Fear Not : What's up, 2016?

What have you feared lately? I know for me, at the end of a busy semester, there is a lot I have been fearful about. I have feared how I finished out the semester with grades. I have been fearful of even thinking of all of the packing I needed to do to haul all of my things back home for Christmas. I've feared the idea that the real world is getting closer and closer, and I'm not sure what exactly I'm going to do. Then there are the bigger fears that far outweigh my packing list and report card, fears like: ISIS, the presidential election, World War III? So how in the world am I supposed to screw a lid on the jar of all my fears? Especially during this busy time of year, how do you and I live joyfully, without being scared of the future?
For me, I have learned through this past year that I actually struggle with fear more than I realized. However, as I began to understand what a worrier I am, I also learned of how to go forward without letting my fears stop me from the living the life I was meant to live. When I am going through a difficult time, I usually make myself think of all the times in the past that the Lord has pulled me through or out of a situation and used that situation for good. It helps me so, so much to focus on God's faithfulness in my times of doubt. It equips me to truly understand that if God has been by my side every time I have questioned or doubted my situation before, why would He not do the same now?

As I was thinking of how much this exercise has helped me this year, I couldn't help but think of a story that had so much room for fear, yet it is now known as the greatest story you and I know--The Christmas Story. Now, don't roll your eyes too quickly. Yes, I know you've heard it a hundred times. To which I would like you to know: So have I. And yes, I know during this time of year you've heard it an extra two hundred times. And to that thought of yours I would like you to know: I feel your pain. But there is something so crucial about the Christmas story that does not get told enough, a part of the story that will make you understand why getting rid of fear should be your New Year's resolution for 2016 and for every year after that.

Take the Christmas story that you know oh so well, and let's go back 400 years before Jesus was born, in the end of the Old Testament. The Lord promised the Jewish people, who were living in a corrupt world much like ours today, a Messiah to come and save their lives from the darkness and sin of the world. Can you imagine? God speaking to a group of people and telling them not worry because he is sending a man, his only son, to save them from every piece of sin in the world. I can imagine those scared, fearful Jews were very relieved and excited, but then, picture this--Those same people wait 400 hundred years before God speaks to them again and the promised Messiah is sent to Earth. FOUR HUNDRED YEARS!! That is four generations of the world getting worse and worse and worse, as people fear more and more and more. If God promised you something, and then kept silent for four hundred years after you have already died and gone to deliver His promise, wouldn't you be possibly even more fearful than before?

The story gets worse for the Jewish people....If God promised you a man to save the world, what kind of man would you picture? I would hope that if it was just one man coming to save this horrible world, he would be a big, strong, warrior-like man riding a horse down from the clouds with lightening bolts in his hands. I feel like that's about what it would take to intimidate and change this dirt wad, and I'm pretty sure that's what most of the Jews at that time were hoping for as well. However, it is very far from what they received. Their Messiah, their superhero, their warrior with all the power in the world, was born a baby to parents in a cave-like stable in a horse trough. Wouldn't you be a little concerned with the God you put your every hope in after that action? Wouldn't you be fearful of your future and the world's future after seeing this part of God's plan? I know I would.

Luckily for you and me, we know the Christmas Story, we know that that little baby did save the world. The four hundred years of silence before he was born is just what we know from a sentence we read, but I don't believe that we really understand it. That small part of the Christmas story means ginormous waves of peace for the life you're living and will continue to live. If God could wait four hundred years for an already-bad world to get worse, then send a baby to save every person in it, why would He not pull you through now? Why would He not plan a future for you as amazing as Jesus'? Fear Not in 2016.

XX,
Claire

Five Lessons Nancy Drew Taught Me Best

Oh the times my library card was scanned for a Nancy Drew mystery in elementary school. As a timid nine year old, I adored her wit, beauty, charm, and confidence. She was everything I wanted to be as I grew into a woman, and, although I still will probably never crack a legendary mystery or catch a wanted fugitive, I learned a few lessons from her that will stand the test of time in being a woman the world needs. Here are my favorite five.

1. Get a Clue-Then use it.

"not many girls would have used their wits the way you did." -about Nancy 

Here's a wake up call: you're a living person and you live in a world that is changing every day. Know what's going on around you. Be brainy! Care about your world, your grades, your future. No one thinks dumb girls are cute, except even dumber boys. The world is begging for people who are passionate to be alive.

2. Be Brave. 

"I don't care if it's fires, earthquakes, or Mr. Valdes and his gang of ghosts." -Nancy 

Nancy definitely knew how to hike up her skirt and tough it out. So what happened to us not taking chances and sitting on the last row seats on the roller coaster? BORING. It's time to go after your dreams, stand up for yourself, and step out of the "norm" to achieve what you've always wanted. 

3. Sometimes, Break some Rules. 

"No trespassing? Pfft." -Nancy 

KEYWORD: SOMETIMES. Was it legal to climb a Birmingham billboard to see the cityscape that took my breath away? Probably not. Was I super careful, and was it amazing? Absolutely. I thought it added some needed flavor to the recipe that is my life.

4. Be mysterious. 

"Do be mysterious. It always keeps them coming back for more." -Nancy

Here's the lesson that our world needs more than ever. Don't annoy people with every detail of your life. More than likely, they don't care. Keep some things, including your skin, to yourself. People, especially men, will want to figure out what makes you tick. Leaving them always returning for more.

5. Don't Choose the "Really Good Guy." Choose the Right Guy. 

"A knight in shining armor never did nothing for nobody. He never fought. A knight in dented, scraped armor, now that's what you want." -Nancy  

I think we as girls have begun to put way too much pressure on guys these days. We want a guy who will never hurt our feelings, will understand everything we want, and will always be all happy go-lucky, never making a mistake. The truth: boys are human just like you. The key is knowing that the only person who will never let you down and never hurt you is God. The man in your life will hurt your feelings, he won't understand you sometimes, and he will make mistakes. And guess what? So. Will. You. There is no "perfect guy" out there, but there is a perfect guy for you. Ask God to reveal him to you in His timing, and wait patiently in your own beat-up armor for him to come along. 

I hope these help your life like they have helped mine. Go dust off one of Nancy's stories and refresh your memory with what a great gal she was and still is.

XX,

Claire (and Nancy)

Why Did God Make YOU + Why Does He Let Bad Things Happen? (explained through a puppy dog)

Meet Scout, our nine week old lab/border collie mix. She is every bit as cuddly as she is wild. She is: smart, unpredictable, and delightfully funny. Her personality has arrived and she is bold and loud and even intimidates our 11 year old lab, Maddie. Every night everyone in our family fights to be the one to put her in her crate to sleep, and the next morning, we fight to be the one to wake her up. She is so fun, sweet, and crazy. She is always so happy to see each one of our family members every time we see her, and she licks us all up one side and down the other. So what does this bundle of joy/black fur have to do with why God made you or why He allows bad things to happen?

Well, to start, I’ve always struggled with these two questions, and the best analogy I can figure up to explain an answer to these difficult dilemmas is to use my pet—my dog, Scout.

To give you an answer, we first have to rewind and go back to before the world was created and before Adam and Eve. Can you imagine how lonely God was? This huge guy with power greater than you can imagine, just sitting in the heavens with no one to love, and no one to love him back. So he finally decides to make humans and the world, but he has another choice to make. He could design humans to act like robots to all of his commands, doing whatever he said, but God knew this wouldn’t give Him true love, and he was hungry for real, genuine affection.

So, here’s where the dog comes in. Would you want a dog that did every single thing you said? When you said “love me,” it would lick you, and when you said “sit down” it would sit. No! That is so boring, and while the dog is obeying your every command, you never get genuine love. You would never come home to your dog running up to you, being so happy to see you or laughing at it doing some unexpected gesture. It would be a robot, and it would have no personality of its own. That is why we pick real dogs over robot dogs, and that is why God made you and me with a choice to love Him. He didn’t want robot humans, he wanted humans who, given the choice, would either choose to love Him, or not, but at least the ones who loved Him, would really, genuinely, adore Him.

Here’s where free will comes in. Without free will, there’s no genuine love. I’ve sometimes thought, “Well, why did there have to be the Tree of Life in the garden of Eden? Why couldn’t it just have been perfect?” Because, perfect is not genuine. My puppy? Yeah, she is nowhere near perfect: she pees on the carpet, chews holes in my Frye boots, and de-limbed Miss Kitty’s left front paw (my stuffed animal from when I was four—NO JUDGING!!). But guess what, I still love Scout. I would never abandon her, because she disobeyed. That is so cruel. (Somebody call PETA) This is why there has always had to be a choice. From the very beginning, there always had to be a piece of bad fruit and an awful snake. God knew Satan and evil had to be allowed on Earth so that we would genuinely, with our whole hearts, want Him.

And evil makes life hard, and it sucks, but if you believe in loving the one who created you, died for you, and made a mansion with your name on it in a place where you can live without evil for eternity..isn’t it all worth it? Shouldn’t we be telling more people about puppy dogs, love, and the creator of the universe?

Woof, Woof,
XX,

Scout and Claire

Blog Post Ten: I Think I Left My Elbow Grease at Spring Break (Dealing with the Last Few Weeks)

I drag myself out of bed for my eight a.m. class and trip, yet again, over my spring break suitcase (still yet to be taken home) with a bathing suit hanging out. I feel literal tears coming on as reminisce on that heavenly week as an islander, now trapped in a rain jacket, slaving to the master of higher education. I chuckle to myself as I look in the mirror at my bed head and my racoon eyes from last night's 'scara, which I was too lazy to remove. I also laugh to myself at the thought I had before Spring Break which was that after that week of sweet freedom I would have so much more energy, and elbow grease, since I could see the finish line ahead of me. Well, I'm back from Spring Break, and from Easter, and the only thing I can see on this race to summer is the millions of winds in front of me consisting of due dates and projects galore. My only motivation recently has been: "Holy mess, this is due tomorrow." Do you feel me?  The glamor of new everything (new dorm room, new city, new teachers, new friends, new places) has been distorted, leaving me camped out in my bed, eating a box of Samoas, watching a Netflix show I swore to myself I would turn off an hour ago.

Now, what's a girl to do?? I didn't work this hard to give up now?! I didn't fight for those grades to half-heartedly finish and end with an average letter at the top of my final grade sheet. No! It's time to get ourselves in gear and finish strong. Thank heavens my mother drilled into me: "You are what you read," because I have recently been finishing: How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World (an amazing read, really and truly) and came across some motivational people to inspire and whip me into the girl I need to be. I hope it does the same for you (male or female).

Enjoy: 

1. Venus and Serena Williams:

These two dynamic sisters have taken the tennis world by storm. What you may not know about them is that they started, literally, from the bottom. Raised in one of the most violent neighborhoods in the country, Compton, these two girls have shown the world that hard work and determination can turn anyone successful. At an early age, their sister was killed by a gang member in South LA. Although, fighting all odds these two sisters decided to change their stories by making their goals, realities. Practicing day and night to achieve their dreams.

2. Audrey Hepburn

My obsession continues, readers. I know you've heard me mention this one's name multiple times. Although, what intrigues me so much about Audrey is her motivational story. Before this beauty was dropping jaws and winning Grammys, she was surviving World War II in her small Dutch village, overrun by Nazis. Not only did she hide out for weeks under her kitchen table, but was also only accompanied by her mother during this time since her father chose to support Hitler, taking all of their family savings and leaving Audrey and her mother behind. Instead of getting bitter about her situation, Audrey decided to use her hardships for ammunition in her life. After her and her mother escaped and moved to London, Audrey pushed herself hard to grace the London ballet stage where she ended up being picked up by a Hollywood manager. My favorite quote by Audrey for when I feel like I can not take another step is: "I worked my ass off."

3. Ivanka Trump

I know what you're thinking. And, yes, I do know Ivanka Trump is. Although, what you might not know about this hotel heiress is her incredible work ethic despite the money her family has. She had this to say when a TV hostess joked about her father's money: "I work 13-hour days for my money...I have a mortgage you know. I think we are totally different individuals..If I were to go off the rails and become this party kid, I would not be able to afford my lifestyle. I've never had a sense of entitlement. I saw how hard my father worked for his money and it was always made very clear to me that things wouldn't just be given to me."

So, here's the deal. Whether you started with nothing, or started with it all, isn't it time to finish strong? I once heard a quote that said "Whatever gardens you invest time and work into, can always be harvested at some time down the road--always." So as this school year comes to a close, let's give it all we've got. Then, look back, completely satisfied with the way we finished another chapter of our lives.

XX,
Claire

Blog Post 9: Easter, The Ultimate Comeback

      Well it's that time of year, again. There is pollen covering things you swear you didn't even take outside. The wind blows cold and the sun shines hot. You don't know to put on shorts or jeans, and neither does anyone else. Tornado drills are well under practice, and you loose more umbrellas than you bought.  It is also time for Peter Cottontail himself. So out come the pastel dresses, the Easter eggs stuffed with melted chocolate, and the Easter Sunday Church Service where they will tell us this day is so much more than the Egg Hunts (even though we're having one right after services on the playground).

     Easter is actually my favorite holiday and always has been. When I was little, I liked it, because I always knew I got to pick out a new dress, stuff my face with candy, and get excited that my birthday was creeping up quickly. As I have grown older, Easter has stayed my favorite holiday for a different reason. I had heard the story of Jesus' death so many times I could probably repeat it back to you very similar to the bible verses themselves, but my junior year of high school I heard the Easter story in a different way. I had never realized a key part of Jesus' death that made the story so much better.

      First, I must prepare you. I'm a real stickler for a comeback. Who isn't? Whether it's a football game or...(okay who am I kidding just a comeback SEC football game). It is amazing. To feel so defeated, hurt, and let-down, to feeling like you coached the winning team yourself, there's nothing like it. God likes comebacks, too. He planned Jesus' story to be the ultimate comeback of all time.

      Okay, you're ready to hear it now. The part of Jesus' death that no one emphasizes much is the fact that Satan had no idea (NONE) what was going on. I don't know why, but I always pictured that Satan knew Jesus would rise again from the moment Jesus died, but he didn't. I think that this way of the Lord writing Jesus' story shows the creativity and wisdom of the Lord, because he knew what a comeback does to his children's emotions. So let's imagine this. The moment Jesus takes his last breath on the cross, Satan thought he had won. He thought that the battle was over, and that he had the victory. I picture him throwing a huge party, laughing, and carrying on the moment Jesus hung his head. This party went on and on until the third day Jesus was in the tomb. I imagine Satan sitting at the end of a large banquet table having a ball, and, then, turning his head at the sound of one of Jesus' feet hit the floor. (Side Note- I also imagine Satan like Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter if that helps you.) I picture him standing up from his chair and yelling, "SILENCEEEEEEE!!!" Then, I imagine him closing his eyes, and grabbing his head as he hears the other of Jesus' feet hit the foot of the tomb. In rage, I see Satan wipe his arms across the table, throwing everything to the floor. I picture him weeping out of anger in his chair as all his acquaintances quietly and quickly leave the table. Satan had lost, but not before the Lord made sure that he felt the most high so that God could crush him to the most low. I love this comeback, and it makes me so happy for Easter. Easter to me means celebrating the Lord hating my sin so much, yet loving me so much that he let his own son, feel all the pain of the world so that he could see me pure as snow. His daughter, his princess, his girl. I hope this comeback story settles your heart for Easter, knowing that your heavenly father carefully planned a story to save you from whatever mess your sin has created and give you an amazing, everlasting life.

Happy Easter + Infinite X's and O's,
Claire