When the Answer is No

I'm no stranger to rejection.

From job interviews, to auditions, to relationships, writing pitches, to nearly everything else, I know what it's like when you are told "no." It's not something I enjoy. But who does? No one enjoys rejection. If anything, we want to be the one saying "no" instead of the other way around.

It's the fear of rejection which prevents me from taking more chances. Applying for more jobs, asking more guys out, etc. I've known the feeling enough to know I don't want to experience it anymore.

But that's not how life works. We have to continue to put ourselves out there to get what we want. That's what the world tells us. We need to know what we want and go for it, no matter how many times the answer is "no" because if we just give up there will never be a "yes." So, we pick ourselves up from the ground and we try again.

If I were a good blogger, this would be the time I would share with you ten tips for handling rejection.

But we all know, I'm not a good blogger.

And frankly - I don't know how to handle rejection.

I try to tell myself that I never really cared anyway so when the rejection comes, it's not as hard of a blow. But that never works. I mope around and sometimes cry for a couple of days. I replay the incident over and over again in my mind and notice every single detail of what I had done wrong. Then, it makes me think of all of the other times I had failed in the past and how I should have known this was going to happen. Then, I remove any evidence of the incident. Hiding pictures, songs, applications, etc. It's like a breakup. I tell people I don't want to talk about it and then all I do is vent about the situation.

Then, one day, almost like magic, it doesn't hurt anymore.

I'm not entirely sure how this happens or when it does. But eventually, the day comes. Sometimes it's only a day or two later. Sometimes it's months later. It all depends on how hard the blow was. But it does come.

That's really how I handle it. I remember that eventually, it won't hurt anymore. Even if I don't know how or when, eventually it won't hurt anymore.

The sting fades away and I can look at the pictures again. Listen to the songs. Put out more applications. Go on more auditions.

Because somewhere down the line, among all of the "nos", there is bound to be a "yes."

Also - I'm participating in Vlog Everyday April! You can watch my videos here.

The Struggle is Real

I'm sitting there at lunch with friends and we're talking about life. What we're planning to do in the future, what we're up to now, etc. A typical lunch. Then, I mention my blog and my YouTube channel.

"So, what do you make videos about?"

"Uh... well....um... you know... stuff...."

"Oh, okay. What do you blog about?"

"Uh... um... other stuff..."

Does anyone else have this problem? 

I love blogging and vlogging. I love creating content and putting it out there on the Internet and making friends and connecting to new people and seeing what others have created. Even if sometimes it is just silly tag posts or beauty product reviews and fangirling. But, when people "in real life" ask me about it, I never know what to say. It's not that I'm embarrassed about what I do. I want others to see what I see. 

I am incredibly blessed to be surrounded by a lot of talented people. As I've gotten older and I look back at my life thus far, I've noticed this is a trend. All through high school, college, and now my 20s, I am always being surrounded by people are good at what they do. Not just good - they excel. People who are highly intelligent and travel off to other countries to study math. Not just because it's their major. Because they simply feel like it. Or people who not only sing, dance, and act, but also are the MVP on sports teams and get some of the highest grades in our high school graduating class. People who have the voices of angels and write the most beautiful music and let me listen in on them create. People who could have gone to Broadway but chose to make a life for themselves and their family in the midwest. People who can draw and design and publish. People who are dancers and teach others how to do it too. People who can speak words of truth in front of so many others and inspire them.

These people inspire me. I love being around them because they help me to want to excel at what I do. I love seeing their talents and using them to help others and pursue their own dreams. 

But then I get self-conscious about what I do. My little blog and my little YouTube channel that I love. I can't help but wonder if others will look at them and not understand. 

Because I'll never be one of the "big" bloggers. And I'm okay with that. 

I'll never make money off of my blogs or videos. I tried that, and I wasn't good at it, and I didn't like it. So, I don't want to try anymore. 

Sometimes I get free books to review for the blog - and that's pretty cool.

My YouTube channel will most likely never go viral and remain a small one.

I'm okay with these things. But, sometimes I wonder what others think when I show my social media projects to them. Or even when I do community theatre plays and musicals. I love doing it and I think it's fun. But I also know it's community theatre. It's never going to be big professional productions. My friends who do these things professionally always say they want to come see me, but I'm always "It's just community theatre! Don't expect much!" 

I know I shouldn't care so much about the opinions of others. I shouldn't be self-conscious about it. If I love what I'm doing and I'm proud of the job I've done, that should be enough. And honestly, this is all coming from myself. My friend who want to know what I do and come see me in shows and read my blogs and such just want to be supportive. Because they're amazing people like that! But, for some reason I still shy away. 

Does anyone else have this problem when people they know "in real life" want to see your blogs, vlogs, or other things you create?

Linking up with Mingle Monday!

Damaged Goods- Book Review

It's time for another book review. What do you say? 

Some thoughts before we get into this book:  Sex education, modesty, abstinence, and how faith plays a role, are some pretty hot topics in the Church right now. They always are, but I'm noticing in recent years more and more the "traditional" practices on teaching these subjects has been challenged. How we as a culture are viewing these topics are changing and we can see this in the Church. 

To be completely honest - I agree we (the Church) need to change how we discuss and handle the topics of sex, dating, modesty, marriage, etc. As a product of the "True Love Waits" generation, I remember all of the talks we had in youth group and how it was handled. In keeping with being honest, this was also one of the big struggles I had in ministry. I knew parents wanted me to tackle these subjects with the youth. I was completely comfortable talking about it with the youth and we would talk about relationships and such when it came up in conversations with smaller groups and one on one. However, I never had big sessions for having sex talks and such because I knew my opinions would not have been well accepted. It was one of those "what hill am I going to die on" issues. Should I have died on that hill? Maybe I should have. But I didn't because I felt as though I had other leaders I could talk about my opinions with to find the best way to handle it. 

All of this being said, I was excited to hear this book was being released and when I heard about it I immediately went over to NetGalley to request a copy to review. I also realize these are highly sensitive and personal topics. Therefore, it's hard to keep an objective view. As I read, I found it difficult to remain objective about the author's opinions.

I'm hoping my review can remain as such.

I also encourage other people to read this book. Whether you agree with Dianna Anderson or not (I don't always agree as you will see in my review) it's still something I think we should be aware of. 1) It's good for us to read the opinions of people we don't see eye to eye with. Expand your horizons! 2) At least she's starting the conversation and not playing it safe. We need to have these conversations!

While most of the "purity movement" has stemmed from Evangelical circles, it does seep into other denominations and they can feel it's influence. Also, not every congregation who addresses purity does so to the extremes some others do. There's always varying degrees. But we all still need to be having these talks and figuring out just how faith and the Church plays into these conversations.

If you are a teenager reading this book; PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do so with an adult you trust. Preferably someone who shares the same faith. I know talking about these things can be hard and embarrassing, but trust me on this one, life is so much better when you have someone you can talk to about such things and help you to figure them out. I'm not saying they should have all of the answers - but they've been there before and will have insight you don't have. 

Damaged Goods: New Perspectives on Christian Purity

Author: Dianna E. Anderson

Publisher: Jericho Books

Release Date: February 10, 2015

Basic Summary:

Dianna grew up in the "true love waits" generation. She heard all of the talks. Read all of the books. She could quote all of the Bible verses. Then, something in her changed and so did her views on sex, relationships, modesty, and purity. For years, she felt ashamed of her body and sexuality and bought into what, she considers, lies about God's plan for purity. This book shares her stories, opinions, and the thoughts of others as she dives into these issues.

My Thoughts:

I've never reviewed a non-fiction book on this blog before, so I'm not entirely sure how to go about it. But I'll try. I'll divide my review into what I appreciated about the book, and then my criticisms.

What I Liked/Appreciated

- Dianna's love for the Church and for God's Word is very apparent. She's not a person who has walked away from the Church and now denies everything it has done for her. 

- She encourages the reader to not just "take her word for it." She emphasizes that people need to read the Bible for themselves and do their own research instead of just doing  and believing whatever someone else tells them to.

- She does not insult the choice to stay abstinent until marriage. She affirms this is a valid choice - as along as you know why you are making said choice and it doesn't come from a place of shame or simply because "that's what I was told to do."

- Sex and relationships need to be respectful and consensual. PERIOD. We are a community of people and all children of God. Our relationships and sex lives need to reflect this.

- Pointing out the Bible isn't as black and white about sex as we like to think it is.

- Challenging gender roles and what we think it means to be men and women of faith. (In chapter six she says, "We are not defined by gender, but rather by the grace and love which we live.")

- Our bodies are not owned by other people. They are OUR bodies.

- Have a plan for the worst case scenario.

- Respect other people no matter what they wear.

- She starts and ends with grace.

What I Did not Like/Agree With

- While there were moments I wanted to stand and applaud what she was saying, there were other moments when I wondered "Are we reading the same Bible?" While, yes, we need to understand the context of the Bible verses we read and get to the heart of what it's saying, we also can't twist it to say whatever we want it to say to prove our point and forget about other passages as well. Most people do this, which is wrong, but we need to stray away from this.

- At one point when Anderson was discussing modesty, she addresses women who are having a hard time breaking away from this mindset. One of her suggestions was for the woman to try a neckline which scared her. Um.... no. If someone isn't comfortable wearing the low cut shirt, they aren't comfortable wearing the low cut shirt! Don't tell them they should try it anyway!

- Many times I felt as though Anderson had a personal vendetta against the purity movement. Which is understandable. However, many times it didn't seem professional and it was just her wanting to argue against Joshua Harris (author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye) and other authors. As understandable as this may be, it's not the best way to bring your point across. This was the biggest turn off for me. 

- As the book went on, it all got to be too much. Sometimes I felt as though I was back in the youth room where my youth leaders (as good as their intentions were) shoving purity and modesty down my throat - only this time it was the opposite opinion.

- There were times when she addressed sexuality for other races and people with disabilities. For a majority of her book she had excellent research (even if most of it was pointing out points she didn't like from the same few authors, with other research being from interviews and surveys she conducted). Then, when she addresses the issues of race (particularly black women), I hardly saw any. While, I felt her observations were accurate, I would have liked to see some opinion of women of that particular race and hearing what they really had to say. I was grateful she had only two paragraphs for women with disabilities. Albeit, they were a good two paragraphs, but I would not have appreciated the author, a woman who does not have a disability, putting words into my (a woman with a disability) mouth.

Overall:

I appreciate what Anderson was trying to do. I'm glad she is opening up conversation and encourages people to challenge "traditional" ways of thinking when it comes to faith, sex, marriage, and modesty. There were some points 100% agreed with. Other times... I really wasn't sure where she was getting her information. I think it would be interesting to see the opinions and thoughts of people who have a history of theology in different denominations, as well as maybe some "experts" of the field. I also liked how she addressed there are different issues depending on your race and if you have a disability or not. But then was very disappointed when she didn't have interviews and opinions from women of said race. She also seemed to be someone with a vendetta, and while it was understandable, I felt it wasn't the best way to prove her point. 

I gave the book 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

What I Learned the Year I was 27

Birthdays.

Remember when you were a kid and your birthday was always so exciting because you were finally a year older and you got to have a party and lots of presents?

Yeah... those days are over.

It's not that I don't enjoy my birthday. It's just that whole getting older thing. I know 28 isn't old by any means. My head knows this. My logic knows this. But then there's the part of me who is freaking out and all "OMG I ONLY HAVE TWO YEARS UNTIL I'M 30! I HAVEN'T EVEN BACKPACKED THROUGH EUROPE OR GONE ON AN EPIC ROAD TRIP OR RANDOMLY MET A CELEBRITY OR ANYTHING PEOPLE IN THEIR 20s ARE SUPPOSED TO DO!"

No wonder my sister found my first "silver" hair last week.

Ugh.

Then I calm down (or my family and friends tranquilize me) and am reminded again that 30 isn't a scary age and 28 isn't old and I have my whole life to do things and learn and find myself. Also, last year on my birthday I was on a bus with 50 teenagers on the way back from Texas. This year my friends have helped me make plans to go to Dave and Busters tonight and I was able to meet up with some people for dinner and coffee through the week. So... not too shabby.

Looking back though, being 27 was interesting. I resigned from my job, traveled, moved to Chicago, got a brand new idea for a novel and have been working on that... so it's been a good year.

- While traveling in the deep south, picking up the accent is far easier than you'd think. Even if you are a native Chicagoan.

- Going to the courthouse which inspired LM Montgomery to write To Kill A Mockingbird and seeing a teenager walk into the world of her all time favorite book, and a jr. high boy see with his own eyes historic places of the civil rights movement and come to life for the first time, is an incredible experience.

- Love God. Love People. Do Stuff. -Bob Goff

- Choose your companions before you choose your roads. -Mark Burnett

- Nutella and banana crepes. You'll never be the same.

- Freshman girls can teach you more about beauty and self-esteem than you'd think.

- Why yes... I do still remember all of the colors of Joseph's coat and will never ever forget them. Ever.

- I used to not be a believer in theatre tabboos like saying the name of the Scottish play... until now. If you say the name I WILL HURT YOU.

- Having friends who are younger than you can actually be pretty amazing.

- It is entirely possible to survive being in an outdoor play when it's 20 outside. Not fun. But you'll survive.

- When celebrities are in town (like Neil Patrick Harris) to film a movie, go to Starbucks EVERY SINGLE DAY because the one day you don't go will be the day they are there.

- Having an awesome writing partner during NaNoWriMo makes all of the difference in the world.

- Buying a Tardis dress is always a good idea.

- Babies won't always cry when I hold them.

- When you are snowed in for a few days, get the idea to have a Harry Potter marathon on day one... not day three.

- Disney songs can totally define your life.

- It's okay to lock yourself up in your apartment and ugly cry all afternoon while watching the Glee episode to honor Cory.

- Even when leaving is the right choice, goodbyes really suck.

- Get the tattoo. In fact, get two.

- Get new tires on your car BEFORE the worst winter in the history of ever hits.

- A perk of working part-time is SO MUCH TIME TO READ.

- Preschool kids really do say the funniest things.

- When you say yes to one thing, that means you say goodbye to another. It's really hard.

- I'd probably die without my phone and social media to keep in touch with my Missouri friends.

- I need to learn how to live with other people again after being on my own for so long. Sharing the Netflix is hard yo!

- Being the sister of a bride means everything is about the wedding and nothing else. Ever. Also, weddings are hard.

- After some practice, driving around downtown Chicago isn't all that scary.

- When moving back after being gone for 5 1/2 years, your good friends are still there, but you still have to adjust to being in one anothers lives again.

- When even the guys at the Apple store think your iPad is possessed... it's time to get a new one.

- Visiting people after moving away six months ago is actually really fun.

- Not everyone is as judgy as you'd think when you're trying to figure life out.

- Neil Patrick Harris looks way better in a mini skirt and boots than I ever will.

- You don't always see what's coming next and everything might be cloudy... but it's okay.

What are some things you've learned this past year? How do you feel about getting older?

Sharing Life

Lately, I've been wondering what I want to do with this blog. I've grown tired of writing posts which I feel are pointless and just adding to the noise on the Internet.  If I'm going to write and create something, I want it to be something worthwhile.

But then when I get in phases like this, I just stop. Ever since that post my updates on here have been much fewer than they had been. So many times we writers write when inspiration hits. What happens when inspiration doesn't hit? We don't write. Which is awful. Sometimes you have to just sit down and do it and inspiration will come.

A couple of weeks ago, two YouTubers put up videos which I loved. One was Jenna Marbles, and the other was Carrie Hope Fletcher. Two VERY different women, but they each made a video which spoke to me.

Carrie's video was about how it's okay to not be okay. We can be honest about our feelings and where we are in life and things we're upset about.

Jenna Marbles was her 200th video and she talked about life. Where she's been, how she doesn't know where she's going (which I totally relate to right now), what she wants, etc.

What I found similar about these two great videos is how both of them are willing to just be totally honest and put themselves out there. Whether it's something stupid, or silly, not not perfect, or something meaningful and thought provoking. They just share their lives with whoever wants to walk beside them.

That's why I keep blogging and (on occasion) do YouTube videos. (VEDA is coming soon!) It's just sharing life with people. Even if the content isn't completely brilliant all of the time. Honestly, a lot of people enjoy things which are just fun and ridiculous and sometimes pointless. Because that's life.

I love watching people's videos and reading their blog posts about everyday life and what they're into.

So I keep creating content and absorbing content on the Internet. Because we're sharing life together.

Today's prompt: A Video I Am Loving. Link up here.

Also- happy Independence Day!!!!!

The Difference Between Being Honest and Oversharing

Last week, I had written about 5 Things I Won't Blog About.  My first example was private family and friend business, and I felt like I should expand on this a bit more. Because there are definitely times when it's appropriate and okay to talk about what's going on in your life and with your family - but there are also times when it is not okay. I feel like this doesn't just apply to bloggers, but anyone who posts anything on the internet. Whether it's a blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc.

I'm a firm believer in being honest. It's okay to admit that you're not having the best day, or you're going through a hard time, or even if you had a great day or did something awesome. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, on the Internet, I feel like we over-share at times. This I feel like can be dangerous territory.

Here are some examples of what I personally feel are okay to share on the Internet, and examples of what is not okay. (Feel free to disagree with me, and there are also exceptions to every rule. Also, we're all guilty of some of these at least to an extent, including myself.)

Good:
Posting a couple of photos of you and your friends and what you did that weekend.

Bad:
Updating every couple hours of what you are doing every moment of every day and then also writing out detailed re-tellings of all of your conversations and all of the juicy gossip and all of the drama your friends are going through.

Possible Solution: 
If there is a conversation or an experience you and your friends went through that might relate to something you are writing about. (Example, a bunch of dating horror stories.) If you choose to use people's real names, be sure you have their permission. If you don't, make up fake names. That way you can share funny stories and such without revealing identities of people who might not want their business public.

Good:
A family tragedy has happened and you decide to share your own personal emotions about the situation and where you are at with it.

Bad:
Telling everyone about every argument your family is having about it, sharing how your mother is crying every two seconds, etc.

Possible Solution:
I feel like it's okay to talk about what you are personally going through as long as you are comfortable and you think the audience will be receptive. (You won't always have 100% of your audience receptive, so if there is negative feedback, are you ready for the backlash? Can you handle it?) It is NOT okay to share other people's grief and struggled, especially without their permission. If you really think you need to share that, be sure you talk to the other person first or have them tell it themselves. It's not your place to share other people's business.

Good:
"I'm having a rough day today."

Bad:
"EXPLETIVE EXPLETIVE EXPLETIVE EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE IS AWFUL AND I HATE THE WORLD!"

Possible Solution:
Again, I feel like it's okay to be honest. But no one likes a complainer. We all have things we're going through in life that we don't like. If you really need to vent or need someone to talk to, do it privately. Only your Internet friends will understand? That's okay! That's what private messages, gchat, email, etc. is for. The thing is, the internet is not your journal. If you need to process something or complain through writing, get a journal. That way, even if you do decide to put something on the Internet, at least you've had a way to get the venting and complaining out, and then you can take from those writings something worthwhile to publish.

Good:
Sharing a well thought out and respectful reason why you don't agree with someone or an article you read or anything else like that.

Bad:
Dissing other people in public/online. Even if it's passive-aggressive and you don't share names. In fact, sometimes that's even worse because it's annoying.

Possible Solution:
We don't always get along with everyone, and there are times we disagree. That's life. If there is a certain point someone talked about or an article you read or something which you don't agree with, you can share why you don't agree. That's okay. It's NOT okay to insult others, be disrespectful, and to sham someone in public. Again, if you need to vent, do it privately before you type something you regret. Remember- the Internet is forever. (Yes, even SnapChat.)

What are your thoughts? What are some other ways you can think of to differentiate between being honest and over-sharing? Do you agree/disagree with anything I mentioned?


Today's Love Sighting:

Everyday when I get home from work, I see my dog and my mom's dog at the window by the front door waiting. They do this for my mom too and it's so cute! They love seeing us come home! Then they nap at my feet while I blog.

Humpday Confessions

One of my new favorite blogs, Vodka and Soda, hosts this link-up every week. I've been meaning to join her for awhile now, and I think it's about time I did!

Here are some Humpday Confessions!

- I had to call into work today because of the snow. I feel like such a Missourian right now, but our road and driveway had so much snow and it took forever to get it cleared and the interstate I take to get to work I heard was awful. By the time I would get to work it would be time for me to go back home. So... there's that.

- It's world Nutella Day. This means I am celebrating accordingly with a jar of Nutella. It's glorious.

- I've been marathoning Sex and the City for the last several weeks now. It's been perfect for when I want to read/work on the blog/read other blogs because I can have noise without having to pay much attention. I'm almost done with the final season. She's dating the Russian and will be going to Paris soon.

- Tonight is girls night! My friend Julie and I decided to make Wednesdays our "girls night" because her hubby has a class, and our sisters have an open invitation for whenever they're free. The roads and weather conditions are supposed to be MUCH MUCH better tonight, so hopefully we'll make it out! (Our favorite place has 1/2 price cosmos and appetizers on Wednesday!)

- I think Bandit is holding a grudge against me. My mom's dog Indy likes to cuddle with me more than he does and it makes me sad.

- My poor NaNoWriMo novel has been terribly neglected since I moved. I've worked on some character profiles and I've been brainstorming problem areas and plot holes, but hardly any actual writing has been accomplished.

- For the past month I binged on Sherlock.  I watched the first two seasons and then watched the new epsiodes like it was my religion. Now that series 3 is over I'm going through withdrawls. How long-time fans survived that 2 year hitatus I'l never know.

- As much as I'm trying to ignore the fact JK Rowling supposedly regrets Ron and Hermionie getting together... it's still there in the back of my mind and when I look at my Harry Potter books I want to cry a bit. BUT my friend Kirsti wrote this TOTALLY AWESOME post about it which I agree with 100%: http://www.melbourneonmymind.com/2014/02/the-great-jk-rowling-debacle.html?spref=fb (Also, PLEASE read the Muggle Net post about this topic because the writers and the commenters actually know what they're talking about.)

- Speaking of Harry Potter. Yesterday morning I had this dream right before I woke up that I met Darren Criss and we were on a date and he was totally falling for me. However, the only thing I could think about was if he was going to find my Tumblr and this blog and freak out because I'm a crazy fangirl.

What are some of your Humpday Confessions? Hop on over to Vodka and Soda to link up!

http://www.lifeinprogress.ca/lifeinprogress/2014/02/humpday-confessions-2.html

I Remember

I'm sorry, but if you have ever said anything to me I don't remember what it was.

It's not that I didn't take it to heart, or that it wasn't important to me. It was. Trust me. Although, it makes me feel bad that I don't remember. I've been in so many affirmation circles on mission trips - you'd think that at least one thing would stick out to me.

Unless it was a short joke. I remember a lot of those.

But here is what I do remember:

Honesty On A Monday

Writing is hard.

As much as I love writing, keeping up with my blog, and creating stories, it's hard.I can't tell you how many times I sit down at the computer and stare at a blank screen for hours. Perfect scenes for stories will play out in my mind. The best blog post is waiting to be written.Then when I sit down to actually write it down, my mind goes blank.

I don't know if you've been able to tell or not, but I've been struggling with what to write on the blog lately. I know what I'm supposed to write. It's not that I don't have ideas. It's just... what I've been thinking about I just can't publish. At least not at the moment.

The struggles I've been having.

My doubts.

My fears.

My failures.

The debates I've been having in my mind.

I simply can't post them. At least not right now. It's hard to explain.

Standards

I've slowly come to realize that when it comes to men in my life, I am spoiled rotten.

It's something I really take for granted.

There are many times I find myself in conversations with women, many of them younger and around my own age, and hearing their complaints about their husbands and boyfriends. It's pretty typical stuff. Not really out of the ordinary. Everyone complains about their significant other and everyone has their issues. There is nothing wrong with that. Then there are moments that catch my attention more than others.

I try to raise up a few questions about it, and sometimes even comment that I know of men who are not like the ones they are describing. That there is a different kind of man out there. Ones who don't mind staying home and watching the kids, cooking, letting their wife have a career/hobbies, etc.

They usually look at me like I have two heads.

 

Too bad I'm dead serious.

Coffee Date

It should come to no surprise for my long time readers that coffee shops play a large role in my life. Particularly, Starbucks. (Although, in my defense, we don't have a whole lot of other options in the town I live in. There is one other coffee place I really like, but it's sort of out of the way of where I tend to spend my days. Therefore, Starbucks gets most of my business.) There is something peaceful and nostalgic about coffee shops. Maybe it's because many of my college memories are from weekly walks to Caribou Coffee nearby, or watching Friends too much as a kid. Who knows? It's not just about getting coffee. It's sitting down with an old friend (or a new one!) and catching up on life. It's finding a place to go when it's cold and rainy outside and you need to warm up. Or maybe just to clear your mind and get lost in a good book for awhile with a hot drink in your hand. 

Or maybe I just have watched Friends too much.

Source

Dilemma

I have found myself with a dilemma.

On the one hand, it's kind of a good one. I've figured out my problem with why I haven't had any blog inspiration lately.

On the other hand - I don't have a solution.

It's not that I don't have things to talk about. So many times people say "My life is boring", "I don't have anything to say", and let's be honest - it simply isn't true. When we truly think about it, we all have something we want to say. Even if it is just about what outfit we wore, or the song we're listening to on repeat at the moment, the movie we watched recently, the book we're reading, the people we're hanging out with, etc.

There's always something to say.

It's figuring out which one to talk about.

This is where I get stuck. While trying to decide what I want to write about (or make a video about), I go through a series of censors.

What Jr. Highers Teach Me About Faith

One of my duties as youth minister is to teach confirmation. I co-teach our first year class (6th graders mostly) along with our lay-minister. The thing that stinks about is is that all year I get attached to a class, and then I rarely see them the next year. I hear from the pastors how the 2nd year class is going, but I wish I could be in there with them and seeing how they grow.

At the end of the 2nd year confirmation class, they have to write an essay called "What my Faith in Jesus Means to Me." They read it the Friday before they get confirmed in front of their families, friends, the church elders, and other congregation members who wish to attend. It's a pretty cool night. Those little 6th graders who don't know which way they are going suddenly are teenagers (or almost teenagers), all dressed up, looking almost adult-like, sharing these deep and intense thoughts about God, faith, and life.

I get to read their rough drafts. I love it. What's cool is that a lot of times not even their parents have heard these before they read them in front of everyone. I get to have a sneak peek into their thoughts before everyone else.

What's even better - is that they teach me about faith.

Just Stop

I was challenged.

Or rather - my opinions and thoughts were challenged.

Within the past week I have felt as though my thoughts and opinions have been challenged over and over again. Particularly on relationships and friendships.

People I thought I knew how they would feel on these subjects threw me for a loop, making me want to scream

"WHO ARE YOU?" 

I can't tell you how many times I've had conversations with people and I've stated variations of the phrase:

"I promise you that I'm not crazy!"

Heartbreak Hotel

"He's really hurt me," my friend told me last week.

We were sitting at Starbucks. It was filled with college students cramming for finals, friends catching up with each other, and an unusual amount of hipsters. I didn't even know that many hipsters existed in our little town. As I sipped my peppermint mocha I listened to my friend's story about her boyfriend. Without getting too much into the gory details, she was feeling insecure and began comparing herself to other women.

I Am [blank] Because...

I found this idea from the blog Lily White.

I am weird because...

Story

10 days old: I get baptized and my parents throw a party

Source

Prayer Doesn't Always Work

Yesterday morning I asked my friends on Facebook and Twitter if they had any topic requests for my blog. One friend said they would like to hear me write about Psalm 34:4.


When I read that I couldn't help but smile. Psalm 34 is special to me.

It's Not Easy Being Green

Day 8: Most Overrated Book

YET AGAIN I had issues deciding what book to pick. (I'm noticing a trend here.) This time I actually had a decent size list of books I felt like I could feature.