Looking Through A Key Hole

WARNING: This blog is political and opinionated.    

    Sometimes I just get frustrated. Frustrated with co-workers , with friends, with my community but more than that, with people who dont see the bigger picture.
         Change is always relevant always evident, and its just part of life. Change isnt the end of the world but rather the way this world works. Im disappointed specifically in the reaction seen by many after the re-election of President Obama.
           So before we start down this path, I have my views and you have yours and neither of us are right. Just putting that  out there before I state my views and take controversy over them. I believe that America is a place where everyones views, whether it be religious, moral, personal or other wise, we live in a place that respects everyones view point. So just from that I believe President Obama was a better option. Oppression is completely against what America is and always has been and thats what I believe Mr. Romney was headed towards.
       I think that today we are in a better place than we were before. I think we can only grow and do what we limit ourselves to. So the fault I find isnt in the government but the lack of confidence and motivation by americans. Do you want to know why things arent ok in the country? Well it cant all be because of one man right? Everyone needs to look in the mirror because its only us that can change our course in life.
      To sum this all up, I think this big Anti Obama attitude is pathetic. We need to get it together (for or against Obama) and put on our big boy/girl pants and do what we need to do to survive this life. This isnt the end but only the beginning. And I dont know about you but Ive never been more excited for the future.

Thanks for taking time to read this rant. *Personal Opinion Only*

The Definition of Strength

   Today is September 11th 2012, 11 years after the tragic events brought on through terrorist attacks took place this day.And today I wanted to make it a point to take a second and write this out.
   Its days like this that make me proud to call myself an american. And I know that may seem odd, but the connotation associated with "americans" is not a great one. Today, however, I can truly say I live in the best nation on earth. When youre in debt and youre still helping countless other countries to have better lives and freedoms that you enjoy and believe they should too thats when you know youre doing something right.And its events like 9-11 when the world stood still that not only reassures my pride in american but also my views on americas strength. Time and time again we are tested ,and time and time again we proceed through all the crap, through all the wars, through all the terrorism and the hate. Time and time again , we overcome, and we love, and we protect. Because this is america, not only home of the free but also the brave, the courageous, We are the ones who will stand up for the little guy when no one else will, and why? Because thats what we do. Because thats who we are.
   11 years ago as a five year old little boy I could not truly even begin to grasp the events taking place that day or the crazy repercussions that would ensue soon after. Now sitting here at 16 years of age and looking back I see the heart ache, I see the pain, and I see the brokenness, but even more than that I see pride. Every american, male or female, white or black, gay or straight, has  been affected by this day. Because not only did the tragedy change lives, but it also changed a country. Changed in a way that will never be fully understood or grasped by any one person because it wasnt the lives that were lost, or the terrorism that was acted out, but it was in the reaction where we showed our true strength, in the support and the growth, in the rebuilding and recovery. America has and will always be a strong nation, the only change would be how we define our strengths.
  Id also like to take a moment to remember not only the victims of 9-11 but also all those serving as a police officer, fire fighter, or overseas and many many more. You are the countries backbone and you should never be taken for granted. Thanks for reading,
-Colton Lewis

Complex Simplicity

     "Dont play with knives, theyll cut you" This simple phrase I heard from a mother to her toddler as I cleared off the table behind them. The simplicity of the statement made it all the more apparent to me. Most people wouldnt even have thought twice about what she said, most people would just think that that is just a normal statement, but me, I see a the complexity within it.
     Knives can be equated to nearly anything in your life. Dont play with lighters, or guns, or fires theyll all hurt you. Or even more dont play with hearts, itll  hurt you. In so many ways this phrase is multi leveled and complex. Everything in your life is set around a basic principal that things in life will hurt you, but its the ways in which we deal with them that shapes us as people. We all need people in our lives, whether new or old, that tell us "Hey you need to watch out for that, youre gunna get hurt". Without them we would all be no where, we would all be broken human beings, even more so than we already are.
    So I guess the reason this really caught me by surprise was that something as simple as that is still an issue, that everyone learns things at certain paces, and everyone lives their lives completely different. I could only hope to live my life in a way that I can influence others for the better, that someday I will be able to look at a child of my own and tell them "Hey, dont play with knives, they'll hurt you."
Thanks for reading

All for Not?

    So this past week Ive been in Wilmington North Carolina with my best friend and her family. Tonight's the last night here and I'm really starting to wanna just write things out. If you dont have a blog you wont understand, but sometimes I just sit here and write minor thoughts over and over, minor emotions of anger or of awe, but most all end when I hit delete and forget all about it. Well tonight im not doing that Im writing out everything Im feeling but this time publishing it so I can find it later and know that this is where I was at on August 12th 2012.
     This whole week I've spent building relationships with people and families that Ive come to realize I will never, in my life, see ever again. That alone leaves me completely dumbfounded because I cant completely tell if it was a waste of time or not, if coming here and building the beggining of relationships with many people was all for nothing due to an almost certain divergence of our lives. These people were great and I had a lot of fun but never in my life have I felt so confused because Ive came to the conclusion that no matter how great they are or how much fun we had it will end, that is has ended. So this makes me think about life as a whole, if I was 100% sure that someone I confide in now would eventually become just another human on this earth, that they would no longer have a special spot in my life, than would it really be worth it to get to know them more, or be around them more, when you know it will all come to an end at some point in the near future. Or is it more important to live through these experiences and gain from them enough so that when someone comes into your life, even for the shortest amount of time, you can impact there life much like anyone has ever impacted me. It could be a day,week , or a month, or longer, but every person you come into contact with shapes your outlook and opinions on anything and everything whether you notice it or not.
       On to the next tangent. Nikki's leaving for college in 3 days. So scary to know that my bestfriend will be so far away. After spending this week with her in North Carolina I cant even begin to imagine not seeing her atleast weekly.. Shes been a main component of my everyday life for my past two years on this earth. She has impacted my life much like her family has this week but in a much more substantial and long term way. She walked into my life 2 years ago and has staye there ever since. Sometimes you can see the end ahead but the scary part about this is I dont know if I can se the end, whether there isnt one or Im too stubborn to look. All I know for sure is Ill need to really sit back and look at what I can do without her for the first time in a long time.
    and on I type. I feel so much better just having put everything out like that, this isnt a blog like any of my others. I usually try to show my reasoning for an opinion I have on something but this.. this is just my thoughts, written out, plane as day, just so that I can look back on this and know exactly how I felt on August 12th 2012. This is me, Thanks for reading.

Happy Chick-fil-A Day

   Here we go again, this blog may not be in line with everyones thoughts or beliefs but I wanted to share my thoughts, so here it is.
   August 1st , 2012. Chick-fil-A Day, a day dedicated to the company for there services. This has turned into something much more than gratitude. Chick-fil-A Day is now a political and religious statement. The reason for this is because recently Chick-fil-A came out into the open saying they do not support same sex marriage, which really should have come as no huge surprise because they are strongly religious based company.
   I guess my issue here is this, food is food. Buying a chicken sandwich should not hold the power to determine your beliefs on religious or political issues. And my even bigger issue with this is how people are acting as if buying Chick-fil-A will make a difference. In the long run the only thing accomplished is a political agenda. It's crazy to say that we as Christians should support Chic-fil-A and buy there product because it lines up with our beliefs because truly lots of companies that are a part of our everyday lives do just the opposite. Have you recently sent a package through UPS, or grabbed a cup of Starbucks coffee? Have you gone out to eat at Olive Garden, or ate at Mcdonalds? or how about drinking Pepsi products, and using Google? All of those companies and more are in support of same sex marriages, however we dont see a revolution there? If anyone wants to make a real statement wouldnt you have to stop use of all same sex marriage supporting companies, but does that really make a statement at all? wouldnt a  better way to make a statement in the world be showing love and compassion for all of those, who dont necessarily line up with our beliefs, but showing sympathy in knowing that they are entitled to their beliefs as well.
   Religious and moral values aside, I personally am not against the legalization of same sex marriages. I believe that it is a much deeper moral dilemma than buying a chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A or Mcdonalds. People in this country are childish and selfish, but in the same rights that they have to speak their beliefs, I have that right to speak mine. That doesnt mean that Im right and theyre wrong ,it just means we are all entitled to our own opinions. Some however may be better left unsaid. Thanks for reading.
-Colton Lewis
http://www.facebook.com/HowMuchDoesTheWorldWeighBlog

Today Could Be Your Last

   So in wake of recent events in Colorado I decided to write a blog. I wanna start off by saying the fact that this is even a topic about which I can write sickens me. (Warning- This blog will describe the graphic events that  took place in Aurora Colorado.)

    Late Thursday night into early Friday morning a Gunman entered theater 9 of Century theater in Aurora, Colorado. The midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises had brought out hundreds upon hundreds of people to the theater that night. The man came into the theater through the exit around 12:30 AM tossing two canisters of tear gas into the crowded room, followed by  a shot gun burst to the ceiling before opening fire on the crowd. The man was wearing body armor, a gas mask, and riot gear. After emptying the shot gun into the crowd, he pulled out an assault rifle and without hesitation started firing. Victims said that he had no specific targets ,but was just spraying bullets into the chaos that had now began in the theater. After the gun jammed he left it behind and headed to his car parked in the parking lot, this is where police surrounded the gunman and took him into custody without any further issues. But this isnt where the trouble he caused ends. Around 12:00 AM  in his apartment he had rigged music with pre-recorded gunshots in the backround, to blare through the apartment building, this most likely to attract attention to the heavily booby-trapped apartment where , as of writing this, police still have not been able to enter due to the extreme danger that is within the rooms. There were 73 casualties from the shooting, with 12 confirmed dead and many still in critical condition. Upon arrest he told police, "I am the Joker"...
      Where do I begin.... This angers me to a point that very few things in life can. Where does anyone get off thinking that they can change the course of hundreds of lives and have no consequences. This man, whom I refer to as a man only in the lowest sense, had no right to do what he did, yet he did it anyway. No one has found motive but there was always a sense of fame that would come along with this type of tragedy. So In attempt to keep the light off of the coward who committed this crime I have not , and will not, use his name in this blog.
     Ive been watching and reading endless reports on this horrible scene and I cant help but think, that this could have been me. I was in a theater watching the movie,in Ontario, Ohio as this was taking place in Aurora. I remember waking up yesterday and reading the stories and thinking that not once did fear of a gunman in the theater ever cross my mind, and how lucky I truly was to be able to not live with that fear. I feel great sorrow for those who were sitting in a theater much like I was, but didnt go home with great memories of a movie with friends, but instead with fear and pain, and others who would never make it home at all.
     This honestly is just a reminder that every day your on this earth, it could be your last. That not one of us is guaranteed a "tomorrow" . July 20th in Aurora Colorado 12 lives were ended along with hundreds of thousands of others altered forever, but lets find hope in the fact that this event is isolated and that we live in a nation that is so safe, and so protected that a shooting such as this is a rare event. That we live in a country where we dont have to be afraid to walk the streets or see a movie. Dont be afraid, because fear is all this gunman hoped to infuse into the world, but be mindful that everyday is precious, and every life is even much more precious than that. Thanks for reading..
-Colton Lewis

The Stereotypical Christian

   There is a fine line between a Christian and life, and to walk that line is exactly where you should be , now I may have lost some of you right there but Ill get back to that later. But lately Ive been thinking a lot about what separates Christians from other people and other religions , good and bad, and how it looks from the inside/outside.
   Christianity from an outside perspective to someone who doesnt believe in God looks pretty insane, I mean think about it people living their lives all for a God who may or may not exist, praying to him, going to church, worshiping, ect. I mean really it looks insane , But from the inside its completely a different point of view, you cant see how crazy you  look because you're so into it you dont even care . But in a lot of cases it causes a very limited outer view, many times Christians can become so inwardly focused that they dont even   think about how others are watching and how they could be influenced by how you act.
    Some things that are stereotypical of Christians is an" Im always right" attitude, and honestly I cant disagree here. Is every Christian a "single thought process" type person? absolutely not , but it is a lot higher percentage than Id like to admit. Its sad to see the contradictions of Christians who condemn others for their religious views and tell them to come to church right after. Its completely wrong in that sense, who are you to point out the faults in someone elses life choices , you can offer a guidance without offering a single "right" solution. There's a difference between agreeing and accepting.
     Another thing people say Christians do is that Christians become a "clique" . Now this happens a lot too, not all in a bad sense because fellowship is very important, However, there is totally a line to not be crossed in this area. You can have many close Christian friends, but when you require someone to be Christian just to get a second of your time, then you are doing this all wrong. You need to walk on the line of Christianity and life, if you fall to either one side or the other you arent accomplishing anything. Because its only when you can reach into one side and reflect the other that you gain the ability to show others who Christ truly is.
   This blog was kinda all over the place but it was just something on my mind, I feel that Christianity is falling into a not so popular light with the world , and some may say "of course because people dont accept God" while I can see that it isn't all of the issue, Christianity is picking up stereotypes that are less than flattering and I for one would like to change that.
   

Opinionated Debate

    Ok so Ive been debating on doing this blog for a long time because it may cause some controversy. But in this blog I just want to put down my thoughts and opinions as of today on Gay marriage, Abortion, and Religious beliefs.

     Ok so starting things off here with the Gay marriage debate, to break it down basically as it stands as of June 18th, 2012, there are no rights for Gays to be married country wide. Which some people may look at as no big deal but really it is. The way I look at this is that marriage as a whole in our nation is flawed so is this the point at which we decide to not go any farther? I find that quite hypocritical of a "free nation".My opinion on gay marriage is this. Let it happen, let two people that love each other have an outward and legal standing of their family and life. To say that this is unethical or that it goes against religion is a very narrow minded perspective, to say that this form of marriage is any less biblical than two non Christians getting married is hypocrisy. Do I agree with what they may do? no. But in a nation of freedoms, the freedom of marriage should not be restricted due to just one person or one groups point of view.

   Now onto abortion. This one is tough. Abortion really just has two sides : pro life or pro abortion. And the only way you can identify which side you may want to be on is to define when life begins. This may well be the biggest controversy in the whole debate. Websters dictionary defines life as :  the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally. Basically if you can grow and/or reproduce you are alive. Which really doesnt help this argument because on one side you can argue yes they are growing which means they are alive so its murder, but on the other hand a condom could very well be an act of murder in the sense of killing living cells, or a haircut, I dont want to desensitize the issue because it is a bigger deal than that, it is the ending of a possible life. However In my opinion this should be an option. Im not pro-abortion but im not for making people go through with their pregnancies unwillingly either. What kind of life would an unwanted child have? I feel if sex is a choice then so should be the result. 

    And finally my thoughts on religious beliefs. Basically who is right? Christians, Atheists , ect? Honestly I can say I fall under the category of Christianity but in an unbiased blog I feel I should explain why I am what I am. I am a christian because for one, my parents took me to church as a child. And two , through being in church I could see God working in peoples lives and changing them. Now in bias I could say that concludes this argument, that Christianity is obviously right and all others are wrong, however what if a Muslim  child was to grow up and see people changing for what they believe. Or an atheist to never have anyone or anything work in their lives, am I to say they are wrong in their beliefs too? So this is the only argument I can't conclude because it has to do with the very reason I started this blog. It's a question I could ponder forever but never know the true answer too.

    None of what I wrote is concrete , everything I think and feel is liable to change at any point, as certain things have shaped peoples lives ,so can change my outlook on life and its events. I just wanted to put my thoughts in a forum where others can see what I think and I can recall my thoughts and opinions as of today. 

The Road Less Traveled

      Today at work I noticed a lot of things that previously seemed very rare to me, which may just been naive of me but I wanted to address it here. One of the things I noticed was multiple people eating completely alone.        
      So by no means does eating by yourself mean you are "lonely" but more or less just alone. And I sat there thinking how someones life would lead them to a point somewhere far down the road that they end up in an Ontario Outback eating with no one but yourself.
      I know that I hope and pray that I dont end up sitting at a resteraunt by myself many years from now, I would hope that no one would ever be completely alone. But what surprised me most today wasnt the fact that people were eating alone but more or less how they were eating. These people were comfy, some had there shoes off, others had multiple books that they read throughout their meal, and even another person found comfort in having conversations with employees while watch the NBA conference finals game. How does someone with no one find that sort of tranquility within themselves.
      If I was ever alone in such a public setting I dont know if I  would be able to feel that "comfortable" for lack of a better term. But I can't judge any of these people, I dont know what path they traveled in life. I dont know their struggles or strengths, or the hurts theyve had to endure. As I sat there, thinking about why these people may be alone it came to mind that maybe they are widowed, or they may just have never found anyone to share their life with. How sad of a life that could be, yet making the very best of it and kicking of your shoes.
 
     I know this wasnt one of my normal blogs but it really was interesting to me how some event that i perceived as rare is so much more common than I expected, that the metaphorical "road less traveled" may be much more inhabited than I originally had thought.

Change Starts Here

Loneliness
   This is going to be a different blog. All of the others up to this point seem to be my opinions on any random topic that comes to mind any random day. But today I'm writing about loneliness. Loneliness isn't just a random topic for me, it is probably my biggest struggle that I go through in day to day life and today Ive decided to blog it out.
    So lets start here, "What makes someone lonely?" oh man.... So many things can lead to someone being lonely. In my case it seems to be a lack of meaning,, or feeling out of place. It's like whenever I feel like I'm not where Im supposed to be. It's like whenever I feel like I would be happier doing something else or being with someone else, if anyone at all.
    Loneliness isn't just not being around people, because believe me if it was than it would be the easiest thing in the world to over come. It is the fact that even when you're in a room full of people, you may never feel like anyone truly cares. You may never feel like you are number one in anyones life but your own. And it's hard. I mean look at me for example, right now Im alone on a Saturday night, sitting in my bed, writing a blog on my laptop, listening to the sound track of MoneyBall, wishing I could be anywhere but here. But honestly even if I wasnt in this physical spot that doesnt mean the mental loneliness would go away.
    Its a struggle everyday to make yourself remember that you are important even when you think youre not, even when the whole world seems against you and you feel like youre not going to make it through. And it may seem hypocritical of me to sit here and say "Yes! You can make it through!" because honestly, some days i really dont feel like that. But yes, you can make it through. Things do get better. It may not look like it all the time but eventually you things change and you dont realize it until its in your past.
    Looking back on the past year. Who i was and who I am. Things have changed, for better or for worse. And im not going to lie to you , yeah certain aspect of my life grew in leaps and bounds, but others havent gotten better. How about the fact that a year ago i wrote a letter to myself about getting over loneliness yet here I am writing a blog about the very same thing.
    Some things in life are easy to learn from and move on, while others you struggle with for a lng time, you may hope and pray that someday you will wake up and feel like the world is on your side but, it isnt. The world is out to get you and beat you down, to get me and beat me down. The reason Im writing this blog is because it honestly affects me. It is a struggle, a downfall, a weak point but I dont want that anymore. That letter I wrote held me to nothing. But this, this holds me to change. This says that I am trying, that I am going to keep trying. And In a year I will be able to look back and know that this blog affected my life, for better or worse that it played a role in the person I am  going to become.  It's important to remember that you are important. That you can change your own life and make it whatever you want to make it. That you can become whoever you want to be. To not run from yourself but embrace it... Sometimes when life gets the roughest you should really look to yourself for a change. Dont wait on the world to change for you.
Change starts here.


--This entry is a subject that is personal to me and this blog is my outlet. Thanks for reading.

Growing Up

    Ive always wanted to grow up. Ever since I was little I couldnt wait to be a grown up. But what truly determines if you are grown up,? or if growing up is even a measurable at all?
 
 Grown ups. Ill start here, i guess the only way to figure out how to become a grown up is to start at that point and work backwards. What do grown ups do? They have kids (usually) they have jobs (usually) and they pay taxes ( usually) . They are commonly older, and have lived through many life experiences and had defining moments that led them to become who they are today.
    The next step backward would probably be what I would call a pre-adult. This is someone who is probably middle aged and isnt married and doesnt have kids, basically youre on your own at this point but you have no responsibilities except your own. This is where a lot of living gets done, where a lot of hurt can come, where a lot of lives are changed.
    Teenagers. Teens are the next lowest in the order here. Living under another persons roof, eating their food, and taking their money. The stage of teen can be the most important in any life. Its where you decide what kind of person you are going to be, what kind of relationship you want when youre older, what kind of job you will have, and what kind of legacy you want to leave on the world.
     Kids. kids are harmless. They are just trying to figure things out, theyre just trying to be able to find a grip to hold onto in this crazy, out of control train ,we call our lives. And when they do it can set the base for thee rest of your life.

     Now none of this is exact, or correct to anyones life. But when I look back on what Ive just written I still struggle to see where the line is that you cross and become a grown up. I mean obviously it says its the stage after pre-adult but some people dont ever get that chance. Some people are thrust past one or more of these parts of their lives, leaving major gaps of time and experiences.
    Every part of life specific to you is important. It shapes you. It gets you to the end goal of being a grown up. But whats crucial not to forget is to not grow up to fast. To have a beginning, middle, and end to your life story. To live every part to its complete and utter potential,because when you do that you allow not only yourself to become a "grown-up" but also everyone connected to you.
   On dictionary.com it says Grown up- The age at which you reach maturity. So I guess that answers it. You become a grown up when you can realize which phase of your life you're in and willingly proceed into the next. That's maturity, that's responsibility, that's when you truly become a grown up.

"Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."-Ferris Bueller (John Hughes)
 

Near Death Experiences

    The shear phrase "near death experience" makes my mind wander. What is even classified as a near death experience, because who can tell you how close to death you are until you're dead. Life isn't about trying to win, you can't win, life will beat you. Not to burst anyones bubble but you're going to die. No if's and's or but's it's going to happen.
      So I guess the main question of this blog would be what is near death. Simple answer would be any situation where death was a looming possibility. But to me, what situation is death not a part of?
      Many people will say love is what makes the world go around. But on the contrary I think death is what makes the world go around, in combination with love death is the basis for all human emotion.
   Loving someone is caring so much you would give all of yourself for a person. (Death..) So in the same way that love breeds life, death breeds love. Death causes people to fear, to draw closer together, to love each other. And in any near death experience you would hope to be with someone you love.
     I guess the phrase near death experience is an omnipresent tense. No matter where you are there is always death but don't fear it, embrace it, because with death there is love. Find comfort in loved ones because someday life will catch up with you and death will eventually overcome. There are morgues full of bodies, very few if any of those people were prepared to die. They all had hopes, dreams, "I'll do that later"s and now they don't have the chance for any of that.
     So before your "near death experience" becomes a deadly experience, live without regrets and live for a bigger purpose than yourself. Live like there's no tomorrow, LOVE like there's no tomorrow. The only way to succeed through death is knowing that when you die you did everything you could do, that you lived, loved, and changed the world. That you made others lives better through your own. Life isn't about trying to win, you can't win, life will beat you. Not to burst anyones bubble but you're going to die. No if's and's or but's it's going to happen.

Being An Outsider

    So lets be honest we have all been there. Everyone has had a situation in there life where you feel like you really do not fit in. Well I was thinking about that today and how a place I used to find comfort in is no longer the safe haven I made it out to be.
    Ok, so to be an outsider you first have to know what its like to fit in, what its like to be completely comfortable in a place, or with people. It takes time, it takes an openness and  a willingness to become comfortable in  any situation.
   But what makes you feel like an outsider, what can take a place that you love and turn it into a place you feel like you don't even know anymore? Well, I originally thought that everything else was changing, that the place I loved was becoming a different place. But when I truly looked at it, yes, the place I loved changed but deep inside I had changed more than it had. I had the new outlook, I had the new perception, I had this new feeling of being an outsider.
   My view was so centered on how to get the place back to what it used to be, when really I should've been trying to get me back to who I was. I never took the time to step back and allow myself to comprehend the new environment around me. I never aloud myself to feel comfortable, and the feeling of being an outsider insued.
   So it is preventable. You can feel comfortable in any situation you allow yourself to , you can be vulnerable and open and allow yourself the opportunity to discard the outsider feeling and feel comfortable. Sometimes all it takes is a change in perspective. So take a step back, look at what you want and where you are and allow yourself to feel good about whatever the future holds, because you will always feel like an outsider until you find out what true comfort is. And that comfort can changes everything.

Loss

   Loss, very rarely is this word used in a good way. Its more commonly associated with sadness, like the loss of a friend, the death of a loved one, or losing a game or competition. Everyone has loss in their life some more than others.
   I wanted to talk about loss because I feel like I'm pretty well aware of what loss is. I think that I've been through my share of lost friendships, and lost relationships in general.
   Loss is not easy, it hurts, everyday it pulls on you a little less or a little more but it may never completely go away. I know first hand the hurt that you can feel when your best friend walks away or when you lose someone closest to you, you never completely pull away from these connections. There is always a piece of you left with the person who is gone.
   So why is loss so relevant? Loss is relevant because everyday people die, everyday friends choose to walk away for any and all reasons, and people move on. You have to know when its time to move on, when its time to cut ties to the lost person and move on with your life. Life isn't about lingering in the lost moments but living in the present ones. So don't let loss hold you back to the point where you lose yourself. Don't let loss... win.

Defining Moments

   Today I was thinking about how fast a life can change. Yesterday, in Chardon; Ohio, a boy walked into a school with a gun and opened fire. He killed three people and wounded two others, one of them is still in serious condition today. This single event changed the course of history. Everyday the smallest things, that happen to the widest varieties of people, shape our world in ways we can't even fully comprehend.

   So what makes each of these tiny moments so important, how can not saying hi to someone passing by change a life. No one knows fully how to comprehend life. Its impossible to truly understand every aspect of life, however some focus on certain parts. The part I'm looking at right now are the defining moments of a persons life. These are the moments that people never forget, the moments that shape a life or everyone's lives affected. 

   A defining moment can vary from person to person. Some defining moments in peoples lives are world events such as a war or a tragedy. Other moments are smaller like a decision on a career, a break up, or even something as simple as taking a chance and saying hello to the girl you have a crush on. All of those smaller moments can shape a life just as much, if not more, than the large scale definitions. That career choice can lead you on to become filthy rich or dirt poor, that break up can lead you to the person of your dreams or can make you realize how much you needed them in the first place, and that simple hello can turn into a life long relationship. Its a question I struggle with as to why life is so easily influenced, and honestly I'm not trying to offer an answer, just to speculate about the importance of every decision we make and how it can effect everything and everyone around us. 

  So in closing, live everyday to your fullest, dont have regrets because although these defining moments are scary, they are  meant to happen. These moments are what shape us, what give us our personalities, and what make us who we are. Every life has its moments good and bad, but its how we react to the moments that determines the overall outcome. So don't fear, just live, and everything will work itself out in the end. 

What is love?

  So today is Valentines Day 2012, a day loved or hated by millions around the world. Its a day dedicated to showing your affection to that special someone that you "love. So what is love anyways?


    In 1 Corinthians 13:4-10 it says    "4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears"


So what do we  know, love is patient, kind, protective , trustworthy? So wait, why on Valentines Day do people insist on showing off their affection. That affection should be evident every day of your life without every boasting it. 


To me love  is the kids on my upward basketball team talking about how happy they were to have a party today with their friends. Love is telling your best friend that there's something in their teeth. Love is waking up in the morning and grabing your phone to send a "Good morning beautiful txt", that is love. None of it is ever envious, ever easily angered, or ever proud. Love to me is living everyday to the fullest and going to bed knowing that everyone you love knows it every night, not just on February 14th.


So to the lovers Happy Valentines Day. To the singles Happy Singles Awareness Day. And to the broken heart'd it gets better, don't lose faith. 


For me today I spent the day with my best friends and loved every second I got to be around them. Wherever you are, regardless of relationship status, I hope your day was full of love. I know mine was.

How much does the world weigh?

So the question was posed to me the other day while listening to a random song at church. It had something to do with the weight of the world coming down on you. This really made me think,"How much does the world acctually weigh, and what are its bearings on us physically and mentally? ".


 Now the mathematical answer to this question is approximately 6,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kilograms. Yeah, I know thats a lot of zero's but when I really thought about it the weight of my world could be completely different from anyone elses. 


The weight of a world can carry hardships, burdens, broken hearts, and anything else that can "weigh you down". But everyones weight is different. At church i thought about how each and every person in the room was experiencing a different hurt, a different pain, a different weight of their world coming down on them. But in that I found a reassurance that we are never alone. Everyone big or small, young or old has their problems. No one escapes them, no one out lives them. But with Gods help we can slowly begin to lighten our load and move past our issues. 


The weight of my world is different than yours and its intended to be that way. However we both have the same chances and oppurtunities to try and get some help carrying it.


Please leave some comments below about anything thats on your mind, this was just me rambling anyways, so join in if you would like.