A Name Above All Names...

At our church, our pastor encourages us to prayerfully pick a name of Jesus to focus on for the year. I've never done this before, but I've also never been as serious about my relationship with Jesus as I am now.

I've been thinking about it, and praying about it for a few weeks now, and I've picked my name:

Beloved Bridegroom.

Now, that name doesn't appear in that exact phrasing in the Bible; it's a combination that I feel is just all too perfect, at least for me, at this moment in my life.

See, I've been struggling with worrying about the man God has for me, and worrying about when it's going to happen, if it's going to happen...over the past two years, it's definitely something that's caused me a ridiculous amount of stress! (which in itself is ridiculous, considering I'm only 17!)

But I've come to the point where I realize, I need to "let go, and let God". I need to chill out, and leave it up to Him! And I need HIM to be my ultimate focus, no one else.

The name "Beloved Bridegroom" was actually inspired by the song "Beloved" by Tenth Avenue North, which is an incredibly beautiful song, that tells of how we are His beloved, and how He truly loves us, and holds us close to His heart. And I thought...if I am that to Him, shouldn't He be that to me?

The bridegroom part is obvious: Jesus compares us to his bride, and he as our bridegroom, and considering my worrying and fretting over who I'll marry and such, what better name? What better promise than the one that HE is our bridegroom, and loves us more than a husband ever could?

Therefore, "beloved bridegroom" was born. And they fit together perfectly! The goal of this name is that over the next year, I will really, truly learn to think of Jesus as my Beloved Bridegroom...and that I will hold him very dearly to my heart, as he holds me dearly to his.

A rant about...hair?

So last week, I made a realization: things are changing in my life. Subtley, over the past few weeks, things have just become . . . kindof drastically different. So of course, what is my immediate thought? Life changes call for another type of change: a hair change!!!
So of course, I decide to go crazy. Cut off a few inches, go for bangs (I haven't had bangs since I was super little). So for about a week, I beg my mother to take me to get it done. Finally, yesterday morning, we go to the hair salon. I explain to the nice lady what I want done, she seems to think she can do it, and off she goes! I'm super happy, anticipating a fun new hairdo, until I look up into the mirror. And then...my eyes get wide. My jaw drops. My stomach is filled with angry butterflies. Horrific memories of the haircut I had the summer after freshman year fills my mind: short. Short, short, short. She has cut my hair horribly short.
I make a quiet protest; "It's too late!" she says. So, I endure the next 20 minutes of the haircut with a smile, trying extremely hard not to upset the hairdresser.
Later on, we get home, and I mess with my hair, styling it as best as it can be styled...and the tears start coming. My goodness, the tears. It was ridiculous. I kept on thinking "It looks like I got gum in my hair and had to chop it all off!!"
All the while, through the tears, I keep thinking "You're being ridiculous. It's just HAIR. Not to mention, you're being totally vain..." Well, that's a humbling thought! And true. I mean, I was seriously crying about a bad haircut?
Well, yes. Yes, I was. But I learned something: headbands and a positive attitude can fix just about anything. :) Life is so much more than a bad haircut...

Day Seven!

Four things people do that you hate

1. Um...hmm. Be openly hypocritical.
2. Put up super dramatic Facebook statuses!! "My life is terrible. I just wish he would text me." Ok, ok, I understand that you're going through a sad time...but don't be so dramatic about it! And...don't advertise it on Facebook. :/
3. Wear nasty clothes. AKA tiny little shorts, super low shirts...wow. Maybe that sounds judgmental... but it's so unnecessary. And it can't be comfortable!! Ya know?
4. Bite their nails. I can't stand seeing people bite their nails...it makes me cringe!

Day Six

Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)

1. Emily
2. Alyssa
3. my mom ;D
4. my Nan
5. Abby

Day Five

Six things you wish you'd never done

(while I'm not much of a regrets person, I can still think of a few)

1. I really wish I hadn't eaten all of those bubble gum jelly beans over the span of those few days when I was like, 5 years old...It's traumatized me for life. I still get nauseous 12 years later just thinking about them... *gag*

2. I wish that I would've made better choices with the books I bought when I worked at a bookstore, and got a nice little discount. Booo

3. I still feel kindof bad when I think about the 6th grade. Ha! But really. I was...kindof...mean :o

4. Watched/read scary things when I was younger.

5. Ah. Here's one. Very serious...Once, in FYE, there was an Alice in Wonderland snuggie. I still, to this day, many moons later, wish I had bought that snuggie. *sigh*

6. I wish I had never gotten sick of Dr. Pepper. I really liked it, ya know? But I drank so much of it, that it finally started to taste like cough syrup...blech!

Day Four

Seven things that cross your mind a lot

1. I'm sooo tired

2. Wow, the sky is so beautiful!! (I think that just about anytime I go outside)

3. I really need to get some schoolwork done.

4. It's time to go to a different country ;)

5. I need to get a job.

6. I just love (insert person on mind's name here)

7. "I am so irritated." (this is something I desperately need to work on)

Day Three

Eight Ways to Win Your Heart

1. God comes first and foremost, obviously ;)

2. Be a good listener...not just a good talker.

3. Don't be arrogant.

4. Don't EVER touch my Cocoa Pebbles. For real.

5. Sing!

6. Umm...be clean?

7. Be good with little kids!

8. Smile, laugh, be contagiously happy!