9/10/2014 0 Comments Every Inch Of You Is PerfectI have been loving Meghan Trailor's new song All About That Bass. It has a really good message in a really fun way. This song resonates with me not on size, but with hair. That's right, I'm talking curls. I am not sure if you have noticed the crazy amount of craziness that sprouts from my scalp in the form of curls.Every twist, every spiral; my hair has always been my identifier. Growing up, the only hair solutions I sought out were to take away the curl and flatten it all out. For a while, that's really all I wanted. The last time I straightened my hair was in August 2011 and it didn't curl the same for months after than. It was then that I decided I needed to take better care of my curls or they would fall out! Curls are my gift, and I had better learn to treat them right. I am not here to sell you on a product, a method, or some hair movement. What I am trying to do is tell you that curls are beautiful, straight hair is beautiful, blonde, brown, purple hair is beautiful. I have a proposition: Why don't we all stop putting terrible chemicals so close to our brain to get rid of curls, make curls, change colors, or do whatever to our hair, and find some nice wholesome products that will make our hair beautiful by restoring it to it's natural, healthy state. I want you to look at my hair in a 3 year time span (above) , the first 3 years of not treating my hair like crap. My hair now (the far right) is the healthiest I remember my hair ever being. It Curls, it bounces, it springs, it shines, it does it all..well, almost.
My point is this: stop burning, frying, and melting your hair. Just let it be. Every inch of you - including your hair - is perfect.
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9/4/2014 0 Comments Sophomore SophisticationHey Y'all! Its been a while!
I have had exactly twelve days of classes, zero late assignments, one surprise A on a quiz, and countless nights of good quality rest. Wait...is this college? Am I in the right place? I know it's early in the semester, but have I really managed to keep track of all my assignments, study on a regular basis, and even keep up with my laundry? Why yes, yes I have. I guess its farewell to the Follies of Freshmen and hello to the Sophistication of Sophomore. Anyone who has survived freshmen year at university, especially away from home, knows that there are moments throughout the year where you do some really dumb stuff. I don't mean like trouble with the law or silly pranks. What I am referring to is the moments where you think "Sure, I'll start a load of laundry at 11 pm!" or "Unlimited cookies in the Caf? Yes please, I'll take seven". Don't forget my favorite Freshman Folly, and perhaps my most common and frequent offense: "I don't need to exercise, I walk to class!" What do these three follies have in common? KEEPING YOURSELF HEALTHY. An adequate amount of sleep, a semi-healthy diet, and a little sweat makes college that much easier; even a little enjoyable. Most students played some sort of sport in high school or were physically active in some way. When you get to college and stop all that, your body notices. Big time. And in case you didn't know, its not normal for an 18 or 19 year old to get winded going up two flights of stairs or work up a major sweat by walking to class. Those should be easy things to do. When you take the time to work up a sweat on purpose, you don't do it on accident near as often. I am no health guru. don't be fooled. However, I know that I am happier and much more pleasant to be around when I am in the gym or on my bike regularly, consuming things that don't clog my arteries, and get between 7-8 hours of sleep a night. I used to say "gosh it's so hard to be healthy" and now I get so mad when people say that. No, it's not hard. That 60 minutes you spend watching Orange Is the New Black can go by so much quicker on any number of cardio machines in the gym. Most machines even have a place for you to set a tablet or phone. I can bike 15 miles in the length of an episode of OITNB. I have a choice: sit on my butt and watch Netflix, or lose my butt while watching it. To me, the choice seems obvious. Another line people use is "healthy food is too expensive". To quote one of my personal heroes, Dwight Schrute: False. I went to Wal-Mart yesterday and bought all my weekly fruit for $8. That is 7 breakfasts and 6 snacks. I usually eat a piece of fruit and granola bar for breakfast. A box of 8 bars is about $2.15. Lets do some math: My breakfast per day: about $1.44 and about 170 calories (I even added the price of my K-Cup coffee). A McDonald's breakfast: about $5.20 and about 615 calories (with coffee). The choice seems really simple to me. So get out of your Freshman Follies and into The Sophomore Sophistication. My choice to lead a healthier lifestyle has made school so much easier this semester. Not only is it good for you be healthy, God commands it. 1 Corinthians 10:31 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." So make the choice. Its easy. A sign of maturity is taking care of yourself. When you treat your body like crap, you feel like crap. Our body's were designed and created to be amazing machines to be put to use as vessels to share the gospel; we need to start treating them that way. Don't let your bad health be the things that holds you back from following God's will and furthering His kingdom. 8/17/2014 2 Comments In This Moment, I Am Happy.Well here it is folks. Mid-August, Wal-Mart never seems to calm down, the shelves always seem to be empty of whatever you need, campuses everywhere are full of young freshman looking for classes and trying to figure out just where do I get a parking permit again? And here I am in the midst of it all with just enough experience to be comfortable in my quaint college town that I've grown to love.
As my roommate and I attended our hall meeting this afternoon after all the freshman had moved in, I realized just how much I am where I am supposed to be; how things seem to just line up to my surprise, how I have this peace about what I'm doing and where I am and I can only thank God that I am experiencing His divine orchestration. When I began school last year I admit that college was not what I was expecting. I had watched too many movies to accept that fact that I was going to a small division II school in a town smaller than the one I grew up in. I had fantasized too many times about times about stepping on to campus and being overcome with emotion and instantly becoming best friends with the first 5 girls I saw. I read too many college recruitment pamphlets to fathom that I wasn't at a school of 45.000 and that I would probably come to at least know or recognize most of the people I saw daily. East Central University wasn't at all what I was expecting. Looking back now, I knew that it wasn't but there was still a hint of something that wished it would fill every college fantasy I had ever had. But I had to face a hard reality - I was here, not at the fictional university my young mind had dreamed up. I also had to tell myself that THAT WAS OKAY. The fact that I was at a small state school and not some big division I didn't make me a failure, it just made me me. I am so in love with where I am in life and coming into my sophomore year, I am so happy that I can say that and believe it! Growing up around military families that move frequently, you observe that people spend their lives complaining that this place isn't as good as the last and the next place will be even better. I won't accept that. I won't accept that its abnormal to be happy just where I am. I have a wonderful opportunity for a quality education, I have supportive parents who support me in so many ways, I have a Godly boyfriend who encourages and pushes me to grow in Christ, I have fantastic friends that always bring me joy, and a church home with people that care about me and serve me while I serve them. I didn't end up at my fantasy school in my Hollywood movie of a life but I am so thankful I didn't. As my life stands right now, I am happy. No regrets of the past and no anxiety for the future (2 Corinthains 5:17; Matthew 6:25-26). As I sit with my roommate in silence and sweat in this AC-less dorm, I can say with genuine honesty that there is absolutely nothing in my life that isn't as it should be. For in this moment, I am happy. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come." Matthew 6:25-26 "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body what you will put on.Is not life more that food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" 7/23/2014 0 Comments Atop the RockwallYesterday I had a blast being on top on the rock-wall with Syd and Kaylee. Syd is from Arkansas and lived in Costa Rica for two years as a missionary. She loves CampWOW so much and is such a joy to be around. Kaylee is a precious lady from Arkansas as well who is so sweet and funny! I love going up top because I freak the kids out a little with how I like to stand to take some good shots. The strap I use to clip in to the top is just long enough for me to stand on the very edge of the zip line platform and lean back and be standing but no weight on my feet, all on my harness and the strap (see right). They always ask "doesn't it scare you to do that?" or "what if you fall?". It's always a great opportunity to share to gospel and show them that just as we have to have faith in Christ to protect and care for us, we have to have faith in the equipment and workers that we will be safe. And plus, it's fun. I met a really sweet girl names Brooke who did the cargo net about eight times in a row the previous day. It's really funny to see this small children that haven't been tainted by fear anxiety and are so up for anything! I think she actually did the hard wall the day I was up top. I mention Brooke for one reason: we had on really similar rings! I caught what I thought was a great pic and just had to have a reason to share it. This girl is also so kind every time I see her around camp. I can only hope I was that sweet as a child, but I know I wasn't. Here is the shot: Thank y'all so much for stopping by again! Have a great day! -Mckenzie 7/19/2014 0 Comments Summer so far at camp WOWThis summer I have had to pleasure of serving at Camp Walking on Water (WOW). WOW is a non-denominational Christian camp that allows larger churches and groups of smaller churches to plan and put on their own camp at the WOW camp grounds in Gerty, Oklahoma. Churches bring their own speaker, their own band, and put together their own schedule. Its a different format of camp than I was used to growing up but I can see the appeal for churches that are too large to register for a "program" camp and rent cabins space and so on. Let's start with the grounds. The property is in the beautiful hills of southeastern Oklahoma. And with all the rain we've had her, everything is still green even in mid-July. It is going to be so beautiful this fall. There is a waterfront area that buts up to a hillside covered with trees on the west side of the property, so that means beautiful sunsets every night. Also, there is a mysterious orange glow in the sky at night that makes for some really cool long exposure shots (It's not that mysterious; its some sort of industrial plant). Our maintenance guy, Kirk, does some amazing fireworks shows. Check out some of these beautiful pictures I've had to opportunity to take this summer: My job at WOW this summer is broadly put at "tech". What that means is music, sound, video and photography. Photography and music are the things that take up most of my time at camp. Each day, I take photos of all the activities kids are doing and post them to a website where parents can purchase digital downloads as well as merchandise. The rock wall and waterfront are where I spend most of my time.
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