Names...

Names… ah… We all have them, whether we like them or not.   Some of us have more than others.  My mom has no middle name; the Barlows have 2 middle names.  We all have names, and no matter how many we have, they each mean something.  My whole life, I have always known what my name meant.  At first, I asked my parents and they told me.  Then, I got one of those little cards that has a meaning and a poem on it.  Just throughout my life, I’ve figured out the meaning of my name.

Amy, which comes from the Spanish word for love, Amor, means beloved, or loved.

Christine, which is my middle name, obviously stands for Christ, or Christ-bearer.

I always put my name together, and saw it as “Loved by Christ” and I was proud of it. It’s an amazing name to have.  But, I never actually thought about how it compared to my life.

So, just a little while ago, I started thinking about it, while looking up the meanings of names on a website. I was writing something and I wanted to give a meaningful name to the character in the story I was writing.  So, I started with Amelia, thinking that it probably meant something similar to mine. And after going through a bunch of different names, I settled with Mandy or Amanda, which means “worthy of love.”  This is also very similar to the meaning of my name.  This got me thinking. 

I think I spend a lot of my time, probably way too much, telling myself that nobody loves me.  (Keep in mind, my blog is just a collection of my thoughts, so you’re going to read my imperfections a lot)  I always tell myself that nobody loves me. When people offend me, the first thing I can think of, is “oh they don’t love me.”  That’s just something I do that I need to stop doing...  So, when I was looking up meanings of names and when I started thinking about the meaning of my name, I just got surprised.  All of a sudden, I realized that the thing I say most. “Nobody loves me” is exactly the opposite of the meaning of my name.  My name, Amy, means “beloved.”  And I am loved. I am loved more than I think.  And it took 15 years with this name to figure that out.  I am “beloved” and I am Loved by Christ.  It’s simply amazing how a simple name given to you at birth could mean so much to you later in life.

My mom’s is another good example. My family and I are learning a lot about grace and what it means to give and receive it. It’s come up in a lot of situations this past year.  Well, I was looking up my Mom’s name, which is a really weird one, Anja.  And surprisingly enough, her name means, “Grace of God.”  At the time, I was looking this up; we had just finished talking about grace.  And my Mom says everyday that she is learning to show the grace of God to people around her.  Just the thought that her name means this is incredible to me.  (The little things in life amaze me) :)

Just name after name, you realize this. Rebecca Barlow, for my last example- She always talks about serving God and doing ministry for Him. You can hear her mention that in many interviews and from stage. Her name, Rebecca, means Servant of God. 

It just started with my little 3 letter name, that I always knew meant love, but I never applied it to my life.  Now I realize how important my name is to me.  Every day, my name is a constant reminder that I am loved, and I always will be. 

(The website I used was http://www.name-meanings.com, but I’m sure you can find others too)

So, starting in January, after Christmas, as a new year begins.. 2010, my blog's name will be changed to 'Loved By Christ' in honor of the meaning of my name. I probably won't change the address, but I am changing the name :)

So, I just wanted to share that with you. Have a good day!

*Amy :)

The Storms of Life

I hope you're enjoying my Christmas playlist :)

So, it's time to write about another picture, and I actually have had one planned this time.  I spend a lot of time on twitter if you couldn't tell.  Well, good thing is, I get a lot of inspirations from all the people I follow. So this week, Tiffany Thornton (Actress and singer) tweeted this:

"It is not when times are good that we understand what pure joy is, but in the midst of the storm... that is when we see God's true love for us."

I love that so much, and there are a lot of songs that go along with it real well.
Praise You In This Storm- Casting Crowns
Stay With Me- BarlowGirl
Stand In The Rain- Superchick

So, when I think of this, the thought that pops into my head is a rainbow.  Which is the picture I am using. 

What I think about with all this is that in order to get the beautiful rainbow, a storm has to occur.  I compare this to our life storms also.  In order to get the beautiful end result (rainbow) we have to go through the storm, just like Noah did in Genesis.   Our lives are hard and sometimes we don't know if the rain will ever stop pouring down on us.  But it's in those times, when we feel life is crashing down, that God is holding us.  Because God knows that there is beauty at the end, and to get there, we have to travel through the storm.  Life will not be easy. It's not meant to be, but if we hold our ground, stand in the rain, and walk through the fire then the ending will be like a rainbow, beautiful in every way.  Through those storms or tough times in our life, I think we learn that God is always with us and He won't let us go.

Another quote that Tiffany posted on her twitter soon after said this:


"It's not about telling God how big the storm is, but telling the storm how big our God is."

That rain, thunder, wind, and lightning will never compare to the power of our Perfect God.  God is stronger and bigger than all of those storms in our lives and when we go through them, we realize this.  The rain will continue to pour down, and the thunder will crash, but if we stand strong with the power of God, then the storm will pass, and the rainbow will come. 

I think that this is a really important message, because life really is a storm, a storm that we never think will end. But it's also so reassuring to know that with God, the storm will end, and the rain will stop because He is more powerful and stronger than all of it.  I love that Superchick song because of the lyrics in the chorus. 

"Stand in the rain, stand your ground, stand up when it's all crashing down."

With God, we can do this. We can stand up when the storms are crashing around us, because we have that power and that strength of God with us always.  The ending will come, and it, with all it's magnificent colors will be beautiful.  To get the rainbow, you have to go through the storm. 

*Amy :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

First of all, if you have noticed my new Christmas banner, I'll explain:  Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. You will probably notice that as December comes. So, last year I started celebrating and preparing for Christmas in September, because BarlowGirl's Christmas CD came out. This year, I waited a little longer, and started getting excited at the beginning of November.  So yes, my blog is ready for Christmas! :)

But today is really Thanksgiving, so happy Thanksgiving to all of you who are celebrating today!  A few years ago, I told myself that I would always make a list on Thanksgiving of all the things I was thankful for. One thing I've come to notice last year and the year before is that, I will never have enough time, paper, or ink to complete that list.  Thanksgiving really makes me realize truthfully how many things I am thankful for. People say that all the time, but try it for yourself. Just in your head, try to make a list of every single thing you are thankful for. You'll never stop coming up with new things!  Not just the obvious things like family and food, but just every little thing.  Like all the material items I have.  Or, the fact that I have been to another country multiple times, a lot of people have never been out of their home state. Or the fact that I have a sibling. I know a lot of kids would love to have a brother or sister.  Or even that I have the motivation to teach myself to play guitar... all of these little things can turn into an endless list of things that I am thankful for. I think that we never realize how much we actually have until we sit down and try to name them all.  More and more things will come. Little things and big things.  Like my parents that have a love for me and put up with me, or my Grandparents that are proud of me. Or even the simple thought that my Grandpa lived to be 80 years old before he passed away. Yes, I do wish it would have been longer, I always do, but I am also thankful that He did live that long. I think that all of these things are just so important and we don't see it until we actually think about it.  Which is why I love Thanksgiving. It's a time to think about all the little things in life that are so great and that we are so thankful for, because they're truly are very, very many.

Christmas is coming... but Thanksgiving is still a good holiday that we need to remember. Tomorrow, we can pull out our Christmas cds and decorations :) But just because we have Thanksgiving once a year doesn't mean that we can't be thankful all year long.  Each day is a day to be thankful for what we have. Thanksgiving just opens our eyes to that.

*Amy :)

The Love of Little Children

So 2 days ago on twitter, I was like, "Oh I'm so overdue for a blog, I'll do it today..."
And then I didn't. Like, I wasn't late enough already, I procrastinated again... so I will do it now.

So, while I've already mentioned twitter, I might as well write about a picture from twitter. I am following Natalie Grant, (Singer) and she posted this today:

My very first picture post, I was going to talk about this, but I didn't like the way it turned out, so let's see if I can make this one better.

If you have ever watched young children, then you can understand this. I assume that most of us have.  One thing I have always noticed about little kids is their simple love for everyone around them.  You can go into a day care or a Kindergarten class or the playground and notice this. Young children can make friends with anyone!  These kids don't care about the gender of the person, the color of their skin, their religon, their family, none of it matters to them. All they care about is making that person their new friend. It's so incredible to watch and think about. I think we can all learn something from this.  I'm the kind of person that does not make friends easily. It's really hard for me, I'm not a social person at all. So, watching little kids is really eye opening to me.

I think our biggest mistake is that as we get older, we become more judgmental and our standards for those around us get higher.  As we get older, we care more about the things like race, gender, family history, attitudes, etc. I'm not saying we have to make friends with everyone around us, trust me, I'm not saying that. But, the lesson I think we can learn here is that the little children are more like God, then we are. Little kids have this never ending love for everyone around them. And they're not scared to spread it.  This little girl in the picture is Natalie Grant's daughter, Gracie.  I love her tweet, because it says, "Gracie made a new friend." This little girl met this little boy just a few minutes ago, and now they're friends. It's amazing. An older person would be like, "Well, I met this person. And then there was this and this that I didn't like about them." I'm not saying everyone is like this, but a lot of us wouldn't be quick to call them our new friend.

I love the story I will always remember about my brother: He used to always come home from all these different places and be like, "I made a new friend." And my dad would always ask, "What's his name." My brother's answer would always be, "I don't know, but he's my friend." I love this, because it shows that not even names matter. My brother made a new friend, and whether he knew his name or he was ever going to see him again or not, for that short moment in time, he was his friend.  And he loved him for who he was, no strings attached.

I think that this displays the love of Christ.  God loves everyone, no matter what for who they are.  God made everyone who they are. I think that the way we look at people around us should be more like little children. We look around and make small judgements in our head about everyone around us.  It's harder for us to make new friends because there wil always be a fault in someone.  For little kids, it doesn't matter. They will walk up to anyone, no matter what age and just ask them to play.

My dad has an old friend and her picture on skype has a picture of her little kids, and it says, "Mommy wants to be like us." I'm sure everyone knows the phrase, "I want to be like Mommy." Well, they turned it around.  Little kids don't need to grow up fast. I think we all need to grow up slower. Little kids can enjoy the smallest things in life and be happy.  You tend lose that when you get older, but I don't think you have to.  Love doesn't come with restrictions or judgments. Love is simple. As simple as little kids make it.

*Amy :)

My BarlowGirl Experience (A.K.A. Best Night of My Life)

The VIP ticket hangs around your neck as you step into your second row seat at the Christian Heritage Church in Tallahassee. The stage is full of instruments and a huge Superchick back drop.  You see a familiar face as BarlowGirl's best friend and personal assistant, THE Beka Hardt comes out.  She introduces Superchick. They come out and answer questions. As Superchick leaves, BARLOWGIRL walks in and has a seat at the front of the stage. They answer your questions and stick around to take pictures. Alyssa Barlow puts her arm around you and says she likes your shirt as you stand next to her and get your picture taken.  That was only the beginning of the greatest night of your life.

Or... my life.  That was the start. Last night, Friday, November 13th I went to Tallahassee, Florida for the last show in the 'BarlowGirl/Superchick Live Tour' and it the word 'amazing' cannot even begin to describe it.
After the meet and greet, my brother, friend, Hannah, and I sat in our seats for a little more than an hour and waited for the show to start.  VOTA came out first.

They were amazing. I only knew one song, but they did a great opening show.  Not to mention, this just happened to be Prank Night, so we got to see some crazy, funny stuff happen. A guy from Superchick ran on stage and stole the lead singer's microphone stand. He picked someone from the audience to hold his mike up for him. It was great! They were great!  Afterwards, my brother Mike got a pretty awesome picture with the lead singer:

 Next, came Superchick. One word.. WOW! I came to see BarlowGirl, but Superchick was amazing! I have their new cd and I love it. So singing along to the songs was great.  They're amazing people and I really love their music.  Proves that girls can rock. The girl guitarist sure rocked it and she was incredible. Plus, I totally want her guitar :) The guy guitarist also rocked it, he played with his mouth and behind his back. TALENT. Jumping and dancing to the girl empowering songs was awesome. It was a highlight of the show.

Well, you know who came next..... BARLOWGIRL.  I can't even say 'Amazing' or 'Incredible' because those words don't cut it at all.  BarlowGirl can ROCK and roll super hard and also make you tear up with their slow songs.  Becca is the most amazing guitar player ever and rocks at bass too. Alyssa is such a talented person. She is an amazing speaker and can play bass and piano at the same time. She's incredible and so sweet. Lauren is the rocker. She can jump, head bang and beat those drums like crazy.  They're all inspirations and seeing them live up close was beyond words.

 

As if I wasn't already the happiest person in the world, the night just got better...

I waited for about an hour and met them. I met the 3 most amazing girls in the world.

And they signed my poster and took pictures with all 3 of us.  I don't think I could have been any happier than I was at this moment: (1st is Mike, then me, then Hannah)

Perfect ending, right? Well, one more thing... Lauren, the drummer... (Beautiful blond all the way to the right) loved my poster so much, she posted it on her twitter! (http://twitter.com/laurenabarlow)

She told me she loved it and then took a picture of it with her iphone.

I gave Becca (Middle in the picture, oldest sister) a birthday card at the beginning of the show and she thanked me for it in the signing line...

Alyssa (Middle sister, all the way to the left) was the sweetest person I have ever met... they all were. This was the most incredible night of my life. NO doubt.

THANK YOU BarlowGirl for this incredible experience and for making my night.

Thanks to Superchick and Vota too. They rocked it!  And thanks to my parents for buying these tickets and taking us.  We'll never forget this night.

Constantly Changing

I'm a few days overdue for a new picture.
So, we were' driving home from Jacksonville a few weeks ago and I was just staring ahead. (I lost my MP3 player, so I was kind of bored) Anyways, I was staring at the sky and when I looked away for literally like a minute, the sky would look completely different when I looked back.  It was so crazy. It was changing dramatically and I didn't even notice it. One second it was blue, the next it was gray. One minute it had big clouds, the next minute there was none. It was so strange, but cool to watch the sky change like that and I didn't even know it.  I couldn't watch it change, it just did.

Well, again, like always, this got me thinking.  God is kind of the same way.  He is constantly working in us, changing us, but we don't always notice it. I think that a lot of times, we think that God isn't working in us. We get frustrated because we think God isn't changing us. But in reality, He is and we just can't see it yet.  Just like the sky changes in seconds, without me even realizing it, God changes us, we just don't always notice it.  I didn't know the sky was changing. I didn't know that if I looked away and looked back, it would be different. It just happened.  God is working inside of us, each and every day.  We might think He isn't, but He really is.  A long, long time ago when I used to go to Sunday School, my teacher always talked about faith. I will never forget, every time she said the word, she would ask the same kid what it meant, because she liked his definition. He always said, "Faith is believing in something you can't see." That applies here too.  We don't always feel like God is changing us, we don't always feel like He is working inside of us, but He is.  And we just have to have faith that He is.  I couldn't see the sky changing, but I believed that it was because it was different.  I guess in this case, you don't have to see it to believe it. :) That miraculous sky that was once gray, turned orange in a split second. Maybe, in this split-second, God is changing something inside of you. You may not see it now, but you will. And it will be beautiful, just like the sky.

"In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." 
1 Corinthians 15:52


*Amy :)


P.S. Guess where I'm off to on Friday?! BarlowGirl/Superchick concert!!! SOO excited! Cannot wait to post pics when I get back!!!!!

Selena Gomez- 'Kiss And Tell'

So, my blog isn't exactly a "media review" site. (I need to start one of those) But, I read a lot of reviews and after reading one for Selena Gomez's album, I decided to write one myself. I wasn't going to post it, but I guess now I am.  So, here is MY review for Selena's album, 'Kiss And Tell.'

Selena Gomez, ‘Kiss and Tell’

A review by Amy C. Yarick

Disney’s favorite wizard and Barney’s young friend, Selena Gomez has released her very first album, ‘Kiss and Tell.’ When starting her music career, Selena said that she didn’t want to be a solo act. She liked the feeling of the band and grew up with that type of music.  ‘The Scene’ is Selena’s band. The title of the album is called ‘Selena Gomez and The Scene, Kiss and Tell’ but Selena states that later on she would like to change it to just the ‘Scene.’  As another Disney teen girl, obviously most of Selena’s songs center around relationships and boys. That’s what most girls her age sing about.  Even though this is her album, Selena actually only wrote one song, probably my favorite on the whole album.  When talking about this album, Selena usually talks about one main thing and that is the feeling of the music.  In each song, Selena wants you to be able to tap your foot or dance. She wanted it to be empowering and fun for all girls especially, but also something that the parents would like. 

‘Falling Down,’ the first single for ‘Kiss And Tell’ is much like Demi Lovato’s song ‘La La Land.’  ‘Falling Down’ talks about the elastic smiles and plastic faces in Hollywood and what it’s like to live in that environment.  The song that Selena actually wrote herself is called ‘I Won’t Apologize’ and talks about being happy with being you and not pretending.  This shows her heart which says ‘I won’t apologize for who I am.’ In my opinion, this is the single most important message that most teenage girls need to hear.  As a teenager, conforming and changing for other people is something that we always feel we have to do. Through this song’s message we learn against that. We don’t have to change for a guy.  We don’t have to apologize for being who we are.  For the one song that Selena actually wrote the lyrics to, I think it’ a very good message.

One Christian movie review states, “Selena straddles the line between family-friendly entertainer and sensual starlet.”  Yes, she mentions ‘kissing’ in a few of her songs, yes she talks about love. She is a young, teenage girl living in and around Hollywood and Disney. I think the one mistake we make is comparing each of these girls to people like Britney Spears.  We all just assume that because they’re young and in Disney, they’re going to mess up, but that’s not the case for everyone. Selena wanted to create an album that is fun and empowering. In my opinion, she succeeded.   You can dance, you can sing along, and you can nod your head to Selena’s fun songs.  She made every one of her 3 million fans happy, which is what she wanted to do with this album made specifically for them.  In a lot of these reviews I read, people seem to want to pick out all the little things that are wrong, instead of focusing on the person and the music. The way we interpret a lyric may not be the way the writer wrote it.  Sometimes we have to look at the whole picture, the whole person and the whole concept instead of nitpicking at every little word or line of these songs.  Selena thanked Jesus Christ in her album thank you’s. She realizes that without Him, she wouldn’t be here.  Just because she talks about boys in her songs, and just because she wore a shirt that we don’t like or fishnet stockings, doesn’t mean that she’s a “bad” person or a “bad” influence.  Selena is who she is and she knows it. In a recent interview, talking about her body and if she feels uncomfortable with anything, Selena says, “I think God made you who you are, embrace it.”  Selena is an inspiration to many, many girls and guys also.  Instead of trying to look for her imperfections, let’s love this UNICEF ambassador for setting an example and being who she is.  

100th Post- Answers

Ok, now I promised that no matter how many questions I got, I would answer them. So, I will :)
Thanks to my cousin from bringing the one up to 2 :)

So, here you go.

1. Sal asked:
Why did you decide to start doing photography and how did you get started?

Ok, so my cousin is an amazing photographer. (Website) and my other cousin also has a big passion for it. (Blog.)  Besides just them, I always go on photographer's websites and look at their pictures. My favorite used to always be BarlowGirl's cousin, Sarah (Website) She is so good and I used to be so jealous that people could take pictures like that. They're so fun to look at... so anyways, a few years ago I bought a small, very bad quality camcorder.  My purpose for buying it was to take videos. But when I figured out it would take pictures too, I got excited and started taking pictures of EVERYTHING. I had hundreds and hundreds of pictures. I was so proud of them too.  When I opened my eyes and realized how terrible quality they were, I saved up and bought a good camera, which I use now.  I don't really do it a lot, but when I go places or I feel like it, I take pictures... I have one brother who I use as my model and also my dog. I like taking pictures of things like my guitar and books and pens...etc.  So, that's how I got started. Inspiration from other photographers and a wimpy camcorder :) I decided to start taking pictures because it's fun. I really like seeing the result from doing it.  Pictures can say so much and it really makes you feel great when you take a really good one.  But I don't think I'll ever go professional. It's really just a fun hobby.
If you want to see some amazing photographer's work, here are the ones I love:
Joy Wilson
Danette Chappell
Incandescent  (My cousin)
Sarah Anne
Jessica Mooney
Cassie Scott
Gheman Photography
Olive Tree

2. Melissa asked:
What fictional character do you think you are most like-and of course- why?  

This one really had to make me think. I know so many fictional characters... hmmmm...

A fictional book and movie character, I would say Lucy from The Chronicles Of Narnia. Lucy is the youngest, unlike me, but I feel like she's the strongest.  When all the people around her try to plan and figure out the way to do things, Lucy puts every inch of her trust and faith in Aslan. She knows that only He can save them and help them.  The scene I will always remember from the 2nd movie, Prince Caspian was close to the end.  Both armies are running and in battle. They are going full speed as fast as they can and then they stop. They get to a river, and before they move forward, Lucy appears from behind the hill.  Small, weak, young Lucy with a tiny sword in her hand.  They all stand there, looking at her, probably thinnking, "What? Is that suppose to scare us? That little girl?" And then right before they run towards her, Aslan appears from behind Lucy and stands right next to her.  That sight of Aslan gave them all some fear, I'm sure.  This is how I feel.  I am so weak and helpless by myself. But with Christ standing next to me, I am strong and noone can hurt me.  I don't think I'm as fearless or as strong as Lucy just yet, but I strive to become more like her every day.

Out of all the fictional characters I know, she is definitely the one that I compare myself to the most. 

Thanks for the questions!!! If ever you want to ask more, I will gladly answer! :)

*Amy

Jessica Long: Strength, Perseverance, and Determination

99th post! Yay! So, it's picture time! I was going through the week with absolutely NO ideas for a picture post at all and then all of a sudden, 2 hit me. So, the one I will choose first was inspired by my mom. Yesterday, she was talking about how there are so many people out there that lose things like their legs or arms. No matter what it is, they keep going and they keep living life. They don't let that stop them and move on.  She was talking about her desire to be like this. Not to the extreme of losing body parts, but just being able to take any situation, embrace it and move on from it.  When she was talking about this, I had the perfect example.  I used to get the Brio magazine, when it existed and one month there was a feature, cover article on a girl names Jessica Long.  She is an olympic swimmer that has won 9 championship gold medals.  But she won these medals without legs.

Jessica grew up in an orphanage when she was a child, and then she was adopted by her parents when she was 2 years old.  They adopted her knowing that she didn't have most of her legs.  Jessica grew up, like anyone would expect, struggling a little with her condition at first, but now she says she would not change it for the world.  Although Jessica realizes, she can't do everything, she plays basketball, swims, does gymnastics, roller blades, skis, was a cheerleader, etc. She is only 17 years old.  I don't do any of this now, and I have 2 full legs.  Jessica never took any physical therapy and stayed determined through her whole life to learn to do things on her own without any help. She used to fall over a lot when she first wore her prosthetic legs. Her parents tried to help her, but she didn't let them. She embraced who she was and said she would learn to do all these things on her own.  As she grew up, Jessica has competed in many, many Olympics and won many times.  She does things that even normal people can't do. 
      Jessica's life has had things happen to her that most of us couldn't imagine.  She grew up without legs and she was adopted.  Jessica didn't let those things in her life bring her down or keep her from reaching her goals. She had determination, perseverance, and strength.  She moved on from those problems and embraced them. That's who she is and she knows it.  Jessica is still doing these things, accomplishing her goals. She let her problems or her diabilities make her stronger and she said herself she wouldn't change it for the world.  33 American records, 15 world records, and 3 gold medals.  All of these came from that mind set of not letting anything get in the way. This is her life and she plans to live it to the fullest.

(Learn more about Jessica- *HERE* and on her *WEBSITE*)

Disability or none, we all need to be like this.  We were all made a certain way and no matter how difficult and hard life gets, we will always be the same person.  Those difficult times and those hard things can't stop is from living our life.  We just have to push past them and move on to greater things.  That's determination and that's strength. 

*Amy :)