Lazy Daisy.

Why is the human population getting lazier and lazier? We eat (overly), sleep (not enough), go to work (in some instances add -aholic), and....the end. Where is the much needed exercise? Where is the excitement in life? We get into a rut. An Easy. Breezy. But not quite Beautiful life.

So how do we get out of it?

How do we stop taking our lives for granted?

I woke up at 1:30 in the afternoon today after going to bed at 11 last night. 

Now let me tell you, it was much needed sleep for sure, getting only 3 hours the night before, 

but seriously? 1:30? I wasted the majority of my day away. 

A majority that I can never get back.

We forget to keep our lives in check.

How much we eat.

How much we exercise.

How much we sleep.

How much we allow ourselves to indulge in different things.

1 hour of video gaming time....ok.

5 hours of video gaming time....not so ok.

There is a fine balance in life.

A balance that most people think is very easy to maintain.

But this is not so true....

It is easy to walk the tight rope for the first few steps, sure,

but it's after you think you've got it down that you start to wobble,

and eventually, fall off.

For those taking the easy and wide road,

sure,

indulge in life all you want.

Don't strive after much.

Only work the minimum.

Put half of your heart into your family.

Take that extra three nights a week to go boozing.

Make that tall mocha a venti.

Don't worry about it,

because you've got plenty of lee-way to do whatever you want.

But for those taking the hard and narrow,

it's hard.

I'm not here to lie to you.

Striving means a lot of work to get there.

Working means putting your best foot forward every day.

Family means loving them unconditionally all the time, no matter what.

Those extra free nights a week mean more time with friends, more time with family, more time with GOD.

Food and Drink mean moderation. Plain and simple.

It's hard not to overindulge on the good things in life.

But God is so much better.

I hate wasting my life away with the little things.

I really do.

And I hate knowing that I do it.

We are called to be in a relationship with God.

To break the chains of the oppressed.

To set the captives free.

Have you set a captive free today?

Forever His,

Rachel

What Not to Wear. Ever.

Stacy London and Clinton Kelly. Taking over the world by storm; One fashion victim at a time. To bring justice to the nation and to make sure you aren't wearing white after labor day. They do it all, and at the end of the day, they know their fashion. So would they think I'm fashionable?

What defines "fashion" anyway?

Is it merely fads that we go through? 

Eras and decades that keep coming back?

Is it whether you wear flared jeans or acid wash or maybe you're more into the whole leggings as pants thing.

Whatever your fashion niche (or fashion evil), how do you know you're fashionable?

I've always wondered this.

Because to an emo person, I'm probably not fashionable.

They're more into that whole "everything-including-my-soul-is-black" thing.

And I don't really exemplify that.

To the more preppy folk, I may not be very fashionable either.

I can rock the frump look, if you know what I mean.

But I'm not quite eccentric or hippie either.

I'm just me.

So why do I still care so much?

Why is fashion so fun? 

(Or not fun if you can't find anything to wear because you feel like a hot mess).

Either way,

I just think it's so funny

how. much. time. people. put. into. material things.

Like there are so many worldly things that can be so fun!

And God made them that way.

But not to obsess about it, you know?

We naturally gravitate towards people we see as attractive or fashionable.

It is a form of expression and helps define your personality in a way.

Not always, and this might sound cheesy,

but often times you can tell a lot about a person by the way they present themselves to the world.

I guess that was kind of what God was talking about when He said to be in this world, but not of it.

BE fashionable. 

It's not a sin.

Just don't take it over board.

Don't obsess about that monthly sale at J-Crew 

Or the spring collection at H&M.

God provides all things.

Maybe I should ask for more fashion sense.

Ha.

Forever His,

Rachel

Awkwardness.

Do you ever feel like you are the most awkward person alive? Like everything you do is just super awkward? And that everyone else is just super smooth and they don't even have to try? This is the story of my life.

I grew up in a family that was pretty outspoken.

But I wasn't.

I was always a very shy child and didn't say much.

For those of you that don't know,

often times awkwardness accompanies shyness.

I have definitely changed since then, being a lot more outgoing and such.

But one thing has remained the same.

I am still super awkward.

You know that awkward situation when someone is talking but you are like really nervous about talking to them, so you often times cut them off accidentally?

It's not even like you're trying to rush the conversation (maybe you are) 

but you often times just find yourself cutting into their talking time.

That's awkward.

Or when you pass someone you know on the street and you look at them, but they don't see you, so you don't say hi and do like the whole look down thing and then they see you and you were like crap I didn't say hi first.

I don't even know.

Its just awkward.

Or when you mean to be funny when you say a remark, but then no one laughs and then you just feel terrible and then it just gets awkward talking to the person.

Or when you go up to a group of people, but don't really look at someone in the group because you like them and are afraid of making eye contact with them, and then they will suspect you like them or some crazy mess like that. So you don't really look at them, and make it more awkward.

That's just so awkward!

Or when you trip 

ALL. THE. TIME.

And sometimes spill your cereal milk all over the Milledge bus because you fall out of your seat on the turn, or tend to trip up the stairs and spill half your newly bought 4 dollar Dasani waterbottle all over the innocent girl in the 5th row of the movie theater.

That is just so stinkin awkward.

Oh Lord. Help me to stop being so awkward.

Sometimes I think it affects my social life.

No wait. That's all the time.

Forever His,

Rachel

Man Vs. Food. Chyeah.

I should be studying. But instead, I've decided to watch Man Vs. Food. Best. Show. Ever. But that's besides the point. I am so idle. I HATE IT. Life is just too short to sit around and watch Man Vs. Food at 1:50 in the morning. Do you not agree?

I also shouldn't be blogging.

But I'm doing that too.

I want to live by this principle:

"Life is too short to live the same day twice."

The truth to that statement is overwhelming.

We aren't promised tomorrow. So why would I want to live this day the way I spent my last one? I want to live with passion. And drive.

I want my life to go somewhere. To mean something.

Not to just consist of planning my week. Watching my calorie intake. Catching my favorite show every Tuesday. Running every other day. Making small talk with my neighbors. Going to bed at 11 every night. Sitting around doing nothing.

I want to BE someone. DO something.

Every. Day.

I never want to live this same day ever again.

I want to make the most of every day I've been given, within the limits of my budget, of course.

But I don't want to be complacent.

I will no longer settle for Man Vs. Food at 1:50 in the morning.

I will no longer put off this studying.

I will press on.

Because that is what will bring God the most glory.

There is something so selfish about my character and I LOATHE it.

It brings me so much anguish to think that although I often talk about living every day for Jesus, I rarely do it!

I know the spirit of the Lord lives in me, but how often do I actually walk in sync with His spirit?

How often do I let Him control my life?

Um. Hardly ever?

I want to wake up every morning with the joy of the redeemed.

But I always wake up only thinking about me!

What I will do with my day.

What will make ME happy that day.

I feel like I let my Heavenly Father down more often than not.

And it KILLS me.

That He would look on me still. 

Even after every thing I've done and continue to do.

I am so unworthy. 

But He makes me worthy.

Even if I do tend to watch Man Vs. Food at 1:50 in the morning.

Oh, excuse me.

2:03.

Forever His, 

Rachel

My Life Is Average.

To the untrained eye, I am just an average person. I can't walk on water. I can't make myself invisible. I can't fly without a plane. I can't teleport. I can't make a fire with my hands. I can't jump off a building and land on my feet. I can't even do my own laundry. But am I really average?

I often wonder how people see me. Not always in a vain way,

although at times, it can turn into that.

But just in the sense of who they think I am. 

I treat them average, so why should they think I am any different?

I don't go out of my way for them, so doesn't that just make me like every other person?

I HATE THIS.

I hate that when the world looks at Christians, they just see a bunch of judgmental people who are trying to make their lives have meaning. (Not always. But often.)

I hate that when the world looks at Christians, they just see the world.

They hardly ever see Jesus.

I am an average person.

So how will people see Jesus in me?

How will the world see Jesus unless we show Him to them?

I want to leave a legacy.

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love?

Did I point to you enough to make a mark on things?

I want to leave a offering.

A child of mercy and grace who blessed your name, unapologetically.

I want to leave a legacy.

-Nichole Nordeman

I want my life to reflect this song.

To leave a legacy. 

And not for myself.

That people will remember Jesus when they remember me.

Contrary to the ways of the world,

I DON'T want to be average.

I DON'T want to fit in.

I want to be different.

The way that Jesus was when He lived.

He was different.

He had joy.

And now we can rejoice for He lives in us!

I want to leave a legacy.

Now that you've read through my blog, you're probably like

"Rachel, I've heard this so many times before. It's nothing new."

If it's nothing new, 

than WHY AREN'T WE LIVING IT??????

So stop saying you will and just DO.

Let the spirit of the Lord direct your paths.

If you do, they will be SO not average.

Forever His,

Rachel

Love is Patient

Sometimes I feel like all I ever do is wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.  And I hate it. I hate everything about it. I hate the process of waiting. I hate how you feel when you wait. I hate how sometimes your leg cramps up because you've been sitting too long waiting. I even hate the word "wait". It shares the same sound as the word "weight". And no woman likes that word.

So I wait.

And I watch.

And I wait.

And sometimes I feel like God's not doing anything in my life.

At. all.

But still I wait.

Patiently?

I would like to think so, 

But no.

Not usually.

It has been especially hard waiting this last year.

I have been waiting for God to bring that perfect man into my life.

And when I mean perfect, 

I speak metaphorically, of course,

because we know no man is perfect.

But that's beside the point.

I'm in college.

I'm a 19 year old Christian female.

I am surrounded by all kinds of great Christian guys.

I often times buy into the Southern way of thinking:

Go to college. Find a husband. Get married. Graduate.

Or in something like that order. It can vary.

But of all those things. 

I've only done one.

And I think we all know what that is....

It just makes sense.

College=Find Christian Husband

Graduation=Marriage

Life=Happily Ever After

The perfect equation.

Or is it?

I just have this deep desire to get married.

To spend the rest of my life with someone.

To have a family and to love them.

But that's not it.

I want to love my husband with an agape kind of love.

To model my relationship with him after Christ and the love He has for the church.

To be an example for my kids of just how much Jesus loves them by loving my husband unconditionally, the way that Christ has loved us.

To show them that although our love is fallable and weak at times,

Christ's love is infallable and never weak.

It is a stronghold and a shelter.

A mighty fortress is our God.

To be a submissive wife and a loving mother.

To be an obedient servant and a respectful partner.

To love my family unconditionally and to put them before myself.

To be worthy of the calling placed on my life.

That is the kind of woman I want to be.

Godly.

Loving.

Obedient.

PATIENT.

Love is patient.

So why can't I be?

Forever His,

Rachel

Deep Thoughts.

Often times, I will come across a thought that perplexes me. Draws me in. Makes me want to ponder over it more and more. Brings me to a place of wonder and awe. And leaves me wanting to know more. This is one of those thoughts.....

What if we loved God because of who He is.

Not because of what He has done for us.

Not for what we want Him to do for us.

Not for what He will do for us.

He didn't have to die on that cross for us.

He didn't have to create me or you.

He didn't have to get you into college or place you into the wonderful family you're in.

But He did.

But He didn't HAVE to.

God doesn't HAVE to show favor.

He doesn't HAVE to do anything.

He. is. God.

So why do I often times find myself praising Him because of what He's done for me?

Which is great.

Because I should praise Him for the wonderful things he has blessed me with.

But He didn't HAVE to bless me.

Would I still praise Him if I was born into a broken family, lived a broken life, and never felt a sense of happiness or love?

So praise God. Glorify God. Love God.

Because of WHO HE  IS. Not because of what He's done for you.

But because HE IS GOD and there is no other.

Because HE IS LORD and there is none like Him.

What if we loved God Because. He. is. God.

Period.

You think about that.

Forever His, 

Rachel