B.F.F.

To the best friend a girl could ask for...

It certainly didn't take us long to develop a friendship (something about running extra wind-sprints every night at practice till you're lips turns blue bonds a friendship quickly)... and that friendship continues to grow as we get older. My oldest and best friend, someone I can ALWAYS turn to. A shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen to, a comfort in dark and sad times, a light amidst occasional darkness. I am blessed to have a wonderful best friend. For all the late night phone calls discussing life, heartache, love, boys, you name it... she's been there for me always and I know she always will. True friends, the ones that last a lifetime are hard to find these days, but I know I have one in you. So thank you, for your continual devotion to making our friendship a priority, for being the strong and wonderful woman you are today, and for brightening the lives of everyone you encounter. I can tell you this: the world is a better place because you are in it.

Promise yourself...

"Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Think only of the best, work only for the best,and expect only the best. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you!"

~ Christian D. Larson

Hard Work

Life is difficult, no one ever said it would be easy. To get where you want to be, you have to make choices, undoubtedly difficult ones. With the correct outlook, prioritization, and a constant striving effort to obtain your goals you will succeed in the end. Hard work, dedication, and perseverance ultimately pays off. It isn't easy, but you can do anything you set your mind to.... as long as you are willing to put in the work (lots and lots of it). Challenge yourself, force yourself to aspire to things greater than you ever imagined. Why settle for complacency? For anything less than absolute perfection? Why waste your time meandering around a life without anything of importance of substance... make something of yourself... why wait, start now.

Tuesday's With Morrie

“You asked about caring for people I don’t even know. But can I tell you the thing I’m learning more with this disease?” “The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.” “Let it come in. We think we don’t deserve love, we think if we let it in we’ll become too soft. But a wise man named Levine said it right. He said, ‘Love is the only rational act.’” “‘Love is the only rational act.’” ~ Morrie

(photo provided by google images)

COURAGE

Game Day!! Soccer World FC @ Santa Clara and @ Merced... Two wins bring us to nationals in two weeks... lets do this ladies!




The issue of being courageous is important to consider, whether one is looking forward (before the action and results have occurred), or whether one is looking backward (after the action is taken and the results become obvious). Before we choose "courage" we must consider the reality of obtaining the desired outcome from our efforts. Essentially, can we do this? If it were guaranteed that our passion and intensity could not provide any of the desired outcomes, then the reasons for choosing to play with courage might be a choice of foolishness or blindness. In considering the option of us, teammates, friends, choosing to be courageous, part of the consideration must include a weighing of the certain to probable to possible to unlikely costs and benefits of a particular choice. If we really do this right we will win this game! Without such consideration, the choice of courage is not a choice of courage. To do it right is a total effort from staff to all players. It means scrapping, clawing, crawling because for this night this moment, you don't need to hear "work harder," "pick it up," "give it everything!" You will personify hard work, enthusiasm, and the fulfillment f potential. You will bring out the best in each other and realize at the end of the day its all about doing it because you can do it -nothing more - Not because you have to, but because you choose to. In the end, the decision is all or nothing, but it remains your choice, and yours alone. If we choose to be courageous, the fact that we choose courage does not change as a result of the outcome. courage exists independently of the outcome, regardless of the result. We can look back at any point, at any time in our life and know that we did it with passion. We did it with enthusiasm. we did it for opportunity. WE did it with energy. W did it because we are capable. We did it right. But most of all.... we did it with Courage!

If we die young...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih6-MSjmaQ4

It's been a rough year... Too many have left this earth to join God in Heaven far too soon. I have had friends loose parents, brothers, sisters, and lovers. What surprises me is the number of people that have gone far too young. God seems to be taking them early these days. It pains me to know the heartache and suffering my friends are going through, I'd give anything to take it all away from them. I'd bear it all on my shoulders if only to give them a few moments of peace. Despite that grief, anger, and frustration at the loss they feel, I am continually amazed at the strength they all display. Death is one of the hardest things to comprehend, to understand. To wake up one day and realize you will never see your loved one again, you'll never get to see the flash of their smile, the warmth of their embrace, or the joy in their laughter. It is sad, unbearably, heart-wrenchingly sad. But one thing that can never be taken from us are our memories, for they are ours, locked tight in the treasure chest of our hearts. We will never forget those who have left us, for a part of them remains always... in a rainbow that rises on spring day, in the whisper of a cool morning wind brushing across your cheek, in the joy of our favorite sports team winning the big game, and in the fondest memories we hold close in our hearts. Their spirits are all around us, whispering messages of love. We will never forget them, we will always love them, and they will forever be a part of us. So dear friends, stay strong even in the midst of these tragic times, for your strength of character and spirit lifts us all up, more than you know.

This particular song was written for Lauren Failla, the girlfriend of a dear friend who was tragically killed while vacationing. While this is dedicated to her, I am sending it on to all of you, because we all can relate to the feeling that something is missing, you... our loved ones... our brothers and sisters, our mothers and fathers, the lovers, the friends... to all of you who have left this earth and taken a part of our hearts with you. We love you, we miss you, but keep shining down on us from Heaven.



"Song for Lauren" ~ Blaire Reinhard Band


Windy evening, all the sky is aglow
From a moon I never knew
She burns so beautifully that it aches in me
Cause the only thing missing is you

Woke in the morning with the sun on fire
She was smiling like new
And the world is as green as its ever been
But the only thing missing is you

When the light pours through the shadows
When the bird sings through the storm
When we love without hesitation
The way you showed us how

When we throw our fears out to the endless sea
When we dance as freely as a child
When we gather here in our joy and in our tears
We'll always be thinking of you

Shine on us from Heaven as you did in life
And we'll try to understand
why the Lord must need you even more than we do
The only thing He was missing was you

L.I.F.E.

See here's the thing about me, I don't put time limits on feelings or emotions. I literally wear my heart on my sleeve. I throw it all out there knowing there is a 99% chance it is going to get beaten and mangled and trampled and broken into a million little pieces. And I'm ok with that because I know one day I'm going to find the 1% and that will make all the broken roads worth it. Live just like this picture, like a child with no concept of a broken heart, just living raw and true emotion. The point is, if we live our lives worried about collecting any bumps and bruises are we even living at all?

Just Do It

Bumps and bruises heal, and then they make for good stories. You can't live your life worrying about taking a few falls, scraping your knees, or breaking a few bones. Wounds heal, but you only get one shot at life. Make it exciting. Make it fun. Make it memorable. But most of all, make it good.

<3 !

Morrie

- "Okay this is fear. Step away from it. Step away."
- I thought about how often this was needed in everyday life. How we feel lonely, sometimes to the point of tears, but we don't let those tears come because we are not supposed to cry. Or how we feel a surge of love for a partner but we don't say anything because we are frozen with the fear of what those words might do to the relationship.
- Morrie's approach was exactly the opposite. Turn on the faucet. Wash yourself with the emotion. It won't hurt you. It will only help.

~ Tuesday's With Morrie (Pg. 105)