Just Have Hope

 Do you remember...  Watching the lights,  From so far away? And we thought...  How could we ever be there? In the lights, brilliant, and bright. But ever so slowly.  We got closer. And we didn't even know it. We headed towards it. To embrace it.  The lights, so brilliant, and bright. And before it was only one direction. I could turn myself around. And miss it. But now we are surrounded. It's blinding. Oh so blinding. How? How am I ready? What if I don't shine? But we've come so far. It's time to accept your fate. And shine. Brilliantly! 

  Realizing A small tree grows towards the sun. Barely a foot large, its life has just begun.  It takes in the sun, the air, the soil.  And it grows, tall, strong, and determined. It grows until it can’t. The older trees have seemed to block its way. And it feels trapped. Every day becomes a struggle. Light has been blocked. The rainwater taken by others. The tree can no longer grow. She doesn’t grow but she stays the same. Just enough rain, just enough sun, just enough soil to stay alive. To make it by. But not enough to grow. And before she even knew that this would happen. It did. And now it’s too late. Only one thing can free the tree. She needs help, but she must allow it. To free herself from her feelings, her struggles, and her past. And then the woodcutter arrives. Dressed in black. And how long she has waited for this day. But he doesn’t help her.  He trims the trees far across the field. And she feels paralyzed. Her only comfort is her owner. A man dressed ...

"If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk then crawl, but by all means, keep moving." -Martin Luther King There are days that are hard. You just wonder how you are going to make it to the next day. Those are the days that we definitely are not flying. However, don't give up. What matters is that we keep going, even if it's hard.  I really like this quote, even if we feel like we are barely making it we can still keep moving, still keep progressing. We can't give up, we have to move. What would life be like if things were the same all the time?  Just a constant. It would be like doing the same thing day after day. Nothing different, because all experiences can change us. Even fun ones.  So let us keep moving forward even if we are barely crawling. Please ask for help if it is unbearable. There is no reason to give up if you have the resources. Sometimes we feel like we are failures for getting help from someone, in some...

"Life is like a book. Some chapters are sad, some are happy and some are exciting, but if you never turn the page, you will never know what the next chapter has in store for you." ~Unknown  As we near our move to Fayetteville, my chapter in Clayton comes to a close. I don't have much to say except I wish I could stay. Sometimes it can be really hard to move on, especially if you like what life has set up for you.  I have made so many memories here, good and bad. I know I will make memories wherever I go. The memories we make in life eventually, if not already, become some of the most precious things we have. There are many memories I hope not to forget.  I am excited somewhat about Fayetteville. I'll get to make some new friends, and go to a new school. Believe it or not, I do like unpacking. It's fun to organize things. I'm excited for the rest of the Summer and the fun things I will be able to do.   I will never forget Clayton and how it has shaped me into t...

 “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” ~Michael Jordan. There is a particular hill in my neighborhood that is a pain to climb, especially with a backpack. However, I have come to love this hill because of what it represents to me.  Life is a journey, a path we must follow. Our path will not be straight and flat but will have hills and valleys.  ~This path can be found in Clayton, North Carolina. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have always thought of trials as a hill or a mountain. Hills can seem daunting at first, even impossible, just like our trials, however, in order for us to ever conquer them we must take our first step.  ~This hill is very steep. It might be hard to see in my pictures but in real life, this hill is a real killer to climb. ----...

 "All things are difficult before they are easy." ~Thomas Fuller This quote has been true in my life many times, especially when I am learning something new. I have just started driving and I will be receiving my permit in the next few weeks. Driving has turned out to not be as easy for me as I thought.  At first, it can be really hard to steer the car, check your cameras, pay attention to signs, and watch your speed all at the same time. But as with anything, practice makes progress. So I know I am bound to get better as long as I keep practicing. We will have multiple opportunities in our lives to try something new and most of the time it won't be easy right away but with practice, a little patience, and faith the task will get easier.  Our brains understand the concept of repetition. Just like you have the same schedule each day (more or less) the more you repeat the process the more likely you are to remember it. It's the same thing with other things. The more you...

This quote struck home as I thought what our world and each of us are facing.  "Remember that you were chosen by the Father to come at this time because you have the power to face the challenges of this era." ~Ulisses Soares  I think that is amazing. We were chosen to come at this time because God knew we would have the power to face Covid-19. Reread the previous sentence again.  Doesn't that make you feel a lot better? You can do this!!! You have the power!!! And most importantly we don't have to do it alone. All of us are facing this virus together so each of us knows a little bit of how others are feeling.  Now, with that being said, let me clarify that just because God knew we would have the power to face the challenges of the era does not mean that our challenges will be easy. That is not what I am saying. Since Earth is a test and is designed to strengthen us, it makes sense that our challenges will not be easy. Notice the quote says to face our challenges not ...

  Important Note : This is not meant to be a racial or stereotypical poem in fact I didn't think of that at all when I originally wrote this. I just wrote about someone who was being treated unfairly and had to fight to gain their freedom.  Originally Written: 8th grade   Stronger It’s dark and lonely. They have taken everything we had. They have beaten us, hurt us. They have told us we are nothing. I feel empty and hopeless. Depressed and sad. Nothing can raise my spirits. They were right, I’m nothing. I have memories of a better time. When they were not in charge. When we were worth something. When we were happy. Now, everything is different. We are treated like dirt. We feel so empty and lost. Nothing can save us. No. Don’t think that way. You are more than you realize. You are worth something. Rally everyone up. It’s time for something different. We can’t live this way. It’s time for this world to change. It’s not worth it my people say. We gave up, accept it. This is...

I have come to believe in life that sometimes the hardest challenges lead us to even better things. Right now many of us are going through a challenging time but I believe that one day we'll look back and think about how much that experience really helped us.  "Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us." ~Nicole Reed I have seen this in my life many times. We had to move in November of my fifth-grade year. That year I had a really tough time understanding math and I was struggling. Then on top of that, I had to adjust to a new school when we moved.  However looking back, my fifth-grade year in my new school was the best school year I've ever had. Math ended up making a lot more sense to me at my new school. That year I also had the best teacher for Science and History. I loved that class so much and that led to me really enjoying my 5th grade year. Remember that sometimes bad things wil...

These past few months have been hard. Sometimes we wonder why certain things have to happen. Why me? But it is important to realize that things happen for a reason and we have to trust that things will work out. I promise they will. There is a plan for you, greater than you could ever imagine. I have had to remind myself of this all the time lately.   This quote reminds me why trials are so hard.  "Sometimes you have to get knocked down lower than you have been, to stand up taller than you ever were." -Unknown I hope we will remember that if we stay positive our trials and challenges will strengthen us and make us even better. It's hard to be positive in a world that is so negative but look for the light. It's always there. Remember you are never alone, there is a God in heaven who loves you, and there are always people who will be willing to help you. Don't be afraid to ask for help!!!  When your next trial or challenge comes your way instead of saying: -Why me? ...