Just a bit on Christmas

I've written before about Christmas.
About songs that annoy me and some present mishaps.
But past all the tinsel that's actually pretty easy to clean up, there's something else.
Why do we buy gifts for people?
To prove we love them?
Because it's socially demanded?
In hopes that they bought you something at least as cool / useful / expensive as you bought them?
Or because we really want to give them a gift as God gave us a gift on Christmas?

There are people who are having skinny Christmases this year.
There are people giving gifts of meals, partial tuition, car repairs, and new clothes for work or school this year.
There are people who literally have nothing to give to the ones who mean the most to them.
But we can all give something.
This thing isn't material.
It costs you nothing, so it fits any budget.
And it won't be forgotten by New Year's Day.

Give the gift God gave us.

Give the gift of sacrificial love.
(And I'm not just preaching at you, I'm talking about me, too.)

Love the people who love you.
Love the people who annoy you to death.
Love the people who make your life more difficult.
Love the people who are a bit prickly.
Love the people close to you, because you see them every day.
Love the people you'll probably only see once, because it means more than you might know.
Love the people who think they are unlovable.

We certainly were.

"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8b

A Pinteresting Tumbl of a Day

Pin it here (x).

A Pinteresting Tumbl of a Day

I'm beginning a new series where once a week (probably Wednesdays) I'll post a gif set I've come across or a cute / inspiring / hilarious / etc. pin.

You're welcome and enjoy.

Find the pin here.

Being 21

Remember when you were a kid and you thought Sweet 16 was so far away? I mean, heck, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, and Snow White were married at 16!

And then you turned 16 and you realized that you didn't know anything and what the heck were those girls thinking, getting married at 16?!

You just got your driver's licence!

You thought 18 was the thing. You could tackle anything when you were 18.

Until you turned 18.
Then you realized you totally do not have a handle on much at all.
The next milestone is 21.
21.
Where you can literally - and legally - do anything you want.
Within reason, obviously.
Well, let me tell you, Girls-younger-than-21, 21 is not what it's cracked up to be.
Yeah, you can basically do whatever you want . . . but with that said, there's a lot of responsibility on your shoulders.
I know a lot of gals my age - including myself - that would just love nothing more than to curl up with a tub of ice cream or and popcorn and watch Disney Princess movies all day.
And maybe a little a lot of Doctor Who.
But we can't.
We've got college.
We've got jobs.
We've got bills to pay, assignments due, and people counting on us to get things done.
That's not to say that we don't have moments of calm or just time to have fun and relax, but those moments don't come often.
Girls-younger-than-21, treasure your moments of freedom.
You might be bored, but another word for boredom is free.
And treasure the innocence.
And the simplicity.
Enjoy it while you can.
It's not going to last.

Falling in Love ~ Part 1

People say falling in love is easy.

Sometimes it is.

Sometimes it is not.

People say they love God and God loves them - which is true - but I don't think people really understand what that means.

When you realize how much He loves you, it is so much easier to fall deeper in love with the Lover of your Soul.

He is a Father: He carries us when we're weak, He defends the orphans (Hosea, Proverbs).

He is a Friend: He shoulders our burdens, He listens to our cares (Matthew, 1 Peter).

He is a Lover: He woos us to Himself, He keeps us secure (Hosea, John).

He is a Judge: He is holy, He rules justly (Psalms).

He is a Redeemer: He justly forgives those He saves, He desires to save all (1 John, 2 Peter).

Do you see?

There is no one like this.

Even though we may know some people who have some of these general qualities in degrees, only God is all of them.

And He loves you.

And who could pass that up?

One Who loves you and sees past your mistakes, past your failures, and past your flaws.

One Who loves you and wants to heal your scars, provide for you, and shape you into a purer you.

I can't.

I've fallen in love.

Have you?

Blessing the Lord

There's this song, you may have heard it, it's called "10,000 Reasons".

I can't remember the first time I heard it, but I remember thinking, "Oh, I should go download this when I get home" because it was a good song and I liked it. 

Well, I forgot to download it.

Naturally.

Well, the next time (of note) that I heard it was at a funeral for a baby.

I was so emotional that I couldn't even sing it.

But I was thinking.

We can't just bless the Lord when we have everything. When everything's nice and sunny. When we have everything we need.

We need to bless Him when He takes gifts away. When He teaches us lessons. When He allows pain in our lives.

Because whoever said "God will never give you more than you can handle" was wrong.

God will never allow you to be tempted beyond what He gives you an escape.

And God gives us more than we can handle to teach us to depend on Him for everything.

And that tender, nurturing love is truly blessable.

My, Oh My

It's August 15th. 

Summer is over. 

My, oh my, where'd the months go?

My younger sister started her dual enrollment at the local technical college this morning. My younger brother starts his freshman year at the Citadel this weekend. I start my senior year next week. 

My, oh my, where'd the years go? 

I guess all we can do is honor God with our hours, and trust Him in the moments, because He sees the years behind us and the years before us. 

Those years are made of months, weeks, days, hours, and moments. 

Live them well.

The Difference Between "Working Out" and "WORKING OUT"

So, I don't know if any of y'all have made those New Year's Resolutions that go something along the lines of "I'm gonna get healthy and workout every day and lose a ton of weight and keep it off forever!" or not.

I'll be honest: I have.

To be even more honest, I still am.

I wanted to lose 15 or 20 pounds by the end of the year.

I was doing well at first -- I lost 6 pounds in January, but then I gained it back.

Know why?

I wasn't doing it right.

I wasn't eating a whole lot, but that was it.

That's not the way to approach it.

Now I'm working out at least three times a week, usually about four or five, in addition to watching what I eat.

I was counting calories, but now I'm not really. It's in the back of my mind to be conscious of it, but I'm working eight hours a day, so I don't have much time to eat -- nor am I really that hungry by the time I do get a chance.

I've actually started a Tumblr where I post workout plans and such for those that might just need a game plan for actually working out. The series I'm posting now is a week long SPARTAN Workout, which are mostly strength training exercises (don't worry -- you don't need a gym subscription or equipment at home!) I'm planning to start a S.H.I.E.L.D. Workout soon, which will focus on building flexibility and perhaps post a (theoretical) weekly menu. Maybe.

Another really good thing to do when trying to lose weight or even get healthier is to have support and keep track of your progress.

MyFitnessPal is great for keeping track of your weight, measurements, and calories (if you plan to count them). If you'd like to add me, feel free to!

MyFitnessPal - Nutrition Facts For Foods

Also, if you'd like a quick - but effective - workout, I'd suggest doing this one. It's 4 minutes long, but those 4 minutes burn about 130 calories!

There's just a few things that you really can't afford to forget:

- God made you the way you are. You're tasked with maintaining the temple, not overhaul renovations exactly. Just to be a good steward of what you're given. He's made you as you are purposefully and you're beautiful (or handsome, as the case may be) that way.

- You can't change what you look like too much. I mean, if you have curves now, you're probably going to always have those curves. If you curve-less now, you're probably not going to have a whole lot later. And if this gets you down, just re-read the section above.

- Don't do anything you won't be able to keep up for the rest of your life. As my mom says, don't diet, live-it! Don't do some crazy diet that promises to help you shed 50 pounds in a week because that's 1) not realistic, and 2) you can't eat - or not eat! - like that forever. Slow and steadfast wins the race. And if this gets you down, read the top part again.

Confessions: I can't sing

I've previously written a post about American Idol, where I poke fun at the fact that the gal I wanted to win didn't. 

And I think I mentioned something about how I'd love to be a judge there, if only to take Simon's spot. 

I overheard something on the radio this morning about the ridiculous amount of money Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey are being paid to be judges.

My response?

"I'll do it for $25 an hour!"

But really, I'd love to be a judge for a singing contest.

There's only one kinda huge drawback:

. . . I can't sing.

Now let me qualify that.

I have the ability to sing, but I can't sing well, can't carry a tune.

I sing in the car when I'm alone because I don't want to inflict my tone-deafness on other people.

I love them too much to do that to them.

However, Candice Glover -- WHO IS FROM BEAUFORT -- can sing!

So yes, vote for Candice Wednesday night!

It is Friday!

So, I wanted to write a snarky, witty post about it being Friday, but I've come up with nothing. 

I also wanted to write a beautiful, moving post about it being Good Friday, but I've got nothing there, too.

I guess the best way to tell it would just to tell it as it is.

God created Man knowing full well we'd fall and spit in His face.

Yet He still loved us.

He spent millenia pointing forwards to One who would offer to free us from death and love us as no one else could.

And we didn't listen.

Yet He still loved us.

He sent His Son, who willingly lived on earth with few of our comforts.

We didn't accept Him.

Yet He still loved us.

We stripped Him naked, nailed Him to a cross, and caused His heart to break.

(It really did burst.)

We had no compassion for the Man who spoke of love, who fed the hungry, who healed the sick.

We laughed at Him and mocked Him and cursed Him.

Yet He still loved us.

Yet He asked that His Father would forgive us.

He died for us.

But that really does us no good if death can defeat Him.

But it didn't. 

He rose from the dead on the third day, defeating death for everyone.

And He loves you.

Some people say they're not worthy of His love.

No, you're not.

But His love is no credit to you; it's a testimony to Him.

Others think they don't need His love and grace.

You do.

It doesn't matter who you are, where you've come from, what you've done.

Even if the worst thing you've ever done is tell a little white lie, you still need His forgiveness.

If you're a murderer, you still need His forgiveness.

And this week there's been all the discussion about homosexuality.

Yes, it's wrong.

God calls it an abomination because it twists and distorts the physical love he created for a man and his wife - a picture of His love and sacrifice and relationship with the church.

But God doesn't hate you.

He doesn't at all.

He loves you.

He wants you to know Him.

He wants to forgive you.

He wants to love you.

Let Him.

I’m Short

I’m short.

I used to want to be tall, but I’ve heard from tall people that it's not that great being tall. 

For instance, jeans just aren't long enough.

. . . Ummm, well then, you can have my problem: even the petite short jeans are about 3-4 inches too long. 

I remember a few years ago I bought a pair of jeans and I went to get them taken up by this Japanese lady who does alterations down the street. I went into her store and stood on the box and she starts laughing at me when she rolled up the ends. 

She's all "Oh you so cute and so short not tall at all" and I'm all "But I'm taller than you!"

It was pretty funny.

But yeah, being tall may be no walk in the park, but being short isn't too awesome either. 

Subjects of Songs

I just gotta say . . . I feel really sorry for the people other people write songs about.

Like, basically for pretty much every guy Taylor Swift or Adele has ever dated or crushed on.

Take "Teardrops on my Guitar", for example.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love that song. It's part of the reason I respect Taylor: it's not a catty song about her liking a guy and trying to steal him. It's about her liking a guy and wanting him to be treated right and loved, even if it's not her being loved back. If fact, she tries her best not to interfere.

I really respect that.

But I hope she went by the whole "the names have been changed to protect the innocent" thing, because if she really liked some guy named Drew . . . somebody really felt awful when that was released.

Or say, Christina Perri's "Jar of Hearts".

I love that song, too. Actually, it seems like I've been living some of the songs from "Lovestrong" lately, but that's slightly irrelevant. 

If you watch the music video, it's heartbreaking, but beautiful in a bitter, sad sort of way.

It's like she hates him for what he did to her . . . but knows he's going to end up hurt in the end, too.

That guy must feel pretty bad too.

I guess I just feel like I'd have to walk on eggshells around my friend if they were a songwriter - I wouldn't want to end up the butt of a song.

Though, in a way, I guess it's sort of a nod: they meant enough to them that they wrote a song about them.

Anyway, it's just interesting.

And sad.

And sweet, sometimes.

Blah Blah, Valentine's Day, Mush Mush

If you were expecting a beautiful, mushy Valentine's Day post, you're not going to get it.

Sorry.

This is for those of you - like me - who are 'alone' for Valentine's Day.

I say 'alone' because you're not really alone, and here's why. 

Do you know the story behind Valentine's day?

The real story?

Well, I do.

And while I don't remember the specifics, I can tell you the gist of it.

There was a man named Valentine (Italian, probably) who was going to be hanged at dawn, at the first ringing of the bell.

Don't ask me what for, but I think it was murder.

Dawn came, and he was led to the scaffold.

Per the order, the executioners waited for the ringing of the bell.

They never heard it. 

One of the officials went to the bell tower and demanded to know why the bell hadn't been rung yet.

The bell ringer explained that he had been ringing the bell, but it hadn't been working. 

They went to examine it, and when they looked up at it, they saw Valentine's young wife clinging to the clapper: her body had silenced the ringing.

By the time they got her out, she was half dead. They asked her why she had done that, and she replied simply that she loved her husband. She died not too long afterwards.

Deciding the debt owed the state had been paid by one life, the official released Valentine, who - I assume - went on to become a saint somehow. 

Does that story ring a bell?

It's a terrible pun, but the question stands.

Valentine's Day isn't about roses and cutesy poetry and chocolate and sheepish grins and Cupid and pink hearts and dates.

It's about sacrificial love.

It's about laying one's life down for another.

And hopefully, that sounds familiar to all of us.

And that's why you're never alone.

I understand that it can hurt to be without a significant other during Valentine's Day: I didn't think I would be 'alone' this year, but I am.

And that's okay.

I'm not really alone.

And neither are you.

We are loved beyond measure by One who will never let us go.

We are loved by One who took our place of punishment and death.

So Happy Valentine's Day.

For God so loved the world

that He gave His only begotten Son

that whoever believes on Him

should not perish

but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Space Travel? Whatevs.

I feel like this generation is sort of jaded.

No, not in terms of morality - though I think that is true - that's not actually what I mean this time.

I think we've lost sight of what real ingenuity and creativity is.

Point en case: in a class yesterday, we were starting technical writing projects on drones. To get us thinking (it was 8 in the morning), our professor played some clips of robots used today. One of them was the landing of the NASA Discovery Mars rover.

And nobody really cared.

Fifty years ago, that would have been breathtaking and incredible. 

Now it's just . . . meh. 

I mean, we put men on the Moon and brought them back with computers less capable than our smartphones. 

Yes, that's terrifying to think about, but that means that the people involved with that had to know what to do. 

They had to do the math in their heads or with scratch paper. 

They had to be willing to put their lives on the line for that goal. (And think about how awful it would be to die in space if it failed. . .)

They were dreamers. 

But more than that, they were thinkers and doers.

Granted, technology has grown and evolved by leaps and bounds, and I'm not faulting that - I love technology. 

I'm not really sure I'm "faulting" anything.

I'm just lamenting the lack of wonder in our generation. 

I'm lamenting the fact that we don't look at the sea with wonder, remembering that we can go miles and miles down and see the creatures God made.

I'm lamenting the fact that most of us can barely see the stars anymore, and when we do, we don't remember that God knows each of them by name, and that we've put people on the Moon, and rovers on Mars.

I'm lamenting the fact that singers and songwriters with real talent aren't recognized for it, and the fame goes instead to somebody who will shock you rather than move you.

We need to recapture the innocence, the wonder, and the appreciation of simple things that we've lost. . .

Ramblings of a Fangirl: Opera Peeves

So, don't get me wrong, I am a huge Phan.

. . .

A fan of Phantom of the Opera.

A phan.

All of it. 

The book. The Broadway. The movies. The spin-off plays and musicals and books.

All of it.

NOT Love Never Dies. 

May the Hero Otto Webber rest in peace.

(Some of you understand what that means and I commend you.)

But there's something that really irks me about the play and the movie.

They used fake operas.

In a tale that takes place almost entirely in an opera house, there's not a single real opera in it.

There is in the book and in other versions: they perform Faust multiple times, which is actually far better suited to the Phantom than the fake ones, but that's a rabbit trail you don't want to see me go down.

But I checked on the operas, because Il Muto sounds hilarious. 

But alas, it does not exist.

The fact that they're all English should have tipped me off, but it didn't.
It irked me for a while, but then I forgot about it . . .
. . . till I saw the opera scene from Fifth Element.
Not sure I would suggest the movie, but for those of you who have missed this glorious scene, you can thank me later:

Yeah.
Is that not beautiful?
And here's where it gets even better - IT'S REAL.
It's from Lucia di Lammermoor, and this is the famous "mad scene".
You know, the "mad scene"?
Like THE "shower scene" . . . ?
No . . . ?
Oh.
Okay.
Anyway, this happens right after Lucy marries the guy she doesn't want, kinda snaps, and stabs him.
On their wedding night.
With all the guests downstairs.
Yeah . . .
Awkward.
But she's calling for her true love when she sings this.
Um . . . drenched in blood. . .
But here's what I don't get . . .
. . . a play about an opera ghost can't take the trouble to fit a real opera into the play somewhere, but a sci-fi movie that has nothing to do with operas does. . . ?

"Come Unto Me"

I just need to post this, both because I need it right now, and I'm sure there are others who could too.

A Realistic Self-Image

I'm sure a lot of us made New Year's Resolutions to lose some extra pounds.

I know I did.

But what do we really want?

To have a smaller number on the scale (which nobody knows but us), or to look slimmer?

If I were to be honest . . . it would have been the latter last year.

But not this year.

What changed?

My self-image.

How I see myself has changed, and for the better.

This is really hard to do, and took a while for me, but it's worth it.

And pretty simple. 

Skinny does not necessarily equal healthy.

For some, it might, but not for everyone.

For years, I thought I'd have to be skinny to be healthy, or pretty, or anything, but now I see that's not the case.

Now, I'm not one to get my advice from Hollywood, but I kinda like Jennifer Lawrence as a person (and no, I haven't seen the Hunger Games, nor do I plan to).

This quote is from Pinterest, so if it's not really her, sorry, but it sounds like something she'd say. 

In Hollywood, I’m obese. I’m considered a fat actress. I’m never going to starve myself for a part. I keep waiting for that one role to come along that scares me enough into dieting, and it just can’t happen. I’m invincible. I don’t want little girls to be like, ‘Oh, I want to look like Katniss, so I’m going to skip dinner.’ That’s something that I was really conscious of during training. I was trying to get my body to look fit and strong, not thin and underfed.

Now that is a good mindset.

But think about it.

How many models, actresses, and normal girls look like they haven't eaten in days?

Too many, I think.

Seems like everyone thinks it's cooler to be thin.

Don't get me wrong; it's not bad to be thin - it's just . . . well, a bit overrated.

It would probably surprise you to learn that less than a hundred years ago, curvy girls were considered "more beautiful".

That's not entirely correct either, but do you know what makes everyone change their minds?

The media.

All of it.

Ever see some of those "plus size" models?

Ever notice how they look . . . well, normal?

Since when was that not attractive?

Since when was that weird?

Since when did preteen girls care about how many calories they had?

To say it's only the media's portrayal of weight and obesity would be a lie, but I'm only trying to make one point here, and you have to admit that that's certainly a large part of it.

Anyhow, what I'm trying to say is that even if you do lose all the weight you said you would, and even if you do fit into your high school jeans again . . . will you really, honestly be happy with yourself? Or will you never be slim enough or light enough?

God made you as you are for a reason.

Heck, maybe you're the way you are just to encourage someone like you who may struggle with the same thing. You never know.

And while you may not like it now, He does, and He doesn't make mistakes, nor is He ever mistaken.

I once heard someone (I think Chip Ingram, but I'm not sure) say that the trick is you have to think of yourself correctly: you shouldn't think of yourself too highly, but you shouldn't think of yourself too lowly, either.

Thinking of yourself too highly results in pride, arrogance, and a general sense of annoyance to everyone around you.

Thinking of yourself too lowly results in depression, bitterness, and a lack of joy, which will be felt by everyone you're around, believe me.

Thinking accurately about yourself allows you to 1) see what areas might need improvement and 2) see what's genuinely great about yourself.

So no, you may never fit into that size you wanted, or see the number you wanted when you step on the scale, or get picture perfect skin, or have hair that actually does what you want it to, but you're still made in the image of God, and as long as you're taking care of your temple, you're beautiful, even when you don't feel like you are.

(Opera) Bucket List

Just a short(?) list of operas I want to see . . . eventually:

Tosca

Werther

Eugene Onegin

Marriage of Figaro

Lucrezia Borgia 

Rigoletto

Elektra

Pelleas and Melisande

Rusalka

Die Fledermaus

Der Fliegende Hollaender

Tamerlano

Aida

Lucia di Lammermoor

La Clemenza di Tito

The Capulents and the Montagues 

Orlando Furioso

Ernani

Semele

(Update! 11/15/12 - I knew I had more of these floating around in my head!)

Katya Kabanova
The Capulets and the Montagues
Semele
La Finta Giardiniera
The Tsar's Bride
Virginia
Flora
Nabucco
Anna Bolena
Roberto Devereux
Francesca da Rimini
The Elixir of Love
La Sonnambula
Marie Victoire
Manon
La Traviata
Macbeth
Daughter of the Regiment
Il Travatore
Hippolyte et Aricie
La Cenerentola

(Soon to come: my favorite operas!)

Got any favorites of your own?