Carousel Ride

Life has many facets that take us on carousel's. We go round and round until we acknowledge the fact of who we are. That who we have become was a part of a past of who we were. Yes, we may have grown and taken strides of faith along the circles...but as the spinning of life grew faster we couldn't stop to face the one horse on the carousel that touched our hearts the most. It's the one that perhaps we didn't chose to ride that taught us how to love. The one that wanted to be the chosen, yet simply couldn't because the greater horse was on another carousel. Yet had the past not created hope and allowed our hearts to love....there could have never been....a horse to even choose. But the beauty of the carousel ride still magnifies the heart...and teaches the soul how to truly be inspired by who we are. Once we grasp who we are...and know that we have the power to love freely....then we have entered a new spinning...a new carousel of hope. There is a carousel of life that spins...It spins circles of hardship...but also spins circles of faith, hope, and love.

Center Stage

In the past seven years...life has been one big transition....from changing schools, to living on my own, to starting a new job that was apart of a career path, to embracing the unknown territory of coming back home. I am not sure which stage I perfer to stand on...but one thing is for sure...along this branched path....my character was tested. There were times I couldn't do anything but simply perservere. As the tribulations have broaden over the years they have allowed my proven character to shine. There have truly been many times I have wanted to give up on this life....but knew that my spirit would recieve an unspeakable joy in this life. Time progressed and life seemed to get harder testing my character to it's utter core. These test made me question all that I was in Christ...and made me stand firm in my hope of being faithful. I never knew what lurked around any corner of these trials...I just knew that I was being tested through the fire. As I was tested, satan knew where to attack and how to pull me down. He somehow knew that my faith would prevail and my heart would obey. As hard as that task was...the Lord allowed my spirit to refine. Once the refining process is completed...our souls are shaped, we are who we are...and we can genuinely embrace the joy in this life. To be the hope and truly be the light so that the Lord may receive the glory. So how do we know that we are truly refined individuals? When does one know that they have emerged from the fire with a new anticipated hope on the horizon? It's quite simple...it's when you can look back over the past and see a hand that guided you all the way to the current stage. Is your name on the billboard? Is it your time to embrace the joy that is before you? Is it a time to be the hope and light to those whom surround? If you find yourself asking these pertenent life questions, chances are you have been refined through the fire. God forms his gold through trials and tribulations. Through times unwavering hope, the road can seem lost...but the faith allows for perserverance to prove your character, for your proven character, has hope, and well hope doesn't dissappoint. There comes a time in the process of life...that hope and joy collide. They simply become one. Be the hope to those who bring joy to your soul. No matter where you are...just be the hope that lights the joy. Time will only tell where this current path will lead, but one thing is for sure...I have a proven character, as well as a hope and faith that allows my soul to embrace the joy of this life. So I take center stage...to await my moment where hope can be the joy that fills the room and know that I am clearly not the one standing on center stage...but I am just the hope and joy for someone else to stand and recieve the glory. Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. -George Linnaeus Banks