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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Why I Must Become Queen Elsa in 2016

 
Undoubtedly, one of the hardest things is letting go. Letting go of your former routine. Letting go of your way. Letting change take its course. Letting friends drift off to places you cannot follow. Letting go of your life so you can hand it to God.

I hate change. I hate it when I return home and a piece of furniture is rearranged. I hate leaving somewhere I love when I travel. I hate trying something new when I know I like my usual far better than whatever this newfangled thing is. I (generally) hate new haircuts. And I espeically hate when people change.

Everything has a common denomenator here: I hate it because it's new and I miss the old. I miss my dresser in that specific corner. I miss the beach in the morning. I miss the taste of the Latte of Joy when I order something different and it's not as good. I miss my old pencil case, my old jeans, my old haircolor (this one is definitely justifiable especially when you accidentally dye it too dark). And I miss my friend(s) before fill in the blank with whatever happened.

I was currently writing out a list of resolutions for 2016, and one of them is literally titled, "Say it with me: Change is our friend." I told myself I will say it whenever something changes. Ehck. We'll see how that goes.

So why do we avoid change? Isn't change supposed to be good? This I had to dig further to find some concrete truth, and where else does one look for truth other than the Good Book.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven"

Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."

1 Corinthians 15:51 "Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed."

James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."


I found one common denominator in all these verses that had referance to change in them: The only change that will not occur in your life is God. God will never change. He is exactly the same today as He was yesterday, the day before that, a thousand years before now and will be the same a thousand years after now.

In an effort to make some good changes in my life this upcoming year (2016 I see you and I wanna take you by the reins!), in diet, friendship, spiritual, mental, and general life, I already started by doing some things that may make me purposefully a little uncomfortable (at least for now). I moved a bit of furniture in my room (this one usually makes my skin crawl), but I like it better already. I'm getting rid of clothes that don't have any use to me anymore (plus I know people who will appreciate them, double score!). I'm taking down old photos and putting up new ones. I'm prepping myself mentally for a new way of school this fall. I'm redecorating. And most importantly, I'm mentally moving on from a broken relationship.

Now the flipside to change is something I also think about. I like thinking about my future, as scary as that can be sometimes. It makes me excited to think about 1 year from now, or 5. Even 6 months from now is a good thought to chew on.

Holding on to memories is good. But getting caught up and trying to live in them is another thing. For sure I love thinking of old times, and who doesn't? They remind us of the good in our lives and the people we count on. I have a whole jar that holds slips of paper that have memories on them. I call it the Good Times Jar, and at the end of the year (or whenever I need a smile), I go through and read them. It's a sure way to remember, well, good times :). But my whole life isn't in that jar; surely there are many other great times I didn't record. Those are just for my memory.

What do we fear, but finds us no matter where we hide? What lurks around the corner of each new dawn, but we can't always see? What do we desire but cannot always attain? What crawls into our lives even if we airtight ourselves to keep it out? Change is the answer to all these riddles.

I will like change and it will be good! I will try new things. I will be more adventurous. And who knows, maybe I'll put that blue streak in my hair I've been daydreaming about (MAYBE).

I have dubbed myself with what I call a "Queen Elsa" mentality this year. Let it go. The past is in the past. And the cold never bothered me anyway (I haven't fully figured out a metaphor for that one yet but I'm going to:). Time to move on. Time for a change.

Ask yourself: What do I need to let go of? What needs to change? And how can I change it?
Best of luck to you in your endeavors of change this year!!

Here's to not just a breath, but a gust of fresh air in 2016,

Chris x

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Long Time No Posts

Hello to who ever is left here reading this!
I just realized how long it's been since I've posted anything. But I decided I really do still want to keep up with this whole blog thing, as hard as it's been just keeping up with school, a part time job, and the rest of crazy life. I have things I'd love to write about and I honestly miss blogging, so very soon I shall revamp the look of the site, and try to start anew!
Bless you if you read this.
~Chris

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Bracelet Tutorial

As promised, I have FINALLY gotten around to doing a tutorial! This is a bracelet I came up with all on my lonesome. Yep, pretty awesome. Actually I saw one like it on another blog but they said it was just a cord wrapped like a bracelet. I'm thinking "Well what's the point of that if I can make one even cooler?". And so I did. The thing that I really loved about designing this bracelet is that it's all one piece of cord! How cool is that?
 
I don't really know how to write tutorials very well because I'm a very hands-on learner, so I'll try to do this mostly in pictures. I will list the supplies though:
-36 inches of waxed cotton cord (mine is in black). I can only find this stuff on a certain jewelry making website (http://www.8seasons.com/). It's $10 for this big spool and it'll last you FOREVER. I love mine.

-4 small beads for charms

-A lighter (or candle)

-Clasp

-4 jewelry eye pins (these are super cheap and come in a big bag at Joann Fabrics)
-Small scissors. I use beauty ones from Meijers. They're excellent for when you need to cut the cord precisely.

-An assortment of tools. I got a set for Christmas that includes: a round tool, flat nosed-pliers, precision tip pliers, and a wire cutter. You don't need all these though. Before I got these I was using a Cabela's multi-tool that worked just fine. But if you're serious about making jewelry, then get some nice tools.

STEPS.
1. How to make the charms.  Use the round tip tool!







Cut the access wire.

Pinch the ends in.
 
I know that seems really vague but the pictures describe everything you need to know! Make four of those charms, one for each strand.
 
2. String on one of the hooks, and two beads on either side of it. It'll look like this

Criss cross the strands, and loop the other hook on those ends. I can't really describe it very well, but here's another picture
 
 
3. String on the two other charms, one on each strand. Pull one of the stands through clasp end #1. Now this is where things got tricky, so stay with me here. Measure how long it's going to be around your wrist, cut the access off the ends. Now this is why you need waxed cotton cord. This stuff is the only thing that burns. When it burns, the wax melts and you can attach them to anything when they're hot.
 
BE CAREFUL WITH HOT WAXED ENDS. They burn really fast and you have to work quickly and confidently. They will catch on fire and that's alright. Just blow them out. DO NOT TOUCH FRESHLY BURNED WAX ENDS! Wait about 7 seconds, then lick your fingers and press down the ends. 
Burn both ends of the waxed cord.
Wait a few seconds, then press them together, in a gentle rolling motion so that they're flawless. Like I said, licking your fingers first helps.
 
Ta-da!
 
This is what the back should look like.
 

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

The Problem with Being Introverted



As I sit here writing this post (listening to Colm Keegan's "The Luckiest" cover. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHEsc6jNI_g) , it's occurred to me that I haven't touched down on any "deep" topics, even though I love contemplating them. One of the things that's always bothered me about myself is how I enjoy being an introvert, but yet I want to do things with people. Here's what usually happens:

I plan something out (on the rare occasion) or (on the even rarer occasion) am invited to something.
I happily wait days, sometimes weeks.
Day of, I get excited, do my hair, and plan a cute outfit.
And then I go.
And as soon as I put the car in park, I immediately regret doing so.

Depending on who's there, I might have a good time or regret going even more. There are certain friends I can hang around very easily without worrying about being introverted at all. Three weeks ago, as I sat at a party alone, I realized something: If I wanted to listen to music, eat snacks, and sit alone by myself, then why didn't I just stay home, because I have all those things but BETTER in my room? I could be watching tv too.

Because the human mind, body, and soul have a longing for companionship. The truth is, I love talking and swapping stories. I love it when people want to share their life experiences. I love listening to the dumb accident on your bicycle, how you met your spouse, what nationality you claim to, or even what cute thing the 1 year old baby did last Wednesday. I love all of it. The problem is, I love being social but I'm not sociable. You following what I mean? It's like the phrase I once heard:

"I love being alone but I don't love being lonely."

And it's so true. Sometimes I don't have a choice but to go out and be around people. And that's usually when I try to keep to myself and hide behind my phone/laptop/headphones. I like having some solitude when it's a busy 10 hour school day, and usually at some point I'll just go to the bathroom and stand against the stall door for a few minutes just to be ALONE. It's essential for mental health! While God designed us to be with people, even saying in Genesis 2:18 "It is not good for man to be alone.", so He made Eve to be with Adam and they dwelt together like they should. But it is healthy to be alone.

At my once a week forced social setting, lunch hour is the most dreaded part of the day. At least for someone who is not in the In Crowd. All I can say is that school settings are the worst and when you feel more mentally mature than everyone around you based on their actions and conversations.
Sorry that sounded really conceited.


It's pretty hard to sit with the In Crowd as they talk about Eminem and whatever social gathering they all just went to and you weren't.
Yeah you know what I mean.


Somehow, sneakily enough, I worked my way from the lunchroom, to the lobby, to almost all the way down the hallway to where I could unzip my measly lunch and eat in peace as I caught up on homework. I wasn't exactly 'alone'-- my good friends who serenaded me inside my mp3 were always there. But things changed this past year. I made a very unexpected companion in a popular extrovert. As the semester went on, when I'd sit down to my lunch alone in the hallway, I'd find myself having to take out my headphones, or sliding my phone back into my pocket because I was making real conversation with another human being. I'd have to move my backpack off the seat next to me because he wanted to sit there, because he actually wanted to be near me so we could talk before and after class (and sometimes even during class too:). And I began to realize, maybe I was wrong.

I might still be quiet, and I might not make the most entertaining conversation. Alright. That's just me and the way I always will be. But when I am in a environment where there are going to be lots of people, it is beyond nice to have at least one person who knows me. You want the secret to social life? Listen up! I'm going to give it to you right now: You don't need to be popular. Not everyone is going to like you. Some people will never be your friend, no matter how hard you try. And others who you thought would never be, somehow become your best ones. All you really need is just one person. I've learned that if you have at least one person, one person is all you need to go from feeling completely awkward and uncomfortable to being more than okay with being there.

Maybe you'll be alone for a while. And that's perfectly okay. If I didn't get some alone time, I'd completely blow up! But it isn't good for man to be alone all the time. Sometimes we need to push our boundaries and we'll discover we have more to offer to others. I found a dear friend in someone who I looked at last year and thought "We would never be friends", and now I look back from a year later, and found that we have more in common than I could ever dream. It just took a little forced social interaction to get there. Now I'm no one special to give advice. Heck, this is all coming from the person who went ice skating yesterday only to end up a few hours later alone in her room, lights off, the last of the Christmas chocolates in hand and huddled under a no-sew blanket and a Celtic Thunder dvd playing two feet away from her face. My point is, you'll never find that friend who does understand why you need to be alone if you are alone all the time. I have to tell myself this everyday. While my new extroverted friend initially approached me, friendship is a two-way street and sometimes you do have to do some of the driving. No one will want to hang out around you if you just sit there like a dead doorknob!
Here's five tips for introverts who want to make a friend:

1.Be nice. It's the easiest thing!

2.Be happy. Or at least try. If something's upsetting you, say "I don't really feel in a great mood today because                            ". They'll most likely understand and maybe even help you feel better! Don't forget to let them know you appreciate it.

3.Make conversation. Seriously this is a big one. You'll never know how much you have in common until you talk! For the first few weeks of me and my extrovert's friendship, I didn't know what to say. My mind would go absolutely blank and neither of us would have anything to say. Looking back, I honestly don't know how the friendship survived that :/

4.SMILE. Nobody likes a frown. They're ugly. Which Matthew Crawley looks more approachable? Hmm? C'mon! We all know it's not the one on the left :)
 
and if you need a lesson on how to smile, follow this link
 

5. Let them know you enjoy (and acknowledge) their presence! Make sure you say hi when you see them and give a hug goodbye (if you're at that comfortable of a point, of course:).

BONUS 6. If they hurt your feelings, let them know. This is a really hard one for me because I don't like starting confrontations with people. I'd rather be a pacifist and let things fester until they become a rotted infection that's too painful to scrape off later. But that's a HUGE problem. If you gently bring up how you feel, odds are they're going to understand. It'll feel crazy at first, but it can only save your friendship, and if you're worried about ruining it, well, you have to look at both hands--would you rather continue awkwardly or try to fix things? What have you go to lose?