Well, it's time to update, imagine that! To start it off on a not-so-spiritually-impacting-note (Oh YEEAAAH! +10 pts for ridiculously long phrase), I was able to see the Summit and Double-K while riding to and from Yakima for my Veterans of Foreign Wars award banquet. I am pleased to report that the online cams are not lying, there is glorious snow! Snoqualmie definetely has more (the roads were closed in by huge walls of plowed snow), but Double-K has a solid layer! My parents and I even stopped to eat breakfast at the restaurant at the Summit. (Not to mention a brief trip to the outlets in North Bend...) Now I'm very excited that God has blessed us with snow once again and another SNOW RETREAT!
As for what God has been teaching me lately:
Quite often, actually. Whether it's brought on by a basketball loss or not winning the essay competition to go to my favorite place on this planet excepting Disney World, Washington D.C., sometimes I feel like I got the short end of the stick. "Why is it that everyone else gets their moment of happiness? Why can't I ever do anything right? If I had just done ___ instead of ___, we would've won!" These, and more questions have plagued my mind recently. But, eventually the light bulb turns on and I thank God for lighting my dark error. Feeling like a loser is one of the best things in the world because you finally realize that you ARE a loser... without Christ. Since when do things in this world matter? I would rather win a game against North Sound than trust that God's plan is better?! I would dare blame God for letting me down than praise Him for allowing me to get as far as I did?! Pathetic! This weekend was all about loving God more than anything! I lost the game... I lost the opportunity and competition... I lost my health (I got a loverly cold complete with many tissues and a sore throat that I am praying will be healed by snow retreat)... but I never lost my Lord and my God who will carry me through anything if I just surrender my life to Him! I'm sick for a reason! Guess how much more I'll have to rely on my Heavenly Father to get me through Finals now that I feel horrible! It's a beautiful thing, isn't it? Ironically, it truly is. When I feel the worst, I can put a huge smile on my face knowing that I am being tested by fire only to come out stronger in the end because Christ is in me. (I've loved reading Paul's epistles lately!) So, this week, I proudly embrace my loser-ness, from sports to school, from health to responsibilities... I am worth nothing on my own! I love God and know that I must give my 100% for His glory, instead of trying to get my own (which doesn't work out too well by the way). I can't wait to be in heaven with Him, but until then... Losers of the world unite in praising our Savior who is the sovereign Lord of all! For in Him alone have we won the greatest gift of all- eternity praising Him!
P.S. Just in case you're wondering, here is the essay I wrote for the competition this year. I was privileged enough to win 1st place in district:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
These words penned by Thomas Jefferson epitomize the ideals that inspired my ancestors from Europe to begin new lives in America. Thus, I was born an American citizen. Although I did not do anything to deserve my freedom, I have been blessed with it. So, how do I express this gift? I demonstrate my freedom by staying involved in my community and country and supporting those who fight for the rights of others.
For young adults especially, it is extremely important to stay involved in the community and country. My freedom allowed me to work for my local senator and see democracy in action. Volunteering at an aviation museum showed me the value of creativity and hard work. That same freedom also allows me to work for a fair wage and learn at a private school where I serve on the student council and participate in sports. As insignificant as these activities may seem, they are the essence of true freedom.
Now, as I look to an exciting future, I have the freedom to find a college and gain a degree in any major I desire. Then, I can find a job I look forward to doing or even begin raising a family who will have the same or better amazing opportunities. Clearly, making my own choices and working toward my goals is demonstrating the freedom I have as an American and as a fearfully and wonderfully made human being.
The other and most important way I demonstrate my freedom is through supporting those who fight to gain freedom for others. There are still many countries where men and women are forced to work in squalid conditions, live in abject poverty, or follow a specific religion with no regard for their own desires or choices. Imagine living in a third-world country where food, water, and health care —the most basic needs of life— are unsure. They have nothing but hope, and some have lost even that. Being blessed with freedom should make us understand how valuable it is and give us a desire to see it enjoyed by all, not just ourselves. Those who truly understand this are willing to fight for it.
Jeffery Starr, a loyal Marine, lived and died by his understanding of the value of freedom. I recently read his farewell letter in a story shared by my local newspaper. His passion reminded me to keep fighting to give others freedom:
“I don’t regret going, everybody dies but few get to do it for something as important as freedom… It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, but it’s not to me. I’m here helping these people so that they can live the way we live. Not have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. To do what they want with their lives. To me that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark.”
As Jeffery Starr proved, far more important than the actual demonstration of our freedom is what we choose to do with it. Sadly, some people demonstrate their freedom by choosing to do nothing. When tragedies happen from tsunamis to hurricanes, whether worldwide or local, they are content to ignore them. Some are so busy complaining against the government, they fail to recognize their brave troops or see the sufferings of people in other countries. Their lack of action is a disgrace to those who have fought for our freedom both past and present. I will not be one of those people. I will show the world what it means to have freedom and what it means to properly demonstrate it throughout my life. Whether by donating to relief funds, encouraging the fight for freedom, or speaking out on important issues, I will be involved in my community and country and thus leave a mark on my world.
The brilliant scientist, Albert Einstein, understood the rich value of liberty when he said, “Everything that is great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.” I will be the individual who gladly labors for the people of the world desiring the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
These words penned by Thomas Jefferson epitomize the ideals that inspired my ancestors from Europe to begin new lives in America. Thus, I was born an American citizen. Although I did not do anything to deserve my freedom, I have been blessed with it. So, how do I express this gift? I demonstrate my freedom by staying involved in my community and country and supporting those who fight for the rights of others.
For young adults especially, it is extremely important to stay involved in the community and country. My freedom allowed me to work for my local senator and see democracy in action. Volunteering at an aviation museum showed me the value of creativity and hard work. That same freedom also allows me to work for a fair wage and learn at a private school where I serve on the student council and participate in sports. As insignificant as these activities may seem, they are the essence of true freedom.
Now, as I look to an exciting future, I have the freedom to find a college and gain a degree in any major I desire. Then, I can find a job I look forward to doing or even begin raising a family who will have the same or better amazing opportunities. Clearly, making my own choices and working toward my goals is demonstrating the freedom I have as an American and as a fearfully and wonderfully made human being.
The other and most important way I demonstrate my freedom is through supporting those who fight to gain freedom for others. There are still many countries where men and women are forced to work in squalid conditions, live in abject poverty, or follow a specific religion with no regard for their own desires or choices. Imagine living in a third-world country where food, water, and health care —the most basic needs of life— are unsure. They have nothing but hope, and some have lost even that. Being blessed with freedom should make us understand how valuable it is and give us a desire to see it enjoyed by all, not just ourselves. Those who truly understand this are willing to fight for it.
Jeffery Starr, a loyal Marine, lived and died by his understanding of the value of freedom. I recently read his farewell letter in a story shared by my local newspaper. His passion reminded me to keep fighting to give others freedom:
“I don’t regret going, everybody dies but few get to do it for something as important as freedom… It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, but it’s not to me. I’m here helping these people so that they can live the way we live. Not have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. To do what they want with their lives. To me that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark.”
As Jeffery Starr proved, far more important than the actual demonstration of our freedom is what we choose to do with it. Sadly, some people demonstrate their freedom by choosing to do nothing. When tragedies happen from tsunamis to hurricanes, whether worldwide or local, they are content to ignore them. Some are so busy complaining against the government, they fail to recognize their brave troops or see the sufferings of people in other countries. Their lack of action is a disgrace to those who have fought for our freedom both past and present. I will not be one of those people. I will show the world what it means to have freedom and what it means to properly demonstrate it throughout my life. Whether by donating to relief funds, encouraging the fight for freedom, or speaking out on important issues, I will be involved in my community and country and thus leave a mark on my world.
The brilliant scientist, Albert Einstein, understood the rich value of liberty when he said, “Everything that is great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.” I will be the individual who gladly labors for the people of the world desiring the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
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