I'm Back: Military Wife, Military Life and What Have You

Well.

I'm back. Sort of fell off the posting schedule, I suppose. My last post was in November and I figured I was due time to update you, seeing as most major aspects of my life have changed since we last talked.

Quick recap:
Married an Airman on May 26th, 2012.
That Airman Deployed June 4th-December 12th to Qatar while I stayed at home on the East Coast.
He came back and I joined him on McChord Air Force Base, in Washington state December 18th.
We've been married nearly ten months now and have been living happily ever after in the Evergreen State now for 4 months.

I haven't the slightest idea how to bring you up to speed on our lives, and I feel horribly awkward jumping back into posting, but here I go anyway...


We moved to McChord and got ourselves a nice little baby house on base.

 

 

 

We got ourselves a sweet and rascally furbaby. (He actually came 3 weeks before the move across the country and got the pleasure of sharing a 11 hour plane trip with me.) His name is Trinkilo. Not to brag, but he is the best kitten ever.

 

With a bit of church hoping, we successfully found a new church: Puyallup Foursquare! You can check out their website and stream their services live here! We like it a lot there. We have joined a young couples small group and can't wait to get more involved.

 

My new job is finding a job. I spend a large portion of every day on job boards looking for someone to hire me. I've applied to an absurd amount of places in the area, everything from nannying, to retail, to restaurants, to libraries. I am now a pro at submitting applications and resumes. However, I am still without a job... Ultimately, I would like an office assistant/receptionist type position, but for now I would settle with just about everything. We aren't desperate for the income, but I am so very desperate to have some responsiblity outside of the walls of my home.

 

In the meantime, besides job hunting and trying to get my Associates finished through online classes (online, by the way, is agonizing) I have taken up various hobbies and wife-ish responsibilities and I am loving my life!

 

I've taken up gardening. Or I am trying. As of yet, there is nothing growing, but things have been planted! My handy husband helped me build a  raised bed in our little back yard and we've planted bush beans and sugar peas so far, with herbs, mesculine lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes to come. I'm sure I'll be posting plenty about the garden's progress as time goes on! We also made our own composting bin out of a trash can, a post on that to come. And as you can see, joblessness leads to increased craftiness: I have been painting garden markers on rocks (another post in the works!).

 

I've been doing a whole lot of cooking and baking. I've always enjoyed cooking, but it was never a necessity before when I was still living at home. Now, if I don't cook, we won't eat (or we will eat one of three things with my husband specializes in: grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, or ramen). Having to come up with three healthy meals a day has become a fun challenge for me. There will be a lot of posting in the future about my cooking adventure, I assure you.

I've made it my goal to make as much from scratch as possible. For example, I've taken up making all of our bread instead of purchasing it weekly. I am also trying to avoid paying for convenience. That means I avoid purchasing mixes and whatnot. McCormick taco seasoning and I broke up after one way-too-salty taco session. The dough boy, Betty and I aren't on speaking terms, as I am not making my own brownies and cakes without their help. However, me and the instant mash potatoes are still buddies. Those I won't part with as I simply loathe making mashed potatoes. Microwave popcorn remains a favorite too.
Hopefully I can get some practical "how to" posts on making your own mixes up for you shortly!

I've been couponing. Is that a hobby? No, not like those people on that show that causes all of our jaws to drop. Not extreme. Just couponing to the extent that I am able to save about $30 off of our grocery bill every month. Maybe that doesn't seem like a lot, but I like the idea of an extra $360 in out pockets at the end of the year. (And for the record, I am only buying healthy things which we would normally purchase anyway, not stockpiling 8,000 deodorants and 60 sugared cereals).

Besides couponing, we are trying to be as frugal as possible. Growing up in a home of 10 people with the thrifting queen as my mother I learned a lot about frugality and homemaking. I am pleased to say that, thanks to God, we have furnished our entire home completely free of debt and are well on our way to saving for our futures. Being responsible with our finances is our goal!

I'm still knitting and crocheting. That goes without saying...

In my mind, I've been painting. I love the idea of painting and my home needs some art on the walls very badly, but I've never been much of a painter. I went out and bought canvases, brushes and paints and so far no art save for the garden rocks has been produced. Let us hope that soon I will be posting some fantastically artful thing.

I've been doing laundry. Lots of it. It is not a hobby I chose: it chose me when I married an Airman. I thought I, as a female, had a lot of laundry. Apparently I had nothing on his at least 3 required (ad thoroughly dirty) outfits a day. The frugality has extended to the point of making my own laundry detergent and fabric softeners though! Thank you, Pinterest!

With the addition of talking to the cat, that is pretty much the extent of what I do as of currently. I am planning to get back into blogging and post a couple times a week so stay tuned for more!


 

Passionately Curious: Quote-ables from Albert Einstein...

SOURCE1, SOURCE 2.

I think I am going to begin a new series on this blog. Sort of a remake of my old Quote-ables  posts.

Everyone knows who Albert Einstein is. The fellow with the wild hair and the previously- impossible- to-solve math problems. E=mcsquared...whatever that means...

He is basically the first person to come to everyone's mind upon mention of the word "genius."  But he was also horribly witty and said ever so many highly intelligent, well phrases, and dry-humoured things. Which makes ME really like him.

He (up there with Churchill and Rev. MLK) is one of my favorite people to quote. So, without further ado, I give you my first "Passionately Curious" quote post from dear old Al...

As my first quote (not counting the one above), I wanted to post this. Someone said it at my youth group (MERGE AHEAD!) this past Sunday and I really liked it.

 SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2.

In other news, and also having to do with education and intelligence, I FINALLY WENT BACK TO SCHOOL! I only had one class so far, American Literature II, but it seems like it will be a good one. My one complaint thus far is that the Prof is going to make us study The Great Gatsby. I really hope that it is better the second time around, cause I sure didn't like that book in high school.  But other than that, seems like it will be a fun and challenging class! Hopefully my other 3 (Digital Photography, World Religions and Math for Liberal Arts...whatever that is?)  turn out as well. I was just so happy to be back on campus again. I do complain about college sometimes, but secretly I LOVE it. I thrive on structure and challenges. Really excited about this semester!

I've got a brand new pair of... BLOG LAYOUTS!

So...as you can see, things are looking drastically different over here at 

MY NAME IS NOT KING.

I was messing around with blog templates, backgrounds, fonts, layouts, the whole 9...and the widths still need some tweaking.

I did like my old black and red scheme, with the dark, E.A. Poe feel but...it had been that was for around 3 years so it was time for a change.

How do ya'll feel about this one? 

 This is what you are seeing now obviously...
Then there is this one, also papery, but with more black...

I am not sure I am sold on it yet. I do like the "writing" sort of theme but...I think I want something more colourful, vintage, bright or unique. I love bright colours, but for the variety of colorful stuff I post on this blog, I think it would be visual overload to have some wild vintage pattern as a background? The amount of random stuff (military, writing, crafting, humor, photography and everything else) I post on here is probably overwhelming enough!
So perhaps simple is better?
Or something. Thing is, I don't actually know. I've tried to redo this blog so many times, and I never like anything that I come up with!

Also, there is this. Old barn wood. I like that too.

There will probably be more changes in the future. Obviously the headers are just text and need to be redone in some fabulous way. Any ideas, friends? Know of any great free blog background sites? I've used hotbliggityblog before, but I am sturggling to make their backgrounds behave on my blog. Either has to be reverted to the old template settings, or somehow in the picture window template, but for one reason or another it isn't always showing up...so...help!? If you have any ideas/suggestions I would love to hear them!

Humour me people, humour me.

A little story for you...

Once upon a time an overachiever, whose name we shall change to Allebasi Ssik to protect her (still obvious) identity, decided to take 3 college classes over the summer- an 8 am math class and 2 late evening English classes. It all seemed like a good idea at the time of registration. She would get ahead and knock some of the more boring, general and required classes out of the way. Yes, she would have more or less no social life, and no summer fun but... life's not fair anyway. Gotta have priorities, right?

All may seem well in EducationLand, but like all good tales, this story has an antagonist to go alone with the protagonist. This story actually has 3 antagonists. Prof G, Prof C and Prof L (The triplets of educational doom we shall call them. Or the triple torturers, if you'd rather).

Those three fiends decided to schedule all of Allebasi's large term papers and major tests on three consecutive days. Probably because they hate Allebasi with all of their highly academical hearts and souls, but more likely that they just didn't take her personal school, life (and sleep) schedule into account when they planned the assignment/test dates. On top of that Prof C decided to make her analyze a (near, but heighly exaggerated) ream of poetry, which she greatly dislikes unless it is Edgar Allen POEtry, but this is all besides the point. The point that is this: what selfish, evil triplets of education, torture and doom bestowance!!!!! The world of young adulthood is an unsafe, or at least very overloaded on assignments, place while people such as those still roam it.

Anyhow, also upon the time that was once (a time very much like this one) Allebasi wondered why she decided to take these classes and sell her summer-soul to the life sucking goblins of education that are her professors.

One day she showed up to school and they had shut it temporarily due to a teeny tiny mini-fire going on inside. She secretly hoped that the building would burst into flames, thereby preventing her from taking classes ever again. Or at least that math class would be cancelled for the day.  But alas, it was not. Apparently firefighters take sides with the wicked professors/oppressors and they saved the school and Allebasi's morning math class. Oh huzzah.

So then upon returning home to face her Kilimanjaro of homework, poor, whiny Allebasi sat down at her computer and wrote a totally pointless, altogether unacademic blog post to make herself feel better.

The end.



...now if you'll excuse me, Isabella (who really does like school, but also likes dramatized venting), I need to help my dear, summerless friend Allebasi write some papers...

Blarg.

Idolatry, Adultery and Me...

*trust me, the title WILL make sense eventually. No one panic yet.*

Oh here there blog that I don't write on anymore because of many reasons. What's up? I haven't posted in a long while, so this post will be a sort of conglomerate of things stirring inside my brain. Things that relate to the above title.

I've been thinking a lot lately.  I've been thinking about my life, my priorities, and my relationship with others as well as with God. It's a complicated situation, I tell you what. Most of this thinking was prompted by something one of my small group leaders say a few weeks ago. She was giving a workshop and said something that really hit hard with me: "YOU WILL NEVER LIVE A GODLY LIFE WITH A CLOSED BIBLE."

Wow. True, but heavy. Particularly heavy at my time of hearing it as my bible had been closed more so than it should have been. My excuse? I've been busy (...worst...excuse...ever... when talking about the God of the universe and the time I spend with him.). Too busy for God apparently. That is a scary place to be in.

After hearing that I began thinking about why I was letting busyness get in the way. What was so important? Simple conclusion: IDOLS.

No, I'm not talking about spending my free time with shiny golden figurines. I'm talking about the things that I was given my attention to instead of God. What you focus on, you worship, I've heard it said.Anything that takes you attention from God is an idol. And I realized I had quite a few of them hoggin' up my focus. Some of them bear resemblance to people in my life. One has green and gold eyes. Sometimes one looks like 52 white keys and 36 black.One is branded with the letters EOS60D. One's name is fourpointoh. One of them is called ME.

Idols can be sneaky little buggers. All the stuff I was letting take my attention away from God were (are) good things. Like school. School is a very good thing and doing well in school is good stuff too. But being so absorbed in school and reading assigned textbooks that I cannot open up my Bible and read that? Well...that is a problem. A stinkin huge problem.

Which brings me to my second point. ADULTERY.

Yes, I confess. I have a problem with that too.

(What whoa? Stick with me people while I explain).

God is my first love. He is supposed to be the center to all of my life. Anything else is supposed to be below him. He loves me desperately and is jealous for my attention. Which, as aforementioned, I am too busy giving to idols. In essence, I am a dirty, rotten adulterer again my God. And I'm a repeat offender. Daily I give other things the attention that should be His. Every day I find some way to tell Him He isn't important enough. At least not important enough to make time for. Over and over again I cheat on Him with stuff which is so much less important than He is-awesome stuff, great people, good grades...but all things that fall short of being the one true God. But still He loves me and is waiting for me to run back into His arms and spend time with Him. That to me is...amazing. Somehow despite my failings, my cheating, my short comings and all my mess my God loves me. Jealously. Always.

Thinking on this topic brings to mind the book of Hosea (in which God has a prophet go and marry a prostitute to prove a point about Israels relationship to their God.), the story of the Prodigal Son, and also a song by Derek Webb (the guy who used to be in Caedmon's Call, if that rings a bell...). It is called Wedding Dress.

Honestly, Webb isn't my favorite and musically the song is not that great, but LYRICALLY it is one of the most powerful songs I know. The lyrics tell of how we chase other things and in doing so, whore against God. Repeatedly. But His jealous love still never fails. The song is a bold, but true, statement. Every time I hear it I get pretty messed up. 

Listen.
Read...

If you could love me as a wife
and for my wedding gift, your life
should that be all i’ll ever need
or is there more i’m looking for

and should i read between the lines
and look for blessings in disguise
to make me handsome, rich, and wise
is that really what you want

(chorus)
i am a whore i do confess
but i put you on just like a wedding dress
and i run down the aisle
i’m a prodigal with no way home
but i put you on just like a ring of gold
and i run down the aisle to you

so could you love this bastard child
though i don’t trust you to provide
with one hand in a pot of gold
and with the other in your side
i am so easily satisfied
by the call of lovers less wild
that i would take a little cash
over your very flesh and blood

(chorus)

because money cannot buy
a husband’s jealous eye
when you have knowingly deceived his wife

That chorus has been ringing through my head for weeks. I look at my Bible as I absorb myself in other things and I hear my God say, though I am a adulterous idol worshiper,  "Bella...I miss you."

My new stance of priorities? I am NOT too busy for God. Because out of all the things, places and people in my life, only God can satisfy. Then and only then everything else falls into its place.

Creativity (part 2)- or our lack there of...

"Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor--sick people do."- Luke 5:31 NLT


That verse right there is what I base a lot of my life on and also my view of Christian creativity on. That is what I base my writing on. That is what I base my opinions of Christian music, literature and all else created by Christians upon. 


 There is a lot of Christian music out there. There are a lot of Christian books out there. There are even Christian movies. I fully understand that we are called to be in the world and not of it and we shouldn't be filling our heads with what the world says is ok, but is so wrong by God's standards. I get that. Really. But I also think we are called to reach the lost.


Jesus didn't come to earth to save believers. He came for the lost. He hung out with liars, cheaters, whores and theives. He hung out with filthy rotten sinners. Jesus hung out with the sick. Not just those physically sick, but those terminally sick spiritually. 


Christian resources are great stuff. I read lots of Christian books and listen to a great deal of Christian music.But I have to say, I don't know a lot of unsaved people, who are living like hell until they get to it, who wake up randomly one day and decide to walk into a Christian book/music store to make purchases.  That may happen once every so often but...not usually. That isn't an effective way of reaching the lost. That is an effective way of protecting Christians from the big bad world. Sometimes so much so that we forget that there are lost people out there literally dying to know what we know.


Again, I do listen to Christian music. I do read Christian authors. But I'm sorry, some of it is...lame.


Yes. I said it. LAME. No worldly person would want to hear or read it, instead of what they already have. I am not going to list any band/books in particular or anything, but some of the stuff out there is so...cliche...so unoriginal, so UNCREATIVE that I feel embarrassed to associate myself with it. Pretty much a dumbed down version of the worldly stuff. Knock offs, minus things like swearing or sex, so it can be considered Christian. Lame, lame, lame, lame.


This may get controversial here, but I think sometimes people in the world do a better job of being creative than some Christians do. I've said it before and I'll say it again; I think Christians should be the most exciting, most creative people in the world because we know THE CREATOR as our Father and creativity runs in our spiritual DNA! But honestly, we're not sometimes. There are nonchristians out there who are using a gift given to them by God to glorify themselves instead of their Creator and they are doing a good job of it.



An example I use frequently to illustrate this point is the well known Lady Gaga. God gave her such a creative mind. She is so talented. She is influencing my generation in a huge way.


*and all the holy people gasp.*


Yes. You're reading correctly. The creativity that Lady Gaga uses blows me away. 


I'm not saying I like her and I don't actually listen to her music (once I hear any song more than twice I memorize most of the lyrics. I have to be careful about my input) or call myself a fan. The stuff Gaga sings about is dirty, perverted, pornographic, liberal and all together everything I am against. The way she dresses (or...doesn't...) is also awful and totally inappropriate and beyond. But she is, no doubt, creative. She thinks of stuff no one else does. She preforms in a way that is totally unique. While the way she dresses is not okay at all, she does create most of the stuff herself. And she gets people's attentions.


One of her most popular songs right now is one called Born This Way. The first time I heard it I was really, really confused. And really, really caught off guard. She is so, so, so, so lost and confused. The song is about being whoever you are and making no apologizes. A lot of it has to do with sexual orientation and equal rights, but one part of the song (pre chorus, chorus) goes like this:

There’s nothing wrong with loving who you are
she said, cause He made you perfect, babe
So hold your head up girl and you’ll go far
listen to me when I say

I’m beautiful in my way
’cause God makes no mistakes
I’m on the right track baby
I was born this way

She says God. She acknowledges Him as the Creator. Lady Gaga, like everyone, was in fact created by my God. God gives everyone gifts and talents. She is definitely gifted in creativity in relation to music and preforming. She is just using the gifts in a self-glorifying way. What God created in her to bring him glory, she is using in a negative way to bring herself glory. Which always leads me to thinking "What if Lady Gaga got saved? What amazing stuff could she come up with? She could change the world!"


People sometimes tell me that is a really weird way to think. Lady Gaga is filth, according to them. But my Jesus hung out with people like her. And he LOVED them.


Lady Gaga is gifted. What could have been a huge asset to the Kingdom is instead being used to influence my generation in a negative way. But she is at least using her gift.


In the first post I talked about the creative potential inside of us all, given to us by God, just waiting to be used. Why does it seem that she is more creative than Christians? THAT IS NOT RIGHT! Where are the Christian Gagas? No, I don't mean we need some Christian musicians to get on a stage half naked, to wear a dress made of meat to make a statement, or sing about things that clearly do not please God. I mean where are the people in the church using their God-given creativity to influence my generation? Where are the creative people who are using their talents to change a lost and dying world!? For the good, not the bad!?


We don't need more Christian music or Christian books. We need some radical Christians who will step outside the church and reach the lost! Being in the world and not of it implies we have to...be in the world! That is why I want to write books. Not Christian ones, published by Christians publishing houses and sold to Christian book stores for Christians to buy and read. No, those are the healthy people. I want to write amazingly creative books (that glorify God and do not compromise what I believe!), get 'em published by a secular publisher and have them sold in big name book stores right next to the big name secular authors who are perverting my generation! I wanna reach the sick.


I could list off amazingly creative worldy people all day long. They are out there and they are changing the world. For the bad. What are we, those called to change the world and extend the kingdom of God, doing? Lady Gaga is not more creative than me. Or you. Stephanie Meyer isn't more creative than me either. Because I know where my creativity comes from and I know to whom the glory goes. You should to.


Start thinking big, people. Start thinking bigger than the four walls of our (safe) churches. Start thinking broader. And once you do, think bigger. Think up stuff so big, so wild, so crazy that there is no way you can get it done without God. And then think some more. Because God is able to do more than we can ask, think, or imagine.

You were created to do something. Now get creative in whatever way you do and do it. The world is waiting.


*part 3 of the creativity post is coming on Wednesday. Stay tuned to hear about creativity and church.

Creativity (part 1)- Do you Know What is Inside of You?

*Alternative title; "NORMAL IS ONLY A SETTING ON A WASHING MACHINE"

I'm done with school now, at least for a week, and I finally have time to write on here. This will be a long post as it has been a long time coming, brewing in my head for weeks.

This post will be about creativity.

Isn't almost every post on this blog about creativity in one way or another? Probably yes. If my middle name wasn't already Kiss, it probably be Creativity. I am a very creative person. Anyone who has known me for more than 5 minutes knows that (dang, anyone who looks at me for more that 5 seconds knows it!). Without artsyness I go crazy. Truly. My constant rebellion against normal is a huge part of who I am.

But I have been thinking about creativity more so than normal lately. A couple weeks back we were talking about it in my psyc class and I had to give a presentation on people who display amazing amounts of creativity. The presentation could only be 5 minutes long, but in creating it I did a great deal of thinking about creative people.

Who are the creative people in the world? YOU are. That's who.

This is where you will begin the mental argument with me that not every one is creative. Blah blah Blah. I disagree. I didn't say ARTISTIC. I said CREATIVE. I believe that very human being has some amount of creativity in them because we were created by and in the image of a creative God. He who created me created the whole world from scratch (ever thought about that? Whenever I make something I have to start with something else. Some supply or material. When God created everything He started with absolutely nothing. That amazes me! If I had been charged with creating the world with nothing to start with and nothing to base my ideas on I would have not come up with much. Or anything. ) He is my Father and THE CREATOR; I am His daughter, so I create. Creativity is in my spiritual DNA.

You're arguing with me again, aren't you? You are. I just know it. Stop it. Just stop.

I'm not talking about creativity and everyone having it in the sense that we all can paint, draw, and had an A in high school art class. I'm not sure what the actual definition of creativity, but I don't think it is synonymous with artistic. Creativity, at least to me, is the ability to think outside of the box. Better yet, to refuse to acknowledge there is a box.  Creativity is not acknowledging the "normal" as acceptable. Creativity is that which does not fit in. Creativity is looking at something that anyone can look at, and seeing it differently.

If you give me a blank page of paper, I am likely to write something, because that is what I do. Might not be good, but I will write anyway.  If I give my little brother a piece of paper he will fold it into an elaborate paper air plane. If I give my friend S.L a piece of paper she would likely draw on it. Some of my friends would be more likely to write song lyrics on the page. What would you do with it?

I have several friends who are passionate about painting, and find their artistic expression on canvas. (Me? The only painting I do is that which involves splattering). Anyone can look at a canvas. Anyone can pop into an art store and buy one. The creativity is what a person DOES with the canvas.  If I gave a canvas to my friends T, L, A, or S (initials) they would take some paint and make something beautiful, because their creative minds see not a blank canvas but a potential piece of art.

But if I gave the same canvases to a group of mathematical, analytical, entrepreneurial, business people they probably wouldn't have the same vision to create something with paints upon it. So are they just not creative?

No.They are creative. They just are not painters.

Scientists are creative. Science wouldn't be useful if people weren't constantly coming up with new things. That is called history.

Mathematicians are creative (I know... I know...). But the use of math within science, or something like engineering requires creativity. 

Any entrepreneur is creative. They have vision. They see a problem, or a potential-holding business venture that no one else see, and they make it happen. They think outside of the box.

The most successful business people are those who think outside of what has already been thought; who dream bigger dreams and think greater thoughts than the less successful people. Their success has come because they did something different. Those who aren't willing to think creatively and instead keep doing what everyone else is doing are very likely to get the same result that everyone else did.

I think each of us has the ability to be incredibly creative, but in different ways. (I write and make stuff. What about you?). I think each person, Christian or not, is creative. Look at some of the people in the media living like hell. They are sure creative, just to their own glory and not God's (more on that later). Personally, I think Christians should be the world's MOST CREATIVE people, because we know who are Creator is and we know that we are made to be like Him!

Each of us has such potential. There is so much creativity inside everyone that is never being released! People are so caught up in the "normal" that often they don't think broadly enough about what is possible if "normal" is challenged. I'm not just talking about uses for paint and paper (which are fantastic), but how long are things like cancer going to be "normal?" Are gas prices climbing towards $5 "normal"; oil crisis, what about that? Are children homeless and starving in other countries "normal"? What about sex trafficking, is that just "normal" too? How about how perverted and filthy (secular) music is? Movie content? I don't think the books being written for young adults are "normal" at all!

So many pieces of art, so many inventions, new business ideas, solutions to worldwide problems, things that have never been done or made before are INSIDE OF YOU!

I don't know about you, but that gets me fired up and inspired to make something. Do something. Be something.And in doing that and releasing that creative potential we are glorifying God! We are being who He made us to be and becoming more like Him!

To keep this post from being 19 miles long I'll stop here. But I've got more coming. In the next part of this rant on creativity I want to talk about it specifically in relation to the Kingdom of God. How we can use it...or how we aren't. That post coming soon!



*phew. It felt so good to write something that wasn't academic, didn't need MLA citations, and wasn't going to be graded!

Quoteables.

I'm currently writing a paper on Just Causes and Justice for English class. This involved a lot of research reading and that reading appropriately included Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience."

Now, some of Thoreau I like. Some of him I don't. He and I have very mixed feelings in our relationship towards each other. But this quote I LOVE. This quote is a great summation of how I feel about rebelling against normal and refusing to accept the commonly accepted just because it is common to do so. This quote is about knowing what you stand for and then standing. This is what I aim for.


 "LET YOUR LIFE BE A COUNTER FRICTION TO STOP THE MACHINE."- h. d. thoreau


I can't get it out of my head.

I liked it so much it even got stuck to my computer monitor via yellow sticky note. As far as quotations and my treatment of them go that is a high honor.

This is your brain on college home work...

This Mercedes Benz ad is sort of a good depiction of how I feel right now.
It's my new desktop.

I found this image in a google search (for psychology class) looking for images of the right and left hemispheres of the brain. I saved it to mu computer, because I thought it was really artful, though it had nothing to do with what I was searching for.

You can click the above link to see it enlarged but the captions on either side say this:

"LEFT BRAIN:
I am a scientist. A mathematician
I love the familiar. I categorize. I am accurate. Linear
Analytical. Strategic. I am practical. 
Always in control. A master of words and language.
Realistic. I calculate equations and play with numbers.
I am order. I am logic.
I know exactly who I am."

"RIGHT BRAIN:

I am the right brain.

I am creativity. A free spirit. I am passion.

Yearning. Sensuality. I am the sound of roaring laughter.

I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feet.

I am movement. Vivid colors.

I am the urge to paint on an empty canvas.

I am boundless imagination. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel.

I am everything I wanted to be."

My summation?

LEFT BRAIN:

this is my brain on college courses.

this is the smart half.

RIGHT BRAIN:

this is who my brain is the rest of the time.

this is me.

Neither dead nor dying...

Hey people of my blog, 

Just a heads up, I am not dead, nor am I dying.

My life is a little bit crazy right now and I sort of feel like there is more stuff to get done then there are hours for me to do it. Just a lot a lot of stuff going on. Not at all like a crisis or anything, don't worry! I'm totally fine! Just lots of school and other important aspects of my life that need to be focused on. 

One day I will post again with some consistency, I promise!

I have so many things I would like to write about and SO many things I want to take pictures of with my new camera.

Right now I just can't focus too much time on blogging. Gotta prioritize. Hurray for adulthood and real life situations requiring my attention!

One day I will live again here on this blog. But for now I have another essay to write and a lot of reading to do. And 46.2 billion other things. 

*sigh.

peace, love, and chaos;

3ella

There is some thing(s) you should know about me...

My name is Isabella Kiss and there are some things you should know about me...

First off, When I tell you my name is Isabella Kiss I am not kidding. It is. Really truly. Says so right on my certification of birth.

Also: When I tell you my name don't say "like in twilight!" and do not inquire about "my relationship with vampires." I get that enough. NO. NOT LIKE IN TWILIGHT! Not at all. Don't make my life worse but adding to the onslaught of Twilight jokes thrown at me upon every introducing of myself.
 
When I say I am a Christian that doesn't mean I am announcing that I boring and uptight, and/or that I hate anyone/anything non Christian. Quite the opposite. I am mad fun, super not boring. I just choose to have the kind of fun I can remember the next day. And strongly believe that God so loved the world and therefore so should I.

When asked for my "religion" I hesitate to answer. Why? Sound contradictory? Well, I am not into religion. I am into relationship. Like the relationship I have with my heavenly Father who saved me with the blood of His Son Jesus. That is what Christianity really is.

When I say I am a writer that doesn't mean you should say to me "well, have fun starving" or "I hope you marry well." Thanks for your concerns but feel free to keep them in your head.

When I talk of being a "dust assassin" that basically mean I make money by cleaning houses.  I just like to apply the concept of assassination to my occupation. Looks good on forms and in profiles...or not.

When I state that I am a "pescetarian" I am not telling you of my religion or occultic involvement. No, no, no! It simply means that I eat fish and not meat. Don't be confused.

When you say I am sarcastic I will disagree with you and say I am sardonic. There is a difference. Look it up!

When I mention knitting/crocheting/sewing/anything of the like please do not compare me to your grandmother. Creative, awesome, and just all together artistic I am. Granny I am not.

When I talk of that ^^ and things like cooking don't use the word "domestic" to describe me. I am not something that has been house broken and tamed. I do not walk nicely on a leash and I am much feistier than your lapdog and/or Ma Ingalls/Martha Stewart/or whatever female you think of as being domesticated. I am simply well-rounded. Don't hate cause you ain't.

When I mention I am home-schooled in grades 1- 12 that doesn't mean I was a homeschoolER.It involved no long skirts, no tucked in shirts, no life of solitude, and no awkward hair cuts. There are some serious differences such as those that you should just be aware of. And look, I turned out as a functional (and smart) member of society. Points to me (and my mom).

When I say that ^^ do not ask me if I have friends. Really now. Cease with the ridiculousity. Yes, I do. Of course.

When I talk of my family of 10 people, 8 of which are kids that doesn't mean you ought to say "LIKE THE DUGGARS!" Uhmmmm...just no. Inaccurate comparison in so many ways.


When you notice those kiddos who are my siblings and note that we have a broad range on the melanin spectrum (aka there are some serious skin tone differences) don't ask me if I am sure they are my sisters/brothers. Yes, I am sure and no explanation is owed to you if you want to be a racist. Also, no, it is not "weird" that they are adopted and I am not. You're weird and also narrow minded.

on the topic of racism...
When I say I don't really agree with/like the choices and character of our current president don't dare tell me I am a racist. Don't bother. I am anything but and I do respect our president in that he is the President and God put him into his position of authority. I simply agree with some famous guy by the name of King who said "I have a dream that {my four little children will one day live in a nation where} they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." I don't care what color he is. I simply have a problem with his character and a lot of the decisions he makes.


When I don't seem to take a like stance with the activism of groups like PETA or Americans attempting to save polar bears or any other type of wild life it doesn't mean I hate animals, I am just far more concerned the saving of human life and the great injustice of our nations tolerance of abortion. I do however really, really like animals. Love them actually! People just win. If I had to choose I'd rather save babies than furry things. Do don't talk to me about saving whales until we stop this homicide of human life.

When you are sitting there gasping as you read all this thinking that I am much too straight forward, very difficult, or maybe just highly opinionated, please know that perhaps you are right. 

I, Isabella Kiss, am very clear on what I stand for, and by stand I actually mean I take one. 

I refuse to live mediocre. 

I refuse to sugar coat. 

I refuse to be who society tells me that I am. 

I refuse to back off or shut up.

I know who I am and no one is going to change me. 
I will not be labeled, stereotyped or boxed in.

I'm passionate, ardent and ever-so-feisty.

I know what I believe and Whom I believe in and you will not be able to tell me otherwise. I was made by the God of the universe who loves me and saved me so I could live for eternity with Him and live life in abundance here on earth in a way that brings Him glory.

I live on purpose for a purpose.

Thanks for getting to know me. If you found this experience of becoming better acquainted with my person to be less than enjoyable feel free to close your eyes.

I am who I am. I like it that way. And there will be no changing it.

*this post was in my drafts. I wrote it a couple months ago during a blog venting session and am pulling it out as I am too busy studying for midterms to post this week. I hope I didn't scare y'all. If I did I'm not sorry.

"My Name is Narcissist."

Lately I have been spending a lot of time reading Henry David Thoreau's Walden for English class, so my mind if swarmed with deep thoughts of the wilderness and Thoreau quotations.

I shall leave you with one to ponder over the weekend. I like it because it feels like a mild reference to me and how much I talk about myself on this blog (and why).

"I should not talk so much if there were anybody else I whom I knew as well. Unfortunately, I am confined to this theme by the narrowness of my experience. Moreover, I, on my side, require every writer, first or last, a simple and sincere account of his own life, and not merely what he has heard of other men's lives..."- Henry David Thoreau (first page of his journal-style book Walden)

Happy weekend, all!

Hi, I'm Isabella and I'm a holiday killjoy...

I am about to ruin Valentine's Day for everyone. So if you like living in your commercialized-holiday box, don't continue reading. I warned you...

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I have a tendency to verbally shred apart holidays as celebrated by America (and else where). I think one of my most viewed blog posts is my angry letter to Santa Claus. People are still reading it weekly? I've already gone off at the way we "celebrate" Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We all know I do not celebrate Halloween (that needs a post. Remind me in October). And I have plenty more holidays I could go off at (Easter: lets celebrate Jesus, as we also dye some eggs and think about bunnies. Things established for Beltane, the ancient Spring festival of the druids; Saint Patrick's Day: let's drink ourselves into a stupor as we think about the Saint who brought Christianity to Ireland. Sounds a little off, friends...).

But today I am about to wreck your view of Valentine's Day. Because I, Isabella Kiss, am a killjoy. And a realist. Passionate and ardent as them come and wholly unable to sugar coat anything, ever.

Quick! What comes to mind when I say Valentine's? 

If your answer involves anatomically incorrect hearts, boxes of chocolate, or lingerie, you lose.

I would think you have all heard of Saint Valentine, yes? (and no, he is not the little naked fellow with a bow and arrow. That is Cupid. I know people tend to confuse them...). I am not entirely sure how a holiday supposedly commemorating him turned into *THIS* but...here is his story. (read this article  and this article before writing mine. Checked others to get my facts correct. Then summarized in my own sardonic way)

    Once upon a time,(a time that was actually 270 AD not some fantasy realm time), in Rome a cranky emperor named Claudius banded marriage. Short reason as to why? His soldiers missed their families when at war, and he saw that as a weakness. To fix this issue the smartypants Claudius banned marriage altogether, for everyone (makes sense, right!? Uh...). Next our man Claudius went and banned Christianity (he was on a roll, why not?). The guy basically thought he was so awesome he should be a god.
   A rebel of the times (oh I love me a rebel!), a Christian bishop named Valentine (*cue looks of enlightenment upon your faces) decided he greatly disagreed with Emperor Claudius' laws. Being the radical he was, he decided he would preform clandestine marriage ceremonies for lovers (believing as Christians do that marriage was created by God), though it was against the law.
     Valentine was found out, brought to Claudius, who tries to persuade him to change his ways and give all his allegiance to Rome and its gods but Valentine stood firm in his beliefs. He was sent to jail, to wait for his death sentence to be carried out. There he meets, prays for, converts to Christianity (and maybe falls in love with-this part is debated. Love as is gushing emotion? Or love as is "love thy neighbor?") the blind daughter of the jailer. Before he is sent to die she miraculously, by the power of God, receives her vision and can read his good bye note, reading "From your Valentine."
    Then ardent, passionate and zealous (I just used my 3 favorite synonymous adjectives in one sentence, yes! Who cares about redundancy?) Valentine went an died for what he believed in. He would not deny his God, so Claudius had him killed. It took them three tries, three different methods, to kill this amazing man of God- beating, then stoning, and lastly decapitation.

 His gruesome death occurred on the 14th of the month of February, 270 AD.

Saint Valentine was a martyr. I see there to be nothing romantic about being brutally killed because of your belief in God. I see that as passion. I see that as something to greatly respect. I see that as love for my Savior. But what I don't really see in there is what we now use Valentine's Day for. Okay, maybe it is a love story, and the poor blind chick has to watch him die after he gives her a really nice card. And yes, the whole marriage banning, secret matrimony session thing is romantic, I guess. But again that all ties back to his belief in God.

Of course somewhere along the lines we messed the holiday all up, like we always do. People like a reason to celebrate and  like to take any excuse we can get, even if they don't really even know the purpose of their celebrating. There are many theories as to how the holiday evolved into what it is now but...point is it did. I mean, come on people, we call it Valentine's Day but we don't really acknowledge the original Valentine (a person, not a piece of paper) at all. If that was what we were really celebrating it would be a day of standing up for faith in God, unashamed, refusing to deny His existence or how he created us to live. But nope. We like to buy each other flowers and say mushy stuff, as we consume mass amounts of aphrodisiacs like chocolate. hmmm...

I know you are all thinking I am the biggest killjoy ever. I told you so! You probably also think I am utterly heartless. Not a problem, I've been accused of that many times before. But hold up. You're wrong. I'm not at all against love, as the Bible defines it. I am also not at all against celebrating it, or buying people things, or giving cards, or any of that. If you're in love, go ahead, CELEBRATE! That is WONDERFUL!

(ps: but if flowers and acts showing love are what you want and you only get them on the 14th of the second month of the year, I am slightly concerned for you. I don't at all like that we have to dedicate a certain day to make people acknowledge that they love each other. If he forgets the other 364 days of the year, he is a jerk ladies...)

I don't know if you can tell, but I get annoyed when people celebrate things as their culture tells them to. I refuse to blindly accept things. I refuse to not ask questions. I refuse to celebrate days set aside for specific people, especially when having to do with my Christian faith, by however it is my society says I should.(Call me crazy, call me ardent, call me a rebel. All true.) And I refuse to not give credit where credit is due. And if a guy, thousands of years ago, was martyred in the name of love for God and love for doing what pleases Him, I think that is worth giving credit to. Just sayin'...

*sigh. I digress.

So um... Go forth in the name of love? I love you, you love me, we're a happy family? Whatever floats your commercialized boats, people...

Happy (Saint) Valentine's Day, boys and girls.

Letters of genuine concern

I am notorious for letter writing. I don't mean I send a lot in the mail (though I am beast at that), I mean I often talk to inanimate, unreal, or distant things and tell them my feelings in letter format ("dear.........love, Bella").

That being explained, here are some of my feelings today. 

Dearest Groundhog,

ARE YOU EVEN KIDDING ME?

Early spring?  

Really? I don't know if you've looked outside lately, oh ground dwelling animal called "Phil," but there is 4 feet of snow in my backyard. Maybe in PA where you are it is lovely and warm, but here? Not so. School is canceled today. And was yesterday. Maybe tomorrow as well. I think you know even less about weather than the weathermen.

Hey, maybe I am wrong. I just cannot see spring anywhere in sight. Forget spring, I cannot even see THE GROUND!

Thanks for your prediction, but...go back to bed. You crazy.

Sincerely,

Isabella Kiss

Dear Handlers and Interpreters of  Punxsutawney Phil,

How do you know what the groundhog sees and does not see?

Where did you go to school to learn to interpret the inner thoughts of rodents?

With Concern,

Isabella Kiss

Dear Germans who came up with this tradition,

Ummm...what were you on when you thought it was a good idea 

to ask fat, hibernating mammals about the weather situation?

No comment,

Isabella Kiss

Dear Al Gore and anyone who is concerned about global warming,

 ....................................

There is nothing for me to even say to you.

Go sit in a snowbank and think about it.

No words,

Isabella Kiss

Dear Spring,

Despite my doubts, I really, really, really do hope you show up soon.

I am sick of snow. I am sick of it getting in the way of my life. 

I am sick of everything being canceled. And I'm cold.

While I don't have much faith in groundhogs, I do have faith in God 

and I really hopes He brings some spring soon! Please.

Love, 

3ella

Kyle MacDonald had a paperclip...

Ever heard of him? Kyle MacDonald? No, he does not live on a farm and there is no catchy chorus of vowels sung about him. Kyle MacDonald is a young guy with a creative mind. I like creative, out of the box thinkers, so I was intrigued by him. Let me tell you more.

I walked out of English class today with a deeper understanding of paperclip uses (the Prof -who might be THE MOST eccentric woman I've ever met-made us write for ten minutes about uses for the paperclips she "gifted" us at the beginning of the class, to expand our boxed in minds) and an assignment to google "ONE RED PAPERCLIP."

I went home (or to the house I am babysitting actually) and jumped on that assignment. She hadn't explained what this red paperclip was at all about (all she said was to google that, and not just "red paperclip" or we'd end up on a porn site. Great...) It was an ambiguous sounding name and I was curious to know more. I was thinking it was an art project or something...

Wrong. It was a project, but not of art.

Now, I am not sure how I had never heard of this. It all went on in 2005 (yes, I'm a little behind).  Regardless of all that I still want to blog about it so I will. Freedom of press...

Kyle MacDonald had one red paperclip. And over craigslist he proposed a bartering game (e-i-e-i-oooo?). He wanted to trade that paperclip for something and he planned on continuing the trading until he got "a house. Or an island. Or a house on an island."

And he did! That crazy boy, he did it! First he traded his paperclip for a fish pen, then a doorknob, and on he went for a year, making a series of 14 trades, until he traded for a HOUSE!

He blogged his whole journey, complete with a huge sense of humor (the guy is funny, let me tell you) and pictures. I like blogs. I like humor. I like creative thinkers. So this guy's project was a win for me. And he got famous for his silly idea. Not only did he get to meet some incredible (and famous) people, but he now tours speaking, he has been on commercials, he is in the Guinness Book of World Records for both "Most Successful Internet Trade" and "World's Largest Red Paperclip"(a giant one was made in his honor), and he wrote a book which can be bought in 14 different languages! Wow. Just with a paperclip? I guess that is a good place to get started.

If you, like me, hadn't heard of this guy I would encourage you to go check him out. You'll at least get a couple legitimate "LOL's" out of it, and you might get inspired to think a little more creatively. Maybe not about office supplies but...something.

What could you do? "Small is the new big," I have been told. Start imagining. In the words of Kyle himself "I [you] need to think outside the paperclip."

Quoteables (and more snow...)

I'm snowed in.

If you remember I am house sitting this week, and currently it is snowing. AGAIN. So here I am, sitting in a nice house, up atop a hill. A hill covered in snow. I can't really go anywhere until the plow guy comes, so my Portuguese water dog friend Madison and I are hanging out, reading, blogging and doing homework.

In my snowed in boredum I realized I sort of let the weekly "Quoteables" post die out (again), so I figured while I am sitting here, captive in a house that is not mine (and I don't want to go to mine as my family is all puking apparently?), I could do a post.

Saturday night I was at a Bible Study. We were looking at the life of the prophet Elijah and how God used him and other people in unusual ways to accomplish His will. In the passage we looked at (1 Kings 17) Elijah was living in a time of famine, but God had him where he was for a purpose. God was using Elijah to bring his word. There was no food and no water, but God kept him alive in miraclous (and actually weird) ways. He sustsained him by...having ravens bring him food. (whut wuuuut?) As we talked about this the leader of the study shared a quote that I liked and I immediately knew it was going in a blog post. It is by George Whitefield, a well known minister who was involved in the Great Awakening, and it talks about God working through us.

If you've ever read any of my other quote posts(or any post with more words than pictures) you know how I am about being passionate and living for a purpose.  Whitefield seemed like minded and I really like the way that he worded it.

“So long as the work God calls us to do is not complete, he will see to it that we are sustained. We are immortal until our work is finished.” - George Whitefield

You were created for a purpose. As long as you are breathing in air, there is a reason why you are here. And no one can stop you but you. You are immortal until you're not. I really, really, really liked that.

I know I was put here to live for God and bring Him glory. All of heaven has my back. There is no reason for me not live my life to its fullest, " to the hilt," and with much ardency as I can, and no one is going to stop me.

This, that, and other things...

Today was supposed to be a big, at least minorly exciting day but instead it is another snow day. And by "another" I mean like probably the 6th in the last month?

This morning my alarm went off earlier than normal.6:20. Today was SUPPOSED to be my first day at "real life college" (aka not in the computer. I did an online career school for a year, finished, and declared I was done with online learning por siempre). I was supposed to have English class at 8:00. English class in and of itself if not a big deal at all (especially Basic Composition. Been there, done that, but still have to take the class.) but the experience was new. May I remind you the last time I was in a formal classroom was more or less kindergarten. Yes, I was homeschooled (which I liked as I struggle to focus amongst other people and do better by myself). Anyway, here I am, almost 20 years old, and pretty unfamiliar with classrooms. So I was excited (/nervous) to get started.

But...when I woke up snow was falling from the sky. Again. In mass quantity. We knew yesterday that we would getting six inches. School knew. I knew. But yet that selfishsmelfish school didn't want to cancel morning classes last night. So I got up this morning at dawn's buttcrack, saw that they finally had decided to cancel, and went back to bed. No English class for me today. Bummer.

Instead of class today I am going to work on my never-ending synopsis project, clean my room, do some laundry, blare music on repeat (Current song: Shekinah, off the IHOP Joy worship album. SO GOOD!) and pack up my life in a suitcase and move out.

Move out? Well, not really. Just for a week. I have a habit of making extra money by sitting in people's houses, babysitting their pets and furniture while they go on vacation. This week I am house sitting for some friends headed to FL. Imma chill in their house with their bouncy black dog Madison and 2 cats Tigger and Digger.

(Sorry this post is all over the place. Trying to cover a lot as I don't know how much I will be posting next week.)

In other news, I have a lot of new yarn in my life. My gma is the biggest encourager enabler of my yarn addiction. Last week she gave me a white trash bag full of yarn. Only thing is that I had no place to put it other than in a big, ugly blue storage bin. Unacceptable. So I went out to my barn (which is a magical place), hoping to find an old suitcase or something to store my goods in. But I found something better. It had my name all over it- literally!

 My vintage toy chest from when I was a wee person, hand painted by my mom (yeah, I'm not the only ridiculously artsy one around here).

 I put it on a medal pedestal from another chest/trunk thing I had. Doubles as a couch side table!

 Are you ready to see this?

 Yup. I put it all in rainbow order. Maybe I am insane, but it makes me incredibly happy.

Now I am all organized and ready to make as many wee squares and animal hats (There are more coming! Customs! You just wait!) as I can stand! Right after I do all that other productive, educational stuff I mentioned...

Sigh. Overall today is not going anything like I thought it would. I wish it would just be spring already. Snow is really inconvenient...

Psychology class on Monday, if the snow doesn't ruin it!

Until then, I will be cleaning, writing and babysitting couches.

QUOTEABLES to honor my man MLK...

*brace yourself for a word/quote/passion heavy post. If you like looking at pictures and ignoring what I say, then I suggest you skip right along here and wait for something cuter and more artsy on another day.. I am a writer, so I cannot be crafts and photos all the time. Sometimes I have to WRITE. But, fair warning, this post may be unpleasant to you.*

I don't know if you have noticed (see here, here, and here), but I am quite the fan of Martin Luther King Jr.

I mean, look up a couple inches at that blog header. King? Yeah, as in the Reverend Martin Luther.

A familiar name, yes? He gets a holiday for his stand against racism and his fight towards racial equality (which by the way is something I believe in), but there is a lot more to the Rev. King than that. People often take this day, "Martin Luther King Day," as just another reason to get out of school/work, and maybe just maybe they think for a moment about his famous "I have a dream" speech and are briefly grateful for one of the men who changed our country's history. (But most of the time people don't have a clue about anything  and just want a day off...)

Though it is what he is most remembered for, during his life King didn't only stand for racial equality. His faith in God made him see the great wrong that was going on in his world and he did something to fix it. He stood for things that challenged what was seen as normal. He took a bold stand against many things, including but not limited to racism, which were not only socially tolerated in his time, but socially and morally accepted.

I don't know if you have look around your world lately, but he didn't entirely eliminate racism, or create a world in which everyone loves each other and gets along. Those problems still exist today. But he was bold enough to see the problem and do SOMETHING, and that is why I like him so much.

There is a verse in the Old Testament of the Bible, found in Micah chapter 6, verse 8 that every time I read it I think of Martin Luther King Jr. I don't know if he considered that a life verse of his or what, but he very clearly lived it out. 

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy
   and to walk humbly with your God.

Now, as you keep all of what I just said, particularly that verse, in mind, I want to share some of my favorite King quotes (outside of "I have a dream...") with you.  I love quotes, you know that, and King is in the top two people that I quote most (Winston Churchill, another history changer, would be the other).  

**And I want you to know, all the quotes I am about to put in aren't just some nice words I pulled up in google just today so I could have a fitting post for this holiday. They are quotes which I have written in notebooks and scribbled on sticky notes and stuck in various places in my room.**

Here now, on this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, are some of the amazing things he both said and lived for;

He had great, PASSIONATE faith in God;

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

"To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing."

He had great, PASSIONATE love for others;

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?"

"The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But... the good Samaritan reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

"There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love."

He had great PASSION for justice

"The time is always right to do what is right."

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal."

"The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict."

"When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative."

 And because he so strongly believed in those things, he had a great PASSION for living his life to its greatest potential and to the glory of His God;

"The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important."

"Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better."

"The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be... The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists."

King was a man who was strong in what he believed. Not only did he believe in it, or dream about it, he stood for it. He stood for it so boldly that he got killed for it. He wouldn't be ignored, or shut up. He wouldn't back down. King was a radical. An passionate extremist. He knew why he was put on this earth, and nothing/no one, even assassination wouldn't stop him from standing for it.

My all time favorite quote by him is THIS...

"If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live."-MLK (1963)

 The best part about the above quote is that he meant it. He said that some 5 years before he was assassinated. He wasn't just some face in the public eye, saying pretty things to win favor, smooth talking people into liking him, but living a life contrary to his words. He said that and then he LIVED IT! And not only did he live it, but then he DIED FOR IT!

King knew what he was made for. He had a dream, a big dream, and they assassinated him for it.  He died for that dream, because dreaming always cost you something.  

I challenge you, on this day we remember the revolutionary dreamer MLK, to think about what your dreams are.  I've often been told  (by my 3rd most quoted person, my youth pastor "Rev" Eric Peoples) that "the thing that bothers you most is probably the thing you were put on this earth to fix." Maybe you aren't going to get assassinated for it, but what would you be willing to give *everything* thing for? What are you passionate about? God put you on this earth; what for? If you still wake up every morning with breath in your lungs, there is most assuredly a reason. If you are alive, you have a purpose! You were not created to just get by living a life of mediocrity. What were you made for? What are you dreams? And what are you willing to give for them?

I have a dream. Do you?