Goodbye Past......Hello Future

"I can do all things through He who gives me strength." Before even a week ago, I didn't take this quote from the Bible to heart. It wasn't my main focus in life. (I know not the best answer to share to the world) But in all honesty it wasn't. I wasn't a gung ho Catholic. I wasn't a jump out of bed on a Sunday morning willingly to go to Church type of girl. Until now. We got a new priest at my church that I have known for about 3 years. He is one of the nicest, kindhearted, Christ-like people I know. I began to see my faith changing before my eyes. I pray before bed and when I wake up. I go to church every Sunday without question and I listen to more appropriate music. I have changed for the better also through a Christian movie I watched for the first time this week. Soul Surfer. This movie is about a girl, Bethany Hamilton, who at the age of 13 was attacked by a 14 foot tiger shark on the North Shore of Kauai, Hawaii in a location known as the tunnels. She was an up and coming young surfer and that morning was surfing with her friend and her friends family. When she was attacked, she put her faith in God and He brought her to safety. She lost over 60% of her blood and she lost her left arm. Most people would quit when presented with this type of obstacle. But again with the grace of God, she got back on the board. She is now 21 years old and a pro surfer. She put her faith and trust in our Savior Jesus Christ. She is my inspiration to become a better me. Thank you for showing me the true testament of faith in God.

~Rachel

It's Your Life Whatcha Gonna Do?

When we were young, teachers and parents asked us, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Little did I know that question would make such a great impact on the world ahead of me in the next four years. Graduation. A time when memories are remembered, friends say their goodbyes, and tears are shed. It's also a time for the slate to be cleaned. A time for you to become whatever you want to be. They say when you leave high school, you learn to fend for yourself. You learn to be independent. No more mom and dad to pick up the pieces when you fall or put a bandaid on your cut when you mess up. You are on your own. You will have many successes but you will also have many failures. When we were little, teachers asking the question "what do you want to be when you grow up?" made us use answers like princess, actor, spy, astronaut. But now we are apprehensive about our past ambitions. We know that you cannot just become a princess or an actor or even an astronaut. Each thing on its own takes commitment and hard work. When I was young, I wanted to be a Whitey's girl. Whitey's is an ice cream shop in Davenport, Iowa. I used to go there with my grandmother who has since passed away. Now that I look back, a Whitey's girl would not pay the bills. It was a great fantasy at such a young age, but now my main aspiration is to be a teacher. Not one of those stuffy teachers that cannot take a joke to save their butts, but a teacher who students want to aspire to be one day. I want to be an inspiration for many. So It's your life whatcha gonna do? The world is watching you!

Hopeless Romantics

What is a hopeless romantic? Well by definition a hopeless romantic is in love with Love. They believe in all the fairytales and fate. They believe in love at first sight and knight in shining armor. Every girl, once in her life, has dreamed of love. I know I have. It's beautiful. Believing in love is somewhat magical. I am in love with the aspect of love. In the past, men were gentlemen. I like that. I think that a man needs to be a gentleman. In Eclipse, Edward asks Bella to marry him. He says, "I would've courted you, had chaperoned walks...,maybe would've stolen a kiss or two. and after asking your father's permission, I would've gotten down on one knee...and presented you with a ring..." Why can't men be that mysterious and charming in the 21st century? I mean it's beautiful. It's crazy how times have changed. He is right, back in the 1920's, men didn't just "go out" with women. They weren't just looking for a random "hookup". They were trying to find their soulmate. It's the grandeur I love. It's the full pledging of love that I have fallen in love with.

Aspect of Love

So I was watching SATC the movie, and something hit me. Samantha is right. She questions Smith by saying, What is love? Is it saying your name fifty times more than I say my own? Because if that is it then we are all doomed. We all become so preoccupied with the aspect of love, we forget what we are losing. Ourselves. The one person that knows all our flaws. Samantha also says that while she loves him, she loves herself more. That is so empowering. A girl who doesn't need a man to define her. It's pretty spectacular to be completely honest. It seems as if everything going on in a woman's head these days is how she is going to score her next lover. What has this world come to? I feel like the only woman in the 21st century who doesn't need a man to define me. I am perfectly ok with my life. It could be better, but it's my life. It may become lonely. But to hell with them. I may love you, but I love myself more. End of story.

Baking

When I was little, my mom and I would bake all the time. Cookies, cakes, pies of all sorts. We would create cookie trays at Christmas time, and cakes for birthdays. As I grew up, the baking seized and we didn't congregate in the kitchen as much. We still made Christmas cookie trays for people. These cookie trays were amazing. We filled trays up until you could no longer see the actual tray itself. Oodles and oodles of cookies were made. Dozens and dozens. At least a hundred dozen were made in our little kitchen each and every year. We never missed a Christmas season. We sent them to family, our neighbors, and even a tray to close friends. Now that I am getting older, the traditions my mother and I started will continue on. Years and years from now I hope to continue the amazing ritualistic tradition my mother started out of the small kitchen in our first home, with my children. And like me, I hope my children will continue the tradition. And so on. Traditions are what build a family. Baking is a tradition that is near and dear to my heart.
“It takes an endless amount of history to make even a little tradition.”

Love

Love is a four letter nonchalant way to express a high level of fondness for another. People speak of love like they know everything. But nobody truly does know everything about love. It is an overused word that can express nothing but a filler word in a sentence. The steak was so good, I LOVED it. I bought a $300 dress because I LOVED it. People throw the "L" word out like it's going out of style. Love is not to be taken lightly. It isn't something you say to anyone. Once you have expressed such a word to the one you are quite fond of you cannot go back. In an episode of the Nanny, Mr. Sheffield and Miss. Fine are on an airplane, when suddenly, they crash. While soaring through the sky towards earth, Mr. Sheffield takes Miss. Fine in his arms, caresses her, and says perfectly, "I love you." In any normal situation, if you are soaring to your death, you can speak your mind. But you cannot go back on your word. Like Mr. Sheffield did. That is a No No. Number one rule in any relationship. Do not say "I love you" until you are 100% sure you mean it. In relationships, we cannot say the "L" word if we are not prepared for the outcome. If you say it too early, your loved one may think you are moving too fast. But if you say it too late, you may not have a loved one anymore, because they feel there is no commitment. It's like making microwave popcorn. If you take the popcorn out of the microwave too early, there is still kernels not yet popped. It's a waste of good popping corn. But if you wait too long, your popcorn will burn in the microwave, causing a vile smell to enter the room or rooms. And in the end your popcorn is ruined. If you truly love someone, you will know the appropriate time and place to express yourself. You don't need to look for love, it will always find you.