Hello Sophomore

Packing up the perfect year

getting ready for the new

these pages tell so many stories

random scraps of paper that speak volumes

Mrs. Pittman's literature class was a breath of fresh air to my tired soul every weak

beautiful words and deep thoughts

Algebra equations mixed with random quotes from Hamilton, Hunchback, and Wicked

It's a big beautiful mess

Papers from a class I barely understood that forced my writing in a box

The folder supposed to contain blank notebook paper holds random doodles, a character sketch describing Eve, notes from a speech competition, and of course quotes from Hunchback, Hamilton, Wicked, and Disney

I'm sitting here packing up my perfect Freshmen year and I'm listening to the play list entitled "Hello Sophomore."  I'm not sure I'm ready to let go of Freshmen year.  Every second was perfect, but Sophomore is saying  hello.  So I'll pack my backpack and make new notebooks,  I'll read through my notes from Mrs. Pittman's class,  I'll put on my lipstick and my chic boots, I'll grab my Bible and I'll go meet Sophomore year.

Summer 2017

Late nights

New friendships

Stronger friendships

First dances

Red lipstick and blond highlights

Traveling:  Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Orlando

Here today, gone tomorow

Hopes, plans, dreams

Dancing like a fool

Being a princess

Finding new confidence

Excel still more

So often in our Christian walk we settle for doing good enough.   We think we're trying to please God, right? We settle for serving God, our church and our families.  We think about how we can stop  sinning.  We focus on what negative things we need to change.  Do we ever stop to think what we're doing good at and how we can keep going?

Last week I went on mission to rural Tennessee, after having gone a different missions trip to South Carolina just a week before.  I was exhausted.  I didn't feel like going on another trip.  I was not exited.  I woke up at 4:00 A.M. and pulled myself out of bed.  As I got ready I realized, " You're gonna go get on a van with some of your best friends, and you're gonna serve God, and it's gonna be great."  And that's exactly what happened!  God gave the trip such a joy and a fellowship.

We went to the middle of nowhere to serve a tiny church.  From the outside it may have looked like we weren't doing anything significant.  We painted parts of the church and cleaned.  We also put on a sports camp and block party.  Six girls came to the block party.  Doesn't seem big right?  It was huge.  The little moments are the moments that change the world.  We shared the gospel and God's love and that's huge.  The pastor's wife thanked us in tears for encouraging her church.  We changed the world.

I learned that there doesn't have to be fireworks for there to be power.  Changing the world isn't going to look huge, it's almost always going to be really really small. No one may see it, but God will.  Changing the world starts one person at a time.

I also learned that no matter how close you are to God you can always be closer.  The youth pastor who led this trip  said this quote from C.S. Lewis multiple times, "Further up, further in."  The characters in the last novel of the Narnia series had just reached Heaven and instead of saying "Yay were in heaven!"  The reaction is how can we be closer?

This should also be our reaction.  Yay!  I went on a good mission trip, but how can I keep going?  When you see God working in you don't just sit there see how you can pursue that.  Celebrating is great, but pursuing what you are celebrating is even better.

So you love God?  So you've given Him your life?  So you want to change the world for Him?  You're doing great, kid, keep going.  Further up, further in!


"Finally then Brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that just as you recived instructions from us as to how you are to walk and please God(as you actaully do walk) that you excel still more."- 1 Thesolonians 4:1

How did we get here?

I feel like I'm taking slow steps but my life is flying by me

I'm in slow motion but everything else is moving at full speed

I won't let this summer go

I'm grasping it desperately

I'm living in the moments

Laughing with you

Eating Chick-fil-a late on Wednusday night

Cherishing every second with you

I known you have to leave

But I won't think about you leaving soon, so soon

I'll be strong

I'll let you  learn to be yourself

and I'll learn to be me

When I fill your shoes, but  not completely

I'll adore every second you give me

And understand when you can't

You're ready to glide and I'm ready to start flying

We're not little kids anymore

You're an adult and I will be soon

You're a rising college Freshmen, and I'm a rising highschool sophomore

How did we get here?

Yesterday you were crying about me destroying your train tracks and Mom was spanking me

Today you're telling me to sing louder and I'm telling you to keep writing music

Late at night in the garage

You play a musical masterpiece and claim it as your own

I clap my hands in delight

Your ready to take on the world
and
 I'm ready learn how to take on the world

Summer Beauty Tips

Summer is one of the hardest times of the year as far as beauty goes.  It's an extremely social time so you want to look your best, but the heat makes you lethargic.  You're out of a regular routines so you forget about quickly doing makeup in the morning or grabbing it on the way out of the door.  You don't feel like spending hours picking through your closet to find the perfect outfit.

Shoes

Find two or three pairs of shoes that you love and will go with everything.  Keep them easily available and just throw them on.

Places to find good shoes
Rosses
Marshall's
TJ-Max

Makeup

If you don't feel like doing a ton of makeup, don't.  Do a quick natural look.  Mascara, powder, highlighter, blush, and light lip gloss.  Embrace your natural beauty.  You'll gain confidence and look naturally gorgeous.

Summer suggestions

                                                           Elf yellow color corrector.
You're out in the heat so your mascara and eyeliner will smudge slightly.  When you get back inside apply the color corrector under your eyes and brush powder over it.  No one will know your makeup ran.

                                               Cover Girl Mascara clump crusher
This mascara is literally perfection.  You can do one layer for a light, day-time look or you can layer it for a night-time event.

Maybelline New York Super Stay Matte Ink

I love this lip stain because it stays on your lip for forever, and has a matte finish.  My color is Believer. 

 

Nails

Find you're happy color.  This summer, mine is black because it matches everything and is perfect for every occasion.

Hair

Seriously just wear it natural, or braid it to get a beachy wave.  Please don't spend hours curling or straightening your hair.  Just go with a nice natural looking wave.

Jewelry

The chokers are in.  I love them because they add so much to any outfit.

Summer suggestions

This is a 5-pack that I found out of all places, Kirkland's.

I also love the ear-cuffs.  They aren't you're traditional earring but they add so mush personality.

Clothes

Have a few outfits you cycle through.  The trick is to throw an outfit together and then wear it multiple places with different people.  If you have different social settings, no one will know you're re-wearing things ;)

  

        

A summer's picnic

A warm breeze blows through your hair but it is comforting

A blue eyed baby rests contentedly on your arm

You sit by her mother and listen to the hum of young mother's conversations

You argue with a friend about the spelling of your own name

You're right and he's wrong

You eat as much food as you want and forget about other people's opinion

You sit beside your closest friend and talk

There is a freedom in your conversation

You can tell her anything

You realize that your older now

Growing dangerously near adulthood

You hold flowers close to yourself, finding strength in there beauty

You pick out the smallest ones and place them in your hair on an impulse

It's nights like these that make life worth living

That subtle joy you don't realize you're feeling

Life is beautiful, the summer is freedom, and God is good

Dream Chasing: The struggle is real

   
    

It's all gone

I have nothing left

I gave everything 

Every emotion

Every dance step 

All of my voice

They took it all

Where am I?

It's killing me

But I can't live without it

It's my fate

It's who I am

I am not myself without it

It invigorates me 

It exhausts me

I can't find myself

Who am I? 

I don't understand this chapter , this page

Because I literally left my heart on stage

      I remember someone asking me in the middle of Freshmen year, "How are you enjoying drama?"  I wanted to answer,"I almost don't even want to go, I'm exhausted, I feel like I don't know what I'm doing, I'm not good enough, I feel like a fool, I'm about to fall over right now from exhaustion."  Sometimes chasing a dream requires mind over matter.  I responded, " I have to remember I LOVE THIS, no matter what I'm feeling right now."

     Sometimes dream chasing is crying for no particular reason,while at the same time having a thousand different reasons. You break down and cry because you realize this is taking more than you thought.  Everyone experiences the show, but not many people experience the 20 hours a week for eight months.  Nobody realizes you live, sleep , and breath this literally.  It really does take blood sweat and tears.

     When pursue a dream with everything in you, you realize your mortality.  Your body is weak, your emotions even weaker, and your heart the weakest.  You're human.

     I'm not here to discourage you, I just want to be completely real.  Chasing a dream isn't always fun.  It certainly has it's fun moments.  You really do enjoy your dream, but it also exhausts you.  Chasing a dream is laughter, joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction, but it's also uncontrollable tears, sleepless nights, nervous breakdowns, and despair.  The fact that it is joy and pain combined makes it valuable

     Nothing worth doing is easy.  Nothing that lasts is easily won.  When you give yourself to something you take personal responsibility.  This isn't just talk, this is yours.  You've earned this.  Who would want  a dream that didn't belong to them ?

Quotes 

"And ain't nobody want to see you down in the dumps

Because you're living your dream and this should be fun
Please know that I'm not trying to preach like I'm reverend run
I beg you don't be disappointed with the man I've become" - Ed Sheeran 

"Beat up but won't be broken
Lonesome but always searching
Homesick but nobody's heading home soon
Keep on, keeping on, keeping on...
To the dreamers
Wide-eyed believers
Hanging onto hope by a thread
To the soulful
Heart open hopeful
Keep on charging ahead
'Cause, when you feel it, once you see it, and you breathe it
It's unforgettable
When you know it, once you know it, and you hold it
It's unforgettable." - For King and Country