Becoming Me, as I was made to be.

I quit wearing make up.
It started out as a "I don't have time to do make up today so I'll skip it."

And guess what.  I actually felt better.  I didn't feel like I had gunk covering my face, which is how I feel when I wear make up, but also I felt free.  The funny thing is people didn't even notice.  It took me a while to be totally comfortable with it. But then I decided that it would be my "thing".

I also quit fighting my hair, the straitener got left at home when I came back to college, the blow dryer hasn't been on forever.  I have embraced my wierd wavy/curly hair. 

I have done research on how to take care of my hair and skin, so I'm not totaly with out maintence in the morning and before bed.  But I feel better, free.

Another thing I have done is lost 20 lbs, through healthy eating and exercise.  I'm training for a 5k now. 

These things I did these changes to my appearance were because I was sick and tiered of hating who was in the mirror.  And after the change started I continued because I felt better. 

God has taught me what it means when we say "My body is a temple"  He made me uniquely beautiful, he created me to be his vessel and do his work.  It is my job to maintain this vessel, and make it physically able to do his work.  To maintain this vessel, I had to learn to like it.  I had to quit hating the weird way my hair isn't quite curly, I had to quit being obsessed about my extra weight that kept me from doing physical manual work.  I have to be able to walk into a patient's room with the confidence and assurance that I can help them feel better, and if I want to crawl into a whole because I hate my body. I can't do that.  If I hate my self, that is a road block from helping others.

I'm not saying all my insecurities about my body are gone. 
But, I like my self.

God is working on some other things, deeper things that I don't like about my self, that are still a challenge in my daily ministry, habits and quirks that I that I need to embrace, and sins I need to banish.

I will never be perfect.  But God made me to fit his purpose perfectly. Insecurities about or bodies, personalities, and lives are not from God.  They are lies deeply rooted in us from or sin nature. 

I am embracing me.  God made me for this life, he made me for this path, for his purpous.

Are you embracing you?

The Bible says I should study.....

Hi.   If you want to see college students in their most zombie state come to a school that has finals one week after Thanksgiving break.  You would think that break would rejuvenate these college students.  Nope, they got a taste of the freedom that awaits them in just a couple short weeks, and they want it. Who ever thought that was a good idea wasn't thinking right.  
To tell you the truth, while they might be stressing about their final grades and GPA, these 2 weeks after thanksgiving, and before winter break college students DON'T CARE ANYMORE!! 
Ok. end rant.
I'm one of those students, eagerly awaiting the break that is just out of reach.  How am I supposed to stay focused? I want to think about seeing my friends, Christmas presents, and yes, even my part time job I work during break. 
Well, you know how smartphones "have an app for that" for everything? Well God "has a plan for that" for everything :) 
When talking to God about this lack of interest in my education I had a realization. (shall we a call it a divine realization?)  I'm supposed to be a living everything in Christ. yes? yes. 
Boom, Colossians 3:23 (new living translation) Work Willingly at whatever you do as, though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 
Hmmm..
And  Proverbs 17: 16 (new living translation) It is senseless to pay tuition to educate a fool since he has no heart for learning...
Did the Bible just tell me to do my school work? 
Go figure.....
So I don't want to be a fool, so I better do my school work, and I should work willingly, as though I were working for the Lord.... guess my study routine needs a boost.... yea? I thought so.. 
So how am I gonna do this? knowing I need to be motivated, and being motivated are two different things.  
So here is my strategy.  
1) Forget the desk.  I was home schooled, high school was done cross legged  on the couch for 4 year, so do what you know right?
2) Silence? Forget it.  My channel on YouTube of Lindsey Sterling, the Piano Guys, and Peter Hollens, will be playing in the background, just need to minimize it so I'm not watching the videos. 

3) Get out the wiggles. YES!! I am a busy college student, but that's not an excuse not to exercise, actually, a killer day at the gym is the day I focus better on my home work. 

4) eat right, skipping meals will just cause more distractions. 

5) 7-8 hours in my bed, because studying "through osmosis" because I fell asleep on my books during an all nighter will not get me that A.

Well anyway, that's my strategy for the rest of this week and next week (finals week).   I know its not "destress, and motivation rocket science" but I hope it helps. 

If nothing else take away these 2 things. 

First, Christ wants us to do our best in everything we do. As if we are doing what we are doing for him. If Jesus were going to come and look over your home work and study guides would he be pleased?

Second, Don't stress it.  If you have done your work and gone to class you got this. Yea, it might be hard, you might not get that 4.0 but all that Christ asks is that you do your best!! So do your best, keep in mind who you are doing it for, take a deep breath, and let go of your stress, and frustration, and lack of motivation, give it to Christ.  

Ok guys, I should get off this blog and work on my Geography Study Guide.

God Bless

Happy Finals week!!! 

Gospel driven life.

Who knew these blog things were so hard to start, I have written 5 different intro sentences and can't find one that works.  Here is what I need to start out saying. 
I am a daughter of the King.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I'm what you would call a Christan. But the word Christan carries with it a sense of religiosity, and hypocrisy, that unfortunately has been applied to it by all the people out there that have used that word for their own gain.
Being a follower of Jesus Christ isn't a religion, its a relationship.  And right there lies my approch to life.  I come at life, not as a relious person, not as a good person, not as a person with a list of do's and don'ts,
 I come at life from a the perspective of, "Jesus sacrificed Himself because I deserved to die, and He loved me so much that He offered His life for mine, and all He asks in return is that I love Him back"
That's it. I want to live my life by choosing to love Christ.
Love isn't a feeling, it's not a reaction, its a choice.  Jesus made the choice to lay down His life for the people He loves, the people He created, all people.  So I am making the choice to love Him.
So many people live trapped, we live captive in that box of rules and regs we make for our selves. If we took a step back from the details and the do's and don'ts and tried to live a life of love that is shown to us by Jesus Christ I think we would find true freedom.

Its amazing, that when life gets simplified to the very basics of the Gospel (Jesus loves me, and wants me to love him back) life gets opened up, and the walls of captivity begin to crumble, and the truth of the gospel begins to permiate everything I do.  Litterally, from my approch to school work, my approch to friends, my approch to guys, and even the way I dress and style my hair.  Every week I'm gonna try to have one aspect of life to discuss and hash out. (Key word is try, finals are in a couple weeks). Please don't hesitate to ask questions or participate in discussion, we are all trying to figure out this thing called life.
Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING and God bless!
~Bridge