Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11


I saw this quote on someone else's facebook status today and it spoke to me.  Then, I rented "Soul Surfer" from the Redbox, and again... Jeremiah 29:11 was repeated to me.  FATE.


Sometimes I sit and wonder what I'm meant to do in this life, or who I'm meant to be.  I've spent countless hours worrying about the outcome of my life, the choices I make, and the chances I take; and then I remember, that God is probably laughing at me for worrying about something that he has already decided.  My life is what I make of it... I know that.  But I also believe that He has a plan for me... and for everyone.  The control freak inside of me struggles with this idea from time to time, but I know in my heart that everything will come about the way it is supposed to based on His ideas.  He has "plans to give you hope and a future."  What could possibly be better?


Day 19: When you are wondering about God's plan, and feeling uneasy about what life is bringing your way... take comfort in knowing that it's okay to NOT KNOW His plan... yet.  And he will make your mission known in due time.  


Love True-
Allison


PS. If you haven't already seen "Soul Surfer," I strongly encourage you do.  The strength of Bethany Hamilton is truly inspiring.

Mary Anne Radmacher

One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from author, Mary Anne Radmacher.

"Courage does not always roar, sometimes it's the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering, 'I will try again tomorrow."

These words have helped me in so many ways.  Since high school, I've read this statement over and over to help me through my struggles as an athlete, a musician, a student, a sister and a friend.  It is a comforting sentiment to know that true strength can be identified in simply waking up the next morning, getting out of bed, and trying again.

Recently, life has tried to knock me around a little bit.  No real hardships or devastating instances... just enough to keep me mentally and physically exhausted.  You know how it feels when life just doesn't give you a break?  That's how it's been.  One of the things I've come to realize (slowly, mind you), is that life will only continue to swing at you, for as long as you refuse to swing back.  As soon as you take control... and start fighting...life doesn't stand a chance against you.

I've been doing a lot of things to just "get by" financially... because I'm an adult... and I have to.  But secretly I've been doing more dreaming than anything else.  No matter where I've been in my life, I've always worked hard at what I was doing and taken great pride in knowing that I gave all of myself to the task at hand.  But I've also been a dreamer for as long as I can remember.  Many of those dreams have been locked deep inside my heart for years and years.  I've never been an overtly confident person... and a lot of my dreams have been pushed back because of a fear of pursuing them.  But when I was looking up quotes to help me write tonight, I found another one of Mary Anne Radmacher's quotes that might help me to work through this.

“The jump is so frightening between where I am and where I want to be... because of all I may become I will close my eyes and leap!” 


What beautiful words to describe the thrill of taking a chance.  Taking a chance to become the person I want to be.  I can't think of anything better than looking in the mirror, and being truly happy with the person that I am.  That is the ultimate goal... the ultimate aspiration... to become who you are meant to be in every aspect of life.  


I will leave you tonight with one more quote from Ms. Radmacher.  Just one more simple piece of advice... 


“Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.”


Below, I have included a small collage of the things in my life that I am so grateful for.  Two incredible and loving groups of friends.  Top Right: Angel, Ashley, Katie and Dani.  Bottom Left: Kendra, Nicole, Caitlin and Vilija.  Top Left: My wonderful, amazing and inspiring family, Abby, Amy, Mom, Dad and Jake.  Bottom Right: Team True Beauty, a group of individuals that are making a difference in the world, and have allowed me to be a part of that change.  My WHOLE HEART belongs to the people in these pictures.  

Love True-
Allison

Switchfoot

I've been living a pretty crazy lifestyle for a while now.  It hasn't been very long, but long enough to give me a little perspective on things.  It's not that I'm unhappy, because that isn't the case at all.  But as a career perfectionist, splitting my focus four different ways has not been good for me.  I haven't felt like I've been giving 100% of myself to any one of my jobs... and that is hard for me to handle.  I am the type of person that is NOT OKAY with giving anything less than everything I've got.  My Type-A personality cannot appreciate the scattered schedule and constant worry that I'm going to forget something; while My Type-B personality is completely grateful that I have the means to support myself... and appreciates the randomness of an artist-like lifestyle.  As you can see, I'm a little conflicted.

I have been taking life day by day, and trying to appreciate each day for what it offers... and yet, the days seem to be flying by completely out of my control.  Is that how life is supposed to be?  For some reason, I have this romantic notion that life, in it's day to day passing, should be more memorable than it is right now.

I always thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life.  Since I was about 17 years old, I knew that a part of me was always going to have gymnastics.  But there is an itch, deep inside my soul, that keeps telling me I'm meant for something different.  Maybe it is intuition... and maybe it's completely wrong... but there is a little voice that is nagging me to take a chance and try something completely new.

I guess I'm just looking for a little guidance.

This is a great song... and some good advice.  I might take it.

"Dare You To Move"

"Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next
What happens next


I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before

Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
Tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before

Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before"


"Dare You to Move" - Switchfoot


Day 18: I dare you to move.  Make a move towards something you've dreamed about, something you need in your life, or a change that would better you.  I dare you to move... and I dare myself.  


Love True-
Allison 

Louis Armstrong

Today was my 25th birthday. It was a perfect day.  I drove home in the 80 degree weather, windows down and loving every color of every tree as I drove by.  The sky was blue and the leaves were falling gracefully through the air.  I spent the entire two hour drive being grateful for my life... my family, my friends, the love that I share with so many people.  I am truly blessed... and so grateful.  Words cannot explain how lucky I feel right now, but Louis Armstrong did a pretty good job with this one :)


What a Wonderful World


"I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces, of people going by
I see friends shaking hands, sayin', "How do you do?"
They're really sayin', "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Oh yeah"


"What a Wonderful World" - Louis Armstrong

Love True-
Allison

Demi Lovato

Recently I came across some very disheartening images and stories on the web.  I can't even tell you how I came across these web pages, because I don't remember what I was searching for... but they made me mad.  VERY MAD.  In short, I came across a collection of web posts from women, mostly very young women who had commented on a dieting article about how they needed help losing weight.  The part that troubled me was that these women asking for advice were not middle aged women who work 40 hrs a week, and need meal planning advice, they were 13 and 14 year-old girls describing so much self-loathing that I found myself in tears.  How can a 15 year old who is 5'7" and lost 35 lbs to only weigh 95 lbs be so diluted as to brag about her drastic weight loss and say, "and I don't even have an eating disorder!"  These girls were trying to help each other destroy their bodies and they don't even know it.  What has our society done to us?  When there are photos and posters like this...

This kind of advertising causes depression, self loathing, irrational expectations, and horrible eating disorders and self-mutilation.  Girls who see things like this, "want to be thin."  Why the hell are we printing posters that say "I want to see my cheek bones and my hip bones" and expecting girls to think that this is normal.  THIS IS NOT NORMAL and THIS IS NOT HEALTHY.  No girl should ever evaluate themselves as a person based on how jealous their friends are of them, or how many boys they can get to do a double take.  

I am angry. Period. 

Demi Lovato is a young actress and singer who has just released a new song describing her journey and the journey of many others called Skyscraper.  Demi is such a pillar of strength and recovery.  She has been an inspiration to me, and millions of other girls who have struggled with eating disorders or other internal battles.  This song is so perfect and pure and honest about how the scrutiny of others (or in some cases, the scrutiny of yourself) can tear you down so low... but the most important thing is to keep getting up when you fall down.  

You can be stronger than even the Strongest of influences.  You have it in you... no matter what is working against you.  So, thank you, Demi, for putting these feelings into words.  

"Skyscraper" - Demi Lovato

"Skies are crying, I am watching
Catching teardrops in my hands
Only silence, as it's ending
Like we never had a chance

Do you have to make me feel like
There's nothing left of me?

You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I'm made of glass
Like I'm made of paper
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground
Like a skyscraper
Like a skyscraper

As the smoke clears, I awaken
and untangle you from me
Would it make you, feel better
to watch me while I bleed?

All my windows still are broken
But I'm standing on my feet

You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I'm made of glass
Like I'm made of paper
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground
Like a skyscraper
Like a skyscraper

Go run, run, run
I'm gonna stay right here, watch you disappear
Yea--ohh
Go run, run, run
Yeah, it's a long way down
But I am closer to the clouds up here

You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I'm made of glass
Like I'm made of paper
Ohh Ohhhh!
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground
Like a skyscraper
Like a skyscraper

(Like a skyscraper)

Like a skyscraper
Like a skyscraper"

Love True-

Allison