A Gift From God

Today was a B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L day!

You probably think I'm talking about the weather =) I'm not. You see, today was beautiful because I was able to spend time on my own to just enjoy life and realize how blessed I really am. Sure, the sunset was spectacular and the view from the top of Hacienda Heights was beautiful, but that's not what makes a beautiful day for me...that's just icing on the cake ;)

No, in order for a day to be truly beautiful I have to have talked to/spent time with those that I love. Sitting with my little sister and helping her with homework, chatting with my mom about plans for my future, helping my dad around the garage, IMing with friends :) all of it amounts to pure joy in my life. There's nothing I enjoy more than spending time with other people, unless its just spending time with God.

When I see those people who treat friends or family like they're not worth their time...it makes me so infuriated! We only have 80 years (if that) on this earth to spend and if you're not going to live them well, you're not wisely spending what God has entrusted you with.


Everything else on this earth eventually passes away. For those who are fortunate enough to have family, treasure them while you have them! They really are a gift from God.

So beautiful, the things that make you smile

You know those things that are just so dear to our hearts?



The sound of laughter on a quiet day



The times spent flinging pillows at a friend's heads



A daring moment when you just feel free to walk on top of the world



Sitting together with a friend at a time when you need them most



Staring at the sidewalk knowing that you are loved...



Spotting color in a colorless world



Finding music in God's creation and beauty in music



Seeing the sights you've only ever dreamed of seeing



Getting that long awaited inspiration during a dry season of your life



Releasing restraint and acting like a little girl playing dress-up once again



Living in a world where we are free to imagine whatsoever we desire



Seeing a messed up world through Christ's loving eyes



Relaxing on a beach with no one around



Watching those old movies where the couple ends up kissing in the snow ;)



One word: BUBBLES



Seeing the city lights and the fuzzy feeling it brings to your tummy



Progress throughout the years and years of experimentation



Sitting on a swing and contemplating life, love, and other mysteries



Dancing in the rain with not a care in the world



Noticing the small details in things that no one else sees



Watching love amongst the youngsters



Hearing an old record player and remembering past times



Seeing something unique....that ONE color that makes you smile



Watching the sun set on an exotic island beach



Feeling like a princess when you remember that you're the daughter of the King



Walking down that one street that you have so many fond memories of



Observing God's creating in a whole new light



Looking at objects and realizing that there's so much more than black and white



Finding the love of music all around you, in the simple things really



Those times when you know that everything's going to be okay



Knowing that there is someone out there who has the key(s) to my heart

Amazing Skit

"Everything By Lifehouse"

There was this skit I saw on Youtube that my sister wanted me to watch.... It was written according to the new song "Everything" by Lifehouse. The message was strong, powerful. It talked about how we begin our life so close to Christ, appreciative of everything around us and totally in love with Him. As time goes on Christ kind of gets pushed to the side of our lives as other things crowd in; Romance, Money, Alcohol, Drugs, Fashion (and the obsession of "the perfect body"), and Suicide. They all crowd around until we become slaves to the world. When we look around and realize how great we had it when Christ was the center of our lives, its too late. Everything else throws you down while you feel the pull of Christ in your life. When we let Christ in, He fights off the world until we finally let Him have all control. Then He's able to knock those things down once and for all. The beauty of life returns and we realize that life is really worth living for God. The movie ends with a strong message:

"1/2 of youth are not virgins"

"Over 1,500 youth kill themselves a year"

"1 in 4 youth use illegal drugs"

"40% of youth have self inflicted wounds"

"1 in 3 youth have been drunk in the last month"

"1 million are pregnant"

"1 in 5 youth have thought about suicide"

"8,000 youth get an STD every day"

"IT'S TIME TO TAKE A STAND!"

"Don't conform to the influences of this generation"

"We all need to be reached"

Now if that's not powerful...I don't know what is. The skit is truly gut-wrenching and tears are very near the surface whenever I think of the truth of it. Really...we need to take a stand! To make sure that these statistics don't get passed on to future generations, only to get worse as they hit generation after generation. Let's end this now and make sure that Christ, once again, becomes the center of our life.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IUiEeM5TAUY

Schindler's List

Cold blooded murder.

That's the only way to adequately describe what I thought this movie was trying to portray. Schindler's List is one of those unforgettable movies that never fails to stir you no matter how often you see it.

The blatant disregard of human lives during World War II never, ever ceases to amaze me...how can those soldiers have looked these people in the eyes and shot them through the head? That's when I realized something; the cowards shot these defenseless Jews from behind.

One line from the movie hit me hard...a soldier (Amon Goeth) abused a woman (Helena) and justified it by saying "I would like so much to reach out to you and touch you in your loneliness. What would it be like, I wonder? What would be wrong with that? I realize that you are not a person in the strictest sense of the word, but, um, maybe you're right about that too. Maybe what's wrong, it's not us, it's this... I mean, when they compare you to vermin, to rodents and to lice. I just, uh, you make a good point. You make a very good point. Is this the face of a rat? Are these the eyes of a rat? "Hath not a Jew eyes?" I feel for you Helen." Then he proceeds to beat her. That nearly brought me to tears. How could you look at the face of a person, made in the image of God, and then continue to view your fellow human as a rodent, lice?

Yet isn't this exactly what we do as humans? When we see someone, do we not automatically label them? I know I do this all the time! We are such judgmental people...this movie simply personifies the injustice in the world. To think that this actually happened in history is enough to make me sick. To think that I do it almost everyday is enough to make me ill for the rest of my life. Why cant we just love people the way it was meant to be? Why cant we see people the way they were meant to be seen? Prejudice is an ugly thing...its time to rid ourselves of it once and for all; lets take the stand that no one else will.