tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10860440780908899302011-07-30T12:58:32.465-04:00"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-60584629478059907542010-02-13T12:38:00.000-05:002010-02-13T12:38:15.710-05:00

How long will my prayers seem unanswered?Is there still faith in me to reach the end?I'm feeling doubt I'm losing faithBut giving up would cost me everythingSo I'll stand in the pain and silenceAnd I'll speak to the dark nightI believe in the sun even when it's not shiningI believe in love even when I don't feel itAnd I believe in God even when He is silentAnd I, I believeThough I can't see my

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-65751833939280477302010-02-13T12:37:00.000-05:002010-02-13T12:37:04.898-05:00

This post is a little different in that I am posting one blog entry into two separate posts, rather than in one large one. Both posts, however, are dedicated to a friend of mine who inspired these posts. I have chosen not to reveal her name without her permission. Often, I write in my journal things I had no intention on writing...things that contradict my personal feelings:"Hold onto the hope of

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-51652070014314123432009-12-24T22:09:00.002-05:002009-12-24T23:22:53.323-05:00

This Christmas, the King and Queen would like to share a special message with all the non-existent readers of this blog.Always remember to pray dailyEat lots of candy canesCook your ham wellHang up your stockings in hopes of better presents outside of themGo to church (one of 2 days a year)Remember that just because it's a holiday doesn't mean the cookies don't have calories.Put antlers on the

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-33400865112407686172009-12-15T21:51:00.004-05:002009-12-16T10:17:54.808-05:00

For those of you who have been living under a rock, or in a bubble, or in a pineapple under the sea, it's December. December means a lot of things... colder weather, finals, lots of shopping, and Christmas music. (Now, don't ask me why in our days of "political correctness" you can never hear a single rendition of "Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel" on the radio...)Earlier today, I was listening to the

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-7477616036964827622009-12-14T19:46:00.003-05:002009-12-14T20:37:05.818-05:00

I want a tangible dream. I'm sure I made that clear a couple of blog posts ago.I want a dream I can actually see in my imagination. Let's face it though. I've had some minor dreams come to mind. Little things like getting an article published in a magazine, or even having my own column in a magazine. Something insignificant like writing song lyrics that are actually heard. Even if those are

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-41344441386821995242009-12-03T20:33:00.002-05:002009-12-03T20:40:48.445-05:00

Today, I gave myself a challenge to write a poem about an abstract concept without saying anything that openly relates to the concept... and using a theme that doesn't seem related.So, I have a challenge for you. I want to see if anybody can figure out the answers to any of these questions:1. What is the poem really about?2. What is the hidden "theme" in it.3. What other things can you pick out

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-91670878570764960892009-12-01T12:26:00.004-05:002009-12-01T12:48:14.842-05:00

Finding myself againalone with no purpose. There's no reason to hope.My dreams are just worthless.What can I do?How can I reach with these words that I write?Can my simple prayers and poetryextend to the heavens; take flight?Is there a reason? Is there meaning?In the end of it alldo I pour out my heart for nothingbut to watch tears and dreams fall?-November 30, 2009Its about 12:30ish. I'm sitting

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-31725307325393379722009-11-27T10:48:00.003-05:002009-11-27T11:32:28.304-05:00

Okay. I'm going to come right out and say it. Thanksgiving has come and gone, which means the Christmas season is officially upon us. (Yes....I know... the malls think Christmas is directly after Halloween).If you have ever been labeled as tiny, petite, small, or just plain short pay close attention. Whatever you do, stay awake on December 24. You heard me correctly; this Christmas Eve do not

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-44534079698301899922009-11-26T11:29:00.005-05:002009-11-26T15:01:37.078-05:00

Ok, I'll be honest. I'm feeling a little homesick for Virginia right now. I miss being less than 4 miles from Chik-Fil-A, less than 2 miles from the closest Assemblies of God church, and less than 5 miles from Krispy Kreme. Yes, I know I couldn't wait to get out of there, but let's face it, Jersey is missing out. You haven't lived until you've had one of those hot original glazed donuts... I

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-73299834365089390562009-11-24T11:28:00.003-05:002009-11-24T11:52:18.965-05:00

When I was in middle school, my favorite band was a local Christian group called "Superunknown." Don't bother looking them up. This band has pretty much vanished off the face of the earth.When I was younger, I was part of that church group, Missionettes (and no, I will not call it "Mpact.") Back then, I would have to say my two best friends were Olivia (who is a couple months older than I am) and

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-64261643193332984102009-11-23T19:20:00.003-05:002009-11-23T20:13:58.093-05:00

I posted this theory during the beginning of my junior year, but since I am sitting in Algebra right now, I'm going to share the story again.For those of you who don't know already, I hate Algebra. This class isn't making things better. Today, the teacher was explaining to us that our final is on the 21st, and our tlast test is the week before. She couldn't figure out that the class before is on

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-61396128382918699132009-11-18T13:50:00.007-05:002009-11-19T15:12:26.355-05:00

I changed my Facebook status about an hour ago, and immediately I decided to turn it into a blog entry:This is not just something I do. This is who I am, and NOTHING is going to stop me from following my heart. I'm ready to face my fears- one day, one step at a time. I've spent enough time in the boat; there's an entire ocean to explore now. (XIX; XLV:I) ♥A couple weeks ago I printed out over 120

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-52250529375018053192009-11-16T13:39:00.000-05:002009-11-16T13:40:39.402-05:00

Is it possible to let go, but still hold on? It's not. You cannot fully let go of something, but still be holding on to it. It's impossible.I cannot let go. Not completely, anyways, and just that bit that I decide to hold on is enough. I don't know why it's so hard though. I mean, I can let go of other things. There have been some problems between me and a girl at school, but I've let go of

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-67942206805693046582009-11-11T14:50:00.002-05:002009-11-11T15:12:31.726-05:00

I have determined that the whole "working at McDonalds" thing is simply a bad scare tactic to get us to do homework. Really. Have you ever been told that if you don't do homework and get into college that you'll spend the rest of your life working at McDonalds taking orders? "Would you like fries with that?"So, if that were true, imagine if by chance you take a couple college courses later on and

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-27825694145648143242009-10-22T15:33:00.002-04:002009-10-22T15:59:43.945-04:00

I had a job interview yesterday (Wednesday). It was for a mother's helper job in a nearby town. The lady who I met with has three kids. Allegra is thirteen, Caleb is ten, and Lucas is eight. I didn't get a chance to meet Caleb, but I met Allegra and Lucas. Lucas seemed like your typical eight-year-old boy. Allegra, however, is autistic.To be honest, that kinda made me uncomfortable. And this was

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-73667876248457516832009-10-21T00:20:00.003-04:002009-10-21T01:11:11.136-04:00

Back in January 2008, Pastor Matt preached his "Revolution" series. During the second week of that series, he mentioned something that stuck with me:It's ok to celebrate freedom before it comes. I've been thinking about that a lot lately. I've been struggling through some pretty major things lately, and I know things have improved a lot over the past, but I also know that I'm still in the fight.

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-86480274430423954052009-10-04T15:14:00.004-04:002009-12-17T10:25:34.675-05:00

Does this make you happy? Do you like to get under my skin?When I'm at a high, do you like knowing what it takes to bring me down? Do you like knowing that I never feel like I'm enough. No matter how hard I try, I won't be good enough. I've been rejected, and you've made it clear that it's my fault. I'm to blame for my problems...even if I had no control over the situation.I'm tired of this. I'm

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-65973344943658265992009-10-04T15:10:00.004-04:002009-12-17T10:25:34.675-05:00

Dear God,You know things at school are getting rough for me. I can’t seem to find any friends. I mean some people are nice and all, but they just aren’t good friends to me. I really need Your help. I pretty much have NO friends and people teasing me. Help me please. Why are you doing this to me? Please. I’m tired, scared, lonely, and unhappy. Just please find a way to show me that you really care

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-78893293877115277062009-10-04T15:08:00.003-04:002009-12-17T10:25:34.675-05:00

Hey, remember me?Don't bother answering that. I know you do. You see me in the halls between classes, though we never acknowledge each other. We've had classes together for over three school years. I know you remember what happened. Otherwise, maybe things would be different.We were only in middle school at the time, and at the top of the school. As eighth graders, we supposedly ruled the school,

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-7133733316594799702009-09-07T21:47:00.003-04:002009-11-18T12:52:52.082-05:00

The week before Easter, we had a worship concert: “Facedown” at Velocity Reborn. I was somewhat annoyed at this because the previous Friday night I slowly lost my voice until, before the night was over, I could hardly speak above a whisper. Saturday my voice was nothing, and by Sunday I could speak with slightly more ease. However, when I attempted to sing, there was no sound.So, I did what I

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-25311070816491803232009-08-31T14:22:00.002-04:002009-08-31T14:59:34.952-04:00

I knew something was up at Rechurch on Saturday before the sermon even started. They started off with "With Me," followed by "Salvation is Here." This grasped my attention almost instantly. Then, when they closed worship with "Here in Your Presence," I practically burst into a fit of laughter.All three of those songs were played at First Assembly at a time where I realized that I didn't need to

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-45261858035576189402009-08-19T09:56:00.001-04:002009-08-19T09:58:01.323-04:00

It’s not easy being real. Sometimes, it’s just plain hard not to put on a phony smile and act like everything is good when the truth is you are completely broken.I know.I have not been real. I think that every day I hide part of who I am. A friend makes a joke about something that hits me hard, and I force a laugh so he doesn’t know. I’ll even joke around myself so that I can try to fool the

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-52654680387624603142009-08-12T00:22:00.003-04:002009-08-12T01:22:38.593-04:00

Just so I can get the confession out of the way, yes I should be cleaning right now.Last week I was in St. Louis with a few people from my youth group and some people from other youth groups in the country. I'm realizing how much this trip impacted me more and more each day.One night at Club (basically our little worship time/message) we were given small stones. They were supposed to represent

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-70176044824596307222009-08-08T19:07:00.004-04:002009-08-08T20:21:49.613-04:00

Traveling and ExpectationsTo be perfectly honest, I wasn't really expecting to be impacted so much on this trip. In fact, right before we left, I was just glad to get away from family. That was my number one priority.I would say the trip wasn't like I expected, but truth is... I had few expectations. I think my only expectation is that I would go there for a week, maybe add a few friends on

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-67548243330104484262009-07-13T02:56:00.003-04:002009-07-13T03:05:06.355-04:00

Every year at my High School, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, the literary magazine and creative writing class held an assembly where students in litmag and creative writing (plus a few extras who volunteered) read poems...mainly from the lit mag.So, my English assignment after the assembly was to write a short paragraph about the poem I liked best from the assembly. I never actually

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-26251179374063406602009-07-12T18:45:00.004-04:002009-12-17T10:25:34.675-05:00

Once again, you have stuck me in the middle of drama.Wasn't that one of the reasons I left high school in the first place?Although, I have to be honest. High school drama is annoying, but it's not completely terrible. At least when people are annoying you with their drama you can tell them off. So what if there's a risk of getting beaten up? It's an excuse to give them the knock in the head they

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-47426165750551421922009-07-11T01:26:00.002-04:002009-07-11T02:00:06.820-04:00

Ok, so maybe these aren't so important, but I'm kinda bored...so I thought I'd blog about some lessons I've learned/relearned recently.Walking ShoesThose who know me, know that I have terrible, no good, very bad feet. I will go into NYC for the day, and for about a week afterwards I will be limping around because my feet (especially the left one) are sore. So, the day before I left for Utah, I

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-91855997368844955552009-07-05T21:46:00.003-04:002009-07-05T22:50:24.631-04:00

I'm in Utah visiting my foster family (my mom's foster parents). I decided to walk to church today (I have to earn my activity points somehow. I figured a six-mile roundrip walk would do the trick).The best thing about Utah (well, other than being close enough to walk to Super Walmart, Target Supercenter, Krispy Kreme, Barnes and Noble, Borders, Starbucks, Chik-Fil-A, and Taco Time) are the

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-83876319227836123442009-06-16T00:05:00.003-04:002009-06-16T00:15:52.382-04:00

My 18th Birthday is in 1 week, 6 days. I've been thinking about turning 18 since...probably a couple days after my 17th Birthday.There's nothing special about age 17. I got my permit, but that's pretty much it. It's kind of a boring year. 18 is more exciting. I'm finally going to be able to go to the doctor by myself, which means I won't have to make appointments around my parents' schedules. Yes

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-17577544241424671012009-06-15T14:53:00.003-04:002009-06-15T15:07:40.006-04:00

With a tushshining brighteach and everysummer night.-L. Jorgensen (2004)Believe it or not, it is June. It's too cold to be June. It's been rainy and yucky. But it is June. In a few days it will officially be summer. (In two weeks I will officially be eighteen!)I love June. That's when the roses in my front yard start to bloom, and that's when the fireflies come out. I still go out into the

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-81771483356543829452009-06-09T01:31:00.003-04:002009-06-09T02:00:23.039-04:00

I have gone to three Assemblies of God churches in my life. I became a Christian at an Assemblies of God Vacation Bible School when I was five. I was baptized (for the second time) in an Assemblies of God church last year. When I moved to New Jersey in 2004, I imediately started to look for an Assemblies of God church. When I realized that I didn't belong at the church I was attending in 2006, I

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-84478342538523342482009-06-04T01:36:00.005-04:002009-12-17T10:25:48.408-05:00

So, let's see. The last time I saw you was in fourth grade. It's the end of your senior year now, so I guess that means it's been what? Eight years since I last saw you?Honestly, I can't say I missed you that much. I mean, it's not like we were such great friends or anything. We were in a few classes together. Kindergarten, second grade... now, was it third grade or fourth grade that you managed

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-86874927599974022942009-05-30T00:36:00.004-04:002009-12-17T10:25:48.408-05:00

This letter isn't for any one person in particular. Honestly, I only remember a small handful of names anyway, and I remember fewer faces, and fewer voices. I wish I could say that my memory of you has faded in its entirety, but it has not, and it will not.I've heard that some of you had no idea that I moved. Maybe you thought I was home schooled, but most likely you didn't even notice. I'll be

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-87060904217768258182009-05-27T15:29:00.004-04:002009-05-27T17:26:09.270-04:00

"I've always struggled with understanding God's unconditional love for me. I never felt worthy of that ever since I was a little kid. I think a lot of us believe we are unlovable and that we've got to clean ourselves up. We mess up over and over again. We've got so much sin. We feel terrible about ourselves. So I said, 'Ok, God. Love me-even though everything in me wants to push You away until I

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-43162653124365825972009-05-06T03:50:00.002-04:002009-05-07T23:39:46.396-04:00

"Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your hair!"I hate Rapunzel. How the heck did that witch get her into the tower in the first place? If there are no stairs... And in the version I was taught it was never clear how she got rescued. Sure, she could get the prince up into the tower with her hair, but how did she get out? I'm pretty sure of one thing. I doubt personal hygine was high on the witch's list.

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-53655858889627684862009-04-26T00:27:00.005-04:002009-04-26T14:41:54.377-04:00

"Be careful little feetwhere you go;for it's the little feet behind youthat are sure to follow."-Casting Crowns (Slow Fade)For the past few days, I've been trying to think of how I've been an example to others.I will explain what I came up with in the words of The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything:"Nothing, zilch, nada."Today is Youth Sunday at my church. I was going to try to speak on a time that I

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-56934721841395667202009-04-21T02:30:00.002-04:002009-04-21T02:53:07.556-04:00

I don't write in here as much as I should, but I don't really have much to say. Or at least, I don't have anything to say that I'm willing to share on here. Nothing's really going on in my life. Sunday was the Fourth Annual Purpose Driven Life Day. Today (Tuesday) is exactly three years from the day I first went to (what was once called) Velocity. I'm really not sure what I should write in here.

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-15482467032947920822009-04-01T17:32:00.003-04:002009-04-03T02:53:18.959-04:00

I'm not one to open my Bible much. Yes, I carry one with me almost everywhere I go (I switch between the NIV and Message). Yes, I'm taking Old Testament History right now. But I rarely open my Bible. I think I've set a hundred resolutions to do daily Bible reading. I never make it even one day. It's not that I don't have the time. I'm just not motivated. I just don't do it. There's something new

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-41305163023413618672009-03-31T14:35:00.003-04:002009-03-31T16:27:54.029-04:00

I have a weigh-in in about two hours and I'm starving. I never eat much the day of a weigh-in. Today I had a Yoplait yogurt and some slices of lean ham. Usually, by now, I would have eaten cereal with milk, ham, fruit, a huge salad, a TV dinner, and maybe more. My friend Alex and I like to go out to eat a lot. Over the summer we ate plenty of chocolate chip pancakes, french fries, pasta, and I

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-71909785053315689232009-01-31T02:44:00.013-05:002009-04-28T00:12:25.634-04:00

"The wise hand opens slowlyTo lilies of the valley and tomorrowThis is what it means to be heldHow it feels, when the sacred is torn from your lifeAnd you surviveThis is what it is to be loved and to knowThat the promise was when everything fellWe'd be held"-Natalie GrantI have a pretty large family, but I'm definitely closest to one side of my family, and they aren't technically my blood

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086044078090889930.post-78354968757025766062009-01-24T15:07:00.002-05:002009-01-24T17:24:05.768-05:00

I'm feeling old. This is somewhat of a problem because I am only seventeen and a grade ahead in school.One of my cousins (Sarah Jane) turned seven yesterday. SEVEN! I am living in denial. I haven't seen her since December 2004. She was still two. She was mine. She even hugged her family "good-bye" when my mom, my sister, my dad, and I were leaving to head back home from their apartment. I had

Lissa Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689239152948638175noreply@blogger.com0