Monday, January 25, 2010

Past the Point of Occasional Positivity


“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.”-Mahatma Gandhi

The other Sunday night a parent of one of the youth spoke and his messages was entitled "Hung By The Tongue". He spoke about speaking positively and the power of our words and the effect they have on our minds.

We all start out young and innocent and happy and positive. Things happen and our hearts grow cold and we trade joy for happiness and laughter for sarcasm. S
o often we live in the negative. "I hate the way this color looks on me.", "If I don't pass this test I will die.", "I'm not feeling good today.", "I wish I didn't have this/these:braces, zit, big project, terrible stage fright."These kind of messages get into our subconscious mind and take root. They are said and expressed and as they leave from your mouth they enter into your life.
"The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences."-Proverbs 18:21

As we were going to school the day after this sermon Mariah said, "Ever notice how sometimes when you say something out loud it makes it worse? Like, if I'm angry at mommy and I'm thinking about how much I hate her at that moment. But, thinking it in my head doesn't have near the same effect as saying 'I hate her.' right out loud. It
's the speaking it into existence that just makes it more real and sad. It doesn't make anything better. So, it would be better to rather say 'I'm having a really hard time with her right now.' and not to put the idea of hatred into your mind." I knew she was completely and totally right. Just saying something negative makes it so final and sometimes makes you feel worse that you did before.

When we say positive things though, to ourselves and to others we are confessing the things we say over those lives. Even just making a list of the attributes you can appreciate in a fellow student, or even someone you don't get along with can change how you perceive them as a person. Doesn't that make so much sense? As he spoke and backed up his points with scripture it was just like, "DUH!" This whole idea is so practical and so evident.

He also mentioned a way to look at it: Say you just said, "I'll never get a good grade in this class. It's too hard."

1.Is this what I want? (Of course not!)

2.What do I want? (Well, I'd like to make a really great grade in this class.)

3.Speak those things that you do want! You ultimately always reap what you sew. In actions, in intentions, and in speech. The spoken word is a great tool for communication,unification,and inspiration. It can also be used for degradation, separation, and confusion. Use every word, and every moment with care.

James 3:2-12 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.


Conclusions and actions: I was thinking over all that had been said, and all the links I had made. One important question came to me: What will people say of me after I am gone? I have often thought this thought. The final goodbye-what would be the imprint and legacy of the life I lead. Other times I just gave up thinking about it. How could I ever know these things? This time though, I thought, there is a way for me to know. I must personify all the qualities I would want to be remembered by; all those adjectives that I want more than anything to sum up the person I am and all I tried to accomplish.Each day I must live like my last, and live like each second counts. Not only counts by other people's standards, but by God's as well. These are the ones I found:
-Kind

-Compassionate
-Encouraging
-Loving
-Godly
-Patient
-Peaceful
-Giving

Thank you for listening.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Friday, January 22, 2010

My Dear

I will miss you my dear, once we are apart.
We have become so near and dear.
Now we'll try and make it, severed hearts.

Cast not a furtive longing glance,
at me as I pass by.
Hold not my hand in secret place-
How dare you catch my eye!

What has past has past indeed.
Only future stays.
Don't expect in your time of need
For love to linger and to blaze.

Keep your words of affection
And your gifts of sweet desire.
I tramp a lonely soldier here
Through life's muck and mire.

With tattered flag, and tattered boot and tattered looking smile.
But courageous heart am I still,my dear,
I continue through all fire.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Lines of Poetry

She speaks in lines of poetry.
She has a subtle grace.
Her sidestep,sideswept, sashay of sorts.
Eyes that blaze with fancy and fury.
Lips curled up, a blossoming smile-
Bright white, sharp edge, clean lines.
Emerging curves finding their place,
Hands soft to soothe,
Arms outstretched with promise of comfort.
She speaks in lines of poetry
And sidestep,sideswept, sashays around my mind.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Complications

You just try to do your best. And then the crap falls. And now you have all these decisions to make. Maybe only decisions that are real in your head. But it ain't fun.



-Toodles

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Finding Inspiration

The word inspire as defined by dictionary.com is to animate, as an influence, feeling, thought, or the like, does. Like if I saw a beautiful flower and was automatically struck by it's beauty, overcome with joy, compelled to draw it. Anything can inspire or be an inspiration but what inspires one person can be completely different from what inspires another.But just as inspiration comes like a lightning bolt of energy jumping straight into one cortex or another and making you go, YEAH!, it leaves just as quickly and you go along waiting for another YEAH! moment.
Today I was inspired by: running, music, not being able to find a hair tie, and not knowing what people think of me. Seeing as the last is most relateable I will go from there.Maybe I should just start writing things down that I think I could write about then pick one. It might make for a couple interesting blogs.

NOW! On to the meat of this blog!



There comes a time in a relationship where you feel like you really know where you stand with another person. Based on the past you've had with them- it's smooth sailing, you're cool, this is a good thing. Then you do one thing and suddenly they give you that look.

That look that says, "What is wrong with you?" They may even say it. But they just give you that look and you can do one of two things. 1.Pretend you were just kidding. No you didn't just chug 4 full glasses of hot sauce randomly because you thought it would be cool. You were just messing around. No you didn't just get that creepy kid's number. It wasn't because you found him attractive. Just kiddin' man. Just kidding. Or 2. Continue to glory in what you have just done and hope they go along. So what you just picked up the phone at a Walgreen's or you're wearing your bathrobe in the middle of the grocery store. You're hot-you do what you want.

The thing is, if you are a hot sauce chugging, number getting, phone answering machine then you might want to find some friends who approve of such activities. I've had this sort of thing happen a lot and most of my friends after they digest the crazy they are cool with it. They come to terms with the fact that I am just a crazy person. A person who enjoys doing things that aren't inherently dangerous but just outside of couth. (Yeah, that is a word,Firefox. Deal with it.)
I think the more moments you have like that, those crazy moments, where you feel alive, the better off you are. And sharing those times with friends is just the icing on the random cake.



Music:The Well and the Lighthouse-Arcade Fire
Last Meal:Vegetarian spaghetti and toast
Mood:Rejuvenated


Thursday, January 7, 2010

Change

Change is one of those crazy inevitables that everyone has to deal with. No matter how hard you try you cannot run from the simple fact that every day life is changing,people are changing,circumstances are changing. Most would advise you go with the ebb and flow of life. You ride it out, you be a healthy person, and change with what's happening.

But change can also be devastating. Losing a loved one, moving away, or leaving a relationship behind are all crazy things that really affect a person. Those things take time and strength to recover from. I know the smaller changes most people don't worry about. Like, switching classes this upcoming semester. Part of me is jumping for joy to be away from the teachers I've had to cope with. Another part of me knows there will be people I won't see. It's kind of like a snowball effect when you don't see people you love.I've moved only twice in my life and each time it's been hard. I've had best friend's who've moved away from me as well. There is heartbreak when your best friend tries to tell you, "Don't worry-we'll stay close." and all I could do was smile sadly and hug them tight. I was always thinking that they didn't live in my reality, where if effort is not made and friendships aren't allowed to grow naturally, they deteriorate and die.After a couple times you get in touch with the truth of how things happen. A simple change of schedule, a change of if-I-get-to-see-them-today, can mean the end of a growing friendship or the start of the end for one held close by only a few common interests.

My longest lasting friendships have stayed because of church,or school, and only one because we put the effort in to make sure we know what's going on with one another and that our love and friendship is expressed.

I do not fear change in itself. Because the fear of change is just the fear of the unknown. I do fear the consequences of change, for that is the days we live in.

Hope you're changes are for the best. -Mikaella