How Much Do You Love Your Family?

     Have you ever had that warm, fuzzy feeling of loving someone or being loved?
     Last week, my mom and dad were gone, and my grandma came to our house to babysit Carl. But when Grandma left to pick up Jeff from work, I was left to watch little Carl. As we played together, I noticed how fast he is growing up and what a delightful human being he is. Although he doesn't always listen, he is a really good kid. That night, he asked me to put him to bed. We sang songs and talked a little before he laid down to sleep. I realized how blessed I am to have a family. There are times when I can't stand them, but I love them all the same.
     More than once, I've heard people say, "I hate my family." I've also heard a quote that sort of goes with this: "Hatred is too strong an emotion to waste on someone you that you don't like." Why do we waste our passion on hating people, instead of using our passion for better things? I could say more on this, but I'll get myself  back on track.
     Think of the good things about your family. Are they smart? Are they kind? Do they like to help? Are they overprotective? They love you and are concerned for your well-being. Do they make you do things you don't want to? They're giving you experience for life, whether it's developing work ethic or stepping out of your comfort zone.
     Even if you aren't happy with them, "We love because He first loved us." -1 John 4:19


-Dakota
    

Miscellaneous Mondays

I have decided to move this random collection of random facts to being posted on Mondays.

Word of the day: Eloquent- clearly showing feeling or meaning

Random thing about me: I discovered that I don't like pumpkin pie. I'm sorry.

Random statement: Some people are allergic to Christmas trees. I feel so sorry for them. 

Random song: Forever by Kari Jobe. This  is one of my favorite worship songs.

Random movie: Home. I watched it for the first time the other day. It was cute.

Random recipe: Ginger cookies. There are a lot of different recipes for these, but all of the ones I've eaten taste the same.

-Dakota

Ballet is Hard!

     In case you didn't know, ballet takes a lot of work. Ballerinas have to be flexible, strong, graceful, and have character and good form.
     All of the girls in my class have issues with at least one of these things. Same goes for me. Being a ballerina also requires having a good work ethic. To be flexible, I have to stretch daily. I have been stretching as much as I can since August, and I am getting closer and closer to a split. Even though I've been doing dance for 11 years, I never worked to be more flexible. That's mostly because I wasn't pushed, and I was lazy. I would color or play piano rather than stretch. Because of that, I am a late bloomer. I know what I'm supposed to look like, but I can't make my body do it. Everyone has something they need to work towards perfecting. It's really difficult! But after all the blood, sweat, and tears, I know I can be a good dancer.
     As a dancer, I will see other dancers and think, "They are so much better than I am." I know that this is not a good thing. I am not the best dancer, but I am a better dancer than I was a month ago. It's not about being better than everyone else, but being better than yourself.
     Now that I'm done speeching about that, I would like to repeat that ballet is hard. I'll let you know when I reach my goal for a split!

-Dakota