but the greatest of these is love

So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
-1 Corinthians 13:13

Although I didn't realize it was from the Bible at the time, I first read this quotation perhaps a week ago in what has become one of my favorite books, Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. A few days later, I was reading my Bible - 1 Corinthians 13 - and chanced upon it again.

When I did, I felt a sort of connection to these words. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe it was because the words rolled off my tongue, like lovely poetry. Maybe because it's a verse that rings true.

And while I wasn't planning on doing a one word for 2011, I realized that this verse held the one word I need to keep in mind this new year:

Love.

I need to love this year more than ever. Love my family. Love God. Love my friends. My enemies. Myself. People I don't know now and won't ever. The people I do know, as much as I dislike some of them. Those in need of help, and those who aren't. I need to bring an open heart into every encounter so that I may be free to love as Jesus loves, without prejudice or profiling. 

This year, I need to love.

The Star-Spangled Banner

How many of you know the Star-Spangled Banner? America's national anthem?

Really know it? The I-can-sing-it-to-you-right-now know it?

I thought I did. I was absolutely positive I did.

But turns out, when we did a project on the Star-Spangled Banner, I didn't. I knew parts of it, but I couldn't write it down. I couldn't even sing the whole anthem to myself.

I had been positive that I had known it. But I hadn't. And I've lived in America my entire life. I was born here and have never lived anywhere else. How could I not know my country's anthem? And, truth be told, most of my classmates didn't know it, either.

It made me wonder: do other American citizens know their national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner?  I do, now, but do YOU?

Test yourself.... see how much of it you do know- open Word, or NotePad, or get off the computer for a minute and use a sheet of paper to write down as many parts of the Star-Spangled Banner as you can remember. Then see the real lyrics here. (Obviously I don't expect anyone to know anything past the first verse)

Did you know it? Or were you, like my classmates and I, a little rusty?

entering

I'm entering the DIY custom blog design contest at Makin Cute Blogs.

I'm also entering Ellyn's giveaway of her novel, Torn Heart:

the child at the redbox.

Lately I've been finding the adult American society way too childish for my liking.

Today, I found something that made it even more so.

I shall explain with the story of the child man at the Redbox.

My dad and I went to the Redbox at our local Walgreens to rent some movies today. As we drove up, and I was getting out, some other guy drove up as well. I got out and went to stand in line.

After I'd been standing there a good minute, waiting for the family in front of me to finish, that *$%@# man got out of his car, and went in front of me in line! Just cut me in line!

I'm sure I sound very childish with that last line, but that's about what he did. He acted like a little second grader - you know how standing in lines is so important to little kids.

I didn't say anything. I'm not sure why. Maybe I didn't know what to say. Maybe I just didn't want to sound childish and immature. Maybe I didn't want to... I don't know.

Now I'm regretting that I didn't say anything. That I just let him take advantage of me. Like it doesn't matter that just because I'm a teen, an adult can go and do that to me. People like that make me so mad!

And what's worse, right after my dad and I were done, the same sort of thing was repeated again. A man had been waiting in his car for us to finish, while some other guy drove up and jumped in front of him.

Had that man asked us if he could quickly rent something because he's in a hurry, sure, I'd have let him. Of course. I mean, while we were waiting for the child man to finish, a lady drove up and asked us if she could quickly just return her movie. We said yes.

It's people like that lady who restore my faith in humanity. Thank you, lady with long blond hair. You're amazing.

P.S: I've changed my Blogger username to my real name, Kinga. Also, my last post was very upset-sounding (thanks Brooke for letting me know) so I've decided to delete it. I was sort of frustrated at myself when I wrote it, I guess. So forget everything I said in that post, except that I got Photoshop CS5 Extended for Christmas :)