Sunday, October 10, 2010

Licking a stamp burns 10 calories. Just Saying.

Good morning starshine! The Earth says hello!

This morning I wanted to shoot something by ya. Nothing too deep, just something thats on my mind. Lately, I've actually been ahead on homework...WOO! So, consequently, I've had a tad bit of down time. In this downtime I've been curious about the orgin of my name and this is what I've come up with.

Simone - listen, hear
Nicole - people of victory
Amalio - Industrious

How cool is that. Now I was like, Industrious, thats kind of lame. The definition from dictionary.com says this:

industrious: working energetically and devotedly; hard-working; diligent: an industrious person.

So essentially my name says: I'm one who hears, a people of victory, and devotedly hardworking. How awesome is this idea if we apply it in a Christian light! Isn't that what we should all be striving towards? One who hears the needs of others, and hears the Word of God himself. One who lives like overwhelming victory is already ours through what Christ has done for us. And working energetically and devotedly for God! I LOVE THAT! This week I'm really going to challenge myself to live this out, and maybe you'd like to do the same?

THe definition of a Christian is a follower of Christ. A "little Christ" if you will. Lets really dive into what the definition of a follower of Christ. Lets really live that out! Can you imagine if 10 people truly did that, or 100. Imagine how drastically we could change the world around us.

So yeah, this is a little something that was on my mind. Nothing too heavy. Maybe you'll even look up the definition of your own name? I dont know. But this week dive into the definition of your faith. I think if you are earnestly seeking after what that means in your life, you'll be surprised at what you find.

Dig deeper
Sim

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Mount Everest rises a few millimeters every year. Just Saying.

Oh hey there, its been awhile. Me? Oh, I'm great! Yeah, workloads been decent. Nothing to hard....yet. My family's good, thanks for asking. Yours too? Great, glad to hear it. Now that we're all caught up...

My most sincere apologies to everyone who keeps asking why I'm not posting. I write a TON in college, so that makes me somewhat lose my motivation when it comes to writing for fun. BUT I'm back. Ready to type my thoughts out to all of you who are cool enough to read what I have to say.

So this past week I got an assignment in my communications class. I had to participate in a "spiritual practice" that involved listening to God. After said task was completed I had to write a "reflection". Of course I did NOT have any desire to do this what-so-ever. The conclusion however surprised even me. I know it's kind of lengthy, but I don't think it will bore you too much. Below I'm sharing with you my reflection. I hope what happened to me, inspires you to maybe do something similar...


It was a beautiful fall day. The sunlight peered out between the red and orange leaves. As I walked along the sidewalk I embraced the crisp fall air around me. I shoved my hands in my pockets and shuffled along. A cool gust of wind picked up the fallen leaves around my feet, and I pulled my hat onto my head. The sounds of geese overhead flying south and the soft wind in the trees engulfed me as I walked alone. But that’s just it.; in this moment I was not alone.
My best friend was there along side me. He’s this cool guy; his name is Jesus. If you haven’t met him, you most definitely should. So many times when we hang out, I do all the talking. I tell him about my day. I tell him all of the great things that happened, and how grateful I am. I tell him all of my worries and needs. I ask him to help me out, because he will in a heartbeat. He’s that kind of guy. And then, right as I finish talking, it’s his turn. What do I do? I say all right thanks a lot, we should do this again soon, and I walk away. I leave him standing there. He never got in a word.
But this time, this time it was different. I didn’t say anything; nothing at all. I just waited. What happened next was something I haven’t done since I first found Christ, I listened to God talk to me. No, the clouds didn’t part. There was no white dove from the heavens (there were a few sparrows flying around though). But he talked, and I listened.
It’s not that I haven’t asked him to talk to me. I haven’t really meant it. I haven’t waited. It was only when the distractions, and noise were gone. It was only when it was simply me, with my open and willing heart, and him, that I heard from heaven.
What turned out to be an obligation, ended up being exactly what I needed in my life. I have been praying for answers, but I haven’t been giving Jesus a chance to answer. This weekend my daddy and I talked for the first time in a long time. Jesus, we should do this again sometime…real soon.


When was the last time you just listened. Sincerely, and earnestly just listened. Theres a song lyric by Addison Road that says, " Tried to hear from heaven, but I talked the whole time." How often is that us? This week I urge you to just listen. Get away from it all. No music, no fan on, no nothing. Just silence. You'll be surprised at how much you hear when all there is, is silence.

...
Sim

Monday, September 20, 2010

It takes less than a gallon of water to create a whole square mile of fog. Just Saying.

Oh hi, hello there! Im typing this from my dorm room...IN COLLEGE! I know very, very exciting! I haven't written yet, because I've been so so busy! But I am back, so all of you people who have been asking, I am going to honestly try and start writing once a week if not- once every other week. I will be writing specifically about college soon BUT I had to get this out there for all of you:

College has been handing me my fair share of challenges, so I have a challenge for you. It was first given to me in my communications book, and I kind of expanded on that idea...

Picture yourself as a bystander looking at YOU. You are a a bystander viewing your past twelve hours of life. How are you living? How are you treating others? Have you shown an interest in how they really are? Are you supportive? How has your tone been? Your body language? Would you call yourself a good person? Can you honestly see Christ in the way you've been living the past twelve hours?

WOW. How often do we (please notice the use of "we" here) stop and ask ourselves, "Am I living like Christ?" In my own life I can say not really. I think in our lives we so often unintentionally dehumanize others. We strip away their identity as a human beings. For example, picture that person. Yes, that one you have an issue with. They did that thing to you, that one time. How do you view them? Do you see them as a human being made in the very likeness of God the creator Himself?... Ok, so how about that guy that just cut you in line. Or, that guy that's riding your bumper on the road? Are you seeing him as some jerk? Because news flash: Christ died for him too.

I'm guilty of it too. I'm just as in the wrong. Let's challenge ourselves here, to honestly examine the past 12 hours of our lives. AND, yes there's an "and", let's do something about it! Don't just sit here-- lets do something about it this week especially!!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

On the clearest night the stars don't shine in the Twp. Just Saying.

Hi, hello there. My name is Simone. Im 18 years old. Im moving out of my house tomorrow morning.

It blows my mind how quickly this summer has gone by. I feel like in this moment a "woosh" sound effect is needed. *woosh* I can honestly say this has been the best summer of my life. I could at this point go on and on about what I did, but I do not think that is necessary. "I never look back darling, it distracts from the now."

As I look FORWARD I cannot wait to see what God has for me. Sure, today will be filled with tearful goodbyes and gut-wrenching moments, but tomorrow I will saying lots of hellos and meeting so many new people I am sure will influence the rest of my life.

Ok I lied, so I am going to talk a bit about the past here. If I had to set a "soundtrack" for this summer. If I had to pick one album to encompass all that has happened, it would have to be A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong Live. (Who I saw LIVE front row center this summer...cough cough...just saying) I know that my life is not my own. I lay me down for Kingdom come. The future is for God to mold me into who He needs me to be! I am so excited for that. I cannot wait for it. Why am I so discouraged now? Why so uncomfortable with leaving? I know that is just the enemy whispering in my ear. I must ALLOW God's peace to fill me these next couple of days. The offers there I just have to take it! He has been so good to me, I have no reason to doubt him. I have no reason to be afraid. If God is with me WHO DARES stand against me.

The future is bright. See you in Spring Arbor.
Sim

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

I know I already posted today, but I just had to repost this. A future classmate of mine Katie Niemetta posted this earlier today and it BLEW ME AWAY. Its so easy in today's day and age to feel worthless. Girls today are so degraded on a daily basis that it sickens me. I being one of these girls constantly struggle with self worth and petty issues such as my appearance. It is something I am honestly day by day working on. Today reading this post just rocked my world. It is so true and I think it is something EVERY girl should read. Please read this and soak in what it has to say.
She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the
future. --Proverbs 31:25

I am a daughter of the King. A princess of the LORD of LORDS. Who dares tell me otherwise?
Sim

---------------------------------------enjoy!

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST~ My desire for beauty to be revealed, and the Beast (Satan) trying to rob me of my right to feel lovely.
by Katie Niemetta on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 3:03pm


***Pretty much, I feel GOD is placing many things on my heart as I write this. Today I woke up and I felt the need and hunger today to crank up my iPod and put my Christian playlist on and open the pages of the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. Every girl NEEDS to read this book by the way. I also flipped through Scripture trying to reveal the things GOD is literally has been whispering in my ear. My eyes suddenly opened up and I realized how really TICKED I truly am on the inside. I was expecting to be moved emotionally and feel all warm, fuzzy, and loving on the inside, instead I listened to my music and read all these word of being lovely, beautiful, and worthy and felt myself grow unbelievably ANGRY! I was greatly surprised by my reaction.***

Here is why:

I am sick of wanting to be wanted! I am tired of waiting patiently for beauty to be revealed to me. I am tired of waking up every morning, and staring at my bagel for breakfast and questioning if my thighs could really use those 240 calories. I am irritated by the fact, I cannot buy a shirt or nice pair of jeans without a giant strategically placed 10x12 advertisement of some half naked woman without having her size 0 butt and boobs in my face. I am also ENRAGED by how these images of women MUTILATE the minds of our men that we one day will be betrothed to. We will one day give our heart, mind and body to a man who is having his brain polluted by images of women who are not REAL. How does this make me feel beautiful? I don't want to wait any longer for God to shape and mold the man he has for me to marry any longer, I want my future perfect (which I do know does not exist, but I'm a hopeless romantic at heart) husband NOW! I want to be loved. I want to be told I am lovely. I want so badly down to my core to have a man of God hold me in his arms and have me be the only woman he ever sees. I want my husband not to see another woman...but only me. When I walk down the aisle on my wedding day, I want to be the only woman in the room in the eyes of my husband. I WANT TO BE CHERISHED, LOVED, AND WORTHY. I want to be fought for. I want this ADVENTUROUS, AMAZING, and FIERY romantic love story where I am TREASURED. Through all of this, I knew I could possibly not be the only female who thinks this way.


NOTE: If you cannot tell by the above, my mind was going 110 mph. So many thoughts at one time can be quite overwhelming!



...All these thoughts ran through my head, and I cried. I let the tears just pour out...


THEN THE LIGHTBULB WENT OFF!!!!


And it hit me, all these things I keep saying I want and made all about me were all ready here. In case you hadn't noticed, I started all my sentences with "I". Here I am, trying to take control again. GOD took care of all of that for me already. I am romanced by GOD every second of everyday. HE is my LOVER, HE wants to be my knight in shining armor. HE wants me to hold my arms open to HIM and HE cradles me, strokes my hair, and tells me I am lovely. We as women, are created in reflection of HIS beauty. When you view it that way, the 10 extra pounds I think I have to lose, and the hair on my head that falls flat after just an hour suddenly does not matter anymore. SIMPLY THIS- " A woman in her glory, a woman of beauty, is a woman who is not striving to become beautiful or worthy enough. She knows in her quiet center where GOD dwells that HE finds her beautiful, has deemed her worthy, and in HIM, she is enough". THAT IS AWESOME!





-------THESE WORDS CALMED MY SOUL AND REVEALED TO ME WHAT MY HEART ACHED FOR-------


1) The KING is enthralled by your beauty- (Psalm 45:11)

2) "The beauty of the world is almost the only way by which we can allow God to penetrate us...Beauty captivates the senses in order to obtain permission to pass straight through to the soul...The soul's inclination to love beauty is the trap God most frequently uses in order to win it."- Simone Weil

3) "Beauty may be the most powerful thing on Earth. Beauty speaks. Beauty invite. Beauty nourishes. Beauty comforts.Beauty inspires.Beauty is transcendent. Beauty draws us to God." pg. 133- Captivating


4) " The essence of a woman is Beauty. She is meant to be the incarnation- our experience in human form- of a Captivating God. A God who invites us." pg. 132- Captivating

5) I want to be beautiful
Make you stand in awe
Look inside my heart,and be amazed
I want to hear you say
Who I am is quite enough
Just want to be worthy of love
And beautiful
- Beautiful by Bethany Dillon


6) Mirror I am seeing a new reflection
I'm looking into the eyes of He who made me
And to Him I have beauty beyond compare
I know He defines me
- Mirror by Barlow Girl

















7) So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone
- Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman

8) Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. - (Proverbs 31:30)


9) " So then yo can see that when we speak about the essence of a woman- her beauty- we don't mean "the perfect figure". The beauty of a woman is first a soulish beauty. The beauty of a woman is first a soulful beauty." pg. 132 -Capivating

10)

















..these words spoke the most to me. Trust me, you will want to download this one.

















Beautiful Ending

















BarlowGirl - Beautiful Ending From the album Love And War

Oh tragedy has taken so many

Love lost cause they all forgot who You were

And it scares me to think that I would choose my life over You

Oh my selfish heart divides me from You,

it tears us apart So tell me What is our ending?

Will it be beautiful, so beautiful?

Oh how do I let myself let go

Of hands that painted the stars and hold tears that fall?

And the pride of my heart makes me forget it's not me

I'm lost without you and you're dying for me

So tell me What is our ending?

Will it be beautiful, so beautiful?

Will my life Find me by Your side?

Your love is beautiful, so beautiful

So tell me What is our ending?

Will it be beautiful, so beautiful?

Will my life Find me by Your side?

Your love is beautiful, so beautiful



I want so desperately to share my thoughts and struggles with other women who battle the same thoughts and feelings as I do. We are not alone. We are loved so passionately by the GREAT ROMANCER, GOD himself. I pray for you, and I pray that you will know how so very beautiful, lovely, and unique you are.

THE GOD ALMIGHTY created you, how can you not be beautiful?

Porcupines float in water. Just Saying.

Hola world and everyone in it. Or at least everyone who reads this blog. I have been SUPER busy lately so I haven't been writing as much as I would like. Plus it would be a lot of the same stuff. Just shopping, packing, saying goodbyes, repeat. This morning though I really felt drawn to write something, anything. That is probably due to the large span of time since I last wrote, but regardless here I am, here you are, and here we go.

So today on facebook I noticed something. Someone "poked" me. Now to some of you that happens like twelve times a day at least. Congrats, you are so popular. To others that may cause you to reminisce about being in 6th grade or so when facebook came up with this messed up idea. Anywho, so I have no idea who poked me. He is some dude I have never met...what does that mean?? I am not sure what the correct response to this would be so I simply ignored it. I don't get it though. You have nothing better to do with your life than look for some person you don't know and then "poke" them. Granted, he probably did not know I would blog about it. But, never the less, now he just looks dumb.

Now stay with me here. I have talked about time, and how you spend your time before. But lately as I'm thinking more and more about my future (4 days until college people) it really makes me reflect on that. Am I using this time before I move out to reflect and prepare for immense spiritual and mental growth. Or am I just wasting it by I don't know, let's say, poking random people I do not know on facebook.

Just some thoughts I had. Nothing too heavy today. As I said I simply needed to say something here. Now if you will excuse me I have to go pick up a mini fridge.

"Poke".
Sim

Sunday, August 22, 2010

The Romans did not use soap. Just Saying.

Wow, where does the time go?? There are only 14 days until I leave for school. Some of my friends are already leaving. It makes you really feel, well...old. When you put it into terms like, "oh, I'm moving out of my house in 2 weeks", it makes you feel a little elderly if you know what I'm saying.

So life has been treating me rather well lately. God has been blessing me in so many ways. It is easy to get caught up in the blessings and not the "blesser" so to speak. Yesterday was one of those days where I needed to be really focused on the "blesser" and I decided to read a tad bit of Proverbs. I have got to say whenever I need to feel grounded, Proverbs is where I like to turn. As I was reading through the thoughts and words of those wise men from so many years before me, something in particular stood out. It was Proverbs 12:18.
Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.

There are two parts to this verse (obviously I mean, come on, there is a comma) The first part I think we can all relate to all too well. We can all remember a moment. Where we were, what the weather was like, what we were wearing. Its vivid, an all too clear picture of that time that person said that thing you will never forget. They were just words, but they "cut".

For instance, I was in second grade. On the bus. On the left hand side, 5th row. And a boy who shall remain nameless got all of his big 3rd grad friends to call me Snow White and made me cry. Yeah, those kids were jerks.

The second half of this verse though is what really stuck out to me. As I'm getting ready to go off to college; to prepare and equip myself for a life of ministry, I can only hope one day my words will be so powerful that they can bring healing. Words alone-bringing healing- that's such a bind blowing concept for me. I hope as I go off to school, I don't lose sight of that. I want to be all God has called me to be, I want to bring healing to those who need it.

The blood of Jesus makes me worthy.
Sim