he loves me...he loves me not...he loves me...

As a little girl, I always loved to pick the petals off of daisies and decide if the boy I had a crush on actually loved me too. You know, little girls love to say, "He loves me...he loves me not....he loves me..." I know that there was no better feeling than to end on "he loves me!" with that last daisy petal. More often than not, that boy actually didn't like me; but the thought of the possibility made me the happiest girl alive.

Recently, I have spoken with a lot of people that are looking for love. They are looking for a steady relationship; someone that can hold their hand, love them, cuddle them, and someone to be their best friend. People of all ages want love; middle school students, high school students, college students, single parents, the elderly, and even toddlers! Everyone wants to be loved!

When most people are looking for relationships, they are looking for someone of the opposite sex. Girls are looking for guys, and guys are looking for girls. Stereotypically, that is what people look for in a standard relationship, but whenever I think of love, there are so many different ways to love and be in love.

This past week a community at NC State came and spoke to the Resident Advisors on East Campus during RA training. This community was one that I knew about, but truthfully, had no interaction with it and was quite uncomfortable with its beliefs. The community is called the GLBT. This community's acronym stands for "Gay/Lesbian/Bi-sexual/Transgender". Now, I went into this training session with a closed mind because I was always taught that this topic was one that I should not be interested in. There was one person that made the biggest difference and that was the presenter Justine. Justine was an amazing, confident woman. She was very open about everything and made me think about life in a completely different way. She taught me that there are so many ways to love; this is just one of the several options!

Another way to love is to not even be in a relationship...Love can be shown through hugs, a pat on the back, letters, and just time spent with people that you enjoy. I know that I am in love with my young adult group at church...they make me so happy and are always there to show me support. I am in love with my Avent Ferry RA friends at NC State...they always make me laugh. I am in love with my fellow FFA members, staff, and state officers..they help me achieve my dreams and wishes. I am in love with God...he loves me more than I could ever imagine!

Love comes in so many different ways, in fact, too many to explain in this small blog. Even as I wrap up this post, I cannot explain the definition of true love. Every person has their own definition based on their values and experiences. My experiences have taught me that the physical things can be loved, but just the feeling of being loved by a person and experiencing the compassion that they can give is an amazing feeling.

Your challenge today is to go out and show your love to 3 people. Now, I do not mean that you need to go out and give them a big kiss on the lips, but find 3 unique ways to love someone. Maybe write a letter to your best friend or help an elderly person load their groceries into their car. Help your mother do the dishes and fold laundry, or offer to watch your younger siblings for the night. Maybe go to the food bank and bag food for the hungry. Not only are these people hungry for food, but they need love! Mother Theresa once said...

“There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread."

Today is your day. Go out and make a difference...show your love to the world!

a more beautiful you!

I believe that a person is one of the most beautiful things ever created by God. It is so simple, yet so complex. Now, I am not talking about a person's physical appearance (even though they are beautiful also), but rather, their personality.

For example, during the summers of 2005 and 2006, I was given an opportunity to travel to Tikhovitsi, Russia to work with orphans. Tikhovitsi is not one of the nicest locations in the world, but because of the mission work that we were doing there, it made the area beautiful in my mind. Russia is definitly a different place than the United States. Showers and cleanliness are not always at the top of their priorites, but no matter how long it has been since their last shower, you can't help but love them. They have a heart unlike any other person I have met. To explain what kind of heart these orphans had, one of them gave me his only possession at the time. He gave me his bandana; every day he wore that bandana on his head, around his neck, he wore it everywhere! He insisted on giving it to me because he really became attached to me. Every time I would tell him to keep it, but he made me keep it as a memory of him.

Another boy would write me love letters every day. Every person from Our Savior Lutheran Church that served as a missionary that week usually had a "stalker/lover". The children would slide notes and pictures they had made under our doors. We would have to get them translated, but often the letter said how much they enjoyed playing soccer with us and couldn't wait to spend more time with us.

Little things such as writing notes and drawing pictures, or just the beauty of a person's personality is what makes life worth living. Many high school and college students are pressured by today's celebrities and media. Every day we are surrounded by magazines filled with headings such as "How to lose 10lbs in 10 days", "108 Ways to Look More Galmourous", and "John Gosselin Shows Off Stomach". We cannot go one day without the pressures of looking perfectly sculpted or pretending to be completely in love with prince charming. I have thought a lot about this today; it is a shame that we want to be like these celebrities!

What has happened to us? Why can't we strive to be a person that truly has made a difference in someone's life? One of my favorite little celebrities is a girl named Alex Scott...Yes, she is a girl, not a woman; at the young age of 4 years old, Alex wanted to make a difference in the lives of other children, especially cancer patients. Now, Alex was an ordinary girl, but, she was suffering with neuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancer. One day, after receiving a stem cell transplant, Alex told her mother, "When I get out of the hospital I want to have a lemonade stand." The earnings she made from the lemonade stand would go to cancer research. Her first lemonade stand made a remarkable $2000. Alex followed her dream and has made a difference with her heart. If you want to know more about Alex, check out her website at http://www.alexslemonade.org/. This girl is truly amazing...why can't everyone have a heart as big as hers?

So, you want to become more beautiful, more beautiful than you already are, but the true question is...

how?

That is a question that I ask myself every day, and truthfully, the answer isn't all that easy. Every day I wake up asking myself, "How can I make a difference and make myself as well as others more beautiful?"

From what I have found, little, simple things make all the difference.

For me, a smile, a pat on the back, a hug, a helping hand, or just some comforting words are what make a difference in my life. I cannot tell you how many times my day has been made 100% better just because the gas station clerk told me "good morning". I cannot tell you how happy I am when I receive a phone call in the morning from a person that I adore. I cannot tell you how much I love receiving notes and letters just to say "thanks" or "I am thinking of you". ALL of these things are so special and completely necessary to make life enjoyable!



Surround yourself with people that make you happy, ones that strive to make you more beautiful! Recently, I have become more involved with the young adults at my church Jordan Lutheran. We meet almost weekly just to talk and enjoy each other's presence. Every day we try to talk on Facebook just to joke around or support someone in a time of need. These people are my constant prayer warriors and will always be there for me whenever I need them most. These people make me a more beautiful person!



FFA. It makes people beautiful! There is no better place to see students helping others, especially those in their schools and communities. Serving as a state officer this past year has made me realize how normal middle school and high school students can make a difference in the life of a person! FFA makes never ending friendships and a lifetime of memories; it makes for a beautiful bunch of people!


If you are having a bad day or just need some support, look for someone that will make you feel a whole lot better. If you see someone that could use some encouragment, give it to them! Take time to listen and respond; be a smiling face. Recently, I heard a song by Jason Diaz that really emphasizes how you are beautiful, no matter how you look!

There could never be a more beautiful you

Don't buy the lies, disguises, and hoops they make you jump through

You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do

So there could never be a more beautiful you!

Remember, something simple will make all the difference!

what life truly means...

Each day we spend life looking for what we don't have. We always want more and never give what we have. It is sad to say that our lives have become controlled by material objects. We want to drive the best car, have the newest iPod or cell phone, and have the best clothing; but, even after we buy all of these things, we still yearn for more. Many people try to buy happiness, but can you truly buy the things that really mean the most in life?

A few weeks ago I saw a book in the Christian book store that sparked my attention. The book was called The Ultimate Gift. At the time I thought, "hmmm..what could the ultimate gift be? A million dollars...that's it! Maybe a red Lamborghini...ok, this is harder than I thought. There are so many things that I would want as a gift..." So, I picked up the book and immediately flipped to the last few pages of the book. I figured that this was going to be one of those books that you have to read the whole thing and THEN they will tell you what the ultimate gift is. Sure enough, the last chapter of the book was entitled "The Ultimate Gift". So, I began reading and something caught my attention. There was a quote that said, "You have completed each element and received each part of the ulitmate gift I have planned for you." I closed the book shut and set it back on the shelf. I decided that I wanted no part of this ultimate gift; apparently there were elements that had to be completed to earn it and I was on summer vacation, a time for relaxation. So, I began walking around the store and all I could think of was that book...At the end of my shopping visit I bought the book. What could it hurt? It was only $3.00.

The $3.00 I spent that day was the best $3.00 I had spent in a long time. It didn't buy me dinner, it didn't buy me new clothes, and it didn't buy me music on iTunes, but the one thing it did buy me was something to think about. Now, I am not going to spoil what the Ultimate Gift is, because I want you to go and read the book (or watch the movie) and let it influence you as it did me.

So, today, I really want you to think about what life truly means. Is it really the things we own, or is it more? These past few weeks I have realized that life is much more than the things I own. Life is about love. Life is about family. Life is what you make of it.

Love doesn't necessarily have to be a boyfriend or a girlfriend. It doesn't have to be given as flowers on Valentine's Day or as diamond engagement ring. Everyone has the ability to love and be loved. Look for people around you that need love; maybe send a friend a handwritten card or a facebook message just wishing them a good day. There are so many things that you can do to show your love to the people around you.

"When we truly love others, our love makes each of us a different person, and it makes each one we love a different person too."

Family is something that most of us take for granted. There are several instances where I have seen this, but I didn't learn the true meaning of family until this past year. After retiring from state FFA office, I felt empty. Not only was my energy completely exhausted, but I was missing much more than that; I was missing people, people that I called my family.Family
doesn't always necessarily have to be your immediate family, it can be anyone; anyone that loves you for who you are! I have learned that my family includes my FFA family, my school family, my church family. Family is present everywhere...all it takes is a little love.

So...what are you waiting for? Go out today and discover what life truly means. Life is something that you can't buy at Target or Walmart, it isn't something you can ask someone else for, it is something that YOU and only YOU can find. For me, life is about love, family, faith, and happiness. What is life to you?