VERSE OF THE DAY!

God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.
—2 Timothy 1:7

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Power! We like that concept. When it is godly power, might does make right because godly power is accompanied by love and self-discipline. These three together make a person's life effective, constructive, and corrective. Live life to its fullest: not as a closet Christian afraid of standing true and firm, but one who lives by God's power, shares God's love, and displays God's virtues.

My Prayer...
Holy God, you are without compare in your majesty and might. I have no right to come into your presence and yet you have invited me here by your love and your grace. You are my Rock, my Fortress, and my Strength. I depend upon your guidance and your mercy to sustain me through my storms and reclaim me from my stumbles. Holy God, you are without compare and I worship you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

PEARLS

James 5

New Living Translation (NLT)

Warning to the Rich
1 Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

Patience and Endurance
7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!

10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.

12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.

The Power of Prayer
13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

Restore Wandering Believers
19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

BROWNIES ... YUMMMMMMY!!

HOW TO MAKE BASIC YUMMY BROWNIES

(( Recipe from AllRecipes.com ))

Ingredients:

Original recipe makes 16 brownies

 1/2 cup butter

 1 cup white sugar

 2 eggs

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting:

 3 tablespoons butter, softened

 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

 1 tablespoon honey

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

`Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.

`In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

`Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

`To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons softened butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Stir until smooth. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

Here are a few pics I came across of some yummmmmmy brownies :)

VERSE OF THE DAY!

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
—1 John 3:18

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
"Talk is cheap!" "You can tell me with your words, but I'll show it with my life." "Put your life where your mouth is." We know the slogans; now let's love in truth. In a world where barter has replaced sacrificial and steadfast love, let's go against the grain and truly love in our words and actions.

My Prayer...
Sacrificial Father, I confess to you that at times I am selfish. Other times my intentions are good but my follow through and faithfulness are lacking. Use your Spirit to empower and enable me to be what I hope to become to your glory. May your love be seen in my actions of genuine concern today. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

James 4

New Living Translation (NLT)

Drawing Close to God
1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? 6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud
    but favors the humble.”
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Warning against Judging Others
11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

Warning about Self-Confidence
13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.

17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

VERSE OF THE DAY!

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
—1 John 4:9

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Love is an action. The Bible stresses this truth again and again. Love must not only be spoken, it must also be shown. The beginning of love is God. He showed his love in the most sacrificial of ways so we could know our incredible value to him. The price of our adoption was the emptying of heaven of its greatest treasure, God the Son, who is our Savior.

My Prayer...
Loving Father, thank you for adopting me into your family. I can never thank you enough nor ever repay you for your kindness, but please receive the service of my life as my ongoing thanksgiving for your grace and my small way of trying to share the love you have given me. Through my Brother and my Ransom I pray. Amen.

James 3

New Living Translation (NLT)

Controlling the Tongue
1 Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

True Wisdom Comes from 
13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

VERSE OF THE DAY!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.
—Matthew 22:37-39

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Some things are just not very complicated. Living for Jesus can be boiled down to two principles: love God with everything I am and have and love others and treat them like I would like to be treated. Not too hard to understand. I guess it's the living it that is the challenge!

My Prayer...
O Living and only True God. Please accept the work of my hands, the words of my mouth, the moments of my rest, and the love of my heart as my worship to you this day. I pray that these are pleasing and refreshing to you. In the name your Son, my Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen.

PINK !

James 2

New Living Translation (NLT)

A Warning against Prejudice
1 My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?

2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4 doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?

8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. 11 For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.

12 So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. 13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

James 1

New Living Translation (NLT)

Greetings from James

1 This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.
Greetings!

Faith and Endurance
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

Listening and Doing
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger[g] does not produce the righteousness[h] God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Red Velvet Pancakes

AllRecipes.com

Who doesn't like anything red velvet?!

Here's an awesome recipe for some red velvet cupcakes

Ingredients
1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons red food coloring
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions
1. Prepare the cream cheese glaze by beating the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Thin with 1 tablespoon milk or as needed to achieve a pourable consistency. Set aside.

2. Whisk the flour, white sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt together in a bowl until evenly blended; set aside. Beat the eggs in a separate mixing bowl until smooth. Whisk in 1/4 cup milk with the buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, vinegar, and food coloring. Stir in the flour mixture until moistened. Drizzle in the melted butter, and stir until the butter has incorporated and small lumps of flour remain.

3. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter. Drizzle with the cream cheese glaze to serve.

VERSE OF THE DAY!

We love because [God] first loved us.
—1 John 4:19

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
It's all very simple. God is love. He is love's origin, example, and architect. I love because he loved me first. I know how to love because he has demonstrated it. I can love because he made me in his likeness and to share his character. He is the fountain, the motivation, and the pinnacle of love. I love because he does, first, last, and always.

My Prayer...
God of comfort, thank you for comforting me with your love. Just as a child learns from parents how to do so many things, I want to learn to love as you do: sacrificially, selflessly, and submissively so that others may know that they do not have to earn your love, only receive it. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

How To Sleep Yourself Skinny

For all you insomniacs out there, I’m going to share a few tips below that will help you log in those healthy eight hours every night. But first, you need to know how this beauty sleep will help you lose a few extra pounds…

Getting enough zzz’s each night will:

1. Keep your hormones in check. 

Studies show that a lack of sleep can throw your hormones out of wack and increase your appetite during the day. According to Hello Beautiful, when you don’t get enough sleep, the production of the hormone leptin, which controls how satisfied you feel after eating, can decrease. You also have growth hormones in your body that help to heighten and control your appetite. Not getting enough rest causes this hormone to decrease, and you won’t burn energy as fast (Fit Day). Simply put, people who sleep less often weigh more.

2. Give you the energy to get up for your early morning workout.
We’ve all been there before: You go to sleep past your bedtime and hit the snooze button instead of heading into spin class. While our bodies do need sleep in order to have an effective workout, ideally we should really be doing both. Logging in a workout and enough sleep will help to rev up your metabolism, burn extra calories, and allow your muscles to repair each night after exercising. Plus, if your body is tired it will be easier to fall asleep at an early hour.

3. Keep you mentally alert.
Getting enough sleep could mean that you’re alert enough to say no to that sugary doughnut at your morning meeting. When our brains aren’t functioning properly due to lack of sleep, our thoughts become groggy and our decision-making isn’t as strong. For this reason, snoozing will help you to keep long-term health and diet goals in check.

Now that you know how much good a little sleep can do for your body, here are five tips that will help you dream the (entire) night away:

1~ Set a bedtime for yourself. Keeping a consistent bedtime will encourage you to get the same amount of sleep each night, which should ideally be 7-9 hours. According to Livestrong, if you get four hours of sleep some days of the week and ten hours of sleep on weekends, you will still be susceptible to gaining weight. After sticking to your scheduled bedtime for about two weeks, it will become a habit.

2~ Wake up earlier. If you have a schedule that allows you sleep until noon, you will probably be tempted to stay up later at night, which can throw off your natural sleep cycle. Our bodies are programmed to sleep at night when it’s dark outside and wake up with the first light of dawn (Health.com). Going against this might make it harder for your mind to shut off for an entire eight hours.

3~ Create a peaceful sleeping environment. Make your bedroom a tranquil oasis—one that feels like a comforting and relaxing place to sleep. That means separating your workspace from your personal space (Yes, I’m talking to all of you bloggers out there who work from home). Watch TV in your living room instead of your bedroom, vow to stop checking emails an hour before bed, and above all, make sure your bed is extremely comfortable!

4~ Cut back on caffeine later in the day. This is one that I personally have trouble with as a coffee addict. But I’ve found that limiting my caffeine cravings during the day (especially past noon) helps my brain to have enough time to shut down by the time I head home from work. Plus, sugary vanilla lattes and energy drinks won’t do anything to slim down your figure.

5~ Don’t eat late at night. Besides the fact that eating late at night can lead to eating more calories than you need throughout the day, this bad habit can also give your body a boost of late-night energy if you’re snacking on sugary foods (Nutrition). Your digestive system needs to get rest each night so that it can do its job digesting your food for the entire next day. If you eat right before you hit the hay, you might find yourself waking up with indigestion in the middle of the night and your metabolism can slow down too.

In conclusion...

RANDOM SWEETS!

VERSE OF THE DAY!

Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.
—Ephesians 2:4-5

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Of all things to be rich in, I cannot think of anything I'd prefer the Holy God to be rich in than mercy. I know my failures, shortcomings, sins, and transgressions. Without his mercy, to pardon again, and without his grace to send Jesus to pardon at first, I would be lost and without God. Now, because of his rich mercy, my life is tied to Jesus' future and not the one I earned for myself.

My Prayer...
Father of all grace and mercy, thank you. Thank you for being God like you are God. Thank you for extending grace when I have not deserved it. Thank you for giving mercy when I most needed it. Thank you for giving life when I thought my life was doomed and hopeless. May my wealth be in mercy and grace much more than money and gold. Help me be more like you. In the name of Jesus, my older Brother and Savior, I pray. Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY!

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
—1 John 4:18

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
What is there to fear since God sent his Son to die to redeem us? What is there to fear since we cannot be separated from the love God has for us in Christ Jesus? What is there to fear except ourselves, and God has poured his Spirit into our hearts to reassure us and strengthen us in our weakness! As we love God and his children, we are reminded of his love for us which is far better than our meager love for others. Rather than run from him in fear, we bow before him in thanks knowing that he who hears our prayers is also he who loves us and yearns to calm our fears.

My Prayer...
Loving Father, thank you that I can reverence you without fearing your wrath. Thank you that I can revere your word and yet not be terrified with my inadequacies. May your love in me produce a closer likeness to your holiness, righteousness, justice and mercy than all the laws, threats, and judges combined. I pray in the mighty name of Jesus, who ransomed me from sin and poured out his love upon me. Amen.

Kat Dahlia - Crazy

New joint by Kat Dahlia...

Signs You’re A Creative Person

The world would be a dreadful place without creative people. Could you even imagine life without art? The thought alone makes me tremble. Could you be the next William Shakespeare, Steven Spielberg, or J.K. Rowling? Find out with these 20 signs you’re a creative person.

1. You have an authority problem.
Creative types don’t always get along well with management because they would rather march to the beat of their own drum.

2. You have a hard time relating with people.
Most people have a strong desire to fit in, something that you don’t understand. Conformity is gross.

3. You like to solve problems.
While most people are running and hiding from problems, you purposely seek them because you love nothing more than a fresh new challenge.

4. You are your own worst critic.
You wrote a blog many months ago and thought it was wonderful at the time you published it. But then you read it again later and wonder, “What the hell was I thinking?” You then identify approximately a thousand ways it could have been better and kick yourself for being so stupid.

5. You ask lots of questions.
A stagnant mind devoid of curiosity doesn’t have the capacity to create.

6. You carry a notebook everywhere you go.
Because how else can you remember all those brilliant ideas that strike you on the fly?

7. You find beauty in the ordinary.
Creatives live in the present and are in constant awe of the world around them.

8. You are numb to rejection.
Let’s face it: it’s a hard world out there. If becoming a writer or actor or artist was easy, a lot more people would do it. Getting that dreaded rejection letter stinks at first, but eventually you become able to just shrug it off and go on to the next one. 

9. You understand the power of atmosphere.
There is a reason some authors travel to a rustic cabin or sandy beach to write their novels. Some atmospheres are more conducive to creativity than others. Maybe you like to pack up your laptop and go to a coffee shop, downtown bench, or under a tree at the park. Whatever the case may be, you know the locations that boost your creative juices.

10. You think most people have poor taste.
You might find the movies and music most people enjoy to be downright terrible. I don’t know about you, but I believe a kitten dies every time someone listens to Nickelback.

11. You are a people-watcher.
Why do people watch TV when real life is infinitely more interesting?

12. You aren’t in it for the money.
Money pays bills but it doesn’t provide happiness. There are much easier ways to make a living. This isn’t about money, it’s about passion.

13. You experience emotional highs and lows.
Your emotional life is not a straight line. Instead, it is more like the path of a roller-coaster full of dips, drops, hills, loops, and twists. Sometimes you might experience an eruption of happiness and a crash to sadness within mere moments of each other. The most painful parts usually find themselves in your art.

14. You seek inspiration.
Inspiration doesn’t happen on its own. Whether it is the opening of an art gallery, a theatrical production, or live music at a downtown bar, you search for inspiration wherever you can find it. It’s nice to know you’re not alone in your desire to create.

15. You have an interesting sense of humor.
Off-color jokes are the best kind of jokes.

16. You evolve like a boss.
An ability to adapt to challenging scenarios is necessary for survival in the creative jungle.

17. You hate stereotypes.
You understand that human beings are way too complicated to be dumped into gender roles or stereotypes.

18. You don’t have a filter.
Don’t you think life would be much more fun if everyone just said what they were thinking with no filter? There is no such thing as TMI (Too Much Information). 

19. You take time to think.
Your brain is your greatest asset.

20. You don’t bend to pressure.
Whether it’s a hater who thinks your work of art sucks, a family member who thinks “you should get a real job,” or a friend who thinks your idea “will never work,” you don’t cave to outside pressure.

Drunk In Love by Beyonce ft. Jay Z (Violin Cover) - Emmanuel Houndo

This young man is really skilled & did a great job on this Drunk In Love by Beyonce' cover

Check it out

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did

Katy Perry - Dark Horse ft. Juicy J

[Juicy J:]

Yeah

Ya'll know what it is

Katy Perry

Juicy J, aha.

Let's rage

[Katy Perry:]

I knew you were

You were gonna come to me

And here you are

But you better choose carefully

‘Cause I, I’m capable of anything

Of anything and everything

Make me your Aphrodite

Make me your one and only

But don’t make me your enemy, your enemy, your enemy

So you wanna play with magic

Boy, you should know what you're falling for

Baby do you dare to do this?

Cause I’m coming at you like a dark horse

Are you ready for, ready for

A perfect storm, perfect storm

Cause once you’re mine, once you’re mine

There’s no going back

Mark my words

This love will make you levitate

Like a bird

Like a bird without a cage

But down to earth

If you choose to walk away, don’t walk away

It’s in the palm of your hand now baby

It’s a yes or no, no maybe

So just be sure before you give it all to me

All to me, give it all to me

So you wanna play with magic

Boy, you should know what you're falling for

Baby do you dare to do this?

Cause I’m coming at you like a dark horse

Are you ready for, ready for

A perfect storm, perfect storm

Cause once you’re mine, once you’re mine (love trippin')

There’s no going back

[Juicy J - Rap Verse]

Uh

She’s a beast

I call her Karma (come back)

She eats your heart out

Like Jeffrey Dahmer (woo)

Be careful

Try not to lead her on

Shorty’s heart is on steroids

Cause her love is so strong

You may fall in love

When you meet her

If you get the chance you better keep her

She's sweet as pie but if you break her heart

She'll turn cold as a freezer

That fairy tale ending with a knight in shining armor

She can be my Sleeping Beauty

I’m gon’ put her in a coma

Woo!

Damn I think I love her

Shorty so bad, I’m sprung and I don’t care

She ride me like a roller coaster

Turned the bedroom into a fair (a fair!)

Her love is like a drug

I was tryna hit it and quit it

But lil' mama so dope

I messed around and got addicted

So you wanna play with magic

Boy, you should know what you're falling for (you should know)

Baby do you dare to do this?

Cause I’m coming at you like a dark horse (like a dark horse)

Are you ready for, ready for (ready for)

A perfect storm, perfect storm (a perfect storm)

Cause once you’re mine, once you’re mine (mine)

There’s no going back