Blessed and Highly Favored;

Reflecting over my life at various points in the past few weeks, and I found a few things I've learned and have been reminded of almost constantly. So just in case your faith is weary or you have no idea what the future holds or maybe you just are at a point in life where you feel lost - these could be for you. 

1) God never has ever failed me. 

Notice how I didn't say "yet"? He has never failed me and he never will. I've seen hard times, I've seen hell and high water in my own life; yet every single night when I laid my head to rest I felt the peace of God knowing that no matter what I did, or where I went, God loves me and he will never leave me or forsake me. 

2) I am blessed. 

It always baffles me when you ask someone "How's your day?" or "What is one good thing about your week?" and they say, "Meh. It was pretty terrible really. " May I take one second to remind you that you ate breakfast and lunch today, and if you didn't, it was your own choice. To remind you that you woke up in a house with air or heat (depending on where you live). To remind you that you woke up on a mattress, and used a toilet, and drank clean water? To remind you that you woke up this morning with the ability to take a nice, long, deep breath? Because let me tell you, I work with people every single day that don't even have enough breath in their lungs to make a phone call to my office. let alone take a stroll or walk up a flight of stairs. 

You. Are. BLESSED. 

3) I was raised with a square head on my shoulders. 

My parents raised me to be a hard worker, to put in the time and the energy for what you want. To help those who don't have what you have. To be generous whenever the idea strikes you. To be kind, even to those that don't deserve it. Every single day, I can think of one instance where my mom would turn to me and say "Kill them with kindness." 

I don't think we realize that when people are angry with us, it's probably not about us. You don't know what someone is going through in their personal/home life or in their mind for that matter. Kindness is such a foreign concept these days that people actually don't know how to respond because it's not the response that they were expecting. 

Kill them with kindness. 

4) Friends, friends, friends. 

If you know me even in the slightest. You know that my friends mean the world to me and that I would trudge dungeons and walk on hot coals for the people I love. I am crazy blessed with the most incredible people in my life that genuinely look out for my well being and love me despite my sometimes bad attitude and big mouth. Everyone needs those people. Be that person. Love unconditionally. 

** that doesn't mean to put up with crap. If someone is treating you poorly or doesn't believe in you or talks down to you constantly, you have every right to walk away from that situation. That doesn't mean you don't love them (or that you shouldn't still treat them in a loving manner), it means that you love and respect yourself enough to walk away from potentially toxic situations. and that is definitely okay. 

5) I wake up every morning with a new song.

No joke.

I wake up every single morning with a new song on my mind. One day the lyrics are "some call it foolish and impossible but for every heart it rescues, it's a miracle. It's nothing less than scandalous, this love that took our place. Just call it what it is, call it grace." and sometimes it's a simple song like "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus..." because even if I was the most angry person in the world, or even if I made all the wrong choices or even if I don't feel worthy of His love, I wake up to it each and every day. I wake up each and every day with something to live for. And that, my friends is why God is just that cool. 

As Trent Cory would sing "True Freedom, is living life on purpose!"

This was supposed to be shorter. hahaha. so there is 5 awesome things about my life. Find 5 in your own and make sure you count them every single day.

Be good to yourself. Have a good rest of the week.  Be blessed. :)

You Are Great

I've noticed a lot of talk lately, within my friend circles, within young church groups, everywhere. 

"I'm not her. Why can't I be her? She's prettier than me, skinnier than me, she's more loved than I am. She's funny and charismatic or she's quiet and reserved and WHY CAN'T I BE HER?!"

Simple. God didn't make you to be someone else. That would be boring. You would be offering what someone else is offering. There is no market for that.

Over the last year I've gone on my own little "Who Am I?" rampage. I wouldn't say I never knew who I was, but that I wasn't living who I was and how I was called to live. I've always had an opinion, but it was never spoken (okay, maybe it was). I've always cared, but never put much action to it. I've always just had this intense, crazy, passionate love for my friends. They're MY people. But I never knew really just how to express that. 

So roughly a year ago, maybe longer, I decided that whatever my ideas were, and my dreams and my rampages and my beliefs... those things were/are a part of me and I need to let those fly. 

Now I wouldn't say I'm perfect and completely happy with myself all the time. Because I'm human and no human is. 

But I would say I'm content with WHO I am. Just not HOW I am. I think there is an ever changing definition of self satisfaction based on personal "checkpoints" if you will, in life. You come this far, the definition tweaks a bit. You come a little further, it changes again. I wouldn't say that this is unattainable but rather you learn who you want to be and what really matters in life, and you change that definition and keep working towards it. 

It actually tends to sadden me, how many people are truly uncomfortable with who they are, how they are, how they look, how they act... all based on someone else's predetermined standard of who they should be. 

I don't really know 100% where this post is going, but just incase someone needs to hear it, here it is.

You are great. What you've been through, what you've accomplished. Every fear you've faced and every trial you've had to endure was and is making you into the person that God has made you and called you to be. Please listen to me. You are called to be greater than standing in front of the mirror wishing you were someone else. I hate to break it to you, but ladies, you're never going to be prettier than her or skinnier than her or have her personality! You're just not, because you, are you. Guys, you're never going to be as outgoing or as good looking or as strong or as spiritual as some other guy, because you are not some other guy. 

Do not let your personal standard of who you should be, be dictated by the minds and opinions of someone that is not you. 

Read you Bible, talk to your Pastor, talk to your Youth Leader. Make goals for yourself and put some action behind them. Be kind, be a GOOD person, and work for who you want to be. But please, do NOT waste another day staring at yourself in the mirror, picturing someone else. 

Put your big kid pants on, and figure out who you want to be, where you want to go. Pray about it. Make it happen. and get some one-on-one support from a Godly influence somewhere in-between when you need it. 

Good? Good. Go get 'em killa!