how-to-kiss-distinctly-american:

MMMMURRRICA!

Yuengling …. Something Minnesota knows NOTHING about.
I miss it so much. If I could find a Minnesota replacement I would, but I’m not that daring nor do I know how to appropriate describe it.

I’m bringing a case back next time.

crookedindifference:

Bob Marley on how to love a woman

“You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She’s not perfect - you aren’t either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break - her heart. So don’t hurt her, don’t change her, don’t analyze and don’t expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she’s not there.”

It’s been my experience that the same is true about men.
(Boys are another story.)

Okay.

How do I put this delicately so that you will be open to listening and comprehending the rationality of what I am about to say? So that you won’t immediately starting thinking of what you are about to say to defend yourself?

Listen. You are wrong.

I was raised in a Christian home since I was born, my Grandfather is an Assemblies of God pastor. Sure, there may have been silly restrictions placed on me such as what I was allowed to watch, read, listen to, etc. I definitely was sheltered from a great deal but I have no ill feelings towards the way I was raised. My parents and my family raised me in such a way they thought best and in return I have been given a set of values and lessons that I hold very dear to me. I’m sure every child on this planet could say something very similar about the way they were raised. My qualms aren’t with my upbringing or my family. It is you beloved church I take issue with.

You preach love and forgiveness and hold it up as if it gives you some right to cast judgement on those around you. As if because you go to Family Night every Wednesday, attend choir practice every Thursday, volunteer at the Saturday rummage sales, and sit in your pew every Sunday that you are some how better than the person that you see walking passed you. The girl with her mini skirt, the kid with his body piercings and tattoos, the same-sex couple walking hand-in-hand towards you. All it means is you are good at managing your time. Your thoughts, your actions, your words show the real condition of your heart. It doesn’t bleed with the blood of Christ it runs red with the blood of those you have wounded with every glare and condemning word.

Do you not see how your fight for your children to be able to have the freedom to pray in school directly conflicts with your fight to keep other people from living their lives the way they want to? (Aside from harming others of course.) You can not fight for one freedom while trying to squash another. You either promote freedom or you do not. This is why religion and politics don’t mix. Do you not see how this translates to people as trying to force religion down their throats?

You have no right to tell someone how they are to live their life or that what they have decided is wrong. You have no right to send someone to Hell just because you don’t agree with the way they think or live their life. You are not responsible for them, you are only responsible for you. Do you not see how this translates to those around you? Or do have blinders on because you are so busy doing all your good deeds that you have yet to take time to stop and assess the situation around you. You have left the world damaged and broken and in need of repair. Though I’m afraid they won’t be so willing to accept your acts of kindness and love. You’ve proven yourself to be less than loving.

I do believe your intentions are good, but we are living in a time when intentions aren’t good enough. You have to think about the repercussions your actions and words have. It’s time to start truly living a life motivated by love and understanding and all that other “hippie bullshit” that Jesus talked about. It’s time for you to not be so concerned with the way other people live their lives that you neglect to look at your own and see the way your life is effecting others.

It’s time for change. Unfortunately this won’t help you build big buildings.

(Photo via:littlegrayblog)

heartsrmagnets:

“you just know that your name is safe in their mouth”

<3 Oh the truth of innocence.

(Source: leilockheart)

Jayson and I at the wedding on Saturday.
Krazy kidz.

Congratulations to Jeff and Kasey. I’ll post more pictures of the (other) lovely couple. ;) It was such a beautiful event and I was proud to be a part of it.

Side-note: I’m amazed at how many people do not know how to adequately dress for a wedding.

I have such an internal conflict with this. I love fairytales.

Fairytales are great for providing moral lessons and hope. Then at some point you believe in them too much and it skews all reality to a point where it leaves you with no hope at all. And all you are left with is a bunch of disillusioned little girls waiting for the perfect prince charming that will never come riding in on his white horse.

Instead, they miss the perfectly handsome, somewhat quirky, flawed to the point it’s lovable man that walks by them in any given social circumstance.

I have been sitting on this quote for such a long time now, waiting to sit down and write to those who think that there is no such thing as love after a broken heart. (Or two, or a dozen.) But there really isn’t anything better that what was just said.

“Trust life just a little bit.”

And stop believing in fairy-tales. They don’t exist.

(photo via thattheseabreaksagainst)

Seeing things like this, reading things like this, knowing people believe things like this …… utterly breaks my heart.

I wish I had some super power that would allow me to completely erase thought patterns like this from people’s brains. Because the truth is…

• Beauty is everywhere and in everything and everyone.
  No if’s, and’s or but’s about it. (As my mom would say.)
  It’s recognized in different ways and by different people but it is all around us all the time.
• Success is strictly determined by the person setting the goals and what they want to achieve. It’s measurements come equally in small and large strides.
• Happiness is found in doing, seeing, experiencing the things/people you love. It’s an emotion that only you can control and should never, ever be allowed to be stolen from you.
• Life’s sole purpose (in my opinion) is to live.
  Experience life, seek out adventures and challenges, and learn all that you can. Pass on your knowledge and experiences, and live love in all that you do.

The unfortunate truth is we’ve been lead to believe that beauty, success, happiness and purpose are complex when in reality it is all so simple.