do your thing

if you do something that makes you happy and isnt hurting anyone, then you keep on doing it. :) if people don't like it, they don't have to.

behind your eyes

"Trouble chases sinners,while blessings reward the righteous." ~  Proverbs 13:21


i've been paying attention.

those who are blessed with the Lord, are also very blessed with life. and those who arent, arent. i've been lacking motivation to maintain a close relationship with God. and i think living an enriched life is both a horrible and wonderful motivation.

ever since Eve bit into God's apple (or whatever fruit it was), humans have been materialistic by nature. the absolute strongest motivation for us to labor at anything is worldy treasures. money, gadgets, people, whatever. and God rewards our faithfulness to him with blessings on this life here. its the perfect plan.

....on the other hand....

we shall not be motivated by worldy treasures. when we give ourselves to God, we must do it for his glory alone. not our own. our love for him and others must be driven by pure amazement, appreciation, and awe.

the reason why you do things matters just as much as the fact that you do them.

so why does God reward us on earth, and after earth, if he doesnt want those things to distract our journey's meaning? i think its a huge part of planting the seed. you may start a relationship with him for the wrong reasons, but as you grow, those reasons fall away until you are left with a solid ground of faith and an exclusive desire to serve the Lord.

is it selfish to serve God to get stuff out of it? is it selfish to ask God to give you the right motivation?

well, probably.

i've found that if i ask him to let me see the world behind his eyes....everything is right.

and why does he promise us eternal life in heaven in exchange for giving him our life? i strongly believe that heaven is not a reward to us. because we clearly dont deserve it. i think he just loves us so much that he wants to keep us around with him forever in bliss :)

God's selflessness is hard for humans to fathom. but its the greatest!

Babyyyy

i just got back a little bit ago from Arkansas to see my big sister, her husband, and their new baby, Caleb! he is so precious, i cant even stand it.
very smart, very good, and very strong! he is always hungry and ready to eat. he's only upset when he's hungry or poopy. or cold. he's great at communicating and he can almost hold his head up by himself already! he makes faces in his sleep and loves to keep his hands in his face. i love his farts and mad faces. adorable <3
we had a lot of fun. we got to play games with val and nick (sister and brother in law) and i got to finally see their home. its wonderful!
val is an amazing mommy. she always knows what to do and how to do it. and nick is an amazing daddy. he always makes caleb happy and calm. and lets me use his computer :)
it was pretty tough to say goodbye. i hate that they live so far away :( but it could be much farther away. i cannot wait until thanksgiving to see them again!

in other random news, im trying to quit chewing my nails. its the hardest thing ever! and thinking about cutting my hair and getting highlights. any ideas or suggestions would be great!

much love, enjoy your fall!

Adulthood

hey everyone! yes, my nephew has arrived! thats the biggest excitement in my life at the moment! :0
his name is Caleb Nicholas Braschler. and he is the most adorable, precious little boy in the world. theres no doubt about it. i cannot wait to meet him! i'll be going to Arkansas, which is where my sister and her husband live, on Friday to meet him. i might kidnapp him :)

anywhoo, the rest of my life is boring. today i've been doing a bunch of cleaning and laundry and homework. right now im soaking my toes and watching everybody loves raymond.

like a lot of people my age, im still planning my life out. trying to meet the man i'll spend the rest of my life with (it will be a cross between Steve Wilkos and Dan from the show Rosanne). trying to finish school so i can start a career (hoping i'll find one after school). daydreaming about my first home (the biggest criteria for me is a huge shower with glass doors). and today i'm probably going to apply for a temporary part time job. just to get some extra cash for the holidays. you know how that goes. but my real job at the moment is at Michael's Arts and Crafts. i've been there for a little over two years, and most of the people there are like family.

i canNOT wait for thanksgiving. it is my absolute favorite holiday. its a relaxing holiday, without the stress. spending time with family, and eating lots of food!

christmas is getting to be a stressful pain, the older i get. i'm sure most of you agree. but i do very much enjoy the time with family and the traditions.

welp, im done rambling, thanks for listening! i'll post again after my trip to see Caleb <3

Aunt Julie

i just wanted to let you all know that my sister's having her baby :) my nephew finally gets to meet his parents. and hopefully i'll be there soon! we'll see how stuff works out. i hate that they're so far away :( i'll post pictures and exercise my bragging rights in my next blog. i cannot wait to meet him!

:) :D :) :D

i always know the right things to say and the right things to do.
turn away, close the way, and tell you that im through.

but my dependant heart and hunger for you keep me coming back.

imagine the person you have the deepest feelings for no longer feeling the same.
throwing you away, replacing your space with another.

my shadow hasnt left yet, you never gave it time.
..........................................
"you know, honestly, i never knew i could feel like this. you know? i swear im going out of my mind. its like i want to throw myself off of every building in new york. i see a cab and i just wanna dive in front of it because then ill stop thinking about her."
"look, you will. just give it time."
"that's just it. i don't want to. i mean, ive waited my whole life to feel this miserable. i mean, and if this is the only way i can stay connected with her, then... well, this is who i have to be."

-HITCH
................................
some people will spend a huge important chunk of time with you until they become a part of you. one minute, you're enjoying your life, and the next you're wondering how you ever lived without them.

then, sometimes they change their mind. they lose the feelings for you they once had, or maybe find something else they want instead.

some people are lucky enough to be with their first love for the rest of their life.

what they dont understand is that when you lose someone you had a deep love for, you may do "stupid" things to fix the hurt. like waiting around for them to come back. taking them back when they hurt you. whatever it may be, it doesnt make sense to anyone looking in from the outside.

when you lose them, you lose parts of yourself. like building blocks were suddenly pulled from parts of you, making you collapse. it takes a long time, sometimes forever to put yourself back together. you look at yourself differently. you look at other people differently.

its not other people that can fix you. only yourself. encouragement doesnt really help. only time heals.

some people are emotional disasters. but how can they not be? :)

HELLO MY NAME IS _J_u_l_i_e_

Hi! im new here. occasionally i'll grace you with my boring rambles and stuff. so check back often to see whats on my mind, what im learning, remembering, experiencing. thanks for your first visit! its nice to meet you (even though im probably sure you know me already). welcome to my blog, take your shoes off and make yourself at home!