To Granddad on Father's Day

This is the time of the
Next generation - a young
person’s world.

My Grandfather’s Faith,
knowledge and passion,
a life devoted
to spreading never-ending life,
must coexist with the
Village Atheist

But we want more:
Symbiosis in its
raw form

We carry the energy,
but he has what
We have yet
to attain,

A Knowledge that comes
only with time.
Multi-generational faith built
on Bonds

Of Trust
and Truth
and Light,

And so I thank Him
for his perseverance,
and know that
future Generations have
been Blessed.

We are a part of a sea of faces.
Society says “Coexist, but don’t let the walls down.”
Everyone to his own, and keep to yourself.  
Normalcy exists only if your problems become
secrets in the closet, shut and locked.
Ignore and be ignored.
This is our life.

Souls cry for someone to look behind the curtain
See the heart shrouded in hidden secrets
Unshared joy, pain, life:
Waiting to be understood

We fight to live by the rules of a society that could never exist
fit in with us or stay away is the anthem
A battle cry against anyone who dares to challenge

People covered by issues,
turned into monsters in the eyes of the world
Bombarded by standards they can’t meet.

Souls begging to be seen past the scales,
Underneath the rough exterior is your neighbor
Human, longing for what is “normal”

Take for granted what she will seek but never find:
acceptance, sanction and love

And as we shun,
They slowly die
Our callous hearts kill,
but as we kill, we die.
for no one is free,

The issues in our own hearts
will poison our blood
we say they are messed up,
but we are the same!

Our only pride is that we can hide it,
but our souls know better,
accusing us of what we don’t want to admit.

We have always been flawed.

And as we cry our denial,
the world slowly dies.

A few strong rise to the top,
we will not let this conquer us!
We will defy the odds,
Come out stronger.

We have met our secret weapon.
And with him at our side,
we conquer our fears
Truth, real Truth has set us free.

And as we yell our battle cry,
we see that we must spread this Knowledge

And so we set out, one battle down, and on to win the War.

GE Reagan Foundation Scholarship Essay

This is the essay I submitted for the GE Reagan Foundation scholarship. Although I didn't get the scholarship, (I'm one of the 9,985 not the 15,) I really do like this paper. -Enjoy! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is chilly today. As I stand at the top of the Capitol steps, I look out over a sea of 4000 heads and shoulders bundled in hats and scarves. I am here for the annual Arkansas March for Life. Today, the old meets the new. Today, the march does not end at the bottom of the Capitol steps for me; I walk all the way up. For the first time, I’m here to speak. I remember going to these rallies as a little girl; I remember getting excited as the steps of the Capitol finally came into sight. I smile as I think of how much shorter the walk is, now that I’m older.

You might think that any seventeen-year-old willing (or crazy enough) to speak at a large rally would want to go into public speaking, but I don’t want a speaking career.There’s so much more I want to do.

Even as a child, I wanted to make a difference in others’ lives. I was eleven when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. I organized fundraisers, and convinced my friends to send their birthday money to Christian Relief Fund for recovery efforts. It was my first experience encouraging others to work for a worthy cause, and I felt as if we were going to change the world.

I still want to change the world, one person at a time. I help care for my autistic brother, who is my only sibling. As impossible as it sometimes seems, we work toward the goal that someday he will be able to live independently. He is a reason I want to work with children who have disabilities. Specifically, I want to go into deaf education. I want to inspire the kids I work with to reach their full potential, and in turn, to reach out to others.

My cue to speak has just been given. I step to the podium, and can feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins; not because I’m nervous, but because I’m excited. I’ve been on stages before; years of competitive Irish dancing and piano recitals have seen to that. Even little performances and competitions have always made me unbelievably nervous in the past; I don’t understand why I’m so calm now. Then it hits me: this time, it’s not about me. I’m not here to win an award, or impress anyone. Today I simply want to encourage my generation to become involved. This is what I’ve wanted to do since I was little.

I volunteer for a non-profit organization called 40 Days for Life. Volunteers stand outside abortion clinics and pray every day for forty days. We pray that the abortion clinic will shut down. We pray for the women entering. We pray for the end of abortion in America. In five years, over 5,000 lives have been reported spared, and 21 abortion facilities have closed following local 40 Days campaigns. These are lives saved, and they are the reason I have chosen to take action. Even if I don’t ever know how many lives I’ve touched, if there is any possibility that I can make a difference, I’m going to do it. I cannot be silent when so much is at stake. I want my voice to be heard.

I can’t predict what will happen in the future, but these things I know: I will never join the cast of Riverdance, or wow audiences in Carnegie Hall with my piano playing. I also know that if I work hard, I can have a lasting impact in my community, and in our nation. In the movie Amazing Grace, William Pitt says, “We're too young to realize certain things are impossible, so we will do them anyway.”

My vision of calling my generation to action, and leading others in changing the world may seem unrealistic, but I know that we can limit ourselves by what we think is possible, thus never realizing our own full potential.

My leadership experience is not measured by the number of awards I’ve won, or by projects created, but by hearts and minds changed, and ultimately, lives saved.

So on this day, I stand facing the crowd, confident in the knowledge that I have risen to take action. I will keep on working because I know influence isn’t an all-powerful gun that will win the war, but the spark that must be tended until it kindles a flame in the hearts of those around us.

A Table for Two

This is a scholarship essay that I wrote following the prompt, if you could have dinner with any three people in the world, who would it be and why?  -Enjoy! (BTW, I got the scholarship. :)) 

I sit alone in an old cafe. It’s crowded and the live music isn’t always on key, but the atmosphere is great. Although it’s busy, I know that I will be able to sit and think without feeling rushed. My notebook is open, and I begin to scribble.

After a while, I look up and notice a guy approaching my table. I stare, completely incredulous. I have just finished making a list of role models, and his name is at the top.

“Hi, do you mind if I join you?” His inflection shows hesitancy.

“Yes. I mean, no. I mean, yeah, have a seat.” I stumble over my words, trying to act calm.

The teenager sitting across from me is Zach Hunter. He is a modern day abolitionist, author, and speaker, working to bring attention to those around the world who are enslaved. I read Zach’s first book when I was thirteen. He made an impression on me because he has shown by example what can be accomplished by being ready and willing to help others. He started a non-profit to help free slaves after he found out that there are more slaves in the world today than there were during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. 

“I’m sorry, have we met?” he asks, smiling. I realize I’m staring.

“No, I’ve read your books.” I smile back, embarrassed. “I’m Lauren. Lauren Hayden.”

“Nice to meet you.”

I look down at my notebook; I’ve just remembered that his name is written in bold letters at the top of the page, very much in plain sight. I wonder if he’s noticed it; I look up, he has.

“Actually, I’ve been writing this afternoon. I decided to make a list of people I’d enjoy meeting. You know, the ‘If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, living or dead, who would it be?’ scenario. And, um, you’re on my list.” I grin sheepishly.

“Wow, that’s cool. Who else is on your list? Maybe they’ll randomly show up too.” He looks bemused.

“Well, actually, they’re dead.” If he didn’t think me crazy before, he does now. “But it’s Corrie ten Boom and William Wilberforce.”

“Wilberforce the abolitionist, politician, and brilliant orator? Him?” He seems excited. “And Corrie ten Boom, the woman who survived a concentration camp?” He knows them both. For some reason, that makes me feel better.

“Yes! I think they had an impact on so many people, and that you have, too. One of my dreams is to be a positive influence in the world in what I do and say.

“Wilberforce was an obvious choice because he was such a strong example of perseverance. He spent almost all of his life fighting for the abolition of slavery in England.”

“Did you know that he actually lived to see slavery outlawed in England, but died three days after the law was passed?” Zach asks. “And Corrie was such an incredible woman! She once said ‘Love is the strongest force in the world, and when it is blocked that means pain. There are two things we can do when this happens. We can kill that love so that it stops hurting. But then of course part of us dies, too. Or we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel.’”

“Wow, that really illustrates what I’ve learned about her! She lived what she believed. She opened refuge homes for concentration camp survivors and jobless Dutch after the war ended. She also spoke publicly about her experiences hiding Jews and living in concentration camps, and even shared about her journey to forgiving the guards in the concentration camps. I think that was the difference between her and many others that have been through traumatic events. She knew that our greatest tool to help our friends, as well as our strongest weapon against our enemies, is love.”

“So you’ve chosen both Wilberforce and Corrie ten Boom because they devoted their lives to what they believed. I like that.” He understands. 

“Zach, that’s why I put you on my list too. Do you remember the movie Amazing Grace, about Wilberforce? Well, in it, William Pitt says, “We're too young to realize certain things are impossible, so we will do them anyway.” You are living that out. By the world’s standards, you’re still a kid, and yet you’ve already accomplished so much! And you have a quality about you; so much passion, so much...life.” He laughs, but it’s true.

“Well, I’m honored to be in such company as William Wilberforce and Corrie ten Boom. I--”

“Ma’am?” A waitress interrupts Zach. She smiles apologetically. “I’m sorry to wake you...but we’re closing.” I look up. I’m alone at the table. As I look across the room, I realize I must have fallen asleep. I grin as I think about how cool it would be to meet my heroes. But I know that it’s okay if I never have the opportunity, because their lives have already changed mine. They have helped me understand that influence isn’t an all-powerful gun that will win the war, but the spark that must be tended until it kindles a flame in the hearts of those around us.