Pride

I've never been this mad at a football game, or maybe anything in my whole life. Last night was our annual Austin vs. Decatur big rivalry game. The whole week preceeding we have dress up days, car painting, spirit days, drum line competitions, peprallies, just all sorts of stuff that allows people to show their love of their school. Its one of my favorite weeks because everyone is so pumped and ready to cheer on our boys.

Right after school, me and Gab went to get our matching shorts then headed to the field a little before five to help all the guys paint up. That was fun. Then I had to go sing the national anthem with the mixed Austin/Decatur choirs.

Everyone wants to win, I know that. But someone has to lose. Its not so much that we didn't win, its the fact of how immature and disrespectful Decatur was. During the third quarter, Morgan, our starting quarter back got injured. Everyone saw him go down, and we figured that maybe he had just gotten the breath knocked out of him. But he was still on the ground in what looked like agaonizing pain when the ambulance rolled out a stretcher.
Now, when someone gets hurt in a football game:
One, the away team and more importantly, the home team are quiet. However, Decatur was still cheering and blowing horns and a good two third of Austins student section could not shut their mouths. All the seniors and some of the juniors were furious. If nothing else, show respect for our boys out there especially when they are hurt, and if not, why don't you get out there and do better.
Two, BOTH teams take a knee, not just the injured player's side. While they were stilll on the field our players were down as soon as they knew something was wrong. However, Decatur just stood around then eventually walked off the field. Then they just walked and stood around on the sidelines talking. By then me and, I'm sure, many other people were really feeling how much I generally hate the school across town.
And finally, Three. After talking through the whole time that they showed no respect what so ever towards Morgan, Some of their boys had the nerve to come on our side blowing their stupid horn with all simles. I talked to Mary Beth after the game and she said she followed them all across the stands yelling at them. Good.

I don't want to even look at the Daily this morning. Even when Austin does win, it finds someway to put us down, and DHS always ends up on the front page anyways.
I feel so awful for coach Perkins because he is going to take such a beating from the local press, and criticism from alot.

All that said, I have NEVER been more proud to be a Black Bear in all my life. Even when Decatur was playing dirty and throwing hits on the field, Austin held their composure. Maybe we don't have the most talented football team ever, but what we do have is CLASS, class and respect. I guarantee if the injury would have been for the other side, theres no doubt we would have conducted ourselves accordingly.

I was with Michael after the game. He said one of his friends texted him, and all it said was, "I tried." I almost cried. I just wanted to hug every boy out there. We had to go pick up a few of his friends that didn't have rides. As soon as I saw Ryan Watson, I did exactly that, hugged him.

No matter what, I'm proud to call Austin my home.

Unconditional Love

I couldn't come up with a better title to describe this Sunday morning at church. Its so difficult for me to imagine that there was once a time that my family and I were not apart of Epic church. Our whole family is there. My youth leaders are the most amazing people I know, and best of all, nobody trys to be perfect or to hide what has happened in their pasts. At alot of churches we have visited and tried to find our home in everyone is so up tight and staunch and prentenders that they never do anything wrong or unGodly, and look down their noses if you dress a certain was or express yourself.

This morning at Epic the praise music that started off our service was Amazing. Travis sand 'With Everything,' one of my favorites. I got goosebumps when the 'Woahs' came around and you could hear everyone in the room singing together. I.V.'s message was the last in our WASTED series and he spoke on Sin, and how nowadays everyone dumbs down the meaning of it to be called a mistake. And that if you call it that, then you are less likely to own up to your wrong doings and will probably just continue in your ways. Hesaid that there will come a point in everyones lives that you have to realize that you are a sinner, and theres really nothing you can do about it.

Then he had a card board sign that read 'Molested as a child, anger, rage...' He said that maybe he had a right to be mad and angry at the time in his life when that happened, but his outward actions and aggression and hatred towards others after that were all on him. But then he said that one day God spoke to him on his way to work, and thats when he realized he was a sinner. He flipped the sign over and it said something like 'Pastor full of love' and that is what he is today. If his story wasn't enough, he said that then there were people going to come out and share their stories with us too. The band started playing How He Loves (another favorite and tear inducer) Here are what some said. The before and after its flipped:

Given 6 months to live (but)........ 7 years later still standing

Drug addict.......................Committed. Saved. Free

Hated church. Left God........... He never left us

One non believer and one christ follower..... now married and believing

Torn by divorce...... United by God. (This one is my friend Briley from Revolution. Both her diverced parents and their spouses came and stood beside her and hugged her. At this poitn I'm bawling)

8 year old son diagnesed with cancer. No hope.............now happy and Cancer free!

Lost. Scared Foster child.......... adopted by the Thomases 2009 (Also crying)

Stroke 9 months ago....... healed instantly!

I and my son were attacked by armed men............ Safe in His arms

HAD to have a boyfriend, insecure............ God's princess

Full of religion................ then I met God

- Then I.V. and his wife Bene' walked to the center, her holding her sign that said

Hopeless Abortion, scared.............. (I con't rememner exactly what the other side said probably because I was too busy trying to control myself, but it was something wonderful)

Then afterward he kissed her head.

Needlesss to say I was in two full services and half of another one and I cried all three times. Men and women alike all left with tears in their eyes.

God is AMAZING :)

Rina

Yesterday Ambassadors that are in Mrs. Dixon's class went to their assigned schools for the first time. Gaby, Hunter, Jordyn, and I all went to Julian Harris and were assigned our teachers and classes. At first, I was kinda bummed because I didn't get one of the younger age groups, and instead got a fifth and a fourth grade teacher to split the time with.

The first part of the time I was there I went to Mrs. Singh's class. I wasn't really sure if I would be working around the classroom or with a few individual kids at a time, or what. But She introduced me to a little girl named Rina. She was new, adorable, Japanese, and spoke absolutely NO english what so ever. Mrs. Sing said that she did not know how much if any english she spoke, and that I should just work with her on the alphabet, and simple words, and phrases and stuff like that. So me and Rina (did I mention she is adorable?) went out to the common area. I felt so bad because I would try to talk and ask her questions to where she could understand me, but She hadn't the slightest idea of what I was saying. She just smiled at me apologetically when she didn't know what I was saying... which was basically the whole time.

Next time I go, I might take a game or something to try and get her to not be scared of me.

Michael says I have a problem with ethnic children and that he would not be the least bit surprised if one just happened to end up in my car one day.

Whenever I grow up I AM adopting from a foreign country... or two.


We had life group sign ups this past Wednesday at church. I was supposed to lead one for 8th-12th grade girls that talked about problems highschool girls face today, and staying pure, and nonconformity, stuff like that. I was excited...
No one signed up.

I think I might fail pre-cal. Its consuming my evenings.

Senior Beginning

So excited for his birthday ice skating. Don't let him fool you.




So, It has been the first two days of senior year, I have not fallen, I have not had any scheduling conflicts, I have not had to worry about who I will eat lunch with, and above all else I have not had a stress induced break- down thus far. HOWEVER, that is about to change because I just had my first round of Berryman homework. Shoot me now. Thank goodness for smart mathematical boyfriends with genius fathers :)

P.S. - I read on Mrs.Haughaboo's syllabus that we have to do several blog entries on something or other. This makes me very happy. I love blogging.

Popcorn Kernel

Scene: Walking out to Michael's car after Charlie St. Cloud

Background: I never ever remember to lock his door because you have to do it manually due to the lack of a clicker or a button that works. Plus, I have the short term memory of an inch worm. Luckily, nothing has been stolen yet.

Act:
Elyse and Michael are walking to his car. He reaches for the handle to open it for me, while grinning and looking at me out of the corner of his eye because he knows I forgot to lock it. Before he touches the door...

Elyse: "STOP! Okay, I forgot to lock it again! I'm sorry!"

Michael smiles, then leans down and takes off his shoe...

Elyse: "Are you going to hit me with it??!!"

Flinches away

Michael: (Dying laughing) "I had a popcorn kernel in my shoe! What kind of boyfriend do you think I am?!"

MAybe it was funnier if you were there. Now He goes and tells everyone about this little incident. The End