breaks my heart

{ shirt/belt/necklace/bangles: F21; sweater: Gap; watch: Nordstrom }

The more time I spend around teen girls {both high school and college girls}, the more I realize that body image, beauty, and self-esteem are at the core of most of their insecurities.  

A few weeks ago at girls group we had girls take an anonymous poll on 20 personal questions. One of the questions was, "Do you ever doubt that you're beautiful?" Out of the 60+ girls there that Tuesday night, every single girl said, "Yes." Woah. Every single college girl at younglife said that they doubted that they were beautiful. Not one responded with a "no". The more I listen to high school girls talk about their problems, the more I realize that they are centered around how boys make them feel, which boys are giving them attention, and their own personal comments about their bodies. Where are all of these lies coming from? Why do so many girls look to men to give them worth? Why do so many girls believe that they are only beautiful if they're a size 0? It breaks my heart. Not only because I truly believe that each girl is beautiful, and uniquely designed for a purpose, but I have also fell under the trap at times of believing that I'm not skinny enough, I'm not pretty enough, blah blah blah. I will never be a size 0, I don't think I ever was a size 0 to be completely honest, and I'm learning to embrace and accept that. God gave me an athletic build; I have some of the strongest thighs you'll ever see, and they have served me well through years of soccer, basketball, and running. If I could, I would have told myself years ago that size doesn't matter, who you are is what makes you beautiful, and no boy should ever dictate how you feel about yourself. 

I wanted to talk about this, because the Lord has put so many young women in my life, and continues to have me pursue ministry that deals with young women. As my years in college begin winding down, I'm realizing that the Lord has given me such a heart for women {especially high school/college aged girls}. My heart breaks thinking about any of them believing the lies that this world tells us about beauty. Why can't women believe that they're beautiful the way they are? The way God made them?

One of my favorite verses is in Song of Solomon 4:7

"You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you."

Jonny Diaz wrote a song about true beauty that I posted about a year ago on my blog. I love reading the lyrics, and meditating on the truths that are poured out on each line. They are so true, and every girl needs to hear them, no matter how old they are.

{Here are the lyrics to Jonny Diaz's "More Beautiful You"}

{To view the music video click here}

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn't straight her body isn't fake
And she's always felt overweight

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are


There could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty-one the things that you've already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you've got a man but he's got another plan
Only wants what you will do instead

Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there's a man whose love is true
And he'll treat you like the jewel you are

So turn around you're not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It's not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away
By the one who's strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light He will show you truth
And again you'll see through the eyes of a little girl

I pray that the girls around me won't fall captive to the lies that this world tells us about beauty. I pray that every girl is encouraged, and knows that they are beautiful.

I challenge everyone to write down 10 things that make them uniquely beautiful {I'm going to do it to! I'll share with you my answers on Friday}... I would love for you to share one or all ten things that makes you beautiful. I know it's a little uncomfortable, but it's good to acknowledge what makes you, you. It doesn't just have to be appearance, I'm talkin' personality, abilities, talents, etc. So... What makes you beautiful?

if i look tired, it's probably because i am.

{ shirt: Gap; bag: Old Navy; necklace: gift; blazer/shoes: Target; trousers: Loft; bracelets: F21 }

You know me, Mrs. Procrastination.

This past weekend was full of late nights, overnighters, meetings, get togethers, and too much sugar. It's my own fault I didn't spend anytime working on homework or preparing for this week.

I'm one of those people who needs a full 8 hours of sleep... or else. You don't want to mess with a tired Molly, it isn't pretty. Last night, I didn't get those 8 hours of sleep, because I procrastinated. I stayed up way too late, trying to finish all of my homework, and I didn't end up going to bed until 12:30. That probably doesn't seem very late to most college students, but I'm an old woman. I need my sleep. I worship my sleep. Sleep is very valuable to me these days.

 I'm realizing that in this season, I won't be getting many 8 hour nights of sleep, and I'll have a lot of procrastination moments. It's just the season I'm in. Throughout life, I know I'll have chaotic seasons and slow-moving seasons. No matter what season I'm in, I know where to find my rest. It doesn't matter how many hours of sleep I get {or don't get for that matter}. What matters is where I find my rest.

Jesus promises us rest in Him. He promises to take our burdens, and give us rest, no matter our circumstances. For me, that is such a relief, such a weight lifted off of my shoulders, such a comfort.

Jesus says:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." {Matthew 11: 28-31}


Even in my procrastination, even in my late nights, even in my busy schedule, even when I have puffy eyes, the Lord wants to bless me with rest. He wants to bless you with rest too, so let Him :]

weekend snaps

Finding inspiration for spring.

Loving this necklace that was a gift from my dear friend, Mel, paired with this emerald blouse I recently got on clearance at Old Navy. I've been loving Old Navy these days.

Just some cutie-patootie girls eating taco soup at the younglife overnighter.

Oh, you know, just $20 worth of bulk candy for the overnighter. 

All the girlies sound asleep... Don't kill me for posting this picture.

My really handsome hubby in his "grown-up" cardigan {he refers to the clothes that I buy for him as his "grown-up" clothes}. I found this cardigan for $6 at the Gap! Yeah, baby. Love me a good bargain.

The Chick Chat team {minus Bex and Jessie}! The site is almost up and running!

A bowl full of chicks at the Chick Chat meeting. How appropriate and cute!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

unfortunate and fortunate

{ sweater: Gap; tights/shoes/belt: Target; necklace/bracelets: F21; dress/glasses: Nordstrom; bag: Old Navy }

unfortunate

 -The panic feeling of your birth control pills not coming in the mail on time. Yes, they finally came.... A week and a half late.

-Having a surprise observation this week. Let's just say, I was surprised! I would be just fine if I never had a surprise observation again.

-Only having dinner with Brad one night this week... Thanks Chipotle for the romantic meal, that guacamole breath gets me every time.

-It's the end of week 7... which means my procrastination abilities are being used a little too much. I guess it serves me right. I shouldn't wait to do all of my online assignments a few hours before they're due. My bad.

-Brad hates these glasses. That's definitely unfortunate, because I love them. 

-When I'm trying to be cool and funny in front of my high schoolers, and I attempt to mark a sarcastic comment. I'm the only one who laughs... My students are silent. Silent. At least pretend to laugh, people!

fortunate

-Making students wear the 20 pound "empathy belly" around the high school. This belly is the best birth control out there. 

-Hosting the college younglife overnighter at my house tonight! I can't tell you how excited I am to paint my nails and have girl talk.

-Costcos Jalapeno Greek Yogurt dip. You guys, this stuff rocks! I've been dipping veggies, chips, and mixing it with tuna. It's my new favorite food discovery. It's SO good.

-Writing love notes back and forth on the same sheet of paper with hubby. We have a pad of paper on our kitchen counter, and we have an on-going conversation as we run to and from places. I would share it... Except it's top secret.

-This purse. I got it for $9.00 at Old Navy. Go, Old Navy.

-Coffee with Kelley on Wednesday. I haven't laughed at hard at a morning coffee date in along time. I'm convinced we're the most obnoxious, strangest pair when we're out for coffee. Kell, why are you so funny?

-Going to bed at 10:00 pm. Yes, I've been going to bed at 10:00 pm lately. I'm realizing how much I love sleep.

-Last night Brad and I had a cleaning party to prepare for the girls overnighter. It was strictly "Tom Cruise in Risky Business" themed. I haven't had that much fun sliding around on freshly mopped floors in a long time... Brad sure makes for a hot Tom Cruise.

-Getting cute picture text messages of my new nephew, Wallace! Let me tell you, there's nothing like waking up to a chubby little man when you wake up. I can't wait to go see him in a few weeks!

-For spring break, we're road tripping to Utah! I'm so excited to visit Brad's family, CenterPoint Church, and other major landmarks along the way. We've been praying about this trip for a while, and we're so exciting to go!

What are your unfortunates and fortunates this week?

carnitas

dear chipotle carnitas bowl,

thank you for being my gluten-free go-to meal these past few weeks. you have no idea how thankful i am for an always guaranteed gluten-fee, inexpensive, quick meal. week after week, you never let me down. thanks for always being fresh, and thanks for tasting so great with guacamole and chips. i forgive you for charging me an extra $1.00 for guac, only because you taste so good. i'm sure we'll continue to be great friends until graduation in june. i feel somewhat bad that i've neglected my own cooking [hubs isn't], but i sorta miss cooking every night. the transition back to home-cooked meals won't be an easy one when that day comes. so, until then, i don't plan on branching out much. i'm content with my carnitas bowl with extra veggies, guac, and chips.

love,

your favorite weekly customers

central oregon part II

I already wanna go back to central oregon. I would love to sit in Sisters Coffee Company all day and drink coffee out of their monster mugs. When are we going back again? I can't even put into words how darling the town of Sisters is. These pictures don't come close to giving it justice. You feel like you're walking around on a western movie set. It even smells like campfire. It's wonderful. 

Thanks again Sisters for letting me spend some quality time with my family. I enjoyed going to bed at 10:00 and sleeping in until 8:00. I would love to do that every weekend. I would also love if every weekend was a 3 day weekend. 

Until next time, central oregon.

central oregon part I

For President's Day weekend, my family piled into the car and drove to Central Oregon to go snow-shoeing. My family is not much of a "snow" family {except for Jason, he's quite the snow bunny}, so this was an exciting adventure for the Nelson family. We, of course, got lost while snow shoeing, making it even more of an adventure. Luckily, Brad's an Eagle Scout, so if we would have really gotten lost, he could have built us a snow cave for the night {glad that didn't happen}. We ran into some cross-country skiers who were nice enough to show us back to the lodge. I'm sure they we're thinking... dumb snow shoers. And they were probably right, we should have been paying attention as to where we were snow shoeing away. Now that we're no longer newbies, Brad and I plan on going again. It was a great workout {I'm still sore, and we went on Saturday}. 

We drove to Sisters after we went snow shoeing, and stayed the next two nights in a cute little house.

I seriously can't believe how sore I still am. That's what 6 miles in the snow will do to ya.

unfortunate and fortunate

{ sweater: H&M; dress/boots/belt: Target; necklace/clutch: Nordstrom; bracelets: F21 }

unfortunate

-All of this valentines candy is counter-acting my working out... and then some. Can someone please come over and eat all of my chocolate so I'll stop?

-This weather. I'm okay with the rain, but the wind... The wind can go away.

-One of my students sang me a song he wrote for his ex-girlfriend. It would have been a fortunate event, since it was really entertaining, however... he chose to sing me the song in the hall with all of the math classes. I had about five math teachers pop their head out to see what in the world was going on. I'm sure they thought he was singing this... "I hate your guts, I never wanna see you again because you ripped my heart out..." song to me. Awkward. SO awkward.

-Seriously, these ants are driving me CRAZY. I would really love it if the ant killer would work.

-Looking like I could pass as a high school student. I always see teachers checking for my badge. "Don't worry teachers, I can be wandering the halls... I'm not a student. Thanks for checking me up and down for a badge though."

-Realizing that most of my students are cooler than me in the world of technology. I can't tell you how many of my students have iPhones. It's ridiculous. Why do they need iPhones? Oh, and laptops! Since when do high schoolers carry around laptops? It just doesn't seem right.

fortunate

-I finished my unit on Wednesday!!! Whoop whoop! Party at the Kidd house!

-Valentine's day... All I can say is that I have the best husband. That's all :]

-Going out to dinner for my mother-in-laws birthday. I love birthdays.

-Wearing all sorts of bright colors. I love that color-blocking is in.

-Running for 30 minutes straight on the treadmill. Booyah! Look whose back!

-The Office and Up All Night. Seriously? Why are those shows so funny. Brad and I pee our pants every time we watch. I would love to spend a day with Christina Applegate. I think she's so great.

-Going through the Java Crew drive-through and having the girls have my drink ready before I even roll down the window. They are so fabulous. They always give me the perfect combo of steamed creamer and coffee. I am so thankful for those girls! It's the little things... right? :]

-Having a student stay after school to confide in me about some things going on in her personal life. This is why I love teaching. I love being a mentor and a resource for teenage girls!

-Heading over the mountain to spend the weekend with my family in Sisters! I cannot wait. All I wanna do is play in the snow. It's gonna be great.

-AND, it's another 3-day weekend. Yessssssss.

What are your unfortunate and fortunate events this week?

you, my dear, are no accident

You are not an accident.

Your birth was no mistake.

Your life is no fluke of nature.

Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God.

He thought of you first.

It is not fate, nor chance, nor luck, nor coincidence that you are breathing at this very moment.

God prescribed every detail of your body.

Your body is not ugly, your body is beautiful.

He custom-made you just the way He wanted to.

God determined the natural talents you would possess and the uniqueness of your personality.

"You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something." {Psalm 139:15 msg}

Because God made you for a reason, he also decided when you would be born and how long you would live.

He planned the days of your life in advance.

Nothing in your life is arbitrary. It's all for a purpose.

God had a plan in creating you. 

He makes no mistakes.

God made you the focus of his love and the most valuable of all his creation.

"God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made."{James 1:18}

"I have carried you since you were born; I have taken care of you from your birth.  Even when you are old, I will be the same.  Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take car of you. I made you and will take care of you."{Isaiah 46:3-4}

God made you for a reason.

Your life has profound meaning and purpose.

"The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us." {Romans 12:3 msg}

God doesn't create accidents.

You are not an accident.

You are unique.

There is no one else like you.

Not one.

Embrace every part of who you are.

Don't strive to be someone you're not.

Don't wish you were someone else.

Everyone else is taken.

Be you.

God has a plan for your life, that only you can fulfill.

{Bits and pieces of that I took from Purpose Driven Life, pages 22-26}.