I had dance try-outs tonight. The dance was so cool, but so fast. At first I couldn't keep up, but then I got it and I was so excited!!! We had to do turns. Which I love, but  don't do very well. I also got to do my hitch kick. Which is like the my best thing I can do in dance. Everyone was like whoa. your's are so good. It made me happy. The only down sides were that we had to free-style for THREE EIGHT COUNTS!!! And Aleisha was there. She makes me so angry sometimes. When she's away from her popular friends she's really nice and fun to be around, but at school you can forget it. But now that I think about it, I was a lot more outgoing when her, me, and Betsy were best friends. Oh well, I have friends that don't flip-flop like a fish out of water. I think I did ok tonight. I didn't do horrible, I guess. All I can do is hope and pray. Oh yeah, I have pictures tomorrow at 9:00 in the morning with my ugly dance costume. ;)

i asked him to prom today!  he said he wasn't going.  oh well, at least i didn't get rejected.  maybe he will go...oh just shut up self.  (i converse with myself occasionally...lol)  not really.  i took pictures of my prom dress...i'm gonna put them on here.  oh my goodness when megan asked him for me...he was with joseph and austin was like, "What?"  in this really high pitched voice...and then joseph was like, "=hilarious silly gasp noise= you're going to prom with carmen!!!"  it was hilarious.  i think he likes me...even though i'm told otherwise.  i don't think i care what anyone thinks.

LUV YA LOTS

+macchiato+

We built this city
We built this city
We built this city on...

ROCK AND ROLLLL!!!!!!

so, life is pretty good right now.
can't complain.

school is almost over, thank god.
i'll probably have to take finals this year, though. heh. =[

but um. so yeah. hunter is pretty much amazing. haha.
even though he won't be on here to read this for a while.



not much to say really at this point.
i'm just pretty happy about everything.

um. not really doing anything this weekend.
anyone have any ideas?

Hello yall whats up well im computer Tech just browsing and i thought i should come and update my blog. Sunday is mothersday right?Well I still havent got my mom anything yet im totally broke too!!!!!!!!!

I guess i should go now i promise i'll talk to you monday see you then.

photo from you_dont_know_me

Yeah, I miss dancing. It just kinda hit me out of the blue today, I think I miss the movement of it all.

So now I'm waiting for school to be over, cause Amanda-my-dear is coming over tonight. WOO! We're gonna stuff ourselves with Italian food and be girly, heck yeah.

I'm thinking I'll start something on fire, just to release my inner pyro.

Hey everyone have I told you what happened to me yesterday night. Well if I didnt i'll tell you im telling you now.Well I was  in the yard and my brother comes and starts pushing me for no reason and so i went and pretended that i was hitting his skateboard,and he come over picked up his bat and threw it at my foot and now its swollen and red.

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

photo from quetta

hi boo well i guess am 2 fly 4 my own good but just stopin 2 show yo page some love...........

    

       If i died today what would you say about me.. or do?

It seems like everyone is doing the whole " If You Knew Me " thingy-ma-bob! So i am going to do one... i know, way to much fun :P  ( not really everyone, but i am really bored so i am going to do it anyway )

IF YOU KNEW ME YOU WOULD KNOW....

I am a Christian

I long to be in Jesus arms

I have a messed up family

I LOVE horses

I am shy ( around people i dont know )

I LOVE to laugh

I can fake a smile like no other

I have random words i say

FANTASTIC and STRIVE are like my favorite words

I have 3 BEST friends and then a bunch of really good friends

I have a lot of problems with my dad... i pretty much just dont like him

I like to write how i feel done and then read it a year later and think WOW i was stupid :P Its kinda fun

If you tell me something... i will most likly tell Lane or Tyler.... but if you ask me not to then i wont

I Strive to get As in school (although i dont always get As :(

I dream of the day i can DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah thats about it :P

Keri, I hope you're not mad because I yelled at you. I was just getting really irritated with all the twa stuff. And I was already irritated by that stupid song. Well it's not really stupid, I just don't like who sings it. That was really funny when Austin said he studied Bucky. That's pretty weird. ;)

There is way to much drama at school right now, especially being the end of the year. I don't want to go to high school, but I also wish everyone could be friends. I'm really sad we only have two weeks left of school. I really like my hall this year. I have a lot of great friends, and I don't want to lose them next year just because we don't have any classes together. (All of you, and you know who you are, we have to get together all summer. We also have to stay friends throughout high school no matter what. I don't want to lose you guys.)

I'm so stressed about school even though it's like almost over. I'm scared about science and our stupid roller coaster. And literature. Our story thing is a pretty good idea, but our class hasn't even gotten to get into our groups yet. I don't quite know who's in my group either, but Meghan told me it's Joseph, her, me and I forgot the last person. But I get to work with Joseph!!! I'm so excited!!! I was probally like the only person who wanted to work on our story today. Oh well, we'll probally work on it tomorrow. I hope. I really do hope. ;)

if you really knew me, you'd know...

1.  I am NOT comfortable with myself

2.  I hide my pain with a smile...sometimes a laugh or two

3.  Just because I don't make straight A's does not mean that I am not gifted because i am and i know it

4.  I am dreading prom

5.  I also like a guy who will never like me back (I thought he did...)

6.  I'm smarter and stronger than people think

7.  My whole life I've wondered what love is and thought i figured it out a few times...but i still havent.

8.  I've also wondered what makes people popular and why can't i have those attributes

9.  When you lie to me once, it's VERY hard to gain my trust back.

10.  I've been used. (partially)

11.  I don't like criticism...unless its constructive.  but even still, i have a very hard time accepting it.

12.  I might be asking someone to prom.  But i doubt myself...i have low self-esteem issues

13.  I have a phobia of new people

14.  I don't understand why the heck some people are such jerks to me when i didn't do a single flippin' thing in the world to them.  I don't understand how people can be so unfeeling.  Some people are two-faced and don't see it...but others do. 

15.  I am very hurt at the moment

i dont know anymore.  i don't want to do anything...with my "friends".  i just want to sit home and cry.  i put on a happy face because i don't want people to worry about me...but i don't guess it really matters.  i'm not asking for attention here, i'm asking for prayer because i need it!  I am begging you!  I don't like this...i want to be happy...again.  so, pray for me and grace...please.  sometimes i'm really super happy but then i'm just not...and i want to cry and sit at home...please pray.

THANKS

In one of the gospel parables, the rich man is mulling over his treasures, and plans to build even bigger barns to store all his crops. He relishes his security: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come. Jesus reflects: A man’s life is not made secure by what he owns. As we grow quiet in prayer, our hearts can be invaded in the same way by false securities. In the measure that my heart is in past treasures, I am fossilised and dead, for life is only in the present. So to each of these past treasures I am grateful yet I say goodbye, explaining that, grateful though I am that it came into my life, it must move out, or my heart will never learn to love the present.

* Some fantastic person ( hint hint Tyler ) sent this to me, i think he found it on myspace or something like that but i thought it was pretty niffty *

Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.

The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Okay, so I got back from DC early yesterday morning.  It was a good trip that involved eating snails and squid, as well as many vegetables and rice.  Also, I got to ride in a wheelchair.  But, as I am much more of a ranter than anything else, I will now rant:

While at the Holocaust Museum, we (being my 3 friends and myself) became acquainted with a large group of teenagers and pre-teens who had come as a group.  These kids went throughout the entire museum being loud and obnoxious, talking and laughing and whatnot.  At every floor they came to, someone inevitably cried, "Another one?!?" as if it was such an inconvenience to them that, I don't know, 6 million people were ruthlessly slaughtered.  I'm sorry the Jews couldn't hold out so that these children's lives wouldn't have been so horribly destroyed.

Seriously, though...laughter?  I can understand solemnity, perhaps sadness and tears, but laughter in the Holocaust Museum?

So I had my revenge.  As I said before, I was in a wheelchair.  Whenever I heard them coming up behind me on the last two floors of the thing, I would sit still in the middle of the hallway, then, as they passed by very close to me (so I would know that they were having to move around me), I turned very quickly and hit them hard in the shins with the metal footrests; since I was in the wheelchair, they had to apologize for it.  So I did that three times and felt a little bit better about myself.


Anyway, it was a good trip, and I'm still recovering.  Ciao.

mary is back!!!! its been forever

photo from TinkerBell

photo from TinkerBell

hey everyone whats up today are the cheerleading tryouts i cant wait to watch everyone try out its going to be so fun because we get to vote for who we want to be on the team and im going to vote for who is good last year it was just a popularity contest and just whoever was popular made the team. This i hope eneryone has a chance not just the popular ones.

photo from ben

photo from ben

photo from ben

photo from ben

photo from ben

photo from ben

photo from Ed_The_Angry_Jew

photo from Mimechic

today is the cheerleading auditions and 1 of my ex-best friend is trying out and a whole lot more of my friends is trying out and whats funny is that a guy is trying out and a whole lot of people are voting for him just for the fun of it well g2g

Class (designator) | [Credits] | --Grade

Hapkido (PED142/242) [2] -- A

Moral problems (PHL118) [3] -- A

Intro to Statistics (STA282) [3] -- A

Philosophy of Religion (PHL230) [3] -- A

Social Psychology (PSY330) [3] -- A

Psychological Testing (PSY310) [3] -- A -

Semester GPA: 3.94
Cumulative GPA: 3.54

:-D

This post is in rebuttal to an argument posted by Sarah Yeldell on her website, onto which I stumbled a few days ago.  Her words are in italics.

While I didn't to go into detail with this argument, having only commented briefly on her site, I feel I probably should, for she seemed to misinterpret my first comment.  Also, I did it to prove a point, that often, people place responsibility into the government's hands that it is simply ill-equipped or inefficient at doing, if it can at all.  Every time something bad happens in the world, the people want the great judge to preside over all and change things so that bad things won't happen again when the government simply can't change fundamentally flawed human behavior.  Instead, we have created a government that places unreasonable, expensive expectations that stifle creativity in free markets and intrude into people's personal lives, cutting off their freedom for the "good" of all—or better yet, in reality, the good of the few elite.  In the end, this kind of thinking is ignorant idealism in a world where bad things happen and where life simply isn't fair.

One other point I'd like to make before I start is that statistics are only as good as the conclusions you draw from them.  I can selectively choose the statistics I want to prove my point, but I refuse.  I also refuse to see only one side of a percentage to make a glib judgment call with far-reaching effects that I may not see at the time.  You must see that your own perspective greatly influences any statistic you use.

When it comes to guns, I find myself firmly against American civilians owning and possessing firearms.

AKA I want the government to legislate away gun ownership so that we are forced to rely on them even more for things we need and end up paying more money than we should for it.

I guess I have ask, "And then what?"  Do you not believe serious changes would have to be made, such as additional police? You have to see beyond to the ramifications of such a decision.
Furthermore, why can't they? 

It's unjust to regulate all of America on the problems of a few,
yet according to your own statistics and words, that's what you want to do.

I wasn't always. My father taught me how to shoot and I've even contemplated buying a gun of my own at one time or another. But as I've gotten older, I just can't seem to see the sense in it. Logically, it just doesn't add up.

I'm sure someone who has defended themselves with a firearm would disagree.

Does your father believe in gun ownership rights?  If so, why?  If not, why not?

"My gun is for self-defense."

In my experience, this is the most common argument made for owning a gun. Self-defense sounds fairly reasonable (and oh so satisfying), and sometimes it even happens.

Not only that, but self-defense is a realistic possibility.
The other most common argument for owning a gun is that the founding fathers believed in it enough to write it in the Constitution.

According to the US Department of Justice, between 1987 and 1992, an average of 22,000 victims (including police officers) per year defended themselves against a criminal who also had a firearm. Another 61,000 per year defended themselves against offenders who were either unarmed or armed with weapons other than firearms. That's 83,000 people per year who successfully or unsuccessfully used their gun in an attempt defend themselves, their family, and/or their property. (Stats)

In crimes that were reported.  Also, it's helpful to note that USDOJ BJS started to completely redesign its methodology in 1992, but it claims to have adjusted for the figures before that time for the new methodology.  Also, I've found other sources that disagree with
those numbers.  In 1994, the USPOF conducted a survey in which it found that 44 million Americans owned guns (http://www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles/165476.txt).  It also concluded that defensive gun uses were hard to calculate and that the numbers it received were more than likely wrong due to contradictions with other evidence (its study calculated 1.5 million DGUs per year, an improbable number compared to the amount of actual crime).

But the number of gun owners in the United States of America is estimated at around 80 million.

By whom?  The NRA?  The USDOJ?  I mean, who's doing the estimating and how?  Do they all own them legally?  How many of them committed a felony and were still able to purchase the gun?

So, by the USDOJ statistics, only 0.1% or so of gun owners have actually employed their firearm for defense.

Never mind the prevention of crime possibly caused by gun ownership or the knowledge thereof.  Never mind the numerous places where guns are banned so that, even if a legal person wanted to use one in self-defense, they probably couldn't.  Never mind that firearm-related crime experienced all-time lows between 1993 and 2005 (from the same site) for some unknown reason (possibly because USDOJ actually started crunching numbers correctly after 1992).  Finally, never
mind that, in 1992, approximately 50 out of every 1,000 people were the victims of a violent crime, crimes that could have been prevented if the victim had had a gun.

Another consideration is, who is being hurt most by gun ownership?

You mean another biased consideration.  You never intended to explore the advantages.

Between 1999 and 2001, the USDOJ reports that 161,569 were intentionally killed by guns (homicide).

I think you added the wrong numbers.  According to the site, the number of homicide deaths by guns between 1999 and 2001 is actually 33,570, much different from the number you gave.  Also, the number of suicides in that same period is 50,054.  I'm thinking you added more years than just 1999 to 2001, for the whole chart spans 1991 to 2001.  The number of total homicides during that period is approximately 52,500 (averaging 7 per 100,000 per year with a population of 250 million).  So total, the number of gun owners who have used their guns for homicide successfully in that period of time is close to 0.07% (from your quoted number), which is smaller than that percentage of people who used their guns for defense from 1987 to 1992.  In other words, your argument's prepotency is being nullified. Additionally, it's really not a correct procedure to compare statistics from 1987 to 1992 to ones from 1999 to 2001, unless you assume the 0.1% is consistent for a decade.

In that same time period, 196,113 people committed suicide using a firearm. People possessing guns were killing themselves more than they were killing other people. This, of course, doesn't include accidental deaths. (Stats)

Again, you have the wrong number for the time period, and accidental deaths by firearms adds very little to 50,054; in fact, the number of accidental deaths by firearms from 1999 to 2001 is 2,042, 0.003% of total gun owners.  Number of suicides comprises 0.06% of gun owners.  Either way, from 1999 to 2001, more people killed other people than people killed themselves with a firearm.  According to WHO (http://www.who.int/mental_health/media/unitstates.pdf), the number of suicides in 2000 was about 26,000.  According to the USDOJ site, the number of those caused by firearms was 16,586, which is about 2/3 of the total number, assuming both sources' numbers are congruent.While it remains true that the majority of homicides and suicides in this country occur via firearm, none of these statistics proves one thing one way or the other in the issue of whether to ban guns.  There are simply too many other variables to consider.

For instance, how many crimes were perpetrated by handgun-carry permit holders with their firearm actually involved?  How many crimes involving firearms period also involved someone who obtained illegally or outside the process of state gun control laws?  What effect has the price of guns (about $400+ per gun) had on crime: in other words, has the market not curbed much of the crime by cost alone, especially in poorer areas where crime is more prevalent?

Also, your bias prevents you from seeing that the far majority of gun owners use their guns responsibly, and I would say it's a fair bet to say the majority of those who use them irresponsibly obtained them through illegitimate means.

You also act as if suicide is somehow expedited by guns, when suicide is a completely different matter altogether.  The solution to mental illness includes medical changes—better, cheaper health and less bureaucracy (doctor shifts) and less humiliation—as well as cultural changes—holding those who propagate paranoia accountable and helping people recognize warning signs.  Guns are often chosen because they are quick and painless, but banning guns will not solve suicide across the board.

To be sure, I'll fight anyone who ever threatens me or mine (I'm no pacifist), but the likelihood of me ever needing to use a gun is low.

Well, it's equal to the chances of your being victimized in a crime.

The likelihood of getting to wherever it is stored (whether loaded or unloaded) in time to any good is lower.

With the numerous laws prohibiting people's carrying guns, how can you say this with a straight face?  This is a chicken and egg argument (Which came first?) gun control or gun ban advocates pose as a detractor, when they themselves caused it, not the presence of guns in society.  They caused responsible people to have to store away their own guns: you can't use this particular issue to argue your case, when your case wanted such gun control laws in the beginning.  In this sense, gun control advocates are begging the question: they are arguing that a circumstance they create is proof enough to further their conclusion.  Responsible people aren't going to risk trying to break the law so that, if you enforce laws to ban guns from certain areas, the only ones listening are the responsible people!The possible pros don't come close to outweighing the cons.

You haven't come close to making a justifiably thorough side-by-side comparison!

"If you outlaw guns, the only people who will have them will be the
criminals!"

Maybe, but currently most violence is carried out without a weapon. Between 1993 and 2001, 65.9% of non-lethal violence and 26.6 % of lethal violence was carried out without a weapon of any kind. By comparison, only 9.5% of non-lethal and 3.8% of lethal violence was carried out using a gun. That's 5,863,750 crimes committed without a weapon of any sort, as compared to 846,950 committed by gun-wielding criminals.

I believe it's kinda ironic how this paragraph actually serves to deflate your argument further and contradict your earlier and later arguments.  To me, this information states several things.  First, guns are doing much less bad than we think.  Second, the alleged all-access pass to firearms right now for criminals is not as bad as gun control advocates would have us believe.  Third, more law-abiding citizens' circumstances would definitely be improved by the ability to carry a gun in any violent crime.

If guns were only available illegally, it's hard to believe that number would go up. (Stats)

That's the problem.  You don't realize the impact a law will have until it comes around full circle.  The knowledge that no good citizen has a gun may galvanize would-be criminals.  You have no proof to justify your last statement in this paragraph.  You could take, for instance, the impact of marijuana on society as well as since the beginning of its illegalization and the "war on drugs," as well as the impact on its price, accessibility, and potency.  Or you could just use prohibition.  I doubt either will suit your purpose.

"Guns don't kill people. People kill people."

I couldn't agree more. But I don't understand fighting for the right for people to kill other people faster and more efficiently.

According to your statistics, criminals don't follow your logic.  They're not killing people faster and more efficiently.

When was the last time someone burst into an office or a school and bludgeoned thirty people to death in ten minutes with a baseball bat?

This example's beside the point.

Outlawing guns might not do a lot for one-on-one violence, but it would significantly reduce the number of casualties in crowd situations. Today, if you want to kill a lot of people, you go home, get your guns, drive down to the mall/office/school and open fire.

How many massacres occur in a year?  How many "crowd situations" ever occur?  How many crowd situations occurred in places where guns are prohibited?

Without guns, people would still find ways to kill large numbers of other people, but why give them the option of a firearm?

Wow, that's amazing: you just pointed out your argument's own flaw.  They would find other ways of killing people, such as a bomb (or several), which aren't that difficult to make to destroy a bus filled with people.Also, firearms exist: criminals have had that option since their invention and refinement.  The only people we would take away the option from are the law-abiding citizen.

Why make it easy for them?

We aren't.   You are, for reasons I've already reiterated.

"Guns are fun!"

Yes, they are. I think it has to do with our reverence of violence. There's just something about firing a gun that makes you feel good. But there are a lot of fun activities out there that don't involve pretending to KILL things. Maybe we should focus on those instead?

Keeping that in mind, why don't we ban guns from television, or video games, or even from speech?

"Hunting is fun!"

You know I worry about a culture where we feel compelled to watch things die. I worry about a culture where killing things is thought to be fun. Hunting isn't a necessity, it's a hobby, and really, killing things should never be a hobby.

It's not a necessity…anymore.  How people use their guns legally is really none of your concern.  I hate cats, but I'm not going prohibit people from owning them.

"You don't need to worry about the law-abiding citizens."

My friend killed his wife, their friend, and then himself using his legally purchased firearm, a gun he bought for self-defense. When he bought his gun, he wasn't crazy, he wasn't a criminal, he wasn't someone the system would have caught.

What about 9/11?  And quite frankly this isn't even a crowd situation: he probably could've done the same amount of damage with something else.  Again, banning guns isn't the solution to mental illness.

The idea that gun control works is laughable, because how can you know when someone might be pushed past their breaking point?

And here your personal experience totally sways your argument, especially since so few gun owners are "pushed past their breaking point," statistically.

How can you know whether or not your law-abiding citizen (or their child) will do something unlawful? There is no way the law can do anything but react after someone commits a crime.

How would that change after you ban guns?

There's no legal gun violence prevention aside from banning guns entirely. (Article)

What does that even mean?

I know outlawing guns isn't an option, but I'm not sure why that is. It seems obvious that the pros of guns are far outweighed by the cons.

Been there, argued that….

So why, as a nation, are we so enamored with them? The sole purpose of a firearm is to kill something. Why do we want to keep them?

It's necessary that we have a few for an organized militia, even you believe that.  It's freedom that civilians have them.  Since when has the nation been enamored with them? According to that USPOF study, the number of gun owners was on the decline in 1994.  I don't see us being enamored, unless you want censor out guns from entertainment.

Is it because, as a culture, we LIKE death? Is it because, as a country, we want the option of killing our neighbors open to us? Why?

More pseudo-philosophical nonsense.  This is about freedom to defend on your terms.

Under scrutiny, your arguments just don't add up to the same conclusion when you change your presuppositions on the matter.  It's unfair and unjust to hold society as a whole accountable for the misdeeds of a few.

Another question I have is how would someone go about enforcing a total gun ban?  What would be the penalty for gun possession, or gun sale?

I spent $1500 on this. It's my new baby :-). all that's left it to get insurance on it tomorrow and I can start riding.

                             Ok i give up!
I am so exhausted, B/c i am so exhausted i'm not doing well in school, B/c i'm not doing well in school i am up-set, B/c i'm up-set i have a bad audited, B/c i have a bad audited i get in trouble, B/c i get in trouble I am so exhusted! Is it to much to ask for Happiness?? I mean i feel a little bit of everything BUT Happiness, i just want to be Happy, for a little longer than a second. Is that to much to ask? Yes i Laugh, but Laughing is a minute or so of something being Funny, its nothing compared to Happiness!!! Happiness is longer lasting, joy, peace, love, kindness... Happiness is... is something pretty much everyone longs for. Don't get me wrong.. Laughter is a wonderful thing, but Happiness is a FANTASTIC thing.
Happiness Is Something I Strive For

Hey everybody. It's been a while since I got back from China. I had to update to make Becca Hicks happy. But I'm goin to bed now cuz i'm sick but I'll talk to ya'll later. Especially Becca.

Peace Out

I'm sure most of you have seen the Disney movie "The Kid", where Bruce Willis' character meets his younger self, played by Spencer Breslin. Well, there is a scene where Bruce is talking to an aquaintance about the fact that's he met his younger self, which the woman surprisingly seems to believe. She then tells him that if she younger self were to come visit her, the one thing she would tell her is that everything is going to be ok.

Have you ever thought about what you would say to your younger self if you met him/her? I was just thinking about how God has really given me a burden to reach out younger students, especially those in junior high. I have to admit that have somewhat pushed this aside. Now granted, I do not think nor or even later is the time for to be fully devoted to ministering to these students, but I do believe it is supposed to be a part of my life. And I have noticed that I have been pushing away those thoughts about the way life used to be for me... back when I was in junior high...

Junior high was tough for me. Some how, some way, I was able to withstand many of the temptation and pressures thrown my way during that critical age. I had to cling on so tightly to God... that was when I finally began to understand what a relationship with God was. I had some really high standards for myself that others my age did not have, and that was only by the grace of God.

So as I reflect and remember on those painful times, I wonder what I would say to the twelve or thirteen year old version of myself if she was to fnd her way to modern-day Murfreesboro. And like that woman in "The Kid" I would assure myself that everything would be ok and that it would work out. But I would have to go further that...

I would have to encourage young Amy that to stick with our convictions and standards, but to always seek God above all else, because He will surprise her. I would tell her that high school and college aren't a cakewalk, but they are definitely better than junior high. I would have to tell her that God is going to take her to some great places. I would assure that she will make some strong Christian friends. I would tell her life will consist of many stories that will one day encourage her as a twenty-year old college student that still doubts sometimes that God is there for her. I would tell her to keep journaling, because one day she will look back, realizing the importance of remembering what it was like so that she could more effectively minister to others.

Stay strong, Amy, is what I would tell her. And if thirty-year old Amy came to me today, I'm sure she would share those same words with me. I may not know what the next several years will bring me, or heck, even the next several months, weeks, or days, but I know that if I stay strong and look to God, it will all work out just fine... probably much different than I expected... but all things do indeed work together for the good of those who love Him...

Today I have grown taller from walking with the trees.
-Karle Wilson Baker


God has been stretching me in ways i never thought possible. it seems as soon as i get slightly comfortable here comes something else to get me moving in a new direction. i keep reaching for a new stepping stone every day leading to an unknown future.

work has been incredibly challenging. it took me about a month to get down a routine for this one hall. and today they put me on a hall i have never been on. one with different patients and different needs. it was like starting new all over again. next week i take my state exam. i seriously hope i pass. i hope all this work is not in vain.

i hope all these steps i keep taking lead me somewhere soon. i don't like wandering. i want to do what i am passionate about.

well, i hope everyone is having a great day!

hey... today is my great granny's birthday so i'm going to my granny's house today to celebrate && my granny & pawpaw opened their pool this week so i get to go swimming today!!!! i'm so happy but some other things are going on in my life thats really bringing me down but i'm making it & 2 of my good friends that i care about aren't friends anymore & i tried to  help them but it didn't work so just pray for me..=)

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia- Fear of long words.

photo from TinkerBell

photo from Mimechic

photo from gennifergoad

Today I had to do my project and it was so boring and i hasd to show them how to make a birdfeeder and it was boring wellg2g

hey everyone Im in the library typing away. I dont know who that guy is that is in that picture right there that is a little freaky because i dont even know how it got on my blog.

Well ive got messages to check so id better go ill see you guys later.

What Makes A Legend?
Is It What Someone Did When They Were Alive?
Or
How Their Rememberd After Their Gone?

Quote From The Second Best Movie Ever ~The Guardian~ ( ~Knights Tale~ Will Always Be # 1 In My Book )


* If you cant read it.. it says " Movie Hero "

;)

yeah i found this kid named nick iv known him awhile...but he is awsome and amazing, the boy i used to date is mada nd tryen to fight him, so im still confused about alot of things but he is awsoemand i lov ehim.....

Sixth semester in a row with a 4.0. :)

I've had one every semester since I met Josh.  He's a good influence. :)

Hey you guys did i tell you about the feild trip we are having?Well we are going to Montgomery Bell Park I know It doesnt seem like much, but i cant wait because it is one day off of our normal routine. Well I guess ill talk to you later bye.

photo from Mimechic

photo from schneebly

Today feels like one of those days were you just really don't care about anything. Nothing really makes me mad, I am just kinda out there today. If feels like I am on auto pilot watching the world go bye. Does this happen to anyone? Sometimes I like the feeling but others I want to pause the world, just make it stop spinning and see what I am missing.

I think you'll find it worthwhile to read this...

These bulletins are so stupid with their "if you don't repost you'll be cursed, have a stroke of bad luck," or one of my personal favorites "have the worst life ever." What? No, you're wrong. I'm sorry mr or mrs. i want the world to hear my bulletin, but your words do not intrinsically possess some type of magical power that instantly endows your bulletin with the capability of damning the rest of someone's existence because they don't care to tell the world about "ten things to say to mr. right."

Sorry, but just... no, I mean..

Where do you people even get this?

So i think a bulletin should go something like this:

"If you don't repost this little green men will come out of your closet and beat you with lucky charms made of steel, then tie you up and toss you through your window, subsequently rolling you on the sheets of broken glass.  Lacerated and bleeding, they will then cast you off the plank of a magical pirate ship descending from the ninth martian galaxy which will then wisk you off to the pacific coast where your bloodied body will be tossed to the ravenous great whites.  After being effectively devoured, your processed excreted body will then accumulate into a giant mass at the bottom of the ocean which will directly cause a cataclysmic shift in the ocean currents, worldwide flooding, and thus a subsequent destruction of all human life.

Therefore, if you don't want to be the direct cause of the termination of every man, woman and child on the planet, then repost this, OR ELSE!!!

-------

Or, if you're a sensible human being, who knows everything I just said is crap, and does not in any way have some type of magical capability of causing these things to happen simply because I made them up, because the truth is that these statements were simply pulled right out of my butt, then repost this to let the world know that chain letters with certain and inescabable doom as a direct cause of not reposting them is one of the most retarded, thoughtless activities going on in the technological age, and do so only with the simple satisfaction of knowing "ahh, maybe I have in some way helped to hault the comprehensive decline of the average human I.Q. in contemporary society, becuase I have helped to expose this hopelessly brain-sucking activity."

The non-coerced, sensible, coherent minded individuals', End. :)

well the concert tonight went ok i guess. lets see tomorrow i have to work and on friday i have to work and so that means the rest of the week is mine to spend it with the person of my choice ( i guess everyone knows who that is ^_^) well yesterday at school this kid in my 5th period class got tea poured on his pants and so today i was joking about it at him and he trys and hits me in the leg with this thing he has on his key chain. well he misses my leg then he goes and hits my knuckle with it. so i stood up got in his face grabbed the keys and hit his arm with the thing and then threw the keys on the other side of the room. well later on in that period i looked over and there was a huge red welt on his arm while there is only red around my knuckle. it kind of serves him right i guess since he has been hitting other people too with what ever it is called now he knows how it feels. oh well idc. well sunday i was susposed to work from 12-8:30. yea instead i worked 12-9:30. that day was so stressful. lol well i g2g L8R

Life is like the wind...You never know where it's going or where it's been. But, there is a time for everything.


Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

I am working on being content with my grades. I got A's and an A-
Stupid A-

I learned to knit yesterday and pearl today. (I almost wrote perl... I need help.) I am learning patience.. Heh...

Working on the job thing. Interview on Thursday and hopefully this other place will call (more money). We'll see. God's got this.

I was watching Oprah (yeah I know) one day and they were doing this thing were they were trying to get everyone to be friends and do away with cliques. One of the activities they did was that they got in small groups and had to go around and say if you really knew me you would know...

Well here's some for me:

1.If you really knew me, you'd know that I really do have a lot of confidence. I'm just to shy to show it and I don't know how.

2. I have family problems.

3. I actually do want to be popular.

4. I put up a barrier of niceness.

5. I wish I could just sleep through everything.

6. I want to build a time machine and do things differently for about everything in my life. (Not just with guys, Carmen.)

7. I care too much about what people think.

8. I'm embarrassed by my family.

9. I want to lose about 20 pounds.

10. I think about what my friends think of me.

11. I'm jealous of all my friends.

12. I want to be a news anchor.

13. I'm not really as smart as people think I am.

14. I like a guy who will never like me back.

15. I'm obbessive about lots of things.

Save the World.


                                         

 Ok, so in 6th grade Carmen's mom brought these cookies to school that i had never had before so tried them and LOVED them. I at almost all the cookies. So then they call me the Kookie Monster, and have for 3 years almost. I found this picture and loved it, so i decided to blog about it. Im Cookie Monster and the woman is Carmen's mom. LOL

                         Do Not Worry
"Therefore I Say To You, Do Not Worry About Your Life, What You Will Eat Or What You Will Drink; Nor About Your Body, What You Will Put On. Is Not Life More Than Food And The Body More Than Clothing? Look At The Birds Of The Air, For They Neither Sow Nor Reap Nor Gather Into Barns; Yet Your Heavenly Father Feeds Them. Are You Not Of More Value Then They? Which Of You By Worrying Can Add One Cubit To His Stature? So Why Do You Worry About Clothing? Consider The Lilies Of The Field, How They Grow: They Neither Toil Nor Spin; And Yet I Say To You That Even Solomon In All His Glory Was Not Arrayed Like One Of These. Now If God So Clothes The Grass Of The Field, Which Today Is, And Tomorrow Is Thrown Into The Oven, Will He Not Much More Clothe You, O You Of Little Faith? Therefore Do Not Worry, Saying "What Shall We Eat?" Or "What Shall We Drink?" Or "What Shall We Wear?" For After All These Things The Gentiles Seek. For Your Heavenly Father Knows That You Need All These Things. But Seek First The Kingdom Of God And His Righteousness, And All These Things Shall Be Added To You. Therefore Do Not Worry About Tomorrow, For Tomorrow Will Worry About Its Own Things. Sufficent For The Day Is Its Own Troubles"
Matthew 6:25-34

I'm starting to get frustrated with my job hunt. No one is calling me not even the fast food places I've applied to! When I do go and try to check up on the applications I've turned it and ask about it the people working there act like they're extremely annoyed or inconvienced. I'm trying to say positive and be thankful for all the things I do have ( a nice apartment, car, food to eat, my family) but I'm still human and start to worry. I guess I can do is pray about it and keep trying. I do still have a couple of hours a week as a sub for the front desk at Scarlett so many I can get more. But yeah if you guys know of any jobs available in Mufreesboro or anything let me know! (hehe)

Oh and I think there might be something wrong with my ignition switch in my car. Daniel and Jacqueline helped me jump start it and it ran fine when I drove it for a bit around town. I turned it off when I got home and now it won't start again. At least I won't have to get it towed when I go to get it fixed so that's a blessing.

Anywho I hope your week has been better than mine.

oh my flippin gosh

i told him.  he is happy.  i is happy.  we is happy.  we is not dating.  dang.  carmen likes austin.  yup yup yup.  austin likes carmen.  probably probably probably.  this is what i hear, anyways.  you know, for me to be so flippin excited, you could never tell by my creative use of punctuation

so where are my faithful readers?  i barely ever post here, so i don't really expect regular comments here.  but when i post on thechrismorgan.com (at least slightly regularly) i would like some comments.  so check on my posts there.  or else

i life in essex and i me 16 years old and leve school i 12 moths

Today I have to be a caridere cuz I havce to go get some stuff to make a birdfeeder for a science project witch I dont want to do because it is really boring and I have to right a report on it whitch I dont want to do that etier because I have other stuff I can do besides that well g2g....

I
like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike
your Christ.
Mohandas Gandhi

This is what I want to do. I want to go on a vacation to get away from everything and everybody. I guess that sounds selfish but who cares. really? I need to get away and breath. It's been a really lame past two weeks. I need time to think and some major space. Like not in a negative way just time for myself.

Hi guys. I had a lot of fun working the book fair today. It was so much more fun then doing school work. I'm glad I get to do it all week to. I can't wait till' family night. We are going to sell coffee possibly. I also have this sign I'm going to wear all week. I know I'll probally look like a dork, but it's fun to do that sometimes. I also get to make a pick of the day video for one of my fave books, Pictures of Hollis Woods. It's really good. You guys should read it. Today was a day were I was rolling the whole day. Keri and I was walking around the book fair, seeing if anybody needed help. Austin Marlow told us that he was going to buy this cook book. Keri asked him if he could even cook. He told us that he could make brownies and cake... and his list ended there. Although he told us he could make anything we could think of. Right. ;) He also said he could play piano. ;) (Carmen, yall' have to play together in the talent show. Please.)

Oh yeah, what would you guys do if an old, freaky man contacted you. Just wondering.

More Tennessee Williams for you, I swear if I have to read
for Maggie again tomorrow, I’ll have no voice left. The darn woman talks too
much.

 Reasonably uneventful weekend went to see Spiderman 3. That
movie’s a little iffy. It had a good plot (I guess) and the villains were good.
Venom was lacking his trademark Gene Simmons tongue and they tried to make The
Sandman all serious-like. Emo-Spidey (complete with dance number) was
hilarious!!

 
We had to take one of those ridiculously dumb End Of Course
exams. My intelligence was insulted beyond belief; I mean seriously who comes
up with these tests!! What are we 6^th graders, I mean really. It was
disgusting. We had 75 minutes to complete the test and I had mine done in
almost 30 minutes (it was a 60 question test). Well, at least it counts as my
final.

 
No real plans for this week, so if anybody comes up with
something, let me know.

ok, so i turned 14 on Saterday so i threw a big awsome sleepover par-tey on Friday. It was so much fun!!!!!!!! All my friends came and we went to see Spiderman 3, which is the best movie EVER!!!!! It was the biggest emotional rollercoster......anyway after that we stayed up till 5 a.m. and talked about pimp slapping people to Hong Kong. Then after only 3 hours of sleep we went to the Old Timers parade, which is pretty much a celebration of old people, and i bought this pimpin' puppets for only a doller each. We had a ton o' fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got all A's this semester! Woot!

Roger Clemens is going back to the Yankees. What a jerk.

I still haven't seen Spider-man 3.

I still haven't been to Disney World either.

It feels really nice to not worry about school, even though I was really enjoying my semester.

I've decided to not do the TobyMac contest. I really wasn't getting inspired. So now I need to write a screenplay for either my soap opera or my parody...

I went to the dentist this morning, and she definitely pulled on my retainer and causeed the glue on one end to come undone. So now I have to go to an orthodontist to either have him glue it back down or take it off.

So how are you???

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIZABETH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I get to see you in 2 1/2 hours!!! ...

And I'm getting married in a year and two days!

photo from Mimechic

Man the libary is jammed today and Raliegh looks so crazy in the outfit in the shes in for the play well I g2g cuz the libary is gettin really jammed .

haay you guys whats up?Today will probably be just another monday.

boring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Im in the library just like ugly brame.

We usually just sit here in the library talking to you just for your entertainment.I dont know where uglybrame is she just wrote to me, but she's not in here now.well im going to go try and find her,ill talk yo yall later.

well nothing much has been going on lately. this weekend wasnt nearly as good as i thought it was going to be. oh well. lets see jazz fest = not too good espically because of the rain,  well i need to go take an online math test and study for my eoc in us history.

Andrew

So soon I'll be in the boro for basically the entire summer.
It's crazy, this will be the longest one stretch of time i've been in the boro since... well, my first year there before I went to lee.  So, in about two years.

Well murfreesborians, get ready to have your full dose of Adam! haha

O, and um, THE BAND NEVERTHELESS IS AMAZING I know I already said that, but i'm becoming more obsessed....
tootles.
P.S., random insert.
Mrs. Jeana is da bomb!!

What is it about my eyes?

I fear that they tell too much.

How you treat people
is about
who you are,
not who they are.

yep.
i definitly love jazz fest.
[but not when it rains.]
=[
this weekend kinda blew.
and i have a headache.
i cant wait until it stops raining all the time.
i want it to be sunny!

Today I found out that our next youth conference is May 19-20. That's also the day of our prom. I really want to go, but I think my mom's mad because she wanted me to go to prom. I also think God is a lot more important than a prom. I mean really. Prom won't matter in five years, but this conference could have an effect that would change my life. I don't know. What do you guys think I should do? I kind of need to know soon so my mom can take my dress back if I'm not going to prom.

I was tired all day today. I've even forgotten what we talked about during church today. The only thing I remember is when we had free time between sunday school and service we talked about Spider Man 3. Go figure. After church I had a People to People meeting. Boring. When people were doing their projects I fell asleep. I felt really bad, but I couldn't stay awake. After that I got this really cute outfit at Target. I also had to get these gay khacki pants for our trip. I can't wait till' tomorrow so I can see my pick of the blonde twins and we get to run the book fair. Yay (to both!!!) Well I guess I should be going.

i'm sick again. i dont know why. blah.

i have somewhat of an important final tomorow and i was hoping to study alot this weekend, but i was pretty much out of comission yesterday. hopefully i can make it through today. :(  but i just did the math. as long as i make above a 70 or higher on the test i'll have a B in the class. but i'm hoping for a B+.

piece

For as long as I've "blogged," I've always assumed that I'm really the only reading what I've written.  Every now and again, I'll get a remark, especially after something controversial, but nothing I've written has been consistently remarked, especially since I have had a vice of making/breaking relationships.

But this post is a sort of description...of me...with one statement:

I am not the same person I was a year ago.


Things aren't true because someone asserts them: they must have proof.  And likewise, I give you myself as that proof.  Your prayers, if you had any for me in the will of God, have been answered.  In fact, read my posts from a year ago and you'll see.  Of course, I still struggle with things, but I'm not the same person.  God has changed me: I believe that with all my heart.

In the same way, I believe that God is faithful to do the same work in you all that He has done and continues to do in me.  I came back to this area and found that many people I loved were in bad situations--bad spiritually, bad emotionally, bad physically, bad socially, bad what-have-you--and I was crushed by that fact.  I asked God why, but I know this same work, the work of which I'm testimony, can occur in your lives if you let it.  Also, I know that conquering these issues will provide a clear reason as to why you are having bad experiences now.
There are specific people I could name, people who, without just cause, have become ensnared or trapped by the enemy, the world, or even themselves, but I won't name these individuals.  I just hope that you won't let past sins (whether yours or someone else's) destroy your future.  God has a plan for your life, a plan of victory, if you would take and make it your own.  Thank you for reading...

it was rainy


nathan made me dance to a stupid song


just driving along


our dinner


fun people


love sarah's face here


elizabeth is cool


this umbrella didn't keep me dry




or nathan either

okay, i dont know what to do.  i really like him, but i dont know.  I want him to know, but then again, i dont.  i haven't told him yet.  NEW PERSONAL RECORD!  lol.  i've heard a lot of stuff...but i don't want to like really think he likes me and then get my "heart broken" because it was just my friends trying to make me feel better.  He acts like it, but i can't figure out if i'm leading myself on or not.  that's like really the reason i want him to know.  he's cool, but i dont want to freak him out.  i am so stuck.  this is crazy but i dont know what to do.  i know this won't last forever...but whatever.

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The Eskimo has fifty-two names for snow because it is important to them; there ought to be as many for love.

Margaret Atwood

Nevertheless.

They're like a combination of relient k, dashboard confessional, and the vocals sound a little like anberlin, sometimes.
I like them A LOT.  Just got their cd today, it was their debut that came out sometime last year.

If you're a big relient K fan, I advise them, very much so.
Some REALLY good songs.  Good stuff :-)

and I guess in other band news, I am very much obsessed with Red
Thank you Chris Jensen, I am forever in debt to you. ;)

Keri's birthday party was so much fun. Batey, Carmen, Erin, Gen, Camino, and me was there. We were so goofy. We all went and watched Spider Man 3. It was so awesome. The graphics and sound was really good. It was one of the most emotional rollercoaster movies I've watched in a while. Everybody needs to see it. There were a lot of people there last night. We had to wait in this big ol' line. It was crazy. When we got back to Keri's we watched The Day After Tomorrow. I like the movie, but it's kind of weird and freaky. When my parents watched when it came out a long time ago I couldn't watch it. After the movie we talked for like three hours on so many topics it's not even funny. But our main topic was boys. Mainly the hot blonde twin. ;)

This morning when we woke up I wasn't really that tired. I'm still not really. I'm tired hyper. We all got ready to go to the parade which was a bust. It was so boring and so hot. But me and Batey got these really cute bags. They have like a bikini design on them. They are so cute. All of us also got these finger puppets. We all need to bring ours Monday. ;) While we standing there was this girl in a wheel chair, and she like grabbed onto my shirt really tight and wouldn't let go. I didn't want to make her family feel bad, but I was really scared. I didn't know what to do. They had to like pry her off of me. It was really weird. We went to Batey's mom's classroom to cool off. It was pretty fun, and we got to meet the guy she is going to ask to prom. (Which she should be doing right about now. Good luck, Batey!!!)  Carmen and I looked for the blonde twins, but we didn't find them. :( Oh well, I can't wait for Monday. Supposedly Camino has this plan that's going to get them to talk to us. I hope it all goes well. Well I should go. I need to finish my homework for tomorrow's People to People meeting. :( I hate it!!!

Congratulations to my dad, my sister, and my brother-in-law for walking in the White House Relay for Life last night.  I'm so proud of you guys!

Thank you to all who donated to help them and for all of you who kept them in your prayers.

I have a wonderful, amazing, super fantastic friend named TAMARA. You should meet her : )
LOL *** Is that what i was supposed to say Tamara? :P ***

dang i havent been on here for awhile...
oh well
i hope everyone is doing good

--meaghan

    Why is the one thing that you wanna say sometimes the hardest?

So i am a lot better then yesterday! :) Thanks for all the prayers. Today was under the *OK* category. Its not *FANTASTIC* but its better then the *bad*. Lane is back so maybe i can go over to her house soon and just hang out! Maybe get a little peace for a while. I don't know why but hanging out with friends helps me breath in and out and know why i am here! I know i am weird but its true!
Other then my life getting a ( little ) better, nothing big has happened, no new news, no big outbursts of anger or happiness. But i'm not sure if thats *good* or *bad*. Anyways, i well say Good Bye and hope next time i write there will be something exciting to tell :)

Why GOD Gave Us Friends

GOD knew that everyone needs
Companionship and cheer,
He knew that people need someone
Whose thoughts are always near.

He knew they need someone kind
To lend a helping hand.
Someone to gladly take the time
To care and understand.

GOD knew that we all need someone
To share each happy day,
To be a source of courage
When troubles come our way.

Someone to be true to us,
Whether near or far apart.
Someone whose love we'll always
Hold and treasure in our hearts.

That's Why GOD Gave Us Friends!

I feel so sorry for my friend she fell of her porch and broke her foot today she has to go to the doctor and see if she cant get her cast off.

but hopefully she will get to go on the feildtrip with me and my other bff's.

Well id better go.

haaaaaaay yall im at school bored to death,and i am waitin on the bus.

last night my brother kicked me in the knee and now i have this big ole honkin bruise on my leg.

so if any of you guys have time message me back im sure to answer!

well i have to go

See yall later!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey that rhymes! Yep, I'm bored and have acess to a computer again...

We started reading "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" in class today and my teacher nominated me to read for Maggie. I cannot tell you just how much fun it is to yell at somebody in a Southern drawl. Who cares if I manage to get stuck talking like that for the rest of the day?

Happy Cuatro de Mayo! At least if you go to public school that is. It's slightly amusing to see the decoratons up in the rain while the salsa team dances.Yep, not much is better.