Libby

Look at that face. Look at that face!! This child is about as ornery as a two year old can be.
Oh Olivia, what are we going to do with you, child?

Home

Won't it be so great when we finally get there? No more fights, no more crying, no more pain..it will all finally be over and we'll see the face of our Jesus. I'm so excited!! I'll get to see Papa Charlie, Morgan, Grandma Nellie, Aunt Leita..
I just can't wait to go Home.

A "Sometimes" Moment

Sometimes even Christian people have bad days. Sometimes it's hard to keep focusing on other people instead of yourself. Sometimes I get ticked off because I get a C on test! A C, Gabby? Really?? gggrrrr
Sometimes I want to pull my hair out. Sometimes I'm just so mad I want to scream. Sometimes I get fed up. Sometimes I mess up when I'm trying so hard to get it right. Sometimes I just want to kick myself!
Every once in a while, I feel my old self creeping up on me. Sometimes the anger is all-consuming, and I feel out of control. Sometimes I just can't get away. Sometimes my mind spins like crazy until I get dizzy. Sometimes I just wanna flip my lid. Sometimes I forget everything I've ever learned. Sometimes I just want to take out my anger on anything and everything!

Sometimes I don't want to see another schoolbook until I'm dead!!

This has been a "sometimes moment" from Gabby McGee. In case I have scared you, don't worry. I'm just venting. This is not a regular thing for me to do. In a few minutes, I'll be back to my "always" state of mind--I will remember my Jesus who loves me even when I'm out of control. I will get back to singing soon. But for now, I'm really ticked off, so bear with me.

Now to find a pillow to scream my head off into..

This Means War!

You know, it's really amazing the guts Satan has to do the things he does to God's people. As if fighting against ourselves isn't enough, he decides to take our already majorly confused minds and make us do insane, unspeakable things. We buy into all of the lies he tells us, which takes us down a road of self-destruct. We lie, we cheat, and we steal. We hate ourselves, we hate the people who have wronged us, and sometimes even the God who created us. Our minds and hearts get so messed up that we get depressed, we murder, we cut ourselves, commit suicide, get hooked on drugs/alcohol, etc. Sin is the reason we are like this, but Satan isn't helping us any. He prowls like a lion, looking for someone to devour. Don't kid yourself, the devil hates us. He feeds our anger, our hurt, our helplessness..he's done it to me, he's done it to you, and to all of us.
And you know what?? I'm sick of it! That arrogant idiot is crazy to do something like this against the God who has the power to blow him and his demons away at the snap of his fingers. He knows he'll never win, but he's going to mess up God's creation anyway. He's going to see how many souls he can take with him. It's like taking a painting that an artist has worked on for months--or even years--and throwing it into the flames.
Well, geuss what? Now it's his lies that are going to burn down! I'm throwing everything stupid little fib he's told me into the fire. I'm with Jesus now, and he does not own me any more! Who's with me?

Disciple, Watch It Burn:
Infiltrated crawling on the inside
Crooked hands put us all in their chains
Wrapping nooses all around the halos
Another chemical making my blood insane

We’re so sick of feeling helpless
We’ve been running this wheel to death
We’re not a mark upon your checklist
You’re gonna feel it kicking in your chest

We’ve waited far too long
Incinerate this!

To all the anarchy inside we can’t escape
Set it off let it all burn down
To all the hell inside that’s been controlling me
Set it off, set it off, watch it all burn down

This means war, Satan. You messed with the wrong people.

God Is Funny--I Have Proof!

Okay, so I believe that God has a sense of humor--here's proof!

On Saturday night, Taylor had a sleepover. All of us girls were talking and joking around, telling each other what animal we resembled. I got "pelican" and "owl". As funny as that is, it's nothing compared to what God did!
I was in a really bad mood today. I was mad, I was upset, and..well..just in a bad mood. I decided to read my Bible for a bit, and geuss what I found in Psalms?? Take a look at this, this is hilarious!!

Psalm 102:6 (NASB)--
I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.

I reread it twice to make sure I wasn't hallucinating, and then I couldn't stop laughing! I laughed so hard that afterwards, I completely forgot whatever it was that had made me upset.

So "in your face" to everybody who thinks God has no humor! There is proof ^^^ RIGHT THERE!

Man, I love my Jesus!

WINTER JAM 2012!

Okay, let's start at the very beginning..forgive me, this may be the longest post in all of my blogs history. But stay with me, ok? It's worth it, trust me!

Last night was the Winter Jam. It was sooooo much fun, and a rather unexpected night at that. Lemme take you back to where it all began..

Saturday, Taylor invited me, Lana, Haidyn, Jessica, Cynthia, and Emily to Winter Jam for her birthday. We all met at my house, loaded up in two cars, and went to Sonic downtown. The line was FREAKISHLY long, and we stood there forever, talking and making jokes. There was a huge sign on the wall (about 7 feet at least, probably more) that had a Cranberry limeade drink on it, and under it read, "NOT ACTUAL SIZE."

Can somebody say, "Duh"? Of course that's not the actual size! Come on, really?

Well, I came up with a really good idea. I told everyone what I was planning, and when I got up to order, here's what I said to the dude behind the register..

"Yeah, I wanna get a Cranilla Craze, the size of that one over there on the wall." I pointed to the picture with a very straight face (still not sure how I did that). He laughed at me like, "Uh-huh, fat chance!"

After ordering, we all stood in line for nearly 2 hours. I couldn't believe how packed it was. The doors were opening at 5 pm, but at about 4:40 one of the girls with us (Emily) had to go to the bathroom. Yeah, I know what you're thinking..why didn't she just hold it?

She'd been holding it for two hours already.

So she and Taylor and Haidyn left our wolfpack of 6 to go find a bathroom. They had 20 minutes to get through that big 'ol mob, and they just barely made it. Even at that they were still about 20 people behind us. Somehow on our way in, two girls had to go through another line, my dad's Sonic cup got crushed, Taylor found a new best friend, and FINALLY, after being shoulder to shoulder with all these random people, we were in.

We really enjoyed the concert. Our favorite definitely had to be Skillet. They ended the show with fireworks, smoke, fire..IT WAS SO COOL! Lana and woke up the next morning barely able to talk from all the screaming the night before. A few bands before Skillet, Lana and I went out so we could use the restroom and go buy a cd or t-shirt. Welllll that never wound up happening..one of the girls with us had what we think was a panic attack. We stayed in the restroom with her for a few minutes while she sat on the counter, waiting for it to pass. But it just got worse. Ten minutes passed, and she started crying and said she couldn't feel her hands. She was taken to Children's hospital, and thankfully she was okay and able to go home that night. Phew!

After the concert, we rushed out to the parking lot, trying to beat the crowds. We went by another entrance, and a big mob of people came piling out. Haidyn and I were walking behind Cynthia and my dad, and Lana was a little to the side. I started seeing more and more people I didn't know, and less of my dad. I got really nervous and said, "Haidyn..Haidyn, HAIDYN!" We grabbed each other and ran. By the time we got to the car, Lana said she almost got lost too.

At Taylor's house, we talked and laughed until 3 in the morning. Long story short, here are some new conclusions we came to that night: Taylor is a shrimp, I'm a pelican, Haidyn is a squirrel--or Mrs. Potato Head, whichever you prefer, Taylor Stamp is a syberian tiger (& acts like one too;), Lana is a seal, and Emily is a giraffe. Oh, and Cindy is a turtle.

Also, here's some insiders from the car ride home for Haidyn and Lana. Enjoy!

*"is that a shadow or does that truck have racing stripes?"
*"That chef is wearin' pampers."
*"Ya know what, Haidyn? You sound like you're from where you grew up!"

Love ya girls!

The Funeral

Grandma Nellie's funeral was today. It was a little tough, but not the saddest funeral I've ever been to. They did a really good job on celebrating her life (I saw a picture of her when she was young on a surfboard. I had no idea she'd ever even touched a surfboard!).
It was really nice being able to spend some time with some of my dad's family. I finally met my cousin Mike's significant other, Megan, and got some great pictures of everyone at the luncheon! Check 'em out.

My dad and his cousins, Mike and Matt (twins) standing around talkin' n' being manly;)
Matt(left), James-my dad (middle), Mike (right)

Mike..the studious one.

Mike and Megan:) Aren't they cute?

Aunt Gloria and Uncle Jim, bein' sweet.

I took this right after Mike said, "Am I holding her wrong??" He was hilarious!

Aw:)

Love ya, family!

I'm Not Going To Tell You Happy Valentine's Day

Today is a holiday celebrated by people all over America and other countries. It's typical to tell everyone 'Happy Valentine's Day', give your sweetie some Russell Stover chocolates, hand out Valentines and candy hearts..but does anybody know how this holiday really got started? I don't know about you, but I haven't heard much about how this holiday came into being (or maybe I'm just a dummy who hasn't payed attention for 15 February's--which is possible).
So, out of curiousity, I googled it, and instead of just telling everyone, "Happy Valentine's Day!" I'm going to share with you how Valentines Day got started. Here's what I found on the History Channel's website:

(no, I don't frequent the History Channel, either on TV or the internet; I'm not that nerdy. It was the first and most trustworthy thing I found on Google).


The Legend of St. Valentine
The history of Valentine's Day--and the story of its patron saint--is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl--possibly his jailor's daughter--who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and--most importantly--romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Did you catch all that? All because he wanted to get married to his sweetheart! :)

And that's where it all began. Enjoy your day, everyone!

Came Like A Winter Snow

Yesterday was what you would call a not-so-good day. Whitney Houston died yesterday, and my dad's grandmother stopped responding yesterday. She passed away around 2:30 am this morning. Also, one of my photography teachers' subjects, a newborn, died the other day.
There's a lot of upheaval going on right now. People are not at peace. There's hurt everywhere.
But last night, a winter snow came. As I looked out my window in the middle of the night, watching the snow fall down like glitter, my dad on the phone with his aunt talking of funeral arrangements, I got this picture in my mind of how God is like a winter snow in the dead of night. Quiet, soft, and slow.
Listen to this song by Chris Tomlin and Audrey Assad.

Could've come like a mighty storm
With all the strength of a hurricane
You could've come like a forest fire
With the power of heaven in Your flame

But You came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Finally!

Okay, so I've promised to post pictures of Kimberly, but the internet has been down. So, here are the forever-waited-for photos of our new arrival!

Here's one of my dad right after the baby was born, putting on his jacket and walking out to the ambulance.

My mom now has her hands full:)

"IT'S SO FLUFFY, I'M GONNA DIE!" ~Quote from "Despicable Me"

Sweet dreams, crazy girl.

Good Burdens

So I've been reading this book called "Weird--because normal isn't working". You may have heard of it, it's by a man named Craig Groeschel, who lives in Edmond, Oklahoma. Woo-hoo! Oklahoma man!
When I was reading this morning, he was talking about "weird" blessings. A blessing that is unusual; one you wouldn't expect.
He talked of a time when he was a visiting pastor at a run-down church with only a few seniors attending. He remembers walking in, and a lady saying to him excitedly, "You better preach good today, because we're having a visitor!"

Obviously, they didn't get visitors very much.

The visitor had called beforehand, saying that she had hit hard times, and wanted to try church. The woman prayed with her, and said she'd be watching for her on Sunday.
While Craig (the visiting pastor) was talking to the real pastor of the church, Virgil, he saw the lady pull up. She was in a beat up, old and dusty car with a big dent on the drivers side. He watched her get out--she wore tight jeans, and even tighter top with no straps, and was smoking a cigarrete. He tried to geuss what she meant by "hard times"--abusive boyfriend, depression, drug addiction..? He prayed that God would help him say the right words to help her while he would be preaching that day.
The lady walked in, and passed by Craig and the pastor. I assume she was either walking into the sanctuary or about to introduce herself when the pastor said, "Uh, is that you best church outfit?"

Dead silence.

Yes, you read that right.

Then, without another word, the lady walked right back out the church doors, got into her car, and left. Virgil muttered under his breath, "Rebellious."

Craig couldn't find words to speak, and just walked away.
He says it broke his heart to see someone who was hurting turned away just because they didn't look "right".

Here's my question--what makes us "Christians" so much better than the rest of the world? We're still human; we are imperfect and always have room to improve. Why should God give us favor, and not them?

But this isn't the point of my post. Craig went on to say that seeing that made him aware how he, as a pastor and a follower of God, needed to watch himself and make sure he didn't begin to act like Virgil did, turning away sinful people who need the gospel. Just because they're a little "rough around the edges" doesn't mean that they don't have potential for greatness.
Even though it hurt him to see that, that was a blessing in disguise. God gave him that burden to prevent him from potentialy hurting other people.

When something bad happens to you, it's easy to look at it like nothing more than pain. But that's the kind of stuff God uses! Sometimes what feels like a burden is actually good for you, and necessary to mature. Ever heard the term "Growing pains"..?

Thats my two cents for today. Don't forget to check out that book if you haven't read it yet, you should. Like, now. It will totally change your thinking.

Todays Topic Is..crying?

Yesterday my mom and I were talking. I was about to leave for church because that night we were going to surprise Taylor and her mom would present her a scrapbook, and all the women and us teens were going to say something to her and/or give a note. My mom asked if I was going to read my letter out loud. Of course, I said no (but wound up doing it anyway. More on that in a later post). We both expected that everyone would probably cry at some point, and since she knows that I don't cry, she said with a teasing smile, "I bet you're gonna cry too!"
"No way!" I argued.
"I don't think any girl is fully a woman until they can easily be brought to tears. They don't see the need until they've had some life experience."
"Well, I wanna cry pretty often, I just choose not to. I don't like it."
"Well, the Bible says..."
Oh no, here we go.
"The Bible says in our weakness we are strong."
"That doesn't mean I have to cry!"
"Yes it does!"
"Whatever!" I said as we laughed at our fake argument.
But I want some opinions from my readers. How do you feel about crying? Do you agree with me or my mom? Is crying good or bad?
I encourage all my readers to leave a comment (if you aren't following my blog, you can post as Anonymous).
Get opinionated!