Prince or Princess Charming?

Or do perfect people even exist?

Nope.

If you feel inclined to slam your fist through your computer screen, please refrain. My thoughts on whether or not perfect singles exist are not my own, although I am expressing them. They are widely known facts, fully practiced and tested by many people I know.

First, you meet someone. He or she either grabs your attention first off, or they slowly pull you into their world. Either way, they've got you, hook, line and sinker. (We all do hope there isn't a hook.)

Then they meet you. Suddenly, the lights go off. Or if this amazing person is really rotten, they'll play with you, lead you in, and abruptly give you a thorough jab of their hook by announcing that they're engaged, courting or dating, or give the all-around flash of disinterest -"Oh, we're just friends." They've suddenly seen a side of you that they didn't know you had - or SOME thing - even though you smiled incessantly, did many things out-of-your-way to impress, or simply sat and minded your own business. Whatever it was that you did, they're busy with others now. WHAT? Why? You're upset. Duh. And you vow to never let your silly heart do that to you again.

If you're wise, you'll realize that if Mr. or Ms. Amazing couldn't see through whatever faults you may have, they're not the one for you. But then you get thinking, "Am I being picky? I guess there really isn't a perfect person." Some even go as far as to take the first one that comes along, and for two reasons:
1. The first person who comes along has been a long time in coming.
2. There may never be anyone else.

And they justify it with what I said at the beginning of this post: There aren't really any Prince or Princess Charmings.

But now I'll double-cross you.

There is.

I am one of the too-few people I know who still believe in dreams. Not the physical kind of dream, but rather the kind that stirs in the soul of man, spurring, convincing, thriving, ever hoping. This dream never dies. It tells you when you've seen righteousness, when you've tasted love, when you've made beauty, when you're living on the mountain top. In the heart of mankind, God, by His grace, has placed first and foremost a desire to know and love Him, and secondly the desires, talents and dreams that, in your lifetime, you can see come to pass. I believe that inside the heart of every boy and girl there is a small dream, perhaps so small they aren't even aware it is there, and perhaps almost entirely undeveloped, but there, anyway. This tiny dream is the complete person God is preparing them to marry. And for them, this person is perfect, even with all of his or her faults.

Whenever we try to tweak God's plan, which of course we can't, we end up with a mess. Whenever we go ahead and love someone outside God's commands (for a Christian, out of the faith) and whenever we love someone we have had to work at loving, convince ourselves we love, or believe the words of others telling us we love, we are being traitors to ourselves. We should never disobey God's commands. We should never disobey the God-given authority in our lives unless it contradicts God Himself. And in this area, Christian men and women should allow the spirit of God to rule and form their dream - not die to it. This dream must be very much alive, no matter how hopeless it seems, in order for it to be fulfilled. But it must be born out of the heart of God and yielded completely to His leading.

If you are a fiery tempered female, God knows that you'll never make it with a fiery tempered male. If you are visionary, God knows you need someone who is practical. If you are completely down-to-earth, perhaps your heart and God's tells you that you need someone who soars in the sky, and lives, generally, out of this world.

Whoever it is that you are, you must realize one thing. There really are no perfect people. But there is one person who is perfect - for you. Don't sell yourself short. Don't give yourself away too soon - mentally, physically or spiritually. When that perfect person does arrive, make sure it's the one before you fall. And when you fall, fall hard - and fall forever, never to be the same again.

He's Still In The Race

Hello and a big hearty adieu to all my fellow Ron Paul supporters! Here is CNN's very recent interview with our constitutional champion, and you'll be very happy to know that the lies are real: he is not dead, but rather quite alive! As Mark Twain has said, "News of my death has amused me greatly." You can read about his far-too-great success in Nevada that resulted in a hilarious cancelation of the delegation convention here. And until then, hang onto your hats. A revolution is sweeping our country.

May God bless Ron Paul and all those who desire to see America once again free under God.

Coming Up Fall of This Year

Have you heard of these guys?

Journal Thoughts

My family and I just returned from a wonderful home school conference in Seattle where we listened to such great speakers as Doug Phillips, the Erber family, and Donald Chittick. We had a blast enjoying the time with many of our friends, shopping together, singing together, planning together, and learning great things together. I will post photos and a full report from the trip soon.

I write in my journal nearly every day, and today I felt like sharing something from it with you quite personal, but something that I hope may be helpful to you in your own lives.

My Dearest Journal, 4-10-08

I am devising a plan to help myself and others cope with the presence of what I consider to be serious perplexities, misfortunes and instabilities. I am looking out into the broad, deep sky of the future, beset with many unknowns, but not completely without its stars. At certain times these are very, very hard to see, covered like they are with a blanket of thick, depressing clouds, but at other times I can behold them quite easily - studded into the night sky scape like diamonds or thrown onto the the realm of the Milky Way - scattered like confetti. On the over casted nights I must remember that just because I can't see the stars doesn't mean they aren't there. They are there, waiting for the correct time to reveal themselves to me.

I must remember these words today, tomorrow - and every time my spirit is overwhelmed. I must NOT let my circumstances define me, rather I must embrace the lessons they present and allow them to make me the wiser for doing so.

But I am ever a practical person. Just how am I to do what I have been explaining? I must find real, day-to-day ways of coping with the difficulties and pains of life. Here are my emerging replies to this dilemma.

In order to prevent a ruined personality or damaged character in an individual when living through either severe trauma or its relative, the harder-to-perceive emotional instability, one must:

1. Bury themselves in good books. This is not simply the biased suggestion of an avid reader, but a known help for all types of people.
2. Immerse themselves in the world of beautiful music. Music can be a great healer and I, for one, find myself and my thought life daily influenced by it. I find that when I listen to beautiful music I perform my tasks more efficiently. I even write better while listening to Chopin or Handel or other ingenious composers.
3. Pour themselves into another person. A child, a struggling mother, a spouse, an elderly gentleman. Time has always shown us that by helping to ease the burdens of others, we often alleviate our own.
4. Surround themselves with people. Family, because they love you no matter what; friends, because they inspire you and light up your days; children, because they make you love life and help you to see life in perspective; people of all kinds, personalities, temperaments, habits and beliefs. You never are really steadfast in what you think, who you are or what you believe until you know what someone else does and until you can defend what you do.
5. Make things with your own two hands. Even after doing this on bad days, I step back and gaze at my work of art, whether it be paintings, photography, musical compositions, writings or baked goods with some little passing sense of pride and an immense feeling of satisfaction.
6. Spend time in Scripture and allow it to moderate, influence, and inspire all of the above. Anytime we allow the very breath of God to penetrate our lives, the blessings are endless.

I have realized that no one can spend their days pretending to be elated and in the best of spirits when they aren't. But they can live quiet, dutiful lives which are, in my opinion, quite as pleasing to the goodwill of their Creator.

I've become convinced that many people forget the truth of "making it" in pursuit of the one of excelling. I am infatuated with the idea of excelling so much that I have lost the virtue of simply making do. So much so, in fact, that I even become discontented with the way my life is at present. How wrong, how foolish of me!

My light would be quickly fading by now if it was a candle, such as writers of old used, but as it is a lovely electric lamp, I haven't noticed the time passing so quickly. My younger sister, Rachel, grows tired of the constant sound of my pencil scribbling, so I must say farewell.

Oh, by the way, I can see the stars tonight. The light of a thousand of them shines through the darkness, into my bedroom window.

Akiane

Today my family and I had the honor of entertaining Miss Akiane (pronounced AH-KEE-AH-NUH) Kramarik and her family in our home. In case you aren't familiar with the name, Akiane is a world-renowned thirteen-year-old artist. (You can visit her website here.)

I was curious to find out what kind of a young lady Akiane had become (it has been many years since I last saw her) considering the fact that she's been in the limelight of the artistic world for five years now. Becoming a celebrity at such a young age is enough to tweak anyone. But I was in for a surprise.

I found young Akiane to be a beautiful young lady with long blond hair and a pair of twinkling blue eyes that smile, if possible, even more than her teeth encased in braces do. From the moment she walked in the door, I knew she was a kindred spirit.

The Kramarik family, Marc, Farrelli, and five children (Akiane is the third eldest), is a devoted home educating family with a vision for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere. My mother and Mrs. Kramarik immediately found common delights in health and nutrition, and my father instantly hit it off with Mr. Kramarik. Her eldest brother, Delfini, watched over the little children and joined in the men's animated conversation, Jean Lu, the next eldest, amused us with his incredible sense of humor and his culinary talents, eight-year-old Illia played all day with my little brothers, and little Aurielus, just one-year-old today, never left his mommy.

Akiane was able to run outside and rejoice in the beautiful day that Jesus gave us, without reporters and photographers, celebrities and fans swirling around her. My heart was delighted, as was her mother's, that Akiane was able to be just what she is with us - a little girl. Certainly a little girl with extraordinary gift, but nevertheless an actual, human little girl, not some "god child" that unnamed interviewers have unknowingly, but blasphemously called her. Akiane is a delightful girl, who enjoys many of the same pastimes and hobbies that my younger sisters and I enjoy, and she has struck me as being remarkably deep, something I consider quite unusual for her age.

Most importantly, Akiane is a young lady of great virtue and a child of Jesus Christ. Her goals are to proclaim His name everywhere she goes and with everyone she meets. Akiane shines in her family, and recognizes that place as the most fulfilling, rewarding place she will ever find.

I am blessed to have begun a friendship that I can see deepening and widening like a river sweeping into an ocean. In fact, that's what Akiane's name means - ocean.