The hurt and the Healer

Sometimes in the midst of pain and tears we ask ourselves the question why? Why now? Why us? Why them? Why? Why? Why? God may not answer those question the way we want them to be answered we may not see that light at the end of the tunnel as anything more then a train. God doesn't promise us a pain free, easy ride life. No, he actually tells us it won't be easy, the road is long, less traveled but we aren't going alone. WE AREN'T GOING ALONE! He promises to NEVER leave us nor forsake us!! He will walk that road with us. The road less traveled is suddenly filled with you not walking alone, suddenly you're seeing that even through this pain,in this pit, HE WILL bring you through. When tomorrow seems like you'll never make it, when the pain seems like it's going to swallow you whole and there is no way out. He shines the light on us, He makes it possible to find the way out. We can ask why, we just can't live in the land of why. We can't hold on to the what if's or how come. We will not only drive ourselves crazy but it will change our world and not for the better. We forget in the clouds of pain that there is HOPE, HE provides us with that hope. We're not trapped in the hurt forever, yes we walk with it for a season but even that He uses. He is the reason we have hope that tomorrow will be brighter, that we will be able to take on the day, to breath a bit lighter. He is the reason. He heals all wounds, He brings together the things that were once broken, He makes senseless out of things we thought were senseless. He brings HOPE when we thought there wasn't any. Hold on to it, even when it seems impossible and you would rather close away the world for the day and cry. Hold on to HOPE. Hold on to the ONE that can restore it all. Life may not be the way we wanted, He won't rewind time either but despite the past we have HOPE. We have Christ who died on the cross for our sins and rose again just to prove to us that death is not the end, that there is hope! That we have eternity with Him, He washed away our sins on that cross, why should we lose heart and give up when our future is set. When He walks those unknown roads with us, hold onto hope and never let it go! Trust that the Lord will finish that good work in you. Hurt and the healer He will make it new, He will make beauty from ashes, He will give us a new beginning.

Helllooooooo old friend

So it's been a LONG time since I've blogged. I actually forgot I had it, forgot that I haven't updated ANYTHING! I thought it would be fitting to start this new update with a rather funny story. It all started with my NEED for oatmeal, I put the oatmeal in the microwave so I could get ready for school. I had a feeling that it would be overflowing sometime soon, I was wearing these super cute, completly practical, knee high riding style boots (keep in mind that we have wood floors) I was running through my kitchen, I slipped almost hitting my head on the corner of the island. I pushed myself forward(so I didn't end up cutting my head) I ended up instead, face planting into the microwave(really?!? REALLY!!!)smacking my arm into the island, slipping AGAIN and landing on my hind quarter. Yes, this really did happen and I wish someone had gotten this on tape, it was one of those moments you see in slow motion but you can't save yourself no matter how much you wish you could. The best part of the story is the faceplant into the microwave because at the point I realized that my oatmeal was still going to spill over and there was NOTHING I COULD DO! Surving this delightful little moment in life, as people see this bruise, ask what happened my favorite thing to say is "Well I was making oatmeal..." People tend to think that I've been in 1.) a fight ( does that sound like me? I think NOT) 2.) I'm getting nocked about. No people I am just clumsy and can't seem to make oatmeal like a normal person.

This last picture is what my arm currently looks like... nice huh! Well this has beeen a fun and festive update! Glad we are reunited and back in action folks! Can't wait to fill you in on how I walk into parked cars while texting. YES it's happend!!! LOTS TO LOOK FORWARD TOO!!!

A "different" Look at History .... or Something Like That

George Washington was sailing the Delaware. He ran into the Boston Tea Party on his way to chop down a cherry tree so Abe Lincoln could build his log cabin on Mount Everest.



Benjamin Franklin lit two lights in the tower because the FRENCH WERE COMING bringing Lady Liberty.



This, of course, started the French Revolution which led to abolishing the slave trade.



Which led to William Shakespeare building the Globe Theatre where he performed "The Importance of Being Ernest."



Julius Caesar was so touched by the performance he built Big Ben in Shakespeare's honor.



Shortly after, William Wilberforce felt the need to write the Declaration of Independence with Paul Bunyan and Huck Finn.



This was to protect the rights of Betsy Ross who was charged with ringing the bell so hard it cracked (how was she to know, she didn't even have the right to vote).



And that's how the West was won



Lewis, Clark, and Sherlock Holmes set out to discover a cure for Malaria.



On their sojourning, they ran into Stonewall Jackson and Richard Simmons who were hiding out in a cave discovering the light bulb using caveman drawings.



Thomas Edison who discovered the printing press sewed together the flag that represented the thirteen colonies in Canada. He also witnessed the sinking of the Titanic as it attempted to float in the South Pacific and that's when Hawaii was discovered!



Thomas Jefferson came to rescue Lewis, Clark, and Holmes from their disastrous trip on the Mayflower where they all got Chicken Pox.



Pocahontas and Sack of Jo Wea (yeah whatever) were the first people to land on the moon and discover cheese.



Thanks to the discovery of cheese, the cure for Malaria was found.



Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the door of the White House right before his "I Have a Dream" speech where the Teddy Bear was named after President Kennedy.



And that's how Puerto Rico was founded.

I thought this was about America

Shhh . . .



Researched and written by:

Danielle Aponte

Kristin Kelly

Somedays you gotta DANCE

Life has ups and downs, ins and outs. Something is always coming around the mountain. Are you sad yet? Hehehe okay it's time to be encouraged.
When things get cloudy and there doesn't seem to be enough sun to make things cheery, there is NOTHING wrong with standing up and dancing it out. Turn on something happy no matter what it is, it could be some sunshine and lollipops, Garth Brooks, Chris Tomlin, it could even be some High School Musical (I won't judge) just put it on and get out of those sweats! Reheat the coffee and pick up that 409 and clean your heart out! Don't let a little cloudy weather bring you down. Alright, now that we are determined to have some success, you may have to clean your house, do the laundry, dishes might be piled in your sink, home work might even be beckoning your name, you might even have kids who have jam hands from breakfast, you're idea of a mini vacation is taking a shower without someone bothering you, you may have a to do list the size of Texas ... whatever it is get it done. Conquer it, don't let it get you down but you just kick it to the curb, throw it to the ground.

Nice, pep talk huh?!?
Well I'm talking to me too ...

Yes I'm still wearing my sweats, my coffee is chilling somewhere in my house. I must find it. I wish it had an alarm like my car. I know it's sad, I don't have kids but yes I lost my coffee .. I think I'll blame it on my head cold, yes that's a great idea. Anything to help me feel like I'm not slowly losing my mind.

Sometimes I wish I could just sleep on my books and soak up the knowledge, that would be nice an uncomfortable nap but it would be nice. But since that won't happen I guess it's time to get some studying on ... finals week is about to begin but through it all I'm determined to DANCE through it!!

Alright, now that we know what we gotta do let's do it! Put on your rain gear, life gets a little messy but that's okay.. it's part of the fun and the adventure!

Where did ALL the motivation go?

What will today bring?

This is the question I ask myself as I am getting up ....

Then it hit me, today will be WONDERFUL... why? Because I choose it to be!
Today I will do all the homework I have successfully put off, I will have chai and watch Gilmore girls.
I am determined to get through the mounds of my "To-Do" list and have success waiting at the end of the tunnel!!! Repeat after me .. "The light at the end is not a train" hahaha. I can go forward without getting creamed. I think we are making good progress :).
I will get the milk for the chai heated up and my snuggie(yes, I said snuggie), put my Gilmore girls in, my school books out, laundry started and slowly but surely that evil To-Do list will get smaller and eventually go away.
I'm looking forward to that because right now that nasty little list is mocking me and telling me I should stop blogging and get things done ... why thank you. It's nice to know that inanimate objects can mock you so nicely. Now if I could just get my magic wand out like Cinderella's fairy godmother, clean things like Mary Poppins, sing a song and have non-creepy woodland animals clean my house .. wow Disney... wow. Maybe I could I dream of Jeanie it and just make the list go away... along with the chores on it. Since non of that will actually be happening I guess it would be time for me to do it myself ... time to crank up the music .. DO NOT OPEN THE WINDOWS (one day I will when it's not ANTARCTICA outside).. and get these chores done!
I would much rather curl up with a blanket, book and hot chocolate ... just relax. Well that was a nice thought but productivity calls and now I must answer it.
I think the list is actually growing now... seriously.. I just keep thinking of things I need to add to it. Welp so much for that positive attitude... I'm arming myself with chai and chocolate. I can CONQUER ANYTHING :).

There we go ... back on track.

Okay, here I go ... off to get things done! Be productive, I refuse to let my motivation leave me ... well I guess you should have something before it can leave you. Okay now I'm off to get motivated and beat that list. Here I go, full speed, on my way ...
Okay seriously.
THE END.

The HAND of a FATHER

A father takes on different shapes to different people. It can be someone you look up to, someone you want to model your life after, a pillar of strength, a hero, the one who chases the monsters away, the guest of honor at your impromptu tea party (you know the kind where all your guest are your best stuffed animals and you wear your pink boa ..) To me my father is someone I can go to for advice, someone I have always ran to when my toys, jewelry and broken hearts. He loves me no matter what (trust me if you know me well you know that A BIG DEAL), there for me when I change my mind a million times only to go back to the first suggestion he gave me, always supports me, helps me figure out what crazy thing I'm going to do next. Never discourages my spontaneity, taught me how to laugh at myself, helps me take myself seriously when I feel others don't. My DAD - a rock, a man after God's own heart - my DAD - someone I trust has my best interest at heart, knows me well and loves me just as I am.

Now that we have crossed that bridge let us think about it on a different level shall we?

My HEAVENLY FATHER: He CREATED ME, knows me WAY better than anyone EVER could, LOVES me just as I am, truly has my best interest at HEART, never leaves me, always walks life's crazy roads with me, listens when I talk, knows EVERY TEAR I have ever cried, knows ALL my HURTS, has been there when I wanted to give up, when I have changed my mind, been there when I thought no one else was, been there through my times of rebellion - lovingly calling me back to HIM, doesn't recount my mistakes, sees me as HIS, LOVES UNCONDITIONALLY, shows me how to live and to treat OTHERS, brings me through TRIALS just to show me that HE will give me the strength to walk through it and come out ALIVE, He REJOICES with me, HEALS my broken HEART, gives ME a GIFT each day, NEVER gives up on me, shares HIS desire for MY life... with ALL these wonderful things (I know that I have most likely forgotten to add more but there are more .. there always is:) ) yet, the thing I find HARDEST to do is TRUST COMPLETELY my HEAVENLY FATHER. I know without a doubt in my mind that HE has a plan for me and that it's going to be amazing and yes, life has it's roller coaster moments but HE will be there.
So why don't I ... well I'm working on that ... I think it's my stupid nature that gets me to think that I can do it better ... NEWS FLASH....ready ... are you ready? ... ya sure? ..... okay ... here it is ... YOU CAN'T DO IT ON YOUR OWN. It just won't work.

So, lets challenge ourselves to TRUST the ONE who KNOWS us BEST!

Good talk ... but trust me when I say I'm talking to me first.

...Time to sharpen the pencils ...

Here we go...
As summer comes to an end, the sun bids farewell and the rain has come rolling in. Sweaters are being pulled out, flip flops are being put away and my very first pair of rain boots have been purchased. The leaves are getting ready to change ... it's time for pumpkin spice lattes and white chocolate peppermint mocha's to be had. As we welcome the new season along with it comes the start of a new semester ... I'm really thrilled ... really!!

With school starting up in a week - I am reminded that though I am not entirely looking forward to writing papers and an exponential amount of reading, it will be a great semester! I am determined to get through this with flying colors. This semester will not get the best of me, wow that sounds like a good pep talk. Now if I could just remember all these things when the craziness of mid-terms come to call like the never end waves of the ocean.
Through the trials I know that it will be a very successful semester.. it will ... really it will... does that sound convincing enough??!?!

Here is to fall and the delightful things that come with it, like school supplies, pumpkin, oh my now it's time to make a pecan pie...

It's time to welcome the smells of the air after the rain, time for homemade pies, time for curling up in a blanket with hot chocolate and a good book.



One thing I love about this time of the year is ....... it ushers in CHRISTMAS!!!! Yes, that's right I said Christmas .. it's a magical time!!