Thankful for inspiring blog posts of others to inspire one of my own.

What if we were “set free” so to speak, from societal standards, expectations of one another, and insecurities that we feel due to social pressures, etc.? I was just reading a wonderful friend of mines blog and it made me think of this. How amazing and life changing would it be to act independent of others around you-and not in an unrealistic way, but I mean how absolutely empowering would it be to live life free from all of that? Isn’t that what Christians see from Jesus? Jesus lives for God, and for us, but in a way that is less common in society. The way that Jesus was as a person was a beautiful example of the life we could live, and how wonderful that would be. Jesus lived FOR us, and he died FOR our sins. He was laughed at, ridiculed, spat upon, kicked, joked about, betrayed, denied, hated, scorned, out casted, beat up, arrested....and eventually tortured to death, all for the purpose that he believed in with his whole heart. He believed that humanity shouldn’t have to be burdened with the weight of their sins, of their mistakes, of their short-comings, of their relentless pride. Because, as we are all fully and painfully aware, we ALL fall short. Perfection doesn’t exist. And Jesus was the kind of man who loved with his whole heart, who cared for people just because. He acted justly, loved mercy, and walked humbly with God. What set him apart from other men claiming to be God wasn’t his prophetic fulfillment or his seemingly miraculous spiritual and physical healings. What made his followers start to believe that this man really is from God, was his least supernatural actions of all; his desire, willingness, and ability to forgive people left and right. This was extremely uncommon for his time-In Judaism, rabbi’s were strict on never saying to someone, “You are forgiven” because that would imply they know Gods will. All of a sudden, here comes this man who is forgiving the worst of the sinners ( like tax collectors and prostitutes ) and even inviting them over to have dinner with him. These sort of actions and beliefs that Jesus had are remarkable and inspiring. I don’t know who wouldn’t want to live like that. At least for me, I want to strive to be like that. I want to not allow people to feel alone if I can help it. I want to be kind, merciful and act with justice in my heart. I want to feel the presence of God in my actions, pushing me forward towards a fulfilling life. So you see, the more we try and be like Jesus, the more we use his actual example of how to live rather than taking it surface level, the less we will be bound by societal standards, expectations and insecurities. You don’t have to have previous religious interest or experience to learn from the historical Jesus, but I’m telling you, one of the best parts you’ll realize if you start to study him is that he not only wants to help the people of his time, but he wants to help you, right where you’re at no matter where it is, and the coolest part about it all is that there is always hope with God, and that is something I firmly believe in.

The first in a very, very, very, long time...but completely worthy of posting.

No I have not edited, spell checked, refined or made more concise this post. It was written after feeling suddenly compelled post-theology class. Please take the time to read, but don't feel defensive or anything if you feel I've offended your lifestyle. This isn't meant to hurt anyones feelings-try to look at it from a more macro perspective. Thanks. Today, I’m reminded of how important it is to not forget the past. How important it has been proven to be aware of the capability to commit evil, horrendous acts that humans have. Sometimes, we get pushed to what seems like the edge-about to snap at any given moment-completely denature the values that we thought were so grounded in our very being. People often lose sight of the bigger picture when going about their daily, busy lives. I wish people would open up their eyes instead of becoming a robotic, desensitized human being. I wish it were more common nature to ask ourselves reflective questions such as, Why am I here? And what do I want to accomplish in life,learn, and leave behind? In our Judaism unit in theology today, we finally touched on contemporary Jewish culture. So much of the contemporary beliefs and traditions in Judaism were affected by the most tragic and inhumane act of evil in human history; the Holocaust. 12 million people killed, of which 6 million were Jews. Those numbers are so staggering, so ineffable, that we don’t know how to wrap our minds around them. The danger is that we are desensitized to the numbers-but number represents a person. A person who died a horrible, undeserving, indescribably awful death. A person who’s family was affected by the devastating loss of a loved one just for being themselves. So really, each person represents a group of people. And this is why 6 million Jews murdered is almost impossible for anyone to understand; I know my generation really struggles with it. The tragedy of this event in history can not EVER be forgotten, or skipped over in history/theology/literature classes of any time. Especially now, when the last survivors are passing away. Watch a documentary now and talk about it with your friends, just to re address it. It's up to all of us now to never, ever, let anyone forget. The importance of remembering this event can not be stressed enough-looking around, I see people doing horrible things to each other. I see people also making things worse for themselves by identifying their situation as horrible-but we have the power to control how we feel. This is one of the reasons psychology interests me so much (may seem random). The human mind is amazing! But we can’t let it believe that we are in an awful situation when we’re not, and that we’re in a normal situation when in fact it is horrible and needs to change. That’s the adaptive strength of our brains that could be called an “error”-the plasticity of our brains is such that if we complain enough, or tell ourselves enough that our lives suck and we’re hopeless, that is the reality for you. And the reverse is true as well-if we pretend everything is ok when, to an outsider, it is CLEARLY not, we will adapt to that reality. Keeping things in perspective is so telling to how we will feel. Being a freshman in college with very few people I knew before this year, I spend a lot of time alone in crowded places. I over hear things like “My week was brutal, how was yours?” and “This test is going to slaughter me”, and my favorite (not really) “I just need this week to end” (When it’s only Monday). You see, we lose sight of the gift of life, and how every single day we are given is not gaurenteed. We are at risk for forgetting history-the blood that was spilled for our freedoms, the tragedy of genocide, rape, torture, segregation, racism, sexism, discrimination, etc. These things are very real and can not EVER be ignored. I’m not saying spend every second thinking about these things, but as a college student, I know that most of us are trying to figure out what the hell to do with the rest of our lives. Well for starters, let’s be thankful for the opportunity to choose, and go from there. I know that I never want to look back and think, “I wish I did more to help.” Or “I wish I had done something to change that”. Another thing. We are our biggest limitation. By this I mean that we set rules for ourselves that are complete fabrications of our own minds. Things like “this week I just want to get these tests over with and be done with it so I can relax on the weekend”. These things are so micro level and bypass ALL the capability/opportunity for that week. In a single week, a lot can happen. And for the majority of it, it is up to you to make something happen. We can not become passive people, passive to our OWN lives. Who wants to live a boring life? A good life doesn’t mean one filled with personal happiness. Sometimes the most rewarding things are the hardest ones to do and get through. Tough times are what shape our character. The best things in life are not free-we have to work at them, experience, be vulnerable, suffer, and learn in order to really get some of the most important lessons out of life. This may seem a little bit extreme, but people often don’t listen to things unless they stand out. My point is this-after re-addressing the holocaust for the first time since my history class in high school, I’ve been reminded at how much capability humans have for evil. Other things stemmed from that of which I touched on, but that was the main realization. BUT there is hope, because just as we are capable to do evil, we are capable to do much, much more good. The struggle is finding it within ourselves to believe that we can actually do it. We can rise above the evil in this world and be triumphant. It is also much more beneficial to society, in terms of spreading this goodness, if we work together. Community is what will get our country, states, cities, and people through these hard times. What won’t get us through these times is trying to force each other that what specific individuals believe is better than what others believe. We MUST accept differences in people. People are born to be different. If we weren’t, we would all look the same and act the same. But there are too many things that affect a persons personality, beliefs, habits, characteristics, lifestyles, hobbies, weaknesses, strengths, religious opinions, etc. Once we establish a general respect for difference, diversity, in our culture, we will finally be able to truly, not artificially, work together for a purpose aside from our own selfish desires. A purpose that will benefit everyone-not just a select few. We will work, together, to finally bring an end to the tragedies that are prevalent all around us such as hunger, homelessness, discrimination, and political disputes that cause breaks in society’s. Just like we learned in PRE SCHOOL, We (ALL of us) must learn to get along with one another if we want progress towards a more peaceful, loving, just, kind, and humble world. This was a ramble but I needed to get this out onto something. By the way, the quotes I used about people complaining were mostly ones I’ve said. We are all to blame, and all must re assess our behaviors and attitudes on a DAILY basis..

Inspired once again.

So I just got back from the Wild Canyon Games, hosted at Creekside lodge and Washington family ranch by Antelope, Oregon. These games help promote money for four distinct charities chosen by the founders of WCG. Teams from all over the country travel there in groups of around 10 or less, to compete in extremely physically and mentally demanding events. Some of these activities include geo cashing, which is almost like hide and seek on steroids across mountains and rivers, a 10k, ropes course, long distance sprints, biking contests, mountain biking, long distance swims, quick swims, relays, etc. These people vary from always living an extremely fit and active life style to just wanting to see what they are capable of. I volunteered there this weekend, and I got to serve a few tables of active military men who were sponsored to take part in these events. They were so grateful for my service, but honestly, being able to serve people who have dedicated their entire lives to protect this country was one of the biggest honors I have experienced in my life so far. As a volunteer, I served in the dining hall and got to feed and clean up after around 1000 people. Waking up early to prepare and going to bed late to finish up was hard on all of our bodies, but it taught us a miniature lesson of what all the competitors exemplified. It is hard for people to realize what they are capable of, whether it’s good or bad. Naturally, it seems we don’t have enough confidence to do something big or something that might impact a lot of people even if it is an extremely good thing. Our actions also effect others in ways that we don’t understand. The smallest of actions can make the biggest differences in peoples lives. If you enable something to happen, to me, that’s just as harmful as doing it yourself. Why not utilize our time to the fullest in order to get the most out of life? I keep being lucky enough to have these experiences such as volunteering at WCG where I get to see the human capacity for good and joy. At WCG, disabled veterans and athletes got a chance to compete and blow everyones mind when it came to how much they accomplished in a single weekend. Since nobody who was serving them was getting paid, everyone knew that we wanted to be there. That made them happy and always allowed room for conversation between volunteers and competitors. I had a fantastic weekend learning and growing and seeing people from all over the world participating in something that was genuinely just good, healthy, and untampered by societal depressants such as phones, TV, politics, etc. Sometimes, we all need a little reminder of what the bigger picture is, and how much we are truly capable of.

Forgot to post this-INSPIRED BY A FRIEND

To even begin to comprehend the conversation I just had with one of my closest friends, Haley, kind of gives me a headache (to be honest). The reason why that is, has to do with the level of incredibility and ridiculousness of the realizations that just hit me during this unplanned and totally random discussion. God works in the craziest ways sometimes, which brings me to my first realization... While I was thinking about how Haley and I became friends, I started tying together all the events and people that led up to us meeting and slowly becoming sisters. The first is that her step mom was my parents new interior designer. Next, since her last name is Atterbury, she just happened to be in my advisory. Also, I had always admired her from afar because she is so beautiful and just has this demeanor about her that I can explain. Finally, the fact that God somehow led her to go to Malibu camp last summer where I was a student leader, just was the jackpot. We became almost instant best friends. Along with Kendall, another one of my closest and dearest friends, God brought Haley into my life. He did this for a specific and completely purposeful reason. Ever since we became close, amazing and incomprehensible things have been happening in each of our lives. My prayers have been answered, and my relationship with God has strengthened a TON. God uses us, together, to create a more meaningful and exciting and fulfilling life-and we seem to miss this every day! We don’t realize JUST how much he has planned-ALL of the insane opportunities that are waiting for us. Tonight, something became extremely clear to me in that we are all sooo special and unique and have a relationship with God where he listens to JUST us. It’s my relationship, and it’s someone else's totally separate relationship. We need to keep perspective to stay sane in this world where so many awful things are happening all the time. We also need to USE what God has given us, utilize the fact that we were born in the suburbs of Portland Oregon into a middle class family. On my way home I visualized a teenage girl, just like me, somewhere far off in the world just crying out to God for help, and him replying that he has given a girl in Portland Oregon all the resources to help her and is just waiting for her to realize it. There is so much pain and destruction and sorrow and death and sadness in the world, that there is never a time when there is nothing to do. There is ALWAYS something to do. Those who wallow in their own self pity or complain about how they feel their life is stagnant really get to me. Look around. Not just in your own backyard, but in the world. We were not meant to be closed off in some caged bubble our whole lives. That’s not what life is about. It’s about finding something we truly believe in, the people who we really love, holding onto them, fighting for them, and doing everything you can to help them. BIGGER PICTURE needs to be everyones focus......whether that be in your own local community or across the entire world. hand cramp.

Officially a Portland Pilot

Pink Glove Dance; INSPIRED

MANY of you have probably already seen this video; I have now seen it a couple of times.  However, I had not seen the sequel to it until today.  This video inspired thousands of people in the medical field to dance and help support those who are suffering with breast cancer.  Here is the sequel from people all across America and into Canada.  This just made my afternoon.

Sometimes..

I feel that we don't take enough time out of the day to recognize and appreciate it's beauty. Today, I felt like I had rinsed out my eyes and all of a sudden I had perfect vision. This never happens, but today, (metaphorically speaking) I saw the world for, almost, its entire worth. Everything beautiful stuck out to me. Even the things that aren't commonly labeled as beautiful. The smallest acts of kindness softened my heart, and a nicely spoken word just calmed me down. I saw so many good things come out of so many good people. I noticed things I haven't noticed before, even in my own family. My dad wakes up every single morning, at 530 am, just to make me, an 18 year old, lunch. My mom comes home every day from work and makes me a snack without me asking. My dad also makes dinner every day after a long, 10 hour day. My friend yesterday came to my door while I was doing a load of hw with flowers for me, just because she thought I deserved them. Today, I had a friendly conversation with an old friend at an ice cream shop. Many, MANY other things happened that my fingers are just too tired to type.

Basically, I hope that I continue to see with this vision. It brightens my mood, boosts my spirits and inspires me to keep going. I feel more optimistic and motivated knowing that despite crisis, stress and over all hard times, there is good in ALL of us, and that good comes from the holy spirit. Thank you God for giving me this beautiful and purposeful life.

Choices

I've been thinking a lot about time and how little of it we truly have. One of the things that gets to me these days is 'wasting time'. I wish people spent more quality time together and even by themselves. Just utilizing that time. I really wish people saw all the opportunity that is directly in front of them, or at least some of it; and ACTED on it. This relates a lot to teenagers in high school. I've felt very encouraged by the following quotes.

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
-Steve Jobs

“If you don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great.”
― John Piper, A Hunger For God

"Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most."

KONY 2012 watch now.

The controversial video.

SOME THINGS THAT I LOVE MOST

EDITH!!!

WILSON!!!

Friends!!

...Edith again

We must not forget...

People sometimes laugh when I get emotional about the importance of history in our culture. It's something I always have and always will feel passionate about. Tonights post is on something that we must never forget. We must teach it, over and over again, until the end of time. Nothing even remotely similar to this should ever repeat itself. Yet, we see that it does even today. It is extremely sad and heavy.
Schindler's List: directed by Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List has inspired in a multitude of unique and unexpected ways. I am a teenager living in the 21st century. The horrendous reality of the holocaust was a little over seventy years ago, and despite all the teaching on World War II I receive in school, it can be a little difficult to relate emotionally to the terrors that happened to over six million jews. Our society dehumanizes the people who died through numbers, making it almost impossible to understand the entire breadth of what they actually went through. Movies like this need to be continually made and shown to public audiences through out the world. As humans, we need visuals; things that make it relatable and real in some way or another, in order to even begin to wrap our minds around the fact that genocide occurred and still does occur even to this day.
What needs to happen is the continual teaching of World War II, especially what happened to all the people who were not of the aryan race and who lost their lives during war. The teaching must be accompanied by some sort of emotionally connected movie, story, simulation, or real word diaries of someone who experienced it. I worry that time with the survivors of the holocaust is running out, and we must not forget or devalue what happened in any way, shape or form. When we forget or think we’ve become so much more improved in our modern day society, is when the threat arises of history repeating itself. We must keep teaching, learning, growing, and problem solving.
The holocaust was one of the most horrendous events ever to occur, and proved how a ruthless dictator is just the beginning. It’s no one man’s game, and it was never about Hitler. It was about the people who followed him, and why, and how they ever slept at night knowing that even just one human life was being put to shame and anguish by being forced to strip down to their bare bones and walk into a gas chamber. “When a man saves one life, he saves the world entire” This quote from Hebrews was shared in the movie, and It really spoke to me. One life, even, is worth the entire world. Millions of lives? Those are all opportunities and chances and passions lost. Death is never justified. And we must remember that Hitler wasn’t some all powerful omniscient guy who prophezised about the glorious future and success of Germany. What intrigues me is the way in which all his followers took what he said, and creatively and horribly found a way to make his words a hellish reality.

Thank you for reading, I hope the significance of learning and relearning our history has sparked something inside of you to learn and grow with the knowledge of previous years. We must use it to better the future of the world.

Hope and Inspiration!

If that blog title didn't get you to read this then I don't know what will :)

You guys, I've been feeling so amazing lately. Things just keep falling into place, whether that's getting an A on my history exam or understanding the message of Jesus better, it's all happening right now. God is working so fast and so miraculously all around me and to those around me. This weekend was one of the most beautiful ones Portland has seen in a while, and it made me remember how thankful I am for sunshine and just being able to experience nature all around me, and with the people I love most!

The point of this blog post is to share a verse that I may want to tattoo on my foot when I become an independent and liberated women on my 18th birthday (sarcasm). My mom, who is my biggest role model, showed me this verse the other day. Funny how, even though I've heard it before, it means so much more to me now that I heard it from my mom and she explained her reasoning behind why she loves it so much. It was like a lightbulb exploded in my head.

Micah6:6-8
With what shall I come before the LORD
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

and that's what it means to be a "Christian." That's what it means to have Jesus in your heart. He wants us AS we are NOW! Despite all the muddy issues in our lives. Jesus gave us the most precious gift anyone could have ever given. The reaction his earliest followers had to his death is huge. They didn't bow there heads in defeat, give up, say "oh well, hopefully the next prophet/messiah will come along soon.." NO. They were so grateful for Jesus, loved him so much, that they, with the holy spirit inside of them, set off to spread the love of Jesus through out the world. They weren't sent from a religious man to spread the word of a religious doctrine to get people to convert to their beliefs. That's missing the point, and that's not what the raw truth of what being with Jesus means. Jesus's earliest followers literally were talking about the amazing things that their loving and kind Jesus did, so that others might feel and experience this type of love and sacrifice. Jesus's death was and is the ultimate expression of love! His followers wanted people to see this, to understand that Jesus already won the battle. We just have to keep loving one another and treating each other as brother and sister in unity from Jesus.

I'm totally ranting now.....let's just say I had a very inspiring weekend and I wanted to share that with you. Thank you so much for reading this always slightly unorganized post. Have a great week everyone!

mumford and sons - Roll Away Your Stone

This song is inspiring and one of my favorites. The entire album is great, I highly recommend you buy it. A lot of their songs relate to faith and explore the concept of God and the soul. Also, this video is just for the song; I'm not sure who this random surfer guy is.

Sanctification

God is the potter and we are the clay

At church tonight, I was reminded of a very important message. God molds, transforms, and sanctifies us through out our whole lives. It isn't just a one time thing. I am in a very important sanctification process that continues until the day that I die. Every day is an opportunity to pick up my cross and follow my God! I was almost brutally shaken by the words of the paster, that reminded me I am currently living in sin. I am not perfect just because I have a relationship with Jesus. In fact, my flaws are magnified so that I can ask for forgiveness and turn a new leaf. Every day, pick up my cross. Every, single, day. We are inconsistent creatures by nature, and need to continuously be working on our relationship with Jesus and how he wants us to serve/provide for our community, or whatever he calls us to do. What is my calling? I need to keep asking myself and God this so that eventually, hopefully sooner than later, I'll be able to fulfill the opportunities providing God's will.

Back to the God is a potter and we are the clay statement at the beginning, I know that most of you have heard that a million times. It comes from multiple places in the bible, including Isaiah and Jeremiah. This is so beautiful to me. A potter takes such fond care of his clay; we are his masterpiece. He plans out exactly what he wants us to look like to others and to ourselves. Physically, spiritually, emotionally, and so on. God perfectly articulates us in His image. He wants us to live a life connected to him, serving each other and our neighbors as we would ourselves.

“So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the LORD came to me:”O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand…” Jeremiah 18:3-6

This has got to be one of my favorite scriptures. Thanks for listening, have an amazing week! I love you all.

Incredibly loud and extremely close.

I just got home from seeing probably the most inspiring and fantastically made movie I have ever seen. It is also a book, and it is called "Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close". The description for it on IMBD is as follows: A nine-year-old amateur inventor, Francophile, and pacifist searches New York City for the lock that matches a mysterious key left behind by his father, who died in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
This is what the internet says, but this movie offers much, much more than what the description online entails. Please go watch it as soon as you have a few open hours.

This movie really spoke to me in terms of perspective. I truly believe that every once in awhile, we must sit down and refresh our outlook on things. Before, I was getting overwhelmed with basic obstacles and challenges in life such as finals week in school, the pressure that comes with being committed to a sports team, sustaining relationships and impressing my parents. It is so easy for me to forget and lose track of the most important things in my life such as my friends, family, and of course, God. The boy in this movie reminded me to be thankful in words but also show my appreciated and love and affection to the ones who mean most to me. Actions have always spoken louder than words, and yet why do we waste our time talking talking talking when we should be acting on our truest emotions? I feel now, that if someone I loved died tomorrow, I'd eternally regret not letting them know how they've effected my life and how much I love them. It is so important to express this love. With all the hatred, chaos, death, destruction, angst, sadness, unjustness, pride, selfishness, among other horrible things in this world, love prevails. 2Corinthians4:8-9 says that, "We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed." And John15:13 says how there is no greater love than the one who will lay down his life for his friends. Jesus already died for us. The battle is already won. We just have to keep fighting for what is just, moral, humane, and Godly. Love prevailing doesn't mean that evil doesn't exist. To me, it simply means that, when I'm in a tough situation, keeping this in mind is what forces me out stronger than before. Knowing that the truest form of love, Jesus, is with me at every second of every day, allows me to tackle situations that otherwise I would not have succeeded in. Yes I know I am ranting a little bit but back to the point, all these thoughts stemmed from seeing this movie tonight.

Thank you, Stephen Daldry, for directing such an excellent and replenishing movie. Maybe I'm over thinking it, but this is my blog and I am allowed to be honest! It's a "free" country.

Through these hard times

As I am hastily trying to finish up my homework, projects and studying for the night, I stumbled upon a few very helpful and inspiring verses. Maybe these will help you if, like me, you've been a little in over your head with anxiety and the pressures of the world around you. When things get crazy, freeze! Take a moment to refresh, and put things BACK into perspective. Never lose perspective!!! Anyway, here are the verses.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." (James 1:5-8)


“Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

“If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

HAVE A FANTASTIC NIGHT, I'll try and write about the topics I posted last time soon. Don't lose faith in me! ;)

Also, I'm in love with Oregon

There's something so encouraging about this...

and this

OREGON MY FRIENDS

It's been a long time.

To say these past few weeks have been hectic and jam packed would be an unfair understatement. As you can see, I haven't blogged in a very long time. This is a direct correlation to the amount of essays, speeches, worksheets, tedious tasks, Internal Assessments, art projects, clubs and stress that school has dropped at my doorstep. Not to mention having basketball every day and weekend. These factors have led to a very busy and tired Anna. I do not mean to complain, I just want to explain to all who read this the reasons that I have been gone!

Don't get me wrong: I HAD A FANTASTIC BREAK! I spent a lot of it with family and friends, as did most of you. I didn't go on any vacations, as I had basketball all break. (just like every year. next year will be my first, true, winter break!!!) I baked a lot of cupcakes and random delicious treats that I discovered on Pinterst. I hung out with my boyfriend and his family a lot as well which was great. Basically, it was one of the greatest breaks I've ever had. Time well spent.

I feel as if I have too much to write about and don't even know where to start! My mind is full of things that I want to discuss with virtually anyone who will listen. I'll start by writing a list of topics, and then I'll get back to them at a later time.

(Some of these are reoccurring topics, I apologize, but they're updated I swear)
1)Religion vs. Faith
2)The political obsession
3)In regards to witnessing; How far is too far?
4)Women and movies. (progression, that sort of thing. Hey, I'm a feminist. What can I say?)
5)Discussing religion/politics with teachers.
6)Offensive terms we use against women ALL THE TIME
7)My plans for this summer (a more light hearted, exciting discussion)
8)Who decides where I go to college?
9)THE BEGINNING OF COLLEGE ELIMINATIONS
10)Following a practical career/ following an intense, personal interest/passion (that may be less "practical")

OK so this list may bore some of you but I promise I'll make it interesting. Ta ta for now.