This is why we fight. LASD

Why do we fight? Why do we take the job that many see should be different? Why do we make the daily decision of whether or not to draw our gun, shoot, or arrest someone? Why do we go into work every day praying that we make it home? Next time someone stands next to you, that is why. We fight for the people next to us, we fight because we care, we fight so that both of us can go home safely.  We are not hero's and we cannot save everyone; we do not try to be hero's, but we do try to save as many as we can.  What do you fight for, why, and is it worth it?

ABZ

Just finished watching the history channel on the ABZ (Asian Boyz) gang. Almost all of them were honor student, came from good families and pretended to have good lives. This just goes to show that the people around you are not always what they seem to be.

Owe............

Well today at explores we all we required to get tasered.  The only thing that I can say is OUCH!

Halloween with friends

Awe, a very fun night.  :)  (Halloween-night)

A Patch, An Honor, A Duty!

As a leader in the Los Angles County Sheriff's Department I honorably commit myself to perform my duties with respect for the dignity of all people.  Integrity to do right and fight wrong.  Wisdom to apply common sense and fairness in all I do.  Courage to stand against racism, sexism,anti-Semitism, homophobia and bigotry in all it's forms.

I have earned my patch and the responsibility that comes along with it.  My I uphold it well and bring honor to the men and women who have died for it. 

A whisper and A Thought

I hear the thunder roll and barely make out Your whisper.  I will lift my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away.  For You are who You are no matter where I am.  You give and take away. 

It is funny to think that in the storm, sometimes people do not always want to hear His whisper or anyone else a great deal of the time. 

Push, Push, Push

A man wants to run five miles to start losing weight.  He starts training for his run.  He runs 1 mile every day and then goes home.  He is satisfied with his time and speed.  He does this for four months but is confused.  "Why haven't I lost any weight?" he asks him self.  This man did not make any progress because he refused to push himself.  This man was satisfied with the lowest point of his physical ability and was to lazy to keep going.  The moral here is if you do not push yourself to achieve your goal you will become frustrated because you are not getting anywhere.  Push yourself, pain is weakness leaving the body.  Pain is temporary but quitting is forever.  Do not be weak look at yourself now, you can always be better.  You just have to go for it.

...............story

"Finally! Writing is over." I say as I walk out the front door of my writing class with my buddy Cody.
"You know, it really isn't THAT bad." Commented Cody.
"Ya? Tell me that when I'm not hungry." I chuckled back, because I was indeed quite hungry.
In consideration that I was desperate for food to eat, I decided to call my mom... Only to find out that she had not yet left  the dog park to pick me up from class.  Grrrrr, I thought to myself.  Just then Cody interrupted my thoughts with the announcement of his mothers arrival.
"Hey, I have to go, my mom is here."
I replied to him with,"Awe man, alright see ya later." Then I gazed in shock at what I THOUGHT was my mom waiting for me in the car lower down the hill... hmmm that was fast... "Hey, look! There is my mom!" I shout to Cody.
I quickly run down the hill to the car that I believe contains my mom. However, upon arriving I discover... Not my mom, but someone who I have no clue who they are at all...Go figure.
Cody and his mom drive up laughing and I soon join in.
Man, do I look dumb or what?

Well...

Well, I am no longer babysitting.  Kind of relieved and sad at the same time.  I will miss the kids (and the money), however it will be easier on my school schedule.  Anyone in need of a little extra pay?

762B17D0-9E67-B094-570B-4E2735E3C17F

1.02.28

Small DR clip

God, we are awestruck with Your name. It means power and love. Holy, holy, holy are You. Creation will sing, You are everything. You are THE God. You are my God. I adore You Almighty.
Amen

Grace, grace, grace........

Yes my belief is Christian, but I am a disciple of God.

An interesting, yet life changing thing I learned in the DR is that my beliefs are Christian.  Although, I am a disciple of Christ.  Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.  God said go out and make disciples.  Today if people ask you, "What do you believe?"  We usually say I am a Christian.  Their response usually is, "Oh...okay."  and they walk away.  Today many people see Christians as hypocrites because we say and believe one thing but many live opposites lives.  My Savior is Christ and my attitude is that of a disciple.

Dios es poderoso!

While I was in Dominican Republic there was a night called "foot washing night."  This was a night were we washed each others feet and prayed.  This was based off Mark 10:35-45 & John 13:1-17.  Jesus washes His disciples feet.  Saying to them, "Do as I have done for you."  Before we started the washing of the feet, the whole Dominican Republic team prayed.  Then rain and thunder began; a song started to played called Grace Like Rain.  Then, this totally God thing happened.  Every time I would say thank Him for something thunder would roll.  The power of the Holy Spirit just filled me.  This gave me the strength to continue on through not just my time in DR, forever.  What can the world do to me that the enemy has not tried and failed.  For the world may hurt my body, but God has my soul.

God loves us no matter what. If we chose to listen and hear Him is our choise. He does not send us to Hell cause He does not love us. WE send ourselves there because we choose to disobey God and ignore Him.

On my mind.

I was thinking about the song Praise You in This Storm by Casting Crowns and it says, "As the thunder rolls I barely hear your whisper through the rain."  I was thinking that in hard times, it is difficult for us to hear God.  And  we think that God will just yell out saying do this or it is alright.  We have to call out to Him for help.  Who are we to have God wait on us?  We are his servants.  He is God.  Lord, may your will be done.

A Sound. What Power?

The wind flies through the bushes,
And flowers sway with joy.
God's song is sung by the grasses of the plains,
Man says, "A glorious sound."

In awe of One the mountains bow,
With faith the hillsides dance.
The rocks cry and rivers scream,
Man asks, "How? What power is this?"

Through the breeze the answer comes,
"The power of the Solid Rock."
As rain tears fall,
On his knees man says, "Amen."

The Man By the River

In a country of men, brave and wise,
A man by the river did dwell.
No fights or riots to bother him so,
He said to himself, "All is well."

The nights are cool and the days are bright,
Great is the winter snow.
The fall is warm and the tree leaves fall,
Nigh in the sky the stars glow.

The trees are tall and the rivers wide,
Alone the man did cry.
For no one to share with this joyful sight,
To paint this in his life, he would have to try.

By: Cami Todd

 Light in the Dark

" A blanket of black envelopes the world,
  The night so dark as sin.
  Yet, there each time a constant Light,
  Fills the void lived in."

" A glisten here or twinkle there,
  Then the sky turns bright.
  The stars are such, they turn ones mind,
  To God’s watchful, guiding light."

The Crying Sun

At the lake a man rests,
The water is a mirror to the clouds.
The sun shines through the sky
While angels cry, "Holy, holy, holy
Are you Lord, God Almighty."

Rain falls and the sun is reflected in tears,
Our Majesties beauty blazes and the lake ripples.
The man hides his face; he is unworthy of God's glory.
The Dove sings as rays of sun beam and rain fall.
The sweet sound of love and grace.

God set me free from my chains.  Let all creations sing with me now for time fades and I see His face.  Hold fast everyone that is hurting, undeserving, and had enough.  That should cover all people.  God is with us, do not be dismayed.  I do not fear God's quest so, Jesus bring the rain.  I am not who I was, you lift me up on your shoulders.  So now I say, "Stay strong, our chains are gone, all creation praise His name."  What's a little rain?

I believe our savior never fails even when all hope is gone, He knows your pain. He will be with you always!

Nothing is too hard.

Ecclesiastes 9:1 So I reflected on all this, attempting to clear it all up.

I concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God; whether a person will be loved or hated no one knows what lies ahead.

No matter the trouble, I will always continue with all my might.  For not a single obstacle is to hard for me when God is by my side.   Philippians 4:13- I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever you find to do with your hands,

do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go.

LASD

I am very happy!  I have finished the application and am turning it in this Thursday :)  Man, a two page auto-biography and a physical.  Good heavens!  Oh well, I am totally looking forward to the program.  Well, better start training now.
PRIDE- Perseverance Respect Integrity Dedication Enthusiasm

LASD

Well I have signed up for the LASD explorers today.  I get the official application in about three days, then I will officially be in the program........I think. Woooooohhhhhoooooo!

Excited

So this summer going into next year I am going to sign up for the LASD explorers program. Prayed about this for awhile and I believe that this is what God wants me to do for now.

Not till everyone has heard!

Do not let us stop singing, praising, and telling about You Lord till the whole world hears. Let Your sleeping giant rise and catch the the demons off guard. May You be our battle cry Lord. Let us set the captives free.
Amen

Something I heard.

We had a guest speaker come and visit tonight at youth group.  He was a philosopher and one of the kids asked him, "Why do bad things happen?"  The guest speaker responded, "If everything was perfect and nothing bad ever happened, would we still pay any attention to God?" 

Goodbye puppers.

Well the third dog is on his way back to his family.  He was very happy to see his owners.

Not yet

Well, so far we have not found the owners for Lucky the stray.  He's a good dog, is partially trained, and  loves to play fetch. The neighbors have him right now, so  I guess that they and my family are the foster parents for this dog at the moment.

Lucky

Suprise!

Alright, so this morning I got up thinking it would be a normal Sunday.  Get up, read Bible, have cup of coco, eat breakfast, and do stuff with family.  Well, not this time.  My mom came home from pet sits,  walked in the door and said, "I......need your help."  Being rather confused I go outside and look in her car.  My mom had found a stray dog and rescued him.  No collar, no tags, not a thing.  Well today is going to be one different Sunday.  lol

Faith

It is Faith alone that saves, but the faith that saves is never alone.

A choice, a true friend

A girl is having trouble at home. Her parents verbally abuse her; she goes looking for the love she is not getting at home elsewhere. At school, the popular guy sees her weakness and makes his move. She falls for him and his talk about how he can give her what she wants. One of her friends sees the choice that she is making and warns her not to fall for this guy. He says that the guy is taking advantage of you. The girl yells at her friend saying, "You are wrong! What do you know about it anyway!?" The next day she comes to school saying that he hit her. The friend held out his hand saying, "You can still change your mind about this guy." However, the girl is to prideful to admit she is wrong and again yells at her friend, calling him names. A few days later she comes back to school saying she is pregnant. The friend is disappointed in her, yet he still holds out his hand saying, "God loves you. Change your way, this is not the right path." Again she says no. That night the popular guy calls the girl saying that he is through the relationship and over her. She goes to the friend crying saying I have been wrong and a fool. Instead of walking away and saying, "told you so!", he holds out his hand and says, "God loves you and forgives you. Your friends, your real friends care for you." That day she gave he life to God. He loved her like Jesus loved him. God's love can change more than just ourselves.

Imagine

I can only imagine a small part of what it will be like before you Lord.

Daniel 6

In chapter 6 of Daniel. The king out-laws prayer to any god except himself. Daniel, hearing this, went up to his room and prayed. Quoting the Bible, "Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." (Daniel 6:10) I wonder what would happen if the United States outlawed prayer. Would it change our lives so that we stop praying, or would we be like Daniel and continue praying as we always do?

Do we see, do we hear?

Friends, there are so many people out there that need God's love. They need a friend to be there or notice what they are going through. What if we stop and watch the people around us, if we look past what we see on the outside and try to understand? There are people out there that just needs a friend to take listen and be there. People need someone who will help without taking advantage. Let's stop and listen; maybe, just maybe, we will hear some one who needs God's love.

Gods love is extravigant

Your love is extravagant. Your friendship, intimate. I dance to the rhythm of your grace. I am in the arms of Christ for his love has covered my sin. You have captured my heart. I have not known a love greater than yours, oh God.

Puppies never cease to amuse me!

So today I got and up was pretty much out of it. Except the dogs were wide awake, barking and playing. Well, I put the new puppy out side hoping that it, maybe, would calm her down. It didn't, instead it made her more excited. She picked up a empty milk carton that I use for target practice and started running around the back yard. That pretty much made my day. Hahaha, Sophie you are awesome!

The Voice of Truth

When we fail, the world will mock us, but the voice of truth will tell us something different. He says, "Keep going and never give up, for this is for My glory!" I pray that God gives me strength through my day even when I fail.

Matthew 7: 1-4

  ¹"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ²For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
 ³"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. 

 Is it our place to judge others or is it God's place?  Today I was reading through the book of Matthew and realized that so much these days we will just look at someone a say, "Stay away from that person they are this or they are that."  Do we even know that person?  No, part of evangelizing is getting to know someone even if they do not look the way we think they should be.  Leave the judging to the Holy Spirit.  One sibling does not punish the other, that is the parents job.

Well today I had really nothing to do.  Took the dog for a walk, read my Bible, and play my Ps2.  Actually there was something to do right there, haha.  Would really be nice if some guys moved in around my block.  Then I would be able to hang with some one when I get bored.

Two men talking: Just a door way

Man 1: Sir, may I ask you a question?

Man 2: Yes, how can I be of service?

Man 1: Are you afraid of dieing?

Man 2: No, I suppose not.

Man 1: You mean to tell me that you do not fear death?  Please explain yourself? 

Man 2: I have God as my father.  He has given me eternal life.  With Him death is just a door that I pass through when he calls my name on the other side. 

Man 1: Can I get this gift as well?

Man 2: Yes, pray with me and receive God's gift.

We can't do it on our own.

When we try to make the world our friend and do things on our own we will ultimately fail. We may succeed for a small amount of time but will fall. When say that we our a Christian and yet follow our own will. We drag God's name through the mud. Yet he is still there holding out his hand. All we have to do is let go.

Psalms 1:1- Blessed is he who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. This song and verse is saying that people do not fail in one day. It only takes one thought, one step, or one word to fall. Be careful, because one day you may not notice what is happening or may make an excuse that one day it is okay, just one time. However the next day you are saying for reason did I do that. It is a slow fade.

Cuase and effect

This past year I was praying about a very large decision.  I did not get a answer for a very long time but remained patient.  I was answered and mad a great impact on my life.  Joy filled me and I praised God even more.  I know though that His will is what is important and keeps things moving in the right direction.  I also know that nothing can stop His will, one way or another His will is done.

Being a servent.

I am a slave; called crazy in the eyes of men, but God says, "Well done my good and faithful servant."  Many times these days people go and serve for a reward or some sort of recognition, but God wants us to serve for his glory.  That doesn't mean going around and saying praise God every time you do something good or help someone.  It means to do something humbly, expect no reward, not wanting recognition and showing God's love.  This brings praise to God.

What if we prayed?

What if His people prayed?  What if at school we prayed with our friends and not be afraid to show others that we love God.  What if instead of just praying about things that affect us we pray for others.  The simple yet, privileged gift to communicate with God can be a huge example.  I challenge you to try this and see the result you get.  If you already do this, then I say Amen. 

He is always there.

Even when we lose something or we are down he will whisper through the rain and say, "I am with you."

MIssed my coffee break today. :(