{Determination}

To me, being told you're a hardworker is one of the biggest and best compliments you could ever receive. Growing up on a farm in Iowa, hard work & long hours of labor were required basically from birth. At a young age, we were helping Grandpa pick up sticks or riding around on the lawn mower with him or the tractor with Daddy. As we got a little older, we began to help feed the cows, & by we, I mainly mean me, my sisters somehow got out of it. Lucky, the baby brother grew up quickly, so he took over that job. Then there were the times we were chasing run away cattle or chopping thistles, which Grandpa paid us 25 cents per head. There was grass to be raked, weeds to be pulled, mulch to be laid. We grew older & then came time for Jordan & I, (Maddie & Tay got out of this one too) to help all the older boy cousins put up hay. Jordan would drive the tractor, I would stand on the lowboy & catch all the hay bails that weighed if not the same as me, or more, & I would stack them up. But I didn't mind this too much at the time, since the neighbor boy would come & help us, & who doesn't love a farmer boy?? I mean let's be real, city boys just don't cut it for this girl.

I grew up being taught & lead by the example of my dad. He is the hardest working man I have ever met. He taught me that if I want something to get accomplished, ten I have to work hard to get it accomplished. Though some times I get frustrated, or irritated, I always come back to that project to finish it. Because work should never go unfinished, in my mind, at least.

My senior year of high school, I was named captain of my cross country team. Though I was elated, I wasn't able to actually be on the team. I had run on the Varsity the years leading up to my senior season, but in my efforts to be the best, & by the best, I mean not come in last place, I hurt my back. To the point where I wore a back brace & frequented the chiropractor, I also became very good friends with my physical therapist. As captain, I only ran in 3 & a half races, the half being I stopped in the middle of our fist race because I just couldn't do it anymore. I've never been a great athlete, but I've always been competitive, & it was the competitive drive that had me determined to finish the season. Though there were many practices where I didn't run, & stood at the top of the hill to cheer on my teammates as they were making the climb, but it broke my heart not to run & be a part of the team that I was named the head of. I ran in a couple of races, on JV, I lost my Varsity spot to some striving, hardworking, & successful freshmen girl runners, but I ran. I placed top 15 in the first two races that I actually finished that season. (Top 15 on JV place & earn team points in most races.)

When the season was ending out, we were up in Sioux City, Iowa about to run in the Conference meet. I wasn't going to run. But it was my last race I was eligible for. As we stood at the start line waiting for the boys Varsity to take off, I turned to my coach & told him I wanted to run. He looked at me, cocked his had to the side & said, "Boo boo, I was hoping you would."I struggled o quickly put on my uniform in a port-a-potty & then joined my team on the start line as they stretched. My little sister, hugged me before the race & told me good luck.

I finished 15th in that race. My time was faster than two of the Varsity runners on my own team.

I finished that race & I cried as I hugged the other senior girls & my sister. My coaches came up to me & hugged me, told me how proud they were of me & how hard I had worked to encourage the team that season.

I do set construction for our theatre department for a credit that applies to my major. I think I impress the director with my power tool knowledge & my expertise in painting flats. It's always so rewarding when I see the finished product & to know that I play a major hand in the construction of it all, &  feel very humbled when the director comes up to me to tell me that I'm a hardworker & that he trusts me.

As I've mentioned in other posts, I work as a janitor for the school. Dennis, our maintenance man, always tells me a I'm a great worker & he can always count on me to get the job done, no matter how repulsive the task may be. Last week, I was given the "Panther of the Week" award on our schools bathroom chronicle, "Toilet Talk." It weirded me out to see my name & a picture of me smiling every time I used a public restroom on this campus, however, it felt great to be recognized for my work.

I'm not meaning to brag on any of these things, more to say a huge thank you to those who recognize a good work ethic. There are tons of people every single day who go without recognition from anyone. So take a moment today, & thank someone who has helped you out in any way. I think that we often take too many people for granted, & everyone enjoys being told that their efforts are making a difference.

"The Lord will ope the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season & to bless the work of your hands."
-Deuteronomy 28:12


Peace & love.
B.

{Stole my heart}

I have a million other posts ready to go, & a million more ideas as to what I want to share with you all, but right now, my heart is stuck on this: innocence.

Yesterday morning, my college cheer team put on a cheer clinic from 9 until noon. We had nearly 50 girls from York county show up to the clinic. & I feel absolutely in love with each of them. They came with big smiles, bright eyes, & eager attitudes, ready to learn & have a great time. They melted my heart as they worked on jumps, cartwheels, made pyramids, did lifts & stunts, learned cheers & when they worked on their routine.

I walked around to the stations with my camera and snapped some very sweet, innocent pictures of the girls genuinely enjoying themselves as they made new friends. Some of the girls' parents were staff members or teachers here at York. Others just came because of flyers we gave out to schools & stuck around the community.

Here's just a few pictures that I took, that are absolutely TO DIE for!

These girls all jumped together quickly at the chance for a photo opp! Such fun!

Brinkley was such a cute little girl! Loved working with her & teaching her cheers!

Coach Katie is squished between a bunch of cheer clinic cuties while they're waiting for the next station! Thanks for the great idea to do the clinic, Kate!

Calleigh Lones was really enjoying the poster painting portion of the day, & had a little help from Alaia! Her mom posted all over social media about how much fun Cal had at the clinic! So glad she got to join us!

Chloe came & volunteered her Saturday morning to help out in the crafts station to help the girls make hair ties!

Brinkley got a little messy while making her poster for the men's team to hold at the game.

Alaia helped walk the kindergarten group around to the stations. I think she really enjoyed being with all of these sweethearts.

Bre helped out Kensley, a girl who knows me from working at the restaurant, she was very excited to make her hair tie! 

Jakelynn didn't want to wear the pink shirt that I picked out for her, luckily all the girls in her group were wearing pink too. They're all pretty in pink! Perfect choice, Jake!

Tara's group of 2nd graders all loved the Huskers, good thing for her! But I think T enjoyed the cheer clinic than she would ever want to admit to anyone.

These two, Cammie & Brinkley, stole my heart right here. Brinkley was eating a granola bar that her dad gave her & she willingly offered Cammei the other half. It melted my heart to see the two of them sitting there chatting & chowing down on the bleachers.

Yesterday helped remind me how much I wish I could just be a kid again. But it also helped me to think of how blessed I was as a child. As you grow up, you realize & begin to notice things more than yo used to. Most of these girls came in yo the clinic only knowing a few girls, or none at all, & all left with at least one new friend. One little girl, clung onto my waist when Katie asked the girls at the end of the clinic  if they had made a new friend. She said I was her new friend. She grabbed my hand & brought me over to her mom & brother to introduce me as her new friend. It was so sweet.

Who remembers he time they lost their innocent & their pure heart? Or who remembers the first time they said a curse word, or told a lie. These girls are just living life. They're willing to take the hand of any familiar face because they don't see the danger or hurt in the world. Sure when growing up, you recognize what is going on, & you move out of the G rated version of real life & look into the eyes of the R rated world. It breaks my heart to know that there are children who grow up in a word like that. Thankfully, there is a God that watches over those children & a God who loves them even when they think that no one else does. It's a blessing to be little & to beloved.

I want to share part of a poem that I fell in love with by Ina Huges

"A Prayer For Children"

We pray for children who sneak popsicles before supper,

who erase holes in math workbooks,
who throw tantrums in grocery stores and pick at their food,
who like ghost stories,
who can never find their shoes.

And we pray for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire
who never go to the circus,
who can’t bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
who are born into places we wouldn’t want to be caught dead in,
who live in an X-rated world.

We pray for children who sleep with the dog and bury the goldfish
who bring us sticky kisses and handfuls of dandelions,
who get visits from the tooth fairy, who hug us in a furry
We pray for children who sleep with the dog and bury the goldfish
who bring us sticky kisses and handfuls of dandelions,
who get visits from the tooth fairy, who hug us in a furry and forget their lunch money.

I fell asleep last night, extremely tired, but with a smile on my face thinking about these precious little girls. I prayed thanking God for the chance to have been able to provide them with a fun, healthy activity. 

Here's a video of the little girl's dance that one of he "cheer" mom's video taped. Such fun & so precious! (Thanks, Mrs. Lones!)

My day was filled with love & joy. I think I gave a little bit of my heart to those little girls, but I'm okay with that. I needed to be filled with joy, & they all filled my cup, & it overflows.

Peace & love.

B.

{Graced}

The last time I was pulled over by a cop was Wednesday. I had just worked an 8 hour waitress shift & was munching on french fries as I was driving from McCool to my dorm. I was pretty satisfied with the night having made over 90 dollars on a week night, so the fries were my way of celebrating. Anyway, I was driving through town, & I stopped at a red stoplight. A state patrol car pulls up next to me, I don't make anything of it. I wasn't doing anything wrong, other than me stuffing fries into my face in a very unladylike fashion. But all of my tail lights were working, my seat belt was on, my car registration was up to date, my cell phone was safely packed away in my purse. I had nothing to worry about. So the light turns green & I head down the block. But the state patrol car does not, I don't know why it's still sitting there, but then he takes off as well. Before I even reach the next stoplight a block down, blue & red lights are flashing in my rear view mirror. COME ON!Well, the officer comes up to my window & asks if I know why I being pulled over. "Uh no, officer." I reply. Then he chuckles. If a police officer pulls you over & then laughs at you, then you start to feel like an idiot. So then I said, "What did I do?" He chuckles a little more then points out the fact that apparently I blatantly ran a red light in front of him. Now I'm really embarrassed. He mentions my out of state license plates & drivers license, so I inform him that I'm a college student in town. Then he says, "Do you know Tim & Bev McNeese, or have them as teachers?" I reply, "I had Mr. McNeese last year, I really enjoyed his class, he is very smart & passionate about his job, but I'm not quite sure he liked having my sister & I in the same class since we talk, a lot." Then he laughs again. I know I'm not that funny tonight, so I just sit & wait for his response. "Good answer, those are my parents." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Now, I'm completely embarrassed about the fact that I can't tell the difference between red & green, & the fact that this officer is in close relations with people who have had me in class. We both laugh about it for a bit, & he gives me a warning, & tells me to have a good night. I was shown a little grace, however, I would like to say my humor helped me a little in this situation, because obviously, he could not stop chuckling.

Last Friday night, two days after the whole, "You should've just said you were testing to see if I was a real cop or not" ordeal, we put on the first Psallo concert (Psallo is an a Capella group that our school uses as a recruiting & admissions tool) of the school year for the Youth Rally at the East Hill Church of Christ here in York. We had quite the crowd of high school & middle school kids, & but the majority of the crowd were our fellow classmates. We're still building our set. Two of the songs were written by a former Psallo member, one sing is the "Cup" song from Pitch Perfect, we close our set with a girl's powerhouse number, Roar by Katy Perry, another song we found on the YouTube, & then we performed a song that I wrote specifically for the group. Our Dean of Students, who's son is also in Psallo, video taped the entire show, but for some reason only put up my "Amazing Love" on her page. 

The words go something like this:

Amazing love

Amazing grace

My Savior gave His life

He poured out His holy blood

The greatest sacrifice

And covers me and covers me

His grace falls down and covers me

And covers me and covers me

His grace falls down and covers me

His hands, his feet

They scared with nails

My Savior bore my sins

He cried out “Forgive them Lord”

Now I will forever live

And covers me and covers me

His grace falls down and covers me

And covers me and covers me

His grace falls down and covers me

Amazing Grace

How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost but now I’m found

Was blind but now I see

And covers me and covers me

His grace falls down and covers me

And covers me and covers me

His grace falls down and covers me

In my life, I have seen a lot of grace, & I think that I fail to recognize everyday how incredibly blessed I am. in 2011, I attended a Leadership Camp that my church camp put on. We were taught a song, also called "Amazing Love." Ever since then, that has been my favorite devotional song to sing. The year prior to that, I attended that same Leadership Camp where I met a man named, David Bendickson. He was a true man of God, a very wise mentor & spiritual leader. At the beginning of January, while on choir tour, he had a stroke & a day or two later he passed away. I'm sure all of the angels were rejoicing as he finally got to go home. But part of me still wishes I could hear some more wise words from him. I was so incredibly blessed to have known such a great man. Every time I sing the song I learned back in 2011, I think of Mr. Dave. 

In a way, I relate the song I wrote to the song I learned. So when I finally got to perform it for an audience on Friday,the words that I wrote finally hit me. I want live my life like Mr. Dave did. I cannot wait to be greeted with a hug from him when my time comes. Until then, rest easy, Mr. Dave.

Leadership Camp 2010- Team Bendickson

Peace & love.

B.