Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

A couple of weeks ago, some friends and I went paintballing (is that even a word?--oh, well, it is now). I was so nervous at first and I felt like a wuss...of course, not many people welcome the thought of tiny marbles being shot at your tender skin from an aggressive church-goer.

Well, I am so glad I went! It was awesome...again, apart from the marbles being blown at you through a gun. Seriously, the pain wasn't that bad and it only lasted a second (for most) and it was worth a 3 hour hunt to shoot down some of your closest friends. I found myself to be super cautious and I stayed "hunkered

behind a bunker" (as James says it in a hick accent). My strategy payed off, however, as I did manage to outlast all the competitors in one game. Yay...something should be said for those who "watch and wait". It was cool to see people take risks and come alive in that, too. I just came alive in a different way...

I hope to go again soon, but I think I should wait until my paintball "wound" officially heals...

Sweet Wendy

A friend from high school passed away in October and I went to her funeral this past Saturday. She would've been 28 this month, but she struggled with a rare form of childhood cancer and was finally taken home to be with Jesus.

Honestly, I hadn't talked to her since high school, but I knew she had gone to New York to pursue acting/modeling. She was doing fairly well up there until her brain tumor came back this year.

One thing that I was so encouraged by at her funeral was her ability to laugh at life and to take every moment like it was her last. She always seemed to live this way. I guess when you are almost taken at 12 years old and then get a chance to keep living, you think that way. But, it is foreign to me. I complain an awful lot and I don't pursue all the dreams that are in my heart because I keep thinking I will do some of them "later". There may not be a "later".


It is weird to sit in a room and see someone your age laying lifeless in front of you--sobering even. She had put together a scrapbook that chronicled her last months on earth and it was chilling. She had included journal entries, photos, quotes, bible verses, and prayers to the Lord to take the pain away. She had so much faith and belief in the goodness of God and I cried as I read her last page of the scrapbook. Scribbled out in her own weak handwriting, read,"This may be the last thing that I ever write..."

We'll miss you, Wendy Brantley. I'm so glad I knew her...