Tonight by TobyMac

Hey!
Everytime I try to go in alone I get shut down,
Locked up and held captive in the clutches of my down
We go back, we go forth,
We go back
I'm sick with vertigo
Weary of my ways, my days
My lips are frozen
I wanna feel a new day
(There's gotta be more than this)
I wanna live a new way
(There's gotta be more)
I wanna feel a new day
(There's gotta be more)
I wanna live a new way
(There's just gotta be more)

Right here, right now
Under the stars, I promise you my heart

Cause it starts tonight!

We wanna rise,
We wanna touch the other side
(It starts tonight!)
We wanna soar
We wanna reach right out for more
(Cause it starts tonight!)
We wanna rise,
We wanna touch the other side
(It starts tonight)
We wanna soar,
We wanna reach right out for more
(Cause it starts tonight)
Tonight tonight
Tonight tonight tonight
Tonight

Can't feel like any night before
Under the sky full of stars
With hearts that want more
(Tonight)
Like the rhythm no dam can hold
Bein' drivin by a source overflowin our souls
(Tonight)
Won't be like any night we have seen
It changes everything (e-e-e-e-everything)

Right here right now
Under the stars
I promise you my heart

Cause it starts tonight!

We wanna rise
We wanna touch the other side
(It start tonight!)
We wanna soar
We wanna reach right out for more,
(Cause it starts tonight!)
We wanna rise,
We wanna touch the other side
(It starts tonight!)
We wanna soar,
We wanna reach right out for more
(Cause it starts tonight!)
Tonight tonight
Tonight tonight tonight

Tonight

So let us seize this night
Let us make off great
It's on like the break of dawn

So let us seize this night
Let us make our flight
It's on like the break of dawn

Tonight
Tonight

Cause it starts tonight!...

Cause it starts tonight!

I wanna feel a new day
I wanna live a new way
(It starts tonight)
I wanna feel a new day
I wanna live a new way
(We don't wanna fall tonight!)
We wanna rise
We wanna touch the other side
(We wanna shine tonight!)
We wanna soar
We wanna reach right out for more
(We don't wanna fall tonight)
We wanna rise
We wanna touch the other side
(We wanna shine tonight!)
We wanna soar,
We wanna reach right out for more
(We don't wanna fall tonight)
Tonight tonight

(We wanna shine tonight!)
Tonight tonight

Cause it starts tonight!



God gave each of us a purpose, and we need to go out, tonight, and fulfill it. :)

The Easy Way or the Hard Way a guest post by Trent Blake

Let me say thank you so much, Trent, for doing this. :)

Also I'm hoping to do this once a month so if any of you would like to do a guest post shoot me an email at brookiefaulkner809@gmail.com

A man was tending his sheep in the wilderness. When they came to a savanna, he gave them time to rest on the soft grass, eat the growing wheat, and drink from the quiet stream. It was the picture of perfectness.

One of the sheep, named “Joe” looks up and sees a large cliff, overlooking a deep valley. Two other sheep, “Dave” and “Bob” see it too. As the three sheep hobble over to investigate, the shepherd sees them going toward danger. He runs over and stands in front of the three sheep. They all stare at him and think. Then, Joe turns around, as Dave and Bob continue around the shepherd, towards the cliff.

The shepherd, then, moves in front of the sheep again. Dave and Bob just look at each other, and go around the shepherd again. Finally, as they’re at the edge of the cliff, the shepherd takes his staff and whacks both of them in the head, so they go back. After considering it, Dave decides he needs to lose a few more pounds before he can fly. So, the two sheep hobble back to the savanna.

We are the sheep and God is our shepherd.

Sometimes, when I comment on this one site, I will get a strange feeling to re-evaluate my words, and ask myself “what would Jesus do in my place?” Sometimes, I ignored it, and posted the comment anyway.  This is like the sheep going around the shepherd and continuing toward the cliff. At first, there was no real change. Then, it happened again when I was in an online debate. Like before, God told me to reevaluate my words, but I ignored the feeling and had the comment posted. This time, however, the consequences were not so easy to resolve. The shepherd hit me with his staff before I could learn to not be prideful and rash to speak.

In that comment, I had severely misrepresented Christ and I hurt the reputation of not only myself, but of everyone else involved as well. Thankfully, that was enough to send me back to the savanna. But it was definitely not the easy way! It stunk!

So, I’m asking each of you right now, when God tries to teach you something the easy way, please listen and don’t make the same mistake I did, and force him to teach you the hard way. Have an awesome day, y’all!

You can find Trent's blog at foreversoldiersofgod.blogspot.com

Brooke

On Justin Bieber

So first off, I AM NOT A JUSTIN BIEBER FAN! Kapeesh?

Now I'm going to show you some things, remember your reaction.




What was your reaction to those? I bet you laughed didn't you.

Now think about this. Go back and read those, and instead of Justin Bieber's face and name, put in your own. After you laugh at yourself, think about if everyone was posting these things about you, and worse things too. All The Time.

Fit in your own name, "This is why I hate ______ ..." "_______ is so stupid. He/she looks and sings like the opposite gender."

Now I'm not going to go and point fingers in anybody's face. And I'll admit, I've laughed at and made my own jokes about Justin Bieber. But my conscience has been bugging me a lot lately, and I've been thinking. Doesn't the Bible say to love even your enemies. Justin Bieber isn't even an enemy, just an annoying and lost singer, shouldn't I love and be praying for him too?

So he's a celebrity, he's a human being too, he has feelings and emotions, and the things we say affect him just as much as they would affect you. We can't brush aside the fact that when we joke about Justin Bieber or any other celebrity that we are bullying. I bet you never thought of yourself as a bully, I never thought of myself as one either till now.

Guys, when you see that Justin Bieber has done something wrong, making fun of him isn't going to help, it's only going to make the matter worse. Why do you think he's choosing to do the wrong thing? Because everyone loves him? No, because he's trying to get away from all the bad talk, and "harmless" jokes, and critics, but just ends up digging himself deeper. Instead of helping him find his way to sure doom, we need to pray that he straightens his life out, that he finds God as his rock, and we need to try to encourage him to go the right way.

I'm not saying we all need to listen to 'Baby' all the time. Or become 'Beliebers'. But just let everyone know that you are not going to join in the bullying anymore. :)

Do you have any thoughts to share on this?

How does He know?

In the Disney movie "Enchanted" there is a song called, "How Does She Know?" about how does the guys girlfriend know he loves her? Does he send her flowers or write her love notes?

But how does God know we love Him? Of course He can see everyone's hearts, but do we actually outwardly show we love Him?

God asks for our all. All of our love, our time, our lives. So if we're really doing that, shouldn't it show?
God loves us, but the Bible says, "Faith without works is dead." Let our actions show everyone that we are Christians.

It is a privilege to be called a Christian, so don't act as if it is a burden or something you should be ashamed of, wear it, speak it, and live it. :) God didn't save us so we could continue on the way we where. He did it for His own glory and because He loves us.

The Proof of Your Love by For King and Country

If I sing but don't have love
I waste my breath with every song
I bring an empty voice, a hollow noise
If I speak with a silver tongue
Convince a crowd but don't have love
I leave a bitter taste with every word I say

So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love
Let my love look like You and what You're made of
How You lived, how You died
Love is sacrifice
So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love

If I give
To a needy soul but don't have love then who is poor?
It seems all the poverty is found in me

So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love
Let my love look like You and what You're made of
How You lived, how You died
Love is sacrifice
Oh, let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love

When it's all said and done
When we sing our final song
Only love remains
Only love remains

Let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love
Let my love look like You and what You're made of
How You lived, how You died
Love is sacrifice
So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love



 This song is one of my favorites. It reminds me that no matter what I do or say, I need to be doing it for God. Even if I found a cure for cancer, but did it for my own fame and glory, then it would be as if I did nothing. Sure, God would still use it, but He wouldn't be proud of me for doing it.
When we do things for God on the other hand, He will bless it and it will make Him happy. Like a little child who brings their messy pictures or creations to their daddy, when we do things for God it won't matter how small it might seem, He cherishes it more than an offering of $100 in His name. :)

P.S. Sorry this is late and sorry it's been so long. I'll be getting back on schedule now.

He Knows my Name by Francesca Battistelli

Spent today in a conversation
In the mirror face to face with
somebody less than perfect
I wouldn't choose me first if
I was looking for a champion
In fact I'd understand if
You picked everyone before me
But that's just not my story
True to who You are
You saw my heart
and made
Something out of nothing

[Chorus:]
I don't need my name in lights
I'm famous in my Father's eyes
Make no mistake
He knows my name
I'm not living for applause
I'm already so adored
It's all His stage
He knows my name oh, oh,
He knows my name oh, oh

I'm not meant to just stay quiet
I'm meant to be a lion
I'll roar beyond a song
With every moment that I've got
True to who You are
You saw my heart
and made
Something out of nothing

[Chorus]

He calls me chosen, free forgiven, wanted, child of the King,
His forever, held in treasure...
I am loved

I don't need my name in lights...
I'm famous in my Father's eyes...

[Chorus]


  In God's holy word it says that we are to be in this world, but not of this world. I think this is kinda what Francesca is getting at here. We are meant to spread God's light in the darkness, but we also have to remember that this place isn't our home, we are of God's world now. He wants us to spread His name, roaring it like lions, and show others how wonderful it is to know that He is in control even in the hard times. But we can't get wrapped up with, being famous, or getting friends, because God saw us when still sinners, when we were filthy and rotten orphans, but He sent His only son to come down to earth and cleanse us with His blood that we might serve Him forever in Heaven as His children. So when we get down, remember, we don't need our names in lights, we're famous in our Father's eyes. And make no mistake, He knows each of us by name. :)

Brookie  

Photography Contest Entry: Introducing Inspiration

So there is a contest going on over at Introducing Inspiration, and I'm entering. :) We get up to three entries, but I'm only submitting two because I couldn't choose.

Barbed Skies

And

 

Dusty Memories

Live Like That by SideWalk Prophets

Sometimes I think
What will people say of me
When I’m only just a memory
When I’m home where my soul belongs
Was I love
When no one else would show up
Was I Jesus to the least of us
Was my worship more than just a song
Chorus
I wanna live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything You say and do
Points to You
If love is who I am
Then this is where I’ll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back
I wanna live like that
Am I proof
That You are who You say you are
That grace can really change your heart
Do I live like Your love is true
People pass
And even if they don’t know my name
Is there evidence that I’ve been changed
When they me do they see You
Chorus
I wanna show the world the love He gave for me
I’m longing for the world to know
The glory of the King
Chorus

 

As Christians we are called to be like Christ Jesus. This song often cuts me as I think about when I use sharp words with my siblings, get annoyed with crowds, and waste time. I want to be like Jesus, but we are human and will never compare to Him. This is a fallen world, and fallen things need to be picked up and put back together. This is Jesus' job, but we can still help with some of the band aides, give hugs, share comforting words, and show others glimpses of what it will be like when Jesus finally returns.  

Is homosexuality okay?

Homosexuality. Is it okay?

We passed a law making it legal for homosexuals to marry in America. And if you listen or keep up with the media right now you'll hear about quite a few Christians who believe that homosexuality is okay. Just to name a few, Carrie Underwood, Demi Lavato, Katy Perry, and Josh Hutcherson.
The most common thing I've heard for defense from people like them is, "God loves and forgives everyone." And they "Don't believe in labels."
But doesn't the Bible tell us in many places that homosexuality isn't okay?

 Genesis 19:5-11, 13.  "And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them. Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, ⁷ and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. ⁸ Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof. But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. ¹⁰ But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. ¹¹ And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door." - "For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”

Leviticus 20:13 "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death."

Jude 1:5-7 "Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— ⁷ just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire."
Is that one not obvious? And it's stated both in the Old and New Testaments.

Then answering their "God loves and forgives everyone."
  
No. He doesn't. He only loves and forgives His followers. And if we really are His followers then we will obey His commandments, 

John 14:15 "If you love me you will keep my commandments."

Just because someone says they're a Christian does not mean they are. 
  
Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"  

And the "I don't believe in labels."

 In Genesis 1:27 states "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he him; male and female he created them."
Don't you think God makes us a certain sex for a reason? And God Himself obviously just made two labels right there. Labels are not to restrict, but to guide. As a writer I personally know that if I didn't have labels it would be very hard to create characters who just, 'are what they are'. And who then would be defined as the 'evil person' or 'antagonist'?

 

But this doesn't mean we are to shun the homosexuals. We are to be careful around them because, "Bad company corrupts good morals." But we are also called to be a light in dark places. But how can we shine when we can't even discern the good from the bad? We read the Bible and go on a great adventure of discovering new things, and what God has to say about His world. :)

Do you agree? Why or why not? I do not mean to stir up emotions, and I apologize if anyone is offended by my beliefs, but I'm entitled to mine the same way you are. :)

Brookie

Forgiveness by TobyMac

'Cause we all make mistakes sometimes
And we all steped across that line
But nothing's sweeter than the day we find
We find...

It's hanging over him like the clouds of Seattle
And raining on his swag, falling deeper in the saddle
It's written on his face, he don't have to speak a sound
Somebody call the 5-0, we've got a man down

Now you can go and play it like your all rock 'n' roll
And guilt does a job on each and every man's soul
And when your head hits the pillow with the night fall
You can bet your life that it's gonna be a fight y'all

'Cause we all make mistakes sometimes
And we've all stepped across that line
But nothing's sweeter than the day we find
Forgiveness, forgiveness

And we all stumble and we fall
Bridges burn in the heat of it all
But nothing's sweeter than the day we call
We call

Out for forgiveness
We all need, we all need
We all need forgiveness
We all need, we all need

Mister Lecrae

My mama told me what I would be in for
If I keep all this anger inside me pint up
My heart's been broken, my wounds been open
And I don't know if I can hear "I'm sorry" been spoken
But those forgiving much should be quicker to give it
And God forgave me for it all, Jesus bleed forgiveness
So when the stones fly and they aimed at you
Just say "forgive 'em Father, they know not what they do"

Now you can go and play it like your all rock 'n' roll
And guilt does a job on each and every man's soul
And when your head hits the pillow with the night fall
You can bet your life that it's gonna be a fight y'all

'Cause we all make mistakes sometimes
And we've all stepped across that line
But nothing's sweeter than the day we find
Forgiveness, forgiveness

And we all step on it and fall
Bridges burn in the heat it all
But nothing's sweeter than the day
Sweeter than the day we call

Out for forgiveness
You know we need that that that
You know we need that that that
You know we need that that that

No matter how lost you are
You're not that far, you're not too far (from forgiveness)
No matter how hurt you are
You're not that far, you're not too far (from forgiveness)
And no matter how wrong you are
You're not that far, you're not too far (from forgiveness)
And no matter who you are
You're not that far, you're not too far (from forgiveness)

Ask for forgiveness

'Cause we all make mistakes sometimes
And we've all stepped across that line
But nothing's sweeter than the day we find
Forgiveness, forgiveness

And we all stumble and we fall
Bridges burn in the heat of it all
But nothing's sweeter than the day
Sweeter than the day, we call

Out for forgiveness
We all need, we all need
We all need forgiveness
We all need, we all need

Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, even when we don't realize it. But we all need to forgive, even when that person never asked for it.

There are two big lies that follow the word forgiveness around, number one is to forgive is to forget, and number two is that the person must ask for forgiveness before you can give it. Now let me ask you something, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, even as little babes, do you think we recognize every sin in our lives to bring them to God? I don't think so, there are many things that I am still learning are sins. Yet God forgives us for them anyways. And really? Forget? God didn't make us to forget things like that. Our brains are so complex they filter out the unimportant stuff and keep the things it thinks we need, with any subconscious thought about it. That's why we must keep forgiving and forgiving over and over again, sometimes it goes away immediately if the hurt wasn't that bad, but if it was, Satan will use that to try to bring us down, but we've got to remember to keep forgiving.

Remember that forgiving one another is just as good for both of the people. When you live with pent up anger it's only going to boil inside you, until it eats you from the inside out.

Jesus forgave you and that other person (If their a Christian) why do you think what was good for the King of Kings isn't good enough for you?

Beloved by Tenth Avenue North

  So how many of you adore Tenth Avenue North as much as I do? Most likely none of you. People I adore them. :)

  But, getting to the subject at hand. This post is going to be a little different from my first 'Music Dissection'. That one was going over all the lyrics, and I'll still do that occasionally, but do you know how much time that takes? Too much. So I'm just going to dive into the song head first, eyes not quite closed because that wouldn't work very well. ;P

  

Love of my life, deep in my eyes
There you will find what you need
And give me your life, lust and the lies
The past you're afraid I might see
You've been running away from me

You're my beloved, lover I'm yours
Death shall not part us, it's you I died for
For better or worse forever we'll be
My love it unites us and it binds you to me
It's a mystery

Love of my life look deep in my eyes
There you will find what you need
And I'm the giver of life, I'll clothe you in white
My immaculate bride you will be
Oh, come running home to me

You're my beloved, lover I'm yours
Death shall not part us, it's you I died for
For better or worse forever we'll be
My love it unites us and it binds you to me

You've been a mistress, my wife
You're chasing lovers that won't satisfy
Won't you let me make you my bride?
You will drink of my lips and you'll taste new life

You're my beloved, lover I'm yours
Death shall not part us, it's you I died for
For better or worse forever we'll be
My love it unites us and it binds you to me
It's a mystery

  I've read a lot of the comments under this song at YouTube and I can say a bunch of people seem to get the meaning of this song wrong. Many of the comments go something like this, 'I can't wait to meet the love of my life', 'Still looking for the love of my life', 'I think I've finally met the love of my life.' I find it really sad that they miss the very obvious point in this beautiful song. 

  Jesus is the love of our lives. The band isn't talking about earthly love, they are talking about the love of God when he sent His only son to come save us from our own sin. 

  We were lonely sinners destined for Hell. We were chasing things, 'Chasing lovers that won't satisfy', when Jesus died on the cross for us. We are His beloved.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, and whosoever believeth in Him shall have eternal life" John 3:16

  Jesus Christ died to clothe us in white and to make us His 'immaculate bride'. Meaning the whole church. 
  
  This song is showing us the parallels that the Bible already has in it. The beautiful world of marriage to the perfect groom. And how He never gave up on us even when we didn't want Him.

  This is one of my favorite songs and I never tire of listening to it, I hope you guys like it too. :)  

Is there anything you would like to add or share about this song?

Brookie

The Importance of Living Selflessly

  I am entering a contest at Tessa Emily Hall's blog and one of the entries said 'write a blog post on the importance of selfless living', so I figured that would be a great post to get back here with. :)

  Now you might think of living selflessly as becoming a superhero or something. But it doesn't have to be painful or even be your career. 

1. Where you can be selfless
  Anywhere! It is so simple and so rewarding to be selfless if you can just get past that first doubt that nibbles at your mind. You can be selfless at home with your parents and siblings. At the grocery store you can help that little old person who trying to get the coin they dropped by themselves. At school that kid who always sits at that table by themselves. And even when people aren't around, say at an empty park and you see a McDonalds cup roll by, pick it up and throw it away!

2. Why should you be selfless
  It really makes a difference. You know that day when everything is going wrong and you can't do anything right and some stranger helps you in some way. It feels like you've just been handed $100 free. Then when your in their shoes and you see that little girl smile at you 'cause you liked her pink shoes, your heart just melts at how you made some stranger happy with just a couple words. 

3. What exactly is selflessness
  Selflessness is when you stop thinking about how yourself and give just a bit of your time to help someone else. It's not thinking, 'Oh God's really going to be pleased with this one. Wonder how He'll reward me.' or 'Wow I am such a nice person, no wonder everyone loves me.' It should be because you want to make that person happy.

4. Who are some great role models 
  Jesus: He died on the cross so that we might live eternally in Heaven. 

  Florence Nightingale: She stayed up a lot without sleep for days so she could care for men who were sick and dying. She would take their last words and send them home to their families with the news that their son, father, and husband was dead. 

  Amy Carmichael and David Livingstone and other missionaries who served in foreign countries giving their lives to helping spread the word of Jesus Christ.

  George Washington: He didn't want to be president you know. He wanted to go home and live a quiet life after the war. And he definitely didn't want to be king. But he became the 1st president of the USA because we wanted him. Because we knew that he would do his job faithfully and to the best of his abilities.   

  There and lots and lots of people out there who serve just like these people did, but they are often drowned out by the selfish people of this world. The people who only care about themselves. But by being selfless we will spread seeds and the light will grow. 

  Have you ever heard of Passing It On? Well most of the time if you do something nice for someone that someone will want to do someone nice for someone else and it just keeps going. 

I hope you are inspired to do something out of your way today. :) If you have any thoughts leave them in the comments!

Brookie

My 'Then and Now' Speech for the Rodeo

  So I've been trying to memorize my speech for Friday. So I figured I would kill two birds with one stone and write it out mostly by memory for you guys. :) I don't know how interesting it will be for you, seeing as it's about my town. But for history lovers out there here you go.

  "My family and I moved to Douglas County just over two years ago from Fort Morgan. Douglas County is named after Stephen A. Douglas, a senator from Illinois. Douglas County was one of the original counties in the Colorado territory created by the Colorado territorial legislature.

  Today I live in Larkspur with my family. Most people know it for the Renaissance Festival, but there is much more history to our little town than that.

  Larkspur was named after the purple flower of the same name that grows abundantly in the area. Larkspur was first settled by people heading west in 1858 for the Pike's Peak or Bust Gold Rush. They were then followed by farmers, ranchers, and business people. The town was originally called Huntsville after Alexander Cameron Hunt a territorial governor. Huntsville was technically two miles north of present day Larkspur. Which was an ideal location because it was half way between Denver City and Colorado City.  It had lush native grasses, fertile soil, streams, it was protected by the Hunt Butte, and was surrounded by tick forests.
  Huntsville was the first town in Douglas County to have a post office.
  During the Indian Uprisings in the 1860s they built a stockade known as Fort Lincoln to protect nearby ranchers and their families from attack. In fact thirty families took refuge for six months in 1864.

  In 1871 railroad tracks from the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad had reached Larkspur. It then became a major hub on the railway due to the abundant gypsum, clay, lumber, and creamery products.

  Since it's inception there have been two major floods to this region. The first on May 7, 1864 and the second June of 1865 taking with it any remains of the original Huntsville.

  Today Larkspur has it's own fire department. There are no Indian uprisings. 95 families call it home. And yes we hold the annual Renaissance Festival that is attended by 225,000 people each year.

Pike's Peak. :) My beautiful neighbor.

  I consider myself to be truly blessed to live in such a beautiful area. To live in the state with the most sunshine days, where we are the only state in the union were our water only flows out and not in from another state. To live in the shadow of Pike's Peak and 52 other mountains that tower over 14thousand feet. Lastly where Katherine Lee Bates was inspired to pen the words for 'America the Beautiful'.

  "Of beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains majesty, above the fruited plains. America! America! God shed His grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea."

So whoever just finished that. Many thanks. :) And I hope you enjoyed it. Does anyone have an insight. I would gladly take any critique. Or would love to talk to you about anything in here. :)

What I'm doing this week

So! My birthday is over, my birthday party is over, back to life. But... I've got a cold. Yep, so that means lots of hand washing, vitamin C sucking, disinfecting, and medicine taking.

Also, Shilo our Golden Retriever has an infection in her neck. Poor girl had to go to the vet's the other day and they drained a lot of the puss, but she's still big. So she gets a piece of cheese every day with her medicine.

Then this weekend is the Rodeo Princess contest. For those of you who don't know what that is: the Rodeo Princess represents her county. She, the Queen, and the Princess attendant go to most of the rodeos in her state and, well, represents her county.
My little sister and I are trying out. (If I'm feeling better by then)

What have you all been up to?

Brookie

Why I Believe in Christianity #1

Here is a great video with more info that I as a teenager can't explain very well. :)

And here is what I have to say:
The Bombardier Beetle is one of my favorite bugs, just because he shoots he shoots hot stuff out his bum. Ahem... anyways.

But first here is Wikipedia's introduction to this tiny little ball of fire. (Please when I refer to things this way don't get all technical on about how, it's not really a 'ball of fire'. I'm just goofing around)



Bombardier beetles are ground beetles (Carabidae) in the tribes Brachinini, Paussini, Ozaenini, or Metriini—more than 500 species altogether—which are most notable for the defense mechanism that gives them their name: when disturbed, they eject a hot noxious chemical spray from the tip of their abdomen, with a popping sound.
The spray is produced by a reaction between two chemical compounds, hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide, stored in separate reservoirs in the beetle's abdomen and mixed when needed in a third chamber with water and catalytic enzymes. Heat from the reaction brings the mixture to near the boiling point of water and produces gas that drives the ejection. The damage caused can be fatal to attacking insects and small creatures and is painful to human skin. Some bombardier beetles can direct the spray over a wide range of directions.

How can this little guy evolve? If a beetle started getting these chemicals, the first time he tried to use it, he would blow himself up. Pop! (Sorry, it's the teen in me) Evolution takes a long, long time. If he only gets part of these things at once, it won't work correctly. He wouldn't have the right compartments, and he wouldn't have the chemical mixture all set up. Even Wiki admits that Evolutionists admit that they haven't figured out how it could work. They do say they might, maybe, have a lead, but that's ONLY a lead. If they find something I'm game for reading about it. But they don't have anything.

Now if he was created at once by a Creator, it would make sense. He'd be all intact. This little guy at the moment points fully at a Divine Creator.

This isn't the only thing. I'll have more coming. :)

Dear Atheists reading this. Please don't get all offensive.  I don't wish to get into arguments, and I don't want to offend anyone. I'm just presenting my beliefs the same way you present yours. :)

Brookie

100 Hard Things Challenge

So... I've actually been doing it this time. Yea! ;)

Here is what I've done:

Day one: I hate talking on the phone. Even with family. But I called the eye doctor's office! I did it and I didn't mess up or freak out. :D

Day two: I've been helping out more with dinner.

Day three: I've decided to try out for our county rodeo princess!

So I won't be able to do a hard thing every day and post about it. Sometimes I do something not very big, then forget what it was by the end of the day...
But thanks for your support guys! :)

Brookie

Responsibility

So my mom is at the beach with my aunts and nana. My dad is at work. And I have been slacking.

I love to work when I get started, but if I don't have that motivation to get rolling I slack off. Which would be: searching for hours for a picture of one of my characters,(I don't know how I haven't even found one close) writing, (Which isn't bad, it's just doing that instead of helping) blogging ;P, and things like that.

Sooo, I've gotten my motivation today. Piano lessons. ;) And I'm back on track.

But do you guys struggle with this too? I used my future in writing as an excuse. Do you have an excuse that sounds pretty good to you?

We can fall behind in our duties, but laziness is of the Devil. Even being lazy when there isn't much to do is wrong. We should always be investing time to grow, mentally, physically, and emotionally. 

So that's why I'm going to try this again. But this time I won't forget about it the very next day. I'm doing the 100 Hard Things Challenge.

Here is the link to get more info on it: Hard Things Challenge at The Rebelution. You'll have to go to the 'About' page, and then to the challenge. :)

I'm asking you to keep me responsible. At least twice a week I'll update my progress. :)

Thanks for your help!

Brookie

Frozen / Things we can learn from the characters / Elsa

Oh my gosh I have wanted to do a post on Frozen forever. I am finally doing it!!

Elsa: At the beginning Elsa tried to hide her powers. Then she let them slip and ran away. Then she used them excessively, not caring about anything anymore. She was as the song goes, 'Letting it go'. Then she accidentally hurt Anna. Anna eventually ended up saving her, and she sat back down, and got to work. 

What we can learn: 1) She was never happy hiding her powers. God gives us gifts to use for His glory, not to hide away.  2) When she finally let her powers loose, she let go of the reins and let the horse run wild. It's okay to let a horse run, but she let go of the reins. She not only didn't listen to the bad things people where saying about her, which was good, but she forgot all responsibility of being queen, older sister, and creature of God 3) Because of her lack of responsibility she hurt Anna when Anna was trying to help Elsa and Arendelle 4) Anna was the one who ended up saving Elsa from Prince Hans. When Elsa realized what true love was, and how to restore summer, she finally did the right thing 5) Elsa took back the reins and got her kingdom under control.

I'll be doing more with Anna, Hans, Christophe, and Olaf, and maybe Sven.

Hope you liked it. I'd really like some feed-back on how I can improve these posts, I don't feel like this was the best, but don't know how to make it better.

Brookie

That's how you change the world Newsboys

First post! Yea!

So lately I've been thinking about how I can make a difference in the world. A difference that gives God glory. And the song That's How You Change the World by the Newsboys has really inspired me.

Here are the lyrics:

All my life I had big dreams
To do big things and make a change
And all the while I just passed by the simple needs
Right here next to me
‘Cause there’s a breaking heart
That’s falling apart and tear-filled eyes
Looking back at me
God, won’t You help me to see

It’s a prayer in an empty room
Little things we do when nobody’s around
A hand reaching out
To a heart in doubt
It’s the smallest spark
That can light the dark

That’s how you change the world…
A million little drops of rain
Can be enough to cause a tidal wave
A flood of Your love that no one can contain
‘Cause there’s an empty soul that wants to be known
Around me now that I can lead to You
Revealing love that won’t refuse

It’s a prayer in an empty room
Little things we do when nobody’s around
A hand reaching out
To a heart in doubt
It’s the smallest spark
That can light the dark
That’s how you change the world…

It’s the kind words
A simple smile
More than showing up
Going the extra mile
It’s giving everything
When you’ve got nothing left
Sharing a little hope
With a single breath
That’s how you change the world
That’s how you change the world
It’s a prayer in an empty room
Little things we do when nobody’s around
A hand reaching out
To a heart in doubt
It’s the smallest spark
That can light the dark
That’s how you change the world…
It’s the kind words
A simple smile
More than showing up
Going the extra mile
It’s giving everything
When you’ve got nothing left
Sharing a little hope
With a single breath
That’s how you change the world
That’s how you change the world



This is a picture of their album cover Restart.



My dissection:

All my life I had big dreams
To do big things and make a change
And all the while I just passed by the simple needs Right here next to me


I have had dreams to do great things to further the kingdom of God. I still do.
But I have been ignoring the small hard things He's put to me for the here and now. Such as being kind and patient with my siblings. Or having joy when I'm doing chores I'd rather not be.

A million little drops of rain
Can be enough to cause a tidal wave
A flood of Your love that no one can contain
‘Cause there’s an empty soul that wants to be known
Around me now that I can lead to You Revealing love that won’t refuse

If every Christian acted the way God commands us to, the world would be a pretty darn good place. Forget the non-believers for a second and think of how many of us there are pretending to live a Godly life, but all we are is just passing through. We need to be the people who bring hope and light through every town we pass through. Sure we won't stay here for long, but do you want everyone to forget you ever lived because you wasted your life? We could touch so many lives if we just let go of our fears and showed others God's never ending love.

It’s the kind words
A simple smile
More than showing up
Going the extra mile
It’s giving everything
When you’ve got nothing left
Sharing a little hope With a single breath

Do we use kind words with our siblings? Smile when someone does a good job? Do we go the extra mile when the Roman soldier orders us to carry his bags only one? Or when the friend asks you to listen, do you actually care? Do we put our all into everything we do as if for God and not for man? Do we encourage others and lift them up? Or do we mock them along with the crowd?

It’s a prayer in an empty room
Little things we do when nobody’s around
A hand reaching out
To a heart in doubt
It’s the smallest spark That can light the dark

We need to show the world that we are not too important to do the small things. Just because we are Princesses and Princes does not mean we cannot help the lost people of our world. We aren't so grand that we can only do the things that everybody will praise. I admit that it is a lot harder to do the things that no one but you and God will ever see. But if we're doing it for the true, and good reason, then it won't matter that nobody else sees as long as God does, and her always does.


Gee you don't know how awesome it is to dissect a good song. It is great for your faith. Listening to it is good, but actually explaining your own view on the lyrics, well that is something we should do more often. I'm going to try to do this at least once a week. :)

Do you have any examples where you showed God's love in any way? Is there a good lesson in here that I missed? What do you think of the song?

Brookie :)

P.S. I messed up on the background for some of the paragraphs. ;P