Favorite Poem

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

Pope Francis I

Pope Francis has been in the news a lot lately. From the fact he was a bouncer at a bar in college (which I find cool and funny) to speculation that he leaves the Vatican at night to help the homeless.  He also posed for a picture with a bunch of young people.  He is becoming one of my favorite popes and favorite people.

He teaches us humility and service to the poor. He is a great example for the Catholic Church as well as for everyone else.

"Holiness doesn't mean doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things with love and faith."-Pope Francis Twitter

"To be saints is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone."- Pope Francis Twitter

Day in the City

http://www.youtube.com/v/yOV7T3Y5Fqo?autohide=1&version=3&attribution_tag=olX9VXf8FiBMk-5JheXR3w&autoplay=1&showinfo=1&autohide=1&feature=share

Video I made from my trip to Chicago.

Enjoy.

Spread Love not Hate.

Book review: Rediscovering Catholicism

I recently read a really good book by Matthew Kelly called Rediscovering Catholicism. A few things in this book stood out to me. One is, "The philosophy of Christ is the ultimate philosophy of human happiness." God wants us to be happy; he wants us to live out lives in great joy. Another is that Catholicism is a lifestyle and not just a set of rules. A lot of my non-Catholic friends think all we do is restrict people from doing things and that all we do is follow tradition but this is not true. According to Matthew Kelly, it means striving to be like Christ and striving to transform oneself for the better. It is trying to become the best version of ourselves.

This is a great book that I advise Catholics and Christians alike to better understand the Catholic Faith.

Spread love not hate. :)



New Blog Post?!?

I greatly apologize for not blogging lately. School has been keeping me really busy.  I am running sound at the fall play so I will be way busier than I was before. Will try to update the blog when I can.

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Intolerance within Christian Churches

I'm Catholic and I go to a Christian but not Catholic college.  Religion class has turned into endless Catholic bashing as well as overhearing what people say about us and our religion.  Just wanted to get this straight; we are Christians. We all are. We follow Christ, the one who said love your neighbor as yourself and love one another as I have loved you. It shouldn't matter if I believe that the Eucharist is literally the Body and Blood of Jesus or if I believe that Mary and the Saints should be venerated (not worshiped). The only thing that should really matter is how we treat people and living like Christ did.  Because if we stopped bashing other Christian religions on how they worship and instead focus on getting everyone to know Christ then the world would be a better place.

Spread love not hate. :)

 

Kids Now-a-days

(Directly relating to/ but not exactly what is talked about in.. my podcast.)


With computers introduced at a young age, video games played instead of playing outside, and kids with cell phones and tablets my generation is turning to be quite differently than the generations now.  How will this negatively and positively affect these children?  I'm not quite sure.  My television viewing was limited when I was younger; I played outside in the dirt until the sun went down and we were called to dinner. Now kids are inside all the time watching television and playing violent video games that I think negatively affects the child and influences them to do things they shouldn't. Video games are extremely violent as well as realistic. When I was younger the only video games my parents let us play was Donkey Kong, racing games, Star Wars games, Glover, Mario, and any video game that Disney put out on Nintendo 64. I still have the 64 and sometimes take it out. Still have not beat Donkey Kong; me and my brother are not even 1/2 way though with the game.

So what are your thoughts on video games and television at a young age?

Spread love not hate. :)

My take on healthcare

Healthcare is the huge debate. Pro-Obamacare, anti-obamacare. Everyone has their own opinion on whether or not its a good idea.

I think that Obamacare is not a good idea but affordable healthcare is. All the government has to do is provide an affordable healthcare option for people who need it. People who don't need it wouldn't have to participate in the program. I'm not even in politics, I'm a film student, and I think that this is a great solution that will satisfy both sides.

I also think that if America as a whole were to start eating better then healthcare and health insurance wouldn't be needed that much. The majority of ads on the internet or TV is for fast food restaurants or diet pills. These industries are out to get money, not to better mankind. I have been a vegetarian for about a year, I'm not saying that you should stop eating meat but the majority of the people who say my "diet" (it's a lifestyle) is unhealthy are the people who eat nothing but fast food and junk food; who smoke and don't exercise. There is a reason that the obesity is high in the US; its because people think that eating fast food and junk food is "healthy" and normal.

I have recently finished a documentary on Netflix called Spoons over Forks. (I have been stuck on documentaries lately.) Its a good one; you should watch it.

Spread love not hate. :)

One Nation Under God (Review)

I love watching documentaries on Netflix.  I recently, just, watched one called, "One Nation Under God."  I highly recommend that you watch this documentary. It is about 4 Christian college guys who went on a cross-country trip asking people about God and their relationships with Jesus. There were a lot of very interesting people and interesting takes on religion and God. It opened my eyes to see that there are a lot of different people out there with different takes on religion and religious backgrounds. I grew up with people of my same religion and with people who thought exactly the same. After moving to college I met people with different denominations but since it is a Christian school most people I met are Christians like me. Being able to sit back and think that people all around the world and our community have different backgrounds and think differently is a good thing.

Spread Love not Hate. :)

Live like you were dying

I was in the bathroom of my dorm this morning and music is always blasting in there.  One song came on that I have completely forgot about until now.  Its Kris Allen's Live like You're Dying.  This reminded me of my life motto.  "Live life to the fullest because you never know if today is your last."  It's kindof a long motto but it means pick friends that will build you up not tear you down, show random acts of kindness to complete stranger because you never know how that will effect them. 

"Sometimes we fall down, can't get back up.  Hiding behind skin that's too tough. How come we don't say I love you enough till its too late. It's not too late. Our hearts are hungry for the food that won't come. And we could make a feast from these crumbs..."

Another song that I love that has a similar message is Tim McGraw's Live Like Your were Dying.  I love the chorus of this song, "I went sky diving I went rocky mountain climbing I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named (Blue man Chew ?) and I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter and I gave forgiveness I've been denying.  Sometime I hope you had the chance to live like your dying."

Maybe its because I had spent my fair share of time in hospital as I was younger. Or that I realized from a young age that life is a gift that God gives you and he wants you to use it. But this is the motto that I have been living by since I was younger.  "Like tomorrow was a gift and you had enternity to figure out what to do with it.. (Tim McGraw)"

So say I love you to someone today, show someone you care and live like you're dying.

Spread love not hate. :)

ARK

Do you remember the movie with Morgan Freeman who played God.  (Which he does in a lot of movies.)  The movie is called Even Almighty  And at the end he said something like building an ARK which are acts of random kindness.  I was reminded of this when I read a blog by another blogger named Optimistic Existentialist. 

He was talking about how one act of random kindness to a complete stranger can have a ripple effect.  Which is so true.  Check out his blog he has really good posts that are well written and thought provoking.

http://keithawynn2011.blogspot.com/2013/09/random-acts-of-kindness.html

Spread love not hate. :)

What I find lacking in the world: Compassion

"Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion."- Dalai Lama

"If we want to create a viable, peaceful world, we've got to integrate compassion into the gritty realities of the 21st century life."- Karen Armstrong

The lack of compassion in this world with wars, legal abortions, factory farms, and discrimination. The world itself has been going downhill for a long time because of this lack of compassion.

Humans and animals should be shown with compassion and be treated the way that you would like to be treated.  Remember that if you wouldn't like it done to you don't do it to others.

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Just a random thought: awareness months

Breast Cancer awareness month is coming up. I am not bashing people with this or people who have been affected by this.  Through experience dealing with something medical is not something that anyone should go through. And I truly believe that awareness months are a good idea. However, there is other diseases out there too. February is Congenital Heart Defect Awareness month. Who cares? No one. One in 555 infants have serious congenital heart defects that require multiple surgeries and millions of infants die from undiagnosed heart defects and in surgeries to correct them. Since no major networks are using the red ribbon or national walks are not taking place funding is lacking for heart defects. I believe that if we do one awareness month we should do all awareness months. As well as raising awareness for the diseases with not as many people having it. Because these diseases affect someone and people should be aware of this.

 

Spread love not hate. :)

Dating

What up with people who think that if you're 20 that you need to be in a relationship? Colleges are pushing it, society is pushing it. What's wrong with being an independent single women? I went home for the weekend and the first thing out of my best friends mouth is why aren't you picking up guys I mean you are at a perfect place for it. 

I admit that I have never had a boyfriend or kissed anyone but I'm proud of it. Yes I will eventually get married and have kids but I'm not ready for that. I want to establish my career and be able to move wherever I want or do whatever I want without worrying about someone else. 

Who's with me? 

Spread love not hate. 

Old Hollywood VS. New Hollywood




1954 Oscars

Audrey Hepburn.  When you hear that name what comes to mind?  Beauty? Classy? Classic Hollywood? Breakfast at Tiffany's?

Miley Cyrus. What comes to mind when you hear that name? Sex? Drugs? Drinking? Child star going array?

Recently I have been getting into older films like Breakfast at Tiffany's and Roman Holiday. Actresses like Audrey Hepburn embraced what Hollywood was originally meant for.  People who can actually act and who doesn't use their crazy lives to get attention. Back when reality TV wasn't invented and when people doesn't get famous for a sex tape. There were classy women and gentlemen
who  were in it for the job not for the fame.









Why can't we just go back to the 50's or 60's where sex in movies weren't allowed and women actually wore clothes that were both modesty and classy to events. What when wrong?


On the side note. I found it admirable that Zac Efron got help for his addiction and that people didn't hear about it until after the fact.

Overcomer

Whatever it is you may be going through
I know He's not gonna let it get the best of you

You're an overcomer
Stay in the fight til the final round
You're not going under
Cause God is holding you right now
You might be down for a moment
Feeling like it's hopeless
That's when He reminds You
That you're an overcomer
You're an overcomer

Mandisa's song Overcomer is a song that is very close to my heart. Overcoming a lot of things in my life made me realized that God does care and that he wants you to succeed.  He has a plan for you and going though whatever you are going through is part of that plan. My sickened childhood made me who I am today and I don't know who I would have become if he didn't allow me to go though what I did.

You're an Overcomer, you can and will get through it because he cares.

How have overcoming something made you who you are today?

Spread love not hate. :)

What if??

This a question that many of us ask ourselves daily.  Some what if questions are silly like.. What if one were to drop 3,000 bouncy balls from a seven story parking structure onto a person walking on the sidewalk below? Should the person survive, what would be the number of bouncy balls needed to kill them? What injuries would occur and what would the associated crimes be?  If you want to know the answer to this question you would have to throw 3 million balls to kill someone and you would be charged with manslaughter (so don't try this at home!).

Some what if questions are more serious. What if I actually studied for that test? Would it have made a difference? What if I went for my dreams instead of going the easy way out? Would I actually be able to pull it off? What if I tried to have a relationship with God?

In chapel this semester the question is "What if?".  "What if we really lived the Jesus way?" is one of the questions posed by our chaplain.  Would it change the world?

Spread love not hate. :)

Love

Why does everyone has to be on one side or another? Why should the difference in opinion or lifestyle matter? We are all Children of the one God. We all deserve love, compassion and respect regardless of the skin color or marriage beliefs. 

Spread love not hate. :)

Doing what's right even though its hard

During chapel at my college they have guest speakers about different topics and the speaker today talked about doing what's right even though its hard.  He talked about his life, which made me think about my life and how I do or do not do what's right in every situation. This ties directly with the previous post about bullying but this time its the opposite. In grade and middle school it was my friends being bullied not me. There were these not so nice girls who would say stuff to their faces and at basketball practice. I was in basketball, my friends were not, so I hung out with these girls often. I never really said anything even though I had every opportunity to. Instead I just sat quiet and watched it go on.

When have you just sat and saw bullying go on but never really said anything because you were afraid of getting rejected or getting bullied yourself?  When have you saw the homeless man and didn't give him money or even look at him? Jesus said whatever you did to the least of my people you did to me.

Link to previous post: http://lifelaughlovefashion.blogspot.com/2013/09/words-bullying.html

Spread love not hate. :)

Words (Bullying)

They've made me feel like a prisoner
They've made me feel set free
They've made me feel like a criminal
Made me feel like a king

They've lifted my heart
To places I'd never been
And they've dragged me down
Back to where I began

Words can build you up
Words can break you down
Start a fire in your heart or
Put it out

Let my words be life
Let my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You.- Words by Hawk Nelson

 

Bullying has become a huge epidemic in the world. I was bullied in high school by this girl who was sort of a friend. She was friends with my two best friends so I naturally became friends with her. I am an introverted person by nature; she was not. She would say comments about me not having a boyfriend or me not being really outgoing.  She called me anti-social a couple of times and made fun of the fact that I went solo to prom. Throughout high school it really bothered me. But after I graduated I realized that it didn't matter what she or anyone else thought. It only mattered what God and I thought.

Who has had a similar experience and how did you or are you coping with bullying?
 

Spread love not hate. :)

Friendship

When is it time to end a friendship or at least stop being besties with someone?

That is a question I have been asking myself for months. Although I love her to death and would do anything for her our friendship itself has changed over the years. We met in kindergarten, she quickly became my best friend and we did everything together. Now that I went off to college I am thinking that our friendship is not the same it was back then. She jokingly says stuff about my personality and personal decisions that at first was fine and funny but is getting really old really fast. Now that I am gone away to college I found some close real friends who, although I never told them the personal stuff about me like my past and I have only known them less than a week, are turning out to be better friends than her.

I'm not sure when it is time to end a lifelong friendship or at least not be besties and do everything together. I mean I still love her and want to see her happy and successful but I also need to think about myself and my feelings.

To me friendship is someone who I can text, call, or Facebook chat at 3 in the morning and who will talk with me or listen for hours. Someone who understands that I am not like them but love me for who I am not what they want me to be. Someone who applauds personal decisions like vegetarianism and doesn't make fun of the fact that I won't eat meat. What does friendship mean to you and have you lost touch with an old friend but still care about them?

 

Spread love not hate. :)

Bible Verses

John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

Psalm 23:1-4

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

Modesty

Modesty is the best policy. 

What is modesty anyways? To me modesty is respecting and valuing yourself. Modesty is saving yourself for the one who you are going to marry. 

Modesty is not wearing ultra short skirts and dresses. Or wearing shirts that don't cover everything. It's knowing that you are a child of God and that you are of worth. Because you are. 

Spread love not hate. :) 

Getting the most out of my education

For the next 3 or 3 1/2 years I will be enrolled at a four year university. Even though I have an associates degree it will take me longer than 2 years to finish this bachelors. I will lost one semester in LA interning, which sound like a lot of fun.  I am trying to get an internship this summer in Chicago for a tv or film production company so I can have on the job experience. Either that or go on a missions trip, haven't decided yet.

I have only been here for 2 days but I am stoked. Ready to start learning and to get one step close to my dream. Which if you don't know already is Steven Spielberg + Walt Disney + Robin Williams (female version.)

In addition to the blog posts about life and God I will include some posts about my college experience and how things are going.

Spread love not hate. :)

Children of God

"Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I've been saved, I've been changed, and I have been set free
"Amazing Grace" is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King." Hello My Name is- Matthew West

 

 

We are the saints, we are the children, we've been redeemed, we've been forgiven
We are the sons and daughters of our God
We are the saints, we are the children, we've been redeemed, we've been forgiven
We are the sons and daughters of our God

Children of God, sing your song and rejoice
For the love that He has given us all, oh, whoa
Children of God, by the blood of His Son
We have been redeemed and we can be called." Third Day-  Children of God

 

 

We are all Children of the One True God. Whether we are Catholic, Protestant, Muslim. We all deserve to be treated like we are made in the image and likeness of God. Cause we are.

 

Abortion, religious violence, violence in general, intolerance, bullying. These are the opposite of what God wants us to do. He wants us to realize that everyone is human and everyone is the same. It shouldn't matter what we believe in; it should be what kind of person we are and how we are going to change the world,

 

Spread love not hate. :)

College update: Move in day!!!!!

Just got settled and the internet connection up. Moving in was stressful but not that it is over the stress has pretty much gone. My roommate is nice and we have our room rearranged like we want it.

The campus is a lot bigger than I had imagined and had seen at orientation. Might get lost a few times but I have 2 days before classes start.

The catholic church near campus is nice and pretty big. Mass went well and the old guy we had for a priest seemed nice and had a good homily.

Spread love not hate :)

Happiness

"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." -Buddha 

"The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it." - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Happiness is something that should be shared. It's something that was meant by God to be and to be given to others. 

Spread love not hate. :)

Intolerence/Kindness

"The greatest problem in the world today is intolerance. Everyone is so intolerant of each other."- Princess Diana

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." -Aesop

In my opinion one of the greatest problems in the world is intolerance. If everyone just got together and talked over their problems instead of resorting to violence the world would be a better place.

Was talking to a friend about Religion and Politics and I realized that if everyone realized that everyone is human and needs to be treated as such then the world would be a better place.

So like Ellen DeGeneres says, "Be kind to one another."

Spread Love not Hate :) 

What it means to be a Christian

Little stuff
Big stuff
In between stuff
God sees it all the same

While I may not know you
I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes, does it matter at all?
Well let me remind you, it all matters just as long
As you do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,
Cause he made you
To do
Every little thing that you do
To bring a smile to His face
Tell the story of grace
With every move that you make
And every thing you do
-Do Everything by Steven Curtis Chapman

To me being Christian means, whatever you do in your life, do it for God and to glorify God. Whether you are a nurse, writer, teacher or run a camera for a local news station. Put your heart in everything you do and show God's love. And smile because you never know how it will make someone's day and change their life.

"Don't shine so others can see you, shine so that through you others can see him."- C.S. Lewis

:)

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Why I want to go into my career :)

(This is also my college application essay and it is longer than most posts I have done.)

Laugh: to be of a kind that inspires joy.  This is one of the many definitions of laugh according to the Webster’s Dictionary.  Through personal experiences I believe the laughter is the cure to anything.  I briefly remember being in the hospital when I was younger.  I don’t remember everything, which is probably a good thing, but the one thing that I do remember is watching Pixar animated movies and other movies with my parents.  One movie in particular was The Lion King, which was my favorite movie growing up.  I mean who doesn’t like movie about talking lions.  Those movies made my younger self briefly forget where I was and why I was there.  Also Finding Nemo was a major movie in my life. Like Dory said, "Just keep swimming."

This is one of the major reasons that I believe that the need for comedic relief is extremely important, especially in the world that we are living in.  With the shootings, children in the hospital and war; the world isn’t the best place to live.  However, I believe that through laughter the world can change.  I want to be that change.  The main reason that I want to become an author, a movie producer or an actress is that I want to provide that comedic relief.  I want to provide that kid in the hospital with a way to forget where he is, or to provide that family whose father left with a way to forget what is going on in their lives.  Sitcoms, books, animated movies and live action movies geared towards the youth are among the things that I want to help create.

Laughter, I believe, is just as important or more important than doctors and nurses in children’s hospitals. (Actually doctors an nurses are important and is a major reason why I am here.)  Although those doctors can provide the much-needed medical treatment for the children, movies can provide the much-needed distraction during treatment or while the child is in the hospital.  Not that doctors and nurses are not important, they are.  I can account being here to the tireless work of doctors and nurses at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago Illinois.  Nevertheless, when I was younger I can also account movies to getting me through it.  You know those movies where everything seems to turn out ok; the guy always gets the girl, the bad guy always is punished, the dream always comes true.  Those “fairy tale endings” don’t usually happen in real life but it’s nice to be transported into an alternative universe in which everyone is happy and everyone gets what they want.

I feel that laughter is the cure to anything and everything.  Throughout my childhood, I had hardships but through movies and books, I was transported into a world that almost seems real.  The reasons that I want to become an author, movie producer or an actress is because of my childhood and what had happened in it.  Movies and books can better society; the children of the world need laughter, the same laughter that I felt when I was watching movies or reading books as a child.

Spread love not hate.

:)

Why Elen DeGeneres is one of my role models :)

I have many idols and role models in my life and Ellen DeGeneres is one of them. Here's why.

1. She ends the show with, "Be kind to one another."
2. Her show is fun to watch and really entertaining.
3. I aspire to have a career like her. One that inspires others and is entertaining at the same time.
4. She is herself not anyone else. She teaches us to be true to ourselves and not to blend in with the crowd.

Spread love not hate.

:)

The Golden Rule

Christianity- "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."

Islam- "Do unto all men as you would wish to have done unto you; and reject for others what you would reject for yourself."

Jainism- "Therefore, neither does he cause violence to others nor does he make others do so."

Confucianism- "What you do not want done to yourself; do not do to others."

Baha'i- "He should not wish for others what he does not wish for himself."

Almost all religions and cultures have a different version of the golden rule. In my opinion, this is the basis of all religions. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Because no one wants to be bullied or criticized for their beliefs or lifestyle.

Like Ellen DeGeneres says, "Be kind to one another."

Spread love not hate.

 

:)

Beauty

What the bible says about beauty: 

1 Peter 3:3-4
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

1 Samuel 16:7
 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Psalm 149:13

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

What society says about beauty: 

If you don't look like a supermodel than you're not good enough. 

Looks are everything. 

It's better to be gorgeous than smart. 

Reflection:

The bible says that inner beauty is better than outer beauty. That it matters more what kind of person you are than what you look like.  Ever since I was younger I have struggled with body image and not looking good enough. I thought there was something wrong with me because guys never rushed to date me. But I have learned that surrounding myself with people who love me for me is the best way to live life. 

What I have learned about fashion and style

"Fashion is about dressing according to what's fashionable. Style is more about being yourself." -Oscar De La Renta

"Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn."- Gore Vidal

Fashion and style is all about being yourself.  When I was younger I would wear anything that I chose because I didn't care what people thought of me. A lot of my outfits in middle and elementary school was ridiculous. Once I hit high school it all changed. I started worrying about what people thought of me; I started dressing like everyone else (I mean it wasn't that hard since I went to a private school.)

Now I am starting to realize that I can be whoever I want to be; dress however I want to dress.

:) Be yourself because no one can be a better you than you.

Something to Say- Matthew West

Wake up, 7:32 AM
Can't believe it's time to do it over again
Yesterday, it took all that you had
And you're wonderin' if you'll ever get it back

But the whole wide world is waiting for
Waiting for you to step out that door
Come on, and let your life be heard today
You got something to say

If you're livin', if you're breathin'
You got something to say
And you know if your heart is beatin'
You got something to say

And no one can say it like you do
God is love and love speaks through you
Got it, you got it
You got something to say

Yeah, yeah
Something to say
Yeah, oh

Listen up, I got a question here
Would anybody miss you if you disappeared?
Well, your life is the song that you sing
And the whole wide world is listening

Well, the answer to the question is
You were created, your life is a gift
And the lights are shining on you today
'Cause you got something to say.

 

-Something to Say by Matthew West

 

I'm kindof obsessed with Matthew West.  His songs always has a good message and is sometimes the message that I need to hear.  Something to Say is one of my favorites; its one of his older songs but still in the top 5.

 

If you got something to say with your life just say it.  You were put on this earth for a reason. You have gifts that you can share to make the world a better place.

 

:)

The Motions

I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me

I don't wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything
Instead of going through the motions?

-Matthew West

It seems that nowadays people only go through the motions. People say that they are Christians and go to Church but they live their lives differently. Drinking, drugs, being pro-choice, wearing revealing clothes. So, don't just go through the motions, act on your faith. Whether you are Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, ect. You should act and show your faith instead of just going to Church and then turning around and doing things that you shouldn't.

:)

Life

All life is important.  Be pro-life.

*Be glad you mother chose life.*

*A person's a person no matter how small.*

Thank You!

What if in the morning when I wake up,
Even before I fill my coffee cup,
I say thank you, thank you.

What if I look at the day and the hours ahead,
and before I move forward I bow my head,
And say thank you, oh I say thank you.

What if I looked at my life in a different way,
Took a little more time to stop and pray,
I know it would change all the moments in between,
So here I go.

Thank you for everything
Thank you for loving me
It don't even matter what tomorrow brings
Well I will sing my

Thank you for sun and rain
For what you give and take away
For all your goodness I will always say
Thank you, Oh I say thank you.

What if I lost everything that I had
I could smile and somehow still be glad
And say Thank you.

-Thank You by 33 Miles

I have a lot to thank God for.  Life, family, friends.  Sometimes I don't always say it but Thank You..

:)

What are you thankful for?

Miracles

"Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see." -C.S. Lewis

"Miracles happen everyday, change your perception of what a miracle is and you'll see them all around you." -Jon Bon Jovi

"Miracles happen to those who believe in them." -Bernard Berenson


Miracles are something that I am very personally familiar with.  To me life is a miracle. Everyday miracles happen; so look out for the little ones because everything can be a miracle.

:)

When was the last time you experienced a miracle?

YOLO

YOLO: You only live once.

You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like there's nobody listening, and live like it's heaven on earth." -William W. Purkey

I've learned though experience that life is too short to settle. That life is too precious to throw away. To me YOLO means, not to do something stupid or dangerous, but that you should live like there is no tomorrow. Live as if today is your last day on earth. Don't do something stupid to make it your last day on earth. Rather love with no regrets, laugh out loud (even if people stare), dance in the rain, do things for other people because that is what they will remember you by, and above all live like it's your only life (cause it is.)
 

Growing Up

Do you remember when you were a little kid and can't wait to be a grownup?  Well I was wrong.  It is better to be a kid.

 My days off of work consist of cleaning, packing for college, cooking dinner, and exercising (when I have time.)  The days I have work consists of all of that; minus cooking dinner.

I leave for college in about 3ish weeks. (For the record I finished high school two years ago and went to a community college. But I was still living at home so it didn't feel any different than high school.) I don't really feel ready to start my adult life but you got to start somewhere. 

Just some thoughts.

:)

Question of the post: When did you feel like you were a grown up?  Do you think that you grew up too fast?

Love to hear your responses on this topic.

You are Beautiful

Just wanted to say. :)

"Baby you light up my world like nobody else. The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed. But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell. You don't know. You don't know you're beautiful."- One Direction

Courage

Courage: The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficult, danger, pain ect. without fear.

"I learned that courage was no the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."- Nelson Mandela

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." -Mark Twain

Being courageous does not mean never being afraid but rather it means being able to overcome the fear and make something good out of it.  Casting Crowns song Courageous says that God can make us courageous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkM-gDcmJeM

Steal My Show

"If you want to steal my show, I'll sit back and watch you go. If you go something to say, go on and take it away." Steal My Show by Toby Mac

This is one of my many favorite Toby Mac songs.  It is off his newest album Eye On It.  This song is about God "stealing" our show.  Its about letting God do what he wants with you.  It's about letting God take the wheel.  Let God steal your show.  You never know what he has in store for you.

:)

Attitude is the Key

"Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life."-Joel Osteen

"Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation." -Brian Tracy

"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how ell you do it." -Raymond Chandler

Positive thoughts turn into positive actions.  Your attitude determines everything you do.  Whatever you want to do in life just go for it.  It doesn't matter if  you think that you are too old or not good enough.  Just go for it!

"Just do it." -Nike

:)

Walt Disney

Everyone has seen and loved Disney movie. One of my favorites is The Lion King but I love them all.  This is what I want for a career; the ability to surpass time and make people of all ages smile.

He taught us many things like never give up on your dreams and imagination is key. 

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

"Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood."

Here is to the man who taught us to dream.

Live Like there is no tommorow

If time came to an end today
And we left too many things to say
If we could turn it back
What would we want to change?
And now's the time to take a chance
Come on, we gotta make a stand
What do we gotta lose
The choice is in our hands.

And we can find a way
To do anything, if we try to.

Live like there's no tomorrow
'Cause all we have is here, right now
Love like its all that we know
The only chance that we ever found
Believe in what we feel inside
Believe and it will never die
Don't let this life pass us by
Live like there's no tomorrow.

If there never was a night, a day
And memories could fade away
Then there'd be
Nothing left, but the dreams we made
Take a leap in faith and hope you fly
Feel what it's like to be alive
Give it all that we've got
And lay it all on the line.

And we can find a way to do anything, if we try to.

Live like there's no tomorrow
'Cause all we have is here, right now
Love like its all that we know
The only chance that we ever found
Believe in what we feel inside
Believe and it will never die
Don't let this life pass us by
Live like there's no tomorrow.


Live like there's no tomorrow- Selena Gomez

Love this song; it has a great message. Never take life for granted and live life to the fullest.  :)

Judging

John 8:7

"He who is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her."

Matthew 7:1

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged."

Many verses in the bible are against judging someone or putting blame on someone.  Nobody is perfect therefore we can't judge someone on their wrongdoings.  Only God can judge and punish people; it is not our job.  Everyone has a story; so before you judge or say something about someone walk a mile in their shoes.  You will learn so much.

College update

Found out who my roommate is a few days ago.  She seems nice and we had a pretty long conversation on Facebook today.  Can't wait until August so I can start this new adventure.

:) 

(3 weeks as of tomorrow until I quit my job and 4 weeks until move in.)

A Plan

Proverbs 16:9 - "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."

God has a plan for you.  You may not know what it is now but he has one.  Everything happens for a reason.  I realized that I am going off to college in about 4ish weeks.  I mean I transferring so I have already been in college (but it felt more like high school.)  I am finally leaving the nest and trying to live on my own.  I am not sure what his plan is but its ok.  He will show me the way.

Only a Mountain

One of my favorite artists is Jason Castro.  One song of his that I like is Only a Mountain.  The chorus goes like this...

"This is only a mountain, you don't have to find your way around it.  Tell it to move, it'll move. Tell it to fall, it'll fall.  This is only a moment you don't have to let your fear control it. Tell it to move, it'll move. Tell it to fall, it'll fall."

This song is about overcoming obstacles and not let them stop you or define you.  The bible says a lot about this subject as well.  For example,  Isaiah 41:10 says, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OWLs1G3q1o (YouTube link to Only a Mountain.)

Footprints (one of my Fav poems)

One night I dreamed a dream.
I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand.
One belonged to me, and one to my Lord.
When the last scene of my life shot before me
I looked back at the footprints in the sand, and to my surprise
I noticed that many times along the path of my life
There was only one set of footprints.
I realized that this was at the lowest
and saddest parts of my life.
This always bothered me
and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.
"Lord, you told me when I decided to follow You,
You would walk and talk with me all the way.
But I'm aware that during the most troublesome
times of my life there is only one set of footprints.
I just don't understand why, when I needed You
most, You leave me."
He whispered, "My precious child,
I love you and will never leave you
never, ever, during your trials and testing.
When you saw only one set of footprints
it was then that I carried you.

Humility

Luke 14:7-11

"When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table he told them this parable: When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, give this man your seat. Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, Friend move up to a better place. Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Jesus taught us to be humble. Whoever was first will be last; whoever will be last will be first.

Words of encouragement

"If you want to be original just try being yourself, because God has never made two people exactly alike." -Bernard Meltzer

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door."- Milton Berie

"The power of imagination makes us infinite." -John Muir

"Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy."- Norman Vincent Peale

"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential.. these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence."- Confucius

"Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God."- Leo Buscaglia

New Blog

Decided to add a new blog entirely about fashion. Please check it out.  This blog will be entirely about God and Faith.  Most of the posts about fashion that were previously on this blog have been transferred over.

Here is the link. http://fashionblog124.blogspot.com/

:)

Religious leaders quotes

Making a Difference

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -Gandhi

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Gandhi

Service of Others

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." -Gandhi

"The good man is the friend of all living things."-Gandhi

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." -Dalai Lama

Faith

"Faith is not something to grasp, it is a state to grow into." -Gandhi

Love

"A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another." -Jesus Christ

What we should strive for everyday. (I'm Christian by birth but respect and find truth in all religions.)

Quotes to Live By

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."- Saint Augustine

"Here are the values that I stand for: honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values."- Ellen DeGeneres

"Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty and persistence."- Colin Powell

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."- Henry David Thoreau

"I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there is."- Albert Camus

"You can tell more about a person by what he says about other people than you can by what others say about him."- Audrey Hepburn

For Dummies

On my local library website looking for books to read over the summer and found that it has a bunch of "For Dummies" books.  Here are a few examples.

1. Baby Signing for Dummies
2. Yoga for Dummies
3. Constitutional Law for Dummies
4. Blogging for Dummies
5. Business Plans for Dummies
6. Dogs for Dummies
7. English Grammar for Dummies
8. Farmville for Dummies (WTF?!)
9. Hacking for Dummies (Yes lets tell people how to do it)
10. Knitting a Scarf in a Day for Dummies

So basically anything you want to learn has a Dummies book.

My personal favorites are Farmville and Hacking for Dummies.

Beauty

I was searching online for quotes about beauty and found a few that I really liked.

"Beauty in my opinion has nothing to do with looks. Its how you are as a person and how you make others feel about themselves." - The Notebook of Life

"Real glamour and beauty is not just mascara, Chanel no. 5 Perfume, and perfect lip gloss. Its being a role model, being beautiful on the inside, and caring more about others than you do yourself." -Unknown

"Beauty is being the best possible version of yourself on the inside and out."- Unknown

This world has distorted images of beauty.  A majority of the models are super-skinny and airbrushed.  No wonder eating disorders among young girls are so common.  Beauty is being the best you, its about caring for and taking care of others before yourself.  Its about putting others before you and following God's plan.

What I don't get about...pro-abortion activists

1. They are for woman's rights. But if the child inside the womb is a girl wouldn't that girl have rights too?

2. They say that a fetus is not a child. But leading scientists say that life begins at fertilization.

3. If someone hits a pregnant woman with a car causing the unborn baby to die then it is considered murder. But abortion is not.


*Without Life we can't have liberty or pursuit of happiness*

*Be glad your mom chose life*

Things we can learn from Mother Teresa

1. Treat everyone equally and with respect.

"There is only one God and He is God to all; therefore it is important that everyone is seen as equal before God. I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic. We believe our work should be our example to people. We have among us 475 souls - 30 families are Catholics and the rest are all Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs—all different religions. But they all come to our prayers."

2. Love God with all your heart.

"There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives - the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it.
The poor you may have right in your own family.
Find them.
Love them."

3. Think before you speak.

"Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart."

4. Forgive.

"If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive."

5. Give yourself to God.

 "Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness."

 

I believe that if everyone follows Mother Teresa's example the world will be a better more loving place. :)

Twitter

Finally got on the bandwagon and got a twitter.

It's FashionFaith2

:)

Talents

One of my favorite parables is the parable of the talents.  Here is a brief summary of the parable.  A master leaves on a trip, but before he goes he gives his servants "talents".  One servant gets five talents, another two and yet another one.  The one with five talents went to work and got five more.  The one with two talents gained two more.  The servant with one talent went out and hid it in a hole in the ground.  The master returned and the servants gave him their talents.  The one with one talent , however, told the master that he had hid the talent.  The master got upset at the servant and gave his talent to the one who has ten talents.

I love this parable because it is about using the gifts that God gave you to help better society.  God gave you gifts for a reason.  He wants you to use them on his behalf.  Everyone has something different to bring to the table; although we all don't have the same talents they can still be used somehow by God.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVTeIMursb8
(Music video for Do Everything by Steven Curtis Chapman.)

 

Even though this parable was told at the time that Jesus was alive it still is extremely relevant today.  Steven Curtis Chapman has a great song that goes great with this parable.

Orientation and stuff

(I know I have not posted in a while but with Orientation for college and other personal stuff going on I have not had the time.)

Orientation was great.  Met a few other transfer students; had a huge game of apples to apples going with 10 other new students.  The college has a huge rec center with a rock climbing wall and a game room.  The food was great too.

Can't wait for August.

Bible verse

1 Peter 4:10

"Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace of God."

Everyone receives a gift from God.  We just need to do something with it.

Patron Saints

Everything has a Patron Saint.  Here are a few interesting ones that I have found.

1. Authors/ Writers- St. Francis de Sales

2. Broadcasters- Angels Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael

3. Heart Patients- St. John of God

4. Students- St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Catherine of Alexandria

5. Television- St. Clare

6. Teachers- St. Gregory the Great and St. John Baptist de la Salle

7. Waiters/Waitresses- St. Martha

Random Post

It's the first week of summer and I am already bored!

Is it weird that I can't wait until school starts in August so that I have something to do?

Bible Verse(s)

Love

1 Peter 3:8

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."

Matthew 22:37-39

"Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all you mind.' This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

1 Corinthians 13:13

"And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Music

Songs I can't get enough of:

1.  All-American Girl- Carrie Underwood
2.  Catch My Breath- Kelly Clarkson
3.  Come & Get It- Selena Gomez
4.  Do Everything- Steven Curtis Chapman
5. Forgiveness- Toby Mac
6. He Said- Group One Crew
7. Heart Attack- Demi Lovato
8. Hello, My Name Is- Matthew West
9. Stop & Erase- Selena Gomez

Christian t-shirts

I love this store.  They have great Christian t-shirts for all ages.




http://www.christiantshirtshop.com/

It's Offically Summer!!!!

Just finished my summer class and now don't have to go back to school until I transfer in the fall.

What I'm looking forward to:

1. Being able to sleep in.
2. Chicago with friends. (a day of shopping, shopping and more shopping.)
3. Orientation at new college.
4. Actually having time to write. (Working on a sitcom pilot right now.)
5. Being able to relax (except for work).
6. Swimming.

Also have decided to create a new blog about my experience and adventures in a new school.  Won't be up until this fall or maybe sooner if I want to add something about orientation next week.

Have a great summer!! :)

What are you looking forward to this summer?

Bible Verse

Patience

Colossians 3:12-13

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."


Saint Augustine once said, "Patience is the companion of wisdom."  Being patient means to not be quick to anger or to loss your temper.  Patience is one of the things that I have learned from my job; although today I felt like getting angry and possibly punching one of my co-workers in the face. (Thankfully I didn't and kept my cool.)  But I realized that being patient and not letting them know it annoys me is my best bet at keeping sane at this job.  At least I only have 3 months left before I quit to go to school.

Quotes I live by

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney

"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." -James Dean

"The most important thing is to enjoy your life- to be happy- it's all that matters." -Audrey Hepburn

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure." -Bill Cosby

"God didn't make a mistake when he made you. You need to see yourself as God sees you." -Joel Osteen

"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." -Bill Keane

Bible Verse(s)

Love

1 John 4:16

"God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them."

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own ways; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things; hopes all things; endures all things. Love never ends."

Bible Verse(s) of the Day

Beauty:

Psalm 139:14

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

1 Peter 3:3-4

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

Genesis 1:27

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created him."

Beauty should come from within; God made everyone in his image and likeness and has a plan for you.  I have struggled with body image for years.  But after reading the bible I realized that God loves me for who I am not what I look like.

(Btw sorry about not posting a bible verse yesterday but got home from work late and have a 12 page history paper due next week.)

Summer Movies

Movies this summer that I want to see:

1.  The Intership (June 7) - Sounds like a really funny movie.

2. Monsters University (June 21)- Re-living my childhood.

3. The Lone Ranger (July 3)- Johnny Depp is always amazing in his movies.

4. Disney's Planes (Aug 9)- IDK why but Cars was a really good movie and I hope this is too, looks like a cute movie.

Bible Verse of the day

Proverbs 24:14
"Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul: if  you find it, there is a future home for you, and your hope will not be cut off."


I guess that this means that being wise is extremely important in God's eyes.  Being wise, according to dictonary.com means. "Knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgement as to action."

Am in a summer class at community college to finish my associates and we are learning about the great philosophers of the ancient Greeks.  One of these philosophers is Plato.  One of his quotes that I found was, "Igonarance, the root and stem of all evil."  Now that man was wise!

Bible verse(s) of the day 

 

Today's bible verse is about dealing with difficult people.  I have my share of difficult people in my life.  Mainly at work.  There is this one teenaged girl (not to say anything bad about teenagers in general just the ones who think that they are the greatest) who is in charge at work and she thinks that she is all that because of it.  (I guess that she doesn't realize that I have 3 years on her.)

 

Matthew 5:38-40

"You have heard that it was said, 'an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth'.  But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him take your cloak as well."
 

Romans 12:14

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."
 

Romans 12:17

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil."

Random (Kindof disturbing) video game

I was at the mall this afternoon with one of my best friends since first grade.  We went into the video game store and I found this....

Possibly the most disturbing video game ever!!

 

Quoting Wikipedia, "The game is set on a paradisal island where teddy bears live in harmony. The main character, Naughty Bear, is a shabby teddy bear who has a tendency to be mischievous, which earns him the dislike of the other bears. Like the other teddy bears, he does not speak but instead conveys his emotions through a variety of sounds and facial expressions. His actions are influenced by an unseen narrator with a demeanor reminiscent of that of a young children's television show host.^"

Winter Jam 2013

Went to Winter Jam a couple months back and might I say it was awesome.  And very uplifting.  Will go back in a heartbeat.

Toby Mac is amazing in concert and I recommend you see him at least once.

Introduction

So for my first blog post I would like to introduce myself.  I am a 20 year old college student.  I am studying film and radio and hope to one day produce and write a sitcom. My favorite colors are purple and blue.  I have two guinea pigs that I had since my senior year of high school.  If you know me personally I am somewhat quiet but once you get to know me I can be outgoing and sometimes annoying.  Words of my friends; not me.

This blog will be about God and faith.  It is a devotional blog that helps me get closer to our Lord and decided to share it with you.