Christmas song

Hey all,

I just thought I'd share a song that I've heard a lot on the radio this Christmas season. It is really cool, and when I saw the music video/behind the song video I started bawling. :/ Hope you enjoy it.

Lyrics:

It’s the news that no one hopes for,

Every parent's greatest fear

Finding out the child you love so much

Might not make it through the year

Now the thought of spending Christmas

Without him just feels wrong

They’ve been praying for a miracle,

Now they're praying he can just hold on

(chorus)

For one last Christmas one last time

One last season when the world is right

One more telling of the story

One more verse of Silent Night

They’d give anything so he could have

One last Christmas

Middle of September

Still seventy degrees

Daddy climbs up in the attic

Brings down candles

Hangs the lights on all the trees

Then the neighbors started asking

And pretty soon word got around

First it was the neighborhood,

Before too long they lit up that whole town

Chorus

Twenty-seventh of October,

His time was wearing thin

Friends and family, even strangers

That they didn’t know brought presents in

He was weak but he was smiling

Like there was nothing even wrong

They said he wouldn’t make it,

Looks like he got to see it after all

Chorus

Cheers,

Lauren

P.S. I still want to do a D.C. blog, but I've not yet had time to really sit down and write. Hopefully I'll get to that in the next couple of days.

Quotes of the month

Hey everybody! I wasn't sure I would be able to do any quotes this month, but I recently had to read Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. It's basically his journal of personal quotes. Anyway, some of them are really neat, and others are just plain funny, so here's my QOTM, all from Marcus.

Hippocrates, after curing many diseases, himself fell sick and died.

On every occasion, a man should be able to say: this comes from God.

A scowling look is altogether unnatural; when it is often assumed, the result is that all comeliness dies away, and at last is so completely extinguished that it cannot be lighted up at all. Try to conclude from this very fact that it is contrary to reason. For if even the perception of doing wrong departs, what reason is there for living any longer?

Direct your attention to what is said. Let your understanding enter into the things that are done and the things that are doing them.

Life must be reaped like the ripe ears of corn:
One man is born, another dies.

Everything exists for some end, be it a horse, a vine.

…He who pursues pleasure will not abstain from injustice, and this is plainly impiety.

You have but a short time left to live. Live as on a mountain. For it makes no difference whether a man lives there or here, if he lives ever there in the world as in a state (political community). Let men see, let the know a real man who lives according to nature. If they cannot endure him, let them kill him. For that is better than to live thus as men do.

A totally useless post wherein I tell you things you already know.

Hey everyone! As most of you probably know, we are leaving today to go to D.C. for the Oireachtas. (Wish us luck!) I'll upload pictures and hopefully give an update on how that went shortly after we get back.

Anyway, I'm super super pumped! :) Gotta run! (Or should I say dance? :)

-Lauren

Let us give thanks

BE THANKFUL

~~Author Unknown.~~

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,

for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.

During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,

because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,

because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.

They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,

because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who

are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,

and they can become your blessings.

~~~~

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Update on the life of Lauren. Because you know you are dying to know.

Hey everyone! Sorry I’m not posting as much as I “should.” Like I said in my last post, I’ve been pretty busy.

I got to go to St. Louis the twenty-ninth, through the first. I was working with the St Louis Tea Party campaigning for Ed Martin, the conservative candidate, who was running against Russ Carnahan. The results of the election are still not final. Russ won, but Ed has yet to concede. (I think that there are some issues being raised about the validity of some of the votes.)

Over all, the campaign went very well, even if we didn’t win. I did have some people shut the door in my face, and I got cussed out a few times, but over all, the people were very nice. I learned how to phone bank, and I had to somewhat get over my fear of using the phone. :)

There were times that I didn’t enjoy being there…I didn’t know the girls that I was rooming with, and I wasn’t impressed at all by them. (They did NOT want to be there, and were pretty disrespectful to the adult in charge. And they didn’t go to sleep before two, two of the three nights, but were complaining about being tired all day.)

I did enjoy the company of an older couple working on the campaign. They were very nice, and I “adopted” them as my grandparents away from home. Later in the weekend, I found out that he has Parkinson’s, (because of which, they are taking ball-room dancing,) and she has leukemia. She told me that she really doesn’t want to take chemo, and if God wants to let her stay longer, it’s in His hands.

Over all, I think that it was good that I got to go, and I really did learn a lot.

~~~~

Other than campaigning, what have I been up to lately? Well, I'm so glad you asked. :) The answer is simple really, but I'm going to expand it into an entire post. (I'll give you a hint though, what do most teenagers do roughly between the hours of 8:00am and 3:00pm?)

You guessed it! Sleep! Just kidding! I'm talking about school. I have had a lot of school work lately, and I don't anticipate it getting any easier. I am sort-of-but-not-really adjusting to it though. Anyway, I've had a lot on my plate, and I'm finding it harder and harder to find a time when I'm not brain dead to write anything worth posting. That being said, I will say I'm sorry for not having "quotes of the month" out, but I didn't even have time to look for any. Plus I was out of town.

Also, I wanted to tell you that I'm going to Washington D.C. soon. I'm super excited! I've been thinking about a school in the D.C. area (Gallaudet University), and I'm needing to check it out, but I really didn't think that I was going to get to. Then I found out that my dance group was going to D.C. for a really big competition. (Called an Oireachtas. Or-rock-tus.) Aaand, to make a long story short, I'm going! (YAY!)

Another thing I wanted to say was that I'm really excited about crafting Christmas gifts. I have this one idea, but because I know that I would spoil the surprise for certain people if I told/showed you what it was, I think I'll refrain. You'll have to wait and see post-Christmas. But I am totally pumped/excited/whatever. :0)


Anyway, I now have to go work on an Algebra lesson, so I guess I'll end the post here. Know that I plan on putting up pictures post-trip as well as post-Christmas.


Cheers!

Lauren

In which I create a blog post where it takes the reader thirty-five minutes to get through, but I only write one paragraph.

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted, but I've been crazy busy. I don't have time now to give you an update, but I want to share some videos with you. Several years ago, the camp that I went to showed a short film, and I really liked it. I hadn't been able to find it until now, so you can imagine how excited I was when found it on youtube. Anyway, it's about thirty minutes long, and you have to watch it in segments, and it has captions because it's not in English, but I think it's totally worth it.

Enjoy!

the fourth part is just the rest of the credits.

Cheers!

Lauren

twenty-five things

A while back facebook had a surge of notes on "25 things about me", and I thought it a fun thing to do here.

My twenty-five things.

My favorite book (besides the Bible) is The Chosen, by Chaim Potok.


I want to be an American Sign Language Interpreter.


I have one older brother


My favorite color is green, because it can be bright and loud, (lime green) or earthy and introverted (more of an olive green).


I love to read, but don't really have much time for free-reading right now.


I play piano


I Irish dance


I love thunderstorms

I'm a procrastinator

I love long car trips


I love old movies like The Trouble With Harry, Bringing Up Baby, and Charade


I listen to a lot of old music like The Who, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Bach, and Kabalevsky


I love going barefoot


I don't eat non-fair-trade chocolate, (ie, most chocolate sold in stores.)


I almost always have a song stuck in my head


I have a thing for socks (I LOVE them)


My middle name is Elizabeth

There are four Elizabeths, (one is actually Elisabeth,) in my family, but none of us were named after the same person, or each other

I am not afraid of clowns

I am afraid of hights

I am kind of short

I have no pets

Yogurt is my comfort food

I love going to concerts

I am right handed, but snap better with my left hand

Quotes of the month

I was going to get this out this morning, but I forgot. :-/ Anyway, here you go.

If any man seeks for greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for truth, and he will find both. -Horace Mann

Walking is man's best medicine. -Hippocrates

Hope cherishes the soul of him who lives in justice and holiness, and is the nurse of his age and the companion of his journey -- Hope which is mightest to sway the restless soul of man. -Pindar

Yes, I am your best friend. Yes, I would die for you. Yes, I'm about to steal your chips. -Quote from facebook

Men of genius are often dull and inert in society, as a blazing meteor when it descends to earth, is only a stone. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Writing is a way of talking without being interrupted. -Jules Renard

As we are, so we do; as we do, so it is done to us. We are the builders of our fortunes. -Robert W. Emerson

Some people are grieved because they imagine I am in the hands of unscrupulous persons who lead me astray and persuade me to espouse unpopular causes and make me the mouthpiece of their propaganda. Now let me be understood once and for all that I do not want their pity; I would not change places with one of them. I know what I am talking about. -Helen Keller

There is nothing which for my part I like better . . . than conversing with aged men; for I regard them as travelers who have gone a journey which I too may have to go, and of whom I ought to inquire whether the way is smooth and easy, or rugged and difficult. - Plato

For he who is the calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and ate are equally a burden. -Plato

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. - Marianne Williamson

Feeling old, music, drivers license, music, book, computer mic, cell phone

I've not really been able to sit down and write a post this week, but I've had little tidbits of things I wanted to tell you about. So, today I am just going to be lazy and combine several paragraphs into a post until I have a decently long bit of writing that I'll then call a post, even though it has no flow what-so-ever. I hope my changing the subject several times doesn't give you whiplash. :-/

~~~~~~~~~

I feel old. My brother reminded me the other day that it's already September. How is that possible? Goodness. It is my belief that no person of my incredibly young age should be able to let a whole MONTH sneak up on her.

Also, my mother has gotten me ridiculously addicted to her music. I have been walking around the house listening to Simon and Garfunkel, and The Who. (My mother would like it mentioned here that The Who was even old when she was in high school, and she's not quite that old.) Anyway, I seriously do love the two groups. This is another thing to add to my list of reasons I feel old.


In other news, I am hopefully going to get my drivers license, insurance, and a car all within a month. (Yay!)


Lately, I've been listening to a Toby Mac song, Get Back Up. I really like it. I couldn't find a video with lyrics, but here's a video/soundtrack. [Edit: you might want to pause the audio player on the right side-bar before pressing play. :)]





I just finished re-reading the book Gone to Texas, by Louise Jackson. (We are actually distant relatives- she's my great uncle's sister-in-law.) I have read it before, (several times,) and just decided to re-read it. I had forgotten how much I love it! It's about a couple of guys, Ephraim and Finis, traveling to Texas from Virginia, and their adventures on the way there. One of the things I like best about the book is the historical aspect. Ephraim was based on Louise's great-grandfather, who really did travel from Virginia to Texas. One of the other characters, railroad, was named for a real person found in old Washington, Arkansas records.


I had to get a computer mic for school the other day. I was so excited, because not only will it be fun to use for school, it'll also be fun to use for other things. G-mail has a voice chat that I'm excited to try out, as well as a computer phone. The phone is free, and practically untraceable, potentially making prank calls really easy. No, I won't be prank-calling people, but the idea that I could somehow makes me giddy-happy.


While we are on technological subjects, I might as well mention that I got a new cell phone. It's about half the size of my old, and most respected Great Orca. I have not found a name for it yet, so if you have any ideas, use the comment box to tell me about them. :)



Okay, that's all I have.


See you soon!


Lauren

First 'quotes of the month'

Hey peoples! I've recently decided to do a 'quotes of the month' on the last day of every month. Hope you enjoy!

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Familiarity is a magician that is cruel to beauty but kind to ugliness. -Ouida

"A few years ago, Japanese watermelon lovers suddenly found the normally rotund fruit sitting squarely on the shelves of supermarkets."
Piali Banerjee

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
- Irish Blessing

Some like to understand what they believe in. Others like to believe in what they understand.
Stanislaus

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. -Oscar Wilde

Oh, how small a portion of earth will hold us when we are dead, who ambitiously seek after the whole world while we are living! -Philip of Macedon

"If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans." author unknown

If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed. - Albert Einstein

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on. - Robert Frost

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. - Mary Engelbreit

on living homeless

I want to live homeless for a year. I know, I know, living homeless is crazy. First of all, it's dangerous. And then there all the other ways that I could go about doing what I want without doing such a drastic thing as moving to a big city with no money and no home.

What is it I want to do? Oh, so glad you asked. :) I want to help homeless people, and tell them about God. But that's just part of my idea.

First, let me give you some background on my thoughts, and what I've grown up thinking.

I read an article in the JBU paper last semester about a guy who spent six months homeless. The article explained that the guy realized that he was not living the way he felt the Bible called him to live. He wanted to change his perspective, and challenge himself. I found the article really interesting, and it got me thinking. I've never really known a homeless person. Even people who do have a house or apartment but are really really poor, what do I know about that kind of lifestyle?

What I do know about homeless people and really really dirt poor people, I've learned from living in a parsonage for eight years. I saw so many people come and ask for help; some people were really in need, but many were just making rounds. They'd go to one church after another asking for money, and then go spend it on drugs or cigarettes. Sometimes the church would ask for a phone number of a friend or boss to verify a person's story, but then the he or she would split. It's made me less likely to trust people asking for help.

So, I still want to help homeless people. I think that they are often forgotten about, or ignored. Maybe they are just grossly generalized as drug addicts who have no future.

This makes me wonder: how could I know how to really help homeless people in a way that would really benefit everyone? I don't think that it would be worth the risk to just give money to anyone, because there is no way that I could guarantee that they don't use it to their harm on drugs or cigarettes or alcohol. Giving food could only help for a short time, shelters would be a good place to start, but is another soup kitchen or shelter really going to make that much difference? What could I do?

I've decided that the only way that I personally could really learn how to help is to actually live homeless. It sounds drastic, but I don't really think there is any other way to get the kind of knowledge of needs other than being in situations myself. (No that does not mean that I'm going to start doing drugs, alcohol, or other...bad things. I'm talking about basic needs like shelter and food.)

I do realize that this would be a very dangerous thing to do, so I will admit that I would not want to do this alone. I think that the best option would be to wait until I am married, and start a ministry with my husband. That being said, I guess I'll have to wait for this dream to come true until I'm out of collage, have fallen head over heels for a guy, and gotten married. ;)

Anyway, that's what I'm thinking about right now.

Thanks for reading my wild and random ranting! :)

Lauren

shed

I've been working a lot on my shed this summer. It's not done yet, (I doubt I'll ever really be done,) but I've gotten a lot of the junk out & organized it. So, I thought I'd post some pictures of it! What do you think? [Note: click the pictures to enlarge.]

Epiphany

In one of our church TLC groups recently, we were talking about the story of Jonah. There was an interesting discussion, and I enjoyed it. One thing that I found especially interesting was the idea of God preparing the storm that Jonah was caught in. It reminded me of the part in Job where God asked if Job knows the way to the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth, and who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, etc. (Job 38: 21-25) I hadn’t really thought about the passage of Job in a literal sense. This is probably because I know that science can explain how hail and rain are formed. But as I was thinking about the similarities between the two passages I realized that God really did mean what he was saying in a literal since. Anyway, I just thought I’d share that. And now I shall leave you with one of my favorite sections of the Bible.



P.S. I know that the reading is kind of long, but it is so awe-inspiring. I guess I could cut it shorter, but every time I come to a place where I think that I could cut it short, I find the next verse is really really awesome too. So...I encourage you to read it all.

Job 38: 4-30
"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.

Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?

On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone-

while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?

"Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,

when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,

when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,

when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt'?

"Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,

that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?

The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
its features stand out like those of a garment.

The wicked are denied their light,
and their upraised arm is broken.

"Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?

Have the gates of death been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.

"What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?

Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?

Surely you know, for you were already born!
You have lived so many years!

"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of the hail,

which I reserve for times of trouble,
for days of war and battle?

What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?

Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
and a path for the thunderstorm,

to water a land where no man lives,
a desert with no one in it,

to satisfy a desolate wasteland
and make it sprout with grass?

Does the rain have a father?
Who fathers the drops of dew?

From whose womb comes the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens

when the waters become hard as stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen?"

Biking

It's 10:00am and hot outside. I've only been biking a few minutes, but I'm already starting to sweat. Up ahead is one of the steepest hills I'll be climbing today, and I know that I'll need to start switching to lower gears soon if I want to make it to the top without having to get off and walk. As I start to ascend I think about the heat, and wish I had put sunscreen on. Once at the top it's easy going for a while. The hill is probably just as steep on this side as it was on the other, but it's quite a bit shorter, (it T's into a road at the bottom.)

I've only gone to the Botanical Gardens via the bike trail a few times. Being out of shape, and navigating a hilly, (although very nicely paved,) winding bike trail don't go well together. The bike trail isn't too crowded today; I see few people. Some pass me, some I pass. Overall, it's very pleasant.

As I get to the gardens, I get excited. The flowers there are so pretty, and the butterflies they attract are like special rays of sunshine with wings. Someday I hope to be able to tell the names of most of the plants off the top of my head. I'd love to become the flower lady.

As I wander around the gardens, I look for a spot. Some place that I could sit and enjoy the flowers, or the day; generally a place to rest, but one that's all my own. Even though it's a public garden, there are places on the outskirts of the property like that. The spot I find is actually facing away from the gardens. It overlooks a pond and has a clear view of an open field. It feels wrong to have my back to all of the beautiful flowers, but as I sit I can't seem to bring myself to leave.

The tree I'm sitting in has the same type of bark as a walnut tree I used to climb. The leaves are different, but it has a familiar feel. I think about the flowers I've seen, and decide my favorite is a little blue flower called leadwort. It's a simple flower, but its petals are a lively blue that I love.

As I get ready to leave, I stop and ask about volunteering at the gardens. I'm given a form to fill out and return, and told that they do need volunteers. I refill my water bottle, and start my ride back. There are several hills that were a lot more fun going down to tackle, but I know I've done it before and I survived then, so I'll survive now. It's been a peaceful morning. I get home two hours after I've left. Nine miles down, I have a new favorite spot at the botanical gardens, a slight cut on my knee from a run-in with my bike pedal, and a smile on my face because I've been able to see the thumbprint of God along the trails in the trees and in the flowers in the garden. God is so good. :)

Why I'm not eating [most] Chocolate

Hey everyone! You may or may not know that I've stopped eating most chocolate. Today, I'd like to explain in full my reasons for doing that.

There are two main reasons why I decided to quit eating most chocolate. The first reason has to do with the fact that almost all chocolate sold in the United States was produced by slaves. Much of it is made in the West African nation of Ivory Coast, where child slavery is notorious. Now, contrary to what you may be thinking, I did not quit eating chocolate as a political boycott against chocolate makers. I know that the situations would only get worse for slaves if there was a massive boycott of most chocolate. I stopped because my conscience was bothering me. Why should I personally support slavery?

I must admit that not eating chocolate is hard. If I’m remembering right, I stopped eating chocolate around Mother’s Day this year, so around May ninth. Since then I have had chocolate in some form about four or five times. None of those times was because I just had a strong craving, or I jut couldn’t not eat the chocolate, each time was simply because I just forgot. Yes, though it may seem strange, I am saying that for me, the hardest part of not eating chocolate is remembering that I’m not eating chocolate.

I was thinking about this the other day, and I realized that it would be hypocritical to keep telling people that I don’t eat chocolate because I feel strongly about the use of slave labor when I keep forgetting and eating chocolate. I realized that even if I still do believe that it’s wrong for me to support slave labor, I don’t feel strongly enough to remember not eat chocolate. So, is there any reason for me to keep up this personal boycott? I think there is. I have decided that while I will not to eat chocolate, the reason will not completely be “because I don’t feel right about it.” I will also use it as a reminder that God blessed me so much by putting me in the circumstances I’m in, and I need to remember that others are not as fortunate as me.

Now, let be address something. I’ve been saying “most chocolate,” or “some chocolate” throughout this post; here’s the reason why: some chocolate is not made by slaves. Usually if it is not made by slaves, it will have a “fair trade” logo on the packaging. I believe the logo should look like this:



“Fair trade” means that the distributors of the chocolate make sure that the workers that farm the cocoa are being paid fair wages. I do support fair trade chocolate. Unfortunately, I do not know of any places around here that sell fair trade chocolate. That being said, I must admit I haven’t been looking very hard, because I’m not really in any dire need of chocolate right now.

Anyway, these are my two main reasons for not eating non-fair trade chocolate. I hope that they are logical, and that I have given you a clear picture as to why I’m not eating some chocolate, but would eat other chocolate.

Cheers!
Lauren

Memories: Lubbock SE 2010

I am lying in bed in my dorm room. The clock at the foot of my bed reads 12:26 in small green numbers that are quietly yelling "You need to be asleep!" I've been thinking over the day and all that's happened. As I come to the worship session at the end of the day, I smile. It feels good to be this happy. I know that I am ready to give God my all. I am slowly fading into sleep, but I want to dwell in the memory of an event that has just happened.

I see the Baker Center, and all the campers, the Deans, and the staff. I see Mr. Dave get up and begin to speak. He talks about worshiping, and how he wants us to get our of our comfort zone and worship in a different way tonight. There are many positions to worship God in, and they are often symbolic of where we are in our faith. He asks: are our hands lifted high? Or do we have our backs turned away?

As we go through several different positions, I feel the weight of a new knowledge settling. I know that God is there, in that room, right beside me. I know I don't have to do anything alone. I know I need to give God my all. I know I am ready. It is now that I start to cry. I feel silly, but then I feel good. I feel relief.

As my dorm room comes back into focus, I know that if anyone were to turn the light on, they would find me grinning crazy big; I don't really care. I know that I have finally experienced that something that I've been waiting for. I know that the questions that I've been dealing with for the past weeks are answered. I see that the answers were really very simple. I see how good God is.

It's all about random.

There are so many things that I really need to research. Things that probably are not life or death issues, but they do define others’ lives. Things that may not be big issues now, but will be in five years, or even twenty. Even things that are big issues, just outside of America’s bubble of common knowledge. (Does that make any sense at all?) Okay, let me make myself clear: I am not talking about global warming and the long term effects if the world does not go green. I am not talking about researching ways to get the world to understand the dire needs of all cute and fluffy animals who will soon be extinct. Those and not the types of things I want/ feel I need to research.

I am talking about being informed in areas such as the political situations in countries all over the world. Being able to have an intelligent discussion about modern-day slavery; or the January 12th earthquake that Haiti suffered, and the short and long term effects it will have on the people and economy there.

Knowing that the people in one country live on less than a dollar a day, but they are perfectly able to because prices there are a lot cheaper than in other places. Knowing that other people are dirt poor, and although they live on more than a dollar a day, they will not live through the end of the year because of the inflated prices of even the most basic necessities.

Get my point? Most people don’t seem to care, or are just too lazy to do any research. (Yes, I am guilty of this too, why do you think I am making a point to write about this now?) So, I am setting up a challenge for myself. Become more informed. I know it sounds really general, and it is, but such a broad topic allows me to go at this and come up with a much broader scope of knowledge than if I did it as a research project of people in one area of the globe. -I might become an expert on that one thing, but that’s all. That seems kind of narrow minded and limiting.

Well, what do you think? That's my two cents, and I'm sticking to them! :)

-Lauren

Some Cool Quotes

You have to believe in yourself when no one else does. That's what makes you a winner. - Venus Williams

Courage can't see around corners, but goes around them anyway. ~Mignon McLaughlin,

The heights by great men reached and kept, were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. -Winston Churchill

One man with courage makes a majority. ~Andrew Jackson

The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one. - Elbert Hubbard

Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential. - John Maxwell

Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit." - Conrad Hilton

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. -Chinese Proverb

He is no fool that gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. -Jim Elliot

If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed. -Albert Einstein

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else. -Charles Dickens

An age is called Dark not because the light fails to shine, but because people refuse to see it. -James Albert Michener

No sooner is the rage of hunger appeased than it becomes difficult to comprehend the meaning of starvation. It is only when you suffer that you really understand. -Jules Verne

A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease. Every hidden cell is throbbing with music and life, every fiber thrilling like harp strings, while incense is ever flowing from the balsam bells and leaves. No wonder the hills and groves were God's first temples, and the more they are cut down and hewn into cathedrals and churches, the farther off and dimmer seems the Lord himself. -John Muir, naturalist, explorer, and writer

Poverty

I don't really think about poverty that much, and when I do it's not something that I like to dwell on. It's uncomfortable to think about, but for some people it's all they know. The other day I read something and it was a kind of a wake up slap. It was entitled Poverty Never Takes a Holiday.

"I know poverty because it was

there before I was born and it has

become a part of life like the blood

through my veins...

Poverty is not going empty for a single

day and getting something to eat the

next day. Poverty is going empty with

no hope for the future...

Poverty is watching your own children die in

your arms but there is nothing you can do.

Favorite Bible Verse

New Post :)

Well, I’ve decided that if I wait to post the post I’ve been working on for the last two weeks, it’s going to be another three weeks until I post. So, I’m going to go ahead and post a different post. :)

I have just over a week until Summer Excitement. I am so….well, excited. I have big hopes for this year. I’m really going to work on making friends. Yes, I know this may seem strange to a lot of people because I’m not usually a shy person. That is, when I’m in a place where I know a lot of people, I’m a happy and friendly person. Unfortunately, when I’m in a place where I don’t know many people, I tend to dive into a small bubble, and I have a ridiculously hard time making friends. So, I’m going to work on that this year at SE.

The above paragraph as way too many “I or I’m” s in it. So now I’m (!) going to talk about something else. Mainly, the book I’m (!) reading. It’s called Made to Stick, by brothers Chip and Dan Heath. This book basically analyses why some ideas/stories/speeches are really memorable and others are not. It comes down to six principles that can usually be found in all ideas that stick: simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, contain/are stories. I'd never really thought about it, but I really think that the brothers are right! Without these basics, ideas tend to loose interest or confuse people. So far, I think that this is a really great book, and if the second half is as good as the first, I’d recommend it to anyone.

All for now,
Lauren

The Vision

I was going through some old papers, and I found some pages from an old Summer Excitement notebook. The pages were an exerpt from a book, Red Moon Rising: How 24/7 Prayer is Awakening a Generation. As I looked through them, I realised why I had kept those pages: it really was incredible writing. I don't know how many other people from Summer Excitement liked it, but for me, this was a facinating two page dream. What do you think?

So, this guy comes up to meand says, "What's the vision, What's the big idea?" I open my mouth and words come out like this...

The Vision?
The vision is Jesus--obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.
The vision is an army of young people.
You see bones? I see an army. And they are free from materialism.
They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.
They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday.
They wouldn't even notice.

They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the west was won.
They are mobile like the wind; they belong to the nations. They need no passport… People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.

They are free, yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.

What is the vision?

The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. It makes children laugh and adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars. It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is dangerously pure.
Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games.
This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.

A million times a day its soldiers
choose to lose
That they might one day win
The great "Well Done" of faithful sons and daughters.
Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night. They don't need fame from names. Instead, they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again:

"COME ON!"

And this is the sound of the underground
The whisper of history in the making,
Foundations shaking.
Revolutionaries dreaming once again.

Mystery is scheming in whispers.

Conspiracy is breathing……
This is the sound of the underground
And the army is discipl(in)ed.
Young people who beat their bodies into submission.
Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms.
The tattoo on their back boasts "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes. Winners. Martyrs. Who can stop them?

Can hormones hold them back? Can failure succeed? Can fear scare them or death kill them?

And the generation prays

Like a dying man

With groans beyond talking
With warrior cries, sulphuric tears, and with great barrow loads of laughter!
Waiting. Watching: 24-7-365.
Whatever it takes, they will give: Breaking the rules. Shaking mediocrity from its cozy little hide. Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials. The advertisers cannot mold them. Hollywood cannot help them. Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries.
They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive inside.
On the outside? They hardly care. They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but never to hide.
Would they surrender their image or their popularity?
They would lay down their lives--swap seats with the man on death row--guilty as hell.

A throne for an electric chair.
With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fearless days, they pray as if it all depends on God, and live as if it all depends on them.
Their DNA chooses Jesus. (He breathes out, they breathe in.)
Their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.
Their words make demons scream in shopping centers.
Don't you hear them coming?
Herald the weirdos! Summon the losers and the freaks. Here comes the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes. They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension. Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.

And this vision will be. It will come to pass, it will come easily, it will come soon.
How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God. My tomorrow is today. My distant hope is his 3D. And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking, great "Amen!" from countless angels, from heroes of the faith, from Christ himself.

And He is the Original Dreamer, the Ultimate Winner.
Guaranteed.

Yeah, I know it's been a while

Well, I’m guessing you’ve figured out by now that my idea of blogging everyday didn’t quite happen. I was so sure that I’d do well, and stick to the plan. I’d write everyday and then post my ‘brilliant’ thoughts on here. Of course, it would only take a nice hour of writing after supper each night to come up with something worth posting, and it would be relatively easy. Ha! I’ve got to say I only believed that would really work for about 24 hours. Then I really started thinking, and I’m now of the firm belief that people should only blog when they have something worthwhile to say. For me, this translates to “If I’m even somewhat diligent and/or inspired to write, I’ll still only post about once every week or two.” Sorry. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I have not fallen off the face of the earth, and I will be posting something at the end of this week, or early part of next week. (I am working on a nice long end-of-the-school-year post.)
Cheers!
Lauren

couple of things

A while back, I heard a comedian say that all he has to do to come up with funny or strange stories is look around. All of his material was based on what he has seen and his experiences. As I was thinking about that, I realized that lots of columnists and journalists do the same thing. All they have to do is look around, there is so much to write about. I hadn’t really thought about this until recently, and I have found it very interesting. I have been in a weird adventurous mood lately, and today I decided to try to challenge myself. Starting today, I will write every day. The catch in my challenge: I must write about things that concern many people - issues/problems, history, etc. This way, I force myself to look around in a new way; what’s really going on in the world? We’ll see how it goes.

~

I’m a list person; if I need to focus on getting something done, I’ll most likely make a list on the best way to do it. That’s just how I think. For my project, I decided early on that I need to make a list of issues that are at least somewhat pressing or that are not subjects that most people know a lot about. The thing about my list is that I know that there are probably many issues that are really major, but I don’t know about them. That is where you come in. The following is my list, so please read through it, and if there is something that you think I should have added, drop a comment in the comment section, or if you don’t have a google account, facebook or e-mail me.

food
water
AIDS/HIV
clothing
houses/shelter
homelessness
slavery
abortion
comfort/things taken for granted
education
diseases/sickness/health issues
abuse
drugs
orphans
widows/elderly
teaching people things about agriculture so they can get more out of their land


That’s all folks! I hope I was clear, and didn’t ramble too much. Thanks for reading!

Cheerio,
Lauren

I haven't decided yet

Hello, probably no one! :)

I have several options at this point. I can make this into a blog only about my project, or it could be just random but 'finished' writings, or it could be just a journal. At this point, I'm just figuring things out, and today I'm going to use it as a journal and post what's on my mind. That said, here's a few paragraphs about what's been on my mind today. :)

A friend of a friend posted a question on facebook to the effect of "If God is in control of everything, why would he allow things like Hurricane Katrina?" I am not involved in the conversation, but I started thinking about it and decided to write what I think on the subject. (I think more clearly when forced to write out my thoughts.) Here's what I came up with.

God didn't create evil. He created all things good, but then he gave us free will - giving us the option to either follow his will and live in a perfect world, or create evil and suffer the consequences. We chose the latter. The consequences of choosing evil over a perfect world were that although he does care about us and hear our prayers, we must 'lay in the bed we made,' so to speak. Meaning we now live in a fallen world where God will not stop every bad thing from happening.

That's all I had time to come up with, and I hope that it makes sense.

Cheerio,
Lauren

Project idea. (First time put anything down on paper about what had been going through my head.)

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been thinking and praying about how God can use me to make a difference. I’ve come in contact with a lot of groups that are making a difference in the world, and I want to do something too! Unfortunately, I’m not quite like the people that I’ve heard of in one crucial way. I’m not extremely passionate about one issue. I have heard staggering numbers about things that are going on in the world like there are 27,000,000 slaves in the world right now. Or that one well in an African village can cut the death rate in half. These are issues that can and should be changed. But I just don’t have a special passion about one issue. Then I realized that I do have something that I’m passionate about! It’s the fact that people, (Americans specifically) are so clueless. We are one of the richest nations in the world, yet so many people either don’t know about the issues, or they don’t know how they can help, or both. We could make a difference if we wanted to.

So, how can I change that? I’m just a kid. I’ve never really traveled, and I don’t know people in high places that could help me. I’ve come to the conclusion that the best way for me to make a difference is to start a website. My idea for the website is that it would become basically a go-to for people that want to get more informed on current issues. (Like poverty, food and water problems, malaria, AIDS, slavery, etc.) There will be articles on the issues that are really pressing that a lot of people don’t know about. Since I obviously can’t do all that research and writing on my own, I’m going to contact groups that focus on specific issues and ask them to write or just provide an article about the problem, and what they are doing to help. Have an issue of the month/week and then give lists/articles of groups that are making a difference. The main purpose of the website is to have one place for people to go to where they can read up/inform themselves on current issues and if they feel called to help, show them how. So many people just don’t know that they can make a difference.