Saturday, January 30, 2010

"and death shall be no more"

And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever: and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. -Isaiah 25:7-8

"Truly, truly I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life." -John 5:24

Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand." -John 13:7

"Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy." -John 16:20

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart: I have overcome the world." -John 16:33

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good. -Romans 8:28

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:38

"O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" -1 Corinthians 15:55

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. -1 John 3:14

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. -Revelations 21:4



In loving memory...

Sunday, January 17, 2010

PMEA

Pennsylvania Music Educators Association
last year I liked you.
this year... we'll see

Friday, November 13, 2009

I Ponder

"Every year or so I start pondering at how silly the whole God thing is. Every Christian knows they will deal with doubt. And they will. But when it comes it seems so very real and frightening, as if your entire universe is going to fall apart. I remember a specific time when I was laying there in bed thinking about the absurdity of my belief. God. Who believes in God? It all seems so very silly." --Donald Miller Blue Like Jazz 


"My most recent faith struggle is not one of intellect. I don't really do that anymore. Sooner or later you just  figure out there are some guys who don't believe in God and they can prove He doesn't exist, and some other guys who do believe in God and they can prove He does exist, and the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and now it's about who is smarter, and honestly I don't care." --Donald Miller Blue Like Jazz 


Listening to Jason Mraz. "Life is Wonderful"
Most of his lyrics are so out there. They seem so deep, but I don't think most of us even know what he is talking about.
I like this line though. "And it takes no time to fall in love. But it takes you years to know what love is."

Monday, October 12, 2009

Ode

Oh writer's block
you are so smelly and I hate you
oh procrastination
I love you, but you are stupid and a pain to my gluteus

   I have college essays to write
Duh

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Pull Me Under

surrounded by death, I want to be relieved
surrounded by stresses, I want to be rescued
I cannot withstand my life how it is
pull me under
give me some rest
anything has to be better than this
surrounded by people, I want to be alone
surrounded by the loneliness, I want someone to care
pull me under
I'm tired of this
I want to feel the love--whatever that feels like
I will dive
doesn't matter if I sink or swim
as long as I am far from this state
where ever you're going, take me with you

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Shadow of Death

Well it has been a stressful week. I received the news last Saturday that Joey Dado (Latrobe graduate) went missing. He was last seen leaving a frat party at penn state 3 in the morning, and he did not return to his dorm. My initial thoughts were, "Not to worry, they'll find him." I didn't think that this was an actual serious situation, but then I got to thinking, "This could be bad." I can't imagine what his parents and 3 sisters must be going through. No one knows where Joe is.

Sunday morning. My mom wakes me up before my alarm goes off. I was supposed to film Pastor Mark's service that morning. She says, "Chelsea, will you go to the vet with us? I'm going to take Hunter (my black lab) there." I asked why but decided it wasn't important because I would go. She started crying saying she didn't want to do this alone. Then I knew what she meant. We were taking him to the vet to be put down.

My dog is old. So this didn't quite come as a shock. He would be 13 in January. But being an emotional girl, memories of him flooded my mind. He had been my dog for 12.5 years. I'm only 18. That is 2/3 of my life, 3/4 of Natalie's life, 4/7 of Katie's life, and 1/2 of my parents' marriage. So.. this sucks a little bit.

This was the first time I ever watched something die. I don't really want to relive this memory.

It was a rough day- though I had friends to surround me. That was nice.

Joe Dado is still missing.

Monday. Still mourning my dog, I was styling greasy hair, glasses, flip flops and sweat pants. This was also..not a good day.

I get home. As of 6:00 Joe Dado is still missing. An hour later, Joe Dado is pronounced dead. I immediately rushed to my church. There I find a swarm of people just gathering..to sob basically. Joe was a little drunk. He fell down a stairwell. He suffered from head trauma and died.

Our whole school has been in mourning this past week. It been a sad couple of days. Yesterday was his viewing. There were hundreds there. We stood an hour in line. This was also a painful day. I had never seen a teenager in a casket before. Looking at the hundreds of pictures that were displayed was hard to deal with, but also comforting.

The funeral was this morning. I played at it. I was honored that I was asked. It was definitely the largest audience I had ever had. Hundreds there. I was overwhelmed with pain and sorrow. Seeing so many people there--I could feel their pain. But seeing so many there also gave me comfort. We were grieving the loss, but we were celebrating life.

Joey lived an amazing life. A short life, but he had an impact. The people that show up to his viewing and funeral were proof of that. He was intelligent, a star athlete, a family man, and loved by everyone. Joe lived a wonderful life.

Joey Dado. In loving memory. We love you, we miss you. Your family is in our prayers.

"The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness." Isaiah 57:1-2

"'What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.'" John 13:7

"Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death where is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:55

"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials," 1 Peter 1:6

"He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth." Isaiah 25:8


Sunday, August 30, 2009

Realizations

What if I had given everything?
I want to love you, I'm just not good at it.
This world has nothing for me