Those movie moments

Some movies have moments that you just can't forget.

They are those epic scenes that have lasting power, mainly because of their boldness.

Think Braveheart: "Freeedddddooooommmmmmmm!"; Gone with the Wind: "As God as my witness, I'll never go hungry again"; Star Wars: "Luke, I am your father"; Dirty Dancing: "Nobody puts Baby in a corner"; Almost Famous: singing "Tiny Dancer" on the bus.

Or, you might be like me and prefer the cheesier type of flicks.

Think When Harry Met Sally: Billy Crystal's entire speech that ends with, "I came here tonight, because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible"; 27 Dresses when Jane interrupts a wedding reception to say to Kevin: "I think there's a pretty good chance that I'm falling in love with you"; A Cinderella Story: "Because waiting for you is like waiting for rain in this drought—useless and disappointing"; Notting Hill: "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her"; How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: "No I didn't, Ben, because you can't lose something you never had!"; The Cutting Edge: the end of the movie after Kate makes them do the really tricky ice skating move and then says, "I did it because I love you," to which Doug replies, "Just remember who said it first."

I may have reached a new low with one of my new favorite memorable movie scenes, but I really don't' care. It's just that awesome.

My sister made our family watch the movie Pitch Perfect on Christmas, and I thought it was going to be pretty ridiculous. Granted, it kind of is, but I actually ended up really liking it.

Especially one scene in particular.

At the very end of the film, during the final performance, Beca starts singing the song from The Breakfast Club that Jesse loves so much. She's obviously trying to win his love back after he had closed the door on her, and when she sings, "As you walk on by, will you call my name?" right before the "La, la la la," part, Jesse raises his hand in the air, and Beca raises hers as she belts her heart out, and the crowd goes crazy with cheers. It was really Jesse's silent way of saying he loves her and forgives her. The look on his face when he first realized she had incorporated this song into their medley was all you needed to see to know what was going through his mind and heart in that moment.

"I told you: the ending's the best part."

I think one reason I like this scene so much is because both Beca and Jesse let themselves be bold for the sake of love. There are lots of times in life where we have to step out and do things we fear: you might have to leave your job because you're being called to something else; you might have to sing out loud in front of other people; you might have to attempt to drive a standard on a public street; you might have to walk through a field on a dark night, not knowing just how many hoppers could possibly be lurking in the tall grass; or you might have to throw your hand into the air and let someone know you love him or her.

"As you walk on by, will you call my name?"

You'll never know unless you're willing to be a little bold.

Always lights

There's just something about Christmas lights that brings a smile to my face and lights up my heart.

One thing I think I love so much is how unique each house is. You have some who go all out (think Clark Griswold), and then you have others who just put up a few lights but still manage to bring joy to the front yard. Even some of my neighbors in an apartment complex put lights on their patios, and I think it looks fabulous.

It makes the loss of Daylight Saving Time feel less depressing.

I remember when I was a little kid, there was one house on a street near ours that was the main attraction every single year. The owner of the home was the man behind all of the MJ Designs and Michael's stores, and so his house always had not just lights but also decorative figurines out front that moved and brought joy to all of the kids and adults who visited. And, let me tell you, there were plenty of us. Cars and pedestrians lined the street every night during the holiday season just to pass by this house. It was marvelous and full of Christmastime charm.

It was unique, beautiful, and wonderful all at once.

I remember the first year this display disappeared from our city, and the owner moved from his home. I was so sad not to be able to go see it, because it was a tradition our family had come to love. One year my dad and I even went on a night run and stopped to take in the mystical scene in the crisp winter air. (I recall thinking that night that people were silly to try to say you are supposed to breathe in through your nose and out your mouth when you run. It felt impossible that evening, and I still don't think I can do it.) It's nights like those that stick with you forever.

There are many other houses out there that have Christmas lights each year that really lure people. I mean, just think about how many light lovers trek out to Highland Park to drive around or even take carriage rides to experience the thrill of the massive homes with superfluous decorations. Even surrounding trees in the neighborhood parks have lights that glisten on the ponds, and it all creates an aura of splendor and warmth, in spite of the cold temperatures that might be plaguing your fingers and nose.

Seeing the beauty in the Christmas lights just makes you forget about the unpleasant things in life.

I think people are a lot like Christmas lights in their own ways. We all have different stories, and we all have different ways of letting our lights shine. Some people are a bit shy, while others let their lights burn strongly into the night sky for as far as the eye can see. Some choose to have more sparkle and colors, while others choose a more consistent pattern. And some people don't let any light shine at all.

We were made to be unique. We were made to be beautiful. We were made to be wonderful. And we were made to be these things all at once. You shouldn't be afraid to let your light shine, and you shouldn't have to worry about how different your light is compared to someone else's. Because if you simply let your light shine you will inevitably draw people in just as they are attracted to Christmas lights.

But we don't have to wait until after Thanksgiving to be lit, nor do we have to dim anything after a certain day—we get to let our lights shine all year long, which is unique, beautiful, and wonderful all at once.

Crafting the heart

Sometimes my students impact me more than I ever could have imagined.

A few weeks ago, the members of my newspaper staff decided they wanted to take part in a service project of some sort during the holiday season and then write an editorial on how it impacted them. The editor-in-chief had the idea of hosting a crafts night at the Ronald McDonald House in Dallas, so I called to set everything up. My students seemed pretty excited, and I was proud of them for taking on this initiative.

Then the typical teenager attitude started to attack.

As the time got closer to the actual day of the event, my students didn't seem like they were putting much planning into the event. I reminded them each class about it, and it almost seemed like complete apathy had sunk in. When I went to tour the Ronald McDonald House a few days before our crafts night, I saw a few of the children who were patients in nearby hospitals. I immediately prayed my students would get more excited about spending time with these precious kids, because I knew how happy it would make the children's hearts.

And I knew how happy it would make my students' hearts.

When the Sunday of the event rolled around, even I have to admit that I wasn't completely thrilled about having to drive all the way out to Dallas that night. But, as soon as I arrived, I forgot all about how tired I was and how much I had to do in the upcoming week for work and life in general. When I walked into the crafting room, I couldn't help but let a huge smile dance across my face.

Because that's what happen when you see hearts in action.

Crafting with smiles

Only four of my students were able to make it, but they were already busy at work setting everything up and making their own crafts to show as examples to the kids. I didn't have to give them any instructions or prompting—they were working on their own, had brought all of their own supplies, and there was already a general glee in the air. They seemed really eager for the fun they were about to have with children who really needed to forget about reality for a little bit and just get to be kids at play.

We had about seven kids total make crafts with us that night, and I was so impressed with the way my girls put their entire hearts into this night. For a couple of hours, they forgot about homework, they forgot about makeup, they forgot about boys, they forgot about gossip, they forgot about Twitter and Facebook and Instagram, they forgot about every single stress they had in life, and they remembered what it was like to be kids again.

They remembered what it was like to love unconditionally.

It didn't matter that some of these children had deformities, handicaps or were facing life-altering illnesses. No one was there to judge, and no one was there to be judged. They were all simply there to make crafts—regardless of whether or not they realized they were also crafting their own hearts at the same time.

The children who made crafts with my students won't wake up and be cancer-free or escape the surgeries they might have to brave soon. But at least they got to forget about all of that for a little span of time on a December night in Dallas.

We are inevitably going to face pain and struggle in life, but love can overcome it all. Reading the reflections my girls wrote about their time at the Ronald McDonald House warmed my heart more than I can describe. They couldn't stop telling their classmates about their experience and all of the kids they were able to spend time with on Sunday, and they had such joy as they showed them some of the pictures they took with their new young friends. It's really refreshing to see light in a world that is full of far too much darkness.

In the midst of whatever storms rain upon us, love will always squeeze its way into our lives—and sometimes change our hearts forever.

Stamp my hand, stamp my heart

I think grocery stores are great places to have life-changing experiences.

There are just too many people you can possibly run into who say or do things that alter your world.

The other day I ventured into Tom Thumb thinking I would be leaving with a few more things for my pantry. What I didn't know is that I would also walk out with a heart full of hope and warmth.

When I was trying to navigate my way through some of the people in a crowded aisle, there was a little girl just standing in the way of everyone, not really caring that she was blocking the path where carts travel. Her mother was fussing at her, but she seemed to be intentionally ignoring her.

It was kind of funny, actually.

I was trying not to let the mother see the smirk on my face, so I looked down at the little girl and smiled. When I did, I noticed something in her hand, and she reached up to me with her ink-stained tiny fingers and said, "Want a stamp? It's a present." At first I thought she meant she was giving me a gift, so I figured I would appease her and let her stamp my hand. (Plus, she really didn't give me much time to respond—I'm pretty sure I would have gotten the stamp regardless of what I had said.)

Precious present

Before I knew it, there was a precious pinkish purple stamp on my hand, and, sure enough, it was a present.

It's not like I had a bad day or anything that day, but as soon as I got my new ink my heart felt full of joy.

I began thinking about how so many times in life we're blessed with presents we really weren't expecting. Sometimes people will surprise you with the way they act or the things they say. You might get a random text from a friend you haven't heard from in a really long time; you could be the 100th customer at Chick-fil-A and get free food; you may receive a compliment from a stranger on a day when you really need it; someone might give you a sticker just because; you could come home from a long day at work to find someone already made you dinner; you could get a kiss in a gazebo under a moonlit sky; you could check your mailbox and find a beautiful Christmas card from an unexpected sender instead of just the usual junk mail and bills; you might find $165 sitting on the ground at the gas station; or you could get a treasured stamp from a little girl who was in no rush to go down the chips aisle with her mom.

I used to think I hated surprises, but now I'm finding that I'm starting to like them more and more. Life is more fun when you don't know exactly what's going to happen. Some of the most precious moments in life come when people smile suddenly—it's beautiful; it's wonderful; it's enchanting.

"Want a stamp? It's a present."

Yes, it sure is.

What is pain? French bread.

Sometimes pain is worth it.

Even if it hangs around for a little while longer than you want.

On Thanksgiving, my family walked down to the park at the end of our street for a family football game. Skipper played all-time quarterback, so it was my sister and me against my mom and my brother. While Mare is not really an issue, P-Divvy and I usually end up having to double-team The Golden Child, otherwise he will just dominate the entire time. He's a lot taller than both of us, and he has a long history playing the game. Now, I was a pretty solid strong safety back in the day when we made pick-up games at cross country meets and practices, but I might admit that Chris can still manage to score a touchdown if I'm covering him.

It even gave me a little bit of pain to say that.

And I sure didn't walk away from the game without taking somewhat of a physical beating. It was third down, and we had just run a play my dad concocted that failed horribly. He told us to run the same play, except this time I was to fake what I did last time and instead run for the end zone, where he would hit me with a pass. We actually executed the play quite perfectly, and I jumped into the air, caught the ball, and then came tumbling down to the ground. I'm not exactly sure what happened next, but I think some sort of flip or somersault was involved. Either way, I crashed to the ground and landed on my head.

Now I know understand why the helmet is such a crucial component in football.

My head was killing me, and I felt like I couldn't move. My dad asked me if I had a concussion, as if I'm really expert enough to know the answer to that. All I knew was that I hurt. The end.

My mom made us quit the game at that point (well, after my dad made a short pass to my sister to score while my brother and mom were paying attention to me). I was sad to find out that I had fallen just inches short of the end zone. Talk about a double bummer.

When we went back to my parents' house, my mom made me sit with a bag of ice on my head while I watched the Cowboys game. I had a headache for the rest of the day, and my neck was sore for about the next three days.

Curling iron affliction

Pain. Worth it? Absolutely.

Most recently, I burned myself with a curling iron. This isn't the first time it's happened, and it's likely not the last. My sister had burned my face the week before (on Thankgiving, actually—gosh, that was a rough day for me), and it's definitely not uncommon for girls to burn themselves when trying to better their appearances. But I think they would also argue that it's sometimes the price you have to pay when carelessness occurs in the prep process. I mean, good hair trumps a little bit of a burn infliction.

Pain. Worth it? Duh.

There are lots of other situations in life that bring about pain but also end in better things or were at least worth some level of hurt. You might break your hand playing basketball with a bunch of guys and be in a cast for some weeks, but it was worth it to play on their level and outscore some of them; you might run a half marathon with a broken hip and be out for a little while, but you PRed the race; you might get a huge gash on the side of your stomach, but at least you had fun on that Slip 'N Slide; you could get a brain or heart freeze from drinking your Slurpee too fast on a hot summer day, but at least you quenched your thirst; and you might have your heart shattered into pieces by someone you thought was different, but at least you learned what it means to love.

And then there was Jesus, who had a lot more pain than we will ever feel while he was up there on that cross, and look what happened because of that. I think he'd say it was worth it.

Pain hurts, but it usually only lasts for a little while. Sometimes it's worth it, and other times you will find that it's not. But it's all part of the experience of life, and it's pretty unavoidable. It often leaves us with scars or memories that remain with us forever and become part of our storybooks and make us exactly who we are.

Definitely worth it.