Day 16 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

Don't you love how long it can take to do a "30 day" challenge? =P

Day 16: A picture of someone who inspires you.

As I was trying to pinpoint one person of influence in my life whom I either inspire to be like or am greatly inspired by in general, I began to think of fictional and real people. Among them were Nancy Drew, C.S. Lewis, Theodore Seuss Giesel (Dr. Seuss), Mrs. Teresa Moon, etc. However there was no one person that stood out among the crowd. No one person whom won the prize. And then I started thinking about my moments of inspiration, every one of them connected with a different person. My main inspirations come from a variety of people, sometimes people I don't even know and just see around town. The "someone" who inspires me is actually numerous someones. <3

Day 15 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

Day 15: A picture of something you want to do before you die.

As cliched as it may seem, one of my greatest dreams in life is to learn to love unconditionally. Whether it be to love my friends, family, or future spouse, I always want to be able to say that I am loving them truly and not half heartedly. I've met a lot of people over my life who started their relationships loving the other person tremendously, however as time progresses their love for their once dear friend seems to cool and the brilliance of it begins to fade. It is my goal in life to never allow that to happen in any of my relationships. <3

Day 14 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

Day 14: A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

As unoriginal as it may seem, it's true. At the age of four, I accepted Christ into my heart and I've lived my life with Him having a constant presence. Even though I've hurt Him time and time again, He was always there.

A few months ago, a friend of mine and I were talking about an apologetics/ worldview/ communication Simulation and we began discussing what worldview we would be if we had never met Christ. In our discussion, I came to the conclusion that I would most likely be an Atheist, and probably wouldn't put much weight on anything. Nothing would have meaning, and my life would be pointless.

I'm so thankful to say that my future did not unfold in that way, and I pray that it continues to unfold in way that is filled with hope, joy, and love. It's an understatement to say that I couldn't imagine my life without Christ. The truth is, I would have no life without Christ. <3

Day 13 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

Day 13: A picture of your favorite band or artist.

A few years ago, I was listening to the radio and a song cam eon that was completely different then any other song I had ever heard. A little later I heard the broadcasters talking about how the artist wore his socks inside out, and other weird traits about him. Eventually I discovered that the artist's name was "Owl City."

As I continued to become more interested in their music, I discovered that they were also a Christian. This picture is the cover to one of my favorite albums by Owl City. Even now, I still love the song from that day! (Fireflies) <3

Day 12 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

Day 12: A picture of something you love.

As some of you already know, I have been blessed with the opportunity to compete with the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association, or NCFCA, the past three years. I remember specifically at my very first tournament a young man, whom I did not know and was competing against, asked to prayed with me before one of my speeches. I was blown away by the idea that someone I was competing against would volunteer to pray with me that my speech would go well and bless the audience. However, as I have come to know very well these past few years, this was the norm in our region.

One of the many things that I love about my regional family is that, no matter who you are, who you know, or who you are competing against, you can believe that someone is praying for you constantly. Someone is watching over you with encouraging eyes. Someone is cheering for you outside of the room. However, everyone is waiting to hear your name in the closing ceremonies. Thank you for every hallway prayer. <3

Day 11 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

Day 11: A picture of something you hate.

In this slightly different picture, is one of the few things that I will honestly say that I highly despise. The title of this shirt design from shirt.woot.com is "Tofu, Food's Master of Disguise." While I have nothing against tofu, I find it very sad when people try to be something they are not. We are each created to be unique, and when we sacrifice who we are to become who we are told to be (by others, magazines, tv, movies, etc.), we begin to miss out on what our life could be.

Just like how tofu cannot truly replace chicken or lobster, we cannot truly replace who we are with who others say we should be. <3

Day 10 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

Day 10: A picture of the person you do the craziest things with.

The lovely ladies in this picture are two of my team members from ICC's 2010 fall tour, as well as two of the funniest friends I have ever had. Individually these girls can come up with the craziest plans, however when the three of us are together, you can be certain that something crazy, weird, and possibly odd is going to happen. Whether it be random dance parties, getting abandoned in the middle of NJ just outside of NYC, or stealthily finding the local cookie dough stash, there is always something happening when we are together. <3

I miss you, girls!