Taking on the 20's!

As I turn 20 I figure there is only so much life I have left before I get tied down. Why not live that life to the fullest?!

Read the original inspiration here: 21 Ways You Should Take Advantage Of Your Twenties

1. Don’t feel the need to respond to every text message, phone call, and email the second it reaches you. Once upon a time, it took longer than a minute to reach someone. People used stamps and envelopes; they had answering machines they didn’t check for hours, sometimes days. No one will die if you don’t immediately respond to every message you receive.

2. Ask for what’s owed to you. Half the time, you’re not getting your needs met because you’re not making them known. Your employers, romantic interests, and friends are not going to read your mind and give you what you need unless you speak up.

5. Take advantage of all the energy you have in your 20s. In your 30s and 40s, your body starts getting upset with you, when some 20-something babe is all, “Wanna race?” That’s not a concern when you’re in your 20s — don’t ever take it for granted.

8. Learn how to cook. Here’s an idea — instead of spending all your money on ridiculously marked-up restaurant food, save your money by buying non-processed WHOLE FOODS and LEARNING HOW TO MAKE A MEAL OF REAL FOOD. A meal of real food is not a box of Annie’s Organic Mac and Cheese — that’s PROCESSED FOOD. A meal is something like sauteed brussel sprouts with onions and pinto beans garnished with salt and pepper. You’ll thank yourself for learning how to cook when your metabolism catches up to you.

9. Keep making friends. It’s not that hard. You know yourself better than you ever have before, and your friends can finally reflect that. Don’t cling to old friends because it’s too frightening or ‘risky’ to make new ones.

13. Indulge in diner/ fast food at 4 a.m. This is considered depressing behavior once you become a real adult.

15. Do ‘unacceptable’ things to your hair. Dye it. Dread it. Shave only the left side of your head and give a crap if it grows back in a flattering manner (hint: it won’t). There’s no time but now.

17. Sit down, unplug, and read non-fiction. Do this daily. None of your peers are doing it. They’re playing video games and refreshing Facebook and Gmail chatting about nothing in particular. After a month you’ll be smarter than all of them.

18. Walk into Forever 21 and grab every single crappily-made floral dress available. Is every other girl on the street wearing it? Is it literally falling apart at the seams? Is it also actually five dollars? BUY IT IMMEDIATELY. When you get older, your clothing becomes all expensive blazers and tailored khakis and other pieces that won’t break while on your body. That will be a great day — the day when your closet starts to look respectable. Though those outfits are more expensive, they also last longer and look better on you. You will be a classy human ready to take on the future. But as long as you’re still in your 20s? You know — the demographic of Forever 21? Game on, stretchy black dress with pockets that lasts about a week. Game on.

19. Take road trips. Sitting in a car for days on end isn’t something your body was designed to do forever.

21. Go to/host theme parties. Once people age out of their 20s, no one’s trying to wear pajamas or Saran Wrap out of the house. The only theme parties that exist after your 20s are ‘Wedding,’ ‘Baby Shower,’ and ‘Funeral.’

Twenty dollars

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked. “Who would like this $20 bill?”

Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you - but first, let me do this.” 

He proceeded to crumple the 20 dollar note up. He then asked. “Who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air.

“Well,” he replied, “what if I do this?” He dropped it on the
ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. “Now, who still wants it?”

Still the hands went into the air.

“My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No
matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless; but no matter what happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. 

Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still
priceless to those who love you. The worth of our lives comes, not in what we do or who we know, but by …WHO WE ARE.

You are special - don’t ever forget it.”

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain!

Life isnt easy, it never will be. But its learning to embrace the pain as something that will help you grow. Its learning to move on when things are damaging. Its learning to know when you deserve better and to walk away. Its doing what you love and doing it often.
Its learning to change what you don't like, and live with what you cant change. Its learning to find victory in the little things, because they make up the big picture. Its learning to smile, not because you want to, not because you have to, but because you deserve to! Its learning that all emotion is beautiful, that its okay to cry and that its okay to be angry. Its learning that no matter how big you feel your mistake is, God loves you anyways! Its learning to be open to new people, new things, and new experiences. Its about being open to learning about others passion, and then sharing yours as well. Life is about giggling with friends. Life is about forgiving enemies. Life is about embracing every breath as a gift. Life is about taking every unforeseen moment and using it to better Gods kingdom. Life isfull of the little things which add up to the big things. Life is a gift, we must use it wisely. At the end of your life, I hope you look back and can say, I did things for people who could never pay me back, I prayed for people who didnt even ask to be prayed for, I gave of my time, energy, income, and spirit to make the world a better place, I look back and i dont see my own footprints placed on hearts, rather I see the footprints of Jesus.

“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” Gandhi

Gandhi and Reverend Andrews, a Presbyterian missionary, were walking together in South Africa.  “The two suddenly find their way blocked by young thugs.  Reverend Andrews takes one look at the menacing gangsters and decides to run for it.  Gandhi stops him.  ‘Doesn’t the New Testament say if an enemy strikes you on the right cheek you should offer him the left?’  Andrews mumbles that he thought the phrase was used metaphorically.  ‘I’m not so sure,’ Gandhi replies.  ‘I suspect he meant you must show courage - be willing to take a blow, several blows, to show you will not strike back nor will you be turned aside.  And when you do that it calls on something in human nature, something that makes his hatred decrease and his respect increase.  I think Christ grasped that and I have seen it work.’”


I think somehow we as Christians are missing it. In many other religions and cultures, I see passion and dedication. Yet in many churches I've been to (which is more than a couple dozen) I see mediocre worship done by sleepy eyed people who doze off or daydream during the sermon, only to leave the church feeling like they've done their "Christian duty" and spend the rest of their week living like the world. We don't stand up for our relationship with Christ. If your facebook didn't say you were a Christian, how many people would honestly know? 


Yet another thing strikes me about this, that tends to strike me often. That is love, tolerance, and respect. How many people do you disrespect or judge because you say they are living in sin, or do something you disagree with. We yell at young girls walking into an abortion clinic, but we never offer them prayer, or a place where they can be safe. We refuse to allow gay marriage, because we don't like it. Instead we will make rude remarks because "that man loves another man," but you know its okay to be in a marriage that isn't full of love simply because it is a heterosexual marriage. We will kick the homeless man out of our church service because he hasnt had a shower nor is he wearing "church clothes," but we wont off him a warm place to rest, food for his belly, or clothes to replace the worn ones he has. 


We aren't living like Christ would. There are an estimated 2.1 billion Christians in the world. That is more than enough to rock the world with the love, grace, and power of Christ. Yet we let people go hungry, we let orphans go parentless,  and we never share the story of grace unless we are beating someone over the head with it. 


When will we become "little christs"?

Why girls focus on beauty

Have you ever wondered why a great majority of girls focus on outward beauty? I always have. As a girl, ive been surronded by other girls who are constantly worrying about being the prettiest and thinest they can be. Ive watched girls starve themselves, force themselves to throw up, and beat themselves down because they are trying to be "pretty." I am curently doing a research project on early sexualization of young girls, and I am alarmed by what I see. Its exactly what I continue to see in teenage girls and young women. Media influence is definatly at the top. We are bomnarded by different things be it tv shows, music, movies, or advertisments that provide a definition of beauty that is almost not capable for the average women to achieve. Somehow beauty has become being so thin you can count your ribs, eating nothing, fearing calories, wearing pounds of make up, and dressing in the skimpiest and most revealing way possible. Im greatly inspired by women like Marilyn Monroe. She is proof that beauty is far more than the number of inches in your waste.

Being skinny doesnt make you beautiful, being you makes you beautiful.

And being beautiful most ceartinly isnt described byu how many boys you can get. Your a lady, not a booty call! Youll find a guy worth your time.

And remeber, you dont have to fit a mold. Society makes those molds up and they are ugly, crude, and typically unacheiveable.

So hold your head high. You are beautiful <3

You mean I can stay healthy in college?

So lately Ive had people ask how it is that I stay a healthy (even dropping 15lbs since starting college 9 months ago) and such in college. Part of it is that I live at home and have access to healthier foods but there is more to it. I made this as resident student friendly as possible!

1. Get out of bed every morning. Adequate sleep is essential to be healthy, but you can overdo it.
2. Wash your towels and sheets regularly – particularly if you have been unwell. These are great hide-out places for bacteria.
3. Housework is good exercise – clean your room! If you are particularly unfit, clean somebody else’s too!
4. Stay clear of friends who are sick. Does that sound a bit mean? Show them how much you care with a germ-free telephone call. (This isnt easy for me but its important!)
5. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Many studies have found a relationship between eating breakfast and learning ability, attention span, and general well-being. (That means you have to get up before its considered lunch).  The American Dietetic Association reports that adults who eat breakfast have an easier time losing weight, think faster, clearer, solve problems more easily, and are less likely to be irritable.
6. Pack a healthy snack to take with you. If you skip meals you may have trouble concentrating, get headaches, or just lose your focus. Food is brain fuel.
7.  Don’t forget to pack plenty of water. Staying fully hydrated is important for a healthy complexion and healthy internal organs. Water is clever stuff. It fills your stomach and tells your brain that you are not hungry. You should drink 8-10 glasses of water each day.
8. Walk to class. Walking is free, keeps you active and means you won’t get stressed from sitting in that annoying traffic. (It especially helps if your like me and cant make it to the gym everyday!)
9.  Learn how to take breaks. Your time at college will be more enjoyable if you give yourself time out and a chance to relax. Just dont go over board.
10. Listen to music. Music is proven to reduce stress factors, and causes your blood vessels to relax and produce chemicals which protect the heart. So break out the Beethoven!!!
11.  Social interaction has numerous mental health benefits. Talk through any problems, and help others get through theirs. So find a good friend, and vent your little heart out!
12. Remember, it is okay to say “No”. There is a lot of peer pressure to go out/stay in/do this/do that. It is your life and you know better than anybody what time you need to yourself.
13.  Balance work, study and your social life. Plan ahead, make goals, achieve them and celebrate. Make sure you also leave some time to sleep! (Day planners are an easy way to help maintain a balanced schedule that you can handle)
14. Eat well and at regular intervals throughout the day. It is unhealthy to starve yourself and gorge food in the evening.
15. Kissing is good for the heart. When you kiss, your body releases adrenalin which helps prevent cardio-vascular disease. Kissing is an effective means of reducing stress and requires the contraction of many facial muscles which increases the blood supply to the face and makes you look healthier. Do it often enough and you will also be losing weight (kissing burns off 2-5 calories per minute, and making love (because you wanted to know this!) will burn off 50 – 100 calories depending on the intensity. (not neccesary but sure is fun ;) )
16.  Go to bed! Adequate sleep is essential to be healthy.

Think about it!

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do what is right, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Do what is right anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
...
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest person with the smallest mind.
Think big anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack if you help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you might get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

~Anonymous