Proper Motivation for Looking Good

    At the end of last semester, Claire and I made a pact that we will come back next semester incredibly stylish, unmistakably skinny, and straight up classy.  I've completely reconstructed my wardrobe, getting rid of a lot and adding some new versatile pieces.  Wardrobe and appearance isn't everything, but looking good goes hand in hand with feeling good.  I've found that life is more difficult when you feel chubby, trashy, or unstylish - because you can't stop thinking about how uncomfortable or disappointed you are.

     There are two solutions to such an overwhelmingly negative attitude.  First, we need to fully understand that our devotion to the Lord is more important than anything else in the world, certainly including our possessions and our emotions.  Such an attitude allows us to have a better attitude and perspective.  When you feel attractive, your appearance and your possessions do not consume you as much.  That certainly stems from attitude.  However, there are also things that we can do to further such an attitude.  Secondly, we need to take care of ourselves and our possessions best we can.  We need to work out and take care of our bodies.  We need to equip ourselves with a simple wardrobe that allows us to live without worrying about our clothing so much.

     I don't want to worry about how I look.  I don't want to worry about how I feel about my clothing and my body.  Those are things that are temporal.  If I simplify my wardrobe to less clothing, but clothing that is simple, looks good, and makes me feel comfortable, then I won't be worrying so much about my appearance.  If I workout, I will be healthy and skinny, and I won't be so worried about my body.  However, even as I attempt to improve my circumstances in order to help direct my attitude away from temporal things, I need to pray for proper motivation and for contentment.  Appearance and weight are very touchy issues, because concerns about them can stem from selfishness and vanity.  I need to pray that I will have the proper motivation, and that I will be working toward a better closet and a better body in order to better serve the Lord with my actions and my attitude.  I truly think that simplifying my closet and improving my health by losing some weight will help me to do so.

Loving this Lovely Summer

      So, it's been a while.  I had this notion that when summer came, I would immediately get right back into the same routine I had before exams and all the chaos of the end of the year.  That was not the case at all.  It has been very difficult to find any routine, let alone the same one that I had during last semester.

      It has been a great summer so far, but it has not been as I had expected.  I didn't find a job.  I didn't write in my blog every day.  I haven't read my bible every day.  I haven't read for my classes every day.  I don't hang out with the people I expected to as much as I thought I would.  Some of those things I need to be working to change, others are exactly as God intended, and I can't worry about it.


     I am so thankful for exactly where God has me right now.  I'm spending time with my family and my friends.  I don't have to worry about a job, but I'm making some money on the side with babysitting and labor for my Dad.  I'm really motivated to work out, eat healthy, and lose some weight.  I'm developing great relationships with people that I've always known, but never had that deep friendship with.  I'm convicted about not spending as much time with the Lord, in the word and in prayer.  I'm working to balance all of the good things about being home with the challenges of being home.  It is a challenge spiritually to be in such a comfortable place, because sometimes I forget how much I need the Lord's hand and direction in my life every second.  I am praying that I will never forget that, and that the Lord will draw me closer and closer to Him whether I am in times of comfort or times of trial.

    The Lord is so good to me even though I don't deserve it.  I have amazing parents, the best friends, and all the time in the world to spend with them this summer.  My summer has been filled with kayaking, coffee dates, movie nights, How I Met Your Mother, baking, reading, working out, bonfires, swimming, shopping, and so many other blessings.  I have so much to be thankful for.  I'm loving my summer so far, and I can't wait for it to get even better.

    I'll be keeping my blog a lot more updated, now that I've taken the first step and posted something. :) God-willing, I'll have something interesting to say.