It's the Little Things.

I was having a... ahem... very crappy day today before first period started. Even before first period. It's the seemingly little things that ruin my day... what do you call it, peevish? Yup. Story of my life.

In first period (Language Arts), we were taking a test. I sit next to two of the most hilarious people at my school, coincidentally. The guy sitting next to me randomly started kinda singing these things to me (not too flattered... he picks a girl to do this to every day and today I was the victim)...

"Baby, look at those freckles..."
"Baby, look at your hair..."
"Baby, you're black and I'm black (he's NOT black)..."
"We gon' have fifteen kids..."
"You're wearing a blue and white ribbon. Just like my heart."
"What's that sound? Oh! It's my heart."
"I make them other white boys look white because I'm black... (I'm telling you, he's seriously not black)"

And my personal least favorite:

"You bring HOPE to me!"

It brightened my day, definitely. It's the little things that make me laugh, and laughter changes everything. Except for this...

"Baby, give me a kiss..."

WHOAAAAA, boy. Too far, LoL.

I seriously think humor is some kind of God-given gift or something. Everyone has it in them, but few choose to use it. This kid used it to brighten my day, and he didn't even know I was having a bad day!

I like to use humor that way, too. I'm that awkward friend that doesn't know what to say when their friend is upset, so I crack as many jokes as possible just to get a laugh out of them (usually I'll start singing a Disney song or something).

Laughter makes the difference, guys...


 

 ...See?

Music for Back-to-School

School starts this week on Thursday (sigh). As much as this summer bored me, I'm gonna miss it and Louisville.

Sorry about my last post by the way. I was using a computer in the Exhibit Hall and my youth group wanted to go somewhere. And as I mentioned, I didn't get a callback (but come on. Was I really even expecting one?). There are hundreds of Pentecostal female vocalists in the United States. I'm so proud of myself and my group for making it up to this level--- going against the best AG talents in the entire USA. Representing Ohio was pretty amazing, and I can't wait to go back to Louisville in three years for a college visit! And I can't wait to go to Orlando next year for Fine Arts again if I make it for my drama, vocal solo, possible string solo based on progress, and human video (but only if I'm forced to do it--- I don't really want to and I want someone else to take my place, but Drew keeps saying "It's ministry, Hope" and it makes me all like, "GAAAAH! What should I do?") and other things.

So, I updated my iPoid for Fine Arts and here's that, plus more of my FAF and school faves!

1. "Home" by Phillip Phillips was played during the Olympics this year. Perfect end of summer song, I know. I wish I had it when I left for Nationals, but Faith bought it while I was gone. It's time to "make this place your home" and enjoy your last few years in elementary/middle/high school/college!
2. "Keep Your Eyes Open" by NEEDTOBREATHE. I love that southern voice this band has. Keep your eyes open, guys. Anything can happen here.
3. "With Everything (Live)" by Hillsong UNITED is great to get you really worshipping on the weekends or to listen to on the way to school for you guys who want to be campus missionaries this year. God can do amazing things in our schools, believe me!
4. "Moving Mountains." Jeff Deyo is a music teacher at North Central University, a school at which I know a few people that are currently attending and one that graduated from NCU's music program and is now a creative arts pastor. This guy is epic, and you can download this song free for only a limited time here.
5. "Steady My Heart" by Kari Jobe is a great... I don't know. It answers a lot of things for me.
6. "We Are" by Kari Jobe can really help if you feel discouraged in this whole campus missionary thing.
7. "Find You On My Knees" by Kari Jobe. Just take a rest from homework and just worship. It will change your attitude on everything. Try it.
8. "Love Came Down" by Kari Jobe--- sorry. I'm just really enjoying this free Kari Jobe album I got from the editor-in-chief of ONCOURSE magazine (Amber Weigand-Buckley) at a workshop in Louisville. It felt like a real college experience. The classroom feel, being in a conference theatre, taking notes, everything.
9. "Begin Again" by Measure. This song has some amazing quotes in it--- no kidding. If you feel bullied or like you just need a second chance, this song will uplift you by a lot. "Begin again. Don't waste your time waiting for someone to tell you when... Morning still comes... Move around your furniture or put it all out on the curb and drive away to something new and watch the skyline sink behind you...  Walking out doors only works if you shut them... Quit looking backwards and know where you have been... Begin again. Don't waste your time, 'cause no one's gonna tell you when."
10. "I am the Doctor" by Murray Gold. It will mkae you feel epic the second you walk in dat building.
11. "Superhuman Touch" by Athlete because, well, you can stop the world with "just a wave of your hand" because you're amazing.
12. School's not back in without "Over My Head" by The Fray. It's just not.
13. "Wide Awake" by Katy Perry. "I wish I knew then what I know now." Totally describes how I feel about last school year.
14. "I'll Make a Man Out of You" by Donny Osmond is perfect if you're tkaing gym class this year. You might also need the Gym Class Heroes to save you.
15. "Anywhere Place" by Katie Costello. It can be hard finding your place in high school... but just know that you will.
16. "Lay Your Head" by Athlete. Maybe this is a sign that you need to go to bed early?
17. "Happily Ever After" by He Is We. This is what I think of seventh-grade couples. "We all wanna know how it ends."
18. "Go to the River" by Yael Naim. Just "go, go, go, go."
19. "Safe" by Britt Nicole. "You keep trying to get inside my head while I keep trying to lose the words you said. Can't you see I'm hanging by thread...?"
20. Who is my vision? "You Are My Vision!" Who doesn't love Rend Collective Experiment's version of this hymn?
21. "World News" by the Local Natives. Perfect for anger management.
22. "Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato. Don't let people tear you down, because that's fear of man. We're living for fear of God!
23. "Don't Let it Break Your Heart," guys! However, my heart is breaking about Coldplay not playing in the London closing ceremony.
24. "Birds" by Deas Vail. "We are all birds stuck inside our cage, covered up with praise, and behind our saints we hide our face."
25. "Behind the Scenes" by Francesca Battistelli. "Things aren't always what they seem."
26. "Sixteen" by Deas Vail. Makes me feel so young even though I'm not even sixteen yet!
27. "Summer Forgets Me" by Deas Vail. Face it. Summer's over.
28. Jesus, "let my life be the proof, the proof of Your love!" Gotta love For KING & COUNTRY. This song is totally my prayer.
29. "Cubism Dream' by the Local Natives. Story of my non-existent love life, LoL!
30. Show everyone that you're "Born Again" this year! "Born Again" by The Newsboys is pretty nice.
31. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Relient K. Nuff said.
32. "Build Your Kingdom Here" by Rend Collective Experiment. "Come set our hearts ablaze with hope."
33. "Christ Has Set Me Free," (Rend Collective) so I want everyone to know, you know?
34. "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" by Seabird. I have a friend who will only play this song when she has my iPod in her possession. Not Hans Zimmer, not Paramore, not Deas Vail, not Jason Walker, not Athlete. Just this song.
35. "Echo" by Jason Walker. Hey, you. You ain't alone.

Yeah, this is what I do with my life, guys...

Hello from LOUISVILLE 2012!!!!!!

I love you like my own edible babies:) (Inside joke.)

So, I am sorry that I haven't been posting this week. I have like, tow minutes, so let me be brief *(sorry about typos).

I performed my vocal solo and got 33.67 points, which means no callback or Top Ten, but hey, who caresa.

BYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, guys. I gotta go.

Goals Before School Starts

School is in two weeks. I need to finish up summer reading, summer music, summer workouts, and summer reinventions. So, here are my goals for the end of summer:

READING

"Just Listen" by Sarah Dessen. Some person requested it, so now I can't renew it, and it's got to be done before Louisville. And it's the biggest book I'm reading right now. Plus 13 others.

"Seventeenth Summer" by Maureen Daly. I knew this book was old when I realized the author was dead (AND born in 1921). And someone requested it, so this has to be done before Louisville as well, and oh yeah, I haven't even STARTED this one.

MUSIC

I'm currently doing two piano books before I start lessons in the fall. One is "Piano for Dummies." It's like, having a teacher in a book. Then, I have an old book from when my mom started lessons a really long time ago (she doesn't play anymore) which I just use because it has quizzes. Very useful to help prepare for the school year and make sure I don't forget what I've learned.

For violin I'm using the book "Play Violin Today! Level One" and I will use this series until I can find a teacher. It's helping me learn my notes. And, the scales are finally starting to sound like real songs! I also use "Tipbook for Violin and Viola" for info on the violin and keeping it in good shape.

FITNESS

So, I figured since I'm out of gymnastics, when I'm seventeen I'll try to get back in and move from Level 1 (I was higher than that, I was in the competition levels) and try to get higher than I was so I can stop sitting around saying, "Oh, I wish I was still a gymnast." So, in order to still be fit by then, I really need to get into some flexibility, conditioning, and of course, TUMBLING!


My split leaps have always... uh... sucked. LUCKILY! I have a mini-trampoline that I prop up to be a springboard that helps me open my legs more. Once I master that, I'll just do it on the trampoline. Then, after that, to the floor.

I have been studying this GIF all week to find out how Sam Peszek is doing this. Every time I think I have a clue, I find out she's doing something else. To get this skill (simply so I can brag about it), I need to perfect a cartwheel aerial, perfect my round-off that I used to have perfectly, and do push-ups like, every day.

I am just gonna do back walkovers off the couch. I give up on the floor.

I am soooooo gonna get into yoga and stretching.

I can still do this! But I can't hold it, so I need to work on my balance and stretch out that leg so I can go higher.

REINVENTIONS

So, if you don't like something about yourself and you can change it, change it. So here's what I'm doing:

Handstands to make my arms bigger.
"Supermans" to tone my abs.
Wax eyebrows.
Use hair removal cream instead of a razor (I get really bad razor burn).
Take speech and debate to get out of my shell.
Read more blogs and novels and poetry and song lyrics to inspire me.
I'm currently homeschooling myself for the summer in Science, Algebra I, and just finished Chinese (the book was "Bitter Melon" by Cara Chow--- one of my favorites now).

Those are my goals for the end of summer! Think I can do it?

"Take all of your chances while you can. You'll never know when they'll pass you by."
-Athlete (my favorite British band!)