Transitions

The world is currently all a buzz about Miley Cyrus and the choices she is making right now.  Miley is attempting to ditch her girl-next-door, sweet reputation and make people take her as a serious adult musician.  People are having a hard time accepting the new Miley. 

Miley made her way into many hearts by being a nice daddy girl who just wanted to be normal.  I don't know about you, but I find nothing normal about licking a dirty sledge hammer!  As of late, Miley seems more concerned with showing her body, then being sweet.

I get it, she wants to transition out of teenager into adult.  She wants to continue to make music, but to appeal to other generations, not just screaming girls.  As we grow older, we have to find a way to transition ourselves into the next chapter of our lives.  Luckily, most of us do not have to do it in the public eye, but we all have transitions.

Change can be difficult for some people.  We all go through change.  We change school buildings, move away for college, start an adult life, those are all changes and transitions we must handle.  God knows that we will go through changes.  He tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."

The bible verse continues on to list all the things:
"a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."

Those are a lot of different changes that can happen and God says there will be a time for all of them! 

So as you are going through different transitions in your life, I hope that you take them more gracefully than Miley Cyrus, and I hope you understand that now is the time for this transition and soon it will be time for another transition.  If you need help with your transitions, please never hesitate to ask for help.  God Bless.

~Dueces Jennifer

Somebody Cares...

I was thinking back to my high school years the other day, and was remembering how much I felt like an outcast.  I didn't feel as if I was accepted by my peers, I always seemed to be crushing on the guys who had no interest in me.  I look back and realize how alone I felt.  It didn't help that I was not athletic, and I really was not thin.  I feel as if I was a social outcast.  People only tolerated me, because murder is illegal.

Now, I know you think that I am going to extreme there, but really I felt like everyone hated me.  I tried so hard to be liked that I even did my classmates homework. (Yes I know that I shouldn't have, but hey at least they were talking to me then!)

I was not involved in a church youth group.  I didn't really belong to any clubs.  I was a cheerleader, but that was so I wouldn't have to take PE.  I was really into theater, but theater in my little high school is nothing like theater is here in Fremont.  If I was going to be honest, I don't know that anyone I went to high school with was quite as excited about theater as I was.  The only time I really saw the people I went to school with, was as school.  I didn't engage in social functions very often, and when I did I felt very out of place.

I look back to this time, and I feel blessed that I made it out alive!  Seriously, I didn't take to cutting myself, I wasn't classified emo.  I was just there, and I felt like nobody cared.

Now that I am older, I realize that that assumption was wrong.  I had great teachers, and a few friends.  Somebody other than my family did care.  I also realize that even though I had no relationship with God, he cared! 

John 3:16 tells us that "for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son."  I am a parent now, and I don't know that I love someone enough to give up my child!  That is a crazy amount of love!  God was there when I was in high school feeling lonely.  He was loving me, even though I wasn't even acknowledging he was there. 

There are teenagers out there who feel like no one understands, no one cares, and that they are alone.  These people need to understand first of all, God is there!  Secondly, there is someone who cares: YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND THAT PERSON!  The person who cares is not necessarily going to be wearing a sign that says: "Hey!  I care about you!"  There are always youth group leaders, teachers, coaches, parents, friends, or other adults that care. 

I urge everyone to make sure they know who cares so that, when needed, you can reach out and get help with anything when needed.  Whether it be to just hang out, or to talk; find that person. People need people, believe someone cares!

Dueces!  ~Jennifer