Bring it on, 2011

the new year is nearing... 2010 will be over and done with, and I will have a new year to fulfill with dreams coming true, meeting new people, spending time with old friends, and celebrating holidays for the 17th time of my life, but let's talk about 2010...

2010 was FILLED with meeting new people and getting closer to old ones. I even got to meet my favorite band for the first time and some of my good ol' downhomie friends, haha, one of them more than once! Twitter has been a gateway of meeting some really good people and converting more downhomies. Haha.

I got so much closer to God.. I had hard times, wonderful times, and even really boring ones, but He stuck there through it all.. Man, He's the best.

2011 better be just as good as 2010 was... I have a lot of expectations for this next year... getting my license, going to the DownhomiePalooza, seeing Downhere in concert more than one time, etc. I just hope everyone else's 2010 was as good as mine. :)

Cliff Hanger

Have you ever been really bored or been with a friend and had nothing to do and all of a sudden the question "if this person and that person were hanging off the side of a cliff and you could only save one of them, who would you save?" comes up?

Yeah, I do this to myself all the time, and usually nine out of ten times a Downhomie wins over a school friend, well if my friend (who lost) was ever to find out about this they could be hurt by this "little game" and not trust me as much as they did before or, really, just break the friendship all together.

So, moral of the story is, love all your friends as you would love yourself and if this was ever to become a reality... well, let's just hope it won't.

Ps. And if it's between a friend and Jesus, realize you really need to stop asking yourself these questions!!

Teen Trip

So my youth group went on a teen trip on form Monday until Friday to Tennessee. We had SO much fun!

Monday:
We woke up, packed everything, and drove there. After arriving and unpacking we went and played mini golf, went to WalMart where my friend, Haley, and I got Alice In Wonderland shirts,came home, ate hotdogs, and went to bed.

Tuesday:
we woke up, ate, and went to Wonderworks (an awesome place that looks upside down!), after that we hung out at the house before heading off to the Comedy Barn, laughed and giggled there, and then we went to Food City and seen one of the actors (awesome, right?), went home, ate, got in the hot tub, and went to bed.

Wednesday:
we woke up, ate breakfast, and found out that they had to take the bus to a thingy because it wasn't working and so, we just spent most of the day at home, which was relaxing, and then we got dressed up and went to church. Now here's the exciting part, y'all know I'm a downhomie, right? Okay, well, my good friend, Emily, lives in Tennessee and I invited her to join us for church, and so she did. Probably the most exciting moment in my life... felt like I was meeting a celebrity or something, so after church we said our goodbye's and off we go for another 4 to 5 hour drive back to the cabin, we talked and joked and played around the whole way and when we got there we went to bed.

Thursday:
we woke up (of course, none of us died), went to Ripley's Believe it or not museum, shopped for a bit, got back on the bus and went to the Titanic Museum, Haley and I seemed to be the only ones who were touched and amazed by the exhibit because everyone else said it was a waste, well you know what? they're a waste! So after that we went home and stayed up practicaly all night long!

Friday:
We drove home, saw our parents, and now I'm typing this.

So I had an absolute BLAST! Couldn't deny it if I wanted to. :)

Jonas Brothers Song

I wrote a song for and about the Jonas Brothers.. Here it is..
The Man Who Died For You
Used to be Jersey Boys
Now you're living big in Texas
Used to act in Broadway
Now you have your own tv show
I don't know what you're thinking
But I'm thinking that..

Chorus:
God's working hard on you
He's made all your dreams come true
All of the girls that chase after you
Aren't even close to what He did for you
He is your biggest fan
So tell me why
Oh, why can't you sing about the Man who died for you

I've always been your fan
Swooning over all you do
But then I found your missing something
I never here you say a word about our king
He is your true destiny
Oh, can't you see?

Chorus

You wouldn't have a thing
If it weren't for our king
So sing for the one who mends your heart
Not the ones who break it

Chorus (two times)

WOW!

Oh my gosh. I remember when I first walked up the stairs, through the double doors, through the cafeteria, and to my homeroom to be given my schedule. Then I walked out of the classroom on my way to first period Algebra for the first time, then second, third, fourth, and on through seventh. My first day of High School. I wasn't too scared, more like uber-excited! To get to see my old friends! To meet new ones! And to look at all the "older" men! *giggles* I didn't know what to do with myself.. Whether to cry (like my mom did), burst into laughter out of absolutely nowhere, or to just bounce in my seat! But then the semester passed, I passed the first semester.

The second semester, I was a little excited to come back.. But then again.. I was like "great, now I have to go back to this again" and with that on the mind.. I didn't do too well in the first nin weeks.. But I started doing better.. :)

And the second semester continues.. With TWENTY days of school left! Twenty!! This year has gone by soooooo quick! I've made new friends! In and out of school! I've learned and achieved more! And I can't believe I'm only going to be a freshman for twenty more days.

Then I'm going to be a sophomore!!! :D I'm growing up too fast...

True Friends

Do you know what it's like to have a true friend?
Where they are always there, always supporting you, bringing you up when you're down, loving you like you're blood related?

Well, let me tell you a story about a girl who found some wonderful people to call friends!

She was in her last couple months of the 8th Grade and decided she wanted to create a Twitter account. So she did and one day she found a woman that loved the same band as her, so she decided to ask her a couple questions! So she started following the lady who had started following her and she started to ask her questions about the band and herself.

She found out that this lady was from Wisconsin and her name was Mindy! And then her parents kicked her off after finding out that she had been talking to someone she doesn't know. But then her parents made a deal that she would be allowed to have a facebook account! So she added all her friends from school and then during the summer she though about Mindy and how well they had connected, so she searched her. When she found her, she asked her dad if she could add Mindy. And, praise the Lord, God above, he said yes!

So one day, July 13, 2009, she saw Mindy talking about this downhomie sort of thing! So she asked her what it was and her exact word were, "uh, Olivia. You are one. Its a fan of Downhere. You can join us on the message boards." And then a man by the name of Shawn told her that she should add him on her buddy list.

So she created herself a profile on the Downhere Message Boards, introduced herself, and all the people were so welcoming to her. But she didn't understand how in the world to use the boards. And then she found another woman by the name of Hannah, who was a Hoosier as she was, and striked up a conversation with her! And, by God's grace, Hannah explained to her how the boards worked! She was so excited! And absolutely loved it there!!

And she is still there today, checking the boards constantly because she enjoys every moment she can spend with her extended family! They care, love, and know how to make her laugh. And she cannot get enough of them.

And that girl, is me. Since before July 13th of last year I always wondered what it was like to know true friendship. I have my best friend, Ashley, but she isn't really as touchy feely as I am. I love to hug people! And though I haven't met any of these people, yet. It feels like they've always been here..

I LOVE MY DOWNHOMIES!!!

Mindy Koentopp
Emily Harmon
Hannah Brenneman
Shawn Routledge
Kaitlyn Luce
Kaitlyn Tillman
Carson Swanek
Scott Black
Carla Hull
Deena Henderson
Becky Raines
MarySue Strong
Mark Sturge
Liz Ahlberg
Gina Ruark
Brandt Hade
Jen Jaeger
Derk Gates
Jonathan Francesco
Kayleigh Driggers
Lori Broach
Monika Ebertz
Phillip Courtright
Kathy Boushele
And there maybe more I'm forgetting.. I hope not.

I love you guys with all my heart. And you all are amazing, wonderful people! God has blessed me with all of your friendships.. And I cherish every one of them. I don't know what else to say. Just know that I'm always here for you guys. If you ever need to talk, laugh, be a dork. I'm just a phone call away. Or skype. For all that you guys've done for me.. I love you guys. And I think I'm going to cry. :')

I don't know how else I can thank you than by dedicating the feeling of my thumbs and arms aaannnddd my sleep time. :D haha.

Do You Ever Forget?

Have you ever forgotten who you are?
What you're goals are?
What you need to do?
Why you're here?

Different aspects but all the same meaning. Right?
Well, never forget this:
You ARE God's child.
You're goals won't be fulfilled if you don't believe you're God's child.
You NEED to remember the to things above.
And you're HERE because God put you here to serve Him in all you do.

Because His love never ends..
It continues... On.. And on... And on... :)