Is No One Watching?

I'm sure you've all heard the popular quote: Dance as if no one is watching, Love as though you've never been hurt before, Sing as though no one can hear you, Live as if Heaven is on Earth.- William Purkey

Mainly, people find it encouraging and a challenge to them to live life to it's fullest, however, for whatever reason, it just never sat right with me. Something was missing and I couldn't figure it out.

The few weeks ago I was riding in a car with my family, doing what I always do in a car, pondering. The subject for that particular car ride was dancing. Thinking about all the truths I knew about dance, how they related to the Bible, how much deeper could I dive spiritually through dance and dancing alone. As I thought about various times I've danced while no one was watching, it dawned on me what was missing from the quote. God was missing.

Not once in my life have I ever danced while no one was watching and suddenly the thought of doing so just didn't sound so amazing anymore. Imagine if you were dancing in a room all by yourself, no people-not even God, was there to observe. What kind of joy would you experience? Dance is a gift but who would you be sharing it with? Yourself.

I don't mean to diss William Purkey, he was really onto something when he said those words and he's helped me dive deeper, obviously, beyond the quote.

I got to thinking, what if God was in Purkey's words? I think it would sound a bit like this...

"Dance knowing God is watching, Love knowing God will heal the hurt, Sing knowing God is listening, Live knowing God as the great I Am."

To dance without God...

Due to my latest sprained ankle, I was forced to observe Modern IV today at Hosanna Dance. To settle the squirms and fidgets building up inside me, I pulled out a pencil and notebook and scribbled down the thoughts I received from observing. Here is a small excerpt of my thoughts:

To dance without God would be wasted movement. Meaningless forms that would take up time and space given for the worship of our Creator. A body made to bring praise to the Perfect One, rather, praising an imperfect selfish beast. Precious music meant to rain notes and rests of love onto the audience, thrashed onto the floor to make way for a monster. Beauty, gifted for His glorification turned inside out for the self-glory and pride of an animal. Stressed breathing, precise lines and shapes, momentary defiance of gravity, unchained drops of sweat, muscular control, natural beauty, unlimited flexibility, everlasting movement, yet the heart lies still...

To dance without God is an artist's suicide.

It's all good?

So. I feel like when I say "it's all good" I'm lying. Things aren't the best but God will take care of it. He's yet to prove to be unfaithful. I basically just say it cause I don't want to believe things are bad and saying it's all good makes me feel better. I don't really remember when things were last all good. So maybe they're always good and I'm not content with good.

*sigh* Oh life. You trouble me so.:/

My thoughts...run...

I find it kind of interesting that last year I went to a school with Kindergarteners and this year I attend school with students who discuss how much money they wasted over the summer on booze.

Just a thought I had today. I laughed when it came to mind actually.

A Dare

I want to write. An outlet to the dynamite eager to explode within. Perhaps dancing would be better though. A more physical release. Or possibly simply listen to music. A personal favorite nonetheless, however, it would seem I've chosen to write. I could quite possibly be listening to music right now as well; but you'll never know that will you? Muahaha! Now I feel as though I have some power over you, my reader. Probably just sleep deprivation. It happens to the best of us.

Let's talk about God now. He's so freakin' cool. Man. When I grow up I want to be just like him. He's taught me so much this past summer. A lot about beauty, humility, love, fear, and how to be in awe of Him. It's been such a ride. Basically, beauty has been the theme. Not my beauty though, His beauty. It's so much better. It's all because He loves us too. So good. Amazing. Wonderful. *sigh* That is why I want to write, dance, and listen to music. Probably scream too. I feel like using an exclamation point in this paragraph would deprive Him of His epicness. I want to punch something, He's that cool.

There's one lyric in a song I love, that creates such a beautiful picture of His love for us. It says, "Like a lonely lover, waiting by the ocean, I'll never give up on you".

Imagine that. God, The Almighty, standing by the ocean, He's bigger than the ocean but He still stands there waiting for us to re-navigate our direction towards Him. I am kind of giving up on the words because He's too great for them. I am at a loss I guess. It's bittersweet.

I'm tired. I am going to post this at the risk of many errors and probably a hunk of it not making any sense but I am ok with that. For now. I'll fix it later.

To end this blog, I have a challenge. Look at everything, EVERYTHING, in the world, that was made by God Himself, and ask God to reveal to you it's beauty. Everything He's made has beauty beyond us and only He can uncover that to us. So. That's all. Do it. I dare you.

KJ signing out.

Peace. Loves. Ya know.

Wednesday Night

I am sort of not surprised but this, cause naturally, it would happen to me. Yesterday, I got my license, drove three friends to and from Cold Stone for youth group, and got grounded. All in the same day. Yes. Only me. Ha. Not funny life. But anyways, the reason for the groundation was because I was late picking up my mom, Kyle and Kelcie. The church was closed by the time I got there. Yeah, lame. So in the words of Morganne Roy (I'm pretty sure I'm spelling her first name wrong. Sorry.), that was a boss (hehe, dunno how to spell that either.) loss.

The war within me

Argh. I hate being sick. Boring, boring, boring, and there goes my nose again. Eewww....disgusting.

Anyways, since I have the uneventful opportunity to stay home from school, completely and utterly bored with a cold, I thought I'd share with you some random facts and one irony involving colds.

1. The common cold is a viral disease which infects the lining within your nose. It typically only takes about 1 week to recover, therefore making it a pretty minor condition. The common cold is easily spread through germs that an already infected person has breathed into the air.
2. If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib.
   If you try to suppress a sneeze,
   you can rupture a blood vessel
   in your head or neck and die.
   If you keep your eyes open by force,
   they can pop out....(In any event I don't think I shall be attempting the latter)
3. Most sore throats are caused by viruses. Many occur at the beginning of a cold, when runny noses drain down the back of the throat and irritate it.(gross)

4. Look at a cough in three steps.

   • First, you close your throat. It's the same way you hold your breath to swim underwater. Your vocal cords are forced together hard enough to be airtight. Nothing can get in and nothing -- not even air -- can get out.

   • Second, you push. Using the same muscles in your chest that you use to blow out birthday candles, you push against your closed throat. Nothing is coming out, yet, but it will.

   • Finally, you let loose. Once you've built up a little pressure behind those vocal cords, just open them up. Voila! A cough is born.

   That rush of air comes out as fast as 64 miles per hour, sending mucous, particles and droplets zooming out more than 6 feet in front of you. If those droplets contain bacteria or viruses, it means you could infect other folks -- a great reason to cover that cough.(fascinating)

   Now for that random bit o' irony! There is a song by Skillet called, "Fight Inside". Last time I was sick I was listening to it when I realized the lyrics very well could be talking about being sick. So whenever I'm sick now I love to listen to it repeatedly. It provides more amusement then laying on the couch all day. Imagine being sick, there is a fight going on inside your body. This is that fight.

   And it finds me
   The fight inside is coarsing through my veins
   And it's raging
   The fight inside is breaking me again

   It's still the same, pursuing pain
   Isn't worth the lie I've gained
   We both know how it will end
   But I do it again

   And it finds me
   The fight inside is coarsing through my veins
   And it's raging
   The fight inside is hurting me again
   And it finds me
   The war within me pulls me under
   And without you
   The fight inside is breaking me again

   And it finds me
   The war within me pulls me under
   And without you
   The fight inside is breaking me again

   
   

   Those are just the highlights of the song that amuse me. Well thanks for allowing me to prolong my time being bored! Hope you enjoyed that. Unlikely but I still wish it upon you!

   Till next time my few fans.