"We can't control much in life, and we can't always control what comes into our view. Yet, Jesus has given us control over what we dwell on. And in the end, what we dwell on is what we become. Where we camp is where we live and die." (Louie Giglio)

love overcomes fear.

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't angry with the results of this election. In the year of 2016, I am astounded at the amount of hate that has filled our country and the city that I love so much. I was taught to love others no matter what their class, race, background, gender, etc. I have already begun to see the effects of the divide, and this is only day 1.

Yesterday my mom reminded me that Israel asked for a king, not the king the Lord wanted for them, but their request was granted because he gave them up to govern themselves. America asked for a king, and they have certainly gotten what they asked for. To all of my friends who are upset, we MUST remember that when they go low we go high. We must carry ourselves with class and dignity and love. Love others. Love the people around you. Love hard and love without reserve because that is what is going to carry us through.

I don't know if or how he will but God, please bless America.

Contract.

at the end of the day

at the end of the say you are the person i say goodnight to.
so even if you've managed to piss me off, annoy me, irk me to death
you're still the one who makes me laugh until i cry.
you're still the one i forward all my funny jokes and messages to.
you're still the one i can't wait to talk to everyday.
because at the end of the day,
you're the person i say goodnight to.

a pep talk for myself

recently, i had to write a bio about myself in the third person and it was way more difficult than it should have been. you think you know yourself, and you think you're interesting, but then BAM, you're not.

but actually, i am.

i am a wildfire. i am an exclamation. i am a WILDFIRE!!!
i start with a spark and i burn until i touch everything around me. i come in and out with a bang.
i will never let anyone tell me i am anything less than wonderful, not even myself.
so be it. be brave, be big, be bold, be spontaneous, be independent. be yourself. stop letting the world make you hard and sad and lonely. life is good and the earth is a wonderful place to live with adventures to be had and people to be met and stories to be told. go big or go home. love deeply. tell the people you love that you love them. stop holding back for fear of rejection. if they reject you, they never deserved you anyways. work hard in school. work hard in work. spend some time alone. make some tea, put on beyonce, and handle it. your worst day is never so bad that you can't survive it.
so rise like the sun and burn like a wildfire because this is your time to shine.

///

"If you could only describe Abigail in one word, probably the best word you could use is wildfire. Wildfires start with a spark and then don't stop spreading until they've touched everything around them. Between balancing work, school, and social responsibilities, Abigail needs that big spark to start her and keep her going. She is always going from one new idea to the next, burning bright for everyone around her to see. Her goals are to move from an educator in the city of Philadelphia to serve on the City Council as the eventual Secretary of Education. Abigail wants to make a difference in the life of every person and child she comes in contact with. She aims to do so with a smile and laugh because her life mantra is to do more of what you love."

part 5

she had been swimming rapidly for as long as she could remember
stroke after stroke
kicking and kicking

finally, after what had been miles,
she saw land
so she swam faster and harder to the land before her
and when she got there, she realized,

this is what i have been swimming too -
all this time

it wasn't paradise, by any stretch,
but it was a new place to call home.
a new place, with a new season
she met new people and experienced new things
this land was a land of firsts.

after she had some time to process all of these changes,
and believe me, there were a lot of changes,
she began to realize something about herself.
she had a little bit of "i need to save the world" in her
and since she had started with saving herself,
she decided she wanted to save someone else.

so that was her life goal,
to save as many people as she could,
and that's how she ended up where she did.

part 4

eighteen was
back on the learning curve
back to square one, learning lessons the hard way
crying tears and wishing the years away

this poor girl couldn't catch a break
or so she thought.
but really, she had caught so many breaks
she could have been dead,
not just damaged.

at the end of the first 6 months, she had to force herself to fight
to pick up the broken and shattered pieces
of life and of herself
and of her heart
to fight.
fight hard and work hard because this wasn't what life was supposed to be

she dawned a ponytail
her favorite sneakers
fists held high -
she fought

fast forward through the second six months &
life had dramatically changed.
our friend had really changed from
a sad and lonely, broken girl
to someone who put in the work
to save herself.