Life and everything else.

Life is full of twists and turns.

It's like when you're on a roller coaster that's underground, and it's pitch black.

All of a sudden you're swung to the left, when you expected to keep going straight.

Something similar happened to me this week, and it made me realize that I can't plan for everything.

No matter what, God is always in control of your life.

Sometimes I have trouble realizing this, but it is so, so true.

A perfect example of God's control is Proverbs 16:9.

"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."

I try to control every aspect of my life as much as I can, but sometimes things happen that we have little or no control over. And before things like that happen, we should have already given our lives 100% over to God. Then it wouldn't matter.

My Current Playlist #1

I thought it would be a fun idea to post the top 5 or so songs I've been listening to every once in a while. I tend to mix it up a lot - I will love one song for 3 days but then totally

hate it. I'm hoping this is something I will do at least once every two weeks or so.

My Playlist - 8.29.10:

Cannot Keep You - Gungor

The Earth Is Yours - Gungor

Beautiful Things - Gungor

Awakening - Switchfoot

Be Praised - The Michael Gungor Band

As you can tell, I'm a little into Gungor as of late. :) I'm thinking about blogging just about

the song Cannot Keep You by Gungor; stay tuned.

Fill-in-the-blank Friday! #3

1. The most adventurous thing I've ever done is... does kayaking count? :) 'Cause that sure is fun. Other than that, I don't think I'm really what you'd call an 'adventurous person'. I think it would be fun to go hiking or something though.

2. If I were a pair of shoes I would be... TOMS! ;)

3. My preferred mode of digital communication is... probably texting. It's quick and easy. Tweeting is pretty good too, minus the 140-character limit.

4. I feel happiest when... I see my sisters that live in Tennessee. Other than that, it would probably just be little things. A lot of the simple things in life make me happy. A good day, good score on a test, new friends, good food....

5. A little dream I have for my life is... to live in a cottage by the ocean. Well, doesn't have to be a cottage. Those are just cute. I really do want to live by the ocean though. Oh, and to travel lots. There are so many places I want to see.

6. The one modern convenience I could NOT do without is... You know, I really like the internet. Although, I know that I could live without it if I had to. Maybe... hot showers? Haha.

7. Music, movies, TV or books: if I could only choose one to enjoy I would pick... Either movies or books. I really can't decide between them. Books are great, but so are movies!

From:

Wordless Wednesday #2

Back to School...

As it is already August 25, I think it is time to start realizing that school is rapidly approaching.

Every year I tend to view the first day of school, I think about it the same.

Girls squealing at seeing their 'best friends' for the first time since last year, guys standing around in huddles trying to look cool, and myself trying not to look dumb wandering around the school looking for my friends. That's how it normally goes, but in reality the first day of school is so much more than that.

It's the nervous feeling you get when you have to announce to the entire class who you are, even though everybody already knows. It's doing the 'About Me' project all period, so the teacher can get to know you. It's feeling immense relief at the end of the day, upon returning home. And, it's doing those 28 vocab words Mrs. Balk will assign you for homework on the first day. (Thank goodness I don't have her this year!)

I thought it would be a good idea to have some goals for this school year. Some of them are:

-Make at least 3 new friends

-End with a 4.0 GPA each semester

-Give 100% effort at all assignments, not just 80-85%.

-Study. A lot. Seriously. I need to work on this one.

Hopefully the 2010-11 school year will be one of the best yet!

Confessions, Confessions!

If you think you know me at all, you might want to take a look at this list and see for yourself.

My confessions:

-For the past month or so I've been using a Disney princesses toothbrush. I found out my mom and I have the exact same one. I didn’t want to accidentally swap spit with her!

-I did not cry at my grandmother's funeral. I was only 10 at the time and had not been that attached.

-I do not cry in front of my family unless I am really upset.

-I seem to make one super dumb, stupid mistake every school year. My goal is to not make any this year.

-I'm ashamed at how little of the Bible I have actually read.

-I considered quitting choir at the end of last year.

-Ive been drinking Diet Coke for almost as long as I can remember. I know it's not good for me; so I try to drink water as much as possible as well.

-I have 4 half sisters, Ashley, Ashlie, Nicole, and Nicole. You’re right. It gets way confusing sometimes!

-Immaturity drives me nuts. I wish people (high schoolers) would seriously just grow UP!

-I take a lot of things personally, but then immediately let it roll of my shoulders. Can't be sensitive in this world.

Great to know, right?

Top 10 Must-See Movies

Summer 2010

This morning before church I got to thinking about how it is already August 22. School will be starting in just a few weeks, and it occurred to me to start reflecting on this summer; what I did and didn't do. There is still enough time to check a few things off the list!

Here is what I HAVE done:

• Went to Mall of America with two of my best friends
• Went to summer camp for a week
• Spent 3 weeks in Tennessee
• Painted a piece of pottery with my sister
• Gone canoeing
• Painted 2 pictures
• Read all of The Count of Monte Cristo (Thanks, Josh.)

May seem like a lot, right? Well, wrong. Most of all that I did while I was in Tennessee, which was only 3 weeks as aforementioned.

I spent the last half of my summer doing basically nothing. It included a lot of TV-watching, Facebooking, and trips to the mall.

I'm starting a check list for next summer!

I Wish...

My wishes (give or take a few):

• I wish I were taller.
• I wish my family was bigger.
• I wish I could visit Europe right now.
• I wish my sisters didn't live so far away.
• I wish I were more creative.
• I wish I had an iPhone, not a BlackBerry.
• I wish there were Publix in Michigan.
• I wish Facebook would let you customize your profile.
• I wish Diet Coke didn't have so many chemicals in it.

Me wishing I was taller, isn't going to make me any taller. Me wishing my family was bigger, isn't going to make my family any bigger. Me wishing I could visit Europe right now isn't going to make me visit Europe right now. Etc, etc.

God puts you were you are now, under your certain circumstances for a reason. You can wish all you want...

But everything happens for a reason.

Fill-in-the-blank Friday! #2

1. My favorite current TV show is... Probably the Next Food Network Star. But that just ended... sad! But Aarti won - Hoorah!

2. The TV character I can relate to most is... hmm... that's a tough one!

3. My life is like (fill in with TV show and why).... Hannah Montana! ...Whoops, there goes my secret!

4. My all time favorite TV show is... As a kid (even now sometimes... shh...) Spongebob Squarepants. Now I really like shows like Next Food Network Star, The Office, and Everybody Loves Raymond.

5. A TV show that is ridiculously stupid, but I continue to watch is... Spongebob.

6. My favorite TV couple is... Jim and Pam. ;)

7. One TV episode I could watch over and over again is... Everybody Loves Raymond. My family loves that show - we own all 9 seasons! It's pretty ridiculous.

Taken from

My Bucket List

Last year I thought it would be a good idea to start my own bucket list.

I haven't touched it in a good 5 or 6 months, and think it might be smart to document it via blog. Plus, when I'm 80 you all can remind me of it. ;)

My Bucket List

• Go to France
• Go to England
• Watch Julie & Julia
• Make someone else's dream come true (? Like... give somone $1 million?)
• Sponsor a Compassion Child
• Donate money to several charities frequently
• Watch the stars at night
• Complete high school with a 4.0 overall GPA
• Become a wedding planner (This one might need to be taken off. Not so sure I want to do that anymore.)
• Plan a friend or family member's wedding (Same as above.)
• Read the entire Bible
• Collect my favorite movies
• Stay in touch with high school friends after high school
• Donate hair to Locks of Love
• Learn French and Korean
• Go to NYC
• Visit Eiffel Tower
• Big Ben
• Visit Australia and New Zealand
• Try exotic, new foods
• Do a random act of kindness everyday (Wish I could say I've done this one)
• Perfect my handwriting (This one's actually coming along nicely.)
• Be in at least 10 weddings in my lifetime (No... not 10 weddings of my own. ;)
• Go to Hawaii
• Meet Alton Brown, John Mayer, etc.
• Go on a TOMS shoe drop
• Swim with dolphins

Quite a lengthy list, huh? Well, I think it can all be done.

Wish me luck!

What's on your Bucket List?

Changes: You Were Warned!

You know how when companies are losing interest,

they change everything? They give themselves

a makeover.

I'm not a company, I've only been blogging for a while, and may have only 4 followers,

but I am changing things up.

I am going to blog more. And not just about stories.

Things I like.

Things I don't like.

Ideas.

Inspiration.

Maybe even something you think is boring.

You're going to get annoyed at how I highlight certain words.

But changes are coming.

You were warned.

Wanted: Opinions!

I'm thinking about redoing my room. I really like it, but I think I might also like a change. Here are some pictures that give you an idea of what my bedroom already looks like:

White curtains, black rods, and light, yet bright blue walls

White/Tan carpet

I love this picture of a gondola. I really like black and white pictures, although I think it might be cool to have a collage of different black and white pictures as a focal point.

Maybe like this:

My favorite colors are gray, white, and blue. Although I'm wondering if a brightly colored room, like yellow, would be nice.

If you have any ideas, please let me know!

After all... I wrote this blog just for people's opinions. ;)

Collage photo found here.

Average Friday the 13th Trip to the Doc

My dad broke the tip of his finger at work today. Expecting a normal, Friday-the-13th trip to the emergency room, I was pretty surprised at how it turned out. So much so I had to share it.

There aren't seperate examination rooms at Borgess for emergencies. There's curtains dividing each area, which I believe would be in violation of Patient Right #2: You have a right to security and privacy. Lady, I didn't really want to know you've been experiencing dark, tar-ry stools, guy, I didn't need to know they might have to numb your nose and stick a scope down it to see what's going on in your guts. Oh, and guy that had a seizure across the hall today? You're on Flomax? Good to know.

They had to take my dad's fingernail off. Which is understandable, considering it was already about half off. Sick. Anyway, they did it right there in his little designated, curtain-enclosed area, and let my mom and I stay and watch. Well... my mom watched and took pictures, and I just looked down at my phone. I wanted to be in there, but I didn't want to watch them take a fingernail off. Mid-process, I glance up and see the fingernail coming off. I accidentally let a, "Uhhh!" out. Doctor's reply: "Please leave."

That's embarrasing. I was so humiliated I didn't even want to stay outside the curtain. I went to the gift shop.

Borgess may promise you'll see an emergency room doctor in 30 minutes or less, but they won't let you leave unless you've been there at least 4 hours. And we were there over 5.

Here are some pictures that highlight some points of our trip to Borgess to get my dad's fingernail taken off:

Helicopter bringing someone in

That's professional.

The finished product. :)

Wordless Wednesday

Seventh Grade

In the seventh grade, I was obsessed with the Jonas Brothers. Nick, with his head of curly dark brown hair, Joe with his heart-melting eyes, and Kevin with his mad guitar playing skills. Me and Nick were a match made in heaven, I just knew it. If he only knew I existed.

The four or so months I lived and breathed Jonas were kind of a rough time. Being infatuated with 3 guys that don't know you're alive can be tough. You are constantly trying to think up new ways you could meet them (i.e. entering contests, becoming famous, or getting front row tickets to a show and crying your eyes out so they notice you). I may or may not recall shedding a few tears at watching another girl meet them on Ellen.

To quote my father, he's "done raising kids", so it's a little hard for me to get certain things. Such as... concert tickets. Not to mention one of their shows in New York sold out in 7 minutes flat. But boy, oh, boy, I just had to go to a concert. You can't be considered a TRUE fan until you've seen them live, right? Right. Long story short, I never went to a concert. And after my best friend, Sierra, a Jonas-fanatic moved, it was a little tough to continue with my obsession dedication alone. Nobody understood.

My parents told me in the midst of my love affair that it would not last. I'd move on. It was only a phase. But, of course, they were wrong. I was in love with Nick Jonas. We were meant to be. There was no way I would 'get over' the Jonas Brothers.

I got over the Jonas Brothers. I still listen to their songs occasionally and think they're great musicians. But I've moved on. After experiencing what would have been considered an 'addiction', I realize it wasn't healthy, and I would put too much on the line for people I hadn't ever met. (Don't get me wrong though... I'd still love to go to a concert. I didn't completely forget about them.)

Who are your Jonas Brothers?

Bigger and better things.

I went to see Toy Story 3 with my sister and brother-in-law while I was in Nashville a few weeks ago. I had never been to this particular theater before, and was pretty surprised when I found out they had 27 different theaters. 27. Need I remind you, our only theater in Three Rivers has 6? I didn't think so.

The day I leave Tennessee every year is extremely depressing! It's no wonder, when you consider I just spent 3 weeks in one of the biggest towns of America, and have to come back to our puny, population of 7,000 town in southwest Michigan.

One thing that bothers me the most is when I hear about someone who has lived in a small town their entire life, and have never left a 100-mile radius.

There are bigger and better things out there.

Bigger and better things.

Nashville, Tennessee

Three Rivers, Michigan

Nashville picture: www.improveverywhere.ning.com

Three Rivers picture: www.city-data.com