Join the club.

You care what people think about you.

Don't give me crap and say that you don't. Because you're lying. If you were Pinocchio, your nose would be so long you'd be smelling the dirt without having to bend over. Get the picture? Duh.

You want people to think that you're beautiful, handsome, attractive, gorgeous, cute, funny, sweet, charismatic, intelligent, caring, kind, gentle, strong, brave, cool, insert another desirable adjective here. No one wakes up in the morning and gets ready for school because they want people to completely ignore their new shirt or how they did their hair. It just doesn't happen like that.

But know this: you rock.

Ladies (sorry guys...got nothing for y'all), if you ever let anyone, including yourself, feel empty or ugly or stupid, know that I want to smack you. You are stunningly gorgeous. Don't ever feel like you're not. You're wanted, you're needed. Don't have contained anger. Let it out. But do it alone and take it out on something inanimate. Write about it. Cry about it. Whatever works for you. Be alive. Feel your pulse if you have to. Go run around the block just to get your blood pumping. No child who is in Christ should ever feel like they have a void in their heart. Love how you are. Because no one can be you better.

How cornball am I?

Honestly.

Anyway, I noticed a change in myself today. I prayed before I left for school. I thought about what I read from Romans last night. And, amazing, I didn't slip into Evil Linley that gripped me on Wednesday and Thursday. God was fighting for me because I stepped aside and let him. I had a dagger to fight an army and it was not cutting it.

Let go of it. Set yourself free. You have the key to the prison cell but you're on the wrong side of the door; just slip it to the other side and God can unlock it.

You know that phrase "God will never give you more than you can handle"? I've heard it at least a million times. I read from Matt Hammit's blog (bowensheart.com) that he was reading this book (I forget the author--oops) and the author said that God will absolutely give us more than we can bear.

And you know what? This dude is right. Never have I had an experience that was rough and made it out of my own accord. Not once. I think that God breaks us so He can move us. 2 Corinthians 12:10 says it perfectly with the "For when I am weak, I am strong". We can only be at our strongest when we let God have everything.

Be angry and let it go. Be beautiful and love it. Be weak and be strong.

And, I assure you, I'm talking to myself more than anyone.