"You are so good to the people in yor life - so considerate and caring. When you give, it's easy to see that it comes straight from the heart. . . and it gives everyone around you the gift of a nicer would to live in I hope you'll never forget how much I treasure just being in this world with you."~Lorrie Westfall
As you guys have heard from my #3 Speed Dial post (click here) S has been a great blessing in my life, especially since Bro #2 came into our lives. While I have been at the beach, I decided to give S a call just to talk to her, coming from camp I haven't seen her in a really long time and the last time I spoke to S was while we were droping Bro #2 off to respite, and that was a couple weeks ago, so she due for a call or visit from me anyways. So I called S the other day, and it was great to hear her voice, but we also talked about some of the stuff that has been going on in my life and everything. So the day before I called her, my family was eating at Cracker Barrel for lunch, and I came across the quote above and I fell in love with it, and had to send it to S. So after we talked I told her, that I was going to send her an email, so when I sent her the email I included the quote. I have to say, having someone like S in my life has helped me a lot, she's one of those people that will not listen to most of my rants, but if I called her she would pick up. S is somewhat of a comfort blanket to me, although she isn't always with me, I know she's always there and when anything goes bad, I have a good chance that I could tell S.
To serve God and my country, that one line of the Girl Scout Promise, always calls to me whenever I recite it. A couple months ago I was debating about weather I should go into the Navy, after I turned 18. I personally didn't think that Navy was for me, but a couple days ago I saw a You Tube video and blogged about it (check it out here), and I started reading a book Sunrise over Fallujah and I started to think more about joining the military.
While at Girl Scout Camp, one of my councelors were from Israel, there it is mandatory to serve your country, here it is not. I believe that if the President of the United States of America called upon me, then I should be able to say yes. Why not protect my country, sure I'm laying my life on the line, but if the generations of people before me didn't lay their life on the line, then where would we be now?
Yesterday I was on the computer and was looking at all the different parts of the U.S Military, and I think the Air Force might be for me, and if I could get into the Air Force Academy, then life would be great. I also am thinking about maybe the Coast Guard, that way I'm also helping my neighbors, my fellow Americans with whom I share the love of this country with. Now, I'm still a teenager and I'm not quite at 18, but I believe that we should stand up and protect our country. It's time for us to serve our country, and I'm ready to do so.
"There are no raindrops on roses and girls in white dresses.
It's sleeping with the roaches and taking best guesses
So shed off the sheets and before all the stains
And a few more of your least favorite things.
Raindrops on roses and girls in white dresses
It's sleeping with the roaches and taking best guesses
So shed off the sheets and before all the stains
And a few more of your least favorite things."-Build God Then We'll Talk by Panic at the Disco!
This week's Flashback Friday is music! So, stop by Mocha with Linda's blog to do your own Flashback!
This weeks prompt:
What role did music play in your growing up years? What, if any, music do you associate with early childhood? What music style or songs were popular when you were in high school? How did you listen to music - on the radio, albums, etc. Did you have a stereo in your room? Did you attend concerts when you were a teenager? Did the music you liked cause conflict with your parents? What song or songs take you back to a certain place and time of your youth?
Oh, my lovely music, one of the things that I could escape to no matter where I was. Now, I could go on and on and on about music and how much I love it, and what type of music that I like and answer every question that Linda has posted, but I will refrain myself and write a resonable blog post and maybe only post one or two you tube videos and maybe only one or two snipts of lyrics for you guys, but if wanted I could give you my whole iTunes, which is about 776 songs and could play continiously without repeating the songs for a little over two days, kind of impressive huh?
"Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere
A singer in a smoky room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night"-Don't Stop Beliving by Journey
Let's see, music. I started off listening to just country as a kid, which is alright mom enjoyed it, I enjoyed it and the lyrics were all usually based off of the singers life, which is awesome! My first major singer that I fell in love with was, and still is, Randy Travis. My grandfather and grandmother both listened to him, and have you ever heard him sing? Well, he is amazing! The second country singer was and still is Carrie Underwood, one of my favorite songs from her is Before He Cheats, and I've memorized it, and when I was little, slightly little. But when Carrie Underwood's first CD came out, I listened to this song non-stop and I practiced singing to this song alomost non-stop, now I can sing it amazingly!
As becoming a teenager, especially in CT I would listen to KC 101.3 or 93.7, both today's hits, so one of my favorite songs currently would probably be California Gurls, this song makes no sense, but it has a good beat.
"I saw him dancin' there by the record machine
I knew he must a been about seventeen
The beat was goin' strong
Playin' my favorite song
An' I could tell it wouldn't be long
Till he was with me, yeah me
And I could tell it wouldn't be long
Till he was with me, yeah me, singin'
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come and take your time and dance with me"-I Love Rock N' Roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
I started listening to music just in the car, of course on the radio. Then at 10 my parents gave me a stero, so I started getting music cds and would listen to the stero in my bedrooom, then when I was 13 my "cat" (aka parents) got me a small iPod for Christmas, so I now tote my iPod around with me, it's either on me or in my purse, just in case I need to listen to some music. My first concert that I attended was a Randy Travis concert, which was at my old town's annual fair, which was really awesome and I really enjoyed it. Actually, I lied, my first concert would be Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, but it was still at the same place, just different year. Music and my parnets aren't that bad, well until currently. My mom doesn't exactly enjoy Panic at the Disco! and Paramore, but she hasn't really said anything.
"Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends
like my father's come to pass
seven years has gone so fast
wake me up when September ends
here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are"-Wake Me Up When September Ends by Greenday
The Climb by Miley Cyrus is one of the songs that I listened to non-stop while I was moving, I deemed it my theme song, for that point and time in my life. I still enjoy The Climb, but it isn't quite my theme song for life, I still haven't decided, so if you have any suggestions let me know :)
Oh, as August is winding down here in New England and my friends are buying new outfits for school, I'm still getting used to the general population and life (going to Girl Scout Camp for four weeks tends to make you more relaxed). So as I was at work the other day I had several teens come in for their summer reading books, I never really thought that teens would put reading off to such a last minute! School is starting in a little over a week! GASP! And to just start your summer reading now! What are they thinking?! Someone make a note for my mom to keep this, she might use this as ammo towards that seven books I didn't read over the summer. Come on, who would want to read The Bronte Sisters, or Charles Dickens, The Tempest, or . Sure, I tried to read the Tempest, but I never got into it, so instead I read Christy by Catherine Marshall. Woops, at least I got one of the "summer" reading books done, oh well. I guess I should practice what I preach, but did mom really expect me to read all of those books! Anyways, I'm now focusing on my PSAT, which is set for October *play funeral music here*, so maybe I should be doing that right now, and not procrastinating by writing this blog, oh well.
The denial of summer ending, of course this is commonly called "I don't want to go back to school" among the teengs. I'm sitting here at the lovely Sailsbury Beach with my amazing family and of course trying to figure out, how can summer be ending. It felt like it was June yesterday! This can't be possible, maybe we skipped over a couple months in between May and August, maybe I should call ABC News right now and let them know, and then it would all be better, because it would be July and I would still have some type of summer left! I never really had a denial of summer ending, until this year. Of course I can't wait for summer to end, but at the same time summer, especially this summer might have been filled with stress and arguments, but it was also filled with joy and laughter, which are somethings that we need most in this world right now. I guess these past couple weeks, have changed me, and let's hope it's for the good.
Now since this post has practically wasted the rest of summer remaining, and I still have my work blog post to update, I shall be saying goodbye until tomorrow, or the day after that, whenever I can make time in my life to explain the lovely happenings in my lovely life. So before I go, I would like to end this post with a passage from the Bible, of course this passage is one of my favorites, but right now it has meaning in my life.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."-Romans 8:28
So I logged onto my Facebook this afternoon and a Boy Scout leader posted a video called I Fought For You, now I usually don't like watching youtube videos especially on Facebook, but the description caught my eye and I decided to give it a shot. This video is only 4 minutes long, but it's worth it. During the end I started crying, it is a touching video, and I hope you'll take the time to watch it.
God bless the men & women who have fought and are fighting for our country and our freedom.
What type of extra-curricular school activities did you participate in during your school days? Clubs? Spelling bees or other contests? Cheerleader or drill team? Sports? Journalism? Choir or theater? Were there any memorable events related to those? Did you receive any awards? Were football games a big deal at your school? Did you usually attend - and was it with a group or as a date? What was Homecoming like?
Okay, when I first read the theme, I didn't think I would have anything to write, but then I read Homecoming, and I have a lovely story to go with this subject. Although this won't be a flashback, since I'm still young, but this happened a couple years ago to me.
I was dating A.J., remember that boy a while ago? Yeah, well A.J. and I were dating and he asked me out to Homecoming, he filled out all of his lovely paperwork, because you know I might be evil or something. So mom and I go shopping for the dress and everything, and it was really pretty (let me try to find a picture). Friday, the day of the Homecoming, the phone rings and the caller i.d. says "CHRS", the acronym for our high school. Mom picks it up and talks to the superintendent about tonight. The superintendent isn't allowing me to go to Homecoming with my boy friend, to a school that I would be going to, because I'm homeschooled. My mom was absolutely upset, not only did she just spend over $150 for my whole outfit for tonight, but she pays the taxes for schools, and we're in the school district, so I should be able to go to what would be my Homecoming, if I wasn't homeschooled. The superintendent didn't really say anything other than the fact "We're sorry Dawn, your daughter isn't in the school, so we can't allow her to go tonight," my mom knew that the superintendent and our minster had a close relationship, so mom told the superintendent that Rev. Riggles could vouch for me on how wonderful I was, but that did nothing. So in a last attempt made by my mother to get her daughter to her first school dance, she goes "Rev. Riggles will be hearing about this, and he will not be happy to hear the reason for you not allowing my daughter to go to Homecoming with her boyfriend, whom she met while in Jr. Choir at church," and she hung up. I was frankly alright, a little upset yeah, but not a big deal. I called my boyfriend and told him everything, and he said he wouldn't go, which pissed me off. So I forced him to go and take pictures, because it's his Homecoming and he should enjoy it! Rev. Riggles heard the whole story and was not happy to hear how I, a homeschooler, was treated. In fact most of the town wasn't happy about it. What I did that night instead of attending my boyfriends Homecoming, was put the dress on, do my hair, put my jewelery on, go downstairs and blasted music and I had my own Homecoming.
So I guess my flashback was a flashback to the dance itself, but to the lack there of.
It's back! The Random Dozen is back! Well, go check out Linda's blog 2nd Cup of Coffee to get link up your own Random Dozen answers! Enjoy mine!
1. What is your favorite fair/carnival food?Fried Dough or a Lime Ricky from my old church. 2. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?I don't know, possibly. 3. What is your favorite gift to receive?Something with thought or meaning, or a gift card. 4. When was the last time you tried something new?Four weeks ago, I went to camp for four weeks for the first time and it was filled with new things. 5. What is your favorite and least favorite book genre?Favorite: Suspense, Historical Fiction, or Fiction Least Favorite: Humor
6.Silver or Gold?Silver 7. What makes you sigh? Stress, sometimes
8. If you didn't know how old you are, how old would you claim you are?19 9. Would you break a law to save a loved one? To protect a loved one? Yes, I would also take a bullet for them.
10. If you had to teach something, what would it be?Librarianship! 11. You're having lunch with 3 people whom you respect and admire. They begin to criticize a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. What do you do?Speak up for my friend, I may respect them, but there is no excuse to treat anyone a friend or not, like that.
12. Which of the 5 Love Languages is your prominent means of experiencing love?30 questions about my husband, he's not there so I gave up on the quiz. Sorry!
Well, I just came back home from being at camp for four weeks. I've been at camp for four weeks in the CIT program, and well as you can see it also shows how much my blog has been inactive and I haven't been able to do anything, because it's Girl Scout Camp. So as I'm slowly getting back in to the routine of living a normal life and not hiking three-ish miles every day, I am checking my email. So this morning when I check my email I got an email from my old church down in CT, yes I still am on their email list, saying "Back to Church!" Now I don't know how to feel about this, because church never ended. It was just the summer. Why should we act as if church ends? Why should we act as if church is just a school that goes on during the school year, and cancels for the snow and everything? Why do we act this way? Because church doesn't end, trust me I got to church every Sunday, every season, every year, every month, during all the weather. Church doesn't cancel for the snow, if the minister can make it to church, then there will be a sermon to be heard on that day. Why do we assume that the church will be okay without our offerings during the summer months? Why have we been thinking that it's summer, why goes to church? I know this is a lot of why questions, but I'm serious. I have friends who still ask me why I go to church on Sunday. They act as if it's unknown, but the second September rolls around and after the fair (if your in CT) or after the flea market (if you're in MA) they go back to church, acting as if nothing happen, acting as if they could state that they go to church every Sunday.
This isn't the way we Christians or even Americans should be living. I get summer is busy, trust me I know, I'm currently home the longest, the two times I've been home after camp was 26 hours and 16 hours. Within the 26 hours I made it to church, when I was at camp and it was a Sunday I read my Bible. I took a leap of faith and hoped and prayed that I wouldn't ruin my Bible, by bringing it to camp. I even hummed a couple hymns that I knew on Sunday while at camp. I even prayed before every meal, to give thanks and ask for God to watch over people that needed him. You know how many looks and stares I got? How many people asked me after I said Amen, what were you doing? These people said that they go to church every Sunday, except in the summer. This needs to change! I shouldn't be getting emails saying "Back to Church!" from my minister in CT, and I shouldn't be hearing people say "I go to church every Sunday, except in the summer,". Church doesn't end in the summer, and it's time for people to realize this. The church needs you just as much as you need the church in summer.
What do you think? Should church be on a "school year"? Should there be a "summer vacation" from church?
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and I started to think more about joining the military. 
, or 
, or . Sure, I tried to read the Tempest, but I never got into it, so instead I read 
