Ok so… the strangest thing just happened to me about an hour ago. I was on my phone and a message popped up that said “If you need me, I’m here for you.” That was all it said and then my phone shut off and wouldn’t turn back on for about 30 mins. After finally getting my phone to work again, the message is nowhere to be found. I have checked all my emails, messages, all my apps, and there is simply no message saying that anywhere. The craziest thing is, I have been really down in the dumps lately and feel like I don’t always have somebody who I can immediately turn to. I know I can always turn to God, but sometimes it’s so hard for me to want to turn to somebody who I can’t see, feel, or talk to face-to-face. So honestly, even though I know God is always there, I need human contact! A true living breathing friend who wants to know me and listen to me when I need them. And yet I have a feeling that God was trying to get my attention tonight. Are you really there God? And if you’re listening… I really do need you… Love, ~Me
Month: August 2016
Dare You To Move – Switchfoot
Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone’s here
Everyone’s here
Everybody’s watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift
Yourself up off by the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before
Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
The tension is here
Between who you are
And who you could be
Between how it is
And how it should be yeah
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift
Yourself up off by the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself
To lift yourself up off by the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before
Life…
“Life isn’t about what you have, it’s about what you do…” ~M
Photo credit: wall.sf.co.ua
No talking back!
I’ve always felt bad for sharing what’s on my mind. Maybe this sort of feeling stems from my childhood, back when children were to be “seen and not heard.” I wasn’t allowed to voice my opinions about anything or express my emotions without being told I was, “talking back.”
I was a very shy and quiet child, but as the years went by, I grew completely tired of having to stay quiet. My mother was happy with me, as long as I did what I was told and didn’t interrupt. By the time high school rolled around, I had had enough of being silent, and I began rebelling against my mother.
I think I threw her into a tizzy the day I finally left home. My mother had kept me in a submissive rut for too many years. She stifled my ability to have friends and had controlled my entire life. I couldn’t take it any longer and after she dared me to leave, I was all too eager to accept the invitation.
After the last yelling match we ever had, I ran to my room in a huff, packed a bag, and left before she even had a chance to know what I was up to. I never looked back and I’ve never once regretted my decision. It felt so good to finally be free. Yes, I was only 18 years old at the time and I hadn’t even finished high school yet, but I was determined to make it on my own and I did.
Still to this day, I find it easy to let go of people in my life who try to drag me down; especially those who try to control me. And I feel so awful for the people around me, who let others get away with controlling them. I also have no room for people who really don’t want to be a part of my everyday life and those who would rather keep me at arm’s length. I lived that sort of life for far too long and life is too short to live like that again.
I suppose that’s why in the last year, I’ve turned to writing poetry. I can say what I want, without anybody really knowing what I am actually writing about. I can be serious, funny, or completely imaginative. That’s the wonderful thing about writing, I can tell any story I want, true or not, and I don’t have to answer to anybody for it. This is what I love most about blogging and this is why I continue to write.
WordPress has become sort of a home away from home for me. It allows me to share my daily burdens and pain, along with my hopes and dreams for the future. It’s the only place I can really share my heart completely and not be told to keep silent. There’s freedom in being able to share one’s deepest thoughts and desires and there’s happiness in being able to express one’s ideas and viewpoints without criticism. So thank you to all of you for being such good listeners and for offering your love and support along the way. It’s meant the world to me. ~M
Lake Superior & the Apostle Islands
There are a few places I visited this past summer, which I have still not shared with any of you. So today I have decided to show you what it was like to explore Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands.
Lake Superior is surrounded by three different states (Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota) and Ontario, Canada as well. Lake Superior is also the world’s largest freshwater lake and I was surprised by how large it really is. In fact, when you are standing near the waters edge, it gives you the illusion that you are actually looking at an ocean instead of an actual lake. The only difference was the lack of a sandy beach from where we were.
I recently learned that Lake Superior has over 400 islands. The apostle islands are a group of 22 islands off the Bayfield peninsula in Northern Wisconsin, and this is where we decided to spend our first day. We chose Madeline Island in particular for our first destination. Madeline Island is located in the Chequamegon Bay area of Lake Superior. To get there, we had to drive to Bayfield, Wisconsin and then take a 2.5 mile ferry trip in order to reach the island.
We took our car with us on the ferry ride over and because of this, we were able to drive to the state park which is in more of a remote area of the island. I was quite impressed by how serene it was there. I felt as if I had stepped into another world, since there were hardly any other people around. Don’t get me wrong though, there are still quite a few people that live on Madeline Island. During the winter months, access to the ferry is impossible. So I am not sure how people live there during the winter season. I suppose all of their supplies must be flown in. I could actually imagine myself living there someday. I think it would be the perfect place to be flooded with inspiration.
After exploring Madeline Island, we made our way back to Bayfield, Wisconsin and found it to be quite a charming place. The shops were bustling with tourists and there were quite a few places to eat. As the sun began to set, there was a live concert down by the waters edge and everyone in the town seemed to converge upon the scene all at once. Avoiding the crowds, we opted to eat at a restaurant in a less crowded area and the food was amazing! After dinner, we walked around the town for a little while longer, just enjoying the sights and sounds of this amazing small town. We stayed until most of the shops started to close.
On the way home, we pulled off the road into a viewing area and stepped out to look at the night sky. We could clearly see the Milky Way. It felt as if we could almost reach out and touch it. Such a breathtaking sight, and then we witnessed a meteor shower as well. The only disappointing part, was that we were not able to see the Northern Lights while we were there. I have only seen them occur once in my life and so I had hoped for the opportunity to see them once again. Oh well, it gives me another reason to go back again. Here’s a poem I wrote, about my experience of seeing the northern lights for the first time.
Putting My Feet in the Dirt 