For some strange reason...

I just LOVE storms. I love the rain pouring down, the wind, the lightening and the loud thunder. It reminds me of God's powerfulness....

Websites

I just realized that I don't think I have ever linked to my websites. Anyhow, I thought I would :-)

Here is the movie website: www.remembermethemovie.webs.com

Here is my hedgehog website: www.pricklesnquills.com

For those of you who don't already know, I breed hedgehogs and am co-directing a movie =D

Oh, and although I don't have a ton of good pictures up yet, here is my deviantart: http://justatestforaminute.deviantart.com/

I like to take pictures with my little camera....they're not that good, but I enjoy taking them nonetheless =)

=D I am happy.

I got my license. Actually, the lady didn't make me do anything but the driving test. I didn't even have to do a sign test. I bet she was just lazy...but I sure wasn't about to remind her, haha!

My mom is trying to talk me into taking my sisters out to the movies tonight. Not sure if that will happen or not, but it does feel nice to be able to do a lot more with out depending on my parents.

I feel like baking something. haha. Ohhhh...key lime pie sounds good =D

Yep: It never gets old

Like Wesley said: it never gets old. God's amazing goodness never gets old to me. I keep posting on it, so maybe my posting and inability to describe Him gets old....but if only you could feel what I do. Maybe you do. It if you do, maybe you can relate?

I need to spend a long time in my Bible tonight. I hate it when I get 'busy' and it feels like I am unfair to God. Like seriously. My best friend ever[who also SAVED MY LIFE], doesn't ever deserve to be on the back burner. But no matter how unfair or sinful I get, He always stays faithful. I don't think that I could ever get a best friend that could possibly be better than that! Yes, I have many friends that I love dearly, many that are faithful, loyal and that I trust so much, but they are still sinners like myself and they can never be perfect. What a privilege to have the only perfect being in the world that is and wants to be my best and most perfect friend!

I'm excited!!

Tomorrow I am going to try and get my license. I could have gotten it about a week ago, but with movie camp and all, I didn't really have time. I do hope I pass =/ Other than that, I don't have that much to talk about.... I want to make a nice, deep post soon...when I have time ;)

I really want to be really challenged by someone right now. I just want one of my friends who tend to challenge me to do so. I'm not sure why.

Just so you know...

...I greatly enjoyed the drama camp performance. I could not stop laughing. =) Good job everyone =D

Oh my!

I think yesterday was the best birthday I ever had. It was a simple day and I didn't do all that much...it was the people in my life that made it amazing. I'm so thankful. I stayed up until 1am reading my Bible and praying for each of my friends.

I think I'm going to do a 2 week or 16 day blog series. I want to post a verse everyday focused on what God wants us/me to pursue and focus on in life. Because: 'If you don't have something to stand for, you will fall for everything'. Yes, that came to me at 1am this morning. =) And I want that to be my focus this year.

Anywho...I better get off the computer. I need to leave so I can go babysit and then go do some filming at the Sweigart's house!

I'm 15 for a moment...

...caught in between 10 and 20
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live.....

Yes, this is my last day being 15. These lyrics from 100 years by Five For Fighting have always reminded me to be content with where I am in life. They also remind me that while I don't need to be immature, I shouldn't try to grow up too fast....just be content with where God puts me. =)


Oh, and I wanted to share this picture from Cow Appreciation Day last Friday. It isn't not uploading in very good quality for me though...hmm. This is the only picture I got...I wish I would have taken more! But anyhow, it was fun to dress up as cows and get free food with a group of friends =) I'm in the back left...mostly covered up by the rest of the 'herd'. A little boy who was also at Chick-fil-a dressed up as a cow saw our big group and said "Hey mommy! Look, there is a whole herd of cows!" Haha, very funny =)

He even cares about the little things

You know what I find so incredibly awesome? That the God that created this entire world and the God that sustains life even cares about my little silly prayers. He even listens to those prayers that I think 'don't even matter'. Isn't is incredible that He cares about me that much? It reminds me that no prayer is too small or unimportant to Him!

Frusterated with myself

I am frustrated with myself. I spent a few hours with friends today(before and after church) and I 'wasted' a lot of time. I seriously was planning on having very intentional conversations with several people, but it just sort of slipped my mind. Instead I spent time talking about things that do not matter. I love it when a friend challenges me in a particular area of my life...I love being challenged to grow my character or in Godliness, etc... But if I want people to do that for me, I need to be doing that for others as well...a relationship takes two people ;-) Bottom line, I should have invested my conversations more wisely. Sitting here now, I think of several times when I could have been encouraging someone, praying for them or challenging them in some way.

And, to think I stand in church and wholeheartedly worship Christ, sit and listen to a fantastic message and then I come out of service and talks about material things or just have some little small talk. And no, what I was talking about was not wrong or sinful, it just wasn't the best and wisest use of my time. It really goes to show how Biblical fellowship is so uplifting and is so worth it. I am gifted to have so many friends that are an amazing example to me. There is so much wisdom and so much for me to learn from, how silly am I sometimes to not pursue these opportunities to grow in what really matters. =\

Oh gosh, I love you people. Don't know what I'd do without you in my life. =) Have a fantastic Sunday afternoon....

I stole this. but it is funny. =)

1. Start your list with the number 1 and then go from there.
2. Use original and memorable words to describe your list like "key" and "great."
3. Never at any point give in to the creeping fear that your list isn't necessary.
4. Use humor, act witty but if you can't write a short statement which will appear profound.
5. Do it.
6. Save your best, "gotcha" item for last. The second-to-last item can be a throw-away.
7. Never, never do more or less items than you originally promised.
8. Enjoy the process!

My God.

My God is holding me in His arms and He will never let me go. He will always be faithful...isn't that comforting to know?

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Michael Jackson, wisdom teeth and kindergarten....

I am sick and tired of hearing all this talk about Michael Jackson's death. He is being treated like some God-like figure and it is disgusting and creepy to me. Seriously, it is scary how many people worship this guy. I really am sorry about his death, but: he's just a man that died. Everyone dies....not anything too uncommon happened here, eh? I don't know...this is just really bugging me. Does anyone else agree with me?

So...I have to get my wisdom teeth out next month. I'm not too scared about it, but I also am not looking forward to it. =/ Today I had to go for a little consultation thingy. I'll be getting them out a few days before the youth day in August...I just hope I feel well enough to go!

Oh, and at the dentist, I happened to run into a guy I went to kindergarten with(and hadn't seen him since then)....oh the memories! I've been wanting to have a kindergarten reunion. I think it would be really neat to see all those people now....like 11 years later. For those of you who don't know, I went to private school for k-2nd grade. ;)

Ok, that's it. I'm having little posting spurt now I guess ^_^ Peace.

This is perplexing to me....

Regina Spektor has a fantastic voice and musical style, in my opinion. But, unfortunately a lot of her music is not the best(content wise). Josh Harris and his brothers, Alex and Brett, posted about her new single on their blog today. It's very strange to see this song come from a secular artist like her. Not to judge her heart, but I do not believe she is Christian. Josh Harris said:

I listened to Regina Spektor's haunting song "Laughing With" several times today. I don't know Regina's personal religious beliefs, but I think she's written a powerful song. To me the song speaks of the fact that suffering strips away our flippant attitude towards God. We can laugh at God when all is well or when we encounter a caricature of him, but when tragedy strikes we're confronted with the reality that we're helpless. "No one laughs at God in a hospital."

I don't know what I think of this song. I do think it's powerful and Josh Harris's thoughts are interesting. But I'm not sure if I read the song that same way. I do agree with him about how the world reacts to tragedy... though sometimes it seems to be the opposite. Like, it seems like our culture only notices or thinks about God when something bad happens, but when everything is fine and dandy, God never enters their mind. But maybe those thoughts do agree, they just touch different angles of the issue.

I am still perplexed by this song. I haven't decided what I think her purpose is. Does anyone have thoughts to share? Maybe her own song will speak to her? Or maybe God already has and the result is this song? What does she mean in the very last line(we're all laughing with God)? Anyways, here is the video and lyrics:

EDIT: I can't make the embedded video be small enough for my blog, so here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rov3pV9PsRI&eurl=http%3A%2F%2

"Laughing With" Lyrics:

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one's laughing at God when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet

No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake
No one's laughing at God when they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they're mistaken
No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say "We've got some bad new, sir,"
No one's laughing at God when there's a famine, fire or flood

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they've lost all they got and they don't know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize that the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one's laughing at God when they're saying their goodbyes

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God in a hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war

No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We're all laughing with God

What has been up with me recently?

I have had a busy life this past week. Part of the reason I haven't been posting as much is because I've been trying to limit my computer time and spend more time doing more uplifting stuff and trying to make wiser uses of my time. I'm tired of not doing my best in everything I do and I have decided to try and greatly improve that(only by God's grace of course). I want everything I do to be done to my 100%. I know I'm not perfect and I can never be however, I know I could improve a lot in a lot of areas and honor God and bring glory to Him a lot more.

Anyways. I didn't do anything special for July 4th. I worked for 9 hours....and that's about all. On Sunday I worked in Children's ministry and then we had the Herlihys over for lunch and the Bells over for dessert that evening. Both families were great fun to have over!

Samantha, Olivia and I had a hilarious time making some funny videos. Maybe if I edit them and they are half way good, I'll post them. =D

I am almost 16. Woohoo!

That's it. Have a stellar day =P

Phantom of the Opera

We went to go see Phantom of the Opera in downtown Charlotte today. It was really interesting. The first half of it was fantastic and the second half perplexing. I couldn't figure out the ending of it until I got home and googled the story line, haha. Anyways, I love going to see plays and musicals and such. I think it would be so fun to be in the cast of some big production like that.