The steps to being Awesome

Step 1: Learn to Laugh at ones self

Step 2: Eat Cake

Step 3: Dance in the Rain

Step 4: Have the ability to make wacky hair look hot

Step 5: You must have a funny laugh that makes you laugh.

Step 6: You must listen to music REALLY REALLY LOUD

Step 6.5: You must listen to Owl City

a 13 tournament lesson

Hello everyone!! November 10th, 2012 was the first tournament of the season. Given it was only a Round Robin (or a practice tournament for you non NCFCAer's) but it still was an awesome tournament. In reality it was my favorite tournament I have had in all my three years of competition. This round robin was my 13 tournament ever, and what I have seen in the past is that I only have a good tournament if I do well at that tournament. My two favorite tournaments over the last two years of competition, were the two tournaments that I broke at. Russia Year it was Emerald city, and last year it was Olympia. Two awesome tournaments, but this last one surpassed them all. The whole reason for this started about two to three weeks before the tournament. I emailed Mrs. Miller and told her that I was available to be on worship for the Round Robin. She replied saying yes, but she also said that she wanted me to be prepared before hand by being completely and utterly focused on God. My first thought to this was, "of course I will. I am a Christian so my life should always be focused on God." On Saturday morning, I wasn't focused on God. My focus was getting to the tournament on time, and getting my debate stuffs ready for the day. My mind wasn't focused on God until I realized that I had forgotten all the stuff I needed to lead worship. We turned around and rushed back home. In my mind I was thinking some very non christian words because I was so stupid an late. Then it hit me. Why am I like this? This isn't what I am supposed to be doing. My heart  needs to be on God. In that moment God focused my life on him. It was absolutely amazing. From then on the rest of the day, I can honestly say that I was focusing on God. Now I wasn't thinking of him every second, but I let him take control of my life through that tournament. I let Him do what He willed, and boy was it fun! I didn't do super awesome at this tournament, I was about average. However, I learned so much that day, that it was easily the best tournament ever. The only sad part is it took me 13 tournaments to actually learn that God needs to be in control of everything, otherwise your life will have no joy. God is the giver of all joy. Success can be joyful, but success only comes from the Lord. There you go my little Tidbit for the day. Adios, Salutations and good bye!!!

Africa

One thing I learned this week, is how good it feels to be in the will of God.

Two Wednesdays ago (9/5/11) we had our Young Adults Discipleship Group (our youth group) as we do every Wednesday at our house. This day was special though, we had a guest speaker. Ryan Fast is a full time missionary for an organization for Teen Missions International (TMI). The reason we know him is because he was the leader of the team Cori went on several years ago. Him and his family (see right) came over for dinner that night, and Ryan started sharing about some of the kids he got to encounter on the trip he went on this year. One of the kids he talked about was named Colton. You see Colton was on this mission trip, but refused to become a Christian because he knew in his heart he wasn't ready to give Christ 100%. That really struck me hard. I have never given 100% to Christ, and I call myself a Christian. 

This is where God showed me the problem with my life.

As Ryan was speaking later that night, he was talking about Jesus disciples, and how they were called to go. Then God told me "Go." My Creator gave me a command. I had to go. God needed me to go somewhere. 

This is where God gave me the purpose to my life.

After that through the rest of the night I grabbed the TMI flier and just started flipping through reading about all the teams. Now since I new I needed to go somewhere, I looked at all of the countries I had a desire to go to. Then I read the Zambia trip description. That's when I started shaking and felt really strongly called to go to Africa. For all my life, Africa is the last place I have ever wanted to go. Now God has given me a desire to go there. In the intro to a book my mom is reading it says this:

"For as long as I can remember, one of my favorite Bible verses has been Psalm 37:4: 'Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." I used to believe it meant that if I did what the Lord asked of me, Followed His commandments, and was a "good girl," He would grant all my desires and make my dreams come true. Today, this is still one of my favorite passages of Scripture, but I have learned to interpret it in a totally different way. It is not about God making my dreams come true but about God changing my dreams into His dreams for my life."

This is were God changed my desires, to His desires.

The final thing that happened was I was looking through the other Africa based teams, and I saw the Cameroon team. This team is the foot washing team. You go with next to nothing, and you help African children. 

This is where God told me he wanted to break me. 

He wanted me to have nothing. He wanted to destroy this life I know and love. This was the point where got wrecked my life, and I am so thankful He did. As of a week ago today, I am going with TMI to (most likely) Cameroon. I am going with next to nothing to wash kids feet, and give them their first pair of shoes. This is what God has called me to. Please pray that I am able to get the funding necessary for me to go on this trip, and also that I would stay in his will through the rest of this up coming year.

LAughter!

Last Saturday Dad, Ryan and I were on our way home from our old house. We were listening to "What makes you Beautiful" by One Direction, REALLY REALLY LOUD. We had the windows rolled down and I was singing and dancing like crazy sticking my head out the window. It was awesome. Then I look over, and there was this girl in her 20's who looks over and starts laughing hysterically at me. Life is good when you can make others laugh, just by being yourself. It's even better when you don't even know them.

Well this is humorous

Last night was my piano recital. After the recital, i was playing with all the kids and running around. I ran onto the wet grass trying to get away from Cole (we were playing tag at the time). One thing I forgot about, is that I was wearing converse. Now the interesting thing about converse is that they have no traction whatsoever. I slipped and fell on my left arm. The fall kind of jolted me and I closed my eyes for a split second. When I opened them again I was feeling some pain in my left arm, since that is the side I fell on. I looked over, and my arm wasn't n the place it felt like it should be. I tried moving it, and my upper arm moved while my lower arm did not. I stood up and started walking inside the church saying, "I think I dislocated my arm." Thankfully my dad (who is pretty good with spotting a broken bone), and a retired chiropractor were there. The looked at my arm, trying to move it and they felt some crackling. That is when we knew it was broken. The rest of the night was driving to the emergency room, waiting, talking to a nurse, waiting, getting an x-ray from a guy whose jokes are worthy of the Popsicle stick company, waiting, getting told I might have to have surgery, waiting, getting told they probably won't give me surgery, waiting, getting a splint on (my arm was not, and is still not set), waiting, getting paperwork and drugs, eating tacos, eating dark chocolate peanut butter cups, and coming home. All in all a fun experience. Thankfully, God has given me a high tolerance for pain, while he also made it so that the pain really isn't there. right now I really would appreciate prayer that we would get an appointment to reset my arm and get a cast on quickly, as well as a quick recovery with minimal amounts of doctor bills. I thank for being there for me. I would really ; like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Hartung for hanging out with me and my parents through all of the waiting we had to go through. I hope to put up x-ray's of my broken humorous soon. Well that concludes my little tale. See you when I see you.

Snails

One time at band camp, we were just sitting around the campfire and singing this goofy song about.... snails. I like snails. I had a pet snail once. I named him Gary because I watched sponge bob one day and it was the coolest thing I had ever seen!

Antony

What would happen if Cleopatra from Shakespeares "Antony and Cleopatra" was a black southern lady? I'll tell you what would happen. 
(if you have read Antony and Cleopatra you might laugh. If you have not, don't bother reading it. You wouldn't understand.)
This is what Clepatra would say when she was just told by a messenger that her beloved Antony married the woman Octavia.

"What did you just say? My Honeybuns Atony just what? No you didn't. you did NOT just say that. I am gonna kill you. Y'all you can go I need to have a heart to heart talk with this here fruitcake. OH and Lexi (Alexas) you best leave that knife here. Fo my own protection. Now I am gonna kill you right now. you get over here right now. Don't make me say it again!"

A song for you

This song is an amazing song. Every time I hear I get this weird feeling. This song makes me want to be Christs. Every time.

"You wrote a letter and You signed your name
I read every word of it page by page
You said that You'd be coming, coming for me soon
Oh my God I'll be ready for You

I want to run on greener pastures
I want to dance on higher hills
I want to drink from sweeter waters
In the misty morning chill
And my soul is getting restless
For the place where I belong
I can't wait to join the angels and sing my heaven song

I hear Your voice and I catch my breath
'Well done my child, enter in and rest'
Tears of joy roll down my cheek
It's beautiful beyond my wildest dreams

I want to run on greener pastures
I want to dance on higher hills
I want to drink from sweeter waters
In the misty morning chill
And my soul is getting restless
For the place where I belong
I can't wait to join the angels and sing...

I want to run on greener pastures
I want to dance on higher hills
I want to drink from sweeter waters
In the misty morning chill
And my soul is getting restless
For the place where I belong
I can't wait to join the angels and sing
No, I can't wait to join the angels and sing my heaven song"

I will carry you

I sent this story to a friend of mine who was going through a hard season.

"A man was walking on the beach and he saw footprints in the sand. When he looked at them, he noticed his life being replayed for him inside the footprints. Then he noticed that there was another set of footprints to his right. He looked up and saw Jesus. He realized that Jesus had been there the whole time. As they walked the man noticed that during the hardest parts in his life, there was only one set of footprints. Jesus had left him during the hardest times in life. The man began to get angry. He looked up at Jesus and said "Why is it that, during the easy times of life you were with me, but during lifes struggles you were strangely absent?" Jesus replied saying "I wasn't gone. I have always been with you. The times were you see only one set of footprints, was the time I picked you up and carried you. I love you and will always be here for you."

You might be going through the worst time you have ever had, but just know God is there and He will carry you, if you just let Him.

Here is the original story. The above is a paraphrase off the top of my head.

Yo!

My hair is shorter, but life is just the same old awesome!

HAPPYHAPPYHAPPY

NCFCA

Sarah Aldrich and my duo is on youtube!!! What do you think?

For a Friend

Hey Guys!!! Cori changed my theme!!! Tell me what you think!

I am proud to be your friend

I had this revelation in the car last night after debate. In my mind, I always see Rainmakers as the number 1 on the "moral" scale of all the clubs in region II. Then there is Clarion, then EPIC then Salt and Light and finally Bremerton. This is really a wrong assumption, but it is what I have in my head. You know what this has done? This has increased my pride level. I am proud to be a Rainmaker. Now there are two kinds of Pride. There is one that is a sin, and one that is not. I have turned my proudness of Rainmakers into a sin. My thinking is that we are so much better, and so far above the other clubs. When really it isn't really true. When I think we are so much better, I am sinning. How does that make me better? I am even worse then the other clubs are. I have let myself look down on others. I am a pharisee. I challenge you to not think of Rainmakers as more "morally sound" because it really isn't true. we  are all servants of the one true and living God, and are doing what he commands of us. Food for thought!

What Kind of car do you want? part II

Another song with a Red Car in it is well "Little Red Rodeo"

The note said, you've had time to think about it
Looks like to me you're feelin' kinda crowded
You're not lookin' for anything permanent here
So my Rodeo's packed and in goodbye gear

So I shot down to the Longhorn Diner
Her sister works there and she'd know where to find her
She said, you didn't hear it from me
All I'll say is mama's got that place out in Monterrey

Oh, how fast can I go, gotta catch that little red Rodeo
She drove off with my heart, I've gotta let her know
I need the girl in that little red Rodeo
Texas plates, candy apple red Rodeo

Two towns back I showed your photograph
And the gas station man just started to laugh
She said I might see you in this bucket of rust
And said good luck boy, just follow that cloud of dust

Oh, how fast can I go, gotta catch that little red Rodeo
She drove off with my heart, I've gotta let her know
I need the girl in that little red Rodeo
Texas plates, candy apple red Rodeo

Maybe I was straddling the fence just like she said
It took her leaving to get it through my head

She's the one and only, it's over, that's it
I'm committed, I'm in love and I'm desperate
She's a good ways gone but I'm closin' the gap
If I have to I'll chase her clear across the map

Oh, how fast can I go, gotta catch that little red Rodeo
She drove off with my heart, I've gotta let her know
I need the girl in that little red Rodeo
Texas plates, candy apple red Rodeo

What Kind of car do you want?

I have noticed that in country songs, Red is a really common car color. Due to songs such as "Red Camaro"
Oh Oh Oh Oh oohhh
I saw a red camaro today
It turned my head around it made me think
About back when my life was a game
And we played it all night long just like
Our favorite song. Summers just around the bend
Summers just around the bend.

Turn up the music loud
Take the T top down
And let the chrome shine
Cruise along the river side
Feel the wind blow
Through your hair through your toes
Got your bare feet hanging out the window
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

I saw a red camaro today
And I did a double take
I thought I saw her face
We were so reckless and young
And it all comes back to me
In storm wash memories
Summers just around the bend
Summers just around the bend

Turn up the music loud
Take the T top down
And let the chrome shine
Cruise along the river side
Feel the wind blow
Through your hair through your toes
Got your bare feet hanging out the window
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Looking back looking back
Sweet wine and sunshine
Looking back looking back
Man those were some good timmmmes
Oh oh oh oh
Everybody sing
Oh oh oh
1234

Turn up the music loud
Take the T top down
And let the chrome shine
Cruise along the river side
Feel the wind blow
Through your hair through your toes
Got your bare feet hanging out theWindow

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Turn up the music louuuuuuuuud Turn up the music loudddddddddd

Judgement is coming!

Ok so as most of you know I am doing debate. Now one term that we use often times in debate is that the judge is always right. Now tonight I figured out what that meant. What it means is that whether or not the judge was wrong based on the facts, you as the speaker did not clearly convey that. So if you lose a round because a judge was "wrong", the judge really wasn't wrong. You just weren't an effective communicator.

algebra II

Did you know that in my spare time I will post random stuff like this post just for the fact of seeing if I can make the longest sentence without ever stopping to see if there is Pizza and fries with bacon and that gooey cheese sauce called American cheese that comes from real cheese mixed with milk that comes from goats who are feeding their young kids who are exactly like me, just little kids with a lot of kicking feet that are always up and down like the bouncy ball in my office that never stops but just keeps going like that weird flubber stuffs on flubber, that awesome movie with Robin Williams in it, who plays a really funny character as he always does on his movies such as night at the museum when he plays the amazing wax figure of Teddy Roosevelt , twenty-sixth president of the United States....

Shall I continue?

Perception

This last weekend was what we NCFCA'ers call a qualifying tournament. What that is is unimportant. Anyways I was at a tournament competing in speech and debate. Now there is a lot God can do. In this tournament He messed with me so much it got kind of annoying. Now in a tournament, if we have an odd number of teams competing, they will give what is called a "Bye" which is an automatic win, to the lowest team in the tournament.

God really messed me up when me and my debate partner, Jarod, got a bye round 4. We were the absolute worst team up to that point. We were the losers. Now my first thought was that I was better than that. I was better than that. Notice how I italicized the I. I thought that I was good enough. The truth of the matter is that God was good enough to allow me to lose.

In my life, there are few things that I actually lose. I don't lose. Never. Yet God is one of those kinds of people that like to mess with the perceptions, and the goals of us here on earth. When I got that bye, I was so distraught. This will probably be my least favorite tournament due to that fact that my spirit was broken for the majority of the tournament. I was broken. This was a learning experience. You know how you pick up personality problems as you go through life? Well, I have always had a problem with pride, ALWAYS!

Now last year I didn't have as much of a problem when I lost. It was my first year I wasn't expected to do well. Now I am varsity. Now I know what I am doing. This leads to me thinking I should win every round. Last year if I lost, I would just shrug and look at the rounds I won. Now I am so focused on the rounds I lost. WHY ME!

Why did God alow me to lose. It was to show me that my pride was in the way. He changed my perception of myself. He changed my perception of this year. Don't expect to win, but rejoice when you do!

CHEERS!

OTQ

I love being the only rainmaker who isn't nervous.

AND A hAPPY NEW YEaR

I miss 2011. It went by way to fast.