Christmas Stuff...

I know it's been a while... and I have to say this isn't something I would normally post, but I found this poem in the depths of my computer and thought I'd share it with you this holiday season. I wanna remind you to make Christmas about more than just superficial wants.


The happiest time of the year.
Right.
If this season contains happiness
Then tell me why light is only found on trees
And the world is plunging deeper into darkness.
Tell me why people preach self love
Yet the world is full of hatred.
Tell me why selfishness is sold in every store
And greed is gift wrapped.
Tell me why happiness never appears
And depression comes with seasons greetings.
Tell me why people make up stories of kindness
Because they can’t find it in reality.
Tell me why people speak of gifts,
When generosity is shrouded in bondage.

Tell me why there’s an abundance of everything
Except love.

Wonder Woman

About a month ago Wonder Woman came out. It took the world by storm. Everywhere I looked there was some mention of this movie. For good reason too. I have watched this movie twice and come to the conclusion that I love it (big shocker there). There were so many great lessons in this film, so now I will tell you all exactly why you should love this movie.
I’m going to keep this post pretty spoiler free, but read at your own risk.

-First of all, I love that this is a movie about a woman superhero.  Of course you all saw this coming, but it truly makes me happy. I am all for gender equality and am glad that we see a woman able to fight just as well as men. Yes, there is black widow and scarlet witch, but Wonder Woman (Diana) is different. She fights in the same style as men, and doesn’t feel the need to use her gender to her advantage. Gal Gadot, who plays Wonder Woman, actually served in her countries military, and along with that she learned martial arts for her role. Along with her awesome fighting style, Wonder Woman is incredibly smart. She knows endless languages and has read countless books. In Batman vs Superman we see even more of her genius, but I hope we get to see even more in Justice League, because I don’t believe we’ve even scratched the surface of her mind capabilities. Basically, Wonder Woman is an actual warrior and the coolest woman I have ever seen on the big screen.

-It’s not just Wonder Woman that we see being awesome. There is a whole island filled with awesome warrior women. These women are strong and beautiful, but they’re also different sizes and colors. They don’t all fit in to America’s conventional “beauty”, and I love it. The thing is, little girls will be able to look at these women and see people they can relate to, with the same height or skin color or hair or eyes. Girls will be able to see role models in these characters.

-Wonder Woman would not have been able to save the world if it wasn’t for the awesome men in her life. They helped her physically and emotionally. They kept her grounded. See, these men knew that she could handle herself, but they showed her that she didn’t have to. If it wasn’t for the men who helped Diana, then the outcome of the movie would’ve been a lot worse. Steve Trevor, Diana’s love interest, was able to save Wonder Woman, so that she was able to save the world.

Now on to the lessons learned:

-People are not always good. There are terrible people out there, ones undeserving of help and forgiveness. The thing is, even though people don’t deserve it, they still need help. As Christians we need to show people the love of God. Because there’s always going to be someone out there doing bad stuff. There’s always going to be someone who’s selfish and terrible, but as long as it is in your power, you need to love and forgive these people. This movie really showed that people always need help, and we need to give it to them.

-We shouldn’t put limits on people because of their gender, race, looks, social status or anything. If someone wants to do a good thing then they should not be denied that because of something as silly as gender.

-Even the strongest of people need help. Okay there’s obviously a theme of helping others going on here, but that was probably the biggest theme of the movie. Anyways, everyone needs a good support group. Even Wonder Woman needed help and she’s one of the strongest people on earth (according to comic books). Basically, everyone needs somebody who can help then when times get tough and they get weak.

-It’s okay to have emotions. I’ve found that many people think that crying is a sign of weakness. That could not be more wrong. Crying shows that you have a heart and feelings and passion. In Wonder Woman we see everyone having emotions. Men and women alike are shown crying in this movie, and it’s not portrayed as a sign of weakness, which I think is fantastic. It’s a refreshing change of pace to see strong people having hearts and emotions.

-Hardships are going to come, and you can either let them weaken you or make you stronger. See, Wonder Woman gets to a point where she’s endured one of the hardest things ever. She’s been hurt and beat down and all she can do is scream and cry. That’s when she discovers that she can use that passion to do good. She can take all of the hurt that she is feeling and she can use that to push her forward. Wonder Woman let her hardships make her stronger, and by doing that she saved the world.

I could go on and on about this movie, but I’m just going to stop while I’m ahead. Basically, people need to stop focusing so much on the fact that this a superhero movie about a woman, and focus more on the actual story and characters.  And if you haven’t seen this movie yet then go watch it and be amazed.

America

Hello world! It's been a while....

Anyways, I watched the Hunger Games again the other day. Great movie, even better books. The thing that gets me about the Hunger Games isn't the violence or gore, although those are sad. What gets me is the similarities between America and the Capital. Now for those of you who don't know much about Hunger Games: the Capital is the government and upper class of the dystopian world which the Games take place in. The Capital is the one who forces innocent kids to fight to the death. They're the ones who throw up in order to eat more food, while people are starving. The Capital is full of people who are too absorbed in themselves to see that they are killing people. Sound familiar?

I wrote a little poem about our society, so here you go:

We think we are honorable
Because we save trees,
We think we are kind
Because we don't eat animals,
We think we are brave
Because we are feminists,
We think we are generous
Because we support the locals,
We think we are saints
Because others are worse,
We ignore the facts
And we kill babies,
We support slavery,
We thknk we are royalty,
Because we are,
We're put on a pedestal
And can't be bothered
By people below us,
We are not perfect
And we don't have to be these things,
But we choose to,
We can make a change,
And we don't.


Now, this poem wasn't meant to say that everyone is a terrible person, but rather that we have the means to help others. So I am saying to everyone: go change the world.

Holidays and Rogue One

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
__________


So Rogue One. I went to see it tonight. My hopes weren't very high for this movie, and I thought it was going to be pretty typical and the same overdone story that we've come to know and love. Yeah, it was not what I thought it would be. Rogue one was absolutely incredible and the best movie I've seen this year! ;)
Okay so basically the story takes place in between episodes three and four. It seemed to perfectly fit in with the star wars story line, but also be it's own movie. Nothing felt super forced or typical. All of the characters were incredible and it was nice to have a break from the skywalker family drama which is the driving force of every other Star Wars movie. The acting was great. The storyline was great. The character development was great. The humor was fantastic. (Darth Vader makes a pun. How much better can it get?) Honestly I have nothing bad to say about this movie. They were able to develop characters well without taking from the plot, give a new perspective, be pretty original, and have an awesome princess Leia scene all in this movie. Everyone needs to see this movie. Even if it doesn't become your favorite Star Wars movie, it will still provide you with answers. It also may make you shed a tear or two......

Average

The average human lives seventy-one years. The average human goes around the sun seventy-one times. The average human spends seventy-one years living on a planet of dirt and water, in the endless abys called outer space.

So, what does the average human do in those seventy-one years? Well, from observation the average human spends the first part of their life being selfish, and taking all that their parents can give them, but also desperately trying to get an education. Eventually they will go out and try to use the education. Then, people will fall in love, sometimes this happens early, and sometimes this happens late, but it usually happens. After falling in love the person might get married and have kids and some pets, eventually they could have grandchildren. Then, after seventy-one years, they're gone. So, what was that life for? You never really hear about an average life in stories, because people don't find it glamourous or exciting, because it isn't glamorous or exciting. In all of the vast galaxies, among all of the stars and planets, why would one average human even matter?

Well, most people in the lineage of Jesus didn't seem important. Ruth, for example, she was nobody. She was a peasant who managed to marry a rich guy, but if you take a closer look at her story then you'll see that she was so much more. She was loyalty manifested in a person, and because of that many people will hear her story and be touched. Not only that, she was also an important part of the lineage of Jesus Christ.

The average human has more to their story. The average human spent their summers as a teenager trying to vanquish their selfishness by building homes in Central America. They fell in love with someone on that trip who wanted the best for them. Together, those two average people raised up children who ended up being doctors, and writers. Those children saved and changed lives, and in everything they did they thanked God and their parents, for everything. Then, those children had their own children, and the two average people had grandchildren. Those grandchildren would grow up to be lawyers, musicians, businessmen and missionaries, and they would change lives. This all happened because of an average person.

Nobody's life is insignificant. Everybody has some specific purpose chosen by God. If the average person chooses to carry out this purpose, then they will no longer be average. They will be extraordinary.

Music. So much music.

So, I have recently embraced my full music loving side and I wanted to share with you guys some of my favoritest music. I challenge anybody with a blog to answer these questions because who doesn't love new music? And if you don't have a blog then just send in your answers and I'll post them on here. Hope you guys find some new favorites in my list here!

1) Favorite band?
Johhnyswim, without a shadow of a doubt. They are a husband and wife duo and although their songs are secular I believe they are Christians. Go listen to their music right now!

2) Favorite Christian band?
NEEDTOBREATHE for sure. Although they are signed with a secular record label, so if you don't consider them Christian then my second would be All Sons and Daughters. Both of these bands are absolutely wonderful and I recommend all of their music.

3) Favorite genre?
I always love a good showtune and rap (even better when they're both combined *cough* Hamilton *uncough*), but my overall favorite genre would be alternative/indie pop, most of the bands I mention will probably fall into this category.

4) Favorite instrumental album?
I love anything by the Piano Guys or Lindsey Stirling.

5) Favorite movie soundtrack (instrumental/not from a musical)?
Probably The Lord of The Rings and Pride and Prejudice. Both of those movie soundtracks are absolutely amazing and I just love them. (I could go on and on about wonderful movie soundtracks but I won't)

6) Favorite movie soundtrack (from a musical/not instrumental)?
The Les Mis or Phantom of the Opera soundtracks are both incredible. ( Again, I could go on and on with this question)

7) Favorite album at the moment?
This always changes for me, so I had to add the "at the moment" part in. I am loving the new Johnnyswim album called Georgica Pond. Again, go listen to it. Even if it is not your style appreciate the lyrics and just bask in the glory of what is known as Johnnyswim.

8) Top 5 favorite songs at the moment?
Little Bird- Ed Sheeran, Let it all go- Birdy, No Excuses-NEEDTOBREATHE, Perfectly Lonely- John Mayer, You Can't Stop Me-Andy Mineo

9) Secular artist (that you listen to) with the most talent?
Can't narrow it down so I would say: Probably Ed Sheeran or Johnnyswim, but I do think that Adele and Sia are also pretty talented (when it comes to their voices)

10) Christian artist with most talent?
I think that Lauren Daigle has an incredible voice and doesn't get enough credit.

11) Favorite classic rock song?
Everyone has one. I would say my favorite is Don't Stop Believin' by Journey but I also love Bohemian Rhapsody by queen

12) Best performance you've seen?
Family Force 5 was definitely the most fun performance I've seen, but I also loved the rawness of Jamie Grace, as well as the way Tenth Avenue North ministered. I'm really not the biggest concert person, but I liked these three performances a lot.

13) Favorite artist as a child?
I loved Toby Mac. I loved him. I knew all his songs and yeah, he was definitely my favorite.

14) Favorite Christmas album?
I love the original Pentatonix Christmas album, but really any Christmas song is my favorite.

15) Top fifteen songs that everyone should listen to?
Difference Maker- NEEDTOBREATHE, Let it Go- James Bay, Tonight- Flame, Hesitate- Steve Moakler, Fix You- Coldplay, All The Poor and Powerless- All sons and Daughters, Live While We're Young- Johnnyswim, Let Her Go-Passenger, I See Fire- Ed Sheeran, I Will Be There- Odessa, House Of Gold- Twenty One Pilots, Make It Rain- Ed Sheeran, Georgica Pond- Johnnyswim, Living in the Moment- Jason Mraz, Called Me Higher- All Sons and Daughters
(I could've listed hundreds more but I didn't think you all would appreciate that.)

There's so much more music I want you all to know about, but I think I'll just leave it at that for now. I really would love to see your answers and I hope that you all will listen to some of these songs so then we can obsess over them together!
Until Next Time!

Well hello world.
First, I'm sorry. I haven't posted in weeks (maybe months)
Second, Summer is almost over! This makes me sad.



Anywayssssssssss

Exactly one month ago I was leaving New Mexico. I had just spent an incredible week at the Manuelito Children's Home with my youth group. I don't exactly know how to explain that week. The phrase "You had to be there." really rings true here, but I'm still going to try to explain it as best as I can.
We arrived in New Mexico on August 3rd, everyone filed out of Ol' Bessie (the youth van) and piled into Cottage 5, which was our home for the next week. All six of us girls piled into one room, we couldn't see the floor because all of our mattresses took up about 90% of the room, but it wasn't too bad. Everyone was anxious for the next day.

The cleaning crew in their natural habitat (a school bathroom)

Day 2 of the venture we did some service projects around the Children's Home. I ended up on cleaning duty, and my brother Barrett ended up painting, both were much harder jobs than they sound. We cleaned a school's bathrooms and kitchen. Ever done that before? Yeah, it gets a little dirty. In the bathrooms the walls were painted tan, or so we thought, until we started scrubbing them and discovered that they were actually white. Yeah. I'll spare you from the rest of the details about the bathrooms. (Disclaimer: People just did not have the time to clean these things, it's not like they just didn't care at all,.) Then we got to meet the kids. Some of the teens from our group just hit it off with the kids, and it was a really great thing to see. I ended up with a little girl named Geri, we didn't necessarily hit it off right away, but eventually she grew to somewhat like me.

Me and Geri

So the next day came along and we just continued to clean and paint. It was basically just like the day before. Nothing special. That night we played a big game of hide and seek with the kids, and that was that.

Saturday (Day 4) Was probably one of my favorites. We spent the entire day with the kids, playing games, doing crafts, and just getting to know them. They were absolutely adorable and so fun to hang out with. One little girl named Shyanne painted everyone's nails, and then my friend Mia showed her how to

We were making clay sculptures

                    

                          

My friend decided to look like a Muppet

and tell me cheezy pick-up lines.

Thus explains this picture

play guitar. My friend Eliza and I gave some kids henna tattoos and they loved it! Then everyone ended up eating dinner and playing at the park to finish off the day.












Sunday was our first day in Zuni. We went to, what I believe is the only church there. The people welcomed us like we had been going there for years, and their worship and sermon were incredibly raw and unplanned, (if you know what I mean) no special effects, or fancy lights. We then saw more of Zuni. We watched a traditional rain dance that just so happened to be going on while we were there, and everybody knew where this dance would be happening and they just crowded around going on strangers roofs and underneath the shade of random houses, it was kind of incredible to experience. As we were walking around we just saw signs taped to people's doors advertising things they were selling. Really to sum up my thoughts about Zuni, I would have to say that it's got some great people, but it also has a lot of rough parts, and it's really solemn and honestly kind of sad, but nobody really wants to break their habits and cycles to make a better life for themselves.

Now I'm going to spam you guys with some random pictures of Zuni: 

Outdoor ovens that they use to cook Zuni Bread

Our whole group with a man selling "Piki Bread"

(A paper thin blue corn bread)

Monday was when the real work began. It was a pretty hard day. I don't know if I'm remembering correctly but I believe this was the day that we had to say goodbye to some of the kids, including Geri and Shyanne, because they were going back to Zuni to live with their families. The girls painted and cleaned, and all the boys built a retaining wall. It was super hot and the house was pretty small, so it got pretty crowded in there. The retaining wall took the guys all day. They had to dig holes big enough to fit these huge

wooden poles, and they then filled the wall with dirt after they were finished. Later that night we got a call that the retaining wall was cutting into the neighboring property and we had to rebuild it. Yeah. That was a little rough. Oh and that was the day that I got stung by a bee inside of the mouth and then passed out. Oops. It actually didn't hurt too badly, but I was scared to drink from a soda can for about two weeks after that.

Our makeshift setup for the free food

Tuesday was pretty rough. It was our last day there and first we went to a house in the rougher part of town where they don't have electricity or water. We took their trash to the dump and then left to go rebuild the retaining wall at the house from the day before. Half of us finished the wall while the other half set up at the church to give away free food and stuff. It was a slow start, but we gave away almost everything. We then had to say our goodbyes to Zuni.That night we spent some time with the kids and cleaned up the cottage a little.

Me and Najhoni

The next morning was spent like the night before, cleaning up and playing with the kids. We packed
up our bags and said goodbyes to Cottage 5. Before we left we were able to say goodbye to the kids. I will never forget when we started to drive away and a little girl name Najhoni started running beside the van yelling "Goodbye Arielle!" I truly fell in love with all of the little kids at Manuelito Children's Home

 

      Barrett and his little buddy Quartez

Overall I thought this was an amazing experience, and I'm so glad we were able to serve as much as we did and although it had it's ups and downs I'm still so glad I went. Also, I do not mean to degrade anyone with this post. I respect the people and culture of Zuni. If you'd like to know more about it then I'd love to tell you! Also, sorry if this post is really scatterbrained and long, it's so hard to put my thoughts in a well organized, well written post.

That's all folks!