You Have to Stop Sooner or Later

Self-pity is an easy thing to wallow in. Depression can become over-whelming in many cases. C.S. Lewis once said, "Crying is all right in its own way while it lasts, but you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do." Tear's can be a constant companion to some. *Cough, cough, uh* But the wise C.S. Lewis is right; When you spend your days alone in your room, a cloudy sky dripping through the window, its time to do something. At church this morning, Pastor J.R. said that we often ask God to save us from the fires in our lives. What we should be praying is for God to bring us through the fires. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." "If God brings you to it, he'll bring you through it." Though my thought are very off the wall today and I don't have any interesting outstanding things to say, I hope God brings you through your trial. You have to stop dreading sooner or later and trust that God knows what he's doing.

Poetry

Bittersweet
There are good days,
when everything goes right.
There are bad days
when everything goes wrong,
And then there are those bittersweet days
when good comes from bad,
and right comes from wrong.
On these days the Lord has a plan,
though foggy and unseen.
He knows what's best for us,
even when not knowing makes us scream.
And on bittersweet days
when good comes from bad
and right comes from wrong,
the Lord holds our hands
to help us stay strong.

Morning World
The morning world
all wet and dreary
the trees bloom green
the grass grows weary
drip, drip goes the rain
and the wind blows through
and all this time
I'm thinking of you
The clouds are covering
the world below
outside this backyard
it's all push and go
how many times
I lay in wake
and think of you
and your lovely face
The world is peaceful
calm and still
I love you my darling
I always will

Inspiration
I'm trying to think.
Oh, can't you see?
The lack of inspiration;
A loss to feel free.

What should I say?
What should I write?
I want to shout my opinions,
but the strain is too tight.

Should I write about war?
How it kills the ones we love.
Should I write about natural disasters,
the rain pounding from above.

Should I write about violence,
A bullet shooting through the heart.
Should I write about drugs,
How they rip your body apart.

Should I write about suicide,
and what we think of ourselves.
Should I write about hope,
and the ringing of church bells.

Should I write about love;
Searching the world for our soul mate.
Should I write about politics,
the opposing thoughts and debates.

Though all these things would be such a great subject,
my lack of inspiration prevents me from such.
So I'll look to tomorrow,
and the warmth of sunshine's touch.

Official Editorial - Twittering in Church

We all know of the traditional church – floral dresses, contemporary hymens, and a commonly slow message – but pastor John Voelz of Westwinds Community Church is trying to reach the people of Michigan in a new way. Twitter. Twitter is widely known for its 140 character status updates and fast, online friendships. Pastors all over the country are seeing Voelz’s point of view and teaching members of the church how to navigate the website. Voelz says that he challenges the members of Westwinds Community Church to be profound and speak openly through Twitter to God. So is Twittering at church harmful or helpful? I see it as a thin line that needs to be drawn. Twitter can easily be promoted as a way to bond in fellowship and see others lives up close. Many users of the website update their status every hour on the hour, explaining simply what is on their minds at the time.

Examples:
ChosenWrshp1 @westwinds I think healing would require us to recognize that we’re not perfect ourselves … And that others are not perfect either …
Maysville finally settling into a semi-normal groove… time for more coffee…
Jess_Ellen_May Headed to play ultimate Frisbee. Hopefully I'll have fun considering I can't play the game without injury.

So as you can see, I have a Twitter account myself, and see it as very beneficial. In this online world, I understand that by writing out your thoughts on a sermon or praying on the Internet helps people feel connected to others around them. It creates community. By updating the world on your life, you are letting people into your head, which is comforting to some. But is there a time to say enough is enough? Last June, there were over a dozen accounted “Twitter Sundays” in the country. This supposedly blessed day when twitterers are allowed to tweet at any time during the service, all during the service. This can easily become a distraction to many, completely taking the person away from the experience of the sermon. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Twitter in the church community, but when churches start to dedicate days meant for worship to this online connections site, things are getting out of hand.

One Last Thought For The Night...

One last thought for the night: I'm dreaming bigger dreams nowadays. God is constantly laying Africa on my heart, and the idea of adventuring to NYC by myself when I grow up is slowly appearing. I don't see my small town life that much anymore, but rather over the hills and through the woods to the great, great unknown... Keep me in your prayers and God's possibilities and blessings wide open. (Photo by Audrey Carr)

Er...Um... College.

College is confusing. Once you get past all of the fancy buildings, Greek row, and the access to an endless number of restaurants, it all comes down to a single decision - which school to pick. Now, the single most downfall of my life happens to be decision making, so as my Georgia Tech tour guide made us walk around in the melting heat, I panicked. Do I stay in town and go to KSU, or travel abroad and learn in the French country side? Co-Ed dorms or single sex? Sorority or no sorority? Big city or the middle of nowhere? Panic pulsing through my veins and the sun pounding harshly, I tied to think about other things... such as the guy with the one foot beard on the Tech Trolley... Anyways, our guide later asked the writing group how old we all were. When the majority answered "Freshman," she smiled. "Well you all have a long time to figure out were you want to go. Don't worry about it now." Oh right... I still have to conquer high school...

Hot Turkey

Deep breath, deep breath, I thought. Panic and anticipation ran frozen through my veins. Andrea stood beside me, a plush green alligator atop her head. Thank God we switched hats. So this is where my little blu sandals were taking me? TEN THOUSAND feet outside of my comfort zone?! The exercise our Writing Camp Teachers had prepared for the day was doing things outside of our comfort zones and writing about them. How ironic. The very day after I decide to embrace the unknown I am told to walk around Atlanta in a turkey hat. I suppose it's my own fault. I wrote down in my journal for the class yesterday that I was uncomfortable doing loud, crazy, and weird things in public. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Our teacher had given us five dollars; Andrea and I were to walk two blocks down to Caribou Coffee, order something, and talk to at least two people along the way. COMPLETELY out of my comfort zone. But wearing my sandals, all I could think to do was not look in a mirror and laugh it all off. Andrea and I told stories and giggled all the way, making awkward small talk with every passer by. Comments such as, "That must be hot," "I love your hats!" and "You having a bad day or something?" floated all around us. The thing I found most interesting from the whole experience... was that I enjoyed it. It seemed that being in something like a disguise set my outgoing, wild side free. I was more willing to talk to strangers and do something unorthodox. BONUS MATERIAL: I laid on the floor blind folded, with earplugs for 20 minutes in utter silence. It has to be one of the strangest experiences I have ever had. After your brain calms down, it's like being in a false sense of dreaming - like being on drugs without harming yourself. It's an out of body experience where you feel the stillness. I encourage all to try this one-day. I also tried Pad Thai for dinner. Going to a Thai restaurant for the first time was quite enjoyable - the spicier the noodles, the better.

Yes Woman

This week I am attending a writing camp in Atlanta, and today we had a speaker. Stephanie Davis was a very bright and enthusiastic character. Her green, and I do mean green, dress told me that right away. She told us all about writing personal essays, travel writing, writing for a magazine, editing, emotional attachments, and much more. But the thing that stuck with me the most was when she spoke about a writer's experiences. You can't be a good writer if you haven't had any interesting experiences. That struck me hard, due to the lingering knowledge in the back of my head, that I do not have an interesting life or any odd experiences. Stephanie continued to tell the group that sometimes the best stories can also come out of the worst and most uncomfortable situations. Situations such as a job as the Easter Bunny (Rabbit Redemption), a waitress, being attacked by a bird in the middle of a crowd, or an awkward outfit that you think looks fabulous until you get strange looks from your friends. These new ideas ran around in circles in my head as Stephanie left, leaving me alone with my shame. I have never lived outside of my comfort zone. Suddenly the movie "Yes Man," jumped into my head. If I were to say yes to every opportunity that presented itself (within reason of course), I would have a much more interesting, worthwhile story to tell. So I am now challenging myself to say yes to life, and see where my little blu sandals will take me...