09. 30. 13. I am a Christian.

09. 30. 13. I am a Christian.

Day 10.
I am a Christian.

Whether you realize it or not my faith is the most important thing in my life. My God is the very reason I exist. You have no idea how glad I am that I am a Christian. I am a follower of Christ. If I didn't know Christ you have no idea how messed I would be. Even as a Christian I make mistakes and I still don't know everything and the amount of freedom I have in Christ. He created me. He planned the days ahead of me. He sees  my mistakes and still loves him. He heals me. He uses me for his greater purpose. He equips me. He has called me to nations around the globe and even to write this blog. I want to be a counselor or an art teacher or a missionary but all I really want is to be a servant of Christ. He has given me gifts for a reason. He is what drives me. He shows me his heart. He wants to speak through me. He wants to use me. All I can say is please. You know how incredible it is that the God of the universe is wanting to use me to utter a few simple words for him. The Alpha and Omega wants me to live a life set apart to bring him glory, and how can I say no?

Yes, I have made mistakes. I am not perfect. But the miracle of the matter is I don't have to be. God doesn't have to look at us anymore for our debt. God doesn't have to look at my mistakes or failures. God deals with Christ in me. I no longer have to look at myself and see imperfection because the most precious, perfect thing lives in me. The most beautiful thing in all creation dwells inside of me. He has made me beautiful both spiritually and physically. He says everything he created is beautiful so how can I argue with him? How can I deny the truth so often? How can I accept my forgiveness as truth but not my beauty? This needs to change.

09. 29. 13. My Wit.

09. 19. 13. My Wit. 

Day Nine.
My Wit.

I've been told my several people that I'm witty. I come up with things very quickly. In an argument, or teasing dual or battle of the minds I come up with answers very quickly. Albeit, some aren't that good but they give me another minute to come up with another answer or point. Sometimes this isn't a good thing either. Because I am so quick sometimes mean things come out. It's hard to watch what you say when you're trying to beat someone. But I know God is working on that in me. This speed could be a good thing too though. I'm a good debater. When it comes to politics or my faith, I'm really good at making points that can't be easily disclaimed. Once the truth of God has really rooted in you, you will do everything you can defend the truth. I am a fighter for truth. A lot of people have said I should be a lawyer but I don't think I would really like that...

Anyways I have used this gift in many conversations with kids in my school about my faith and I know God has been using it for good; if even to speak truth to kids who don't hear it very often. If even to be an example to other Christians to defend their faith or that kids would see there must be a reason for my deep convictions that run through my blood and that it must be truth. God is honing my skills for a greater purpose and  I am ecstatic to find out what they are.

09. 28. 13. My Smartness.

09. 28. 13. My Smartness.

Day Eight.
My Smartness.

So I'm a natural blonde which I get teased about a lot. But I really am a smart person. Up until sophomore year I was a straight A student. I was homeschooled up until freshmen year and did TCA part time twice a week for years. Once I hit sophomore year I started taking college classes in high school. See smartness. While I was at TCA I learned how to write and have known how ever since. I'm also a tinker as some would say. I love to mess with something and figure how it works and then be able to fix it or even just to fix things. It's always been joked that I should dye my hair brown because I don't act blonde normally. I just love being me.

We have brains for a reason and I'm so grateful for the one I've got. It guides the way I think. I feel like a super smart person and I thank the Lord so much for that. I enjoy my nerdiness and quirkiness and smartness and I know God does too!

(Sorry this one is shorter than the others I hope you enjoy it anyways!)

09. 27 . 13. My Rosy Cheeks.

09. 27. 13. My Rosy Cheeks

Day Seven.
My Rosy Cheeks.

Now not a lot of people tend to talk about their cheeks but considering they take up most of my face I felt the need to pay a little tribute to them.

This picture doesn't really show how truly pink my cheeks really are. I've never had to wear blush. I naturally blush really easily. It is actually a disadvantage because people can tell how embarrassed I am super fast. Also when I work out or work really hard at something my cheeks turn bright pink too, which I've been told is actually really pretty. However considering how pink that region of my face gets its shows off the paleness of my porcelain skin even more. My mother has always called me her little china doll because I basically look like one. I'm not going to deny it.

I've been thinking a lot about that recently actually. The fact that I don't have to use that much makeup; actually I don't have to use any makeup at all which is really nice. I mean if I do become a missionary one day like I want to I won't have to worry about makeup because I already look fabulous. I am truly blessed by the natural beauty God has given me and the beauty He has given to every girl, young and old. Whether it be your freckles or cute nose or your gorgeous eyes we each have something special about us. That God gave to you and only you. You are unique. You are precious. You are beautiful.

09. 26. 13. My Height.

09. 26. 13. My Height.

Day Six.
My Height.

Here I am trying to be tall or a superhero or both.

For as long as I can remember I've always been the tallest one. Well at least the tallest girl. I've always had to buy clothes that were made especially for tall people. I am now officially 5'10". My height was always something I would brag about even though typically it was one of my strongest insecurities. I've seen pictures and videos of me in junior high and I was always slouching in almost every single one.Yes I would and sometimes still do tease my friends about how short they are but I was truly the odd one out.

To Prom, all my friends wore high heels and had to pick up their dresses because they were too long. But I had a different problem. I couldn't find a dress that was long enough for me. I wanted to wear heels to look pretty but I ended up towering over everyone and I took 'em off after the first 10 excruciating minutes. I also realized that at work I am the second tallest girl at the store. There's one in the kitchen who is taller than me but besides that I'm it. I have to specially order pants that are long enough for me which I'm used to. Doctors have said I should be a model because of my height, which honestly I wouldn't mind being. But anyways as you can imagine, my height has always been something that I wish I could change. My father is 6'4" so there is pretty much no chance that any of my siblings are going to be short either. In fact, I'm probably going to be the shortest. My younger sister who is only 14 is less than an inch shorter than me.

We as people always look to someone for direction, someone to be the leader; even if they don't know what they're doing. We love superheroes and soldiers because they step up to the plate. Maybe this has nothing to do with height. But when someone is tall you literally look up to them, even if you don't look up to them as a person, right? One thing I've been thinking about lately is my leadership abilities. Since junior high, people have always told me a natural born leader. I serve, and that's seen as leadership. I've been yearbook editor-in-chief, patrol leader, secretary, student leader; all these things because I wanted to help out. What if I was made to be tall so people would look up to me? I'm already a leader I think, so maybe the extra height was an added bonus? I don't know maybe that might be a stretch of the imagination. It's just an idea. Maybe I'm just tall so my sister can have someone the same height as her to share in the struggles of tallness.

Either way, God made you your height for a reason. Whether it be to reach tall shelves and be able to do harder work or to be a compact, ice skater so you can fly easier through the air. I don't know. Sometimes we never know the purpose for having something. All I do know is it will come in handy one day.  That's why you were designed with it. As much as being tall can be hassle, I like it. I know I am the way I am for a reason; and I am beautiful.


(P.S. Sorry I didn't post this first thing this morning! I was cramming before my math test!)

09. 25. 13. My Sense of Humor.

09. 25. 13. My Sense of Humor

Day Five.
Hahahahahahaha hahahaha. Giggle, Chuckle! Snort! Hahahahaha hahahaha! After reading that you probably think I'm crazy, but no I was just laughing, because of my sense of humor. Do you see what I did there? Okay anyways. my sense of humor.

I'm one of those people where I try to make people laugh and sometimes I think I'm genuinely funny. I try to crack jokes when the situation is awkward or if no one's talking but sometimes that makes it more awkward. But there's always that one joke that no one gets and then boom my funniness has died like the setting sun. My best friend on the other hand laughs at everything I say and my confidence is instantly boosted. She and I grew up together; so we know what we're thinking even if we hadn't said it yet. I love her more than words can ever express.

I love my funniness though. I make myself laugh, which can be embarrassing if no one around me is laughing and I just randomly giggle out of nowhere. My coworkers must think I'm crazy but that's okay. I make kids laugh. I love kids. I've gone to five other countries and I love the kids in all of them. Even though they don't speak my language I can make faces and make them laugh. That makes my heart smile. I sometimes make adults laugh. My mother laughs at me a lot. Other than that it's a rare occasion that other adults laugh at what I say unless I'm being blonde. Sometimes I can be a little ditsy but sadly that's part of the heritage of being a blonde. I am a really smart blonde though. But it makes people laugh sometimes. And I know I make God laugh. He loves my personality and my sense of humor. Sometimes I can just feel him chuckling along with me or simply smiling down on me. I love that feeling.

I love my sense of humor even though some people don't understand it. I know God can see my thoughts and connect the pieces. Even if I just makes him laugh, that's all that matters. He loves me. My sense of humor might not necessarily make me beautiful, but I do feel loved. God loves it when we laugh. He loves the sound of it. So laugh today, pay attention if you can feel God laughing along with you. Be ready to listen for him.

09. 24. 13. My Hands.

09. 24. 13. My Hands.

Day Four.
My Hands.

Hmm, what to say. Our hands are so under appreciated. I mean, like we use them every single day pretty much every minute. Our hands can do so much; it's amazing. We draw, write, build, lift, create, sew, drive, eat, type, work, all with our hands. Our hands follow our every command even our sub conscience ones. Our hands can be used to accomplish any task set before us.

I am right handed and I have big hands. For a long time they were the same size as my older brother who is over six feet tall! I just realized I am only 5 inches shorter than him though. So this was always one thing I hated. What girl wants man hands? I always thought a boy wouldn't want to hold my hand if my hand was bigger than his. Man, was I wrong. If you're pretty they want to hold your hand no matter how big it is. Anyways, I always hated the size of my hands; but now I love them. I can do stuff that men can do. I can lift, scrub, move furniture, and do general work that women typically couldn't do. I actually think I'm pretty buff. One of my fingers is crooked and becomes swollen when the weather changes dramatically. Again my mother would always say my hands were the hands of royalty. As if I belonged in the Renaissance time period or with Queen Elizabeth since my hands are so graceful. I am a natural dancer so my hands just kinda naturally go into first position.

My hands have done so much over the years, and I'm proud to say that. My hands have been scraped on the streets of Ireland while sharing the message of Christ. My hands have been to Guatemala and built walls and swung kids around. They've been to Wales and played with children near the sea and twirled flags. They're been in my own city feeding the homeless and tearing down walls and handing out flyers. My hands have learned to draw and play music. These hands have typed numerous papers and poems and words and edited many pictures. These hands have written love and truth and feelings over the years. These hands have been used for work and for play and I'm surprised they're still connected to my arms honestly. It's amazing what God can do with your hands if you'll let him. Let him use you as His hands. He has taken me to so many places because I had no choice but to say yes. I'm so excited to see how he will use my hands in the future.

How has God used your hands? What do you love about your hands?

09. 23. 13. My Hair.

09. 23. 13. My Hair.

Day Three.
Rapunzel. Goldilocks. Blondie. Tinkerbell. Barbie. The Lioness. What do all these characters have in common? They all have hair; specifically blonde hair. All of these have also been nicknames for me  because of my hair.

My hair. Man, I think every girl has hated her hair and wanted someone else's. Let's be honest here. I love rich, auburn, straight hair. That's what I've always wanted instead of my blonde mop on my head. My hair is super thick, super long, naturally wavy, naturally blonde, and has some natural highlights in it. To some this sounds like the perfect hair or super model hair. And I'm slowly realizing it really is. It's actually perfect besides how easily it tangles and headaches from its weight. Plus I only need to wash it like every 3 days! (Okay, you probably didn't need to know that.)

In the Bible, somewhere in Proverbs or Psalms it says that our hair is our shining glory. My mom has quoted it to me for years, anytime I complain about the mess on my head. Several of my coworkers and friends say they wish they had my hair and for the longest time I couldn't see why. I never saw their perspective. Again, having my senior pictures done has had a huge effect on me. My hair is untamed in the pictures but it looks free. Recently God has been showing me just how free I really am. I love how my hair could represent my freedom in Christ and how I don't have to worry about it each day. Because honestly, each day it does something new and that's okay. It's a new adventure every day even if I don't want it to be.

When I was 8, I still had a ton of hair and decided to donate it to Locks of Love. Locks of Love is an organization that makes wigs out of real hair for kids suffering from cancer. Even if I have my hair just to have donated then, then it's worth it. I want to thank God for his creation of me. He makes everything beautiful; including me. I want to see everything as beautiful. Including my hair.

09. 22. 13. My Eyes.

09.22. 13. My Eyes.

Day Two.
Hmm....what should I do next? How 'bout those blue things in the middle of my face? My eyes.

Lately, the eyes have been the biggest thing in the makeup industry. Typically in those makeup tutorials on Youtube people say the eyes are the most important thing on your face and that's what you should spend most of your time on. So they sell hundreds of products just to decorate around those things on your face. I'm not saying makeup is bad, I'm wearing some right now and in this picture. I'm simply saying makeup is generally just used for the wrong reasons and girls tend to hide behind. Ladies, I would know. I am a girl.

I love my eyes. They're pale blue like the grandpa I never met. I've heard also that blue eyes are actually the non-dominant gene too. So typically people don't have blue eyes as much as brown eyes. I have perfect vision. I've never needed glasses. Confession time: yes, I do wear the fake glasses from Claire's. And yes I have convinced people I actually needed them when in actuality I just think they look cute on me. When I wear them I get noticed a lot more; which is weird considering they are glasses and typically people get teased for wearing them. Yes, I have said they have very little prescription on them even though there is none. Anyways, my friends are constantly telling me how much they love my eyes. Yes, they are slightly crooked and you can kinda see it in this picture and one is bigger than the other. But none of you would have known that unless I hadn't just told you or if you did a thorough examination of my face, now would you?

Someone along time ago said something along the lines of how the eyes are the window to the soul. I kinda agree with this statement. Eyes are one of the most expressive things about us. They help us perceive the world around us and in turn allow others to perceive us. People communicate through their eyes which honestly is really cool. Our eyes can express 10 million emotions that we can't even form into words. You can see pain or joy or love just in someone's eyes.

I want to see things the way Christ does. But I didn't realize how much it hurt. While I was in Wales, a pastor came up to me and told me God was going to use my compassionate heart and it was going to hurt me. And it has. I see people. I see there brokenness when everyone around them doesn't. I can tell when something's wrong. I can see it coming. Like in Monk, It's a gift and a curse. I know when things are going to happen. I love my eyes. I thank God for the perspective he has been giving me through them and for even the natural beauty of the eyes he's given me.

09. 21. 13. My Smile.

09.21.13

Day One.
Oh Gosh. What have I gotten myself into? Yes I know 'gotten' isn't a word. Sssshhhh. My smile.

For years, I hated my smile. I always thought I looked like a chipmunk or something. If I really smiled like hardcore smile I would get this weird wrinkles under my eyes and it looked like I was squinting or like my face was squished or something. People would always ask if I had braces when I was younger because of how straight my teeth are. (I've never had braces for all who have wondered!) But now my smile is probably one of my favorite parts of my face. I smile all the time and I've been told I blush easily which I know is true but I always thought that made me naive and a little girl. I never realized it showed that I was happy or that I was going to be happy.

A friend recently told me that the smile is always the first thing he notices in a person, and I think that's how it is for most people. They notice your smile. Your smile is an expression of how you perceive life. It shows how you are feeling and betrays you and hides itself when you are sad; letting people know how you feel. It's a sign on how you feel about something. Are you smiling most of the time or are you frowning? Do you see your life as half full or half empty? How do you deal with problems? Yes we all have problems, and even I frown a lot but I want to choose to be happy. I want to show people that even though I have hardships I know who holds my future. I want to be like the Proverbs 31 woman who laughs without fear of the future. She smiles because her savior holds her no matter what.

I love to laugh. I love to smile. I smile because I have it all, I have my Savior. I want to never stop smiling. I love my smile. I want people to see the happiness I have found in Christ. Even if my smile looks funny to others it looks like pure joy to me. I smile for my King and I want to smile for eternity.