16 Random Things

Sadie tagged me in this a billion years ago. (Some are repeats from my 6 Things post.)


1. I can't function if my hands are dirty. I shut down.
2. I am currently reading atleast 6 books at one time.
3. I think I might be in love with someone I've never met; I have only heard him sing and therefore believe we are destined to be together.
4. After reading A Clockwork Orange, I began to wish I were a 15 year old Brittish thug.
5. I love dancing but never get to do it.
6. I love whimsical light fixtures.
7. I think John Malkovich is a pedophile. He looks like one.
8. I occasionally have date nights with my brother Josiah. They are one of my favorite things.
9. I like to pencil in facial hair (and speak in accents) whenever I get the chance.
10. I let my dog eat off my fork. (she takes the food with her teeth like a person... without the slurping and licking. it's amazing.)
11. I like movies and books that make me sad and if most people generally don't like a movie or book, it makes me like it more.
12. I like to paint my pinky fingernails black and pretend I'm starting a new trend.
13. I think I'm germophobic. I have noticed that I will cover my hands with my sleeves to open doors and touch things in public places.
14. I love the color pink.
15. I wear flip flops all the time-- even when it's snowing.
16. I think romance is fictional.




(Now go post yours because I want to read them!)


-fin-

Beauty Lost

(for your birthday tomorrow. i miss you.)

He paints his life with blood, so thick and red;
A man whose life is filled with broken dreams.
The only thing that hears his silent screams
Is chanting, “You are nothing,” in his head.
He looks for beauty, longing to be led
Away from empty words and broken dreams;
A faceless portrait, silent as it seems,
Will scream to fill a void until it’s fed.

Beauty lost.

He looks for beauty only finding pain;
His desperate searching makes him hate his art.
Until he finds a love that breaks his chains,
A man without a face is torn apart.
He’ll wipe away the blood that left a stain,
And paint the canvas of his broken heart.

Beauty lost.

Those Crazy Brits

This changed my life.

Whoever Believes You Can't Love a Dog Like You Love a Person is, for lack of a better word, WACK.

The one true desire I have in my life is to be a mother. All of my life I knew and believed that I would fall in love, marry young, and start having children immediately. I wanted to be a young mom.

I was 20, two weeks from 21, when I got married, and I wanted so badly to have a baby as soon as possible. Everyone said "practical" things like, "You need to wait," "You need to finish school first," "You need more time to get to know Derrick." Well, bless their hearts, that may be what they think for themselves, but their opinions don't really account for where I am in my life. Derrick and I were just married, yes, but when are you ever REALLY prepared for kids? There are always justifications- finances, careers, personal issues... This is what I have always wanted, so thank you for your concern, but you don't know what's best for me.

Several months went by with no success. I was bummed, but I knew that it would probably take a little more time than just a few months. Well, then I started having some medical complications. I started going to a doctor for these problems and she told me that I should start seeing a Gynecologist about the issues I was having. So I did.

No one really knows what is wrong or what is going on. All they have been able to deduce is that there is a problem, and all they have done is treat the symptoms. Well, about a year ago, the Gynecologist told me that my ovaries weren't working like they were supposed to, and that it didn't look like I was going to have children any time soon. He said it probably isn't impossible, but that it would be extremely difficult because of the way my body was functioning.

I was devastated.

Derrick sat down with me that night and tried to console me the best he could, but it was going to take some time to get through this one. I was so hurt and upset and I was angry with God because He KNOWS it's what I want most in this life. How can He take that away from me? I told Derrick that I was really angry with God, and he said something that humbled me so much. He said, "I'm sure He knew you would be." That hit me like a slap in the face. In this life, what I want and what I think is important holds no bearing compared to what God has planned, and I'm so ashamed of myself for being so selfish.

I realized that it's not about what I want, but a lot of times, knowing what's right doesn't make things any easier. I was still really depressed. And what made it worse was that everyone around me seemed to be getting pregnant... The absolute worst part, though, was seeing girls still in high school, or who had just graduated, who were very, very pregnant and not the least bit excited about it. It was really disheartening for me.

When I came home from work a few days after my discussion with Derrick, he had a surprise waiting for me. I walked into the den to find this-

(Forgive me for the quality of the picture, I took it with my phone, and the camera was awful.)

From the moment she arrived in our home, Daisy Mae has brought such joy to my heart and to my life. I'm a firm believer that no one can love you like your dog loves you. Whether I am gone for 5 minutes or 5 days, she is always, ALWAYS so overjoyed when I walk through the front door.

She is never mean or ugly. She never makes me cry. Sunshine follows her wherever she goes. All she wants to do is be with me- play with me, love me. I realize this sounds sappy and ridiculous, but she truly was a blessing from God.

Dogs always love you. They are always happy to see you. They NEVER point out your faults. They are truly wonderful and amazing creatures, and I don't know where I would be without my little angel.

She helped save me. I thank God for her.

Run, Leo, Run

I watched "Catch Me If You Can" for the first time tonight, and it was interesting because the whole idea of it seemed to kind of coincide with an event that happened at work this week. A hacker tried to tap into our company's bank account. We know it wasn't someone from our office because:

1. No one in our office is that smart or that STUPID.

2. No one in our office is that desperate.

3. We had our computer tech check the server and no one tried to hack into the online banking.


Anyway, I give the movie two thumbs up. But ONLY because he becomes a decent guy in the end. Because people really make me sick sometimes. And I'm irritated because now I have to be handed a paper check every week instead of having it direct deposited into my account. How inconvenient.

Thanks a ton, hackers of the world. Thanks a friggin boat load.

Things I Discovered Today

1. I prefer Pepsi to Coca-Cola... but I prefer Coca Cola products... i.e. Dr. Pepper, Sprite... I had a Pepsi today at lunch and my tastebuds were overjoyed. I then had a Coca Cola when I got to work and I realized it wasn't as good.

2. I really don't know what I want to do with my life. But I kind of have to figure something out because I have a meeting with an advisor at the college tomorrow afternoon.

3. It takes about 3 days for my body to completely re-coop from an hour and a half of racquet-ball after not doing anything physical for like 3 months. So probably about a day for every month of inactivity. Don't quote me on that, math's not my forte.

4. I really really really miss Massachusetts.

5. Note to self--Don't wear the long tunic over jeans again to work- you will get made fun of.

Somewhere In Dreamland

When Derrick and I first started going grocery shopping for ourselves after we got married (the first time I've ever really had to do that for myself as it was), we always stocked up on frozen pizzas. Namely, Totino's brand, because they are relatively cheap and delicious. Looking at the pizza, I remembered it being bigger.

You see, Totino's pizzas are not JUST yummy and cost-efficient. They also take me back to when I was about 4 or 5 years old. My family and I were living in Galveston, TX, in an apartment complex. Every Friday night, my mom would prepare 2 Totino's pizzas and we would watch TGIF- a program that would premiere shows such as: Family Matters, Dinosaurs, and Full House. Those were such happy times.

I look at this pizza now and the sensation is bittersweet... because though they bring back fond memories, they are not very big, and my parents made 2 feed a family of 5. Which only shows me that they probably went to bed hungry sometimes.

I've had talks with my mom about our financial situation growing up. We kids never had any idea that my parents struggled so hard to get by. And I think of how many times I probably made my mom cry herself to sleep because I was embarrassed that she bought me the cheap, ugly school supplies instead of the flashy cool ones that would make everyone be my friend and want to sit by me. I used to get so upset with my mom and dad for not letting me have things- cooler clothes, fancier school supplies, a nicer vehicle... when the truth of it was, they fought as hard as they could to get me the things I had. And I was so ungrateful and unsatisfied.

We just never had any idea... we always had plenty of food to eat, we always had a nice, clean, comfortable home, we always had presents at Christmas and on our birthdays. I just wish that I could have thanked them more for what they did.

This is a cartoon that I used to watch when I was little. It's a precious little cartoon that boths saddens and warms my heart, but it always takes me back and makes me remember how beautiful my parents are, and how much they did for me when I didn't deserve it.

Six Things

Sadie tagged me, so I am now going to post six random facts about myself...





1. I have uneven nostrils. I know what you're thinking, what's the big deal? I understand that one arm is slightly longer than the other, one ear is slightly larger than the other, it's just how the human body is. But I used to be (okay, so I still am sometimes) WICKED self-conscious about it. Granted, as self-conscious as I may be, I'm usually the first person to point it out or make a joke about it. I once took a picture of my nostrils and sent it in a text to my friend Chrissy (who may have been the first person to point out my embarrassing flaw) just giving her an update on my nostril status. Still uneven. They sometimes remind me of the book The Witches by Roald Dahl, which was one of my absolute favorites growing up. The reason for this is their nostrils are supposed to be large and shaped like sea-shells.

Check out the piece of work in the corner on your left side. that's what my right nostril looks like... roughly. I'd post a picture of my own nostrils, but I'd rather let your imaginations run with it.

2. When I was little, I was always really picky about the jeans that I wore, mainly in the crotch-al region. I HATED that the zipper poked out, and I was afraid that people would think I was a boy. (I fell asleep with gum in my mouth. The gum subsequently ended up in my hair. My hair had to therefore be cut very short.)

3. I positively CANNOT function if my hands feel dirty. If my hands feel at all dirty, I ball them up into fists until I can get to the nearest sink. I get made fun of at work because I wash my hands an obscene amount of times per day. I'm that way about my feet too, if I feel like there is dirt or yuckiness (especially between my toes), I curl my feet up and wash them as soon as I possibly can...

followed quickly by a good hand-washing.

4. I prefer the idea of being pretty and groomed to actually doing it. I like to have painted nails and tweezed eye brows and shaved legs, but the truth is, I only paint my nails when I have nothing else to do, and I usually only do my pinkies and pretend that I'm starting a new trend; I only tweeze my eyebrows when the hair is starting to grow on my eyelids (you're welcome for the gross visual); and I only shave my legs when I can start to see the hair really well.... from a distance (again, you're welcome.) And I have no problem wearing my cute cropped capri pant-thingies to work with nasty wooly legs.

5. I love Victoria's Secret. My friend Amanda once predicted that in 10 years I would own Victoria's Secret. Because I owned so many of their products.

6. If I could go back in time, knowing what I know now, and make different decisions....

I would.

A Touch of the Ludovico Technique

I am very fond of the idea of the changing and unchanging nature of mankind. One of my favorite books (and movies) is A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Now, if you have seen the movie, you probably think I am a sick and strange person. But once you push past the smut and the "nekkids", you are faced with this picture:

A teenage boy living in a socialistic England commits acts of violence and debauchery and gets arrested. He gets treatment and is presented with an opportunity to become a better person.


Now, I am interested with both directions taken. In the book, Alex goes back to his ugly, ultra-violent lifestyle, but later, in the final chapter, he realizes he wants to be a better man. The movie cuts out the final chapter of the book, so we are left with Alex remaining a cruel and wicked young man.

I love both of those ideas. Because they are both so true in today's world. Some people, when forced to look at their own lives, will come to the realization that they are not the people they should be, and they will learn and grow from there. Then there are people (the majority of people in my opinion), who will either do what is right for a while, just because it was temporarily satisfying, or they will not change at all for a few reasons...

1. The change is too difficult to make. It is much easier to live like we are accustomed to living, which is often times why criminals always end up back in jail.

2. The change does not bring about the necessary results. Being a good person didn't make me feel good. I wasn't any good at being good.

3. The change is inconvenient. Being a good person is not going to really get me the things that I want when I want them (which is right now).

I have lumped the majority of people in the "unchanging" category. Especially Americans. Because only in America (okay, lots of places) can we get away with it. Americans are typically the only people I know of who are encouraged to be set in their ways, because it's your God-given right.

The catch is that in order to have functional relationships, you must be willing to change and grow and learn. And you must be willing to accept the fact that you can be wrong. That you can make mistakes. You must be able to love someone more than yourself.

And the sad thing is... I don't think people are willing to do that as much anymore. I think that people, especially Americans, are raised with the idea that you have to be satisfied right now and if you are in a relationship with someone who doesn't satisfy you every minute of every day, then it "wasn't meant to be." We give of ourselves less and less and expect from others more and more.

But despite how hopeless it all seems to try and find goodness in manking, what makes it so interesting is that you can never really know for sure. There is always a chance you will be pleasantly surprised.

It’s a Bob Dylan Christmas!!

If Bob Dylan had a Christmas album, these are the songs I think he would feature:

1. Tangled Up Under the Mistletoe
2. Baby Jesus, Stop Crying
3. Sleigh, Lady, Sleigh
4. All the Tired Reindeer
5. Baby, Let Me Follow You Down to Bethlehem
6. Manger Blues
7. The Bells They are A-Chimin'
8. See that My Sleigh is Kept Clean
9. Ballad of a Jolly Man
10. Too Much of Nothing (In My Stocking)
11. Buckets of Rain To Water my Tannenbaum
12. Blizzard

and finally

13. Baby, I'm in the Mood for Yule (featuring Amy Grant)

Feel free to contribute your own Bob Dylan Christmas songs.

Premeditated

I recently read The Host by Stephenie Meyer, and it has caused me to realize things about my life. Namely that I think my dog is actually a human child implanted into the body of a Terrier. She does the funniest things, things that I see children doing.

For example, Daisy and I have our morning routine during the work week. It goes something like this:

My alarm goes of at 6:40 a.m.

I think about calling in.

I hit the snooze button.

My alarm goes off 4 more times (and I snooze-button the crap out of every one of them).

I finally decide to get out of bed at 7:30.

I think about calling in.

I get in the shower. While I shower I think about calling in.

I get out of the shower, get dressed, and apply makeup (while thinking about calling in).

Then I put mousse in my hair and blow-dry it upside down. (This is the part where Daisy goes and gets her tennis ball. While i'm upside down she tosses me her ball and I throw it for her to fetch.)

Well, one morning, things were going as they usually do. When it got to hair drying time, I looked around for Daisy, but she wasn't around. I assumed she was still in bed, as she sometimes is as a result of drinking too many cocktails the night before.

I didn't see her until I was doing last-minute touch ups on my face and hair, and even then I wasn't looking directly at her, I saw her come into the bathroom out of the corner of my eye. I saw that she was standing beside the toilet and then I heard what sounded like water being lapped... and I was immediately angry that she was drinking out of the toilet. So I yelled at her.

But she wasn't drinking out of the toilet. Instead, she was standing beside the toilet, concentrating very hard on the inside of the bowl. I glanced into the toilet and lo and behold, I spot one of her squeaky toys sinking to the bottom. This was the first time she'd ever done anything like that, though I'd seen her try to do it before. She would walk up to the toilet, toy in mouth, and try to drop it in, but I always grabbed it before she could actually drop it in there.

That day I discovered that my dog, my irritatingly brilliant little dog could act on premeditated thoughts.

Since the toilet incident, I have seen her try to achieve the same thrill several times with her tennis balls and stuffed animals, but she hasn't always been successful.

Oh Daisy... what would I do without you?

Modern Day Christians Make Me Sick

Here's the thing: All of my life I have known God. I was raised knowing and believing that He is my only hope in this life. Believing hasn't really ever been a problem for me. My struggle has always been with "the church" and who they portray Christ to be.
I'm so sick of modern day christians who judge the people around them and their salvation based upon how many appearances they make at an organized church service... or the people who watch to see if you drop anything into the offering basket... or heaven forbid you don't stand up when everyone else is, dress to the hilt, or stay awake through the whole thing.
I'm sick of the christians who boast and brag-- who claim that they are content with where they are in their walk and don't need any help. No one should ever be content, they should always want more. God deserves better than that. I'm fed up with christians who talk about how they will act when they get to see God... or if they had the chance to spend time with Him... nowhere in the scriptures was anyone excited to see Him actually come... because though they loved Him, they feared Him so. And you can always spend time with Him. Why do modern day christians think God is their buddy? Apparently giggling and holding hands is the attitude most people present when faced with the hypothetical situation of being in the presence of our King. I would be on my face, probably too overcome with fear and awe to giggle. Do people truly buy into this? Has who He is truly become so watered down that it could almost pass for a primetime sitcom where the young boy gets to meet his favorite sports star? It disgusts me.
There was a time in my life when I believed this. I bought into the hype and the nonsense-- a world full of fallacy and blindness. I watched everyone around me become "immersed in the Spirit". I watched them rock and sway and speak in a "prayer language." And all the time I was wondering "What's wrong with me? Why don't I have that?" Truth be told, I believe God saved me from that. Something I have come to learn about "praying in the Spirit" is that it is a mockery of who God is. Even the phrase "praying in the Spirit" sounds blasphemous to me. If the Spirit of God approached you speaking nonsense, what would your reaction be?
The whole point of "prayer languages" is self-glorification. I've discussed this issue with people who use a "prayer language" and they told me that it wasn't given to everyone, just the people who need it. They told me that it was an intimate thing just between you and God. Well, I see no problem with that. The only problem I have with that is if it's just for you and God, then why speak it into a microphone? What is that proving? Is it just a way to show everyone how intimate with God you are? Because I don't buy it. I think if it's meant to be between you and God, then that's all that should hear it.
God responds to REALNESS. Real words. Real feelings. Real love... because that is what He gives to us.
Laying of hands and annointings kind of rub me the same way. My opinion is (ESPECIALLY if I don't know you), keep your hands off me. You're no cleaner than I am, I don't care who you are. I could elaborate more on this, but I've got a long way to go so I'm moving on.
I used to feel like that was all good stuff. God stuff. There was a time when I KNEW He wanted me to go to FIRE: School of Ministry, and I KNEW He wanted me to go to Syria as a missionary, a restricted area where christians are killed, and I KNEW that I wanted to be martyred... now I look back (having done none of these things) and I realize- why would God want me to go to a country and share my faith when first of all, there was an obvious language barrier (now I know that there were times in the Bible where God provided in those situations, but bear with me), and secondly, I have a difficult time sharing my faith with people I know... or Americans in general. It's easier for people to go to other countries and christianize them because they don't hear it everyday.
I had countless opportunities to share Christ with a friend of mine in High School. He believed christianity to be a cult. I never knew what to say to him, and I was afraid of him rejecting me, so I kept my mouth shut. He killed himself. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of him and know that I wasn't there for him like I should have been. And I don't want to say that things would have been different if I had shared the love of Christ with him because at some point in every person's life, God presents Himself to you, and it doesn't involve other people at all. It wasn't my job to save him. But I could have loved him better.
I'm tired of christians who fail to see that it's actually harder to talk about God in a place where christianity is accepted but not always chosen. And people think they're doing God a favor. Not that I'm saying they were wrong. Missionaries do great work for people. It takes a lot of commitment and hard work, and a great deal of humility and servitude. I believe God truly does use people sometimes, but the bottom line is He doesn't need us to do anything for Him... except love Him and obey Him. And christians get the wrong idea thinking it's our job to fix people. There so many things wrong with that.
I'm sick of christians who candy-coat our Maker-- who think that christianity is supposed to be fun and easy... and they give up when they discover that it isn't because OBVIOUSLY God would not allow us to have to WORK AT IT. It should just come easy. It is rarely easy and fun to do the right thing, even putting religion aside and basing decisions strictly on morals and ethics, it's not easy to do what's right. It's like obeying our parents... not fun... not easy... but it's rewarding. They expect our obedience and they deserve it.
Martyrdom... martyrdom is okay when no one knows about it. Then it can't be about you. In Jesus' case, that was okay, because it really was about Him, if you think about it. Dying for God's glory would be amazing, but it's a heck of a lot easier to talk about it than to actually be in a situation where you're experiencing it. I used to get a magazine, I forget what it was called, but it was full of stories about NATIVE people in foreign countries (notice, I didn't say americans) who were christians and were persecuted for it. One man had a baptismal tub in his front yard for people who became saved and wanted to be baptized. He was threated several times to take it down. Not verbally, mind you. He was beaten severely. But he kept putting it back up when the soldiers tore it down. His body was mangled when they were through with him. I saw pictures of him. There's actual pain and suffering involved in matryrdom that I think most people, especially americans would find hard to stomach, and even harder to sit through. I don't think God wants us to willingly put ourselves in those situations just for the sake of dying. And personally, I would not want that for myself if I knew that I would be recognized or praised for it, because it's not about me. I believe that we prove more to Him about how much we love Him through the way we live than the way we die.
I'm sick of Wednesday and Sunday christians. I'm sick of Holy Day of Obligation christians. I'm sick of youth pastors who talk about Metallica in a salon during the week, but jam out to David Crowder on Wednesday night. You don't fool me.
I'm sick of christians who "feel His presence" when everyone is around, but probably wouldn't know His presence if it came up and bit them in the face.
I'm sick of christians who blame their sin on drugs and alcohol. I know non-believers who are better than that. Everything we do is based on a CHOICE that WE make OURSELVES, and God doesn't deserve to be lied to. My ethics teacher said something that I will always remember. He said, "You are, right now, exactly who you want to be." How can you argue with that? If you truly want to be different, you would be.
I'm sick of christians who believe Heaven is their goal... who only want to get through this life to get there. My opinion of Heaven is, yes, I would love to get there, but I want it to be because God deserves it- not me. I want Him to be loved that much. I want to get there to glorify Him, not so I won't rot in damnation for eternity. That's what I deserve.
I'm sick of christians who BRAG about their former lives. Christians who are too boastful and self-glorifying to be ashamed. That's the problem I have with testimonies. No one needs to know your BAGGAGE. So what if it makes them feel better that someone else did the same things they did and still appears to have an intimate relationship with God. The scriptures teach that He will meet you where you are, that He will love you in your darkest. Hearing that someone else has the same baggage as you ONLY helps you justify your own. I want my relationship with God to be my own. It's no one else's business what I've been through or where I am now or where I am going to be.
I'm sick of the christians who never run out of things to say. Christians who are all talk but are scared to even think about doing. Jesus lived to set an example for us. The lesson was not to SPEAK the way He spoke, but to LIVE the way He lived. Most people learn early on that words mean nothing. We can say we believe in God all day long, but at the end of the day, what we DO and what we SAY are the things that speak for us to God and everyone around us. And which do you think says more?
I'm fed up with christians who think going to church and reading the Bible are surefire ways to enter the Kingdom of God. I believe it was Keith Green who said, "Going to church doesn't make you a christian, just like going to McDonald's doesn't make you a hamburger." My dad and I have talked about this, and he told me, "I guarantee you there will be people in Heaven who have never read the scriptures, or who have never heard a preacher pounding on the pulpit." And I believe that. Because I have SEEN a preacher make the mistake of holding the Bible in the air and saying, "This is God." Can you see a problem with this? It would be like the President writing a letter and someone holding it up and saying, "This is the President." It's NOT the same.
The scriptures are a great tool, but they are not God. And I'd hate to ever make the mistake of getting them mixed up. Or getting so caught up in trying to find Him in His book, that I miss the realness of Him altogether. He's bigger than that.
Prayer in schools is another issue I have. I'm tired of getting petitions to send to the President to reinstate prayer in school.... for christians... No one seems to get the fact that NOTHING STOPS YOU FROM PRAYING. EVER. It's all a production. And besides, if prayer in school was reinstated, it would have to apply to EVERYONE. Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus.... even people who worship the devil would be allowed to have organized prayer in school. And PS, what about "See you at the pole"? That seems pretty organized to me. And strictly for christians. I'm sure that if something like that were to be in effect for another religion, the christians would somehow have a huge problem with this. It would have to be universal, aaaaaaaand I'm pretty sure the christians wouldn't want that.
I'm tired of christians who make excuses. It's okay that we sin and do the wrong things because God will forgive us. So go ahead and keep doing things wrong. He'll still love you. Just try a little harder to do what's right. Maybe next time you'll get it. But if you don't, hey, it's no big deal, Jesus died for you, remember? And by the way....

every day He rescues you is another day He dies.

So keep nailing Him to that cross. Keep talking about how easy and fun it is. I'm sure you'll be well rewarded for it. Then you can brag to your friends about your struggle with alcohol, raising those hands to Heaven that were holding drugs and booze a solid 9 hours before church started... but make sure you're in the front row so people can see you.

Otherwise no one will believe you are

a christian.


*** Just as a note...

The whole point of that blog was to voice my frustrations with today's christian church. Granted, there were a lot of things that I could have said with more eloquence, it wouldn't have changed the meaning behind it. It was simply a frustrated opinion of how many christians really behave.
Know this, i feel compelled to say that out of frustration came the phrase "I am sick of..." When the truth of the matter is, I should have said, "I believe God is sick of..."
Also know this: I'm sick of things I see in myself. I'm tired of being less than what God deserves, and I'm sick of coming to Him at the end of each day knowing that I hadn't done all I could to make His heart smile. Know that my frustrations lie within myself first and foremost, and that while it may have seemed like a condescending standpoint, it was not intended to be so. It was intended to point out areas that are in desperate need of change.
Folks, you're not going to hurt my feelings if you don't agree with me, trust me. I'm anxious to hear your thoughts. But try not to take what I said out of context, and try not to misinterpret what I wrote. Take whatever sinks in, discard from your mind whatever doesn't.
I encourage you all to be mindful of the things you say and the way you behave. If you're a christian, know that you're not only living with Christ in you, but you're a reflection of who He is, and the things you do affect the way people look at Him, like, as a child, the things you do affect the way people look at your parents. Just take heed of the things you say and do, even if you're non-religious. You never know who's watching.