Confidence is kind of a big thing in high school (or at any point in life, honestly). Most of us lack it in some way; all of us hear that we need to have it. I'm not here to disagree with that- having confidence in yourself is a great thing. But the way in which confidence is often spoken about maybe isn't so great.
First of all: The key to confidence does not lie in how we feel about our appearance. We (girls, especially) are told all the time that we should like how we look and be confident with our bodies "because we're beautiful". And yes, liking how you look and feeling confident about that is awesome! But is that really the only reason we have to be confident? Is being able to suddenly decide, "Yes, I am beautiful" the secret to achieving confidence? Spoiler alert: It's not. Confidence has nothing to do with how pretty, smart, or "liked" we are/feel like we are. See, confidence doesn't lie in how we feel about our "worldly worth". Because none of that matters. How pretty you are/think you are doesn't matter. Your cleverness doesn't have anything to do with it. The number of followers you have on social media is irrelevant. None of it truly matters. I'm starting to think that that is where confidence starts: realizing that none of those things matter. Your worth doesn't lie there. Your worth lies in something much, much bigger. You want to know what does matter? The fact that you are chosen. The God who created Heaven and Earth, the mountains and the oceans, the galaxies, the planets, and literally everything else chose you. Not because you look nice, not because you know all sorts of facts, not because you have a lot of friends. Not because you deserved it. (You didn't; none of us did.) He chose to love you, not because of anything you are and regardless of anything you're not. I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty amazing. If you really spend some time thinking about it... it's hard to wrap your head around. It doesn't make sense. And yet, it is so. (Quick side note: I'm not saying that we should be confident because God chose us, and that must mean that we're pretty great, right? Because we're not that great. I'm saying that we can be confident in the knowledge of our God and the fact that He has chosen to love us in spite of all our imperfects and sins.) If you're having a hard time believing that and feeling confident, just remember all of the things that God says you are. Because He says that you are Unique (Psalm 239:13), Loved (Jeremiah 31:3), Strong (Psalm 18:35), Important (1 Peter 2:9), Forgiven (Psalm 103:12), Protected (Psalm 121:3), Empowered (Phillipians 4:13), Chosen (John 15:16). ___________________________________________________________ Thanks for reading, friend. Have a great day! xx, -Anna
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Hello, friends!
Writing two posts for you guys today (click here to read the book review I published earlier) due to the fact that I missed a post yesterday (ack) and haven't been very active in the blogging world lately (double ack). Anyways. I have some very good reasons, I promise. I thought I'd write a quick post and let you guys know what's been going on lately!
So there you have it... (some of) the things that have been taking so much of my time these past few weeks. Be sure to keep a look out for more Infiltration and "Wings" updates within the next couple of weeks! How is your Summer going? Thanks for reading, friend. Have a great day! xx, -Anna (P.S., here's the first look at the cover of Infiltration...) Hello, friends! A while ago I read The Gifting by K.E. Ganshert, which is the first book of the Gifting Trilogy. Since then I've read book #2, The Awakening, and I'm about to delve into book #3 (The Gathering). I really love this series and I can't wait to read book three. My mother and sister have read all three and they both really enjoyed them as well. This trilogy is an excellent read if you're like me are sick and tired of the usual blah that seems to make up a lot of Young Adult books these days. The books are set slightly in the future, and tell of a world that we may find ourselves living in sooner than we'd like to think. The book is written from the POV of a girl named Tess. Tess is able to see into the supernatural world... and in a world where no one believes that the supernatural exists, she's considered crazy. The story follows Tess as she tries to find answers and discover if there are others like her. It's fast-paced, enticing, and filled with relatable and well-written characters. It keeps you wanting to read more and more and more. (Not to mention: there's zero language and very little romance.) To put it simply, I'd definitely give the Gifting Series 5 out of 5 stars for upping the game of Young Adult novels and providing something new, unique, and interesting for teens to read. (If you'd like to find out more about the series via Goodreads, click here.) I hope you guys enjoyed this review.
Thanks for reading! (P.S. I know it's been forever since I've updated "Wings", but I decided to wait a bit longer. Things are a little crazy right now due to the fact that "Infiltration" comes out next Saturday. However, new "Wings" installments will be coming your way the first weekend in August. ) Have a great day! xx, -Anna Hello, friends! I don't know about you, but I've been an avid reader pretty much since I first learned how to read. (I pretended a lot before that.) I've definitely moved on to some older Young Adult/Adult books within the past four-or-so years, but there are a few books I read when I was younger that I still love and re-read. That being said, I decided to compile a list to share with you all- it doesn't matter how old you are; you'll probably enjoy at least a few of these. (Note: Some of these books are categorized for older elementary or middle school students, but they should all be appropriate for anyone of any age.) 1. The PenderwicksThe Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall currently consists of four books (The Penderwicks, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, and The Penderwicks in Spring). These are some of the sweetest, purest books you will ever read- I promise. The characters are unique and relatable and funny and lovable and the books are beautifully written and engaging. 2. Thimble SummerI really don't know what to say about Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright, other than the fact that it still puts me in a "summery mood" and that I laugh a lot (in a good way) whenever I pick it up to re-read a chapter. 3. The Saturdays (The Melendy Quartet)Another winner by Elizabeth Enright. These books (The Saturdays, The Four Story Mistake, Then There Were Five, and A Spiderweb for Two: A Melendy Maze) were always very comedic and relatable to me due to the fact that they're written about a large group of siblings (and I happen to have a large group of siblings...). This series is similar to "The Penderwicks" (not to say that they are at all the same) in a lot of good ways but definitely sets itself apart with the stories, characters, and themes throughout (not to mention: Elizabeth Enright... 'nuff said.) 4. Ella EnchantedElla Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine... where to start?! I'm pretty sure this was one of the books (if not the book) that really got me into the Fantasy genre. (If you're currently thinking about the movie, stop! I enjoyed the movie but it wasn't loyal to the book at all.) This book has a plot that will keep you reading for hours on end, characters that you'll fall in love with, comedy, tragedy, fantastical creatures, spells, curses... So many wonderful things are involved and again, this is a book that I still read and enjoy on an almost regular basis. 5. Gone-Away LakeGone-Away Lake (again, by Elizabeth Enright...) is filled with mini-adventures, funny characters, a bit of mystery, and life lessons. You'll want to check out the sequel (Return to Gone-Away) as well. 6. CatwingsCATWINGS OH MY GOODNESS. I adore this series so much. Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin, along with its sequels (Catwings Return, Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings, and Jane on Her Own) are (and always will be) some of my favorite books on this entire planet. I mean... they're freaking cats with wings. What more do you need out of a book? (Other than more pages... Each book has about fifty pages and is thinner than a magazine. Still, it's nice to have a sweet, short read sometimes.) These are some books that I really look forward to introducing my kids to someday... they're just so. flippin'. amazing. Read them, guys. Do yourself a huge favor. And there you have it... a few of my all-time favorites.
What are some of your favorite books from when you were younger?? Thanks for reading, guys! xx, -Anna Hello, friends! Sorry for being absent for the past week... I'm back now with a nice and long "end of the month" post. June was a busy month... a really busy month, but it was also incredible. So, without further ado, here's a bit about what went on this month... - Birthday -
- Creed Camp -
- Novel Progress -
- Reading -- Music -
- Random -
-Looking Ahead- Until about a week ago, I thought July was going to be a bit of a boring month (especially after June)... However, it looks like it's going to be almost as (if not equally) busy as June! My family is having a bunch of people over tomorrow to celebrate the 4th, and the day after that I'm going to a baseball game with some frensss. I'm also taking placement tests/enrolling in my local community college to start classes next month (August), so that's all very busy. July is my last month of freedom, ack. AND, at the very end of July, my family is going on vacation. Not to mention a lot of other busy but less interesting things. So yes... it's going to be another exciting month!
What was your favorite thing that happened in June? What are you looking forward to in July? Have a great day, friends. Happy Independence Day! xx, -Anna |