I'll keep them around

These are 3 of my best friends.

High school is turning out okay in the end.

mY dAy OF HapPineSS

Today was a fairy tale. I wish i could tell you how it felt.

 I measured the wind in the palm of my hand and felt the water wash me clean.

I ran across a field as fast as I could, like racing with dragon's wings.

I chocolate dipped truffles. I licked my fingers and swish swashed the soapy water and sang songs about my savior.

 I garage sale shopped, perusing dishes and vintage coats (so cutesy i could die) with ladies who looked like their middle names might be Delores or Mabel or Bea. 

 I wore my hair on the side and painted my lips bright red.

An old friend called me and a new one texted, so I guess I'm doing alright.

Today was a fairy tale.

How to Win Debate Tournaments

1. Run to win.  Corinthians doesn't beat around the bush:  "Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Therefore do not run like a man running aimlessly.  Find purpose to debate, hold on tight, and do not let go of it until the awards are over.

2. Protect Someone. For those of you slow on the uptake, the question 'am I my brother's keeper?' should be rhetorical, kind of like 'is the pope catholic?'  Yes. You are.  Paul details this for us in his letters to the church: exhort one another. forgive one another. receive one another. Those are action words -- verbs -- my friends. It may sound cheesy or over the top obsessed, but I challenge you to look around the hangout room, find one person, and protect them for the day.  Keep them.  Pull up a chair for them. Pray for them. Ask them about their debate. Watch their speeches, even if they stink.

3.  Find the Fire.  The prophet Jeremiah cried out 'If I say 'I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,' there is in my heart, as it were, a burning fire shut up in my bones. I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot'  Lets think for a second about fire. We take it seriously, don't we?  Imagine with me, some dude chilling, 'yeah. my kitchen caught on fire. nbd. i kept watching tv. it was a cool episode' WHAT? NO. Thats ridiculous. Simply burning ourselves causes us to JUMP back -- HOLY CRAP! (and some of us don't just say crap;) ) Fire catches our attention. It sears us!  And this is how Jeremiah feels, when he tries to hold in the word of God.  In preparing for this tournament, I've found myself flat on my face crying out in prayer, 'Jeremiah, tell me about this fire. Tell me about how it feels shut up in your bones' because his passion is so inconceivable to me. Lets be honest. I'm happy to have Christ shut up deep down somewhere inside. I'd almost prefer it if he didn't come barging out into the daylight, commanding my life, challenging my sin.  Find this fire that Jeremiah speaks about: It will change your tournament.

4. Feel Empowered by this Photograph: 

5. Stand.  My favorite hymn has this line -- Here in the love of Christ I'll stand.  There is something spiritually powerful about standing. Standing so firm and immovable, so sure.  Standing against the wind, the waves, the drama, the flirting, the emotions, the desires. You know, people like to quote ephisians about putting on the whole armor of god and how awesome it is to have a sword and shield. But when Paul talks about the armor he says, Take it up, so that you may withstand the evil, and having done all to stand firm, stand therefore. There is not a lot of sword stabbing going on here. There is simply the resolution that nothing will be able to remove you from the will and love of Christ.  Not life. Not death. And most certainly, not debate. 

6. Embrace Being the Underdog.  Think about it.  David Vs. Goliath.  Red Sox Vs. Yankees.  Shepherd Moses Vs. Pharoah Ramses.  Gideon's army. God obviously has a thing for the underdog. So the way I see it, if you're paired against a hard team, your odds of winning are actually increased. ;) bwahahaha.  Ok, so maybe that's a rude twisting of biblical principle, but really.  If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger and if you think you are going to lose, you are going to lose. Don't whine because its Gibson/Landon or  Bluel/Stewart or  Otte/Downing or someone you're scared of.  Deuteronomy 30 says that his words are near us, in our mouth, and in our hearts, so that we. can. do. it. 

7. Remember How Pathetic You Are. Isaiah described God's perspective like this: He sits enthroned above the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. Grasshoppers.God sees us as grasshoppers. Isaiah also likes to refer to us as dust, withering flowers, a drop in the bucket, wretched, naked, hungry, prostitutes, and sheep headed to the slaughter. Are you feeling insulted yet? You shouldn't. You deserve it. Trust me: If God wants you to lose a round, don't assume that you can hide behind a refuge of evidence and speaker points and professionalism. Your 'walls' that you've built up in order to insure the win? They are flimsy in the hands of the Creator of the Earth.  

8. Fold a paper crane. In Japan, they're lucky.  And after this semester? I certainly agree. I'll even fold one for you, if you need one. 

9. Don't Count On Merit.  Remember: God knows what's going on in the other team's hearts, and they may need that win. It may not be about debate it all -- maybe its just about who is in that place spiritually right now that needs to walk away with that win.  My debate theme verse? When you give to me, I gather it up. When you open your hand, I am filled with good things. When you hid your face, I am dismayed. When you take away my breath, I die and return to dust. 

10. Don't Be a Fruitcake.  Stop asking people how they are doing in CX. please. You look silly at best. 

ps: If you fulfilled #2 and #10,  but didn't get the ballots you wanted? You are still a winner. 

Scumbag Quiz

Merrill runs across a book about princesses.
It so cutesy patootsies, i could die.
Last page?

"Your turn! Answer the questions on this test to determine what type of princess you are!


1. When You See A Frog: 
   (a) You kiss it
   (b) You eat it
   (c) You tame it
   (d) You run away screaming


2. Complete These Lines Of Poetry: 
   "Oh sad, sad was my soul
     Because, because..."
    (a) of a palace in flames
    (b) of a cold bath
    (c) of a poor report card
    (d) of a bellowing stag 


3. You Believe In: 
    (a) Wishing on a star
    (b) Santa Claus
    (c) Nothing
   (d) Your divine right to rule


4. Sometimes Life Goes: 
   (a) Wowzer
   (b) Meh
  (c) Uh-oh
  (d) Wheeee! 


And so it goes. On and on [and on] for TWENTY FOUR WHOLE questions. Merrill is faithful to the end. Merrill is sticking with it. Merrill is going to be a princess, gosh darn it.  With pride, Merrill flips the page:

"If you answered mostly C: You are a fake princess. This test is reserved for true princesses.  Once you have finished reading these lines, you will transform into an old polecat, a kangaroo rat, or a used doormat. Your choice. We warned you." 


SCUMBAG PRINCESS BOOK. 

i am a potato

no seriously. 

i look like a potato. 

see this?

this is my day planner.

see that?

that's all day saturday with absolutely nothing on it.

except algebra 2.

In other news, I hate algebra 2.

Most of my friends are in pre calc. calc. calc 2. calc 326. calc im freaking brilliant.

you know that moment when you've done rottenly on a test, you're behind, you don't understand it, you can work the problem six different times and get seven different answers, and you know you're going to have to devote your entire saturday to it?

I reached that point this afternoon.

In other other news, I'm still a winner & its okay that I'm behind. 

BOWCHICKAWOW, ALGEBRA 2! YOU CAN ONLY MAKE ME STRONGER.

this is not very normal, is it?

I just wanted to brush a horse.

I can offer no explanation as to why.

She's shedding. Black hair floats off in the wind as my hands work across her back.

Afterwards, we walk to the pasture.

She knows she's not allowed to eat without my permission, so when her head bends down she hesitates for a moment, wobbling, unsure, keeping one eye on the toe of my boot.

She knows I'm just mean enough to kick her for it.

I lie down and pretend not to notice.

it smells like grass and blue sky.

crunch. crunch. crunch. 

and its a good thing, too, because she's skinnier than she ought to be.
 I can count the ribs.

I notice this and fifteen other things I would've never let slip, if I was still riding consistently.

The whiskers around her flubby funny lips need trimming. The way her mane is all matted into dirty knots.

crunch. crunch. crunch. 

alright, I guess I've missed this -- 

This might be heaven.