Give Journaling a Shot

For the past month, I have started something new. Journaling. There was no specific reason, I just had the urge to do it this summer. I gave it a try around the middle of August, and have discovered a few benefits of doing so.

1) Its Euphoric. It releases tension. The first day I wrote in my new journal, I guess I wasn't having the best of days. But, as soon as I finished writing, I had a feeling of peace. Like my mind had just gone through a catharsis. 

2) Emotional Self-Discovery. Sometimes people don't know what emotions they are experiencing. Meaning, sometimes you have no idea what exactly you are feeling, and why you feel that way. Writing your thoughts out can help you discover what those feelings are. And, once that happens, you will feel better because you can understand the situation better.

3) You can see how much you have changed. Maybe you have tried journaling before. Have you ever looked back at an old one? What was your personality like? What did you like and dislike? What habits did you have? Have you improved yourself or accomplished past goals? Have you been stagnant? Keeping a journal allows you to look back, and see how much you've changed, or stayed the same.

4) You discover the deeper parts of yourself. When you write, you may surprise yourself. Are you someone who keeps things bottled up? Do you even notice if you do? There are so many layers to each of us. and writing thoughts, feelings, and your experiences, can help you discover those layers. You may be more complex than you think, or a lot more simple!

5) It tells your story. A diary or journal is a place where you can let everything and anything out. You may even find yourself afraid to write those things down. But, it tells the story of your life. A story those around you may or may not ever know. Its an untold one, where you can look back and say "Wow!" This is my life.

6) Good mental health. Mental health is soooo important. Writing things down, and not keeping this bottled up, is a good way to have good mental health. 

So, Why not give journaling a try. There are so many different kinds. Writing ones, art ones, and scrapbook like ones. Here is a video that I thought was both inspiring and nostalgic in a way. 

Anyway until next time,

Lisa

Life Update: Some news about something new

Hello everyone, I have something to tell you...

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I started a YouTube channel! I am actually really excited about this, and I have wanted one in the past, but never did it. I guess I just didn't have enough confidence in myself. However, after I saw a quote on Instagram that was completely rude to my life, I changed my mind and went for it.

But first I saw this one: "Stop fearing the worst possible scenario and simply believe the best"-Heather Lindsey-

After reading this, I really just felt the urge to go ahead and start a channel. Fear shouldn't hold us back from doing something that we really want to do. The whole point of this blog is to help me follow my passions, and I hope that anyone reading this will follow theirs as well. Follow the passions that are full of light, and maybe something amazing can happen.

The quote that completely disrespected me, and further pushed me into making a channel was this: "God doesn't give his anointing to lazy Christians"-David Wilkerson-

It struck me because I have had one lazy summer. But I do agree that it is not good to be idle.

If anyone is curious about my channel, and first YouTube video. You can check it out here. It might not appeal to everyone considering it's about hair and Senegalese twists but...yeah.

Anyway, thank you for reading

With love,

Lisa

P.s. My next post will be about the Book of John, and some of the things that Christ has taught us through it.

Learning what it means to be Christian

Since starting this blog, I have been wanting to go more in-depth when it comes to God and Christianity. However, I think it is something that I have been avoiding because I was worried about how people would perceive me. Well, I decided that I am going to let go of this fear, and just do what I want, and talk about the journey of being a believer of God and Christ.

I never really understood what it meant to be Christian. In fact I am still learning. Growing up I have been exposed to so many misconceptions about Christianity, and as I go through life, I see that others have been affected in the same way. I mean, my mom always took me to church, until I hit the age of my rebellion, and the funny thing is, she didn't understand what it meant to be Christian either.

I always did my own thing. But, I was never to much of a rebel in society's eyes. I went to school, got good grades, and did a couple of sports. Someone once described me as a "good girl"and "perfect"-they had no idea of who I really was. My life sucked, and I never got along with my mother once I hit my late middle school years. It was just me, my mom, and my sis, and I paid God absolutely no attention (not any real attention).

This started to change when I was in high school. My best friend, who I met while on the track team, invited me to go to a bible study that a group of students had one morning a week at the school. I decided to go one day, and then kept going, but still, I didn't know what it meant to be Christian. I had stopped going to church, a place that didn't teach me anything about living for God. I went to bible study in high school-that's where I gained some companionship, but still, I didn't understand. There was no one there to teach me more than just practices and rituals, and sugar coated bible stories.

Some time went by, and I got baptized when I was 16, and I think it was because a seed was planted into me by my best friend. I'm glad I got baptized then, even though I was afraid, and didn't want to walk to the front of a church with everyone's eyes on me. And even then, I didn't fully understand.

Everything changed my freshmen year of college. I had been looking for a bible study in college because it was what I did in high school. I was on Facebook one day, and saw that there was a bible study that Friday right across from the dorm I lived in. After that, I don't think I was ever the same. Finally, my eyes and my heart were opening, and I couldn't stop crying. So, this was God the Almighty. A huge being that was leading me this whole time, so that I could become His. God was more then a building I rarely went to, He was more than my routine prayers about food, and the prayers asking that He doesn't kill me in the middle of the night. He is so much more.

I actually started to read the bible on my own that Spring, and I was learning things that I never even heard before. Why in the world had I never been told this stuff before? I tried reading the bible in the past, but at that time I only found it boring. Now, it was completely real. I no longer just depended on what others had told me about God and Christianity, I searched and learned about it for myself. So, God isn't far away and out of reach? Christ was always here? What? He wants me? What do you mean I was chosen? Why?

John 1:1-5 says: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made, without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

We were born in the world, and this world is full of darkness, hate, and horror. We have been in it our whole lives, but there is a way to escape it, and that is through Christ. However, so many people either don't know, don't accept, or have been lied to so much that they run away from the light that saves us.
John 1:10 says: "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him."
People do not recognize Christ even though he is always reaching out to us, and sometimes they never find him.

So, I guess the whole point of this post is to get people to seek. To not depend on what people, society, and what the media tells you about God and Christ. Find out the truth for yourself. Pray. Actually speak to God. Tell him about your day, your questions, anything. Ask him to help you learn. Do it with all seriousness, even if you feel a little silly. He answers us in various ways, and he wants to hear from you.
Matthew 7:7 says: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
I know God can hear me, and I know that this scripture is true because so many of my prayers have been answered.

Learning what it means to be Christian is a process, but I'm happy with my choice, and want to continue to grow.

Represents light, and those are totally not my fingers.

Sincerely,

Lisa

p.s. (I do think it is important to go to church, you just have to find the right one. I'll go into the reasons later)

College Survival: Getting through the final weeks

Something that I believe we all have in common during the last couple of weeks in the semester are crazy schedules, and stress. The whole idea of finals week is completely insane. I mean, who was the genius who whispered into the ears of professors, and told them to pile up the workload the last two weeks of school. It's like a conspiracy to set us all up for failure (so colleges and universities can get more money out of us by extending our graduation dates). There are projects, research papers, and tests due for completion-at the same time! Where is the logic in that?

Okay, we can get through this together. Here are some tips that can help you (and me) survive the final weeks of college.

Step 1: Let the panic out. Go right ahead and have your freak out moment. You absolutely deserve it, but please try not to injure those around you, especially professors. That is not the way to get a good grade.

Step 2: Calm the storm. So, after the freak out moment, do something that will calm you down and relieve stress. For me, it's writing and praying. But it can be anything from exercise, watching TV, playing games, ranting to someone close to you, YouTube videos,..etc. It's all about mood control.

Step 3: Plan. Procrastination is not key during this time...but let's be real, it's bound to happen. Procrastination is a big part of college life. I'm doing it right now just by writing this, but here is a tip. Plan your procrastination. Write down everything you need to do in a planner or agenda book. Blow the dust off of it if you don't ever use it. Get a sheet of paper if you don't have one. Find out all of your due dates, and decide when you need to get everything done by.

Step 4: Set Goals. Decide how much work you want to get done in a certain time frame, and actually follow through.

Step 5: Pump yourself up. Get yourself ready to work, motivate yourself to get things done. Find a theme song-this helps me personally. It is crunch time.

Step 6: Action. Don't just lay in bed contemplating your life and future. Just do it. Get something done, and don't stare at the computer screen. Find out how you work best. If you need a partner to help you, go find one. Go to the library, and leave home. Home is probably the worst place to get anything done (too many distractions)

Step 7: Think positively. Be hopeful and resilient despite obstacles. Your thoughts and words have power over your actions and abilities. Say and believe you can finish everything, and believe you can do it well. Endure

I hope these tips were a little useful to you. Feel free to comment with your own thoughts on surviving the final stretch.

Good luck,

Lisa

The Affects of Thinking and Speaking Positively, Letting go of Negativity

Photo taken by Lisa Ajala

As people, we have the ability to influence situations by the way we speak and think. We can build people up, or tear them down just by the use of our tongues. The words that we speak can have so much power over a person or situation, it is completely insane. That is why it is important to think positively about yourself and others. And once you start thinking positively, you'll start speaking positively.

Why is this so important?

In today's culture, it seems normal to just sling insults at one another, and make fun of what people have or don't have, or at what someone does or doesn't do. But, this isn't how things should be, and it certainly doesn't have to be that way. There is a scripture that say's  "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat it's fruit."-Proverbs 18:21-

So, we can literally speak life or death into someone's life, and can speak things into existence. If someone constantly hears "you will never make it" or "you will never succeed", "or "that's so stupid", they might actually start believing it, and make those statements a reality.

Words can hurt...badly.

That's why I want to challenge anyone who is reading this to speak life into people. Speak life into your situation. Speak life into yourself. Be kind. You never know what someone is going through, so be a light in their lives. The only way to push out negativity and darkness, is to bring forth positivity and light. For a small example, If someone is a terrible singer don't tell them to shut-up and stop. Tell them to "practice more", "do what you love", "you'll get it eventually". Don't lie, tell them they need improvement, and please don't send them to American Idol.

Think happy thoughts, believe you can make it out of a situation, believe that you are an asset to someone. Believe in your worth. You're are worth so much, who cares what the negative Nancy's say. It doesn't matter. Know who you are, find out your identity. My name is        , and I am kind, smart, artistic, friendly, unique...etc.

The only thing that matters to me is my identity in Christ, and He says: I am loved,I am forgiven, I have a new identity, I have a future, I have a purpose, and I am secure.

You are not defined by your past, you are not defined by other people, you are not defined by society. Don't let negativity weigh you or others down. Be positive, and if you don't know how to be, take it a step at a time. Wake up in the morning and say "I am alive, and this is going to be a great day" Speak life over yourself, and even if the day doesn't seem that great, it is all about how you handle it. Are you going to be positive about it, or negative.

You decide.

Note: If you are hurting, please let someone know. Don't handle your hardships alone. Speak to someone.

With love,

Lisa