Halloween

Let me describe my Halloween for you.

5:37 in the afternoon, seventy-nine degrees outside. Candles are burning in the kitchen, the TV is on in the den. I'm sitting on the couch in sweat pants and a U.S. Marines t-shirt that I got from who knows where. Arlo are Dapper are near, enjoying the quiet sound of typing and Emiliana Torrini singing from the computer speakers. 

Kathrine was over for a short three hours. We made milkshakes and cookies and talked about how healthy we are. We put on our dress up dresses, reminiscing about previous days.

I have approximately twenty pages left in the book A Wrinkle in Time which I intend to finish tonight. I'm hoping the weather will drop thirty degrees to justify a fire, though I'm planning on having one regardless. Chai tea, a good book, and a fire will perfect my enjoyable day. 

I suppose the simplicity of this holiday would be boring for most people, but I'm content and happy. :) 

I don't even remember what year this was!

 Halloween 2008

Halloween 2010

Doing Hard Things.

When first looking at this book by Alex and Brett Harris, the title Do Hard Things is confusing and maybe a bit intimidating. After opening the cover and digging into the first few chapters I realized what they're talking about.. Alex and Brett aren't telling you and me to do pointlessly hard things, but meaningful and good things that are sometimes difficult.

The kind of hard things they're talking about are things like doing what is right even when people aren't watching, things that are beyond what is expected of the average teenager, things that might not be comfortable or fun...  things that matter.

As Alex and Brett say, "If we launch into these opportunities now, we'll see powerful results - now and in our future." That is why I want to "do hard things." I want to be used by God to make an impact on the lives of others. I want to live my teen years to their fullest potential and fulfill God's plan for this time in my life. I do not want my time in high school years to pass me by, my greatest accomplishments having been making my bed almost everyday and flossing my teeth consistently.

The book talks about the words "teenager" and "adolescence." These words didn't even exist until the 1900s! Around that time there was a shift in how people my age were treated. We went from being adults to "teenagers".. this awkward state between child and adulthood. I feel like the invention of "adolescence" only hinders us young people from reaching our fullest potential. A few hundred years ago people were picked for jobs according to skill, competence, dependability, etc. rather than age. Nowadays, however, someone younger than twenty-five is looked at as too young.. sixteen year-olds not even being considered. We're rejected because of our age, not our lack of ability. 

In today's society it is easy to forget that we really are capable of doing great things. The effects of people's low expectations of teenagers keep us, (teenagers), from accomplishing things that have value and worth.  Being constantly told we aren't able to do hard things, we embrace our years of "adolescence" as a time to complain about school and watch TV.

If not a time to run around and waste, what is this period of life for? It is a time to do good things! To go beyond people's expectations in ways big and small. I believe that if we adjust our mindset and take the opportunities for hard things that come our way it will spur us on to lives of worth, as teenagers and as adults.