Quote of My Life.

I think I have made it clear that I am in quite the rut.

I'd like to blame some of it on the weather, but I have to take some responsibility. Earlier today, Truman and I were on our drive back to Lincoln. I was pouting/whining because school isn't going too well this semester. He gets mad at me when I sulk because he thinks happiness is a choice. He's right, but because I'm so hard-headed I'll never admit it to his face.

I was going on and on about how life sucks and I'm amounting to nothing until he said (yelled, actually) "life does not have a report card!" I couldn't argue with that. And I felt pretty silly for almost crying about some lame classes.

I said that I would start sending quotes each night this year. I have been doing an awful job and I really will try to remember. But I thought this was a great quote for the week.

Looking forward to the "warm" weather, J.

Porn and Other Things.

I couldn't find a picture that fit the theme of this blog, so I just played it safe and went with something pretty.

I was doing some research on pornography yesterday for a woman at the pregnancy center. My interest in the pornography industry has grown over the past few months. No, I am not in support of it and I find it incredibly disturbing, but the effect it has on society is larger than I realized.

I feel that media crosses the line further and further each year with magazines, television, movies, and music. I have a subscription to vogue and the recent issue has a topless woman who is completely exposed. Fifteen and sixteen year old girls are wearing nothing but a see-through top on the runway, and sex scenes in movies don't need any explaining.

My question is, where is the line drawn?

The more we feed sex into the media, the more normal and less holy it becomes. Truman and I were watching TV last night and a commercial came on for diet pills. The advertisements were pictures of a naked woman and man pressed up against each other.

Things like this make me sad for a few reasons. (1) What kind of message are we sending to America? and (2) 13 year old girls are seeing this.

Sex is what drives entertainment today and I really wish there was something we could do about it.

Cheers, J.

Forgotten 21

A lot of you probably think it's absolutely ridiculous to have 20 resolutions. I suppose it is. I realize that I forgot one. I won't add it to the list, but it will follow me around.

Life has been rough. Life is rough.

I'm having a difficult time deciding what my next step is. School is pretty nasty and my life is lacking passion.

I get tired of being surrounded by people who have "career" as number one on their priority list.

I have a rocky and painful past. Living (almost) independently has shown me how much my past has affected my life even now. Family is messy right now and it's the major cause of my frequent minor breakdowns. So I have decided this...

Though the pain plans on sticking around for a while, I will make the attempt to learn to be content. I don't know where I'm going and I don't know how I'll feel a week from today, but I will take comfort in knowing that God does.

Cheers, J.

Fighting the Consumer-Driven World

I survived a day without buying a single thing.

It really isn't that hard and I'm sure I do it many days without patting myself on the back. However, it was quite refreshing.

I don't do this just to save money (though it's nice).

I am fighting one of America's biggest hidden problems: consumerism.

I'm the first to admit that, at times, I buy into this lie that having something is going to make me feel better. What's sad is that sometimes it does. Does retail therapy sound familiar? It's a bigger "disease" than I think we are willing to acknowledge.

Obviously we can't go through life without having to make purchases. Many purchases are necessary. But I had to force myself to stop and ask if that new dress I bought was more than material, because a lot of times it wasn't. It was security. And I don't want security in materials. I want security in one thing--Christ.

Since one day is too easy, I decided in March I am going to try going one week. I'd like to think of it as a cleansing period.

For the year of 2010, I have decided to let go of my desire to acquire.

J.

Fun Dips Make Everything Better.

This weekend was Valentines Day. Though I am fortunate to have a great love in my life, I still think the holiday is very silly and refuse to celebrate it.

Instead, my good friends and I got together for a girls night and decided to go see the movie Valentines day (corny, right?). The movie made me dislike the holiday even more, but at least Sharon and I got quite a few good laughs at Taylor Swift's lack of acting talent.

We enjoyed Sharon's Dad's valentines day candy which consisted of the most unhealthy candy--fun dips. We agreed that documenting this experience was a must.

Is this a giant stepping stone in my resolutions? No.

It's just me enjoying some quality time with some really wonderful women. This is what life is all about. Don't forget it.

J.

A Selfless Life

A selfless life. This is what I strive for. I'll be honest, I haven't been doing so well. This semester is tough--really tough. Accounting and Microeconomics are not my forte and will never be my forte. I have become so self centered around my own misery and I am embarrassed to admit it.

God has slowly been changing my heart over the past year and I am finally starting to acknowledge it. I have already informed you that I have a strong passion for the empowerment of women. Don't misunderstand me- when I say empowerment I mean self esteem and dignity. I don't consider myself to be a radical feminist by any means.

Anyway, I'll get to the point. I spend so much time worrying about what I don't have (or what I do have that makes me unhappy). I think we feel closest to God when we are serving others and doing the work he intended for us to do.

I met with a wonderful woman from the Lincoln Crisis Pregnancy Center and she is going to allow me to volunteer there for the semester. I have to really search my heart and make sure that I'm not doing this for my own benefit. I don't want to feel better about myself, I want to quit thinking about myself for a while.

J.

Stop Traffick

Photos from http://www.onegirlthi.org/

A while ago I explained my passion for the sex slavery issue overseas and in the U.S. The first step I have taken this year is joining the "One Girl" prayer team. I have sent in my information and donation and will soon be receiving a bracelet that symbolizes my commitment to pray for the women who are being sold into sex slavery.

I'll admit that understanding the power of prayer is difficult for me. Writing a check most definitely helps, but prayer is the biggest help we can give to those girls. The only comfort I have is knowing that God is all powerful and is capable of ending this tragedy through us.

I encourage you to visit the website: http://www.onegirlthi.org/

Look around, educate yourself a little.

It only takes $10 a year to be a part of this prayer team.

I really hope you consider.

J.