What is Beauty?

These days our perception of beauty has become so distorted. If we don't look a certain way, we are ugly. Our skin must be flawless, our hair shiny and styled, our bodies perfectly toned. Too much is ugly, too little is ugly.

So many teenagers and young adults struggle with insecurity and self-esteem because of society's unrealistic expectations. The results can be tragic: eating disorders, self-harm, depression, and even suicide. All because someone could not see themselves as beautiful. Maybe a bully, or even a "friend," called them ugly, maybe they discovered a copy of Cosmo magazine and realized they didn't quite look like the model on the front cover. They decided that they must become beautiful, no matter the cost. Well, let me tell you something. You are beautiful. You don't need to load your face with make up or skip a meal to earn beauty, as if it's some sort of prize. You already have it. Every single person in this world is beautiful, no matter what they look like. Accept that even in all of your flaws and imperfections that you are exactly who God made you to be, and He doesn't make mistakes. Pretty is just a pretty word. Decide that you're beautiful today. I will.

Hey There

It's kinda nice to know I'm not the only one who neglected their blog over the summer, but being inspired by Emily - blog sisters ;) - I'm going to attempt to keep mine up again, not that I had that many posts to begin with, but even still, I'm going to try.

 So this is me starting over, so to speak, since it's been so long. 

Hey there, I'm Jennifer, and this is where I'm going to throw up all of my emotions and feelings and opinions on you. I'm seventeen, and a senior in high school. I really like happy, catchy music (you know, like the kind that get stuck in your head for weeks and you can't seem to get rid of it, no matter how hard you try) and the color pink and I have an obsession with cupcakes and floral prints. I'm super, super shy, so if I don't talk to you, it's probably my brain telling me not to, but the cool thing about the Internet is that there's no speaking required. But acting is my favorite thing ever. Funny how something I'm so afraid of becomes something I'm so passionate about once given a few lines, and a stage. 

I think God is super awesome, and I love Him so much. He created you, me, and this beautiful world, then came down to die for us because we're sinners. If that's not love then I don't know what is, and I could sit here for like ever and tell you about Him, so I'll save that for another post. 

Anyways, thanks for stumbling upon this awkward blog run by an even more awkward girl, and I hope you enjoy your stay here at least just a little bit. You're beautiful and awesome and valuable, okay? It's so important to me that everyone knows that. Thank you again for reading.

Summer Goals

With school now over, many of us have a lot of extra time on our hands to spend as we please. Maybe you've got quite a number of things you want to accomplish, or maybe you just want to sleep and stay on the internet for as long as you can. I think that establishing goals for the summer is a good way to ensure that you aren't just sleeping and/or interneting. Here are some of my goals for this summer:

• Finish my AP summer work. Obviously.
• Finish the Divergent series. I read the first one over spring break and am just now getting the chance to read the two other books.
• Do one of those 500-1,000 piece puzzles and actually finish it. 
• Commit to being active at least one hour a day, for as of right now I am the very definition of inactive.
• Be more social and do more with my friends than last summer.
• Actually reaching one or even better, all of the above. Maybe posting this for the interwebs to see will help. 

I wish you all the best in your goal reaching this summer!

Worry

Worry can control and consume our life. At my age, it feels like there are countless things to worry about sometimes. 

How well will I do on this AP test?

Where am I going to college?

How high does my SAT score need to be to get into that college?

Will I fail that quiz, project or test?

Will I end up spending my summer alone because I'm a loner with no social life?

Okay, so while the last one isn't really true, I'm sure many of you can relate to the above worries, and you probably have many more to add to this list. You probably spend days and nights thinking about these things, to the point where you almost make make yourself physically sick. 

In the Bible, Luke 12:25 says, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? (NIV)" It doesn't matter what you believe, this verse can apply to anyone. Do you know of elderly people who, when asked about how they've lived so long, reply, "Well young whipper snapper, it's because I've spent my entire  life worrying." Probably not, unless they were that sarcastic-grumpy-old-man-type. But even then they wouldn't be telling the truth. Worrying wastes precious seconds, minutes, and hours of our day. Time that could be spent being happy and joyful is spent being stressed out at events that you probably don't have any reason to be stressed out about in the first place. You're not adding, you're subtracting. 

Now don't get me wrong, it's quite the challenge to just flat-out stop worrying, and I don't expect you to, but when something is hanging heavy on your mind, ask yourself, "Is this really something to worry over?" Chances are, it's not. So while doing well on test and getting into college are both very important and should be taken seriously, don't cause yourself to freak out too much. A little worry can be healthy, as it shows that at least you care about the situation, but like many things, moderation is key. Don't loose time by focusing on what's going to happen. Focus on the present, the now, and let those dreaded events come, and they must come, for that is part of the beautiful journey that we call life.