We Ask These All The Time

Why do good things happen to bad people?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Why is it harder to believe in God than not to?

Why does the nice guy never get the girl?

Why does the nice girl never get the guy?

I’m A Slacker I Know…

So it’s been over 2 months since i last posted. Most of that blame lies on the lack of internet at my aunt’s house. The other is my pure laziness in actually writing anything.

A few good things have happened and a few bad things have happened.

But as of this moment i do not want to be here.

I know it’s hard to say that and then try and explain why, but i just don’t feel right around here. small things seem to be good and then big things happen that suck really bad.

Lately, I’ve learned that i can’t really trust people. maybe a few. but it seems that people like to cause hurt and drama, just because it makes them feel better about themselves…or so it seems. there is a loss of friendship and trust when people feel the need to gossip. especially when it hurts people feelings that were never intended to be hurt. but people gotta keep on talking don’t they. there’s a verse in the Bible that says not to let any unwholesome words come out of your mouth unless it’s edifying(which means to make better or positive) others. gossip definitely does NOT do that.

I don’t believe some people actually will ever mean what they say. in maybe a feel good moment or something that diffuses a situation they will say the “right thing” but then continue to be the complete opposite way. you maybe try to give them advice and they don’t want to hear it because non one should tell other people how to live right? even if it’s good for them!? i know no one is perfect, but can people not take advice without criticizing the giver? and do some of those people even want to change unless it’s convenient for them?

My group of friends is a church group. or so it seems. We don’t act like it. We act more like a social club that meets in a church. i’m just as guilty as the rest of them. We don’t act like followers of Jesus but we want all the benefits that come with it. We wonder why our families and friends don’t like church or aren’t serious about their faith. THINGS NEED TO CHANGE!!!

I put my heart into something that never was gonna be what i expected. it was a dangerous jump but sometimes you think people are better than the rest of the world. and now i am hurting a lot from it. something that will take me a long time to get over and a lot of forgetting that isn’t easy to do.

I want love. God’s love. love that doesn’t mind growing and changing. a love that knows it’s in for a difficult journey but is excited just the same.

Things will never be the same. I just want some positive thinking. i want people to WANT to be better, to grow, to improve. why just be like you’ve always been? i’m not down for laziness anymore. not in writing blogs, not in growing up, not in being a good friend, especially not in following Jesus and God’s call.

Things will never change if i never change.

So keep me in prayer. This will be a difficult journey and it might lead me other places, it might not.

Let’s be real. Let’s be different than the world. Let’s change it. Let’s be Jesus.

Things I Thought About This Week

~My pastor dropkicks dogs. And he is an awesome and funny dude.

~My cousin Jay is the coolest kid ever and I’m glad I got to spend time with him on his break.

~Grandma’s are pretty cool, and i wish i had mine around.

~You don’t know how bad you hurt me. I want to cry. I really do…

~God is my homeslice. And I am SOOOOOO glad.

~Respect means a lot to me. More than most anything.

~Justin Smith is the man. I love him dearly.

~I want friends who want to be different, and better, and not typical. Unlike the rest of the world.

~No one knows the real me. You really don’t. No one seems to want to either.

Love And What It Means To You.

So again, I haven’t written a blog in quite a while.  There’s not much to write about really. Well even though that is a poor excuse, that’s the one I am using.  But now you get a significant one. About someone i care a lot about. Actually it is TO her.  We can all learn from this though.

Love is patient.

Love is kind.

It does not envy.

It does not boast.

It is not proud.

It is not rude

It is not self-seeking

It is not easily angered

It keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects.

Always trusts.

Always hopes.

Always perseveres.

Love never fails.

Think about that when I say it. Think about what all those words mean. I, Larry Snider, mean that every time I say it.

Why I Celebrate Christmas – Through A Song

“I Celebrate The Day” by Relient K

And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let You know how much You’ve touched my life
Because here is where You’re finding me, in the exact same place as New Year’s eve
And from a lack of my persistency
We’re less than half as close as I want to be

And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And so this Christmas I’ll compare the things I felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here

And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
In the hope that what You did
That you were born so I might live
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me

And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life

Jesus is the reason for this day. Happy Birthday Jesus and Thank You!

Drama, Beer Pong & Jesus

I have delayed writing this blog for a long while but not anymore.

I don’t get why people watch The Hills, The O.C., The Real World, or any other show where it’s main plot line is drama. It just causes people(for the most part) to find ways of causing drama in their own life. It’s kind of goes along with my garbage in/garbage out theory. I just don’t like it. I think it’s dumb.

Now onto what i really wanted to talk about.

Beer Pong and loving Jesus. Or excessive alcohol and loving God. or underage drinking and being a follower of Christ. i think it’s wrong. beer pong is a game where you set up 10-15 cups and fill them 1/2 way with beer and try to eliminate your opponents cups by throwing a ping-pong ball into the cup. the main point is to drink at a fast pace while making it fun. i don’t get how you can call yourself a Christian and want to play this “game”, let alone every weekend or at every party they attend. especially since a lot of those i know who do so are underage. i, as a 28 year old with experience drinking alcohol, don’t mind going out to a bar with some friends and having a few drinks and a burger. or having pizza, wings and a FEW beers at home. or even going to small party with some wine. but i do NOT understand people who go out and get drunk every weekend, or 3 times a week. and then to add to that, they go to church on the weekend (or in people i know) to Thursdays, and act like there was nothing wrong with what they did 1-2 nights before. would Jesus be proud of you? would Jesus even approve of that? i wouldn’t think so.

Also underage drinking really annoys me. ESPECIALLY kids in high school. taking pride in how much you can drink and how many times you got drunk is NOT cool. especially if you say you love Jesus on your myspace/facebook page. you think you can be a good witness while you have pictures of being trashed? you think people will take you seriously? if i was a Youth Leader i would call you out. it’s time to think about who you really are.

people will never take us seriously if we don’t take our beliefs seriously. getting drunk is not smart. saying Jesus has changed your life and getting drunk is really not smart. maybe you should grow up. maybe you should reevaluate your beliefs.

note: no one is perfect, i realize that.  but being obvious in your faults doesn’t help.

Things That Make You Go Hmm

Ok, so this is actually about things that make you happy. or make me happy. because i was told i need to write a happy blog. which in reality isn’t all that hard. i just don’t get a lot of reminders. so here we go.

Laughing makes me happy. “well larry, that’s an obvious statement.” i agree. i wonder if there are people out there who actually hate laughter, maybe Osama Bin Laden. maybe Scrooge, but he changed. maybe the guy who crapped his pants when he laughed really hard while watching the Jeff Dunham special and has bad memories of people harassing him because of his bad smell and has thus sworn off laughter entirely. i digress! i love laughing. i love people who make me laugh. i love being a dork, which makes me and others laugh. when you take pictures and you both make weird faces and it just doesn’t come out perfect and one of you looks like a monkey and the other like a scared wombat. when you tend to sing to someone but don’t really try and you sound like a complete doofus. or you try to sound as weird as possible just to make the other person smile.or tickling someone to make them laugh and then they gouge you with their extremely deadly fingernails. all these things make me laugh. oh theres more. when people repeatedly hit you with a towel or stress ball and then when you try to attack them with tongs and they almost fall over. or accordion farts in walmart. oh how my life would be incomplete and utterly sucky without laughter. and here is a few of those people that make me laugh:

Smitty, Jessica, Mallory J, Rand, Devon, myself.

Music makes me happy. there is not a day that goes by that i do not listen to music. it makes the day go faster, it makes the day more entertaining. it gets me through tough times. it makes for good background noise. it’s also funny(see above). it is fun to dance to, it is fun to sing along to. it is fun to make up motions to. it is also awesome to praise Jesus/God to. imagine if we had to praise God without music, i think it would be quite boring. music reminds me of good times, even if those good times are gone. it teaches us lessons. it inspires us. that is one of the many reasons it makes me happy. here are some of my fav music for making me happy:

Jimmy Eat World, Hillsong United, Reel Big Fish, Mates Of State, Richard Cheese, Five Iron Frenzy, Zolof The Rock & Roll Destroyer, and Death Cab For Cutie

Hugs make me happy! who doesn’t love a good hug. they just make things better. whether you lost a loved one/friend. or if you are having a bad day. or just because someone loves you/appreciates you/cares about you. they are just awesome. and i guess i’m gonna throw kisses in there too. because come. DUH! unless it’s from your least favorite uncle huey or aunt ruth, who happens to have a beard, or you don’t like the person. but besides that, kisses make people happy.

Sleep makes me happy. this is obvious. lack of sleep usually means crankiness and attitude. and when you get ENOUGH sleep, things are just wonderful. and when you sleep, you have a chance of dreaming. dreams are good.

A combo of these two previous things is snuggling, pretty much the BEST THING in the entire world.

and last but not least:

FOOD makes me happy!!! i love eating yummy, delicious food. it makes my mood better, it helps me do things, it makes a party better. beef, chicken, ice cream, and fruit. all good things to fill my belly.

Here’s some verses about happiness:

Psalm 68:3
But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.

Proverbs 15:13
A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

Ecclesiastes 3:12
I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.

Ecclesiastes 7:14
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.

James 5:13
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

Relient K Writes Songs I Need To Hear

“When I Go Down”

I’ll tell you flat out
It hurts so much to think of this
So from my thoughts I will exclude
The very thing that
I hate more than everything is
The way I’m powerless
To dictate my own moods

I’ve thrown away
So many things that could’ve been much more
And I just pray
My problems go away if they’re ignored
But that’s not the way it works
No that’s not the way it works

When I go down
I go down hard
And I take everything I’ve learned
And teach myself some disregard
When I go down
It hurts to hit the bottom
And of the things that got me there
I think, if only I had fought them

If and when I can
Clear myself of this clouded mind
I’ll watch myself settle down
Into a place where
Peace can search me out and find
That I’m so ready to be found

I’ve thrown away
The hope I had in friendships
I’ve thrown away
So many things that could have been much more
I’ve thrown away
The secret to find an end to this
And I just pray
My problems go away if they’re ignored
But that’s not the way it works
No that’s not the way it works

Any control I thought I had just slips right through my hands
While my ever-present conscience shakes its head and reprimands me
Reprimands me
Then and there
I confess
I’ll blame all this on my selfishness
Yet you love me
And that consumes me
And I’ll stand up again
And do so willingly

You give me hope, and hope it gives me life
You touch my heavy heart, and when you do you make it light
As I exhale I hear your voice
And I answer you, though I hardly make a noise
And from my lips the words I choose to say
Seem pathetic, but it’s fallen man’s praise
Because I love you
Oh God, I love you
And life is now worth living
If only because of you
And when they say that I’m dead and gone
It won’t be further from the truth

When I go down
I lift my eyes to you
I won’t look very far
Cause you’ll be there
With open arms
To lift me up again
To lift me up again

A Short Thank You List

i would like to thank some people who have been quite influential in my life as of late. they are amazing people and i have not only learned from them, but have learned that not all of humanity if selfish and dumb.

Jessica Hishman – this girl has been a great friend to me, relying on me to help her through her struggles and encouraging me in mine. she has a kind heart and a great laugh, and with that a great sense of humor. she has showed me that we all need each other, even in the little ways. she is also an awesome hugger. and gives selflessly. God will honor her in her sacrifices. she is a dork(it’s a good thing).

Melissa Olear – this girl is super sweet. she gives me words of hope and motivation. she is someone who has a outside view of where i am and still knows that i am a helpful, useful person. she gives me good hugs and a smile that makes the day just a bit better. she writes blogs(found on here) that inspire, surprise and make me smile. she has a heart of gold, and a good head on her shoulders. and boy does she love Jesus!

Rand Fisher – this guy is a GREAT friend. we spend a lot of time together and ALWAYS enjoy each others company, even though we are different in a lot of ways. we respect each other, which goes a long way in these recent times. he is always willing to give advice, give a funny joke, or a helping hand when it isn’t even asked. God will bless him for that. We listen to a lot of music together(although i like to more than he does. he actually likes conversation[weird i know]) and always have a view on it that compliments each other(usually). he’s got a sweet ride and is a good exercise buddy. he also is a good encourager and loves to help others. he is awesome!

Mallory Lynch – this girl is nothing short of amazing. she has been through hard times but still refuses to let it make her bitter. she is a total sweetheart and someone who takes to heart a compliment or a kind word. she has a killer awesome smile. she makes me feel like a million dollars. she is cheesy and corny, but just at the right times. she is VERY easy to talk to. which is nice. she does things not because she will gain anything from it, but because that’s the good/right thing to do. she fully admits to not being perfect. and makes steps to make herself better, not only physically, but mentally/spiritually as well. even though i haven’t known her as well(even though a bit longer in reality) as the others, she has really stepped up to the plate in making my life better. she is SPECIAL(ed? lol)

Jaime Keller – oh man, this guy is a tough cookie. he has recently become a Christian. and he is going through all sorts of struggles. the devil is attacking him all the freaking time. but you know what…he keeps on. even though its hard. really hard. and he asks advice from friends, he SEEKS encouragement. he wants to use his gifts for God. that is massive. he INSPIRES me to keep on keeping on. to NEVER depend on yourself. ALWAYS on God. i have learned the most from him than out of any of the others, and i’m sure he doesn’t even know it. he gives me advice that i know is tested and true. he is a SMART man. he loves people, i can see it in his face. he is a cool dude. he loves 90’s music, which is good, because so do i.

Smitty(aka Justin Smith) – this guy makes me laugh. laughter is good. seriously he is freaking GREAT. i love the dude. he is funny, and just a super cool human being. he is like the brother i always wanted. he is THE MAN!

and last but not least,

God – He makes all these people possible. He makes the sun shine, the weather warm in late October, the rain fall when i am sleeping. He loves me, He LOVES me!!!! He forgives me. He gives me a hope, a heart and a passion for loving others. He NEVER EVER gives up on me. I LOVE HIM. yea he’s pretty SWEET! or GNARLY(haha).

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

you people mean a lot to me.

Maybe I Just Go About It Wrong

So i have been looking for a job for the last 2 months. i have been occasionally working for friends during the mean time to have cash for food and random entertainment during this time of searching. i also have friends that buy me food, lend me money for a movie they want to see with me and other small gifts. i never ask for these things. at least i try not to. i would rather be bored and hungry than impose on my friends for things. and it’s not like i don’t appreciate these things. i REALLY do. it makes me feel loved. and that’s the greatest feeling in the world…

back to the whole getting a job thing. i have put in applications, both online and in person, at at least 20 places in the Batavia area. i have had 2 interviews at one place and one at another. neither of them have called me back regarding employment even tho the interviews seems to have gone great. i even have taken my lip rings out when i APPLY and turn in applications. and i definitely do it for the interviews. i don’t understand why no one wants to hire me. i have a lot of experience in a lot of different variety of jobs. maybe too many for some? i have a great work attitude and get along with most anybody.

maybe i am going about this wrong. maybe i should not be an individual anymore, change who i am and be cookie cutter, maybe that will get me a job.

maybe i get too comfy in people helping me and not being blunt enough with me. maybe i could get some advice, i always give it but never get it.

maybe i’ll just move away and go to FL where my friend wants me and already has a job lined up. but i really don’t want to leave just yet. i have all these relationships that have just started.

maybe i don’t really understand what God wants for me. maybe He wants me to stay, maybe He wants me to give all these things up i have here.

maybe i am just plain wrong. maybe i don’t have any clue of what i am doing, or what i am saying, or even what real life is all about.

i know 3 things: God loves me, i have the greatest friends known to man, and people will never understand me.

who wants to give me a job, who wants to give me good advice, who wants me to disappear?