Three Most Important Women

So recently I have been traveling a lot because of different people in my life having medical needs and me going to help them. Through all these travels, one thing I learned is just how important these three people that I am going to talk about are to me. The three are my mom, and my two best friends Anne and Elizabeth. These three women have shaped my life greatly, and I am so excited to I get to have them in my life.

My Mom:
My mom has been through a lot the past couple of years. She has been battling cancer, and while she has been cancer-free for a while, she has still had some complications. but watching her go through it all, showed me just how strong she is. Even though she didn't always feel strong, she still continued to help out the best she can, and she wanted to make sure I was doing okay. I greatly admire her strength and I hope I can display the same strength when I go through difficult trials.

Anne: 
Anne is one of my best friends and my current roommate. She has a great ability to make sense of situations. She is calm and collected which balances me out a lot. when I get excited I tend to get overly excited, or when I get mad I tend to just ramble on with no end. She is the one that helps me calm down and make sense of what is going on, so I don't do something I might regret later. She is also someone who I can just bounce ideas off of, to make sure I know what I am doing before I do it.

Elizabeth:
Elizabeth is my other best friend. She is the one I goof of with the most. we could spend hours together talking about nothing in particular and have a great time. She is also a digital media major like me, so we geek out over how things were shot and edited, as well as our own crazy video ideas. She is also crazy just like me.

I am grateful to have these three amazing women in my life.  I can't thank them enough for their love and laughter that they have brought me. 

Life is More Than Food

It has been a while since I have written. Life got busy and this has gotten pushed to the side. Sorry about that.

Recently this week I was reading the passage in the Bible where Jesus is teaching on worry, and how we are to put our trust in him, instead of in our worries. On line stuck out to me as read.

"For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes." Luke 12:23

The reason this verse stuck out to me is because we often get stuck in the idea of immediate satisfaction. If we are hungry we go get food to satisfy our hunger. If we need more clothes we go out and buy them. We focus on what immediate gratification, and if we can't get what we think we need right now we start to worry and have anxiety.

However, Jesus is warning us about the fact that there is more than just the immediate gratifications. God gave us life to worship him, and we do that through our relationships, though our work, and through our giving. However, these activities don't often yield immediate gratification. They take work and sacrifice, which on the surface turns us away. Relationships take time to build and even once you have a strong relationship, there are still arguments and struggles with in the relationship. When it comes to work, there are days, where we would rather do anything else beside work. And with giving, we can all think of the other ways to spend that money, however giving our money to God can yield returns greater than we can imagine.

It is important to turn our eyes off just instant gratification, and focusing on things in life that will last and bring glory to God. When we do that, God will take care of the rest to make sure you have food and clothes that you need. It may not always be what you want but it will be what you need. 

Playing Your Own Way

One thing my brother and I love to do is to play Fortnite. Now when people play Fortnite they often go for the most kills and get into intense gun battles. However, that is not how I play Fortnite. For those who are not familiar with Fortnite, the game starts where 100 people are dropped on an island, and they have to scavenge for guns and supplies. To win the game you have to be the last one standing out of the 100.

The new season started for Fortnite a few weeks ago, and as soon as you open the app, you are thrown immediately into a game. It was disorienting at first cause it was a new map, and me not being the best player, didn't know what to do. But after a few seconds, I did what I did best.

I hid.

I can't aim to save my life, and I would prefer not to draw attention to myself because I can't defend myself. As far as I see it, the goal is to survive, not kill. So if I survive by hiding, then I survive. I think the majority of that game I hid and watch the other players go at it. Then the next thing I know it is down to me and someone else. When most people do, is they build up so they can see everything and most of the time it give you an advantage because you can see your opponent before they see you.

So that is what my opponent did. I was hiding under a tree when I saw a weak point in his foundation. So I shot it down and he fell, leaving me as the victor. My brother was mad because he spends his time shooting trying to eliminate his opponents, but I just wait patiently for them to kill each other, and when I see my chance I finish them off.

In the end, they both accomplish the same goal, just two very different approaches to accomplishing the goal. You don't always have to do what everyone else is doing, but find a way that works for you. So if that means waiting patiently until the right moment to strike, then go right ahead and wait for your shot. 

Relationships

One topic that has been a main topic at church for the past couple of weeks, is the idea of relationships, and how God has made us to be relational creatures. That is also the area I struggle the most with. 

Growing up, I was a shy introverted child, who was often fine with being by myself. However, I have been learning over the past few years as I made strong friendships that relationships are a good thing to have in one's life. Friends are there to encourage you when you are struggling. They are there to make you laugh over their crazy antics. And they are there to stop you before you do something absolutely crazy or stupid. 

Now it is easier to build and keep relationships when you see the person everyday, but it is so much harder when you move away. After graduation, most of my roommates went their separate ways so I don't get to see them in person unless one of us gets married. One thing I have been trying to do more often is to keep up conversations with them through online forms of communications. This is still hard for me because I often start a conversation, and then get distracted by something else, and I forget to check my phone so I have lots a conversations that I start but don't finish. I am working on making sure I finish the conversations that I start. 

But when I put in the effort to keep conversations going online, we often end up having good discussions, and I leave feeling happy and refreshed. So I am working on putting in the effort to keep up these relationships online, because I do enjoy them, and I want to keep them around for a long time. 

Volunteering

So recently I have started volunteering with Sunday School and Wednesday night youth programs at my church. At first I didn't know how I would do because while I do have experience working with children through swimming lessons, but I am not always the best of getting their attention and keeping it while I teach lessons, or do crafts.

However, the first Sunday I was there went really well. The craft the children were doing that day was a craft I did a s a child all the time, so I knew how to complete it, while there were some of the parent volunteers who haven't seen the craft before and didn't know how to complete it. I was able to teach some of the other adults how to complete the crafts, and then I could help the kids complete theirs. It was actually a lot of fun, and I felt like I actually contributed.

When it came to Wednesday night, I was in charge of teaching about animals and taking care of pets. At first I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to hold their attention, but I was able to keep it, for the most part, during the whole time I was teaching. I did learn I have to be a little more authoritative while trying to discipline some of the kids, but over all it went really well.

One thing I was taught when I was at college, that life after college is more than just the job you do. Sure your job makes up one part of your life, but there is so much more that contributes to your life. What you do for volunteer work also shapes who you are, and it allows you to try some other activities that you wouldn't do normally at your work. I am looking for a job as a video editor, which doesn't really allow for me to work with kids. However, volunteering at my church allows for me to work with kids and pour into their lives.

At the same time, you are able to learn more about what you are good at. For example, I am good at working with my hands, and that came across when working on the crafts with the children. I also learned some skills I could work on. An example of this is when I learn that I can show more authority when I talk to capture and hold children's, and adult's attention.

So if you have a chance to volunteer, I would say jump on it, because it is a good opportunity to give back to the community, and to learn a little more about yourself. 

One More Light

I don't know how many of my readers are BTS fans, but for those who don't know, one thing that is unique to Korean concerts, especially BTS, is the use of lightsaticks in the audience. BTS lightstick is called an Army Bomb, and they are sold to fans to use at the concert to enrich the experience. One unique feature is that the newest Army Bombs, can be control through Bluetooth at the venue so the can change color to the music based on where you are sitting. For those who have not seen what they can do, please watch the video below so you can see just a snippet of what I mean.

from BangtanTV 

This video does not do justice though to the amazing experience to be apart of the audience with the Army, and to see and be apart of the wave. I got to experience a BTS concert as a graduation gift to myself in May, it is truly something else being in the audience with all the other fans and watching  BTS perform and watching the Army Bombs, in sync with the music. 

And I got to thinking. There are so many people from all different backgrounds and beliefs who come together and they can create something beautiful with all their Army bombs that they have.  What if we applied this same concept to other areas of our lives. What would happen if we join with other people to help plant trees, or feed the hungry. There are so many things we can do to help make the world a better place, and instead of thinking of what divideds us, we focus on what brings us together to create something beautiful. Fans who attend these concerts don't talk about what makes them all different, but they spend their time talking about their interests and together they they support BTS and allow for these beautiful Army Bomb creations to happen. 

So this week, instead of focusing on what makes us different, focus on what makes us the same, and how we can use these interests to create something beautiful. 

Making the Most of Your Time

Earlier this week I had a chance to travel for work. I was in eastern Wisconsin right by the Mississippi river. I had time to kill the first night so beside staying the hotel, I went to the flower garden to get out, look and the flowers, and watch the sunset.

While I was watching the sunset, I thought about how we easily let moments like these slip by.  We get so caught up in our devices, or we sit in front of the TV all day.  Especially when we are in new locations there is so much to explore and see that we might not otherwise get to see.

So as some motivation, here are some of the photos I took from my little adventure. Enjoy.

Hobby Time

Many of us live in a world where we are so focus on work, that hobbies fall to the side. So this weekend  I took some time to take a break and to paint. I love painting and hanging my art work on the walls. So naturally I went on Pinterest to look for some ideas and this is what I came up with. 

I painted a set of three paintings. For these, I laid out the tape and then painted the white spaces between the tape. I always wanted to do a piece like this and I finally did it. 

The two smaller ones I made to look kinda identical, yet unique in their own way. I also wrote an inspiration quote on the white stripe that goes all the way across the canvas. It is also hard to see in the photo but there is glitter in the silver boxes, and a light glitter on the rest of the canvas cause I like glitter. 

The middle one has my initial outlined from the tape. I then use pink and purples which are my I like, but I didn't have time favorite color combo to fill in the shapes. I plan to write on the white lines traits about myself that I like, but I didn't have the time because the paint was still drying. 

I really enjoyed painting these three, and hopefully I can take another break soon and paint some more. 

Love of Reading

One thing that I have enjoyed since graduating from college, is having the time to read books. The time that I would normally be spending doing homework, I now can use that time to read books that I have wanted to read, and explore topics I have wanted to explore.

Then one day I stumbled across this video from Jimmy Kimmel, asking people if the can name one book, and most of them couldn't and most admitted that they don't read. The link is below for those who want to watch.
Jimmy Kimmel- Name a Book

While I did find the video funny, it was also heart breaking. Now I am not an English nut like most my friends, but I know the value of reading a good book, for there is so much you can learn about life and about the people around us. So I made a list of a few books that I love, or books that I am currently reading for those who are looking to get back into reading and want a good book to read.

The Outsiders -Fiction - My favorite book I ever read in school, focused on a gang of greasers and their struggle they go through being wrongly judged just by their appearance. It is a book I own a hard and digital copy, so I can read it when I don't want to read anything else.

How We Learn - Nonfiction - I am currently reading this book, but it is fascinating to study how we learn and memorize what we study. It comes in handy when learning foreign languages, to camera set ups for my job. 

Into the Magic Shop - Nonfiction - This book was recommend to me and it is a very interesting read. It focuses on looking at how our heart and mind connect, and learning to use our mind and heart to the best of our abilities, and finding the inner strength you need.

The Uncommon Life - Nonfiction - This book is an in-depth look at finding your gifts that God has given each of us and using them on a daily basis. It helps find what you are good and passionate at so you can live a life that is on fire for God.

These are just a couple books that I recommend, but there are so many good books out there that you can go and find something that fits you. Also go check out you local library because there is a such a large collection there that you can rent so you can find what books you specifically want.

Reading is such a good activity to fill you day with, so go out today and find a good book to read!!!

Home Alone

This summer I have been living with my roommate from college and her family. They recently went on a trip to South Africa as a family, so I house sat for them while they were gone. It was nice having the house to myself (and their pets) for I got a lot done and I was able to stay up late without bothering anyone.

I am a night owl and I stay up late to work and edit. However, I feel bad when I am still working and editing after everyone has gone to bed. Now editing isn't normally a loud task and can be accomplished quietly, but I tend to pace and play music when I get stuck and that all ends up to be pretty loud. So having the ability to play my music out loud and being able to pace as I need has been very helpful for me to get many of my projects edited.

Also there was a video BTS released that came out in one in the morning. It was a video that I waited for a while to come out, and I wanted to watch it as soon as it came. So I stayed up till one to watch it and was up to after three. Being the only one awake, it gave me a chance to fan girl while no one was around.

One thing I did have to work on is making sure I didn't just get stuck at home they whole time. Apparently people interaction is a good thing, so getting out every once and a while, and talking with my friends. While being home alone is fun and all, it is important to step out and see sunlight and people every once and a while.