NOISE & SILENCE:

 My older sister Jessica spent the summer at Prairie River Camp by Bryceland, MN. Being an intern she pretty much lived there for most of the time. She interned with 6 other teenagers. The "director, Renae, was also there a lot of the time with her two kids, Ben and Ana. They all got so close, like a great big family. Today is Jessica's eighteenth birthday. To celebrate we had the bunch from camp over. Only two of the interns could make it.  We had pizza, birthday cake and ice cream. After we ate, she opened her gifts from everyone. When we were done eating we just hung out and talked. The whole time everyone was laughing and having a good time. There wasn't a quiet moment the whole time. Renae is a very loud person, she always seems so excited, which is a really good thing. Ben is also a lot like his mom, loud and excited. He is the funny one. The noise volume was very high and there was so much excitement the whole time. When they left, my parents pretty much just let out a big sigh and said "its quiet." My Family is a very quiet family. None of us are really loud people. We still laugh a lot and talk a lot, just with less volume. I'm so used to it being quieter all the time it was fun to have a change, but I couldn't handle being so loud all the time. Its just different personalities. I love my family the way they are and i'm used to that but i also love the camp family they always are so excited and happy. There is never a dull moment there. But  i'm glad i have the chance to quietly listen to my music and type this. What kind of family do you have?  

SYATP

One Day in September every year is a National day of prayer called See You At the Pole. Today was See You at the Pole. SYATP is a global day of prayer.It started with just a few students in Texas at a  youth group retreat. They felt led to go to their school and pray.Today students meet at their school to pray for a variety of things. Usually around a flag pole. It is completely student lead. In America students legally have the right to do this. I am so thankful and feel so privileged to be able to do this. Although we can't mention prayer on a poster or talk openly about it with teachers or administrators inside the school, we can say everything we need by action. Today at Albert Lea High School there was approximately 40 people that attended. As we stood around the flagpole, hand in hand, students walked by. Some were curious. Some ignored us. Some laughed. One even took a picture. But it didn't matter what the did or what they thought we weren't there for them. The only thing that broke my heart was that they walked by. Maybe they despised us or maybe they were afraid to be judged but whatever the reason, they didn't stand by us. It takes faith to stand there proclaiming your faith as your peers walk by. Not to mention get up early and be there at 7 am in the cold. We prayed for those students. We prayed for the faculty. For the administration. For the government. For the president. We prayed for you. A few students even lead worship and everyone sang. SYATP is one of my favorite things that happen during the year. I am so thankful for it. For the opportunity. I'm thankful that I am not afraid to proclaim my faith to my peers by showing up at 7 am and standing in front of a flag pole at my school as other students walk by to pray for them.

FRIENDSHIP: don't forget

Friendship. Everyone has friends. They are a part of life. Friends are there when you need them. Friends are supposed to be the people you can go to when you need something. You can trust them. Going through life without friends would be super hard or impossible. In High School friends consume your life. You hang out with them in sports. You hang out with them on weekends and every other possible time. They are the people that are supposed to make you happy. They make you laugh when you are feeling down. Why wouldn't you want to be with them as much as you can? When you spend so much time with people they have an influence on you whether you want them to or not. If they like to do a certain thing and you wan't to be with them, won't you do that thing too? You start having common interests, then mutual friends and eventually friends can become just like family. Friends make you who you are. They funny thing is friends are your life, until you graduate. Maybe your best friend is in your wedding or is there when you graduate college. But you forget most of them. You have a lot of catching up at the 5 year High School Reunion. You don't know them like you used to. Maybe won't even talk to them. But they were the people that made you who you are. Your friends were once like family but now you find out that they won't Always be there. Not like family. Family will stand behind you no matter what happens. You will always be able to go to them, to trust them. Family is one of the most important things in my life and they will always be that way. But Friends are pretty amazing too. Just make sure they are making you, the person you wan't to be someday.

A Song

For my first blog post I thought I better explain why i choose the title "If I Die Young" and the URL, wordsofalovesong.blogspot. The main reason is a song. I first heard this song when i was on my way to the North Shore with my family for our vacation this summer. That is where I took the picture behind the title of my blog. When we were close to Duluth the only station we get on the radio was a fairy decent country station. They played this song quite a few times and I really started to love it. The song is by The Band Perry. These are the lyrics:

 If I die young bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song
oh oh oh oh
Lord make me a rainbow, I’ll shine down on my mother
She'll know I’m safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh and
Life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no
ain't even grey, but she buries her baby
The sharp knife of a short life, well
I’ve had just enough time
If I die young bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song
The sharp knife of a short life, well
I’ve had just enough time
And I’ll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom
I’m as green as the ring on my little cold finger
I’ve never known the lovin' of a man
But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand
There’s a boy here in town says he’ll love me forever
Who would have thought forever could be severed by
The sharp knife of a short life, well
I’ve had just enough time
So put on your best boys and I’ll wear my pearls
What I never did is done
A penny for my thoughts, oh no I’ll sell them for a dollar
They're worth so much more after I’m a gone
And maybe then you’ll hear the words I been singin’
Funny when you're dead how people start listenin’
If I die young bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song
oh oh
The ballad of a dove
Go with peace and love
Gather up your tears, keep ‘em in your pocket
Save them for a time when your really gonna need 'em oh
The sharp knife of a short life, well
I’ve had just enough time
So put on your best boys and I’ll wear my pearls

http://www.sweetslyrics.com/754725.The%20Band%20Perry%20-%20If%20I%20Die%20Young.html

Not only do I love the words but the music is really pretty too. Even though the song is a little depressing its really beautiful. I also like the music video too. I think you can get different messages out of this song. I think it  talks about how not to take life for granted. Any amount of time we get here on this earth is amazing but one day we will be gone and forgotten. The ones that morn our death will die one day too. We will all leave a legacy.  Will your thoughts be sold for a penny or a dollar?