Hope From A Flower (A story by me).

Not so long ago, there was a young man and woman who planted a garden. All they had to start out with was one seed. They placed the seed in the most fertile soil, the thickest and richest you could ever sift through your fingers. They took time out of their day to water it and fertilize it every day. They shielded it from overwatering/flooding, and made sure it was never too dry.

Over time, the seed grew into a tiny, green sprout. The young couple kept their constant care and watch over this little plant. They knew it was delicate and needed extra care to make it grow just right. Then, the sprout became a light green stem with leaves. A little while after that, a bud appeared at the top of this strong stem. The couple continued to pour their love into this small plant. It took longer than they thought, but the bud finally opened and brought forth the most beautiful deep purple flower, and it was called Lisianthus. The couple had cared for it very well as the beautiful flower had developed, and they now thought it was time to send it to someone whom they thought needed hope from its beauty. They remembered that they had a younger neighbor down the street who had broken her arm. 

The young woman tenderly dug up the flower, careful to lift up all of its roots as well, and placed it all into a light brown ceramic pot. She grabbed a little baggy of plant food, and had bought a small watering can for their neighbor. Then, she was on her way down the street!

She knocked on the girl's door. The younger girl answered, with a grim smile on her face. She seemed to be in her lower twenties. "Come in," she said with a piece of depression in her eyes. The women talked with one another for a little while. The woman said to the girl after a while, "I've brought you something I hope will cheer you up!" The girl took the pot from the woman's hands and thanked her. After a few more minutes of small talk, the woman left. The girl took the flower, with a little bit of trouble because of her cast, and placed it on the kitchen counter next to the beautiful silver sink and walked out of the room. 

Lisianthus was left all alone. She thought to herself, "Oh, she'll be back to water and feed me, I'm sure of it!" She waited . . . And waited . . . Hours later, the girl reappeared. She made herself dinner and ate it at the kitchen table all by herself. It was quiet except for the occasional muttering she would make, "Oh, if only I were healed again" or "Oh, if I only had a husband to help me." Lisianthus felt sad for the poor girl. "Maybe I can make her happy!" she thought. She also thought that maybe the girl would see her and remember to feed and water her. But the girl just walked right past her, washing the dishes and putting them in the dish washer. After she closed the dish washer, the girl looked up to see the flower sitting perfectly still in the pot. She said to herself, "Oh, I'll give it a little water, it looks healthy enough." She filled the small watering can halfway full and watered the thirsty plant. After the girl walked out of the room, Lisianthus gave a tiny sigh of relief. "She didn't forget me after all! Maybe she'll be good to me. I hope I can make her happy."

The next day, the girl was late for work, so she grabbed a granola bar and a bottle of water, and ran out of the door in a hurry, forgetting to feed or water the flower. For hours, poor Lisianthus waited for the girl to return, but she didn't come back until midnight that night. The girl had been to a party, and she had brought a man home with her. The man got the girl into her room, and closed her door. He looked over to see the flower, and grabbed it. The flower awoke to a start, for even flowers sleep, and became scared. Who was this strange man? Where was he taking her? "I didn't even have the chance to make the girl happy!" 

The man started his car and flung the flower into the passenger seat. Dirt bounced off into the leather seat of the convertible he was driving, causing the flower to gasp. The man didn't seem to hear her, though, as he sped away. His driving was reckless, and the car smelled of something strange that Lisianthus didn't recognize. Suddenly, he made a sharp turn that caused his car to flip over on its side. Lisianthus and the pot flew out of the window, breaking glass and spilling shards of it everywhere as it landed on the side of the road. Grass had cushioned her fall, but even so, the pot cracked underneath her. The air was chilly, and it was dark outside. Flashing lights came and went, paying no attention to her. She whimpered. "Maybe someone will come to help me," she cried. Within a few hours, she gradually faded into slumber. 

What seemed like minutes later but was really several hours later, she woke up with a start. It had started to pour rain, and there was no shelter to protect her. In minutes, her pot would be flooded. Indeed it did flood, and she felt like she was drowning. When she felt like she could breathe no more, the sun peeked out of the clouds. She sighed of relief, because she knew that the sun was good; it would dry up most of the water in her pot. The sun did dry up the pot, days later, but it was to the point where her pot became too dry. She needed water! And soon. She tried to cry out for help, but of course humans can't hear flowers talk. 

Over the course of the week, she remained on the grassy side of the road. People walked past her every day; they would look at her, but none of them did anything to help her. The green grass beneath her, her leaves, and her beautiful deep purple petals became a nasty brown color, and shriveled up. She gradually became more tired. "Am I going to die?" her voice was barely audible. She was scared to think so, but if it was to happen, she would rather die than have to live out here and be so miserable. 

All of a sudden, a ragged old man was walking on the side of the road and stopped in front of the flower. He whispered a "wow!" to himself, seeing the once beautiful flower now wilted and shriveled up from the lack of care and attention that it needed. "Poor thing, I'll take you home with me," he told the flower. He picked up the flower along with her cracked pot and kept walking. He came across some men who looked like him: dusty and dirty, some of them toothless in the front. They laughed at him and called him a "tree hugger" and a "flower child." He said to them, "This poor flower has been through a lot; I'm going to restore it and protect it as long as it lives." The men laughed at him again, calling the flower a helpless cause. "It's just one stupid flower!" they chimed. But the old man kept on walking, not seeming to care about what they said. 

They reached his home, which was almost a shack of a place. He opened the fragile wooden door, and entered into his kitchen. He placed the flower down by his own sink, which was also as old and cracked as he was. She noticed that he was all alone. The old man walked out of the room for a few minutes. Lisianthus was scared and thought to herself, "He's just going to mistreat me like those other people have. Nobody can help me now; I've shriveled up to nothing. Even if he does try to get me well again, what good is a flower like me anyway? I just sit and look pretty; I don't do anything special or useful." The old man walked back into the kitchen; in his right hand, he had a plastic watering can and in his left, some fertilizer. He fertilized the plant and watered it, and he did that every single day. He was careful not to overwater/feed her, but made sure she had enough. The old man replaced the cracked pot with a brand new one. He poured his love into her every day. 

Finally, she did get better, and was as beautiful as she had been before. The old man continued to take care of her, even though she was better, because he knew that flowers are delicate things that should be taken care of constantly. One day, he thought out loud to the flower, "I have a little neighbor girl that lives next door who has a broken leg; I bet she would really love to have you sit in her room." Lisianthus was scared. What if she didn't want her? What if she was mistreated again? What if she didn't do what she was supposed to do? The old man picked up the pot and cradled it in his wrinkled and spotted arms as he walked out of his door, which seemed to say to her, "Nevermind that, trust me."

He knocked on another old wooden door similar to his, and a middle-aged woman answered. She welcomed him in with a genuine, smiling face and they talked for a few minutes. Then, he presented her with the potted flower, and she gasped. "It's beautiful!" she cried. "Oh, Mary would absolutely love it. That flower would brighten that dull and desperate room of hers." She took the flower and gently carried it to the child's room. Mary, the girl, who seemed to be about eight years old, was sitting up on her bed. She had been crying and the tears stained on her face were evidence of that. The woman set Lisianthus down on a small bedside table beside her. "Look what Mr. Ben brought for you!" she exclaimed with genuine delight. "Isn't that nice of him?" The little girl nodded, scrubbing the tears off of her face to hide her sadness. The woman left the room, and Lisianthus was alone with Mary. "I hope I can do my job well," she thought to herself. 

The girl stared at Lisianthus for a long time, not seeming to be affected by her beauty. Then, she smiled. A genuine smile. She grabbed a piece of paper, and started drawing. Then she laughed after she had finished. She was happy again! Lisianthus was beaming. She had done her job well, thanks to the old man who had found her and made her well and beautiful again. 

-- This is a story I came up with laying on my bed this afternoon. Lisianthus, the flower, represents each person on earth. No matter how strong you think you are, people are very delicate, just like flowers are. The people she was given to at first represent the sin in our world. The flower was mistreated and fell into the world of sin. Unlike the flower, we are all sinners. The old man who rescued her and restored her represents Jesus; He restores us even in a fallen world, and calls us to Himself to have a deep, intimate relationship with Him. Then, after He restores us, He sends us back out into the world for a special job, like the old man "gave" to Lisianthus: to give hope to others, by telling others about Christ, spreading the Gospel and making disciples. I hope this story encourages you!

Dedicated To My Mom.

In about 18 minutes from the time I started writing this post, it will be my mom's birthday. (I won't tell you how old she is! *wink*) For the almost twenty years I've been alive, there has NEVER been a time when I doubted her love for me. She has always, ALWAYS been there for me, supported me in everything I've ever done and so much more . . . If I could tell you all of the things that she's done for me, we'd have a very long blog post. ;) However, I will share a few things. 

First of all, she has rarely missed any special program, recital, or special event of mine. The few times she has was because she was with my sister in something special of hers that she needed to be at. Every choir concert, every dance or voice recital, I could always find her in the crowd smiling at me, watching me, cheering me on... She has always supported me in everything I've ever done. Almost every field trip for school or church trip, she would always volunteer to chaperone, just so I wouldn't feel homesick and so she could protect me. Every time I've been away from her, even now, she calls or texts me to ask how I'm doing, just to let me know that someone cares. 

That leads to another thing - I can tell her everything. What I'm feeling, what's going on in my life, thoughts, convictions... Anything. She's always ready to listen. She will stop whatever she's doing and listen to what I have to say. I can be completely honest with her. We are also so much alike in personality . . . Almost too much. Both of us are complete dorks, and I absolutely love it. Especially since we embarrass Lindsey a lot of the time. ;) 

My mom has also been my teacher. She's been my spiritual leader and guide since day 1. She never just took me to church every Sunday and Wednesday night when I was younger and left it at that. Even when I was a toddler, she would read books to me that even at that young of an age affected my walk with Christ; she would read little board books about how Jesus loves me. She would sing songs to me that taught me those truths. Later on in my teen years, she would teach me at home, even with the slight ridicule she got from so-called friends. It didn't matter that she knew she would always be a teacher; God has definitely given her that gift, and I am so grateful for it. Even though she was an early childhood education major in college and was a preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade teacher for the longest time, she knew that you didn't have to have that degree in order to teach your kids. She was quite bold to make that huge step, and looking back at all she's gone through just to teach the two of us at home, I am inspired and respect her SO much. Even though she no longer helps me get through a tear-filled and frustrating algebra assignment or reads to me from the Bible in the morning, she is still my counselor and encourager for problems I have or just when I need someone to talk to. 

Basically, what it all comes down to is this: she is my best friend and has been for my whole life. We have a really special bond. We've been through some really great times together, and we've been through some really crappy times. No matter if those times have been good or bad, both kinds have strengthened our friendship and our respect for each other. I could go on and on . . .

The song called "Like My Mother Does" describes my mom and I so well:

People always say
I have a laugh
Like my mother does
Guess that makes sense
She taught me how to smile
When things get rough

I've got her spirit
She's always got my back
When I look at her
I think, I want to be just like that
When I love I give it all I've got
Like my mother does
When I'm scared, I bow my head and pray
Like my mother does

When I feel weak and unpretty
I know I'm beautiful and strong
Because I see myself like my mother does
I never met a stranger
I can talk to anyone
Like my mother does
I let my temper fly
And she can walk away
When she's had enough

She sees everybody
For who they really are
I'm so thankful for her guidance
She helped me get this far
She's a rock
She is grace
She's an angel
She's my heart and soul
She does it all

I am VERY blessed to have the mother that I do. She works hard all of the time, and rarely gets a true "thank you" for it. I know this isn't much, but . . . Mom, thank you. For EVERYTHING. I would have never gotten through everything that I have without your love and support. You've given me the model for how a wife and mother ought to look and be like, and I can only hope to be half as good of a wife and mom as you've been to Lindsey and I. 

Dad snuck in this one! Hehe

Yep, we're dorks. :)

I love you, mom. Happy birthday!

The Little Things + VBS.

There are some things that make me happy. Then, there are those things that make me REALLY happy. Like, so super giddy that I overflow with giggles and can't stop smiling. Some things cause me to be really quiet, to be able to reflect on those things. Some things make me sigh of deep peace and contentment. Most of these things are just little things. Nothing big . . . Yet, those little things are usually what makes me happiest. There's that saying that I always use whenever I come across something like that or try to tell someone about it: "It's the little things!"

Why is it the little things that usually make us the most happy?

Maybe for me, it's because if there were so many huge things, I wouldn't be able to handle it. Since I don't like huge changes (most of the time), they tend to be harder for me to handle. Or maybe it's because in an ordinary day where everything is normal and plain, one of those little things catches you by surprise just enough to make you happy. It's not an overwhelming surprise, but it brings just enough abnormality to make it delightful. 

Last night I went to the Sunday evening service at church, and they had dinner served afterwards for everyone. I went with my mom, and we ate some good food. I made small talk to some of the people around me, but not many people seemed to want to talk to me. After a while, a lady who I had only heard about came up to my mom and I and sat down across the table from us. I made a comment towards the conversation because I didn't have anyone else to talk to. The lady looked at me and asked if I was my mom's daughter. I confirmed it. She looked me in the eyes and said something that hasn't left me: "Wow, you have your mom's eyes. It's awesome, there's just something about both of your eyes that shine, and they're so beautiful!" I was kinda shocked. I thanked her, and she moved on to talk with my mom. Here was a woman who I had just met, and she gave me a huge compliment! It wasn't anything big, but it was just enough to throw me off guard and make me smile. I think it was big to me because I tend to see myself only as average, never anything special. I don't get complimented a whole lot for my looks, so I guess that's why it was a big "little thing."

There are so many little things that I love: being able to see progress in my foot's movement, riding in the car down unknown dirt roads, hugs from loved ones, hot showers every day, finding a song that I love to play on the guitar or piano and being able to accompany myself when I sing, a short thunderstorm, sunsets every evening, rainbows, puppy kisses, holding Matt's hand, tickle fights, sitting on the front porch talking, catching fireflies, going to visit my grandparents, getting pictures of my almost 21 month old cousin on my phone, spending time when family come to visit, people watching, baking cookies, Sonic runs, hot tea/coffee, getting dressed up on rare occasions, visiting old friends, spending time with people, and many more things. Some of these things occur more frequently than others; some of these rarely happen. No matter what, though, I love when I experience these things because they make me happy. Maybe the things we call "little" really aren't so little. 

[Here's a discussion question: what are some little things YOU love? I'd love to hear about them . . . Maybe some are the same as mine, maybe they're completely different. Leave a comment if you want.] ;)

Just some thoughts for the day . . . Anywho, VBS is this week, and I'm really excited about helping out with it! I'm going to be helping lead music time. We'll see how the weather holds up; either way, it'll all work out. I'm praying that kids will come and that this will have a lasting impact on them so that they would receive Christ as their Savior and learn to follow Him with their whole hearts! I pray that we would also give Him all of the glory with everything we say and do this week. The results are in His hands, and He is sovereign. He knows what will come from this week. :)

Updates On My Life + America's Birthday.

There is so much that has happened this summer. Of course, most of it has come from the accident. However, all of them are very good things!

I'll start with my healing process - today marks exactly 6 weeks since the accident. Has that much time really passed?! I guess that's a good thing, considering if time went by slowly, I would be in agony. I AM getting pretty restless, though. I just wanna walk again. I also want to go swimming, go fishing, any outdoor things that require both legs. But most of all, I simply want to be able to walk normally again. I started physical therapy for the first time yesterday, and it went pretty well. I have 4 exercises that I have to do multiple times a day. Which I am totally willing to do, because I just want to walk that badly!! I can already tell a difference in how much movement my foot can do. I'm hoping that it progresses quickly, and I can get "ahead of schedule"! I can now take the boot off when I'm just sitting at home, but I still have to have it on when I go out of the house, just to protect it for right now. I know it's all a process, and I should be progressing a little bit at a time, but I'm so impatient! Hehe! Tomorrow I go back to the orthopedist, and depending on how everything looks from the x-ray, he may let me start putting 25% of my weight on my left foot. Wouldn't that be amazing?! I'm crossing my fingers and praying that it will happen. I wonder how I will progress by the time Robbie and Ariel's wedding rolls around . . . I know I will have had at least 4 out of at least 6 weeks of physical therapy, so maybe I'll be walking almost normally by then . . . Just some ponderings. 

I have been getting out of the house a LOT more since having the boot on, half of the reason being because I can bend my knee. The other half of it is because it's so dang tough! I'm surprised I haven't done anymore damage to myself, but it comforts me a lot that even though I've had some close calls with my foot/leg in it, nothing has happened to it. *sigh of relief* I always try my best to be as careful as possible, but if you know me . . . I'm a bit of a klutz. :) I haven't been driving myself around, mainly it's been my mom, Lindsey, or Matt. Mom mainly takes me to doctor's appointments and church, and Lindsey takes me other places if she and her friend Allissa are doing anything. (They're really awesome about letting me tag along with them sometimes, even if I lag behind . . . Allissa has affectionately started calling me "Crip" ;) Hehe) But I've mainly spent most of my free time with Matt. 

That's a whole other thing to talk about - I won't go into a whole lot of detail, but we've hung out a lot throughout this whole healing process. I've known him and have been really good friends with him for about two years now, but spending so much time with him this summer, I've gotten to know him so much more. He has been a true friend to me for so long, more of a friend than a lot of others have been to me, and I've come to figure this out as time as progressed. Long story short, he took me out on a few dates once I was able to get out of the house, and eventually, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes. :) So I'm taken! I am so incredibly happy . . . I never would have thought this would happen. I look back and see so many pieces of evidence of this eventually happening, but I am not the sharpest crayon in the box. ;) We give ALL the glory to God for this relationship, because there was probably no way this could've happened without Him. Actually, I know for a fact that it wouldn't have happened without His hand in it. I don't even know if I would be in a relationship with him had it not been for the accident - I would still be working at McAlister's part time and taking 7 hours of college credit at NWACC with almost no time to spend with any friends, including him . . . All I can do is shake my head. God is so funny, yet He is SO good! It's really awesome to see His providence and His guidance throughout the whole thing. 

VBS for Fellowship Bible Church in Springdale is next week! I am helping out with it this year, mainly through teaching the songs to all the kids. I am getting really excited about it! It's miner themed, with songs such as "Rock of Ages," "The Bible Is A Gold Mine," and "Ridin' Our Ponies." Funny theme, but it fits and it's going to be a load of fun!

I'm still taking my one online class for NWACC (World/Western Civ II); it's going great! I love it, and it's keeping my mind engaged in learning even throughout the summer. 

And today is Independence Day! Really exciting stuff. I've seen two fireworks shows in the past few days . . . If I had to pick a favorite holiday, it is Christmas, hands down. BUT, the 4th of July is definitely a close second favorite. Fireworks, food, family, and freedom . . . the four F's for the fourth. (Isn't that clever? haha) Even though our government is not perfect and neither are its leaders, I still take pride in the fact that I am a FREE American citizen, and I should thank God for it every day, not just today. 

To end this post, I only have one thing to say: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, 'MERCUH! 

Faith in the Fire

There have been posts all over Facebook over the past few days about the wildfire raging in Colorado. My family and I have gone on vacation to Colorado Springs and various other spots in that beautiful state many times in my life, and my heart is heavy with hearing absolutely no good news about the fire. (The last time I checked, it was only 5% contained.) If I am heavyhearted for a place that's not even my own home, how much more devastating is it for the people who actually DO call it home? I cannot even imagine the emotional turmoil raging inside of their own minds and hearts just like that fire. 

As believers, we are called to not worry or be scared, but in a terrifying situation like this, how can we NOT be worried? 

It's hard to imagine God being in control, but He is, believe it or not. If He controlled the flood waters that completely covered the earth while Noah was in the ark, I believe He is in absolute control over this fire. He has the ability to smite the fire if He wanted to. 

But that's just it: why doesn't He? If entire forests and maybe even homes are burning, and people are being evacuated with the possibility of them never seeing their homes still standing again, why doesn't He control the fire? "Doesn't He care?" Sometimes, we feel that He is so far away that He either 1. doesn't care about what's going on, or 2. does care but can't do anything about it. So, to repeat my question: why doesn't He control the fire? Why this destruction?

Sometimes, things happen that we can't explain. Well, we can explain the causes of nature, like how a tornado is made or when a hurricane is going to hit, but sometimes we don't know WHY there is damage caused by those things in nature. 

I wish I had an answer for why this fire is raging. I don't. However, even if He doesn't prevent more damage, I do know that God is good, and He can turn even the worst circumstances into something good. There is not one thing that doesn't go unnoticed or unplanned. He is never caught off guard, never taken by surprise. Sometimes, God uses bad things to teach us a lesson that we're supposed to learn, to make us return to Him after we've gone astray, or to give us something even better than what we originally had. 

Psalm 121 is a famous psalm; the first two verses say, "I lift my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." (I encourage you to read the whole psalm. It is such a beautiful and encouraging reminder that God is faithful!) 

Jesus and His disciples were out on the sea, when a storm arose. The waves were crashing against their boat, and it was scary; they were probably wondering if they would survive. They woke Jesus up, who was sleeping in the boat, and they accused Him of not caring about them because He was asleep and had not woken up and done anything about the storm. "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" Jesus then rebuked the winds and the waves, calming the storm. He then turned to His disciples and asked them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" After all the miracles they had witnessed, and even though they knew He was the Christ, they still doubted His authority as God's son and His authority over all of nature. (This story is found in Mark 4:35-41.) In reading this, I have to ask myself, "Even though I've seen His goodness and His authority in the events of my own life, do I really have faith that God has authority over His creation and that He is able to calm this storm?" 

I have no idea how far this fire will burn and rage on before it is contained. I don't know how much damage it will ultimately make. But I believe that God is good, no matter what happens. The only thing we can do now is to pray. I hope if you are reading this, that you are encouraged. I pray that your faith would grow, and that you would be strengthened in the fact that God is in absolute control over EVERYTHING. 

Walking Across the Wire.

Eyes glued to the TV screen. Heart pounding. Licking dry lips. Sweating hands and feet. Getting up and leaving the room to take a break from watching. Coming and sitting back down to watch some more. Repeat.

This was me tonight as I watched daredevil Nik Wallenda walk across a wire over Niagra Falls, a feat that had not been accomplished. I was so scared for him, so afraid he would slip and fall. Every step he took was a leap of faith that he would make it across safely. 

I myself am not terribly afraid of heights. If I am at the top of a 100 story building looking down over the city, I am not afraid of how high I am. However, if I am very high up with nothing stable under my feet, then yes, I get scared. Watching someone else go through something like that also gives me sweaty palms and shaky breathing. My mom is even worse than me; heights are her worst fear. Our family will go on ferris wheel rides at an amusement park, and she will be clutching the seat for her life and sitting as close to the middle as she possibly can. I looked over her way at one point (because we were all watching this together in my dad's office/man cave), and she looked terrified for Nik. I can't say much, because I was, as well. 

Through the freezing mist and falling water splashing all over his face and body (and the rope), he never wavered in his step. He was talking on air a lot of the way, and he seemed incredibly calm and fully concentrating on what he was doing, even though he was answering all these questions for the reporters. Finally, after a little over 25 minutes, he took the last few steps, and made it across! People cheered as he broke a record and achieved a feat never done until tonight. After getting off, he was asked by the Canadian border patrol for his passport. Faking a realization that he left it on the other side, he pulled it out of his pocket and gave it to them. One of them asked, "What is your purpose here in Canada?" 

This was his answer: "To inspire people around the world!"

I got goosebumps after that. All I could think was, "WOW." 

Funny, earlier this evening, I got out of the house again and went to Wilson Park with a friend after getting some Starbucks coffee. We talked, and I asked this friend what their biggest goal in life was. They said that they wanted to glorify God in everything they did, in whatever they did. I told them that besides that, mine was to give people hope, and to lead them to a relationship with Christ in which they could experience the hope, freedom, and love that I have in my own relationship with Christ. 

After watching this man fulfill his dream to perform this extremely terrifying stunt, I realize that he had also fulfilled the other part of his dream: to inspire others with what he had accomplished. He at least had inspired one young woman . . . me. It had taken him years of training, years of dedication and (I'm sure) a lot of tumbles to accomplish this amazing feat. It's convicting to me, because I want to inspire others and change the world. I have to ask myself, "What am I doing to inspire others? What am I doing to help change the world and further the kingdom of God here on earth?"

Nik's father and wife gave praise to him for his perseverance and endurance through the years and during his walk across Niagra Falls. They were so proud of him and so glad he was safe and sound!

It reminds me of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, when the three servants had been given a certain number of talents "according to his ability". The first two servants added to the gifts that they had been given, and had given it all back to their master. The master said to them both, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." Nik Wallenda disciplined himself with the talent he had been given, and he has definitely used it to inspire others. 

This also reminds me of Hebrews 12:1-2, which says, 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

I have huge dreams myself. I want to write my own music and go into a women's ministry to impact younger people and point them to Christ. I want to get married and start my own family and make my own home someday in the hopes that I can glorify God with all of it and make an impact on others because of it. Am I training myself to someday fulfill those dreams and inspire others with those dreams? 

May I be a tool that God uses to inspire others to follow their dreams to glorify God and further His kingdom, and may I persevere through the race that I have started on in being a follower of Christ. May I stand before my Father in heaven to one day hear Him say those sweet words: "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master"!

A Rant About Relationships.

It's everywhere. 

You see it all over Facebook, in your circle of friends, at work, at church . . . You see it every day. It's likely you haven't NOT encountered someone that has experienced this. It is an inevitable thing. 

Know what I'm talking about yet? 

Yes, I'm talking about love. 

So many of my friends are getting engaged, getting married, starting their own families. I see pictures plastered all over Facebook of engagement photo shoots and weddings. Pictures of kisses, excessive hand-holding, looking into each other's faces . . . TV shows and movies thrive on the hero or heroine finding their "one true love." It can have as much action or comedy in it as you want, but everyone loves watching the lovers "find each other" and live happily ever after . . .

Have you barfed yet? 

While I am partially kidding and laughing about it myself, it's something I encounter every day. I not only get to see it online and in other media, but also in real life. I have two really close friends my age getting married in about two months (and I get to sing for their wedding, which I really am excited about!), and I have other acquaintances getting engaged and getting married. Spring and summertime seem to thrive on people falling in love and becoming twitterpated with each other. Older people are constantly asking me if there's a "man in my life." Even if there is a hint of a possibility for me to be in a relationship, I get so much grief about it, it's ridiculous. 

It's inevitable. And it's only going to get worse from here. 

I have always felt this pressure to find a husband and life partner as soon as I possibly can ("ring by spring!" which also makes me want to barf), even at an early age. Coming to JBU has heightened that pressure. JBU is kind of known for matching people up and getting that ring by spring. But what happens if I don't find my future husband at college?! If I don't, I may . . . *gasp* be single forever! I will be all alone with no one to share life with!

. . . People, seriously?! Since when is it a bad thing to be single?

Now, let me say that I am all for marriage. It's a wonderful thing from what I've been taught and from what I've seen and witnessed in my own life. I hope to be married someday. I do want to share my life with someone at my side for the rest of my life. 

However, I think so many people just wanna get hitched so they won't feel alone. Especially Christian young people, which I think is quite ironic. Let me explain why. As believers, we have a Savior, and the greatest Lover we could possibly have: that is Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can satisfy our desires and the only one who will never disappoint us or abandon us. Yet, we tend to put all of our hopes and dreams on one guy or gal, who is 1. not perfect, 2. will disappoint us at some point, and 3. won't satisfy us at all times. Yet, most of us deep down would rather have the latter than a divine romance with the King of Kings. Hmm. 

The apostle Paul was definitely an advocate for being single. But he also praises marriage. Basically, he commands you to be content with where God has you in your life. "If you are not married, do not seek a wife. If you are married, do not seek to be free" (slightly paraphrased from 1 Cor. 7:27). I struggle with this a lot, in both directions. Sometimes, I see others around me dating or in relationships, etc. and I'm like, "Man, I want to get married so badly," and other times I'm like, "No way, I don't need anyone!" Yeah . . . 

I really enjoy being single; it definitely has its perks. You can spend time with a lot of guy friends without feeling guilty, because you're really only supposed to be spending time with "your" guy. You don't have to worry about financial issues for another person if you were living by yourself. You don't have to work around another person's schedule to do something. There is just so much freedom in being single! 

Let me make a point: It's not the end of the world if you don't find your future spouse by the end of college!!!! I am most likely going to be one of those people. Not necessarily by choice, mind you, but knowing me, that might not be the plan that God has for me. If He does bring me to my future husband at JBU, wonderful. If not, then obviously it wasn't meant to be, and He has something else, something better in mind for me. Besides, I came to JBU to get a good, bonafide education in what I love, not to get my MRS degree. 

Sorry, this was kind of a rant more than a really encouraging post for you all, but I'm hoping it will encourage some of you regardless. :)