Saying Goodbye

My grandparents came up over graduation for a little family vacation time. We had lots of fun but as the last few hours of them being here was coming down to an end, I started thinking about what if they moved up here. Would they adjust the way I did when I first moved here from Texas?

My grandmother lives in Oklahoma and absolutely loves Iowa. She loves the scenery and the weather. My grandfather says that he loves the scenery but would have to get back to his warm weather down in Texas because the temps are too cold for him up here.

When I was 8 yrs old, we moved from Texas to start a new better life. My parents did what they could the first couple of months we were here to support us while they had no jobs so we stayed with my uncle. After about a month and a half, they found a house they were going to buy and we moved there. It was winter time and it was cold and there was snow everywhere so when we got to our new house, we loved the fact that it had an acre and a half of land. We made snowmen and played in the snow to pass time.

I've learned to get used to the winter. I don't like it much, but I love the snow. I do sometimes wish that my family would make the same transition and move up to Iowa so that I could have family close to me. I do miss them a lot and having my grandparents here for a while made me realize how much I really do miss them.

They left this morning back to their warm homes down south and I will miss them a lot! Until the next time I see them, I'll be up here in Iowa, where the temperature doesn't want to decide whether to be warm or cold.

Love

My baby sister is one to make me so happy and makes me laugh when I'm upset. It's amazing how someone so small can have such a big heart and hug you when you're crying. I love people like this.

Today I realized that although some people may be shy, quiet, and scared, they can be the most loving, caring and amazing people in the world. I was talking to an old friend and she's super shy, but what made me realize that she's not shy, was the way she talked to me and tried to help me through a problem. I've come to realize that the most quietest or the youngest people, can be the ones to give lots of love.

Work Hard

     Have you ever had the feeling that your alone even though you have people pushing you to do things? I have, and that's because I put myself down. When someone is down and I try to help them and they continue to deny hlep, it's hard because you don't understand why they won't do it.
     As I was driving home, I thought to myself about why people put themselves down and don't work hard at something they know they can do. I am one of those people. I have the ability to work hard and be successful at something but because I feel alone, I don't do it.
     People need to know that they are worth more and can do what they set their minds to. I need to put this into action because I know I have the support that I need. I know people care about me and my future. I know that I have the ability to be successful. I need to see that I am smart and can achieve what I set my mind to.

College Bound

As my high school career is coming down to an end,  I've come to realize that there is no turning back. It's finally hit me that my life as a teenager is coming to an end. Going to college will be a completely different experience. I have enjoyed my years in high school but now I know that I need to grow up and look ahead to my future.

As I have already been accepted into Iowa Western, I am really looking forward to starting that next chapter in my life. I will be studying in the field of Criminal Justice and will later in life be a police officer. I want to work my way up it being a correctional guard but right now I'm more focused on working on being a state patrol officer. College is going to come sooner than what I think it will, just like high school blew right by and who knows where time went.

Hope

Hope. Hope is desire and expectation. Today I wrote this bible verse on a sheet of paper and with a little bit of photo editing I was pleased with what I did.

God does so much for me, and leads me in such a good direction. I've done wrongs in my life and regretted them but that was in the past and I need to look forward. Doing what pleases me, getting the message of God out to the people and loving myself is what I think about daily. My goal in life is sharing my experiences, sharing my faith, sharing my struggles to help people or to lead them towards Christ. I've been in dark places in certain situations but I still saw the good in the situation. I saw light. I walked away from the negative. I thought of what could happen after it blows over.

"Hope anchors the soul." What this means to me, is that having hope, will get you to your destination. My destination will be heaven because my anchor holds me down and keeps me in my faith. Whether this makes sense to the person reading or not, I know where I stand. I know that my anchor is God. When I don't believe that I'm not meant to be on earth or not good enough to even be a person, I look to him. I pray. Believing that the situation will be okay is what I try to do. When I'm put down, I know God is telling me that I'm special. Im important. He loves me, and believing this, is what pushes me to be positive. Faith, Hope, Love, and Believing are very important to me. Have faith in God, hope all is going to be well, love yourself and the people around you, and believe you are worth it.

Prove Them Wrong!

     Family.Whether they do it out of love, to make you realize you are important to someone or that you need to get something done, is it right to make that person feel back stabbed or like they just don't have anyone to talk to? No. But do try to push them to do their best!

     Someone whom I trust a lot, tried encouraging me to graduate but maybe not in the best way. When I try to encourage people, I don't lie and make stuff up and change stories. I tell the truth. Being blunt is the best way to put things when you are trying to boost someone's confidence or trying to make them realize something. Now, if you hurt their feelings, explain the things you said to them and let them know it wasn't to hurt them, but don't say things that you wouldn't say to them alone.

     Having faith in yourself is a big part of life. Pushing people do hard work and making people feel like they are worth much is my goal in life! I need to do that myself! I need to prove that I will graduate! I will! I will prove the people who don't believe in me, WRONG!

Is it worth it?

     The older I get, I see more and more dumb actions from minors. Why can't alcohol or smoking, or any type of drug be kept away from such young people. Why can't they resist? What does it even feel like to do those things? I don't see any effects that will help then in the long run. I see kids doing things that can wait until it's legal, or minors just shouldn't get involved in that type of stuff to begin with.
   Smoking, drinking, drugs, anything that can hurt you in the future . think about when your parents talked to you about acting smart. Did you have someone talk to you about smart actions? It's lectured in schools around the world, it's advertised on road bulletins, it's something that parents know they should discuss with their children. Smart actions, are you thinking about what your doing now in the present and will it affect your future someway?
     Think to yourself for a minute, what's this going to do for me? I know of someone who was so close to me and later I didn't even know who he really was. He was my own cousin. Then he started doing drugs and he went to prison. Only being 18 years old and already going to prison for getting caught high and was driving while intoxicated. My own cousin could have been the reason for someone's death, could have taken his own life because he acted a stupid way. As he looks back, he said that he regretted it. He now has a beautiful baby girl and he's happy. He got away from all of the drugs and alcohol. He plays basketball to relieve his stress, he doesn't go to alcohol anymore. I'm proud of him because he's come a long ways from last year. He even got his GED.
     Past experiences have made my cousin grow up. He and I are closer than ever and he has made me realize that I need to focus on things that will help me in my future! Be with good people, and believe in things that help me. My faith brings me far. I don't need to get into all of the things people try to pressure me into, because I know what my future will look like. I have a plan. I have a goal! I will follow it and if you know of someone who needs help, and wants out of a certain situation, get them as much help as you can. If you know of someone who needs rehab, help them get into it. Help someone make out their future! Everyone deserves to have a happy life.

Appreciation

As I was driving to pick my mom up because she ran out of gas I thought to myself, what if I ran out of gas? Would she come get me if I were 28 miles north? Yes, she would because she's my mom and she loves me.
I've realized that my parents do more for me than anyone in this world. They're the most amazing people I could have in my life. They go out of there way to do things for me that no one else would do. Parent's understand you the most. I'm so grateful to have my parents.
I know people who don't have parents, and I feel for them because they don't feel the same love that I feel. Sometimes, because others don't have what you have, you realize how much pain they are going through, or you see they have these walls built up and it's hard for them to show how they feel inside, but you know they are hurting because they don't really talk to others and they may be mean because of loneliness.
The more time I spend with my family, the more I realize that what they do for me is to help me with my life. I appreciate everything that my parents do for me and it's amazing to know that I have supporters in everything that I do. My parents are my biggest supporters and forever I will be grateful for that. I love you mom and dad. Forever.

The Hypocritic Christian

Cheer

As basketball season has come down to an end, I've noticed how much team mates really care about each other. It amazes me how close you get to your teammates after a whole season. I've learned to appreciate my cheer girls because they do so much for each other and for myself. I've been on multiple teams where people are nice to each other, giving compliments here and there, but until I became a cheerleader, I didn't realize how much a team can care about you. These girls kind of take care of you. When your down, they get you up. If they can't get you up, they stay with you and just talk to you about anything and everything. I love all of the girls in this picture but one of them is missing and I love her also. These girls have become my best friends. Each and every single one of these girls have a place in my heart and it's sad to think that I won't be cheering with them again. We've had our ups and downs but we worked through them. We couldn't afford to lose each other. We love each other as a team, and as Family.

Believe

Believe. I tell myself this every time something goes wrong, or someone is in a bad mood, going through something I may or may not understand. People in this society, seem to not want to get involved in any sort of problem, or even give their opinion about it if someone is asking for help. I believe that if someone is coming to you for help, you should help them, not let them figure things out on their own. By this, I mean that if someone has been struggling for something for weeks or months, help. They need it whether you think they do or not. Help others. Believe in others. Have faith in others. You're strong and so is everyone else. You may or may bot believe it, but you are.

Go have fun!

On Saturday January 31, 2015 I went to an NBA game with my boyfriend. I had a lot of fun watching and cheering but I noticed that don't get out much! We get caught up in our lives and making ourselves stay busy with other things that we feel are important, but really aren't.  On Sunday, as I was doing my chores at home, I started thinking about things I want to do. So pretty much a bucket list.
Many people don't notice that they don't have much fun until they do get out to do something fun. Write a bucket list, and actually do it, or do as much of it as you can. Get out and explore! 

Advice

     There will be times in your life where you feel like you need help with something. You'll go and ask someone what you should do, then you get advice and don't take it. I did that once, and I regret not taking the advice someone gave me.
     Try doing what other people are asking you to do. Try taking their advice. If you don't, you won't know whether it will work for you or not. There are certain circumstances to which you won't accept other people's words at all because it's something completely stupid, but if it's advice you catch yourself giving others, try it. It might just work.
     I do this all of the time. I give advice and help other people, but when I need advice, I can't ever think of what I've told other people. I don't take my own advice. I'm working on helping myself, with the words that I have said to others to try to help them. Try. That's what I need to tell myself.