"Smash Goes the Finger"

"Slam!"

That's what I heard last Saturday night in the pitch black darkness. I had closed my dads truck door and ended up crushing my finger in between the door and the frame.

 

See how tight that is?.....

 

 

....and see how big my finger is compared to that?!

 

I was very much hurting a lot when it happened. When it did happen, I immediately yanked it out without opening the door whatsoever. I did a dance to where I lifted my finger up to the heavens, and then down between my legs. Didn't hurt enough to cry, but it still left me cowering away. Bad door!!

 

Here's what it looked like all until today:

 

 

Very painful. I went to the ER today and got it looked at because the swelling still hasn't gone down yet, and my mom thought it might be fractured. We both felt silly going there for a finger, but we went anyway and got all the blood under my fingernail by drilling a tiny whole in it. Don't worry, didn't hurt. Now it's looking a lot better, and I hope my fingernail grows back fast! (Oh yeah, forgot that part. I'm actually going to lose it, pretty disgusting huh?) ;)

 

So that's pretty much it really........im out of the phase of using "keep on keeping-on", it sounds really cheesy to me now. How about ending this with a bible verse?

 

"17 For I will restore health to you,

and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord,"

 

-Jeremiah 30-17a

Rewind, We've Missed Something!!

Doesn't that happen a lot? I know it does I our family, and once again I haven't posted in about 6 days, so let me just give you the summary of what's happened so far so you wont be left out of anything:

 

 

Last Friday, my whole family wore blue to honor the many fallen cops around the U.S. That's terrible that our police officers are being prosecuted, and so we decided to wear blue in honor of them.

 

 

 Then last Saturday we walked down the street picking up trash that people dumped on the side od the road. Very messy and disgusting, we didn't even come close to finishing, but we did pick up a lot. I hope that helped a little.

 

Finally, last Monday (Labor Day), me and some friends went out to some land took their Samurai for a spin, do some fishing, and kayaking. The Samurai was a stick shift, so I gave it a spin. It was pretty fun to tell ya the truth!!



 

Here's Grace taking the kayak out. She thinks she's so cool doing that...... What? I didn't say she was wrong. ;)

 

 

So that basically sums up my week in a single post. Hope it was exciting enough to actually post! Until next time!!

9/11 Tragedy

I was going to post something else, but ill keep it off till later because this is much more important. Today is a very special day for Americans, and not in a good way. This date on September 11, 2001, several major tragedies happened in the U.S. that will never be forgotten. At 8:45am, a hijacked airliner (Boeing 767) crashed into the 1 World Trade Center, and at 9:06am another hijacked airliner struck the 2 World Trade Center. Many people died in those buildings, law enforcement and civilians alike. It's terrible to think that someone would organize such a thing..

To make matters worse, then two more airplanes were sent on crash courses and hit the Pentagon at 9:40am, and another was grounded in the middle of Shanksville, Pennsylvania around 10:37am. The location for the actual impact of the one that landed in the Shanksville field is unknown, but we do know that the passengers on board were heroes that day, because they kept the terrorist from reaching wherever he was headed by fighting back.

Thousands of people died in those buildings and we should never forget the passengers that did something and how they risked their lives to save millions. I pray people don't forget the day all this happened, and how the United States came together to search out the person(s) who organized this and killed millions of innocents. I know this isn't much to say for this tragic day in American history, I could go on forever talking about it. But I'm not because I want you to look up what happened. Look up all the devastation and sorrow that everyone had afterwards, and then find out that something extraordinary was found at the site two days later. Here is a link to it because this is something I want yall to see. Please watch, remember, and never forget!

Ground Zero Artifact

A Puzzle(ing) Thought

I got this new puzzle from the Dollar Store right before school started, and have been working on it slowly ever since. Today I finally finished it and am very proud of myself, not necessarily because it was a 500 piece puzzle, but what the final product looks like. 

 

This is a picture of Jesus being invited to the house of Simon the Pharisee. Everyone's there, Jesus, Simon, the sinful woman who rushed in and laid at Jesus' feet and cleaned them with her tears and perfume, and Simon's servants.

 

 

 I found this puzzle and really wanted it, so I bought it and started on it that day. I finished it today and at first was basically just happy I finished it, but the more I think about it, the more it relates to me and the more puzzle(ing) it gets. ;)

You see, if you think about it, the puzzle can represent several different things depending on how you look at it. You could think of it like how Jesus is the puzzle builder and you are the end product of the puzzle, and that it shows that when you are completed, you will be fully with Christ. Or if you keep viewing yourself as the puzzle, it could show that the Holy Spirit (aka Jesus) is inside of you. Or maybe you can just use it as a direct reference to God, and that the picture reminds you of the story and that the puzzle symbolizes that He is the only one who can truly help you piece yourself back together.

 

This puzzles me because it reminds me of how great God is. He is always there for us and uses other people to get His Word out there. He used James E. Seward who painted this picture, then He used the company SunsOut to turn copies into puzzles. After that He used the Dollar Store by having them get the puzzle, and now I'm talking about it on my blog. He wanted me to post this, though I don't know for what reason. That's what puzzles me, and it ain't a bad puzzlement either. Makes ya think a little, doesn't it? ;)

Ill end it with that to think about. Think about how He might be using you in your life. I wont have an "Answering Post" like last time, this is just something to think about. Until next time I post, keep on keeping-on!!!

Caden's B-Day For 2051

Actually 2015, my bad. Man that would make him 48 years old! He's looking good!! Haha, anyways Happy Birthday Caden!!! Little late for this post, his birthday was yesterday. 13 years ago on August 27, 2002, my little brother was born!!!! Granted, I wasn't happy about it at first; all the attention that 3yr old me had shifted mostly to him. I wasn't happy about it at all.

BUT lets not dwell in the past, he's now 13!!!!! He has now officially become a teen, yet he really wasn't over-excited about it. He wouldn't give us a single present option and didn't want to go out to eat, so as you can imagine he was hard to shop for. Luckily my parents ordered pizza and found the perfect presents for him.

 

"Perfect Pushup Elite"

That device actually works pretty good! I tried it out and was sore after 20; I can usually do 40-50 without stopping!! I may try those out again; next time you see me ill be as buff as the guy on the box. ;)

 

Ah, a new toolbox. He continues to get more tools, and has lost room for his second toolkit. Man, it's like he enjoys working or something!! ;)

 

(By the way, if you don't know him, he absolutely loves to work outside. Not inside, he hates doing chores. But he loves to be outdoors working with his tools. That's why I put the ;) behind my remark. Now I hope all confusion has left your mind...for now at least.)

 

 

Yall remember when I said you wont see him smiling a whole lot on here? Well he didn't mind this time, cuz he got cake!! A football cake to be precise. He loves football and cake, so of course he smiled!!!

Lol, he sure had a lot of fun during his birthday; I hope next year is just as great (or more) than this one was. Until next time, all yall just keep on keeping-on till next time!!!

The Light Among the Darkness

Today has been busy. As most of you know, today was the first day of school. To be honest, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Sure, I got aggravated quite a few times cuz nothing was working like it was supposed to and so I only got one task done, but everything worked out in the end. In fact, a friend of mine just got a new adopted brother today!

I was up at the courthouse in Marshall for a couple hours this morning, and witnessed it all. The judge said that was his first adoption-related case ever and that it was one of the happiest ending ones that he's been a part of. Marvelous!!

So yeah, today wasn't a total disaster after all. In the end we came out smiling. :)
Yall don't ever lose hope; as long as you let God in, it wont matter what happens to you in this life. Just keep looking at Gods miracles and keep on keeping-on!!!

The Answer

Ok, it's Tuesday and I've kept yall waiting long enough. I posted those questions Saturday to get yall to think about what you could do to change the world with God. Every single one of us makes mistakes and doesn't take the leap of faith to do what God wants us to do. I recently failed at doing what He wanted me to do.

I was on vacation, and the night before we were heading off, I got this awesome idea to do some outreach while I was there. Why not right? I had everything planned out: Bible, Pen, Notepad, even an email account so I could stay in contact with the people I minister to. They could ask questions about anything I couldn't say then, or maybe new questions they had just thought of. Brilliant right?? ......Well that's what I thought too, and even through most of the day on the way there. BUT, as soon as I reached the city, I was so tired, I put it off. Again and again and again...We were there for three days and two nights!! I could've done something, SOMETHING!!!!

Sigh...but yeah, we all do this. We all disappoint and fail, but never give up, because He will help you if you let Him. Some of you are probably thinking this: "I don't feel Him. I know I should and I believe in Him, but I just don't feel inspired to help." or, "I do feel inspired to help, but like you I put it off for selfish needs that I can't seem to overcome." Well good news, cuz I have an answer for both.

"I don't feel Him. I know I should and I believe in Him, but I just don't feel inspired to help."
To start off, I will answer this one first. I used to struggle with this, and to be honest, you never truly stop feeling this way about certain things. You will always feel like you just aren't being called to do anything during certain points all throughout your life, there's no stopping it. The best way to stop is to pray. You can also try to basically do something. That's much easier said than done, but that's the best first step. Do something that you normally wouldn't do, something out of your comfort zone. Something that you think God would want you to do, such as something as simple as talking to your siblings or friends about Jesus, seeing how their journey with Christ is going. This helps both ways, because they get to think about exactly where they are at spiritually, and you will get more experience!
Another way to help you with this is to go to youth group more if you don't often. Listen to the lesson, don't drift off into your imagination every time. This will help considerably. Reading the Bible is something that helps as well, and not just a little bit either. Reading His Word is one of the most powerful things you can do other than praying, and is something that can never be replaced. Never forget that.

"I do feel inspired to help, but like you I put it off for selfish needs that I can't seem to overcome."
As for this one, I struggle with this one constantly and I pray that I quit. The selfish desires of human beings are nothing compared to the big picture that God has painted for us, yet we always forget how important it is to do the things He asks. The best way to stop this is to pray (of course), read the Bible (always), and try to think about things differently. Try and put other peoples needs above yours and go from there. I know that's easier said than done, but it helps for me, although not all the time. My personal needs tend to take over sometimes.

Really the best way is to pray. I can tell you all sorts of ways to live your life and how to control certain actions, but really none of what I say will truly help unless your heart is in it. That is why you must pray, to become closer to God. If you don't, none of what I say will matter in the end.

Anyways, enough of my lectures. I hope yall enjoyed the time yall spent thinking about the question, and I hope this post was too long and boring!! Until next time, keep on keeping-on!!!

The Question

How many of you feel like you aren't making a difference in the world? How many of you feel like you need to do something, like you are called to do something so important by God that it could change the world and way we live, yet don't because it seems so "out of our comfort zone"??

Something else to think about too: Why? Why is it out of our comfort zone?? Why isn't it easy to do what God asks???

Sit and think on those questions for a minute. Just sit and think.....think about it for at least 10 minutes. That's my challenge for you, to think about something that could change your life, but since that's so scary, most people don't. And if you cant concentrate long enough, don't think about it alone. Do it with a friend or family member. Include it into a conversation with your friends. I'm sure even your parents would think about it with you if you asked.

I will give yall till Tuesday to complete the challenge, and will publish the rest of my post then, so you might as well think about it. Also, please send this post to at least one person who doesn't already follow this blog. This is very important and as much people as possible needs to see it. Post in the comments if you like on how you completed it or maybe any questions you have after thinking. I will answer to the best of my ability. I hope tons of you complete this challenge. Thanks and keep on keeping-on till at the very least Tuesday!! :)

A Possible Possum Predicament

Well this is not what I expected today.. Caden was working outside on our run-down tree house, when he finds a POSSUM out there! Sure they live around here, but they only come out at night. He got scared at first cuz he thought it was a rat, so he ran up to the house and shot it with his .22.

 

He sure does like killing things with his gun, these kind of pictures are the one's he actually doesn't mind smiling in! You may think that was mean of him at first, but in a way he was helping it, because it looked like it was in pain, struggling to survive....

 



...so you can expect he didn't want it too close, he didn't want to stink or get what it had. Notice the gloves. ;)

But back to the tree house, eventually we will get it to where we can have air-soft wars out there, with barricades and everything. It is going to be awesome!! Can't wait to be awesome out there!!!

 

That's all I got for now, so until next time, keep on keeping-on!!



Catch Phrase Decided

Ok, thank you for everyone that commented on the last post about what last catch phrase should be. They were very helpful, but I've made up my mind. I'm going to stick with the one I like the most, "Keep on keeping-on!!". It sounds most like me, but I still appreciate the comments that were posted. Thanks!!!

The Daily Prophets' New Story

You will not get this title if you are not a Harry Potter fan. For you wizards out there however, I have some impressive news! I look kinda like Harry in the movies!! ;)

Ok, yes that was very random, but let me explain. My youth group did something very fun yesterday, we made a movie! We had to bring a costume and two props, and what we did was from 9-5, we traveled all around town shooting a movie. It was really fun!! I went as a reporter and wore a wig and those glasses. Me and my camera crew went looking for these two organizations that were against each other. A very interesting story, tons of action, and a final battle scene at the end. Pretty amazing, and not just because I did a lot of the directing for my group. I wish I had some pictures of us doing it, but sadly I do not. I will try and get some and post as soon as I can. Maybe my hair-style will rub off on people if I show yall. ;)

 

Alright, that's all I got for now. I'm trying to find a good catch phrase for me to sign off every post with, but I cant think of a good one.. I was thinking about maybe, "Keep on keeping-on!" but I'm not sure. Please comment below of your opinion. Do you like that one, or do you have a better catch phrase for me to try?? Keep on keeping-on!! ;)

Which Game Does This Apply To?

To answer that question, the animal/game is what this post can be applied to. I learned that fact from my dad; he teaches us a lot about what to do outdoors under different circumstances. As it just so happens, we just recently were shooting outside. Take a look at the pictures below:

 

Caden shooting his .22 at the target. He's very serious when he does this, as you can see.

 

That reminds me, he doesn't like to smile for pictures, so if I can get him in a picture, don't expect him to be smiling. Unfortunately he doesn't care what the picture is for, it can be difficult to get him to smile. Oh well.



 

Here's me shooting the same gun. I know it looks like im doing a backbend, but pay no attention to my body form. Instead, pay more attention to the smoke coming out of the barrel. Looks awesome!!

 

Dad is teaching Grace how to shoot a gun in this picture. This is her first time to shoot a real gun, so she was nervous. "Red means Dead, No Red means No Dead" is what Dad said. Grace asked, "Why does red mean dead?" and Dad replied with, "Because the red signifies blood. If you shoot someone, they will bleed, a lot."

 

That made her a little more nervous than she already was, but she ended up doing fine. As you can see, Dad is holding the gun for her as she aims and shoots. See the dust flying by the target? That's her shooting and she actually hit it on her 1st try! Next target up for her would be a squirrel or deer. My stomach can't wait for that day!!



Little Miss Biker

My little sis learned how to ride a dirt bike the other day and she has been riding it nonstop! Every chance she gets, she is outside peeling out and doing wheelies everywhere in our yard!!.....Actually she doesn't, but she is getting pretty good at it. For example, look below.

 

This is day 2 people and look at that turn! Taking it like a pro. You impressed yet?

 

 

She only rides in 1st gear right now, but she is sure to graduate from that soon by the pace she's going. Maybe about a month or two, and then comes a whole new obstacle in itself, 2nd gear....

 

 

....and yall better hold on, cuz it's gonna get Fast and Furious!!

Haha, I know I know, cheesier than cheese. Don't care though. ;)

 

She has fallen several times since she's been going at it, but she keeps trying and trying. Proverbs 24:16 says, "For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity." I think that fits her well. She hasn't fallen seven times, but close enough.

That's all I got for this post!!

 



Night Driving Initiated

Last night I drove in the car for about 1 hour! Pretty impressive huh? ;)
Ya know, I don't like driving all the time, but night driving (so far) is pretty neat!! The scenery is so different at night, it's like you're in a totally different town.

Granted, it's most likely not going to always be like it was. I'm not looking forward to those nights where there are big clusters of cars everywhere, and no one turns down the high beams so you are blinded nearly half the trip. Last night wasn't one of those nights thankfully, it was actually peaceful. No honking, no over-usage of the high beams, and not to much lane-jumpers. I especially like how the oncoming traffic lights are very visible, so it doesn't take much effort to know that someone is coming. The one thing I didn't like about driving last night was the fact that our streets and turns came up really fast, so I guess that's one thing I'm gonna have to get used to.

The dangers of driving at night are still out there though, and I was blessed not to come across any drunk drivers, road-ragers, or any animals like deer that decide to cross the road at the last second. I am going to end this post with a reminder to everyone that is reading this, whether it be me in the future or other people that are reading this blog: Driving is something that must be taken seriously, and extreme consequences can come with a mistake you make on the road. It is a privilege to be able to drive on the roads and you must NOT take that lightly. Always be careful while driving (whether during the day or night), and definitely don't Drink and Drive!!!

Reach Camp 2015

Well, I just had the best week of the summer happen to me again for the second year in a row! On July 6-10 me and my youth group went to Reach Camp, a Christian youth camp that is totally AWESOME!! We hang out, have group study times, eat tons of food, and most importantly, praise God!!!

Lol, yeah we look kinda ridiculous. This was about Wednesday that week when this pic was taken, which was right outside the worship center. The lessons were great and the pastor was funny. I will not lie, I nearly cried every lesson. That's how good it was!

 

No comment on this one. Nothing special, just me, my awesomeness, and the dorm I was in. It was a good picture so I thought it should be posted. ;)

 

This was during the REC time that we have outside. Don't ask me what it stands for, cuz I don't know. All I know is it is very exhausting after 2 hours of non-stop team-building exercises.

 

 

Now here's a good pose! All of us being ourselves, and about to try and demolish the other teams. That's what it is all about. :)

 

Anyways, that basically sums up the week in a nutshell, hope yall liked the update!!

Life As A Freshmen Has Ended

Hey guys, it's me again! Sorry for the delayed posting (again), I've had a really hectic and hard year, but now all that is over because school year 2014-2015 is officially over!! I've learned a lot from my many mistakes as a Freshmen in a new homeschooling environment, such as learning not to procrastinate with schoolwork and to never fully trust computers, so I'm now ready to tackle a new year that is yet to come!

I have also learned a lot about strength this year as well. I had surgery in October because of health issues that I've been having for a long time, so now I no longer have a gall bladder. The recovery was hard and I still have not gained back the muscle mass I had before, but I'm mostly back to normal.

On a completely different note, I got my permit!!! Very scary to tell ya the truth. I'm probably the only one in my group of friends that doesn't like to drive. It just seems like just another thing to worry about during my teenage years. Sure it gives ya freedom when you finally get your license, but there is a lot of stress on the road that I'm not enjoying right now. I've already almost gotten in a wreck twice. Oh well, guess it just comes with experience. I'll post again updating yall when I get my license, and hopefully I like it (at least a little) by then.

So anyways, I will be planning on posting more now that it is summertime and most of my big vacation activities are over with, so expect more posts soon!! I will try and post pretty frequently, at least until school starts again in about a month. I'll try to post then, but I may be really busy again. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!! ;)