A Joyful Heart

Hello there, people of the inter-webs. Today, I want to tell you guys a story about how a few clothes, a good friend, and 5 words changed my whole point of view.    I've never been the skinniest person or the prettiest person, so I've been self conscious about the way I looked for years. I really started to notice when I was about 10. I somehow got it in my head that I was ugly.    It didn't help that my parents were also self-conscious. They would go on diets, and they would make the rest of the house follow along. They weren't very healthy diets either. Any random diet they found on the internet that was promising to lose 20 pounds in a week or two was worth a shot to them.    I don't want you guys to think I had terrible parents or anything. They would always tell me I was cute, pretty, beautiful, etc... But children will always follow their parents’ example rather than their words. Since my parents hated looking at themselves in the mirror, I also...

   Hey guys, I've been working on this poem off and on for a few months now. Sometimes I just get into a really rhymey mood. It's about how sometimes people can be so wrapped up in their own lives that they forget about being kind. I know how badly words can hurt people and I wanted to show people both sides of the story. If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all. Spread love, not hate. You can make someone's day a million times better if you say something nice, but you can also make it a million times worse if you're too wrapped up in yourself to be kind to others. The world doesn't revolve around you. We're all in life together, so let's act like it.    Anyways, I'll stop going on about it and just let you read it. "Be Careful..."  By Me... Ashley    Always be careful with the things that you say. Just because there's a smile doesn't mean they're okay.    A weapon is not the thing th...

This post is a bit shorter than my usual ones, but important just the same. Today,  while I was at work, I was helping out on the gas station side of the store I work in. I was ringing people up at the register when this little girl, probably no more than four, came riding on her dad's shoulders.    When they got to the counter, she dropped her package of donuts that she had been carrying and smiled at me. Her dad handed her a 5 dollar bill and said, "Here, can you give this to the lady?" She took the money and said, "Here ya go, lady," still smiling at me. I said thanks and gave her dad the change. He held out his had to her. "Here, do you want the pennies?" She responded with a, "Yeah! I can have them for my collection!" Her father and I both laughed. "You mean your piggy bank." he corrected her. I asked her what she was gonna do with the money that she was saving and her response melted my heart... "I'm collecting it f...

Hey guys, today's topic is photography. It's something that is near and dear to my heart.  Although I'm not sure a career in the photography business is right for me, I do enjoy capturing the world in my own unique way. I love seeing the world through my camera lens. When people ask me why I like photography I usually give them the simple answer...    "The world goes too fast nowadays. It's nice to just stop for a moment and appreciate God's beautiful creation." ... But there's a little more to the story than just that. I'd like to say I've been taking pictures my whole life and that I've always had a passion for it... but that's simply not true.    I never truly appreciated the importance a photograph could hold until my Uncle Tebo passed away. I took photos on occasion just for fun, but I was never serious about it. I enjoyed watching him take photos. They always turned out so amazing and I admired his vision of the world...

* W A R N I N G * T H I S  P O S T  I S     G R A P H I C  But I think it's worth reading.     I recently saw a movie called, "A Case for Christ." It was a really good movie and I highly recommend it. The movie is about the journey Lee Stroble went through before he wrote the book, "A Case for Christ," which I also recommend. After watching the movie and reading the book, I dug a little deeper into the crucifixion and couldn't stop crying for almost three days.     It's a little gruesome, but it's also wonderful at the same time. It's the most beautiful story I have ever, and will ever, read. So, I decided to write a little about what I found.     I've been told all my life that Jesus died for me because He loves me, but I don't think I really understood what that meant. It's easy to say Jesus died for me so I'm forgiven. It's another thing to actually realize the true sacrifice that Jesus had ...

Let me tell you about a little thing called hope. Hope Church to be exact. It's the church I've been going to for a little over a year now. I've been in and out of churches all my life, but I've never really been a part of one. My church life was more like... show up because it's what I was told I'm supposed to do, and then leave as soon as possible.     I came to this church when was very lost. I'm not sure I knew I was lost at the time, but they say hind sight is 20x20. I was always very lonely back then, even if I was surrounded by people. I so desperately wanted someone to care about me, but I was so afraid of being rejected that I couldn't really talk to people. I couldn't let anyone in far enough to let them care. I felt stuck, and I didn't know why. I didn't know how to fix it. At one point it got so bad that I honestly didn't care if I lived or died. I would have never hurt myself because I knew that was definitely the wrong ...