God is in this Song

It's long, but He's there.
"Words to Build a Life On"
Mike Crawford and His Secret Siblings

These are words to build a life on
These are Your words how can they be mine
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words I want them to be mine

Blessed are the poor
Blessed are the weak
Blessed are the ones
Who can barely speak

Blessed in your hurt
Blessed in your pain
Blessed when your teardrops
Are falling down like rain

Blessed when you’re broken
Blessed when you’re blind
Blessed when you’re fragile
When you have lost your mind

Blessed when you’re desperate
Blessed when you’re scared
Blessed when you’re lonely
Blessed when you’ve failed

Blessed when you’re beat up
Blessed when you’re bruised
Blessed when you’re tore down
Blessed when you’re used

These are words to build a life on
These are Your words how can they be mine
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words
I want them to be mine

Blessed when you’re heartbroke
Blessed when you’re fired
Blessed when you’re choked up
Blessed when you’re tired

Blessed when the plans
That you so carefully laid
End up in the junkyard
With all the trash you made

Blessed when you feel like
Giving up the ghost
Blessed when your loved ones
Are the ones who hurt you most

Blessed when you lose your
Own identity
Then blessed when you find it
And it has been redeemed

Blessed when you see what
Your friends can never be
Blessed with your eyes closed
Then blessed you see Me

These are words to build a life on
These are Your words how can they be mine
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words
I want them to be mine

Blessed when you’re hungry
Blessed when you thirst
Cause that’s when you will eat of
The bread that matters most

Blessed when you’re put down
Because of me you’re dissed
Because of me you’re kicked out
They take you off their list

You know you’re on the mark
You know you’ve got it right
You are to be my salt
You are to be my light

So bring out all the flavor
In the feast of this My world
And light up all the colors
Let the banner be unfurled

Shout it from the rooftops
Let the trumpets ring
Sing your freaking lungs out
Jesus Christ is King!

Jesus is my Savior
Jesus is divine
Jesus is my answer
Jesus is my life

These are words to build a life on
These are Your words how can they be mine
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words
I want them to be mine

Give us ears that we may hear them
voice that we may sing them
life that we may live them
hope that we may give them
hearts that we can feel them
eyes that we can see them
thoughts that we may think them
tongues that we may speak
Your words

You can hear it at http://www.myspace.com/mikecrawfordmusic

Point Loma Nazarene University

is the place for me. Most definitely. I had an amazing weekend at preview days. Even though it was my second time, I had a blast going to a class, chapel, and staying in dorms. That place feels like home to me. I absolutely cannot wait to see if I'm accepted.

Busy busy.

Open

We carved our pumpkins today with our next door neighbors. Mine is the one in the middle on the bottom row. It's a wave and a sun.

Yesterday I met my Best Buddy at school. Her name is Amy. She loves Elvis and Zac Efron. Her favorite Spongebob character is Gary, the snail.

This week some representatives from Invisible Children came to Branham. Something that I've always wanted to do was go to Africa. The people that came showed us a movie about the terrible child soldier issue that is happening there. We learned about Joseph Kony. We learned about the brokenness. We also learned about hope. I bought a DVD that came with a bracelet. The DVD is about a girl named Grace. She was a child soldier who was forced to be a sex-slave to one of the LRA commanders. She escaped at 13 years old with multiple bullet wounds and a baby in her. Grace has a beautiful smile. Although she has suffered so much, she named her baby Opoyo Rwot which means "thank God." Grace's bracelet is green. Green is for Grace. I will wear Grace's bracelet to always have a reminder of the suffering that is going on in Africa. These kids are no longer invisible to me.
Anyways, back to the fact that I've always wanted to go to Africa, this inspired me even more. I feel like my heart is being pulled to that place.


My heart and my eyes have been opened this week by Amy and by Grace.

1 John 3:18

I feel like I could sleep for the rest of my life. I'm so exhausted. The week has only just begun. I hate complaining like this. I'm just not in the happiest mood ever cuz I'm sleepy. I guess I'm kinda grumpy.

I feel like I have nothing of worth to say today. So I'll let the Bible and my photoshop art do the talking.

Accepted

Today I got a letter in the mail.
I've been accepted into Northwest Nazarene University.
One down, three to go!

This week is going to last forever. Today was such a long day.
Graduation, please arrive soon.

What do they call this?
This perfect love?
They can't brand it with a stamp.
They can't hold it for ransom.
What is it's name?
This unending grace?
They can't capture it with a net.
Or sullenly clip it's wings.
This love, this grace.
It's yours, free of charge.
It's a non-profit organization.
It's a moneyless transaction.
It's free of late fees and premiums.
You're never in debt, never betting your bottom dollar.
You lose nothing, you gain life.
What is this love?
It's the cape clad hero.
The show stopping finale, the star of the show.
It's the loser and the winner.
It's the executive employee.
The first class flyer, the humble coach rider.
It's the man on the corner with the sign "God Bless You."
It's you, it's me.
It's everything.
With every breath we take we cry out for it.
Our whisper, our tears, they say "We need this, we need this."
Our songs, our hopes, our dreams.
Our minds are shouting, our hearts are longing.
Our eyes are searching, our hands are reaching.
What is this love?
His name is Abba.

Photoshop Collage

Busy...

This has been a really busy week and I know that there are many more busy ones coming up. I have finished applying to Point Loma, NNU, Olivet, and I'm almost done with George Fox. This is nuts. I took the SATs for the second time last weekend. I took my Senior pictures last week and got the proofs in the mail today.
Crazy things are happening. Soon I'll be graduated.
I must admit that I'm a little overwhelmed-but I'm more excited.
I've been waiting for this all my life.

This week I have a big speech on immigration.
In two weeks basketball season starts, I take the CAHSEE, and I go to Point Loma for my admissions interview.
Busy, like I said.

Poems

These are other poems from my MySpace blog. I'm sort of abandoning MySpace so I figured I should put them on this blog.


Divine Heartbreak
Please take my hand.
It's my love offer to you.
I won't ever let go.
I promise hope, too.

Open your heart.
It's easy to see.
That the one thing you're lacking,
Is obviously me.

I have never left you,
my loves here for taking.
But your simply rejection
Is the sound of divine heart breaking.

You say I could never
understand your pain
but every tear you've cried,
I've cried the same.

Daniel's Song
And I guess it's
4 more years and 61 days
til I get a buck
and the bills get paid
It's funny how things
just waste away
when you're sitting still
at the end of May.

It's been 5 months
since we've been there
I miss the feel of the
wind in my hair
the sun used to shine
and our feet were bare
hey how about
you take me there?

I called you last night
and you said bye
I hung up the phone
and I almost cried
how you've changed
now that your eyes are dry
makes me stop
and wonder why.

Well now its
4 more years and 61 days
til I get a buck
and the bills are paid
and its been 5 months
since we moved away
but I still think of you
and I hope you're ok.

P.s. This isn't all of them. Still more at http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll

Proverbs 18:21

Flowers

I made this in photo shop. I didn't make the background image but I added the words and the shadow girl.

I want to say more...

but this is just going to be one of those off of the top of my head kind of blogs.

Yesterday the Point Loma application online became available and I've started the process of applying. I just want to make sure my essays are amazing before I submit.

I want to write poems again but I'm lacking in the inspiration department.

Blogging is actually quite amazing and I have plans to utilize this thing a lot more these days. :)

Transformers

Went to the opening night of Transformers, for the first showing. We dressed up as box robots.

30 err... 17 things about me.

It's been kinda tough without Facebook and Myspace.



I have no way of really communicating with a lot of people.


I was thinking about what I would put for that '30 Things About Me' note that was cruising around Facebook before I gave it up.


So I decided I would give it a shot and maybe post it up here.






1. I really do prefer to be called Jess rather than Jessica. It just sounds a bit more friendly and personal. However, I will not bite your head off if you call me Jessica.






2. There is nothing that makes me more happy than a beautiful summer day on the beach.





3. In 'N' Out burgers are the best kind of burgers.





4. I really do appreciate nature, but I'm a city girl.





5. I guess I write my fives (like the numer 5) the wrong way.





6. I'm kinda into this whole being a barista at church deal. It's really fun to meet new people and to make them happy with a smile and a nice cup of espresso. I've decided that I'm going to jank Cold Stone's dealio and sing when someone puts a donation in the donation bowl. Only I will do it with much more enthusiasm than they do.





7. I'm really not that intelligent, I just do my homework.





8. Junior year has lived up to the reputation of being the toughest year of highschool. I wish it was senior year already.





9. I've noticed that I've learned to act certain ways around certain people. Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out which one is the real me. Or maybe they all combine to make me.





10. I really love English. Poetry is absolutely my favorite. I really love poetry about life. Good, honest poetry.





11. When I grow up (how cliche) I want to be a youth pastor, a special education teacher, or a history teacher. As of right now, it's undecided.





12. NYC was one of the best experiences of my life. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I learned that God isn't "a big bully sitting above an ant hill with a magnifying glass." (a quote completely irrelevant to NYC, but completely true.)





13. I've learned to rely on music to carry me through the darkness.






14. I'm pretty good about hiding how I feel.





15. I am completely indecisive.





16. I am politically correct, or so I've been told many times.





17. I love talking to people. An honest conversation can be a life changing thing.



I really don't know what else to put as of this moment. So I'm just going to post this thing with 17 facts (what a coincidence since I'm seventeen years of age). And maybe I'll add more. But I'm just going to put it out there.

College Anticipation

I am so excited and stressed and full of anticipation right now.
Lately college has seemed like it's not too far off and I feel like I'm almost there. In about 6 months I'll be beginning the process of applying to colleges. It's pretty crazy. It's all insanely stressful too. Especially the fact that I don't even have my drivers license yet. Or even my permit. Shoot.

Point Loma Nazarene University is pretty much the best. It's my dream school and I'm really excited about possibly (hopefully!) going there.

Today I bought a fatty SAT prep book and some wonderfully punny SAT vocabulary flash cards. For like stinkin' $40 bucks.
Hey, all in the name of college, right?

Well it's time for homework and more SAT studyin'.