My Revelation!

Okay so I was sitting in class yesterday totally immersed in this book that I was reading, and I had a total revelation. I just felt this pull on an idea that came to my mind of what I want to do for the rest of my life. I had decided that I felt led to go to college and apply for one of those 3 week missions programs to a Spanish speaking country and work with children. I also want to study abroad and major in Spanish. I love the thought of going to Panama or Peru for a semester experiencing the people and the culture. I love the idea of missions, and as the Cuba trip approaches, I really want to be focused on the idea of doing it for a lifetime. I want to really experience it more than I did on the last trip. I just really felt the pull of this being the thing I want to do with my life! So yeah, anyways, I've developed this relationship with the librarians today because every time I came into the library I set off the alarm...yeah...everytime. It turned out to be a tag in my sweater from Old Navy, but then after I cut it out, I walked out to leave and it went off again...so I checked my pants, and there was one on my pocket. The one thing I always get nervous about in stores is the alarm going off and me getting arrested...scary!!! So I guessed I conquered my fear today!!

Amazed...

Sometimes I am amazed and appalled at how many people take God's word for granted...I found this passage in Leviticus 19 that says,
"Do not steal."
"Do not lie."
"Do not deceive on another."
"Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord."
"Don't defraud your neighbor or rob him."
"...but fear your God. I am the Lord."
"Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt."
"...Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord."

Twice by Christina Georgina Rossetti

I took my heart in my hand (O my love, O my love),

I said: Let me fall or stand,

Let me live or die,

But this once hear me speak (O my love, O my love)-

Yet a woman's words are weak;

You should speak, not I.
You took my heart in your hand

With a friendly smile,

With a critical eye you scann'd,

Then set it down,

And said, 'It is still unripe,

Better wait awhile;

Wait while the skylarks pipe,

Till the corn grows brown.'

As you set it down it broke—

Broke, but I did not wince;

I smiled at the speech you spoke,

At your judgement I heard:But I have not often smiled

Since then, nor question'd since,

Nor cared for cornflowers wild,

Nor sung with the singing bird.
I take my heart in my hand,

O my God, O my God,

My broken heart in my hand:

Thou hast seen, judge Thou.

My hope was written on sand,

O my God, O my God:

Now let thy judgement stand—

Yea, judge me now.
This contemn'd of a man,

This marr'd one heedless day,

This heart take thou to scan

Both within and without:

Refine with fire its gold,

Purge Thou its dross away—

Yea, hold it in Thy hold,

Whence none can pluck it out.
I take my heart in my hand—

I shall not die, but live—

Before Thy face I stand;

I, for Thou callest such:

All that I have I bring,

All that I am I give,

Smile Thou and I shall sing,

But shall not question much.

Air Cubano-English Lit. Story

The time had finally come. The excitement, the adrenaline was pumping through my veins. My heart racing, my thoughts were scattered on every person, and all my surroundings. I am standing in the Miami airport about to go to a communist country in which no American can go. Where am I going you ask? Cuba is my destination with a passport in my hand and my luggage and I’m set. As we all eat snacks waiting to board the plane, we hear our flight number being called.
We walk down the stairs and on to the runway. As we are walking, I notice how small the plane is. On the side of the plane it says “Air Cubano,” with a little door and a staircase where the flight attendant welcomes us on board. She greets us with a warm hello as we go up the rickety staircase to our seats. The seats are very close together with a smooth blue fabric on them all with little compartments above them. The aisle is only big enough for one person, with one seat on the right, and two seats on the left. I glanced down at my ticket and saw my seat number, and luckily my seat was not by itself. I was two rows from the front and about four rows from the back and when I went to sit down, I gave my father the window seat. I did not want to see us take off or fly over the ocean, since I have never flown over the ocean before. When we sat down I put my book bag at my feet and got out my word search booklet to keep my mind off the plane.
After everyone had been seated the flight attendant shut the door and began to explain the emergency procedures. Wow, that’s a good way to calm my nerves, let’s talk about crashing and what to do if we don’t die! As the plane started up, one propeller started turning but the other one didn’t. When I get nervous I ask a lot of questions, so I turned to my dad and asked, “Why is only one propeller moving?” “It’s okay, it just starts after the other one,” said my dad. I was starting to panic so I decided not to listen to the flight attendant talking about emergency procedures. It’s time to take off, so we buckle our seat belts and prepare to fly. Both propellers are spinning as we pull onto the runway. My dad turns to me and says, “We’re next!” As we start to gain speed my heart drops and all the other sound is drowned out by the sound of the engine.
We get off the ground and everyone claps and cheers, especially the Cuban-Americans in the back. The Cuban-Americans were so happy just to be off the ground because they only get to go back to Cuba every four years. All of the sudden our plane drops down and everyone screams. I grab my father’s hand and my heart jumps back into my throat. All of the Cubans in the back of the plane laugh like it’s a roller coaster, while I’m scared to death! I seriously thought in that moment, on that plane that I was going to die. I prepared myself for the thought of dying and everything that comes with it. At that moment I instantly thought of a verse that we had memorized in church some time ago. It was 1st Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self discipline.” I knew in that instant that God would take care of me and my life was in his hands.
As soon as we landed and we got our bags I ran off the plane and kissed the ground! I was never so happy to be on land ever in my life. Once we arrived at the Cuban airport, we had to go to a special side of the airport in a building for Americans and Cuban-Americans. We could not be in the airport with everyone else; instead it was just us Americans with Cuban policemen. Walking in that building was just scary in and of itself. There were probably about ten policemen, all speaking Spanish, and so we were very confused. The building was small with little hallways with glass openings in the offices. Right before one of the offices was a yellow line that said “pare,” or stop in big yellow letters. The whole building reeked of cigarette smoke and on the wall there were big posters that said things like, “Welcome to Cuba,” and “Cuba is great!”
Each one of us had to walk up to one of the little offices and had the person our papers and our passport. I was to go to the window with my father, but as I walked up to the window the officer said that I had to back up and wait my turn. I should have been allowed to go with my father because I’m a minor but she would not allow it. As I watch my father being questioned, she finally says that he can go, and he asks if he can wait for me. The lady gets mad and says no and she lets him through the door to the other side. She says next and I approach the window shaking nervously. I hand her my papers and passport and she starts typing all of it into the computer. As she picks up my passport she holds it up and looks at me then back at the picture. Continually she stares at me and back at the picture, and I start to get a little scared. Then she handed me my papers and says, “Welcome to Cuba,” and then opens the door.
As I pass through the door and see everyone standing there I pass through security and move on to pick up my bags. My father asks me what happened and I told him that everything was fine and she didn’t ask me anything. He tells me to take my money to the currency exchange and get some Cuban pesos. We probably waited about 30 minutes for our bags to come through and finally we saw our first bag. After we retrieved all our bags we had to leave the airport and look for Isaac and Eduardo, two of our Cuban pastors. We pass through the sliding doors and see a fence with hundreds of Cubans behind it waiting to see if their family is coming through to see them. We pass through the gate to see the bus, Eduardo, David, and Isaac. We all greet each other with big hugs and a kiss on each cheek. Wow. It’s so good to be here.

Blogging...

Wow...I totally and completly forgot that I had a blog! Wow! I just thought I'd say hi since I haven't written in forever! -lol-

God is Speaking...

The other night when I was doing my devotional, I was thinking. I had just been really down that week, I was reviewing in my mind all of the stuff that'd been going on over the week, and it just made me even more depressed. Then, in my devotional it had this verse. It was Psalms 43:5 and it said, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." After I read that I was like, WOW!! It was as if God was talking straight to me and asking me if I was okay, and what was wrong. So later that week problems continued to persist. Once again in my devotional one of the verses spoke to me. 2 Samuel 6:21-22 said, "...I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes..." I was then thinking, God is just telling me to go crazy! He wants me to be happy and rejoice in him and not care what other people say! The same thing happened with 2 Corinthians 12:9 when I was feeling like I couldn't do any thing right. It says, "...Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." This just made me feel great to think that I can rejoice that I'm not perfect! Wow! I can rejoice even in my imperfections! That makes me so happy, and glorifies God even more to admit that he is perfect and all powerful! Just thought I'd share some of my week with you!

Pictures of my life! Enjoy!

It's kind of dark, but we're posers!
Yeah! V Dub in the house!
Wow! Look at this car!
So hot! -lol-
Crocs and a Volkswagen...what could be better?

I don't even know what to say about this one...
We are so retarded...yall' knew that though! -lol-
Crocs! Yeah baby!
Hmmm...contemplating something...what, idk!
Damsel in distress!

Me and my morning buddies!
I love this pic!
My two bff's!
I drew this of my teacher Mr. Middleton, and that is the quote he always says!
Wow...yeah...

I haven't posted in a while but I have a great excuse. Life has been so chaotic and crazy right now that there has not even been time to write at all! With school being over, final exams are due, and all of crazy things going on with our church, well yeah, that's all. Let me elaborate on our church situation for a little while. My father is the pastor of Capstone Community Church and we have just recently learned that we cannot meet at AmStar theaters anymore because they were bought out by another large company. Oh, and we have to be out within 30 days...yeah that was great news after the whole dilemma with our trailer being stolen. But all of that is fine now because the police found the trailer abandoned and opened with a flat tire. Actually, the tire wasn't just flat, it was practically in pieces! Our church keeps saying that God blew that tire up! So currently we are looking for a new building to meet in for church! Woohoo! Yeah, we were just looking at a possible place to meet today! So definitely pray for our church in this weird situation. So along with all of that, school got out and I had to clean out my locker, which by the way is full of crap that I somehow acquired over the school year.

A Letter to the Beautiful...

Dear Beautiful,

You'll never know how much I love you.
Every time I see your beautiful face,
It is always the highlight of my day.
You won't believe how much I've longed to hold you.
How I love how you look when you sleep.
It's just like a masterpiece.
I couldn't begin to describe how big my heart is for you.
How it beats so fast when I see your smiling face.
I know you like the back of my hand.
How your eyes glisten in the sunshine.
Your skin is flawless and radiates beauty.
I can't believe you are mine!
I have you all to myself.
To dwell on your beauty all day long.
You are the first thing I see when I wake up.
The last thing I see before I sleep.
Your beauty astounds me!
How could something like you be made?
Something so great and wonderous.
You'll never know how much I love you.

Forever loving and never leaving,

Jesus

Normal...

What is the meaning of normal?
We use the word everyday.
Is it blonde hair or blue eyes?
Or people who stay out late.
People who are a certain religion,
Or color or shape,
Or the fact that everyone seems to hate.
"Oh it's okay!"
"Her attitude is NORMAL for any teenager today."
So tell me,
What is the definition?
Will you share it with me please!
I'll give you recognition,
For releaving our frustration,
With this one, little, word.
That trips us up.
And cuts us down.
NORMAL...
What do they say you are?

Trust

I had a thought earlier this morning to post about trust. Did you know that there is so little of it today in our world? My grandma used to tell me about how her mom would tell her and her brother to go out and play and not come in until dinner. They would go to the grocery store and get things for their mother, walk down the street to the ice cream stand, and go anywhere and everywhere! Now, people can't even let their children go outside without watching them, children can't go trick-or-treating at Halloween because you can't trust the candy people give you unless you know them. The amount of trust is so little in our world today that it is sad. I had a thought about when we were in Cuba, the amount of trust is tremendous! If someone doesn't have enough food for their family, they go to their neighbors and ask for some food. Our translator and friend, Juan Carlos, has a chain connected to his belt loop and into his pocket. One day I asked him what it was, and he said that it was his house key. He told me that only his close friends and family have one, and those are the only people that he will allow them to see it. He took it off the hook and handed it to me, and I was so surprised. I said to him, "You trust me with this?!" He replied a simple, "Yes". I was dumbfounded to know that this man that I had known for less than a week would allow me to basically hold his life in my hand. I had his house key which was one of his most important possessions. I held on to that key the entire day, and at the end of the day I gave it back to him. I asked him, "Did you forget I had it?" He said, "No, I knew that you wouldn't lose it." The acceptance and literally placing his possessions in my hands was amazing. I think that our trust should be exactly like that with God. We should place the key to our life in his hands and completely trust him with everything we have. God believes in us, so the least we could do is return the favor. Asta Luego!

Six Flags and San Juan!

Hola! Here are the four pictures of Six Flags...woohoo...yeah pretty much! The first one is Amanda looking suprised and weird, and the next one is of Kevin laughing on the bus! He's probably laughing at me and how stupid I am! He had to sit beside me on the way there and the way back! Sorry Kev! (Actually he didn't have too...he made me sit beside him! J/k!) The next one is of me and Jordan! He doesn't ever smile for pictures! That made me mad because he has a funny smile! The next one is of me and Anna! We laughed at her smile in this pictures because she won't show us her teeth because she just got braces! The last one is for my Spanish friends Jose' and Alejandro! This was a truck at our hotel in the mountains! I love you guys! Bye!

I'M BACK FROM CUBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our Group!!!
This is me and my father Eduardo!

This is me and my brother Juan Carlos!
Rebecca and Wilson!!!!
Aren't they beautiful?


Our little bus!!!!

Pina Coladas without the Rum!
Corbino!
Put the Lime in the Coconut!
Me and Leonel!
Me and Carlos!

Corbino and the Coconut!


I'm so glad to be back in the states with everyone but at the same time i'm very sad to be gone from everyone in Cuba. It was such an awesome experience and I think that everyones lives have been changed drastically over the past week. We had about 80 people get saved over the week, and we experienced God's prescence like nothing ever experienced before. It's funny how you seem to feel God's prescence more when you are in a foreign country. The love for God is undescribable, and the love for people they just met is unforgettable. This was truly an experience that I will never forget. Also, I now have a Cuban father, and his name is Eduardo! I love him so much, and suprisingly he is the best putt-putt player i've ever seen! It was the first time he had ever played and he was great! I also have a brother named Juan Carlos! He is hilarious!!! He laughs like crazy and always knows how to have fun! I love how we felt so accepted and like family to them. You are always greeted with a kiss and a hug and it's wonderful! Corbino (Corbin) had a lot of fun with the coconuts, and Rebecca had a great time with her boyfriend Wilson (the coconut with a face drawn on it) until Corbino smashed him and ate him. Rebecca ate him also...We had so much fun and I definately encourage everyone to go! Here are some pics to highlight the week...

Love is...

Love is like an ocean, never ending.
Love is like a highway.
You can go to many places.
Experience new things.
And have fun along the way.
Love is like an eternal flame.
Always burning and never fading away.
Love will never leave.
It does not boast or brag.
Love is patient.
Love is kind.
If everything else fades away, love is still here.
Love is always there.
Deep inside your heart.
Love will not awaken until it so desires.
Love should not be aroused until the time is right.
Love can break your heart.
It can make you crazy.
Make it last.
Use it all up.
The cup of love will never empty.
It will never run dry.
Give it out.
Share it.
Tell people about it.
Let them know how wonderful it is.
Let someone know you love them.
Express it.
Give a smile.
A hug.
A laugh.
Shake a hand.
You never know how long you'll be here.
So live it out.

By: Claire Chapman
3/26/07

The Girl

Day One...
Do you see that girl over there? She looks very focused and unaware. She's reading a book and now she's closing her eyes and bowing her head. She is acting very strange.

Day Two...
Do you see that girl? She's the same one from yesterday. But look, she has a friend, he's reading with her. She is always reading that book, over and over. She must have read it a thousand times.

Day Three...
I've seen this girl many times. At school she keeps to herself and doesn't say much. Just always reading that book. The same old book. Nothing new or different. How can this girl always read this book? Wouldn't it get boring and old?

Day Four...
I studied what the book looked like and I went to the library and found it. It's something called a bible. I'm going to find out what she was reading about. She always seemed to happy and content when she read it.

Day Five...
This book is amazing! I can't believe how wonderful it is! No wonder that girl read it all of the time! This book talks about things that this man did and all of the miracles he proformed! He died on the cross to save me! Wow!

Day Six...
The girl wasn't there anymore. I just don't know where she is! She always sits here on this bench and reads her bible. I don't understand why she didn't come.

Day Seven...
I was looking at the paper this morning and saw an obituary. It was for the girl that sat on the bench. I didn't know her, but she impacted my life. I went to her funeral and met her family. They were very kind.

You never know who you will impact. Just sitting on a bench reading your bible can change someone's life. Someone is always watching you. So when they are watching, let them watch Christ. Be Christ and let them see him through you.

By: Claire Chapman

Christian

"I'm a christian," or so you say, you don't act like it everyday, you swear you are, you take a test, you aced it because you did your best, you go to church and sing songs but you cuss and swear all day long, what's your problem, what's the deal, everyone knows your not being real, you read a chapter, you said a prayer but all along you know it won't get you there, to a place we call home, or our own, but confessing your sins to the priest won't take you there, what makes you think you can act this way, taking advantage of him day by day, he wants to save you and take you, away from all of this hurt and pain, because of you, he was slain, because of you, the price was paid, maybe if you had just stayed, and listened to what he said, now you stand before him on this day, to learn all your sins and how you disobeyed, you told him you prayed, went to church, and even stayed, but that won't get you there, maybe just a look or a stare, he says sorry my child, you should've found me, and all of your days would be filled with glee,
But this truth will set you free:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the father except through me."
2 Corinthians 3:5-8
So friends, let us prevent this story, stop these people from missing God's glory, and on that day, let us rejoice, because another child has joined the family.

By: Claire Chapman
3/19/07

You should take this!

Your Birthdate: September 22

You tend to be understated and under appreciated. You have a hidden force to do amazing things, doing them your own way. People may see you as strange and shy, but they know little. Your unconventional ways have more power than they (and even you) know. Your strength: Standing up for what you know is true Your weakness: You tend to be picky and rigid Your power color: Silver Your power symbol: Square Your power month: April

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Me So Holy!

Life is...

Life is crazy right now...You find that old friends get replaced by the new, you aren't feeling the same thing you thought you felt, you don't want to get up in the mornings, we make up excuses why we fail, we try to do the right thing only to find that it's impossible not to mess up, we realize that people change and so do you, we see that friends that you thought were faithful aren't, you get made fun of because you don't give in to things that others do, you are the only one who aspires to do something big and important, you aspire to reach your goals and find that you are alone, you have relationships that weren't as meaningful to the other person as it was to you, you find your friend doing something that totally betrays you and you tell her and she hates you, people seem to point out your mistakes instead of pointing out their own, you try to better yourself to find that you're making it worse, you trip and stumble but you have to much pride to admit that you need help, you are a total hypocrite and you say that you are a christian but you aren't, you are so two-faced that people can't trust you, you talk about people behind their backs and they get hurt, you spread vicious rumors to totally destroy and demolish every friendship you ever knew, you tell someone you love them and don't mean it, you hurt someone by excluding them and shutting them out, you lose control of yourself and can't admit that you need someone to help pick up the pieces, you are so concious about what others think that you become totally superficial, you betray everyone that loved you and expect them to still love you, when everyone else hates you and you think that there is no where to go, or no one to turn to, then think about this...

Have you ever considered or payed attention to the man that died on a cross for you? The one that had peirced hands and feet just to relieve you of your problems and your sins? Have you ever thought that this man loves you? When everything else fades away and everyone else hates you and ignores you, who's left? Only one thing...

JESUS

Written By: Claire Chapman

Hey!!!!

Today was a great day! Except for the whole fact that I pulled a muscle in my right leg and have to limp! But I just learned that I have to present a project on the same day that I was going to the ropes course at Clemson and I can't go! :( Well I g2g! Bye!

Hey peeps!

Well, I just found out that Anderson is the smallest place in the world! Just kidding! I was on the Sound of Light talking to random people and they asked me where I was from and I said Anderson. Well there was a girl named Kaylan on there and she used to be in CYT with me! Ahhhh! It's such a small world!

Hello everyone!!!

What's up everybody? I haven't posted in a week! I can't believe how fast this week is already going!! Wow! School is crazy! Exam's are coming up and I'm so nervous! I got my passport yesterday! I can't wait to go to Cuba!!!! Wooohoooo! I don't have very much to say, so I will let this picture say it all...

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Me and Stacy's Favoritest Song in the World!!!!

Wonderful WinterJam!