Happy 4th!!

Happy early 4th of July! I hope everyone has a great weekend filled with family, friends, and fun!!!!

Day 5305

Today, June 27, 2011, I am 5305 days old. I just got back from cross country practice, and I think it was one of the best yet. We ran for 30 minutes, and even though I walked for about a minute, I still finished with everyone else. I finally found people that run at about the same pace I do. Then we did strides, and they were amazing.

Another reason that I like running is because it gives me time to plan. I'm doing something that is profitable but I also have to time to think about something else. I planned out my whole day today. So, I hope everyone has a great day!

Toyless

Apparently I just invented a new word, because toyless isn't in the dictionary:)

Anyway, I have been cleaning out my basement for the past week, and I came to the realization today that there are hardly any toys left in the basement. My youngest brother is seven, and he has most of his toys in his room now. In place of all the toys is a huge (very loud) drum set. Maybe my little brother will follow in my footsteps one day and plan in the percussion section of middle school band.

It's hard to believe that all of us are old enough to get rid of almost all the toys. I can remember the countless days spent down in the basement playing Barbie's and G.I. Joe's. Oh the fun times we had. It is really sad to see those times go, but I guess a new chapter of life will begin...

Cooking

So, I decided I'd have a cooking label. My mom has planned out that my sister and I each have to cook one meal a week, so I thought it would be a good idea to share some recipes with y'all (and it's a good way to keep up with them if I lose the websites;)).

The first thing I made this summer was a sour cream noodle bake from The Pioneer Woman. I usually don't like sour cream, cottage cheese, or green onions, and a tomato sauce base isn't my favorite. But I looooved this recipe. So, I hope y'all like it:)

Stubbornness, Perseverance, and a Lesson from Cross Country

I have lots of jumbled thoughts to tie together in this post, but here goes nothin'.

Our pastor has spent the last two Sunday nights preaching from James. His message was entitled "Living Faith in a Dying World." He was encouraging everyone to live faithfully through trials. I must confess, as I listened to the message, I was thinking, "I don't need this message. I haven't ever really gone through a trial. I know people with cancer and broken relationships and family issues, but I don't have any of those." But boy, I was wrong. I have come to realize that pretty much anything in your life that you struggle with can be classified as a trial. I have been going through some things lately that I have really been struggling with. I have been extremely stubborn in listening to the Lord, and I have been unwilling to submit to His authority. A.W. Tozer says, "The voice of God is a friendly voice. No one need fear to listen to it unless he has already made up his mind to resist it." Honestly, I had pretty much made up my mind to resist it. I didn't want to be joyful. I wanted everyone to know that I was miserable so that they would feel sorry for me.

But my attitude changed after cross country practice last night. We had had a kinda hard practice. By the time we finished our sprints, I thought I was gonna die. But I persevered through it and by the time we finished our core exercises I felt great. I forgot how hard it was and how much it hurt because the triumph of finishing strong was one of the most amazing feelings in the world. Then I stopped to think. If I can persevere through practice with only my strong will and determination to get me through, then why can't I persevere through these trials when I have God to help me?

So, with God's help, I will be going though this trial with a smile on my face and a determined spirit.

Cross Country Friends

I had cross country practice this morning. If you had told me 2 years ago that I would be getting up at 6 am to RUN, I would have considered you a crazy person. But here I am... I ran for 30ish minutes this morning without walking at all, so that was actually good for me.
I am so thankful for all my friends at cross country. I was surprised when I first joined that I didn't feel really stupid. I expected to be made fun of by all the seniors since I'm only a freshman, but I totally wasn't at all. Everyone there (well, most people;)) is really nice and I'm glad to know everyone. These people have to be able to like me when I'm sweaty and tired, so I know they won't let me down.
So far, cross country has been a really great decision for me, and I really hope I continue to get better!

Courtney

I'm excited, because my friend Courtney who lives in Illinois will be coming down here soon:) Courtney is a great friend, and I enjoy all the time I get with her, even though it's not very much. When Courtney comes over, we usually talk and play mad libs. Lots and lots of mad libs:) I don't get to see her in person very much, but thanks to Skype and gmail chat, we are able to keep in touch. I love today's technology:) Although we do write an occasional letter or two:) Because we are apart for so long, the time I do get with Courtney is fun and special.
Thanks so much, Courtney, for being a great friend!

Technology...

Today, I printed out a bunch of pictures to go in my picture frames that have been sitting around forever. It took me a really long time, but it was soooooooooooo worth it because I figured it out all by myself:) I sound like a little kid;) Hopefully I can get some pics posted for y'all to see. But I actually know how to do that:) Anyway, hope y'all have a great night!

Mud...

I went to my second Cross Country practice today. I survived. We did a 25-minute run today. I am not doing quite as well as I had hoped, but I am really enjoying it and I hope I can get better. It was great to be able to get up, run, and shower before 10 o' clock. We ran in a kind of woodsy area today and there was lots of mud from the rain. So my clean running shoes are pretty much filthy now, but that's ok. It will all be worth it if running helps me have a healthier lifestyle...

1 Timothy 4:12

1 Timothy 2:12 ~ Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
This verse has been on my heart a lot lately, as some things have come up where I feel like adults are looking down on me. Paul wrote this verse to Timothy as he was preparing to minister to others. Paul knew Timothy would be considered young, and he wanted to encourage him to let no one look down on him.
I have always striven to set a good example, especially because I'm an oldest child. I must confess, it's gets on my nerves when adults look down on me but I'm feeling like I'm doing what God wants me to be doing.
So, I just wanted to encourage y'all to always try to do what God wants, even if adults do misunderstand your actions. Don't compromise just because you're young. Remember, David killed Goliath when he was 12!
P.S. Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris has some really great points about this!

Cross Country

On Thursday, I went to my first Cross Country practice. I have been running on my own for about 9 months, but I haven't really run with anyone other than just around the neighborhood with friends. But, I enjoyed running so I decided to give Cross Country a try. I figured that it would give me a sport to do since I'm going into high school, and I thought it would give me a chance to hang out with some really good friends. Plus, no one thought I would actually do it, so I thought I could just surprise some people if I actually could. My first practice went really well, even though I had to run with the beginners, which are all younger kids. We only did 20 minutes, but we also did some stretches and exercises, and overall, it was a really good workout. I really hope I will be able to stick with it and get better!!

Breanna

I am so thankful for all of my friends that God has placed in my life. My best friend is Breanna. I blog with her at Psalm 119:11. We do so much stuff together, and I'm at her house every chance I get. From running, to playing Mario on the Wii, to watching Untold Stories of the ER at 1 in the morning, we do just about everything together.

Breanna and I are different in a lot of ways, but we get along great. Our differences and similarities have challenged us and helped our friendship grow. I really encourage you to find good friends who can help you grow spiritually. You might have tons of friends that you know from school, sports practice, etc., but if you don't have a close relationship with someone, you cannot have accountability. It is an amazing feeling to know someone that you can tell everything to.

Thanks, Breanna, for being a great friend!!

Summer!!

My summer break started last week. It's been so great to have a week from school. I know I will be tired of summer before too long, but for right now, it's really nice. I've been sleeping till noon, swimming, and pretty much doing nothing. In a little while, I'm gonna watch Gnomeo and Juliet. It should be interesting to see after studying Romeo and Juliet last year in English I. My thoughts are so jumbled right now, but I have a hard time wanting to use my brain. Well, that's about all for now...

Days Go By

"Days Go By"

I'm changing lanes
I'm talking on the phone
I'm drivin' way to fast
And the interstate's jammed with
Gunners like me afraid of coming in last
But somewhere in the race we run
We're coming undone

Days go by
I can feel 'em flying
Like a hand out the window in the wind as the cars go by
It's all we've been given
So you better start livin' right now
'Cause days go by

Out on the roof just the other night
I watched the world flash by
Headlights, taillights running through a river of neon signs
But somewhere in the rush I felt
We're losing ourselves

Days go by
I can feel 'em flying
Like a hand out the window in the wind as the cars go by
It's all we've been given
So you better start livin' right now
'Cause days go by

We think about tomorrow then it slips away
We talk about forever but we've only got today

And the days go by
I can feel 'em flying
Like a hand out the window
As the cars go by

It's all we've been given
So you better start livin'
You better start livin'
Better start livin' right now

Cause days go by
I can feel like 'em flying
Like a hand out the window in the wind as the cars go by

It's all we've been given
So you better start livin' right now

Cause days go by
These days go by

So take 'em by the hand
They're yours and mine
Take 'em by the hand
And live your life
Take 'em by the hand
Don't let 'em all fly by

Come on, Come on now
Don't you know the days go by

These are the lyrics to the song "Days Go By" by Keith Urban. I decided this would be kinda a cool title for a blog about life. Since that's what happens in life: days go by. You live them. Sometimes your choices are good. Sometimes they're not so good. But you can only live your life once. Today, I am 5,281 days old. Only God knows how many more days I have left. So, it is my job to live out all the days I have and live them doing everything to the glory of God.