A blog to young girls.

Hello readers!

It's been a bit since my last blog but some recent events have brought a new topic to mind. 

I would like you to take a minute to think back on high school and college (it can be a very quick minute if you need it to be). Some people may have great memories, some terrible, and some a little bit of both. What I want you to remember the most is how you felt about the future and about yourself. I, for one, felt like where I was at that point in my life was all there was in life, ever. If that one person didn't put me in her "top" friends on Myspace (come on you remember it) then my social life would be forever over, if that one guy didn't sit by me at lunch I would never find love, if I wasn't invited to that one big party I would be a loser for the rest of my life. And college was better but I still felt like what was happening at that moment was the biggest event of my life. 

Now that we are thinking about the past, I want to include the readers that are still in those stages of life. This is mostly for girls (since I'm a girl and don't really know how guys feel). I want you to think about what is the biggest event you are facing right now- be it what sorority will you match with, what guy you're going to ask to formal, how you're going to pass your math class... you name it. Yes, these are exciting, scary, fun, adventurous, heartbreaking, and tough times in life- But this is not the climax of life.
These are the building blocks for the future. For a future that is made up of individual choices. If I had to relive my teenage years you want to know what I would change? I would spend quality time with my family, I would be attentive in church and study my bible, I wouldn't worry about having a boyfriend, I would focus on making top notch grades, I would spend quality time with my handful of true friends (and not worry about the others), I wouldn't worry over my appearance, and I would ride my horse as much as possible. But I can't go back, and honestly I don't want to...ever. But for those of you who are there- try to remember high school and college are such a small part of this wonderful life.
I have to remind myself of this even now, being newly married, living in another state, starting a new job, and making new friends (all of these can be trying at times) - but where I am in life is such a small part; we still have so much more to live for. And the failures and struggles won't last forever.
Remember this when you get your heart broken (it will happen) or when a friend stabs you in the back. Remember this when you start thinking you're not good enough. Remember this when you think you need to change yourself to fit in. It is estimated that 50% of teenage girls struggle with eating disorders or use unhealthy weight loss behaviors, and about 91% of women report they are unhappy with their bodies. It's no wonder when we are constantly comparing ourselves to the "ideal figure". Often when young women face failure they blame it on physical appearances- "I'm not pretty enough", "I'm not thin enough", "I'm not athletic enough", etc. This is not how God intended us to see ourselves.

Just browse through these pictures of places God created...
Notice the beauty and the differences. 

Some are more similar than others. 

Some are drastically different. 

I've taken these photos over the years from different places we have been. Notice how different each place is, how unique the beauty is. If they were all the same there would be no need to traveling all over the place to see them all- we would get bored. 

So why in the world would He make us the same. Just like these places we all have unique beauty. We need to stop seeking that one "ideal image" and start rejoicing about the beauty God gave each of us. Stop trying to fit in with what we all think is perfection. None of us are perfect and that's okay- that's why we need God. So whenever you don't feel good enough, or you fail, or feel rejected, or hurt, or lost just remember it's okay, it will pass, and this is not all life has to offer. 

Psalm 139:14 states "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful, I know that full well". 

I've heard this verse many times and just sort of breezed through it. But stop and really think about it. I a (insert age) year old girl/woman am fearfully and wonderfully made by the creator of the universe. God created every place you see in the pictures above, no one can say at least one of them isn't beautiful/amazing/unreal, but He says you-  me- we, are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

Of course, this is no excuse to be lazy. We should always work hard, exercise, eat healthy foods (with some deserts in-between) and then love ourselves. 

It breaks my heart that so many teenagers/young women dislike themselves- be it their image, personality, social skills, or talents. Teenage years are hard. Don't give up because God has a WHOLE life waiting for you outside of whatever stage you're in right now. ENJOY this time. High school, college- it's time to grow in your own skin, change your major over and over again, figure out who you are, what you like, what you want to do in the future; it's not a time to feel defeated, dislike who you are, worry about pleasing a boyfriend (or finding one for that matter), or trying to fit in with everyone else. 

I wish I had listened when people told me this. But I didn't and I made my teenage years harder than they needed to be. So I'm taking my own advice now and starting my mid-late 20's with a new attitude. I hope you join me. I hope my teenage readers take my advice and just enjoy your life, be yourself, keep the future in mind and work towards it- it will be here before you know it. And I hope my older readers can remember what it was like to be in high school and college and show empathy towards the ones in that stage, then maybe take on this challenge with us- if you need to.  

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a safe Labor Day! Thanks for reading!