through dark there is Light

But the voice of truth
Tells me a different story
The voice of truth
Says 'do not be afraid'
And the voice of truth
Says this is for my glory
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe
The voice of truth
Casting Crowns

I just returned from the L.A. Dance Force competition in Daytona. While everyone on my team had previously been to atleast one other competition, I had never been to one before. As my teacher said, I was the "virgin competitor". Haha. It shocked me. Not only was the tecnique, for the most part, incredible and unbelievable, but ... the sin and filth that was present was astonishing. Literally, (excuse my french, but there is no other word to use) whores walking around; dancing in bra and underwear (spandex shorts, but might as well have been underwear). One of the teams did a dance wearing white pleated skirts that didn't even cover their butts (the black spandex was sticking out), black knee highs with bra straps hooked up to lacy underwear (that could also be seen out of the skirt), black zip hoodies that then unzipped only to reveal white shirts with their bras hanging out. I don't know if I've ever been so disgusted in my life. I wouldn't have worn that outfit, much less done the dance that they did for all of the money in the world. Even sicker was the fact that their moms were there, chearing them on, encouraging their daughters to flaunt their sacred bodies to the world. I felt sick after the fact and was hardly in a mind set to perform. But then, I started thinking about the words of the song of our first dance (I've posted them above for you) and I realized that us performing that dance was more than just the Providence Competition Team dancing to a Christian song. God had placed us there to be a light in this incredibly dark place. We had the opportunity to be used by the Lord in a most amazing way. And, I have to tell you, He truly blessed our efforts. Compared to these other competitors (despite their raunchy display, they had excellent technique - i.e. 5 pirouettes effortlessly, a group of 15 people doing 10 or so fouette's perfectly together...are you getting the idea?) we were on the lower end of the spectrum. Granted, it was our first time competing as a team, and most of these studios have been competing for years. But, even so, despite our lower level, we managed to score high enough for a silver medal (though we weren't in the top 5) with Voice of Truth, and we placed third with our jazz dance, Car Wash. I thought that was an incredible blessing, and a goal that could have only been achieved with the Lord as our dance partner. If you all had seen our competitors ... you probably wouldn't believe that we placed as well as we did. To be third out of this group is astonishing. But, how awesome that the Christian, clean, polite dance was awarded and I can only hope that we were a ministry to the people and judges that watched us. You know, our technique may not be as good as the rest of them, but we have something far more important, and we were dancing for someOne far more important. Because our attitude was simply to glorify the Lord, we were content with whatever He allowed to happen. And He exceeded our expectations, greatly.

I said all of that just to say that Christians, especially Christian dancers, are so few and far between these days. And in this sin-infested world, we must always be a reflection of Jesus Christ in the way we dance. I feel so blessed to have been able to share the Word of God through dance - a medium that most people watching that evening could understand. My prayer is that it truly touched someone, and has moved someone one step closer to finding their ultimate goal in life; because, life isn't all about the Platinum medals that you get in a dance competition, and it's not about how perfect your technique is or how together your fouettes are...but rather, it's about glorifying the Lord with every breath, every movement and every step, and I believe that is exactly what the Providence Competition Team did last night. Take hold of every opportunity to be a light for God's kingdom, and get to know the incredible blessing He gives you in return. It surpasses any medal that a human can give you. The silver medal each of holds in our hands is miniscule compared to the award of being a minister of God's amazing love. :)

God bless,
lv

closing time

What a holiday season it has been! Hectic, fun, exciting, boring, crazy, stressful ... just about everything you could possibly imagine. I'm not going to bore you with all of the details, but overall it's been great; spending time with family, having time to actually sit down and read a good book, waking up every morning and just being able to reflect on everything God's done for me rather than jumping out of bed to get ready for school. Of course, this lovely reality will end tomorrow, when I go back to waking up at 6 every morning, when I stay up until midnight or so doing homework because I decided to read my new book first, when I sleep on ice and heat from dance pains, and when the routine is so drilled into my head that I could pratically be blindfolded and still make it through the week in one piece. Life is good, isn't it? Haha.

My grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary was on December 27th, and we (my mom and my aunt, really) gave them a huge party on the 29th at the Yacht Club. It was beautiful, and very fun reflecting on old memories. It's amazing to me that they have been through so much together. They were married when they were 19 and 20, and it's just simply incredible to me that they have spent over 50 years in each other's lives. There aren't many people today that make it to their 50th anniversary, and there will be even fewer in this generation ... people marry much later nowadays, and divorce more frequently. But, what a blessing and an example to witness this milestone for my grandparents. They have taught me so much, and seeing them come to this place in their life is just further reason for me to take what they say to heart. My Mamaw and Dedad are two of the most wonderful people I know, and I am so blessed to be a part of their lives. They have truly taught me, simply by living, that love isn't love until you die completely to yourself, surrender to God, and then share God's love with each other. Happy 50th Anniversary, Mamaw and Dedad! :)


Their wedding, 50 years ago.

On the other end of the spectrum, a old, dear friend of ours called yesterday and announced that he was engaged to his girlfriend of 3 (or so?) years. It's a wonderful thing, sort of. No one really likes Meagan, but I guess if Scott loves her - that's all that matters. :) He also told me that he cut his blonde/orange/white afro looking thing down to 1/8 of an inch. I'm still trying to picture Scott Weinstein bald and it's turning out to be a very wierd image. He went on to tell me that he's been traveling all over the country, doing a variety of commercials, magazine advertisements, music videos, etc... and his most recent project? A small speaking part and a background dancer in Paris Hilton's Pledge This! "Not a very clean movie," he says. "Well, Paris Hilton isn't much to speak of." "No, and neither is her talent. But my part ... I'm pretty good in it." :-p Haha. Count on Scott to mention that. So, it was good to hear from Scott after so long, and just thought it was funny ... the opposite ends of 50th anniversary and newly engaged (Christmas day, by the way). Congrats to you, Scott - and Meagan as well. :-p

Well, I must head out. There is so much to be done before I go back to dance tonight and school tomorrow. Hope you all have a blessed 2005 full of truth, beauty, freedom, and above all things ... love, in Jesus Christ!

God bless,
lv

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

This is an email my mom sent to me, and I thought it was so beautiful. I wanted to share it with you all...

"When I meditated on the word GUIDANCE, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps witha nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word GUIDANCE. When I saw "G," I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i.""God, "u" and "i" dance." "God, you and I dance." As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday. May you abide in God as God abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life. If God has done anything for you in your life, please share this message with someone else, for prayer is one of the best gifts we can receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards; so let's continue to pray for one another.... and...I HOPE YOU DANCE!!!"

-Unknown

May God dance with you this holiday season, and beyond and may you be reminded every day of His neverending love and new mercies.

God bless,
lv

books, books, books

I've been extremely stressed lately, and I've been really aching to relieve my stress with a good book. Mrs. Sylvia gave me a notecard with all of her suggestions :-p but I would love some more! I'm thinking I might do this often...not just with books, but music, things to do, favorite stores, etc... Anywho, today I'm doing books, and I would love to know what you're reading, what you like to read, what you reccommend, and all of that good stuff. Real quick, a few of my favorites:

:: A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly (Published as A Gathering Light in the UK)
:: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
:: The Company by Robert Littell

There are so many others I could suggest, but those are on the top of my head. I'm currently reading The Company very, very slowly. It's 900 pages, and I can only handle about 4 pages a night because it puts so much information into your head. But it's good. It certainly keeps me occupied.

But, please post your suggestions. There's hardly anything I like more than a good book on a stressful day to sit down and curl up with (with a mug of hot chocolate by my side of course :-p). Hope you are all having a good holiday season. Only 9 more days until Christmas! :stresses:

God bless,
lv

joy story

Well, Kristy told me that she had the videotape of this play we did at church 6 or 7 years ago. The Joy Story, written by Nancy (...can't remember her last name) at First Baptist, is a Christmas play about a toy store, with toys that tell the story of Jesus. It's a really sweet script; it genuinely tells the greatest story of all time. :) I was Raggedy Ann, one of the main parts...and I had lots of lines (I have no idea how I ever memorized all of those) and a big solo. I still remember all the songs from it, though. I was singing along while I was watching it. :-p

The song I had to sing was the pivotal part of the play; it's more or less the invitation for salvation - the true message of Christmas. I, of course, haven't watched this since I did it so many years ago, but watching it this morning...I got all teary eyed! I have matured so much in my spirituality since I acted in this play, and as many times as I rehearsed, performed and just randomly sang the song, I don't think I ever actually took it to heart. The lyrics are so beautiful, and true, and they just really spoke to me. I'll share a piece of the song with you - although you won't get the full effect, because seeing a little girl with a Raggedy Ann wig and a heart apron on singing this song is just precious. ^_^



In every heart
There is a longing
God calls to you
A still small voice
In every heart
There is a need to be His child
He's asking you
To make a choice

Long before this moment
God was loving you
Jesus died to show you
That His love was true
If you will receive Him
New life will begin
His heart seeks your answer
Won't you let Him in



"But I've already made so many bad choices!"

He knows everything about you
And loves you just the same
And even now He's whispering
He's whispering your name

In every heart
There is a longing
God calls to you
A still small voice
In every heart
There is a need to be His child
He's asking you
To make a choice
He gave His life
To bring His love
To every heart



The lyrics may be childish, but they're true. I encourage you all to take them to heart. :)

God bless,
lv

P.S. Those pictures that you see, I attempted to literally take them of my television, so that's why they're funny looking. hehe.

if I were

Ah, Alabama was wonderful. It was great to see Mash and her family again. We spent one day out at a farm with friends' of theirs. The family has 5 kids, a bunch of dogs, horses, cows, and four wheelers. We had a lot of fun. :)

I can't think of much to say or talk about today...but I saw this on one of my friend's blogs, so I thought I'd steal it just for fun. Feel free to fill it out and post it as a comment with your own answers! ^_^

• If I were a month, I'd be: April. The weather's usually fairly decent, then, atleast in Jacksonville, and the colors are bright and cheerful.
• If I were a day of the week, I'd be: Sunday.
• If I were a time of the day, I'd be: 1:00. More or less the middle of the day, and the time when I'm usually the most perky.
• If I were a planet, I'd be: Pluto. Smallest person, smallest planet. Works for me. :-p
• If I were a sea animal, I'd be: A seahorse. They're interesting.
• If I were a direction, I'd be: East. Then I'd never miss the sunrise.
• If I were a sin, I'd be: :eek: That's a wierd question. I wouldn't be a sin at all!
• If I were a liquid, I'd be: Sweet Tea! :blink:
• If I were a tree, I'd be: Bonsai. They're so cute!
• If I were a bird, I'd be: A parrot. They're gorgeous-and they talk a lot. :-p
• If I were a tool, I'd be: A hammer. Then I could just hit people when they were annoying me. :shrug:
• If I were a flower/plant, I'd be: A daisy. Innoncence, simpilicity, beauty...
• If I were a kind of weather, I'd be: Cool enough to wear jeans but warm enough to wear shorts.
• If I were a mythical creature, I'd be: A unicorn, I suppose.
• If I were a musical instrument, I'd be: A guitar.
• If I were an animal, I'd be: A dog. They get to lay around all day and be cuddled at night! What a life!
• If I were a color, I'd be: Red. It's so bold and vibrant!
• If I were an emotion, I'd be: Overwhelmingly happy and joyful.
• If I were a vegetable, I'd be: Green beans.
• If I were a sound, I'd be: The waves crashing...
• If I were an element, I'd be: :blink:
• If I were a car, I'd be: Mini Cooper.
• If I were a song, I'd be: Freedom.
• If I were a movie, I'd be: Ever After.
• If I were a book, I'd be: The Bible!
• If I were a place, I'd be: Geneva, Switzerland.
• If I were a material, I'd be: Cotton or cashmere.
• If I were a taste, I'd be: Sweet.
• If I were a scent, I'd be: Clinique Simply
• If I were a word, I'd be: Onomatopoeia
• If I were an object, I'd be: A camera.
• If I were a body part, I'd be: Eyes. ^_^
• If I were a facial expression, I'd be: A cheeky grin.
• If I were a subject in school, I'd be: English.
• If I were a shape, I'd be: A Circle.
• It's neverending. If I were a number, I'd be: 47. Don't ask.

Hope everyone is well and having a great beginning holiday season!

God bless,
lv

The Pitman kids, The Carnes kids, and the Sheally kids (minus Stedmond - he was out hunting).

give thanks . with a grateful heart

Hey all. :)

I just wanted to inform those of you who care that I will be traveling tomorrow to Alabama to my sister. We won't be back until Sunday evening. Feel free to email me or call my cell, though I'm not sure how much time I'll be spending on the computer and phone. I will hopefully be filling up my time with Mash. :-D

In the mean time, I wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving, once again. And for those of you who don't celebrate Thanksgiving (Mellies :-p), you have a wonderful week, and discover all that you have to be thankful for.

Really quick, in honor of the holiday, I wanted to compile a short list of the people who have significantly touched my life that I am eternally thankful for and grateful to (in no specific order) ::

• My parents :: for their neverending love, and for their discipline, even though I hate it at the moment - I know I will appreciate it in the long run.
• My older brother, Spencer :: for being an example, and someone to talk to - and for driving me places.
• And my little brothers, Harrison and Leighton :: for putting up with me as their big sister, and for being the greatest little brothers anyone could ever ask for.
• My grandparents, Mamaw and Dedad :: for always doing things with a willing heart, and for reminding me to live life to it's absolute fullest.
• Katie :: for always being there, and always giving me something to laugh about
• And her evil big sister Austin (Happy 17th birthday, tomorrow!) :: for becoming my friend, despite our previous issues :-p and for going ahead of me and testing the waters - then giving me the results. ;)
• Lindsay :: for always providing a wonderful laugh and smile, and for being there to talk to when I need it most
• Tim :: for being a great friend, first and foremost, and for giving me awesome hugs when they're greatly needed
• Jesus Christ! :: for loving me enough to suffer more pain than any man could have endured, simply so I could have a home in heaven ... for Your unconditional love and ever faithful friendship.
• Renee Graves :: for your spiritual guidance, and continual example of the Proverbs 31 woman.
• Catherine and Jennifer :: for your loving acceptance of me and my family
• Bethany :: for leading me through the murky waters
• Melanie :: for being a part in my dream-come-true, and for always having a great word (or several words) of advice
• Eva :: for being a leader, and for reminding me to do things while I have the chance, whilst I regret not having done them
• Jo :: for being completely random and making me laugh, no matter what the circumstance
• Amanda :: for showing me by example what it means to be a happy person, and for taking the time to talk with a silly 15 year old about all of her problems. ^_^
• Amber :: for caring about me, and always having a smile on your face; for showing by the example of your life how the love of our Lord, the love of family and friends, and the love toward others, can overcome all obstacles
• Megan :: for teaching me about leadership, headship and sacrifice - and for being brutally honest
• Kristin :: for having problems that seem to coincide with mine so that we can discuss them together :-p and for not letting our friendship dissapear with time.
• Rachel :: for reminding me of who I am in Jesus Christ, and for being a great person to talk to
• Amelia :: for always making me smile, for listening to me ramble, and for endulging my Alias obsession and taking a part in it, eventually. :-p
• Emily :: for making me laugh, even during the worst situation, and for teaching me about Nascar, John Deere, and shot guns.
• Max (believe it or not :-p) :: for putting me in my place and always being there to listen
• Phil :: for giving me the opporunity to share my experience of God's love
• Mrs. Ward :: for all of my sixth grade memories, and those beyond
• Mrs. Sylvia :: for helping me become the person I want to be, and for making me smile even when it was the last thing I wanted to do -- for having confidence in my ebulliency
• Grant :: for welcoming me into your family, and making me feel loved
• Mollie :: for always finding the right words to say, and for being an example to look up to and admire
• And last but not least...my big sister, Mary Ashley :: for touching my life in millions of ways, for teaching me so much about life, love, and lipstick, and for being the sister I never had.

I love you all more than I can say, and this list is of course incomplete! I could never possibly name every person who has impacted my life - but each and every one of you deserve thanks. All of my friends at school, dance, church, and just random places - my life would not be the same without you. Thanks to all of you for playing a part in my life. :)

God bless,
lv

thinking about our younger years

Sixth grade...Do you remember your sixth grade year? I remember it like it was yesterday. I can still name everyone in my class, although there were only 14 of us. I have so many wonderful memories of that year, and some not so good ones as well; but, the good always outweighs the bad. Because my little brothers go to the school that I went to in sixth grade, I have been able to keep in touch with my teacher. We always love to see each other - each time it's like a reunion all over again.

Today, we didn't have school ... we have the whole week of Thanksgiving off. So, I figured it would be a good time to go in and visit with Mrs. Ward for a whole school day (something I had been wanting to do for some time). Wow. That was exciting. Her face lit up the whole room when I walked in, and despite my surprise and un-announced arrival, she completely went with it and we had a great time.

There were some bittersweet moments. We recalled some special times the first graduating class of Grace Episcopal had shared. And, what was really fun was seeing how many things hadn't changed. BUGS (Behavior that is Ultimately Great and Successful) was still in effect, Chance (If you're in your seat when the bell rings, your name goes in the apple and if you name is drawn, you've won a trip to the Treasure Chest), The Treasure Chest (filled with awesome goodies), "Give Me 5" (In other words, shut up and listen), No Whining (Philippians 2:14), etc, etc, etc... I enjoyed taking part in all of these fond memories once again - and it placed me right back in sixth grade. I even found my desk! -- I had written "This was Leslie's 6th grade desk" on the inside of it. :shrug: Apparently, my little brother always tries to get that one. hehe.

It was interesting though, the contrast of looking back on my sixth grade year, and at the same time, looking forward to my possible career. I have always talked about elementary education as a job; as a child I joked about it, but as a teen, I can truly see myself as a teacher. It was so exciting interacting one-on-one with the students and the teacher. Mrs. Ward actually let me teach the 5th graders their math lesson (She teaches 5th grade math and science). Needless to say, I had a great time with that. A small part of me (A very, very, very small part) even entertained the idea (for a fraction of a second) about homeschooling again, and just coming in every day and teaching with Mrs. Ward! :-p Nah, I love school ... but I really enjoyed spending my day in a classroom filled with rowdy abnoxious 5th and 6th graders. I can honestly see myself doing that every day. ^_^

Well, we're leaving on Wednesday to go and see my "sister", Mashley ... and I'm ecstatic. I honestly cannot wait. Just thinking about seeing her makes me emotional. I saw her for a day or so in January, but it feels like it's been eons. We're staying in Alabama until Sunday, because she's going to speak at her church - and she really wants us there for that. Anyway, if I don't talk you all ...

HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING, and remember the almighty ONE we are to be thankful to, and the Ultimate Reason we have to be thankful. :)

Love you all. God bless,
lv

P.S. Oh! I must brag ... my fabulous boyfriend competed in a dance competition this weekend, and placed First Runner Up. :grins: Just wanted to publicly embarass and congratulate you, Tim. :-p

believe

Today, Amelia and I went and saw The Polar Express. :tear: For me, it was more than just a child's animated movie. I know this sounds silly, but it truly was a childhood memory come to life. It was a lovely film, and I thorougly enjoyed it. I told melia that I was going to make my children watch it every Christmas. :-p It captures the spirit of Christmas just as the book does and will make anyone smile, young and old.

It's funny, because I remember years ago Lindsay and I had a conversation about Santa Clause. We both came to the conclusion that it wasn't Santa himself that was real, but the joy that he brought to children. Jesus is certainly the spirit, and real meaning of Christmas, but Santa, to me, just further displays the giving heart that is so present at Christmas time. This movie not only teaches children (of all ages) that believing lies in the heart, but leading, giving, and learning does as well.

The graphics were wonderfully done, and truly made it feel real. Tom Hanks was awesome, and they did a great job of matching the movie to the book. Obviously, since the book is only 10 pages long, they had to add in some extra stuff, but they nearly matched the pictures in the book perfectly down to every last detail. Just look at the book before and after you see the movie, and you'll see what I mean. :)

After that fabulous, fun and exciting adventure we had with the boy-with-no-name, Josh Groban adds a beautiful finishing touch to the movie, singing "Believe" for the closing credits.

Polar Express reminded me of the innocence of children, and the simplicity of their faith. Those who doubt must be pushed a bit harder, and may even find themselves dangling on an edge, but believing will save them. As a child, reading Polar Express, it was simply a Christmas story about a boy who met Santa. As a teenager, I can now see that it's so much more than that.

God bless,
lv

P.S. I tried to put up pictures from the website, but they were bitmap and Hello only lets me do JPEG. Anyway, you can visit the site and see great pictures and other fun stuff. :)

haphazard thoughts

I'm feeling random today, after a not so fabulous morning...so I wanted to share tidbits of my grandmother's latest email with you all.

Things You Must Know

• Many years ago, in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden"...and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.
• The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...) The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
• Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"?
  A. One thousand
• In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase, "goodnight, sleep tight."
• It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month ... which we know today as the honeymoon.

Those are just a few of them, but I found them quite interesting - and arbitrary. Who knows if they're true, but the provide some fascinating facts.

Last night, I had the opportunity to share the truth of Christ with someone who honestly feels that Jesus can't love someone like him. It was hard, but quite an awesome event. Afer our our conversation, I was just in awe at the words I said...God had complete control of everything I said and it was amazing to experience His power like that! It was quite exhausting, but it was well worth it. I didn't change his heart, obviously, since humans can't change each other's hearts. But I do hope and pray that I planted a seed, and spurred something inside him to understand that God loves him no matter what - and that's the most amazing thing about Him!

Hope you're all doing well...and know that Jesus loves you, no matter what you do (Katie, remember our song...? :-p)!

God bless,
lv

moving forward

Saturday, after soccer games and all the normal weekend stress, my parents packed us all in the car and we went to the Bush Rally at the football stadium. Wow. It was packed...and quite interesting, actually. Billy Cerveny and Aaron Tippin sang (2 country artists that I'm not very familiar with, unfortunately) and a variety of important people attended and spoke. Sean Hannady was there - he was a favorite of the crowd's. On our way home, we drove behind him, so we weren't stuck in too much traffic :-p

Bush was wonderful. He spoke longer than we expected him to, which was fine with us. The weather was really nice; there was a soft breeze, so it wasn't too hot. The highlight of the rally though was definitely when Air Force One flew (pretty lowly) over the stadium. It was just...surreal. It's a beautiful plane, as silly as that sounds, and it was really neat to see it right above us. They videoed the President's plane landing, and then as soon as he stepped out of the plane, the whole stadium cheered. It was awesome. Apparently, there were over 50,000 people there, making it the largest political rally in history. It's kind of cool that I was part of that!


Moving America Forward ... Bush Rally at Altell Stadium

Life has been pretty routine lately...our school schedule is kind of wacked up. As Mrs. Dill puts it, "The fun and games are being placed above the academics" which of course, we don't mind one bit! :) Homecoming is coming up, and we're all really excited; it will be Providence's first football homecoming, with lights and the whole nine yards! Katie and Max are the 10th grade reps, so that will be fun seeing them, too. I wonder how long Max will be able to stand still in front of a crowd of people, not to mention, with Katie right next to him. They'll probably pull some sort of a joke :-p haha. Anyway, hope you're all doing well and that you're experiecing God's love each and every day!

God bless,
lv

am I mistaken?

There's a pivotal part in 13 Going on 30, when Jenna is talking to her mom over breakfast (chocolate chip pancakes). She aks her mom about mistakes; if she regrets the mistakes she's made and if she wishes she could go back. Her mom thinks for a moment, then looks at Jenna and tells her genuinely that no, she wouldn't go back or change them, and she didn't regret them, because she wouldn't have learned valuable lessons had it not been for mistakes she had made.

Not that mistakes are a good, fun thing that we should all go out and become acquainted with, but we can also use them to our advantage. When we make mistakes, we have two options. One, we can get upset, get frustrated, get angry and more than likely make that same mistake again. Or, two, we can get up, look around, realize what we've done wrong, decide to change it, and then emerge just a bit wiser than before we made the mistake.

When I gave my life to Christ, He in turn gave me the promise of guiding and directing my life despite the sins and mistakes I make daily. Thank goodness I have a merciful God; otherwise I would be in a lot of trouble. I fail so often. I fall short of the life I am called to by the Lord so many times each day. What a blessing that my God understands that, and loves me despite my faults.

Am I mistaken? I like to believe that I am. I make mistakes and God takes them and makes them a part of His perfect plan. Mistakes + Takes + Makes = Mistaken.

God bless,
lv

here we are; we've just begun, right here in this place where we belong

There's something bittersweet about your baby brother turning 9 years old. I mean, I remember my ninth birthday. He's not allowed to be 9! He's my baby! :( Honestly, I'm finding myself quite sad. Nine just sounds so grown up. When Leighton was born, I cried and asked if the nurses could change it; I really wanted a little sister. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I remember holding him, fast asleep in my arms. I remember trying to learn to spell his name properly. I remember my dad telling me when he was born that when he was 12, I would be in college. I remember when he was about 3, I dressed him up in one of my mom's old dresses and put my Raggedy Ann wig on him and made him play with Katie and me. Gosh. He's still my baby brother. :sniff: Atleast I'll always have those memories. ^_^

Just because I'm having this emotional breakdown about my little, baby brother, I think I should pay him somewhat of a tribute.


Leighton the Mighty Underwear King.

Leighton Alexander Pitman ~ October 14, 1995
6 pounds, 12 ounces

AKA: Leighton the Artist, Lawton, Lay-tay, Tater bug, Bubby (that's my pet name for him hehe)...

Likes to: Fish and hunt with Daddy, draw, paint, color, etc..., play cars, hang out with his big brothers, cuddle with his big sister, play with his best friend Jared, ocean kayak, read, go Porsche "window shopping", collect money and count it, then later spend it on toys he doesn't need, listen to his Spirit soundtrack (that I so often steal from him :-p) do things with his grandparents, do special things with Mom, cuddle with his doggy, and play with Frodo the Hoppit.

Will always be: My cuddle bunny, the little boy who taught me that life isn't about you-it's about the people you share it with, my music buddy, my brother who has a better stradle than me...My baby brother.

I have spent countless moments with Leighton, and each one I will treasure forever. It's hard to see him grow up, yet fascinating to see the changes in his life. I look at the past with a smile and look forward to our future with excitement.

Leighton, you mean the world to me. I am so glad God gave me one more brother to complete our family. Life wouldn't be the same without you. I know as your big sister I mess up sometimes, and I can be bossy and annoying. But I really do love you. One day, when you're all grown up (and you're taller than me, hehe), you'll get to boss me around. :-p I hope you have a wonderful birthday. But, don't forget that you'll always be my baby brother. I love you!
Hugs and kisses x's infinity...plus 1,
Sissy


Ocean kayaking

Sorry guys. :tear: Hope you're doing well. I love you all!

God bless,
lv


Me with the birthday boy.

'english is easy and fun'

When Mom and I were in Germany, we met up with our old exchange student who is now a mother of the cutest little German boy you'll ever see. Jeanette lived with us for a year when I was 4 or 5, so I didn't remember much about her. We had kept in touch and I had seen a couple of times over the years, but she hadn't seen my 8 year old brother yet, so it had been quite a while since our last visit. Of course, we never visited her. So, it was very exciting for Mom and I to get to see her in her own country. She was thrilled, as well. And, her having a kid made it twice as fun. She speaks English (not very well-she's quite out of practice), but her boyfriend and son do not. However, Ali (and, allow me to clarify - :coughs:Austin:coughs: No they're not Muslim. He's named after his grandmother Alexandra-his name is Ali Alexander.) has been taking English lessons. He hardly knows any-he's only 5-but his favorite phrase happened to be "English is easy and fun!" Whenever I'd ask him a question (in English of course) and he didn't know how to respond, he'd look at me with these gorgeous eyes and say "English is..." Yeah. You get the idea.



Marcus (Jeanette's boyfriend), Ali, Jeanette, Mom and me at the English Gardens.

So, I was thinking about this simple little phrase, but I how much it actually means to me. Not only am I thrilled that I have grown up in an English speaking country where I don't have to take the time to learn the incredibly complicated language, but I love the fact that more than any subject in school, English is the most fun! Easy doesn't exactly cut it, but fun-definitely. I love English. It's so fun! Okay, I apologize. I know, I'm a major nerd. But, you know, I just had to say that, because English is really awesome this year because Mrs. Sylvia is so fabulous. And, we're reading Les Mis. How much better can it get?? :runs from own nerdiness:


Me with Mrs. Sylvia (the greatest English teacher ever!) and Tiffany. :-D

Bah. I'm sorry to bore you with the dirty details of my love for English. I just couldn't help it. I've been looking at my Europe pictures a lot lately; making videos with them and continually begging my dad to take them and get them developed. But, I really want to go back. I don't know why I love it so much, but something about it makes me smile. Perhaps it's that God's glory is so evident when you go somewhere that you can't take for granted, and you see His beauty all around you. Thinking back on my trip though, it feels like a dream. It was dream, actually. A dream come true, anyway. It's amazing to me everything that my family did so I could go on that trip. My dad had to play Mom (with Jennifer's help of course :-p) for a month; it was hard on him. I remember the car ride home after they picked us up at the airport: Leighton: "I only had 4 showers while you guys were gone!" Harrison: "I only had 3!" Dad: "Be quiet!". Haha. As awesome as the trip was, it was the most rewarding to come home to the smiling faces of my little brothers, the teary eyes of my dad, and the "I missed you guys even though I don't want to admit it" look on my big brother's face. It was priceless, but definitely worth leaving them for a month. :-p It's too bad we don't get those faces every time we come home. We'd be one big happy family!

Mom and I were always close; we couldn't have gone on this trip if we hadn't been. But it definitely brought us even closer. We learned things about each other that will be valuable forever. We had to learn to work together, even when we didn't want to. Our first morning in London, Mom woke up with a terrible headache. She laid around for a few hours hoping it would go away, but she was out of her sinus pills and therefore had no medicated way to rid of it. Thank goodness she waited until London where they could actually speak English-that's all I'm going to say. I had to walk downstairs, ask the wonderful concierge (Rajick-made London that much better) where the nearest pharmacy was (to which he said he would call it, because he was friends with the owner and tell him I was coming) and walk there alone to pick up some medicine. Wow. It was actually kind of thrilling-walking in London alone. Even though it nearing the end of our trip, this was more or less a turning point. It was a sort of thing where we had to say "We're going to work together to make this the time of our lives." And, I know my mom would have done the same thing for me had it been the opposite situation.

Every day, I am grateful for the dream that my mom (and the rest of my family-including grandparents) helped turn into reality. A couple of years earlier, I had been talking to Cathy Driscoll, and we started talking about goals and dreams. I told her I hoped to go to Austria by the time I was 18. Being my second mom, she looked me in the eye and said, "Leslie, write it down. It will only be a dream until you make it more." So I went home, wrote it down, and now I'm 15 and have been to Austria, England, Switzerland, France, Germany...But that would not have been possible without my mom. She's such an amazing mom, you guys. You should all be jealous that she's mine. :-p We get frustrated with eachother; we're human. But, as many things as I want to do differently from her, I would love to know that I will make my little girl's dream come true one day too, just as she has done for me. Perhaps I would be better off just having one daughter; otherwise, that would be a lot of little girls to spoil (I'm sure glad God has all of this worked out). ^_^

Thanks, Mom. I love you!

Mom and me at the London train station.

God bless,
lv

pontificating

Hi everyone.

I know it has been eons since I've even visited here. Because of the hurricanes (For those of you who don't know, Florida had 5 or so hurricanes hit pretty hard. 2 largely affected us in Jacksonvile), I have just been so back tracked. My routine has been knocked all around, and only in the last week or so have I felt like I'm actually getting somewhere with my scheduling. :shrug: Life is crazy. But, that's what makes it exciting. :)

It is comforting to know that it's not only my life that has been crazy. I have had so many friends who are dealing with rough things right now. Death, friendships, stress, life-altering decisions, divorce, their faith...sometimes I look at other people's lives and I'm so thankful how simple mine is. As Rachel and I were saying the other day-not much exciting happens in our lives. :-p Which, we agreed, is not nescessarily a bad thing because it would be better that nothing happens than bad things. However, it does get a bit dull at times. But, that is the joy of being a Christian. God's love brings new joys every morning and gives me something to look forward to each day. I just want to encourage everyone who is going through a rough time, no matter what the circumstance, to look up toward God and know that He understands your pain. And, more than that, He will comfort you through it. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4

Today during dance at school, I started thinking about something. Allow me, if you will, to briefly pontificate.

For our exam, we're required to take these corrections that other people have given us anonymously, and do our best to fix them to the best of our ability and make the dance look as clean as possible. We're being graded on how well we correct the problems addressed. Mrs. Rose, my teacher, said something to the effect of: "I'm going to grade hard, because we've been working on this dance for a while now and I really want it to look good." Something came to my mind; it's a stretch, I know, but I thought about it all the same. When our parents correct us, in love, they expect us to change that which they've corrected. Whether it's to keep our room clean or to bring up our grades, they want us to fix the problem. They don't tell us to clean our room and as a punishment we can't go out that night because they don't want us to go out. They want us to learn to be organized and neat-most likely, unlike themselves. They don't want us to deal with the same mistakes they've made. We see the moment-"I'm so mad at Mom. She won't let me go out tonight just because my room wasn't clean."-where as they see the long term-"I don't want my kid to grow up as unorganized and messy as I am." Just as Mrs. Rose wants the dance to look it's best so she's going to push us hard to get there, our parents are going to work hard to make us be the best we can be. Okay, everyone knows this, right? Right. Moving on. The next parallel I saw was that of God's correction and love toward us. He corrects us for the same reason; because He loves us and wants us to be the greatest example of His glory that we can be. But, He also expects us to change when He corrects us. And if we don't, He will continue to show us that which needs to be changed. Perhaps things in our lives happen over and over again because God is trying to show us something that we aren't responding to. Perhaps He is trying to correct our behavior and we're choosing to deny it or ignore it, with the hopes that the correction will go away. It won't. God loves us so much that He will continue to discipline us until we change our behavior. So, just some food for thought: If you're dealing with something and it doesn't seem to be going away, try asking God what He's trying to tell you. Chances are, there's something He wants to say to you. ^_^

Well, thanks for reading my ramblings. I apologize. :shrug: I just had to say it somewhere; and what better place than here? Hope you all are having an awesome week full of blessings and surprises. :D

God bless,
lv