What It Means....to Be A Performer

Hello there!
It's Christmas Eve, and I'm leaving for SHINE in FOUR DAYS!!
Beyond excited :)

As I finished up my online training with AMTC and prepare myself to go before the judges/agents, I have a few things I'd like to share.

As it says, this post is about what I think it means to be a performer. A performer could be a comedian, dancer, singer, actor, musician. Anything really, As long as you are standing before a crowd and entertaining them. Maybe this is even applicable to speakers, too.

You've probably heard a lot of what I'm going to write. But I thought I'd share for people who are interested in my career what it means to be to be doing what I am doing.

The number one thing that holds true for me as a performer is my philosophy that performers (particularly musicians, I guess) don't get to have secrets.  Yes. I just said that.

We don't get to have the deepest fear inside of us that we try to very hard to keep anyone from seeing. We don't get to be upset with people for talking about our deepest parts. We don't get to be shocked and embarrassed when people find out our secrets.  We put it all on the line. We tell everyone in the entire world how we hurt, breathe, live. What our hopes and joys are.  How we really truly feel about love.  How our childhood was. The people that have done the most for us. Our greatest mistakes.
That is our job as a performer.  To show real life to people.  To be ourselves and nothing else.
We aim to make people feel our emotion and  to relate to what we are saying.

Now maybe this is just me. I've never been a cutter or suicidal...I imagine that's a very deep secret for most people.  Or maybe there's something else that you hide. And no matter what you will never let anyone see that part of you. That's cool. I'm not saying that's wrong. I'm just saying for me, I hold nothing back.  My OCD is hard for me to explain sometimes.  It's going to be hard to go in front of agents and tell them that I have mental issues.  But it's not about getting the job, cause God has that.  It's about praising Him and carrying His message into the world.

While watching Married to Jonas (cause yeah, I totally watched that show, and loved it) Kevin Jonas said the following about performing: If you hold even a little bit back, you're not doing you're job.
That is 100% true.  As a performer, I need to put it all there, all on the line.

Nick Jonas recently wrote a song called "Wedding Bells" and while introducing it in New York, he talked about how being a musician meant writing about he awkward things. He also said that this song was probably the most uncomfortable song he's written. By listening to the song he's talking about how the girl is getting married, and he really just wants to have a "Speak Now" moment and tell her that he doesn't want her to marry the other guy, he is still in love with her and wants to try again.  Clearly, the song is about Miley Cyrus.

What Nick wrote is inspiring to me.  That has got to be the worst song to sing.  So personal, so soothing for yourself, but it front of everyone? Knowing she's going to hear it? Humiliating.  But he has gained even more of my respect.

Now...second point...or...different point...whatever you wanna call it ;)

I read this in the AMTC training. Basically, it says that practice is work, but performing is play.  We do all the work, we work hard remembering scripts, working on songs, but once we get on stage-we know our material backwards and forwards and we let go. We have fun.  I love that! I really want to be able to simply have fun on stage-that's what it's all about!

Being a performer is hard. We don't get to be normal.  We are the ones who display emotions for people.  But that's also cool for us because we get to do what we love! Furthermore, we set boundaries.  We encourage people that it's okay to wear red lipstick like Taylor Swift. Or wear the latest trends.  People may not get it. They'll comment, talk about, or question it-but that's ok.  Cause God is preparing us for His stage. We stand as lights against the darkness of media.

The most exciting part about this for me is that I get to stand here and be one of those inspirational people.  I get to stand and repeat the words off of a card I received: Believe in your dreams and have the courage to make it happen. Your dream may not be exactly what you hoped, but dream of God first-and you will be fulfilled and happy.

DREAM ON,
    Dorothy Marie

P.S. Merry Christmas!!

Venting like a girl, yo.

Heyyyy

I'm blogging.
Because I'm frustrated.

I'm frustrated with people.
Because we are hard and judgmental.

I'm frustrated with my friends.
Because they can't fulfill me and I'll never be able to relate to my besties like they can with their brother or their other friends.

I'm frustrated with my family.
Because they ask tons of questions and I compare them to my friend's family way too much.

I'm frustrated with myself.
Because I'm a mean person and I don't change myself.


What's a girl to do?

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" ~Romans 7:24-25

Incredibly Blessed

If you didn't already know, I got in a car accident on November 15.  I apparently didn't see the red light and ran it-crashing into someone.  I was T-boned and my car flipped on its side and bounced back up. A lot of people say I'm lucky to be alive.  It was a very traumatizing experience and I have had a hard time moving on with my life...but God is good.

A couple days afterwards (while I was away at a friends) my Mom called me and told me that someone had left an envelope in the mail with my name on it. The envelope contained $180- the exact amount of my traffic ticket.

I'm so blessed and thankful to whoever did this.  It was truly appreciated and I hope you know God loves you.

So...this could be a coincedence...but it just seemed happy....so I shall share this story with you. :)

I had seen some AMAZING BOOTS at Ross that I REALLY wanted. After the accident I just threw that idea out the window as I have no job but a small babysitting gig and a near $200 traffic ticket to pay.  But after the anonymous blessing, I decided I was going to go buy them! It bad been about 2 weeks since I first saw them and I wasn't sure if they'd still be there.  I walked into Ross and into the first shoe aisle. I didn't see the boots :( Then as I approached my shoe size, there was simply one pair just sitting right below the size sign.  Whether God did that, or it reminded me how good He is to me, I'm not sure-but either way it was a blessing. Now turned out Ross's sizes are switched around and those particular boots were too small for me but I found some in another section that fit me. So I got the boots ;).

Anyway, just wanted to share what I'm thankful for. :)

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!


Forever His,
   Dorothy Marie <3 <3 <3

Post #21: Write About Someone You Look Up To

Oh look, remember this miserable little project I started, like, two years ago?  Well, I'm back at it again.

The person I look up to is Paige Armstrong. (Now Paige Omartian)

Her songs, blogs, and writings have inspired me to make the most of my life, follow my passion, and not waste my time.
http://www.titletrakk.com/music-interviews/paige-armstrong-interview.htm

That interview says way more than I can ^

Love!
    Dorothy Marie <3

I'm Not Blind Anymore

Going into life right now, I feel...empowered by the Spirit of God.

I remember even just last year, I was beated down by everything else.  Everyone was smarter than me, even if the only knowledge they had on me was the latest dirty joke.  I was the innocent little girl who was to be treated with cotton and wrapped in bubble wrap. But since I was protected, I felt like some people just decided to toss me around.

But not now.

I'm a warrior.  I know people's dirty ways and am not gonna fall for them.  Sure, I'm not perfect, and I'm not made of iron. I fall for it sometimes. But I will NEVER stop fighting to examine my ways and make them conform to the truth.

 Jesus said, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16)

This verse means so much to me and it is what I aspire to be.

I'm strong. I'm not weak anymore.  The Spirit of Truth dwells in me and will keep me safe against all Hell for His purposes.

Always His,
    Dorothy Marie <3


And yes, because I'm just awesome like that, Imma link a Katy Perry song that kinda relates to me.

God's Not Dead

In Season 4/5 of Supernatural, things start to get very weird religion-wise.  Dean is constantly questioning God's existence or if He cares.  An outraged Dean tells Castiel: If there is a God, He is either dead, or doesn't give a (questionable wording :S, no they didn't curse on tv, but I would feel bad actually writing it out).

All this talk gets me thinking, because that's what I hear in my life. Why does God let people suffer, why does he do this to people, why does He just "stand by" and watch.  As it was said in To Save A Life, I wonder if God is asking us the same question? Why do we stand by while people are sick? Why am I so lazy and unwilling to help my Mom as her surgery gets closer? Why do we not reach out to hurting people? Why don't we give more of our money in faith to cure malaria and stop world hunger. Why am I willing to pay $30 every month for an IPhone but would hardly think about sponsoring a child for that same amount?

Have we ever stopped and realized that our world has fully rejected Christ? We are embarressed about Him, we want Him taken out of schools, the pledge of allegiance, our currency.  Have we ever thought that maybe all this bad in the world isn't because of God, or because He doesn't care, but because of US and our sin?

Maybe the reason everything goes wrong in our lives isn't because God wants it to, but because we have been so obstinate in our sin that God has given us over to our sins?  He gave us free will for a reason.  He didn't want puppets- He wanted real people. So when we didn't want Him, perhaps His love for us couldn't hold us and just keep the bad away. That would be interfering with our free will. God doesn't want your allegiance- He wants your heart. He wants something real, just like we all do.  (**I'm not sure if this is correct. I'm not a pastor or a highly intelligent person. I'm just a girl who God has chosen to reveal Himself to.  I'm not perfect, and I may not have everything straight**)

Whatever the case may be, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chr 7:14)

GOD IS NOT DEAD. He is alive and well and speaking to those whom hearts are open.  The power of God is foolishness to those that are perishing.  

Sometimes I get upset at the inequality shown to Christians and then I realize, we're not supposed to be treated fairly.  We never will be.  Everyone else will complain about being treated unfairly and we will always get the short end of the stick, that's how it's gonna be until the end of this world.  Jesus told us we would be persecuted.  Things will never get better in this world, but our hope is in Christ and His second coming. However, we still do good because that is what pleases God.

Love to all!!

Forever His, 
     Dorothy Marie

AFTER SCHOOL

Wow....has anyone noticed that writing a blog post sort of seems impossible when you don't have much to say?  Haha...the long white post descending....and descending.....

Anyway-

~I started school. Senior year is going to amazing. Minus the school, but.

~ I am at work on my music! One song finished, one song almost finished, and two in the making ;).  Also have cover songs I need to work on.

~Acoustic music is bomb. So is pop music. COUGHCOUGHANTHEMLIGHTSCOUGHCOUGHMARIANASTRENCHCOUGHCOUGH.

~ WHY AM I BLOGGING?!?!?!?

It's the Little Things...

Sometimes I think we can drown in discontent.  We want this that and the other, our family is SOOO annoying, our friends aren't perfect, and we don't have enough money.  Or maybe it's bigger things. You're depressed, you're sick, you're overloaded, you're far from God, you're having relational problems and you feel alone.  Nothing works, everything is miserable, and you're not quite sure how you're gonna get through today.

I am not undermining these things, they are so important.  I have been in a hard place, and am going through tough stuff right now. But something I realized a couple days ago is that concentrating on the little things and being thankful for them provides little pieces of comfort.  Focusing on God's goodness even in the midst of trial can help provide sunshine to a dark situation.

For me, it was my dog.  Our city had its first official dog swim and I had such a good time taking Bear there. When I was picking out my dog, I knew I wanted a dog that loved water, and I prayed for that.  I also knew I wanted a dog that was loyal and stayed by me without having to be leashed.  God blessed me with all this in a shelter dog!  At the dog swim there must have been 20 or 30 plus other dogs, but yet Bear chose to stay by me and never went too far away.  I oftentimes am very embarrassed in public with him because he is still a puppy and can get very excited. Since he is close to 80 pounds this proves very hard for little me to control him.  So at the dog swim it was so nice to see that even though he still had a lot to learn, he HAS come a long way and God has blessed me with an INCREDIBLE dog and just what I wanted.  I am so thankful.

What little things are you thankful for? Hope this helps bring some sunshine to your day!

Forever His,
  Dorothy

MUSICA

So...recently I've been crazy into all this music so I thought I'd share!

First off, heard this song on the radio twice the other day and have loved it since.  The lyrics are shady, but I couldn't really understand a lot of them on the radio and then when I looked it up it was weird...so...keep that in mind

Second, I love the CLEAN version of this song

And last but not least, I LOVE CHRIS AUGUST

What are some of your favorite songs recently?

You're Gonna Have All Of Me

I want Him to have all of me.

I spend so much of my life trying to fit God into my life, but I want Him to BE my life.  I want that fire again, the fire that burns inside and makes every day a mission for Him.  The fire that says I wanna know YOU more, I wanna be like YOU.  I don't want to just make sure I'm not doing the wrong things, I want a passion to do the right things.

But I'm not gonna just stand here wishing that the fire would come.  I'm gonna ignite it. I'm gonna make an effort to put into practice the wonderful things I learned at camp about prayer.  I'm gonna spend time with God, not just do my devotions.  I'm gonna worship Him unashamed in all I do.  I'm going to live how I believe.  I'm gonna only care about what He thinks about me.  I'm going to be who HE wants me to be, not other people.

(All Of Me by Matt Hammitt)

What do you think of all this?

FOREVER His,
    Dorothy

New Project!

Hello!

For those of you who don't know I attend a private school for Homeschoolers every wednesday during the school year called C.H.E.S.S. (Colorado Heritage Education School System).  There is a strict dress code consisting of white, blue, black, and khaki.  Most girls at my school  are very frustrated with the dress code and many think that it is impossible to look cute while in a CHESS outfit.
Yes, the colors are drab but there are so many ways to accessorize the outfit with other colors that it is a lie to complain about looking ugly in the CHESS outfit.

Last summer I decided to make a sort of fashion magazine pamphlet thing on making a CHESS outfit more fashionable.  It turned out to be difficult to manage and get going.  However, today I had the grand idea of starting a blog for it! That way I can continually add to it and feature new things.  And I figured since I was a senior I had to do something because my time is running out.

I just made the blog and it is under construction, so don't even bother going there yet. But I am hoping to get it up and going soon! Hopefully little by little it will become pretty cool.

What do you think of this idea?

Forever His,
    Dorothy

Post #20- A Craft Tutorial!

Ok so this is NOT really a craft tutorial.
1. I am not crafty
2. This is just a cool idea i had.

I clip my flower hair clips onto my curtains.  I think it's so cute to have the flowers run down the curtains and keep the clips nice instead of getting them squished somewhere else.

YES my enthusiasm is fading for some of these posts :S BUT the next one is someone i look up to and I think that will be a good one!!

I just need to be in the mood to blog and sometimes I will be, and sometimes I won't :P

Forever His,
 Dorothy

I did it!

Yes....I DYED MY HAIR PINK!!!

ISNT IT AMAZING?!

Love, Dorothy :)

PS. I hopefully will have more pictures on here now because I got my camera back from my sister who needed it for work!

PPS.  I will be in camp next week but will post more when I get back!

AMTC Update

Hey ya'll! So...looking at expenses to go to the SHINE convention, my family has made the decision to wait until January to go.  That way we have more time to fundraise...and...yeah, it was just turning out to be MAJORLY expensive that we couldn't do so fast.  It's good though, I'll be closer to graduation, have more time to prepare, and more time to raise money.  I am a bit dissapointed, but I really think it is the better option. At least I still get to go!  But this way I can be more polished for the big event :))

On the plus side...THIS ALSO MEANS I CAN DYE MY HAIR PINK THIS SUMMER!! hahahahaha! Sorry....this makes me so happy :))

Always His,
     Dorothy

Life Lately

Hello dear followers!

Well....a lot of you probably know this already...but I got accepted into Actors Models and Talent for Christ! I went to an open call audition and auditioned for singing mainly and acting as a second.  I didn't even walk for them but they called the next day and said I was a three way fit for singing acting and modeling, which is pretty cool!  So right now I am doing intensive training since I'm going on the fast track and going to the SHINE convention in July.  I have a lot of training and catching up to do!

AMTC is a launch pad for careers into the entertainment industry with a heavy focus on being a light for God in that dark place.
At the SHINE convention there will be scouts from acting, singing, and modeling companies.

The Convention is in Florida in early July at a nice resort...I'll get to feed ALLIGATORS!! haha

So yeah....please be praying for me as I am very stressed out with my life changing so fast. Also please be praying for financial provision as it is VERY expensive (like, $5000).

Thank you guys for reading!

If you want to find out more go to amtcworld.org

Forever His,
    Dorothy :)

Wisdom Teeth Musings

Yesterday I got my wisdom teeth taken out.  It was a pretty cool experience.  While driving home and all looped up on drugs I was singing along to the radio- ha!

Anyway, it was a fun day of eating jello, soup, yogurt drinks, and ice cream and hanging out with Tessa who also got her top ones taken out just moments before mine!  We watched Elf and Looney Tunes and had a great time. :)

Today I watched the Season 3 Finale of The Vampire Diaries and it was THE BEST SEASON FINALE EVER!!!! I am so happy with how they put it all together, and...I'm just. So happy :)

Then I went on Pinterest and had a jolly good time and I think now I am going to settle down and watch Supernatural (the new show I am into now that TVD is over).
My Mom and I have been watching Once Upon A Time and Season 1 of 24 and really like both so far.

Well, I shall go to sip my chocolate milk and watch tv now.

Love you all  and have a great weekend!

Forever His,
Dorothy

Oh Crazy Disaster (My Story-Part 1)

I recently cleaned out one of my side table drawers (does anyone ELSE automatically think BLUES CLUES?) and it was kind of a moment of victory for me.  Literally 70% of that stuff was in there because of the mental state I was in about a year and a half ago.

It was November 30th.  We had just gotten back from a trip and missed church, so we decided to go to a friend's church's evening service.  It was an EXCELLENT sermon on letting your fire for the Lord be as high as it can get.  No big deal, right? Yay for surrendering to the Lord! Haha...not in my case.  This great idea combined with earlier symptoms (and, who knows, maybe my strict conservative upbringing) spiralled down...down....DOWN into a miserable year and a half of living Hell.  Woot.

This could take a long time to explain, but I feel like I should tell my story.  Pride gets in the way, but God can take care of that.  He can use it to touch somebody even if it's just one person.

First, it was little things, you HAVE TO read your Bible, you HAVE TO walk this way, you HAVE TO wash the counter, you HAVE TO rewrite that, you HAVE TO apologize a million times for this, you HAVE TO pick up that piece of trash, you HAVE TO clean every single inch and millimeter of that bathroom.
Then it started to get worse.  My thoughts seemed uncontrollable, I would automatically thing just TERRIBLE things and then go and have to confess them in a prayer only to think it again one millisecond later, over and over and over.....and over....................and over........yeah. You get the picture. It sucked.  I'm not saying that I'm guiltless, I am responsible for thinking those things, but with God's help, I turn from evil thoughts every day.

Over a year and a half it got worse and worse.  I never felt forgiven, I always felt sinful and guilty.  I wasn't assured of my salvation, I second-guessed myself on everything.  Then it started turning into eccentric questions: Does God want me to do my school? Does He want me to eat? Drink? Watch Tv? Maybe I should just read my Bible ALL DAY.  Maybe then I'd be righteous enough. Maybe then it'd be ok.  Then it got contradictory.  I'd go to read my Bible and POP! A question asking "What if you shouldn't read your Bible?" Well, then what should I do?!?! Exactly (are you getting a headache yet?).

Late at night, is the door locked? Go check. Five minutes later....HAVE TO check again.  If I didn't listen to the have to's then I would be immobilized with guilt. Actually, either way I was immobilized.  Nothing was for sure, nothing was constant, nothing was trustworthy.  I could read a Bible verse and think it would fix all my problems, then 5 seconds later it would all go down the drain.  I could recite the truth to myself countless times but it never worked. It helped for a bit, but it never fixed anything permanently.

NOW I am NOT saying that God's Word is not powerful! In no way! A lot of those verses changed my life, comforted me, and kept me going when everything else hurt.

In this miserable time, I was...well, miserable, but I also grew a LOT closer to God.  I got to know His Word LOTS better.  I was introduced to the powerful truth of Jesus taking our sin upon Him and transferring His righteousness to His children.  I realized that God looked at me as He looked at His own Son (believe it or not, I had never heard this concept growing up!!! Or at least was never paying attention :S)

NOW HANG ON! HERE ENDS MISERY AND SADNESS AND THE LIGHT BEGINS TO SHINE!!

Enter helpless mother who has done absolutely EVERYTHING to help her daughter and has been unsuccessful. At this point we've thought of demons, horrible sins that need to be corrected (JOB), and finally start to think of obsessive compulsiveness.
So Mom took me to a counselor. I'll write another time about my counseling experience, but after a couple months with not much success she referred us to a psychiatrist with the intention of getting me on medication.

I was diagnosed with OCD.  Yep, you read that right. It's minor, very different from your normal scared-of-germs OCD.  It's more in the mind, I guess.

So I got a prescription, go back every three months or so for him to fill it and, it's gotten all better :).  Yeah, the recovery went pretty fast. There was no sudden light shining moment, just a quick constant recovery.

I could talk for awhile about this but...I'll save that for another time.

Going back to the side table thing, I realized that most of that stuff was kept because I thought I HAD TO keep it.  It was a victory for me because I am so happy  and thankful that God has brought me through so much and that I was able to throw all that stuff out with no regrets.  PRAISE BE TO HIM!!!

The whole point of this post is to say that, if you are going through problems, don't be ashamed to go to a counselor or a psychiatrist.  You're not weird.  I know it may feel like that but, it's not. No one looks at people strange when they go to the doctor for weird bumps in their skin.  It's no different with us. If you're having problems, tell somebody.  WHATEVER YOU'VE BEEN TOLD, YOU'RE WORTH MORE THAN GOLD.

Forever His,
       Dorothy :)) <3

Thankful

Father, I'm really glad I met you.  I'm really glad you changed my life.  I really glad I get to be loved by You.  I'm really thankful that you took my punishment when it seems like all I do is do it wrong.  Thank you that it's never too late to turn around.

(Yes this is a Taylor Swift song and it is secular, but I really liked these lyrics. I think they apply to meeting God)

I feel like this is how my walk with God has been: I look back on my life and see how He was always there.

Love you Jesus! xoxoxoxo

:)

Waiting for my tv show to load as I *enjoy* my faint internet from whoever the Williams Family is... :P

How is everyone doing?
I have been busy with school and stuff.  Semester classes are ALMOST over, so working to get things done.
I got a job!  My brother manages college pro painting in my town and I got a job cold calling for him! I basically go to people's houses and ask them if they want to schedule a free estimate.  I get payed pretty good , it is only 6 hours a week, and it is really fun to go with the other teen, so I really like it!
After I finish my classes I have to dig into my grammar really hard and finish half the book by the end of May when Summer Break starts. It will probably be really hard. Pray for me?

I am also going to start studying for the ACT. That is sort of exciting I suppose. :S

Can't believe Junior year is almost over. I'm actually almost a SENIOR!!! Wow.
(Anyone ever seen that Hannah Montana episode where they rant on saying "BECAUSE WE'RE SENIOR!!!"? Yeah, well, Miranda and I are TOTALLY going to do that!)

Dog training is going really well. I actually think he is making progress! That's great!  We are in advanced now and will probably retake intermediate when we're done.  I took him to a park where my friend was having a get together and he did REALLY well (except for barking the whole time he was tied to the table while we were playing ultimate frisbee, but he loves frisbees and he loves people, so I can't blame him too much)!!

LOVING Britt Nicole's new album GOLD!! It is a great Christian pop album!  Have listened to it about 5 times straight since buying it. It is SO good. My current favorite songs are Gold, Look Like Love, and Still That Girl. Oh, and Stand!

You should check it out and, of course, BUY IT!!!!!

Also REALLY been into Mat Kearney....his singles have been SO GOOD and I think I will buy his album soon! Check out "Down" and "Ships in the Night"!!!!

I think that is all I have for now....

Always His,
     Dorothy

Post #19: Write About A Country You'd Like to Visit Someday

Well, I would, of course, LOVE to go to Europe someday.  Particularly France (Paris!) and England (just so I can get an accent).  It's my Mom and I's dream to travel there someday, so maybe one day that will become a reality!

Much love!

Dorothy

Hair :)

Soooo I just got the ok from my parents this morning to dye my hair!! I am going to wait until after my friend's wedding June 1st, but after that I think I'm gonna do it!

Was thinking pink....  but not exactly sure....

Love Avril's old pink locks


What do you all think of blue?

Never though i would like this but, I really do!

Would love to hear your thoughts!

AND if you think it is the most terrible idea on the planet earth, would love to hear those thoughts, too. :))

Forever His,
     Dorothy

Post #18: Write About a Tradition or Old Custom That You Think Should Have Survived Until Today

Hmmmm....just gonna make this a quick post ;)

Obviously, I think Chivalry should have survived til today.  Although I do believe that Chivalry is NOT dead.

Another thing that should have survived until today was the common practice of riding horses EVERYWHERE.  I have always loved horses and riding, and I used to say how if I became president I would outlaw cars and have everyone ride on horseback.

Love,
    Dorothy :)

Post #17: Post Some of Your Own Art

Well hello!  I have been sorely lacking in the form of blogging...haha :P  I'll get on big swings where I'll post twice a day...then...nothing for months. Yeah....

Anyway, I wanted to post some of my art, but I don't really DRAW except for little doodles and I thought of putting up some music but there aren't many videos of such things, so I am going to postpone this post for awhile til I can record something.

Forever His,
   Dorothy

Living Today

TODAY  

I will live my life and glorify God

TODAY

I will follow my God given dreams

TODAY

I will live life to the fullest

TODAY

I will make time for what really matters and not be carried away by worthless idols

TODAY

I will not let fear hold me back

TODAY will be my masterpiece.

Self-Harm Awareness Day (Post #16)

I have been informed that today is Self-Harm Awareness Day.

Wow Dorothy! Put on the breaks, you might say! We do not TALK about those people...They are WEIRD.

Well, guess what? These people are in indescribable pain that most of us cannot even begin to relate to.  They are not WEIRD. We all deal with pain in different ways. Some people have faith, some people eat, some people get sick, some people talk to everyone, and some people cut themselves.  They aren't weird, they are hurting people that need Jesus's love.

First off, if you're a self harmer, I want you to know that there are people who love you.  I know you may not see it or feel it, but there are people who want to help you and will give of their lives to support you and love you. Second, there is a way out.  I know you might be scared to tell people about your cutting or whatever else you do, but God will bring you through whatever it takes to help you if you let Him.  God sees every single time you hate yourself, every time you fall, every time that you called out and thought He or anybody else didn't hear.  He DID hear.  I know this to be true, and I mean I REALLY know.  God's purposes are far beyond us and please trust that He will give you the strength to get through the pain, and bring you to a brighter day. God will help you and assist you if you let Him into your heart. He is standing at the door knocking! Let Him in!  Yes, God requires us to stop sinning, but the rewards will be far greater following Him and the pain much worse if we walk away.

“Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, 
   all the remnant of the people of Israel, 
you whom I have upheld since your birth, 
   and have carried since you were born. 
⁴ Even to your old age and gray hairs 
   I am he, I am he who will sustain you. 
I have made you and I will carry you; 
   I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Isaiah 46: 3-4)


HE IS CARRYING YOU. If it hurts. Close your eyes and believe that you don't have to stumble through life anymore by yourself, imagine that you can feel Him as He carries you through. He is there, CARRYING YOU.


Jesus died on the cross FOR you.  You don't have to hurt yourself or bear the guilt of what you have done because it is ALREADY FINISHED.  Your sins have BEEN ERASED.  God looks at you as if you had never sinned! I can barely believe this.  Let us let this sink in for a moment.  WE NEVER HAVE SINNED, WE NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG.  We have the strength to turn from our wicked ways!!! Believe and rejoice, beloved one, because it is the truest thing that you will ever hear. 


The last thing I want to tell you is to get help.  THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH GOING TO A COUNSELOR, CALLING A SUICIDE HOTLINE, TALKING TO YOUR PARENTS, PASTOR, ANYONE ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS, GOING TO A PSYCHIATRIST, CHECKING YOURSELF INTO REHAB, GOING TO THE HOSPITAL.  Our society lies to us and tells us that doing these things means we're some kind of crazy people.  WE'RE NOT.  Some people have tuberculosis or other diseases and spend half their lives in the hospital. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND GETTING HELP FOR SELF-HARM!!!  Some people have REALLY messed up families and carry scars of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse with them their whole lives. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALL THESE ISSUES, WE SHOULD DEAL WITH OUR PROBLEMS AND TRUST OUR SAVIOR TO REDEEM OUR BROKEN LIVES.  


⁸ You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?
⁹ When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because God is for me. (Psalm 58:8-9)


God has seen EVERY SINGLE tear you have cried and puts it into a bottle.  He KNOWS your suffering and will NEVER leave you.  HE HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR DELIVERANCE! This isn't just for people who harm themselves, if you are in any hard time of your life, hear this good news!


¹¹ In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me? (Psalm 58:11)


IT'S OK
YOU'RE GONNA MAKE IT
PLEASE TALK TO SOMEONE, EVEN ME.  HELP IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, JUST HOLD ON TO JESUS, YOU WILL MAKE IT THROUGH! I PROMISE YOU!

The other point I want to make is to people like myself.  People who DON'T self-harm, and, possibly, come from a conservative circle where self-harm is not mentioned much.


THIS IS REAL.  There are people ALL around you.  Stop acting like it's just those emo kids that do it, because they are NOT the only ones! In fact, how do we even know if all emo's self-harm? SELF-HARM IS NOT LIMITED TO AGE, STEREOTYPE, OR CLASS!!  One time I heard some people making fun of a rich person who they know who cuts.  That hurts me so bad.  JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE MATERIAL THINGS DOESN'T MEAN YOU AREN'T PRONE TO SELF-HARM!!! Money and things do not give a person happiness, only salvation through Jesus Christ can truly satisfy!!!


Please be aware and sensitive and loving towards the depressed and offer them the hope of Jesus.  Don't shut them out or treat them like they are out of your league. THAT'S WHAT THE SINS OF THE PHARISEES WERE!!! We don't want to be like them, do we?  Remember, WE HAVE ALL FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. OUR SIN IS ALL ALIKE TO GOD.


Further reading:


twloha.com


http://paigehasastory.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/question-of-the-week-cutting/


Much love to ALL,
 Dorothy :))

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I love fun little pictures, so i thought I would share some with you!

And you all know how much I'm obsessed with animals right now so I had to add this one...

And let us never forget that God IS love and love is certainly not contained to romantic love.
God says to love fervently so let's love our fellow man today!

Forever His,
     Dorothy <3

Muzack

Hello there!

So today I turned on my computer and realized "Hey, I really wanna listen to some music!"
I used to listen to music 24/7 when I was on the computer. I HAD to have music.  Now, I barely ever listen to it, which makes me sad.  So today I relived an old tradition I used to have: Jango Radio! You can make your own station on jango.com.  I suppose it is like Pandora?  I used to play my station for HOURS.  So it is playing away while I am blogging!

So, in two weeks I am going to GRAND JUNCTION!!! Going to visit my friend Olivia for her sweet 16 birthday!  It is kinda a last minute trip and I'm soooo excited!!

Her birthday is a costume party.

RANDOM MOMENT!!!!!!!!!!! Lindsay Lohan is playing on Jango. I used to listen to her ALL THE TIME. I missed her!!! So happy!!

Anyway, costume party.  So it needs to be a fictional character.

Ideas that have been suggested to me so far:
Dr. Temperance Brennan from "Bones"
Barbie :P
Chex cereal

I also thought of going as a punk rocker?! idk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I don't want to do anything too girly cause I don't want people to laugh at me :S.  But I don't want anything that's not obvious so that people look at me like I'm a freak.  Anyway, I have no clue....IDEAS ANYONE?!?! PLEASE!!!??

On a lighter note, enjoying Season 11 of American Idol. Had to pause my music so I could watch it now. :)
I'll have to listen to Lohan later ;).

Alright so, DONT FORGET!!!!!!!!!!! Please offer me some ideas for the costume party!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!

Post #15: Write About What God has Taught You in the Past Year

"THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS WHO DO NOT WALK ACCORDING TO THE FLESH BUT ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT" (Romans 8:1)  This is one of the major things I've been learning for the past year.

He loves me.  Like, seriously, stop acting like He is out to get me and LET HIM LOVE ME. LET MYSELF LOVE HIM.  Seriously, girl, CHILL OUT!!

That I need to stop judging and love everyone. Yes, EVERYONE. We need to accept the drug addicts, the conservative judgmental types, the punk rockers, the self-sufficient, the depressed, the snotty.  We do not accept their sins.  We make allowance for each others faults, but mentor others and ourselves to turn from our sins.  We are all equal in the sight of God.

He is mighty to save.

Strong Enough to Save by Tenth Avenue North

Also see the book of Daniel.

That's all for now!

Peace and love, yo!

Forever His,
    Dorothy

Messy Mondays: "Want" vs. "Need"

Post # 14: Write about a favorite hymn

One of my favorite hymns is:

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing!!!!!

Come, thou Fount of every blessing, 
 tune my heart to sing thy grace; 
 streams of mercy, never ceasing, 
 call for songs of loudest praise. 
 Teach me some melodious sonnet, 
 sung by flaming tongues above. 
 Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, 
 mount of thy redeeming love. 

2. Here I raise mine Ebenezer; 
 hither by thy help I'm come; 
 and I hope, by thy good pleasure, 
 safely to arrive at home. 
 Jesus sought me when a stranger, 
 wandering from the fold of God; 
 he, to rescue me from danger, 
 interposed his precious blood. 

3. O to grace how great a debtor 
 daily I'm constrained to be! 
 Let thy goodness, like a fetter, 
 bind my wandering heart to thee. 
 Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 
 prone to leave the God I love; 
 here's my heart, O take and seal it, 
 seal it for thy courts above.

I love it, because it is so true!!!

And I really just wanted to get this post over with soooooooooo :D

Random

HELLO!!!

It's 10:40...(Not that late, I know) I drank some Chai tea. My Mom told me that it might keep me up, but I didn't think it would bother me.

Guess what...? I'm not tired at all!!! I kind of want to get ready for bed and climb into bed and watch another episode of Psych.....

Anyway, I just really felt like blogging, too.

So... I love the song "Down" by Mat Kearney. Have you guys heard it? Have loved it for a while.  The more I listen to it the more deeper I understand the meaning. Tip: Watch the lyric video on Youtube, he's kinda hard to understand ;)

I also really love the song "Make A Move" by Royal Tailor... The catchy vocal repeat is awesome and...well, he has a great voice.  When it comes on the radio I become very happy.

Also, kinda obsessed with Youtube beauty videos.  I already like them, and then I got to know Elissa more and she has just encouraged it (haha, I love you <3).  Sooooo really love this girl: Arose186 

Anyway... now my Mom says I have to go to bed.  Whether I'm tired or not.

Hope you enjoyed my random blogging.  What's up with you lately?

Forever His,
      Dorothy

BFFs :)

Really wanted to write about one of my favorite people in the entire planet. My beautiful November Sunshine-Miranda. :)) ( Check out her own awesome blog here)

Hmmm where to start :)) Miranda is well...awesome. She loves photography, books, action, adventure, quotes, Jesus, and....other great things.

She dislike math and children (hahaha inside joke! :P)

This is us at the Civil War Ball 2011 (Homeschool Winter Formal :P)

Miranda and I have been friends for over 10 years. We celebrated our 9 yr best friend-a-versary last December :D.

We have often been the object of much joke and criticism because we were always together (they're just jealous!). Always partners in school projects, always hanging out with each other on the weekends, always sitting together in class, and, in a simpler time, always taking all the exact same classes. We pretty much have been inseparable since we were 7 years old.

The funny part is, we are as different as can be. Miranda is...well...from her family. Therefore, she is into sports and she has the reputation of being pretty tough for a girl. Me, on the other hand, am probably the biggest girly girl you could find. I love pink, I love Seventeen magazine, I am always watching makeup videos on Youtube, and I scream VERY high pitched and loudly at any sign of threat. Not to say Miranda isn't any of those things, I am just more so, that's all.

We have different talents. Miranda is superb at everything artsy whereas I am not really at all.

I really love music and videos and...well....yeah...and Miranda likes photography, art, and she is always the biggest help around her house. She genuinely has a servant's heart and is always ready to help.

She also cooks....I don't really cook very often (but I am doing it more).

Our awesome pictures of us. Haha. We are really cool.

Btw please forgive this underlined writing, I have no clue how to change it and Blogger just did that :S.

This is when Miranda won 2nd with her Track Team at State last year! Seriously one of the most awesome highlights of my teenage years.

Miranda is very fun. I can't tell you half of the awesome things we have done, crazy plans we have made, or hilarious things we have said.

We are truly freaks and if any of you knew what epic times we have had, you probably would lose respect for us.

More importantly, Miranda's heart is beautiful. She loves God. She loves other people with God's love. She is always ready to pray for people, or tell them a sweet Bible verse, or encourage them. She loves people with a sweet heart and is always ready to listen. She is ONE OF THE THE MOST GENEROUS PEOPLE I KNOW, doing many thoughtful and frugal things with her money.

This picture pretty much sums of our friendship, especially as we have gotten older.

I will always love you, my dear! You're my best friend FOR LIFE!!!!

If I was a man, I would marry you.

If I was a flashlight, you would be my batteries.

If I'm the picture, you will always be the photographer.

Here's to many more years of happily ever after, Bestie! ;)

Post #13: An Interview With a Fellow Blogger

For this post I am going to interview one of my best friends.

Her awesome personal blog (HIGHLY RECCOMEND!!!) is Inexpressible Joy.

Hailing from good ole Ar-Kansas, without further ado....Elissa :D

What is your favorite color?

Blue!! I love blue :). But, I like black, green, purple, and pink too. In that order…kinda.

What chore is your favorite and what chore is your least favorite?

My favorite around-the-house chore is doing dishes. It makes me feel relaxed. I like to think/pray while I'm doing it. I otherwise strongly dislike cleaning. So, cleaning the bathroom is probably my least favorite.

Name your most favorite bands/artists?

Oooh, this question will have an overwhelmingly long answer ;)

(No particular order)

Stephanie Smith

Building 429

Anthem Lights

Thousand Foot Krutch

Disciple

Hawk Nelson

Family Force 5

Barlowgirl

Kutless

FM Static

Tenth Avenue North

Skillet

Newsboys

What is your favorite school subject and what is your least?

I like school. I'm so weird. Favorite: English/Literature. Least favorite: Math.

What is your aim with your blog?

Hmm, good one. I most of all would LOVE for God to use what I write on my blog to bring other people closer to Him. That kind of sounds cheesy, but I was legit FLOORED when a couple of people told me that reading my blog actually did just that. My biggest dream is to write...to write anything that reaches people…so that's what I'm doing :).

What has God been teaching you lately?

1) God's been changing me. I have to be careful sometimes, because I actually believe I'm becoming a "better person" or something. More correctly, I'm becoming more aware of how much I need Him. And that doesn't change when I'm having a bad day.

2) I'm also learning that it doesn't really matter what happens to me, doesn't matter how broken, foolish, empty, rotten I feel, He's still there and somehow still LOVES me.

Do share with me your lovely philosophy on singleness :)))))

Hehe. Well, I have learned (the hard way!) that God's perfect will for me is what I want to pursue. If it's in His plan, He's got somebody absolutely wonderful for me out there, and I don't have any reason to believe He needs any help in that department :). Thus, I don't ever plan on dating around.

Also, this is kinda crazy, but I had this thought hit me the other day: for now, I don't actually EVER want a boyfriend. Someday, I may want a husband. But I'm okay with just seeing what tomorrow holds.

And I KNOW, honestly, it's much harder said than done to live that out. But, all I can do is constantly surrender my emotions and desires to God--I sure as anything can't control them myself. It's also about respecting other people and treating them with "absolute purity."

And please describe your awesome life living on a mountain :))

Haha! I live on a 147 acre farm with my family of 7. We raise lots of animals, and we spend a large amount time caring for those animals, and also showing them and other fun stuff through 4-H. :) I also do school, ride horses, and just live on the mountain, lol. Living on a "mountain" (big hill=mountain in AR) is awesome because there's no flood risk. But tornadoes are a scary thought, because we are up higher :S.

~Elissa

That's all! I really love this girl...

Post #12: A Movie Review

My movie is..........................:

CASABLANCA!!!!!!!!

Alot of you have probably never seen this movie, or even heard of it.

It is one of my Dad's favorite movies and so after a lot of debate, I finally watched it.

Plot:

A couple falls in love with Paris during WWII after knowing very little about each other. The woman, Ilsa, was previously married but believed her husband to be dead. The man, Richard, is somehow going to be caught by the Germans for something that was not quite clear to me, therefore, he and Ilsa devise a plan to get away before the Germans march into Paris. However, Ilsa leaves Rick with a note telling him simply that she loves him but can never see him again. Then, years later they run into each other in Casablanca, a town in Morocco. Ilsa is married (she had to leave because she found out her husband was alive), and Rick owns a saloon and has become a very selfish man. The rest of the film involves Ilsa and her husband trying to escape Casablanca.

Apparently, this movie is very near and dear to the baby boomer generation, who can identify with it quite well since WWII was still prevalent to them growing up. As for me, I can identify with that time period as much as oil mixes with water, so the war factor of the movie did not interest me. However, I did enjoy the love story. I would rate it as a moderate movie, but it all depends on what person you talk to. It has never gotten a bad review and many people love it, so I think it is an excellent movie.

There was nothing bad in it at all except some inappropriate dress and *gasp* kissing.

:D

Post #11: Write About A Sibling and What You Appreciate About Them

Here I am...again....I think I am an over blogger type of person. Haha :P

Anyway, I already wrote about my older brother so I am going to write about my middle brother, Rexford.

Rex and I were semi-closeish growing up. We definitely had our spats and problems as all siblings do, but Rex and I were even more so conflicting then my older brother and I.

I'm sure I well deserved it, as I am more than worthy of the "Annoying Little Sister" award. Thank God Jesus saves :))

Moving on, Rex loves video games, books, tea, and Rollin. He enjoys being in two bands (One metal http://www.myspace.com/untiltheflatline , the other techno http://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Eyes-Watch-Skies/158482114231765?ref=ts&sk=app_2405167945#!/pages/Green-Eyes-Watch-Skies/158482114231765?sk=wall ).

One of my favorite past times is simply watching Rex for hours playing his video games. On occasion I play with him but he always wins (of course).

I really appreciate how close Rex and I are now. He is never hesitant to give me hugs and pinch my cheeks or drive me anywhere, the latter of which is highly appreciated and recognized.

Rex and I occasionally have similar musical tastes and don't really clash musically. He enjoys listening to all types and I enjoy sampling his more exotic music.

Favorite Rex Quotes:

"Vote straight Jonas Brothers with the exception of Taylor Swift"

"You don't read enough."

"I am a man of high fashion"

"I just want an entire house overflowing with books"

"Everyone at *unsaid place* is ugly."

"You need a new white shirt"

"I need more coffee"

"DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY CUPS OF COFFEE IT TOOK FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO WAKE UP AT THAT TIME?? HAHA...AHA..AHA....."

And many more hilarious things that he says... (He is REALLY funny!)

I love how he is very sweet and kind all the time and shows me many new and unique things in life that I probably would have never known.

I love you Rex!!!!

Post #10: A Poem You Have Written

I am not really much of a poetry writer...I more write songs, which is kinda the same thing. But most of them aren't very good (In other words, I don't want to share them) so I wrote a poem a couple of days ago just for you, bloggers! Yes, it's short and simple, but it's about my favorite time of year:

Summertime

Every day

I laugh and play

Under the summer sun

Nothing to be done

The days are long

I sing many a song

No school

Six months til Yule

Flavored treats in lime

It's summertime!

Yep.....that's it.

CELEBRATION MOMENT!!!

I'm a third of the way through this post challenge :))

Post #9: Post Some Things You Are Afraid Of

I just really want to get this post over with soooooooo

I am afraid of:

Spiders

Serial killers

Tornados

Drunk People

and a bunch of other stuff I don't wanna post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awesome Blog Post

Hey! My friend Libbi from The Funner Life wrote this AWESOME post and I wanted to share it with ya'll.

http://lifeisfunner.blogspot.com/2012/01/truth-about-complaining.html enjoy!