Reblogged from sarahsodini:

Loving and accepting yourself makes space for God to speak. When you stop obsessing about changing yourself, you can hear Him clearly. 

I always thought that being obsessed with changing myself meant that I was humble. I equated self-hate with noble humility. Being humble means you don’t really like yourself, and if you do, you never admit it! After all, the definition of humility is…

Read more… 711 more words

Shame is stagnation. It won’t fix anything. Bullying is not activism. Hurting is not helping. Cut it out.

This is a video that I made about a year ago. Please watch, and feel free to share.

If we all live like this, nobody will be happy. Every single person on this planet will be a mess. A broken, shattered mess. 
Sadly, this is all caused by society. We can’t help it. We can’t stop society from judging every single person based on their looks. We stereotype every single person, just so it makes ourselves feel better. We think of everything so closed mindedly- as if it HAS to be this way. As if it’s simply the way we have to be, and can’t be ourselves. We’re being forced into living up to standards that don’t exist, that are simply phantoms, myths. 

Many of us have struggled with self-image issues at some point, and with increase in social media and the setting of higher standards, it’s becoming a very predominant problem. The range of age of those struggling is becoming wider and wider.  The issue is growing, but not becoming any less severe or serious than it ever has been.

A lot of times, it’s pushed aside as a “phase” or simply an act for attention. The thing these people don’t understand is that it isn’t just “grown out of”. One problem causes another, and a lot of times, a few cruel words can spiral into an inescapable mess of depression and hopelessness.

I’ve always been extremely aware of society’s impact on young women and men. It’s extremely frightening to fall into a place where you’re happy with nothing and start relying on last resorts. The only thing we can really do is to show the world that nothing is impossible. A lot of the things we’re insecure about, nobody else notices. If there is something about yourself that you desperately want to change, take the SAFE path. Don’t go to extremes that will leave you in a worse place than you started in. Human beings are not mirrors. The things that you are insecure about are probably perfect in someone else’s eyes. The first step to being happy is loving you for who you are.

In February of 2010, a few months shy of my sixteenth birthday, I came across a twitter account for a little girl named Layla Grace. I’m sure you’ve all heard of Layla by now, the bright blue-eyed, adorable toddler whom was fighting something much bigger than her. I had only been following Layla’s story for about a month before her passing in March. From that moment, not only was my life forever changed, my heart was as well. I had no idea the suffering of children all around me. I thought to myself, how can this be happening to babies? Why isn’t anyone listening? I made it my personal mission to raise awareness for childhood cancer and to help these children, in some way, shape or form. The summer following Layla’s death, I began sending care packages to children across the United States. I wasn’t exactly planning for anything big to come out of it, I was just doing something little to brighten the days of children fighting for their lives. I had no idea just the impact these children and childhood cancer would have on me.

As 2011 rolled around, I knew I wanted to turn my small care packages into something much more. I had no clue how I was going to do it, but I wanted to start an organization. There are two songs that have always been favorites of mine – “Ordinary Miracle” and the beautiful “Amazing Grace.” As I was brain-storming ideas, I once again came across these songs… and from that moment, I knew what my organization would be. It would be called “Ordinary Grace.” Ordinary, such as turning seemingly ordinary actions into something remarkable, and Grace, for the simple acts of sheer beauty that come from our hearts. Around the time my organization was getting started, a little boy I had started following the year before was nearing the end of his battle with Neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of childhood cancer. His name was Ronan Sean Thompson. Ronan captured my heart from the very first time I saw his beautiful, sparkling blue eyes. Ronan fought for eight short months before his body simply stopped responding to the chemotherapy. Ronan inspired me to never give up, to fight with absolutely everything I had in me and to help other kids just like him. Ronan was and is my hero.

Ordinary Grace has done more for me, as a person, than ever anticipated. The difference between who I am now and who I was two years ago is breath taking. I’ve definitely had my fair share of struggles, but out of struggling, comes beauty. I wake up each morning
with a fresh set of eyes – knowing that I have been blessed with another day, another chance, another opportunity to make someone smile and laugh. My goal is simple. It is to make a difference. It is to love others. It is to see children, whom are fighting for their lives, day in, and day out… smile. When I am delivering a care basket to a child, and I see the way their face lights up with joy and excitement and the burden of their cancer is pushed aside for a moment, the world around me just about stops. I silently say a prayer of thankfulness and gratitude to be given this opportunity. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, I would rather be doing – than this.

I will continue on with my journey, forever changed by the children and families I have met. I will continue on with Ronan’s beautiful eyes engraved in my soul.

Lauren Clements

http://ordinarygrace.net

http://twitter.com/lorocoro

Filed under: Encouragement, Faith, Guest Bloggers, RIP Tagged: cancer, grace, guest blogger, lauren clements, layla grace, open our eyes, ordinary grace, ronan thompson ]]> http://ooecommunity.com/2012/04/30/guest-blog-simple-acts-of-sheer-beauty/feed/ 1 youbetheanchor 5175182849_70123af78b_o 444 http://ooecommunity.com/2012/04/30/every-day/ http://ooecommunity.com/2012/04/30/every-day/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:12:51 +0000 itsbrittny http://ooecommunity.com/?p=613 Continue reading →]]> Take a day every once in a while and completely slow down. Be sentimental. Stare into a candle and watch the way it flickers. Count the colors in the sunset. Take an old book you’ve read time after time, and pick apart every word. Take it in in a new way each time. Think about the things you’re stressing over, and ask yourself, “is this really what I wanted? Is this going to help me in the long run?”

Remember that this entire world you are walking on is a miracle in itself. We are all miracles. Grace fills the scars in our heart and on our skin. Hope fills thoughts of uncertainty. Music consoles us. Love ties it all together.

As I get ready to walk out the door this morning to start off the week, I’m stopping to take a loot around at all of the miracles that happen all around me. I never truly realized how amazing it is that life falls together in the way that it does. As suddenly as it can fall apart, it can pull itself right back together. When one door slams shut on your finger, a whole hallway of new paths can stand wide open waiting to be explored.

Every day when I open my eyes to the sun rising once again, I realize that my life has once again been touched by grace. The way everything happens so perfectly, the way the sky can shift hues in a matter of minutes… all of it is extraordinary. I see the world in such a different light than I had just months before. I was in a very bad place at the time, both physically and emotionally. Everyone I talked to would tell me that it would get better. That there was hope. To keep fighting. To start better habits. That I was needed here.

And now, three years later, I’m starting to believe it. Maybe it’s a matter of trust. Maybe it’s because of all the things that have changed for the good. I still have my days and weeks where nothing works right. I remember the mistakes I’ve made and the promises I’ve broken. I miss the people I’ve let down and talk to the ones I unknowingly push away. And then, there are the days when I feel surrounded and embraced in unexpected love. I notice the beauty and perfection of a tiny flower blooming out in the front yard. My eyes are opened to the opportunities I’ve been gracefully and carefully given in order to make my life what I want it to be. All of the little signs start adding up to something so great.

As the months fly by, revelations and sacrifices come and go. Some are good ideas; and some, well…aren’t. I’m finally starting to see the scratches I’ve made on the surface of the earth become something deeper, more permanent. I’m starting to claim my spot here, and really committing myself to it. I’ve come to terms with the fact that maybe I wasn’t meant to be your normal teenager. I never have been. And maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe this beauty I see is a sign of something more.

I was 12 years old when I came out. I attempted suicide less than a month later because of the constant bullying. A few years later, a friend took his life for the same reason.

For the past 11 years I’ve struggled with reconciling my sexuality and my faith. Finally three years ago, I discovered Cornerstone MCC, the church that saved my life.

That’s the foundation behind Open Our Eyes. We want you to know that despite the horrid things you’ve been told, God’s grace IS available to YOU. You’re are wonderfully made.

Today on Day of Silence we pause to remember those who didn’t receive the second chance at life that I received. The Day of Silence is a student-led national event that brings attention to anti-GLBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Students from middle school to college take a vow of silence in an effort to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-GLBT behavior by illustrating the silencing effect of bullying and harassment on GLBT students and those perceived to be GLBT.

Remain silent today. Then tomorrow USE YOUR voice to save a life.

Filed under: Brittny Jackson, GLBT Tagged: bullying, cornerstone, day of silence, glbt, grace, harassment, hope, silence, suicide ]]> http://ooecommunity.com/2012/04/20/day-of-silence/feed/ 0 youbetheanchor ZOhSpf3ZuRpuUSjt http://ooecommunity.com/2012/04/18/i-may-have-lost-my-way-now-havent-forgotten-my-way-home/ http://ooecommunity.com/2012/04/18/i-may-have-lost-my-way-now-havent-forgotten-my-way-home/#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:00:14 +0000 itsbrittny http://ooecommunity.com/?p=602 Continue reading →]]>  

The broken locks were a warning you got inside my head

 I tried my best to be guarded, I’m an open book instead

 I still see your reflection inside of my eyes

That are looking for a purpose, they’re still looking for life

I’m falling apart, I’m barely breathing with a broken heart that’s still beating

 In the pain, is there healing? In your name, I find meaning

So I’m holdin’ on, I’m barely holdin’ on to you

I’m hangin’ on another day just to see what you throw my way

And I’m hanging on to the words you say

You said that I will be okay

The broken lights on the freeway left me here alone I may have lost my way now, haven’t forgotten my way home.

For today, I just want to leave everyone with a simple yet very important reminder- every step matters.

No matter how convinced you are that you’ll be stuck on the same bed, in the same house, in the same miserable place…you won’t be.

No matter how much you’ve been hurt, healing is possible.

No matter how long you’ve been waiting to be rescued, help will arrive.

Even if your miracle hasn’t come around yet, they still exist.

“Buddy. Pal. Mate. Chum.” Whatever  you call it… What is a  f r i e n d ?

Good ol’ Webster says:

• Friend (fre nd) n. – A person known well to another and regarded with liking, affection, and loyalty.

–  I’m currently taking a Sociology of Mass Media course at school and it’s given me a new insight on this word we use to classify the people we know as “friends”. Through the use of social networking, our internet capability has given us accessibility to people, news and events around the world almost instantaniously. This has positive and negative effects on society. With sites like facebook, twitter, foursquare etc. we provide information to a community of people that notifies them about our personal lives, opinions and emotions, our current events, even our where-abouts. We’ve becomesocially transparent. For some, this shift in interpersonal relationships has been a positive thing. It’s made communication easier for those who have a hard time talking to people in a social setting. But, we are slowly becoming a generation of social media dependency that even I am guilty of. You’d be lying if you said you’ve never signed onto facebook and browsed your friends profiles to see what they’re up to, instead of picking up the phone or driving to their house to see how they’re doing. It’s just quicker and more convenient for us to sit in our room and read a computer screen as opposed to actually communicating and interacting with another person face-to-face. This has caused a negative impact on how we view one another. There is no validity in a status update or a picture posted to their wall about a person’s well-being.

“Facebook ” couldn’t be a more appropriate name for the site we update day to day. Everytime we sign on, we hide our face behind a screen that allows us to become an open book to the people on our friend list. This prevents us from interacting with one another and creating real relationships.

• Did you know the average user spends about 15 hours and 33 minutes on Facebook per month?  Scary, huh?

Our generation has become mesmerized by social media interaction. Think about it & ask yourself these questions: How many people are on your friends list? Now… how many of those people do you talk to or see on a regular basis?

- and I don’t mean through your computer screen. Sometimes I ask myself who some of them even are. As sad as it is, it’s the truth. Social networking has created a gap in how we interact with the people around us. We add friends we met just once to see who they are, where they’re from, what mutual friends we have. Where we used to visit friend’s houses, we’ve replaced with visiting pages. We no longer have to memorize phone numbers, birthdays or anniversaries because they’re right at our fingertips. [Side Note: I don't want anyone to think I'm anti-social networking, internet or social media as a whole, because I'm not.] I like being in contact with old friends I haven’t seen in awhile. I enjoy getting updates from friends I have all over the world. I just think we need to change our ways and our intentions. I don’t want the way my profile portrays me to reflect the person I truly am. There are truths behind it, but in all honesty, I want to change.

As you know, the season of Lent has arrived and we are asked to sacrifice one thing we normally find is a necessity on a daily basis. Some people give up chocolate (because who can deny that stuff?). Others give up soda. I’ve tried to give up profanity in the past. But this year, I’m taking a different approach. I’m going to give up facebook for awhile. Now I know that people say that all of the time and classify it as just a “cry for attention”, but in all seriousness, I want to change this dependency. I want to put myself out there in the world and interact in a new way. I don’t want to sit here and obsess over why my old friends haven’t contacted me. I refuse to be ashamed of my real life that I have to play a different role online.

So, dear friends, this is my request . Whether you live a few miles away, or across the globe. Take the time you would have normally logged onto facebook and apply that in other areas of your life.Make a change. Face the issues you’ve been dealing with and share them with someone else. You’ll feel better about yourself because you got it off your chest. Don’t be afraid. Confront the person you’ve been shutting out of your life. Spark up a conversation. Talk to an old friend and meet up with them to see how they’re doing. Create new memories. Visit family you haven’t seen in awhile.Make a new friend. Say “hello” to a complete stranger, it might just change their day. Write a letter. Send it to a friend who lives far away. Leave your mark. Say or write encouraging words to someone you know who needs them. (or on a card & place it anonymously where they wont see it.) Just so they know someone is thinking of them. Pass it on. Be kind to someone else and ask them to participate with you.

This is true interaction.

On that note, I’m signing off. But I’ll be back. If you’d like to get in touch with me, please do before I take off.  Message me. Write me a letter. If you have my number, contact me. I really want this to work and I hope you try it too.

Operation friend request  is a go.

Until next time.

Be well.