When I'm afraid

When I'm afraid, I pray. This happened to me tonight after I watched a YouTube video about Sandra Bland. I was literally afraid for my life that something like that could happen to me. That I would become someone's victim, and then be shown in a negative light, to make what happened seem justifiable. But then, I remembered this...

Psalm 91

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty

I will say of the Lord,

"He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare

and from deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart

You will not fear the terror of night

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.You will only observe

with your eyes 

and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you say, "The Lord is my refuge,"

and you make the Most High your dwelling

no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near you tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone .

You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

Because he loves me, "says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, 

for he acknowledges  my name. 

He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, 

I will deliver him and honor him. 

With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."

My Hiatus off Facebook

The last time I was on Facebook (before today) was when I posted the blog about my trip to DC. I don't remember the specific reason for getting off my Facebook, but it was weird and eye opening when I got back on it. Nothing had changed. It was just the same people spouting the same opinions over and over again...honestly it feels like it was only a day since I got off of it, and everything just picked up where it was from the time I deactivated my account.

I say that it was eyeopening because I don't think anyone even noticed I was away from it. Well, except my mother when she tried to search for me. And I guess that's not so surprising, considering that a good number of people on Facebook aren't even my friends. Like I don't really have 192 friends, and that's on the low side when it comes to the site! I didn't even really miss using it when I think about it. And, after about three weeks of my hiatus, Facebook wasn't even on my mind anymore.

I did like Facebook, and this post isn't to bash at the site. I just wanted to document my thoughts about it. I liked the funny videos, memes, and vines. It is an entertaining place to be, but...it annoyed me. There were so many opinions coming at me at one time. It can get tiring to hear about so many people's accomplishments, travels, and revelations when your just sitting at home on the internet. I do like hearing about those things, but it's better to hear about them from people you actually talk to in real life. I like people...sometimes. It's cool to hear about all the great things everyone is doing, but when I got back on it, everything about it just seemed so pointless.

I feel like if I really matter to someone, they will seek me out. If someone is truly my friend, they will inquire about me, or we will get in touch with each other. And people actually have :) I have gotten messages from friends who want to hang out, or hear my opinion about something, and I like that. I rather keep up with people that way.

Everybody and their grandma doesn't need to know what I am thinking. And that's ironic considering I have a blog on the internet. But I kinda like this, it's like a different version of a diary-just a little more organized. Later, I'm going to print out everything I have posted, and put it in a portfolio. And even later, I'll probably pass it on to a family member. Because the people you love and care for, and love and care for you back. They are the ones that truly matter. The world doesn't need to know who I am, or remember me when I am no longer here. But, at least someone will. The ones who have loved me.

Note: It reminds me of the Book of John when the Word said that the Pharisees cared more about the praise of men than praise from God.

Lisa

Going through the Book of John

This summer I have been going through the book of John. At first it was just with my bible study group, but since I didn't always go to bible study, I was behind in it. I started to read it on my own, which turned out to be a really good thing since I have learned a lot.There are things there that I have never really paid attention to before, and others that I learned for the first time.

When I started to read it on my own, I would just read it and move on. Nothing would stick. But, that changed when I got some colorful highlighters. I would highlight the things that stood out to me, and that changed everything. I remember a lot more, and I have now finished the Book of John. Now, I have decided to do a review of everything I have read-so it really sticks. I want to take everything that Christ has taught me through this book, and incorporate it into my life. To live it because everything he said was pretty awesome.

I plan to put my overviews here in separate posts. It was a good 21 chapters, and I was surprised when I finished them. I thought it would take forever as I flipped ahead in the chapters, but I'm glad I stuck it out. I was so closed hearted to this book at first. I told myself "I've read this before" and "I don't want to go through this again". But reading this was a great experience for me, and it actually left me pretty cheerful in the end. So, now I will embark on the second half of my journey of going through the Book of John. Join me if you will.

With love,

Lisa

Book Review: "The Short Forever" by Stuart Woods

The Short Forever, is a mystery about an ex cop turned attorney (and investigator), who had a bit of an adventure in England.

The summary states: " The unflappable Stone Barrington comes face to face with two men whose lives are wrapped in shadows and lies-and who both still feel the sting of betrayal they can never forget."

"Hired by an odd client previously unknown to him, Stone arrives in London on a mission he thinks he understands, but doesn't. Soon he finds himself not only out of his territory, but out of depth as well. Stone is baffled by the behavior of both his quarry and his client, and his life is further complicated by two, possibly three murders and the affectionate attentions of two former lovers. When the intelligence services of several countries become involved, he can only hang on for a wild ride and hope for a not-too-bumpy landing."-The Short Forever-

Review: This book was good! I was actually surprised I liked it as much as I did, since I am not used to reading about older characters (they're around their 30's and 40's+). This story had so many twists and shocks in it, there were times where I had to pause and think What!

I have mixed feelings on the characters. I do like the protagonist, and I know characters have their faults and flaws to make them more real and relatable. But, there is just something I didn't like about the female characters. Honestly, I didn't like them at all. I had similar feelings about Stone as well at times. It is most likely due to a clash of values. Maybe even because the author is male (when it came to the women).

I really liked the writing style of the author. It was more simplistic, and not sugary or poetic when it came to the descriptions. I really appreciated that, and I learned a good bit of vocabulary words as well!

All in all, I would recommend this book if you are a fan of mysteries and detectives. It kept me shocked up until the very end.

Rating: 4/5

Note: This is book 8, but can be read alone. I didn't even know it was a part of a series at first.

Lisa