Random Quotes

1. One breath in the presence of God is worth more than a lifetime away.

2. Death is a wiley opponant, sneaking up on the unwary, yet eluding the deserving.

3. Justice is more noble than vengence and far above both is mercy.

4. Time is an undying enemy. No matter how much you put behind you, there is always more.

5. To think is pain; to remember, torment; but to consider the future--more than I can bear.

6. There are things you don't want to happen but you have to accept.

There are things you don't want to know but you have to learn.

There are people you can't live without but you have to let go.

7. "The only person that can tell me I'm not good enough is you (coach)...and even then, I might not agree with you."                  --Goal

8.Pain is weakness...leaving the body. (the back of some guy's shirt=)

9. And we hope. Against all logic. Against all experience.

10. What stench is in a tainted soul that "righteous" (" added by me) men to recoil,

some fetid darksome malady that makes their blood to boil?

Why not instead a cleansing balm to wash away the stain,

and let men see as God has seen the weariness and pain.

11. We cannot buy happiness. But we can buy chocolate, which is kinda the same thing.

hmmm, I suppose some of those are a little weird. But most of them are stuff that have really spoken to me over the past few months/weeks...so there you have it, I guess. =)

So...I've been kinda finding something out recently. I guess God is waking me up. I've come to the realization that I've been living in the past while fearing the future. It's not a good way to live. God has not promised to be with us in the past. Or in the future, for that matter. He promises us NOW. Right this very minute... He is the I AM...not the "I was", or "I will be"...so living like that is not allowing God to help you...although he has helped me inspight of it all! =)

Oh, and I've also kinda been waking up to him in my surroundings a lot too. I've always seen God in the night sky...the moon, stars...just the comforting, VAST beauty of it all...but now I see him everywhere. Sunsets, a smile, random flowers growing everwhere, in the trees slowly turning into the vibrant colors of fall (something that's relatively new for me=), and in so many other, little things. It really is amazing how much he loves and cares for us...and how he SHOWS us...if we can see.

Ok, I'll quit rambling now...

me

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Ok...I know that's kinda mean, but it makes sense, in a way...

Well, I've got one of my loooong, picture-full updates for you guys. Just random pics from stuff that's been happening over the past few weeks...

Willy joined a soccer team. He is the star player, of course.  Because he is my brother, and because he plays soccer like a pro! =)

I like this one of Ryan...

I promise this won't be part of every update...bugs must be annoying for some of you, but you gotta admit, it's pretty cool. He's actually EATING the fly! =)

I like this little fella too...=)

Me and the bro...

STACIE!! =)

And then...we went on a church campout, and I got to know this little girl. Her name is Hannah, and she suddenly decided to like me, and I LOVE her...she's incredibely smart, cute, opinionated, and totally adorable! (Kaylene, she totally reminds me of you. Like...this is what you would've looked like and been like when you were little...so cute!=)

She though chewing on grass was quite gross at first, but I convinced her to try it, and converted her to believing it's just pretty cool. Oh, and guess what, this grass is EXACTLY like the stuff that grows in Honduras. It even tastes the same! =)

Her and I with our grass "toothpics"... =)

I think she actually took these...this last one I was trying to figure out what she was doing. As you can see, she's supremely confident. She figured out my camera in no time, and was snapping pics of everything around us.

I love this one...wiggling her toes at me.

This is her wink.

Jolene...gotta love her eyes...

Lacey and I found a chicharra...he looked and sounded a lot like the ones in Honduras...

Change of subject:

Did a little photo shoot of my cousins...prepare yourself for a barage of CUTENESS!! =)

this is one of my favorites...inspight of that yellow blur there...her face is just perfect!! =)

Change of subject...again...=)

WE WENT TO NYC!!!!!!!!!

Times Square...

Some of the guys...

some of the girls...

This is Lacey and Charlotte trying to look lost and homeless...I think they're pretty convincing. =)

I think Chris is pretty cute. *smug grin*

Dozing on the endless subway...

More dozing...this last one acually made me jump. I thought he was sleeping and I was blissfully taking pics with my very silent, deadly camera (mwa ha ha=), and didn't think he was gonna wake up, and then  I was looking at the screen and my previously slumbering subject was LOOKING at me!  Scary...=)

I thought this was pretty cool. It's a little church squished between two HUGE skyscrapers...

Lady Liberty...(there's a plane coming out of her lamp...ha=)

New York City!

The graffiti fascinated me. It's everywhere!...love it. =) 

The last two are obviously 'messed with' by me...which is your favorite? =)

New York at night...

My brothers.

Carmie and I...

I obviously enjoy taking pics of random kids in subways...the first one up there got whacked on the head by an irritated mother...and this little girl actually caught me taking pics and started making faces at me. Way too cute. Both of them. =)

We stayed in a Latin/Spanish part of NY and I felt like I'd landed in a little piece of Heaven...surrounded by spanish and even bachatas blaring from every other speaker...this is a flag Willy found on a random vehicle...=)

The the next morning I spotted THIS...and decided the people living in that house must be pretty awesome. =)

Lacey and I on the way home...

"Oh my goodness, you guys are freaks of nature." --Charlotte

Aaaand to finish off with, the pic of the day:

   We were going along in that huge bus, and I was aiming out the window at the AMAZING sunset, and this flag just happened to get into my pic. How cool is that?

All for now...

~Beth

• People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
• If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
• If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
• If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
• The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
• Give the world the best you have, it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
• For you see, in the end, it is between you and Him.
• It was never between you and them anyway.                              ~Mother Teresa

Leeny's Prayer:

"Lord, teach me how to let You love through me fearlessly. Teach me how to trust You to keep my heart pure and my motives right in every circumstance You allow. My heart is bleeding, God. How must Your heart bleed much more. Here we are, living in America where Christianity has subconciously become a form to many of us. There are so many faces here, faces that are caught in the swift current of activity and the spoil of instant plenty. Behind those faces are live hearts...so many broken hearts, because of broken lives-broken by sin and the great famine of true love in our land. Many of those faces have become a facade of happiness...just a facade. I think of Your Son Jesus, and I know if He would be here, He would be going about touching those hearts with such a profound love that the tears would finally release, and He would bring healing through His eternal love and forgiveness. Oh, God, how can so much pain and fear and rejection remain buried and uncared for when so many profess Your love with their mouth?

"So please, God, please make us willing vessels of Your love, sanctified and full of Your Spirit and wisdom! Please make us willing to walk humbly and quietly like Jesus did, and not fear the devil's darts of suspicion and misunderstanding around us. Help us to love quietly and deeply, ready at any moment to lay down our life for those You love. Thank-you so much for Your distinct call to be friends to sinners. Thank-you for loving me, a sinner.

"In Jesus' name I offer this prayer..."

Thanks Leeny...stole this from your site. It has become my prayer as well...

Ok everyone. I know you might consider this a kinda lame post cuz there's so little of ME in it...but I promise to update again soon...very soon. This is just a fraction of what's been making me think the past few days.=)

Los amo...

me.

On this Day.

Mend a quarrel.

Search out a forgotten friend.

Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.

Write a love letter.

Share some treasure.

Give a soft answer.

Encourage youth.

Manifest your loyalty in a word or deed.

Keep a promise.

Find the time.

Forego a grudge.

Forgive an enemy.

Listen.

Apologize if you were wrong.

Try to understand.

Flout envy.

Examine your demands on others.

Think first of someone else.

Appreciate.

Be kind.

Be gentle.

Laugh.

Deserve confidence.

Take up arms against malice.

Decry complacency.

Express your gratitude.

Worship your God.

Gladden the heart of a child.

Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of earth.

Speak your love.

Speak it again.

Speak it still again...then speak it still once more.

Go on...the day isn't over yet. You still have time to do all this!! I'm kidding. I was wondering if someone actually COULD do all of this in one day...hmmm...I think it's just a good pattern on how to live life.

They float...

I've decided they're fairy blankets...sparkly...diamond, fairy blankets. SOME people would think they're just spider webs with dew, but that's just them. Because they don't know any better.

My brothers taught the youth guys here how to wear their hats the "right" way lol. They're inside-out and backwards. Cool, huh?=)

I know you people will eventually get tired of all the pics I take of the moon...but I've decided I'll post them anyway. Deal with it.

I've started a baby-sitting job. Only go once a week, and it's for my aunt's church. They do Bible study every Tuesday morning and I get to take care of some pretty sweet kids while the mommies are inside...I've only gone once, and decided I love it (which i knew I would=), and here are some pics of my newest little "kiddos". Don't know most of their names yet...still working on it.

Kylie. I think of her as "Annie". Don't she look just like little orphan Annie on the movies? She's so cute!

This little girl is a little dynamo. Everywhere at once. So tiny and cute...and not to be contained.=)

Don't remember this little guy's name...but ain't he just the cutest?=)  

She was seriously munching on her play-dough. And when I put my hand under her chin, she obligingly opened her little mouth daintily and let the slimey ball of it fall into my hand...She astounded me with her intelligence...and she never really said anything at all. Just quietly let me know what she wanted. So cute!

My little niece Hannah is still the cutest of them all...

We have cats!! They're black and have some weird personalities...and I love them.=)

I like to torture them. *evil grin*

This is my kittie--"wearing a glass of milk" Ok. i know this is slightly gross, but I sat there and couldn't contain my glee as I took pics and tried not to giggle. "Scrawny" (as I've aptly named this little kitten) was straining every nerve and muscle to get to that milk. He never did. I served him a meal afterwards to make up for being so mean to him...=)

Interesting spider.

I'm incredibely proud of this pic. 

 Ryan with our "lawnmower".=)

"I am wondering if we don't usually have it all backwards...that the trials are terrible is a fairly normal mindset, at least--if you're in the middle of one...

"But what if they're not? What if they're really mercy? And grace? Just gift-wrapped in a hard circumstance? And maybe, without that circumstance, we could not ever come into the gain of the grace, love, and mercy...or faith."     --Bethany

Ok. Have a wonderful week everyone...live every minute to the fullest...in Christ.=)

me

  When I Cry

"In the daytime there are stars in the heavens,

But they only shine at night.

The deeper I go into darkness,

The more I see their radiant light."

Warning: Random update ahead. I'm gonna put together a few weekends and try to keep all the pics from getting too jumpled up. There's been some interesting things going on for me over the past few weekends, and I'm gonna try to make an atleast half-nteresting post for you guys!!

First of all, I missed some pics in my last update. Of when Galen came out before we went down...some of him and Anika that are beyond cute.=)

She was so adorable. She'd just woken up from her nap and she toddled on over to Galen and basically ASKED him to snuggle with her. She had decided that she liked him...she does that with people. Some she'll instantly love, and others take a while to win her over...with Galen, it was the former...although she DID try to play hard-to-get for a little at first. Then I think it was HER that couldn't resist him!! ha...

Tickling her toes...priceless. =)

Change of subject:

Got bored the other day and it was raining...so I took a few pics of stuff around the place.

These were through my car window...didn't wanna get my camera wet!=)

Another change of subject.

Had some friends come from NC and OH like two weeks ago...or was it three? 

Mer and Rosetta...

Dave and Melissa...awww...

Rosie and Dor...love these two girls!!

Made Cindy endure a photo shoot. I've decided I like doing that to my friends. I give all the commands and they simply MUST do what I say...lol. A lot of fun...for me anyway. And getting some good pics is always a bright spot!=)

Lamar.

Adam.

Anne.

Mer!=)

The bro. I was making him pose for me, and this last one was when he finally got tired of it all lol.=)

This one always startles me a little when I first look at it, then it cracks me up. The combination of a face coming out of nowhere and that red tongue...ha ha!!=)

Change of subject...again!!=)

Youth.

Did a photo shoot of Brittany too. =)

Caught red-handed! If you look close enough you can even see the stream of water coming out of the glass. This is Dwayne tormenting my brother.

Allan.

Ronald.

Dwayne. (I think he was telling me something=)

"Johnnie-pop" =)

Marla and Brittany.

Carmie!!

The bro...and his own private dancing-with-the-soccer-ball routine. Love watching him.=)

 I like this pic for some reason.=)

Jolene and Allan...we went out to eat after "the game". We were all in pretty crazy moods so it made for lots of laughter and loudness.

laughter.=) Love this pic of her!!

More pics of the youth...

Carmie.

Forrest!! (FINALLY got a pic of him...=)

  Rusty and Beth. (the coolest youth leaders EVER.)

Atleast they weren't making out. Love the look on her face lol.=)

some of the guys...

Charlotte watching Adriel. Every time the camera even gets close to pointing at him, he makes a face. Some of them scare me...almost.=)

Lacey...and ME!!=)

they did a little "initiation-into-the-youth-group" thing for me...atleast it didn't hurt too bad...just the normal prank where you feel like an idiot while everyone laughs at you.=)
   

Jolene didn't know what the prank was all about so then she got to go through it too!!

ANOTHER change of subject!! (told you guys this was gonna be random=)

The Sumners came out to visit us...they'll be going back to Honduras in a few weeks (I think), so we were so glad to see them!!

I approved of Rachel's shirt.

Rhoda.

Rachel and one of the girls they brought along...Jennifer.

Ruthie!!

Dar...in the flames...looks kinda freaky...and real...but no worries! It's not.=)

Rachel. I miss you!!

I thought Ruthie's shirt was hysterical. Love it.=)

New things I discovered on my camera. That's the result of slow shutter speed, the fire, and my skills at writing backwards with my camera lol.

Oh oh oh!! I've got a blood blister!!=)

check it out. That is the result of Joe and his great love of teasing people. He told me a match could burn twice and I found out that I believed him. But I just think it's weird that it turned into a blister like that! I know you guys were dying to know about this so you'd better find it very interesting!!=)

Never, never, never give up.   

                                                                                             -Winston Churchill 

But you say let it go

You say let it go

You say life is waiting

for the ones who lose control

You say you will be

everything I need

You say if I lose my life

its there I'll find my soul

You say let it go.

                                                                      -Tenth Avenue North

  Letting go has always been almost impossible for me. I usually end up getting it ripped from my grasping hands by sheer force, while I fight it with everything in me...go through the process of realizing I'm not in control at ALL no matter how much I think I am, then coming to grips with the fact that letting go isn't so bad after all, then I accept it eventually. Such a looong, unecessary process, right? By the time I come to the place where I can actually let go, it's usually gone anyway...but you know, letting go is still worth it. I just have to wonder why it always takes me such a long time to figure that out. Like...how come am I so stupid? Or it just stubborness?

  Is it that I don't trust God? Hm. I suppose I don't. Not enough. Maybe that's what it all boils down to. In my mind I feel horrible for even admitting that. He's GOD. The God that created the universe. The God that holds me when I cry. The God that loves me...enough to die for me... He's won my trust time and again...when it's the LAST thing he has to do! How can I hold back? How is it possible for me to deny him ANYTHING? 

  And so I let go. I surrender. Release. Because I love him. Because there's no other way to live.

  So tell me, my dear people. Which quote do you like best?

  Why?    

Random leaf.=)

~me~

"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction."         --Blaise Pascal

So...I've been thinking about Heaven a lot lately...very lately, actually. Since April, to be exact. At first, I wanted to go just cuz life didn't make sense anymore (not that it ever had before=), and because it simply wasn't worth living for me anymore...I WANTED to die...seemed like a relief...course I don't get suicidal...not very often anyway. I just kinda beg God to please take me now...to put me out of my misery...but he didn't listen to me...oh. Yes he did. He always listens...he just doesn't always obey. So I've come to the conclusion that if he wants me alive it must be for some reason, right? I must have a purpose...and I'm gonna find out what it is, and I'm gonna do it.

But anyway...back to Heaven (got a little sidetracked there=). It seems to get more and more attractive...the more I think of it. It's gonna be amazingly beautiful...way and far beyond my wildest dreams...and the thought of actually being in the presense of GOD...wow...speech betrays me...but I've decided something. The BEST thing about Heaven...the very best thing that I can think of (for now), is that there will be no seperation. We will never, never have to say goodbye...only, "Welcome home."

I love that. Don't you?

May the rain fall soft upon you...

and the sun shine warm upon your face...

 and true be the hearts that love you...

peace ever with you till we meet again...

may the warmth of the sun surround you...

and the stars shine bright to guide you home...

may God hold you in the palm of his hand...

may he hold you evermore...

till we meet again...   

 Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.              -Storm Jameson

Well, I'm back from visiting my dear, sweet homeland...it was beauty and pain in so many ways...I miss it already. Loved my time there...and even though it was desperately hard to leave my little kiddos again on Saturday morning, I'm glad I went, and I don't regret it one bit.  I think I may have made it a little harder for them as well...bringing so many memories with me...sometimes change can hurt really bad...if it's a lot of change and sudden...even if it's "good" change... so yeah...I'll shut up now and provide you people with some of the pics I took while I was down there...

To start off with, I'm posting some that I took a looong time ago...but I feel like I haven't posted any of the people that are around me NOW...seem to be living in the past a bit, so I wanna post some of the time I went skiing with Michael's...it was so much fun, and I'm getting to know some amazing people here in VA and I love the youth group. I don't have pics of all of them, just the ones we went skiing with but yeah...here are a few.

There's Michael (and the sunset=) he drove the boat and gave us pointers on how to ski better. Thanks for taking us Michael!!

Lacey and Charlotte...two of the funnest girls here. Love hanging out with them!!

Carmie reminds me of my little sis Harmony...

Lacey and Brittany...Brittany's a BLAST!! =)

Lacey being funny

Me skiing...

Ok. And now for HONDURAS!!!!

I got to spend a lot of time with my little sisters...

Yossi...walking out of my pic

Harjay!!

Ninfa...sweetness.

Lidia...she got tired of me taking pics of her...I think everyone did!

Another one of Harmony...

mmm...

Went to school with Jamie, and had the pleasure of meeting some of the most beautiful children I've ever seen...I completely lost all semblence of control and simply gave myself over to taking all the pics I could. Here are only a FEW of them.

This little guy totally stole my heart.

Her curls were soooo cute! She'd pull one of them like that and then let go and it would just SNAP back up...so sweet=)

Change of subject=)

Betcha can't tell what that is!! Ok ok...I know I'm weird, but that's HONDURAS crap...so it's SPECIAL!! 

Roadkill...

Harjy...being silly.

first try...

told him to smile and this is the result! 

Reunited once again... 

Got to have a sleepover with my girls. Brought back memories (times had with just me and them=), and we had a blast...that's them...eating chips and drinking pop...things you do when you have a sleepover, you know.

The next morning...thought this was such a classic pic of Yossi!

Don't know how to spell this little guy's name, but these little lizards are the only ones I can tolerate, and I actually think they're kinda cute sometimes...if they're far enough away ha!

Galen...my protector while I was down there...(He did a very good job, in case any of you people were wondering.  )

Got to see Hannah...it was so good to see you again...wish we coulda had more time together...but I'm thankful for the little bit we could squeeze in there. I love you!

Also got to see JD. I had wanted to see him very badly...so spending a whole afternoon with him was amazing. Got to catch up on his life a little, and even though I was supposedly not allowed to take a camera in there, I asked one of the "leaders" (using my wheedling ways), and he gave in quite nicely...so I was ecstatic about that! I miss him again already...but I see how he's maturing and getting older in so many ways...and I like that. He's in a Teen Challenge school...lots of Bible study...lots of rules and discipline...he's having to grow up quickly...but I think it's good...even if he does hate it and wants to go home...He's been there for 2 months...and it's a whole year all together...but after 2 more months he can go home and visit every month...he's really looking forward to that.=)

"My" house...it hurts...

Eva and Desiree. Don't know if you're ever on my xanga, Eva, but just want to let you know that I LOVE you. It was hard to go down...thinking of someone that is taking my mom's place...and maybe even my place too...but if I'd have to choose anyone...it'd be you. I love the way you relate to my little brothers and sisters...the way you love them...how you've won them over...I know it must have been extrememely hard at first...I admire you so much...for all you must have gone through in the process. Thanks for taking care of them as you do...thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. 

Eva and Harjay... 

Desi...posing for me. Her cuteness bout takes my breath away!

Galen...and one of his little fans. 

More fans.

AND more...I love the way she's peeking around his arm like that. 

My beautiful friend Jamie...was so good to be with you again...I love you...

Cristian Ariel.

Josseline Alejandra.

Yolanda Elizabeth.

Harmony Elizabeth.

Got to see Flory...

My crazy sisters!  

And for those of you who are interested, this is my room. Did it in black and white. Gotta say I love it a lot.

The painting that started it all. =)

My "friend wall" aka closet doors with pics pasted on them! =)

Oh. And my two AMAZING brothers...

Ryan.

And Willy.

Bought me THIS camera. I am in love with the amazing pics I can take...thanks guys. It's the best gift I've ever gotten. Period. I think what I love most about it, is that it was so spontaneous on their part...no special occasion really...and I just feel so loved and special because of it. Thankyou so much!!

I don't know if I have time, but I wanna post a line of pics that I've taken with that camera...so yeah...we'll see.

Ok...that's it for now. Have a beautiful week everyone!! =)

Me.