Being Like Him

As far back as I can remember, my mom has always told me to be careful what I say or do because my little sister and her friends look up to me.  If I mess up, they might follow my example.  I used to think that was silly.  Why would she look up to me?  I'm her sister, for crying out loud.  The older I've gotten, the more I've heard the same thing from other people.  My daughter looks up to you.  Remember that you're a leader to younger girls.  I'll admit I used to think that was an excuse for adults to try to convince me (and other girls my age) to do the right thing.

As time has passed and especially over this last year or two, I've noticed that what adults have told me is true.  Younger girls do look up to me and my friends.  The more I think about it, the more I realize that's a big responsibility.

I've always been the oldest child in my family, so I think it's taken me longer than most to realize how much my little siblings do look up to me.  I've never had an older sibling I admired.  But over time, I've slowly begun to realize that my sister has looked up to me as a leader and a role model since she was a baby who would mimic my silly hand motions and short words.

A month or two ago, some of my close friends and I went to our church's youth group and spoke to the middle school girls about purity.  I was a little concerned that they wouldn't care what we were saying, that they would think it was silly that girls only five or six years older than them were coming to speak.  However, the moment we sat down in the chairs and began to talk, the girls watched us attentively.  They seemed to genuinely want to hear what we had to say.  Many had eager questions for us about our opinions on dating and premarital sex and teenage pregnancy.

That night was a moment when I realized that younger girls do look up to me.  The way I live my life is being closely watched by the young girls around me.  My actions may even be repeated.

I don't know how old you are, but even if you're one of my youngest readers, there are girls younger than you who are watching the way you act and the things you say.  They look up to you and are watching to see how you decide to live your life.  Somewhere right now there is a little girl who wants to be just like you.

Process that for a moment.

There is a little girl somewhere who wants to be you.

This should drastically affect the way we treat the people around us.  How could I ever stand to snap at my mom over the phone when there are younger girls watching me and thinking to themselves, "She's really cool.  I want to be like her.  It must be okay to treat my mom like that."  How could I ever wear immodest and provocative clothes that I wouldn't feel comfortable seeing on my little sister?  How could I ever switch from boyfriend to boyfriend before the eyes of young girls who are watching to see how they're supposed to be in a few years?

We are their example.

Sometimes I hate considering myself to be any kind of role model because I make so many mistakes every single day.  I'll never be "good enough" to be a true role model for young girls.  Jesus Christ should be the One we strive to be like.  We should want to be like Him.  However, not all little girls understand that fact.  Instead, they look to older girls like you and me when they want to know how to act and who to be like.

We'll always mess up.  We're sinful.  We're human.  The fact that little girls are looking to us to see how to act should inspire us to strive to be the best role models and leaders we can be.  Since we'll never be good enough role models on our own, let's strive to be like Jesus Christ.  What better way to encourage and lead little girls than by showing them Him through us?

My Family

Day 27: What do you like best about each member of your family?

Dad
I like my dad's sense of humor.  Even though sometimes he's embarrassing, he's funny and isn't afraid to be himself... around anyone.  A lot of people like my dad.  Just about wherever I go, someone asks me if I'm my dad's daughter.  They then proceed to go on and on and on about how much they love him and how funny he is.  "Punch your dad in for me.  Make sure your dad behaves.  Tell your dad I'll be thinking about him during the next Cowboys game.  Tell your dad I said hi."  I've heard these things hundreds of times.

But because of his popularity, my dad has been able to be a great witness and leader in our community.  There's something about him that makes people respect him.  It's a God-given gift.  I admire my dad a lot.

Mom
I like how my mom was made to be a mom.  She devotes everything in her life to her kids and has even become a mom of sorts to some of my friends.  She's loving and nurturing and often knows just what to say.

As I've grown older, Mom and I have become friends.  We spend a lot of time together and I've enjoyed that a lot.  I love to eat lunch with my mom and see a movie with her.  It's nice to spend time with my mom and have fun.  A lot of moms don't allow that kind of relationships to occur between them and their kids, but my mom does.  I'm so glad about that.

Amy
I like Amy's enthusiasm.  It doesn't matter what she's doing.  She'll give each task her all.  She has a passion for everything around her.  She has a passion for life.

You can read Amy like a book.  When she is sad, she cries.  When she's happy, she laughs and becomes extremely excited.  When she's angry, she screams.  At times, this is a trait I don't like, but this can also be admirable.  Amy isn't fake.  I'm not sure if she knows how to be fake.  She's very sincere and passionate, no matter what she's doing.

Luke
I like Luke's sweet spirit.  Not many little 11-year-old brothers are as sweet as mine is.  As he's grown older, he sometimes tries to hide his sweet spirit behind a "cool" or tough guy exterior, but he can't hide it all the time.  I have so many sweet memories of Luke from when he was a little boy, like when he gave me a big hug after I dressed up to go to a school dance, saying, "You are beautiful."

When I'm sick, Luke often comes and gives me a hug, even if that isn't necessarily cool for a fifth grade kid to do.  A lot of my friends say they're jealous of such a cute little brother.  It's true... when it comes to little brothers, mine isn't that bad at all.

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What do you like best about your family? 

Letter to Little Me

Day 26: If you could write a letter to your 13-year-old self, what would it be?

Dear thirteen-year-old me,

That's right.  This is me writing to you.  Yourself... from the future.  Cool, right?

First of all, I want to tell you that you are worth something.  God has made you with a purpose.  You have value.  You are loved, even if you don't feel like it right now.  Your struggles are being noticed right now by your family and your friends.  They want to talk to you and love on you and help you, but you're pushing them away.  If you can only break open your walls and let them in, you'll be opening yourself to so much love and care.

You're beautiful.  Even if you don't feel like it, you are.  You're worth so much more than how you treat yourself.  When you hurt yourself, you're hurting everyone who loves you, including God.  I know you don't believe in Him right now, but He does exist.  He's there.  He's holding your hand, just like you always used to imagine when you were little.  Jesus adores you.  It makes Him so, so sad when you hurt the body He's made just for you.

Don't be afraid to fit in a little bit. I know you call yourself an "anti-conformist" but you can be unique without pushing yourself away from everyone.  Talk to people.  Smile at people.  Dress cute, even if someone else has a somewhat similar style.  Be yourself, Emily, but don't try to be so unique that you become someone other than who God made you to be.  Your shyness has overtaken you.  If you allowed yourself to open up just a little bit, you'd make so many more friends.  You wouldn't feel nearly as alone as you do now.

I wish I could take you aside and give you a huge hug and talk to you in person.  I know that's weird because you're me, but I remember myself from age thirteen and I was so broken.  You're so broken.  That emptiness you feel inside is the place where God needs to be.  Let Him in.  Follow His plan for you.  He wants you to serve the needy and the lost.  You have that passion... you just haven't found it yet.  Serving the hungry will give you so much joy, Emily.  The Lord wants you to love.  He wants you to feel joy and peace, not pain and fear.

He made you special, Emily.  I wish you could see that much earlier than you do.  God has made you for a purpose, and it's a big one.

Love,
Me

P.S. Please grow out your hair, bangs, and get contacts.  Thanks. :)

Prank War: Poison Cookies

The other day, Rebekah and I were eating lunch at her house like we often do, discussing all of the ways we could destroy Caleb with our pranks and mischief.  I showed Rebekah the posts I've written on this blog about our prank wars.  We were laughing and reminiscing until we came across the first post I wrote, here, where I asked you guys for prank ideas.
"These are great," Rebekah exclaimed, reading through YOUR comments.
I shook my head.  "I know, right?  We have to use some of these."
We didn't have a whole lot of time, so we decided to use the first prank on the list, by a reader named Jessi.  Here is Jessi's comment:

Last summer, I made snicker doodle cookies with a lot of cayenne peppers in them, me and my friends gave them to the guys at retreat, some of them didn't notice while a few of them hated spicy food.

Thank you so much for your suggestion, Jessi.  We decided to use this prank idea for our next prank against Caleb.
Rebekah will occasionally make no bake cookies and bring them to school.  The cookies are easy to make and delicious, even if they might look a little... unappetizing at times.  If you haven't had one of these cookies before, I highly recommend that you make some.  It takes maybe fifteen minutes and they taste wonderful!
Since Rebekah often brings these cookies to school, we decided to hide the cayenne peppers inside one or two cookies and leave the rest normal.  Unfortunately, we ran out of oats, so Rebekah told me she'd finish making the cookies that night and bring them to school tomorrow.
By the time school started, we both were giddy with excitement.  Rebekah eagerly showed me the cookies at the beginning of school.  "Yes!" I nearly shouted, causing a few baffled stares from our classmates.  No bake cookies are good... but are they good enough for that much of a celebration?  Our plan was in motion.
Rebekah was sure to take some pictures for me to put on my blog while she made the cookies the night before.  Since you have all taken the time to give us some amazing suggestions, we figured we could let you guys in on the details of our prank war too.  Here are the ingredients Rebekah used to make the cookies.  Notice the cayenne peppers towards the front.
Even better, Rebekah's oblivious brother Josh walked in the room right after Rebekah had finished creating the poisoned cookies.  He asked if he could lick the bowl and after a moment of thought, Rebekah shrugged and said, "Go ahead!"  Might as well test and see how hot the cookies really were.  They were pretty hot.
As soon as third period began, we began to pass out cookies to our classmates.  "Here, I made some no bake cookies," Rebekah said like she so often does.  "Does anyone want some?"  Everyone loves Rebekah's no bake cookies, so immediately she was surrounded by eager classmates... including Caleb.  Eagerly, he accepted the first poisoned cookie, taking a big bite.
Everyone who knew about our prank watched Caleb intently.  Why wasn't he reacting?  Had we not put enough cayenne peppers into the cookie?  He left the room with a smile, only to burst in about three seconds later, his face red.  "What on earth did you do to this?" he shrieked, searching frantically for a waterbottle and chugging it down as fast as he could.  "I've been poisoned!"
After Caleb had a moment to cool off, Rebekah said, "Here, I'm sorry.  You can have a real cookie now."  And because he may be the most gullible human being on the face of the earth, Caleb took the second cookie and left the room, stuffing the entire thing into his mouth.  As we rolled around laughing in the classroom, our English teacher burst into the room a few moments later, laughing as well.  "What did you do to Caleb?" she asked me and Rebekah.  (If something happens to Caleb, everyone knows who did it.)  "He's practically dying in the hallway right now."
Sure enough, when we hurried to look, Caleb was gasping and chugging more water in the hallways, almost on the floor.  "My mouth... is on fire!" he kept shouting.
And then, because Caleb is insanely gullible, Rebekah said, "Here, do you want a real cookie now?" and Caleb took it and ate it in one bite.  We poisoned his first two cookies and he still ate the third one offered.  So. Gullible.  However, since Rebekah and I are nice people, we gave him an unpoisoned third cookie.
We were victorious again.
Thank you again, Jessi, for your awesome prank idea.  We sure enjoyed this one.  And thanks to all of you guys for offering suggestions in the first place.  We actually plan to use two more of your suggestions within the next two or three weeks, so keep an eye out.
And if you have any more prank ideas, don't hesitate to share in the comment box below. :)

The clock is ticking.

Day 25: How is God working in your life right now?

Right now, God is working in my life in a lot of different ways.  I've been having a lot of struggles about which school I'm going to attend and what God wants for my future.  In my enrollments, mistakes have been made and minds have been changed.  I've been forced to wait, be disappointed, and then sit down and wait again as my hopes rise to the ceiling.  I think God's been teaching me patience a lot lately.

I'm a generally impatient person.   I hate it when I plan to meet a friend and she's more than a few minutes late.  When I have to wait, I start to feel fidgety and restless.  I become extremely annoyed if I have to wait longer than six or seven minutes.  Once I made Ali buy me something as penalty for making me wait thirty minutes. ;)

I can get impatient with God at times too.  If I've been praying for something big in my life and He isn't seeming to answer, I start to feel angry and offended.  But honestly, who am I to ask anything of God?  I'm nothing compared to Him.  I'm so blessed that He's given me worth at all.

Patience is something I need to learn and I think it's also something that God is slowly teaching me this year.

He's also teaching me selflessness.  It's very easy to become self-absorbed during such a crazy time as this.  Whether it's through the stories of those in third world countries who are dying each day from preventable issues like malaria and hunger or whether it's through small areas of my life like sharing my room with my best friend or learning what it's like to give up a piece of my schedule for someone else... God is slowly working in my life and teaching me how to be more self-sacrificing.

And of course, God is working in my life by showing me that He's there.  I mean, this is my senior year.  I have only a month left of school.  Life is pretty crazy right now.  Yet God is here.  He's taking care of me.  He loves me and He reminds me of that each and every day.

Here are today's questions.
1.) How is God working in your life right now?
2.) Are there any struggles that you're going through? Any prayer requests?

Embarrassing photos... of me AND Ali

Day 24: Who is someone who changed your life for the better?

My best friend Ali has changed my life for the better.

We became friends in the fifth grade, when we were both eleven.  I had just moved to this new school after having previously been home schooled.  I was terribly shy, self conscious, and a little weird.  Ali was the first friend I made at my new school.  Despite how shy I was, Ali stepped forward and befriended me with open arms and a sweet smile.

We've been friends ever since.

Ali has changed my life by encouraging and uplifting me throughout difficult times I've gone through.  I've tried to do the same for her.  Ali is stubborn and loyal, and she always manages to keep a smile, despite some tough situations.

We have a lot of... interesting memories together.  Silly moments, like when we were driving home and thought we saw a dead body in the middle of the road.  Or when we'd sneak to Braum's together without anyone knowing.  Or when we stayed up all night discussing how to end world hunger.  With those kinds of memories, we've become best friends.

I could never ask for a better friend than that I have in Ali.

I'll share a few pictures of our high school years to take your mind off of the awkward fifth grade picture I can't believe I showed you above.  Don't tell Ali. :)

Here we are on the last day of school, Sophomore year.  I don't know why I love this picture so much, but I do.  It's framed right above my computer screen.

This picture is of Ali and I dancing at last year's prom.  During that particular dance, neither of us had a partner, so we decided to dance together.  We were holding each others' arms because we always argue about who is the "guy" in our best friend relationship. 
This is us on last year's TOMS Day Without Shoes.

We went bowling here.  I love Ali's face.

On Nerd Day at school.

After a service project at school.

When we put too much makeup on each other.

At an A&M game... taken from my mom's iPhone.

And a picture of us together as sisters.

I love you, Ali.  I'm so glad you're in my life.  You've definitely changed me for the better and I'm so glad we've gotten to stay together this year. 

Prank War: Hospital Trip!

I know it's been a while since I've updated you guys on our ongoing prank war.  The thing is... Rebekah and I were waiting for Caleb to attempt to strike back.  We didn't want to prank him over and over and over again if he wasn't going to retaliate.  That wouldn't be very nice.  So we waited.  And waited.  And finally he struck. :)
Unfortunately, Caleb had a victory.  He attacked Rebekah's house, writing "Susan Boyle!" (his nickname for Rebekah) on her front sidewalk with whipped cream and sticking cheese squares on her windows.  He also sprayed her yard and sidewalk with spray cheese and yarned and toilet papered her trees.  Caleb's prank wasn't amazing, but he was never caught, so he succeeded.
Thankfully, Caleb didn't know how to get to my house, so he couldn't prank me.  Hooray!
I wish I had some pictures to share with you guys, but Rebekah forgot to take any, so I don't.
Before I share the next part to this story, let me tell you about something that happened a month or two ago.  Caleb and I are lab partners in our environmental science class at school.  Of all things, we were cutting foam poster boards with a scalpel because my teacher doesn't allow us to have scissors.  Scissors are too dangerous.  Strange, isn't it?  I had the scalpel and was drawing it across the board when Caleb said, "Here, let me show you..." and grabbed it out of my hand.
I felt a sharp pain slice through my hand and glanced down with shock to see a red line appearing across my finger.  "Caleb, you cut me!" I gasped, but he laughed it off.
"Yeah, right.  You're such a bad liar, Emily!"
Haha... ha... no.
Luckily, the cut didn't need stitches after all and while I had to wear a bandage for about a week, it was all good.  However, I had something to hang over Caleb's head for a very, very long time.
For example:
Caleb walks by, knocking my books off my desk.
"Pick them up," I command.
He scoffs.  "Emily, you can't make me do anything of the sort."
"You cut my poor finger."
"Okay, fine."  And he picks up the books.
Brilliant, isn't it?  Very much worth the minor pain the cut from the scalpel possibly caused.
Back to the story of Caleb's last prank towards Rebekah.  That following Monday, Caleb came to school gloating about his victory and Rebekah was understandably steamed.  They bantered back and forth all throughout our first few classes, exchanging threats and mocking comments (all in good fun, of course).
At the end of English class, Caleb said something to taunt Rebekah and she threw her pen at him.  He ducked dramatically and ended up smacking his face against the corner of a desk.  Of course, we blame a lot of this on Caleb... because he was the one who tried to throw himself on the ground to hide from a pen in the first place.
When Caleb sat up, the area of skin above his upper lip and beneath his nose was spurting blood.  We all laughed for a few minutes, but then we realized how deep the cut was.  And then Caleb had to leave school... and go to the emergency room.
He texted me later that night, saying he'd gotten three stitches.
Oops.
Now, this wasn't part of the prank war and the war is still continuing.  This was a fluke accident that we never meant to happen.  However, it's now nice to tell Caleb, "Do you want Rebekah to make you get more stitches?"
Unfortunately, Caleb has something to hold over Rebekah, just like I used to hang that scalpel incident over his head.
I'll share a small prank that Rebekah and I played on Caleb on the 27th, so stay tuned.  The best part is... the prank came from one of YOUR ideas!

Is the Trinity Biblical?

Many Muslims claim that Christians are polytheists because Muslims do not believe such a thing as the trinity could ever be possible.  The Qur'an does say in surah 5:73, "They do blaspheme who say God is one of three,... for there is no God except one God."  It may be surprising to some, but as a Christian, I agree with surah 5:73.  God is not one of three gods.  He is three gods in one.

It is true that the word "trinity" is never once mentioned in the Bible.  However, there are several verses in Biblical scripture that confirm such a belief.  The Lord is incomprehensible.  We will never be able to understand His entire being.  Because of that, He has shown us Himself through three pictures: as a Father, as a Son, and as a Spirit.  There are many verses in Scripture that reference the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three unique entities but as one unified being.  I'll list a few of them at the bottom of this page.

Christians firmly believe in absolute monotheism.  Deuteronomy 6:4 says, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!"

I read this in a book called "More Than A Prophet" and loved it, so I thought I'd share it here.  "Skeptics have said that Christianity defies logic, making 1+1+1=1?  This is a misunderstanding.  The Trinity is not a triplex (by addition) but a triunity (by multiplication).  'His one essence has multiple personalities.  Thus, there is no more of a mathematical problem in conceiving the Trinity than there is in understanding 1 to the third power (1³)' (Answering Islam, 282)" (More than a Prophet, 341-45).

Christians and Muslims both believe in Jesus Christ.  As a Christian, I believe Jesus Christ is God and the Messiah, while Muslims believe Him to be a prophet, similar to Muhammad.  Most Muslims believe the Injil -the first four Gospels of the Bible- to be a message of truth from the Lord.  If Jesus Christ is a prophet, He cannot be a deliberate liar, can He?  In John 10:30, Jesus said to a group of people, "I and the Father are One" and was nearly stoned by the Jews for His words because He was calling Himself God.

A prophet of the Lord would not be a blasphemer, would He?  Either Jesus was blasphemous or He was telling the truth.  In Matthew 16:16-17, when Peter said, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God," Jesus did not rebuke him as one who was only a prophet would.  Instead, He commended Peter and said, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven."

If Jesus was a prophet, He must have been telling the truth in what He said and in order for Him to be telling the truth, He must be God.

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Agree?  Disagree?  Feel free to share your opinions in the comments, so long as you are civil and respectful.  Otherwise your comment will be deleted.

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Here are a few verses that reference the trinity-
+ 1 Peter 1:1-2
+ John 1:1-2
+ Colossians 2:9
+ Matthew 10:18-20
+ Acts 5:3-9
+ 1 Corinthians 1:21-22
+ 2 Corinthians 13:14     

Crazy Memories and Good Times

As seniors in high school, my friends and I have been trying to make crazy memories during the months before we go off to college.  This is our last year together.  We've decided that we'd better make the most of it.

My friends and I have been given an amazing four years of high school.  Each year has been special in its own way, but senior year by far has been the best.  We've made some amazing memories and this year, we want to make so many more.

I think it's important to make great memories when you're a senior in high school... to be honest, I think it's important to make good memories no matter where you are in life.  Instead of sitting back and letting time pass by, why not make the most of every day?  Let's make each day count.

Today and tomorrow I'm going to share with you some of the ways my friends and I have made crazy memories this year.  Maybe our experiences will help give you some ideas.

Go to a toy store and take pictures.
This may seem like an incredibly lame way to make memories, but you'd be surprised what kinds of things toy stores carry.  I love going to party and toy stores with friends and bringing a camera along.  We can find so many ways to entertain ourselves... for hours and hours and hours...

Go to the park.
No matter how old you are, the park can be fun.  Play the lava monster game on the playground.  Swing.  Race.  Star tip.  Go absolutely insane.
Surprise Birthday Party
We surprised Rebekah on her birthday by dressing up as "The Birthday Bandits" and kidnapping her from Old Navy.  We blindfolded Rebekah, took her shopping, took her out to eat, and then ended up bringing her to my house where we had tons of fun with a group of her friends.  Rebekah's birthday was made special and we all got to make memories and spend time together.
Play in the rain.
On a rainy day, get a group together and dance.  Play music from a car stereo or just dance from the music in your head.  Be sure to wear shorts and a t-shirt because things could get a little muddy.  In fact, if you're feeling really brave, have a mud fight with your friends.

Photo Shoots
PIctures are wonderful memories.  My friends and I have enjoyed getting together and taking pictures together.  We have a blast and get to keep the pictures forever.

Picnics
If there is warm weather outside, take advantage of it.  You'll make awesome memories and you can also take some cute pictures.  Bring a picnic basket, sandwiches, a blanket... everything!  Spend the afternoon under the warm sun and breathe in the spring air.  Spending time outside with friends is just amazing.

Spend an evening out at a lake.
Have a cookout.  Go swimming or boating.  Then sit on the dock and watch the sun go down.  The lake can be so beautiful at night.
Bowling
I know, I know... bowling is kind of dorky.  But that doesn't mean it isn't fun.  Bowling is a good game to play with a silly, competitive group of friends.  Tease each other, use bumpers, and take plenty of pictures.  Be sure to wear the ugly shoes.

Spirit Week
This only works if you're still in high school, but if you are still in high school and you're trying to make crazy memories, then be sure to participate in spirit week, even if it seems dorky.  Get a group of friends and dress out.  Wear hilarious costumes and wear them out in public.  Go to lunch together.  Just have fun.

Bonfire
Get a group of friends and make a bonfire... or a campfire, at least.  Roast marshmallows and eat BBQ or grilled burgers for dinner.  Sing songs and sit on logs.  Stay out for half the night looking up at the stars and enjoying each others' company.
How do you make crazy memories?

Easter egg hunting is for big kids too!

Hunting Easter eggs at seven...
Hunting Easter eggs... at eighteen.
Yes, I still hunt Easter eggs when I'm a senior in high school.  I've hunted Easter eggs every year for as long as I can remember.  Sure, some of hte eggs are still filled with candies and goodies like that, but the older we get, the bigger the prizes become.  When I was a toddler, I got gum and tootsie rolls.  Now the big prizes are gift cards, cash, and little prizes.
We always have a separate section of the yard for the young kids.  They have eggs filled with little toys and candies and the eggs are much more openly hidden than ours are.
Our hunting grounds are much, much bigger.  In fact, we have about nine acres of mesquite and yucca bushes, tall grass, and shrubbery to search through if we want our prizes.  Under the beating glare of a hot sun, we searched for the 350 eggs hidden throughout our property for almost an hour.  Do you see us tiny specks in the distance, searching desperately for eggs?
Ultimately, we all go away satisfied with at least a few dollars and a gift card or two.  I lucked out this year.  Twenty bucks cash, a bag of candy, and four giftcards to Starbucks, Chili's, the movies, and iTunes.  What makes everything even more fun is that it isn't just my family who participates.  We celebrate this holiday with another family, so the morning is filled with laughter and fun.  We all enjoy eating brunch together and going to church and then we come home, the parents hide eggs, and then the kids rush to find them.  We can make great memories together.  Ali also got to hunt with us this year, which was fun.
Overall, today was a fun day.  After everything was over, more family came to visit and we all ate a big lunch and then everyone curled up on the couches and watched "The Passion of the Christ."  It's been a wonderful day.  I hope you had a wonderful Easter as well. :)
He is risen!

The Body

On a dark and eerily silent night, Ali and I were driving home in my car.  I'm not sure where we had gone, but it was already dark outside.  I live out in the country, so we have to take many long, shadowed, and winding roads to get home.  On that particular day, Ali and I were lost in conversation, casually watching the road while we shared stories and jokes.

And then we saw something.

There was a dark object in the road.  The object was fairly large and sprawled out.  I had to swerve a little to avoid hitting whatever it was.  Ali and I both shrieked, turning behind us to see whatever had been in the road, but it was too late.  The object had vanished into the inky darkness behind us.

"What was that?" I asked in a hushed voice.

Ali was still peering into the night while I focused on the road.  "I couldn't tell.  It looked big.  What do you think it was?"

"It looked like... a body."  I was half joking and half unsure.  What I saw had thrown me off guard.  I wasn't sure what the thing could have been.  "Maybe it was a dead cow."

"I think I saw an arm."  Ali turned back towards the road.  Her face betrayed her concern.  "Maybe you should turn around."

But what if the killer is still out there?  The unspoken question lingered in the air, something we both were wondering but were too afraid to say aloud.  I swallowed hard.  "Do you think it really was a man?"

"I don't know.  It was sure something," Ali whispered.

I hesitated.  "I probably should.  If I was injured and left on the side of the road, I'd want someone to stop for me."  The road was one way, so we took a quick right utrn and looped around, turning onto the same dark road as before.  This time, the car was silent.  We'd turned off the radio and didn't dare speak, searching desperately for the large form we had seen before.

We passed the object again, this time screeching to a halt a few yards away.  It nearly blended into the darkness and we squinted through the windows of my car to try to make out what the bundle possibly could be.  "I can't see," Ali said in a low voice.

I pulled my car into park in the middle of the road and we looked at our hands for a moment, quiet.  We both knew what had to be done.  We needed to make sure the bundle wasn't a dead or injured person.  If we couldn't see what it was from the safety of my vehicle, then we knew we had to get out of the car and approach the object... in person.

"Okay, let's get out and go look," I finally said, grasping my cellphone in my palm.  Somehow, carrying my phone always makes me feel safer.  If someone tried to kill or kidnap us, I could call for help.  Possibly.

A look of terror crossed over Ali's face.  "You go look," she gasped.

"I'm the driver.  If someone came after me, you'd be stuck in the passenger seat anyways.  Logically, you're the one who should go look so I could be ready to take off when you jump in."

After a few moments of debate, we decided to go together.  Side by side, our arms brushing each other for comfort, Ali and I left the security of my car and stepped into the cool night air.  We could hardly make out the silhouette of the object in the darkness.  Trembling, we crept closer until we could clearly see the shape of the arm, limp and grotesque under the light of the moon.

"Can you tell what it is?" Ali whispered.

I took another step closer and then burst into laughter.  I could hear the sound of my voice- nervous, relieved, embarrassed.  Ali began to laugh as well.  The body wasn't a body at all.  It wasn't a dead man or even a dead cow.  It was only a large black trash bag full of clothes.  The bag must have been run over at some point, flattening it slightly and cuasing a few of the items of clothing to spill out.  This would explain the limp "arm."

Despite the fact that there was no dead body after all, Ali and I hurried to scramble back into my warm, safe car.  After all, the night was still pitch black and eerily silent.  Monsters and spooks of all kinds seemed to be lurking in the shadows, waiting to attack.  Ali and I chattered nervously the rest of the way home, both feeling a little sheepish.  Something as silly as a trash bag had frightened the living daylights out of us.

But hey... it could have been an actual body.  It's possible.  Improbable, but possible.

This story was a dramatic telling of a true story.

You make me very angry.

Day 23: What is a quality about yourself that you like? That you're striving to change?

Just to clear this up... I probably sat here and stared at this computer screen for ten minutes, trying to decide what quality about myself that I like well enough to write about.  It feels like bragging.  But honestly, everybody has good qualities and I should be confident enough in myself to admit one of my own good qualities.  No worries... I have plenty of bad ones to even them out.

I like my loyalty.  I'm a loyal person.  It takes a lot for me to pull away from a friendship.  I think my loyalty stems from my stubbornness.  I'm very, very, very stubborn, which can be a good thing at times and a very bad thing at others.  :)  I feel like Mr. Monk.  "It's a gift... and a curse."  But anyways, I think I'm loyal because of my stubbornness when it comes to giving up on a friendship.  It takes a lot for me to break ties with a good friend.

I may not be as shy as I was when I was in Jr. High, but I'm still a reserved person.  While I'm casual friends with many people, it takes a lot for someone to become a truly close friend of mine.  When I finally break down my walls and make a close friend, I feel very loyal towards them and it will take a lot to break us apart.  I love my friends to death.  And I like that.  Loyalty is a quality that admire in others as well and one that I like in myself.  My best friend is very loyal, which I love. :)

A quality that I'm striving to change about myself is my tendency to hold grudges.  When someone hurts me or makes me angry, I tend to hold everything inside and feel bitter towards them.  I keep a grudge instead of talking things out.  I don't like that about myself because God commands us to forgive, not to hold angry thoughts inside.

I still struggle with a couple of grudges in my life right now.  There are a few people who have hurt me, and it's hard for me to forgive and forget, even when I know Jesus wants me to.  But I'm working on those problems.  If Jesus actually forgave every single one of my terrible sins, then the least I can do is forgive the meager sins of others.

What's funny is sometimes I have trouble holding grudges against people who hurt my friends.  I feel so angry when someone hurts a loved one that I almost feel like they've hurt me.  Has anyone else ever felt that way? 

What is a quality about yourself that you like?
What is a quality about yourself that you're striving to change?

Inspiration

Day 22: How are you inspired?

As a writer, I'm constantly looking for sources of inspiration.

Sometimes little things inspire me, like something a friend might say in a passing comment or the expression on the face of someone walking by.  A few months ago, my best friend said out of the blue, "I wish I could speak strawberries until everybody in the world had food."  Her funny comment left me thinking for a long time.

At times, a song or a painting might inspire me.  Movies and books often do.  Sermons at church inspire me at times, as well as poetry and photographs and other blog posts.  Stories inspire me... and I'm talking about personal stories.  If I hear a story of renewal or transformation, I'm often left inspired.  At times, even incredibly sad stories inspire me.

Old photos inspire me.  Childhood photographs.  Seeing myself and my friends as little children with wide, innocent eyes inspires me.  I'll never go back to that time in my life.  It's beautiful to remember those moments.

Seeing hope ignited inspires me too.  True passion inspires me.  Loyalty also inspires me.

How are you inspired?