Newtown, Connecticut Shooting

Prayers and Thoughts go out to those involved with the shooting.

To the parents who are left broken,

To the parents who are left hopeless,

To the families who are left with a void,

To parents that are asking "why"?

To the parents who are left with a life time of hurt,

To parents who can't play with their kid any more,

To the parents who cant take their kid to work any more,

To parents who will be empty this Christmas,

To the parents who can't tuck their kid in any more,

To parents who can't hug their son or daughter any more.

Parents, there is no greater time than now to latch on to Christ and receive his love and comfort.

But mostly. Parents, be comforted knowing Christ is holding them all in his arms for you. 

A young man on a judgment stand, not by choice.

A lot of times, I feel like i'm just a young man on a judgment stand, not by choice.

When I wake up and get ready for my day, I feel like I have to wear clothes that won't catch peoples eyes. "I can't wear my Ray Bans because I don't want people to think I'm a tool bag and just wearing them for attention." So I decide a lot of times, not to wear my glasses, and then walk outside and immediately get blinded by the sun. And by people, I mean the people that I think judge me and talk about me.

Do you ever wonder if people talk about you? Why do I care so much about what people think?
"I can't wear my blue dress pants because people might make fun of me with their friends."
"I can't dress up every day because people might look at me as an attention getter."
Heck if i'm anything, it's a guy who doesn't want anyone to look at me and cause an opportunity for gossip or judgemental conversations. This "disease" causes insecurity.

I get so wrapped up in this mindset and perspective that I develop worry, stress, and nerves that shouldn't be there. I get enslaved by the judgments of others. I get held down by people's comments or dirty looks like an anchor holds down a large ship. If I never pull up the anchor, I will never move.







Self achievement and satisfaction won't ever be present
unless you live for yourself instead for other people.

Don't worry about what people say or think about you. 

Be You! Be Yourself! 

Freelance Whales- Broken Horse

Inspirational quotes

Try not to become a person of success but a person of value. -Albert Einstein The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be. -Horace Bushnell Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action. -Benjamin Disraeli Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. -Orison Swett Marden Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true. -Leon J. Suenes The power of imagination makes us infinite. -John Muir First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. -Epictetus

Inspirational Picture

Ben Rector- The Beat

Andrew Allen- Loving you Tonight

What every student dreads... FINALS

Finals

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As you are struggling through the stress and commotion caused by finals, I hope you all can take time to look at finals from a different perspective! 

                              The Semester Is Over!!!!!!!!

All of your studying, praying, and learning will pay off. 

Teachers, friends, and society get everyone way too worked up over finals. Take a deep breath, relax, and....

own your freaking final!

And What I hope for you all....

Don't live a routine life

Do you ever find yourself in a routine? Going from day to day like a robot?

How can we be in this wonderful life and live in it "dull-ly"?

We are human beings made of bones, muscles, and blood.
We have eyes that see, ears that hear, and tongues that taste.

Although some are held back by blindness, deafness, and other diseases.

Humans are a form like no other.
We are so abstract and perfectly made.



Our planet is the perfect distance away from the sun, to be not too hot but not too cold. We have rolling mountains, giant waterfalls, and burrowing caves. We have things that cannot be explained by science! Our world is not a world to be lived routinely.

Have you ever thought about life... And thought about how amazing it really is? So amazing that we should be living it out every 

day instead of falling into routines and lifestyles of a robot. 

This world will soon end, we will soon die. 

Why are we not living out the time we have? 

Live out your life!

Don't follow the crowd, but be the one to follow!

Don't take the time we have on earth for granted. 

Carpe Diem!

A little girl in a big world

Mackenzie Bourg

Marriage: A must read

Marriage: 

The process by which two people who love each other make their relationship official and permanent. It is the joining of two people in a bond that lasts until death, but is increasingly cut short by divorce. 


Permanent: Continuing or enduring without fundamental or marked change.

Endurance: The fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way.


Over the course of a relationship that can last as many as seven or eight decades, a lot happens. Personalities change, bodies age, and romantic love is altered by the changes that take place. There is not one marriage that is free of conflict. If you think that your marriage is the only one that has conflict and is the only one that "sucks", then you are wrong. What enables a couple to endure is how they handle that conflict. 


There are many resources available for counseling and other outlets to help preserve a marriage. 

No matter what resources or help you receive, THE LASTING OF YOUR MARRIAGE DEPENDS ON YOU!


1 Corinthians 13:4-7 

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."


If you are going through conflict, all I can say is "STAY WITH IT." 

Coming from a young man who has not been married, I can't fully understand the conflict and struggle of marriage. But I do know that giving up on your marriage will not only hurt your spouse, but it will hurt you, your family, and your friends. 


James 1:2-3 

"Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

Don't try to save your marriage for solely the sake of others. Save your marriage for YOU! Look at your spouse and realize the things they have done for you. Realize the struggles they have endured for you! Soak in the awe, the awe of what they have done and endured for you. Smile, Love, and ENDURE!

Anchor: A heavy object attached to a vessel by a cable or rope and cast overboard to KEEP THE VESSEL IN PLACE.

Storms will come, trials will be upon you. Those who are weak will crumble and fall, but those who are strong will endure and grow.

Stay Strong

Letter From my Father 12/24/11

Tyler,
I cant believe how little time we have together. I vow to make up for time lost and to make the rest of the time we have together special. I couldn't ask for a better son! You are not known for getting all the girls at whatever cost or the star athlete of your school... but you are known for your stance for Christ and you are know in heaven as a might warrior! I'm so proud of you and know you will be a terrific husband and father some day. I love you so much and would die for you. Enjoy your time in Myrtle Beach and have a very merry Christmas my son!
Dad

Amish!

Most people look upon the Amish traditions and are startled by the “weirdness” of their lifestyles, but I look upon the Amish lifestyle and am amazed at their commitment and consistency. “The Amish are islands of sanity in a whirlpool of change.” Nancy Sleeth.

Two things that I find most compelling or attractive is that the Amish are big on the act of socialization and also that they are very close with nature and the benefits nature has on their lives. Socialization is a big deal in every community but what is different between the Amish and lets say “Us”, would be that they socialization through personal encounters and every day life. “We” socialize but with cell phones and emails. “We” don’t develop the one on one relationship as much as the Amish people do and that’s what really benefits the people of Amish beliefs. I find their act of socialization very compelling and I respect it greatly. I use to live next door to a couple different Amish families and we would always get together with them and help or be helped. They would bring us food and it was great having them as neighbors. Also, the way the Amish interact with nature is just incredible. The Amish use nature in a lot of areas in their life and they are one with nature. The Amish kids play in nature, grow in nature, and develop through the interaction of nature. I think “we” have grown so far away from nature and the interaction with it. Instead of playing in the fields and getting dirty our generation texts and play video games. This “loss of nature interaction” has and will show later in life, affected our generation. We will be slower transitioning into adult life and will encounter major problems with responsibility. I respect the Amish for their socialization and their interaction with nature.

One element of Amish life that appears wrong but after research, reasonable, to me is the fact that the Amish don’t allow teaching of God in schools. This seemed obscure to me but after reflection I realize that they did this for a reason. The Amish believe that the teachings of God should be taught at home to lessen confusion and to clearly state the family’s beliefs. I definitely agree with that because it causes less confusion in the child without having numerous people explaining religion and maybe having different outlooks on religion. But, I also have a con about this approach. I would just have to guess that there are non Christian Amish families out there and if the parents don’t teach or talk religion at the home, then where will the child receive spiritual guidance? So I’m saying this approach has its pro’s and con’s but the pro’s out weigh the con’s in this situation and I would say it’s a great idea.

One value or practice that I would try to incorporate into my life is the fact that the Amish did not allow the telephone to be close to the home. The reason why I chose this practice was because my phone is a huge part of my life and if I lessened my time on it, then it would benefit my life for sure. My phone is a huge distraction and it would be great to lessen its priority in my life. What I respect the most about the Amish is their separation with most modern technology. The separation with technology provides more time for everyone to grow in other areas and experience more life benefitting experiences. I believe technology is a major problem in “our” society today because it is distracting us all and separating us from many things in life. In my life, I hope to lessen my interaction with most technology and in that, have more time to: spend with friends, do homework, and grow closer in my walk with Christ. "There can be no assumption that today's majority is "right" and the Amish and others like them are "wrong." A way of life that is odd or even erratic but interferes with no rights or interests of others is not to be condemned because it is different.” Warren E. Burger