Can I be honest with you?

Can I be honest with you?
I've had no motivation to post lately. I mean I'm sure you figured as much considering today is May 28th and the last time I posted was May 3rd. 
Can I be honest with you?
I told a friend to make sure I posted today, simply because I didn't want to go a month without speaking.
Can I be honest with you?
I really really really love writing. Scratch that. I love art. 
Can I be honest with you?
I love the fact that someone can picture, think, or in my case, articulate what is on their mind. I love how vivid someones emotions can be in a painting. The choice in colors reveal it all, you can sense the joy in the vibrant hues and you can feel their heaviness in the haunting hues. I love how vivid pain is in drawings. You can see the ink swelling around the chest where their heart is supposed to be. I love how revealing music is. I love that you can feel the excitement in the drummer as he pounds on his most prized possession. I love that you can feel the lightness of the keys on the old and loved keyboard I love that you can sense the pain, sincerity, regret and humor in the voices. However, my favorite thing about music is when you are watching the lead singer. You are completely unable to deny their passion. You watch them form each word perfectly, you watch their eyes squint and their teeth clench together. Then you begin to notice your head is nodding and you are smiling cause you, you see their heart, you see that singers love for what he or she is doing.

Can I be honest with you?
Want to know why, of all forms of art, I chose writing? Let me tell you...
I found the power of writing when I was twelve. I had just hit what felt like rock bottom. I would cry all the time, and since I'm being honest, I didn't even know why I was crying. But somewhere along that tear-stained path I was handed a notebook and a pencil with someone telling me to write what was on my mind. BAM. That day I felt utter satisfaction, relief, excitement, horror (because of the odd things my twelve year old mind came up with), but most of all I felt powerful. I had just discovered how to cope. So since then I've stuck to writing. 

Why am I being so oddly honestly about such random things?
Cause I want you to "Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity." (1 Timothy 4:11-12) But also teach by displaying your art. When I say art, I don't just mean all the things I talked about before. I mean teach based on your experiences. Go out and change the world. Give someone something to think about. Teach.

What's your lesson and how are you going to display it?

Song of Inspiration:
Pandora Station: Birdy & Mumford & Sons

The 'R' Word: Relationships

Relationships are everywhere, I mean EVERYWHERE. We have relationships with family, friends, yourself, bosses, coworkers, teachers, students, classmates, boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses, team members, pets, the people we resent the most and most importantly God. But the relationships I want to focus are the family, significant other and friend relationships.

A relationship is defined as the way in which two or more concepts, objects or people are connected or the state of being connected. It's also the way in which two or more people or organizations regard and behave toward each other. With that being defined, how are your relationships? Specifically how are your relationships with your parents, your siblings, your significant other, your friends, yourself and with your God? 

Personally, I struggle with some of these. My relationship with my mom is one that has endured a lot of pain. As I was growing up, my mom was not my best friend. Not at all. She used to DRIVE ME CRAZY. I always thought my punishments were unnecessary and that she was overreacting. It wasn't until I realized my freshman year that she is the only parent I have. She was the person I lied in bed to cry with for about two weeks after my first heart break. She is my biggest fan and my biggest supporter. Not gonna lie to you, there are times where even now we get all sassy with each other and huff and puff. However, as much as I look forward to having my own rules and to beginning adulthood I know I'll be calling my mom crying cause I miss her so much. My siblings on the other hand, we're a hot mess. My older sister lives in California, I think. I don't really talk to her too much, well actually, I don't talk to her. My older brother, he's the kind of brother you can sit at the kitchen table with at 11pm and just BS with him. I find him hilarious, but we aren't the heart to heart kind of siblings. My younger sister, she's the one I interact with the most. She's got so much strength it blows me away. We are the closest in age and you can tell. We fight like no other, but we also love like no other. She's my baby girl and I can't wait for her to begin her life. As far as a significant other, I don't really have one. I mean I have an interest in a certain fella, but we're still on that build and explore pages so he's cool. My friends are interesting. I have some that challenge me, some that bring me up, and some that just weigh me down. My relationship with myself is probably the one that struggles most. My relationship with my God, it gets brighter everyday. 

So what are the relationships supposed to look like, according to the bible?

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. -Proverbs 13:20
In other words, surround yourself with those are wise. Those that will lead you in the right direction.

 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. -John 15:13
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. -Hebrews 10:24-25
Bring each other up, daily. Surround yourself with those that encourage you and help you become a better you. 

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. -Ephesians 4:2-3

How are your relationships?

Song of Inspiration: 
Come As You Are - David Crowder