My Mom!!!!!

A hero to me is someone who you look up to, someone that you can model yourself after. Someone who sets and example for you and someone with a good set of morals and values. My mom is this person to me. She has always been there for me, and has always tried to provide the best for me. My mom has shown me right from wrong and has provided me with everything I need to succeed. She is the strongest person that I know and exhibits all the qualities of a leader and a hero. .


In addition to my mom always being there for me she has also inspired me. She has been setting examples for me to follow since I was little. She has been there to set rules for me and guide me. She has been there to catch me when I fall and to help me get back up when I need it. She has done all of this without asking for anything in return. She has done it all out of the goodness of her heart. I have never heard her complain about picking me from band practice or getting my sister from basketball practice. She did it because she wanted the best for me and my sister.


She is my hero because she has made me into who I am today. Without my mom I would not have had any of the values that she has instilled in me over the years. I would not know the virtues of good will and family. I will never be able to repay my mom for the things that she has given to me and the things she has done for me.

My mom is the most influential person in my life. She is loved by all. She is a mother, wife, sister and daughter. She is always strong and she is like the threads of a quilt that hold us together. She is a flower whose petals will never wilt. As much as she denies it, she is beautiful inside and out. Her kindness and unselfishness is what makes her shine throughout. I don't think she comprehends how much I appreciate her everyday and how much she means to me. She is perfect to me in every way possible.

Because you are my mom you loved me before I was ever seen. You thanked God for this miracle, this little human being. Because you are my mom no pain was too great for you to bear. You're a mother and I your child with joys and pains to share and so into this world my life began each breath on my own. Because you are my mom you worried for me within every bone. You let go of my little hand to take my first steps on my own. Because you are my mom you've showed me through the years to care about others and their feelings and the things that they hold tightly. Because you are my mom you've taught me right from wrong. Understanding that my faith in God will forever keep me strong. Showing me that being my own person is the only tool I'll need when morals and values are your foundation to success. Because you are my mom you loved me enough to also be my friend. You would be right there in ways that no one could see or ever comprehend. When there was no way I thought you could ever understand, there you would be, non-judging and willing to lend a hand.  Because you are my mom you have guided me through all the challenges in my 18 years of life. Because you are my mom, God's gift to me was you, and as your daughter I will always love you and promise to be true. I thank you for so many things and will try to never make you sad or blue.

To be a mother is not an easy task, yet you do it proudly everyday no matter what is asked. You have turned your baby girl into a young lady. You were there for me since the very beginning and saved me countless tears. The silly and wise advice you give will carry me through the years. With my every mistake and wrongful deed, you were always there to understand. You put no limits on my dreams or anything else I wish to do. You never forget to say you care or that you love me. The smile and tears upon your face when I achieve things provides me with more value in my heart  then you'd ever believe. There is no other person that will shape my heart the way you have done. You have always put in your time with love and my whole life is not enough time for me to repay you. We always put our disagreements to the side and manage to make it through. I know that Sarah and I have driven you crazy buy you have guided us with assurance along the way. You have given me comfort and certainty with every breath I take within the day. Your little girl is growing up but your baby girl will always remain deep inside me. There are not enough words that can thank you for everything you have helped me emotionally and physically. I have my whole future ahead of me and you are the women that has lead me and guided me towards the proper path.

I love you so much mom!!!
 Who??
How Long??
How Much??

Happiness

 Happiness is a gift that we can all enjoy if we choose to; it enters your life when you let your thinking patterns take a more positive angle. Rather than coming to negative conclusions hastily, the key is taking time to think about a situation in its entirety. A new angle on things will reveal itself which will make you understand why things happen the way they do.

Learn to smile and laugh a lot more, it is infectious and soon you have others around you doing the same and time seems to pass by a lot better. We all have come across people who have been through all sorts or problems in life and yet they have not stopped laughing or smiling.  In fact, one of my closest friends is going through a pretty rough patch in life with her family. She is always smiling and laughing and acting as if nothing is happening. She is always in a happy silly mood even though things are pretty difficult at home. She is a perfect example to follow and she proves that even in difficult times she has not given up hope or given up on life.

To be loved gives a lot of happiness but to get this love you have to give it. Do not hesitate to show your love and care for those that need it the most. You will be surprised in what a little love to a person can do. Here's a challenge for you, tomorrow during school or work, go up to someone and compliment them. I know my youth pastor has told us to do this but now I'm challenging you to do it to. Happiness comes from giving to those around you. The irony of life is that that happiness lies in the simplest things of life and it does not have to cost a penny. Wouldn't it be sad if we spent our lives not being happy and making everyone else around us unhappy as well??


My definition of being happy is that it isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy. It is what you think about it. For me, something as simple as living and being with my family makes me happy. I especially love Christmas and Thanksgiving because we all come together to celebrate the holidays and everyone's together and everyone's happy. I love being with all my family.



My family is a safe zone where I can be myself. I never have to explain myself to my family because they really know who I am. I can cry too hard or laugh too loud and never worry what they will think of me. It makes me happy knowing that I have a home to come back to after a long day at school and it especially makes me happy knowing that when I'm in college next year and not living with my family, they will always be open armed for me to come home for a weekend. I don't need to fear that someone may lie to me or hurt me because I know that my family will do the best things for me. Moreover, my family will give me advice if and when I need it, but they will not judge me.

While living with my family, I can see their beautiful faces and help them whenever I have the opportunity to, which always makes me happy. Some people say that, a person will change his or her thinking about happiness at each stage of life. They may be right, but one thing which I am sure that will never change is the hope of a healthy and happy family. Have you ever seen your sibling or close family member playing games or sports with their friends with a smile? I think the answer is "yes". With me, the times when my sister is playing "DJ" in the car and changing the song every 15 seconds cause she gets bored of the song, makes me happy because I know she's only being Sarah, her crazy wild self, and she's happy, or its when my mom has me run errands because my dad has her tied up at work answering phones, or its when my dad needs someone to ride the horses with him. He loves to ride the horses and I know it makes him extremely happy. It makes me happy knowing I can be there to help my family.

All in all, nothing is better than a family. I am happy because I have a home that's welcome to me all the time. I can love and be loved by every single person in my family. I hope that they can go with me to the end of life.

If you still live with your family, give them all your love. Try not to forget about your family and spend all your happiness on material things and forget the real meaning of happiness around you.

My Other Half!

There are no words to describe how much I love and adore my family! I was truly blessed to have such an amazing and inspiring family! I am very thankful to have a family who supports me in any decisions that I make. Along with that I have a considerate sister who is known as my other half.

I believe in the bonds of sisterhood. A sister can be your best friend, but will always be more than simply a best friend. She will always be there for me, in good times and bad. She truly knows me and understands me like no one else ever will.
I have one sister and her name is Sarah. I love my sister with all my heart. I will always appreciate everything shes done for me, big and small. I will always treasure the silly and serious times we've had together. I only hope that I have been and will always be the support system that she needs.

My sister has helped me through those hard and good times in my life. While she has always been very close to me, I only recently realized how much the support from my sister has influenced my life. She's more than just my best friend she is my sister! I get the joys of calling her both! There is something about a sister bond that will never break. Friends will come and go throughout the different stages of my life, but I am stuck with my sister forever. Every little argument between us is easily overcome. When I argue with my sister, we are laughing together again merely a few minutes later. I suppose that the bond between me and my sister is partly the fact that we are flesh and blood. But also because we have, well we don't have to but we choose to spend so much time together, we have to like each other. If we didn't, life wouldn't be as much fun as it is!

The second part of the bond is the love from one heart to another. We understand each other without ever having to explain ourselves. If I am upset, Sarah may not know exactly why, but she will immediately know what to do to cheer me up. My sadness is her sadness, and my happiness is her happiness. I share her feelings in return. When my sister accomplishes something, I am truly proud of her. There is no jealously between us. The bonds sisters share are completely genuine, which is something you have to worry about between friends. A friendship between sisters is unbreakable, unchangeable, and impossible to describe in words. Sisterhood is the ultimate friendship that lasts a lifetime.


My sister has taught me a lot of what I know, from how to flawlessly apply mascara (you have to move the brush side to side, not just up and down), how to have integrity in my relationships with God and others, how to have fun in life and to not care what others think of me. What she may have never realized is that the most important lesson she has taught me was the lesson of sisterhood: the importance of deep friendships that can exist no matter where we live, single or dating, and the daily problems that might bring us down.

Sisterhood has some serious spiritual growth applications. James says that we must "confess our sins to each other and pray for each other so that we may be healed" (James 5:16). The bible commands us to develop the kind of friendships in which we can confess our sins to one another, and trust that those with whom we are confessing to will not judge us, but instead, will life us up and pray for the healing of our sins. God gave us sisters and told us to live in a community with one another, not simply so that we won't get lonely, but so we can help one another grow, and get one another through the rocky places we all face on our spiritual paths.

I love you so much Sarah! You mean more to me then you'll ever know! I hope our relationship as sisters and best friends continue to grow as our lives are moving on!

What Is Love

What is love? Millions of people say "I love you" everyday, throwing the phrase around without wondering what the word truly means. Defined in the dictionary, love is "a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties". How ever there are many different meanings of "love". There's romantic love; a love between two people, which is considered to be both intimate and sexual. The love between friends, parents and their children, a respectful love for a mentor or hero, a passionate love for an activity a person likes, and the kind of love or devotion to God. To me, love applies to all of the above. I love my family, my dog, my friends, God, writing, reading and music. Each of these however, are different. I don't feel the same about my mother as I do my best friend. That's why I think that love cannot be defined with merely one definition, but Several.

When one first thinks of love they immediately think of the romantic kind. Although I've never personally felt this, I've been told that being "in love" makes your heart beat every time you think of that person, your hands get clammy, you almost feel like you are going to be sick because you're not sure what to say or how to act. When you talk to that person you hope that the moment last forever. Both of the people in the relationship try to make the other a better person and help them to grow. Sometimes you want to put the others happiness before your own but at the same time, you want them to make you happy as well. You love the other person for everything they are, even their flaws. Many different emotions spring up, not always the positive ones, including anger, frustration, selfishness, lust, happiness, loneliness, longing, sadness, and passion. Often being in love cannot be describable. This particular love is a complicated one but a love everyone desires.

I think family is a group of people united not only by blood, but by the love of God! Loving your family is completely different than a romantic love. When I tell my family I love them, I'm not meaning it like I'm in love with them or attracted to them. In a sense, I'm telling them how much they mean to me and how grateful I am that they are in my life. A family's bond can be stronger than any other kind of love. I know my parents would do anything for me and I feel completely at ease when I am surrounded by family. They don't judge you or frown upon your disabilities or quirky behavior. My parents have given me so much because they "love" me. This kind of love is some what like a friendship. Friends provide "companionship, are fun to be with; people you have a connection to. I have many friends who I admire, with each friend different makes me love them in different ways.

When visiting with my friends, we will occasionally bring up our passions in life. Some of my friends dream of becoming an amazing guitarist and tour the world, some want to take3 different forms of art classes while also doodling in their notebook to become a famous artist, some play the saxophone for 10 hours a day in hopes of becoming famous. I know for myself, I absolutely love helping people but not just any people, I especially love helping kids in any way possible. When doing that I can be myself and feel a great sense of joy. This applies to anyone who feels a great "love" for what they do.

 

One of the last loves, and the most important one to me, is the love for God my creator. He actually is my role model for love because he loved us so much he sent his only son to die for us. My love for God is different than loving a boyfriend, a friend, or a family member. As sad as it is, any of these people can leave and break your "love" connection. I know God will never leave me and he shows me everyday how much he loves me. Even people who do not believe in God, "have a love for nature, a love for the earth, and a love for the gift of life, not matter what or who you think made the universe. In fact, I think God sets his standards in the bible for what the definition for love truly is and what it means. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 of the Bible states "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." These words set the tone for any love relationship a person has and will have. The word love is too big and meaningful to be defined by the dictionary.

"One More Time"

This post is about a time during band camp in August!

The temperature is nearing over 80 degrees, Fahrenheit. Most people are inside, sipping icy water or soda's and watching movies or surfing the Internet. They are taking advantage of their summer vacations, but you are not. Instead, you are standing in your old worn pair of Nike's and that pair of shorts from seventh grade that you swore you would never wear, sweating away that smoothie you drank for lunch. Nobody wants to be out in this heat, but you are not alone. Even the Pom-Pom squad, who practices on a football field just like you, is inside in the cool air of the gym, drinking Diet Cokes and eating celery sticks. But you are outside, clutching a hot metal instrument in your sweating hands and wishing you hadn't downed that water bottle in one gulp.

Your mind starts to drift; you have been standing in the same set for about half an hour, waiting for the massive clarinet section to straighten out their sets and positions so that the show can continue. Camp for the day will be coming to a close soon--the sun is sweltering in its position near the 3 o'clock setting. Letting your thoughts fade, you glance over at the rest of your section. They are talking and complaining about the heat, dressed in light colored tank tops and t-shirts and shorts very similar to your own. One of the members, your friend, glances over at you and manages a sunburned grin before turning back to the conversation. You stay silent, too tired to do much but march and stand.

"Let's get this right! One more time!" hollers the director from the box on top of the bleachers. One of the drum majors, the senior on grunt duty, starts to pound out a beat- the tempo to the song you are working on. Although you know it will not be 'one more time' or anything close, you sight and raise your instrument to your lips. You flinch as it burns; the mouthpiece has been exposed to too much sun and is therefore about the temperature of a kiln.

The director waves his arms like a monkey and the band starts to move, staggering from formation to formation. You follow your friend, taking meticulous care to stay on step....left, right, left, right, left....Twelve measures later, the director cuts you off in exasperation and proceeds to shout out some "encouraging" lecture over the loud speaker. You listen with one ear, not paying as much attention as you should, letting your eyes wander over the skyline watching the birds fly from trees around you.

As soon at the fateful phrase, "One More Time!", is uttered, your tromp back to the previous position to try the process again. Again, you stay in step and in position while the director attempts to direct, and again you hear an "encouraging" lecture, reworded for variety. As "One More Time!" comes again, you head back to the spot you just vacated. You are caught in a loop, you are quite positive of this now.

"I can't believe they keep making us repeat twelves measures!" your friend complains, running a hand through her sweat- damp hair. "This is absolutely ridiculous!"

You agree as you watch the clarinet players try to fix themselves for the third time in an hour and a half. Now the saxophones are having a problem as well, and are standing in chattering groups while the leaders try to sort everything out. Sighing, you kneel down in your spot and glance around. The rest of the low winds section are kneeling as well, each member perfectly on his or her spot.

By the time you head home, you are quite sure you know the meaning of "One More Time!" "One More Time! is not to be taken in the terms most regular people would use. Translated literally, "One" in The Great Band Dictionary, actually means "Four or more." "Time" is translated to be an incomprehensible number, somewhere between one and ten. So, literally, this saying means "More than four or more times an unidentified number." An easy translation is, "You're going to do this until you get it right or you won't go home!" They used the words "One More Time!" to give future band students an optimistic saying to believe.

What is a Friend?

We all have people in our lives that we consider to be friends of ours. However, what is a friend? Are there different levels to a friendship? How do you know what kind of friendship you have with different people in your life? There are many things that we consider before choosing friends and at what level you want that friendship to be at or go to.

 I feel that there are four main groups of friends in my life. The first group is what I consider to be acquaintances.

This group is basically made up of those people that you talk to, that you get along with more or less. They tend to be people that you work with or go to school with. You see them everyday and talk to them but normally not outside of the place that you always see them at. If you run into them on the street, you would say hello or wave to. You wouldn't stop and talk to them for a longer period of time. Just long enough for you to acknowledge them and them to acknowledge you back.

The second and third group is the friends/close friends group.

Those that you hang around. They know a lot about you and vice a versa. They are people that you have grown to trust and they trust in you. I personally have many close friends!
They more than likely know your parents in some manner. They are there for you when you need advice. They help you when you don't understand the Algebra homework. Friends have the same interests that you have, like music in my case. They tell you when an outfit makes you look like a yield sign or a highlighter. These are people that you miss when you're on vacation for a week or away from home for the summer.

The final group are your best friends. The friends that know you like the back of their hand.

You know the kind.....the ones that can finish your sentence before your even done thinking about what to say next, those are your best friends. They know your parents really well cause they are over at your house all the time. They are honest with you. They are always there when you need a shoulder to cry on. You call them or text them just to talk to them when you need to talk. They are those people in the world that you just don't know what you would do without them. They are the friends that you don't have to miss when you're on vacation for a week or away from home for the summer because they are right by your side when you are gone. Best friends are people you know you don’t need to talk to every single day. You don’t even need to talk to each other for weeks, but when you do, it’s like you never stopped talking.

I have a best friend and her name is Michelle. She is my inspiration for my life! I look up to her in so many ways that are possible. We are with each other every single day and our friendship grows every single day!  We are nothing alike yet we're best friends. I trust her with all my heart. I can trust her with anything and not have to worry about her telling my secrets. Our freshman Biology teacher is the cause for our friendship!  She has a bubbly personality that lights up the whole room! She is a true follower of God and share the same love for God! She doesn't care what people say or think about her which is one thing I truly love! She is always there for me no matter what! I know when we go our separate ways for college and whether we live 10 minutes from each other or 3 hours from each other we will always have each others backs!


Ecclesiastes 4:9-11
⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: ¹⁰ If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! ¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?

Nicole!

As an individual we all have something that is very meaningful in our life. For some of us it may be reaching out to someone, families, listening to our hearts and many other things of importance. Personally, family is the most important aspect in my life, especially the relationship I have with my cousin.

I have many close relationships with my cousins. I am so grateful for that, but the relationship I have with my cousin Nicole is very extraordinary. Not many cousins are as close as she and I are. A lot of cousins get on each others nerves and have several disagreements but I probably can count in one hand the amount of times we had an argument or disagreement.

She has played a significant role model in my life. She has always catered to me and taught me valuable lessons in life such as in relationships and with boys! I can always depend on her to be there for me with the right words of advice and help to guide me in my choices. My mistakes are for me to make, but she is always right there to cheer me back once I have realized my faults.

The hardest thing about her being so far from me is not being able to see her everyday or having our daily conversations about events that have happened or our morning devotions and discussing how God has worked in our lives. I know for a fact that my life and my attitude toward life would be different if I didn't have her to look up to. There have been so many times in life when I would have given up but her support and love are there to guide me.

My Cousin Nicole!

Her footsteps act as a guidance plan for my life, it gives me the chance to learn from her bests and worsts. I listen to her advice because it's some of the best. I learn from her mistakes, but she gives me the lenience to make my own mistakes. I enjoy seeing Nicole live her life to the fullest. It gives me the urge to follow in her footsteps. I love her personality, smile, and silliness. I love the way she goes out of her way to make my days better when they're down. I love the laughs that we have had and I love the things we do together. And most of all, I love who she has become. I see her changing and becoming something better than what she use to be. I love the way that she is and everything that she is. And I love that no one can change her except for God. Only she can change herself for the better or for the worse. I've seen all the good things that she has done. Everything that she is, and everything that she will be in the future is just amazing. She is my role model, she is my hero in life, she is my everything. And most of all, she is my over protective big sister that I love with my all heart!

 Best friends, cousins,

1 Timothy 4:12
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.