StoneRose Valley My Thoughts, Expressions, and Passions

“To be able to find joy in anothers’ joy,
that is the secret of happiness.”
unknown

“The Lord has filled my heart with joy; I feel very strong in the Lord…I am glad because You have helped me!” ~~I Samuel 2:1

Choices….life is full of them. So many different choices to lead you in so many different directions. One decision could lead you down a path of misery, or give you a life lived full with joy. Life is all about choices. We’ve gotta choose, and choose well.

This song of John Waller’s seems to sum up what I want to convey to you. What I am trying to learn…it seems, over and over again.

Sometimes, you have to press on through what you know to be true and right. Press on despite the turmoil of feelings raging inside. There is that choice to be made. And in that choice, there can be found joy.
It’s true what they say about small steps; small steps, just one at a time, lead you to where you should go just as surely as the large and hurried ones. The difference is, you are actually aware of your surroundings and the effects your actions cause. Take time to smell the roses, and all that jazz. I guess, as I hinted earlier, Autumn makes me think of these things.

Sometimes, all you need to do is choose to Cling to the Call. Let the rest follow.

Posted under Life Thoughts, Music, Quotes, Video's

“Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives,
everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me
of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it.”
Anne De Lenclos

I don’t know what it is about Autumn, October especially, that inspires me so. To me, this season is what the first of January is to many–a time to start over again, a time of refreshment and hope for the future. I’m inspired–nay, I am filled with an eager need–to write on my blog…to clean and cook….Autumn inspires me mentally, physically, spiritually, and creatively…it inspires me to improve my life in the ways that I am able. If only this season could last all the year long that I might be so inspired for it’s entirety!

Alas, it is not to be so. I must make the best of the time I have been given.

I was reading late last night, just trying to get sleepy enough to dive into bed, from Captivating. This particular section stood out to me like a cannon-ball.

“‘Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life’ (Proverbs 4:23). Above all else. Why? Because God knows that our hear is core to who we are. It is the source of all our creativity, our courage, and our convictions. It is the fountainhead of our faith, our hope, and of course, our love. This ‘wellspring of life’ within us is the very essence of our existence, the center of our being. Your heart as a woman is the most important thing about you…God created you as a woman…You are a woman to your soul, to the very core of your being.”
Stasi Eldredge

I want to rejoice in being a woman. All this trash about ‘a woman can do anything a man can do’ and ‘there’s no real difference between a man and a woman’ is ridiculous!  I’m so tired of it; there is a difference, a big one! The heart of a woman is something special, I would even go so far as to say something sacred, because it was created by God for a special purpose. As a woman, I see things differently than men; my capabilities, in my own areas, are much vaster than any that men possess. That is why I am a woman. A man can do a million things that a woman cannot, and better than she could ever hope; in his individual way. Because he is a man; created to be so. We each have individual purposes and capabilities based on our gender; we were created so.
But lest I confuse you by too many differences, I will say that there are ways that we are similar.  Going back to hearts, I was reminded of the following,

“The fullness of our heart is expressed in our eyes,
in our touch, in what we write, in what we say,
in the way we walk, the way we receive,
the way we need.”
Mother Teresa

In this we, both man and woman, are similar. We express our hearts, who we are, through these different ways. And so, also, for men and women,

“Love makes burdens lighter,
because you divide them.
It makes joys more intense,
because you share them.
It makes you stronger,
so that you can reach out
and become involved with life
in ways you dared not risk alone.

‘Oh, no!’ you may be thinking, ‘Another one of those ’single-girl’ rampages’….not so.  At least, I hope not. Our culture confuses us so much with all the back and forth about the places of men and women….the similarities…the way in which we are not alike in any way… What are we supposed to really think and believe?! I just want to be a woman…to be happy as such…and to ignore all the nonsense everyone has to say about it.
Love doesn’t always have to be of the romantic nature…take the love between two sisters, or best friends, for instance. I think this is the type of love referenced in the above quote.  Someone close, who cares for you unconditionally, spurring you on to do–to be, more. Because you no longer have that fear of ‘being alone’ to stand in your way. My sisters do this for me; my friends as well. Christ does this for me. And I can say that I am happily, as a woman, moving through life as one lived through love. At the end of all things, that is one of the things that I want to be able to say. That I lived my life with love. Love for my family, for friends, for strangers I meet casually on the street…love for my Lord and Savior directing my actions.

“And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has
been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Romans 5:5

“May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ”.
II Thessalonians 3:5

Posted under Life Thoughts, Quotes, Sisters, Verses

What now?

Honestly, there are a milion and one things vying for my attention…which do I focus on next? Perhaps, at nearly 9:30 in the evening…I should focus on sleep.

But after that, in the morning? I have a shower to throw Sunday…half a million things in that direction need attending to…Thursday, I’m expecting a good friend from far away to drop in for some coffee, over-due chat, and a gorgeous nature walk around the place…but I want to make sure things are nice when she gets here. I am moving in a little over a week….my friends wedding is coming up soon…how do you live with this much demanding your attention?!!

Obviously, I haven’t figured that out yet.

I need simplicity!!!

One of these days…..

Posted under Hard Times, Crazy Times, Life Thoughts, Simplicity

Neat article about Danny Gokey…or more appropriately, what he reveals about ourselves.

“Perhaps Danny Gokey is proof that we hate without reason. That we are given to jealousy. That we dislike those who are naturally gifted (and dare to acknowledge that fact).” By James Montgomery

I also want to encourage you to check out Danny’s blog at the website for Sophia’s Heart Foundation. I especially enjoyed his post about “‘Letting Go’: Necessary Steps in Moving Forward”, found in ‘Danny’s Blog’ under ‘Danny & Sophia’. Make sure you check it out.

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Life Thoughts, Links, Music, Polls, Quotes, Verses, Video's

Over 88 million votes were cast we are told….that’s a lot of votes.

Love the dogs on the Ford Music Video; Break My Stride.
Alecia Keyes introduces Noah from Africa…missed where. This kid is so cute, and has a lot of energy.

We are promised a glimpse of the hometown visits after the break.
We will also see Jordin Sparks and Katy Perry tonight.

Danny got to hang out with his friend, Jamar Rogers, when he visited his hometown. He got quite a reception. We are reminded that Simon called one of his performances a “vocal masterclass”. Very impressive.

Kris gets free cheese dip for life…that’s the first time I’ve heard that one. Watching Kris’ homecoming…this guy really is the winner in this competition as far as I’m concerned. The depth, the growth this young man has exhibited during this competition is incredible.

Next, Jordin Sparks and the results.

Who is leaving tonight? I think it will be Danny, unfortunately. He did have the best song of the show last night; maybe just not enough at this point.

Back to Jordin Sparks, singing her new single, “Battlefield”. She looks a lot older, not too surprising since she’s about 19 now, versus the 17 we saw her win season seven. Like the song…but not such a fan of how she looks. Lost a lot of her sweetness, it seems. Just like Kellie Pickler.

Adam Lambert…his visit home was to San Diego. They visited his childhood theatre group; I’m sure he is an inspiration to those children. The judges thought Adam deserves a spot in the finale.

We have to sit through Katy Perry before we can hear the results…she’s doing her latest single; I actually couldn’t stand to watch it.

Kris Allen is competing next week; he made it into the finale! Yeah!
Adam Lambert is also in the finale. I am so very sorry to see Danny go; extremely talented man. We get to hear “You Are So Beautiful” again…he has a really pretty falsetto!

Simon said we might have a big “ding-dong” next week with Kris in the competition. We’ll see.

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Life Thoughts, Music, Quotes, Video's

Well, here we are again. Another results show. Who’s leaving? I’m going to say either Lil or Matt….I hope it’s not Matt.

The top seven performed ‘She’s A Maniac’ by Hall and Oates. I have to say I LOVED this group number. Especially Kris, Anoop, and Matt’s parts. Have to say I wasn’t a fan of Adam, Danny, or Allison on this one…

I missed the Ford Music Video this week…my TV completely lost the signal. If you missed it like me, catch it here.

Read More…

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Life Thoughts, Links, Music, Quotes

Well, wanted to let ya’ll know that I will not be blogging live tonight during the results show. I have been so overwhelmed by what is going on in my life (mostly finishing up this semester of school) that the idea of having to keep up with the live posts is exhausting. I’m also in the process of determining whether the live posts are even worth it. I don’t really get to think about the show and share all my thoughts and expressions about it when posting live…so I’m thinking about returning to last years no-live-blog, at least on the results show. I’d love to hear any feedback you have on this choice! If I don’t hear anything, I’ll assume you don’t care (likely!) and will lean on my own better (hehe) judgement.

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Now, after the results show; here are my thoughts.
Frankie’s appearance was pretty hilarious!

The top eight performed…whatever it was. I didn’t like Matt’s part in the song; but loved Allison. Excepting her, overall, honestly, it was forgettable.
Loved the behind the scenes of the ford Magic Show video. Especially Scott’s imitation of Simon.  The video, featuring the song “Circus” turned out quite well….I’m just getting bored with the whole magic show theme that they come up with every season.

Based on performance, I would have put Scott, Lil, Kris in the bottom three. I expected to see Scott, Kris, and Anoop instead. I was wrong there. Was rather surprised–no, very surprised to see Kris safe.
I could just about slap Ryan for being so mean to Matt. And although I thought deserved, I was surprised to see Lil in the bottom three. Maybe it will be a wake up call for her; she just really needs to make wiser song choices.
I think Scott, based on the performances last night, should have gone, so I can’t say I’m upset. But he is an amazing young man. He mentioned in his farewell video that he hopes he “can be an inspiration to a lot of people”, and I think he has. Paula called him, and I totally agree, “an inspiration to the entire world through his commitment and talent, and one classy gentleman”. And his quick sense of humor each week will be missed.

As far as the guest artists went…

Not a fan of Flo Rida; never been a fan of rap, punk, or hip-hop. Also didn’t like the suggestive dancing. So no surprise that my TV found itself changing the channel during his performance.
Cute and bizarre Kellie Pickler made her way back to the A-I stage. But as I watched, I was quite sorrowful; it didn’t look or sound like Kellie. She reminded me greatly of Dolly Parton. I think the old Kellie I knew and loved is gone. Probably for good.
So nothing remarkable about this week. Except for the fact that the judges very nearly used their save on Scott. Unfortunately for him, nearly wasn’t enough. But maybe he can be comforted by the fact that he came further than anyone else so far.

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Expressions, Life Thoughts, Links, Music, Polls, Quotes, Uncategorized, Verses, Video's

Verse Of The Day
“In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
“An average view of the Christian life is that it means deliverance from trouble. It is deliverance in trouble, which is very different. ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High…there shall no evil befall thee.’” Oswald Chambers.

Oh, the truth to these words! I must confess that all to often, I lose sight of that simple truth. In the trials of this world, I often become overwhelmed, wondering how I could ever hope to stay afloat. I forget that I can’t, not on my own. But Christ has overcome the world. And in His secret place I am safe. But I have to go there. I have to accept His help, in fact, give everything to Him. And then in that place shall no evil befall me.

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have it’s perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” James 1:2-6

Am I willing to trust Him every day of my life? To let Him test me, producing endurance? To admit my lack of wisdom, and humbly ask Him for more? And to ask in faith, without the nagging doubts that so often assail us? Am I willing to ‘be of good cheer’, with joy in my heart when the hard times come?
These questions must be asked. Hopefully, you’re answer is yes to all of them. But while that is what I really want my answer to be, sometimes I find I do not live my life according to that answer. You have to be willing to let God grow that desire in you, to seek Him daily and cultivate that relationship with Him. I find that I have to constantly rededicate my life to Him and to His will. I wonder, does there ever come a time when we don’t have to do that? The answer seems to be no; you will have to make decisions for Christ every single day of your life. We live in a sinful world, full of temptations; and unless you live as a hermit, miles from any human contact all your life, you will be tempted by this world to turn from Christ. You should not feel guilty for being tempted, but you should for giving in. I want to encourage you to fight temptation; to continually seek His face. To persevere in the trials, leaning on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Knowing that He has indeed overcome the world.

Posted under Life Thoughts, Quotes, Verses

I LOVE this song…I love this movie! You have to see the movie sometime, and make sure you take a listen to this song right now.

Yes, I am going slightly crazy with the YouTube thing; but…..

This song has spoken volumes to me in my walk with the Lord. At this point in my life, I’m not sure what my Lord wants me to be doing…there are certain things I believe He has told will come to pass in my life, but they haven’t come yet; so I am trying to implement this song into my life. He’s been showing me that I don’t have to see the big picture, He will give me direction in the steps I need to take right now; and I want to faithfully and confidently take those steps, trusting He will let me know what needs to be done in it’s proper time.
This may sound strange to some, but I believe the Lord God is a living God, and that He takes an interest in His creation, there to lend a helping hand through life if only we’ll accept it.

The peaceful part really got me….”I’m waiting, I’m waiting on You, Lord. And I am peaceful, I’m waiting on You Lord; though it’s not easy, no; but faithfully, I will wait. Yes I will wait!” I wanted that so much after hearing this song for the first time; and now I can say, after implementing these lyrics into my own life, I have felt that peace in waiting on the Lord.
Sure, some times may be harder than others; but I wish to remain faithful.

“I will serve You while I’m waiting. I will worship while I’m waiting. I will not faint; I’ll be running the race, even while I wait.”

“I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. Oh, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is lovingkindess, and with Him is abundant redemption.” Psalm 130:5-7

“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:31

Posted under Life Thoughts, Links, Music, Verses, Video's

Well, my apologies for the lack of entries lately…I have been completely busy trying to figure out my fall schedule.

So now, I am registered for 12 credit hours of classes this fall-will probably drop it down to 9; just so I will actually have time to do the millions of other things that have to be on my schedule. I’m so relieved in some ways…in others, well, the pressure’s not off yet.

I’m wishing for simplicity. You know, that good o’le thing that makes life so sweet. And also seems so unattainable.

When I get in one of these ’simplistic’ moods, I absolutely love checking out whatever Annie’s been writing on the subject; it’s usually just the thing! It also gives you something to look at on days like today, as you come expecting something good and end up with a little entry like this!

Posted under Life Thoughts, Links, School, Simplicity, Writing