Are you a Barnabas?

So, tonight I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to post about so I decided to post about the message our pastor gave because I needed it and it was a great message. In the bible, Barnabas (I am not sure if that is spelled correctly) is called a faithful man and he is a servant of God. Pastor's message tonight was mainly about being a servant of God and being willing to do anything that needs to be done. I am going to add here that others may have gotten something different from the message but this is what spoke to me. Anyway, pastor was asking the church if we knew we were in the right place in our hearts where if something needed to be done at church, we are willing to do it. Yes, it is understandable that you can not be available 24/7 because of different reasons but if your church needed someone to clean the bathrooms one day because nobody else could do it,would you be willing? Would you be willing to do anything that needed to be done at church no matter what it was, and how much recognition you would or would not get? Sometimes as humans we get in the flesh and think "I don't want to do something that small. I wanna do something big where it will be noticed." The fact is, as christians we should be surrendered to the Lord enough to be willing to do anything. Know that I am speaking to myself here. There are many times where I don't necessarilly "feel like" getting up at 6 a.m. to ride the bus but as soon as I get there it is so worth it. So, I would encourage anyone who reads this to get involved in your church! Find out if there is anything that needs to be done. Trust me, I am sure someone on the staff could find something for you to do. You may realize that their jobs are a lot harder than you thought. It may even make you appreciate them a lot more. Although I am sure you already do :) So to make a long story short, what I'm trying to say is, get involved! Be a Barnabas! I promise you won't regret it!

My first look with the Vice 2 pallet

So, this is gonna be a pretty short post but I wanted to show my first makeup look with the new pallet I reviewed Wednesday. So here it is!

 

Pay no attention to how terrible my face looks :) but I love these colors because the white is so sparkly! I used a neutral color on my brow bone, shell shock on the lid, and the crease color is voodoo. I also used the purple eyeliner we got from Urban Decay. Love it!

Northeast Florida Fair Fun!

Last night we went to the Northeast Florida fair. It was only 10 dollars for unlimited rides because it was opening night!! So, the first thing we rode was the ride "Himalaya". Here are some pictures. We are the ones looking toward the camera. Obviously :)

This ride was pretty fun, but it went on for a long time and did not go backwards like it normally does :(

We also rode the "haunted" house. It was literally one flash of light that was meant to scare you and two unexpected buzzing sounds. It was actually pretty fun though because we were making fun of how dumb it was! We also ran into some people at the fair that we know and we got to hang out with them some! After all the rides we got some snacks and headed home. It was a pretty good night though. I'd say it was worth the ten dollars. :) Here are some other pictures!

I'm really graduating?!

I have been thinking a lot lately about how crazy it is that I am in the final stretch of high school. This is the last year I will be considered a high school student! That is crazy. I remember being in AWANAS at church with all my buddies like it was yesterday! This has definitely made me realize that time goes by way too fast and I need to appreciate all the times I have with my friends and family right now because soon I may be taking a different path and won't see them as often.

As far as college goes, I haven't really made any type of decision. What I do know is that once I am done with high school I am going to look for a job. Since I am graduating a year early I am going to save up for a year before I start college because college is expensive!

Here is why I am torn, we have the opportunity to take college classes at my church from Virginia Baptist. So if I chose that I could stay at home, keep working and saving up, teach sunday school at church and keep being involved with all my other ministries. So that is a lot that I would have to give up if I leave. However, I would really like to go into journalism and be a christian journalist, but they do not have journalism at VBC. Virginia baptist only offers majors in ministry. There is nothing wrong with that, but I would love to be a journalist and use that as a ministry. So I am so torn.

Right now I am still seeking God's direction. I am waiting for that "Aha!" moment where it is evident where I should go. I know I still have time to decide but if I start thinking about it it gets me stressed! So anyway, I know most people probably don't care about my college decision but blogging helps me get things off my chest, and I needed that today :)

Urban Decay Vice 2 pallet review

So, if you know me personally, you know I love makeup. If not, you know now! I started using high end makeup about a year ago and since then my mom has gotten hooked on it as well! Which is fine by me because that means double the makeup (we share our makeup) ! So anyway, we just ordered our first item from MAC and it came today! I am so excited. I will be reviewing that along with the purple urban decay eye liner we also got. So anyway, the biggest purchase mom made was the Vice 2 pallet from Urban Decay. We are in love with Urban Decay eyeshadow and this is no exception. Here are the swatches to the colors with the colors named below. Note that I did not swatch the bottom row because my camera died and they are pretty true to color once they get on your skin anyway :)

Top Row from top to bottom: Smokeout, Lovesick, Shellshock, Coax, and X Rated on the side. (I know, not a great name. But I don't make the names.)

2nd Row from left to right: Prank (a blueish black with green sparkles. Very pretty.), Madness, Strike, Stash, and Poison

 

Third Row: Radar, Damaged, Voodo, Betrayal, and Derailed.

Take into consideration that they look a little better in person because you can see the way they catch the light and that can't really be shown in pictures.

As far as price goes, it really was not bad for a high end pallet with so many colors! It was $59.00 which is a lot to spend on makeup all at once but this will last for a very long time. I know this from already having my Naked Pallets for a year and they are not even half used. I would consider it a great purchase.

My ONLY negative thing to say about this is that the 3 lightest colors on the bottom row of the pallet are pretty similar and I won't be using those that often. However, some people may like those colors and they would be a good highlight color for your brow bone!

Here are the pictures of the outside and what it looks like when you open it.

Overall, I would give this pallet 4.8 out of five stars. I love it! I can not wait to do different looks with it. I will use the new eyeliner, eyeshadow, and mascara Sunday and do a post about it. Thanks for reading. Have a great night!

My bucket list!

So, this morning I decided I wanted to post about a dream or dreams I have for the future. So I decided to post about my bucket list! I know some people have some crazy things on their bucket list, but I prefer to do things that would probably actually be attainable :) So here we go!

1. I want to have a surprise party thrown for me. I don't want to have any idea that it is going on! Just be completely shocked when I get there.

2. Like most girls, I want to find my prince charming and have an amazing wedding. :)

3. I want to go on the singing at sea cruise! It is a christian cruise that has gospel singing groups. I would love to go in 2015 if I can save up and find someone to go with! It would be so much fun.

4. I want to go back to Nicaragua with my church. I love that place so much and that trip impacted my life forever!

5.I want to have a white christmas. I have never seen snow and I love the idea of a white Christmas.

6. I want to go to Mall of America. Been dreaming about that since I was really young!

7. I want to teach my own Sunday School class one day. :)

8. I want to pay for a stranger's groceries that is struggling. If I ever get the chance to see someone who I know is having a hard time, and I know I can afford it.

9. I want to go to Carlo's Bake Shop

10.I want to go black Friday shopping. I have never been!

11.I want to be the maid of honor in a wedding :) pretty sure I will be in at least one! But you never know

12.I want to learn to play guitar

13.I want to go zip lining

14. I want to play with a penguin. Just once! Maybe in my wildest dream. Lol.

well, that pretty much concludes my bucket list. The realistic part anyway :) hopefully the Lord will allow me to do some of these things in my future!

Modesty is the Best Policy

Modesty. An often controversial subject. Why? Because so many women look in a mirror and instead of first asking "Would the Lord be pleased with this outfit?" or "Would this send the right message to people I don't know?" they ask "Will this make men look at me?" or "Does this flatter my body?" While I understand that we all want clothes that look good on us and flatter us, our first question should be about what the Lord would think about that outfit. I know it is so hard these days to dress modestly because every time you go shopping it seems as though the clothes get shorter, tighter, or more low cut, but it is possible!

A question that is asked a lot is, "Why is modesty so important?" Well, for starters, the bible tells us that lust is a sin, and by dressing this way you are creating a struggle for your brothers in Christ. From having guy friends, I know that each day they have to choose not to lust and it is hard for them. Don't get me wrong, girls lust too, but it is a much bigger problem for guys. This is simply the way we are made. So anyway, when guys see a girl wearing something inappropriate it just intensifies their struggle to do what is right. If you love your friends, help them to do right by dressing in a way that will not pull them down. Think about it this way. If you would not want other women to dress a certain way in front of your husband, do not dress that way yourself.

Next, here is the next reason to choose modesty. If you are single and still looking for that one guy, what do you want a man to fall for? Would you rather him like you for your body, or for your personality and what is in your heart? I do not know of any woman who would say they want a man to fall in love with their looks rather than their personality. The thing is, beauty will fade. One day you will get older and not look the same. When this happens, will your husband still be in love with the same things he was when he met you, or will his love fade as well? Just remember, however you get a man is how you will keep him. So let him fall in love with something that is lasting.

Since I am a teenage girl, I know how hard it is to find modest clothing. I also know how frustrating it can be to try on dress after dress or shirt after shirt and keep runnig into problems with the length or neckline. However, there are modest things out there. It just takes a little more work to find them. Some stores I have a lot of luck with are Ross (they have dresses that are more on the modest side in the ladies section most of the time, This store varies in what they carry though), Maurice's (they have tons of knee length dresses. You just may need to wear a cover up) , and Old Navy (they have lots of cute knee length dresses and I have a few jean skirts from there). Lastly, another really great place to find modest clothing is Goodwill! I love shopping at thrift stores because a lot of times you can find clothes brand new for close to nothing! Also, since sime if them are older styles, you can usually find modest clothing. I love thrift stores! Below, I have added just one example of the type of dress you can find at maurice's. To the knee, fashionable, and modest!

I hope this post gave clarity on why modesty is important and maybe changed the way some people will look at an outfit when deciding whether or not it is appropriate. As a side note, I would like to add that I am not trying to sound judgmental or anything of that nature. The purpose of this is really to explain why I feel so strongly about being modest and give you a different point of view. As always, thank you so much for reading and have a blessed night!

Destination Unknown Teen Activity!

So, this past weekend was pretty great! Friday night I got to help in the kitchen at a church concert and make all the yummy desserts! Fried oreos, reeses, etc. Then, after the concert I spent the night with my best friend Marlene for the first time in forever! Finally, Saturday we went shopping and got some great deals then we had a youth activity. They announced this activity a couple weeks ago and said it was destination unknown. We have done one other destination unknown and ended up at the beach to play some games. That was pretty fun! Before I tell you where we went this time I will give you a hint. :)

If you haven't figured it out, we went to a corn maze. This is a classic activity to do in the fall and overall it was pretty fun! The first time we went through it only took us 7 minutes but we also used a map for the first few turns. The next time we did not use a map at all and it took about 15 minutes. It was not as long as I thought it would be, but it was fun because of the people I was with. I am so glad I have such fun friends!!

The maze we went to is called "Amazing Grace Crop Maze" located in Fleming Island. They had the maze itself, tractors for photo ops, a hay ride, pig chase, and a couple other activities. They also had a pumpkin patch. It also makes it even better that it is a christian owned place. That is always a plus. :)

Here are a few pictures from the trip. Hope you enjoy!

 

First, a picture of me and Marlene. I love this because it definitely describes our relationship perfectly! We are so goofy, but at least we have fun! :P Also, I realize not everyone who reads my blog knows me very well, so no I was not actually slapping her. We were just goofing off!

 Another photo of me and Marlene. A serious one this time since we haven't gotten a picture by ourselves together in months! We use to take pictures all the time but I guess we have just been pretty busy!

 Me and my cousin sitting by a cute little set up they had.

This would be another one of my goofy friends :) This is the kids maze. Bethann was saying she couldn't figure out where to go. What would I do without these people?!

10 Things I have Learned in the Past Year

  In the past year, I have changed dramatically. I believe I have changed for the better. I have started to realize that soon it will be time to go into adult mode, so I need to start growing up. So, here are ten things that I have learned this past year.

1. Passive aggressive Facebook statuses or posts are a sign of immaturity. We all have our moments where we would like to get on Facebook and post about someone without using their name to show our frustration, but it is not worth it. When I see these posts, it makes me look at the person who posted in a negative way, which is why I stopped posting things like this.

2. There are so many opportunities to minister to others that do not have to involve physically being somewhere. The internet can be used for good or evil, but I believe God has given me the ability to minister to others through things like this blog, Facebook, etc.

3. The way that you carry yourself and act affects your beauty big time, whether it be good or bad. If you carry yourself in a slouchy way with a no care attitude, it is much less attractive. Just showing that you take time to look nice and present yourself like a lady is what makes you beautiful.

4.No matter how young you are, there are people who look up to you. I recently noticed that girls at church who are younger than me actually look up to me! This makes me want to be a better example.

5. Never take your time with your friends for granted, because soon you will be going in separate directions. This isn't a bad thing if it is where the Lord leads you, but make the most of your friendships!

6. Being able to help people is one of the most rewarding feelings ever. You never know how much of a blessing you may be to someone by just helping them with the smallest things!

7. Being single means that the Lord knows you are not ready for commitment right now, and he wants you to grow closer to him. I get asked all the time by adults, "Do you have a boyfriend?" Followed by the question,"Well why not? I am sure you could have one if you wanted to." My answer is that the Lord has not shown me anyone that I am suppose to be with right now, which is fine! I am pretty busy anyway, so I don't know how I would even find time to hang out with anyone else!!

8. College decisions are so hard. There is so much going through my mind when it comes to making that decision, and I just don't know how I am going to commit to a college. I will definitely need guidance and I am so glad I can depend on God to show me where I need to go and open all the right doors.

9. God uses trials to make us stronger. I have been through things that I just can't understand. For instance, I can't understand why God allowed my dad to lose his sight 7 years ago. I often think about the day I get married and it makes me sad that my dad won't be able to see me all dressed up, but I know that this made us stronger as a family. If this hadn't happened, I don't know where my family would be. God used this to get us back in church. We often wonder what it would have taken to open our eyes next if this hadn't happened.

10. Sometimes, your friends will hurt your feelings even if they do not mean to or know that they did. When this happens, you have to decide if it is even worth telling them. My feelings have been hurt recently a couple times, and I decided it's not even worth talking about. Sometimes it is better to just let things go. Especially if that person is a great friend. It is hard to find those these days.

About Me

   Ok, so I recently realized that I haven't shared much about myself on this blog, so I am going to do that in this post. Below, I am going to list 20 random things about me.

  1. My church/church family is my life. I love going to church and would go help out in some way every day if I could.
2. I accepted Jesus as my savior at the age of 9 and my life has been so amazing with him walking by my side.
3. My best friend in the whole wide world is named Marlene and I do not know what I would do without her!
4. I love journalism! I would like to study that when I graduate, if the Lord allows. 
5. I do not have a favorite color. I love neon, but that isn't technically a color!
6. I am going to try and do a better job at keeping up with this blog because I know there aren't many christian teen bloggers out there. Trust me, I've looked!
7. I love baking. I was thinking about making it a career at one point. However, that is not what the Lord wanted and I know that now.
8. I have never had a "serious" boyfriend. Of course when I was around the age of 13 and not very bright I had guys I would call that, but I regret even doing that. I am now waiting for God to show me someone and until then, no boyfriend for me. I am perfectly content with that. I am too busy right now anyway!
9. I LOVE LOVE LOVE photography. That is a passion of mine that started at a young age.
10. I am dying to go on another missions trip. I am praying that the Lord will allow me to go on one again sometime soon.
11. I think about Nicaragua all the time and miss being there. I love my home, but I miss the mission field terribly :(
12. I am finishing high school a year early so I can get a head start on working and saving for college. Yay! 
13. I love shopping. Like almost every other teenage girl!
14. I love vintage things. When I have my own house, I want to decorate a whole room vintage.
15. My dream would be to live in a lake house with a balcony, wrap around porch, swings outside and a gazebo in the back yard. I know, far fetched, but hey, I can dream!
16. I like the country sometimes, but I don't like being too far from the city. I am a people person!!
17. For the most part, I avoid conflict. Of course everyone will have at least a couple people who do not like them, but I think I do an okay job at avoiding drama.
18. In the past 2 years, I have changed dramatically. I think I have just started realizing that I am actually graduating high school this year and it won't be long before I have to go into adult mode. I am not gonna lie, it is kinda scary, but I know I have so many people to help me with anything I need.
19. I love roller coasters!!! We just got season passes to Universal Studios and I seriously cannot wait!! Ah!!!
20. I will stand up for what I believe, no matter what! Especially in this blog. I do not mean to offend anyone, but I will definitely say what I feel needs to be said. I hope to do this in a very meek way that pleases the Lord but also takes a stand for my beliefs. 

Thank you for taking the time to read about me! Even if I am a little boring! ;)

You are beautiful!

    Recently, I had to write an editorial for a school assignment. At first I was not too thrilled about it. I love writing but editorials aren't my thing. However, when I realized I could use this to write about something I am passionate about and I can relate to, I was thrilled. So for this assignment I decided to write about photoshoped pictures of models in magazines and how it makes women and girls feel and look at themselves. Below, I will post my editorial. I hope this can be a help to at least one person!

   

What image comes to your mind when you think of the word beautiful? Do you think of a picture you have seen on a magazine cover lately? A recent picture you have seen of a model or actress? For most girls, the word beautiful is defined by an altered picture they have seen recently of someone famous.  Unfortunately, most of these photos depict an unattainable standard of beauty. Pictures are taken of women who are already beautiful and then altered to make them look a different way. In most cases, they are made to look thinner, with a flawless complexion and picture perfect teeth. How does this make young girls and teens feel about themselves? What does it make them think based on what society deems they should look like?

      In this New York Times article by Eric Wilson, he discusses his views on Photoshop and how he believes that magazines should not be portraying women in a mendacious wayhttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/fashion/28RETOUCH.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0. He is undeniably correct. He also mentions a man by the name of Mr. Lindbergh has called it “heartless retouching”.  This is an excellent way to put it. When photo experts are editing these photos and erasing  wrinkles, or retouching the photo to make the model look like a  Barbie doll rather than a real person, they are not even thinking about what they are putting in the minds of countless girls. This type of thing affects not only young girls, but women as well. However, women are wiser about the situation in most cases and they know that the women truly do not look the way that is shown in a magazine. For that reason, young girls and teenagers are much more susceptible to the deceits of these magazines. 

     With that being said, my next question is, what will young girls and teenagers do to try and achieve this look? Many girls who are trying to look like the ones they have seen in magazines will start skipping meals to try and achieve the body of the woman in the magazine. Sadly, some will never realize that these magazine images are a lie and their occasional skipping of a meal will turn into anorexia. Unfortunately, some will not live to tell their story. You can find a true story of a girl who did not survive the fight against anorexia at the link http://library.thinkquest.org/21298/Mind&Body/Carpenter.html. 

     So here is my question to those who have the final say on what image makes it into the magazines. Is it really worth it? Is it worth losing young lives because of this false idea society has put in their minds? Being a teenage girl, I know how hard it is to love your body and I have to make a decision daily to accept the way I am made and remember that society does not determine the definition of beauty. If we teach young girls to love themselves the way they are rather than trying to live up to a standard of beauty, there would be a huge decrease in the amount of eating disorders in teenagers.

    Finally, I would like to share is what real beauty looks like. I have inserted some pictures of women without their photos being altered, in their natural radiant beauty that every women has. We should be teaching girls that all women are made differently and beauty is not determined by what someone else looks like. You do not have to be a size 2 or have perfect hair, flawless skin, or pearly white teeth to be beautiful.However, this is contrary to what most magazines today would like you to believe. A little retouching to remove a few blemishes or brighten the colors of a photo is one thing, but changing the overall appearance of an already beautiful woman is taking it too far. Especially when no real woman can look like that. Every woman is beautiful in their own way and I wish more girls would realize that.

     In closing, society does not determine your beauty. Every woman is beautiful, even if they do not see it. We should start teaching our girls at a young age that they do not need to look like the woman on the magazine to be beautiful.  The reality is, women do not look like that. Photo experts have made her look that way by altering the image. If more girls started learning this from a young age, it would help them through the tough teenage years when all girls are self conscious about their looks in one way or another. Do not let society change the way you feel about yourself. You are beautiful.