Moving On

Browsing through some of my old posts I can't help but smile. In so many ways I'm different from that moment years ago when I wrote my first blog post here. Yet, I am the same too. I have grown up...somewhat. Still, I have a lifetime of growing and maturing to do. Even though I've decided to move on I can't bring myself to delete the things I've posted here. So this blog will stay for now, as an archive of my past. If you guys are still interested in keeping up with my life click here! :) Thank you for loving on me.

Photography Looove

I really haven't posted in FOREVER. How sad. I'd really love to get some neat posts together, to have a life update, and some more "thought" based posts... but time is of the essence in my home at the moment. So, let me leave you with a long overdue I Heart Faces post!

Don't forget to check out the website! www.iheartface.com

View On Black

Tumblr

I'm leaving you dear friend... not for forever... but for now.

http://twinforgod.tumblr.com/

I'm not fifteen anymore Taylor Swift...

I'm sixteen now.

You'd think sixteen would be a big deal, wouldn't ya? Well, maybe it's just me, but when I was little sixteen was HUGE. Oh my goodness, sixteen was a serious big girl. Like, you were an ADULT, you knew it all, life had nothin' on you at sixteen.

Yeah right. I only wish life was as easy at sixteen as it was at six. (Childlike faith, Bryce. Childlike faith. Keep saying it like a mantra.) Honestly, I feel like I'm six. But not in the innocent maturity, childlike faith kinda way. More like in the stupid whinny little kindergartner who didn't get their favorite color construction paper and is going to throw a huge tantrum because they don't understand the real issues in todays world kinda way.

Yep, that's me. My favorite color is blue, and life is giving me green [eggs and ham]...

????????????

Never mind, I think you catch my drift.

I know life is hard for just about everyone in the world right now (and for most way harder than it is for me). Just let me get that out there. I don't expect you all to brush aside your schedules, and your busy lives to come coddle me (sure, who wouldn't love that if they were being honest with themselves, but that is not what I want from you AT ALL). All I want if for you to take 5 minutes. Scan what I've written. These are my thoughts, this is some of what I'm struggling with in my life right now. Or if you don't want to do that just say a quick 5 second prayer. Ask the Lord to help me understand what He wants from me in my life. Ask the Lord to help YOU understand what He wants from you. Or ask Him to help that person halfway around the globe who is crying out everyday, right now. You decide. Just don't sit and do nothing. You've read this far already. Consider this a challenge that you CAN complete without even getting up out of your chair.

Now back to those thoughts I mentioned.

About a week ago I had what could truly be called an encounter with God. I've never felt that close to Him in my life. Which is actually pretty sad to say. I feel like I've been in a dry place for much to long. And that I'm still here. And that I don't know how to get out. Last week when I felt Gods presence in a way I never have, surrounded by people I never want to forget on this earth, I was still confused... I still felt like I was stuck in the dry place, but I came closer than I have in a long long time to breaking free... and I was really convicted of the fact that I have not been living the kind of life I should be living. I realized HE wants something more from me than I've been giving Him. That was a really hard truth to grasp, and an even harder truth to do something about. Especially here, here in the desert. Please pray for me.

Have you ever heard this song?-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mqYL1Bf8cs

Go listen to it right not whether you have or not.

I've spent ten years trying to sing these doubts away
But the water keeps on falling from my eyes

This is what I feel like. What I don't understand is... how can the water keep falling so hard and so long when I'm stuck here, in a place so so dry?

I'm not sure why it always goes downhill
Why broken cisterns never could stay filled
I've spent ten years singing gravity away
But the water keeps on falling from the sky

And here tonight while the stars are blacking out
With every hope and dream I've ever had in doubt
I've spent ten years trying to sing these doubts away
But the water keeps on falling from my eyes

And heaven knows, heaven knows
I tried to find a cure for the pain
Oh my Lord, to suffer like You do
It would be a lie to run away

So blood is fire pulsing through our veins
We're either riders or fools behind the reigns
I've spent ten years trying to sing it all away
But the water keeps on falling from my tries

And heaven knows, heaven knows
I tried to find a cure for the pain
Oh my Lord, to suffer like You do
It would be a lie to run away
A lie to run, it would be a lie
It would be a lie to run away

It keeps on falling (x4)
Water keeps on falling from my eyes

And heaven knows, heaven knows
I tried to find a cure for the pain
Oh my Lord, to suffer like You do
It would be a lie to run away
It would be a lie to run away
It would be a lie to run away

If only it were easier to remember the harder truths found in these words. If only. If only. Where do I go from here?

I have so many thoughts tumbling through my head. I feel like even trying to write some of them down is going to be like hopping and skipping all over the place. Welcome to my mind.

Have any of you ever read The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis? I hadn't until very recently... WOW. So much to think about. Let me start by saying I loved it. A whole lot. I'm going to be reading it again, slower, over the next couple weeks. Extremely powerful book that is worth a little more time on my part.

Just reading it through once made me think, it brought to mind so many things.

One of the scenes in the book reminded me of a conversation I happened to be part of recently, all about love and our struggles with it. I don't understand love. That bothers me. What I do know of love is that most people love out of the selfish desire to be loved back... or because they need the person whom they are loving. Not for the persons sake. Not for the sake of love itself. Not for Gods sake. For theirs. I know I do a lot of the time. Not only do I not understand love... but I put into practice that which I do not understand, therefore practicing it wrongly. I wrote a speech recently on the importance of love and how it could revive society if we put it into practice... but I think that first we must understand before we can begin to practice. I don't know... I'm honestly struggling with this. Can we ever understand in this life?

I feel like I'm surrounded by apathy... I feel like I'm part of the apathy sometimes. I feel like there is a fog pulled over my eyes. How can I awaken those around me when I feel half asleep myself? Sometimes I don't understand... most of the time I don't understand.

There is so much I want to do. Revive my community. Reach out to the hurting. I want to act on the passions that are closest to my heart. Mainly the pro-life movement. I want to work for LIFE and against the death that abortion brings to the innocents. But I don't know where to begin. And I don't understand, how can I begin to save lives when I feel dead?

I'm not trying to be depressing. I'm not trying to be melodramatic. I know we all have down days. I know we shouldn't let our emotions control what we do. But aren't we suppose to be joyful sometimes? Aren't we suppose to know what God wants for us... at least some of the time? Shouldn't we understand, at least a little?



(Just my thoughts here people. I would feel weird posting them on this blog... but I post so rarely I know people rarely read this. If you do happen by, prayers would be highly appreciated.)

Photography

Photography is a real love of mine, as most of you know. I aspire to be a photographer (and an author, but that's another post).

Lately I've been really pursuing this "hobby". Taking tons of pictures, reading lots of books, and getting the chance to follow a wonderful photography around to a few of her sessions!

Yep, that's right. A fabulous professional photographer let little ol' me follow her around when she was here last week doing some shooting (and she even took the time to teach me a few things as we went along). I had a blast! And discovered first hand how amazing she is (check her out! http://www.lovinglegacyphotography.com/).

Anyway, I just wanted to share with you a few of my "photography sites". And let you in on the fact that I'm (hopefully) getting a nice camera (at the moment all I have is a little point-and-shoot) SOON!

Check out some of my photos--
http://www.atwinforgod.wordpress.com/
www.flickr.com/photos/atwinforgod/

Please Sponser Me!

Hey guys! I'm raising money for LIFE CHOICE CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTER INC by participating in their Walk for Life October 17th here in my area- I would just like to ask you to please make a donation by visiting my Firstgiving page: http://www.firstgiving.com/brycemclemore

Anyone who know's me knows how important the fight against abortion is to me. The Pregnancy Resource Center is really trying to make a difference. But they need our help!

You can donate online with a credit card. All donations are secure and sent directly to LIFE CHOICE CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTER INC by Firstgiving, who will email you a printable record of your donation. Whether you give $5 or $50 or more-- it doesn't matter. Every dollar makes a difference!

Please send my page on to anyone who might like to donate!

MyLifeIsAverage

Last night I discovered mylifeisaverage.com. I stayed up until midnight laughing hysterically over the posts, and the fact that just about every single one of them has happened to me or is extremely close to something that has. MYLIFEISAVERAGE

Today, I realized the word bed actually looks like a bed. MLIA

Today I installed a program and it asked if I had read and agreed to the terms and conditions. I hadn't, but I clicked 'yes' anyway. The program didn't know I lied, and began to install. MLIA.

A fortnight ago I finally solved my rubiks cube. I waited two weeks to post this so that I could use the word fortnight. MLIA

Last night, I was really hot in bed, so I took one leg out of the covers. Then I got scared because it was too dark and my leg felt unprotected from somthing hiding under my bed. So I put it back under the blankets. MLIA

Today I though of the perfect comeback for an argument I had three days ago. MLIA

Today, I found myself looking at 90 photos on facebook of a person I had no clue who it was just because my friend was tagged in one of them. MLIA

Today I won a million dollars, but I closed out of the pop-up anyway. MLIA

Today, I put my iPod on shuffle. I skipped most of the songs to get to the ones I like. MLIA

Today, my mom told me to clean my room because the cleaning lady is coming tomorrow. I'm still confused. MLIA

Today I didn't know what to do on the computer, so I started to click and drag the mouse across the screen to make hilighted rectangles. It was amusing. MLIA

Today, I wanted to comment on a friend's status, but it was only a few seconds old and I didn't want to seem like a stalker. I waited a few minutes and then commented. MLIA

Today, I filled a Windex bottle with blue Gatorade. I then sprayed it into my mouth infront of my mother. She began to panic and scream and get hysterical. I thought it was funny. She didn't. MLIA

Today, as I was waiting on line at a store, I noticed the cashier had a British accent. When it was my turn, I faked a British accent in conversation. He asked me where I was from, so I admitted that I was faking. His British accent disappeared as he said, "Me too." MLIA.

Today, I went fishing with my dad and brother. When we got back, my mom asked "How many did you catch? One fish?" Then my dad said, "Two fish!" Then I said, "Red fish!" Then my brother said, "Blue fish!" Then we all high-fived. It was a nice family bonding moment. MLIA

Today I saw a crunchy looking leaf in the street. I went substantially out of my way in order to step on it. MLIA.

Today, I couldn't hear what someone had said, so I asked them to repeat themselves. They did, and I still couldn't understand them. I just nodded and agreed. MLIA.

Today I saw a man being chased down the street by a cop. He was yelling " you can't catch me I'm the Ginger bread man." I laughed so hard I cried. MLIA.

Today I was eating a cupcake when the phone rang. I panicked and stuffed the entire cupcake into my mouth. I still don't know why I did that. MLIA

Today, Microsoft Word decided to shut down without explanation. I chose not to send an error report to Microsoft. MLIA

This morning I woke up from a good dream. I tried to force myself back to sleep so I could continue the dream. I failed. MLIA.

Today, my little brother threatened me by saying that he would tell people I wear underwear. I am really confused as to how that's an actual threat. MLIA

Today, I realized that the word OK is a sideways person. I totally forgot about what I was doing and proceeded to make a whole family of OK people on a word document by using different colors and font sizes. MLIA

Today, a friend and I had a discussion about dinosaurs and came to the conclusion that t-rexs were only angry and aggressive because their arms were too short to hug one another. MLIA.

Today, an annoying Facebook friend was counting down the number of friends he had left to get to 1,000. When he finally reached 1,000, he made a big post to celebrate. I removed him as a friend. I win. MLIA

Today, I got a text while I was almost asleep. I pretended to ignore it, but I couldn't sleep until I had looked to see what it said. MLIA.

Today, I was at Blockbuster. Someone had put Hannah Montana: The Movie in the horror movie section. It made my day. MLIA

Today I went in my backyard to do something. On the way back inside I noticed a wasp in my path. I ran past it, closed the door, and locked it. I still don't know why I locked the door. MLIA

Today, I was clicking a retractable pen. My friend asked me to stop, but then I just had to click it one more time so that it would go in. For closure. MLIA.

Today, I ate lunch at a restaurant. The waitress told me not to touch my plate because it was hot. When she left I touched my plate. It was hot. MLIA

Today, as I was going to bed, I noticed my teddy bear was completely covered by the blanket. I moved it down a little so he could breathe. MLIA.

Today I made myself a bowl of popcorn. After spending 10 minutes eating all the non-buttery pieces and saving up the buttered ones, my dad came over and grabbed a handful. I haven’t spoken to him since. MLIA

Today, I was listening to music on my computer and thought I smelled my mom cooking brownies. I wasn't sure, so I turned the volume down. I still don't know why I did that. MLIA.

Today, I was in the shower. I knocked over my conditioner, and, causing a domino effect, my bodywash and shampoo toppled over. I caught one thing in each hand, and the other bottle I kicked with my foot and then caught. I looked around with pride to see if anyone had seen my ninja-like skillage, but then I realized I was in the shower. Alone. MLIA

www.mylifeisaverage.com

Spinning, Spinning, Spinning...

"No wonder I'm dizzy, the world keeps spinning in circles."

I don't know about you, but at this moment in my life this quote feels very real to me. Really, one could spin (no pun intended) this quote in many ways. My life feels crazy right now, or more profoundly: this world is crazy right now. Sad, but oh so very true.

To go the first route, my life does feel insane at the moment. I'm a Sophomore in high school this year. My workload is insane, I have more "extra" activities than I think I was prepared for. Sometimes I wonder if I'll get by. I'm already starting to feel overwhelmed and I really don't want to get behind.

But all that seems so inconsequential when you think about route number two.

Our world is crazy at the moment. This country, or the world in general. It truly saddens me when I take a moment to analyze the variety of information thrown in our faces twenty-four seven. The state of this world is depressing. Just last night I was out to eat with my family and the Mexican place we went to had a news segment on homosexual people playing, and it showed just a little bit to much footage on the subject if you get what I mean.

This month the Planned Parenthood clinic here in my town is going to start servicing abortions for the first time in over 20 years.

Only few hours drive away from me is the largest city in America for human trafficking. And that's scary, because I could give you the names of and estimated numbers for cities all across America and you'd be scared to let your children out of your sight ever again.

All of the world people are dying. Be it here in in America (through abortion, or a living death of slavery), or be it in the Sudan, or hundreds of places. The very thought sickens me.

And then you get to the decline of normally excepted morality.

You don't know how many books, marketed toward children or teens, I've seen lately talking about the social issues of being lesbian as a child or teenager. About how hard it is to be lesbian, but how it's all okay because it's good to be different.

There's rampant teenage (or sadly even younger than that) sexual activity that results in unwanted pregnancies.

There is the more and more widely excepted view that "there are no absolutes".

Or you could get into the political world and start talking about health care or the national debt.

And so much more...

Seriously, how could you not take this quote to heart. I'm only fifteen and I know I feel it.

"No wonder I'm dizzy, the world keeps spinning in circles."

New Blog Design

Well, I'm sure all of you guys noticed the new design. Any thoughts? Please share! I'm pretty terrible when it comes to graphic design, etc. Sooo, I would love to know everyone's thoughts on how it turned out. Right now I'm also working on changing all of the side photos of the family, hopefully that (and possibly descriptions of them all) will be done sooner verses later. We'll have to see... I'm super busy with life in general lately. But I'm working on some up coming blog posts now! So, prepare to be amazed! (Or slightly disappointed, your pick.)

Family

[for all the inquisitive ones out there... yes we were on a slanted piece of ground when this shot was taken]



I love my family a lot. They are the absolute best thing since... sliced bread.

Unless of course that's toooo cliche (not to mention all together strange) for you. If so we can just go with WINNERS.

Because that's what we are.

WINNERS.

This summer we went on a [epic] trip to the North Carolina Smokies. I took a million and two pictures, which shouldn't surprise anyone. We had the most amazing time, hiking trails, makin' smores, going tubing, white water rafting, horseback riding, and just leaning back in old fashioned rockers on our porch enjoying the beauty of God's creation.









Oh yeah, did I mention we had the cutest little cabin ever... 'cause we did.

We also had the cutest little wooded backyard.

Win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win...

Spending a whole day out on the water was one of the trip's highlights. I'm a Floridian. I LOVE WATER. A gorgeous lake (one of the biggest stinkin' lakes I've ever been on... if it even was a lake) nestled in the middle of the Smokies (we were surrounded by mountains)... it was breathtaking and oooh so fun!

Isn't God's creation glorious???

And on the way home we even got to visit some humongous Indian Mounds... it was a long climb to the top but taking a picture of the stairs from the top made it all worth it.

Just in case you were wondering... yes, I do love my life.

Looong Overdue, I Know, I Know...

Sorry for taking soooo long to post again! I really have no excuse... unless you count the fact that I've been out of town AGAIN. Goodness, I can't wait to get home and spend the rest of my summer chilling by the beach. It was awesome though! We took a trip to the NC Smoky Mountains. If you're super nice (I might) have a few pictures to share with you... as it is it's time for me to get on the road home, so I'll have to leave you with this long overdue set of snapshots. And away I go...

She's pretty much GORGEOUS.

Falcon girl, Falcon girl

This car is pretty much amazing.

Yep, that's MY sister.

Lyndsey and the puppy of EVILNESS. Kidding, he's a cute puppy when he wants to be.

Falcon

Our trip to NC has been pretty great so far. Being reunited with my fabulous sister was awesome! I've also had a chance to re-experience those lawnmower races a told you guys about last October. Along with a few other things. Pictures (and possibly videos) to come...





Oh, yes. My grandpa has an amazing car! Ahh, I want it (though my dream is to own an old Chevy, any antique car will do). More pictures coming soon...

Summer's Here!

My family and I are leaving tomorrow for North Carolina. We're going to be doing quite a bit of traveling this summer. My favoritest little sister has been out of town for a couple of weeks now, visiting family. I can't wait to see her again! After picking Lyndsey up in NC we're heading to South Carolina to visit friends and to attend a speech and debate tournament. Then it's off to Alabama to visit more family before heading home for a short while. We'll only be home for about two weeks before heading back up to NC for a trip to the mountains.


I know it's been forever since I've actively posted on this blog. I really want to do better! For years I've loved having this blog, it's been a great tool. I love keeping up with people this way, and I love giving others a chance to do the same. Over the next few months (and even while we're out of town) I'm going to make a point to post updates on our summer. Pictures, and possibly even videos (or a vlog, though I've never tried that before). Basically I just want to slowly enter back into the blog world. Maybe not as actively as I've been in the past, but more so than I have been over the past months.


Even though I'm not doing ANY blog carnivals or such jazz, I'm not opposed to a little accountability. I've been making a point to start working out. Because, even though I'm not fat by any stretch of the imagination I'm not in shape (and as a child I was actually a bit of a pudge). My whole life (yep, all fifteen and 1/2 years of it) I haven't been particularly in to sports and such. As a family we've always been health nuts (or at least for as long as I can remember), eating organic foods, grinding our own wheat for bread, knowing all kinds of natural things pertaining to food and otherwise, so healthy eating really isn't my problem. But I've never really loved any kind of physical activity (sure, I liked playing all kinds of games and sports with friends and siblings, but I never really loved playing anything "seriously"). So, long story short, I've been trying to do better. I've found that I have more of an interest in sports than I thought I did. Volleyball is something I really want to learn to play, and I'm going to join a team at the beginning of the school year. For now I've started working out (as I said before). I've been a real regular on the elliptical and treadmill, and hopefully even after we head out of town that wont stop. I've also been on a "diet" of sorts. No dairy, grain, or sugar products, etc. I'm going to keep that up until the end of the month when I do a "master cleanse". This is a cleanse my mom did a couple summers ago. Lately I've been having a few medical issues (nothing serious, just hormonal things) and we're hoping this (the cleanse) will help me out (and I'm hoping I'll lose some weight by doing this whole thing). There you have it. Encouragement to keep at this would be wonderful.


Haven't you guys missed the way I just ramble on and on and on?


Anyway, I've got to go finish packing. We're heading out bright and early tomorrow morning, about 4:30am I think. Oh, mother, why must you torture us so...

New York Debut by Melody Carlson

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!



You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Melody Carlson

and the book:

New York Debut (Carter House Girls)

Zondervan (May 1, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Over the years, Melody Carlson has worn many hats, from pre-school teacher to youth counselor to political activist to senior editor. But most of all, she loves to write! Currently she freelances from her home. In the past ten years, she has published more than a hundred books for children, teens, and adults, with sales totaling more than 2.5 million and many titles appearing on the ECPA Bestsellers List.



Several of her books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards including The Gold Medallion, The Christy, and The Rita Award. And most recently she is in the process of optioning some of her books for film rights.

She has two grown sons and lives in Central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. They enjoy skiing, hiking, gardening, camping and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.





Visit the author's website.



Product Details:



List Price: $9.99

Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Zondervan (May 1, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0310714931

ISBN-13: 978-0310714934



AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

“Where is Taylor?” asked Grandmother as she drove DJ home from the airport.

”Is she coming on a later flight?”



DJ hadn’t told her the whole story yet. In fact, she hadn’t said much of anything to Grandmother at all during the past week, except to leave a message saying that she’d changed her flight and planned to be home two days earlier than expected. Obviously, Grandmother had assumed that Taylor had changed her plans as well.



“Taylor’s in LA,” DJ said slowly, wishing she could add something to that, something to deflect further questioning.



“Visiting her father?”



“No…”



“Touring with Eva?”



“No…”

“What then?” Grandmother’s voice was getting irritated as she drove away from the terminal. “Where is the girl, Desiree? Speak up.”



“She’s in rehab.”



“Rehab?” Grandmother turned to stare at DJ with widened eyes. “Whatever for?”



“For alcohol treatment.”



Grandmother seemed stunned into speechlessness, which was a relief since DJ didn’t really want to discuss this. She was still trying to grasp the whole strange phenomenon. It was hard to admit, but the past few days of being mostly by herself in Las Vegas had been lonely and depressing and one of the reasons she’d been desperate to change her flight and come home early. She had really missed Taylor. The hardest part was when she discovered that Taylor wasn’t allowed any communication from outside the rehab facility. This concerned DJ. No cell phone calls, email, or anything. It seemed weird. Although DJ was praying for her roommate, she was worried. What if it wasn’t a reputable place? What if Taylor never came back? What if something bad happened to her? Not only would DJ blame herself, she figured everyone else would too.



Finally Grandmother spoke. “Did you girls get into some kind of trouble in Las Vegas, Desiree?”



“No…”



“I want you to be honest with me. Did something happen to precipitate this?”



“The only thing that happened is that Taylor came to grips with the fact that she has a serious drinking problem. If you’ll remember, I tried to let you in on this some time ago.”



“Yes, I remember the vodka bottle. I simply assumed it was a one-time occurrence.”



“I told you otherwise.”



“Well, I know that girls will be girls, Desiree. You can’t have spent as much time as I in the fashion industry and not know this.”



“Were you ever like that?” asked DJ. “I mean that girls will be girls bit?”



Grandmother cleared her throat. “I wasn’t an angel, Desiree, if that’s what you’re hinting at. However, I did understand the need for manners and decorum. I witnessed numerous young women spinning out of control. Beautiful or not, a model won’t last long if she is unable to work.”



“Isn’t that true with everything?”



“Yes…I suppose. How long is Taylor going to be in…this rehabilitation place?”



“I don’t know. You should probably call her mom.”



“Oh, dear…that’s something else I hadn’t considered. Certainly Eva Perez won’t be blaming me for her daughter’s, well, her drinking problem.”

“Eva is fully aware that Taylor had this drinking problem long before she came to Carter House.”



“Good.” Grandmother sighed and shook her head. “I just hope her treatment won’t prevent her from participating in Fashion Week. That would be a disaster.”



“Seems like it would be a worse disaster if Taylor didn’t get the help she needs.”



“Yes, of course, that goes without saying. But I would think that a week or two should be sufficient. Goodness, just how bad can a problem get when you’re only seventeen?”



DJ shrugged, but didn’t say anything. The truth was she thought it could get pretty bad, and in Taylor’s case it was bad. And it could’ve gotten worse. To think that Taylor had been drinking daily and DJ never even knew it.



“It’s just as well you came home early, Desiree,” said Grandmother as she turned onto the parkway. “Already Casey and Rhiannon are back. And Kriti is supposed to return tomorrow. Eliza will be back on New Year’s Eve.”



“I’m surprised she didn’t want to stay in France for New Year’s.”



“As am I. If I were over there, I’d certainly have booked a room in Paris. Nothing is more spectacular than fireworks over the City of Light. But apparently Eliza has plans with her boyfriend. Imagine—giving up Paris for your boyfriend!”



Of course, DJ knew that Eliza’s life of lavish luxury didn’t mean all that much to her. Like a poor little rich girl, Eliza wanted a slice of “normal.” Well, normal with a few little extras like good shoes, designer bags, and her pretty white Porsche.



“It’s good to be home,” DJ proclaimed as her grandmother turned into the driveway.



“It’s good to hear you say that,” said Grandmother.



And it was the truth. After a week in Vegas, DJ was extremely thankful to be back. Maybe for the first time, Carter House did feel like a home. She couldn’t wait to see Casey and Rhiannon.



“Welcome back,” called Casey as she opened the door, dashed out onto the porch, and hugged DJ. “Need some help with those bags?”



“Thanks.” DJ studied Casey for a moment, trying to figure out what had changed. “Your hair!”



Casey picked up one of DJ’s bags then grinned as she gave her strawberry blond hair a shake. “Like it?”



“It’s the old you—only better.”



“My mom talked me into it. The black was a little dramatic, don’t you think?”



“I think you look fantastic. And that choppy layered cut is very cute.”



“Your grandmother approved it too. And I got highlights.”



DJ touched her own hair. “Taylor had been nagging me to get mine redone. But it was so expensive in Vegas. I figured I’d do it here.”



Casey lowered her voice. “So how’d your grandmother take the news about Taylor?”



DJ stopped at the foot of the stairs and stared at Casey. “Did Rhiannon tell you everything?”

“Yeah, is it supposed to be a big secret?” Casey made a hurt face now. “I was wondering why you told Rhiannon and not me. I thought we were friends, DJ.”



“I didn’t mean to, but I sort of spilled the beans with Rhiannon because I was so desperate and didn’t know what to do at the time. But then I felt bad. I mean it was possible that Taylor wanted to keep it private, you know?”



Casey nodded somberly. “Yeah, I guess I do know.”



“You should.” After all, it had only been a few months since they had intervened with Casey in regard to her pain pill snitching.



“So, are you saying mum’s the word?”



“Until Taylor comes back. Don’t you think it’s up to her to say something or not?”



“Yeah. I can just imagine Eliza with that tasty little morsel of gossip. It’d be all over the school in no time.”



“Speaking of Eliza, that means Kriti too.”



“Kriti just got here about an hour ago.” Casey paused, nodding toward the room that Kriti and Eliza shared. The taxi dropped her and she went straight to her room. But something seems wrong.”



“What do you mean?”



“I’m not sure. She just looks different. Kind of unhappy. I mean she didn’t even say hello or anything.”



“Maybe she was missing her family.”



“Maybe, but my guess is it’s something more.”



“We should probably try harder to reach out to her and make her feel at home.”



“You’re here!” Rhiannon burst out of the room and threw her arms around DJ. “Welcome home!”



“Man, it is so good to be back. Vegas—for more than a day or two—is a nightmare.”



“At least you got a tan,” observed Rhiannon. She glanced at Casey. “Both of you, in fact.”



“It’s that California sun.”



“Don’t make me envious,” said Rhiannon.



“Hey, look at you,” said DJ as she noticed that Rhiannon had on a very cool outfit. “Is that new?”



“Old and new. My great aunt gave me some of her old clothes and I’ve been altering them.” She held out her hands and turned around to make the long circular skirt spin out. “Fun, huh?”



“And cool,” said DJ.



“She’s got all kinds of stuff,” said Casey. “Hats and costume jewelry and scarves and things. I told her she should open a retro shop and get rich.”



“Maybe I will someday.”



“Or just sell things here in Carter House,” suggested DJ. “Between Eliza and Taylor’s clothing budget, you could clean up.”



“Oh, yeah, DJ, Conner just called,” said Rhiannon. “They just got back from their ski trip and he said he tried your cell a few times, but it seemed to be turned off.”



“More like dead. My flight was so early this morning, I forgot to charge it.”



“Well, I told him you’d call.”



Casey set DJ’s bag inside her door. “Speaking of boys, I think I’ll check and see how Garrison is doing—find out if he missed me or not.” She touched her hair. “Do you think he’ll like it?”



“How could he not,” said Rhiannon. “It’s so cool.”



“Later,” called Casey as she headed for her room.



“So, how’s Taylor?” asked Rhiannon quietly.



“You didn’t tell Kriti, did you?” whispered DJ, pulling Rhiannon into her room then closing the door.



“No, why would I?”



“I just wanted to be sure. I think we need to respect Taylor’s privacy with this.”



“Absolutely. So, have you talked to her?”



“They won’t let me. They have this no communication policy. No email, cell phones…nothing. It’s like a black hole. Weird.”



Rhiannon nodded. “Yeah, it was like that with my mom at first. I think they wanted to keep her cut off from any bad connections. Then after a while, you earn communication privileges.”



“Oh, that’s a relief. I was really worried.”



“I still can hardly believe Taylor went willingly.”



“Yeah, our strong-willed wild child…putting herself into rehab.” DJ shook her head.



“That remind me, Seth has called a few times too. He wanted to know why Taylor’s cell was off and where she was.”



“What’d you say?”



“That I didn’t know.” She shrugged. “Actually, that was the truth.”



“But nothing else?”

“No.”



“Good. I mean it’s not like we need to keep it top secret, but until we hear from Taylor, let’s not talk about it.”



“Sure.” Rhiannon put a hand on DJ’s shoulder. “And don’t worry about her, DJ. She’ll be fine.”

“I know.” DJ nodded as she put her bags on her bed and started to unzip them. But as soon as Rhiannon left, DJ wasn’t so sure. What if Taylor wasn’t fine? What if something had gone wrong? And what if it was all DJ’s fault?

10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe by Larry Osborne

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!



You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Larry Osborne

and the book:

10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe

Multnomah Books (April 14, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Larry Osborne is senior pastor of the multi-campus, 7,000-member North Coast Church in Vista, California, recognized as one of the ten most influential churches in America. A pioneer in the sermon-based small group movement, Larry also founded the North Coast Training Network and is a highly sought-after consultant for business and ministry leaders worldwide. A frequent contributor to Leadership Journal, Larry’s books on genuine spirituality and leadership are designed to reach a wide audience. He lives in Vista with his wife and family.



Visit the author's website.



Product Details:



List Price: $13.99

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Multnomah Books (April 14, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1601421508

ISBN-13: 978-1601421500



AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

FA I T H



CAN FIX



ANYTHING





I’ll never forget the day my wife and I stopped by the local hospital for what we knew would be our last visit with her friend Susan.



For three years, Susan had put up a valiant fight against a disease that was now in its last stages. Her labored breathing, gaunt figure, and deep-set eyes made it painfully obvious that she would not be around much longer.



As we sat by her bed, wondering what to say and how to pray, I was stumped. (I’m a pastor and I’m supposed to know what to say in these situations.) But before I could say anything profound—or even trite—our awkward silence was broken by the entrance of Susan’s husband, John, into the room.



We exchanged hugs and a quick greeting. Then John began to talk. He spoke of the plans he and Susan had for the future. Not in a regretful reflection of what could have been, but with a powerful conviction of what was yet to be.



It was weird.



Susan lay there barely cognizant, struggling for each breath, seemingly hours from death. Yet her husband stood inches away talking about future vacations, a kitchen remodel, and their retirement years as if the four of us were hanging out at a backyard barbeque.



While John and Susan had often spoken of their confidence in God’s ability to heal, this was different. He wasn’t talking about an assurance that she could be healed. He was describing his absolute certainty that she would be healed. He didn’t have an ounce of doubt. It was already a done deal.



Then he told us what had happened. That morning, while in prayer for Susan’s healing, he’d been overcome with a powerful sense of God’s presence and a deep conviction that God had answered his prayer. As he continued to pray, biblical passages proclaiming God’s protection and care flooded his mind. He felt as if God had physically reached down and touched him, whispering in his ear, “I’ve heard you. She’ll be okay.”



Brimming with confidence, he figured he’d arrived at the epitome of faith because he had absolute assurance of what he hoped for and complete certainty of what he had not yet seen.1He was as giddy as a prospector who’d just tapped into the mother lode.



I didn’t know what to say. Could it be that God was up to something big? Were we about to witness a miracle? Was John’s faith going to pull her back from the jaws of death?



I wasn’t so sure.



He was absolutely certain.



That night she breathed her last breath.



John was devastated. For years after Susan’s death, he limped along spiritually, disillusioned with God, prayer, and the impotence of faith.



But his spiritual meltdown had nothing to do with God letting him down. It had nothing to do with the promises of the Bible being hollow. It was the predictable result of having placed his trust in the fool’s gold of faith’s best known and most widely believed spiritual urban legend: the myth that if we have enough faith, we can do or fix anything.



Unfortunately, John’s concept of faith (what it was and how it worked) didn’t come from the Word of God; it came from the word on the street. He had banked on a set of assumptions and beliefs that simply weren’t true. And they had let him down.





The Word on the Street





The word on the street is that faith is a potent mixture of intellectual and emotional self-control that when properly harnessed can literally change outcomes through positive thinking and clear visualization.



It’s what successful people tout as the key to their achievements, survivors of great tragedies cite as the source of their endurance, televangelists credit with healing power, and motivational speakers make a sweet living espousing.



It’s why, when our team is five runs down with two outs in the ninth inning, we’re not supposed to think negatively. Instead, we’re supposed to hang tough, visualize a big inning. Because as long as we really believe we can win, there is a good chance we will.



This kind of hopeful thinking is more about



faith in faith than faith in God. Yet it’s what



many of us have been taught to believe God



wants from us when we’re confronted with



insurmountable odds.



Same with a medical crisis. Did the tests come back showing the cancer has metastasized? Don’t panic. It can be beat. Just think positively.



Or perhaps your son is a five-foot, two-inch freshman with dreams of playing in the NBA. Whatever you do, don’t discourage him. Who knows? It could happen. After all, nothing is impossible as long as he pursues his dreams with hard work and unwavering faith.



Unfortunately, this kind of hopeful thinking has nothing in common with what the Bible calls faith. It’s more about faith in faith than faith in God. Yet it’s what many of us have been taught to believe God wants from us when we’re confronted with insurmountable odds.



We’ve been told that for those who can muster it up, an all doubts-removed, count-it-as-done faith has the power to fix anything. It’s God’s great cure-all, a magic potion.



In fact, in some Christian circles, this kind of faith is said to have the power to actually manipulate the hand of God. I recently heard a TV preacher claim that God has to answer prayers of unwavering faith no matter what we ask for. As long as we have no doubt, he has no choice. It’s a law of the universe. Apparently it even trumps God’s sovereignty.



Though I’d hate to be the one to tell him so.





How the English Language Mucks Things Up





While faith is a concept deeply rooted in the Christian Scriptures, most of our modern ideas about it aren’t. Much of the blame can be placed on the way the original manuscripts of the New Testament have been translated into English.



It’s not that the translators are unskilled or deceptive. It’s simply that translating anything from one language to another is a difficult task, burdened by all the ancillary meanings and uses found in one language but not another.



A quick comparison of how we use the words faith, belief, and trust in modern-day English with how they were originally used in the Greek language of the New Testament can be eye opening. Let’s take a look to see what I mean.





Faith



For most of us, the word faith conjures up an image of confidence. It’s the opposite of fear and doubt. It’s often defined by our feelings as much as by anything else. That’s why most teaching on faith tends to focus on eradicating all fear, doubt, and negative thoughts. It’s also why “You gotta have faith” has come to mean “Think positively.”





Belief



On the other hand, the word belief usually conjures up an image of intellectual assent. We say we believe in something as long as we think that it’s probably true. And since our beliefs are thought to exist primarily between our ears, we’re not particularly puzzled when people claim to believe in something—say UFOs, Bigfoot, Darwinian evolution, creationism, even Jesus—but live as if they don’t. For most of us, beliefs are intellectual. Acting upon them is optional.



You can see this definition of belief in the way many of us approach evangelism. We tell the Jesus story to people and then ask them if they believe it. Those who say yes are immediately assured that they’re headed for heaven. After all, they’re “believers.” It doesn’t seem to matter that the Bible adds quite a few qualifiers beyond mere mental assent.2





Trust



In contrast to our use of faith and belief, when we use the word trust it almost always carries an assumption that there will be some sort of corresponding action. If we trust a person, it’s supposed to show up in our response. For instance, if the parent of a teenage girl says, “I trust you,” but won’t let her out of the house, we’d think that parent was speaking nonsense. There’s no question the daughter would.





Clearly, each of these three words carries a distinctly different meaning in the English language. But to the surprise of most Christians, almost every time we find one of these three words in our English New Testaments, each is a translation of the exact same Greek root word.3



That means that the Bible knows nothing of the sharp distinctions we make between faith, belief, and trust. Biblically, they not only overlap, but they are practically synonymous. To the writers of Scripture, our modern distinctions between faith, belief, and trust would seem quite strange and forced.





So, What Kind of Faith Does God Want?





The kind of faith the Bible advocates and God wants from us has far more to do with our actions than our feelings. In fact, biblical faith is so closely tied to actions of obedience that the Bible ridicules the very idea of someone claiming to have faith without acting upon it.4



God doesn’t care if we’ve mastered the art of positive thinking. He’s not impressed by the mental gymnastics of visualization. He doesn’t even insist that we eradicate all doubts and fears. In fact, more than once, he’s answered the prayers of people whose “faith” was so weak that when God said yes, they didn’t believe it.5



When the first response to an answered prayer is shock and amazement, the people who offered that prayer certainly don’t fit the standard definition of having faith. Yet God answered anyway because their prayers fit his definition of faith. Their simple act of praying was an act of faith—they trusted God enough to do what he commanded, even though they were certain it wouldn’t work.



To better understand what biblical faith is and how it works, let’s take a look at the most famous faith passage in the Bible: Hebrews 11. Often called God’s Hall of Fame, it offers a lengthy list of examples, each one showing what God-pleasing faith looks like and what it produced.



The writer of Hebrews starts with Adam’s son Abel, then moves on to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses, laying out a series of vignettes that describe their steps of faith and the great victories that followed.



Then, almost as if he is running out of steam (or his audience is running out of attention), the writer adds twelve more examples. But this time he offers only a name or a cryptic reference to the great victories their faith accomplished.



It’s an inspiring list. At first glance it seems to support the popular notion that faith rightly applied can conquer anything. It tells of kingdoms won, lions muzzled, flames quenched, weaknesses turned to strength, enemies routed, the dead raised. All in all, a pretty impressive résumé.



But the writer doesn’t stop there. He goes on.



But I warn you. What he said might mess with your head. It certainly messed with mine. After reciting a litany of victories, he suddenly switches gears and changes direction. Now he speaks of people whose faith led them down a different path—folks who were tortured, jeered, flogged, imprisoned, stoned, sawed in two, and put to death by the sword. He ends with a reminder that still others were rewarded with financial destitution, persecution, and mistreatment.



Then he writes these words: “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.”6 In other words, these weren’t the faith rejects, the losers, the ones who couldn’t get it right. These were men and women whose faith was applauded by God. Yet their faith didn’t fix anything.



In some cases it made matters worse.



Whoa!



I guarantee you that no one taught my kids this side of faith in Sunday school. Imagine if they did. “Okay, children, today we’re going to learn how trusting and obeying God might get you torn in two, thrown into jail, hated by your friends, and force you to drive an old beater the rest of your life.”



That would thin the herd.



It would certainly rile a few parents.



But it’s essentially what the Bible says that faith (at least the kind of faith that God commends) might do. It may lead us to victory. It may lead us to prison. Which it will be is his call—not ours.





Why Bother?





That raises an important question. If faith is primarily about trusting God enough to do what he says, and yet it won’t fix everything and sometimes will make matters worse, why bother?



One reason stands out above all others. It’s what God wants from us. He says so himself: “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”7



Now, it seems to me that if God is really God, and not just some sort of mystical force, cosmic consultant, or favorite uncle in the sky, then knowing what he wants and doing it is a pretty important thing to pay attention to. Few of us would mess with our boss’s stated preferences. What kind of fool messes with God’s?



A thousand years from now, all the things we



try so hard to fix with our positive thinking,



visualization, and drive-out-all-doubt prayers



won’t matter. The only thing that will matter



is our awesome future and our face-to-face



relationship with God.



Another reason to live by faith (even if it can’t fix all the problems we face) is that it does promise to fix our biggest problem and our biggest dilemma. What do we say and do when we stand before a holy and perfect God who knows every one of our secrets and all of our sins?



Honest now—what’s to keep us from becoming toast?



Frankly, nothing.



But that’s where the real fix-it power of biblical faith kicks in. Jesus promised that all who believe in him (remember that includes trusting him enough to actually follow and do what he says) will receive forgiveness and the gift of eternal life.8 A thousand years from now, all the things we try so hard to fix with our positive thinking, visualization, and drive-out-all-doubt prayers won’t matter. They’ll be but a distant memory, if they can be remembered at all. The only thing that will matter is our awesome future and our face-to-face relationship with God.





God’s GPS System





There’s one more benefit to a proper understanding of biblical faith. Biblical faith gives us something that all the positive thinking and visualization in the world can’t provide. It gives us a life map, something we can depend on to always take us exactly where God wants us to go.



Admittedly, it’s not always an easy map to follow. It takes time, experience, and an occasional leap into the dark to master. It can be frustrating—and scary at times. But in the end, for those who are led by it, it’s a trusty guide, guaranteed to always take us where we need to be.



In many ways the adventure of learning to live by biblical faith is a lot like my love/hate relationship with the mapping software on my GPS unit. Let me explain.



I’m a geographical moron. My wife has no idea how I get home after traveling to speak somewhere. She’s always surprised to see me walk through the front door.



My problem is twofold. First, I’m often in two places at once, mentally. I call it multitasking. My family and friends call it something else. But the end result is that I can be completely oblivious to my surroundings. And when that happens, I literally don’t know where I am. I may think I do, but I don’t, mainly because I haven’t been paying attention.



My second problem is an absolute lack of an internal sense of direction. Without the Pacific Ocean and the mountains as bench-marks, I have no idea which direction is north, south, east, or west. That means that along with not knowing where I am, I often don’t know where I’m heading.



Put those two together and you have a recipe for search-and-rescue. But fortunately (or so you would think), I live in a day when GPS is within reach of the common man.



Yet, despite the promise that an affordable GPS unit has to offer, there is one frustrating problem. The pesky voice in my Garmin often tells me to turn the wrong way.



My first response is always a quick flash of annoyance at the company that makes the mapping software. I wonder why they can’t get it right. I know there are lots of streets they have to include, but come on. That’s what I paid for. And I’m not talking about thinking I should turn left when it says to turn right. I’m talking about those times when I know I should turn left.



To make matters worse, as I make the turn that I know I should make, the little lady in the box starts nagging me. In a mildly disgusted tone, she repeats over and over, “Recalculating. Recalculating.”



Faith is not a skill we master. It’s not an



impenetrable shield that protects us from



life’s hardships and trials. It’s not a magic



potion that removes every mess. It’s a map



we follow.



It’s enough to make me reach over to hit the Off button. But before I do, I’m usually struck with a haunting realization. I’ve been certain I was right before—but somehow ended up wrong. And despite the fact that my GPS sometimes seems unaware of a street or two and occasionally takes me on a circuitous route, it’s always found a way to get me where I want to go.



But doggone it, this time I know I’m right. I’m absolutely certain. I don’t care how many times she spouts off, “Recalculating.” She’s wrong.



So, what do I do?



This is, in essence, a crisis of faith. I have a choice to make. Will I place my trust in my own sense of direction, knowing that this time my not-so-trusty GPS has gotten it all wrong? Or will I place my faith in the little box and turn right, despite my certainty that it’s directing me far from where I want to go?



You probably know the answer. Based on my past experiences, I’ve learned to shrug my shoulders and do what the unit says. So I reluctantly make a turn that makes no sense tome. As I do, my pulse quickens and my stomach churns. My mind fills with images of speaking engagements lost and flights missed.



I turn anyway.



And that’s the reason that I always surprise my wife when I walk in the front door. Somehow east magically turns into west and the “wrong” route gets me there anyway.



Go figure.





Once I arrive at my destination, it really doesn’t matter what doubts or concerns I had along the way. As long as I follow the directions or quickly get back on track after a little “recalculating,” I always end up where I need to be.



That’s exactly how biblical faith works. When rightly understood and applied, it doesn’t matter how many doubts we have. It doesn’t even matter if we’re convinced that all is lost. Ultimately all that matters is whether we have enough faith (maybe just a mustard seed’s worth) to follow God’s instructions. Those who do, get where they’re supposed to go. Those who don’t, end up lost somewhere far from home.





Faith is not a skill we master. It’s not an impenetrable shield that protects us from life’s hardships and trials. It’s not a magic potion that removes every mess. It’s a map we follow.



It’s designed to guide us on a path called righteousness. Along the way, it doesn’t promise to fix every flat tire. It won’t reroute us around every traffic jam. It won’t even stop the road rage of the crazy guy we cut off at the merge.



But it will take us exactly where God wants us to go. And isn’t that where we want to be?





CAN FAITH FIX



ANYTHING?



They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put



to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins



and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the



world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts



and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.



These were all commended for their faith, yet none



of them received what had been promised. God had



planned something better for us so that only together



with us would they be made perfect.



HEBREWS 11:37–40