Madea-isms

*(Note: Madea is ghetto. Read it that way.)

~You can't change people son. I don't know what makes folks think they can change somebody. You can't change nobody, that is a waste of time…sittin around tryin to change somebody. Maya Angelou said it best. She said, "If someone shows you who they are, believe them."

~When you lie to people it makes people doubt everything you ever say from that point on or everything you ever said. All you gotta do is tell the truth.

~Get up and go on with your life. It's alright to sit around and be depressed for a minute. Cry about it, do whatever you have to, but don't stay there too long. Get up and go on with your life. This is what I learned in all my years on this earth: If somebody wants to walk out of your life, let them go. Especially if you know you done done everything you can do, you done sat around and been the best man or best woman you can be and they still wanna go, let em go. Whatever they runnin after they'll see what they had in a minute but then it's gonna be too late. Cause half these people you sittin around cryin about, in two or three years, you ain't even gonna remember they're last name. Let folks go.

~Some people come into your life for a lifetime, some come for a season. You got to know which is which. You're gonna always mess up when you mix them seasonal people up with lifetime expectations. We got people that got married with people they only supposed to be with for a season, and they wonder why they have so much hell in their life. That was a person that was supposed to come and teach you one thing. You didn't know it so you just fell in love, and now you wonder why don't got no peace anywhere you go.

~No, no…listen. I put everybody that come in my life in the category of a tree. Some people are like leaves on a tree. The wind blows, they over there. They unstable. Blows the other way, they over here. Seasons change, they wither and die, they gone. That's alright. Most people in the world are like that. They just there to take from the tree. They there to take and give shade every now and then. That's all they can do. But don't get mad at em, that's who they are. Some people are like a branch on that tree. You gotta be careful with them branches too cause they'll fool you. They'll get there and make you think they a good friend and real strong, but the minute you step out there on em, they'll break and leave you high and dry. But if you find you two or three people in your life that's like the roots at the bottom of the tree, you are blessed. They're the kind of people that ain't goin nowhere. They ain't worried about bein seen, don't nobody have to know that they know you, they ain't got to know what they doin for you. But if them roots wasn't there that tree couldn't live. You understand? When you get you some roots hold on to em. But the rest of it you let it go. Just let folks go.

~Ain't nobody said it was gonna be easy but it'll get easy when you learn how to love yourself. If you tell somebody that "what you doin is hurtin me and I need you to stop" and then they keep doin it, they don't care, move on, let em go. No matter how much it hurts, let em go. And it'll get easier I promise you. Every day it'll get easier and easier and easier. You just gotta make it through.

~You gotta learn how to be by yourself. People have to learn how to be alone. I don't understand people who go "I need somebody. Lord, where is my man, Lord where is my woman?" That is crazy... If you don't know how to be by yourself, what you gonna do with somebody else? Stop prayin about it. Shut up and wait. Go work on you. That's what that time is for, for you to go get yo'self together. You would be surprised at the things people put up with just to hear somebody say they love em. That's crazy. I don't understand it. I can't live in dysfunction, I'm sorry.

-Madea
"Madea Goes to Jail"

Brief Summary of '06

I want to try and sum up some key lessons of this year before it ends...

This year has been so unforgettable. What God has revealed to me in these very short 12 months will follow me for the rest of my life. More than anything He taught me how faithful He is. He showed me that I had put hope in someone other than Him...and that the person I placed so much trust in wasn't as faithful as I'd hoped he'd be. But God said, "I AM."

He showed me that His will will be done. Period. I can obey the first time...or I can learn the hard, painful way.

He pointed out to me that I put Him in a box, limited His power (in my mind), and put Him on a schedule.

He rebuked that.

He reminded me that He sent His son so that we don't have to live broken lives...He came to heal and restore.

He recalled the accounts of healing that are recorded in His word, and reminded me that without FAITH I won't be healed.

He blessed me with incredible friends...a "sisterhood".

He poured His love on me, and promised me that He will eternally do so.

21

I just spent 3 hours studying for my Macro final...well, technically, if you calculate all the ADD moments, i probably spent no more than 2 and a half hours. but, i'm just really over macro.

so, tomorrow's my birthday. andrew dubbed today my "birthday eve". cute. wait...let me start with Monday. i had a surprise party! yaaaaay! and i was really surprised...shockingly so...especially since Kati kinda told me that it was going to happen.

anyway...i am so excited about not being 20 anymore. 20 is definitely not for me. this was an extremely challenging year. i know it's almost over, but i think God will constantly use the events of this year to teach me, and to remind me of how faithful and personal He is. oh, and how no matter what, His will is going to be done...and if I don't obey the first, second, third...maybe even fifth time...it's gonna happen...and it's gonna be a whole lot harder and hurt a whole lot worse. i'm so glad He loves me enough, and has the patience to show me that.

let's see...what else shall i say...

Praise the Lord for the end of one more semester! 5 down, 5 to go...