Riding Over Life

I've just recently realized how much I have neglected this blogger. I suppose the abundance of paper bound journals are to blame. There is just something about writing in leaflets that make journaling so pleasurable. Its also the mobility of journals that make capturing every moment as they happen so lovely. Overall, I can give a brief synopsis.
Summer is becoming exactly how everyone dreams it to be. I can not go a day without seeing my best friend and although my other best friend is a whole ocean away, having that "dreamy" type attitude and knowing that he's experiencing so many things he can't in the states remains comforting. I spend everyday living to the fullest and reminding myself why God is so good. Why and how he blesses me in everyday life. Even when there are so many obstacles being put in my way (ie - jobs, old relationships/struggles, health and family), I know that he provides. My friends remain supportive and we have planned so many extraordinary things to discover. I even rode a hot air balloon this past week! Another task off my bucket list! Knowing the risks I can take are making the decisions in my life seem not so hard and not so stressful. Why can't everything we do in life be as simple and adventurous as a hot air balloon ride? It seems dangerous, but if you take the precautions, learn to trust, and build some guts, anything is possible. Anything. I have learned that everyday is an open book. Learn to take life as it comes at you, to make each day count. I am ready to make my life a clay for my God to mold. :D

I've Got the Blues - Not Mac & Cheese

"A Friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." ~Proverbs 17:17




Friendship. A ten letter word that everyone yearns for. A thing that people have in their daily lives. A noun that I can thank God for everyday in my life. All I can say is that without my friends, I would not be the person I am today.My friends complete me. In a person's life they have their share of memories, right? But other than family, who do people usually spend those memories with? Exactly, friends. Friends are pretty much the rocks to relationships. The people that you want to spend your time with and the people that you trust. Other than my family and God… if I did not have my friends then I would be... lost. I have a reason to thank God everyday for the amazing friends that I have now. For being the people that I love. For being the people that give me hope. Hope in yesterday. Hope in Today. Hope in tomorrow. For being the crying shoulder that everyone needs. For being everything that has made me the person I am now, compared to the person I was. For being (insert positive effect here).

Man, I have it bad. And this music isn't helping. Why am I listening to Tarzan again? Phil Collins and your voice...I have the end of the year blues. Knowing that a week from now, I am going to be at home, waiting for camp to start. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my family. There is just this thing about my boys, Jamie, and a few of my other girlfriends that just make school so easy to deal with. They keep life simple, reminding me that worries create problems, and life is an everyday thing. They are the closest thing to family outside of family for me and the more I think of them, the more I realize I am one of the luckiest people in the world. He may not remember this, but Justin told me once "Leah, I am really happy to have gotten to know you. Having friends like you remind me why life is good." Him telling me that has been on my heart ever since and knowing that I have people like him and our friends in my life remind me...I am so blessed.







"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!"
- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

The Finale

I sit here, surrounded by boys, wondering whether or not I am ready for summer. Sitting here in the comfort of the boys, fulfills me. They give me a sense of home. Camp is going to be incredible - using the gifts God gave me to lead kids to Christ - but somehow, I still know I will miss the sense of family I have here. With Justin and Joel working as janitors, Gabe and Steve in Ireland, and Edwin and Tim too far away to even think of traveling...I am trying to remember what I did before them. Wait, that's right, I was uptight and worrisome. I knew those boys came in handy for something. They kind of set me free.

Majesty. That's what they're doing. A game of fighting, war, and destruction. Now, no, I am not doing it as well, but hearing the sounds of clashing swords, explosions, and mouse clicking is rather soothing. Those to me are the sounds of safety (not literally those things in real life). Yes, I have the most amazing girlfriends on campus who keep me stable...But the way that I feel with the boys, is different. I feel completely at home and like myself. It's weird I know, but I'm use to the stench of boy.

Camp is creeping closer and closer. I haven't completely finished my application yet, but the more I think about it, the more I get excited. I could finally be working with youth as a senior counselor. Staying in the cabins with them and actually being a good influence...having bible studies and loving the fact that I would be with the kids. Theater too - Being able to use theater to begin missions, even in the smallest of places... that would be awesome. :) I want to make a difference because helping change the world has to start somewhere. :)

New Days Start With Strange Dreams

After last night, I am glad I woke up at the time I did. I figured I'd sleep all day. Waking up wasn't the hard part, it was leaving behind an unfinished dream that I kept falling back asleep to finish. All that I know is that I can't blog about certain people before I go to sleep, or I dream about them.

It's a brand new day. I got up and realized how wonderful hot showers are. Today is going to embark a new adventure. My dad goes in for surgery tomorrow and for someone who has spent her entire life taking care of her lovely parents to make sure she can keep them as long as possible... this is so hard. I wasn't like this until grandma died.


When she died, my world crashed. I didn't cry, but I was terribly pissed. Sitting on the bathroom floor, just wishing she would knock on the door and tell me that she had to come in. A week before she died, she asked me to sing for her. I use to be really shy, in front of everyone, and I declined. I was so bashful, towards everyone, completely different from the person I am now. When she started going downhill and soon died (a day before I was suppose to come see her in the hospital), I felt like it was my fault, like I could of stopped it. From that day on, it was my job to take care of everyone, to make sure I could prevent things. It was also the start of me working hard to use music and theater as my ministry. To spread my gift to as many people as it could reach. To hopefully give a helping hand. Maybe that is also why auditions are so stressful for me. Because she can see me, from heaven, and I want to do my best, not just for myself, but for her and God.

Wow, I could vent on that subject forever. But! God has blessed me in so many ways. I am going to use today to glorify him. After staff meeting, West Virginia, here I come. I am going to use who I am to help other people. God you made me that way and I can't change it. I can help other people as long as I agree to help myself. Well, this trip will be helping myself.

You blessings never fail. This week will be fine. And you will always be with me.

Sentimental Reasonings

I haven't written in a while. This could be due to the rise of joy within my life. It also could be due to the lack of time and effort to want to write down my feelings. All in all, I'm here now, writing, venting, learning the ways of words to express the inner most feelings of my heart.

I blame Joel. I was fine with leaving school for the summer until he brought it up. Friends are my rock, my fire, my life - they keep me burning and living for another day. Joel is one of the friends and the more I sit around thinking about time without my boys, I wonder, "How in the world am I going to function?"

Now, don't get me wrong...I have home friends that I love to pieces. But, you have to understand these boys to understand where I am coming from. They live everyday like they have no worry. (Now, I know they worry, but most of the time, it's just fun and the responsibility they have is just done - no complaining, just done quickly so they can get back to life). Even when they don't mean too, they always teach me valuable lessons about cherishing life and time and time again remind me of the 1 Timothy 4:12 verse : "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." I love it and I love them.

Now, once again, don't get me wrong. It is a little weird to be that close with guys all the time. I mean, there are sometimes, I feel completely left out and strange, like they wish I didn't belong, but I know better. They just have their boy giggles and I sit there and shake my head with the "those silly kids" attitude. Sometimes the testosterone levels rise a little bit too high for my own good, but somehow, I am able to measure it back down. The more I realize that although I am a women, I love those boys like they were my own brothers.

Pretty much, I can see ahead, see all the great things awaiting me, and that is what is getting me through a lot of things right now. I have learned to have joy in every situation and even though sometimes you don't always understand why things happen, you know God is on your side and he loves you. He wants to see you succeed and he wants to see you do his will. I have joy because I have people to remind me to take delight in the little things and not dwell on the impurities of the world. God brought me those boys as a blessing. That's a good word for it - they are my blessing.

Camp (if I get the job) is going to be a great experience this summer. It's what I have been working toward for a long time. I have been wanting to be a counselor for LONG, LONG time. :) We'll see what God has in store for me.

Musical is coming up. I feel like I could vomit. I just wish people would stop talking about it for a while. I want it so bad, I could taste it. I am going to leave the subject for a while... at least until auditions are over...so I can actually breathe and concentrate on schoolwork ( maybe...?) and rehearse my song/monologue in peace without worry.

I am so sentimental. I am remembering so much and fretting so much. I just wish that I could just learn to suck it up and "be a man..." On second thought, Gabe might not like that too much. haha.

Tired. Sleep.

You'll Be In My Heart - The Pathway for the Lord and I After Each Other's Hearts

I finally have the will-power to sit back and write a good to honest blog entry about my thoughts, prayers, and dreams. It's been a hectic semester so far here at school, but I wouldn't trade a minute of it. God keeps blessing me more and more everyday and I am still amazed at how much he keeps blessing me, especially as I give myself more to him everyday.
Class are making it hard to want to study. It seems like the more I study the more I struggle and although I can rock the short answer quizzes and essays, when it comes to multiple choice and true and false, I stink like poo on the bottom of your shoe. Sometimes I wish I had that logical brainsmarts just so I can make it through that portion of school. The boys downstairs have it....maybe I can suck out the brilliant minds of Edwin, Gabriel, and the Rittenhouse brothers. :) (Leah the Alien Brain Stealer).
Fireflies, definitely give me company tonight. I am up late once again reading over some study questions and talking to some amazing people online. You know, I don't really mind that much. It gives me something to hope in. Gives me people to take joy in. "Beneath the snowy veil, content like a panda, still breathing the mountain air..." Shelby, today is one of the days I miss my little sister and her insane dances to Owl City on long just the two of us car trips. You make me happy to have an awesome family.
"Take my hand, hold it tight, I will protect you, from all around you..." I sometimes feel like Phil Collins really knew that he was talking about. Not only is God always there for you, but he really puts people in your life to help you through anything. I am so thankful for the group of friends and people that I have met here at EMU. Our trip to the cabin was priceless. A small little cottage with 4 boys and 3girls sharing life stories, testimonies, and love. A love of a savior. I can remember the most priceless moments. Standing around singing, eating together around the picnic table and giggling, have all of us on the bed at once talking and it then breaking when Bekah sat down, fixing the bed..me laying on it...and then Austin and Taylor attacking me in my sleep and breaking the bed again, the long morning hike up the mountain to the top where we had the most beautiful and breathtaking service ever. If you would of saw this sight, you would definitely of had to have someone wipe up the drool. IT WAS A HECK OF A HIKE but when we got to the top, we all picked rocks, read the word, and sang praise songs. I felt like the Lord was sitting right next to me, holding my hand, telling me that he told me so on having amazing friends. ..."I thank God for [them] everyday" 1 Corth. 1:17
The more and more that I continue praying to God, the more God keeps placing things on my heart to pursue. Hopefully I have the strength to continue God's will, even at the sake of being hurt.
This music and theater ministry program idea is so great. The departments are so supportive and so much more than what Shepherd has offered me. They "give me hope for future..." and make me want to do great things for this world. As I continue praying, I feel like God will tell me what he has in store for me. :) I am so excited to see what he has planned up in this master plan of his. Patience....Patience LEAH. Lord, please keep mending me in the midst of this healing procelain heart. :)

- Leah

Finding God in Harry Potter?

Can you see Christian lessons taught in Harry Potter?

Here is a research paper I wrote about how harry potter can really promote christian beliefs and that wiccan witchcraft is not present in the books. It is a real interesting though process I went through and my teacher really enjoyed reading it... as I enjoyed writing it. By the way, I wrote this before the 7th book was released.


Does Harry Potter Promote Witchcraft?

What question arises into the youth's head when the subject of literature is brought into perspective? Every year it's the same one. When is the next Harry Potter book being released? The story of the eleven year old wizard who was accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has captivated the hearts of millions of adolescent minds across the world. However, is that a good or a bad thing? Parents are worried that the books will lead their children into the hands of witchcraft and occult practices. Practices that are clearly against that of Christianity beliefs. But does it really? The question being raised is: Does Harry Potter really promote witchcraft? Well, in an overall perception, the story line of Harry Potter does not promote witchcraft but it is mainly a make-believe version to what some recollect to be "dark arts".
First, witchcraft or Wicca is a religion based on the worshiping of a deity. From this deity, witches receive power for their magic. The Goddess, the Wiccan Deity, gives them either good or white magic or evil or black magic. The black magic was thought to seek revenge on people who treated them informally. In a nutshell, this religion practices the art of invocational magic. This is the magic that invokes the spirit of the deity, magic not used in any of the Harry Potter books. Harry Potter never portrayed the art of deity pronounced magic. The witches in the Potter world portrayed wand waving incantational magic, also used in stories such as Cinderella. Also, the use of muggles in the books show how some people can not use magic unlike in Wicca where anyone can be a witch. This is a main key that is often overlooked.
JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, wanted to write a fantasy series that would get minds wandering, wandering into the realm of imagination. Her intentions of the magical books were not to have people believing that she practiced or promoted Wicca but to have a spark or interesting storyline. Rowling, being a strong Presbyterian follower, only used about 1/3 of real alchemy information in her books. Alchemy, the chemical study in which things could be turned into gold, was used to help promote imagination and morality. Not in any way was it used to promote children to take up witchcraft.
What most Christian followers are worried about is what the bible tells them. In Deuteronomy 18:10-12, the bible says that "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his sons and his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because these things are an abomination, the Lord your God drives them out from before you." Well, yes, it is wrong for Christian believers to promote or engage in anything that would be found as witchcraft or Wiccan, but how can reading a story like Harry Potter be wrong if the witchcraft analogy being using is fiction and can not be practiced. Rowling's type of witchcraft is wand waving and broom stick flying. Has anyone ever seen either tasks actually performed? No. So, how could Harry Potter be put under a category with Wicca if the magic being used is not real? It can't, that's the synopsis.
What a lot of people overlook is what is written right on the cover. Harry Potter is a fiction book series. This important factor tells everyone that the books are not real and should not be taken as anything other than. Just like a lot of other fantasy works such as The Wizard of Oz and Hansel and Gretel , Harry Potter is mainly just used for fun reading and promotes courage and friendship. You can't ride brooms or wave wands to produce shiny beams. "If this subject offends people, that isn't what I want to do, but I don't believe in censorship of for any age group , and this is what I wanted to write about. The book is really about the power of imagination. What Harry is learning to do is develop his full potential. Wizardry is just the analogy that I use. If anyone expects it to be a book that seriously advocates magic will be disappointed. Not least because I do not believe in magic in that way," writes Rowling in response to the accusations pushed at her books.
It is all fiction and should be taken as such.
In a lot of libraries and stores across the world, people are fighting to have Rowling's books taken off the shelf. What would banning the books do for the literature readers all over? Nothing. Banning the book would just make people want to read them even more. It's like when parents tell their children that they can't have cookies until after dinner but the kids try to sneak past that one little chocolate chip before it's even ready. The desire to read the books would grow rapidly higher and it would be wrong to take them away. People should see that they are only fiction and that it is nothing different than what past fantasies have already written.
When the story of the pre-teen wizard hit the shelves, people began to worry about the idea that the books equaled all things evil and people believed that the books were Satanist and should be banned. To some people, reading Harry Potter is detestable to the Lord. Actually, the books could be used to distribute a strong, symbolic story of Christian beliefs just like that of C.S. Lewis.
In the summer of 2006, a church in Charles Town, West Virginia, taught Christian lessons using the pronounced Harry Potter series. The sermons taught kids to art of good morals and character. Also, what one found is that the books got more children involved and interested in the church. It was a book that kids have read and the talks yanked at their interests. Since then the church's youth group has doubled in size.
Lessons that can be taught through the Harry Potter books are very symbolic. In the story, Gryffindor represents the good things in life alongside courage and bravery. It represents heaven. In ancient mythology, a griffin is a creature that consists of half lion and half eagle; The lion was known to be king of the land and the eagle known to be king of the skies. This represented how God is king of heaven and earth. In the books, the Gryffindor house wants to triumph over evil and do the good things that count. Slytherin, on the other hand, is another house at Hogwarts. To get into this notorious house, it would call for extreme wit and cleverness. What makes Slytherin seem bad is the way that the wizards from it use their wit and cleverness to trick people. That represents God's gift of free will to the world. The sorting hat(God) just told the students(world) which house to go to based on their choices and emotions. What resided in their mind. When Harry chose not to want to go to Slytherin, that made him different from the rest and it was based on his free will. Just as Jeremy Bowlby said in his sermon, "What House are you in?", "We are not chosen by the hat, we make the choice ourselves".
Another lesson that the books portray are their abilities to be compared to biblical references. From the beginning of the series, the storyline follows the event where Harry's mother saved his infant life from the wrath of Lord Voldemort with her loving nature. The Shield of Faith protects one from the enemy. By having faith in God over the enemy, the enemy can not get to believers because their faith is strong. God protects them with his love. This can be compared to Lily's love for Harry and how it protected him.
The Sword of the Spirit on the other hand is the word of God. The Sword is the power of knowledge. Just like in Matthew 4:11 where Jesus is tempted by the devil in the desert. Jesus knew the scriptures and followed them. The devil also studied the scripture but did not obey it. This made the difference. Just like in Harry Potter where Hermonie could get the trio out of trouble because she had studied the spells and followed them when needed. Just like Hermonie, people can use the word of God to defeat the enemy.
In some instances, Harry Potter would allow it's readers to see symbolism of God's love through objects that Harry himself would use. The invisibility cloak, a piece of clothing that Harry had inherited from his father to be able to appear invisible, was a main key point used throughout the entire series. We learn that God wants us to triumph over evil just as Jesus did at the beginning of his ministry. From that, the choice between good and evil becomes a little easier. Furthermore, we learn that Jesus is righteous and following in his steps protects us from evil just as Harry invisibility cloak kept him safe and invisible.
Another question people rise up on their stampede to wondering whether Harry Potter is a good reading choice for their children or not is : Why does death occur in each of the books if they are not dark and wicked? Well, the answer is, yes, death is a main key point but what is important is what we learn from it. In the books, love triumphs over death and makes the stories more moral. Just like how Dumbledore, Lily, and James all died out of love. The morality teaches kids that yes, death is apart of life but love is just as strong. In the end, the story teaches that love can fight over the bad things in life, even death.
One of the most important lessons that Harry Potter, a book that many people think to promote witchcraft, teaches is the Helmet of Salvation and how it reminds us that Jesus died for us. In the books, Dumbledore uses a mind pensive to keep and recollect his thoughts. This can be compared to remembering Jesus' death to Dumbledore's mind pensive.
There are many more lessons that can be taught using the fun filled Harry Potter books. Kids and even adults find them interesting and moralizing. The few, however, that overlook the fact that the books are fiction and filled with moralizing values should see for themselves that Harry Potter is not a bad reading choice. How can a book that is filled with so many life lessons and trials be so bad? Just because the use of magic is being portrayed does not makes the books horrible. The magic used in Rowling's books are not any different than that of the prestige Disney movies. People just seem to want something to point fingers at and accuse of doing wrong. Overall, Harry Potter and JK Rowling do not promote witchcraft at all, but only the fault of people overlooking the word fiction on the cover.