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!

Acting, Drama, Theater, Etc.

I want to tell all of you exactly what acting is like for me, and probably most other actors:

It's scary
It's so incredibly frightening,
Getting up in front of people,
Pretending to be something you aren't
And praying that you don't mess up,
Hoping that you get it right.
Trying to be yourself
And someone else
All at the same time
And it's so worth it

It's exciting
It's absolutely invigorating
Being something that you aren't,
Making other people feel something
Conveying emotion
Through a story that isn't yours.
Memorizing lines
Etched onto a piece of paper,
Bringing those words to life,
And being someone else
All at the same time.
But it's worth it

It's awful
It's absolutely terrible,
Putting yourself out there,
Not knowing how people will respond,
Waiting for days to see if you made it,
Being fine with what you get
And making the most of it.
Trying your absolute best,
And putting your faith
In someone else,
All at the same time.
But....
In the end it's worth it,
The time
And effort.
It's awful
And scary
And exciting
But it's the best thing in the world,
And in the end it's worth it

I think that just about sums up my feelings about acting

Disclaimer: My good friend Bucky just did a post on this topic (acting), so, Buck, if you think I'm copying you then you are exactly right.

Summery Stuff and Civil War

Helloooooo everybody!
I haven't blogged in a while, and it's nice to be sitting at my computer typing away. I love the "click" that the keyboard makes.
Annnnyyyyywhhhooooooo
How are you all? Even though I can't hear your answers I'm guessing they're along the lines of "pretty good". I'll have you all know that I am very happy, and the reason for my happiness is simply that summer is here.
You might be thinking: How can a season make someone so happy? I honestly don't know, but I'm going to try to sum it up for you in a little poem kinda thing (it's a bit sloppy and doesn't have any rhyme or reason, but it tries to explain my love, so just go with it)






Oh how I missed you,
I thought you'd never come back,
I'm sorry I doubted you,
It's just that I missed you so much,
Oh summer,
Your bright sunny days always cheer me up,
It's like the sun is giving me a hug
It's warm
It's comforting
Your dark rainy days cheer me up too
Rain isn't gloomy
It's just washing away impurities
And the start of new beginnings,
And I'll always prefer rain to snow,
Oh summer
You will let me go outside,
Without fear of freezing to death,
I don't feel crowded or cramped when you're around,
And I can play games
And eat s'mores
And you won't judge me,
I can explore whenever I want,
I don't have to worry about the responsibilities of winter,
Oh summer
I'm free
                                                           -----------------------------

Now I'm going to share my SPOILER FREE (and totally biased) thoughts on.......
Captain America: Civil War

I thought it was amazing! I especially loved the part where they went back in time to 1863 and Captain America fought alongside his idol Ulysses Grant, but then Iron Man decided that he wanted to fight against Captain America because Ulysses was taking up wayyyy to much of Captain America's time. Tearjerking.
Seriously though, it was amazing! I thought the action was done really well and they brought in a lt of new characters without it feeling overwhelming, it also was really organized and not all over the place (*cough* like Batman V Superman *uncough*), the plot was good, and it had wonderful character development, it also had great humor that fit in really well, and sad parts that didn't feel forced, the only thing I didn't like was the romance, but I know some people loved it. Overall this was an awesome movie, I give it a 10/10, if you get the chance then I highly recommend you watch it.

Random Inspirational Stuff from Our Town

        I was recently in a play called Our Town (as I'm sure you're all aware).
It was a great experience and I think we pulled it off fantastically! Bravo fellow cast members!
Anyways, it's a great play. It makes you question and value life, it makes you cry and laugh, go look it up on youtube if you've never seen it before.

        A couple of very memorable lines that I would like to discuss are: "Do people realize life while they live it?" "Oh earth you're too wonderful for anyone to realize you!" 
Those lines are great. They always inspired me. (I don't know why, they just did.)

         I mean, many people don't even realize what they're doing with their life. Most people don't even care. Some people don't even think that what they do in life matters, but it does. Humans are capable of so many things.

A simple person can change the world.
A human being has the ability to change other human beings. You could change someone, for the worse or better, it's your decision.
You decide how to live your life.
You decide how you want to affect people.
You decide to change the world.

         Think of this: At your funeral how do you want to be remembered? What legacy do you want to leave behind? Who do you want in your life and how do you want to affect them?
Live your life to the fullest. Don't waste it. Nobody knows how long they have to make a difference, so take your chance while you have it.
         
1 Timothy 4:12- Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.

Just some of my random thoughts that I wanted to share with you.....

Poems and Such

Hello everyone! I would like to share some of my random poems with you, I wrote these in a creative writing class at my old school. I hope you enjoy!

(A poem using personification)

The house looked like it was crying
as the windowsills sagged
and raindrops ran down it's frame,
it's windows were broken,
the door was cracked,
its paint was shredded,
it's roof was no longer good,

The house could do nothing,
and the rain flooded in,
it was drowning in itself,
it was falling apart from the inside,
and all it could do was sit there,
and all it could do was cry


(A poem about my kitty)

I think my cat is evil,
I really truly do,
my cat tries to attack me,
and tries to kill me too,

I think my cat's an alien
sent from outer space,
she came here with a mission:
destroy the human race,

I think my cat wants to rule
every country on the earth,
so that cats will reign supreme
and own the planet's worth,

But maybe my cat's not all those things
maybe she's just a cat,
who likes to play and run around,
and maybe that's just that.

If You Never Try Then You'll Never Know

I got the inspiration for this post from a song (Fix You by Coldplay), somehow music gets me extremely inspired, but that is not the point. Focus Arielle!

     New years resolutions are a popular thing, well for about two days, then people seem to forget about them. I just always wonder what would happen if people didn't forget them and actually kept new years resolutions.
     What if people actually did what they dream of doing? (That sentence might've sounded completely confuzzled to you. Sorry.)

     Anyways, what if you decided to actually be bold and try new things? Go talk to that new kid, or the person you like ( Don't say bleh or stop reading, it's just an example) Go on an adventure, even if it's just in your backyard. Go read about something that interests you. Go try a new food. Go try playing football (it's really fun in the snow.) Go try a new hobby.
    
     Just GO. Just TRY. Just be BOLD and BRAVE.
     Who cares if you look weird, or if people judge you? As long as you have fun (and don't break the law, or do anything to get you in trouble), who cares what other people think? It's their problem if they choose to judge an awesome person like you.
 
     Also, have you heard anyone say "I regret deciding to learn that new instrument" or "It was a terrible idea to become friends with that person who looked lonely." (Yes, there are some people you shouldn't try to be friends with, but that's not what I'm talking about.)
  
      Basically, what I'm saying is that you should go fulfill your dreams. Because, you might never get another chance. Take these chances. Yes, you're probably young if you're reading this. You might not be able to do a lot of things (travel overseas, get married, or whatever your dream is.) But do what you can, work towards your goals, because you can't say "I'll do it tomorrow" forever.

      Well, that's all I got. I hope it inspired you.

Great question! I would love to know your answer! (because I'm weird like that *nervous laugh*)

Also, just to clarify I'm not telling you to go do something stupid. I'm also not saying that you shouldn't trust God. He knows the plans He has for you, but I believe sometimes he wants you to work for things to happen in your life.

I'm back, and I have a game!

Yes everyone, I am back! I'm sorry I was away so long, even though I basically just tell you all useless junk. I didn't post because of craziness with school and holidays and such, but I hope to start posting semi-frequently, like I used to.
Now that I've said that I have a game that is hosted by friend Dr. Elemis Pott, she is doing it purely for her own enjoyment and I am choosing to participate in it because it's snowing and I'm bored.

Rules/instructions:

 1. Find a character in a movie, TV show, or book that looks most like you.
2. Find a character that acts most like you, and you think other people see you as.  (Don't ask someone else.  Come up with it on your own).
3. Find a character that expresses you childhood best, or has a story similar to yours.
4. Find a character that expresses your *takes a deep breath and prepares to say a very corny sentence*  inner you.  (Not what people see you as outwardly).
5.  And finally, find a character that shares a habit or interest that you also have.

Numero uno:

This was the hardest of them all. I spent probably 45 minutes trying to find a character that looks like me. At first all I could come up with was Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) and Clara (from Doctor Who)

But they weren't quite like me, so I searched deep down in my brain and found my look-a-like:
Margo (from Despicable Me)

Update: I have recently been informed that I look like Osgood (the glasses and scarf fangirl from Doctor Who)

I would really like to know if you guys think that I look like any of these characters, or if I look like any movie character at all.  

Numero Dos:

I think I probably act most like Ana (from Frozen), I'm clumsy and awkward, but I'm friendly and smile a lot, so that makes up for it. (Also I might've slightly cheated because people have told me I act like her. Heeeheeeeeeheeee oops)

Numero Tres:

I think the character with the most similar childhood would be thumper (from Bambi)

Why? Good question. He is the oldest, he has a bunch of sisters (opposite of my situation, but still.)

He always has to watch out for all his siblings, and sometimes they really annoy him, but at the end of the day he still loves them.

Numeros four (I don't know how to say four in Spanish and I could just google it, but I'd rather not.):

The characters most like my "inner self" would be Amy and Rory (from Doctor Who). Yes I said Amy and Rory. I'm like Amy because I'm stubborn and sarcastic, but I'm like Rory because I'm loyal and would do anything for the people I love.

Numeros five (again, I don't know how to say it in Spanish):

I have a lot of common interests with Rapunzel (Art, music, dancing, baking, stars, travel, the list could go on and on and on)

That's all folks, hope you found this enlightening and entertaining!

Also, I noticed that I used almost entirely Doctor Who and Disney characters. Hahaha

Until next time,

Keep being random and brainy

Martin

Hello wonderful world!

First off I want to apologize to all of you out there for not posting in over two months. My summer has been crazy busy. Hopefully I'll be posting more once school starts. Now, since I am on a time crunch I'm going to get to the rest of this blog post:

You're probably wondering about the title of this post, I'll clear that up for you. You see, I recently went on a missions trip to South Dakota with my youth group. We went to a little town called Martin, the population is about 1100 people, half of whom are Native American. The town was very run down. It was in need of some help, which we came to give. 

The trip started with an eight hour van ride without air conditioning. It was hot! When we finally got there we pulled up in our old, discolored van and plywood trailer, blasting classic rock. The other youth groups, which were from Minnesota, and that we would be serving with stared at us with strange looks 

on their faces. We were that weird, crazy, diverse group from Colorado, and that was fine. 

The next day we were split up into groups, each group did different projects. My close friends were in other groups, which kind of scared me. I didn't want to have to meet new people on top of being in a new place and having new experiences, so the first couple of days I really didn't talk to anyone. I just did the work. Then, the day before we left, I started talking with one of the youth groups. They were awesome people. I made some best friends that day. Our youth group got really close as well, now my youth group is basically my second family. 

In our groups we did projects. The first day I painted a house. It was a pretty small mobile house, but it took a lot of effort to get it done. My wrists were very sore at the end of the day, but I felt good that we helped someone out. The second day we visited a nursing home. We played bingo with the residents, who really enjoyed it. They told us stories and talked a lot with us. One of the men had lost both his legs in war. Another one laughed at everything you'd say and bragged about being the bowling champion. I enjoyed our time spent there. The third day I helped with their children's outreach. It was basically a disorganized VBS. The kids were so thirsty for the love and attention that they were deprived of at home. They loved sitting in your lap, and a piggy back ride was like a roller coaster for them. It was hard having to leave at the end of the day. 

The next morning I painted a house. It sounded like a simple project, but when we got there we discovered that the house was infested with cockroaches. There were a lot of people living in that house, a two year old  girl was walking around without clothes on. It was normal for her, but I felt like it wasn't safe to be in that house even for two minutes. It was a sad arrangement for those kids. That afternoon I went to visit the kids again. I gave so many piggy back rides that my back and hips hurt, but it was worth it for that look of pure joy on those children's faces. 

Having to say goodbye the next morning was harder than anything I had to do that week. It was harder than the cockroaches and the piggy back rides. I cried. A lot. I had fallen in love with Martin, South Dakota and all of it's inhabitants. It was such an amazing week, definitely one of the best weeks of my life and I wouldn't have rather done anything else. God used me to do wonderful, simple things in order to further his kingdom, and that is an amazing and beautiful thought.

Arielle

Mount Rushmore

The whole group that was serving in Martin

We were cleaning paint brushes

I am going on another trip with my youth group at the end of this month. We will be going to Waco, Texas to do a poverty simulation. Basically, we will be going three days without our luxuries of our everyday life. No phone, no showers, no shelter even. It will be very physically straining. We will learn what it's like to have nothing and know how much it means to people in poverty when we help them out. It will be a very exciting trip, and even though it will be hard I'm looking forward to it. I'll definitely be telling you all how it went. Your prayers would be very much appreciated. 

Puzzling and Deep Thoughts

Tap......

Tap tap......

Tap tap tap......

Tap tap......

Tap......

Tap tap......

Tap tap tap......

Tap tap......

Tap......

This is the sound of water meeting earth.

The cold wet melody of two elements colliding.  

The feeling it gives you. 

Surrounding you. 

It's cold.

Yet warm. 

It's comforting. 

There's a smell too. 

There's the fresh scent of something new. 

The smell of old and dirty things being cleansed. 

The smell of life. 

Oh the sight! 

It's beautiful. 

The beauty of an arch of color taking it's place in the sky. 

Seeing everything clearly yet murky. 

The small windows to the world underneath. 

Seeing your reflection waver. 

There's a kind of madness in it. 

Some unprivileged people can't seem to find the beauty in it. 

They only see grey. 

I can see it though. 

I can see the beauty. 

I can smell it. 

I can feel it. 

I can hear it. 

I know the promise. 

Do you?

Do you feel it?

See it?

Hear it?

Can you smell it?

Do you know the promise?

A minute in a dancers mind

One, two, three, four

Five, six, seven, eight

Breathe in. 

Next move.  

Oh no! I forgot to smile. 

I have to keep going. 

Here's the hard part. 

I'm off on my counts. 

I have to try to find someone counting out loud. 

There we go. 

One and two and three and four 

I'm back on track. 

Wait where are we in the combination? 

Remember to turn out. 

I wish my extension was like hers. 

Keep my core tight. 

And lift

Point 

Balance

Hold 

Smile

Oh no. 

The teacher is watching me. 

I can't keep my balance. 

Going down. 

Land in a plié. 

Now here's a pirouette. 

Remember not to tilt. 

Spot!

Hold your arms in first position. 

Keep your foot pointed. 

Smile. 

One and two and three and four. 

Now plié. 

Do another pirouette.

Plié again. 

Now a grande jeté. 

Wait! How do I get into it? 

I'll just run I guess. 

But I'll do it with my foot pointed. 

And smile. 

Keep going. 

Almost done. 

Foot pointed!

Legs straight! 

Core tight! 

Smile! 

And finish! 

Now most of you probably had no idea what that was about. 

That was a minute in the mind of a dancer. 

You're welcome. 

Most of you probably didn't find that very entertaining, but I have no blog post ideas so this is what you get for now. Please comment with posts you'd like to read!

Home

Home is where the heart is. I'm sure you've heard that phrase. 

Do you think it's true? 

I do. 

Aside from my actual home (and where my family is) there are two places that I feel like home at. My dance studio is the first one. To me it's one of the best places in the world. The second place is with my friends. Because I really love you guys a ton! Guess what, these places are where my heart is at. 

Home can be anywhere you make it. Home is not just a thing. 

I believe it's a state of being. Just like love. That's why you say things like "I'm at home, I am home, etc." 

I think that being home means being with or doing something that you love. Feeling loved and free and accepted and safe all at the same time. 

It's so much more than wood and paint and all that other stuff. It's more than where you sleep at night or where you keep your things. 

Home is so much more than we make it out to be. 

It's so much more beautiful and complex and amazing than we think. 

Christmas Lights

I love Christmas lights. I currently have some hanging in my room. VvVvVvV 

The reason I love Christmas lights is because they make me feel like I'm in a fairy tale. 

That I'm surrounded by fairies. Or floating among the stars. That I'm flying to never land. That time stands still. That it's Christmas. ;)

That I'm having some little adventure of my own. 

Every time I plug them in they instantly illuminate the room. Like they're just rushing to see me. To see what adventure we'll have today.

 It makes me feel like a little kid. Using my imagination in a high-tech world. 

I can just forget about school and work and life and loud brothers and just sit there in peace. Just me and my thoughts. 

PS So I know this was kind of a random post but I really had no idea what to write about. If you guys could comment with an idea for a blog post that would just make my day. Thanks!

Information That May Be Useful

 For I know the plans I have for you declares The Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future. 

I like change. I like doing different activities, different jobs, having a different routine. But I also hate change. Especially when it applies to things like my home or friends. Things that really matter to me. You know, I hate it so much that once, my mom said she was going to change the placement of a decoration in our house. I hate this decoration too. It's a creepy deer head. Painted white. Looks like a weeping angel animal in my opinion. But anyways, my mom was going to put it in her room, rather than keep it in the living room, and I got so upset at this. Because I liked it exactly where it was. It just belonged there. 

So, I am not coming back to Thursday Classes next year. So,

I know I will still see you ,but not nearly as often. I still have time before saying farewell, but I felt inspiration to write a blog post now so, here you go!

Now I just have to give a little speech to you all:

It's been great seeing you guys every Thursday. I've loved sitting through long classes with you guys. Having jam sessions. Practicing dances. Going to the homeschool balls. Camping trips, ultimate frisbee, snowball fights, movies, card games, sports camp, food pantry, banquets, the list goes on and on. I just want you guys to know that I will never forget these moments, I hope you don't either. I hope you never forget. I also hope that we always stay in touch. I've lost friends before. I don't want that to happen again. I've seen people say they'd be best friends forever and then forget each other after a couple of years. I want us to always remember each other. You are all like family to me. You are the best friends anyone could ask for. You are some of the closest friends I've ever had. Thanks for the great memories. I know it's not goodbye for good. But it sure won't be like it was before. It's changed. But let's not call it goodbye, let's just call it.......See ya later alligator! (Obviously I'm being a bit dramatic, but I felt like writing something really.....sad, so yeah.)

Okay, so now that I have that out, to finish off this blog post I just want to say that God knows what he's doing in our lives. He's had them mapped out since before we were born! That doesn't mean we will always like what happens, but it does mean that we can always trust God to pull us through. To work it all out for good. Even those pesky changes. 

Random thoughts about kids

Kids are interesting. 

One second they're the cutest thing. The next you're fearing for your life. 

But I don't see how anyone couldn't value kids. 

As I'm writing this I'm watching some kids play on the playground. I ran down the steps of the playground and the little boy told me. "Be careful Miss Arielle!" (I love when they call me Miss Arielle. It's adorable.) but I was so touched that he genuinely cared for my well being, an stopped playing to make sure I was careful. 

That same boy wouldn't even talk to me thirty minutes before. He was scared, scared that his mom wouldn't come back for him after being dropped off to be babysat. Half an hour later he was climbing all over the playground. He was fearless. 

Samuel does that too. He's scared whenever my mom or dad leave. But then he's climbing all over anything and everything. 

Kids always do that. They need someone to take care of them. To comfort them, hold them, play with them. Have you ever held a sleeping baby? Let me just say, it's amazing and beautiful.