Progress?

So, I'm sure if anyone followed my blog, they would think that so far I had epically failed at my aforementioned goals, but I haven't completely.  First, I think I've given up on making a hard core health thing happen, but I did ride for eight miles - I know, not a lot :\ - with my dad on Saturday, and we went to Catoctin Mountain, and Hannah, Aaron, and I walked around Red Rock, and I did some other random stuff, and I've eaten a lot of bananas and yogurt.  Pretty healthy, right?  If you subtract the regular ice cream carton parties, popcorn, and pasta bowls, maybe.  Also, I have basically made zero progress on learning to cook.  My older brother Brenton told me I'd never find a guy at OC or get married if I couldn't cook for him, but he was wrong about half of that, so we'll see how cooking goes.  As for learning to sew... I bought two pretty basic skirt patters, and two dress patterns, and I now have the material, zipper, some kind of tape thing, etc for a skirt.  It was a tough decision, because I brought Hayley and Mom to help me select a fabric, and apparently we all have pretty different taste in clothes.  My mom and I were talking about when I could get that going today.  Picture taking, I don't know if I'm getting any better, but I tried some stuff with Hannah and with Hayley, and I included a few I liked.  I guess that's all, though.  I'm working on it.  You'll see.

WILL POWER!!!

I've decided that I can not let a challenge stand in my way.  Did Scout let Boo Radley's house scare her away?  Did Helen Keller let all those mean jokes discourage her?  Did Gene Kelly give up on his talking movie?  Did Ferris Bueller surrender to Senior year and the system?  Did Francie Nolan let her cruel school squelch her desire to learn?  Did Juli give up on her tree, even when nobody, not even Bryce, supported her?  Did Trudy Graefe stop having children even when the doctor's told her it was dangerous.  NO! (She gave birth to Aaron, and that stopped her) NEVER!!!!!!  Photography, sewing, cooking... health/excercise...  Watch out, because Leah Kristin Graefe is about to dominate you!!!!!  And although I don't really have any followers, and I'm happy with it that way, I will share my progress as an amateur photographer, seamstress, and chef... and healthy person, maybe.  And whatever else I so choose to explore as a means of self expression and fun.  Be afraid.  Jk, I've got this.  But right now, I have to finish watching looney tunes.  See you soon Baboon.

Love

What is love? 

Is it in an apology? 

Is it forgiveness? 

Is it a friendly hug? 

Is it a little note to brighten your day? 

Is it found in the words, “I love you”? 

Is it what you say?

Is it what you do?

Is it turning the other cheek? 

Is it being silent when you could fight back? 

Is it putting others first? 

Is it putting yourself last? 

Is it overlooking faults? 

Is it overlooking neglect? 

Is it overlooking abuse? 

Is it manipulating? 

Is it ignoring the hurt one more time?

Is it reciprocal? 

Is it a feeling? 

Is it a choice? 

Is it giving someone else the glory? 

Is it sometimes lonely? 

Is it sometimes angry? 

Is it punishment? 

Is it being firm? 

Is it honesty? 

Is it lying to make someone feel better? 

Is it a competition? 

Is it being in the background? 

Is it being right or wrong? 

Is it respect? 

Is it appeasement? 

Is it immortal?

Is it able to reach across oceans? 

Is it able to reach the neighbor across the street? 

Is it accident-proof? 

Is it reliable? 

Is it judgmental? 

Does it pick favorites? 

Is it sacrificial? 

Does it ignore personal needs? 

Does it leave room for selfishness? 

Is it picking sides? 

Does it have to be equal and fair? 

Is there justice in love?

Is it trustworthy?

Is it God?

Is it everywhere? 

Is it anywhere?

Is it fail-proof?

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. 1 Cor. 13

Do you love even if it keeps failing you?  When love fails you, you love, because there is hope in love.  The only person you can control is yourself, and you can continue to love as you are commanded, regardless of someone else loving you back or not.  If you love even when you are unloved, God will follow through.  But how long should you wait?  After God has watched love fail you for years, are you just not worth it to Him, or is it your time to Not turn your cheek, and to make someone aware of their failure?  Isn’t it better to be wronged, God says; but he also says he will come through, and he will give justice.  How many times do you let yourself be wronged, be hurt, be neglected, be overlooked, and still love and encourage that person, all the time ignoring your own needs?  What is God’s plan for you then?  Turn the other cheek, isn’t it better to be wronged, a man’s wisdom gives him patience, it is his glory to overlook an offense.  Love is one-sided sometimes.  Faith, hope and love remain, but the greatest of these is love, so you hope and you have faith which allows you to keep loving, even as it fails you one more time.

I've decided that I really wish I were trendy and a photographer like Meredeth Griffin

Once upon a time there was a very boring girl.  Her name is unnecessary; however, her age is 20, her hair is blonde, her status is Taken, and her favorite ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip.  Hollah back.  She was very gansta.  Except only in pretend.  She had plenty of awesome friends, who all were gorgeous and fun.  Little to their knowledge, there unnamed friend, who will be called Leaefe for our purposes, had a HUGE secret.  Scratch that, we will call her, Gwendolyn, because she was secretly a Princess, but that wasn't her big secret.  Her big secret was, she was a super hero!!!!!  Her secret power was that she could animate inanimate objects.  She had a pet toolbox, named Alejandro.  This is obviously a very valued power, but she couldn't control the personalities of her objects, although they viewed her as their mother, which general gave her their favor.  I was only kidding about this being a big secret - her friends were all super heroes, as well.  The rest of the world didn't know their secret, though... Mwahahaha.

Just as you would suspect there were a lot of bad guys around.  One, for example, is the dreaded Trogdor.  He burnanates the countyside.  Another, more significant to our story, is JohnnyGeart, who was in the process of manipulating our dearest Julyson into allowing herself to be friendnapped and bound to him by the Big M *Dun dun DUN*.  That's right, I am referring to that most traditional of Oklahoma Christian traditions, the leap into the darkness that is... MARRIAGE!!!!  Bwahhhh!  Cruel twist of fate in our friend Julyson's life that this most dark of villains would drag her into a life of wifelihood.  After careful discussion, Gwendolyn and her cohorts determined that this union must be put to an end and that it was up to them.  That is, all cohorts except, Meredeth Griffin (and pretty much everyone, including myself in reality, but I am not a part of this fictional story).  Meredeth had faith in this JohnnyGeart, and she was gifted with a super power that may just have a way of shining light on the eyes of all those who doubted JohnnyGeart.

Meredeth's power was to hypnotize with her trendiness and to see things that others were unable to see.  She could share her sight, though.  She knew just how she would help JohnnyGeart.  JohnnyGeart and Julyson planned a secret meeting with Meredeth one day a week before the planned sabotage of the happy couple.  Meredeth came armed with herself, and a camera.  With this camera, Meredeth would figure out how to capture the essence of who JohnnyGeart really was, a loving and generous man who had a deep affection for Julyson and would not let anything ever come to harm her.  Pretty much he was a super hero fiance.  Meredeth got down to her work with a most trendy set and snapped away pictures of the JohnnyGeart that the hero world needed to see.

When it was all finished, she planted the pictures cleverly on facebook where she knew everyone would have to see.  Just as she hoped, the pictures of JohnnyGeart and Julyson's love opened the heroes eyes, and they saw him from a clearer perspective.  Meredeth had saved yet another innocent life and a bright relationship.

So you see, this is why I have a secret desire to be Meredeth Griffin sometimes.  Also, she's really pretty, funny, and Christ-like.  You rock Meredeth.  Hollah back.