Cajun Love.

      With a new job still in bloom, the average girl might make a few mistakes. Roll a burrito the wrong way, forget how to operate the cash register, but talk to a random guy about love while washing dishes?  This seems to be the most un-marketed. I like doing the dishes at work. It gives me time away from the hectic front of house syndrome that most people get locked in to. I get to be alone and think to myself. Something that seems to only come when driving or dancing. The other day this was not the case. I got the privlidge of washing dishes with some guy. I'd seen him before, wearing Dr.Dre Beats while making burritos or grilling chicken. I was always sort of intrigued with his natural swagger and charisma. Someone who could just start talking to anyone about anything? This was a whole new level for me. But, being the wallflower I am when we started washing dishes I couldn't pipe up and say anything. We washed dishes in silence, while still in sync with the scrape, rinse, and sanitize process. With a deep New Orleans accent he ended up asking me the first few questions. "Why I was in the midwest, why I was wearing the sweater i was wearing, what do i plan to major in college." Normal questions. Then a very particular question left his lips. "What do you think of love?" I put down the container I was sanitizing and had to evaluate what had just been asked. "What do you think about love?" The idea of love has attempted to be logically analyzed ever since man laid foot on this Earth. Our society portrays the idea that love is the only thing that can save our broken world. And you know how most people say, "Society is always wrong!" This time they're right. Love is the only thing that can save our broken world, but not from one human to another. But from a Redeeming Lover. Now, if anyone is reading this from a non-religious view I don't want you to think of me as some sadistic narcissistic Christian. Believe me, that is the farthest thing i want to be portrayed as, because I know some of those believers and I can not stand them for the life of me. I know every Christian says "Jesus loves you!" Then throws a flyer,t-shirt,business card, or some sort of riduculous advertisment that attempts to capture God's love in an extremely childish display. But in all honesty, Jesus' love saves. It rescues the prisoner with no hope sentenced to death. It brings a dividing nation into unity. It brings people hope. I've always wanted someone to ask me ,"Well why do you believe in Jesus? or "If Jesus loves us then why do bad things happen to good people?" Why do four year olds believe in the tooth fairy or santa claus? They believe in hopes that something good will come. A dollar under a pillow or presents on Christmas morning. They hope. Hope is the reason I believe. Jesus gives me hope in this fallen world, and makes me feel like a hopeless sinner like myself can achieve redemption. In our world the only things that seem important are marriage, partying, money, and ourselves. But when we enter Jesus love none of this matters. Only His love.
    So, to answer the cajun dishwashers question...
          I think our world has mutilated love. I think we have buried the real reason for our own personal
         gratification. We end up in a realtionship that lets us down time and time again. I think the real
         love isn't in us. It didn't come from us. We didn't start it. We don't produce it.  Jesus does. He      shows us what true love is.

          He redeems us. He loves us. He is the True Love.

Dedicated To My Best Friend.

     Sitting on my kitchen floor watching my mother hover over the stove for our thanksgiving feast, the only thing I can be is thankful. My mother is the most extraordinary person I know. Most people say that about their mothers, but if this blog could have a tone of voice it would be all genuine seriousness. My mother, since the day I was born, has gone through fire and rain to provide everything for my brother and I. She has told me multiple times that her mission in life for the past 17 years has been to give me and Trenton the world. She is the ultimate fighter. She fights for Trenton and I. Prayer, financially, mentally, and just all around support. I couldn't ask for a better mother. Whenever either of us are having a bad day, or we have a problem she ALWAYS talks it out with us. If I had a dream that I can't figure out what it means, she is my prophetic counselor. If I have a dance costume and some feathers on the sleeve randomly decide to leave, she is my "I'm going to rip some feathers off of the next thing I see, so you can have some feathers!" That's my mom. I hope that when I grow up and have kids, that I will be half of the women that she is. She is fierce, beautiful, and courageous.
      One of my current classes that I'm enrolled in is novel writing. It's a good class. So, over the course of a year we end up writing a heroic novel. My novel went throug a lot of grooming and primping. But, the main character wasn't a challenge at all. I kept thinking to myself, "if I could meet this hero in her situation what would I want her to be like?" So, I kept putting down characteristics of the ideal hero, and viola! My indian warrior was born. My teacher, who is fabulous by the way, kept asking if my hero was based off of anyone in particular, since the hero had so much personal background. And it hit me. I single handedly described my mother. My heroic persona was my mother. Everything I dreamt of a hero being was everything my mother embodies.
      I wouldn't dream of having another person for my mother and best friend. She has me and my brother's back no matter what, and for that I am extremely grateful. So, this thanksgiving and every other one, past and present, I am thankful for my mom. The fiercest and most beautiful women ever. Love you mom.

The Good Life

           The other day, while browsing twitter (Yes, I have one. Suprising I know.), I looked upon a tweet that caught my eye. I had been following Trip Lee, and fallen in love with his music. So this tweet excited my journalistic and fangirling side. He had written a book, and was coming to my city for a book signing! Whoa... naturally I informed my mom that she would be coming along with me, even though it was an hour away, she obliged. (Thanks, mom.) I never read the book, but hey. A chance to meet an amazing and incredibly talented Christian rapper, and get a book signed! Best of both worlds! So we got to Barnes and Nobel and there he was. The line wasn't particularly long because a lot of people either didn't know who he was, or that he was there. It took me a few minutes of waiting in line, and we locked eyes. I immediately took over the conversation, blame my genes, and asked him if he would sign my book and spell my name correctly. S-Y-D-N-E-Y. Yeah, I spelled it out for him. He didn't say anything, took the book and asked if I was coming to the concert.(That same night.) I couldn't because tickets were sold out. He then informed me there were more tickets and I could still go if i wanted to. I didn't end up going because of how spur of the moment it was. But oh my gosh. I met him. I had met my first "celebrity."
           I vowed to myself a while ago that if chance ever presents itself, I would never freak out and fangirl in front of a person on a platform. Mission accomplished: well in this case anyway. I've been reading this book and am so taken by the profound wording and depth this book possesses. Trip talks about obtaining the "good life" through Christ, and how to build a tangible relationship with Jesus. I've only had the book for less that 48 hours and am already on page 75 out of 135. It's that good. So to anyone wanting a good read on Jesus awe-inspiring and rapturing love The Good Life by Trip Lee is phenomenal. Highly reccommended.

The Road to Freedom.

     So, the other day I was hanging out with my youth pastor and his wife. They are probably my favorite people in the world. They challenge, and unearth things that grow my relationship with the Lord. I am truly blessed to have them. So back to what I was saying, I was hanging out with them the other day and discussing my life story. My youth pastor is very skeptical if you will, about devotionals. And who could blame him because some are pretty sketchy. But, one that had touched his life was "The Inner Voice of Love." By Henry Nouwen. So he brought it out and read a passage to me that has stuck with me for the few days that I've been reading the book. Which I will recite a portion of now. lucky you.
                                         "Keep Returning to the Road to Freedom."
                                                            Henry Nouwen
              When suddenly you seem to lose all you thought you had gained, do not despair. Your healing is not a straight line. You must expect setbacks and regressions. Don't say to yourself, "All is lost. I have to start all over again." This is not true. What you have gained, you have gained....In everything, keep trusting that God is with you, that God has given you compainions on the journey. Keep returning to the road to freedom."

      Hearing this from someone else who is older was a big deal, especially from an older male whose opinion I value and trust. So this has been stuck in my head for a while, and I am absolutely in love with this book.

     So, that's where I am today. I will leave you with a picture I found on pinterest(:

Rocking Life, Ya Know?

          Wow, where to even begin. It's been so long since I've blogged. So, I might as well now. I've had a pretty hectic past year and a half. So much going on, and I am already booked for the next summer! That's crazy. It hasn't even been winter yet! Well anyways your probably wondering what changed. A LOT. That's what. Dropping a dance school. Dropping public school. Adding new people and places. Adding a new dance studio. Adding the Lord in places I never thought He could reach.
           I should probably elaborate on each subject. Here goes.
  Over the past year and a half dropping my previous dance school was probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I don't really know what happened. God had been working me up to that decision for a while. If you would have asked me to leave dance about 3 years ago I would have punched you so hard you would've never saw it coming. But, the Lord knows me and knows my heart. And one day He just said, "It's time for something new." That was so hard, but somehow just felt right. Now don't get me wrong. My love for dance is still going strong, and growing every day. But, that particular place wasn't breathing life into me. And in that time in my life it was extremely crucial that I work through stuff. I'll admit I do miss it. I miss the freedom to dance the way you wanted to. I miss how artistic everyone was. But, if given the oppurtunity to go back, I wouldn't take it. So, I've taken a year off of dance. It was a really hard year.But, I took some dance classes here and there, and did other things to take my mind off of it.
     As for dropping public school: I have no words. I just couldn't be there anymore. So much disrespect, not towards me, but the teachers. Lack of a challenge in the academics.  Something else was out there for me. I did two years of homeschooling and that was...interesting. But, now I am going to college two years early. Getting a jump start on life.
   Now I am just rocking life. Living in relationship with God, and listening to His word instead of my own.