Remember the Fluffy Things In life

This makes me laugh EvErY TiMe!

So remember the fluffy things in life!

(: That is, the things that make you smile :)



Old Friend in Disguise

There it was...crawling there threateningly about 1 1/2 feet above my head. Circling, circling round and round on a knob, moving close enough to the edge for me to determine exactly what my foe was: a yellow jacket.
It looked at me menacingly...or maybe it was just lost....and proceeded to attempt its flight onto my head. You would have thought someone had just jumped out of the closet with a bloody dagger, the way I screamed! Maybe I scared the evil bug, but either way it decided to fly into the next room instead. I quickly beckoned the nearest knight(my dad) to save me from the bug's next ambush. After capturing the presumed monster, he offered his analysis of the situation: the "monster yellow jacket" was my old friend the Firefly.
I was releaved and slightly embarrassed. I was just saved from a firefly! haha
 So here is an ode to everybody's childhood friend, the lightening bug.

Fireflies by Owl City
I hope I didn't scare my friend to bad!

2011 Rebel

The book I've been reading recently is the best. It's about a spirited, imaginative young woman living in the late 1800s. She longs to break away from society's hold, marry for the right reasons (not just wealth), and follow her dreams, (Something that is considered scandalous.) Hmm... this book reminds me of my favorite movie (Becoming Jane Austin)....and my second favorite movie (Pride and Predjudice). Haha I guess you can tell I favor plots that have strong woman characters, those that rebel against proper society's limitations and seek independent lives.

Sometimes I almost wish I could have lived during that time period. I can see it now... My character would be a young woman of propriety and secret intellect in the late 1800s. Misunderstood and patronized by my rich parents, I would join the women's sufferage movement to express my independence and gain freedom. Eventually, I become one of the speakers at rallies, stirring the courage and conviction of women everywhere! (Always narrowingly escaping police.) After the great day of women's independence comes, I would go to college to be a teacher. In time my rich parents would see my potential, gifting me with enough money to start a children's home. It is there my character would meet and marry a wonderful evangelist who would help me continue the ministry and grow God's kingdom.

So is my life in the 1800s.

Umm yeah...something like that. The plot isn't quite finished for publishing.

No sufferage to fight for anymore. Bummer. But when you think about it, there are still limitations that today's world tries to put us, not specifically women, but young people in general. Call it low expectations. We're not expected to be great. We're not expected to do much with our youth. In fact, the way the world portrays us most times, Generation Y is bumming around on our tech stuff, becoming over-weight, dumbed down. I don't know about you, but I think that's wrong! We do have alot of potential, and I can see it everywhere. We are a generation that can do great things through Christ's strength and when we give our best. We are made to be more than what's expected. You can be that someone who stands up and turns things around. I can be that person too. So there. Looks like I've found something good to be a rebel for. 

Here is the song "Rebel" by Lecrae. This has been my life song for about two years. It doesn't get old!

Hope you enjoy it and that it makes you think too!

I refuse to be average. It's not my goal to be the exception, because I believe that everyone can be great when they are their best selves. Instead, I will strive to be the example. (1 Timothy 4:12) For Christ and everything I stand for and believe in.

I am Generation U!

(U: uncomprimising)

In His strength,

Heather A.

Wake Up Call!

As you probably know, today, August 23rd, 2011, there was a catagory 5.9 earthquake that hit the eastern side of the United States. Where were you when it happened? Maybe you were grocery shopping, disciplining your cat, singing in the shower, or just chilling on the beach. Although I didn't personally feel it, I think I was shopping at the time. What I think is pretty neat about it is that wether you were disciplining you cat or shoppping, this is something that made us all stop. One mutal event that made the easterners stop and think about both each other and the fraility of our existence. Well, it made me think about it, anyway. I mean, here we are, all doing our own thing, and suddenly this earthquake hits. We aren't in control anymore. Nothing matters but surviving. We realize that anything could happen and that scares the mess out of us. It scares us for our own lives and the lives of those closest to us. For me, this earthquake made me wake up a little and realize just what is important and Who is really in control here: God. 

You're Here With Me

"I guess it's safe to say
You're never coming back.
And I understand
why you wouldn't want to.
I guess it's up to me
To find a way
To get to you."

These words are the echo of a haunting heart's cry portrayed in "The Thief". These are the first words I heard of this song, and I have to say, it really struck a chord in me. What if these words were my heart's cry to my Savior? And also, is this somewhat similar to the thoughts of the 11 disciples as they watched the empty sky that Jesus had just ascended into?

Acts 1:9-11 says
"These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared—in white robes! They said, “You Galileans!—why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly—and mysteriously—as he left.” (MSG)

Although Jesus, in earlier messages, had told the disciples that He was coming back, as humans we always try to doubt. It seems to me that we always try to doubt the very ones we should be trusting, while we get duped by the easiest tricksters! We can certainly see this in the lives of the disciples when it comes to trusting Jesus. So, I don't think it's unreasonable to suspect that they may have been doubting His promises of returning as they watched Him ascend. I know I probably would've at the time. I mean, why would He want to come back? And the forever mind boggling question, why does He love us so? But thankfully, because His love and grace eclipses our sinfulness, He promised to never leave us. So He came back to us in another form- the Holy Spirit. This blows my mind. He could have left us with Scripture, the memories of His ministry, and the gift of Salvation. But because He is gracious, He promised to never leave us. I've come to realize in a new way that the Gift of The Holy Spirit is truly just that- a gift. An incomprehensible expression of Love from above.

Beauty In the Forgotten

There is a lot of beauty in the forgotten things. The old things in life have a story to tell. One that is worth looking for and listening to.

Below is my grandparent's family clock. It's over 100 years old! If only this clock could talk. It's been with the family through the depression, the hippie faze, and the farm years.

 This is a chess set I found at my local antique store.

There are treasures everywhere, even in this little town!

Any editing tips for this picture would be appreciated, thanks.

The quiet beauty and wonder of the spider web. 

 Old cars are the best!

(Pictures taken by Heather Aycock)

Love's No Fool

I like to step outside myself and see
the bigger picture...

Is someone saying something to me
because they want me to
hear it... or because they need to be
heard?

The quiet of the mountains and only
sounds of birds singing

leads to thoughts so deep and far they
see way ahead.

Vision to look beyond all the
brokeness inside one's heart,

and sing new...and not feel like "the
day the music died."

To live somewhere noisy full of bells,
whistles, trains, and
trucks, and cars... is to overcome the
commotion...

and see beyond what you hear.

Or maybe to love beyond it all...

even if being in love makes you feel
like the greatest fool of all.

By Suelinda Milstead

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Summer :)

Assume that the white foam-looking boarder is the ocean, and you have a Perfect picture. I think this grasps the feeling of freedom and relaxtion that summer brings.

Summer time brings out my creative side. What about you?

I wish this was me on the beach. Sincerely hoping for a quick vacation before school starts!

Sometimes a little extra time on my hands fills me with reckless abandon for adventure.

But wether you have been vacationing, skateboarding, active in a hobby, or just plain Bored, summer is a great time. Don't waste it!

(These above pictures are Not taken by me)

Striking Summer Days

(Pictures above are taken by Heather Aycock)

To Have More of Him

Jesus said in John 14:6, "I Am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

He also said in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantely"

I've been thinking about the fact that there May be a connection between these verses. Since Jesus is The Life, and He came to give us life in full, then could it be that He's also saying that He came so that we can have Him more abundantely? Think about it... in Bible days, the people's only connection to God was through animal sacrifices. Jesus came to show God. To give us full acces to the Father. So, I think it makes since to say that He came so that we can have Him more abundantely.

To Forget Me Not...

We all forget things. Registration dates, chores, and people's names are just a few of the things I've forgotten lately. But something I've had a hard time recalling lately is the past. What I did two days ago to some of the biggest miracles that happened at youth camp last year to most of my childhood is sometimes a fog. This scares me a little. Scratch that. It scares me AloT. To forget your past is to forget yourself; who you are. This can come in handy in situations. For instince, it helps to able to put anger out of mind, while still having a feeling of cautiousness. Ok, it Is kind of hard to explain. But don't worry. I dont have a memory problem. It's just that I live so much in the moment that other things fade in comparison. Call it extreme focusing.

Someone I sometimes (shamefully) forget is God! He's been with me through it all, blessed me so much and is even died for me, and I have the impertinence to take for granted His love and the fact that he's always there for me. As you know, it's easy to get caught up in the moment, friends, and especially busyness. In a world of nouns (people, places, things) trying to get my attention, I always come back to the realization that He's the only One that satisfies. Thankfully, God, being perfect, has never forgotten about me. Everyday He listens, reveals new things, and lets me enjoy the beauty of the world He has created. So even when I forget about the dates, chores, or even the past, I take comfort that I've got Someone holding me together!

Yes, I'm a Christian!

I love God. For who He is, for what He's done for me, and definitely for He's doing in me. I've never known a love like this. You may be in question about this. Hey, you may not even believe in God. But in His Word, the Bible, He tells us that if we seek Him, He will let Himself be found. Believe it or not, He loves you so much and wants you to know Him. When you're honestly looking for God, it will become something you can't push away!

Like I said, I've never known a love like this. I know what it's like to feel lost and hopeless and alone before surrendering to Him. And don't think I don't know that you've felt that way at times too. But after you give in to Him it's like life becomes so much...richer. satisfying. Maybe a corny illustration,but kind of like a Clarion Clear commercial. All of a sudden you can see life more clearly. Can I even go as far as to say that God is my technicolor in this gray and white world? Yes :) I guess I'm in love. 4 years of adventures and it never gets old.

I realize that everyone is looking for something to fill the emptiness in themselves. The longing for something more that you restle with in the night. Look at it this way. Imagine that you have a bucket. The bucket has the label "water" on it, but you pour coke, pickle juice and your favorite drink into it instead. Then, after filling it to the top, you're told that you're suppose to water a garden or give a baby a bath with the contents of the bucket. Would you do that? No! In the same way, you can't fulfill your purpose unless you you're filled with the right thing. The right thing that will give you the ability to achieve you destiny and fulfill your deepest needs is Jesus. He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the light. No one come to the Father except through me." let Him fill you with Himself and His love. You will never be the same.

I know that if you've read this far, you're probably thinking, "What about the bad things in life? How can that kind of life exist in the cruel world we live in?" Yes, bad things are in this world. In fact, they thrive. Just tonight I was watching a news report abou the starving people in Africa. (Don't read this if you're easily disturbed.) The child had flies or maggots on his face, too weak to keep them away due to the starvation and heat. Kids and adults are literally skin and bones over there. Maybe the hard things we experience in our everyday lives aren't as life threatening or major, but regardless, following Christ makes the difference. He gives us strenght to keep moving forward, comfort to the dying, and hope of life everlasting. I won't get into all the details of bad happenings in the world, but I will say that I Know I can trust God through it, and that He is completing His will, wether I can see it or not.
So, for these and other reasons, Yes, I'm a Christian!
<3
If you have any questions, fill free to ask! I will do my best to help you find the answers.

Battle Scars

Battle scars in a wounded heart,

But I must keep fighting.

I will run this race,.

I will do my part.

But I must keep fighting.

This life is my war.

I can't stop the darts.

But I can pick up my shield.

I will Not stop.

Leaning on you,

Lord,

You can heal any heart.

I can keep fighting!

To Be Jane

The movie Becoming Jane is a harrowing tale. Based on the real life story of Jane Austin, this movie tells a story of events that counteract each other. In the setting of the 1800s, Jane is a budding novelist who lives in a world of constricted women's freedoms. While the only "suitable option" for the daughter of a poverty-stricken clergyman is to marry the prosperous, Jane's idea of a life well lived is a passionate, independent one seasoned with sensibility and propriety. She is determined to only marry for "affections", even if she has to do dig her own potatoes. And so the story begins. Jane effortlessly frustrates her parents with her tabooed wit, independent thinking, and refusal skills. No man seems to be able to tame or attract this vivacious and profound young woman. Nobody, that is, until she meets her match and challenge, Tom LeFroy. We see early in the plot that he is also a spirited young man in his 20s, driven by a lust for fun and rambunctiousness. A thinker himself, he and Jane Austin accomplish irritating each other with opposing concepts of writing and propriety. When it's seems they will lose each other at the hands of obligation and desperation, the two opposites realize that they are in love and that their happiness depends on each other. So we see another chapter in Ms. Austin's life begin as she and Tom fight against odds to be together and not lose financial security. Surprisingly, what causes their last separation happens not to be disapproval, but Jane's realization of Tom's financial responsibility to his mother's family. Caring about the future of Tom's family, she breaks off the elopement so Tom can continue to support his kin. Sadly, love is a two-sided coin, one of love and loss. Jane and her Lover are never able to be together, due to the cold world they live in. For a time they live lovesick lives; Jane forever inwardly repressed from marriage. At the conclusion of the story, you see Jane reading a part of her famous novel, Pride and Prejudice, to Tom's eldest daughter, Jane. This is a story lavished with unanswered questions and possibilities. It is a tale that will leave you yearning to be an author yourself, while revealing this truth: we are created to live for what we're passionate about.