Yes

The wind whipped mercilessly about him and the bench on which he was perched still held the evidence of the day's rain shower. Unfortunately, the cold did nothing to prevent the beads of sweat from accumulating on his forehead. Tony pushed his trembling hands into his coat pocket and eased his fingers around the small velvet box.

As we waited on the wet park bench, he thought back to the day they met. Jade and Tony were guests at a mutual friend's dinner party when she bumped into him, causing his red wine to spill onto his white shirt. She was mortified and apologized profusely, but Tony did not hear her. Her eyes caught, and captivated, his attention. When she gave him her name, he understood why her parents made that selection. Jade. The colors of her eyes created a green he had never before encountered. Tony knew then that they would be together. The pair had been inseparable since that moment. Now was the time to take their relationship to the next level.

Tony looked up and saw Jade walking toward him. Her coat was wrapped tightly around her body to block out the November chill that had already reached Tony's bones. She closed the distance between them and grinned at him. Jade's olive complexion was perfect. Her shoulder-length curly hair framed her face in a way that accentuated her high cheek bones. Tony stood to embrace her. She placed her hands on his waist and pressed against his body. Tony pulled his hands from his pockets and brought her lips to his. Jade smiled and her green eyes twinkled with delight.

Stepping back, Tony reached into his coat pocket. He removed the velvet box and handed it to Jade. Tears filled her eyes as she carefully opened the box. The excitement she felt was quickly replaced with confusion and then anger as she removed a house key from the box. There was a note tied to it that read: "Will you move in with me?"

Jade shoved the box and its contents at Tony and pushed her way past him. He had know that the box was a bad idea.

He ran after her and reached for her hand. Jade stopped and abruptly turned around. Anger and hurt colored her features as hot tears streamed down her face. Tony reached into his pocket and extended his closed fist to Jade. Reluctantly, she peeled back his fingers and read the words that were written on his hand: "Marry me". Below the two words lay a beautiful ring. Tony took her hand and slid the ring onto her slender finger.

She slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her. The Jade whispered, "yes".

# # #

Prints

she can still remember sitting up there
up where she could see endless seas and possibilities
up there where she understood her value
it was in those moments
spent on his shoulders that
she realized her worth

two bodies making one set of footprints
redundant mental picture shows flash images
images of the world from his vantage point
memories of secure exposure

when he put her on the ground
her feet brushed against a reality
she wasn't ready to face
forced to walk ahead leaving smaller prints in her wake

the indentations left by his feet become a vividly distant memory
and though many have tried to imitate that shoulder-top experience for her
no one has ever been able to duplicate his prints

spectators say that those prints should fade
his...his...his...theirs...hers...his....hers...theirs...
but as she walks, those should-be-fading prints seem to multiply
and she doesn't complain because they protect her

but as they shut out the loneliness and fear, angry faces and sinister smiles
they shut out caring hearts and open arms
so she chooses to walk alone with her head held high
surrounded by hundreds of footprints that left no impressions

signed,
me

Day 30 - Your Reflection in the Mirror

*sigh*

Finally at the end of the challenge. 30 days filled with soul searching and intense reflections. The different topics were intended (in my opinion) to bring me to this point...this day...this topic.

My reflection in the mirror:



I don't think I've ever really spent very much time looking at my reflection. Sure, I'm a little on the vain side...so I check the mirror from time to time to make sure my makeup is in order, or that my hair isn't doing it's own thing, or that I don't have something in my teeth...but have I ever really taken the time to look at myself?

All my life I've heard people say a lot of good things about my appearance. Smooth skin...slim and trim...nice smile...blah blah blah....but I couldn't see it. The days when I felt beautiful were few and far between. So when I did look in the mirror, I never saw anything special. What I could see were the bags under my eyes that I had inherited from my grandfather (thanks, Grandaddy!).

But the things that I overlooked were my strength, charisma, passion, and the love that I have for so many people. And so, here it is ...my final piece...
________________________________________________________________________

Look Inside


No matter what I see in this looking glass
Beauty is only skin deep
But go beyond the surface and understand
That all you've endured has made you who you are
The tears that poured from your eyes
Yielded gallons of strength and wisdom
Within your heart is a desire to change the world
And although people may never understand the depth of your love
It's hidden in every smile that crosses your lips
There is one thing that I have to say
No matter how strong and independent you may be
Showing your emotions isn't always a bad thing
Of course there will be people that try to take advantage of you
But don't allow them to define who you are
Remain true to who you are and what you stand for
Realize that there is nothing that you cannot do
And move forward with courage and faith in the God you serve
Never give up on love and happiness
Because your fairy tale ending is on its way
Most importantly, believe that you are beautiful...

________________________________________________________________________

Day 29 - The Person That You Want Tell Everything, but You're Too Afraid to

I wish I could tell you
All the mistakes I've made
I wish I could tell you
But you wouldn't look at me the same

I wish I could tell you
How that my self esteem is fried
I wish I could tell you
But I don't want to see you cry

Day 28 - Someone That Changed Your Life

At the risk of sounding overly religious/spiritual (not that I care), I'm going to have to say that the person who changed my life is the only one that's been with me from beginning to end - Jesus.

If you were to stop reading now because you're certain this post is going to sound just like everyone else's story, I won't be offended. However, if you choose to have an open mind and learn more about me...well...don't judge me! The things that I'm going to say may surprise some while others may be glad that I'm finally getting it off my chest. Whatever the case may be, I hope the Holy Spirit moves through this post and into your heart (if He's not already there).

----

In case you hadn't figured it out yet, my father passed away when I was a little girl. For a long time I was angry at him and at God...but I got over it. For 13 years I dealt with the pain in the best way I knew how...by burying it.

The summer between my freshmen and sophomore year was really strange. Nothing out of the ordinary happened...no traumatic event...I mean, I had a full-time job, I was involved with the praise team, and I was having a blast! But when school started, I was hit with a HUGE wave of sadness. I couldn't figure out what was going on, but I had no intention of taking the time to dive into the corners of my heart. Nope! That would require a lot of tears (which are pointless) and pain. So, I pushed everyone that cared about me away. It seemed like the logical thing for me to do. They seemed so happy, and I wasn't. There was no way I was going to subject myself to such torture!

I praise God for my true friends. No matter how hard I pushed them away, they clung to me...to the point where I was slightly annoyed with them (lol). I remember during AY one Friday night I was thinking about the upcoming semester and all the classes that i would have to take. I walked outside the building and began feeling overwhelmed. I stooped down and tried to slow down my breathing and steady my heart rate. One of my campus mothers came out of nowhere and knelt down next to me. She held and encouraged me. Eventually, I was able to breathe without sobbing, so I went back inside. Another time, one of my best guy friends saw me walk out the church (during another AY service) and followed me to my car. He sat in the passenger seat and asked me what was wrong. IMMEDIATELY, I started bawling. He put his arms around me and let me cry (for the short period of time that I would allow myself to cry). There were countless sermons that brought me to tears, pounds and pounds to tissues used to wipe me face, tear stains on many of my friend's shirts and pants...and none of them minded.

Anyway, I decided that it was time for me to get re-baptized. There was too much hurt and baggage in my life. I knew that in order for me to grow, I had to let it all go. First semester of my sophomore year, God decided that would be the time to break me. He broke down my barriers and reminded me of who He was and who He could be if I let Him in. And so, on February 21, I went down in that watery grave and came up baggage free.

I remember feeling like I was on top of the world. Nothing could bring me down from the spiritual high I was on at that time. God allowed me work through my anger and hurt. I refused to hold any more grudges. I was finally free...

Now, I'm not going to lie and say that everything has been peachy keen since then, but I will say that I'm not the same person that I was. By allowing Christ to come into my life, I (and those who have known me for some time) can see a change. I'm not perfect and will never claim to be, but I'm so glad I know a perfect Savior who saw fit to work on me.

Day 27 - The Friendliest Person You Knew For Only One Day

Well, I just met her on Sabbath at a lunch. While I'm not sure if I'll ever run into her again, she really was a sweetheart.

Day 26 — The Last Person You Made a Pinky Promise To

I don't recall making a pinky promise recently...

However, if I did, it would be to my mother (who is giving me the words to write this post right now).

My vow to her would be to not have sex until I am 50.

**she nods her head in approval and I roll my eyes**

Honestly, I don't remember the last pinky promise I made...but I would totally make one to myself.

What would it be, you ask?? Well that's easy.

I, Kelsey R., vow to make a difference.

See.....isn't that so much better than not having sex for the next 29 years?!?!

=)