Photo Challenge-Day 4

Day 4 - A picture of your favourite night

This wasn't technically a night but it was getting near sunset so... .:) it was just a fun date :)

Photo Challenge-Day 3

Day 3 - A picture of the cast of your favourite show

Very, very tough! I do so love a lot of shows. :) I still think my top favorite is....

Followed closely by 2 other shows, the first an older favorite and the second I've only been

recently introduced to and love:

Photo Challenge-Day 2

Day 2 - a photo of you and the person you have been closest to the longest

This is me and one of my closest friends, Melva! She's like a sister to me. we've known each other for about 11 years now, and no matter how long it is between being apart or together we always have a good time. :)

Photo Challenge

My friend and future sister Bekah has been doing the photo challenge so I decided to do it too. :) It seems fun and insightful. I'll probably end up missing days since I'm planning my wedding among a million other things but I'll try to do my best. :D

Day 1 - a photo of you and 10 facts

1. I'd just gotten my hair cut when this picture was taken in 2009.

2. The first three guys I dated were all born in July 1985. No, that wasn't intentional.

3. I love cheeseburgers and fries.

4. I'm attempting to be a distance runner. Jury is still out on the success of this venture.

5. I speak Czech best of all the languages I've attempted learning.

6. Speaking of Czech, I've spent about 6 cumulative months in that country and can't wait to go back.

7. I'm empathetic to a fault. I easily take on the emotions and attitudes of those around me--or even in a book I'm reading or a movie I'm watching.

8. I got my degree in music education, but despite my enjoyment of teaching kids, I'd rather pursue my own photography business.

9. My heart is forever torn between California and Colorado. I love the snowy mountains and mountain fresh air here in Colorado but I also love breathing deeply the perfect humidity of southern California, its flowery scents, and being at the beach on a warm day.

10. My beta fish, Hibiscus, is old. Really old, for a beta. He's just passing 5 years in age--meaning 5 years since he came to live with me, which means he's older than that. He should've died about 3 years ago. He will probably finally die when I finally clean his tank. :P

The Masquerade

Yesterday, I was reminiscing about a lot of things. Particularly some hard times I've experienced in the past few years, and the sin that happened in those times. It hurt my heart to remember those times of sin, and led me to send up some more apologies and remorse to the Lord, who has thankfully forgiven me of those sins.

On my way home from work, the song "Stained Glass Masquerade" by Casting Crowns came on. (On my playlist, because most radio stations won't play it! ) This song resonates profoundly with my heart, as Jason and I left a church we used to love this past year because of the lack of Christ-like love and an excess of misplaced judgment. I thought about what those people (many of them, anyway), and even people I call friends now who do not know about some of my past sins, would think of me, if they'd still love me, if they'd cast me out of their lives. Sadly, I believe some of them would.

Few people know about some of those sins, and truth be told only one of them was truly judgmental and condemning of it. Thankfully that person is no longer a part of my life. But I fear others might follow in his footsteps.

"...would it set me free

if I dared to let you see

the truth behind the person

that you imagine me to be

would your arms be open

or would you walk away?

or would the love of Jesus

be enough to make you stay?"

I hope that when we find a new church family we'll find people who are authentic. People who are open. People who are loving. People who don't judge without seeking the truth first. There are sins in my past that still hurt me to remember. Sins that I'm afraid to confess to any but the most trusted and closest of friends. (Thank the Lord my fiance is among them).

"Is there anyone that fails?

Is there anyone that falls?

Am I the only one in church today

feeling so small?

Cause when I take a look around

everybody seems so strong

I know they'll soon discover

that I don't belong....

So I tuck it all away

like everything's okay

if I make 'em all believe it

maybe I'll believe it too...

so with a painted grin

I'll play the part again

so everyone will see me

the way that I see them!"

I want to be real... authentic me, the good bad and ugly... I wish there were more believers I could open up to genuinely, who would understand and be there without so much judgment. Especially post-repentance. That'd be nice.