Fear is just a lie.

This insane truth absolutely blows my mind!!

By the way, the guy in the video is Mike Donehey, the lead singer from Tenth Avenue North.

Fear is the consequence of every lie.

Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Difficult to believe... But true.

Clive Staples Lewis

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.

C.S. Lewis.

That just about sums it up. Thanks Mr. Lewis.

The Great Commission.

Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I get to go to church, and while I'm there, I hang out with a lot of nice people. The student band for my church are very skilled musicians (especially the bass player, but maybe I'm biased about that, because the bass player is my dad), and they're all very friendly. Sometimes I'll bring them muffins for breakfast because they take time out of their Sunday morning to practice before the service and it's usually pretty early in the morning so I doubt they have time to grab anything very satisfying to eat. It's funny to watch the younger band members inhale the muffins. Poor guys.

I love my worship pastor. He's very talented and has an amazing voice, but best of all, he bounces the worship away from himself, the music, the band, the lights, the sound, and everyone else, and he directs it straight towards God. He makes it simple to fall into the embrace of God and makes it seem that it's just you in the room, no other people, no other distractions, just you at the feet of God worshiping him with all that's within you.

How many people have that gift?

How many people use that gift like God intends them to?

My church is a great fellowship place for believers. Whenever I go, no matter what day of the week, I feel inspired, loved, safe, and, most of all, reminded of why I'm here, which is living out The Great Commission.

The student ministry team at my church are some of the best people you'll ever meet. God has gifted them with leadership, initiative, understanding, wisdom, and many other traits. They always put aside whatever they're doing to talk to you. I'm not saying they're perfect, not by any stretch. And I'm not saying my church is perfect either, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. But when we do slip up, we always need to ask God for forgiveness, then lay that sin at God's feet and never turn back to it.

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:22-24


Then the eleven disiples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disiples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:16-20 (The Great Commission.)

Proverbs 18:24

I was up late last night. I was lying in bed for over two hours, and I couldn't stop smiling over what had happened just a couple hours before. In my mind, I played several Owl City songs. I was full of joy.

Let's go back to five-thirty yesterday.

My mom just dropped me off at church so I could help set up for Girls Night. I started by taping down pink table-paper on about six tables. By the time I had gotten done, it was six o' clock. A few girls came in, and I switched to my 'stand-by and wait for a job' mode. Which is pretty much just standing around while humming a song or listening to people talk. I ran a few errands to the offices upstairs and did a few more things to help. Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, it was seven. More girls started pouring in, and pretty soon the room was full of life and noise. Really no one I knew was there so I grabbed my dinner--pizza-- and sat down by myself. I won't bore you with every single detail, so I'll just fast forward to around 10:30.

We had gotten back from our picture scavenger hunt, and we were finishing up crafts. The movie Tangled had finished playing, and the winners of the scavenger hunt were announced. Everyone started leaving and pretty soon, it was just me and most of the student ministry team. I wasn't sure whether or not my dad would come pick me up or not, and one of the student ministry team members, Ms. Jessica, offered to take me home because we live so close to each other. So I left with her.

Let me take a minute to say something about Ms. Jessica. She's one of my biggest heroes, and I really don't really have that many, either. Probably my favorite thing about her is that she is always willing to do whatever it takes. I can't express enough how much she means to me. She understands me and takes time for me. She been a great deal of encouragement in my short and so far not very impressive life.

I've found that I'd much rather spend time with one person at a time then hang out with a group of people. That being said, the twenty minutes car ride with Ms. Jessica was great, as I got to spend time with just me and her. :)

For whatever reason, spending time with her is why I felt the way I did last night. I honestly couldn't explain it. Maybe it's because I prefer one-on-one time over hanging out with a big group.

I suppose I should close on this note: People don't really understand how homeschoolers like me make friends or have any social life at all. Being homeschooled, I was taught at an early age how to communicate politely with adults. Most of the people I interact with are over eighteen, my brother is one of two of my best friends (my other best friend being the greatest best friend in the whole world), and I can count my close friends on one hand. Knowing all this, I can easily say that I'm perfectly okay with it. I've never been one to spill my heart to a thousand and one people, but I share a strong bond with the friends I do have.

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
~Proverbs 18:24.

True love.

What is true love exactly? Is it the warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you see a cute guy or girl? When you finally get a boyfriend or girlfriend to hold your hand, is that love? What about your first kiss?

I believe true love, is something deeper.

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 it says,

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preservers. Love never fails.

But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfection disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And know these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I know, I know, this is a lot to take in. But if God didn't think that we would confuse love with lust, love wouldn't be in the Bible so many times. See, our society does just that, we confuse love with lust. But unlike lust, God's love is directed outward towards others, not inwards towards ourselves. This love goes against our natural inclinations.

How do we get this love? First, we need to love God before our friends, our worldly possessions, even our own family. Only when we love God more then anything, or anyone, else, can we hope to have this love. But when we get it, it will shine through us and will actually help us love others even more then we do right now. Second, the more we become like Christ, the more love we will show others. This is one of the many reasons that we have to strive to become like Christ, without a Christ-like character, the love we have means very little.

True love isn't easy, but it must be fought for, because once you find it, it can never be replaced.

James (a.k.a Prince Charming) from Once Upon a Time.

(I think James and I are talking about a different sort of love, though.)

Owl City.

I've found that I've fallen in love with Owl City. From his music to his charming voice, Adam Young is easily one of my heroes. His songs have inspired me many times, it's hard to listen to his music and not feel happy. Many would call the lyrics of his music silly, but I find an odd truth in them, and they make me think.

This song is featured in The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. Sadly, I have not seen the movie yet, but I have read the books!!

To The Sky:

This song is just plain beautiful...

Vanilla Twilight:

If you haven't heard of Owl City, I hope these songs got you off to a good start. I think my favorite thing about Adam is that no one, including himself, expected his life to take such a dramatic turn as he discovered music. He was always the shy boy who stayed home in his parents basement for hours playing around on the keyboard, but no one thought he would ever be on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans.

I guess that how I feel about myself sometimes, even though becoming a songwriter and worship leader is my dream, the task seems so big, and sometimes I doubt myself. But Adam's way of thinking calls for hoping for the unimaginable.


Chase Your Dreams, and Remember Me, Sweet Bravery. Because After All Those Wings Will Take You Up So High. So Bid the Forest Floor Goodbye, As We Race the Wind and Take To The Sky.

To The Sky by Adam Young.

Gram's insight on Television.

Hello readers.

For those who don't know, my great-grandmother lives in our basement. I promise that our basement isn't dark and smelly--well, maybe a little smelly--in fact, my great-grandmother's room is quite nice. Pictures on the walls, a big bed, a recliner... Anyway, those who don't have a grandmother/grandfather living with them are really missing out! Unfortunately, there is plenty of drama, but there are lots of laughs, too. For example, watching television with my great-grandmother (who we lovingly refer to as 'Gram'), is an adventure every single time! Gram will spend about half an hour sitting on the couch squinting at the TV, all the while asking questions like, "Do you have any idea what's going on?" or "Is this a show for kiddies?" She'll also sigh every five minutes and say, "I can't understand a single thing they're saying!" It's even more funny when the show that's on isn't interesting to me, but is to one of my siblings, as they'll get more and more frustrated trying to answer Gram's questions. After a while, Gram will say, "This show doesn't make sense to me." and she'll stand, hobble to the basement door, and retreat downstairs.

Gram is quite a character, though. She goes to Curves to work out three times a week, the senior center in the morning, and with my grandparents (who don't live with us) to church on Sundays. She's constantly up and about, asking questions, wanting to 'come along' on errands, stuff like that. If I have to grow old, I think I'd want to have the toughness and independence she has.

But I'd rather not grow old... 73 is a good age, I hope I live to be 73, but I don't want to be any older than that...