-I see a generation,
-rising up to take their place.
-with selfless faith.
-with selfless faith.
-I see a new revival
-Staring as we pray and seek
-We're on our knees, we're on our knees.
This song has been stuck in my head for days. Every time I hear "Hosanna" I get chills. The words of this powerful worship song have always struck a cord with me. I dream that one day we are ALL on our knees praising God for everything that he is; for everything that he does; and for everything that he allows US to have. I pray that one day this generation as a whole will stand up for what we believe in.
As a few of us come together, we are able to accomplish things. If we all stood together united with God, just that alone would be incredible. This generation is slowly starting to take over leadership of this country and this world. If we did so with the faith and moral values of God, this country could be a different place than it is right now.
Proverbs 30:5 says, "Every Word of God is pure; he is a shield to those who put their trust in Him."
Gods word is reliable. So reliable that you could use his word as a shield and it would not crack. Everything he says is true. People have questions that need answers just as the Bible has the answers to those questions you have yet to ask.
To lose one's faith surpasses
The lost of an estate,
Because estates can be
Replenished, - faith cannot.
Inherited with life,
Belief but once can be;
Annihilate a single clause,
And Being's beggary.
-Emily Dickinson.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
In Memory...
There are many ways I could describe Lacy Jordan Layton. To me, she was someone who could make absolutely anyone cheer up just by being in the room with you. Her smile and vibrant personailty were that amazing. Lacy was the very best friend that Emily had. I always hate being away from my family and not being able to be there if something happens, right then, but it always helped knowing that Lacy was there for Emily if anything happened.
A month ago yesterday, my cousin lost her grandparents. Lacy and I were there for her the entire time. During the funeral, Emily sat with the family and Lacy and I, we sat together. It is very hard knowing that tomorrow I will be at another funeral and she will be there, but not right beside me, holding on to my arm crying along with me. Instead she will be looking down on us all, safe in Heaven.
I may not be as close to her as she was to other people, but I do consider her my best friend. We told each other that we were each other's best friend from (insert town we live in here). We have not gotten to spend a lot of time together these past few months but I really hope she knows that I love her. I am grateful for being able to have her in my life. Lacy truly is an amazing person.
I really do not understand why this had to happen. I never will. Maybe it is better that way. Maybe it is better if I don't know. I know she is in a much, much better place than we are. In a way I feel selfish, wanting her here with us. We were all hoping for a miracle, and maybe what we got was a miracle. She never has to suffer and she is happy.
Tomorrow will be an extremely hard day for many people. Lacy was close to so many and had an impact on the lives of everyone that she came in contact with. She will NEVER be forgotten. None of us will ever allow that to happen.
Lacy will always live on. She was an organ donor and she was able to give someone the most amazing gift you can recieve: the gift of life. Although it was her time to go, she gave someone else a second chance.
Everyone, please tell people that you love them. Life should not be taken for granted. In the blink of an eye, it could be gone. Don't wait to tell someone that you love them, don't make yourself wonder if they know that you love them.
In loving memory of Lacy Jordan Layton.
She is our guardian angel.
<3
A month ago yesterday, my cousin lost her grandparents. Lacy and I were there for her the entire time. During the funeral, Emily sat with the family and Lacy and I, we sat together. It is very hard knowing that tomorrow I will be at another funeral and she will be there, but not right beside me, holding on to my arm crying along with me. Instead she will be looking down on us all, safe in Heaven.
I may not be as close to her as she was to other people, but I do consider her my best friend. We told each other that we were each other's best friend from (insert town we live in here). We have not gotten to spend a lot of time together these past few months but I really hope she knows that I love her. I am grateful for being able to have her in my life. Lacy truly is an amazing person.
I really do not understand why this had to happen. I never will. Maybe it is better that way. Maybe it is better if I don't know. I know she is in a much, much better place than we are. In a way I feel selfish, wanting her here with us. We were all hoping for a miracle, and maybe what we got was a miracle. She never has to suffer and she is happy.
Tomorrow will be an extremely hard day for many people. Lacy was close to so many and had an impact on the lives of everyone that she came in contact with. She will NEVER be forgotten. None of us will ever allow that to happen.
Lacy will always live on. She was an organ donor and she was able to give someone the most amazing gift you can recieve: the gift of life. Although it was her time to go, she gave someone else a second chance.
Everyone, please tell people that you love them. Life should not be taken for granted. In the blink of an eye, it could be gone. Don't wait to tell someone that you love them, don't make yourself wonder if they know that you love them.
In loving memory of Lacy Jordan Layton.
She is our guardian angel.
<3
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Past, Present, and the Future.
People often get caught up in their future. Sometimes we all tend to base our happiness on the "I'll be happy when..." mindset. We have all done it at one point or another. I know that many teenagers do this. Especialy when talking about what they are planning on doing after high school. We all cannot wait for graduation and you can always hear someone saying that they will be happy WHEN they graduate from high school. So, you aren't happy now?
I, myself, have aspirations and goals that I would like to achieve. Sure, I'll be happy when I achieve those things. But I am also happy now. It's all a matter of perspective. You may not have the ideal situation or surroundings and if you don't, reach out. If you have no one personally to reach out too, reach out to God. He is ALWAYS there for you. Even if others are not, God is there just WAITING for you to reach out to him. That is what he wants.
At the same time, some people do not think to the future, they think towards their past. They may have made a mistake that they cannot get over. We have all made mistakes. Every person on this Earth cannot say that they haven't because we all have. But to some people, it is something tremendous. They refuse to let themselves be happy because of this.
The past and future are very important components to your life as you know it today. But they should not overwhelm your life so that you can not focus on living your life TODAY. To many times people have let these two different time periods in their life take over and control them. If you have made a mistake that you have not forgiven yourself for, do it. God has forgiven you. Why can't you forgive yourself? Let it be a lesson to yourself to act differently. Possibly change your life and act differently if you made a mistake and want to change something. But live your life. If you are wishing, waiting, and hoping for the future. Take a look around. God has given us this beautiful place with more than we would ever need. Use it. Thank the Lord that you are here today to celebrate this thing called LIFE!
Sure, it's okay to hope for a better tomorrow but shouldn't you be happy for what God has given you?
I, myself, have aspirations and goals that I would like to achieve. Sure, I'll be happy when I achieve those things. But I am also happy now. It's all a matter of perspective. You may not have the ideal situation or surroundings and if you don't, reach out. If you have no one personally to reach out too, reach out to God. He is ALWAYS there for you. Even if others are not, God is there just WAITING for you to reach out to him. That is what he wants.
At the same time, some people do not think to the future, they think towards their past. They may have made a mistake that they cannot get over. We have all made mistakes. Every person on this Earth cannot say that they haven't because we all have. But to some people, it is something tremendous. They refuse to let themselves be happy because of this.
The past and future are very important components to your life as you know it today. But they should not overwhelm your life so that you can not focus on living your life TODAY. To many times people have let these two different time periods in their life take over and control them. If you have made a mistake that you have not forgiven yourself for, do it. God has forgiven you. Why can't you forgive yourself? Let it be a lesson to yourself to act differently. Possibly change your life and act differently if you made a mistake and want to change something. But live your life. If you are wishing, waiting, and hoping for the future. Take a look around. God has given us this beautiful place with more than we would ever need. Use it. Thank the Lord that you are here today to celebrate this thing called LIFE!
Sure, it's okay to hope for a better tomorrow but shouldn't you be happy for what God has given you?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Coming and Going
In elementary school you had very few things to worry about. Your friends were your friends and there was no questioning things, they just were. As you get older that changes. Friends drift apart and new ones emerge. Sometimes you wonder why but in high school you usually just go with the flow and let things happen. A co-worker of mine and I were talking about this tonight at work. It is hard seeing people you once consider your best friend, not even say hi to you while passing by. It just is.
In reality this happens all throughout your life. People come and go. But is there a reasoning behind it? Of course. God puts everyone in your life when you need them. Sometimes it is harder than others to let relationships go. But looking back, there is ALWAYS something to have learned from that person. It might just be that they helped you get through something, or they really made a deep impact on your life.
In American Studies, we were assigned to write an essay on an event that shaped our lives. My teacher told is about her very best friend in high school. They were completely inseparable. In March of their senior year, her best friend was in a car accident and did not survive. Mrs. Thompson said that going through that she learned to be more compassionate and to really appreciate the people in her life. I began to think about something that really impacted my life. I immediately thought about my brother-in-laws' niece. She was only with us for two very short years, but in those two years she made an impact in all of our lives that will last a lifetime. We all learned so many lessons from her and will continue to learn even more through her best friend, who is my youngest niece.
My point is this, don't take for granted the people in your life. If you are not learning SOMETHING from the people you surround yourself with, look deeper. They are all in your life for a reason. Find out what that reason is.
In reality this happens all throughout your life. People come and go. But is there a reasoning behind it? Of course. God puts everyone in your life when you need them. Sometimes it is harder than others to let relationships go. But looking back, there is ALWAYS something to have learned from that person. It might just be that they helped you get through something, or they really made a deep impact on your life.
In American Studies, we were assigned to write an essay on an event that shaped our lives. My teacher told is about her very best friend in high school. They were completely inseparable. In March of their senior year, her best friend was in a car accident and did not survive. Mrs. Thompson said that going through that she learned to be more compassionate and to really appreciate the people in her life. I began to think about something that really impacted my life. I immediately thought about my brother-in-laws' niece. She was only with us for two very short years, but in those two years she made an impact in all of our lives that will last a lifetime. We all learned so many lessons from her and will continue to learn even more through her best friend, who is my youngest niece.
My point is this, don't take for granted the people in your life. If you are not learning SOMETHING from the people you surround yourself with, look deeper. They are all in your life for a reason. Find out what that reason is.
Monday, January 19, 2009
What's Your Pledge?
Today is a day of volunteering and remembrance in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tomorrow is a historic day in this country, as it is the day of the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States; Barack Obama. The theme of both days are service, UNITY, and change.
Here's a video I found. Watch it. Listen to it. Think about it. What is YOUR Presidential Pledge?
MySpace Celebrity and Katalyst present The Presidential Pledge
Monday, December 29, 2008
What A Year.
I haven't blogged in almost a month, wow. I have been thinking about this year and how much my life has changed. There have happened that have effected my life in some way.
1. January 10th. I started the year knowing that a new church was starting and I would be a part of it. Little did I know it would be as big of an influence in my life this past year as it has. Without Crossroads I honestly have no idea what my life would be like. I've been to church before but never have a I felt that I have a family with the people at my church.
2. February 24th. I turned 16! Finally I have a license to drive. :] It was one of the best birthday's I have had. Went to Olive Garden the night before with my family and then on the day of my birthday I attended my first Sunday service at Crossroads and went shopping with Scott.
3. May 14th. I got my first job! Sometimes I really complain about Guthrie's but in all sincerity it is not a bad place to work at, especially for my first job. I have actually met some people here that have become pretty good friends as well.
4. Beginning of August. EHS resumed classes. This time at four different campuses. My junior year begins. So far it has been the hardest year, academically.
5. August 10th. Crossroads moved to the College Cinema. It is amazing to see how much we are growing!
6. Late August. My great-grandmother passed away. Even though I did not spend much time around her (she was in a nursing home) I miss her a great deal and I know that even more so my aunt's and my granny miss her. About two weeks after this, my granny was diagnosed with cancer. She had surgery to remove her kidney that the tumor was on.
7. October 5th. The Beach, BBQ, and Baptism. I was baptized. Spiritually, I have grown so much this past year. Over ten years ago when I met the Odens' who knew that on this day I would be baptized, much less by Pastor Gene. Even so, it was an amazing thing to share with someone whom I have known practially my entire life as well as Pastor Ben. Although I have not known him nearly as long, I respect him just as much. Looking back on this day, what made it special was sharing it with everyone who I have met and become close too at Crossroads.
8. October 30th. My Paw-paw passed away. We all knew he was sick but we were praying that it would not have come so soon. My mom has been married to my step-father since I was three so his parents have been a huge part of my life. My mom and dad's father both passed away many years ago so he was the one grandfather that was living. It still feels unreal to know that he is gone. I personally think he held on long enough to make sure that my Granny made it out of her surgery to remove her kidney. I don't know if I really ever told him this but I love him and I miss him calling our house to get my step-dad to come fix something. As annoying as we all thought it was when he did it. I miss him. Thank you to everyone who prayed for my family during this time. Pastor Gene, Mrs. Leslie, Pastor Ben, and Hollie; thank you for coming to see me or bringing by food. Kelly; thank you for coming to the funeral. You do not know how much that comforted me knowing that you were there. My mom and I are both very grateful for everything that you all have done.
9.December 24th. I was able to see family members that I have not seen in quite some time now. It was a good day to be able to see them again.
10. Today. We are remodeling the Garage. It is great to know that we outgrew the youth room therefore we are having to expand. Insulation itches though! Also, today I found out that my Granny went back to the doctor and got an ALL CLEAR. Other than one of her kidney's missing, he could not find any signs of cancer ever being in her body! The power of prayer. It heals.
In so many ways, this has been the hardest year of my life. There were many times I wish 2008 would hurry and be over with. But now, I wish it would not have gone by so fast. Something I did not mention , I met one of my best friends this year, Lindsay! :] I love that girl.
I am ready to see what God has planned for 2009. I've gotta say...We are definitely living the Blessed Life. There is no other way to say it. This IS life!
1. January 10th. I started the year knowing that a new church was starting and I would be a part of it. Little did I know it would be as big of an influence in my life this past year as it has. Without Crossroads I honestly have no idea what my life would be like. I've been to church before but never have a I felt that I have a family with the people at my church.
2. February 24th. I turned 16! Finally I have a license to drive. :] It was one of the best birthday's I have had. Went to Olive Garden the night before with my family and then on the day of my birthday I attended my first Sunday service at Crossroads and went shopping with Scott.
3. May 14th. I got my first job! Sometimes I really complain about Guthrie's but in all sincerity it is not a bad place to work at, especially for my first job. I have actually met some people here that have become pretty good friends as well.
4. Beginning of August. EHS resumed classes. This time at four different campuses. My junior year begins. So far it has been the hardest year, academically.
5. August 10th. Crossroads moved to the College Cinema. It is amazing to see how much we are growing!
6. Late August. My great-grandmother passed away. Even though I did not spend much time around her (she was in a nursing home) I miss her a great deal and I know that even more so my aunt's and my granny miss her. About two weeks after this, my granny was diagnosed with cancer. She had surgery to remove her kidney that the tumor was on.
7. October 5th. The Beach, BBQ, and Baptism. I was baptized. Spiritually, I have grown so much this past year. Over ten years ago when I met the Odens' who knew that on this day I would be baptized, much less by Pastor Gene. Even so, it was an amazing thing to share with someone whom I have known practially my entire life as well as Pastor Ben. Although I have not known him nearly as long, I respect him just as much. Looking back on this day, what made it special was sharing it with everyone who I have met and become close too at Crossroads.
8. October 30th. My Paw-paw passed away. We all knew he was sick but we were praying that it would not have come so soon. My mom has been married to my step-father since I was three so his parents have been a huge part of my life. My mom and dad's father both passed away many years ago so he was the one grandfather that was living. It still feels unreal to know that he is gone. I personally think he held on long enough to make sure that my Granny made it out of her surgery to remove her kidney. I don't know if I really ever told him this but I love him and I miss him calling our house to get my step-dad to come fix something. As annoying as we all thought it was when he did it. I miss him. Thank you to everyone who prayed for my family during this time. Pastor Gene, Mrs. Leslie, Pastor Ben, and Hollie; thank you for coming to see me or bringing by food. Kelly; thank you for coming to the funeral. You do not know how much that comforted me knowing that you were there. My mom and I are both very grateful for everything that you all have done.
9.December 24th. I was able to see family members that I have not seen in quite some time now. It was a good day to be able to see them again.
10. Today. We are remodeling the Garage. It is great to know that we outgrew the youth room therefore we are having to expand. Insulation itches though! Also, today I found out that my Granny went back to the doctor and got an ALL CLEAR. Other than one of her kidney's missing, he could not find any signs of cancer ever being in her body! The power of prayer. It heals.
In so many ways, this has been the hardest year of my life. There were many times I wish 2008 would hurry and be over with. But now, I wish it would not have gone by so fast. Something I did not mention , I met one of my best friends this year, Lindsay! :] I love that girl.
I am ready to see what God has planned for 2009. I've gotta say...We are definitely living the Blessed Life. There is no other way to say it. This IS life!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Rush of The Holidays
Throughout the year, sometimes we all become so busy that it is hard to just stop and enjoy life. Whether it is work, school, or just life it can often be overwhelming.
That is one thing that I enjoy about the holidays. Things seem to slow down a bit and I am finally able to relax some. It is nice to be able to have some time to do things other than school work. Spending time with my family is on the top of that list.
Above anything else tradition comes into play around the holidays. Ever since I can remember, the entire month of December my mom and I would watch all of the classic Christmas cartoons and claymations that they show on TV. That is something I look forward to all year because I know it is time we can spend together, no matter what else might be going on. Seeing the old movies always makes my day a little better because there are so many memories that come along with them.
When life becomes hectic, traditions can truly be a blessing. Even if things are not going great, little things can become something that will make your bad day turn around.
This holiday season, above anything else, spend time with the ones you love. One thing that I have learned this year is that, although some things go away, the people you love and care about most will always be there for you.
(Sorry for not updating sooner! Here's a cool video...just make sure to turn your sound on. )
That is one thing that I enjoy about the holidays. Things seem to slow down a bit and I am finally able to relax some. It is nice to be able to have some time to do things other than school work. Spending time with my family is on the top of that list.
Above anything else tradition comes into play around the holidays. Ever since I can remember, the entire month of December my mom and I would watch all of the classic Christmas cartoons and claymations that they show on TV. That is something I look forward to all year because I know it is time we can spend together, no matter what else might be going on. Seeing the old movies always makes my day a little better because there are so many memories that come along with them.
When life becomes hectic, traditions can truly be a blessing. Even if things are not going great, little things can become something that will make your bad day turn around.
This holiday season, above anything else, spend time with the ones you love. One thing that I have learned this year is that, although some things go away, the people you love and care about most will always be there for you.
(Sorry for not updating sooner! Here's a cool video...just make sure to turn your sound on. )
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