Jessica's "Daily Affirmation"

I am not one of those people that spends hours on Youtube watching dumb, funny videos. But every once in a while, I am shown a video that I enjoy, and if I really like it, I tell everyone about it shamelessly. Sometimes others like it and it becomes a big deal in my inner circle, other times, I am the only one that seems to enjoy it. Recently I watched a video about a little girl who encourages herself while looking at herself in the bathroom mirror. She goes off saying things that she likes: her family, house, hair, aunt, cousins. Then she say that she can be different things. The cuteness level is high on this girl, being four at the time of recording. The level of astonishment that I have from this little girl is very high! I believe that I should take up the habit of this girl and encourage myself every morning. it only takes a few moments in the morning. I'm every morning, I see the mirror in the bathroom, why shouldn't I do it. Steve Carell's character in Evan Almighty also gave himself a morning affirmation every morning. It brightened his day, made him a bit more optimistic about what was happening the rest of his day, he was more confident. For the next two weeks I will be write out a short affirmation for myself, look in the mirror, and say it. I want to see if i feel better on days I say it than days I don't. This is going to be fun!

The Disappearance of Friends

I have been blessed by being surrounded by a great group of friends. Unfortunately, my quest for adventures takes me away from the ones I bond closely with, and I am not able to be around them. I am at a position where I am near many people that I once recognized as my closest friends. Some of them I haven't seen in a few months, others more than a year. But for some reason, it seems that I have lost connection to many of them. They have a new experience of life that I am no longer apart of. While I lived in my mountain home, my friends in the city were living their own life. Though I was in a small community waiting for the day that I could go back and see them all again, they were in a large community where I was replaced with another who was more available to them. It seems weird going from close friends living next to one another, and after a few months time, becoming almost strangers. Perhaps I held them to dear to my heart? Or maybe it is the separation was to strong and outlasted our patience to wait for one another. Maybe absence doesn't make the heart grow fonder, but out of sight, out of mind...

New Beginnings 20 & 11

A New Year, a fresh semester, a birthday! Things seem to be starting anew for me. My birthday and the start of my semester back on the main campus of my school (after being "abroad" for the past two semesters) happen to be on the same day. The combination of these two events made that day delightful for me. I would say that it is interesting though having so many new beginnings for myself all at the same time. It occurred to me that I am making an adjustment in my life. I am going to a school that almost seems new to me after being away for so long and not having set solid roots before i left, and now at a new age there are new responsibilities to tackle because of the responsibility that comes with another year of life. Great power may come with great responsibility but the more life I live, the more I am responsible. My life isn't only about me, like it was when I was a child. I'm growing, learning, living. Life throws me new challenges and I no longer cry immediately to my father or mother for help. I rely on what I've been taught, to God and learning to trust those around me. I'm not alone in this new beginning, just in a new position.

New Years

I've celebrated the coming of the New Year in different ways. When I was young I could be found spending time with family, as I got a bit older I would join my parents in going to church, after that I went to New Year's Parties with friends, I even spent one New Year's Eve alone in bed because I was ill. All had their different type of fun that I enjoyed. But I believe the one celebration that I hold dear to my heart was a simple one I had with my older brother during a noisy church service.
The speaker of the night was giving the word to welcome in the new year. The church was rejoicing, jubilant in every way. Shouting and singing, praising God while dancing, it was hot in the building. But the comical part of this celebration was that it was early, too early. The speaker did his countdown of 10 to 1 in seconds, but in between each number he would tell a story of speak more about the New Year blessings. So his countdown of 10 seconds took more like 30 minutes. But even though that took longer to announce, he was still off on his timing. About 15 minutes. Thats not to bad, just funny, there was no clock in the church sanctuary so no one would really know the truth, unless they would look at their watches.
That is exactly what my brother did. He looked at his watch, which happened to have the exact time on it. (He liked to be precise with his timing) my brother grabbed me and took me to the back of the sanctuary, and showed me the time. He told me that the pastor was off but when the clock turns to midnight we can have our own celebration! I was excited. I loved my brother. We waited patiently for the clock to turn. Finally it came and we cheered and hugged each other. He picked me up, twirling me around as we said Happy New Year to each other. It was a joyous time we were having. My favorite New Year's celebration