Where is the Soul?

Most of you know by now that I am a full-time student, an English major. Recently in my Creative Writing class we wrote out one line of a poem, four words really, and then passed those along to a classmate. Random words, whatever struck our fancy at that moment, and our classmates were faced with the daunting proposition of turning those words into a full blown poem.

The line I received:

I immediately filled with trepidation. Not only was this a topic not easily defined but, it came from someone with an incredible vocabulary and sense of diction. I was concerned I would not be able to do it justice.

For three days, I suffered from some serious writer’s block. It did not matter that I was doing researching on various definitions and locations of “soul”. Nothing was working. I even grabbed a book of essays focused on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” television show for some inspiration (it is a text we use in one of my writing classes). One of the essays struck a chord with me and gave me a starting point.

Once I began writing I did not stop. 

I wrote for nearly an hour and, when finished, was so very satisfied with where I ended. It was an amazing moment for me. This was my writing “aha!” moment. I had finally figured out was has been missing from all of my poetry from this semester.

That vital ingredient?

Me.

I had become so caught up in the “formula” of writing poetry that I had forgotten to make it uniquely mine. My poetry from earlier this semester sounds absolutely nothing like me. Fortunately, we have the chance to rewrite our poems and present a portfolio of our completed works along with the drafts and processes we took to get from point A to point B.

I suppose I cannot really bring you this far without sharing my poem that inspired this post. However, I have not turned in my portfolio and do not want to have my poem available online at this point. Thank you for understanding.

When You Believe.

Whitney Houston - The Preacher's Wife

One of the most amazing voices in the music world is gone.

A tragic legacy left in her wake.

It amazes me somewhat, how very sad I am at her passing and, quite frankly, how ticked off I am at her as well. She had the resources and the support to get the help she so desperately needed these last few years. But, she didn’t. My mom summed it up best tonight when she said, “The heart loves who it loves” and, as saddened as I am, I see the truth in that statement.

Whitney Houston

There have been times in the past when I’ve wished I could be a person’s conscience. That voice of reasoning telling them right from wrong, and then consequently “forcing” that the correct choice be made. But I’m not. I’m no one’s conscience but my own. However, that thought gave me a distinct perspective.

Whitney Houston - The Bodyguard

God’s view.

God created us with free choice. He made us in His image but has allowed us to choose whether we follow the path He has marked out for us or a different path, made of more spontaneous, in-the-moment choices. I wonder sometimes if He sits there wishing, just like I have in the past, that He could “force” people into the right choices. But then the choice would not be freely made, and let’s face it, forcing people into worshiping something they didn’t choose is not the best way to get followers.

Whitney Houston

That is one of the best ways to make sure people resent you, forcing them to do something against their will.

Whitney Houston

I’ve also wondered at the heartbreak that would ensue with knowing beforehand the choices people will make, knowing their destinies could be changed at any moment.

Whitney Houston - The Artist

As much as I would like to be the one helping others choose the right choices, the fact of the matter is that none of us know what we would do in any given situation until we are actually staring it in the face. We all say, “I’d choose xxx decision” but reality is that we just don’t know.

Whitney Houston

Just like we don’t know the people we’ll touch.

Whitney Houston - The Artist

Just like we don’t know the days we’re allowed.

Whitney Houston - The Bodyguard

* * *

There are so many songs lyrics I could post that would be fitting for these circumstances but I believe these are the best. Whitney, you came into this world singing “Jesus Loves Me” almost from the time you could speak and you left his world singing “Jesus Loves Me”. I truly hope you are resting in Jesus’ loving arms.

Whitney Houston

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfhb4S2tc1I

When You Believe

Many nights we’ve prayed
With no proof anyone could hear
In our hearts a hopeful song
We barely understood
Now we are not afraid
Although we know there’s much to fear
We were moving mountains
Long before we knew we could

There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail
It’s hard to kill
Who knows what miracles
You can achieve
When you believe
Somehow you will
You will when you believe

In this time of fear
When prayer so often proves in vain
Hope seemed like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away
Yet now I’m standing here
My heart’s so full I can’t explain
Seeking faith and speaking words
I never thought I’d say

There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail
It’s hard to kill
Who knows what miracles
You can achieve
When you believe
Somehow you will
You will when you believe

They don’t always happen when you ask
And it’s easy to give in to your fear
But when you’re blinded by your pain
Can’t see your way safe through the rain
Thought of a still resilient voice
Says love is very near

There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail
It’s hard to kill
Who knows what miracles
You can achieve
When you believe
Somehow you will
Now you will
You will when you believe

You will when you believe
Just believe
Gotta believe
You will when you believe

(All images and lyrics found via internet searches utilizing the Google.)

Miss America.

It’s your big moment on stage in front of literally millions of people. You stand poised and ready to take on the world with a level of confidence not present in most young women today. There are some nerves present of course. It is always a little daunting to be on national TV, however, the level of your nerves is much less than it would be without your experience in the Miss America Organization.

Yes, that was all about a pageant.

Yes, I support the pageant

and the Miss American Organization

wholeheartedly.

I received some flack for that support tonight. During the pageant I, along with several friends, were posting our own commentary regarding the pageant, it’s format, and the girls – ahem … young women – competing, to Facebook. Somewhere in the middle several other people commented that the MAO is sexist or that choosing a pageant over football was choosing vanity.

I wish people would educate themselves before they commented on such things.

The Miss America Organization is a scholarship program. It EMPOWERS young women beginning at very early ages. I have been a pageant contestant on the local level. I know girls who’ve gone on to be strong, confident young women partially due to their experiences with MAO. I also know several girls who’ve gone on to stand and perform on the Miss America stage. I even know a couple of Miss America title holders.

Congratulations to Miss Wisconsin

on her new role as Miss America 2012!! 

Miss America 2012 - Laura Kaeppeler

The Miss America Organization is one that focuses on service, competency, and how well-rounded each contestant is. The girls are required to have certain levels of community participation and well as incredible time-management. skills.

Most of the nay-sayers have stated something along the lines of “if it’s not a beauty contest then why do they parade around in bikinis and evening gowns?” To this I point you to society. Society is the reason everything has become so sexed-up. Think about it. We live in a society where parents dress their 9 year old daughters in “Juicy” yoga pants with mid-riff baring shirts. I mean really.

Do you know what the four points on the Miss America crown stand for?

Service.

Style.

Scholarship.

Success.

The Miss America Organization is one the points women towards the goals and not only encourages them to follow their dreams but gives them the skills to do so. Skills such as confidence when speaking in public and being able to “think on her feet” and many others.

This is also an incredible opportunity shared by only 91 women in America. A rare opportunity that brings other amazing opportunities with it. Travelling across America, over 150,000 miles usually, working with the Children’s Miracle Network, being a role model for girls and women across America, representing the American people, and many others.

The women are encouraged to choose a platform, much like a politician but without the politics, and spend their year of service bringing their platform to the public, raising awareness and support.

Heather French (Henry), Miss America 2000, used the Miss America pageant to   bring awareness to the plight of our homeless veterans and had (still has)  overwhelming success and continues to have regular speaking engagements. Like most of the contestants her passion for this platform began at home.

Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011, just crowned Miss America 2012, effectively finishing her official duties as Miss America. She is a 17 year old, high school graduate, with the poise of a 30 year old professional business woman. Her plans include attending Patrick Henry College, where she has received a full-ride, and moving on to Harvard Law which will be completely paid for with her scholarship earnings from the Miss America Organization.

These are only a few examples. There are so many other women, more than I can list here, who have used the Miss America competitions as a stepping stone along their journey of fulfilling their dreams. So before you lash out about how vain it is, or how the girls are just pretty faces, consider your own dreams. If given the opportunity to do go after your dreams, no holds bar, wouldn’t you do it?

That’s what these girls have done.

Follow dreams. 

Since I am in Christ.

I discovered this list several months ago and it’s been sitting on my dresser ever since. I’m going to post it all here and gradually through the next year come back to it for topics to discuss. There’s a lot here but I challenge you to copy/paste this into Word, print it, and tape it to your bathroom mirror. Read it every single day. Especially those days when it seems things cannot get any worse.

Since I am in Christ, by the grace of God:

I have been justified – completely forgiven and made righteous {Romans 5:1}

I died with Christ and died to the power of sin’s rule over my life {Romans 6:1-6}

I am free forever from condemnation {Romans 8:1}

I have been placed into Christ by God’s doing {1 Corinthians 1:30}

I have received the Spirit of God into my life that I might know the things freely given to me by God {1 Corinthians 2:12}

I have been given the mind of Christ {1 Corinthians 2:16}

I have been bought with a price, I am not my own; I belong to God {1 Corinthians 6:19-20}

I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God in Christ, and I have been given the Holy Spirit as a pledge guaranteeing my inheritance to com {2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13-14}

Since I have died, I no longer live for myself, but for Christ {2 Corinthians 5:14-15}

I have been made righteous {2 Corinthians 5:21}

I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I am now living is Christ’s life {Galatians 2:20}

I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing {Ephesians1:3}

I was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before Him {Ephesians 1:5}

I have been redeemed and forgiven, and I am a recipient of His lavish grace {Ephesians 1:7-8}

I have been made alive together with Christ {Ephesians 2:5}

I have been raised up and seated with Christ in Heaven {Ephesians 2:6}

I have direct access to God through the Spirit {Ephesians 2:18}

I may approach God with boldness, freedom, and confidence {Ephesians 3:12}

I have been rescued from the domain of Satan’s rule and transferred to the kingdom of Christ {Colossians 1:13}

I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. The debt against me has been canceled {Colossians 1:14}

Christ Himself is in me {Colossians 1:27}

I am firmly rooted in Christ and am now being built in Him {Colossians 2:7}

I have been made complete in Christ {Colossians 2:10}

I have been spiritually circumcised {Colossians 2:11}

I have been buried, raised, and made alive with Christ {Colossians 2:12-13}

I died with Christ and I ahve been raised up with Christ. My life is now hidden with Christ in God. Christ is now my life {Colossians 3:1-4}

I have been given a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline {2 Timothy 1:7}

I have been saved and set apart according to God’s doing {2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 3:5}

Because I am sanctified and am one with the Sanctifier, He is not ashamed to call me brother/sister {Hebrews 2:11}

I have the right to come boldly before the throne of God to find mercy and grace in time of need {Hebrews 4:16}

I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God by which I am a partaker of God’s divine nature {2 Peter 1:4}

One Word.

2011 has been an interesting year.

We had some devastatingly crazy weather {possibly an understatement}.

I made some major changes to my degree plan and long term goals.

We hit some serious {sometimes painful} growth spurts

Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually.

I am a Compassion Blogger, in theory. I signed up to be one roughly a year ago. I’ve managed to blog an assignment here and there but I haven’t been as committed to it as I should be. That is changing in 2012. This last week I was reading a mass email sent to all Compassion Bloggers. In the email our coordinator suggested rather than making goals or resolutions for the coming year that we seek God as for the one word her would have us focus on. This idea was originally mentioned to her by her boss a few years ago and it stuck.

Pray.

Seek God.

One Word.

What is the one word that encompasses what God wants you to get in 2012?

I did what was suggested and it seems I was given a letter rather than a word.

My focuses for 2012:

Patience

Priorities

Purge

Passion