On the Road Again...

The time has come--I am a week away from 16, and the proud possessor of a Level 1 learner's license! So far, after 3 weeks of driver's ed successfully completed and about 8 hours behind the wheel, I have learned many valuable lessons. So, without further ado, I give you Allie (or Alex, if you're my driving instructor--long story) Wood's Do's & Don'ts of Novice Driving.

• Do consider the fact that Mom & Dad will never be as laid-back as your crazy driving instructor. Plan your braking distance accordingly.
• Don't say "I know" when your mom tries to supply you with important information. Just don't.
• Do remember that this is the only time in your life where you have a legitimate excuse for driving badly. Also, do remember to mention this fact loudly and often.
• Don't sing while on the road, unless you want to get...instructed...on why that's not a good idea at this stage of your driving.
• Do try to retain as much as possible of the pointless trivia tidbits you pick up in driver's ed. This information can make for great on-road conversation when you're in the passenger's seat. In my opinion at least--my mother does not agree.
• Don't forget that as soon as you let someone drive with you, you are giving them implied consent to comment on your driving--every rolling stop, every pothole, and every traffic cone you've hit in the past.
• Do keep in mind that little siblings find the entire situation incredibly entertaining, and will perform spontaneous karaoke in the backseat. (Today, the lineup included Shut Up and Drive, Thriller, and Jesus, Take the Wheel.)

Above all, don't get discouraged if you have a few less-than-NASCAR-quality moments. It doesn't come naturally to everyone--in fact, there will be moments when you're pretty sure it's not going to come at all, naturally or otherwise. I'm just holding out hope that I'm a late bloomer.

Thoughts about Little Things...

...that I can't seem to get out of my head:

Sometimes the joy you find in the littlest things is the joy that can get you through the day. I think God made me--made all of us--to find joy in unexpected places. For example, my dad put up our Christmas lights Saturday afternoon. I can't tell you the rush I got from running out into the cold night in my socks to get a picture of our glittering house. It was one of those moments where I was pretty sure my face would crack if I smiled any bigger.

I believe in being thankful for little things too. Every year near Thanksgiving I try to take some time to think about all the things I have to be thankful for. To be honest, though, this year I'm having a hard time being thankful for big things. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful we have a house and a car and enough food to eat. But this year, I'm finding myself drawn to giving thanks for all of the little joy-giving gifts God gives me, for example:

• I'm thankful for little sisters who bring home chocolate cakes.
  
• I'm thankful for loud, stinky, obnoxious dogs who still manage to steal your heart as soon as they look at you with those big brown eyes.
  
• I'm thankful for long phone conversations with my best friend--I don't think anyone can make me laugh as hard as "Libby" does.
  
• I'm thankful for cozy blankets on cold nights and homemade hot chocolate from my mom.
• I'm thankful for snack cars on the Amtrak.
• I'm thankful for facebook wall posts from much-missed friends, reminding me that I am loved even from a distance.
• I'm thankful for singing along to the car radio...really loudly.
• I'm thankful for text messaging.
• I'm thankful for family game night--and never winning Clue.
• I'm thankful for little brothers who laugh at the exact same things you do...and help you dominate in Apples to Apples.
  
• I'm thankful for people who pass on compliments. Somehow that's just nice.
• I'm thankful for "the Ones", and how hard they make me laugh.
• I'm thankful for mixing pop to make toasts with every Thanksgiving, and the weird looks that "Rico", "Pedro", and I ("Esteban-ban") get from the rest of the family.
  

You get the point. This list could be three times as long. Thankful for the little things that bring me joy.

Of Wise Women &...Wipstick

To save my self-esteem, I will not mention (again!) that I'm an undisciplined blogger. Thank you for accomodating me:)

In my world, it's officially the Christmas season. And for those of you who I can hear grumbling about how it's "not even Thanksgiving!", I would just like to state that the commercial world agrees with me. Christmas music and decorations are out out out! So I feel my early spirit is justified. Anyway, in honor of the approaching season...


Hello, my name is Allie, and I'm a professional Christmas pageant performer. I had my first role a little less than sixteen years ago, when I played Baby Jesus at just 6 days old.
But as it turned out, this was only the beginning of my Nativity career. Eight years later I would finally get the role every little girl dreams of playing--Mary, mother of Jesus. (Who doesn't want to be someone so important people think they see her in their toast?) It just so happend I was also the director of this particular presentation. I had a cast of three--my sister Lindsay, cousin Rebecca, and myself. As the director, I was also in charge of the giving the roles. The only stipulation was that there was to be no cross-gender casting. So, in the end, our list of characters ended up looking something like this:

Mary, mother of Jesus--Portrayed as a girl with a passion for very red lipstick, eyes watching the ceiling the entire play. No lines, but many whispered directions to the rest of the cast. Costumed in a toga-like garment made of a blanket with another blanket draped over her head. She should wear a very affected and pious expression, except when giving last minute direction to the other performers.

Angel--Portrayed as a slightly flustered girl who frequently asks Mary what's going on. Also has a deep love for very red lipstick, sometimes has a ring of tinsel around her head. Costumed in the Samantha nightgown she got last Christmas.

Wise Woman--Portrayed as the third member to the very red lipstick trio, performance slightly echoes angel's. Has an even smaller role than anticipated, very confused about her entrances and exits. Costumed in Angel's last Halloween costume, a gothic princess outfit. (The outfit was the main incentive for the role.) [I happen to be with the actress who originated this role. She would like me to mention her remarkably believable performance and her fabulous line delivery--"I am the Wise Woman!!!!!"]

(Note: This particular Nativity does NOT contain: God, Joseph, a real baby, shepherds, more than one "wise person", an inkeeper, or any animals.)

To put on a replica performance, you will also need:
-A scribbled over refrigerator box, for the stable
-An old "bouncy horse", for Mary's donkey
-A mini trampoline, for the Angel to stand on
-A selection of yellow plastic bowling pins, for the star
-One extra bowling pin, wrapped in a blanket, for the baby
-A decorative box full of "frankincense", for the Wise Woman
-A "supportive" audience
-Very red lipstick. Lots of it.


Of course, you will also need a very small cast of very good performers. And a good director, of course--with lots of nativity experience.

Random Post!

I don't know about you, but there are a few things in this world that make me ridiculously happy. Little things, but still, you will make my day if you give me one of the following:

My Favorite Things...

1. Green Apple Jolly Ranchers. The only problem with these is the fact that they also rank pretty high on my dad's favorite things...so I have to share.
2. Flip-flops. AKA, my feet's best friend. It's a highly unusual day when I'm not in flip-flops or barefoot.
3. The Library. I have an insanely nerdy love for the library. And that's all I'll say, because if I keep talking I'll make an even bigger nerd of myself.
4. Waffle Cones. Seriously, I make my mom buy ice cream just so I can crush a waffle cone over the top. Mmmm....
5. Classic TV. Like I said...I love Dick Van Dyke more than any fifteen year old should.
6. "Love Me Red Creme" Nail Polish. I even love to watch it as I paint my nails. It's this weird balance between red and pink, and...I don't know, it just makes me happy. It'll be a dark day when I run out.
7. Milanos Cookies. I really don't think I need to explain myself here.
8. Radiatore pasta. Look here , you'll see why.
9. Grand Pianos. I love the fact I have a piano and a keyboard, I really do. But not much else beats the sound of a grand piano. And besides, who doesn't feel awesome sitting at a grand piano.
10. Julie Andrews. Not only because I love her, but also because I couldn't think the words "Favorite Things" without immediately singing to myself, "Raindrops on rose and whiskers on kittens..."

So, just in case anyone started wondering...there was no real reason for that post. I just needed to update, and what's more fun than favorite things, right?

(Oh, and just something totally off-topic...my birthday is December 6th.)

Samantha & Me

(All right, so my post about not posting was...too long ago. I would write another apology, but that would be just a little redundant, don't you think? So instead...I'll write this.)

I love classic TV. Seriously. I know that as a fifteen-year-old I'm supposed to like Gossip Girl or One Tree Hill, but...not much beats out Dick Van Dyke or I Love Lucy. Another one of my favorites has always been Bewitched. (see here)For those of you not familiar, Bewitched is about a "witch", Samantha Stevens, and her non-magical husband, Darrin. Sam promises Darrin when they get married not to use her witchcraft, but without fail, every episode involves Sam breaking her promise. With a twitch of her nose and some really awesome chiming music, Sam can do just about everything, whether that's make a copy of a designer dress or turn a won't-take-no-for-an-answer creep into a schnauzer.
I envy Samantha, I really do. When she doesn't like something, all she has to do is wrinkle her nose, and, hey, if that doesn't work out, everything seems to resolve itself in thirty minutes, plus commercials, anyway. And it's not just Samantha, either. There's Lucy Ricardo, Laura Petrie, Agent 99, even Marcia-Marcia-Marcia Brady. No matter how much they seem to accidentally mess things up (in the case of the first two, because Agent 99 never messes up) or how obnoxious you are (in the case of Marcia...), everything gets worked out for you within the half hour. Not fair.
Sometimes I feel like maybe I'm the only plain Jane in a sea of Samanthas. So many others seem to have life all figured out while I'm still sitting here going "What just happened?" Truth be told, life's taken me a little by surprise lately. And sometimes it looks like everyone else has a perfect black-and-white life. But that's not really true. I'm not the only person out there who is having a hard time living in technicolor. And sometimes I need to realize that most things just don't work out just like that. But I have one advantage Sam never had--I am surrounded by the grace of God and the love of my friends and family, no matter what life throws at me. And if living in messy technicolor is the price I pay to see that, I'll pay it gladly. I'm learning to be content in whatever circumstance, even if it's not TV Land-worthy. Besides...the constant laugh track could get pretty annoying after a while.

I'm Not As Good At This As I Thought I Would Be...

I'm not exactly sure how long ago I started this thing. What I am sure about is that as deceptively effortless as it may seem, blogging actually requires work. Hence, my recent neglect of this site. Apparently blogs actually have to be kept up and require a measure of (gasp) responsibility. (As if schoolwork wasn't enough...) At any rate, responsibility is not exactly my spiritual gift. However, since I am a fallen human and therefore excellent at passing the blame, allow me to offer some excuses:

• My life is not incredibly conducive to blogging. I don't have adorable children I can post pictures of, and neither do I have an incredibly exciting life.
• Lately, my life has been extremely non-conducive to blogging. To all of you who have expressed care and/or added to the supply of endless food in our house, thank you so very very much.
• I am the type to easily fall into the "Moses trap". By the "Moses trap", I mean that my thinking usually ends up being comparative instead of creative. I decide I'm not good enough to do something and try to get out of it.
• At four bullets, I am already out of ideas for this list. Maybe not good, seeing as I was hoping for five excuses...

...As you can see above, either I'm really not cut out for this or I just have lame excuses. Either way, hopefully in coming days I will whip myself back into shape about this thing and actually blog on my blog. Radical, eh?

IDEA!!!

OK, let me just say, thank God for friends who make you a better person! I have so many...but one of them just totally gave me a really simple idea that I think might work...and be basically one of the sweetest ideas I've had in a while. It's like this: so often, I think "wow, I am so thankful for them" or "Gosh, I'm so lucky to have him/her for my friend"...but I never actually tell them. Which if you think about is very lazy on my part, because if I'm lucky enough to have them for my friend, they deserve to know that!! So this is my plan:
1. Go through my Facebook friends list
2. See all my wonderful friends
3. Write on their walls and tell them how wonderful they and how blessed I count myself.
4. That's it. That's how simple it is. I'm excited. (Who knows? Maybe it'll catch on:) )

Psalm 91

Life is not easy. I am learning this the hard way. But just because life is not easy does not mean life can't be good. In a way, the hardest times in life can be the best. God keeps knocking my feet out from under me so that I'm forced to fall back on Him. And finally, I am. I was reading last week in the Psalms, when I came across something I've probably read dozens of times. But this time it was different. I'll explain in a minute, but first...well, see what I'm talking about here. ( I mean it. Actually read it) It was like God took me by the shoulders and made me look at him and He said again what He's been saying all along (obviously, I'm paraphrasing Psalm 91 here):

"My precious child, I love you so much. When you rest in Me, you will find shelter in the best way possible. I am One you can trust, One in whom you can take refuge. Trust me, my child. I will save you from every evil imagined, every circumstance gone wrong. I will shield you and protect you and hold you close to My heart. I am faithful, and in that you can rejoice. You don't have to be afraid of things you don't understand, or of anyone who may ever try to hurt you. Things may go wrong around you, but you never have anyting to fear. If you will trust me and make Me your refuge, I will send my angels to take special care of you, they will lift you up and protect you. In Me, you will have the strength to overcome whatever befalls you. Because you love Me, I will rescue you. I will protect you, because you know me and do not hide the fact. When you call My name, I will always answer. I will be with you whatever trouble may come, and I will deliver you from it. I will lift you up. In Me you will be satisfied, in Me you have found salvation. Don't give up, Allie! I'm here. I'm not simply watching from above, or delegating the work. I'm here...I'm here. And I love you far beyond your imagination. Let me hold you, my child. Stop fighting and worrying and just trust Me. I love you...I love you so much..."

"He who dwells in the shadow of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust'..."

"Candid Camera"

Is anyone else like me in that you really, really, really like Facebook? If so...maybe this post on Tim Stevens's (yes, Heather's dad) blog is something you should read too. For those of you too lazy to just click and read it, I'll summarize.
Facebook (myspace, twitter, etc.) is awesome. But there's one thing I hadn't really thought about--whatever you write on Facebook, stays on Facebook. There's no "take backs". And apparently some people are wising up to this. Employers are checking out people's profiles, blogs, walls. This thought scares me. I'm sure I've written stuff that I wouldn't want some people to see. I mean, don't we say always say things we wish we hadn't five seconds later? The thing is...people forget about what you say. Facebook never does. Mr. Stevens put it this way--we should live online like we're on Candid Camera. Because we are. There's a huge temptation online to be someone we're not, to write things we might never say out loud, look around at stuff we probably shouldn't. Resist that! Not only will it mess you up in general (being tow different people usually does) but it could mess up people's perception of you. I'm not innocent either, believe me. Maybe we all just need to be reminded to be careful.

"Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should
not be. Can both fresh water and salt
water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a
grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh
water.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it
by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom."

~James 3: 10-13

Enough

Most people who know me are probably about to be a little surprised. The few who really know me...understand me enough that I've admitted this to, won't be surprised one bit. See, the problem is, I have ridiculously high expectations for myself. In fact, in most areas I expect perfection, and this makes me massively insecure on many occasions. I actually spend more time worrying about myself--whether I look good, whether I fit in, whether people like me--than I do about anything else. It's pathetic, really. And many times, these expectations contradict each other. I want people to think I am a "good little Christian" (I am the pastor's daughter) and I want others to think I'm not "too churchy". I want to do well in school, and I don't want people stereotype me as the "little nerdy girl". I want to be an individual, and I want to blend in. I expect impossible things of myself, and secretly I know I can't do it. That frustrates me more than anything. It often makes me defensive, too. I can't accept correction because it's "one more thing" I don't think I can handle. So I don't respond well--which makes it all worse, which makes me even more frustrated with myself.
I had a long talk with my dad last night. (He's my hero.) He listened to all of it, and he showed me what was wrong with it, how it really doesn't honor God. God made me just like He wanted me and I should strive to please Him--no more, no less. If I focus on God and who He wants me to be, I don't have to get frustrated when I don't meet my own expectations. I don't have to be perfect. The most enormous feeling of release washed over me when I realized this. I don't have to be perfect. I can just be who I am and who God made me to be, and that is enough. I am enough. He is enough. I don't need outside approval, I don't even need my own approval. He is enough.

The Image of God

According to recent tradition, I'm going to post something another of my friends wrote. I know, I should be writing, but my friends are just so deep and insightful! So, in the next few days, I think I'll being doing more of this...
This time, I'm going to let Heather do the talking. (There's a link to her blog just to the right--check it out! This isn't the only great thing she's written.) Heather is someone who I just really like, and who I respect even more. She has this amazing heart for God that always inspires me. We often joke we share a mind since we always seem to be thinking about the same things. But this one took me a little by surprise when she brought up something I often experience but usually try to forget about. I love a friend who will step on your toes.

Francis Chan talked to us about praying and God in a way that COMPLETELY shook me. I seriously..no joke..was soo scared when he was talking about this. It was unbelievable.So he started off the entire conference by saying that he isn't meaning to judge, but that he's not sure how many of us really mean it when we sing:"There is none more High and Holy, King of Kings, the One and Only, You are adored, You are the Lord of all" Hmmm. so honestly, I was kinda offended by this. I know that I shouldn't have been, because what he said is soo true! I can truthfully say that I don't always put my whole heart into worshipping. I often find myself thinking about other things when I'm worshipping! How awful is that?! There are also many times when I know I am worshipping God full heartedly, but shouldn't that be the case all the time? Francis talked about how when we pray, we are praying to an ALMIGHTY God who deserves ALL of our attention!So why is it that when you're praying at night, it goes like this:"Dear God, thank you so much for this amazing day! You are so awesome! and ohmygoodness he is sooo cutee!! I can't wait to see him tomorrow! ahh I can't believe what happened today....crazy! oh crap..and God, thank you helping me to understand that you will always be there for me! no matter what! oh boy i can't wait for next friday!! it's gonna be soooo much fun!! and camp adventure! oh I hope I have a good co counselor! Mexico too!! woo!! ughh..I have algebra on tuesday..YUCK! oh shoot..sorry God! In Jesus name I pray, amen"Ok. So maybe it's just me. But I seem to have a lot of trouble staying on topic and FOCUSING on ONLY God..which is soo horrible!But then Francis helped us to see what God really looks like.Which is not a young guy with a white, flowing beard.Or a tall man with a long, brown beard.Say you have a friend, his name is Tyler.Tyler is kind of stalky, with short brown hair, and very muscular.But you don't want to believe he looks like that, so you think he is tall and thin, with long blonde hair.Your other friend Maddie thinks that Tyler is short and round, with jet black, and spiked hair.Woah! What does he really look like then? Does your believing that he looks one way mean that's what he looks like? NO! It just means you're delusional...but you can't change the way he looks because that's what you think!It's the same way with God!We have this vision of Him in our heads, and for everyone He is different! But God even tells us what He looks like..if we would just take the time to read it!Seriously. Read that description of God, when Francis described it, it gave me shivers, it was SO real to me! I can't imagine falling asleep while praying with THATimage of God in my head!After you read that, think.."If God is for me, who can be against me?"

Paint

So, I didn't actually write this. It was written by one of my dear dear friends, Eleny. Let me take just a second to advertise, like any good friend would--Eleny is someone who I look up to and love dearly. We have experienced some hard things, and I am so proud to be friends with such a wonderful person. Haha, now I've got her all embarrassed... Anyway, back on subject. She posted it on Facebook (haha...you know me and my addiction...), and I absolutely loved it. Meant to post this sooner, but oh well. I have been cursed with procrastination...anyway, I hope you like it as much as I did.

I often wish I could write something profound, something deep, and something that makes people think. But I never know where to start or what to say. Plus I never know if what I want to say will make sense. However, I guess I'll give it a shot. I was standing in front of my kitchen counter and sitting on it was a paint can. There was paint still on it left over from when someone poured it, but it was dry. Bored, I started peeling of the dry paint, it was very rubbery... Ok, wow, yeah real profound statement. But, when I was peeling of the paint from the can, I started thinking. I started thinking that we, as Christians, are sort of like paint. This is a strange analogy I know. Please bear with me, I can explain. Paint can be used to create something beautiful, but if it is left to dry, it can become rubbery and useless. God created us to be something beautiful. He created us in the image of Him. He created us to glorify Him, isn't that beautiful? He wants us to be in a relationship with Him. He wants us to be constantly working to become closer to Him. If we stray from God, or slack in our relationship with Christ we become spiritually dry. Why? Because we are not being constantly filled with the Living Water. We become "rubbery". The word "rubbery" means lacking firmness or stiffness. If we are not frequently spending time with God, what does it do to us? It wears us down spiritually. Joshua 1:8 says, "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." Psalm 1:2-3 says, "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." If we are continually in the Word and spending time with God, we will be able to stand firm and not be "rubbery" spiritually. Every Christian has a "drought" in their walk with God. We all have times where we feel on fire for God or where we feel like we aren't changing or growing. Personally, I get stuck in that drought a lot. I feel like I'm not satisfied with where I'm at with God. Why do we get stuck in that rut? I honestly do not know. I just wish that it didn't happen. I want to have a constant fire for God, but sometimes my flame fades a little. Please pray for me, for yourself, and for other Christians in your life. Pray that we can get out of our spiritual droughts whenever we fall into them.

Ms. Cadoodlebob

My little sister is one of the most unique and wonderful people I know. She's one of the people you just have to know. To quote her, she "has her own ways." I love her to death.

The other night, we were in her room when I noticed something on the floor across the room that looked familiar. Two puppets she had made years ago. You know the type, brown bag bodies and red yarn hair. She laughed when I asked about them. "Yes, Ms. Cadoodlebob and Anna." I do not hold myself responsible for remembering all of her fun ideas, so I was still a little foggy. I asked her to elaborate. This is the story she told me:

Ms. Cadoodlebob is a Ms. , not a Mrs. She never married, but adopted 4 boys. Sadly, all of them died because she made them go swimming. Being paper bags, all of them perished. When I asked if she was sad about that, Lindsay said, "No, not really...you see, she didn't really know them."
I was a little surprised. "She adopted children she didn't know?"
She replied, "Well, paper bags don't have affections." I asked why she had adopted. "She was lonely," Lindsay said.
"So, she adopted them for her own benefit?"
"Yes. Ms. Cadoodlebob is quite abnormal."

So that story is funny, yes. But I realized as she was telling it that she had stumbled upon a lot of truth as she told it. Stick with me for a second...

I think some people think of God kind of like they would think of Ms. Cadoodlebob. They think that God doesn't know us, or want to. They think he asks us to do things we can't do. They think that , like paper bags, God "has no affections." God doesn't adopt us for His benefit, He adopts us for our own benefit. (Not to say God doesn't enjoy us--I believe He loves us so much He can hardly help it.) And God is in no way abnormal...we are. We put God in boxes...or paper bags. Thank goodness He loves us more than Ms. Cadoodlebob ever loved her children.

uncool...

I am officially identifying myself as a loser by writing this post...want to hear the reasons?

1. I just posted yesterday. uncool.
2. The Superbowl is on, and I'm doing this. uncool.
3. I don't have all that much to even say right now. uncool.
4. I have something new bouncing around in my head, and I'm not writing about it. uncool.
5. (This technically isn't a reason, but my next post will be called "Oh, You're a Person? Because You Look an Awful Lot Like a Gold Cow..." if that gets you interested.)
6. I'm really only doing this because I want to write on the blog for the sake of writing on it. uncool.

So not only am I wasting my time right now, I am wasting yours. Way to go, Allie. Oh well. Maybe this made you smile...just keep in mind I haven't had much sleep this weekend.

PS-Thank God I don't have to be cool.:)

So I Have a Blog...

...and I'm pretty excited about it. It's a chance to share what's going on for me...so let me start with something that's been bouncing around inside my head all week.

My dad spoke on Sunday about "ReCalibrating"--getting ourselves realigned with God. (And may I say it was a great message...though I suppose I am a little biased.) One thing he mentioned fascinated me. God chose me to enjoy Him, and for Him to enjoy me. And no one else could take my place. I was created unique and special. No one else can love God in the same way I can. How awesome is that? To think that out of the billions and billions of people ever born...God wanted me. He loved who I was and what I could bring to Him. That just absolutely blows my mind. It's inspiring, really. I need to live up to all the potential God gave me, not because it's my duty, but because it's a way I can love God.

One more thought accompanies that. This means that I never have to feel like I don't measure up. (And let's face it, at fifteen, that's a big deal!) If God wanted me to have the same talent in the same amount, He would've given it to me. But instead He perfectly crafted me, giving me exactly what He wanted me to have, exactly what would make my life complete as I serve Him with it. That's awesome. I can let go of feelings of inadequacy, because God has given me exactly what is adequate! This concept has been a big struggle for me. Since one of the things God gave me was a desire for everything to be as good as it can, (a.k.a I'm sort of a perfectionist), I often feel like I need to be better...at everything. But this only messes me up. Instead, I'm learning to focus on what I have and how I can use that to God's glory. Maybe it's just me, but the thought that God created me especially, with all my quirks (and believe me, there are several!), makes me smile.