"Why fit in when you were born to stand out?" - Dr.Seuss

In middle school, highschool and the beginning years of college, I was very aware of what others thought of me. I was aware of the clothes I was wearing, what I was saying, how things were said to me, and I was hyper sensitive to the way others "viewed" me. Sadly, It took me around 22 years to figure out that Dr. Seuss was right. WHY SHOULD I FIT IN WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD, WHEN GOD CREATED ME TO STAND OUT??

I have seen this lesson played out over and over again in my life. Once I learned that I don't have to  compromise who I am people learned to appreciate and respect me more for EXACTLY who I am. I am silly, I am antsy, I am random, I am compassionate, I don't talk about others behind their back or gossip. I am 100% me. And I have learned that people may be thrown off by that at first, but then they grow to LOVE it.

I wish I had learned this lesson earlier on in life, it really would have saved me alot of insecurity and heart ache. I now realize that God did not make me to Fit iN. He made me to be uniquly me. My life does not revolve around a guy, the latest trends, the "popular" crowd or whether or not someone likes me or not anymore. I have learend that none of those things really matter.

In life guys come and go ( all but ONE, and he will love you for exactly who you are anyways, flaws and all). In life trends definitley come and go and the popular girl is popular one day and then the next she is a total loser. So WHY NOT be 100% you? Stand up for who you are. People will love you for who you are and if they don't then its ok, they don't have too. But don't make someone like you for who you AREN'T because then you will go around living a lie.

SO CHEERS TO YOU! Because you are amazing!!

Help a teacher out...

So that time of year is rolling around again. It is time to buy those fresh packs of paper, pencils, markers, crayons, a new backpack, ect. But why don't you take a look from a teachers perspective.

My best friend Courtney is a teacher in a low income area in NC, and she does not get provided with the tools and supplies needed for her classroom to function smoothly. Her kids cannot afford supplies to last through out the year, and as big as Courtneys heart is, her wallet during the school year because of school supplies, is not. Please take a second to read her blog and think about helping a fellow teacher friend ( or Courtney herself, I can get the supplies to her! )

http://courtneyincarolina.blogspot.com/2011/07/back-to-school-supplies-part-2-or-how-i.html

17 years of Sass and Class...

Olivia Edwards is 17 years of sass and class. She is the most honest and genuine person I know. She tells you how it is and is not afraid to be HERSELF. Olivia spent a week with me when I was babysitting over night for our awesome friend/mentor Nicole Unice . We laughed everynight so hard that we would cry. She introduced me to Jersey Shore ( I still don't understand that show Olivia ) and "I Used to be Fat". She would comentate the whole time and I LOVED it.  She shared a room with Stacie, Kristy and I at Passion and we were all introduced to a new level of vulerability with eachother and it was a beautiful thing. And we all learned on that trip what it was to be "scene" thanks to Olivia.

My good, wonderful friend Olivia, got in a serious car accient on Tuesday, where she was Medivac'ed to MCV where the doctors discovered bleeding in her brian and splean. She has been in critical but stable condition since Tuesday. And as Saturday rolls around we are seeing little glimps of hope.

Olivia has been moving her hands around a little bit, and when her dad asked her "How many kisses do you want Olivia" she responded with "one". It doesn't seem like much but PRAISE THE LORD for that progress. Dr.'s say it will be a really long road. 1-2 months in the hospital, with months of physical therapy and recovery.

I tell you all this to ask you for your prayer. Anytime you think about her pray. Isaiah 55:8 says "For your thoughts are not my thoughts, nor your ways my ways, declares the Lord". This is a verse I constantly have to remember. God has a plan in this for Olivia, and for everyone involved in Olivias life. She is a beautiful example of God's child.