a stranger or start a friendly conversation with a friend. Anything that was working to make someone else's day a little better. And eventually my smile is back, and most importantly it's real. 

   I know this seems like a lot of work just to turn your frown upside down, in the end I've found that its either this chain of events or letting the world get me down. Which do you chose?

Flawfully Flawless

"I myself am made of flaws, stitched together by good intentions. "

We all make mistakes. There's no doubting it. Mistakes don't make you a mistake, they make you who you are. 

Emma Watson

"Don't feel stupid if you don't like what everyone else pretends to love."

Warrior

Warrior

Demi Lovato

This is a story that I've never told

I gotta get this off my chest to let it go

I need to take back the light inside you stole

You're a criminal

And you steal like you're a pro

All the pain and the truth

I wear like a battle wound

So ashamed so confused, I was broken and bruised

Now I'm a warrior

Now I've got thicker skin

I'm a warrior

I'm stronger than ive ever been

And my armor, is made of steel, you cant get in

I'm a warrior

And you can never hurt me again

Out of the ashes,I'm burning like a fire

You can save your apologies, you're nothing but a liar

I've got shame, I've got scars

That I'lll never show

I'm a survivor

In more ways than you know

Cause all the pain and the truth

I wear like a battle wound

So ashamed so confused, I'm not broken, or bruised

Now I'm a warrior

Now I've got thicker skin

I'm a warrior

I'm stronger than I've ever been

And my armor, is made of steel, you can't get in

Im a warrior

And you can never hurt me again

There's a part of me I can't get back

A little girl grew up too fast

All it took was once, I'll never be the same

Now I'm taking back my life today

Nothing left that you can say

Cause you were never gonna take the blame anyway

Now I'm a warrior

Now I've got thicker skin

I'm a warrior

I'm stronger than I've ever been

And my armor, is made of steel, you can't get in

I'm a warrior

And you can never hurt me again

Nooo oooh yeaaah yeaah

You can never hurt me again

Emary Greene

Be actively patient. 

One Good Friend

"I have this theory that as log as you have one good friend, one real friend, you can get through anything. "

   I don't know who said this. I'm not sure if I really care to know. All I know is that, whoever they are, they are absolutely right. I don't know where I'd be without my best friend with me to help guide me, love me, and just be there through thick and thin to support me. If you don't have that person in your life today, I hope you find them soon. 

Let your smile change the world, but don't let the world change your smile. 

Be a voice, not an echo

   It seems that so often we come up with a brilliant idea, but who's idea is it really? We have sparks of genius, moments of service, and find ourselves party to groups of great power. Is that all we have to offer as individuals? Can we not do more? can we not say more?

  Be a voice.
 I wander what the world would be like if each person came up with one idea to make the world better and shared it. How different would our lives be? Would it be that we would no longer thrive in the shadows living and working other people's ideas, other people's dreams? Day after day the majority of us don't speak up. Not really speaking up. Some of us don't even stand for anything to speak about. That is what must change first in order to become a voice rather than an echo.

   In the Marvel Avengers movie, one of the agents, lying on his back dying, calls out the villain, Loki. He tells Loki that he is destined to lose. Loki proceeds to inform this agent on the countless advantages he has over the group of supers. The agent looks him in the eye and replies, "you lack conviction." Those three words can shatter an ego. It may seem to you that your life is wonderful; big house, prosperous job, wonderful spouse, beautiful children, and a dog who loves you. That's all fine and dandy unless "you lack conviction." Whatever it may be, I know for me my conviction lies in my faith. I know that it isn't the same for everyone, but I'll end this point by saying, if you stand for nothing you'll fall for anything.

Don't be an echo.

   This particular half of the quote has a lot of depth. An echo is deceiving. It sounds incredibly similar to the authentic voice when it is in fact a copy of some sort. It lacks originality. I think that is what the speaker of this quote is trying to get at here. Don't be a copy of someone, but instead be you. I think I may have used this quote before, but it seems so relevant here. Dr. Seuss said, "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You."

Michael Jackson

"Will You Be There"

Hold Me

Like The River Jordan

And I Will Then Say To Thee

You Are My Friend

Carry Me

Like You Are My Brother

Love Me Like A Mother

Will You Be There?

Weary

Tell Me Will You Hold Me

When Wrong, Will You Scold Me

When Lost Will You Find Me?

But They Told Me

A Man Should Be Faithful

And Walk When Not Able

And Fight Till The End

But I'm Only Human

Everyone's Taking Control Of Me

Seems That The World's

Got A Role For Me

I'm So Confused

Will You Show To Me

You'll Be There For Me

And Care Enough To Bear Me

(Hold Me)

(Lay Your Head Lowly)

(Softly Then Boldly)

(Carry Me There)

(Lead Me)

(Love Me And Feed Me)

(Kiss Me And Free Me)

(I Will Feel Blessed)

(Carry)

(Carry Me Boldly)

(Lift Me Up Slowly)

(Carry Me There)

(Save Me)

(Heal Me And Bathe Me)

(Softly You Say To Me)

(I Will Be There)

(Lift Me)

(Lift Me Up Slowly)

(Carry Me Boldly)

(Show Me You Care)

(Hold Me)

(Lay Your Head Lowly)

(Softly Then Boldly)

(Carry Me There)

(Need Me)

(Love Me And Feed Me)

(Kiss Me And Free Me)

(I Will Feel Blessed)

[Spoken]

In Our Darkest Hour

In My Deepest Despair

Will You Still Care?

Will You Be There?

In My Trials

And My Tribulations

Through Our Doubts

And Frustrations

In My Violence

In My Turbulence

Through My Fear

And My Confessions

In My Anguish And My Pain

Through My Joy And My Sorrow

In The Promise Of Another Tomorrow

I'll Never Let You Part

For You're Always In My Heart.

Laugh Kookaburra laugh!

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Merry, merry king of the bush is he
Laugh, Kookaburra! Laugh, Kookaburra!
What a life you lead

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Merry, merry, merry little bird is he
Sing, Kookaburra! Sing, Kookabura!
Sing your song for me.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Eating all the gum drops he can see
Stop, Kookaburra! Stop, Kookaburra!
Leave some there for me

Unknown

"Worrying doesn't take away tomorrow's troubles, it takes away today's peace."

Wayne W. Dyer

In Search Of Peace? 

"Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process the world as it is, rather than what you think it should be."

Sonia Ricotti

"Surrender to what is.
Let go of what was.
Have faith in what will be."

Britt Nicole

Hanging On

You see my anxious heart
You see what I am feeling
And when I fall apart
You are there to hold me
How great your love for me
Now I see what You're thinking
You say I'm beautiful
Your voice is my healing

Without You I just can't get by
So I'm

Hanging on to every word You speak
'cause it's all that I need
Hanging on to every word You say
To light up my way
Even every little whisper I'm
Hanging on as if it were my life
I'm hanging on

And when the darkness falls
I can't see what's before me
Your voice is like the dawn
Always there to guide me

Without you I just can't get by
So I'm

Hanging on to every word You speak
'cause it's all that I need
Hanging on to every word You say
To light up my way
Even every little whisper I'm
Hanging on as if it were my life
I'm hanging on

You know me better than I know myself
Better than anybody else
Your love is sounding like a ringing bell
Oh, oh, I won't let go

Hanging on to every word You speak
'cause it's all that I need
Hanging on to every word You say
To light up my way
Even every little whisper I'm
Hanging on as if it were my life
I'm hanging on 

Abraham Lincoln

"Whatever you are, be a good one"


       There are so many different types of people in this world. That does not make one person better than the next. That doesn't make any one talent more valuable than the next. A talent is a talent, no matter how useless it may seem. As the old saying goes, "there are no small parts, just small actors." In the same way there is no small talent. When you are given a talent, use it. Don't just let your talent be an unspoken idea. Draw it out, spell it out, dance it out, speak it out, sing it out, just let it out.

         There is a parable in the Bible that challenges my heart to use the talents God has given me. In the parable a master goes away on a journey. The master entrusts his money, called talents, to three of his servants. However to each servant he entrusted different amounts. To one he gave ten, another five and the last he only gave one. When he returned the servant with ten talents had doubled his amount. The one who had received five also double his talents. While the servant who had received only one had done nothing with his talent. The parable goes on to tell how the master throw that servant out. Because this servant had been afraid to use his talent, he lost his talent. The same goes for us. It isn't a monetary loss like it is in this parable. But the principle still applies. "If you got it, flaunt it." I remember hearing this as a kid and thinking it had some profound meaning. False! It simply means, if you have the ability to do, then do. If you are capable, then be willing. "Whatever you are, be a good one."

         It amazes me that people in my life don't want to get married. That they want to stay single. But hey, if you want to be single then be single. But be a good boyfriend or girlfriend. If you're like me and want to get married then get married. Just be a good wife or husband. Same applies for school. Some people are just not cut out for a higher level of education than high school. That's fine. But don't be a bum. Don't be lazy. Do something that pertains to your strengths. For those of us who their soul purpose of graduating high school was to go to college, then gosh darn it go to college. Yet again don't be lazy. Go with purpose. Go on a mission. Be a good college student. While we are on the topic of students let's talk about kids in general. It is ultimately your decision to have children or not. Some people are not as in touch with their parental instincts so they can not see the benefits of kids. So be it. No one will shun you for your decision. As for parents. This is who wanted to be, so be a good one! Whatever you decide you want to do, do the best you can. Be the best you possibly can. "Whatever you are, be a good one."

"A good friend is a connection to life, a tie to the past, a road to the future, a key to sanity in a totally insane world."

     -Anonymous

A good friend is hard to find.
They are there through thick and thin.
They are there to laugh with you
during which ever one of those is supposed to be good.
They are there to hold you and wipe your tears in the midst of the other.
A good friend knows you the most an d despite your flaws and your past,
 loves you the most.
A good friend is hard to find but harder to keep.
Hold them close to your heart.
Love them. Love them in a different way you love your mother.
Be a good friend to your good friend.
Be the good friend that this quote is talking about.

Don't look back.

You have great things ahead of you. Don't waste your time looking back.

You Are Where You Need To Be

"We fear rejection, want attention, crave affection and dream of perfection."

The hard, honest truth is rejection happens, it's how you take it that sucks or doesn't suck. Life is what you make it. It's like that playground song I used to sing with my friends.

"Nobody likes me.
Everybody hates me.
I think I'll go it worms.
Big fat juicy ones,
eeny weeny Skinny ones.
See how they wiggle and squirm."

The song itself is playful, but take a minute and think. This person, in the song, thinks they are unwanted so they decide to eat worms. They let their irrational fear of rejection control their actions. I know that I too can get discouraged and feel unwanted when I think I've been rejected. But I've had to learn not to get dejected when I've been rejected.

Attention. It's something we all want. Attention isn't a bad thing in and of itself. But when it becomes your sole purpose in life that's when things start to go a rye. If getting attention is your only goal in life, what happens when you fail? We want people to notice us. It becomes a problem when one wants everybody to notice them. It's virtually impossible. You can't and won't get the attention of everyone in the world. So stop trying! Be happy with the people who notice you for you. That's the attention that matters.

I talked about affection in a previous post, so I'll just paraphrase. Affection is of the heart. As a society we have lost the meaning of true affection. As a society we confuse affection with physical pleasure. But the hard stone truth is that affection is not of this world. It is of God's world. It is of God's kingdom. The affection we all crave is found in heaven with our Father.

And lastly perfection. The truth about perfection. IT DOESN'T EXIST!! There may be that perfect date or the perfect hair style. But those things are subjective. Everyone has their own opinion on those things. Therefore something that is perfect for one person could be complete murder to another. There is no perfection on this earth. We can try. We can tire ourselves out searching for it. But we won't find it here.

So if you see yourself in any of these four things. It is natural. It means you're human. But take a step back next time you get discouraged about the way your life is panning out. You are exactly where you need to be.



Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions. When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future. (Ecclesiastes 7:10, 14 NIV)

John Lennon

The more real you get, the more unreal the world gets.

Take that leap of faith

Whie Blank Page

- Mumford and Sons

 

"But tell me now where was my fault,
In loving you with my whole heart?
Oh tell me now where as my fault,
In loving you with my whole heart?"

I love, love, love this song. The first verse starts off listing things that if you are pure, you should be able to answer yes. "Can you lie next to her and give her your heart, your heart? As well as your body. And can you lie next to her and confess your love, your love? As well as your folly. And can you kneel before this king and say, "I'm clean", "I'm clean."

In reality, only a very small portion of our world can truthfully answer any one of these three questions with the response, "yes" But that should not prohibit love. True love. Whole hearted love. If anything, our imperfections drive us to strive for such love. Only, where can we find it? Where do we look? Where can one look and find such love? (If you've read my other posts, you may know where this is going.) There is only one way. Only one path that will get you to what your heart truly desires. That path is God's path.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, ad many enter through it. But small is the gate ad narrow the road that leads to life, ad only a few find it."

- Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

This verse isn’t saying that there are only a select few people that have already been chosen to walk the past, but rather that only few find it because only few look. Only a few look in the right place that is. We as a people are looking for something. We are looking for love and affirmation. Too often we dismiss God’s love. I’m almost certain that the band Mumford and Sons are not a particularly religious band but I can parallel this song and my relationship with God.

“You desired my attention, but denied my affections, my affections.”

In these words I see a world that wants to go to heaven, but is unwilling to accept the undying love our Lord has endowed us. I’m not trying to scare you into loving God back. I’m just trying to help you find what your heart desires.

Think I'm ugly?

Don't live your life trying to please others. You think they're concerned with you. They're not. They're to concerned with themselves. So if everyone is too concerned with themselves, who is concerned with everyone else?

Unknown

"No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care."

Hosea 10:12

"Sow for yourself righteousness,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground,
for it is time to seek The Lord,
until he comes and showers righteousness on you."

I want to use this scripture to inspire you to find God. He desires a relationship with you, all you need to do is uncover the truth for yourself.

I just wanted to share this scripture with everyone. It really hit my heart.

Jude 1:4

"If you think you can't succeed, you've already failed."

Desert Song

"All of my life in every season
You are still God
I have a reason sing
I have a reason to worship"

They sang this song today at my church. I absolutely love it. They changed most of the songs from the traditional songs that I grew up singing to more contemporary styled songs. I had a hard time with it at first. But it's songs like these that may it all okay. So I learned that there is a light in every darkness.

Unknown

You can't create the future by clinging to the past.

Gift of a Friend: Demi Lovato

"Sometimes you think you'll be fine by yourself
Cause a dream is a wish that you make all alone
It's easy to feel like you don't need help
But it's harder to walk on your own

You'll change inside
When you realize

[Chorus:]
The world comes to life
And everything's bright
From beginning to end
When you have a friend
By your side
That helps you to find
The beauty you are, when you open your heart
And believe in
The Gift of a Friend

The Gift of a Friend...

Someone who knows when you're lost,
And you're scared
There through the highs and the lows
Someone to count on, someone who cares
Beside you wherever you go

You'll change inside
When you realize

[Chorus:]
The world comes to life
And everything's bright
From beginning to end
When you have a friend
By your side
That helps you to find
The beauty you are, when you open your heart
And believe in
The Gift of a Friend...

And when your hope crashes down
Shattering to the ground
You, you feel all alone
When you don't know which way to go
And there's no signs leading you home
You're not alone

[Chorus:]
The world comes to life
And everythings bright
From beginning to end
When you have a friend
By your side
That helps you to find
The beauty you are, when you open your heart!
And believe in
When you believe in!
When you believe in...
The Gift of a friend...
Ooh..."

      My heavenly father knows what I need to hear, and He knowsthe melody need to hear it in. One of my all time favorite songs is called "Gift of a Friend", sung by Demi lovato. Friendship is sacred. Don't take advantage of someone. Don't be taken advantage of by anyone. A friend is there for you through the lows, and right by yourside durin the highs. We all have an expectation of our friends. We hol them o a standard that is different from the standard we hold everyone else to. But whatdoes it mean to be a friend?

When you have a friend that is in need of lov and support, what do you do? What does love and support look like? The first verse and chorus of this song is what I would imagine beng a friend to look like. Here it is.

"I can't pretend
To know how you feel
But know that I'm here
Know that I'm real

Say what you want
Or don't talk at all

I'm not gonna let you fall

Reach for my hand
'Cause it's held out for you
My shoulders are small
But you can cry on them too

Everything changes
But one thing is true
Understand
We'll always be more than [just friends]

If you couldn't tell yet, you can't live this life without people around you. Beleve it or not, other people can't live this life without you.

Rascal Flatts: My Wish

"I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,"

     I found the timig that i heard this song inredible. I was struggling to be inspired by any quotes, and even more to findsomething that i could use to encourage others. A shower after a long day usually ca help me think of something. This tim inspiration came after my shower. I turned on my pandora, and bam. the most encouraging songs. I find it amazing how much God speaks to us individually in a way he knows we will hear him. For me I can always hear God's voice throug music. The last line of the verse above from Rascal Flatts song "My Wish", is so simpe yet some impactful. A smile can always light up someone's day. Even if they choose not to acknowledge you or your smile. In the least, smiling can brighten your own day.

Deb Flores

 

"Under grace, we have peace and freedom in Christ."

       At midweek tonight, the women sharing spoke about grace and peace. She talked about the fact that the two things go hand in hand. Once we have grace, we are able to find peace in our hearts.

Anaymous

"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything"

"Never be afraid to fall apart because it is an opportunity to rebuild the way you wish you'd have been all along"

- Rae Smith

John Green

"It hurt because it mattered."

As kind of a follow up to my last post, I find this quote most appropriate. Things only hurt your heart when they matter. The more they matter, the more it'll hurt. I often find myself saying that worth is arbitrary. No one can tell you that it doesn't matter. If it matters to you, it matters! So don't let anyone tell you that a particular situation shouldn't hurt you or that something that is getting under your skin doesn't matter. It matters. Maybe to them, but it matters. You wouldn't be feeling a certain way if it didn't. Of course i am speaking hypothetically, but there is always room to prepare.

The next time someone has the never to tell you your feelings don't matter chop them in the neck so that when they get upset you can just say, "You're alright. It doesn't matter." Okay maybe you don't have to use violence to get your point across. Words can be just as or more effective. I'm hoping that my words will give you a little perspective. don't just push your feelings aside as if they are burdens because some ignorant soul had the audacity to tell you that your emotions don't matter.

In my opinion, the phrase "it doesn't matter" is a way to say "I don't care enough about your problem to help you get through this." That's not a friend. That's not even someone you should be trying to get advice, support or comfort from. That person may be loads of fun. But they do not meet your needs at the moment. Go seek help elsewhere because your hurt matters.

"And in that moment I swear we were infinite."

This is my favorite quote from my favorite book and movie, Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky. I love this book because I feel like I parallel the Main character, Charlie, in so many ways. If you've read the book or seen the movie, I'm not saying I parallel with the decisions he makes or the experiences he has gone through. I parallel to his beliefs.

He is trying to find himself. Like high school students, he seeks security in the friends he makes. When you find someone that totally and completely understands you,  the burdens of life are a little bit easier to bare.  Another quote from the book is a perfect illustration of this.

"And I looked at them. And I think they knew. Not anything specific really. They just knew and I think that's all you can ever ask for from a friend."

I love my friends. I don't know where or who I'd be without them. No matter how much you say you hate people or how much you think people suck. People are the things our hearts desire most. You may not agree. But I want you to look back on the best time of your life. Now think about the influences that made that period of time amazing. People is on the list of things isn't it?

If you're one of thee people that are bitter towards the entire human race, step off your high horse and get over yourself. That might be read more harshly than I mean. I don't mean to sound cross, but the fact is you don't hate people. You love people. What you hate is the fact that you loved them so much and then you got hurt. You hate the fact that you love people but for some reason you end up hurt by them. You hate yourself for "letting" yourself get hurt.  You hate that someone could hurt you and they can just keep living their life as if nothing happened. You don't hate people. You love people. You hate the cruelty of the world. You love people so much that your heart feels like someone cut it open and pour salt in it every time you get hurt, disappointed, or used.

What I'm trying to get at here is, people love people. Whether you wish to accept the fact that people matter to you or not, they do. We as need people. It's the one thing every single person has in common. So surround yourself with people you love. Because when you find the people you love and that love you, you'll be infinite.

Yoda

"Do or do not, there is no try."

I've found that when people verbalize "I'll try" they often leave are implying the following: "I don't want to" or "do it yourself" or very simply "definitely not".  The word try is not a conformation for any sort of commitment. It's either a yes or a no. Simple as that. When you say that you are going to try at something you have no confidence in yourself.

John Green

 "Maybe our favorite quotations say more abot us than the storiesand people we're quoting..."

Huh...

It's been a while since ive posted anything. I'm going to make up for it though, don't worry.

"When you fall for someone's personality, everything about them becomes beautiful."

Douglas Molloch

    This poem by Douglas Molloch is so inspiring. It really shifts a persons perspective. It reminds that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It reminds me not to give when I'm going through a rough time. It's a reminder the God gives his roughest battles to his toughest solider. Read it and comment what you take away from it.

"The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing...
Good timber does not grow with ease
The stronger the wind, the stronger the tree."

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."

- Perks of Being a Wallflower

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what other think you are."

      - John Wooden

" A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success."


                                                                                                - Unknown

    I walk away from this with a new perspective on friendship. Specifically starting new friendships. The initial thought before the action of pursuing a new relationship. I've recently realized that I feel a sense of self importance when making someone else feel important.
  When you see someone thats discouraged or disheartened, go encourage them. When you someone that is alienated, pull them in. If you notice that the person at school or work is just not talkative, go talk to them. I used to be that quiet person that only spoke when spoken to. When someone finally brought me in; talked to me, listened to me, encouraged me, I felt so important. Even if it was just for a quick moment, every word exchanged meant the world.
   When you praise a victors success you are only feeding an ego fire. I'm not saying don't congratulate them on their success. I'm saying don't dwell on it. Going back to the perspective of pursuing new friendships. Don't spend more time in conversation with the successful person just because they are in fact successful.
  Try this. Try remembering a time when you were not at your peak. A time when you would give anything for a compliment, a hug, a smile, any kind of encouragement. Now think about what a difference it would have made to you. Now imagine the difference you can make in another person life that is in a similar position. A single word of encourage can change a person's life.
   When I was younger I had a camp counselor that told us this personal story:

   She was in middle school. She had a horribly terrible home life. Her best friends had just dumped her and left her for not. She walked home everyday because no one could pick her up. She had decided. After the bell had rang for school to end, she went to her locker like she did every day. She put as much as she could in her back pack and proceded to taking the rest of her stuff to carry in her arms. She then started her trip home. The weight of all the school supplies was hard to control in her small arms. Then out of the trees she heard a voice. "Do you need some help with that? Where are you headed?"
    She didn't reply. The stranger walked up to her and grabbed a hold of a sizable amount of the pile. They then walked with her all the way to her house. They talked and laughed. When they finally arrived the stranger, who was a little less strange, stayed and they continued to talk and laugh. It turned out that they went to school together. When the time came, the stranger went home. The two of them became very close friends. She told us that they were still friends at the time she was my counselor. She ended the story with a dialoge between them. Years after that walk home she confessed to them that they had saved her life. She went on to explain that she had cleaned out her locker because she had planned to commit suicide that night. She thanked them. They both shed many tears. Tears of happiness mostly.

A word of encouragement can change someone's life. It maybe even save it.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

" For our light and momentary troubles are acheiving for us an eterenal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

I've been a little lost. I'm finding my way back, one step at a time.

- Me

It's been almost a week since I've posted anything. Sometimes inspiration is lacking and reality is too real to handle. All your not yet conquered dreams become your failures. All the people around you become your enemies. All of your hopes become your nightmares. Give it three days. I heard once that it takes three days for your perspective to change. Only then can your world  flipped right side up again.

"Yes I'm wishing my life away with these things I'll never say."      -Avril Lavigne

Neil Barringham

"The grass is greener where you water it."

"Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections."

- Gerard Way

   If only perfect people were happy, this would be an extremely unhappy world. Happiness is a choice not a privilege. We can choose to take a situation that appears awful and make it wonderful. By simply taking every possible once of joy in a terrible situation, you allow yourself to be happy. It's really that simple. BE HAPPY. Don't just expect to have happy moments thrust upon you all day everyday. That's not how it works, you have the option to pout about anything.

   I know for me its so easy to find something to complain about in any situation if i choose to. It's just as easy to look for a positive. There will always be something that you can choose to be mad or sad about. The question I have for you now is are you going to be sad, mad, or glad? Are you going to sit around sulking, waiting for the perfect life to fall into lap? Only then will you allow yourself to be happy?

Kid President

"Don't be in a party, BE A PARTY!"

I love this kid! So much insight in such a little body. Look him up on YouTube. His videos are all about being the change, not being boring, and everyone being friends with one another. Kid President is my definition of inspiration.

"Sometimes the things we can't change end up changing us."

- Anonymous

   I feel at times that God is putting me in the most incredibly ridiculous, impossible situations. I often ask myself, why this god? Why not something else, something better? But the truth is, this is BETTER. God knows what he is doing in my life and in yours. It's defintitely easier said to belive than done. Just take each hurdle at a time with the proper amount of steps in between.
   Admit you are in a place you don't quite understand. Admit it to yourself. Don't make some big public announcement. You'll just end up making the situation something it's not. Once you yourself have come to terms with your discontent, seek guidance from the only one who can help.
   By turning to God you allow yourself to be humbled. There are ministeps within this step. Pray about it. Talk to someone you trust. Pray again and again and again. Pray with someone else. Talk with people. Talking to people is like hereing God's voice answering your prayer. In the midst of all this praying and talking, hopefully, you can accept the situation you're in.
  Now you can choose to grow from it or let it fester in your heart and control your thoughts and actions. the choice is yours. Just remember, "If you're not growing, you're dead", Anthony Robbins.



***If you're reading this and you're not the slightest bit religious, get on it! If you are going through a rough time and don't how to get out, the Church of Christ is the best, and only place to turn to. Prepareto be welcomed with opened arms, taken care of and mostimportantly be ready to be inspired by the word of God.***

Earl Nightingale

" Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it.

The time will pass anyway."

"If you don't like where you are, move. You're not a tree.

- Jim Rohn

   

I love the sass in this. He makes it sound so easy. Just get up and move. This is like a right hand to my previous post about Ghandi's quote, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." I say right hand because it does have its differences. Unlike Ghandi, Rohn approaches this scenario as unchangeable. I am a firm believer that sometimes it just comes to removing yourself from a situation. When in doubt, walk out.

   Why stay in a situation that is only destructive for you physically or characteristically? Sometimes the best, and in terrible cases, the only thing to is get yourself out!! Don't stay in a harmful situation. Let me paint you this picture:

 

A gang member, let's call him Chris. He joined the gang as a really young boy, around the age of 13. He is now 18, legal adult. He wants to get his life together. Chris has a problem though. These guys are like his family. Chris is a good soul, he wants to try and change all of their lives. Every so often he'd suggest that they enroll into classes at the community college or get a respectable job. But his family just wasn't feeling it. It got to a point that they were so sick of Chris' positivity; they became very violent towards Chris. Eventually every time he opened his mouth they'd hit him, sometimes before he even said anything. One day, when Chris finally surrendered to the fact that they weren't interested in changing for the better, he decided he wasn't going to stand by and let his own life fall apart. He got help getting out o the gang, moving cities, and starting a new, better life.

  Now, I may have just made that up, but it's that simple. In the story Chris was not happy with the lifestyles of the people around him. He tried to change it. When that was no longer an option, he took off. It comes down to this: when you've done all you can with no results, it’s time to MOVE on. You're not a tree.

Holding On: Verse 1

"All the signs of life
They’re all around me with every heartbeat":
      Life is happening. We can't do much about that, but we can chose we do in our life time. We can live to the full, or we can sulk around and wish that the bad things have happened to us in the past didn't. We can chose to live selfishly or give selflessly. Life is happening. There's a quote floating around in my head, the name escapes me at the moment. It's a pretty recognizable quote. "People change, things go wrong. Just remember, life goes on."


"I feel so alive,
I am joy and sadness,
Peace and madness":
      In my opinion, this sums up the majority of everyone's existence. The ups and downs that come with life can be describe quite simply as "joy and sadness, peace and madness." Far too often we get down on ourselves. We lose hope. We lose or peace of mind. We lose sight of what's important. But, of course we don't want the world to see our weaknesses. We don't want the rest of the world to know that we are miserable inside. So what is there to do except hide it. We put on a front and let everyone believe that we are perfection. Our face may be peaceful, but our mind is brimming with madness. What do we do?

"If only I can fight just a little longer
I know It’s gonna make me stronger":
      We fight. We fight like crazy. We hold on to what shred of faith we have left. Or at least we try to. I hold on to the lord. I know that if i just hold on, that if I don't give up on Him, He won't give up on me. I take all the faith I have left and I tie it around the waste of God and hold on. Because I know, without a doubt in my mind, it WILL make me stronger. He WILL make me stronger. I WILL be stronger.

          

"Holding On" by Jamie Grace

               I'm going to try something new. I'm going to semi-analyze a song that has really made an imprint on my schema and totally shifted my paradigm of life. I've picked a song by my favorite Christian artist, Jamie Grace, to start. Even her name lifts me up, Jamie Grace. I used to listen to this song a lot whenever felt like giving up. Whenever I failed to pursue my dreams and goals. Whenever I felt insignifcant or alone. It reminds me to hold on to God, on to hope; and to hold on to the will to be strong. Here are all the lyrics, I'll go more in depth in later posts. Hope these words can inspire you like they did me.

"Holding On"

[VERSE 1:]
All the signs of life
They’re all around me with every heartbeat
I feel so alive,
I am joy and sadness,
Peace and madness
If only I can fight just a little longer
I know It’s gonna make me stronger
[CHORUS:]I just keep holding on to what I believe
Oh, I believe in you
Give me the strength to fight
And the heart to believe
When it’s hard to believe in you
[VERSE 2:]
Oh and these are the times when doubt’s tryin’ to creep in
And I need a reason that’s larger than life when hope seems hard to find
If only I can fight just a little longer
I know it’s gonna make me stronger
[CHORUS:]
So I just keep holding on to what I believe
Oh, I believe in you
Give me the strength to fight
And a heart to believe
When it’s hard to believe
I’ll just keep holding on, holding on, holding on
Give me the strength to fight
And the heart to believe
When it’s hard to believe in you
Oh oh oh oh oh
When it’s hard to believe in you
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh, I wanna believe

If only I can fight just a little longer
I know I’ll be stronger

[CHORUS:]So I’ll just keep holding on, holding on, holding on
I’ll just keep holding on, holding on
I’ll just keep holding on to what I believe
Oh, I believe in you
Give me the strength for the fight
And the heart to believe
Cause I’ve got to believe
I’ll just keep holding on, holding on, holding on
Give me strength for the fight
And the heart to believe
'Cause I’ve got to believe in you
Oh oh oh oh oh
Yeah I’ve got to believe in you
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh, yeah I feel so alive.

Marilyn Monroe

"So keep your head high, keep your chin up, ad most importantly, keep smiling. Because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about."

"To love another person is to see the face of God."

- Herbert Kretzmer
( The cast of Les Miserables)



      I love love love this. I can't even fathom what God might possibly look like. This lyric is filled with so much power for me due to that fact. All it takes to see the face of God is to love another person. I initially thought that this was a pretty imple. But once i sat down and truly study out what it means to love I was proved wrong. I'm going to break down my train of thought.
   What is love?:
   Love is fearless. When is the last time you can say you loved someone fearlessly? I know I can count the number of people I have event attempted to love fearlessly on one hand. When you love something or someone, you go all in. No regrets, no second guesses.
   Love is patient. How easily do you lose your patience? How often a day do you lose your patience with someone you "love"? Along those lines, love is tolerant. You do not have to agree with someone to love them. You simply have to take the time, have patience, and understand their opinion. It's like that old saying, walk a mile in their shoes.
   Love is selfless. How long ago was it that you did something that was completely selfless? Or even remotely selfless? With selflessness comes humility.
   Love is humble. Pride overwhelms our thoughts as well as our actions. When you strive for humility, you take yourself off of that high horse you've been parading around on. You see everything in a new light. Bringing yourself down to the level of everyone else allows you to truly love them. Be completely humble.
   Love is truthful. What good comes from lying? No good, no good at all. Lying creates trust craters. I'm going to get biblical, but it's the foundation of my life. 1 Corinthians 13:6; Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
   Love protects. Even a child can understand that their father loves them, so he will protect them from the monsters under the bed.Or the boogie man in the closet. Or as a young lady, they know that when her heart gets broken someone's face is going to get broken. Or the knowledge that a best friend has got your back through thick and thin. That's love.
   Love trusts. Always. I heard a story about a man and woman who had been married for a lifetime. The woman had no secrets with the man except for a shoe box. She told him to never look inside it, and respectively he didn't. The woman became very ill in her old age, she told the man to go into the closet and bring the box to her. Even with the box in his hand, the man never opened the box. He trusted and loved her so much that he gave her that one little box that for decades he never knew the contents.
   Love is hopeful. Period. love is hopeful.
   Love perseveres. Don't give up on love. When you really love someone you don't quit at the first sign of trouble. You fight like crazy. You do whatever it takes to keep that love alive. No matter how hard it is to keep the flame, or how much you don't want to love them. Love is inevitable. You can't fight it. Once you accept that fact, you fight like crazy to get it back, to perfect it so to speak.
  Love never fails. It's never a bad thing to love people. In the end love is the only way. The only way to break barriers. The only way to move pass disagreements. When in doubt, love.
   Love is vulnerable. I know for me I shutter at the word. To love someone, you have to be vulnerable with them. I'm talking to myself on this one. It takes every fiber of my being to be even slightly vulnerable with anyone. It's that step, that leap of faith, that is love.
It's all of these minor things that add up to be love. It's all of these things that create the image of God's face. It's all of these things that are the puzzle pieces of life. Love is fearless, patient selfless, humble, truthful. Love protects and trusts. Love is hopeful. It perseveres and never fails. Love is vulnerable. Love is the face of God.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

 -Ghandi

There are no such things as mind readers. No one is just going to know what you want to be different. If you want the world to be a nicer place, be nice. If you want the world to happier, be happy. If you want world peace, be peaceful. If you don't want the world to be selfish, be selfless. The list goes on.

I watched this movie a while back called "Pay It Forward". A little boy, played by Haley Joel Osment, started it up as an English assignment for school. He was unhappy with how the world treated people. He went out and performed random acts of kindness, he then told the recipient to "pay it forward". It's like pay back, which is negative, turned positive. He knew the world wasn't just going to change flat out, so he took baby steps. He saw the need for change and did something about.

It should be the same for us. We all wish the world was different. That's exactly what complaints are. But now I am challenging you to, instead of complaining, turn that complaint into an action. Be the change. Live life the way you want it to be. Every charitable organization started with someone or a group of people who weren't satisfied with what life around them was like. They saw a need and they met it.

The founder of TOMS combined the American obsession with shoes to help the less fortunate kids in Africa that have the luxury of a new pair of shoes. He saw their need and he went after it. He, like so many do, could have simple looked past it, felt pity and moved on with his life. But he didn't. He took is disdain and turned it into a productive action.

Productive. Proactive. Integral. Efficient. Whatever you want to call it. Just do it! Be the change you wish to see! Don't wait around for someone to do it for you. Don't wait until someone grabs you by the hand and walk you down a better path. Clean up the path you're on!

John Lennon

      "When I was five years old my mother always told me that happiness was the to life. When i went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down "happy". They told me i didn't understand the assignment, and i told them they didn't understand life."

    Happiness. That's all anyone really wants. It's different for everyone. It's the same for everyone.

"People inspire you, or they drain you- pick them wisely."

- Hans F. Hansen          

        Profound. Far too often we get caught up with the people around us. We live a life according to how people see us and how we see other people. As a young girl my mother gave me some perspective on friends. She said, "We become the people we surround ourselves with." I try to live every minute of my life with this thought in my head. I use "try" strongly. Of course we've all made mistakes. But I have I've striven to surround myself with the people who inspire me, not the people who weigh me down. 

      Who would you rather call a friend, someone who encourages you daily or someone that you have to pull teeth just to get a small compliment of approval? Someone who loves you and others around you or someone that tolerates you when you're around them? Someone that goes after relationships or someone you constantly have to chase to keep their minimal attention. A friend is someone who will spur you onto greatness. It should not be a tiresome task. Or a "one way street". Don't hold on to someone who is draining you of your happiness, your freewill, your sense of judgment, and in some cases even yourself. 

       I'm not telling you to dump everyone in your life that doesn't love you enough. I'm simply encouraging you to relieve yourself of the unnecessary stress and turmoil of a bad relationship. Don't set yourself up for the pain and disappointment that comes with a one sided relationship.

     The first time I read this quote I immediately thought of all the good friendships in my life. The ones that have inspired and continue to inspire me to be a better me. I look back on the ones that drifted apart, like friendships often do with distance and time, and I realized that I have only fond memories. I remember all the birthday parties and the laughs. I remember the meals and the movie nights. I remember the frates and the girls' nights. And most of all I remember the love. It's the friendships with all of these memories that we should hold on to. A relationship shouldn't drain you. If it does, it's time for you to do some reevaluating.

Be Inspired

 

 

           

                 Let me start by telling you a little bit about myself.

I am just a girl with an abundance of opinions, thoughts an feelings that I love to express through my writing, paintings, and photographs. I love inspiration. I love to be inspired by something someone says or does, even if I only stay inspired for a short time. I love to inspire people, knowingly or unknowingly. My goal for this blog is to inspire people. I will pick a quote daily; being something I read or something profound that I heard that hit my heart, and I will write about it. Some days i'll just put the quote and let you meditate on it yourself. I hope that when you read my words you will be inspired.

                  

                                                                                 Happy reading, Em