Someone Who Stays

Hello people! One of my favorite holidays is TODAY! I hung out in my PJs and didn't feel guilty for it. I love Thanksgiving.

Though I have been on an independent writer hiatus for awhile now, I've been writing a dual project with my best friend. Every time I write a book, I dive into it, not only with the characters and the plot, but the messages too. I consider the messages at least a million times. Because I think the best creations is art that makes you understand an emotion you have yet to feel. In the process of writing these books, a certain message has stuck out to me. It just happens that it also ties in with Thanksgiving too.

When I was little child, I didn't know about the darkness of the world. Of course, a part of me knew what death was from the few funerals I attended, but still, death, loss, and depression was far from my reality. My live were full of toys, school, and friends. And, not to mention, my parents, grandparents, and whoever else I had a special connection to.

But my naïve nature went even deeper than that. Back in my young years, I thought my parents were just about perfect. There would be a bad day here and there, but other than that, my mom and dad were my necessities. I was convinced I needed them just as much as the air I breathed, my mom especially. Not that I don't need them anymore, because I do, perhaps not as intensely as I did when I was eight.

As I grew older, the truth hit me. Gradually, I began to see that my parents were never as perfect as thought they were. I saw that some people in my life didn't deserve to be as esteemed as I thought. Finally, I saw the world for what it truly is and even worse, I saw people for who they truly are.

Honestly, it made me angry, noticing those flaws that I was blind to before. There's nothing quite like realizing someone was different from what you originally thought. It leaves you confused, sad, and bitter. And it hurts at times, too.

Then I realized something. Family is one of the greatest gifts because of the flaws. My family puts up with me every single day, the times when I'm grumpy and stupid, or need help for easy things every two minutes. And it's not that they're forced to, either. They chose to love me despite my countless flaws. That's why a family is so great. They're always there.

People say the hardest you can do is say goodbye. But sometimes leaving isn't hard. Sometimes the hardest thing you have to do is stay. To stay when it seems like there's nothing else to fight for. To stay when right has turned wrong. To stay when it hurts deeper than you ever could have imagined.

So, whatever your family situation is, please think God for them. Thank God for people that stay. Maybe it seems like everyone has left you. I don't how that is, but I do know that Jesus never leaves. He gave us thing that last, things that withstand any trial. He gave us forever because He is forever.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

Bottled Up Emotions

"I suppose that's my problem. I give myself very good advice, but very seldom do I take it."

Today, I heard this quote after watching Alice in Wonderland for the first time in forever. Despite how I often I wonder what the point of that movie is, I could definitely relate to this quote. I love to think, to discover new things about life and put those into words--words I express everywhere. But I realize that what you say can be a lot harder than what you do. I struggle with that constantly.

Maybe I'm going through some sort of identity crisis. I think I know who I am, but the more I think about it, I really don't know. I haven't written a full book by myself in about a year now, which is somewhat shocking. It's not that I don't have ideas. I do. But I can't seem to put them in words. The ideas that I can write are ideas that aren't completely my own. I want to have my own ideas; I want to create independently again. Huh, I don't know what my problem is.

I've noticed how much I hide my true feelings. Even when I cried a lot, I hated when people actually saw me cry. Nowadays, I cry rarely. It's funny, I always try to be the friend who listens. Day after day, I simply listen to people talk about their troubles. And that's fine, I love doing that. I've learned that sometimes all someone needs is for a friend to listen to them.

At the same though, I don't express my deep emotions to anyone. I listen to people, but when I need someone to listen to me, there's no one there. Either that, or I just don't want to express my feelings to anyone. It can be the worst feeling--to keep all your anger or sadness bottled up inside. I have no problem expressing happiness and joy. That's my favorite thing to do. But when the time does come, when I find myself angry or depressed, I simply rant to myself with no one to listen. The more I start to notice it, the more I see it's becoming to be a bit of a problem. But it's part of who I am, I suppose. Then again, I just said I'm not sure who I am.

But I look forward to the day when I find out.

So what are your thoughts?

{P.S Credits to my amazing sister, Bernie, who took the picture of these breathtaking trees}

Beautiful Words #10

"But this I call to mind; therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. There are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23

I hope these verses amaze you as much as they amaze me. Have a great week:)

Hacked.

Hey guys. This is Ellie. This is take three of posting this. I deleted it two times. Today I am here to post about my sister. My only sister and the sister of this beautiful blog. Today is special because she is turning 16! So here I am hacking her blog while I watch the cardinals game at my grandma's. 

Sarah is awesome because she is always loving people. She cooks lunch sometimes for us. She makes dinner. She helps me with math. She helps feed my guinea pig. She takes out Rudo. She helps us with piano. And she always wants to help people. 

Sarah always have a smile on her face. She's always happy. She always has a bright side to things. She's always has her squeaky baby voice and her giant cute smile starring at me when I come into the room and saying somethig about how she loves Rudo so much. We're a little different. She's always in a flappy happy mood. Like constantly smiling mood. I almost never get those. But we still frands! 

Sarah is like the best big sister EVA! She's always helping me with something. And if she's not she's helping someone else. She always has a good attitude too.  She's AWESOME! 

Here is some random facts about Sarah

1. She loves mustard

2. She LOVES SOUP! 

3. She discovered her secret cooking skills this summer. 

4. She talks in a baby voice almost all the time. 

5. She loves Alladin, Finding Nemo, and A lot of other old disney movies.

Okay I had to get a little creative there because I don't much random facts about her. Lol

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH! Your a great sister! The greatest one I could ask for. Your so awesome and nice! I love youuuuuu! I hope you enjoy your birthday with lots of birthday spankings, presents, and food. But most of all with me and your family! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

~Bernie:P

www.uniquelyyou1.blogspot.com

4 Unexpected Shameless Obsessions:D

"You are not going nowhere just because you haven't got where you want to be yet." -Taylor Swift.

This quote sums up my summer and much of my life. But that isn't the obsessions I've come to talk about. Over the year, I've been introduced to several kinds of tv shows, movies, etc. The funny is, I never expected in a million years that I would love this things as much as I do now. Now that I do, I feel an urge to talk about it.

4. The Star Wars Films.

I'm late to join this fandom by at least a decade, right? Star Wars has always been something I've known about, since I have multiple cousins who have been obsessed with it since the dawn of time. Maybe because of that, I thought the whole thing was a little nerdy. But a few months ago, I convinced Ellie and Danny to watch The Revenge of the Sith with me. (Yes, we totally watched it in order) and surprisingly, we all loved it. Of course, Ellie's favorite part was when Annkian Skywalker almost burned to death. So that's why he has the dark suit, helmet, and cape on. It was news to me.

3. When Calls the Heart, a show on Hallmark.
This was probably the most surpring thing because I thought it was a bit lame at first. Historical show and a teacher in Canada and a romance with a handsome Mounty based on Janette Oak's book. Been there, done that. The theme song is even predictable. But to my shock, once Danny and Elle watched it, they were sucked into it almost immediately. Even my brother, Danny, who is tweleve-years-old. And though it took me a tad bit longer, now I have happily joined the bandwagon. Jack Thorton is awesome, but even I don't adore him as much as Ellie and Danny do.  My family practically binge-watched both seasons and after that terrible ending, we are impatiently waiting for the Christmas movie.

2. The New Cinderella Movie.
I got the chance to see this at a football field and it was amaaazing! Cinderella was honestly my least favorite Princess growing up. She was much too perfect. And Prince Charming? C'mon. But the movie was spectacular. I absolutely loved Ella and Kip and the messages of love and forgivness it promotes. It was literally flawless. Afterwards, my dad and I danced in the football field like at the ball.

1. Murder She Wrote
I don't watch much new TV so we usually rely on old shows on Netflix for our entertainment. It took me awhile for Danny to convince me to watch Murder She Wrote, but when I did, I was secretly hooked. The plotline is about famous mystery author, Jessica Fletcher, solving a bunch of murders. Though they might not sound that appealing, believe me, it is. And Mrs. Fletcher has become my television role model. She is a best-selling author for one thing and has an almost superhuman ability for noticing things. Anyone who is writing a mystery, or any kind of fiction in general, could probably benefit from watching this show. And get this? Jessica gets so mad when people interrupt her while she's writing! So do I!


So, yes, those are the things that have taken up a lot of my free time. How about you? What do you like to obsess over, even in the business of the school year? I've been watching the Apple Music Festival and so far, it's been pretty awesome to watch:D

This. Is. Me.

What up, friends?

Okay, let's not live in denial. I have been a terrible blogger lately. Go figure. I literally have no excuse, other than I have a serious case of Blogger's Block. I need to get Ellie to guest post on here once in a blue moon. Would you like that?

Well, anywho, did any notice that a few weeks ago, Forever Changed has 50 FOLLOWERS! I did! And I am beyond happy about it. I LOVE YOU GUYS! I have literally poured my heart on this blog and I cannot count all the times you have encouraged me in so many ways.

Since I can't seem to finish a normal blog post idea, I have decided to write a list of five facts about me. Some of you guys might not know me that well and it's been awhile since I've done a tag-like post. This is perfect timing! I'll start with the well-known facts and lead into the odder ones.

1. I write. A lot. Writing just comes more naturally to be than anything does. I am a nervous public and am shy and awkward most of the time, but give me a keyboard or a notebook and I can actually write things that sound good! Funny, huh? Thank you, God, for giving me that gift! Expect for this blog, I rarely write about anything real, mostly modern and occasional fantasy fiction. But I always try to put the things I'm learning about life in anything I write. Currently, I am focused on writing a trilogy with my best friend. It has to be the most fun project I've ever done.

2. Music is my life. Apart from writing, music is my passion. Though I play piano, I mostly love to listen to music, since I like pretty much anything. Music is such a unique to express any kind of feeling. It touches me unlike anything else can. As you all know by now, my favorite singer is Taylor Swift. Her music has become so different over the years, yet it remains to be so heartfelt and beautiful.

3. I could not live without my #squad. Technically, my squad is composed of my brother and sister, Ellie and Danny,  plus two of our friends, also sisters, Mila and Ellie. But we consider them to be family. Every time we see each other, whether ten minutes or ten hours, is a blast. And the time we are apart, whether been two hours or two weeks, feels like forever. We make movies, do support groups, and occasionally have insiginificant arguments. But ultimately, we are the best of friends and canot function properly without each other.

4.  I can cook! I am literally so excited about this fact because I only just learned it this summer. My mom had knee replacement surgery so Ellie and I had to step in with our talents. Ellie's nickname is "Cooker" so she's been known as the chef prodigy of the family. But I started cooking meals on a regular basic and I've learned that I'm good at it. My favorite food is soup so I make a LOT of that. This year, I've craved sour cream and as a result, anything I cook has sour cream.
5. I believe in absolute truth. Obviously, by the blog header, you probably guessed that this blog is Christ-inspired. But behind that,  I believe in absolute truth. It is a fact that true for everyone in any circumstance. In this culture, the value of truth is underestimated. People tend to go with the both/and way of dealing with truth. Like: "It's truth for you, but it's not true for me." I think that some things are right and some things are wrong, but not both at the same time. Also, it was revealed to me that the reason why truth is so important is because it doesn't matter what we believe. What matter is what is true. That's why we have to be careful when we examine what is seen as true.

Okay, so there you go! Information dumps are seen as a big no-no in the fictional wiring world, but they're fun to write every so often. By the way, my beautiful sister, Ellie, took that picture of the sky, not me.

Do you like sour cream? Do you write? What's your opinon on truth? Comment and tell me please! I'd love to hear it.

when i feel like a failure {part 1}

the well-known truth of life is that

No matter who you are

what you have achieved

or what you own

there will be times when you...

Just...

feel like a failure.

 

I can relate to this.

Because lately... I feel like I failed.

And the truth is

That...well...

I do.

I fail significantly.

As a daughter.

As a sister.

As a friend,

 

 

 and the list goes on and on, you know?

But more than any of that,

I fail as a child of God.

I think terrible thoughts.

I practically invite disgusting ideas into my head.

I don't focus on Jesus,

Not as nearly as He deserves.

I am selfish. I am proud.

I. Am. A. Failure.

as much as I wish I could the truth,

I really can't.

Sometimes truth is like a smack in the face.

It hurts.

It's sudden.

And you a lot of times,

You can't avoid it.

So what you can do about it?

 

~Sarah



 

 



Beautiful Words #9 (Another Taylor Edition)

"Maybe you lost someone you never expected you would lose. Maybe you lost yourself. That’s even worse. When you have bad days that just won’t let up, I just hope that you will look in the mirror and remind yourself of what you are and what you are not. You are not your mistakes. You are not damaged goods or money from your failed explorations. You are not the opinion of someone who doesn’t know you. You are a product of the lessons that you’ve learned. You are wiser because you went through something terrible. And you are the person who survived a bunch of rainstorms and kept walking.
I now believe that pain makes you stronger. And now I believe that walking through a lot of rainstorms gets you… Clean."- Taylor Swift, Clean Speech  (1989 Tour)

 

 

 My family is going through a tough season right now and through it, I've figured out that Taylor is right. Our mistakes and trials can make us clean, but it depends on our perspective of it. Every time I listen to this song, I feel empowered and that's why I can't get over it. Good luck on the new school year!
~Sarah

Lies and Peer Pressure

For all of those who didn't know, I am homeschooled. I am also (shocker) a bit of an introvert. Still, being social comes a lot more naturally than it did and as a result, I have a few groups of good friends. Now don't get me wrong--I adore my friends. But being an insecure introvert, I've noticed that peer pressure can put lies in your head. So, to help myself (and hopefully you), I'm going to discuss them.

1. Don't judge me!

 Seriously, how many times have we heard these words? I don't know about you, but my worst fear is hurting someone's feelings. In this time of age, especially with conservatory subjects, judgment is looked down upon as the rudest, most insensitive thing to do. But, when you think about, what is judging? Webster's dictionary defines judging as "To compare facts or ideas, and perceive their agreement or disagreement, and thus to distinguish truth from falsehood." Disagreement isn't the same as judgement.

When you think about it, technically the phrase "don't judge me" is judging. You don't want to be seen as that "person" who always gets on everybody for doing something that doesn't match up to their standards; so you keep your mouth shut. But, as long as we do it in a respect way, there is nothing wrong with stating and defending our opinion, no matter what conservatory it would cause.

2. Parents are embarrassments. 

This isn't a huge issue in the homeschooling world, but it can be. It seems to be a well-known truth, especially in your teen years, that parents are lame. You need to be independent. You can keep secrets from your parents. You're not a child---you can do things for yourself. It's simply a nightmare when your parents randomly show up and speak to you about something personal... right in front of your friends! But is really a nightmare?

I have to admit, my parents are weird, like me. They can be awkward, like me. But under all of that, they can be super fun, like me. Sure, sometimes I wish my dad wouldn't call me strange nicknames right in front of my friends, but when I think about it, it's because he really cares about me. And if your friends can't put up with your parents, then they're not very good friends to begin with.

3. If a conversation makes you feel uncomfortable, don't show it.

With some of my friends, I'm known as the nice and friendly girl. I'm proud of that, but sometimes I feel like people underestimate me because of it. Once, when I was hanging out with a certain group of friends, someone mentioned something very bad. Unable to help it, I gasped after mentioned it. Then another one of my friends laughed and said, "Sarah just gasped after you said that!"

At first, I felt guilty. Great, I thought, Another reason for them to think I'm the goody girl of the group. But after I thought about it for awhile, I realized there was nothing wrong with what I did. My friend should not have been talking that--it was purely disgusting. That happens to me often. My friends bring up that they shouldn't and a lot of times, I keep my mouth shut. After all, it's not hurting anybody. I will be honest though: It paints terrible pictures in my head.

Most times I let it go, but when people cross certain lines, we shouldn't be afraid to confront them. Or easier than that, just walk away. But we shouldn't feel guilty if something makes us feel uncomfortable.`I think this next lie sums peer pressure up....

4. You can be yourself, as long as you don't cross lines.

We are always told to be ourselves. After all, nothing is better, right? Yet there are exceptions to this rule. "Don't do that," people say. "That's just too weird. It crosses lines." There are only a couple of friends I have that I am never afraid to be myself around. All the others, I consider doing this or that, but then I think, "No, they'll think that's weird." We seem to always be afraid of people seeing us for who we really are.

But my advice is... get weird. Don't hold it back. Because being yourself is quite fun when you make it. And if others can't handle it, it's their loss, not yours. I don't hold anything weird back from my best friends. Why? Because they know me. They know everything about me. Like the basic facts:  I'm shy... and even the stranger ones: that I'm almost sixteen and still have an obsession with talking snowmen.

The point is, the best friends you have are the ones you hold nothing back from. Believe me, they're hard to come by. So don't let them go, alright?


What are the struggles you face with peer pressure? How do you manage to be yourself in spite of it? I would love to hear your thoughts!


  

Help Me to Die

Hello, blogging world! I wrote this poem during Super Summer and totally forgotten I'd written it. But I looked it over again and realized it was a good enough poem to publish. I wrote about my own walk with God and how I desperately need Him to influence my desires.

Yesterday, I thought nothing could cave me in.

But today, I'm ruined, stuck in sin.

I still can't believe I ever thought that

I could do it by myself.

You're my only hope

Through all my doubts

 

Oh, Lord set me free

From all my insecurities

Let me lead

A life that will be true to you

Please be

All I see

In a world with so many worthless things

Please hear my desperate cry.

Help me to live for You

But first, help me to die.

 

 

It's harder than it sounds--dying to yourself so you could live for God. But with God, it is possible. I hope you like this poem!:)

 





Who We Are... Now

"Remember not the things of old. Do not dwell in the past. See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Isaiah 43:18-19a.

Isn't it strange how caught we can be with different stages of our lives? We're always thinking about who we were, who we fear we'll become, or who we need to be. It's either past or future, but never present.

Being a high school sophomore, every now and then I am reminded that college is only three years away and I need to make sure my transcript looks good enough to apply for a scholarship. Recently, I was also reminded of how I should have spent more time doing history at school so I could get a college credit. It's all about what I should have done, or what I need to do.

Through all of that, I think we forget to enjoy who we are now. Just think about it. We are young. We have a whole life ahead of us, thousands of new experiences to attain. Our physical and mental state is constantly changing month by month, year by year. We will only be who we are now--in this stage of life--once before life starts to change again.

Lately, I feel like I'm stuck in a quiet stage of life since my mom has been recuperating from knee replacement surgery. She can't drive so we've only been out of the house three times this past week. It's definitely a sudden switch-up from the business of the school semester and summer.

But God reminded me last night. He is always working new things in my life, whether I think so or not. Sure, it can get boring and definitely challenging at times, but I have to trust that He has a plan. Because I know without a doubt that He does.

That's why we should enjoy where we are in love now. God is teaching us something new every day. He has worked out a specific plan for all of us and we are experiencing it right now. It's amazing when you think about it. There have times in the past few weeks when I wasn't sure how anything to work out. But every day, I see God, putting hope and love, into my life.

Thank you for your patience with me and thanks for reading.

WAIT: Last night, Ellie and I got to see ROYAL TAILOR in concert! They were beyond amazing. We met them and took pictures. They put on a great show, one that I'll never forget. It was so much fun and I'm thankful to God for allowing us to go.

The sky could fall
The ground could shake
The stars burn out
And seasons change
The time will pass
And beauty fade
But all my love will remain

Hello Again: Updates and Poems

Hey guys. It's been a long time. Most of it I have a good excuse for, but some of it, I don't. But I'm back now and I think I'm here to stay. Fresh start. I hope you guys are having a great summer!

 Two weeks from now, Ellie and I went to Super Summer, (Ellie's first overnight camp). It was an amazing experience. Super Summer challenged us to put God as the focus of our lives, as well as to be bold in sharing our faith. I could talk about that for a long time. So maybe I'll write a blog post about it later.

This Monday, my mom had knee replacement surgery. She's home now and doing great. The whole thing has put our busy summer to a hold, which I am thankful for. I need a break, peeps. Now I have more time to be on blog.

Well, Ellie and I just got back from babysitting at a homeschool conference. 3-5 year olds are adorable, but they tire you out. I'm going to go crash, but before I leave, I'll share the poem I couldn't find when I had to write my last post.

Story Behind the Poem: This poem is a tad bit personal, since I was thinking about a real relationship in my life. I have a friend who got busy and didn't talk to me that much. As a result of my own sensitivity, I felt cold when we finally texted. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wanted this relationship to last and go back the way it was. It made me guilty about it and I later apologized to her.

So here I am

At the end of the cycle again

It's been awhile, but I'm not afraid

Please let me back in.

Maybe you were right.

Maybe I was wrong.

To be honest, I don't know.

It doesn't matter anymore.

Could we go back to where were?

Or maybe where we began?

I thought I moved on,

But here I am,

Saying

"Hello" to you again.

"You're Getting Me Through the Night"

Hello friends! Long time, no blog. Alright, let's get my lame excuses over with. Last week, I found myself lacking inspiration in all sorts of ways. I did have a poem, but whenever I found time to blog, I couldn't find the notebook I wrote it in. And this week is probably the busiest of the summer, with me volunterring for a choir camp, Ellie and Danny at FCA camp, and Danny's baseball. Yep, we're packed, peeps.

So since I have a writer's block, I've decided to share a few songs that I adore with all my heart. Here we go!

This song is probably my favorite Christian song of the year. Every time I listen to it I feel relieved. It's really beautiful. God is ALWAYS with us.

In the midst of deep sorrow
I see Your light is breaking through
The dark of night will not overtake me
I am pressing into You
Lord, You fight my every battle
And I will not fear

(Kari Jobe, "I am Not Alone)

 

 

I finally got a chance to listen to this song and it is magical! I haven't seen Pitch Perfect and from I heard, it's not the cleanest movie around, but this song is amazingly beautiful. Take a listen:)



 

I got all I need when I got you and I
I look around me, and see a sweet life
I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight
You're getting me, getting me through the night

(Jessie J, "Flashlight")

 

 

THIS SONG! I heard this song before it became popular and it is AMAZING. This is a tough, busy week for me so I've been singing this song to myself. It almost NEVER gets old. The lyrics are so inspiring. PLEASE LISTEN!

 

And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time

 

 

 

Okay, so those are some songs! This week I've been listening to annoying music from the musical that we're doing, but it's looking up. Ellie and I will be gone all next week at Super Summer, an awesome camp. AND my request for "The Heir" finally got accepted! Yay!

 

How's your summer going? What's your favorite summer song?

 



Beautiful Words #8

"Above all, I have learned to love and forgive. Because without forgiveness, love will fail and without love, even the greatest acts of courage are in vain, if they even exist to begin with."

Hello! I just watched Cinderella, guys! It was flawless:D. BTW, I came up with this. It isn't from the movie. Anywho, have a great weekend!

A Little Poem

Every day, people break.

Then they cry,

Before they fade

And then they're gone.

I hope there's something more.

Every day, people run

Curl up in bed 

But the pain isn't undone.

Can't get along.

I pray there's something more.

Every day, people lose hope.

Watch themselves burn,

Suffocate in smoke.

It's so wrong.

Is there something more?

Every day, people die.

But be sure of this,

There is another life.

It is still a hopeful song.

I know there's something more.

I got inspired to write this after begining to read This Star Won't Go Out. Hope you like it:)

Something In Between

IRecently, I've found a new adoration for musicals. . This week, I finally a got hold of Disney's Into The Woods, the musical combining all sorts of fairy tale characters. You can imagine my excitement. Only this musical was different than movies like Frozen. Instead of a few songs here in there, Into The Woods barely had a spoken word. Everyone sang.

Unlike most Disney films, this one did not have your typical "happily ever after." That was what bothered me about the ending. Because it was more like real life than anything.

Near the end, Cinderella talks to her prince. He pleads with her to go back with him, but she  says, "My father's house was a nightmare. Your palace was a dream. I think I want something in between."

Her statement reminded me of how narrow-minded we can be. We see fairy tales and write them off as stupid. After all, real life doesn't work out that way. We either hope things will go right or expect them to go wrong. We are either optimistic or pessimistic. Sometimes there can be faults in both views.

But as I learn, the more I see that life isn't like that. It's not a fairy-tale, where someone will always come to rescue. At the same time though, it's not a terrible roller coaster ride. Instead... it's something in between.

Because the truth is---few things are black and write. Even the seemingly best people have dark secrets. The meanest bullies can have a good side. Everything is mixed up, light and darkness all in one. We are forced to fit the puzzle pieces together the best we can.

What we must realize is that we do not choose what is right and wrong. One Into The Woods song has a line that irked me, "You decide what's right. You decide what's good."

That is not the case. Right and wrong is beyond us. Someone greater has already decided what is right and wrong. We can only decide which one we will do. If we will stand up for the innocent or take advantage of them. If we will protect something valuable or steal it. If we will lie or tell the truth. That is what we can choose.

Yes, life is not always simple. Only God is completely right. Everything else is a twisted mixture. But it is possible to figure out what is right and wrong. No one controls us. We can decide for ourselves to do right or wrong.

Beautiful Words #7

And every time I fall, I'll hear those who will call me a mistake. But that's okay. 'Cause I hear a voice and it calls me redeemed when others say I'll never be enough. And greater is the one living inside of me than he who is living in the world- MercyMe "Greater"

I'm Not Angry Anymore

I'm not angry anymore.

For a long time, I was angry. I was mad at someone.

Someone I loved.

Someone who hurt me.

Someone who I finally forgave.

Completely.

 

Looking back at it now, it was mostly my fault.

I was bitter. I was haunted.

But now, I'm finally free.

Free from the pain that I held close to my heart,.

My chest doesn't harden whenever I think about the memories.

I don't close my eyes and picture it with dread.

Talking comes naturally now.

Now I laugh harder, smile more.

 

I never showed my anger. I kept it in the best I could.

Now I have nothing to hide.

Because the anger is gone.

It wasn't me.

It was God.

He showed me what I needed to do.

What I couldn't do.

And He did it for me.

He forgives me more than anyone.

Somehow, with Him, I've managed to forgive through His example.

 

I'm happy now, happier than I've ever been.

Even though things have changed.

For years, I held it in,

The pain, the bitterness, and anger.

Everything it comes back to haunt me,

I fight against it.

Because I know now,

How much better I am without it.

But again, it wasn't me.

It was God.

And I praise Him for it.

 

Finally, I see it for myself.

How much better it is...

That I'm not angry anymore.

Why Ultron Concerns Me

Yes, this post is about Age of Ultron. No, this is not a "saw it and died from feels" post. The sad fact is, though my love for Marvel is strong, I have not seen this movie yet. But at the same time, I would like to write a few thoughts down.

The plotline of the Avengers' sequel is about Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) messing things up. In order to protect the world, he creates a invincible mega robot, Ultron, who rebels against Stark and comes up with the genius plan to destroy the human race. Typical, perhaps, but with a twist. Though Ultronmight be made of metal, this villain talks a lot... and he does a few haunting speeches.

According to a review I read, Ultron, quotes Scripture while preceding ultimate destruction on the world. "On this church, I will build my rock," he says, copying off Jesus himself. During the movie, there are a few more mentions to the church and other spiritual things, most of them said by the big bad guy---Ultron.

When I first read the review, I thought, "Good. They're making a good villain by making him hauntingly disturbing and thoughtful. At least he's not a mindless hunk of metal." It interests me to see the motives of villains and it often adds meaningful layers to the plot. But my opinion has changed since then.

That Sunday, an old friend preached at our church. He made a interesting point during his sermon.. He said that Christianity will not only be seen as stupid, wrong, and silly. Going on, he claimed that the world will someday see Christianity as... evil.

It was difficult to understand. Evil, really? I know that some people think God is unfair and unloving, but evil seemed a little extreme. But then I recalled that sickening metal machine who had a way with words. And the pieces started to come together.

The culture is gradually becoming so twisted that they are starting to see Jesus as not only unwise, but evil as well. As much as we would like to change it, our world is only plunging further into darkness. We might not notice everything, but the signs are there all the same. I believe Ultron is one of them.

Now, don't get me wrong. I do not criticize anyone who saw this movie. In fact, I'll watch it when it comes out on DVD, at least. I love the messages of bravery, friendship, and forgiveness that the movie promotes. But I still think this is something we should be aware of. I have heard nothing but praise about Age of Ultron, from many Christian friends.

Most all entertainment these days, not excluding Marvel, is somewhat twisted. We need cling fast to our message of salvation in Jesus. It is a difficult thing to do, especially for our hearts. So it's a wonderful thing that we have Jesus to help us do that.

So have you seen Age of Ultron? What did you think of the movie? Please comment and tell me about it!

P.S Recently, I got an honorable mention for a local poetry contest for my poem, "Head in the Clouds." You might not remember it, but I posted it last year and got a lot of encouraging feedback. I wanted to thank all of you for your encouragement. It helps me greatly:)

A Little Story: Part 1

If you have followed this blog for a long time, you might have noticed the fact that though I claim to be a fiction writer, I never post any fiction. I'm not entirely sure why this is. I suppose I never think my stories are good enough to be published, but it seems that I finally settled on something. This is an idea I have yet to write as a novel, but I put it short story form. I haven't settled on a title yet, but it's a fairy-tale retelling. Hope you like it!

There was once a young girl who had lived with monsters for as long as she could remember. These monsters were bloodthirsty, selfish creatures, but there were only visible to her. No one came to her aid because no one could see the monsters, expect for the troubled girl.

 Every year, they tormented her, sucking the life out of her young soul. Yet, she knew not what to do. The beasts were too strong for her to conquer; yet, she could find no one who cared enough to come to her rescue. So as the years passed, she lived in a sick cycle and learned to live with the pain. It was not a happy life, but it was hers. And she searched, but she found no way out of it.

The ache wore down on her, but one year she met a boy. At first, she feared him, but he played with her. He seemed to understand pain, but he did not let it bother him. He ran freely among the trees, yet fully aware of the peril around him. He fascinated her and her guards slowly came down. They spent hours together each week. Every time the girl parted from him, she feared that he would not come back.  But each time, he found her again. The monsters still haunted her, but she finally possessed a small bit of hope.

As the years went by, the girl and the boy became closer. One day, he saw her for who she was—a prisoner, trapped by the monsters. That was when he the truth, as she did with him. He told her that he was a prince of a powerful kingdom and that he could rescue her from the beasts. Holding out his hand, he asked the girl to run away with him—to flee to his palace, where no one would ever hurt her again. She knew this was what she had been waiting for.

It seemed too good to be true. And truthfully, it was, though she did not know. Scarred and haunted, the girl took the boy’s hand, ready to be free from the pain. The prince out of her dreams took her to his palace. She ignored her doubts and fears, knowing that the monsters were finally gone from her life.

If only she knew that she had just ran away with one.

Do you like it?

 

 

 

Making the Most Of Time

As I have grown as a young adult, the sickening reality sunk in a little deeper each year. Maybe it's obvious, as much as technology has taken over the world, but it's still hard for my stubborn mind to realize.

I waste a lot of time.

Time, of course, is fleeting. I see it pass every day of my life and yet, I don't truly see it. Sometimes I underestimate the precious moments of life: Laughing with my family. Being outside. Reading the Bible.

With that thought in mind, here are a few things I have come up with so that we can make the most of our time. And the thing is, most of these things are incredibly simple.

Be open minded. This might be the thing I struggle with the most. I am a very thoughtful person, but I am also easy to influence. The problem is, once I get something stuck in my mind, I don't want to change. Suggestions that my ideas could be wrong almost always rub me the wrong way. But I come to see that if we get a new perspective on things and hear others out, our whole world might just get flipped around. Which brings me to my second point...

Listen. Sure, talking and expressing yourself is great, but you can only talk about the things you know. I would probably sound very stupid if I talked about a lot about things I don't know. This is hard to understand sometimes, but we can only learn if we listen. I have learned many things from many people, just by listening. We can accomplish much by speaking and writing, but without listening, we'd have a hard time creating anything at all.

It's okay to be optimistic.  I heard someone say that being pessimistic is the best thing because "you'll never be disappointed and sometimes you'll be happily surprised." That sounds fine, but often, the reason things don't work out is because I didn't have the right attitude to begin with! Our attitude effects our actions. Trust me, our actions will lack if we are not the least bit. Sure, you will get disappointed, but you will find that being happy and hopeful is worth the disappointment.

Be excited to learn new things. I know, I know, school seems to be the curse of this world, but where would we be without it? If you stop and consider it, the things we learn at school are actually quite amazing. And there are other people all over the world that wish they could know more, but don't have the resources. We are blessed to have school, people, no matter how hard it is. Everything has a purpose and we learn about those purposes every day.

I hope you enjoyed my list. Time is passing and we need to make the most of it. My apologizes for checking out of blogging this week. I had a story to write. But thank you ever so much for 47 followers

What do you think of these points? What are you doing to make the most of your time?

 

Beautiful Words #7

"Yeah, forgiveness is a hard thing," he said. "But I've learned that it's one of the few things in life that doesn't hurt."

This is a quote I have yet to put in a book. It is inspired by a lesson I am learning daily.

Thank you for reading.

The Taylor Swift Book Tag

Hello peoples! How are you? I am happy to be on Blogger today because this morning, I found one of the best book tags ever created. THE TAYLOR SWIFT BOOK TAG!!:)

No, I was not tagged for this officially, but who could I,  a loyal bookworm and Swiftie, pass this up? It's combining two of my favorite things in entertainment---books and Taylor Swift!

I found this tag on Dreaming Under the Same Moon, an awesome review blog, but the idea came from Bekah at Will Bake for Books. This is a wondrous idea and I had to try it!

Let's "begin again" with another awesome book tag, shall we?

1. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together- pick a book or series that you were pretty sure you were in love with, but then you wanted to break up.

The Maze Runner Series by James Dasher:  This series started off great with its debut, but the next two books proved to be emotionally abusive. They were so horrifically violent and sad. But it was incredibly intere
sting so I finished it. And... The Death Cure sucked the pieces of my heart into black hole. So I'm just like... this is exhausting, you know?

2. Red. Pick a book with a red cover.

The Battle of the Labyrinth: One of my favorite books in the Percy Jackson, which isn't saying much because all of the books are my favorite, but still... It had red it in it.

3. The Best Day. Pick a book that made you feel nostalgic.

Ramona's World by Beverly Cleary: This was my first favorite book. Many of Ramona's problems were little upsets  compared to issues I read about nowadays. It reminds me that everything changes. Some things I thought were just a big deal when I was younger seem like unimportant now. Life is fleeting.

4. Love Story-Pick a Book with a Forbidden Love: The Matched Series by Ally Condie. Forbidden is a popular and touchy topic to me, but I didn't mind it much in this series because of how much it changed Cassia. Before she fell in love with Ky, Cassia didn't even consider ma
king choices for herself. But over time, she found her own voice.

5. I Knew You Were Trouble- Pick a book with a bad character you couldn't help but love. Legend by Marie Lu. Technically, the main character, Day, was supposed to be a criminal, but I adored him! He was indescribably awesome. But unfortunately, I learned that he does some bad things in the last book in the trilogy, Champion. But the truth is--I still love him in Legend. So.... shame on me no-ow:0

6. Innocent- Pick a book that someone ruined the ending for you. Allegiant by Veronica Roth: Okay, so maybe I never exactly read this book, but quite a few people told me that a certain character dies. This friend who told me the sad truth was a fangirl and made it so totally tragic... waaaa!

7. Everything Has Changed- Pick a character from a book who goes through extensive character development . Ooo... the best that pops into my mind is Tobias from Divergent.  If you have read the amazing collection, Four, you know what I mean. Tobias learns how to be brave and how to love. "Fear doesn't shut you down. It wakes you up!"

8. You Belong with Me- Pick your most anticpated book release. Winter by Marisa Meyer. After blasting through both Scarlet and Cress, I am beyond thrill to read Winter! It's the conclusion to the amazing Lunar Chronicles and it has even more new characters! Bring on the pain and excitement. The only problem is... I have to wait till the end of the year.

9. Forever and Always- Pick your favorite book couple. Peeta and Katniss, of course. Because they need each other in such a beautiful way.

10. Come Back, Be Here- Pick a book that you would least like to lend out, because you would miss it  too much. Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins. I know, I know, that book broke me, so why I do adore it so? But the truth is, I could never part with it. It now serves as my mouse pad.

Hope you like this:) Fingers crossed that nobody minded me doing this. Heehee. "It's like I got this music in my mind saying it's gonna be alright."

What is your favorite read of 2015 so far?

P.S. Sabrina Carpenter's album of perfection finally came out and I just love this song!

Beautiful Words #6

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If his grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about the way...

He loves us,

 

 

Last month, I went to the Roadshow 2015 and watched this song get performed live. These lines are pure poetry and I love to hear them whenever I get the chance. God does love us in a way we cannot comprehend. The whole night was amazing, almost every part of it. I even met Jamie Grace!

What's your favorite song?

 

He Rose Again

While I was waiting for my church service to start, I found myself needing to write something. Over the past few days, being Good Friday and all, I felt like I needed to focus on God more, but was distracted by material things. So I wrote this prayer in a poem, expressing my need for Jesus. It helped me to see the wonder of Jesus and why Resurrection Day is so important. I hope you enjoy it:)

Lord, what you did,
My simple mind cannot comprehend.
The way you gave yourself for us
Even when we didn't trust,
And you conquered sin.

But it's too much for me to think about.
My mind wanders away.
The way You gave everything you had,
Knowing the price and taking the pain.
I cannot dwell in Your presence,
By myself, when all the  light fades.
I cannot be truly like You.
But because you died for me...
I don't have to.

And when all the good had gone away,
The darkness seemed to be here to stay.
No one understood what You did.
But then,
You Rose Again.

"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4-6

How was your Easter Sunday?

Beautiful Words #5

Ten months sober, I must admit. Just because you're clean don't mean you don't miss it. Ten minutes, older, I won't give in. Now that I'm clean, I'm never gonna risk it- Taylor Swift, "Clean"

In Which I Think Out Loud about Earthworms

A couple of weeks ago, I made a bold statement.

I. Hate. Earthworms.

At my biology class, our teacher made us draw an earthworm. And not like anything you would imagine. On that cold afternoon, she handed us a simple outline of a earthworm's body... before preceding to walk us through the drawing. We had to fit in 22 parts of the earthworm in that little space. Yes, those little slimy things actually have 22 parts!

By the end of the walkthrough, my mind struggled to process thought. Many times before this, I wondered, "How is knowing how to draw an earthworm going to benefit my future? It's not like a publisher is going to walk up to me and say, 'I loved your book, but because you lack knowledge in the invertebrates of Kingdom Animalia." 

Uh, no.

I'm sure you relate. Not only is school difficult and time consuming, but sometimes I wonder... why? I want to go into journalism. Why must I be forced to memorize the definitions of the parts in a snail? (I did have to do that)

But, recently, I think I figured it out. It hit me in the way that was obvious.

God made the earthworm.

Okay, okay, that might sound silly, but just think about it. God, the omniscient, all-knowing, Creator of the universe thought of an earthworm. Actually, he did more than that! He gave it those 22 parts. He gave it life!

God, the deity that hung the stars in their place, imagined an earthworm. No one would blame him for dismissing the idea of an earthworm as a silly idea. After all, He is God.

But He didn't do that.

He created something so small and so insignificant to us, for a purpose. Earthworms loosen the ground and help farmers. They might seem too tiny for consideration to me, but they do make a difference in this huge world.

Maybe I won't use my knowledge of the earthworm in a critical way. It won't get me into college or get my book published. But the earthworm is a living thing. God is so amazing that even something as little as earthworm reflects his glory!

So, God gave the worm all the things he needs to live. Imagine how much He cares for you.

Renew My Desires

Lord, what I have is not enough

But still, I just can't give it up. 

I know you're everything I need.

But words are easier than deeds.

I am so selfish sometimes

Caring first about myself

Even though I keep it in

It's nothing less than sin

I need more than a little help.

Father, please drown me in your mercy
And quench the flames of my flesh
By myself, I can't get out of this mess
I'm trapped in a silly fantasy
But You are more than I can see.
So, by your grace,
Teach me to walk in your ways.
It is only with You I can inspire
And renew my desires.

Awhile back, I went through the motions often. I read my Bible every day, but it was more of a chore than a passion. I confessed my sins and prayed, but I did not have the relationship with God that I wanted to have. The problem was, as hard as I tried, I didn't have the desire to pray. I didn't want to study the Bible the way I should have. Honestly, I dwelled in it, not knowing what to do about it.

But I grew and I realized something. It's not me. By myself, I do not have the desire to do the things I had to do in order to learn from God. I would rather listen to music than memorize a Bible Verse. But I prayed for a long time that God would give the desire to do it, to feel the need for Him. I think I finally have that. He has given me the desire to walk with Him, a desire I could not possess without Him.

Thank you for reading. What has God shown you recently?
 

Beautiful Words #4

God is bigger than the times we fail. So why can we not forgive ourselves?- Francesca Battistelli, You Never Are

Mini Reviews:P

This post was originally meant for Monday, but due to the business of life, I got it up a little late. Hope you like it!

Hello, friends! Around here, kids are Spring Break, but not me! I’m recovering a bit from a tough week, due to most our family being sick and more freezing snow. I’m sorry, but I’m a little sick of the winter. Spring is on its way though—Yay!

To help with my blogging slump, I decided to get a little more consistent with my posts. I love reviewing books, but (shocker) I read a lot, way too much to go into depth about everything. So I decided to do the next best thing… Mini reviews! Every other Monday, or sooner, depending on my time limit, I’m going to start a Mini Review Monday, in which I will review the interesting entertainment I decided to invest my time into.

Let’s get started!

Book: All Fall Down, by Ally Carter

Genre: Action/Adventure, Young Adult, Suspense, Mystery, etc.

Pros: Ally Carter never fails to deliver a totally intriguing story world. So many countries, yet one place. I must confess, it took me longer than normal to actually grasp it, but it really is genius. And the team! A set of diverse characters all working together for the same goal always brings a story to life, don’t you think? Who isn’t more of an expert in writing lovable teams than Mrs. Carter herself?

Grace was rough around the edges, but I ended up liking her. Alexei was good in his own big brother/cute romantic interest sort of way. But none of this chumps compare to Noah. From the second he broke into Grace’s bedroom, Noah had my love. He was hilarious beyond belief, but also down-to-earth and relatable. He brought Grace to life and never failed to give my heart a spin.

Cons: Honestly, it was a little hard to connect to Grace. I was on her side, but at the same time, I wished she would have lit up a bit. It would have been easier to trust people if she would have left her own pity party half the time. Still though, she was probably the most broken protagonist Ms. Carter ever imagined, and for that, I’ll forgive her.

Rating: 5 stars.

Book: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairytale retelling

Pros: I hesitated to read this book at first because the whole idea unnerved me. Cinderella as a cyborg? Whenever I think of a “cyborg,” I picture those creepy bugs in Wreck-It Ralph. But this book surprised me! I love surprises. For starters, the story world was another amusement park. Aliens always rub me the wrong way, but I really liked the idea of people living on the moon. It was very well developed and easy to understand.

I adored Kai. He was sweet and real for a prince. This author was not afraid to shed blood and make her characters suffer. That made the story all the more heartbreaking and memorable. In the end, I loved Cinder. So many people underestimated her, but she chose to move forward.

Cons: But seriously, the “plot twist.” Who didn’t see that coming?
Rating: 4 and a half stars

And last, but definitely not least… Big Hero 6! Normally, I don’t review movies, but I had to make an exception for this one.

Pros: You think Disney couldn’t get much better with Frozen, but they come really close! Big Hero 6 was awesome! I heard people talk about Baymax and how he was “the next Olaf.” I thought, “Yeah, right.” While Baymax was not quite as adorable as Olaf, he was perfect. He such a unique concept, being a “personal healthcare companion.” Apart from him, all the characters were so lovable and original. The message portrayed in the story was surprisingly meaningful, that revenge is always a destructive road. Will anyone agree that this is the best animated movie of 2014? Apparently, the Oscars do! This was the best!

Cons: Nothing, really. Watch this movie!

What have you been reading/watching?

 

My Month Recap

Hello peoples! Thank you so much for having patience with me, as busy as I am. So, wanting inspiration, I've decided to start a write a month recap on my life. I'll post some of the books I've read this month, what songs I've listened to, and what I have written.

This month was the snow month I have been waiting for! It finally snowed. Where I live, the only time it hints to snow is after it rains. But a few weeks ago, we actually got seven inches. It was so beautiful! I love how snow can make a muddy place like our town beautiful.

During February, I read:
Angel Eyes (Shannon Dittermore)
Cinder (Marissa Meyer)
To Kill A Mocking Bird
All Fall Down (Yay!)

As you can see I read, a few great things this month so I'm having a hard time picking out which was my favorite. But, To Kill a Mocking Bird, was so unique and intriguing in a wonderful way. On the other hand, All Fall Down was everything I wanted it to be and more. I also loved Cinder too.
Least favorite: Probably Angel Eyes. The writing was good, but I had some problems with the theology aspect of it.

I Listened to:
Ella Henderson's debut album, Chapter One. (This album is probably one of the best things I've heard this year!)
Reflection, Fifth Harmony. I've followed Fifth Harmony for a long time. Some of these songs got on my nerves, but there were a few good ones.
1989... because that is one of the best musical things that happened to me:)

I Wrote:
The Secret of Winteress, the first book in the trilogy I'm writing with my friend. We are 150 pages and over 60k into the thing. About 10k more and it will about it will be the longest thing I've written.
On this blog, I wrote about clichés, love, and pretty words.

Next Sunday, I'm going to the Roadshow Tour, which is going to feature Jamie Grace, MercyMe, Crowder, and Matt Maher! I'm so excited!:)

I hope I didn't bore you too much. What did you do this month?

Beautiful Words #3

In him was light, and the light was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5.

I just finished memorizing these verses and it's been great. No matter how dark things seem, there is always something greater than it. Jesus defeated sin and overcame the darkness.

What are some Bible verses you've read this month?

Epic Reads Tag

Well, since I finished All Fall Down and have been fangirling over that, I figured what would be a better time to do the Epic Reads Tag. Now this tag is supposed to be a video tag, but I saw a few people doing this on their blogs and thought, Why don't I join the rebellion?

This tag was put on the Epic Reads YouTube Channel, which I believe is put on by HarperCollins Teens. All you got to do is answer these questions about the heartbreaking, epic books you've read!

1. If you could invite one author and one of their fictional character to tea, who would you invite and what would you serve them?

Well, since tea is the food here, I would probably invite Jane Austen and Elizabeth Benet over for tea. It would be a scene from one of her novels!

 

2. What book do you wish an author would write a prequel for?

I've always wanted James Dashner to write a Maze Runner prequel about Thomas since he left so many unanswered questions! But apparently, the man is going to answer my wish with an TBR book called The Fever Code. Other than that, I would love to read a book about the previous Hunger Games; maybe one about Annie or Finnick?

 

3. What two characters (NOT from the same book) would make a good couple?

The first one that comes to mind at the moment (after thinking about this really hard) is Marianne Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility and Ky Markham from Matched. They're both very poetic people---so why not?

 

4. If you ran into your favorite author on the subway and only could say on sentence to them, who is it and what would it be?

With all my other favorite authors I would say something corny, but I would probably tell Rick Riordan write a novella about Percy being rented with his mom and Grover, etc.

5. What book made you a reader and why?

Beezus and Ramona was the first book that made me start to read chapter books. But Ella Enchated opened my eyes to the beauty of novels. So those two:)

6. Incendio! Your bookshelf just caught on fire! What is the one book you would save?

My autographed copy of Purple Moon or MockingJay. MockingJay is the only Hunger Game book I own and I am mentally attached to it, heartbreaking as it is.

7. Which dystopian world would you want to live in and why?

Hmm.. probably the Divergent world. It would be one world that would be fun to live in and I have a chance of surviving!

8. What is your most Epic Read of all time?

This is a hard question because there are so many amazing books I absolutely adore. But I'll go back to the book that started it all, The Hunger Games Series. Those books taught me that stories that look hopeless do have hope in them and not to judge a book from what I've heard about the movie.

 

I tag:

Maddie Jay

Jessica

Julia

M

Guinea Pig Lover

Bethany

Maddy
And anyone else who wants to do this:)

 Tell me--what are your epic reads?
P.S Is the music on my blog annoying?



 



 



 



This Thing Called Love

Isn’t it funny how love is seen in this world?

You want to make a million bucks? Write a love story. It can be in a movie, a book, or a song. Only don’t bore us. Spark it up! Make it exciting.  Just when they think everything’s alright, break them up. Throw in another guy. Make them cry. Kill one of them.

Make it complicated. Because that’s what love is, right?

I’ve seen and heard a lot of pictures of love. I’ve read the books and seen the movies—tales of heartbreak, confusion, and thrills. Not that those stories are bad. But it seems that love is portrayed in almost every way, expect simply.

“Love is a ruthless game, unless you play it good and right,” Taylor Swift once sang. “Love is never, ever simple,” One Direction said as-a-matter-of-factly. In almost every hyped science fiction trilogy, there’s some kind of love triangle. And, I think, in the confusion of it all, we almost forget what love is.

Love is simple. Sure, situations are complicated, but love isn’t. Is it easy? Of course not. Can it frustrate you? Yes. But through it all, love isn’t a game. Love isn’t supposed to drive you insane. It’s much more powerful than that.

Love is noun and a verb. Love is being there for someone and caring for them, even if they might have hurt you before. Love is being willing to give up everything you have and being okay with it, as long as you’re with someone.

No, it’s not easy at all. There are no shortcuts to love—true love, anyways. But despite what Hollywood has made it out to be, it’s not a mystery. It can seem quite impossible, yes, but love is one of those things that can change everything.  Yet, it’s not hard to figure out.
Say you had ten people in your life that you loved. Now think that nine of those people hurt you needlessly and then left. Sounds like a nightmare, right? But all the same, it’s better than having no one at all. That’s the wonderful thing about love. Jesus is right. Without love, we are nothing.

And there is only one perfect love.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1^st Corinthians 13:1-3.