11:11

A thought just struck me - everytime I see this time on the clock, I wish for the EXACT same things. Actually, I don't wish for anything, this time is a reminder to pray. These past few months have been a whirlwind, starting with deciding what, if any, SGA position I would like to hold. Then the election came along and I've never prayed more in my life. That was also around the time I was making plans for my birthday, taking the ACT, and getting plans together for prom. Everything turned out better than I asked for(: I know I will have a lot on my plate next year with my new position, and college classes, and work, and other extra-curriculars, * and trying to keep a decent social life! - Most of the time, it's not myself I am praying for though. Everyday, I ask God to bless my family, especially little Kathy. She is growing up much too fast, and I know that next year I will not physically be here for her. It's scary to think that in a few months I will be leaving her to fend for herself, but hopefully I've taught her well, and she won't cave under the negative peer pressure. If you read my first blog, you know that I have an aunt who is very sick. She has started her chemo, and is still in good spirits! I'm grateful for everyone who was been keeping her in their thoughts, it's helping a lot! I have no idea what I've done to deserve such wonderful people in my life, but I'm very thankful for all of you. This past month has been one of the best. I don't ever want to forget any of the beach trips to the Cape, or to Pensacola Beach, or kayaking/canoeing. One of the best parts of my trip to Boston was just bonding with my family, whom I haven't seen in a long time. Besides that, getting over my fear of heights was my biggest accomplishment. Sometimes things are not as good as you spend years imagining they will be. At one point in time, my dream was to live in the big city (NYC, to be exact) and have a successful career. I went - it wasn't great. I've met people with very successful careers - their personal lives are a disaster. I want the best of both worlds, but I've realized it's going to have to be in moderation, and at 11:11 I pray about that too. It's crazy to think that in a year, everyone will be going their own separate ways. There will be no more random movie nights, or game nights, or starbucks trips, or going out to eat - just because. Today at 11:11, my first thought was not of myself. Like every other day, I thanked Him for blessing me with the people in my life, and then I asked that no matter how many miles we may be apart, I never lose touch with any of them :D

The Big Apple

Yesterday, I ventured into one of the most famous cities on the planet ... NYC! We started our day at 3:00 a.m. and were on the road by 4:00. We drove through Connecticut and Rhode Island, and made it into the city by 8:00 (after getting slighty turned around in Harlem!) My cousin Larry works at the American Museum of Natural History as an electrician, so we parked our car there for the day and headed to to SUBWAY! It's quick, and saves a lot of $ money on gas, but I'm from the suburbs, and when that train started to rock, I did too. Apart from that, the best part of the train ride was watching an old black man evangelise to all the people in the station. My favorite part of being there is the diversity. I was no longer the minority (: Our first stop was Times Square/Broadway. It wasn't as big as I had imagined, but it was certainly BUSY.
I kept getting walked in to! I bought some shirts from a street vendor, and we headed to Starbucks and then back on the train to Ground Zero. It's crazy that almost seven years after 9/11, you can still feel the gloominess. There were people working at the site, so we couldn't get a very close view. I was more upset then, than I was seven years ago when I first heard about the attacks. Maybe it was just because I was at the place where everything happened. After that, we got back on the train, and sat in Central Park. We were much too tired to be walking around in there. Cousin Larry met us for lunch and we ate the the Chirping Chicken, and then headed over to the museum with him (the place where Night at the Museum was filmed!) It's so big! Everything in there is awesome. We watched an IMAX film on dinosaurs, which I'm sure was great, but I fell asleep, oops! We had to be back in Boston that night, so we said good-byes to Larry, and headed back. That's where the real fun began! We only printed directions to NYC, not back! We asked about 10 cars how to get back to the interstate , and we got about 10 different answers. We ended up getting lost in the middle of Harlem during rush-hour, and please belive me when I say this, people will try to sell you anything to make some $ there! We got asked to buy bottles of water(which I'm pretty sure were already opened!), shoe shinings, bus tours(like 8990 times), bootleg movies/dvd's, everything! The only thing I regret not buying is a genuine weave from the Bronx. Somehow, after being up for 19 hours, we finally made it home. I <3 NY, but Boston wins, hands down :D

Stop Asking, and Start Thanking.

This morning I experienced something totally new-I went to a church whose members consisted mainly of those from the black community. It was a complete 180 from the normal, drab church services that I am accustmed to ... not because of the new people, or the loud music and ridiculous dancing-but because the pastors preached! Instead of an hour long lecture on how to live your life, I witnessed dozens of people simply giving praise! This convicted me to share what I learned today. A young black woman spoke for a large portion of the service and she started off by telling us that things will not always go as planned. Even at our lowest lows, we still need to thank God, becuse at the end of it all, He is the one who will bring us out. God forgave me when I didn't deserve it; I can forgive others though they may not deserve it. I've realized that if I'm not putting effort into keeping the 10 simple commandments he gave us, then He will not put effort into granting the not-so-simple things I often pray for. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is promised to noone. What are you doing with your time? Are you helpling out your neighbors, and lifting those around you up, or are you dwelling in self pity? Are you using all of the gifts that He has given you? "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." - I never really got the full meaning of this quote until this morning. The biggest thing I got out of the service is that when you need guidence, learn from others mistakes, but never look down upon them. Stop looking around at your peers for the answers. *Newsflash to me : They don't have them either! Instead, look up, God is omnipotent and knows everything(:

"Courage is not the absence of fear,

but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear."
Last night, I did something that I told myself I would never do; I was propelled hundreds of feet in the air on a fair ride. I know this doesn't seem like a big deal to most, but I have a major fear, of not heights, but of falling. Lately, the world just seems so sad. There is violence, poverty, and sickness all around. I'm one of the fortunates I suppose, because I am facing none of this. When I received the news that 12 year old Tristan passed away a few days ago after months of battling cancer, I had a revelation - life is short! With applying for colleges just around the corner, I sometimes find myself stressing. That is, until I realize that I don't even know what will happen tomorrow, let alone in the upcoming months. If I am supposed to go to the University of Florida, then I will get into that school. If not, it's only because He has bigger plans for me. I've always taken life one day at a time, but I can't say I've always made the most of every opportunity I've been given. Hopefully, I can change that. I want to experience life; AKA- get out more, and try new things! Years from now, when I look back at my life, I will probably regret most what I didn't do, and not the things that I did do that may have gotten me in a little bit of trouble(: