Lately, I've been looking at this overwhelming problem of the world I live in.
Going through a typical week, with all the people I encounter and all the experiences I have, I keep seeing the brokenness of the world.
The homeless man on the street. That girl sitting all by herself at lunch. Those 10 year olds in awana who don't understand who God is. Those news stories about murders. Discussing politics. Working to keep up with my school work. Trying to learn more about the world.
My head spins thinking of how many problems there are in the world, how many people need help - and I want to do something about it.
I want to change the world, and I want to make a difference for the kingdom of God. I want to be radical, crazy, different, a world-changer.
But the other day, I heard this (ridiculously simple) statement:
You don't have to solve the world's problems.
Huh?
Oh right, I'm not God.
But I was also reminded of this story:
One day, a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?"
The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die."
"Son," the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference!"
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf.
Then, smiling at the man, he said, "I made a difference for that one."
A lot of times I'm overwhelmed with all the things there are to do. How do I know what I'm supposed to do, and how am I supposed to make a difference?
Unlike some of my friends, who have been called off to places like Argentina, Peru, Russia, and China -- or even to direct Awana, minister to youth, serve in church -- I'm not really sure what I'm called to do, or how exactly I can make a difference.
But there are places I can make a difference right here.
I can watch that lego movie with my little brother.
I can help my brother with his speech.
I can not brush them off when they have questions.
I can do the dishes for my mom so she can take a nap.
I can not be on the computer so I can be available for something else.
I can give my dad a hug when he comes home.
I can send an email to a friend just because.
I can make a difference, and I don't need to change the whole world. Great things start small, and if I can make a difference in one person's life, God can turn that into something bigger in His timing and strength.
Wednesday, November 2
Early's on time.
My favorite part of halloween is when the local Christian radio station plays Christmas music all day. I used to be a Christmas-music-is-only-for-December purist, but I have since changed from my old ways and now listen to it in November.
And just today, my favorite band (tenth avenue north, of course) released A NEW CHRISTMAS SONG! (que massive excitement)
Yes, it's dumb, it's not the best Christmas song ever, but it's tenth avenue north, and it's Christmas.
Even though I'm really excited for Christmas, I am absolutely loving the fall weather - no rain, crisp, cold mornings, fog, hot tea, and crunchy leaves.
:)
And just today, my favorite band (tenth avenue north, of course) released A NEW CHRISTMAS SONG! (que massive excitement)
Yes, it's dumb, it's not the best Christmas song ever, but it's tenth avenue north, and it's Christmas.
Even though I'm really excited for Christmas, I am absolutely loving the fall weather - no rain, crisp, cold mornings, fog, hot tea, and crunchy leaves.
:)
Friday, October 28
Have you signed?
It was recently brought to my attention that I never informed my readers about the status of Asia Bibi and the video competition we entered.
This is ::cough:: largely due to the fact that ::cough:: nobody commented. ::cough::
ANYWAY.
We did not win and thus will not be going to DC. However, we did place 2nd, which included a happy youtube comment, more youtube views, and a shiny tshirt as a prize....which has yet to arrive in the mail. Here's the first place winner - who, despite our best efforts, definitely deserved to win.
All video competitions aside, I implore you to please sign the petition.
You can find it at CallForMercy.com.
Asia has been in prison for over 2 years and soon will be executed, merely for sharing her faith - if something is not done.
In November, a group from Voice of the Martyrs will be taking this petition to the Pakistan embassy in Washington DC to plead for Asia's release. Their goal is 1,000,000. Currently we're at 300,000.
Guys, that's 700,000 more signatures.
By mid-November.
I think we can do it. We all have blogs, emails, friends, facebook accounts, websites, contacts. Let's spread this petition around, encourage others to spread it around, and make a difference in this incredible woman's life.
Have you signed the petition?
This is ::cough:: largely due to the fact that ::cough:: nobody commented. ::cough::
ANYWAY.
We did not win and thus will not be going to DC. However, we did place 2nd, which included a happy youtube comment, more youtube views, and a shiny tshirt as a prize....which has yet to arrive in the mail. Here's the first place winner - who, despite our best efforts, definitely deserved to win.
All video competitions aside, I implore you to please sign the petition.
You can find it at CallForMercy.com.
Asia has been in prison for over 2 years and soon will be executed, merely for sharing her faith - if something is not done.
In November, a group from Voice of the Martyrs will be taking this petition to the Pakistan embassy in Washington DC to plead for Asia's release. Their goal is 1,000,000. Currently we're at 300,000.
Guys, that's 700,000 more signatures.
By mid-November.
I think we can do it. We all have blogs, emails, friends, facebook accounts, websites, contacts. Let's spread this petition around, encourage others to spread it around, and make a difference in this incredible woman's life.
Have you signed the petition?
Thursday, October 27
Tuesday, October 25
Monday, October 17
Before today becomes our yesterday.
Tomorrow, my friend Paul and I turn 18. It's a golden birthday! Wheee!! We've always had fun having the same birthday.
But only just now, we were mourning our last hours as children. It was rather pitiful. (I, being the girl, was far more pitiful...)
It just sort of occurred to me that the rest of my life is lived in adulthood.
Call me naive and childish, but yes, I did just realise that.
And it makes me think -- there really is no going back.
10 years from now, I will still be me - not some magically transformed person who changed ages. The things I do now will become who I am later.
People say, "treasure every day, because it could be the last you've got."
And while I'm still young and have my whole life ahead of me, it sort of makes me realise how much each day really is a treasure. Because -- really, this is...IT. Pretty soon I have to go to college. I have to move out. I have to live on my own....for the rest of my life.
I'm starting to realise more and more what people mean when they say that the teen years are a launching pad for the rest of your life.
Because really, the "rest of your life" is the majority of your life. Childhood is such a very, very small part of your life.
As some random song that's played on the radio station goes,
"This is the first day of the rest of your life."
It's weird, but it's actually kinda true.
Isn't growing up weird? It never stops happening. I keep thinking I'll hit some happy medium and be the same for a long time. But clearly this is not the case.
I have two more years left before I go to college. That's two more years of my family as I know it now. Am I treasuring it while it lasts?
Do I push my little brother off when he wants to hang out with me? Am I listening to my music when my older little brother wants to talk to me? Do I ignore my dad when he wants to tell me something, or my mom when she wants help in the kitchen?
Even now, I look back at my days of being 8 years old and thing "those were the days."
But what's to stop me from making these days "those days?" Will I look back on these years with joy? I want to.
I want to remember the way my brothers laugh when I tickle them, the way my mom smiles when I surprise her, the way my dad goofs off and teases me. I want to treasure every moment while it's here.
Teach me to number my days
And count every moment before it slips away
Take in all the colors before they fade to gray
I don't want to miss even just a second more of this
When it's all said and done
No one remembers how far we have run
The only thing that matters is how we have loved
I don't want to miss even just a second more of this
Slow down, slow down
Before today becomes our yesterday
Slow down, slow down
Before you turn around and it's too late
It happens in a blink
It happens in a flash
It happens in the time it takes to look back
I try to hold on tight, but there's no stopping time
What is it I've done with my life
It happens in a blink.
But only just now, we were mourning our last hours as children. It was rather pitiful. (I, being the girl, was far more pitiful...)
It just sort of occurred to me that the rest of my life is lived in adulthood.
Call me naive and childish, but yes, I did just realise that.
And it makes me think -- there really is no going back.
10 years from now, I will still be me - not some magically transformed person who changed ages. The things I do now will become who I am later.
People say, "treasure every day, because it could be the last you've got."
And while I'm still young and have my whole life ahead of me, it sort of makes me realise how much each day really is a treasure. Because -- really, this is...IT. Pretty soon I have to go to college. I have to move out. I have to live on my own....for the rest of my life.
I'm starting to realise more and more what people mean when they say that the teen years are a launching pad for the rest of your life.
Because really, the "rest of your life" is the majority of your life. Childhood is such a very, very small part of your life.
As some random song that's played on the radio station goes,
"This is the first day of the rest of your life."
It's weird, but it's actually kinda true.
Isn't growing up weird? It never stops happening. I keep thinking I'll hit some happy medium and be the same for a long time. But clearly this is not the case.
I have two more years left before I go to college. That's two more years of my family as I know it now. Am I treasuring it while it lasts?
Do I push my little brother off when he wants to hang out with me? Am I listening to my music when my older little brother wants to talk to me? Do I ignore my dad when he wants to tell me something, or my mom when she wants help in the kitchen?
Even now, I look back at my days of being 8 years old and thing "those were the days."
But what's to stop me from making these days "those days?" Will I look back on these years with joy? I want to.
I want to remember the way my brothers laugh when I tickle them, the way my mom smiles when I surprise her, the way my dad goofs off and teases me. I want to treasure every moment while it's here.
Teach me to number my days
And count every moment before it slips away
Take in all the colors before they fade to gray
I don't want to miss even just a second more of this
When it's all said and done
No one remembers how far we have run
The only thing that matters is how we have loved
I don't want to miss even just a second more of this
Slow down, slow down
Before today becomes our yesterday
Slow down, slow down
Before you turn around and it's too late
It happens in a blink
It happens in a flash
It happens in the time it takes to look back
I try to hold on tight, but there's no stopping time
What is it I've done with my life
It happens in a blink.
Sunday, October 16
And so it begins.
Last weekend marked the first official tournament of the speech and debate season.
Not only that, it was the first official tournament that anybody in our league has had.
Like, nobody else in the country had a tournament yet.
Isn't that special?
There were no speech events - just debate. So that was 2 very long days of debate -- with my psychotic, half-insane debate club. :D
We spent 5 hours in the car (yes, our entire club.) (Granted, there's only 4 in our club) driving down to Eugene, Oregon - listening to Veggie Tales, Revive, Irish Pub music, and creating debate examples based off of things we saw outside the window.
Because we all had school-ish such things going on that day, we didn't leave till 4:30pm. This means that with a 5 hour car ride, we didn't get there till like 10 pm.
And, at 5am the next morning, tournament insanity began!
Because it was just debate, there were extra rounds. My friend Paul and I were also crazy (or perhaps ignorant...you never know) enough to try a new form of debate which we've never done before called "parliamentary debate." Styled after, of course, the British Parliament.
So combined with that and the usual amount of debate, I debated a total of 11 rounds, which is roundabouts of 11 hours of debate.
11 hours.
That's 11 hours of having your ideas beat to a pulp, and then having to muster up the brainpower to attempt to beat their ideas to a similar pulp.
With no speech to balance it out.
So at this present moment, I am thoroughly out of my mind, and fear I shall remain so for quite awhile.
Not only that, it was the first official tournament that anybody in our league has had.
Like, nobody else in the country had a tournament yet.
Isn't that special?
There were no speech events - just debate. So that was 2 very long days of debate -- with my psychotic, half-insane debate club. :D
We spent 5 hours in the car (yes, our entire club.) (Granted, there's only 4 in our club) driving down to Eugene, Oregon - listening to Veggie Tales, Revive, Irish Pub music, and creating debate examples based off of things we saw outside the window.
Because we all had school-ish such things going on that day, we didn't leave till 4:30pm. This means that with a 5 hour car ride, we didn't get there till like 10 pm.
And, at 5am the next morning, tournament insanity began!
Because it was just debate, there were extra rounds. My friend Paul and I were also crazy (or perhaps ignorant...you never know) enough to try a new form of debate which we've never done before called "parliamentary debate." Styled after, of course, the British Parliament.
So combined with that and the usual amount of debate, I debated a total of 11 rounds, which is roundabouts of 11 hours of debate.
11 hours.
That's 11 hours of having your ideas beat to a pulp, and then having to muster up the brainpower to attempt to beat their ideas to a similar pulp.
With no speech to balance it out.
So at this present moment, I am thoroughly out of my mind, and fear I shall remain so for quite awhile.
Thursday, October 13
学 中 文 。
These are the kind of things going through my head right now. It's like a song you only know part of the words for.
您好！
我是美国人。
我喜欢喝咖啡。
你喜欢茶吗？
我的中文不好。
I can read, write, and pronounce all of that. Without Google Translate. What I'm really proud of, however, is that I have sort of started thinking in Chinese. Little itty bitty phrases, like please, thank you, goodbye, and my name is.....
It's cool.
再见！
您好！
我是美国人。
中国是很美。
我喜欢喝咖啡。
我的中文不好。
I can read, write, and pronounce all of that. Without Google Translate. What I'm really proud of, however, is that I have sort of started thinking in Chinese. Little itty bitty phrases, like please, thank you, goodbye, and my name is.....
It's cool.
再见！
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