I am convinced the only reason girls watch romance movies is because they are lonely.

Long way to go

So I just signed up and submitted a little piece of my work to this website called Teen Ink. It's also a magazine. On the website you can publish your writing and get feedback from other teens and such. It seemed like a cool place. So after entering one of my little mediocre snippets of writing, I go and look around at the "Voted Best of the Day" articles and... gosh, they are good. Some of the most vivid and poetic descriptions I've ever seen. Some of them better than most authors now-a-days. I was truly impressed. And these are teens! Just like me. Perhaps older, but still a juvenile. It was amazing...

I realized that though writing may come naturally to me, it doesn't mean I'm anywhere near the top. I have improved lately from where I was before, but I still have a long way to go. I'm not sure how but I need to practice more, to get better. I need to write more, get stricter criticism, open up to different genres, challenge myself, think differently, expand my vocabulary. Words are so deliciously beautiful, I just need to know more of them. I need to master the art of putting these words together to form this undeniable thing in everyone who reads it. I guess I never realized how much of a passion I have for writing. I have to get better, there is no doubt. I just need to figure out how. Any suggestions? Heh...

Go check out Teen Ink, it's pretty cool and you will see what I'm talking about. Ugh...

Sarah

Joy to the world!

I am so in love with all of my presents! Today was great. Everyone enjoyed all of their gifts. I got a beautifully spectacular watch that I never thought I'd get. It's those old kind with the little face that shows a moon when it's nighttime and a sun when it's daytime. I also got bunches of books I can't wait to read. The biggest thing, though, was an iPhone! :) I love it and can't wait to transfer my sim card to it and get a cover for it tomorrow. I feel so blessed. Thank you, God, for being so good to me. I celebrate with joy, the day that you were born to die.

Sarah

Christmas tradition

I always get depressed right before Christmas. Not in a serious way, I just get gloomy and down. I don't know why. And it usually goes away before the actual day arrives. Yesterday I felt like I was having a midlife crises or something. I kept feeling like I didn't have a purpose in life and that if I wasn't striving towards something then why am I alive? But then I talked to God about it and He, as usual, had his perfect, simple response that set me in peace. Today I have felt fine but very pensive. I wonder what will happen in the future. I wonder what will become of me and my friends and of the world. I allowed myself for a while to imagine a cynical option, something like in the Hunger Games or a time when the whole government is virtually obsolete and we the people are running away from each other because most of us have gone into some bloodthirsty frenzy. It seems dark, I know, but I didn't think of it that way. I thought of it more as an adventure. But then I turned from that and decided that whatever may come, it will all work out for the glory of God and that's all I have to worry about.

Well, I hope I didn't get you down. This isn't the time to be making up horrific endings to the world, this is the time to appreciate all of the goodness around you and to reflect on the fact that the hope in your heart all started when a little baby was born thousands of years ago. After all, Christ was born to bring us salvation, grace, hope, joy, peace, comfort, and celebration. Praise Him, for He is good.

Sarah

I need to have an annoying freak out moment

Ahhhh!!!!! I can't wait for the Hunger Games movie!!!!!!!!!! Exactly three months from today!!!! Ahhhhhh!!!!! It better be good! I just listen to a song from the soundtrack for the movie and it's by Taylor Swift. It's actually really good. I like it a lot. Oh my gosh I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHlkjfalskdfja;sldkghaosdjfalkdfj!!!!!!!

There it is. Ahhh! I can't wait!!!!!! Okay, I'm done.

Sarah

Rant

Okay, so I'm going to be a little judgmental so I'm apologizing ahead of time. I'm sorry. It's probably hypocritical of me. God, please forgive me and help me to work on these things myself.

Okay, so recently I've been on Pinterest a lot more than I normally am. It's a great time waster. And as I'm looking through these pictures of cute sayings and things, it dawns on me how many of them are about needing or doing all these things for yourself. I mean, you do need to do things for yourself but at some point it's just annoying! Over and over and over, all the time, it's me, me, me. How come no one wants to do anything for anyone else? (The following is an actual picture from Pinterest)

I'm like, really? We already have so much! Oh pooh, we need more sleep and tea and road trips while thousands of people all across the globe need water and food and a place to sleep. It annoys me when all people do is complain about certain luxuries they don't have when so many people don't even have the basic necessities. Don't get me wrong, I would love to do all of these things. But I also want others to know the same riches I grew up with. Ugh... it just frustrates me.

And also, what's with all these people going around and looking for things like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, and aliens? Why? They haven't bothered us! So leave them alone, if they are out there! Otherwise they will start messing with us.

Another thing, why do parents spoil their children? There is nothing more annoying than a screaming, spoiled brat. Tell your kid no, when they scream, spank them and sit them in a corner until they can control themselves. Goodness, it's ridiculous!

Okay, I'm not in the best of moods. I'm tired. You might can tell. But there's my rant. It was rather rude. I'm sorry. My next post will be much cheerier. 'Tis the season, after all.

Sarah

I keep looking at my blog expecting it to change.

But then I remember it's me who is supposed to be writing it.

I have a headache.

Sarah

Times are changing

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." 
 ~ The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights (emphasis added by me)


It may not be like this everywhere, but from where I'm standing, there has been a lot of talk going around about where we as a country are headed. Two bills are in the process of being passed that allow the government to censor the internet. They don't say that, but that's what it means. According to Wikipedia, the SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) Bill allows the "barring of search engines from linking to such sites, and requiring Internet service providers to block access from such sites". These sites, of course, would be ones that make online piracy possible, but that's all kind of subjective, isn't it? Youtube is an obvious one. But if you thought about it the right way, Facebook and things like Photobucket could be convenient sites for stealing pictures and videos. 

And censorship isn't the only worry. Though no bills have been proposed about this yet, there is talk of the government considering any act of protest a form terrorism. Do you remember the last part of the First Amendment up there? "the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Sounds like the Constitution allows protest to me. But none of our government officials care about the Constitution anymore. It is our responsibility as citizens of the United States of America, to protect the Constitution. I know that sounds... I don't even know the word for it. It sounds extreme, it sounds talk-show-host-y, but it is true.


And you know, I really hate to be cynical. I don't like getting all worked up about conspiracies about the government and such. But this is something that needs to be acknowledged. It is very dangerous if we the people are apathetic, ignorant, indifferent to what is happening. We need to realize the immediacy of the change that is to come. But do not be afraid. No, no America was not built upon people who were afraid. 


And honestly... I am not sure of what is to come. I don't know what will happen. Maybe something beautiful will come out of all this. Maybe a revolution. But above all else, don't let these things disturb you, any of it. 


"You will hear of wars, and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come." Matthew 24:6


For some reason that verse comforts me so much. Such things must happen... but the end is still to come. I know that sounds like it should scare you, but it comforts me. 


Oh well this was much longer than intended. If you made it this far, congratulations. Tell me your thoughts. :)


With love and peace,
Sarah

Invisible Children 2012

Ah! Watch here!

I can officially check off my first accomplishment on my book list. Go check it out, it's pretty impressive. ;) Mockingjay was intense and depressing and I got really lost near the end, but the fact that she chose Peeta made up for everything. :) But the epilogue, in my opinion, killed it. It was just a little too much. I would have liked the idea of leaving their future together to the imagination. Make it a bit of a mystery. But oh well. :) It was great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would highly, highly recommend them to anyone (well... maybe not kids. It was rather bloody). So yay! Now if I can just finished the Harry Potter series, I can move on to Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. :)

With peace and love,
Sarah

The world's greatest author of the English language... and some random sappy stuff

So I just got finished watching the Romeo and Juliet movie with Leonardo DiCaprio. Of course now I'm all caught up in this romantic stuff. And it doesn't help that Leonardo is incredibly hot and - well, let's just admit it - sexy. But even beyond that, I can't help but marvel at such a good idea as that of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespear truly must be the greatest author of the English language. The more I read his works, the more I am in awe of his talent. It is a level of greatness I will never reach. Such poetry and honest truth behind those eloquent words we're not used to that people get so caught up on. Why do people complain about his lengthy descriptions and "big words"? Can't they see what it's saying? Shakespear speaks of human nature. Of something everyone can relate to. No matter what day and age it is, all humans are alike. He can put feelings into words so smoothly it's as if your very own heart wrote it (cheesy, maybe, but true).

Romeo and Juliet specifically gives me hope for love. At times, I honestly think I will never marry. I've accepted my destiny as an old maid, and I am setting my mind to be content with that. I think I gave up the hope of actually finding a man (now I know I'm only 15 but all girls dream and hope for their future husband... and I'm beginning to think it's all a trick). Every time I read a story or watch a movie about a great guy who is totally, irrevocably in love with a girl, I think "Wow, I want a guy like that". But then I remember, it's just a story. He doesn't exist. I feel like by reading all of these stories, I'm getting this expectation set in my mind that can never be reached. And what girl wants to settle?
And sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who takes love seriously. I want love. LOVE. I don't want some goofy crush. All of my friends who are dating say it's great and they tell me all these sweet things but I realize they are just floating on the surface of what love is. They don't want to get serious because we're too young for that. And it's true, we are. My desires for a significant other is matured way beyond my age. I want devotion. I want love. True, passionate, insane love that makes it seem like the only reason worth living is for that love. But then I question, does that even exist? And around and around my mind goes in this vicious circle...

Then there's God. I feel bad that I spend so much time thinking about satisfying this desire through a boy when God probably wants me to focus only on Him. Ughh... this is why I avoid the topic of boys and love and all of that crap. I'd rather fix my mind of being content with being single all my life. Then all of this just goes away. It seems easy enough. Maybe I'll join a convent. But I'm not Catholic... Oh well...

... if I become a nun, would I be missing out on possibly the greatest gift God has given to man?

I am too young to be concerned with such thoughts. I am only 15. I should be thinking about Barbies and dress-up and tea parties.

With peace and love,
Sarah

I sit in my room all dim and warm,
And think about the way we all transform.
I wonder at things that I'll never know,
Like how many snowflakes constitutes snow,
Why does my father talk at the TV?
How long will it take for us all to agree?
Why can't they see things like this never last?
Why can't they look back into their own past?
Why are we given a second chance?
How come boys never ask us to dance?
Why are we afraid to trust our own eyes?
Why do people feel safe behind a guise?
Why do we look down on those who want change?
Are we simply afraid of someplace strange?
Why am I so enamored with the stars?
Isn't it strange that we move around in cars?
Why do we underestimate our capabilities?
Why do we feel like life is a bunch of responsibilities?
Why is there gray where there should be black and white?
Why are we afraid to stand alone in the light?
So many things I ponder,
All the time my mind, it wanders.
In my head there's such a riot,
And you wonder why I'm quiet?

Finally

Ah ha! I can finally read Catching Fire (the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy)! This weekend will be glorious. I intend to spend the rest of this afternoon reading, like I've been doing for the past two and a half hours.

Reading > TV
Reading > Internet

With love and peace,
Sarah

Absolutely.

With love and peace,
Sarah

Very cool

This is one of the coolest things I've seen in a while... I will be using this very often...

Don't know what to read next?

With love and peace,
Sarah

Thoughts

So here's what I thought of the other day when I was talking about the Hunger Games.

I was talking about The Walking Dead and I said how entertaining it is. Entertaining. Do we find shooting zombies in the head and watching the blood splatter entertaining? Do we really? Do we find movies, in which people are shot down like animals, entertaining? Do we laugh at suicide jokes?
We read books like The Hunger Games and say... how barbaric. How could people sit and watch other people fight to death and treat it like it's nothing? Well what do we do? What is wrong with our society when all we ask for are mindless, gory movies? Why don't we ask for deep, thought-provoking movies? I feel like so many people these days live with tentative opinions, morals... they don't know where they stand on sensitive subjects. I think it's very important to know what you believe, not just religiously but in every way.

Do you believe in capital punishment?
Do you support the Occupy Wall Street protestors (and not just because it's what your parents are saying)?
Do you really think the government is going to pass a bill that initiates censorship?
Do you believe in censorship?

And you can form these opinions by thinking. You know things by discovering. You discover things by reading - in some form or another. If all of our books are light and fluffy and don't bother to bring forth things deeper than boy-meets-girl... how will we discover?

Maybe I'm just rambling on, being some stupid teenager who thinks they have it all figured out. That's probably it. But oh well... just thoughts... What are your thoughts?

With love and peace,
Sarah

New Obsession

It's official. I'm a bookworm. My life is empty and small without books. I love to read, I need to read. I am at the point of becoming an unsocial introvert due to my relentless love of reading. I'm beginning to wonder if it's unhealthy. Will I become pale and gaunt from being holed up in my room, reading? I can always read outside. Yes, there we go, a solution!

Speaking of reading, I just finished the Hunger Games which you probably know because I have already posted it on every other social network I have (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc...). And as you probably already know, it was SO GOOD! It's a trilogy so of course I can't wait to read the next book but I can't... I read the Hunger Games on my mom's Nook. And since it's my mom's Nook and she is already in the middle of reading the second book, I can't steal it. I'll have to wait until Christmas when I get it as a gift (along with numerous other books). Ughhh... it really sucks because the ending is a real cliffhanger which I hate.

Speaking of cliffhangers, tonight is season finale of the Walking Dead. It's such a good show. A little disturbing, yes. But very good and entertaining. Hm... wow... that last sentence just opened a whole can of worms in my mind. Should I go into it? It will mean a lengthy, babbling post... No, maybe I'll save it for another time. (See? Those cliffhangers kill you, don't they?) ;)

I better go now. I wish you all the best! "And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

With love and peace,
Sarah

The cutest thing you'll ever see

Border-collie puppy

You have been warned.

With peace and love,

Sarah

Whoa...

Today was an intense Sunday school class at my church. It was good. It was eye-opening. Here's what happened.

This girl who just recently has been baptized (last week, actually) brought some visitors to church today. They were different looking, which was fine. It didn't take long into the lesson, however, until we found out they weren't shy nor did they share our faith. One of the girls, who had short hair, at one point called a group of girls (of which I was a part of) out for giggling when someone halfway sarcastically threw out the idea of someone worshiping trees as an example for something. She kept emphasizing that people need to respect other people's religions, which is true. But she pointed us out kind of as an example of disrespect which was hard to not take offensively. It was rude, but you couldn't react negatively.
Then we got into understanding other religions, which in a way goes hand in hand with respecting them. If you expect non believers to listen to you about God, you need to be willing to listen to them about what they have to say. And it's important to be educated in the beliefs of other religions so that you know what you're up against and can know how to approach the topic of God without offending them. All of this was a big discussion the whole time between us students.
Of course, that brings me to my reflections on all of this. That whole thing made me realize how... how sheltered I am. You know? I live in this little bubble of Christian friends at a Christian school where I think that I am a good enough example of Christ when in reality... I've never experienced anything except people agreeing with my faith. I've never had to face any discrepancy when it comes to God. And when you're surrounded by Christians your whole life, it's easy to sit around and talk about being prepared to share your faith... theoretically. But that's all it is. Theory. It's like in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (here I go haha) when Umbridge is teaching the Defense Against the Dark Arts yet never lets them practice it. She says "The Ministry believes that a theoretical understanding is enough to get you through your OWLS." It's the same thing. We private school kids have never had to worry about our faith at school. At church or in chapel, we may have a lesson on witnessing but nothing that is said in there is the same as actually doing it (which, of course, is hard for me to say since I've never actually done it. This is just what I feel from today).

Phew... anyway.... long story short, I learned a lot today. The whole hour of Sunday school was so intense because you could tell God was working something... yet the girls didn't seem convinced of anything. I hope they come back next week. I will surely be ready.

So pray. Pray for those girls, that they will come back and that God is whispering in their ear. Pray for a chance to show God to others (that is different than sharing God, mind you). And praise Him for today. It was good.

With love and peace,
Sarah

I can't wait for a break. Even just one week off of school sounds like heaven. However our teachers obviously feel the need to load an unnecessary amount of work and tests on us the week before this break. I have a Spanish test tomorrow (that really needs to make up for the two quizzes I flunked along with the rest of the class) and a cumulative vocabulary test over six chapters (120 words). Fun, right?

Oh well, I'm just glad I won't have any real math homework for the rest of the semester. We're doing projects instead. My friend Emma and I are making a scaled down diorama of our dream treehouse. One half of it will be decorated by Emma and one half will be decorated by me. There will be a Jack-and-Jill bathroom and fireplace separating the two rooms. I plan to have a moose head above my fireplace. :) Anyway, it's going to be pretty fun.

More good news: I got a 104 on my latest biology test! This brought my average in that class back up to an A. Don't you hate when your grade is an 89?! It's like you're so close but so far away.

Anyway, all is well. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving break. We all have plenty to be thankful for.

With peace and love,
Sarah

"Create your own small, imaginary world out of whatever you have lying around. Place it in a natural setting."

Life

I feel like I haven't given any indication of how my life is going lately so I felt like I should mention that everything is well. All I do is school, homework, church, eat and sleep. Every now and then I will babysit or have time for 30 minutes to and hour's reading. It's rather sad that I can't read with all the work I have. What's more sad is that I was actually inspired to write a story the other day but haven't had a moment's time to throw some words on the paper. However even school is going fairly well. I haven't run into anything too stressful or difficult yet. It all seems to be going to quickly. Time in general seems to have picked up its pace. Two weeks until Thanksgiving? When did that happen? Then Christmas and New Years and then the school year is over! I hardly had time to hate it...

Oh well, I suppose I should be thankful. Just in case you didn't know, here are a few petty updates:

New favorite band: Nana Grizol
New favorite movie: Peter Pan (2003 version)
New favorite song: Motion in the Ocean by Nana Grizol
New favorite quote: all of the ones on my Quotes page
New favorite website: Tumblr!

With love and peace,
Sarah

Two sewing puns in a row? How unseamly...

Haha, that's punny. ;)

My sewing class is tonight! I'm excited. I hope I will learn to sew some of my own clothes (one of the things on my bucket list). I would love to make a cute skirt or blouse. Well, wish me luck. I need to go finish reading Book II of the Aeneid by Virgil. Ughhh :P

With love and peace,
Sarah

There are few things I really want more than anything...

I just want to fly.
I just want adventure.
I just want to show someone how great my God is.

That's all.

With peace and love,
Sarah

I am in desperate need of inspiration. I want to write but I have nothing to work with. I am empty. I see all of these amazing authors, poets, and I feel like I can never reach that level of good writing because I have no inspiration. My list of books I want to read is growing each day. I am eager to read them all, even though I know they will be more difficult to read. But as I read the summaries of these books and I see how original and just... good these plots are, I realize I could never come up with something so wonderful... not unless I have a huge chunk of really substantial inspiration. And that is what I lack. It's a gloomy place in these writing doldrums.

Waiting for a silver lining. Waiting for inspiration. Oh, and I hate Halloween... it's an annoying holiday.

With peace and love,
Sarah

With love, from Tumblr

These are my favorites.

With love and peace,
Sarah

It was great

Friends of Refugees was loads of fun. I helped several kids with mostly math (but it wasn't too bad). This one girl talked to me about her family and why she wore her head covering (she said "because of my religion" then changed the subject before I could ask more). It was fun, though, all of it. The room was hot and busy and crowded. There was 11 of us tutoring and sometimes three or four children were crowded around one person, working on the same thing. Mrs. Carla Hersey, one of the ladies in charge of Friends of Refugees, said that on a day like that, with that many children, they usually had 2 or 3 people helping tutor. We need to go there more.

Pray for the Hersey family and for Friends of Refugees.

With love and peace,
Sarah

Friends of Refugees

Tomorrow I am going back to help tutor refugee children at Friends of Refugees. I went once last year. It's nerve-racking and amazing at the same time. It's nerve-racking because you have to help these kids with their homework and half of the time you don't know what you're doing! And you feel bad if you don't help them. You feel like you're hurting their education.
But it's amazing because you get to know these children from all over the world and they just love you like you're life's bread. Sometimes you even get the chance to talk to them about Jesus. A lot of the time these kids aren't raised in Christian homes. Last time I spent all afternoon with a little Muslim girl.
I feel so blessed to have this opportunity. I am sure we will go again before the school year is over. Maybe even two more times. I hope so. It really is an amazing experience. Let's pray God makes it meaningful for all of us.

With love and peace,
Sarah

Things to be happy about...

rain
movies
not a lot of homework
good friends
sweet memories
dogs
telephone booths
pumpkins
sunshine
ancient sculptures
comfortable shoes
fuzzy blankets
languages
Ga-ga ball
sugar
colors
fireplaces
honest people
jokes
that feeling of being excited to read a book
decisions
hairdressers
grandparents
toe socks
toe socks with Chacos

With peace and love,
Sarah

Sad day...

My computer got a virus... somehow. So in order to salvage my computer, my dad had to reset everything. Everything. We made a backup through Microsoft who said it was copying all of my documents. However, once we got my computer restarted we realized... it didn't. And my story - my 40 something page long story - that I have been working on since spring... was lost.

The funny thing is, this is the second time this has happened to me. I once wrote a story when I was younger that I was very proud of. It was a similar length about a cat named Samantha and her friend Rabbit. It was lost, too.

Both times were equally disappointing. And it is pretty dang disappointing.

Sarah

Good news!!

Watch the video!

Yay!!

With love and peace,
Sarah

Things I don't understand

why we're learning chemistry in biology
why it's warm in October
why my room is always hot, no matter what
why i'm sleepy all the time
why it's too early to sing Christmas songs
why my mother doesn't like to watch the a movie more than once
why my fingers are fat
why i can't crochet to save my life
why i'm suddenly nervous about going to Netherworld on Saturday
why Maria doesn't have a Twitter (unless I'm mistaken)
why my father is obsessed with shooting squirrels
why everyone at my school thinks my dad is so cool
math

Kids

“As Peter and I watched the dances, different people would come by and introduce themselves. I had never seen such an odd assortment of people. Boys and girls anywhere from twelve to twenty filled space. There were quiet, reserved persons; there were silly, loud children; there were couples. But no matter how different they may have seemed, they were united. They were a community, a family, bound by the same shackles. Their life was most unusual, and though I could tell many of them tried to cover their wounds, here, in the midst of the festivities, I saw them for what they were: kids. Kids who have ended up unexpectedly in debt to a man of power, a man who controls their circumstances. And suddenly, it didn’t seem so strange anymore.”

We, You

This world,

Once a flawless garden, an immaculate dwelling,

A place made perfect by You.

This world,

Now a desolate wasteland, a sinful Earth,

A place destructed and shamed by us.

We,

We were made fearfully and wonderfully,

We had a great purpose, we walked with You.

We,

We have polluted, prostituted and poisoned ourselves.

We do not keep our promises, we are unfaithful.

You,

You love us anyway. You scream for us to see.

You forgive endlessly, Your mercy is ever-flowing.

You,

You died for us. You bore Your own wrath.

You redeem us, You make us new.

You,

You take the debris, you take the soiled world,

You bless it, You make it new.

You,

You guide us. You are ever patient.

You give us hope, You give us peace.

We,

We have purpose again.

We live and breathe and move,

in You. 

With peace and love,

Sarah

Why complicate things?

I'm tired of getting so caught up in these stupid technicalities of being a teenager. I give up. I'm going to stop overthinking things and just live life. If you look stupid, you look stupid. We all look stupid probably more often than we'd like to know.


So let's all just rid ourselves of a little unnecessary stress and take off the masks. Be uniquely you. For today you are you, that is truer than true and there is no one alive who is you-er than you! Sorry... had to throw in some Dr. Seuss there...


With peace and love,
Sarah

1 Peter 1:8-9

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

-- Andrew Gowen

Things to be Happy About

cold weather
the smell of freshly brewed coffee
jumping in a pile of raked leaves
herb gardens
napping in a hammock
using a fake British accent
grandfather clocks
magnificent sunrises on the way to school
blue skies
windy days
cinnamon scented candles
dogs falling asleep in your lap
hot baths
finding money in your pockets
long hugs
a steamy cup of Chai tea
laughing so hard you can't breath
music
making up constellations in the stars
the way your voice sounds when you suck helium out a balloon
still warm chocolate chip cookies

Iranian Pastor Faces Execution for Refusing to Recant Christian Faith

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/09/28/iranian-pastor-faces-execution-for-refusing-to-recant-christian-faith/

Go read the article. It's an amazing story. I will be praying fervently for that man for the next few days. What an honor for him, to be persecuted for his faith in Christ. He will surely have great rewards in Heaven. A lot of people are reading this article and are getting angry at the Iranians, claiming how cruel and stupid they are. But I read it and smile because I see God in this. God is working in this. I am so proud of Nadarkhani for responding so well; being respectful and refusing to renounce his belief. It has to be hard when a whole country demands for you to abandon your relationship with Christ, even your wife. 

Stay strong, Nadarkhani! God is with you. You have my prayers.


It's so amazing to see how God plans things. He meant for this to happen. This will encourage Christians around the world to be bold about their faith, to not let go, to gain and keep passion for our Lord. This will say something about Christianity. This will show how we can be devoted, too. 

You know everyone talks about how crazy those Muslim extremists are. And it's true, they do insane things that we see as ridiculous and ignorant. But at least they are dedicated to their faith. They are more devoted than most Christians are, and we have the real thing! We could learn something from Muslims.


But anyway, I am loving what is happening with this. It gets me so excited. I am not upset about his fate of execution, because if this follows through, he will be with God soon and will be greatly rewarded for his dedication. And he will leave a resounding impact here in the mortal world. 

This is good news. Let us be encouraged. Let us pray for him. I hope he knows that he has brothers and sisters across the globe praying for him, supporting him, loving him.


Be in constant prayer,
Sarah

And so the list begins...

I know it's a little early, but I was just thinking about what my New Year's Resolution will be for 2012 and a commercial helped me decide. The  commercial pointed out "You have 52 weekends in a year, make them count" so that's just what I'm going to do. I'm going to make a list of 52 things to do on the weekend so I will never have a boring weekend. And this list won't contain things such as "hang out with friends" or "write" but of legit, awesome things. I'm going to make 2012 a little more exciting. :) And I will make some of them mission opportunities. And so the list begins... 


1.) Go rock climbing with friends


Cheers!
Sarah

I want to do something greater than this

I want to make a difference. I know hundreds of people say that (heck, it's starting to become a cliche) but it's true. I want to leave this world better than how I came into it. I want to prove to people that there is Love and it is evident and powerful. I want to go, do. I want to be the hands and feet of Christ. I want to do more with my life than exist in this little bubble. I want to live. I want to serve. And it's so hard when God says no to awesome opportunities (yes, I'm talking about Slovakia and then there's Belarus and Thailand too). But I will obey and wait for my time. 


God in my hoping,
There in my dreaming.
God in my watching,
God in my waiting.


Sarah

Inspiration-starved

I haven't written in forever. It makes me sad. I love to write; to form pictures out of words; to convey a dream, an inspiration; to give feelings and emotions a voice. But I have been exceptionally lacking in inspiration in the past few... months. Maybe I'll go back to one of my old stories and work on it. 


Oh well... hopefully God will inspire me with something soon. I hope you have had a great week!


Cheers!
Sarah

 

I absolutely love this picture.

Good talks

Today in my Bible fellowship group, my friend was telling us about this atheist that was talking to her about Christianity and asking her all these difficult questions. Things like, how do you know the Bible is real? How do you know God wrote the Bible? Why do you believe in God? But one thing she said he asked was "If you believe in the Bible, why don't you carry one around?" And that really struck me. Cause he's right. Some kids have the Bible on their phone but if it really means that much to us, why don't we have it with us all the time? I mean, I don't carry mine around everywhere I go. And I probably should. But it's so much more convicting when a nonbeliever calls you out on your flaws. 


A little bit later that same girl was telling us how she has heard the voice of God before. Oooh, it gave me chills. It gave everyone chills. And that's how we knew it was true. She said she heard Him talking to someone, that His voice was deep and melodic and more beautiful than anything you can describe. Oh, it's enough to make me melt. Can you imagine how perfectly, irresistibly lovely the Almighty's voice is? How magical it would be to hear it? It fills me with a warm, all-encompassing love and fascination for our King and Shepard. 

We had some great discussions today. Talking about God's will, being willing to go to the extreme for Him, about loving everyone - even atheists and homosexuals - and about how we can reach out and be a light to those around us. There's this slide that is always played in our youth house and it says "You may be the only Jesus to people." And it's so true. We need to be an example of God's love, like Jesus was. And it's hard when you go to a private, Christian school like me. But God has a plan for you. And for me. And we need to be willing.


Sarah

Oh, that's a brilliant idea

So over the past week or two, we've been going over this very large and complicated chapter in biology. The majority of us didn't even understand what was going on until today. We had no idea when our test would be and then today our teacher says "Well, I was planning on having the test Tuesday, but I saw that you 10th graders have two other tests that day. So we can vote to see if we will take it Tuesday or tomorrow." What she failed to realize is that half of the class is also freshmen who have 5 tests tomorrow as it is. So she asks for those in favor of taking it tomorrow and all of six people raise their hands (this is in a class of like 20) and so instead of agreeing with the majority, she says, "Oh, well I'm just going to veto the option to do it Tuesday. We'll do it tomorrow anyway." >:/ 


SO... we are given one evening to completely understand two sub-kingdoms, one with four phylums and one way of classifying, and the other with five phylums and three ways of classifying, plus the unique characteristics of each phylum and an example of each. Yayyyyy..... this does not make me happy. 


So with my Starbucks double-shot frappuccino from earlier, and with a mind set on determination, I will conquer kingdom Protista. Because if we get an 85 or above on this test, we won't have to outline the entire next chapter like we did with this one. 


Pray for me.


Sarah

My resolve

I am independent and free,
There is nothing to stop me.
Throw off the sin that so easily entangles,
And throw yourself into the arms of the Most High.
He is wide and He is deep and He is high,
And He is love.
You could ask more nothing more. <3

Sarah

Photos

Fun. :)

Colors.

Forest.

Travel.

Writing down my feelings

A strange mix is stirring in my heart,Something effervescent is flipping up from deep in me,
And yet also there is an airy praise,
That floats up to my God like mist.
Like large waves of oil and  water,
These feelings collide.
Desires and reality refuse to coincide,
I abstain from blaming myself. 
What, Lord, do you have to say? 
What shall I do about this?
Your voice is muffled through the distance I've created.
All else will pass away, even lovers,
All except You. 
So why drown yourself in this world
When you can drown yourself in His love? 
Preaching to the choir when I should be preaching to myself.
Do you love the Lord, your God? Yes.
Then you should strive for Him.
He will give you the desires of your heart,
When you seek His face. 
Just wait for me...
Don't forget me...

Good or bad?

I can't tell if today was good or bad. English class was fun because we did that story telling festival thing and there were some really funny and entertaining stories, but I also just found out I'm failing Spanish 2. But it's only partly my fault. I forgot to bring these two assignments to class one day and Senora Croley will NOT accept late homework so I have these two, ugly zeros up there. And on top of that, she has posted all of 5 grades. As soon as she posts the 100s I've gotten the past few days for homework and quizzes then surely it will come up. But it really sucks to look at it. I mean, I understand what we're learning. It's super easy. I ace all the quizzes. But those zeros really hit you hard. If my mom sees she's gonna FLIP. Ughhh


So for now, I'm trying to drown myself in Nana Grizol. Halfway literally. I wanna to lie down and go into a coma of Nana Grizol and Toby Foster.... and Mumford and Sons. Just for a couple of days. Anyway, I better go study for a Spanish quiz tomorrow... and a science test... Joy. 


Sarah :/

New Favorite

I've finally gotten over country music. I used to like it, then I only liked some of it, and now I just... don't. I have found a new band that I really, really like. It's called Nana Grizol. (Yes, it's a weird name, get over it). Some of my favorites are Circles 'Round the Moon, Cynicism, and Tambourine 'n Thyme. 


Oh! And then there is Toby Foster. Oh, my, my, my. I adore Toby Foster! He is so, amazingly good. He is an unbelievably good musician and he has a very unique way of singing which I can't get enough of. He looks so young. But my brother has met him (he's in Atlanta, if I'm thinking of the right person) at a house concert (when tiny, underground, no-name bands go to someone's house and play and people come and listen) and apparently he's really cool. Here is him playing one of his songs, Speech Patterns: 

I just love it. Anyway, there you go. That's what I listen to on top of Mumford and Sons, Avett Brothers, Blink 182, Brand New, Green Day, and a few others. Just in case you were wondering...


Sarah :)

Opportunities and disappointments

So, I have some really, really exciting news and then reality falling right behind. Good news always goes first so here we go:

My church is giving the high school students a chance to go on a mission trip to Jelsava, Slovakia this coming up summer. We would be helping with sports, English camps, spiritual surveying, door-to-door witnessing and community service projects. Our youth group has a special heart for these people, the Roma people. For the past three years, the church camp we go to have been taking up offerings to support the Roma people. We bought bracelets and other things to remind us to pray for them. It is like a dream come true to be able to go and meet them. BUT, the cost is whole other issue. It is $875 PLUS AIRFARE, plus the cost of a passport plus money for food while traveling plus extra spending money. Considering a ticket to Slovakia is about $1,500, this trip would add up to be about $2,500. In other words, I'm not going.

Then there is another trip that is offered to me by my school. This coming up summer, my school is going to China. They have gone before (they have connections with people in China) and are planning on going again. We would do lots of touristy stuff, you know, sight seeing and shopping and eating. But one of the days we would also go and help teach English somewhere. I would also love to go on this, I mean, hello, it's China. We would go see the Great Wall! One of the Seven Wonders of the World! Heck, I may never get this chance again! However, the price of this trip will be as much if not more than the Slovakia trip.

And considering how my mother doesn't believe in sending out support letters, getting the money for either of these would be very difficult. Of course, if God is calling me to go, I know He will provide. And it would be amazing to watch Him supply the money. But I am not yet convinced He has really called me to go on either trip. I need to pray about it more.

But anyway, there are my two unbelievable opportunities and the tragic realities that come with them. Pray that I will follow where God leads me and be content if He wants me to stay.

Sarah

This is just how I feel right now...

I think I would be perfectly happy to be by myself for the rest of my life. I have God and I have friends. I don’t need a boy to feel good about myself. I don’t want to waste time dealing with sappy flirting and mixed emotions. I could just sit here on my floor all by myself with my thoughts to keep me company. I have many thoughts to think. I can laugh with my friends and spend time with my family. There is no need for a boy. Not now. Not yet. Maybe not ever. I am content with Jesus and with myself. God can take me on many adventures. He can show me exciting things; things a lot more exciting than awkward dates and nerve racking, meet-the-parents dinners. Yes, all of those things are pointless and too much trouble. 

Keep life simple, keep it pure. Take only what you need. This is a big world and many opportunities will arrive at our doors. The world is open to us. We are free to make our choices. Don’t let your life pass by unnoticed. We are given each day for a purpose. Be productive in every way. Don’t only please yourself, but strive to please others. Face your fears and overcome them. Own up to your mistakes and learn from them. In everything, bring glory to God and love Him with your whole being.

Sarah

Art

I am taking an art history class this year and while I'm not too keen on actually drawing and learning about things like perspective and the color wheel, the pictures of art in the book is absolutely beautiful. I love to flip through and look at the exquisite paintings and flawless sculptures. Here are two of my favorites.

I absolutely adore this painting. The look on her face, the room, the draping sheets, the light. I could not imagine it more perfect.

The David statue. I love it. If you are mature enough to look past his obvious nakedness, you notice the amazing details. His muscles, his hair, his eyes, his hands and feet. It's all so realistic. It's amazing how a human body can come out of a chunk of rock. It's beautiful. 


There are many more but I can't find them online. I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did. I better go now. Have a good week!


Sarah