Brotherly Love

by Katie Pendl

"Although it is hard to acquire sometimes,

You’ll find it worthwhile when a “brother” you find.

I have so many “brothers” now that I can see,

Having brotherly love is the very best way to be.

Though sometimes it’s hard to think of your friend,

As brothers in Christ without any end,

Keep striving to get to that wonderful place,

Where you can look at a friend and see a brother’s face."

Brothers

The minute I came into this life, I had a brother. He was mine and always will be.

As time went on, I gained and lost some.

I had four.. but then they moved on. I grew up and they got married. We split apart.

Then I had one. He, too, has moved on. He is no longer my brother-- I have lost him. He has found someone more important than I and has left me behind. He has no use for me now. There is someone else to love, someone else to love him.

But then I found another. I have another brother. I adopted him.. or he adopted me, what does it matter?

I currently have two brothers-- how long will it last?

The Difference

Sometimes two colors can be worlds apart in difference, and these two colors look the best together.

The same is true of people. Some people don’t believe that opposites attract. I do.

I recently got to know the author of the blog on which this is posted. Up until then, I thought we were complete opposites.

Then I got to know Ruth and discovered the amount things we have in common is almost scary.

But we’re still very different. We even live across- country from each other.

But I recently figured out that what made the difference in our friendship was God, because only God can make a real friendship.

Never take a friendship for granted. It is one of the best gifts you can receive from God.

I should know.

I’ve been blessed in gifts from God in that area.

I pray you will be too.

~~Meet Katie Pendl, the author of this post. This is the second thing she has sent me to post on my blog. It's nice to have a helper since I have been so busy lately. Enjoy! and Leave lots of comments ;P~~

Two Little Boys

Harrison and Addison. They barely come up to my waist.

Harrison is the younger, of course. He likes to play games and punch people.
Addison is the older one who tries to watch over his brother. He says "Oh, my God!" a lot. Which reminds me.. I have to talk to him about that.

Harrison is in kindergarten. Addison is in first grade.

Two little boys in the Before School Program who remind me of those I love and those whom I left behind.

I'm not laughing.

What I want to say, I do not.

Instead, I make up other things to fill up the space where I refuse to say that which needs to be said.

I'm done. Sometimes I wish I could go back to being an oblivious child-- loving everyone and not noticing when they hurt me.

Then again, there are many things I wish for. Someday, instead of complaining, you should think of how BLESSED you are. Just think about all that you have! Someone to hold you when you cry, perhaps. Someone to love you. Someone to be there for you. Money. Close friends. There is so much to be thankful for that you don't even realize!

I have a friend who has much.. and yet little. His family is deep in debt, he is amazed at how they survive. He has few real friends. Most of his thoughts are his own because he has no one to share them with. He has no shoulder to cry on. Sometimes he feels so alone.. and he looks at all those who are so blessed as they complain and pout and grump.. and he wants to leave. He is afraid that he will say too much if he stays because people these days can't deal with the truth. So many people think that they're condition is unique. That NOONE else could possible understand. That noone else has gone through the same things. Don't make me laugh.

I Think Of You

By Katie S. Pendl

When I get a sunset view,

Or I see a morning new,

I always seem to think of you.

When an eagle soars above,

Or the sun gleams off the wings of a dove,

It’s always you I’m thinking of.

When I picture Heaven’s throng,

Or if I hear a robin’s song,

It’s you I think of all along.

When I gaze o’er a starry night,

Or I climb a mountain’s lofty height,

I think of you, and it feels right.

If the sun sets o’er a rippling stream,

Or off the ocean sunlight doth gleam,

It’s you of whom I always dream.

If the sun sets o’er a glossy moor,

Or through a meadow I do explore,

When faced with challenge, to you I’ll implore.

I dedicate this poem to the people who invade my thoughts. Some I will not mention, but I would like to mention one of the very special people in my life and thoughts. To Ruthie. For being there when I need her. And also to the people not mentioned. God bless you all.

The Heart

I wrote this one a while ago, too. It's strange writing it out now because I don't know what's coming next. haha. It's kinda scary not knowing what exactly it is that you're typing. o_O

"Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

~I Samuel 16:7 KJV

That verse is straightforward and self-explanatory, so why do people find it so hard to follow?

I, personally, dislike public displays of emotion when it comes to Biblical things. People in church, crying as they pray, crying over offering, crying... crying... crying. I'm sure someone will call me a bad Christian because I'm writing this.

Guess what! I don't care. ^__^ Just because someone can show a lot of emotion doesn't automatically make them a good Christian. Just because someone else doesn't show any emotion doesn't make them a bad Christian, either.

--cuts out weird sounding part--

Emotions are fickle. You cannot wholly judge a person just on the emotions they show.

Change

"Change my heart, O God.
Make it ever true.
Change my heart, O God.
May I be like you."


A change of heart.
A giving up of what is lost
to gain what we cannot lose.
But that is what is so hard.
Changing and Giving Up.
Listening to the Truth and Learning to Let Go.
Humans have a strange sense of pride.
We cannot be wrong or imperfect. If anyone even hints at some imperfection, we get defensive, spiteful, and overall disgustingly nasty. We pervert the Bible-- taking out the parts we like and ignoring the rest. When we don't like someone, hate them in fact, we ignore the hundreds of times God talks about love in His Book-- or we ignore the true meaning of the verses and give them our own fickle interpretations.
However, it seems like most people are forgetting something very important (as usual). Not only was Jesus accused of imperfection, he died for it. The irony? He IS perfect.

We, who pretend perfection, are insulted by the truth. Jesus, who is Truth, died because of a lie. He was accused of lying when he told the truth. He died because of that and was not insulted or angry. Quite the contrary, actually-- He loves the very ones who struck the blows that sent pain shooting through his body as He was nailed to a cross.

How can we condemn, run from, and hate the truth(embracing lies) when the one we claim to follow IS truth-- and died because of a lie?

"One Hundred Easy Ways to Lose a Man"

"NOW THE FIRST WAY TO LOSE A MAN --

YOU’VE MET A CHARMING FELLOW AND YOU’RE OUT FOR A SPIN.
THE MOTOR FAILS AND HE JUST WEARS A HELPLESS GRIN,
DON’T BAT YOUR EYES AND SAY, “WHAT A ROMANTIC SPOT WE’RE IN.”

Just get out, crawl under the car, tell him it’s the gasket and fix it in two seconds flat with a bobby pin.

THAT’S A GOOD WAY TO LOSE A MAN.

HE TAKES YOU TO A BASEBALL GAME,
YOU SIT KNEE TO KNEE.
HE SAYS, “THE NEXT MAN UP AT BAT WILL BUNT, YOU’LL SEE.”
DON’T SAY, “OOOH, WHAT’S A BUNT? THIS GAME’S TOO HARD FOR LITTLE ME.”

Just say, “Bunt? Are you nuts?!! With no outs, two men on base, and a left-handed batter coming up, you’ll walk right into a triple play just like it happened in the fifth game of the World Series in 1923.”

THAT’S A SURE WAY TO LOSE A MAN.

A SURE SURE SURE SURE WAY TO LOSE A MAN,
A SPLENDID WAY TO LOSE A MAN.

JUST THROW YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN HIS FACE,
HE’LL NEVER TRY FOR SECOND BASE.
Ninety-eight ways to go.

THE THIRD WAY TO LOSE A MAN --
THE LIFE-GUARD AT THE BEACH THAT ALL THE GIRLIES ADORE
SWIMS BRAVELY OUT TO SAVE YOU THROUGH THE OCEAN’S ROAR,
DON’T SAY, “OH, THANKS, I WOULD HAVE DROWNED IN JUST ONE SECOND MORE.”

Just push his head under water and yell, “Last one in is a rotten egg” and race him back to shore!

THAT’S A SWELL WAY TO LOSE A MAN.

YOU’VE FOUND YOUR PERFECT MATE AND IT’S BEEN LOVE FROM THE START.
HE WHISPERS, “YOU’RE THE ONE TO WHO I GIVE MY HEART.”
DON’T SAY, “I LOVE YOU TOO, MY DEAR, LET’S NEVER NEVER PART.”

Just say, “I’m afraid you’ve made a grammatical error -- it’s not ‘To who I give my heart,’ it's ‘To whom I give my heart’ -- You see, with the use of the preposition ‘to,’ ‘who’ becomes the indirect object, making the use of ‘whom’ imperative which I can easily show you by drawing a simple chart” --

THAT’S A FINE WAY TO LOSE A MAN.

A FINE FINE FINE FINE WAY TO LOSE A MAN,
A DANDY WAY TO LOSE A MAN.

JUST BE MORE WELL-INFORMED THAN HE,
YOU’LL NEVER HEAR “O, PROMISE ME.”

JUST SHOW HIM WHERE HIS GRAMMAR ERRS,
THEN MARK YOUR TOWELS “HERS” AND 'HERS.'"

We enjoyed this and thought you might, too. My mom came up with some on her own.. but had to go to bed, so she couldn't tell me :( haha.. lemme know if you laughed.

A Song

I am dedicating this song to a friend-- a friend I love very much. I was playing it one day, and my thoughts turned to this person. Here's to you..

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by Charles Hart

You were once my one companion . . .
you were all that mattered . . .
You were once a friend and father,
then my world was shattered . . .

Wishing you were somehow here again . . .
wishing you were somehow near . . .
Sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed,
somehow you would be here . . .

Wishing I could hear your voice again . . .
knowing that I never would . . .
Dreaming of you won't help me to do
all that you dreamed I could . . .

Three long years I've knelt in silence,
held your mem'ry near me.
Three long years of murmured sorrows
willing you to hear me.
Too many years fighting back tears . . .
Why can't the past just die . . .?

Wishing you were somehow here again . . .
knowing we must say goodbye . . .
Try to forgive, teach me to live . . .
give me the strength to try . . .

No more memories, no more silent tears . . .
No more gazing across the wasted years . . .
Help me say goodbye.
Help me say goodbye.

The Art of Caring

This was also written a LOONG time ago.

Caring is an art. Few people can do it, but the outcome is always beautiful.

Many people may seem to care, and indeed they do. Only, there is a difference. They care only about themselves. But, the art of caring is about other people. It is about giving yourself away in order to touch the lives of others-- not selfishly taking from the poor of spirit to enrich yourself. I know someone who pretends to care. We will use the masculine pronoun to describe that person in order to disguise their true identity. Who knows, this could be you. He seems to listen when you talk to him.. but once you really get to know him, you realize he doesn't really care about anyone but himself.

Apathy hurts everyone. It not only hurts the one who is apathetic, but also those who seek love and compassion, but are turned away. When a person stifled with inner pain lets down their defenses and opens their heart to someone, words of apathy such as "I don't care," "Whatever," and assorted meaningless grunts strike their defenseless heart like numerous poison-tipped arrows. They quickly put back their defenses, but it is too late. The arrows struck their mark and the poison is already encasing the heart with its murderous grasp. All that the person can do is attempt to carefully hide the pain they feel from their apathetic friend.

I use the term "friend" loosely. For what kind of friend is apathetic? What kind of friend only gives more pain instead of taking away what is already there? That is not a friend. That is not friendship. A one-sided relationship is doomed to die, oftentimes painfully. When one-sided relationships do continue, it is only because on side has perfected or is in the process of perfecting the art of caring.

My sister once put something into words that I had felt for a long time. I have forgotten the words she used, but retain the idea. I will use my sister, myself, and poison to illustrate. As I go through my life, my body is slowly filled with poisons-- the poisons of physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. Every day, something new happens that serves to increase the pain, and thusly the poison, in my body. As with normal poison it must be drawn out. That is where my sister comes in. You see, she can draw out the poison in my body without harming herself. The poison is gone and all she had to do was take the time to draw it out.

Relationships should be the same way. It's amazing how much difference a little caring can make. A man can relieve his friend of his burdens without adding any to his own.

That is the art of caring--giving of yourself to others. For how can you not see? Christ did that for each of us when he died on the cross. Being apathetic is ungrateful--like spitting in the face of God.

One Moment

I wrote this a looong time ago. well.. at least a couple months ago.

One moment can change a life- many lives, even. One moment changed my life completely. I wasn't expecting it so soon, but it came all the same. It forced me to face something I had been avoiding and grow up faster than I wanted to.

I slept late that fateful day. I kept expecting my mother to come in and get me up for breakfast, but she never came. It was Christmas Day and she was going to make a big waffle breakfast for my Dad, brother, and I. Wondering why I didn't smell any of my mom's delicious cooking, I got up.

The moment came and went. My mom accompanied my dad to the hospital as my brother and I made the traditional waffle breakfast and ate it by ourselves.

Few people know the details of what happened that day. No one knows what I thought and felt. I shut it behind me and did my best to forget and move on with my life. But, you see, that one moment changed my entire life.

The pain that has been coursing through my body since that day has been well hidden- if I may say so myself. Few people cared enough to notice and I quickly wrote it off as something else they'd understand. Only one person knew, and he stood by me through it all.

When you see the leader of your house-- strong and invincible-- lying sick in a hospital and clenching his teeth in pain. When you have to cook dinner every night because your chef hasn't the strength to stand. When you refuse to watch as he injects himself with medications because it tears at your very soul to see the blotchy bruises left by his numerous previous injections. When you go through all those thing, you may begin to understand the feelings I have hidden deep inside.

~~~~

Tonight, my daddy is sitting in front of the TV watching some icky CSI show. He doesn't have the energy to go to bed. He's been in pain since 7:30PM, but his work is demanding and he doesn't have time to rest. For the past year, I've been an only child. It's hard to be an only child. There is no one else to share the responsibility. I almost regret my decision to play Volleyball instead of get a better job, but I know that my dad wouldn't want me to. He wants me to have fun.

I love my daddy and I cherish every smile and every bit of energy he shows.

Over the Rainbow

Whenever you feel sad or lonely-- even the slightest bit-- look outside. Look way up into the sky, as high as you possibly can. During the day, perhaps you'll see clouds. Did you know that God is above all that sky and all those clouds, watching over you?

When you look up into the night sky, and see all the tiny stars, winking at you so far away. Do you feel small? I feel small-- teensy weensy. Did you know that God is way up there with the stars watching over you?

Do you also know who is standing there, right beside you, holding you up? Yups, God. Amazing, isn't it?

When you see the sun, moon, and stars, know that I am looking at the same sun, moon, and stars, and thinking of you. Sending my love across the many miles that separate us. No matter what happens or what you do, I will always love you.

Home

So, I'm home again. Now I actually have to start on my massive To-Do list.

One of those things happens to be "Update blog."

*heavy sigh* Perhaps the late hour and utter exhaustion is getting to me. I should go to bed.

I'll TRY to post more later.

Then again, I'm trying to do a lot of things.