Love?

After many times hearing about "true love" and people asking if I believe in it, I decided that I would answer this. I do believe in TRUE LOVE, A Perfect Love. As the day approaches ever closer I have begun to think a little more about the answer I would Give someone and this is what I came up with.

After a couple of weeks of going to the church I currently attend( we were going over what Love is, as a single Person, a married couple or even loving one another) I have come to understand a couple of things.

1. That Love is about choosing to love someone not feeling like you loves someone. And once you decide you are going to love someone ( your spouse) that you are doing it before God and that you have chosen that you are going to commit to loving this one person With all your heart/soul/mind in sickness and in Health. One are basically becoming one being. that is what God intended us to have.

2. Loving Others and Loving a person that your going to spend the rest of your life with are two different things.

Matthew 22:37–39

Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' (NKJV)

Loving one another I believe is the willingness to serve one another with happy and loving hearts( which is easier said then done in most cases). But, when I find it hard to love or serve others I have learned that I need to pray and as God to show me how to.

And Finally I will close with why or how I believe in True Love.

I believe that a few thousand years ago a FATHER sent his ONLY son into the world to become SON of man, to live among us to SERVE us, to TEACH us, to show that HE loved all of us and that without Him no one could ever be perfect enough to enter the gates of heaven. HE lived he life on earth showing us how we should love one another and to serve one another. And what it takes for us to follow HIM and TRUST HIM at his WORD. HE then was Betrayed by a man that whom HE showed love and compassion for and was Arrested, BEATEN, WHIPPED, had a THORNED crown place on HIS head and was forced to carry a CROSS to where HE would be CRUCIFIED. While on the CROSS HE still Asked HIS FATHER to FORGIVE them. Then they spread HIS arms out and nailed HIS hands and feet to to the CROSS. While sitting there dying on this CROSS a thief who was strung up next to him asked HIM to forgive him for his sins and HE did. After dying on the Cross HE was buried and three days rose again DEFEATING DEATH and DEFEATING SIN. There is no truer or purer form of love out there.

John 3:16-17

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

overdue update

Wow...a lot has passed since the last time I posted. I believe I had said something about the additions to my family happening the next day and said that I would post some pictures of us and the adoptees and let you know how it all went.

We arrived at the courts house at the assigned time ( which I can't remember because it seems it has been years since that day), My grandparents, case worker, previous placement family and some other friends were there to celebrate the day with us. We took a couple pictures( which I shall share later in the post), parents signed papers and then we were done. We proceeded to go to the church where we were doing the adoption day celebration where other guests celebrated the time with us. It was great to have the process done, and be able to offically say that they were siblings to the rest of us kids, and sons and daughters to my parents.

below are some pics of adoption day and some others...

The back left to right: Dad, Mom, Judge

The middle group: Sophie, Johnathan, Ann

Left Front: Thomas

Back Left To right : Brandy, Ann, Grandma, Grandpa, Sarah

Front Let To Right: Thomas, Sophie, Johnathan

Johnathan

Back Left to Right: Me, Jason, Dad, Mom, Brandy, Ann, Grandma, Grandpa

Middle Left to right: Sarah, Johnathan, Thomas

Front Left: Sophie

My sisters: Ann, Sarah, and Sophie supporting my school with cheer outfits.

My Little Brothers: Johnathan, and Thomas Rep-ping my school with their new sweatshirts.

Jonathan Hard at work

Ann working on pumpkin carving while looking somewhat like see is planning something mischievous.

Thomas Getting his turn at doing hard work

Well that is all for now....hoping to have time to write some more about college life at some point during my break.

First Summer Post

I didn't realize how long it has been since my last post. hmm... well I think I will give you a small update of how life has been the last 3 1/2 months.

Life is sure not without its up and downs that is for sure....but I got through it. For the first time in the past few years, my parents are doing great, my brother and I are getting along and my dad and I talk more.

Oh yeah, My family is in the process of adopting 4 little ones into the family tomorrow or it is almost close enough that I could call it today :-) That will officially make the count of siblings to about 8. I officially get to add pictures after tomorrow:-) Their names are Johnathan(2), Thomas(3) , Ann(8) , and Sophie(5).

A few weeks ago I attended the FirstStep Program at Eastern Washington University!! it Was Awesome!! My dad and I traveled 51/2 hours to get there. Staff and students are extremely helpful and nice. SO many things to do there( Have to make sure to get the studies done first). U leave the first week of September and don't get my first break until Christmas. Still, have no clue who my roommate is and at this point don't know i I am going to have enough money to get all the supplies that I need. It will work out, always does.

Anyway, I think that is all for tonight, have to get up early to prepare for Court tomorrow and then party afterwords to celebrate the adoption.

life of march:-)

Wow!!! Talk about busyness not much time to take a breath ok maybe there was.

I got into Eastern Washington University!!! Came home from a youth conference and the acceptance letter was sitting on the table for me when I got back.

It was a very busy last few couple weeks with finals from 2nd tri and scholarships just around the corner. Thankfully I passed all of my classes. I even had a little time to go to some youth Conferences. Now if I could only come up with some money for camp. who knows I might.

Any the past week I have been rushing back and forth trying to get two of the scholarships that I was applying for in before it was to late. My question is why is there so many questions on the forms? I guessed it was because they were trying to find the people that needed it the most. anyway, graduation is just a couple of months away!! Yay!! I am so ready to be done... move on to the next chapter of my life.

I am going to miss my teachers ( some more than others) I have had teachers that have been great friends as well as mentors. Most of all there are a few friends that I am going to miss. I hope the summer break At Eastern is long...so I can take a few friends and go on a short road trip next summer.

This is some of the stuff that I have been going through the past few weeks, lots of stress, but a since of excitement as well. I hope to posting again soon .

Hope things are going good with you all as well.

Friends? What is a Friend?

Long time since my last post..... but this has been on my mind for the past few days.

Friends?

I grew up with people who I thought were my Friends, but when I moved they have stopped talking to me and aren't who I thought they were or what I think friends should be like. Of course when you move to a new town it is hard to make new friends, I made a few friends but not any close ones. I have found over the years it is hard to trust people, or even to get close.

What is a Friend?

To me a "Friend" is someone that would be willing to take his/her time to be there for you if needed, someone to talk to, someone to get in trouble with( or get out of trouble with), someone that will talk to you through text or on the phone no matter the time of night, or even someone that also talks to you in person.

How am I a Friend?

If I had a car(currently it is broken down), I would drop everything if I could if a Friend needed something, I would talk late into the night if needed, I would hang out with them, I would try to give advice. I would mainly be there for them in their time of need. I would most of all pray for them as well( still do even if not friends).

Anyway these are some of my thoughts of a friend, What do some of you think a friend is or should be?

New Year’s resolutions

I was sitting around trying to figure out what I was going to do or a new year’s resolution, and could not decide on just one, so I chose more than one:

1. To read the bible everyday and make it through the whole bible by the end of 2011.

2. To pray every day.

3. To choose a diet and stay on it.(Including a exercise program)

4. To lose my addictions that effects my beliefs.( including some swear words that I unfortunately use from time to time).

5. To ask someone to prom (highly unlikely).

6. To loosen up, and have fun! (might need a little help with that) (As long as it is legal).

Thanksgiving and the weekend

Well this weekend was fun to say the least...

Thursday we spent most of the day making food, doing what seemed to be thousands of dishes. After what seemed to be forever we finally all sat down at the table together( all 11 of us), and that was just my everyone that lived or has lived with us. We had all kinds of tasty food, the best I have to say is the apple pie that my mom made from her grandmothers recipe.

After eating to our hearts content, we napped, watched the television, played games, until that is my mom decided that we were going to go black Friday shopping at midnight on Thursday. We spent all night in Vancouver and the Portland area, Fighting off the massive crowds of people at walmart avoiding getting hurt all over Wii's. We then headed home at about 9:30am, got halfway out of Vancouver and hit an ice storm(sort of) anyway we ended having to get towed the rest of the way.

But in the end we all got home save, got to sleep for the rest of the day. on the plus side I got to buy the rest of a really good series from a guy name Louie Giglio called The Passion Talk Series.... I would highly recommend it it is an awesome series.

Anyway things that I am thankful for:

God and Jesus

The bible

parents

multitude of siblings

A house

Friends

an awesome church body

a job

Freedom to practice my believes and the freedom to worship Jesus

Books

and

Music

There are many more things that I am thankful for, but I am afraid it could take me hours to post it.

Hope everyone had a good thanksgiving, I hope everyone has a save trip home and a good next few weeks, hope to get on and right another post either tomorrow or sometime this week.

Thats all for now. :-)