Why I Am A Fighter - And Why You Should Be Too

This is an unusual post for me - this topic is not a comfortable one, or an easy one to research and write about. But sometimes things just need to be said....boldly.

Imagine a product:

• As addictive as crack cocaine.
• There are some loose safety controls on its production, but they are rarely kept, and much is produced illegally.
• Scientifically shown to alter the minds of those that use it, cause addictive and violent behaviour, and lead to mental illness and divorce.
• Unbelievably, this product is given away to minors for free every day. People between the ages of 12 and 17 are the largest group of consumers.
• Those that make this product are extremely likely to contract life-threatening diseases or become addicted to drugs and alcohol. The life expectancy for workers in the industry has been reported to be as low as 36.2 years.

If these statements were true about your favorite coffee shop, would you still go there? Just one more time? Only if you were really tired and needed some coffee? Would you make excuses like: “I only drink the chai teas; it doesn’t affect me how the coffee is made?” Or would you immediately stop going there?

Addicts. Mental illness. Minors exploited. Domestic violence. Marriages broken. Suicide. This only scratches the surface of the damage that pornography is doing in our culture today. Pornography is never harmless. It changes the brain chemistry of those who consume it exactly as drugs do. It degrades the performers that make it to the point that many take their own lives.

If your favorite coffee shop, or football team, or clothing store, or social networking site affected people this way, would it be enough for you to stop supporting it? It's not enough to just say no for ourselves. The world needs people to stand up and make the truth known.

Fight The New Drug is dedicated to educating the world about the real effects of pornography on real people. Check out their site for the science that backs up this post and much more information - and sign the Fighter Pledge!

New Year's Revolutions

This week, millions of people made New Year’s resolutions - that is, they resolved to make a change in their life this year. 

Here are a few of my resolutions for 2014:

~ I will use a lower heat setting on my curling iron to avoid damaging my hair. (15 instead of 25)

~ I will drink fewer carbonated beverages.

~ I will take the stairs instead of the elevator to class or to my dorm room at least once a day.

~ I will be kind to everyone, regardless of how I feel about them.

We make these resolutions on December 31 or January 1, and promise ourselves that we will keep them for an entire year. This will be the year, we think, that we will not slip once.

But then, sometime in January or a few months later, that resolution to go to the gym three times a week doesn't seem like such a good idea anymore. Someone who resolved to quit smoking has a rough day and gives in to the urge to have a cigarette. And once we break our resolutions, often we just give up until the next year. According to Forbes.com, only about 8% of people keep their New Year's resolutions.

In this (adorable!) commercial, the little boy does something that you’ve probably observed yourself: he refers to resolutions as “revolutions.” We laugh, but have you ever considered that maybe he has something right?

We resolve to change something in the New Year. But often we fail to consider that a change is really a 180-degree revolution. It can take time to turn completely around from an old habit.

So yes, we should determine to keep our resolutions without fail. But if we fail, for many of us will, we must remember that a complete revolution is not often made in a day. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

If you haven't made any resolutions for this year, it's not too late! If you have already fallen off the bandwagon in some area, don't give up. May 2014 be a year in which you learn much. Comment with your New Year's resolutions!

Happy new year!

(http://www.forbes.com/sites/dandiamond/2013/01/01/just-8-of-people-achieve-their-new-years-resolutions-heres-how-they-did-it/)

First-ever Guest Post: The Good Now Days by David Carpenter

My sixteen-year-old brother, David, wrote this piece yesterday after watching the finale of the TV show The Office. I enjoyed reading his perspective and hope that you will as well.

The Good Now Days

by David Carpenter 

Over the last few months I've been watching The Office from pilot to finale, and as the one of the most beloved sitcoms in history came to its beautifully climatic and emotional end, Andy made the statement, "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them." This quote made me think. At 16 years of age many people think of these, the days I live now, as those ever elusive "Good Ole Days". Yet, if you were to ask those my age of when those days transpired they would tell you of much earlier days in elementary and middle school. 

Some would tell you the early days of their marriage before the stresses of life interfered with the wonderment of true love. Ask others however and talk of their children's early, middle, and yes, even teenage years, and wishes of more time spent together as a family. A person might think back to those “good old days” before their retirement, a certain desk mate or boss might bring a tear to their eye... but, who am I kidding?  

Ultimately we miss those days gone by because we fail to realize the beauty of the time in which we live now. I daily spend time talking to friends where often our conversation goes to how we can't wait to get out, go to college, become independent. Yet we spend so much time thinking of our destination that we completely miss the journey. Young married couples are so caught up in careers and futures that the beauty of pure love is lost. Parents are often to busy for games of catch, a push on the swing set, or a quick trip to get a burger, yet those are the moments that you will remember years later. We often rush to our places of work, struggle through the day and hurry back home, never taking a look around the room to see those around you and what one day you might even miss. 

As you go into 2014 consider this... THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS!! You're living in them now. In 2014 millions of people will be married, even more become engaged. Millions of babies will be born, and every one who is here in a year will have turned a year older. Whether you are 6, 16, or 65, age doesn't matter.  Appreciate what and whom you have because you never know when you'll be wishing you could have them back. Thank you Dunder-Mifflin Scranton, you've made me realize that these are the days of my life, and thank you Andy Bernard, because I Will Remember You too! 

Please Stop Trying to Win Christmas

Over the last few days as I have scrolled through social media newsfeeds, I have seen many statuses about family time and thoughtful gifts, and many pictures of food, presents, festive scenes and holiday decorations. And honestly, I have enjoyed it! It makes me happy to know that my friends are having a good Christmas season.

But it seems that for a few people, the goal of posting a picture is not to share their joy with others but to validate themselves.

If I have a simple and sweet Christmas morning, but don't post about it so that at least 20 friends can "like" my picture or "favorite" my tweet, did it really happen?

It seems that there is an unspoken spirit of competition on social media in general that escalates around the holiday season. One person posts a picture of a Christmas tree, so the next posts a picture of their tree next to a blazing fireplace. The next person posts a similar picture but includes a cup of coffee; the next person notes in the caption that his coffee is from Starbucks and makes sure that the mountain of presents under the tree is obvious in the picture. And so we one-up each other all down the newsfeed.

We find ourselves moving furniture, setting up a scene that doesn't even exist in real life just to get the perfect shot. Then the coffee grows cold while we flip through every filter until we get it just right, post the picture on instagram, and share it to facebook and twitter. We wait on the edge of our seats for the "likes" to start coming in - on a picture of an artificial event that never took place.

Parents go into debt to buy their children extravagant gifts. They forego giving simple, lovingly chosen gifts and stand in line to buy an iPad Mini instead, not because they want their child to have one but because it's what the other parents are getting and they fear their children will not be happy unless they get one too.

When we do this, we sabotage our own joy. We don't consider our real experiences, the simple joys of the Christmas season, to be worth posting. We fear that our picture, our story, our family, our decorations won't measure up to others'. Suddenly, the season of joy has become a season of comparison and jealousy.

So please stop trying to "win" Christmas. I'm not saying that we ought to quit posting pictures or statuses, or that all who do so are presenting a false reality. But should you find yourself wondering if your picture is "good enough" to post, if you realize that you are struggling to craft a status that says "Merry Christmas" in a completely new way because you are afraid it won't be unique, then you may need to take a step back.

Christmas isn't about competition. Christmas isn't about the fear of missing out. Christmas isn't about feeling inadequate. Christmas isn't about jealousy.

Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ our Saviour. Christmas is about traditions - your traditions, and whatever they are, your traditions are good enough. Christmas is about giving, whether the gift is large or small, out of a heart of love. Christmas is about being thankful for what we have.

Stop trying to win Christmas. Forget about impressing others and be thankful for every precious moment. I wish you a merry Christmas: a happy time with those that you love, rest, celebration, tradition, beauty, and joy.

I didn't miss November!

I'm posting today in part because I don't want to go the entire month of November without posting. I can't believe November will be over after today! The Christmas season just sneaked up on me - but here I sit with a cup of coffee, listening to my Pandora Christmas mix.

I've added a sidebar (it should be over there -----> somewhere) with my twitter and Instagram info. I update those sites more frequently, so follow me there!

While on Christmas break (14 days from now!) I will be playing piano at several restaurants/hotels in the Mobile area. I'm really excited about this opportunity to earn money while doing what I love.  Let me know in the comments what songs you would request if you were able to hear me play!!!

Last night, I attended my second Fine Arts program, PCC's production of The Girls in 509. The play is a hilarious political comedy about a staunch Republican aunt and niece who barricade themselves in a New York hotel after FDR wins the 1932 election. Twenty-six years later, they respond to the changes in politics and in the world - and literally "catch" a few men along the way.

I hope that all my readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you will have a great Christmas season.

Take a Deep Breath

Wow....

Classes are crazy. I did survive midterm week, and I'm actually pretty happy with my grades. Of course, there's always room for improvement.

I have enjoyed getting to visit my parents and brothers in Mobile. Last Friday, I was able to see David's football game, and on Saturday, we watched Will perform in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. I'm so proud of both of them....even if they kind of make me look like a slacker for not being in any extracurricular activities.

I have been working a lot out of class. I teach English online to students from all over the world, and I'm really enjoying it. Often, I even get to learn a few words in other languages! I love teaching, and I am SO blessed to have a job doing what I love. So y'all keep praying that I will have lots of lessons!  The other major bonus is that I teach mainly in coffee shops, so I get to drink good coffee every day - especially from the Drowsy Poet Coffee Company here in Pensacola.

From my facebook feed, you'd think all that I do is teach, drink coffee, practice piano, go to class, and study. Actually, that's about right. I'm busy, but I'm loving it.

Going to study for my history test now!!!

A Good Day/First Campus Post article published!

Hey everybody! This has been a hectic week as we gear up for midterms. I've had three tests this week as well as a performance in vocal class. I'm already working on study sheets for midterms.

Today has been an exceptionally good, though busy day. I still have quite a bit of work to complete before I go to sleep. It's a beautiful, hot and humid day outside, even though a tropical storm is predicted to hit tomorrow afternoon.

Tomorrow is our first Fine Arts program. Twice a semester, all PCC students attend a formal event - usually a musical program or play. Tomorrow night we will hear Canadian Brass play. I'm really excited!

My first Campus Post blog entry was published today! You can see it at:

http://www.pensacolachristiancollegeblog.com/index.php/2013/10/04/a-new-adventure/

Have a good weekend, everyone!