Comprende?

I've noticed something. When someone shares a problem with someone, the person automatically tries to do two things. First, they try to pinpoint the problem/issue and then second, they try to solve it by giving their advice on how to handle it. Although at times the person may share in hopes of seeking a solution, I believe at times that another reason a person shares is to just simply share.

A common thing we may overlook is a person's wanting to be understood. Sometimes what the person really wants and needs is understanding, to have someone relate and understand what it is they're going through. What i'm talking about is not having sympathy and feeling sorry, but empathy and compassion. I have more thoughts on this but I can't sort them out at the moment. The main point is that I think understanding is understated. Being able to truly understand is how the start of how you can actually help a person. Understanding lets a person know they are not alone. And actions of help with understanding why makes a huge difference.

Understanding is really difficult though. How can you understand and feel what another person is going through? How can you relate to poverty in Africa when you've rarely skipped a meal, and that was probably because you were busy studying and getting an education? How can you relate to the homeless when you've had a roof over your head since birth? How can you relate to abuse when the only bruises you've receive were from tripping over something? This is where God comes in. God's love is able to connect it all. Pray for compassion. Oh man, I could say more but if I keep writing this post will be way too long. I'll stop here and finish up with another post to expand, but ya feels me?

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me


Break my heart for what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdom's cause
As I go from nothing to eternity

Porcelain Dolls

When I was a child I was fearless on the playground as i'm sure many of you can relate. I'd ride the dangerous metal merry go round where other kids threw up from going too fast, jump down from high areas, slide down the tree trunks that were actually meant to hold up the structure so that I ended up ripping my spandex sliding down, and dare to skip not just 4 but 5(!!! I was pretty badass as a child no?) bars on the monkey bars which left me on the ground on my back in pain for a good 5 minutes. When I did get hurt I would whine a little, maybe even cry a few tears, but then i'd just get over it and keep playing. For some reason as a kid you feel invincible. Growing up you realize how fallible you actually are. I used to never be afraid of getting hurt. I was a naive young child with a no holds barred thing going on. Nowadays, we have second thoughts going into things, into love and relationships, into people, into career fields, into trying new things, into missions trips, the list could go on. We deny ourselves opportunities and ambition because we're afraid of the unknown. Or maybe we've already experienced the worst of things and don't want to go through it again. We could say that we've just become more mature while weighing out the costs and benefits, but why does it feel like that's just an excuse and we're actually just scared?

What holds us back is pain and failure. Yet if we allow ourselves to look past that, we see that all pain does eventually heal and failures never become failures as long as you don't give up. These all build character and are lessons we learn. With God's love, you will always heal as long as you give it time and you allow yourself too. And with God's grace and love, your identity ultimately lies in Christ and you're not defined by anything else. So why not take risks? I see it as a fair opportunity cost to take if you look at what it is you want to achieve. I think it's well worth it. So I encourage you to find the kid in you and to not be scared to take those risks and live life.

To be honest, i'm not saying I have this completely down either, but what I do know is that I rather live a full life with scars than be a porcelain doll.

Beauty Tips 101

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you will never walk alone

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed,

revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that

she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman

must be seen from in her eyes because that is the doorway to her

heart, the place where love resides."

Audrey Hepburn

I Believe

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."

- Audrey Hepburn

The Best Advice

Love yourself. Love the person that God has created you, in all your beauty and flaws. I believe that's one of the most important principles in life that every person should grasp. It's amazing what a little self TLC can do for you. :)

Judge Not, So That You Be Not Judged

"Jesus’ instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, “Don’t.” The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others."

Very good reminder, read it this morning and just wanted to share. :)

p.s. Game 7 tonight, kinda stoked.

Bucket List

I know this must be hard to believe because i'm just so incredibly talented......but there are times in my life where I find myself incapable. Recently my computer got a nasty virus (karma from trying to watch Big Bang Theory instead of studying for my final) so I drove at 3AM to my friends place so he could fix it. At the moment I felt so helpless and frustrated at the fact that I didn't know what to do to fix my infected computer. It's nice to have people help you out and take care of you but sometimes it also makes me feel like a giant baby by default.

I need to be more capable. I mean granted I have a little bit of a height advantage and can grab things from the higher shelves for the vertically challenged or am the spider killer of the apartment because I am a pretty fearless warrior but still. hahaha If you know me fairly well, you'd know I hate being put in a box and being limited, which is why I do things like take massage class or go to the shooting range or am a girly girl but also a tomboy, etc. But my point is that I don't want to be limited in my abilities; I want to know how to do more things for myself, be more independent nawmsayins? So here is a starting Bucket List of things I need to learn.

Bucket List Of Things I Must Learn To Do

1. Learn how to fight crime on the intranetz like trojans, virus and spyware (and perhaps also know the difference between them)

2.How to change oil and a flat tire (this would be badass)

3. Re-learn how to drive stick (will come in handy if I were ever kidnapped by people in a stick car and they somehow leave me unattended, definitely wouldn't want to stall while escaping)

4. How to efficiently punch someone so that it actually hurts (people seem to be unaffected when I hit them, are my knuckles jello or something???)

5. Make cocktails and all the yummy girly drinks (will come in handy if I ever want to become a bartender for cheap thrills)

6. Build a laptop from scratch (if my dad can do it, so can I)

7. Knit a sweater (will come in handy when it gets cold or cheap "sentimental" gifts)

8. Body language to look intimidating (will come in handy to ward off the unwanted)

9. Snap my fingers (will come in handy when I have children or a husband haha jk)

10. Whistle loudly (will come in handy when I want to wolf whistle and holler)

What can I say? I'm a quality girl. hahaha And bright side? I can probably learn all of these thanks to Wikipedia. Internet FTW

Not So Fatal Attraction

They say the prettiest girls are the happiest girls. I find a lot of truth in that statement.

I say the manliest men are the passionate men. Hold up, let's clear this theory up. When a guy is doing something they're passionate about, I find them incredibly attractive. It's not based on the fact on whether or not they're good at it, but the fact that they have a passion for it. We sometimes confuse our talents as our passion which are are two separate entities. But anyhow, it is the way their eyes light up, their fingers move, the sweat that drips, their uplifting spirit, the way their energy fills the room, it all lures me in. In general I believe that any person is most attractive when they are doing something they are passionate about. I find myself completely enticed and attracted to that person as I see them in action. There's this certain allurement and aura that just pulls you in as you see the light in their eyes gleam. It's inspiring. They hold this type of charisma that you can't help but want to be a part of that moment and their lives. In a way it's comparable to a child's smile like there's this untainted joy in it. And when someone's doing something they're passionate about, they look damn good doing it. You feel me?

On a separate level........however enticed I am, I will admit I also hold a bit of jealousy. At one point in my life I thought I knew what my passion was but Sophomore year that very passion drained me and became my burden. Things are different now but I still don't know what exactly my passion in life in. Sure I may love doing a lot of things and I may be a little bit talented in different areas but someday with the right timing and the other half luck, i'll find it. It's all trial and error from here on out.