Consuming Passion...

Sometimes I think there are SO many things that bog us down that it's extremely hard to understand where our focus should be...I mean think about it? There are countless causes...never-ending efforts to end wars, famines, and poverty...but how do you choose just ONE? How can we simply choose just ONE?

My mind becomes so consumed with 'what can I do'? I suppose it's finding a cause you're passionate about...right?

I recently watched a film called "Freedom Writers"; I am moved by films such as these; real-life stories of people who choose to make a difference with what they are passionate about...I recommend it...it takes place after the L.A. Riots, where cultural differences clashed and fear and frustration caused hatred and racism.

The film tells the stories of teens in a racially divided place and time, just trying to make it through high school; and, a teacher who wants nothing more to see them all get there...she makes sacrifices so that these teens have a future, so that they have a voice...it's rather remarkable what she does and ultimately, what the kids learn, and CHOOSE to become...

Check out the Freedom Writers Foundation to read more about this amazing story...

Be Who We Are?

"We dream of hope, we dream of change…so much struggle for meaning, for purpose, and only in the end do we find it in each other…in the fantastic, in the mundane, the simple human need to find a kindred, and to know in the end that we are not alone…and that all we need is each other…"

Why do we look down on others? Why do we look at people and judge them? Why do we feel the need to fit in to what the world wants us to? Why do we hurt people that are different – those that don’t fit the mold? I mean really, what is the mold? Why can’t we just be who we are…who God intended us to be? So many questions, so few answers…

We wonder how long life can go so endlessly…never understanding the essence of why we are the way we are…is it merely human nature? I don’t understand any of it…

Pay if Forward...

What would you do if you didn’t have much time left to live?

What would you try to do for someone else if you knew they didn’t have much time to live?

I frequently read a blog provided by CNN, called Young People Who Rock. Today, I read quite a remarkable story about a young man named Darius and his close friend Logan. See, Darius has a deteriorative disorder called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It basically attacks a person’s muscles, ultimately attacking the most important, including the heart and lungs.

So, when Darius told his friends, including his friend Logan, he wanted to see parts of the country he had never seen before, Logan and Weems’ other college-aged friends decided to take him…west!

How remarkable is that? With that act of love from a FRIEND, Weems’ has traveled throughout the western half of the nation, seeing things he never thought he would. The group decided to document the adventure and today, it’s an award-winning documentary called Darius Goes West.

I truly was amazed by this story, by this act of kindness and friendship towards another.

I wonder…what if we ALL decided to make a choice like that for someone else? Can you imagine the kind of impact you could have…even if it’s for ONE person? Changing one person’s life is only the beginning…you never know what that person might do for someone else, in light of what you’ve done for them...

...I guess you could say it's like the 'Pay it Forward' idea...where one act of kindness spawns another...and another...and another...what a thought...

No sleep...BABIES too!

Hmmm...can't sleep again...

Anyway...thinking a lot about babies lately...yeah, me...babies! It's really weird to think about the idea of Jason and I being parents...It could be really a great thing, right?

Well...the idea of a baby is amazing in itself, I guess I just never imagined myself, being a parent. I suppose there is something innate in all of us, that desires to take care of something, hence, the motherly instinct and fatherly instinct...

The thing is...sometimes I think we are formulated to think that that is the course in which we should ALL travel...yet...what about those men and women who can't have children? It's not their fault...I really want to adopt, but am I 'missing out' if I can have my own children?

I suppose the way I look at it is that if God wants to bless us with a child, then that would be a wonderful gift...but if not, then I want nothing more than to give a child that doesn't have a mother or father, a home to call their own...that too, would be an amazing gift...

I don't know...sometimes I think I'm a little weird the way I think...UGH!

Can't Sleep...

I can't sleep tonight...I think it might be a combination of my insomnia, my constant thinking, and the two cups of coffee I drank at 8 o' clock...

Nonetheless, I can't seem to turn my brain off...it is ALWAYS churning, with thoughts about life; thoughts about my life...

There are a multitude of them tonight...

Like grace, passion, failure, and freedom...we take so many things for granted sometimes. I don't think we realize the freedoms and opportunities we DO have. I'm amazed by the idea of freedom, yet it's the very thing that I probably take most for granted. What if I couldn't write freely as I'm doing now? What if I couldn't dress comfortably like I do daily? What if I had to live in constant fear because of a war-torn terrain? We are so blessed...I am so blessed...think about freedom differently...think of it as a privilege, something you earn, rather than something you think you deserve...

Moving on...

Grace is one of those amazing phenomenons...God amazes me because of the abundant grace He gives...He doesn't have to, but he does, time-and-time again...be graceful the next time you don't feel like it...show mercy to someone that might not deserve it, but needs it...

...

So what do you think about passion? Do we really understand the meaning of the word? The best definition, in my opinion of passion is the following: 'strong amorous feeling or desire'. I think we all have it...whether it's in our profession, or a hobby, even in relationships. Perhaps passion is something we are born with, it's innate in each of us...or maybe we learn it...I don't really know...I think Jesus was passionate about PEOPLE when he was here on earth. It was obvious don't you think? Gosh...if we could all have passion like that in our relationships...in our relationship with Him...

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Failure is probably the worst word in the English language. Being 'unsuccessful' at something makes life a little harder to live...although, I've come to the realization that failing makes me want to try harder...sometimes it's necessary, to get right back up, and start it all again...I think failing gives way for triumph if we can just get back on our feet after the 'lack of success' the first time...

Hmmm...

So many things running through my head...I wish I could turn my brain off sometimes...It just never stops...

Well...perhaps I should try to close my eyes again...

Be blessed...

Flowing River

This is a poem I wrote some time ago for a close friend, who just really reminded me of a river, that never stops, but its beauty stays intact, despite that constant movement...

A flowing river;
It never stops, and never moves in the same direction
New things are always uncovered and old things remain deep within,
It travels straight ahead to its destination, but oddly enough it stays in the same place forever
The heart of the river is the middle, where it stops to breathe, it takes its fears and worries and spreads them in one direction or the other
Never letting one side take on too much
It then flows back again, to its roots where it knows which way to go
Everything is once calm again and the river flows smoothly

You my friend are that river
The river that flows with uncertainty at times and never in the same direction
Uncovering new things around each bend of life,
But never forgetting the roots that have been embedded deep within

You are forever grounded by the one thing that makes you, you
Your faith in the Creator of the Universe

Your fears and worries are never too much to handle
This you know, because of the One who fashioned you
The storm that rages within is once again calm
Your life, once again runs like the smooth flowing river

Keep going, like the river, never stop
Press on toward the goal to win the prize,
A life like that of the river
Moving always and never forgotten

Copyright ©2005 Emily R. Allison

The Leader in All of Us...

I'm definitely sick of mediocre...have you ever felt like that? I'm tired of people who ALWAYS follow and NEVER lead. What are we, puppets? I don't think so...

I believe that we are ALL called to be leaders; sometimes behind the scenes, sometimes for all to see; but it's in the little things that we can find strength, we can find our voice, and ultimately, find the leader that is dying to get out!

In the Heart of the World

I’ve been thinking about Mother Theresa lately. I suppose I’ve always been fascinated with her life, her amazingly selfless life.

What a remarkable woman she was. She never wanted to be recognized, but her compassion couldn’t go unnoticed. What a TRUE woman of character and humility; what a TRUE woman of beauty and grace…

There is a book I’m reading called “In the Heart of the World”. It’s compiled with thoughts, stories, and prayers that Mother Theresa once wrote. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to read the words of such a TRUE servant of Christ; a TRUE depiction of what we ALL should strive to attain: TRUE Selflessness and Sacrifice.

The following are just a few excerpts that I can’t but help, share with you:

“We will never know how much just a simple smile will do.”

“…be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today, let us begin.”

“In the silence of the heart, God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know that you are nothing. It is only when you realize your nothingness, your emptiness, that God can fill you with Himself. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence.

“Like Jesus, we belong to the whole world, living not for ourselves, but for others. The joy of the Lord is our strength.”

“Seeking the face of God in everything, everyone, everywhere, all the time, and seeing His hand in every happening – that is contemplation in the heart of the world.”

“Every act of love is a work of peace, no matter how small.”

“There are many people who can do big things, but there are very few people who will do the small things.”

“Love, to be real, must cost – it must hurt – it must empty us of self.”

“I feel that we too often focus on the negative aspects of life, on what is bad. If we were more willing to see the good and the beautiful things that surround us, we would be able to transform our families. From there, we would change our next-door neighbors or city. We would be able to bring peace and love to our world, which hungers so much for these things.”

“There are thousands of people dying for a piece of bread. There are thousands upon thousands who die for a little bit of love. My thoughts often run to you who suffer, and I offer your sufferings, which are so great, while mine are so small. Those of you, who are sick, when things are hard, take refuge in Christ’s heart. There my own heart will find with you strength and love.”

I wonder what it would be like if we lived in a world, where ALL people saw others the way Mother Theresa did…

…the way Jesus continues to SEE each one of us? I’m amazed that He still loves us…that He still loves me…

You Don’t Have to be On Your Own…RIGHT?

You don’t have to be on your own, right? I think so…I guess some part of me has ALWAYS thought so…there is this vast world of beautiful people, yet there are so many of us that have been hurt by someone, so we then choose to hide, believing that we ARE on our own; that we have no where or no one to turn to…

Hmmm…

Sometimes walking through life…IT definitely can feel alone…SO alone…

I was listening to this song the other day, by a band called the Goo Goo Dolls…maybe you’ve heard of them, maybe not…nevertheless, it was a song called ‘Before It’s Too Late’. You can listen to it on their website, if you’d like. Just Click Here to visit their site…

Anyway, some of the lyrics to the song say, ‘Live like you mean it’…’Love until you feel it’…this might be far-fetched, but perhaps, if we DID live like we meant it, loved until we TRULY felt it…maybe this ‘ALONE’ feeling that so many of us feel, would subside…we walk aimlessly through life sometimes…NOT living…NOT loving…but what if we just stepped back, took a look at the mess we’ve created of ourselves, and despite all the hurt, all the pain, all the uncertainty, we took a leap of faith and TRULY embraced this thing called life?

I think when life was first breathed into each of us, a sense of yearning and longing was just an innate ‘thing’ that we felt…as babies, we LONG for our parents to love us and want us, yet nowadays, from an early age, parents lack that care, that love for their children; maybe it’s because their parents didn’t give it to them when they were children, or they just don’t care…I’m not quite sure…but I have to believe that if we simply tried to be someone’s somebody, than we wouldn’t have so many people ending their lives because they feel alone, so helpless and hopeless…

So perhaps, we can all GIVE a little bit more…LOVE a little bit more…especially the people we call our friends...and family...what do you think? My thoughts are aimless today...

Haven’t felt like writing much in the past few days…I’m not sure why…I feel I’m in a funk of some sort…perhaps it’s writer’s block or just…golly…I’m not sure…anyway…here is another poem…one that perhaps describes this moment in time…

Where Do I Go From Here?
Where do I belong?
On the coasts of a beautiful island,
On a mountainous range of cloud filled skies,
In a field where all is left but faith,
Or maybe, it’s across the ocean, in a country, far, far, away from here.
Who do I become?
A dancer of interpretive music,
A singer, perhaps a songwriter,
A missionary to the moon,
Or maybe it’s a dreamer, waiting for my next great adventure.
Do you ask questions such as these?
Do you never chase your dreams?
Stop asking...
Dream big…
Chase them…
Trust in Him…
He will make them come true.

Copyright ©2005 Emily R. Allison

Impact Your World...What Will it Take for YOU to do Something?

Have you ever thought about the significance of the statement, “Impact Your World’?

I’d like to think that impacting the world we live in would and could be an easy task if we weren’t so selfish, yet the reality is, we often think, “we can only do so much” and “time is valuable”…we are selfish beings with selfish needs and well, the fact of the matter is, we spend our lives trying to attain ‘things’, material possessions, because in America, we are a consumer driven society…we strive on getting ‘something’ more because corporations continue to throw those ‘things you need’ at us daily…I must say, I’ve fallen prey to that trap…I’m as selfish as the next person…

And here is the thing…I’m not just talking about money, I’m talking about time too…Time is money, right? We subscribe to that thinking so often…but think about it…what if we ALL did ONE thing different? Cut out one thing from our daily ‘routine’? Think about the time and perhaps, money, we could put in the world to impact it…for real!

There are many resources out there to help you get involved…it’s just taking the time to see what best fits you…whether it’s volunteering, donating money, or becoming an advocate; it doesn’t take much to make a difference even if it's only in ONE life…

The following are a few organizations that you might like to learn more about:

Action Against Hunger

ACCION International

Make a Wish Foundation

Save the Children

Wildlife Conservation Society

The Humane Society of the United States

American Red Cross

Direct Relief International

CNN Special Report: Impact Your World
(You can find MANY more organizations trying to impact our world through CNN's Special Report. Click the link above to find out more.)

"What will you do to make a difference, to make a change? What will you do to help someone along the way?" -- Skillet

Independence Day...

So I’m thinking about Independence Day…the Fourth of July…what it ALL truly means…

We live in a country where we can have the freedom to do as we wish; the freedom of speech to say what we want; the freedom to be who we are and not have to worry about being condemned in any way for it…

It’s amazing to me that we have such freedoms, yet so many times, we take it for granted…

I’m so thankful for the freedom we have, to be who we are and NOT be afraid of it! I’d like to think then we shouldn’t be ASHAMED either of who we are…we have the freedom so why not reflect that?

Men and women die to protect this freedom…their blood has been shed for centuries and yet we still don’t recognize the significance of what they’ve done for us…it’s NOT about politics, it’s NOT about democracy, it’s about the sacrifice of one for another…

In reflection…that sacrifice could be mirrored to what Christ did on the cross…he died so you and I could live…could be free…could still be who we are and yet, He still chooses to love us anyway…
In this moment in time…on this day of remembrance of what our forefathers did so many thousands of years ago, I think it’s pretty fitting to understand why we are free today…to thank and appreciate the men and women who are fighting for that freedom at this moment in time, and how we can be free through the one who so freely gave his life on a cross…