GIRLS SO STUPID.

I like feeling pretty and cherished; i think that's true of every girl. There's something about knowing that you're valued by others that gives you self-worth and confidence. Girls thrive off of this- myself included. To a certain extent there's nothing wrong with that. Its when we cant find any sense of self-worth without getting that positive attention, and when we become slaves to the admiration of others, and when our desire to feel 'loved' creates a stumbling block for others that it becomes a problem. 

Every girl knows that getting attention from most guys is as easy as wearing a low-cut shirt or short shorts. Its hard for a guy to ignore a pretty girl who is showing just a little too much skin; that's just the way guys are- that's the way their minds work. If you haven't yet come to this realization then you are: 

a) Definitely not a boy

b) Inexcusably oblivious

Lets clear something up: Im not here to bash guys in any way; they get enough grief. Men are called perverted and disgusting, constantly ridiculed for their apparent inability to keep their minds out of the proverbial gutter. Meanwhile, women dress with less and less modesty- making it nearly impossible for any men who actually desire to keep their thoughts away from sex to do so. 

Im not saying the blame should be entirely placed on women; there are certainly men in the world who are perverted pigs and disregard women and treat them as objects. This is a reality. But there are two sides to every story, and im coming out of the woodworking to tell you the one less favored. 

Here's a story sent to me the other day from a friend.
--------

STORY TIME: 

"Last night i walked down a commonly used staircase in my dorm that leads to both the laundry room and the mailboxes for every resident in the building. I live in a co-ed dorm. Before i made it to my box, my attention was arrested by a bulletin board loudly proclaiming, "Love your breasts!" There were random facts that i dont feel the need to repeat- mostly along the lines of body image and unrealistic standards created by the media, etc. And dont get me wrong, im all for women being comfortable with their bodies and loving the way God made them. What appalled me was not the informative text provided but rather the 10+ pictures of women in lingerie posted all over the board. I stood there for a long time with my mouth hanging open, fuming. In a moment of disgust i paused to cross check my fury against my logic and principle, and after a quick glance down the hall i swiftly ripped off every one of the pictures. I threw them in the recycling bin, but i left the facts on the board."

--------

Its not enough that the sunshine comes out, bringing with it the short shorts, skirts, and unnecessary amounts of skin. And im just going to put out there now that im guilty of this myself. I get it, its hot out, you're not thinking about your brothers in Christ, you're thinking about the sweat you're drenched in. But women have actually felt the need, in the midst of pretending to fight unrealistic standards, to completely objectify women. Parading pictures of half-naked women in front of every guy that wants to do laundry or check his mail this month in the name of promoting good self image? And yet we get angry with men when they stare at us. Not to mention that all this is occurring while women everywhere are crying out about the injustice of double standards. We're dangling chocolate cake in front of starving people and taking offense when they cant stop drooling.

Let me repeat myself... Women have actually felt the need, in the midst of pretending to fight unrealistic standards, to completely objectify women,

And im Furious.  

--------

To the Christ following men who may be reading this:
I commend you for the daily battle you have with lust, and i sincerely apologize for my gender's complete lack of sympathy for your struggles. Its truly inexcusable. I pray that you, my brothers in Christ, would rely on God's grace and strength to pursue holiness and live a life pleasing to he who saved us from the punishment we all deserve.

To the Christ following women who may be reading this:
I challenge you to look at the choices of your daily life- your words, your behavior, and the clothes you wear- as opportunities to uplift the body of Christ and glorify God.

--------

Romans 8:9,11 

"Take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak... by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ."

Galatians 5:13-25

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

Happiness.

Having a savior.
Finding your musical soulmate.
Dancing in the rain.
Unexpected texts.
Finding something you thought youd lost.
New friends.
Feeling pretty.
Winning an argument.
Getting letters in the mail.
Noticing something you never had.
New clothes.
4 Dollar Juicy couture necklaces.
Singing.
My family.
Food.
Project Restoration.
Knowing that everything will be okay.

I Am The Inevitable Wanderer

If i knew where i was going next,
i wouldnt be taking so many naps,
or writing all these things,
trying to devine my future
in pillow cases
and stitched book bindings,
lost in the small decisions
of each day,
only a little bit numb.
I am the inevitable wanderer.
The girl who always says
goodbye,
but never knows
how to leave.

Contentment; Revel In Today

I think contentment is the art of looking at the present the way you look at the past and the future. We look back at the past, having let all the insignificant annoyances fall away. We imagine the future as a bright and rosy time that will have no annoyances at all. Instead of spending all your time imagining a flawless future, or wishing to get back a (supposedly) flawless past, try and look at your present circumstances in the same way. Let the dross fall away now, and be content now. It takes real discernment to be able to see what details are actually insignificant. You can’t (and you shouldn’t) pretend like the annoyances aren’t there. But you can try to see them in perspective. You can laugh at them. You can see them as the dross they are. You can decide to not let them distract you from the gold. You can decide to not let them dominate you. Because how tragic is it to go through every day, missing the beauty of the moment because you’re too busy re-imagining yesterday’s beautiful moment – and wishing for tomorrow’s beautiful moment. Try and revel in what God is giving you right this minute.

If You Do Nothing Else Today...

If you do nothing else today, i BEG you to watch this video... Lifechanging. Bring awareness to the child abductions and slaughtering in Uganda. Yes, this video is 30 minutes long.. But 30 minutes of your day is NOTHING compared to the lifes you could change. You owe it to those children to spend atleast 30 minutes of your day to help save their lives.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/kony2012/kony-4.html

Sign the pledge. Demand Justice. 

Just Stop And Think

Everything Is a Form of Worship

It's Saturday and its beautiful. The sun is beaming and the rays are bouncing off my cheeks and im able to bask in God's goodness. A word came to mind... Love. The rolling clouds, the birds chirping, and the leaves on a tree swaying is a reminder of Gods love for humanity. As i was folding my laundry and preparing breakfast, it suddenly dawned on me why the Japanese are so meticulous in their ways and do everything with precision. Since the Japanese culture consists of millions and millions of Gods, they do it out of reverence and worship to whatever they are doing. Its "karma." Then it got me thinking, how much more would Christians be like the Japanese if we truly understood that all that we have dont belong to us but are Gods? Things wouldnt be wasted so easily and hoarded. We wouldnt be so messy, but organized.. knowing that we are just pilgrims on this earth. The poor would be fed, the widows and orphans taken care of. People wouldnt be sold in exchange for money and clothes would be folded neatly. Lots of things that we've done to this earth is because we've limited our way of worshiping God. We are IGNORANT of how breathtakingly beautiful and great and awesome our God is. Today while folding laundry and making breakfast, i understood the higher purpose of things. I was able to find such delight in putting the eggs away in the right place, making them look beautiful and presentable, because it was no longer out of fear or carelessness, but truly out of acknowledging Gods presence and a form of worship to him. I no longer do it because i HAVE to, but because i GET to.

God Truly is Good

Its funny how i say i believe in a God who is good but yet i am so utterly shocked when he chooses to speak and bless me more than i can ever imagine. The statement "God is good" can be so easily used in vein, especially when its tossed around so frequently with a lack of belief. Through the Grace of God im able to taste a little of his goodness. But what does it mean to enjoy God? I realized that to not enjoy God would be because of knowing who he is and to not enjoy him and find in him, infinite pleasures. Pleasures within pleasures forever.
Ultimately the root of all sin is the disbelief, ignorance, and even the incapability of grasping how magnificent, gracious, and wonderfully beautiful he is.
This God calls me BELOVED.
This God awakened my senses and is continually doing so through his presence.
This God chose me before the foundation of the world.
This God raised me to life.
This God is jealous for my heart.
This God gives me identity, value, worth, hope a future, an abundant life, restoration, and healing.
This God makes me shine like the stars.
This God loved me so much he bore my sin on the cross.
Because of Jesus i am INFINITELY FORGIVEN. I am welcomed into eternity with him. I am sanctified. Im called to a higher calling. I am a daughter. I am complete. I no longer have the attitude of i have to but i GET to, do things for him. I get to walk with him. I get to talk to him. I get to see what he sees. I get to do what he does. I get to be a part of his infinite and glorious plan. I get to speak for him. I get to be like him to others. I GET TO BE PERSECUTED FOR HIM.
Who gets to?!? ONLY THOSE THAT ARE INFINITELY BLESSED AND FAVORED BY THE MOST HIGH GOD! US!
How crazy is that?
It is NOT through my performance but on his infinite grace. He cannot love me less or love me more, because i am not saved by what i do in the first place.
God seriously, youre the best.

What If?

What if we worshiped God simply because he is good? what if we spent time with God simply because he loves us? What if we stopped trying to better ourselves as believers and simply accepted that we're made righteous by the cross and not our own works? What if we, as believers, stopped pretending to be sinners and woke up to the reality that we're righteous? So many questions running through my mind right now...