Yoked Equally

Hey there, good lookin'.
How are you today? I hope you're well. If you're not, things will definitely be looking up soon.


Hmmm. I've been thinking about a posting schedule for this... blog. Yep, I said it. Blog. Don't shoot. I have werewolf powers. If you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, check out the SparkNotes *Blog* -- I didn't REALLY say it there. I implied it. -- (specifically the Dan Bergstein posts) and my last post, which discusses lazy portmanteauers. Portmantites? Portmanteurs? Whatever. As I was saying, posting schedule. I'm thinking about being a weekly thing. Y'all down with that? Well, that's just too darn bad. Get over it. What I say goes.



Just kidding. But just check back periodically. There's no set posting schedule. That being said, I'm going to post OUT OF SCHEDULE TODAY.

OH MY GOSH. 'OH NO SHE DI'INT.' OH SNAP. HOLY COW.

...You done now? Thanks.

Speaking of holy things, I realize that you, my friends (and the occasional creep who doesn't know me but lurks around my blog), don't know much about my relationship with Jesus. (If you're an occasional creep, please leave me alone. I'm a minor.) I haven't really talked about my faith besides the few conversations some of us have "illegally" in school and the phrase I use when I talk about the future -- "God-willing". This is that opportunity for me to share what keeps me going. I'm sorry if you were looking for a funny post. Another's coming soon; don't worry. I apologize in advance if this turns you off. I wasn't intending on 'converting crazy heathen souls'. (No, I'm not calling you a heathen, that's in the White Man's Burden.) You don't have to agree, either. But if you ever need to come talk about this, come find me.

Ladies and gents, this is my testimony. (I also apologize if this turns into my life story.)

Well, I've been a UM (United Methodist) Christian since my baptism in June '94. I've gone to the same church since then, too. Technically, I've gone there since before I was even thought of being conceived. I officially accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was 4 watching TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) on a Saturday morning.  (Yeah, when I was little, Saturday morning cartoons didn't exist in my house. I watched Christian TV. I don't feel like I've missed out on anything, though.) I wanted to be a part of what those happy kids were singing about with their clean, white shoes and new clothes. I was at church almost every Sunday, I participated in church choir and Vacation Bible School and every other thing my church had to offer (every year, mind you), and if it weren't for the cost, I would have gone to school at my church's Westchase campus. I was surrounded by church, and I would have it no other way.

Being surrounded by church was a good thing, but it didn't protect me from the outside world. I grew up eventually. People were mean, and I just ended up getting hurt. But before that, I was the good girl, the one who was a stickler for the rules. (Some of you may have heard about my totalitarian stint in the second grade... :D Sorry, everyone.)

We're going to move forward to middle school. Nothing really changed in elementary school. I was a sheltered kid who got picked on. Middle school came with a change of environment and a bunch of cussing, pregnancies (?), and a whole heck of a lot of drama. I got wrapped up in it all, and as all the Christian testimonies go, "I fell into a deep pit." I ran away from God instead of toward him. I was a mess emotionally. I was still very involved in church, but at school I was totally different. I was like two different people. That fall, I went to Fall Retreat (No duh.) with my church. My life was changed... For about 2 months. You can guess where I fell then. Pit city. I was stabbed in the back by 3 of my best friends, and nothing seemed to be looking up. But after I had been in that pit for awhile, I realized that my friends -- the good ones -- weren't cussing, or pulling any of that crap, really. 
Sadly, that was the last Fall Retreat I was able to go on. I'd gone on three to that date. Band has gotten in the way...

I'm sorry this post is so long, by the way. I should probably split it. But I'm too lazy to. :]

7th and 8th grade weren't any better. I just wanted to be someone I wasn't because I was sick of being so dorky. I dated a guy, even though my parents hadn't given me permission to date. The summer after my 8th grade year, I went to Mexico on a mission trip. It was amazing. A few weeks later, I went to Student Life Camp in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. It was the most life changing experience of my life. I may post that article I wrote about it. Not in here, of course. But on the blog. D'oh! *claps hand over mouth* I didn't say nothing, fool. ;]

Then I went to high school. Oh, boy. Basically my life since then has been greatness, okayness, hole, hole, SL Camp (summer before sophomore year), greatness, not-so-deep hole, hole, REALLY DEEP HOLE, not-so-deep hole and coming soon, SL CAMP! :DDD

That's basically my testimony in a nutshell (Not really. I'll share the REALLY personal stuff with you in person, if you'd like to know. I was planning on extending, but I had to shorten it because I'd been writing with breaks since 2:30, and it's 6:50. (They were very large breaks, by the way.) Here's what I [personally] believe.

I don't know why bad things happen to us. I don't understand why bad things happen to amazing people, and decent things to not-so-great people. A lot of people think that the 'not knowing' is no basis for a faith. That's just it. I don't think seeing necessarily equates believing. God is my Savior, and when my life here on Earth is done, I pray to head up there and spend an eternity with Him. I believe we're all here for a reason. The Bible is our guideline to life. Christianity isn't about Biblethumping, though. Bad things, I think, don't necessarily happen because God intended, but because He wants us to run to Him.

Thanks for letting me share.

Much love,
Lisa :]

Oh, go check out this video with Glee's Mark Salling. It's the title of the post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc3THaYrClA&feature=related

Need to talk to me more? You know where to reach me.
Come visit my church, too!


Is this post WAY TOO TOUCHY? Did I OFFEND YOU? Please feedback in the comments below.