unique.

Our neighbors garden is so pretty. But when I went over there the other day, I found a patch of white flowers, with one pink one in the middle. It was different, and it made it look so unique and beautiful. It reminded me of the verse found in Romans 12. It says that we shouldn't be of the world, but to show the world what is the good will of GOD. We should be just like this pretty little pink flower. Set apart, different from the rest, unique because of our faith. We need to stand out! Sure, she might get lonely sometimes being the only pink flower, but she's always going to have GOD by her side.

Rom 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

By the way, I named her Ayanna.
Sorry Als, you can't have that name now. =P

take my life and let it be.

Take my life and let it be,
Consecrated, Lord to Thee
Take my hands and let them move,
At the impulse of Thy love
At the impulse of Thy love

Take my feet and let them be,
Swift and beautiful for Thee
Take my voice and let me sing,
Always only, for my King
Always, only, for my King

Take my love, my God I pour,
At Thy feet it's treasure store
Take myself and I will be,
Ever only all for Thee
Ev-er, on-ly, all for Thee


by francis havergal & mozart.

be my guide.

last night when we were worshipping, i realized that i was not trusting GOD enough. i was trying to let myself be in control of my life. worrying about what to do, what if's, and just about everything else. too often, i put HIM aside for things that i want. my sights are not upon HIM and HIM alone. sometimes i try to run my own life, the way i think it should be done. i don't let GOD rule over me. HIS plan, i take it for granted sometimes. but i want HIM to be my guide.


"Be my guide, GOD of Abraham
Lead me by Your hand
You are strong and wise
I want to trust in You
And in all I do bring You honor and praise"

friends.

i totally want to steal aly's post cause its exactly what i was thinking today at the sczebels. how blessed am i to have a friend like aly?? i mean, she came out and jumped in the puddles with me!! she got wet with me. i feel kinda bad that i made her get wet, but i think that secretly, she loved it. she gave up her nice cozy pants to bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart. its those friends that you know will stick with you through thick and thin, when you've lost your voice and when you just won't stop talking, and even the hair days when you wish you were them and the hair days when you wish you didn't know them. thanks for being one of those friends.

the work that GOD has done through my friends and their families has been so great. the impact that you guys have had on my life in the last 11 months at crossway is so big. i am so incredibly blessed to have a friends like you. my friends at crossway and the people there have just amazed me in how much they love the LORD. to see how GOD is working through the lives of each and everyone of you to reach out to other kids like me who were heading off in the wrong direction is awesome.

this last year, i lost some friends. some good friends. i've known them for almost 7 years. and i miss the fun times we had together, but you know, i wasn't going to be with them forever. and HE gives and takes away. GOD this year has blessed me so much with so many friends that bring me closer to HIM. so many friends that encourage me and build me up. so many friends from florida, texas, minnesota haah and even here rainy old vancouver, i've made great, even some life long friends. and each and every one of these new friends has a great love for JESUS. a passion to grow in HIM. and they bring that with them when we meet. they show me just how much GOD has blessed them, and with that i see just how much GOD has showered HIS blessings on me.

i thank GOD for my friends. and for you als. even though you put the worst picture in the world of me onto the internet where google can find it and track me down along with the aliens. =P

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." -- Anonymous

thanks for walking in on me als. hahaaa. i (heart) you.

the beauty of autumn.

The other day as i walked outside, i was surprised to find the beginnings of autumn all around me. the cool, crisp, and refreshing breeze. the newly changed red and yellow leaves beginning to fall. and the neighborhood kids in their jeans and t-shirts instead of shorts and tanks.

the beauty of this world is amazing. the views, the sounds, the fragrances, the sights, the colors. everything i see, so fresh and alive. my mind cannot grasp how wonderful and precise it all is. the oh so high mountains in the distance, the pitter patter of rain softly lullabying me to sleep, the swiftly flowing rivers carrying baby fish away to sea, the bright redness on the juicy apples on the tree. i stand in awe of how each leaf, so delicate and different is each one, flutter to the ground as fall enters out world. i gaze above at the stars the gather as the moon pushes out and the sun begins to fade away as another night comes along. i stop in my tracks to listen to the hundreds of crickets leaping around the flowerbeds and yellow petals swaying in the breeze. however, there is still more.

not that we can see. but to look forward to in heaven. oh how much more glorious it will be when we gather together before the KING! the angels will sing songs of praise and thanksgiving, HIS children will dance to the sound of HIS loving voice, and GOD's love will be returned and HIS deserving praise will be heard all around.

although the earth is filled with many amazing treasures, gorgeous voices of nature, and unexplainable wonders of the land, nothing is greater than the sights and sounds we will see in heaven. i thank GOD for HIS beautiful creation. but, no matter how refreshing the breeze, no matter how beautiful the fragrance of fresh flowers, no matter how intriguing the design of each and every leaf, plant, and animal, nothing is more beautiful than the LORD our GOD and HIS miraculous works, not even autumn.

[Pslam 29:2] Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

invincible.

the night where it all began...
we went out for dinner, the manager paid the bill.
we thought we were going to be late meeting friends, we arrived before just about everyone else.
we went out bowling, okay i'll skip this one.
we went out to starbucks, my caffeine dream was fulfilled [i finally got my white chocolate mocha].
we thought of what movies were coming out, and 20 minutes later, we ended up at the theatre.

inVINCEible. and the main character was VINCE papale. see the connection? yes.

last night was seriously so much fun. bowling, starbucks, movie. who woulda thunk it. what gets me though is that at like quarter to nine someone suggested a movie and by ten after we were all there. craazy.
sadly, that's the most spontaneous thing i've done in a while. hahaa

okay, the movie INVINCIBLE. it was good. it had a good story. i liked it.

lessons i learned and things i want to make clear:
- no one said that it was based on a true story until the end.
- janet the bartender and vince papale were not that in love when the movie ended, so it would come as a surprise to most people that they got married.
- bowling is a sport that you have to work hard at, and only certain people have the skill to win trophies. after all, only one crayon can be the brightest in the box.
- every egg is different: you shouldn't make fun of other people's bowling techniques. it's hurtful... tear tear.
- always go to the bathroom with a buddy. [thanks gals.]
- if you want a discount on your starbucks purchase or if you a really nice person, follow aly's steps. be nice back to those nice people making your drink.
- always keep a camera near by. i created a starbucks tree last night. a beautiful work of art. and now it's gone.
- if someone says that they want to see a certain movie coming out, don't underestimate them. if they want to see it that badly, they'll find a way.
- keep your word. let your yes be yes and your no be no. stick to it like cheese on pizza.

i'd like to take this moment to apologize to my dear friend keith, for not getting him his cookies. i'm sorry. you'll see your cookies...one day.

romans 3:21-26

[Romans 3.21-26] "But now the righteousness of GOD apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of GOD, through faith in JESUS CHRIST, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD, being justified freely by HIS grace through the redemption that is in CHRIST JESUS, whom GOD set forth as a propitiation by HIS blood, through faith, to demonstrate HIS righteousness, because in HIS forbearance GOD had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time HIS righteousness, that HE might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in JESUS."

passion.

//passion [pash-uhn] - noun. ::any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate; a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything:.



tonight i practiced. and practiced. and practiced. then i took a 2 minute break and i practiced some more. but i felt like i wasn't getting anywhere. i kept shooting, dribbling, pivoting, all that basketball stuff, but i still felt like i was at the same level. after an hour and a half of practice, i didn't feel more confident. i didn't feel more improved. i didn't feel more like a basketball player. i felt like a failure.
but i learned an important lesson tonight. i found out that sure, i was practicing, but i wasn't doing it with the same passion that i had in a game. i was throwing the ball up, bouncing it on the pavement, moving my feet, but i just did it so carelessly. and if you don't practice with passion then you won't be any better, because passion is what makes you want to be better. passion is your love for the game. you're enthusiasm for what you're doing. passion is the thing that makes you practice out there in the rain, snow, hail, scorching heat, and even when there's a high school musical marathon on, you're practicing because you love it!!!!!
i lost my passion for the game while i was practicing. and then i got frustrated with myself. i started to quit on myself. but a wise friend of mine told me not to let the winner inside of me quit. as he walked away, i picked up the ball and started to shoot, with passion. i love it.
just starting to realize how cheesy and inspirational movieish that sounds so i'll get to the point.

sometimes we lose our passion for JESUS. we lose the enthusiasm, zeal, and love for our GOD. our SAVIOR. the one who even after we fail to make it in the basket, HE never quits on us. it's so easy for us all to forget just how much HE loves us, even though we don't deserve it. we don't return it. we don't even always acknowledge it. but HE does it anyway. i want my passion to be for HIM.

remembering.

911:.
it was a big day. a scary day. a weird day. no one really knew what was happening until that second plane hit.
i watched a movie about it tonight. people, jumping out of windows to have an instant death with no suffering. people, running through the streets while others stopped to take pictures with their cell phones. people, who didn't know JESUS when their life was taken from them on september 11, 2001.
today's memorial couldd not repair the broken hearts of loved ones. today's memorial could not apologize for the terrible actions of those terrorists five years ago. today's memorial could not say i love you to the children who lost their mothers and fathers or brothers and sisters. today's memorial could not bring the joy of knowing that those who followed the LORD were in a better place this very evening. no, only JESUS can do that.
my heart goes out to all those people, not just the ones who lost someone they loved very much, but also to the people who didn't feel loved at all, who still don't feel loved, because no one has shown them the love that CHRIST JESUS can give them. a love like no other, HIS LASTS FOREVER.
through pain and suffering, our GOD loves. through loneliness and abandonment, our GOD loves. through selfishness and sin, OUR GOD LOVES US JUST THE SAME!
today reminded me that i need to always be ready for GOD. today reminded me of just how much GOD loves me. even at times when i am not my best with HIM, HE takes care of me. today reminded me to tell the world about the one who i call MY SAVIOR because they may never get the chance to know that someone loves them, even in these darkening times.

change.

so many people around me are changing so much. including myself. i remember, one year ago exactly i was so different. even maybe 8 months ago. but it's wonderful. to see how GOD is working. to see HIS light again in my life, to notice HIS work, HIS glorious plan in action.
GOD has showed me so much in this last year. and he used my friends to teach me. GOD has blessed me so much. i love HIM.
even though i have gone through so much and i am so independant and all, HE continues to remind me that we need HIM. but not only that, now, i WANT HIM.

[Psalm 100:4] Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name.

crayons.

"only one crayon can be the brightest in the box"
-- luke ...

oh the sin in my life. it's a challenge each day, but i know it's possible to avoid temptation. aah it's horrible. knowing that you've just done something wrong, but yet the feeling of knowing that we have such a merciful GOD oh the joy that fills my heart. my goodness. each day i find myself in positions where i am faced with sin. each day i am reminded of how glorious our FATHER in heaven is. and each day i am astounded at the LOVE that HE has for me, a worthless, undeserving sinner. thank you JESUS.

[Isaiah 53.5] "But HE was wounded for our transgressions, HE was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon HIM, and by HIS stripes we are healed."
praise the LORD. i posted this verse before, but how great is our GOD! and the amazing thing is, this verse was from the old testament, before JESUS was alive.

the day after.

leave your mark. ^^
the guy who dares to wear hollywood sunglasses. ^^
the girl who actually looks cute in them. ^^

oh man. i am so sore. yesterday wasn't that bad, i think joe got it the worst--sean too, but this morning i woke up with horrible pains in my back. it's not that bad though. and i think that it was worth it anyway. tubing was fun. and i was so thrown off. it was either let go or break my neck. so is that hardcore enough?
haahaa the hctc....sorry aly. at least you made it to the hcdc. so crazy.
my pizza box is full. i will hang it on my wall. oh yeah, for all who care -- i was talking to sean last night and i called him keith. he doesn't look at all to me like a kieth but it just came out.

well that was a nice little end to the summer. go up to a lake with a boat, a broken van, and a bunch of friends with money for pizza and there you have it...the perfect labor day.
i guess there's just one thing left to say... let's count shoulders
<3

"if you dwell in the bad things in life then you just miss the good things" -- just my luck

me&matt. ^^

^^ one of my ghost pics.

fun fun. i had a good time. the games part wasnt really organized but the capture the flag was cool [even though the guys won].
als can you send me that pic of joe smiling?? :) haha

my deformed toes, just for you als.
[mine are in the cute white shoe on the bottom]