Sometimes I just want to start over, 'cause everything looks like a wreck
And I need the courage to carry on, 'cause I can't see what's ahead
And there are places I've wished I could be, battles I've wanted to win
Dreams that have slipped through my hands
I may never get back again
But I'm still a dreamer, a believer
Oh, I've lost my faith in so many things, but I still believe in You
'Cause You can make anything new
Sometimes I just wish we could say all the things that are easy to hear
Ignore the injustice we see and explain every unanswered prayer
But I'd rather speak honestly and wear a tattered heart on my sleeve
'Cause in the middle of my broken dreams, redemption is here
And I'm still a dreamer, a believer
Oh, I've lost my faith in so many things, but I still believe in You
'Cause You are the answer, the redeemer
Oh, I've given up on too many things, but I'm not giving up on You
'Cause You can make anything new
I don't have every answer in life
But I'm trusting You one day at a time
'Cause You can make a weak heart stay alive forever
this is where Heaven and Earth collide
I lift my hands and give my life
This is how my weary heart stays alive
Oh, I'm still a dreamer (This is where heaven and earth collide)
(I lift my hands and give my life)
Still a believer (This is how my weary heart stays alive)
Oh, You are the answer (Oh, this is where Heaven and Earth collide)
(I lift my voice and give my life)
The redeemer (This is how my weary heart stays alive, oh)
'Cause You can make anything new
Yeah, You can make anything new
Song of the Moment: The Redeemer by Sanctus Real (I heard it yesterday on the radio for the very first time. I've been listening to it nonstop ever since.)
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.
1 Timothy 4:12
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Thinking Right Much of Thee
A few days ago I was in Niagara falls with two great friends. It was dark and cold and the lightest rain was coming down. We could barely see the falls. We walked and checked out all the Christmas lights still up. By the time the night was finished and we were back at the car we were soaking wet and freezing cold, but it was the most fun I've had in a long time.
On our walk we found the quietest spot you will ever find so close to the falls. It was serenity in its purest form. The three of us separated and found our own place. Our own serenity. As I was standing there, taking it all in, I thought "Someday I will bring you here."
I've had this thought before. I will bring you here. Who is this you you ask? You is my future husband.
Think about it. If God has planned for you to be married at some point in your life, your future spouse is alive. He's walking. He's sleeping. He's working. He's doing something. Doesn't that just blow your mind? It sure blew mine!
I just finished a book called When God Writes Your Love Story by Eric and Leslie Ludy. Eric just threw it out there. Your future spouse is alive. What are they doing right now? And even more importantly, what are you doing right now? Is it something you would want to tell this person about? Is it extra baggage you'd like to take into your future marriage?
Crazy right? It blew my brains right out of my head. These little thoughts I've been having for years were really brought to life. And I'm not worried in the least about when he comes. Because I know (God willing) he will come.
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.
1 Timothy 4:12
On our walk we found the quietest spot you will ever find so close to the falls. It was serenity in its purest form. The three of us separated and found our own place. Our own serenity. As I was standing there, taking it all in, I thought "Someday I will bring you here."
I've had this thought before. I will bring you here. Who is this you you ask? You is my future husband.
Think about it. If God has planned for you to be married at some point in your life, your future spouse is alive. He's walking. He's sleeping. He's working. He's doing something. Doesn't that just blow your mind? It sure blew mine!
I just finished a book called When God Writes Your Love Story by Eric and Leslie Ludy. Eric just threw it out there. Your future spouse is alive. What are they doing right now? And even more importantly, what are you doing right now? Is it something you would want to tell this person about? Is it extra baggage you'd like to take into your future marriage?
Crazy right? It blew my brains right out of my head. These little thoughts I've been having for years were really brought to life. And I'm not worried in the least about when he comes. Because I know (God willing) he will come.
I don’t believe we’ve met before
But then again, I guess I can’t be so sure
‘Cause maybe I passed you by
A hundred times today
If ever you might think of me
Know that I’ve been thinking right much of thee
And maybe I’m not in your eyes
But one day I, I will come
I count the stars alone each night
And wonder where you’re sleeping at this very time
I stroll the streets in daydreams of where our love might lead
And every February I will think of you
And practice writing valentines
‘Cause maybe I’m not in your eyes
But one day I, I will come
See what's the hurry? What's the point of being hasty?
Why waken love before it's time?
Why would I give my heart away to strangers?
Instead I'll just wait til you're mine.
I will come like a knight in Arthur’s day
I will sweep your heart away
And I’ll mean it when I say
You’re my one and only
And together we will fly
Sometimes through the blackest nights
Holding on tight for now and forever after
If ever you might think of me
Know that I’ve been thinking right much of thee
And maybe I’m not in your eyes
But one day I, I will come
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.
1 Timothy 4:12
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Find Out What It Means To Me
I have made the choice to live a pure life. In mind, body and spirit. Yes, I've fallen a lot in this journey, but I keep going. I keep trying to live my life completely for Christ.
I've told a lot of people this. Most people I know know this about me. But usually when it comes up in conversations I get eye rolls, or "you're crazy", or "man are you missing out." I've been called innocent, naive and a prude. I know of people who support me in the decisions I have made, but there are many more against me.
A few weeks ago at school we did an activity called "Fill Up My Bucket." We all had a "bucket" and we passed it around and our classmates would write something positive on it about whoever the bucket belonged to. They're supposed to be little lines that might boost someone's spirit. On my bucket, right in the middle, were the words "I respect you."
You see, a few days before I stood in front of my class and discussed the convictions they knew I had but still knew very little about. And here I was with a bucket full of "You're such a great role model" and "you're so strong." They were all great, but the "I respect you" really got to me.
No one has every told me that before. In all my years of being called crazy, etc. no one has ever told me that they respect me. It hit me hard. Especially since my class is quite the eclectic group. Hearing this from one of them was surprising and wonderful.
In our world of incredibly low standards and following the crowd, I will stand. I will stand up for what I believe in. I will stand up for who I am. I will not be tempted. I will live for the One who saved my life. The One who made it possible for me to be alive today. The only One life is worth living for.
Will you?
P.S. Watch this video I stumbled upon just tonight (thanks L-Dawg). Just think about it. "If sex is just for fun, why does it take such a toll? Maybe it's cause you don't just have sex with a body, you have sex with a soul."
Song of the Moment: More Beautiful You by Jonny Diaz ("There could never be a more beautiful you." And don't you ever forget it.)
Don't let others 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.
1 Timothy 4:12
I've told a lot of people this. Most people I know know this about me. But usually when it comes up in conversations I get eye rolls, or "you're crazy", or "man are you missing out." I've been called innocent, naive and a prude. I know of people who support me in the decisions I have made, but there are many more against me.
A few weeks ago at school we did an activity called "Fill Up My Bucket." We all had a "bucket" and we passed it around and our classmates would write something positive on it about whoever the bucket belonged to. They're supposed to be little lines that might boost someone's spirit. On my bucket, right in the middle, were the words "I respect you."
You see, a few days before I stood in front of my class and discussed the convictions they knew I had but still knew very little about. And here I was with a bucket full of "You're such a great role model" and "you're so strong." They were all great, but the "I respect you" really got to me.
No one has every told me that before. In all my years of being called crazy, etc. no one has ever told me that they respect me. It hit me hard. Especially since my class is quite the eclectic group. Hearing this from one of them was surprising and wonderful.
In our world of incredibly low standards and following the crowd, I will stand. I will stand up for what I believe in. I will stand up for who I am. I will not be tempted. I will live for the One who saved my life. The One who made it possible for me to be alive today. The only One life is worth living for.
Will you?
P.S. Watch this video I stumbled upon just tonight (thanks L-Dawg). Just think about it. "If sex is just for fun, why does it take such a toll? Maybe it's cause you don't just have sex with a body, you have sex with a soul."
Song of the Moment: More Beautiful You by Jonny Diaz ("There could never be a more beautiful you." And don't you ever forget it.)
Don't let others 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.
1 Timothy 4:12
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Ships
Over the years I've drifted apart from a lot of people. Going from good friends to incredibly awkward meetings at the mall or McDonalds or wherever. A lot of people have come and gone. But to be honest, I've never cared all that much.
Until now. Of all the people I've drifted from, I never thought one would be you. I thought that somehow we would always come back every few months and chat. Fill each other in on some details of our lives naturally. Maybe things have changed. Maybe we're just too busy. Or maybe I've thought wrong all along.
Here is one thing I have learned though: As two people drift apart, two people become closer together. Let me tell you, I've loved coming closer to someone else and I'm sure you have too. But, sometimes, I just miss you.
Song of the Moment: Back When You Were Mine by Lady Antebellum
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young but set an example for the believer in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
1 Timothy 4:12
Until now. Of all the people I've drifted from, I never thought one would be you. I thought that somehow we would always come back every few months and chat. Fill each other in on some details of our lives naturally. Maybe things have changed. Maybe we're just too busy. Or maybe I've thought wrong all along.
Here is one thing I have learned though: As two people drift apart, two people become closer together. Let me tell you, I've loved coming closer to someone else and I'm sure you have too. But, sometimes, I just miss you.
Song of the Moment: Back When You Were Mine by Lady Antebellum
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young but set an example for the believer in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
1 Timothy 4:12
Friday, November 25, 2011
This One's For You
Thank you for being wise.
Thank you for bringing me to musicals and helping me fall in love with them.
Thank you for making me smile all the time.
Thank you for playing Bill Cosby, Three Dog Night and Oklahoma! on long car rides over and over and over again.
Thank you for playing music embarassingly loud with the windows rolled down.
Thank you for always knowing someone (even if they don't know you) no matter where we are.
Thank you for your last minute exciting plans.
Thank you for letting me sit on your lap all those years.
Thank you for keeping everything.
Thank you for trying to make everyone laugh all the time.
Thank you for going out of your way to say hello to someone.
Thank you for remembering (what seems like) everything and sharing it with me.
Thank you for bringing me programs late at night after a show is finished.
Thank you for introducing me to Bill Murray and his fantastic movies (like Groundhog Day, What About Bob?, and Meatballs).
Thank you for moving the music around all corners of the car when a good song is on.
Thank you for giving me a sense of humour.
Thank you for ending every text with lyd.
Thank you for everything I couldn't even put in this list because it would be too long.
Thank you for being the best dad I could ever ask for.
That's right. This one's for you dad! Tonight we walked through the people filled lobby and parking lot singing Those Canaan Days without a care and continued in the car for the first 10 minutes of our car ride. But the best part, the absolute best part was when we were listening to Redefined and singing along to Mighty To Save together. What an incredibly beautiful moment. I think I will remember this one forever.
I couldn't ask anything more of you because you've already given me so much. But I know you would still go to the moon and back if I needed you too. Thank you for being you and sharing it all with me.
--lyb
Song of the Moment: Mighty To Save by Redefined (Redefined is a band my brother was in for a year...any other rendition would do, but this was a family affair after all)
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.
1 Timothy 4:12
Thank you for bringing me to musicals and helping me fall in love with them.
Thank you for making me smile all the time.
Thank you for playing Bill Cosby, Three Dog Night and Oklahoma! on long car rides over and over and over again.
Thank you for playing music embarassingly loud with the windows rolled down.
Thank you for always knowing someone (even if they don't know you) no matter where we are.
Thank you for your last minute exciting plans.
Thank you for letting me sit on your lap all those years.
Thank you for keeping everything.
Thank you for trying to make everyone laugh all the time.
Thank you for going out of your way to say hello to someone.
Thank you for remembering (what seems like) everything and sharing it with me.
Thank you for bringing me programs late at night after a show is finished.
Thank you for introducing me to Bill Murray and his fantastic movies (like Groundhog Day, What About Bob?, and Meatballs).
Thank you for moving the music around all corners of the car when a good song is on.
Thank you for giving me a sense of humour.
Thank you for ending every text with lyd.
Thank you for everything I couldn't even put in this list because it would be too long.
Thank you for being the best dad I could ever ask for.
That's right. This one's for you dad! Tonight we walked through the people filled lobby and parking lot singing Those Canaan Days without a care and continued in the car for the first 10 minutes of our car ride. But the best part, the absolute best part was when we were listening to Redefined and singing along to Mighty To Save together. What an incredibly beautiful moment. I think I will remember this one forever.
I couldn't ask anything more of you because you've already given me so much. But I know you would still go to the moon and back if I needed you too. Thank you for being you and sharing it all with me.
--lyb
Song of the Moment: Mighty To Save by Redefined (Redefined is a band my brother was in for a year...any other rendition would do, but this was a family affair after all)
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.
1 Timothy 4:12
Sunday, November 20, 2011
This Perfect Moment
I was waiting for my show to start on CMT tonight when I caught the end of Paul Brandt's Build It Forward. At the end Paul said: Some people search for their perfect moment forever, but what they don't realize is that they are living their perfect moment. (or something to that extent...don't want to misquote :P ) And as I usually say in my blogs, it hit me right in the face!
It seems as if I'm always looking and searching and dreaming that perfect moment. I can't help it. My combination of hopeless romantic and dreamer get the best of me! But when I sat there and thought about it, what makes this moment, today, not my perfect moment?
Yes, I know, life is ridiculously busy right now. I have work, school, papers galore which pretty much means no social life for the time being. I'm tired, I'm stressed and I'm not keeping myself as healthy as I should. But I've got some pretty amazing friends keeping me going, I've got my love for the work I do, I've got an awesome placement, I've got Christmas break just waiting in the distance and I've got an awesome God pulling me through it all. Somehow.
So why am I complaining? Why am I waiting for such an amazingly perfect moment that I am overshadowing all the great ones right now? Sure, someday I may or may not have that storybook and/or movie moment. But right now, I am content with what I've got. I am content with all the things God has blessed me with.
Song of the Moment: Just A Kiss by Lady Antebellum...Can't get enough of this song (or the video for it!!) Hey, I can still dream right?
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.
1 Timothy 4:12
It seems as if I'm always looking and searching and dreaming that perfect moment. I can't help it. My combination of hopeless romantic and dreamer get the best of me! But when I sat there and thought about it, what makes this moment, today, not my perfect moment?
Yes, I know, life is ridiculously busy right now. I have work, school, papers galore which pretty much means no social life for the time being. I'm tired, I'm stressed and I'm not keeping myself as healthy as I should. But I've got some pretty amazing friends keeping me going, I've got my love for the work I do, I've got an awesome placement, I've got Christmas break just waiting in the distance and I've got an awesome God pulling me through it all. Somehow.
So why am I complaining? Why am I waiting for such an amazingly perfect moment that I am overshadowing all the great ones right now? Sure, someday I may or may not have that storybook and/or movie moment. But right now, I am content with what I've got. I am content with all the things God has blessed me with.
Song of the Moment: Just A Kiss by Lady Antebellum...Can't get enough of this song (or the video for it!!) Hey, I can still dream right?
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.
1 Timothy 4:12
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Walls
If you choose to build a wall around your heart, make it low enough for love to climb over.
You know, I find it kind of funny. Sometimes I try so hard to make my facebook profile and my twitter description to show as much of me as possible. I try to put as much of myself as I can into these silly little things. I do it so that you'll read it. So that you'll know me.
The funny part isn't that I do this. The funny part is that all that stuff doesn't even scratch the surface. I loved writing my Who Am I? blog and make lists like that in my head all the time, but that's not the stuff that matters. Yeah, maybe those are the quarks that make you love me just a little more, but that's not who I am. You don't really know me.
You don't know how deep I go. You don't know how I feel by looking at me. You don't know what makes me tick. You don't know my struggles or my heartaches. You can't. Not from those little lists.
When I was 14 I started using the metaphor of 10 ft thick concrete walls surrounding me. I wouldn't let anyone in. With a little help from a friend I broke those walls, once. With a little more help, I'd like to break them again. Would you help me do that?
Whoever you are.
Song of the Moment: Rain by Patty Griffin. More specifically, this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB23y8E1ZdE&feature=channel_video_title I just can't get enough it. It gets to me every single time.
Don't let others 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.
1 Timothy 4:12
You know, I find it kind of funny. Sometimes I try so hard to make my facebook profile and my twitter description to show as much of me as possible. I try to put as much of myself as I can into these silly little things. I do it so that you'll read it. So that you'll know me.
The funny part isn't that I do this. The funny part is that all that stuff doesn't even scratch the surface. I loved writing my Who Am I? blog and make lists like that in my head all the time, but that's not the stuff that matters. Yeah, maybe those are the quarks that make you love me just a little more, but that's not who I am. You don't really know me.
You don't know how deep I go. You don't know how I feel by looking at me. You don't know what makes me tick. You don't know my struggles or my heartaches. You can't. Not from those little lists.
When I was 14 I started using the metaphor of 10 ft thick concrete walls surrounding me. I wouldn't let anyone in. With a little help from a friend I broke those walls, once. With a little more help, I'd like to break them again. Would you help me do that?
Whoever you are.
Song of the Moment: Rain by Patty Griffin. More specifically, this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB23y8E1ZdE&feature=channel_video_title I just can't get enough it. It gets to me every single time.
Don't let others 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.
1 Timothy 4:12
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