Poor Stomach's Resolution

Reasons why I don't set a New Years Resolution
#1 I forget about it 2 weeks in.
#2 I hate letting myself down.

Those two things go hand in hand. However, after multiple doctors trips and blah, blah, blah, I'm going to finally try and start testing out certain foods. For a couple weeks/months at a time, I want to give up something and see how my body reacts. I'm also going to start trying old foods that made me sick, and see if my body still doesn't like them.

I'm calling this my "Poor Stomach's Resolution." I'm still baffled how I even still have a stomach after all that it has gone through but I'm going to try and start treating it a little bit better. For all of May, I want to give up Pop (I was thinking about caffeine but I can't give up my Caribou Coffee just yet). I know it may not seem like much, but it's just a start. Some people say go big or go home, well I'm already at home so I'll start small this time.

May challenge? No Pop. Let's go!

Saving Mr. Banks

Overall, I truly enjoy a good children's movie but I'm also a sucker for love stories. However I'm not normally a fan of documentaries/biographical comedies. Saving Mr. Banks changed my mind. From the beginning of the movie to last scene, I was glued. I highly advise you to watch Mary Poppins before you watch it because there are a lot of key things that I caught having watching Mary Poppins prior.

At the very beginning of Mary Poppins (1964), Bert says, "Winds in the East, mist coming in. Like something is brewing, about to begin. Can't put my finger on what lies in store, but I fear what's to happen, all happened before."

If you look back now. This song that starts off Mary Poppins is telling us that this story has happened before. It is the story of Pamela Lyndon Travers's childhood. In 2013, Saving Mr. Banks was released. Saving Mr. Banks started off the same way as Mary Poppins. "Winds in the East, mist coming in. Like something is brewing, about to begin. Can't put my finger on what lies in store, but I fear what's to happen, all happened before."

Pamela Lyndon Travers told her story, now it's your turn.

Do you believe in Magic?

Growing up I had a Mother who stayed at home and a Father who traveled. He didn't just travel, no, he was a magician, clown, and an amazing minister.

Often times growing up I would hear "Want to see my new trick?" "Want to see what I learned?"and as I grew older, the less I cared. At a young age, my mind was blown away by a simple magic or card trick. The older I got, my interest in magic slowly drifted out the window. One day soon though, I could say the words that a magician hate hearing; "I know how you do that."

As a kid my parents always taught me that magic wasn't real. However the eye is simply fooled. Since I knew that these tricks weren't real and they were just tricks, I wanted to know how they were done. When helping unload for a show, I would take peeks at the illusion or check out the cards he was using. Slowly but surely, I figured them out. There were times that I would also go and look through the books on his nightstand.

The summer after I turned 13, I got to go on tour through the midwest with my Father and some other magicians and clowns. On this tour I got to perform the "Zig Zag" routine. Basically it is where the lady is put into a box, cut into 3 pieces, and amazingly put back together. The Magician who performed this trick on me had me swear that I would never tell the secret. My lips are sealed to this day. However I can honestly say, "I know how that is done."

To Harris III and other Magician Fathers, someday your children will say the same thing. Just know that they probably know how it is done. Between peeking in crates, looking through books, performing illusions and watching them being performed over and over again, trust me, they will know. My suggestion? Do as my Father told me. He told me that once the secret is revealed, it isn't a secret anymore. One it has been revealed they won't be able to enjoy the trick or illusion anymore. Tell them that this is a secret that very few people know about. They will treasure knowing the secrets as they grow older.

I couldn't be anymore proud of my Father. In his performances he always refers to Matthew 19:26, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Thanks to God, I have a Father who has shown me that no matter what, with God, I can do all things. Never underestimate your Children's smarts and never underestimate your Parents abilities.

Death

Death is inevitable. It is part of life. Not only will be the people around us die, but we will too. This is something that can be very hard to wrap your head around.

Think about if we lived forever. If you live forever, then you'd go crazy and beg for death. But death will never come.

Above every persons head is a clock and it's ticking down. Some people's clock might only have three hours left, others maybe 50 years. Some people don't know when or how they will die, others are given a time frame of when and an idea of how.

Around this Easter season there has been much talk of death. Young people are getting sick just as often as older people. It has been a very sad last few weeks. However Jesus reassures us that it is ok. 1 Thessalonians 4:14 says, "For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him."

We are reminded that God will take care of everyone who has fallen asleep in him. On Earth, we will only have memories, but in Heaven we will see them again. Our time on Earth is so short compared to Eternity we will spend in Heaven.

He passed away in 2011. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. A year before he died he was estimated to be worth over $8 billion. I want to leave you with a quote from Steve Jobs.

"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new." -Steve Jobs

What a Happy Day!

Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

The greatest day in history, death is beaten, You have rescued me. The empty cross, the empty grave, life eternal, You have won the day. Shout it all, Jesus is alive. He's alive. When I stand, in that place, free at last, meeting face to face, I am yours. Jesus, you are mine. Endless joy and perfect peace, earthly pain finally will cease. Celebrate Jesus is alive. (Lyrics from Happy Day by Jesus Culture)

Jesus died for you and for me.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Be bless this Easter with the love of Jesus. Jesus never fails.

Ice Breaker

When you are in a group of people, sometimes you need something to break the silence or an ice breaker. My favorite ice break is when people are asked, "If you were stranded on an island, what are the three things you would bring?" Right away most people think about food. Yes, I think about that right away too. I could easily survive off of fruit the rest of my life, so let's just say that food isn't an issue. What are the three things you would bring?

First off, I would bring my bed. After sleeping on two twin mattresses on the floor for a few years, my family helped me buy a very nice bed with a memory foam mattress. I love the time I spend in my bed. If I could work from bed, I wouldn't have to think twice about it. I also treasure my sleep way too much to leave it at home.

The second thing I would bring would have to be my ukulele. I had no idea something so simple could bring someone so much joy. I love spending afternoons learning new music. Anything from a song I heard on the radio to a new worship song.

The last thing would be my bible. I continue to turn to my bible for advice and not once has it let me down. It has an answer for every situation. I can only imagine reading my bible on an island that God created perfectly.

On Earth we are given so much. If we had to simplify our life, would you be able to do it? This ice breaker made me really think about my upcoming move. Since I'll be moving over 1,200 miles away, what can I afford to bring? I only have a little car and I don't plan on moving everything I own. In all honesty, the only things I can think of bringing are my bed and my clothing. I'm sure moving my bed won't be easy but it will happen one way or another.

God doesn't judge us based on how many shoes we have, or our monthly income, or how nice of a car we drive. In the end, Earthly things don't matter to Him. Maybe it is time to simplify your life. I know that it is time I do.

Young Love

Some girls at school brought up the idea of young love. I decided to ask one of my youth girls what she thought it meant and she said, "Its when young people get into a relationship and they think they love each other and everything is perfect and they are always smiling and talking about each other." When she said that all I could think about was my friends. I was never in a serious relationship with a close friend but we loved hanging out, smiling, and laughing with each other.

Then I decided to ask my teenage brother what he thought young love was. He quickly replied with, "Kindergartners." The times when they come home and tell you about the cute boy at their table and how now they are their boyfriend/girlfriend.

When I asked my brothers friend, his reply was much different. He said, "It's when you see a young couple, either Junior high or Senior high and you can just tell that their relationship is going to last awhile."

After thinking about the different opinions on young love, it made me think. In High School I had crushes but for the most part didn't have any serious relationships. However there are a few nights from those years that I will never forget. Most of them are sitting around a bonfire or going out with friends and decorating peoples trees with toilet paper. However two stick out like a sore thumb.

One chilly summer night the stars were phenomenal. My friend and I decided to go and lay in the bed of his pick up truck out in the middle of the field. To this day we have been nothing more than friends, but it was moments like this that would define young love if you asked me.

The second night was the night I graduated High School. All of my friends came over after my Graduation party and we were all sitting around the bonfire when we decided to go and lay in the middle of the street. We sat and talked in the middle of street for hours. In that moment, I was surrounded by people who not only were friends with each other but we loved each other.

In 1 Corinthians it says very clearly that no matter what you say, what you believe, or what you do, you are bankrupt without love.  Treasure those times you spent young. You are only young once and even if you don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend, you can still experience young love.

Avril Lavigne

In the morning on my way to school, I really enjoy listening to the talk shows. They had music trivia one morning and they chose the song Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne. The first verse goes, "You're not alone, together we stand. I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand. When it gets cold and it feels like the end, there's no place to go, you know I won't give in. Keep holding on because you know we'll make it through. Just stay strong." While listening to this, I broke down in my car. It was as if God was reassuring me that it's going to be ok. Even though this song isn't intended to be a song you hear on Christian radio, it was the exact thing I needed to hear. It was definitely the reassurance I needed to get through the day.

Regret

How long does it take for you to regret something? 5 years? 3 weeks? 5 minutes? Do you live with the feeling of having an upset stomach?

I used to not like using the word regret. Time after time, I would just say that I "learn from my past mistakes." What happens when you continue to repeat the mistakes you have made in the past? When you are in the moment, you know you will regret what you are doing. Yet, you do it anyways.

I struggle with repeating past mistakes and fail to learn from them. However it shouldn't have to come to a life changing event to change the way you act. When do we learn?

As humans we are so full of sin, myself included. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins." There are often times I wonder why I did what I did. God reassures us that if we try our hardest to follow him, he will reward us in the end. Philippians 3:14 says, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

As humans we are going to make mistakes, some will be bigger than others and from time to time, we will regret those choices. We have to learn from not only our own mistakes and regrets but others as well. As I am very discouraged today about my past, I came across a C.S. Lewis quote. He said, "There are better things ahead than any we leave behind." It is time to let the past be the past, move on, and learn. God is with you all the way.