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.

21 Before 21

So today at 4 AM, I turned 21.

You didn't get up for my birthday?

Oh, it's totes cool; I didn't get up for that, either.

Anyhoo, I've heard of these "[things done] Before [Age of the same numerical value]" things before, and I figured I'd do one for my birthday.

These are in no particular order, save for the first one.

1. met Jesus as my Savior

2. graduated high school

3. published a book

4. been to Mile Zero, where I . . .

5. . . . inadvertently swam with tarpons

6. visited the Statue of Liberty

7. voted in a Presidential election

8. drank pigeon milk (my dad's cologne)

9. performed an amateur amputation 

10. made sushi

11. got a job (and still have the job)

12. got a full ride through college

13. went to the midnight showing of a movie

14. zip-lined

15. whitewater rafted

16. member of two honors societies

17. ran a 5K

18. changed a tire (yes, on the side of the road)

19. melted a plastic container on a stove by accident

20. had a pen-pal in another country

21. been to the Kennedy Space Center

So yeah, Happy Birthday to me! :)

21 certainly makes me no less clumsy . . .

. . . but oh well, nobody saw that.

And this is what I'd like to leave you with:

I know 21 isn't that old in the grand scheme of things, but thinking about it makes me feel kind of old.

I mean, I saw Y2K.

I saw 9/11.

I've seen Mad Cow disease, Avian Bird flu, and Swine flu.

I saw the capture and death of Saddam Hussein and the death of Osama bin Laden.

I've seen the funerals of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.

I've seen the advent of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

I've seen the earthquake in Japan and the tsunami in Indonesia.

I've seen a lot, I think.

But this is really all that matters:

Convictions

I've been convicted about something lately.

Okay, well, many somethings, but I'm only going to talk about the one.

We've been going through Romans lately at church, and yesterday in Sunday School, someone taught on accountability. This wasn't the aim of his lesson, but I think it's a good application.

He asked somebody to read part of Romans 12, and as they were, I saw this section:

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Nope. Not convicting at all. . . 

But here's the big part: "Give preference to one another in honor" (emphasis mine).

Not just "give preference".

"Give preference in honor".

You know what that really means?

It means don't roll your eyes when you let them pick the TV show that night.

Don't mutter under your breath when you clean up behind them.

It generally means don't be spiteful when you let somebody have their way.

Now, I do have to point out that "turning the other cheek" does not mean you have to be a door mat.

Because it doesn't.

But the point still stands.

. . . And the point still pricks. . .

Cuffing Season

"All I Want for Christmas is You" . . . "Blue Christmas" . . . "Last Christmas" . . . Honestly, what are these gals expecting? A man tied up in ribbons under the tree for them?

Unfortunately, no - they have to catch one themselves. 

Or at least, they feel they do.

I think that's pretty sad.

I know it'd be nice to have someone to dote on you, to take you places, and to just be with, but - as I see it - someone you just flirt with and pick up just because you don't want to be alone probably won't stick around for the long-haul and isn't that what we want in the end?

The way I see it, you'll be saved a lot of heartache if you just wait for the right guy. 

Waiting isn't easy, but then - I know it's cliche - but great things usually aren't easy. 

I know a few girls who insist they're trusting God for everything in their lives, but they chase after guys like there's no tomorrow. 

Every time I feel like I need a guy to make me happy, I just remember that He's far more than enough to make me truly happy.

God knows what He's doing, and that's something, because most days I don't know what I'm going to do.

Sometimes I would think about how it'd be nice just to have a guy to study with and spend free time with . . . but I realized that that's very selfish. Think about it: if you don't have the time or energy to invest in a relationship, it's cheating the other person. And if you only want them around for the perks, you probably wouldn't want to stay when things get tough, either. And what if they realize the only reason you wanted them around was for what they could do for you . . . can you imagine what that would feel like? 

Unfortunately, I do. Not from a guy, but friends. Or rather, 'friends'. And people I'm very close to have felt the same, and I promise you, that will not only affect you and your significant other, but also friends on both sides. It's not something to take lightly. 

Anyway, you don't need a guy or a girl in your life to be happy, especially during the Christmas and New Years seasons. It's a time to be with good friends and your family. That time doesn't last forever - enjoy it while you can . . . with no distractions!

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Growing Up Too Fast

Something happened the other day that really made me think. I'll get to what happened later on, so bear with me: what does "growing up too fast" really mean?

(And bear with me; it took me over a week to write this, and some parts really still don't feel quite right, but I'm posting it anyways.)

"Growing up too fast" used to mean that a child had to shoulder responsibilities and had to entertain concepts that would force them to leave childish things behind before most would have them do that. For instance, in the past, children were working full time around the age of fifteen, either because their parents had died, they were needed to help support the family, or they were considered old enough to take on that responsibility. Advancements in namely medical science and technology of all flavors enabled children to have more of an actual childhood.

But what did that bring?

For the purpose of this . . . "article", it brought free time.

Children were able to stay children until they were physically, mentally, and emotionally ready to take on the responsibilities of an adult. They could grow into it gradually, they could be trained, they could be taught, they could consider ideas and grasp the weight of the consequences to every action . . . they could be ready for an adult life.

Then there was too much free time.

Ungratefulness.

Envy.

Always wanting what was just beyond their grasp.

What do we have now?

We have children growing up too fast, but not in the way of the generations before them.

They have too much free time and a care-free (and care-less) attitude.

And although I can't quite put my finger on it, that's what's driving kids today to act the way they do.

What do I mean by that?

Whilst shopping with my mom and my sister, I saw this girl in Rue 21. Don't get me wrong - I love that store. It's one of the few places I actually enjoy clothes shopping. This really doesn't have anything to do with the store really. That's just where I was. But this girl . . . she had to have been younger than my sister, so maybe fourteen years old. But she looked like a . . . well . . . like a prostitute. I'm sorry to say it, but it's true. Her clothes, the way she wore them, the way her makeup was done - and for the record, I have a personal thing about girls that young wearing makeup - the way her hair was done . . . that's what she looked like. If she was on the street at night, I would have thought she was one.

But I remember looking at her and thinking, "Wow. She's grown up too fast."

Then it hit me: society tries to keep us busy, entertained . . . it tries to keep us children.

But in spite of that, we grow up. . . And not always in the best way.

So yeah. I just felt like I should post that.

I mean, innocence is an awesome thing.

Not naivete, that's not necessarily the same thing.

But innocence, purity . . . That's a lost treasure in this society.

Homemade Cash Back Rewards Program (and other money saving tips)

We'd all like more of this, yeah?
Well, I know that being a commuting college student who works part-time can mean a really, really tight budget.
I'm seeing all these commercials for "cash back rewards programs", but those are all for credit cards, something most of us really don't want to become entangled in.
So what's a girl to do?
I've given this more thought than I could afford to and came to this realization: most full-time students work more hours during the summer than during the actual school year.
This means that we're generally making money over the summer to last us during the "drought" so to speak.
So, how do we make sure that we're saving enough for the important things like textbooks, car insurance, and rent?

First, the homemade cash back rewards program.

I'll admit it: this is more or less a result of my laziness and unwillingness to carry around change, but hey, it works.
Make all planned purchases in cash.
This means groceries, makeup, clothes, and other things that you'd typically put on a shopping list.
Here's how the cash back works: take the change* you've gotten back from the purchase and stash it away for later. This can be a Black Friday fund, a rainy day fund, an emergency fund (which is probably the wisest, especially if you're living off your own means).
*(When I say "change", I mean the actual coins, but it's up to you what you stash away -- it can be anything less than a $5, less than a $20, whatever works for you in your current situation.)

Second, save money online.

This is a lifesaver for those of us that buy and rent textbooks and such online: Ebates. I know it sounds like a scam, but it's not; I signed up and have already gotten a "big fat check".
This is how Ebates works: you go to their site and search for the store you want to shop at, say Chegg.

You'll see that Chegg has a 4.5% cash back value; this varies per store.
All you have to do is click "Shop Now", and you'll be rerouted to that site. Shop as you would normally, and a percentage of your price will be put back in your pocket!
Ebates also has coupon codes for sites, so those are worth looking into as well. (RetailMeNot also has coupon codes. Very handy indeed.)

Third, be smart when shopping for textbooks.

Of course it's easier to just check Amazon and Half.com for textbooks, but I've found that those aren't always the cheapest places to get them.
Here are some other sites you'll want to check as well:
AbeBooks
Bookrenter
Chegg
Ecampus
Textbooks.com
Also, when you're planning to buy books, get them as early as you can. Most people sell their books at the end of the semester, which means there will be a large supply, usually lowering the cost. This also means that if you're planning to sell, wait until a week or two before school begins; those who have procrastinated will be hunting the books down and most will already be sold out.
If you're planning to rent, you'll learn that some sites offer books for a "semester", while others simply offer 60, 90, and 125 day periods. Calculate how long you'll need the book (fall semesters generally end the first week of December while spring semesters typically last until the first week of May), and rent the book as early as possible to keep your cost down.

Fourth, take advantage of gift cards.

When somebody gives you a gift card, it's usually the best gift ever.
But what if you don't like the restaurant, or there is no store around you to use it in?
Simple: sell the card or trade it.
How?
Plastic Jungle.
You can sell unwanted gift cards and buy discounted gift cards to places you actually like. This is also a great way to save even more money on sales, too.

Fifth, spend some time budgeting.

I know it's a pain, but it really comes in handy. Whether it's making an Excel Worksheet, keeping a ledger, using Mint, or what have you, it's a good skill to learn. Here's what my Worksheet looks like:

All I do is enter my income and my formulas do the rest for me.

10% is taken out for a tithe.

The tithe plus any other immediate bills (textbooks, loans from parents) is subtracted from the net income to give me my subtotal.

Now, my car insurance is taken out monthly from my savings account at Bank #1, so that's pretty much all I use that account for. 60% of the subtotal is deposited there.

At Bank #2, my savings is (theoretically) untouched (read: emergencies) and my checking is primarily for gas, as I commute to school instead of live on campus. 25% of my subtotal is deposited into checking for gas, and the remaining 15% percent is put in savings. 

Obviously, this can be tailored to what you think is best for your specific situation.

Also, if you want this Worksheet, just email me and I'll get it sent to you.

And finally, be open to making money on the side.

This can include blogging / being sponsored, making things to sell on Etsy, babysitting, self-publishing stories, pretty much whatever! Just don't get too caught up in the income part of it (Proverbs 31: 10-31).

If you have any other tips for how you save money or work your budget, leave a comment below!

Chick-Fil-A Day!

This is Chick-Fil-A at noon.

I'm actually not a huge fan of chicken, so I'm not there a whole lot, but dang . . . I've never seen it this busy!!!

There were only four parking spaces available when we got there, and people were already parked up and down the residential street. I think a couple even parked all the way over at McDonald's across the highway! (Talk about awkward -- walking to your car at MickyD's with a bag of Chick-Fil-A . . .)

I was pretty sure it would be busy; I think a few people are eating lunch and dinner there!

I have to admit I'm a bit worried about Friday . . . the . . . um . . . "event" that's supposed to happen that day. I don't think it will be a big deal here, but I pray parents will be wise enough not to take their children there Friday in cities where it will be pretty bad.

Just seeing the support people were showing for Biblical family values . . . It was awesome. God has really blessed Chick-Fil-A for their obedience and willingness to close every store on Sundays because it's the Sabbath. It's just incredible.

Though I do have to say, there are few feelings quite like wanting a CFA milkshake after Sunday dinner and realizing that just ain't gonna happen . . .

 

An AWESOME New Blog!

So, my friend Jennifer has started a new blog . . . and it is awesome.
Be a love and check it out? I'm sure you'll be blessed by it!

Hi! I'm Jennifer and I blog over at Blessings All Mind With Ten Thousand Beside. I just got started this week, so I'm a beginner at this whole blogger thing. I'm excited though. My blog is going to be about me, my family, our life and the things that God is teaching me. I am also planning to answer some of the questions that teenage girls ask me! You can find out more by visiting the blog and reading the About Me page and the About the Blog page. So head on over and check it out! Or if you have a question you can email me at: betterthatway@gmail.com.

Winsomeness

Even though I've missed two straight weeks of Mrs. Audrey and Mrs. Claudia's Sunday School class, I've been thinking about something they stress a lot: being winsome.

I bought one of those cheap plastic pencil cases at Wal-Mart the other day (thank God for after school sales!) for the purpose of holding makeup and other goodies.

I wanted it to be unique (and not just cheap), so I wrote out 1 Timothy 2:9-10 on an index card in my best writing in pink. Here's the translation I used (ESV) courtesy of studylight.org:

     "9 Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness - with good works."

I <3 this verse.

The concepts of being "respectable", "modest", having "self-control", and being "proper" seem lost in today's society. I'm not saying I'm never guilty of not being any of these, but I do strive to be these things. It's not mainstream. It's not popular. But, hey - Jesus wasn't mainstream or popular. 

I honestly can't remember what prompted me to write this . . . I think it was the fact I'd written it for my makeup box along with the fact that I had just finished an 'argumentative close-reading' of a section of Hamlet.

I don't know.

Heck, we're all lucky I remembered this draft!

So, yes, this is what I've been working on all week.

^-^

Anyhooz, back to the WINSOMENESS . . . 

Mrs. Audrey loves the word "winsome". She says that word is lost, and rather old-fashioned sounding (she's right; it is, but I'm an English major; I love old words).

She says that we ought to be "winsome" to "win some".

I <3 that concept.

XD

Also, you can read her blog HERE. It's pretty much an epic win.