Jesus Time: Matthew 25:35

Day Brightener: There is still Hope for our world

Probably the best thing I've ever heard. I've found my new favorite song.

Day Brightener: Overload

  

Day Brightener: Most annoying boy award goes to....

I used to annoy my mom when I was younger... but this is a whole new level.. WOW

Day Brighteners: Cute dogs and cats in need of naps.

So everyone has those days that are just kinda blah so this post is where you can start going to find things that will hopefully make you smile and re-energized! I'll start trying to post one a day!!


 

Everyone is Blind.

How many stars are in the sky right now? People in New York would claim that they could barely see any stars, and the people in Australia would say that they were wrong, that there were actually a billion in the sky. Both of these people are actually right. Whether you are viewing them from the Empire State Building in New York or the outback in Australia, the number of stars is the same.  Stars become harder to see, or invisible, in large cities due to the amount of light in the city; therefore giving the effect that there are less stars. The light blinds us from seeing the beauty of the night. But no matter how much light there is you are always able to see the moon. Like the light blinding people from viewing the beauty of the stars, our society is also blind. We are blind in the sense that we can’t see the beauty of others, because we let the physical appearance of someone determine how we act towards them. Why is this? Why does the appearance of a man, the result of one single chromosome, establish how you treat him? This shouldn’t be the case. Our society is blinded. Instead we should decide how we treat someone based on what is in his heart. Some of the kindest people I know live with a disability. Every day in high school they would say hi to me in the hallway, and every day I choose to love them. I loved them not because I felt sorry for them. No. I loved them not only because it is what I am called to do by God, but because they were easy to love. The people I know with a disability are people too. People with a kind heart are easy to love. I said earlier that no matter how much light, you could always see the moon; the moon is your reflection. No matter how blind you are to what is around you, you are always able to see yourself. Think about that, are you happy with the way you go about your life and treat others? If all the stars in the sky fade away would you be happy hanging out with yourself forever?

With that question in mind I challenge everyone that reads this to do two things:

1. Ban the word “Retard” from your vocabulary. It is demeaning and just plain wrong. It should be looked at as one of the most hurtful cuss words you could say, because if you ask a family member of a person with a disability they would probably tell you that it is extremely disrespectful.
2. Stop being blind. Open your mind to the things unseen. Seek to know the heart of others, not just who they are on the outside, and start being someone you would want to live with forever.

Oh P.S. here is a super cute video of kids with Down Syndrome and kids without being asked what they want to be when they grow up. 

Who you are matters.

This is exactly what I needed! Ladies please watch this :)

Posted by Andi Manzano on Sunday, September 29, 2013

10 Things I would tell my High School Self

College is a whirlwind of new things and experiences, anyone that is enrolled or graduated will testify to that, but if I could give my high school self some advice, this is what I would say.  

1.    Things aren’t always black and white.

Sure there is right and wrong, but there is a reason behind everything that people choose to do. Try and see the world from their perspective you might just be surprised how much you learn from them.

2.    Study… harder.

College is way harder than I ever anticipated and even though I studied hard in high school, you can form study habits that will help you in the long run. Sure it will stink and you might catch FOMO (fear of missing out) early in life, but it is worth it. Promise.

3.     Be nice to your family.

Your family cares for you more than you will ever fathom, and they will literally jump through any hoop to help you get to where you want in life. Yes, that includes Eric. Although you feel like his only goal in life is to get on your last nerve, it is absolutely not true. Eric annoying you is really him showing you that he loves you, in his weird twisted boy logic.

4.    Judging is overrated.

Stop worrying about what other people are doing with their lives, or who is dating who. In the end it doesn’t matter and it is just wasted energy trying to keep up with it all. Love everyone, and let the snide comments roll off your back no matter how hard it might be. Jesus calls us to love, so follow that, plus judging takes too much energy.

5.     These are not the best days of your life.

High school sticks, so be prepared some of the toughest lessons you will ever have to learn are going to happen. If you can get through high school I honestly believe you can make it wherever you go in life. Day one of college was 10 times better than your whole three years at Southside high school  were, so don’t fret life isn’t always this dramatic.

6.     The brand of clothes you wear/own means nothing.

Sure having brand name clothes is nice, and people are dressing up for school every single day, but when you get to college kiss it all goodbye. Everyone walks around in shirts so long they look like dresses and norts (Nike Shorts). No one cares what car you drive, or really how much money your family has. People care about who you are and the values you hold, so start spending more time figuring that out, and save that money you were going to spend on those shoes. They might be cute, but the shirt your sorority just released on Houndstooth will be double the comfort, probably over half the price and last a lot longer.

7.     High school boys are gross.

Honestly dating in high school is super over rated. I still have yet to see the point, so stop worrying about the cute boy in class or whatever, trust me there will be plenty in college. By the way they are taller, smarter, and way more fun.

8.    Friday night lights really are a big deal.

You’ll have a game day in college too, but nothing will beat the feeling of cheering on your best friends as the take the field. Cherish the times you have cheering “Rebel” until you go horse, you’ll miss it when you are in college trying to hold your life together.

9.     No one cares how popular you were in high school.

Sometimes you might run into some people you had classes with in high school, but that girl that was super popular and got homecoming court every single year, she is just another freshman girl that happens to be in a sorority. Being a big fish in a small pond doesn’t have any indicator of your amount of friends in college. Trust me you’ll have so many sorority sisters that you won’t even have time to keep up with the people you knew in high school.

10. Pray.

Times are busy in college, and August of your freshman year isn’t the time to choose to start having a super close relationship with God. Establish that relationship before you get on campus, and then it will make things way easier knowing that you have Him in your back pocket.