In Light of the Election Results...

Sooo, guys. Trump's gonna be our next president. I'm gonna be honest, I voted for him, and watching the polls last night was more intense than watching the Cub's score.

So, here's to all the people who said Trump supporters are deplorable. Racist. Bigots. Hateful. Trash. Homophobes. A buncha other different names that I won't repeat because I'm homeschooled and I don't cuss haha.

First off, I forgive you for calling people like me those names. People get pretty hyped up during Election Season, campaigning for their favorite presidential nominee, trying to convert people to their side. I applaud those of you who did their research on both candidates. I understand that Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice is a touchy subject. My stance is Pro-Life, just because I believe that each body inhabits has a soul inhabiting it, and that soul could literally change the world. The amount of potential in an unborn 'clump of cells,' shall we say, is astounding. I was once a clump of cells. You were once a clump of cells. Your best friend was once a clump of cells. Now think of your life without those people who make it worth living. The worlds that would crumble if that 'clump of cells' hadn't been there to hold it together, to keep you upright. I feel like it's a crime to take away that kind of potential.

Now, yes, we definitely need to worry about what happens to those babies once they're out of the womb, who's gonna take care of 'em, the cost of living and education and all that jazz. That's a pretty pressing issue. But if you have been blessed with carrying a tiny little soul in your womb, whether through horrible circumstances or an accident, you have the greatest responsibility of nurturing that soul to change the world and make it a better place. Nothing worth having is ever easy. You haven't been cursed with motherhood, you've been blessed with the potential to invest in the future.

You have a choice. Whether it's legal or not, you do have a choice. What're you gonna do with that?

Anyways. That's my two cents. I love you guys. If you voted for Trump, woohoo our candidate won! If you voted for Hillary or third-party, then get over your loss and let's bind together in unity to make this country great. A house divided against itself cannot stand, but if we stand together, nothing will be able to knock us over.

And for those Anti-Trump people who are saying you can't be a Christian to have voted for Trump because he's so far from being a Christian because he's crass and degrades women and this and that... Was King Nebuchadnezzar a Christian? Was Darius a Christian? Was Xerxes? Was Caesar? Nebuchadnezzar built a statue of himself and ordered everyone to worship it, and threw three Hebrew guys into a fiery furnace when they refused to do it. Darius got big-headed, signed a law that said no one could worship anyone but him for, like, a month, and threw Daniel in the lion's den for breaking that law. Xerxes was devoted to pleasure, got drunk and ordered his queen to do something extremely degrading for a woman of her standing in front of his friends, she got banished, and then he had a beauty contest to choose his next queen. Under Caesar's rule, Jesus was crucified. But you know what? God used all of these different, messed up rulers to accomplish His will. Those three Hebrew boys were thrown into the fire, and they walked out unscathed. Daniel came out of that lion's den unharmed. Esther saved her people. Jesus, well, He rose from the grave and here we are today.

So instead of freaking out about how Trump's not a Christian and all that, why don't you get down on your knees and pray that he's a good president?

You say he won't follow God's voice. So let me ask you this. Why do you pray for your lost family members? Your lost friends? Your wayward children? Your coworkers? That country you feel called to go minister to as a missionary? Your neighbors? People who're lost and without hope? Why should they listen to God's voice? Why should they choose to let God in? Why would they?

'Cause you trust and believe that God has a purpose and a plan for them and that He wants them to come to know Him and spend eternity in Heaven with Him. So why not believe the same for Trump?

To be honest, I'd be saying the same thing about Hillary Clinton if she'd won. Get down on your knees and pray for these people. God's got this. And if you get in tune with what He wants, you'll start to see the bigger picture, and your fears for the future of this world and our country will disappear.

Peace out, guys. Love ya. :)

--Sonya :) <3

Update on Life and College, Plus the Normal Musings

Sooo I recently took (and passed, btw) my American Lit CLEP. That's another 6 credits, bringing it into to a total of 84 credits! Which means I have 36 more to go. Which means I have 11 more courses to go 'til I'm done with my BA degree.

Soo YAY!!!

Anyways. I'm that weird homeschooled kid whose mom got her math books for the next school year about a month into summer break, and couldn't handle it so in the middle of summer break, I was doing my math for next year.

Yes. Call me crazy. Get it out of your system. We good now? Good.

So, since I'm done with this CLEP, the next course I'm taking (and this one's a legit course, with assignments and a time limit and exams and everything) doesn't let me start until tomorrow after 5pm. Since it's a Wednesday, we have to leave slightly after 5pm to pick up my dad to get to church on time.

So I basically have a full day to do nothing. And I'm antsy to start now because I feel like I'm finally on a roll haha. So I might end up breaking out the next 6-credit CLEP book I have and reading it just so I feel like I'm getting more work done.

I'm a bit of a lazy over-achiever. I really, really want to succeed, to do something great, to leave my mark on the world, but then again I really want to stay at home and sleep and watch anime and K-dramas and hang out with friends. So once I build momentum, I need to keep going or else it'll burn out pretty quickly.

After sitting and doing nothing for a while, I start to feel kind of useless, so I gotta get up and do something. I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere. The end's in sight. So what do I do when there's a period of waiting between getting done with one thing and moving on to something else? 'Cause trust me, if you've never experienced it before, it's a kind of frustrating place to be in.

We all literally encounter these kinds of 'spaces' at multiple times in our lives, it's part of the transitioning and change that comes along with life. God puts us in these situations sometimes because we need a break, sometimes because we need to learn to be content in those times, and sometimes because we need to prepare and gear up for the next thing that we're about to do. It's like in a video game, you always grab the extra ammo, health pack, and save point right after you've killed one boss, and right before you're gonna tackle the next boss. If you don't, you lose your progress and have to repeat the whole thing again.

I'm probably going to take a nap, drink some coffee, read some books, make some action steps for the next few weeks, prep for the next few courses and get ready to kill it come tomorrow night after church. I am ready to kick it into beast mode. Riiiiight after I get some sleep, you know? :D

And you. You've accomplished some awesome stuff too. Whether you're about to, are already in, or are just cooling off your beast mode, think about how to make the most of that 'transitional' time where you got nothing going on. If you need a nap, go take that nap. If you need to prepare for the next thing, go prep. And, hey, if you're prepped and ready to tackle the beast, go tackle it! I believe in you. It's gonna be crazy, it's gonna be hard, but hey, you'll go forth and conquer. Keep being awesome, man. :)

God bless you guys! Love ya! :) <3

--Sonya :)

P.S. Sorry if this post was all over the place. The coffee started wearing off somewhere in the middle of writing all this, and I'm slowly sliding down into the depths of that time of night where the goofy comes out. Sooo yeah. Haha. Oyasumi, min'na-san! Ja ne. :)

Random, Strung-Together Thoughts after a Failed Devo

I'm a very stream-of-consciousness kind of writer, kind of person. Sooo let's see how this goes.

That awkward moment when you have to do a devotion for your entire family, you had it all in your head, you go to do it, and those thoughts and scriptures that pierced ya to the heart at 2am two days ago all suddenly sound awkward and hollow and nonsensical and not connected AT ALL.

So, this is like, the second time in a row this kind of thing has happened. Here's some background: I was practicing to do a short mini-sermon for our youth group last Friday, and it was going good, I was feeling good about it, my dad gave me some pointers, and I felt sooo ready to tear it up that night...

And then I actually got up to give it and BAM everything I wanted to say basically packed up and left for the moon. The same thing basically happened again today when I was up for doing a family-devo (which we've just started doing since school started up again). I was ready, and BAM my notes made no sense and my mind forgot how to work.

Side note: I managed to get out basically what I wanted to say both times, but it did not go how I wanted it to go haha.

Also, I am surrounded by preachers. Literally, surrounded. My dad preaches, my mom preaches, my pastor and his wife preach and they live next door, my bro can throw down some awesome stuff (he tore up his day for family devo, btw), my sister knows how to put together a thought and say it clearly yet quietly, and the rest of 'em are just cute but can spit the Word like fire 'cause Bible Quizzing.

And then there's me. Ms. Stumbles-over-her-words. Ms. Has-a-thought-but-can't-speak-it-clearly-when-it's-time-to-give-it. Ms. Talks-in-circles. Ms. I-GOT-IT-haha-just-kidding. Ms. I'm-gonna-quote-a-verse-now-but-I'm-gonna-say-it-faster-than-any-rapper-'cause-I'm-a-Bible-Quizzer-and-didja-get-all-that? (-_-)

I feel called to preach. So why am I such a lousy preacher? Why am I such a lousy devo-giver? I'm surrounded by these amazing people, who have way better qualifications than I do, so why do I feel like God is calling me?

"Not by might, nor by power, but by MY Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." (Zech. 4:6).

Oh, yeah. Because it's not my abilities, my strengths, my weaknesses, my experiences, or anything like that that 'qualifies' me. It's not so people can look at me and say, "Dude, she's a good preacher," or, "Dude, she is something else." It's not about me. It's about God. It's about letting God do His thing, and if He wants to use me, I gotta be willing.

So, here's to the kid who feels the call to preach, but everything they meant to say packs up and flies to Mars when they're handed the mic. Here's to the kid who feels the call to the missions field, but you're too shy to talk to your friends about God. Here's to the kid who wants to do something for God, but they're unsure where to start, or they feel held back.

Here's to the kids like me.

We're all in the same boat. Or at least, in the same fleet of boats, somewhere. We've all got questions. Doubts. Frustrations. But sometimes, God calls normal people like us to step outta the boat. Yeah, it takes a leap of faith, and yeah, there might be a storm going on around us. But dude. You can walk on water if He calls you out. Keep your eyes fixed on Him, and you won't sink.

Jesus called ordinary people to do extraordinary things, so that others could look at them and say, "The Lord is with them, He is doing these crazy things." I'm paraphrasing, of course, but that's basically what they said, you know?

So you're called to preach. You're not gonna be an amazing preacher all at once. Just keep trying, keep praying, and keep speaking as the Lord leads ya.

So you're called to missions. Take the first step and talk to one of your friends who's hurting about the One who died for them. Start teaching a Bible Study.

So you want to do something for God and His Church? Be faithful. Be helpful. Serve people. Figure out your social skills. Love people. Pray. Ask. If you feel held back, trust your leaders, because they really do see a bigger picture than you do. Be a Christian, develop who you are, and for the love of all things holy, pray and get in tune with God. He always puts ya where you need to be.

And for everyone else who don't feel like they don't fit into any of those categories: Just keep praying and getting closer to God. If you're one of those people who doesn't feel called to preach, be a missionary overseas, or feel held back or unsure what to do, then God bless you and just keep praying, supporting your leaders, and being a good Christian. If all you're doing is cooking a meal, hosting a Bible Study, raising your kids in church, tryna be a light where you're at, staying unified with your pastor and leadership, whatever, then man, you don't know how much of a blessing you are. If all you do is wash dishes or help clean the bathrooms, or both, then dude, you are a rock star in God's eyes (and probably your pastor's and his wife's eyes too, because if nobody else does it, then they're the ones who do it).

And when things do get frustrating, you fail, you go up to speak and your mouth forgets how to form words and your mind forgets how to think in complete sentences, you get nervous about sharing the Gospel with your friends, or whatever, just remember: Not by your might, not by your power, but by the LORD'S Spirit, says God. You can conquer the world if you have Jesus on your side.

Love you guys. And happy Friday! :D Have a great weekend! God bless!

--Sonya :) <3

Get Over It (A Positive Spin)

So, the other night I was feeling kinda, you know, meh. A little bit on the not so great side of meh, really. And when that kind of thing happens, I'll either try to distract myself from it, which of course works so well until later, or I pray and read my Bible.

Okay, maybe it was a little bit more than just a little bit on the not so great side of meh.

I was kinda down. So, this time, I decided to pray and read my Bible. Well, I was praying, and not getting very much into it. Like, it was basically, "God, I feel messed up. I shouldn't really feel messed up, there are so many other people in the world who feel messed up that actually are, and here I am just being selfish and praying for myself, also there's my test and I'm just feeling so stressed out about it and I'm also supposed to be a leader and a role model and there're these people who're stressing me out and driving me insane and is it me or them and what can I do to help or should I just get outta the way am, I doing something wrong, please just HAAAALLLPPP" that kind of thing.

And I didn't really feel like I was getting anywhere. When I focus too much on myself, that tends to happen, and I end up feeling worse until I finally shut up and let God do some talking. So, I shut my mouth and opened up my Bible, and I saw the word 'Tiphsah'. The passage had something to do with Solomon and fighting and having peace from Tiphsah to some other place.

So, what does Tiphsah mean, anyways? I'm so glad you asked. I looked up the meaning 'cause, why not, and also, I like to understand what I'm reading and Hebrew names tend to have a specific meaning.

Tiphsah, according to Easton's Bible Dictionary via biblestudytools.com, means "passing over" or "ford," and the thought that hit me when I read that was, "God, are you really telling me to get over it?"

BTW, just so you know, I did pass that test I was freaking out about. So, hey, haha, God is good. :)

Anyways. Now, here's the funny thing about a 'ford.' It's literally a shallow place to cross over a river or stream.

You literally 'get over it'.

So, when someone tells you to get over it, we take it as a sarcastic comment. They don't get the pain we're going through. There is so much pressure around us, and they're just treating it like it's nothing and that we're being immature.

Truth is, we do need to get over it. The pain someone caused you? The pressure that's all around you? The depression you're going through? The loneliness and heartache? Think of all of those things that you need to get over. Now, think of them like a river that you have to cross. Or, better yet, a sea.

Sidenote: Did you know there are land bridges from Alaska to Russia? There used to be, anyway. Anyways.

The water's rushing over that path that you gotta take to get to the other side. It's slippery. It's wet. You might fall. Just sitting on your side of the river seems like the best choice, even though you know that, on the other side of the river, there's something so much greater for you.

The Children of Israel had to cross the Red Sea to be free from the Egyptians. There wasn't a way, but God made a way, and they took it. They also had to cross the Jordan River to get to the Promised Land, and God made a way, and they took that land.

There's a promise on the other side of your river. There's freedom on the other side of that sea. Are you willing to cross it? Are you willing to get over it?

'Cause, man, once you do, it's gonna be pretty stinkin' awesome. Oh, the battles you'll fight, the giants you'll slay, the promises you'll claim. All it takes is trusting in God, as you take one step, and then another, and then another, until you've finally made it to the other side.

So, my friend. Take this well-meaning, tryna-help piece of advice: Get over it. I believe in you. If there's one person who can do it, it's you. Cross that river. Cross that sea. What's waiting for you on the other side is better than anything you could dream of. And when there doesn't seem to be a way through that river or ocean, God will make a way. Trust me, He will make a way, just for you. :)

Love you guys. God bless! :)

--Sonya :) <3

More Thoughts of a Stressed Out, Procrastinating College Student

Soo I'm back. From Florida. Yuuppp. Back to real life, haha.

The waves, the baby sea turtles, the hanging out with family, the walking out of my room to find three extra kids in the living room almost every single day, man. We had a great time, I got a little bit of a tan, and we made some great memories.

I gotta admit, it was one tiring trip, too, but it was a nice break from reality in a way.

And now I'm back, I got tests to study for, decisions to make about which courses and tests to take (or drop, haha), not to mention church and singing and practicing and stuff like that.

Stressed? Yeah, I've learned to live with it. I know, I know, that's 'not a good thing to live with, I need to give it to God and let Him deal with my stress and just live very chill and not let anything get to me 'cause I gotta live by walking in His Spirit.'

All that jazz.

I get that I need to just 'give it to God'. But unfortunately, I'm not some kind of robot that takes orders without any thought. God gave me a brain, a life, and free will, so it's up to me what I do with it.

I've sorta had to learn the hard way that I can't be all things to all people. I can't be who you need me to be all the time. I can't be there all the time. There are some people that obviously I'll drop everything and run to help when they're in crisis, but there are others that I just can't.

You know why? Because they should know better by now. That, and it's not always appropriate. Like, I'm all for counseling/listening to a girl going through depression or just having a hard time in life, but if some guy says, "Hey I look up to you as a leader, therefore you should do X, Y, and Z," first off, that's just plain rude. Second, it's not your place. Third, is that even realistic? I've had it pretty great, good family, good church, good people to be around, but I know what it feels like to be used and manipulated and lied about. It hurts, man. Some people know why they got stabbed in the back, they can name every scar they've gotten and why it's there, I still have questions. To put it metaphysically, I look into myself, see scars and wounds and wonder why they got put there. I go through the whole, "Obviously I'm just a bad person who deserved it somehow, it's probably 'cause of that one day I just couldn't keep my mouth shut and flew off the handle, and so I'm being punished for it," or something stupid like that.

Truth is, it's not. I think God allows some things to happen that we don't understand, not because we deserve it, but because He knows we need to go through this refining process. He certainly didn't deserve the things that people did to Him, and He certainly didn't deserve the cross. So, in becoming like Christ, we go through things so that we can show people just how much God loves them, and loves us.

See, strength isn't about not breaking down. It's not about being able to carry the most. It's not about always having it together. It's not about repaying someone a hundredfold for hurting you.

Strength is about being broken, and continuing on. It's about getting stabbed, and coming back later to forgive that person who stabbed you. It's about being able to do the right thing when everyone else is doing the wrong thing and tryna get you to do it too.

I wouldn't say I'm a strong person. I break down pretty easily, I can be incredibly insecure, and I definitely don't have it all together. Just ask my best friends.

But because I know I'm not strong, I rely on Someone else to be my strength. I don't understand, but He does. I don't get it, but He does. I can't see, but He can. So, when I'm stabbed, when people turn on me, when I'm left alone, when I fall to pieces, I continue to live because I trust in a Higher Power that can repair the most broken of souls, purify the most corrupted of spirits, heal the sickest of bodies, and sees the beginning to the end.

He won't start something He's not gonna complete. You can believe that 'til the end.

So, 'giving it all to God' isn't just not worrying or thinking about your problems. You gotta deal with 'em, and you're gonna feel all stressed out. But you don't gotta do it by yourself. God'll talk to you about what to do, He'll lead you, sometimes He'll even take control and have you wondering how in the world you were able to deal with that crisis without freaking out. His hand's on your life. If it wasn't, you wouldn't be here.

Sooo to all of you going back to school, college, etc., the people who're already stressed out and barely hanging on by a thread, just know that it's not the end, and God's got a plan through all the junk and mess that you're going through. If nothing else, hang on to that.

Love you guys. God bless ya. :)

--Sonya <3

Update on Life #Idon'tevenknowwhatnumberanymorehaha

Here's an update on my life, for those who care: took a few weeks off of studying for college to focus on Bible Quizzing 'cause our coach totally cracked down on us and we basically entered a two-week pre-NABQT'16 boot camp. We tied 17th outta 54 teams, guys. So, basically we won 2 quizzes, lost the next 2, but ultimately did the best we could and that's all that matters. And on a high note, I answered the very last question of my very last quiz, and I got it correct, AND I outscored my genius-quizzer brother, AND I got a silver medal for the amount of points I scored.

Then, the Tuesday of NABQT'16 they had their annual Prayer and Share, which is basically where all the last-year quizzers get up and talk about what Bible Quizzing means to them and we thank more people than Paul did in Romans 16 (you think I'm kidding, I assure you, I'm not).

Long story short: lotsa tears, lotsa awesome testimonies, one guy got a standing ovation for his testimony 'cause MAN God's word is powerful and is a way out of the darkness that surrounds us, I did a Bible Quizzing parody of the Pokémon Season 1 theme song and totally forgot to thank everyone in my speech (sorry Mom, sorry Coach, sorry everyone else, I really do appreciate you all for everything you've done for me through Bible Quizzing the past 5 years and beyond),  it was awesome.

A lot of the last-years are high school graduates, about to be high school graduates, or already in college, so they've gone through some kind of graduation ceremony, I think. I've really never had any kind of graduation ceremony (and graduation from one Suzuki Violin book to the next doesn't count in my book). So, to be entirely honest, that night, I realized that wow, this is my graduation ceremony, and now I feel slightly aimless.

Bible Quizzing was, in all honesty, something I loved. I still love it, and you better believe I'm gonna help coach next quiz season. But it's kinda weird knowing I'm not gonna be memorizing 25+ verses each week, spending countless hours tryna make sure I got those verses down, quoting myself (or totally not quoting myself and putting it off until the week of the next tournament), and just doing the things you do as a quizzer. It's like, dude, one chapter of my life ended, this next one's beginning, and I don't know the name of the chapter or the theme, or how many chapters I have left.

It kinda freaks me out. Like, do I finish college and jump headfirst into ministry somewhere else, or do I test the waters out, go to Bible College, stay here and just try to hold down a job and save up money and eventually move out and stuff or what?

So many people have so many different answers. My best friend wants me to go to bible school with her down in St. Louis, another guy said I should go to this other Bible college in St. Paul, MN, one of my friends said I should just go to Bible college just so I get out of the nest and learn how to live on my own, I got people telling me I need to get a job and save up and move out next, I know I need to finish my BA, people want me to stay, people want me to go, and in the middle of all this, I'm just wondering, okay, what do I want and what does God want?

Two questions I need to keep thinking about. Obvs, some definite praying and fasting about these things specifically is gonna be happening in the near future. Time keeps moving forward, people keep moving forward, and I feel like I have three options: run for it, get swept up by it, or get left behind. Getting left behind is one of my biggest fears. Getting swept up by it is something that happens to me on a regular basis. Running for it... well, I stumble, fall flat on my face, panic 'cause I feel like I'm getting left behind, and then get swept up by it again.

Right now, though, I kind of feel like I'm a bystander. Watching everything happening, knowing I could probably do something to change something, not knowing what that something is, so I just keep watching, waiting.

I don't know. Sorry if I sound like a downer right now. It's a tangled mess in my mind. If any of you guys and girls got any insight, or ideas, or thoughts, or anything at all, feel free to comment. I'm tired, haha. Not sure if I'm just physically tired, or mentally tired, or spiritually tired, or a weird combo of all three. Anyways. There's the update on my life.

God bless you guys. Have a happy rest of your summer! Love ya! :) <3

--Sonya

P.S. Since I'm no longer a high school student, and haven't been for quite some time, I'm thinking of changing the name of this blog. Suggestions very welcome.

P.S. 2. I feel like I should mention that I started a wattpad. Name's Mysalia_Tor. I'll add a link to it later, or you can just search me up in the wattpad search box haha. If you'd like to see the random stuff I've been writing, you're free to look it up, comment suggestions, whatever you like. :)

Live With Regrets

Live with no regrets. That's some people's life motto, and a lot of people excuse to do really stupid things because hey, YOLO.

Live with no regrets? Please. You'll always regret something. Not being bold enough to stand up and correct someone. Not keeping your mouth shut. Not trying harder. Not doing what you should've done. Not doing what you feel like God told you to do that one time, so you missed your chance.

Look. It's impossible to live without regretting something. All you can do is pick yourself back up and keep trying. All you can do is just try harder and try to forgive yourself. Everyone's got regrets, even the people whose life motto is YOLO and 'live with no regrets.' In fact, I'd go so far to say that they especially have regrets, which is why they use those mottos.

"I'm not gonna live with any regrets anymore." Easier said than done, bub. There's always gonna be that split-second decision you gotta make, and you may just end up wondering, "What if I'd done something different?" later because you have time to rethink that split-second decision.

The point of this? Regret isn't a bad thing. Another word for it is 'experience.' Now you know in this particular situation what not to do, or what to do, and I can just about guarantee that you'll be able to use it later.

Living life to the fullest isn't a bad thing, to those of you who've made that your motto. It's just a bit vague. What does 'living life to the fullest' mean? Does it mean I should just randomly buy a longboard and go on a cross-country adventure? Buy an expensive trip to travel the world? Or maybe just study harder? Ask that person out? Move to another job, or state, or country?

I regret a lot of things. I regret not being more honest with people. I regret not studying harder and not studying the way I should've. I regret the time I've wasted on people who only wanted attention. I regret not practicing my guitar harder. I regret not keeping my mouth shut when I should've. I regret not saying some things that I should've. I regret not keeping in touch with some of my best friends who've become strangers. I regret not being more social. I regret letting stuff going on in my life impact the way I treat the people around me.

I'm gonna live with these regrets for the rest of my life. The memories and the pain that each of them hold will probably fade as I get older. I'll look back over my shoulder and boy am I gonna get hit with a ton of regret some days, and other days I'm gonna be glad that I did some of those things. I guess what I'm saying is, you can go ahead and try not to live with any regrets, live life to the fullest, whatever that means to you. You only live this life once. Do it with a sense that you know you're gonna make mistakes and it's okay. Taking life one step at a time isn't always bad. Taking it one bound at a time isn't bad either, just make sure you don't accidentally bound head-first into a tree, or over a cliff.

Could be another regret, but one day you'll look back at it and laugh, 'cause you took the time to learn from that experience. In games, once you get enough experience you level up. In life, you do the same thing, but only if you actually learn from what gave you that life experience.

So pick your head up, live with that regret, forgive yourself, forgive other people, and keep on going. If you keep walking, eventually you'll end up somewhere, and that may be the place where you've been trying to get to all along.

Love you guys. God bless. Have a great rest of your summer.

--Sonya <3