To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e. e. cummings
Recently, the state of Arizona passed a law that--in a nutshell--confirmed that illegal immigration was in fact, illegal. I approve of this law for obvious reasons. But, just in case these reasons are not so obvious, let me clarify:
The word illegal means you cannot do it. It is against the law. If you do it, expect to get in trouble.
There needs to be a bigger crackdown on illegal immigration. It is a real problem that needs to be addressed.
Okay, so it's a good law. It will help prevent illegal immigration. So what's all the fuss about? That, I am not entirely sure about. There are a few possibilities. One may explain why the Obama administration has filed a lawsuit against the state of Arizona.
Maybe people don't understand the law, which is understandable. People might see it as making any and all foreign immigration into the state of Arizona illegal. Not true. All the law does is place a firmer crackdown on illegal immigration. Foreigners can still immigrate there, just not illegally. Because that's, you know, illegal.
There are people who think we should let anyone who wants to live do as such. There are some big problems with this idea. There are reasons we can't let everyone who "wants" to live here do so.
Terrorism
Some who want to immigrate here have a criminal record. They haven't necessarily changed their terrible ways.
Drug traders
We just can't hold everybody!!
You know, another thing is that people confuse immigration with gaining citizenship. They are two different things. True, a person does one to achieve the other, but they are not the same. A person can live here without being a citizen. Just come here through the correct legal process, and it's all good! I know some of you are thinking, "well, she was born here, so it's pretty easy for her to say that. She doesn't know what people in other countries go through." It's true. I don't. I can't relate to those who live in third world countries, or any other country for that matter. But one thing I do know is that God has set down rules for us to follow and He has set up people to enforce these rules. If you want to know the honest-to-goodness, for reals truth, I'll tell ya. If you go about immigration the way it's supposed to be done, it causes a lot less heartache.
If I wasn't disgusted with the Obama administration before (which I was), I am now. He is chipping away at our nation's foundation. Whatever nation we emerge from his administration as, it won't be a very good one.
You know, most of the time it seems that Father's Day tends to fall by the wayside. It comes trailing in behind Mother's Day, and seems a lot people forget it. Or maybe that's just me. I knew Father's Day was coming up, buuut . . . well, I thought I had another week. So, I did it again. I forgot Father's Day. But I haven't anymore. So Daddy, I hope you're listening, because this is for you.
My dad is a Servant.
When you take a peek into my home, most of the time you'll see just my mom, my brother and sister, and me. My dad doesn't come home at 6 o'clock like most dads. And when he does get to come home, he almost always still has more work to do. Not because he's a workaholic. But because he is a servant. Not a servant like the people who go around catering to rich people. Well, he probably deals with rich people, but that's not the point. My dad is a servant. Every morning, my dad gets up long before I wish to be (sometimes as early as 5 am), showers, gets dressed, and goes to work. Every evening, my dad gets home usually around 7 or if it's been a really long day, 8. By now, you're probably thinking, what on earth does this man do for a living??
He's a Doctor.
My dad spends every day caring for people. He saves people's lives. He works hard for what often seems like little gratitude. My dad works as a small-town family practice doctor, so it's not like he rakes in a huge monetary profit either. That's what bugs me a lot. People think my family is rich, but it's not true. And even if we were, I would know that my dad worked for every cent. He works hard to give every single one of his patients the best care possible. He writes up each of their charts painstakingly making sure all the information is accurate. When he is on call, he will meet his ill patients at the office when it is closed to save them an expensive trip to the ER.
But his attitude of servitude does not stop at work. It continues at home.
Several years after my sister was born, my mom had a lot of surgeries to remove tumors. My dad made sure my siblings and I always had a place to stay, somewhere to go when even he couldn't be there for us. He took care of us whenever he was able to get leave from work, taking us to school and church, making our meals, and tucking us in at night.
Every morning, before my mom had her surgeries, and after as well, he would come in my room, already in his military uniform, to wake me up for school. Whenever he had a day off, he would pick us up from school. Now that we homeschool, he can't do that anymore. But whenever any of us kids has trouble with something, he's always willing to help. I can remember when I was struggling with Algebra, he would sit at the kitchen counter with me, walking me through the steps of each formula, making sure I understood every problem. He jumps at the chance to help us with science labs. He's eager to expound our knowledge of history beyond our classes. Whenever we are sick, or busy with school or an activity, my dad often does one or even all of our chores, without one complaint.
My dad is a Teacher.
My dad has worked hard every day for over 16 and a half years to make sure that I am always learning. He instilled in me my hunger for learning, my curiosity for history, my interest in technology, my sense of humor and most importantly, my fire for God. He takes every opportunity he can to teach us about anything and everything. The history channel is the most frequently used channel on our television, our bookshelves are loaded with every book on every period in history. He subscribes to Popular Science and Popular Mechanics and is always very happy when he sees one of us kids thumbing through the latest issue. He has a crazy sense of humor and has taught me (although I still have much to learn) to laugh at myself. But, most importantly, he has taught me the importance of fearing God. From day 1, he has used every opportunity he can to teach me about God's love and grace and mercy. My dad was there the night I accepted Christ. He makes sure the family is at church every Sunday, and that us kids pay attention in church.
My dad loves.
This may sound weird, but all I've said so far would mean nothing if my dad didn't do it with love. Because if he didn't love, there would be no reason for him to do all he's done. And he probably wouldn't. But my dad does love. He loves my mom and my siblings. He loves his patients. Most importantly, he loves God. On his Facebook, in his "About Me" section, he states it perfectly: "I am first, foremost, and unappologetically a Christian. Second a husband and father. Third a Family Medicine Physician. Those are my top 3 priorities. Everything else is secondary." My was the one who really pushed for our Disney World trip in 2007, because he knew he wouldn't be able to be home much for a whole month afterward. He punishes me and my siblings whenever we do wrong, because he loves us too much to watch us do wrong. He loves my mom so much. I see it everyday. My parents have truly followed that line in the wedding vows that says "For better or for worse". They have seen the worst and the best of times. But their love has held out through it all.
Daddy, there is so much more I could write here. How you rejoiced when I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. How you were the first person to ever place a gun in my hands and teach me how to shoot. How you have hugged me as I sobbed tears of pain. How you have celebrated with me my every victory. How you've taught me about politics. How you can always find a way to make me laugh. How you've never stopped loving me, even when I was the least lovable. And I still wouldn't be done. Thank you so much for everything that you've done for me, Mom, Robbie, and Emma. I am so glad that God made you my dad. Because any other dad just wouldn't do. I love you Dad. Love, Ro-Ro
So, first off, I apologize for not being that great at blogging lately. You see, I was attacked by this purple people eater who took me to his cave to eat me. But, I fought my way out and came back and did not get eaten because I'm cool like that. Aw, who am I kidding? You want the truth? My allergies and school have been driving me up the wall, so lately, most of the stuff I have been doing is watching Lit classes and blowing my nose. Yup. Nothing too heroic. Just time-consuming. LOL.
Anywho, I do believe I promised y'all a poem. Weeeelll, guess what? I'm not gonna post it. I decided I didn't like it, which shouldn't be surprising. My poetry isn't that great. I prefer essay/short story formats. I do have one poem that I wrote that I actually like, but the file is on a different computer. So no poems for you!
Something that a friend mine said once was that I should write a book. Well, before she said this, a book was in progress! And still is . . . lol. I've been kind of slow with working on it lately, but I have the rest of it outlined, and it should be ready for publishing by the end of the year.
Here's a brief synopsis: Esperanza's Journey is a modern fantasy story about a girl who goes on a life changing journey. Unsatisfied with her life in the Dark Forest collecting beautiful but temporary stones, Esperanza uses her discovery of a small something in the distance (called 'light') to go searching for something better. Rejected by people she thought loved her, Esperanza begins her journey alone. In this story meant to show similarity to Pilgrim's Progress,Esperanza discovers true happiness and the love of the One who gave His life for her.
In a few weeks, I will be headed to TeenPact's Endeavor West, which is an all girls TeenPact Alumni event. I'm super excited to spend a week with some of my favorite girlfriends, worshiping God and learning how to be a true Proverbs 31 woman. And of course, I will write about it when I get back. :)
At some point I'm going to post my thoughts on this whole Obama-suing-Arizona dealio. It's kind of driving me nuts.
Well, that's it for now! Hope y'all are having a great Saturday! God bless!!
Just wanted to write you a quick note to say: I haven't forgotten about this blog!! Things have been a tad crazy with the launch of the Ripple Effect blog, but I promise to keep posting on this one. Tomorrow, I'll (hopefully) be posting a poem I wrote on the fly today (it's completely unedited, but I thought I'd test on y'all anyway), and some other random tidbits that ran through my mind. But, for now I'm out of time. God bless!
--Rose
P.S. Just thought I'd throw in a pic of me and my awesome bro :) I'll have a bragging rights post on him (since I did one on my sister) at some point this summer. :)
Everyone loves a good laugh. And why not? One of the best feelings is to have a good laugh--one that comes deep from within you. When we are happy, God is happy. He loves to see us laughing and enjoying ourselves. There is evidence everywhere that God has a wonderful sense of humor and wants us to see us laugh. So, in light of that, today's post is dedicated to laughter. It's chock full of humorous quotes, quips, and some, um, unusual conversations I've had with my friends. Enjoy!
(This conversation took place entirely via texting. I was in a bad mood, and Logan began poking at it. I think this is why we get stares when in public together. Just maybe.)
Rose: I need something to bite..
Logan: Just don't bite me!!
Rose: You're the only thing available! graah!!!
Logan: aah!! *runs away* (running scene)
Rose: *catches up, jumps, and BITES* HAHA! I got you!!
Logan: No you didn't!
Rose: Ya, I did!
Logan: NO, you didn't!!
Rose: Oh ya? Then what's that?
Logan: Cherry. Jam. (nuff said.)
(The way the roads are set up, if you are driving up Denmark Hill, and someone is driving towards Denmark Hill on Thrall Rd, you are closer to my house than that person. So here's the story: my sister and I are coming back in from town, trying to beat our dad home. We're driving on Thrall towards Denmark Hill. I see my dad's truck . . .)
Rose: Oh, look! There's Dad--he's on Denmark Hill
Emma: Good!! That means we'll beat him home, right?
(Another one of my dear sister's blond moments. The funny thing about these moments is my hair is way lighter than hers. So, we're driving down a two-way road . . .)
Emma: Hey, Rose, you know how when you're driving the other direction and the passenger seat is on the inside of the lane?
Rose: . . . You might want to re-think that one.
(There was 400+ people at National Convention. It was always quite loud in the Dining Hall at meals. Conversations were always an adventure.)
Kiefer: (talking about his abundance of t-shirts and mentions they are his favorite clothing)
Rose: I like hoodies!
Kiefer: WOW, Rosie. That wins the award for the most random comment of the week!
Lily: What did she say?
Rose: All I said was that I like hoodies . . .
Lily: Rosie, that is very random.
Rose: How is it random?? Kiefer said he likes t-shirts and I like hoodies!
Kiefer: Hoodies? I thought you said pudding!
Lily: Pudding?? I thought she said cookies!! (Well, I guess it was better than a million "huh?"'s)
(The rest is just random funny quotes I like.)
A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized. ~Fred Allen
There are three types of people in this world: those who can count and those who can't. Four out of three people don't understand fractions.
Welcome to the dark side. Are you surprised we lied about the cookies?
Be alert. The world needs more lerts.
Eagles may soar in the clouds, but weasels never get sucked into jet engines. ~Attributed to both Jason Hutchison and John Benfield
The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us. ~Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes
The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. ~Author Unknown
Who says nothing is impossible. I've been doing nothing for years. ~Author Unknown
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile way and you have their shoes. ~Author Unknown
Lead me not into temptation; I can find the way myself. ~Rita Mae Brown
Ever have one of those days where you drop your car keys in hot lava? Just let 'em go . . . ~Deep Thoughts With Aaron Watson
(Hope you enjoyed this little side trip from deep thoughts (lol)! Remember that laughter is a gift from God!! Have a wonderful and blessed day!)
Last night, my sister (Emma) and I had our spring piano recital. Being who we are, we were both excited. The way our teacher does things, one gets to play two pieces per recital. Emma and I both had a piece from the soundtrack of our favorite movie series, Pirates of the Caribbean, along with another piece. It was supposed to be just an ordinary recital. Go there, play our pieces, nibble finger foods and mingle around afterwords. But, it didn't go quite as planned . . .
A Typical Night The recital started as usual, with younger, less experienced kids starting out and leading up to the more advanced kids.
...then came my sister's turn.
She walked confidently towards the piano, ready to play her pieces. Her first piece went well. A small missed note here and there, but then again, it was kind of a weird piano. Next, she played her second piece; her favorite.
Forgetting . . .
The song started out strong, bursting with her usual confidence.
Oops . . . a missed note here.
Uh-oh . . . there's another one.
She started playing slower, with less enthusiasm.
Then she stopped.
Desperate, she began searching her mind for the note. Where was it?? Our teacher slipped up to the piano, trying to help by tapping out a few notes. But to no avail. The notes had flown from her memory. Emma walked back to her seat, shaking, the tears already starting to flow.
Defeated . . .
As I walked to the piano (I had been placed right after Emma), I could her my sister sobbing. Her sobs faded into the background as my mom took her to the bathroom to comfort her. My heart aching for my baby sister, I sat down and began to play.
Not long after I finished and had returned to my seat, my mom and sister came back. Unsure what to do, I reached across our mom and gave Emma's hand a squeeze.
Heavenly Encouragement Unbeknownst to me, after Emma and our mom had walked out, a lady (one of the other moms), had followed them. She encouraged Emma to go back and try again, gave her hug, and prayed with her and my mom.
That's what really helped Emma. When that lady mentioned the Lord. Because what she said was so right. "Sometimes Satan tries to keep us from being successful, from doing well. But God is bigger than Satan, and He can help you play again."
So she played again.
After the last student on the program had played, our piano teacher looked at Emma.
"Do you want to play again?"
Cautiously, Emma nodded and approached the piano once again.
And she played . . .
It was the best she had ever done at a recital. She started off slow, picking up speed gradually until she was at full force. By the time she made a flawless finish, everyone in the room was grinning, and clapped enthusiastically for her.
With a smile on her face,
Emma rose,
Bowed,
And returned to her seat.
She had done it. She had played.
Emma, you are an amazing and beautiful girl. I'm so glad you tried again last night. Getting back up there was hard, but you did it!! I'm so proud of you! I love you sooo much!!! <3 Ro-Ro
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Today's Ripple Effect story is kind of a combination story. In order to greater understand the Ripple Effect, I'll start of with a bit of my own story, then move on to how God used my story to affect Rissa Crowe.
When I was eleven, my mom led me to Christ while sitting in our living room late at night. A few years after that, some dear friends (the Solem family) told me about TeenPact. I was a little iffy about going--and delayed going for at least a year. Finally though, at age 16, I went to a TeenPact State Class for the first time. It really got me on fire for God, for government, and for leading. Just last week, I attended the TeenPact National Convention, where God did some major work in my heart. I felt so light and burden-free! As soon as I got home, I began blogging about my experience at NC. I am very much on fire for God now, and want to honor Him with everything I do. Then, yesterday, I opened my Facebook and saw that I had a message from Rissa Crowe. Now here begins her story . . .
"[L]ately, I've been in a "hit and miss" mode. I do the stuff I need to for God then be done with it. Quick & shallow prayers, skipping on some bible reading, not really caring to try at anything. It's my life, I can do with it as much or as little as I want... right? Wrong! But such has been my mindset.... until tonight.
It seems a million and one things have been gripping me and stabbing at my heart to bring me to repentance. Everything from tv commercials to the very ground I walk on seemed to remind me of my condition and pound me with conviction. But I was still spiritually "asleep", no matter what the Lord was trying to put in front of me. But tonight, He put your blog in front of me. Sleepily I kind of just stumbled into my room... grabbed the iPod touch and got on facebook. There it was... your blog. I clicked it and started to read, read, and read some more! I couldn't stop! The way the words flowed kept my attention, and the way in which Christ and His ultimate glory was pointed out as foremost in nearly everything, brought me to my knees. Was it the way I admired your love and devotion to Christ? Was it your ability to pour your testimonies into beautiful wording? I don't know. But there was a small moment when in reading your blog, I broke. I woke up. I don't understand the feeling, I really can't explain it! But I just put the iPod down and started to pray. It was the sweetest time of prayer I think I have ever had. :) God and I talked. I repented from what I had been doing against Him. The joy afterwards was immense! I got right back on the iPod and started to write this message to you!!!"
God definitely gets the credit here! I was absolutely floored when I read this message. God's amazing-ness knows no bounds! Rissa and I met while on a "College Up-Close" trip at Bob Jones University. The deal is, the way we met, we could have very well gone on the entire trip and not have met each other! God can use even the smallest event or person to affect a lot! Take Rissa's story for example. I am merely one person. In a big world of everything, my blog is just one small thing. But God, in His grace and mercy, used it to affect something big: Rissa's relationship with God. Everything big that happens can be traced back to one small thing.
I hope you enjoyed reading about how God worked in Rissa's life! Thank you for reading!!
