Disclaimer: This may get a bit preachy, teenage girl-ish and/or really weird. But you may find it interesting...

I just got back from another camp I went to with my church youth group. We did mission work. One of the groups played with underprivileged children. Another group visited a nursing home. My group also visited a nursing home. We cleaned out bad-smelling closets, visited the bedridden, I played the same six songs on piano for 45 minutes (Love Like Winter included. A guy that worked there came up to me and asked me the name of that song and he said it was really beautiful.), helped them play bingo, and helped with a bunch of other stuff. There was a lady there, Amanda, that was 96. She was tiny, and quiet, for the most part, but she sure did have some major attitude. First of all, she was seriously one of the best people I'd ever heard play piano. Second, she wanted to play piano when a Native American guy came to play the flute for the people. Third, when we played bingo, after they had only called two animals, which is what we used instead of numbers, she had her card filled up. Which had 9 spaces. Mae, the head staff lady who worked with us, told us not to try to help Amanda when playing bingo.

We did have worship every morning and night, but it was nothing at all like church. The Jeff Johnson band played for us every time. They are amazing performers. Seriously. Then a guy named Chris Brooks talked to us for a while. He made us do an introduction. What he said is in bold. Hi. Hello. Hello. Hi. How are you? Good, how are you? Good. I SAID WGEEE (makes the rock symbol with his hand and waves it by his side. Which means nothing at all, by the way) (we do that too) WGEEGEE. Watchin' you... (points to eyes and then to him) like a llama. Feed them chickens. (put one hand out and the the other hand like a chicken and make chicken noise.) Feed them chickens high. (girls do same thing except really high-pitched. Feed them chickens low. (boys do same thing except really low.) FEED THEM ANGRY CHICKENZZZ!!!!!! (we all do same thing except really loud and spastic and almost screaming. (hits chest two times) Dove love... (we take two fingers and make them fly away like birds) from above. It's me! IT'S ME!

So Chris Brooks talked to us about stuff. (Very descriptive, I know.) While we were there, quite a few people that were atheists became Christians. Dead serious. (You might be thinking "Well why did atheists go to a Christian camp?" Simply because it's fun for everyone and their friends probably wanted them to go.) It was that moving. What was really interesting is that he often talked about things from a non-Christian and a Christian's point of view. He told us an interesting fact: 61% of people who grew up Christian will end up not Christian. He talked about why. And that we should change our image. If you want to read about stuff from camp, you can go here.

But if you ever hear about a Student Life conference anywhere near you, I suggest you look into going to it, even if you aren't Christian. You might learn something.

And about all the new people I met. Well, Kay'La, is from near Houston, Texas, and we decided that she is one of my best friends. It was funny. She's awesome, and doesn't get why her parents put an apostrophe in her name. Alyssa and Rebecca also go to her church. Then the Indiana people. I lovelovelove some of them. We fit together really well. Because a lot of us have ADD. After fifteen minutes, most people kinda forgot that I just met them. It was an accident that I ran into their group. Because I was walking back to my dorm during free time because Frances wouldn't get out of the golf cart or something like that, I ended up kinda in the middle of their group somehow (ADD attack I bet) and I asked Sara, whom I did not know at the time "Hey, can I walk around with you because my friend won't get out of a golf cart and I'm being a loner?" She laughed and said sure. Then I met Bree. Who is amazing, and I think we're going to be really good friends. And Ian, Sara, and Tiahna. Who are also amazing.

Thenn I met this guy who I think liked me. He's really cute. One day, he looked directly at me through a window and smiled. Then he was always awkward and nervous around me. I got some digits, as Parker would say, but haven't called or texted him yet. Maybe later.

When we build these dreams on sand, how they all slip through our hands. This might be our only chance. Let's take this one day at a time, I'll hold your hand if you hold mine. The time that we kill keeps us alive. (How I love that song. Rumours of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated by Rise Against.)

♥ Izzy

Some of the important things I've learned in my life.

• Play-Doh doesn't taste good, no matter how good it smells.
• Air freshener can stain your skin.
• Don't leave earrings with small backings in your ears for too long.
• Hospitals are not fun places when you're stuck there for an extended period of time.
• Don't leave those stickers from EKGs on too long. They will be really, really hard to pull off.
• Milk cartons do not make good pets.
• Cherish everything while you still have it. I know that sounds cheesy and you've probably heard it a bajillion times, but it's true. Soon enough, you might lose something near and dear to you.
• Often people don't realize the value of what they have until it's gone.
• Don't try to cut your hair, or really anyone's hair for that matter, if you don't know how and/or you don't have good scissors. Especially if you're four and you try to use safety scissors.
• Your mom WILL find out if you dye your hair orange.
• Sun-In generally does not give the results on the package. It's unpredictable.
• If something makes you sick/feel bad/have an allergic reaction, don't eat it again. I know that's common sense for most of us, but some people... *sigh*
• If there is a big sale somewhere, go as soon as possible, otherwise the good stuff will usually be gone.
• Don't buy shoes or clothes if they don't fit. Seriously. If they don't have what you want in your size/a size that's not uncomfortable, then buy it somewhere else. It doesn't matter if it's on sale at that store.
• Please don't pretend you passed out. Just don't.
• If you feel like you are going to pass out, please immediately sit or lie down.

continued. well, sort of.

Continued from here.

I like to think that I've changed as a person in the past few months. In good ways. For one, I stopped being a scene kid. I'm way past that now. Second, I honestly believe that I've become more mature. I know that may sound stupid, but what I mean is being more organized and thinking differently. And other things, but I'm tired so I might add that later. Generally being able to complete tasks without getting distracted. I still am confused as to who I am as a person, but I guess that's natural for everyone. I'm not entirely sure where I belong, but it's surely somewhere other than here, probably far west. Someday. Meaning in about five years... time passes quickly. Last thing I knew, it was six years ago.

Someday.

Next thing I know, it will be tomorrow.

Let's take this one day at a time. I'll hold your hand if you hold mine.

The time that we kill keeps us alive,

♥ Izzy