The Needle that Scarred my Hand is Nothing Compared to the Nails in Jesus' Hands

I just back from camp last Friday. That week of camp was probably one of  the most fun weeks I've ever had. It was also a week full of "firsts." I worked with six to eight year-olds for the first time. Well, at camp. I babysit frequently. It was also the first time I gave a goat a bath. That was easier than you think it was. I'm getting my first pair of Chaco sandals in about ten days. But probably the most important "first" thing that happened last week is that I actually realized how painful Jesus' death was and how much those nails must have hurt when they went through his hands and feet. His death just became much more significant to me.

So, about a month and a half ago, my sister and I were embroidering a quilt for my grandmother for her birthday. I had stuck my needle in the arm rest of the couch because I had to go do something else. I came back and forgetting I had put my needle there, I slammed my hand down on the armrest; right where the needle was. As a sharp pain made its way through my hand, I lifted it up and sure enough, there was a needle sticking out of my hand. Of course, I put some Neosporin and a Band-aid on it, and it's fine now.

The reason I thought of this was because at camp there is a skit they do called Life of Christ. It follows Jesus' life and so the Crucifixion is portrayed as well. This week, that's when it really hit me how much pain He really went through and that proves how much He loves me and everyone else. See, my hand ached for hours after I accidentally stabbed myself with my needle. However, those nails that pierced His hands were so much larger and there was no way he was going to remove them because that would mean eternal damnation for the rest of us. His pain was thousands of times worse than mine, and he did it willingly.

 It really put God's love for me in a new perspective. Jesus willingly chose pain. He chose to go through all that suffering and mocking just for me. He could have taken those wretched nails out, but he didn't. He loves us so much,  more than words can describe. His love for us is so deep that there is absolutely no way whatsoever that we'd be able to escape. We're drowning in His grace. And there is absolutely nothing in this world or the next that is capable of separating God's love from us, not even sin, death, or the power of the devil. And there is absolutely nothing we can do to earn God's love. It's a free gift, no strings attached. Isn't God incredible?

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 8:38-39

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."-Romans 5:8

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift from God- not by works so that no one can boast." Eph. 2:8-9

Have a terrific Tuesday!

On Conforming, Trends, and Hipsters

The other night, I was at a Relient K concert, and I realized something: we try too hard. I looked around at the all the people around me, and I noticed while everyone was attempting their best to look different and be unique, they all looked the same. Same sort of hairstyle-either flippy, slicked-back, or that just-got-out-of-bed look- same style of clothes, same thick-rimmed glasses, same Converse shoes. I guess I'm basically describing the group of people called "Hipsters," but there's something much more ironic about this group of people besides their ironic love for ironic music and everything ironic before it was cool.

Every societal group of people has its similarities and stuff, but this group of people, these "hipsters" are different. They pride themselves on looking different, having "vintage style," and underground music you've never heard of before, but is much better than anything "mainstream." They avoid the mainstream at all costs. Here's the funny thing, though: hipster culture has gripped society in such a way that to be hipster is mainstream. It seems you see people wearing button-up shirts and rims like Buddy Holly everywhere these days.

I feel that the very point of hipster culture is telling you that you need to different; don't conform to whatever everyone else is doing; be your own person. In fact, that seems to be what society has been telling us for centuries; be yourself. However, at the same time, the world insists we conform to society; it's essential we fit in or else we're not "cool" How do these contradictory viewpoints even exist in the same universe? It's really hard to wrap my head around that idea.

Now that you are semi-familiar with hipsters, do you see what a sticky, ironic mess the concert I was at was?

Most everyone there wanted to look different; people were fixing their hair and making sure they looked "unique" and "distinct." The sad truth is that when they tried their best to be different, they all ended up looking the same, the exact opposite of what they want to be. I'm not even exaggerating when I say pretty much everyone resembled this picture.

It just really made me think about the difference between trends and conformity. Trends are supposed to be fresh and edgy; something no one has ever seen before. However, as the trend becomes more popular, the less unique that trend becomes; it loses its special-ness and a new trend arises.

How about we stop worrying so much about what other people think about us and focus on stuff that actually matters? Let's quit caring so much about entertainment and what society dictates is "cool." Let's focus more on our dreams and making the future a better place than it is now. Let's be someone future generations can be inspired by instead of laughed at. Let's just be the people God created us to be. Let's just be ourselves.

Easter Candy

I know Easter was a couple weeks, ago, but I wanted to talk about my least favorite candies ever. At least of the Easter variety. Really,

1. The Cadbury Creme Egg:
These are just really nasty. The creme inside is creepy and scares me
a lot. I'm not really sure why; it just does. The chocolate part is good, but the rest isn't, unfortunately. However, my mother seems to be under the impression that I like them, so usually at least one ends up in my Easter basket. Except for this year, that is. Well, I guess I got those mini Cadbury eggs, but that's not the point. I do not like them.





2. Jelly Beans: 
Yeah, that's right. I don't like jelly beans. Actually, there's an exception to that rule: I like the Starburst flavored jelly beans and some Jelly Belly jelly beans. The rest are gross. I think it's more of a texture thing.





3. Peeps:

These are the worst Easter candy of all time. They're too sweet, and they don't really taste like much of anything, really. However, there are other fun things to do with them.

One time, we were having a bonfire, and my brother decided it'd be a fantastic idea to make a s'mores with a Peep, or at least have a roasted Peep. Anyways, he tried and that Peep set ablaze so quickly because sugar is quite flammable, so it was just a large ball of fire. Moral of the story: not even fire can enhance the taste of a Peep.

A few nights ago, my family and I decided to play Yahtzee. My sister (of course), kept rolling Yahtzees, so my dad implemented a new rule: if you roll a Yahtzee and your name starts with an "E", then you must consume a Peep. Of course, this rule only applied to her since she's the only one whose name starts with an "E". She ended up eating only two, but she should have eaten more like five or six.

On a side note:
Even though these aren't Easter candies, circus peanuts are still really gross.

Happy Tuesday!

Things I Regret

So, I know it can be a waste of time regretting things, or it may even be unhealthy, but there are some things that I wonder if I had changed my habits that I'd be a different person today because of it. Here are some things in my past I'd change, in no particular order:

1. Piano:

A) Quitting piano lessons:
I started taking piano lessons when I was about seven or eight, and I continued until I was about fourteen or fifteen. I stopped because I was entering high school, and I thought I wouldn't have enough time. Looking back, I realize I probably would have made time for it, and even though I still play piano, it's not the same as when I was taking lessons. There really isn't someone around to share their input on a certain piece, or on my  progress in general; it's all up to me, and that doesn't necessarily mean I'm growing musically.

B) Practicing:
I've never enjoyed practicing, and I've never really practiced much because apparently I have natural talent. However, talent only takes you so far, and I think if I had practiced more, I would be more confident in my playing now, and be more willing to play for people than I am now. I normally only play at home when no one else is around.

C) Contests:
There was this piano contest my teacher always made me participate in, and I always did well; I always made it to finals and I even won once. But when I was in seventh grade, I decided I didn't want to do them anymore; I don't even remember my reasoning why. I really wish I hadn't quit; contests build character and confidence.

2. Studying:
Now, I am not a bad student; I just procrastinate sometimes...or a lot. But some subjects I really wish I had applied myself more. In tenth grade, I took AP U.S. History, and my teacher was awful. If you asked him a question, he wouldn't be able to tell you an answer, or would tell you he'd find out for you, but never did. He also stressed that we read the textbook that went along with the class, which is fine, but he was expecting that that would be where we get all our information. I realize now that even though that textbook was the most difficult book to read and understand, I should've made more of an effort on my part to understand the material, because in the end, I'm responsible for the my grade and what I learn.

I really wish I would've instituted better study habits when I was younger; I think it would've helped me so much in the long run. Again, I think a lot of it comes back to that I'm somewhat naturally smart, I thought I didn't need to apply myself or study as much. My grades just came naturally without much effort on my part.

So, if you're reading this and you're still in school, take studying seriously! Don't think you can just slack off all the time and expect good grades to be handed to you. Put effort into your education because it'll help you in the long run. It's ok to be smart!

I guess those are my two main regrets that if I could go back and change the past, I would. But I can't. However, it's never too late to change the future.

Happy Monday! (As happy as Mondays can be, anyway...)

I Think I've Read Too Many Nancy Drew Books...

So, awhile ago I read a book called Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. It's a fantastic, unique book, but some parts freaked me out a lot. Well, really, it was only one scene, but still.

Basically, there's this kid named Jacob and his grandpa died. Jacob thinks he was attacked by some wild beast, but no one believes him. His parents also think he's crazy, so they send him to a therapist. Long story short, Jacob decides to travel to Scotland so he can investigate the orphanage his grandpa because he wants to learn more about his grandpa and the peculiar children at the orphanage.

Jacob finds the orphanage and wants to explore it, which is fine, but he's totally unprepared for spelunking in old, abandoned houses in the middle of a storm. Well, it's not really a severe storm or anything, but it is raining heavily.

Anyway, Jacob is completely unprepared for exploring. He didn't bring any gloves or a mask or a rain jacket. He didn't even bother bringing a flashlight. Ok, so maybe a mask is a bit ridiculous, but I'd at least bring some gloves. And a flashlight. How could he forget the flashlight?

So, he enters this old, abandoned orphanage and decides to explore the upstairs first. I agree with this move. Basements are creepy. But as he ascends the stairs, I can't help wondering if/when the stairs are going to give way, leaving Jacob to fall through the stairs into the basement. They didn't, but I was still worried.

As Jacob is exploring the upper level, he comes across an old trunk with a rusted lock. He tries knocking the lock off because it's rusted, but it doesn't work. Does he bother looking for the key? Of course not! Instead, he tries to whack the lock off with a leg of a chair. Does it work? Nope. After this, he decides the best plan of attack is to drop the trunk off from the second level because the trunk will break upon impact. When I first read this, I thought he meant he was going to drop it out the window, but did he? Nope. He pushes the trunk down the stairs, or pushes it over the railing, I don't remember which. Because clearly this is the best option, much better than even attempting to look for the key. I understand the key is probably gone, but at least do a brief skim over of the room for it.

Naturally, the trunk fell through the floor into the dreaded basement. Of course, Jacob goes down to explore, but he only has the light of his cell phone to guide him. It turns out that there were loads of pictures of the peculiar children and his grandpa in the trunk. But does he take the pictures upstairs to study them? No! He stays in the creepy, dark basement risking being knocked out or kidnapped or something.

Next, Jacob hears some voices. He looks up, and the children from the photos are the same children looking at him. I almost screamed when I read that part. Of course, Jacob doesn't run away from the house, he tries to follow them to wherever they were going.

So yeah. I was freaking out because it didn't really seem like he was taking any safety or health precautions. I read a lot of Nancy Drew books, so I was expecting Jacob to be attacked or something. It certainly didn't help my fear. Also, it didn't help I was reading this at night. Looking back, it's not that bad, but at night, it was nightmarish.

Still. I would recommend this book. And reading my reaction to this, you're probably thinking, "Why would I read that? It sounds scary." Or lame. Either way. But it's really good, it's just at that part I didn't know what was going to happen. So go read more books!

Happy Saturday!!!

Les Miserables is Still My Favorite Musical

I went to see Les Miserables with my sister the other day, and I have to say, it was pure perfection. It was my favorite musical before the movie came out, and I'm proud to say, it still is. The movie made me favor it even more. It's just so hard to describe how happy it made me. I cried within the first three minutes of the first scene. I don't really know why, though, because nothing particularly sad or depressing happened right away.

I thought they cast the characters perfectly, even Cosette, who still remains to be one of my least favorite people, but she wasn't as annoying in the movie; Amanda Seyfried did an excellent job of depicting the sweet and innocent person Cosette is, but she didn't sugarcoat the role at all, and her voice wasn't too vibrato-y or annoying. in other words, she didn't make me want to puke. I was pleasantly surprised. Marius, whom I didn't like much either, has also climbed the ranks and joined my favorites. Eddie Redmayne is the actor who portrays Marius, and again, I was pleasantly surprised at how strong and soothing his voice is.

At first when I heard Hugh Jackman and Russel Crowe were cast as two of the main characters, I was a bit hesitant. Actually, it was more like, "Wait...they can sing?!" But they both did an outstanding job and the emotion of their characters shone through their singing. Colm Wilkinson, who was the first and original Jean Valjean, made a cameo appearance as the bishop who helps Valjean after he is released from prison. I think it's neat that, twenty-seven years after the first showing of Les Mis, he was able to remain a part of it.

The only part I didn't like is that my sister, who didn't even know the story before we went to the theater, thought she was an expert on the musical a day or two after we saw it. I find it highly annoying.

At any rate, it's worth it to go see it once...or twice... or three or four times...

Have a fantastic Friday, and a safe weekend!

Movies I'm Excited For

I am excited for many things this year. OK, mostly I'm excited for movies, but some of them look excellent.

First off, Les Mis is supposed to come out the 25th of December, I believe. The trailer looks phenomenal. I guess we won't know for sure until it actually comes out, but the trailer gave me shivers.
We played a Les Mis medley at one of our band concerts last year, and so I decided to watch the 25th anniversary concert on YouTube. I was hooked instantly. I planned on reading the book during the summer, but unfortunately, that didn't happen. I was happy to learn that the actress who played Eponine in the 25th anniversary concert, Samantha Barks, also plays Eponine in the movie. I still detest Cosette, though. I find her character annoying.

The other movie I'm excited for that hasn't come out yet is The Hobbit. I saw the trailer when I saw Life of Pi with my friends, and it looked outstanding. The actor (Martin Freeman) who plays Watson in the BBC show Sherlock plays Bilbo.A promotional campaign I've never seen before is a restaurant creating a menu based around a movie, but it happened at Denny's. I was at Denny's last week with my family, and they have a Hobbit-themed menu there. My whole family ordered off that menu. It was a good day.



I'm also excited to see the Lincoln movie and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, neither of which I have seen yet, but both are out in theaters already. My grandma saw Lincoln and liked it a lot, so I know it'll be a great movie.

Have a fantastic Friday night, and go see these movies! But try to read the book first before you see them!