burning youth

cheers and waffles and hugs and bunches of confetti and definitely no happy tears (sike) for everyone on today because today we are all joining together to say that we are louder *intentionally leaving suspense about what that actually means so that you will visit the website and find out*. so incredibly proud of this group of beautiful humans and brave souls and honored to be a part of it. so, if the suspense is actually killing you now, head on over to the gem of website:

/ BURNING YOUTH /

"It's so easy to feel like you're alone with the voices inside of your head-- like you are the only one who hears their volume. Like you are the only one fighting them in the dark of the predawn. But actually we all hear the voices. We all lie awake at three AM sometimes, with a raging heart and sweaty palms--

We all hear them.

And yes, they are loud, but we?

We are louder.

We are BURNING YOUTH."

/ written by katie, one of our founders, future pulitzer prize winner, and 9x author of the year (I may or may not be a prophetess, don't ask)

so, go. go surround yourself with darkness fighters, broken souls who embrace the mess of you and me. go soak in the soul igniting words of humans who are stumbling together after the Light. and while you're at it, maybe grab some bagels, too. idk. let's do this, together.

team waffle | a tag

1. thank/link the person who tagged you.
2. answer the questions.
3. tag 5 people.
4. include your favorite waffle/pancake recipe. (optional!)

shout out to rachel for starting a full out war underneath my simple tweet of "I want waffles". head on over to her blog for a little run down of how this all actually got started. also thanks to dslfkj lskdfjdlkjf lskdfjldsk slkdfj for tagging me. ^-^

 

 

// ideal pancake or waffle in three words //

 light and not pancake. just kidding. i'd like to clarify that i eat both, but waffles are so blatantly superior in my mind that i had to participate. i have yet to eat a pancake that doesn't leave me feeling gross afterwards. < my life is basically a tragedy. or a tragicomedy because in the end i get waffles.

 

// if you could eat pancakes or waffles with anyone in the world, living or dead, fictional or real, who would it be // 

either c. s. lewis or julie andrews. tough stuff. refusing to let myself think about fictional characters because i won't be able to constrain myself. although i feel like dumbledore could really appreciate a good waffle.

// top three condiments to put on your pancakes or waffles //

wow. these are too difficult for me. recently was introduced to the idea of cream cheese on waffles (this basically like combining bagels and waffles and i almost started crying. my two favorite entities in the universe combined. wow.) and that was good. also cool whip and any berry. i've also heard fried chicken ??? on the bucket list to try.

 

// why pancakes or waffles are better than the other option //

*prepares master thesis presentation* waffles have special boxes to store syrup, butter, cream cheese, berries, etc. it basically makes you feel like you have an organized life. they are infinitely more aesthetically pleasing. you can hold them to eat on the go. much more difficult with pancakes. at least for me my waffle maker divides them up into quarters so if you don't want much then you can just take half or a quarter, or if you want more but are unwilling to commit to eating a whole one, you can just take a little bit. or take four different quarters and use different toppings for each. also their name is a WAFFLE. like are you kidding me just think about how great that word is. it just makes you want to eat one. 

// if you could make your pancakes or waffles into any shape or size how would you choose // 

a hand making a peace sign. who even knows why. oh or sunglasses. i would feel so cool.

//tags//

clara

madilyn

olivia

elisabeth

katie

how do i recipe i've only ever used like two different ones so i'm not even gonna put them on here but autumn and abbiee both had gorgeous waffle recipes so go find those. probably will end your life long search for happiness.

come at me bro // 2016

So little update on life before getting started on a few new years resolutions, which I usually don't do, but I'm feeling kind of motivated about this. I want to make some changes this year. For one thing, I applied for and have an interview for my first official job as a shelver at the local library. It's super cute ft open brick, downtown, and all the people are really sweet, so pls pray I get it. I also sprained my wrist ice skating yesterday which was sad cause I had to miss Star Wars afterwards but ok. So happy though cause we really thought it was broken and it was super swollen, but now I have a splint and it's ok. In other news I got a yoga mat and an eno and money for a mountain bike so maybe I'll actually do things this year hahahahahha. I slept in the eno a few days after christmas in the woods with cousins and bros because NC's 70 degree weather??? Also, got a teapot and waffle maker and have been drinking plenty of tea and eating plenty of waffles.

So there you go. 2015 was a great year. Actually a really great year. Maybe even my best yet. I finished my first semester of community college, got baptized, went on my first missions trip, got my permit, went on first road trip with sis to Florida to see baes, sister met her soulmate and got engaged (?!♥) and lots of other stuff. There were a lot of changes, renewal of old friendships, deepening of relationships, and lots of growth. So, now I feel really thankful and I can't handle it. I LOVE JESUS SO MUCH.

// a few minor resolutions //
>> do yoga daily + gym membership ???
>> put away social media on Sundays
>> put away all electronics at least an hour before bed
>> take 5 minutes to write my flow of thought at the beginning of each day for perspective + more journaling
>> dessert on the weekends only lol maybe
>> be more informed on current events + listen to or read the briefing by Albert Mohler daily
>> set strict sleep schedule (!!!)
>> cook dinner at least once a week 
>> stand up while doing school work
>> go outside daily even for short walk
>> prayer journal every single day + talk to God about my anxieties and doubts and fear don't be afraid to get real with the One who knows my every thought and loves me the same
>> write out schedule/to do list for next day the night before
>> set my mind on things above + shine brighter for Christ (there's this verse romans 13:12 and you should go look it up)

Okay. I think that's it (although I'll definitely think of a lot more things that I want to add later and may or may not edit the post to add). SO PLEASE TELL ME CAUSE I NEED INSPIRATION, do you have any resolutions?? Or do any of these sound like something you'd like to do?

ps. You all have been a fantastic part of my year. All of you are lovely inside and out and make the world a better place. ^-^ Every single one of your comments brightens my day. You guys make me feel good about writing and make me happy that I decided to stick with this old blogging idea. (esp last post I was so nervous posting and yalls comments just lkjaflkjdsl) So thank you all a million times and best wishes for the greatest year yet <3 <3

choose joy

DISCONTENT // I actually wrote my last post at one o'clock this morning after finishing my paper. I actually took this picture over a month ago. I didn't even do the farewell coffee date for the blogtember challenge that I'd been looking forward to since I started the challenge. It's been raining for like 7 days straight. I'm in the library study room. Again. I haven't done devotions today. I've told people I'll pray for them lately and haven't carried through as I should. I want tea. My alarm didn't go off this morning so I woke up late and couldn't shower and woke up irritable because I only had time for a half a bagel for breakfast and probably looked like death. I didn't have time to print out my paper so I was going to do it in class but then we switched classrooms so I had to go to the library and try to figure it out after class time had started and then I forgot my wallet so I had to go back to the classroom and get a quarter and borrow someone else's quarter and it took forever. My family is getting a cold again and I'm sick of being sick. And also a hurricane is on it's way so it's sure to rain consistently for at least another three days. Plus my face is breaking out. Oh and midterms are next week.

CONTENT // On the other side of things, I chose to stay up later than I had to after finishing my paper, just for self care purposes. And it was actually a really renewing time for me. I turned on a sleep playlist, wrote from my heart, pinned the good stuff, and talked a bit to my lovely blogger friend Evelyn. It felt good and I was happy. The coffee date thing is okay- that was the point of my doing the challenge- not to write every single day, but to be inspired to write more. And I did. I wrote 9 posts in September. I would never have made time for those posts without those prompts. I would have completely neglected you all with my ridiculous schedule, but the truth is when I prioritize and work hard, I can do a lot. Maybe not all, but a lot. Also, I like rain actually. And I love the library actually. And God's grace is sufficient for the many, many, countless times that I fail to keep him first. And I can have tea when I get home and it can be lovely if I make it so. The whole paper thing wasn't as bad as it sounds. I survived. Last week when I was sick I got over it in like two days. So I can chill about being sick. A hurricane provides the perfect opportunity for a destressing, family and Jesus filled weekend at home. I can recharge. And I can study, but I can manage my time and make it the best. About midterms- I'll be okay. And after that is fall break. And a weekend of movie nights, coffee shops, and picnics with friends, face-painting for kids, and the week after that a day trip to the mountains with the fam. Also I bought a cookie today, and we discovered a flawless coffee shop downtown. God is ridiculously good.

I spent all day thinking in discontent. Only when I sat down and wrote out this post did I realize how messed up that worldview was. I started this post not planning on having a paragraph on contentedness. Even when I started writing that second paragraph I was writing for the good of my readers- I didn't want you all to leave depressed! But I didn't realize that I needed it just as much as my readers. Probably more. That's part of why I love the blogging community so much. Sitting down and just starting to write some of these things out clears my thoughts so much. It provides accountability and community and turns my thoughts to Jesus.

Today I choose joy. 

What about YOU? What does your life look like when you evaluate it in these terms? What has the blogging community done for you? And what do you do to destress or relax? Any TV shows I should look into? I'll need some tips for this weekend rained in!

DAY 24 // five fave bloggers

YAY. I GET TO INTRODUCE SOME OF MY FAVORITE BLOGGER PEOPLE TO MY OTHER FAVORITE BLOGGER PEOPLE. These blogtember prompts just get me. This might be pretty hard actually. I'll shout out just a few of you wonderful people. Here we go. Oh, and sorry this so short. But if you spend all that extra time reading these beauties' blogs, then it'll make up for my lack of words, I promise. ;) Seriously. They're amazing.

Evelyn // The Raven + The Writer
Abbie // Abbiee
Sophia // Someplace in the Midst
Elisabeth // A Flyleaf
Abigail // Listless

They are all beautiful souls- go check them out and show them some love while you're at it! Who are some of your favorite bloggers?

3 kinds of friends i'm thankful for

from my party that i decided not to do a post on as it's been over a month. SORRY.

I just have a lot of feels. This might be a sentimental post guys. Sorry in advance.
Anyway, it's the last day of august and a lot of my people have been off to college for weeks. But this past weekend we all got together for the day and I just had too many feels today to not write this post even though I should be doing school, but anyway, let's get this started.
1// friends i can serve with
We woke up at 6:30, drove about an hour, and then served together for about 5 hours on a Saturday morning and it was the funnest Saturday morning I've had in a long time. By far. Granted by 1 o'clock our throats were coated in a layer of dust and our skin was scratched and bruised and we were covered in sweat and dirt and arms were sore from ripping up layers on layers of carpet, but it was just so rewarding and it made me unreasonably happy. 
2// friends i can do anything with
After serving, we crashed at one of our houses and almost fell asleep beside each other before the food was ready. We spent a ridiculous amount of time in the pool making whirlpools and shooting each other with water guns. We played basketball and tag on kids toys literally for hours. We ate popsicles, defied zip line speed limits, and shot each other with Star Wars Lego guns, sprawled out in the middle of the floor. We blasted music on the way home with the windows down waving at each other from the others cars and singing at the top of our lungs as the wind snatched our words away. We finally met at the church before all heading home and ended up staying talking and laughing far louder than acceptable, tears in our eyes, gasping for air, barefoot on the black asphalt as dusk fell slowly, too fast. I think we hugged each other goodbye 3 times when we knew we'd see each other the next morning.
3// friends i can be myself with
The ones you can sing the national anthem with, discuss favorite TV shows, and Tolkien theories with. The ones you can flop down on the couch with in an exhausted, comfortable silence. The ones who make ice breaker games okay. And the ones who make ripping up filthy carpet, prying at door trim, hauling old furniture, and killing several spiders in the process, the highlight of your week. the ones who end up becoming fam. *cue picture riding tricycles and scooters*

Anyway, what kind of friends are you guys thankful for? Or what kinds do you wish you had? And what kind do you want to be? On another note, trying to keep up to schedule on my posts- this school year has me thrown for a loop. Any tips? OH AND PS 50TH POST RIGHT HERE 🎉🎉🎉

community /

Okay, so I'm going to try to make this as short and to the point as possible, because it's already late and I want to go to bed. I just want to get some feels out of my system.

Last week I went on a week long local missions trip with my church. I was not incredible optimistic. I looked at the list of people going and how much I would be required to go out of my comfort zone and I was prideful and stubborn. I refused to trust in God and his promises and hand my worries over to him.

But then the missions trip started. And we worked for hours straight in 100 degree weather in the mud and the humidity and we went out to the mall and talked to strangers about our Savior and we were hot and sweaty and gross and exhausted. And we were happy. Because we got to work hard with our hands and serve with our hearts and strive to pour love into these lost people, and these kids with such broken lives. 

And then we slept at the church. And we played hide and seek with all the lights turned out. We played round robin for hours, and we cheered, and we yelled. We sang at the top of our lungs and pounded the beat on the top of the van. We laughed, and we cheered, and we sang, and we prayed. And every night the bonds grew a little closer, and we loved a little stronger. 

And now the week's over. And I miss them all so much. And now that it's over- it's only now that I realize how starved I was for that fellowship. That sense of community that you can only get from being with God's people. I was lonely, but I was too blind to even admit it. But God filled those empty places in a way that I couldn't understand and- guys, God is just so good. I find myself almost subconsciously looking forward to when I can see my people again. Because they are my people. God's people are my people; they're my brothers and sisters, and God taught me that in a new, firsthand way last week. 

So, all that being said, if you're a Christian and you find yourself left searching for that sense of community, take a chance. Reach out to those people around you on a deeper, more meaningful level. I mean, really think about it, what are you waiting for? College? Someone to reach out to you? You be that person; be the friend that you want in someone else. And if you don't go to a solid church somewhere- Christians were meant to be in God's house and with his people. If there's any way for you to get involved, church is, at least should be, the safest place you can be.

But, in the end, where flawed people fail you- remember your Savior. Remember who you're best, most faithful, and never failing friend is: Jesus. He will truly never leave you or forsake you. "for behold I am with you always- even to the end of the age."