Today, we went to the mall in search for strangers to greet.  Ali and I ended up saying hello to twenty people each, which means that we greeted forty people!  It was surprisingly awkward and difficult to come out of our shells and speak to someone we didn't know.  Most people seemed to be taken aback or even uncomfortable... with a mere "hi!"  Several times, my target would look me up and down and walk away without even saying hi in return. 

It saddened me that our nation has become so turned off to friendliness that even a mere greeting is taken as offensive or startling.  I plan to make it a habit to greet strangers more often.  This stiffness needs to end.

Me: So Ali, what did you learn from today?

Ali: It was just kind of different.  People aren't used to others saying hi to them, and so sometimes we'd get strange looks, and other times, I would wonder whether someone heard me or not or if they just ignored me!  A few times we got "hi"'s back, but most of the time, people just smiled and walked away.  It makes me want to change that, and I want to start saying hi to strangers more often and be more friendly.  I mean, I consider myself a friendly person already, but this showed me the opposite!

Me: So how do you plan on changing this? 

Ali: I plan on smiling and saying hi to people more often and caring for strangers, just by saying hi.

We learned a lot from merely saying hi to strangers.  What were your experiences from today?

Today's challenge was easy.  My best friend, Ali, will also be participating in this thirty day challenge. 

We went to a gas station in a poorer side of town, determined to find people to smile at and show kindness.  I turned around and smiled at the lady behind me in line.  She was thin, wrinkled, and wearing worn clothes.  She seemed stressed out to purchase even her Coke.  When I smiled at her, she looked up at me with weary blue eyes and seemed to hesitate, as if she was unused to friendliness of any kind.  While the lady seemed taken aback by my bright smile, she didn't seem to mind.  I wonder if my friendliness made her day.

Ali: "I smiled at the cashier. She looked like she was having a bad day, so I thought I'd brighten her day, and it brightened mine."

Me: "Could you tell if she seemed happier after you smiled at her?"

Ali: "Mmm-hmm!"

What is your story for today?  I would love to see a picture of your beautiful, genuine smile.  Tell me about today's challenge.  Did you make someone's day?  Did your target smile back at you?  Did they ignore you?  Who did you choose to bestow upon your smile?

Stay tuned to read about tomorrow's challenge!

Day 30: A motto or philosophy

A philosophy of mine is something I took from the Bible verse James 1:27.

Does this not put your original perceptions of religion and Christianity and faith to shame?  What does God see as pure and faultless?  Helping the women and children who are in need.
 

Day 29: Hopes, dreams, and plans you have for the next 365 days

While I do want to leave my future open for God to mold and control, I do have plans that I would love to see fulfilled if He wants them to be fulfilled.

1.) I want to graduate high school this year (obviously) with all A's. 
2.) I want to go to an amazing university that is the perfect fit for me and what I want to study.
3.) I want to publish my novel, Before You.
4.) I want to travel to Kenya, Africa again and reunite with old friends.
5.) I want to make new friends in new places, everywhere I go.
6.) I want to keep my old friends from where I live after I go to college.
7.) I want to discover what career God wants me to pursue that both makes me happy and glorifies Him.
8.) I want to have hope and joy, no matter what happens to me or to those I love.
9.) I want to leave a legacy in my high school... a good kind of legacy for Jesus.
10.) I want to share God's Word with as many people as I possibly can.
11.) I want to continue to grow in my relationship with Jesus and learn to be a shining light for Him through every action that I make and word that I speak.

What are your dreams for the next year?

Day 28: A scar you have and its story

People most frequently ask about a little hole in my leg.  It's a small dip in the skin.  It looks like a hole from far away, but it doesn't go very deep.  It's from a spider bite.  We often like to assume that it's from a brown recluse because a big hole at the time formed in my leg, although it wasn't as bad as some of the horror stories I've heard with brown recluses.

Anyways, I was about ten at the time I got this scar.  It was very painful when I first had the bite and the real hole.  I could hardly put weight on my leg for a few days.  It hurt.  Ever since I got this scar, I've been terrified of spiders.

But I don't mind the funny story I now can tell because of the scar
 

Day 27: A physical feature you love

I have to say that I love eyes.  Eyes are beautiful.  I love my own eyes and I love the eyes of other people. 

Bright blue eyes fascinate me, but so do eyes that are a shade of gold... a true hazel. 

I call my eyes hazel, but they're really a kind of rainbow.

Day 26: A childhood memory

I have a memory of attending a church service with my family when I was approximately six years old.  A man from World Vision came and talked about the children living in poverty around the world and how to sponsor children.  This was one of the first times I distinctly remember feeling stricken with empathy for the children who live in third world countries. 

As we left the sanctuary that day and I was sent to Sunday School, I pleaded and pleaded with my mother to allow our family to sponsor a child.  At first, she told me no -at least not for a while, until our family discussed the idea- but I didn't want to leave the church until she sponsored a child.

We decided to sponsor a little girl from India named Bornali Deka.  She was my age.  We've sponsored her ever since. 

This month, Bornali will be turning eighteen and the sponsorship will end.  It's very sad for me, because this is the little girl who I have written letters to, received pictures of, and watched grow up over the last twelve years.

We now sponsor three other children: Lavin, David, and Sanya, all from Kenya, Africa, and all children I have met before. 

I enjoy looking back on distinctive memories like the one of me begging my mom to sponsor a child, because I can see that even then, God had a plan for me to work with underprivileged and needy children.  He has always known my heart, even when I have not.

If you are reading this right now and you feel impacted by this story or by the photograph of Bornali Deka, feel free to go to the World Vision or Christian Relief Fund websites and choose a child to sponsor.  You cannot truly grasp the impact that you will make on the lives of these children until you see the change for yourself.
 

Day 25: A recipe

Today is a bit of a difficult task for me because I don't cook.  I mean, I honestly can't.  God has not blessed me with natural skills in the kitchen.  I plan to make a bunch of salads and turkey sandwiches once I enter college.

So today's recipe will be something simple and easy for everyone to make: Milk Toast.

"What's that?" you ask.  Oh, it's heaven.  It's breakfast.  It's milk.  And it's toast.

Here are your ingredients-
- Bread (however many slices you need to fill your tummy)
- Milk (Around a cup-full)
- Cinnamon Sugar (If you don't have any, make some!  A few spoon-fulls should work)
- Butter

First, take the bread and toast it.  After you've toasted the bread, get a butter knife and spread the butter over the slices of \bread.  Easy, right?  Next you need to warm up your milk over a stove or in the microwave until it is warm or even steaming hot.  I usually microwave the milk for about two minutes.  While your milk is warming, stack your toast into a bowl and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of each slice.  When your milk is finished warming up, pour it in the bowl over the toast.

I know it may sound disgusting, but it is very good.  Yummy. :)

So that is basically the only thing I know how to make. 

Day 24: A movie no one would expect you to love

This was a difficult one.  I tend to be fairly predictable with all of my movie choices.  I like action, some scary, suspense... not many romance or chick flicks. 

One movie that sticks out to me is The Truman Show, starring Jim Carrey.  It came out in 1998, but I watched it for the first time this summer.  I watched it three times in two days.  I loved it. 

A synopsis of the film I took off of imdb.com:
In this movie, Truman is a man whose life is a fake one.  The place he lives is in fact a big studio with hidden cameras everywhere, and all his friends and people around him are actors who play their roles in the most popular TV series in the world: The Truman Show.  Truman thinks that he is an ordinary man with an ordinary life, and has no idea about how he is exploited, until one day... he finds out everything.

When I say that The Truman Show is one of my favorite movies of all times, people often scrunch up their faces, a little confused.  It's an old movie.  Why do I love it so much?

The concept fascinates me.  Imagine if you'd grown up your entire life in a world that consisted of a dome, with people who were being paid to like you.  What a horrifying, fascinating, life-shattering idea.  And I loved the way they portrayed this thought in The Truman Show.

This is a movie that I would recommend to anyone. 

(Note: this actually took place last week.)

Today was Nerds Day Thursday.  This is the day I've been waiting for all week.  I spent hours in thrift stores over the weekend picking out the perfect clothes.  I have an extra-large (when I should be wearing a small) collared red shirt, giant polka dot shorts, a bun, big glasses, and hi-top Chucks (I didn't have better shoes, sadly).  But I'll tell you now, I most definitely passed as a nerd.  Yikes! 

My brother and sister also dressed up for nerd day.  Amy wore a shirt that said, "Sometimes I pee when I laugh", high shorts, light up shoes, and pigtails.  Luke... he just blows us all away.  He's such a natural nerd. :) 

As soon as we got to school, it was immediately noticeable how many people were dressing up for today.  A woman was walking by our campus while several of us were walking from the parking lot to the school.  She did a double take and burst into loud laughter.  I'm sure we made her entire day.  It was so much fun.

Nearly everyone dressed up, bringing nerdy gadgets, parting their hair in the middle, wearing high pigtails, high shorts, tall socks, pocket protectors, big glasses, bow ties, suspenders... basically every "nerd" stereotype was fulfilled at my high school.  A couple people even showed up as giant boxes of Nerds.  Get it?

At lunch, a group of friends and I got together and went to the mall to eat.  A couple of soldiers dressed in army fatigues started laughing, pointing, and waving at us when we walked by.  Many people made comments about how we looked.  The most noticeable nerds in our group would have to be Zeek and Rebekah, but we all looked pretty crazy.  We were sure to stay in character during the entire meal.

As we drove back to the school after lunch, we all enjoyed blasting rap music from the speakers, rolling down the car windows, and nodding at gangsters as we drove by.

I love Spirit Week.    

Day 23: A way in which you want to be remembered

I want to be remembered for my compassion.  I have always felt a sense of compassion for people: for the poor, for the hungry, for the unloved, for the forgotten. 

I feel compassion for the kids who are unloved and neglected by their own parents.

I feel compassion for the people who go to bed hungry each night because they have no food.

I feel compassion for those who have never heard the Name of Jesus Christ.

I feel compassion for the children who die each year, forgotten and invisible: the aborted.

I feel compassion for the women who believe that they are not good enough to succeed.

I feel compassion for the weak. 

I believe that God has naturally gifted each person's personality with something that helps them to relate to or help others.  Perhaps you feel a great sense of generosity.  Perhaps you are perceptive of emotions.  Perhaps you are very forgiving.  Perhaps you are a generally happy person, even when things are difficult.  Perhaps you have an underlying sense of hope in everything that you do.

I feel compassion for so many, but I want to be remembered for what I do about it in Christ's Name. 
 

Day 22: A website you like

A website that I love is www.inkpop.com.

This is a website where you can post books, short stories, essays, or poetry that you have written and allow others to read, critique, and "pick" your writing.  There is a forum and a friendly community.  Nearly everyone I've come across on this site is kind and eager to help me improve my writing.

You can read my posted project, a novel called Before You, at this link.

If you're a writer like me, I'd definitely recommend that you become a member of inkpop.  It's a fun and addicting experience.

(Notice: This actually took place last week.)

Today was Cops and Robbers Day.  The Sophomore and Senior classes were the robbers.  The Freshman and Junior classes were the cops.  I felt kinda bad for the cops, because how can you really dress up like a cop?  If you're a robber, just throw on some black and a ski mask and you've got a costume.  Plus, being the robber is way more fun, in my opinion.

The day was spent trying my hardest to act like a gangsta, which is very hard when you're a 5'1 white girl who attends a private Christian school.  Being thuggish just doesn't work.  I would try to have a thug accent or a tough guy face, but I couldn't help but smile and laugh and sound silly.

I wore a pair of $1.50 black baggy sweat pants I purchased from a thrift store, red polka dot boxers showing up top, a big black hoodie that said "White and Nerdy", like the song (my dad's), and a black beanie I got from Wal-Mart.  I wear a lot of black t-shirts, but I'm not sure if I've ever worn all black before.  A new experience for me.

I'll admit any day that my private school doesn't have any true gangsters. 

The best-looking robber/gangster was my friend Zeek, who happens to be one of the two African American teens at my high school.  He pulled off his look quite well, if you ask me!

For lunch, my friends and I decided to visit a happy deli, a usual lunch destination for us all.  We were giggling as we thought of all of the reactions we would get.  We were very careful not to be loud, obnoxious, or disruptive when we went out to eat.  We figured we would act like our normal, positively received selves, and see how people responded to the gangster versions of us.

As soon as we entered the front door, every eye in the room locked on us and every single smile faded completely.  Mothers grabbed their kids, grandparents shook their heads disapprovingly... it was awful.  It literally wiped the grins off of our faces.  We weren't considered funny.  The cashiers wouldn't smile at us, even though we acted as 'sweet' and bubbly as we always do.  A couple of ladies bumped into me and a friend, opened their mouth to smile and apologize, and then clamped their mouth shut, turned, and walked away without a word.

To be honest, I was affected by this.  My friend Rebekah shook her head as we left the restaurant, saying, "People are so judgmental.  I never realized that."  We may say that we don't judge people by appearances, but we do.  We honestly do.  From now on, I will not look at appearances as much as I do.  If someone dresses scary, maybe they're just in costume for Spirit Week.

Maybe a genuine smile is all it takes to brighten someone's entire outlook on their day.

Day 21: Something that you do differently than most people

I am very organized in some ways, but I'm horribly organized in others.  I'm organized in the little things.  For example, I have a "writing board" where I keep a pregnancy chart, calendar, names, and etc. for the novel I've written, Before You. 

Another example, I write everything I do down in a planner for school.

I color code all of my shirts by ROY G. BIV. 

I have a lot of books, and I alphabetize them by author's last name.  It helps me find everything and makes me feel more comfortable when I relax in my bedroom. 

My friends often tease me because I'm so organized in small, silly ways, but I feel tense and nervous when I'm not organized.  So I suppose being organized in the small ways helps me to feel relaxed, comfortable, and happy. :)
 

Last week was Spirit Week at my school.  Spirit Week is the week of the Homecoming game, and everyone dresses up for a certain theme each day.  For fun, I thought I would look back on the fun memories and pictures. 

Monday was....... Movie Day.  Obviously, we had to dress up as a character of a movie... or a movie star of some sort.  You get the idea.

For Movie Monday, I chose a spy theme.  I based my look somewhat off of Carmen Sandiego.  You know, the old games from back in the day: Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego?  Yeah.  That was me.  I was also compared to a spy from Mission Impossible, Sandra Bullock in The Proposal, Anne Hathoway, and a general movie star.

I wore a red satin trench coat I borrowed from a friend, big sunglasses, skinny jeans (but not too skinny, for you modest girls), and two inch heels (woo, I'm such a rebel).  Silver eye makeup and some bright lipstick topped off the look.  I kept my hair long and straight, but extra silky.  I'm not much of a red silk, heels, skinny jeans kind of person, so it was fun to look more "flirtatious" than I usually would, if you know what I mean. 

When I went out, I definitely was hit on by some guys.  A cashier at Subway called me beautiful.  A lot of guys held the door open for me that day.  Monday was a ton of fun.

I saw some other awesome costumes.  Some of the coolest were a giant cardboard notebook: The Notebook... and someone dressed up as the house from Up, balloons and all.  Some of my good friends dressed up as Bob the Builder, Lucille Ball, Pocahontas, and Anne of Greene Gables. 

A friend of mine was a Minion from Despicable Me.

Another friend was the Matrix.

 

Day 20: A food you like and a food you dislike

A food that I like that you might not expect is garbanzo beans.  Whenever I go to a salad buffet, I always look to see if they have garbanzo beans.  I've liked them for as long as I can remember.  They are just yummy.  I could have them as a snack every week.

A food that I dislike that may be surprising is chocolate.  I don't mind chocolate mixed with things, such as Reese's or Milky Way.  But I don't like dark chocolate, most plain chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, fudge, brownies...  It doesn't even smell good to me.  Even the scent of melted chocolate is enough to make me want to throw up.  When my sister bakes brownies downstairs and the scent wafts up to my room, I have to open my window so I won't feel sick.  I hate chocolate that much!

What weird foods do you like or dislike?
 

Day 19: A talent of yours

I believe that my biggest God given talent is my gift of writing.  I've loved to write ever since I was a little girl.  Before I could read, I would sit down with a picture book and make up stories from the pictures.  I would dictate my stories to my mom while she typed them out on the computer.  While my little friends jumped on the trampoline or played basketball, I would write stories about our pretend adventures on sheets of white printing paper.  I've always loved to write.  It's always been a talent of mine.  I'm not sure how God will use this in my life, but I know He gave me this gift for a reason.

You can read a book of mine on inkpop.com.  It's called Before You. 

Before You

Book: Romance, General Fiction

In a heartfelt letter to her newborn child, Meg shares the story of her challenges as a teenage mom at a Christian school.

Before you were born, I was a junior at United Light Christian Academy. The school keeps a few rules: no drinking, no drugs, and no getting pregnant out of wedlock. If a student gets pregnant, she is kicked out and sent to public school. However, the father of the baby gets to stay, no questions asked.

I guess it's kind of obvious that I got pregnant. I'll most likely be kicked out of school. Your father, Ben, is an amazing football player. He has a chance at getting a scholarship to a prestigious university. I don't think Ben will let me start a new school without him, but if he leaves ULCA, he's going to lose a great opportunity.

I'm writing to you so that you can learn from my story. Ben and I have made a lot of mistakes in the past and we'll probably make a lot more. When you come into our lives, every regret will fade away.

But this story is about our lives before you.

Day 18: A photo of your favorite room in your house

My favorite room in my house would have to be my bedroom.  I've worked on it and worked on it until it has completely fit my personality to the smallest of details.  I'll use this blog to show off my amazing (in my opinion) bedroom that I absolutely adore. 

Here is a photograph of my kinda messy bed.  Black and white and blue are my favorite colors, in case you didn't notice.  I have a map of Africa by my bed so I won't forget to pray.  Records are scattered all over my walls, along with an Elvis hang-up.  I also love my spelled-out name.  I believe it was bought from Pottery Barn. 

Over beside my bed is one of my book shelves with some books.  You can see some posters and my bulletin board of Africa photos.  I also love my crazy lamp.  My Elvis guitar bank and keyboard are also key accessories in my bedroom.  I have band posters everywhere!

I love my long strips of photographs where I hang pictures of me and friends.  I also have a homemade calendar that you can design at Shutterfly.com.  Do you see all of my Elvis decorations? :)

My desk is the most populated area of my room.  My laptop and writing information is scattered over here, along with another home-designed calendar, photographs of friends and family, records, a window seat, and another map of Africa.  I like my comfy green chair and my giant shoe rack.  I also love all of my posters on this wall.
Here you can see my other window seat, another Africa bulletin board, and two more of my book shelves.  Yes, I read a lot!  I also have a string of photobooth pictures, a gourd from Africa, and my prayer calendar from Voice of the Martyrs.
By my window, I love my curtains and my giant Elvis poster.  You can see my guitars, amp, and music stand.  That's basically my music corner.
My bathroom is connected to my bedroom, so I thought I'd share a couple of pictures.  I love the verse on the wall and my little messy jewelry section.  You can also see a corner of my mirror here.
Finally in my bathroom, you can see my shower, counter, and through the reflection of the mirror, you can see the framed photographs of me and my friends.
I love my bedroom! 

Day 17: An art piece

I live close to an "art piece" that makes my day each time I see it.  Cadillac Ranch is one of those art pieces that is so random and so unique and so funny that you can't help but feel intrigued.  Stanley Marsh is the artist.  He is famous for his signs that carry funny slogans that he has scattered all over Amarillo, Texas.  He is also famous for his "floating mesa" and a pair of shoeless feet that sit in a field somewhere near Canyon, Texas.  Cadillac Ranch, situated in Bushland, Texas, has to be my favorite.  It's made up of ten old Cadillacs positioned in a straight horizontal line in the middle of a field.  Each day, hundreds upon hundreds of people come to photograph and spray paint the cars.  Cadillac Ranch is unique and beautiful in its own special way, especially when it's raining or there is a sunset or a white layer of snow across everything.

Day 16: A song that makes you cry

I'm not much of a cryer in general, but a song that always makes me feel a little choked up is Heaven Is the Face.  Steven Curtis Chapman wrote this song after the tragic death of his young daughter, Maria Sue.  The lyrics to this song are so beautiful and eloquent and emotionally impacting. Watch a video of Steven Curtis Chapman performing this song here.  I'll post the lyrics below.