Don’t Give Up Hope

“What can feel like the ending could just be the beginning. Don’t give up hope.” -Third Day

-Third Day

Over the last 11 months since I moved out (I can’t believe it has been almost a year!) I’ve been learning a lot about being on my own and actually being independent out in the big wide world far from home. Throughout this last year, I’ve been greatly challenged in all areas of my life. Especially when it comes to my faith and boy, it has not been easy.

God has been teaching me so much over this last year and all I can really do is sit here and thank Him for not writing me off as a lost cause and forgetting about me cause I can be so stubborn it’s actually not even funny. (Like it’s really not)

But one thing God has really been pushing me with is my trust in Him. Trusting that he has got my life planned out and under control and believing that He created me to fulfill some awesome and amazing things that I can’t even begin to imagine and it’s been HARD. Even now I’m still working on it but as I’ve made moves to trust Him in His plans for my life I’m slowly starting to see what living like that is like. It’s not always a walk in the park and sometimes I doubt myself and doubt God about what He is doing and where He is leading me.

But as I sit here in my college dorm, having been here a whole week, I realize none of this could be anyone or thing aside from God. I still can’t believe that I made it here and even though I’m not certain about my degree I’m going for and if I’ll be at College for 2 or 4 years. I know that I need to not give up Hope when things get hard and be open to God and trust Him to show me what He wants me to do with my life and where He wants me.

No matter where you are and all seems hopeless and confusing or you just feel lost, don’t give up hope ❤

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Mrs. Potato Head

Oh, Mrs. Potato Head, tell me, is it true that pain is beauty?

 

**Today’s post is pulled from and inspired by Melanie Martinez’s song ‘Mrs. Potato Head.’ 

If you weren’t born with it
You can buy a couple ornaments
Just be sure to read the warning, kids
‘Cause pretty soon you’ll be bored of it, ha-ha
Sexual, hey girl if you wanna feel sexual
You can always call up a professional
They stick pins in you like a vegetable

 Kids forever, kids forever

Kids forever, kids forever
Baby soft skin turns into leather
“Don’t be dramatic, it’s only some plastic.”
“No one will love you if you’re unattractive.”

Oh, Mrs. Potato Head, tell me, is it true that pain is beauty?
Does a new face come with a warranty?
Will a pretty face make it better?
Oh, Mr. Potato Head, tell me
How did you afford her surgery?
Do you swear you’ll stay forever?
Even if her face don’t stay together
Even if her face don’t stay together

If you want a little more confidence
Potatoes turn to french fries, yeah it’s common sense
All you need’s a couple more condiments
And a hundred thousand dollars for some compliments
It’s such a waste
When little girls grow into their mother’s face
But little girls are learning how to cut and paste
And pucker up their lips until they suffocate

Kids forever, kids forever
Baby soft skin turns into leather
“Don’t be dramatic, it’s only some plastic.”
“No one will love you if you’re unattractive.”

Oh, Mrs. Potato Head, tell me, is it true that pain is beauty?
Does a new face come with a warranty?
Will a pretty face make it better?
Oh, Mr. Potato Head, tell me
How did you afford her surgery?
Do you swear you’ll stay forever?
Even if her face don’t stay together
Stay forever, stay forever
Even if her face don’t stay together

 

Melanie Martinez album titled Cry Baby is one of the best albums I’ve listened to. Not only for her unique sound and lyrics but the message in a lot of her songs. One of those impactful songs is called Mrs. Potato Head, which I quoted above. The approach this song takes is eye opening in the way that she shows what society defines as beauty or that if you don’t have anything going for you, you can just pay thousands of dollars to fix whatever you hate about yourself.

We see this daily in the celebrities so many people idolize. It’s a common thing in our society and I think it says so much about how messed up and confused our society is and it’s actually sad. The media is telling us we have to look or act a certain way in everything we do, say, like, wear, and what we look like and it’s heaIt’sreaking. It’s heartbreaking because we are all made to be ourselves and not one of us is the same in appearance, personality, likes, talents or whatever!

We were not all created to fit in and be the same but to be ourselves and stand out!

Because of society and its ideas of what beauty should be, I know some amazing women who don’t believe that they are beautiful. Even I don’t always believe I’m beautiful even though I know that everyone is unique and different and that in itself is beautiful. There are days where I look in the mirror and wish my tummy was smaller or my thighs weren’t as ‘jiggly.’

I know a girl who I feel hasn’t been told enough times that she is beautiful…and because of it, she covers her face in layers of makeup and always changes her hair (whether cut or style) Even though she is stunning with or without makeup, dressed up or in sweats and a t-shirt, she doesn’t believe it because society gives this image of beauty that she doesn’t ‘fit’ into and through her 19 years of life not many people have told her she is beautiful just the way she is.

So I just want to encourage you and say: Don’t define yourself by society’s definition of beauty. Embrace you and your body and be beautifully and unapologetically you! ❤

 

Orbits – Album Review

I was given a copy of Keith Kitchen‘s newest album to review and that’s what I intend to do!

So I’ve never reviewed an album before really. I’ve attempted it and am not sure how well I did at it so I’m just gonna talk about why I love it and hope you all get the idea on how amazing it is.

 

My rating: 

 

My Thoughts: I’ve been a fan of Keith Kitchen for a while now, having seen him in concert and my family owning all his albums. So I was REALLY excited when I saw he was working on a new album and now that its out in the world!

Something about his music is absolutely mesmerizing and relaxing! On top of that the story telling and such in the songs is beautiful and can only come from a lot of time put into writing each song. With this album I honestly couldn’t choose a favorite song. They were all just beautifully written and once again I’m blown away by the sheer beauty of the songs themselves.

 

You can purchase Orbits or Keith’s other albums on his website or even have him come play at your local church or event! Trust me, it would be totally worth it!

 

 

 

 

When Things Don’t Go As Planned

Over the past few weeks I’ve come to realise that things so far haven’t gone how I planned. But I guess things never really do…

 

I’m a planner. I plan things and I make lists… I guess you could say i’m a ‘lister’ (only some of you are going to get this and that’s okay)

 

So when things didn’t/don’t or aren’t going as I hoped and planned I often feel lost and/or frustrated.

Why do I do this? Why do I make lists all the time if it frustrates me half the time?

Because it helps me feel like I have MORE control over my life than I actually do.

 

As much as I wish that my lists and planning just went how I wanted I know that’s not how life works. I can pout and be miserable about it but it doesn’t change that fact. So I’ve actually started moving away from planning every little thing in my life and just ‘going with the flow.’ Things like being with my friends and my boyfriend has made me realise the importance of just letting things happen and the relief and relaxation that comes with it.

Learning to just LIVE in the MOMENT. 

 

I’ve learned this all when it comes to my everyday life as well. (Not just more important or significant days or events in my life) ESPECIALLY during my move and the transition to moving and being in a new place. Only now as I’m slowly starting to feel like myself again after feeling not very much like myself (in this transition of moving and a new job.) as, once again, things didn’t go as I planned.

 

I still haven’t really made any friends and being more introverted is also part of my problem. But this is causing problems cause I’m getting bored and stressed out in my own tiny apartment. Adjustment is a lot harder than I EVER would have thought. It feels I’m climbing a mountain I don’t want to be or stuck in some hole going in circles over and over and over again.

 

But despite this all I’ve learned to just trust in God (I’m gonna share the lyrics to a song that’s been helping me a lot at the end of this post) and that my moving here is all part of some plan and as much as I wish I could just make a list to sort it out, I know I can’t and I have to be patient.

 

Lean on God and just let life be…

 

 

 

 

 

 

When You don’t move the mountains
I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust
I will trust in You

Truth is You know what tomorrow brings
There’s not a day ahead You have not seen
So in all things be my life and breath
I want what You want Lord and nothing less

~Trust in You by Lauren Daigle

Scars to your beautiful

You’re beautiful. You’re beautiful, it’s true

 

Recently I heard the song ‘Scars to your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara on the radio. I’ve really grown fond of her because her music is not dirty, inappropriate crap about sex and drugs..and then when I heard her song Scars To Your Beautiful, I had a new appreciation for this music artist.

I was so happy to hear an artist speak out about this ever growing issue of society making women (and men) insecure about their bodies and who they are as a person.

“What I love about people is when they’re just being themselves and not worrying about what they look like.” is a quote from the commentary in the music video (shared below) and it couldn’t be more true. There is nothing more beautiful than someone who is just being themselves. Fully and completely themselves.

 

Its a beautiful thing.

 

Now I’m not saying its easy to forget comments made to you about how you look or what people think. Especially if those comments have been negative or you are a people pleaser like me. Its hard to put the negative or your insecurities out of your mind…Especially when people seem to be brutally honest these days and say whatever they feel whether its true or not…

 

And society is essentially bipolar. It really is.

When it comes to who you are and should be and how you should look and act, society is always changing its ideas.

 

Its unpredictable and constantly changing.

 

Something I’m still learning is to realize that its okay to be me and that I’m beautiful the way I am. And that if people don’t like it, then it doesn’t matter because then they never really cared for who I am as a person.  Its a long hard process to put aside all my insecurities and things people have said to me about my size/body in the past but things are moving in a positive direction for me. Its slow but its there. So know that even though you are trying to love yourself for who you are and it feels like you are going nowhere, know that it takes time. By not loving yourself, you are hating and hurting yourself.

Healing takes time and thats ok.

Think on that and also I hope you are encouraged by the words of this song and what the people in the video have to say. I know I was.

 

 

“Scars To Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara

She just wants to be beautiful
She goes unnoticed, she knows no limits,
She craves attention, she praises an image,
She prays to be sculpted by the sculptor
Oh she don’t see the light that’s shining
Deeper than the eyes can find it
Maybe we have made her blind
So she tries to cover up her pain, and cut her woes away
‘Cause covergirls don’t cry after their face is made

But there’s a hope that’s waiting for you in the dark
You should know you’re beautiful just the way you are
And you don’t have to change a thing
The world could change its heart
No scars to your beautiful, we’re stars and we’re beautiful
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
And you don’t have to change a thing
The world could change its heart
No scars to your beautiful, we’re stars and we’re beautiful

She has dreams to be an envy, so she’s starving
You know, “Covergirls eat nothing.”
She says, “Beauty is pain and there’s beauty in everything.”
“What’s a little bit of hunger?”
“I could go a little while longer,” she fades away
She don’t see her perfect, she don’t understand she’s worth it
Or that beauty goes deeper than the surface
Ah oh, ah ah oh,
So to all the girls that’s hurting
Let me be your mirror, help you see a little bit clearer
The light that shines within

There’s a hope that’s waiting for you in the dark
You should know you’re beautiful just the way you are
And you don’t have to change a thing
The world could change its heart
No scars to your beautiful, we’re stars and we’re beautiful
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
And you don’t have to change a thing
The world could change its heart
No scars to your beautiful, we’re stars and we’re beautiful

No better you than the you that you are
(no better you than the you that you are)
No better life than the life we’re living
(no better life than the life we’re living)
No better time for your shine, you’re a star
(no better time for your shine, you’re a star)
Oh, you’re beautiful, oh, you’re beautiful

There’s a hope that’s waiting for you in the dark
You should know you’re beautiful just the way you are
And you don’t have to change a thing
The world could change its heart
No scars to your beautiful, we’re stars and we’re beautiful
Whoa-oh-oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
And you don’t have to change a thing
The world could change its heart
No scars to your beautiful, we’re stars and we’re beautiful

About The Blogger – A New Post Series!

Hello Readers!

As promised, here is the post I mentioned in my previous post about Writing Groups. Lots of craziness has been going on in my life (not all bad craziness! Just…Craziness) and a lot of it is linking to upcoming events and all that so I figured I might as well start posting about all this stuff cause I just want to share with everyone. I’ve been wanting to do some more personal about me type posts and all that but just never got to it but I figured, I eventually am gonna run out of things to say about writing that isn’t so repetitive AND I don’t want you all to be bored! Cause that just won’t do.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

SO here I am! Doing some posts about the goings on in my life. These probably won’t be an all the time thing but I thought it would still be fun to do every once in a while none-the-less.

Today’s post is gonna kinda be filling you in (and apologizing greatly) on the reasons for my absence on the blog lately. I’m excited to get going on this so get going on this, I shall!

(Note: All the fun and exciting stuff is near the bottom… like if you want to see my grad dress then stick around 😉 )

 

SOCIAL MEDIA STUFFS:

*unashamed self promo here*

Instagram!

SO. For those of you who don’t know. I have a bookish Instagram account (a.k.a Bookstagram) and it just recently reached 530+ followers! It’s pretty darn exciting and I’m hoping to be able to do some giveaways and such very soon. But yeah. Thats pretty exciting. You can find the link to my account on the sidebar or just search my username if you wanna see what kind of cool (ish) pictures I take.  (@TheLibrarianFiles)

I’ve taken a few recently that I absolutely adore so yeah.

Youtube!! 

So recently I began posting videos on youtube and what not all relating to books and writing and I’m enjoying it tremendously! I so far am not doing weekly videos and they are more popping up when I have the chance to film a video (and not sit there for 20 minutes talking to the camera when it stopped recording…cause yeah that happened and I had to re-film the last half of the video) BUT I’m gonna be switching it up and hopefully getting some vlogs of some upcoming events I’m going to! Which events? Well keep reading and you will find out.

But YES. I’m LOVING it and if you wanna check out my Youtube you totally should…and then give me video suggestions…cause I need help XD

The Librarian Files on Youtube

 

WRITING STUFFS:

Ok! So basically all my self promo thing is done. Well kinda sorta. If there is any of that in this section I promise this will be IT ok?

The Hope Movement Book – Some of you may or may not know about the Hope Movement. Its a website run by my friend Natalie and I and we use this blog to encourage those going through hard times and give them a sense of hope and we have decided to bump it up a bit and are writing a Non-Fiction book! That’s the only real details I have right now but we hope to have it complete by June or July and get it out into the world. But that is the writing I’ve been doing as of late as I’m working on school until Graduation in June!

The Fandom Studio is a blog I started with a few friends and basically its all things books/movies/TV and Fandoms. Nuff’ said.

 

 

READING STUFFS:

So as for reading, I’ve been doing a decent amount of work on it and my TBR pile grew over Easter Weekend cause I bought about 5-7 new books then. I can’t wait to get reading as I’ve got lots of exciting new books but before I move on to the shiny books, my friend gave me a huge stack of books to borrow almost a year ago after a weekend conference and I haven’t even started on it yet! O.O and he claims he is giving me more when I see him next. So I’ve suddenly dived into a panic because if he gives me anymore books I’m going to drown in the huge pile.

Think I’m being dramatic?

Yeah well, I’m not. (Both the Purple and Blue books in the middle of the stack were given to me by my Gram btw. But the others are from my friend)

On the plus side, this should help me blow thorough my Goodreads Challenge this year!

So far out of said challenge, I’ve read 6 out of 50 books…So I got a lot left to go but I’m getting there!

 

LIFE STUFFS:

Swing Dance 

I can’t recall if I’ve really mentioned much of my newest obsession on here or not. I did do a post about it on The Fandom Studio blog but I believe thats it. But anyways! I discovered a local Swing Dance group in November and went to one of their big dances they do once a month. I showed up not knowing what to do at all but then I was taught the basics by some people there and I was soon on my way. In January I joined their Monday night classes and have basically gone every Monday since. Its an absolute blast and the second weekend in March I spent a WHOLE weekend at a workshop learning Lindy Hop and it was beautiful. One of my favourite things I’ve done this year. (My Grad retreat was also a blast! If y’all wanna hear about that, let me know and I’ll write a post on that one) I’ve so far brought a bunch of my friends and my one sister with me to the classes and I’ve pulled a few people into this obsession with me…and I intend to make all my friends come dancing with me at LEAST once. Really thats all it should take to make them love it as well.

Upcoming Craziness of June 2016

Okay! So June is going to be a crazy busy month and I’m BEYOND excited for it. What craziness is going down, you might ask?

Well to start, the last weekend of May (I know that isn’t June but it all ties in so just go with it) I’m going to YC Alberta for the 4th time in a row. That is a conference I never tire of and I can’t wait because not only do I get to spend the entire weekend learning more about and praising God, but its also a time to get to spend with my friends. It’s an amazing and fun filled weekend that is the BEST way to kick off summer! (Or almost summer because Finals and stuff is still afterwards) THIS is one of the things myself and also my friend Morgan will be Vlogging for our youtube channels but yeah. Its going to be GREAT. So to kick off everything there is that.

THEN…

June 2nd I’m gonna be running around like a crazy lady because I’ll be picking my best friend from the airport in Calgary (an hour and a half from where I live) because my best friend is also my Grad Date/Escort (whatever you wanna call it haha) so I kinda need him 😛 and from there I will take my grad dress to the store I purchased it from and get it steamed so my skirt doesn’t turn into some weird, stiff, cupcake floof thing… THEN I will also need to be doing a final check to make sure I have EVERYTHING for Grad all ready to go for the next morning….cause if I forgot my dress at home I would laugh and then start to weep. You think that wouldn’t be possible but knowing me and my brain I wouldn’t put it past myself to forget something vital. Maybe not my dress but… you get the point.

Which reminds me.  *pauses the post*

LETS TAKE A BREAK SO I CAN SHOW YOU MY DRESS AND SHOES AND HAIR STYLE I HAVE ALL PICKED OUT AND ALL THAT.

MINE CHOSEN HAIRSTYLE

I have a backup hairstyle in case my hair isn’t long enough. because I’m prepared.

MINE SHOES

AND FINALLY!!! MINE DRESS

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

OKAY SO NOW THAT IM DONE BEING EXCITED AND SQUEALING BACK TO THE CRAZINESS OF JUNE THING.

So fast forward to the early morning of June 3rd. Not only do I turn 19 that wonderful day but I have to drag myself and my friend (he’s a little bitter about it) out of bed and we are on the road to the Calgary area for my Grad…but we have to leave at 5am so I can go get my hair done for when the salon opens. Then the whole day will proceed and by the end of the day I will be a graduated person. (Who has yet to finish some of her exams.) and I’m beyond excited! That is going to be a wonderful day! Though I am slightly terrified because my friend Morgan (who is an absolute doll by the way! I love her to bits! ❤ )found out my 19th birthday is on Graduation Day and I’m afraid she’s gonna do something or whatever cause she is known as the Queen of Birthdays… I’m trying to decide if she is just scaring me or not. I’m not really sure….

BUT WIAT! WE’RE NOT DONE!

After graduation I will still have some studying to do and my friend will be here till the middle of that following week…. Then my friend goes home then two days later I’m going to stay at my friends place for a few days for HIS grad!! I’m super excited for that as well. Its gonna be great.

Then, even though I’ll be graduated by then….I will still have yet to complete my Diploma Exams which are like the middle of the month. The whole thing is like ‘Let Celebrate being done school!! — Oh wait! Jokes on you suckers! Cause if you fail your diplomas I’ll see you again next semester…”

Riiiiiiiight… Funny how that works…

But OH WELL I GUESS. What ya gonna do, right?

 

What God Has Been Teaching Me Lately

Alrighty. Lets see if I can get this write without being too vague or sounding like I’m complaining about all my problems cause that really isn’t my goal here.

Okay. So basically God has been teaching me a LOT of things lately so I’ll kinda just list off what they are and why (if there is even a clear ‘Why’ to it)

The Power of Prayer and just how IMPORTANT prayer is.

Patience

Peace

To Trust Him – This is a big one for me that kinda links all the things I listed together. I stress a LOT and am one of those people that will often talk out my problems to others and get their council and thinking out loud helps me sort out things. So lately this quote has been jumping in my head that says. “Have you prayed about it as much as you’ve talked about it?” and sometimes I just get this prompting from God like ‘Adriana, you gave your problems over to me so stop taking them back. Let me deal with this. I’ve got this. Trust Me.“

Does that mean I can’t talk about my problems? Absolutely NOT. But God is just showing me that I just need to stop and pray about it more and trust that He has got it. With that God is also showing me Peace and Patience in that I need to have Peace and try not to stress. and also Patience because I’m the kind of person who just wants things fixed right here, right now…and thats not always what God has in mind.

My Favourite Music Right Now AND My Song of the Year

So this year, I kind of have a song for the year and that song is called ‘Verge’ by Owl City (feat. Aloe Blacc).

Not only is the music video amazing but I LOVE the lyrics!

I ain’t too sure what I believe in
But I believe in what I see
and when I close my eyes
I see my whole life ahead of me
These are our hours (These are our hours)
This is our time (This is our time)
This is our time
These are our hours (These are our hours)
Out on the verge (Out on the verge)
Out on the verge of the rest of our lives (The rest of our lives)

Out on the verge of the rest of our lives tonight
Top of the world and we’re dressed to the nines tonight
Edge of the earth and we’re touching the sky tonight
Out on the verge of the rest of our lives

From now on
There’s no looking back
Full steam ahead
On this one way track
From this day forward
I will make promise
To be true to myself
And always be honest
For the rest of my life
I will do what’s right
I will do what’s right
When I step out on the

Out on the verge of the rest of our lives tonight
Top of the world and we’re dressed to the nines tonight
Edge of the earth and we’re touching the sky tonight
Out on the verge of the rest of our lives (The rest of our lives)

The rest of our lives
Edge of the earth and we’re touching the sky tonight
Out on the verge of the rest of our lives

Its one of my favourite songs right now. Why I’m not sure but its kinda like an empowering ‘YEAH YOU CAN DO THIS’ kind of song and I LOVE it to pieces. Also, I mean how can you NOT love Owl City? I mean really.

Aside from that song. I have a LOT of worship songs I’m in love with right now but I will have to say my top favourites right now are:

Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli

Good Good Father by Chris Tomlin

Beautiful Things by Gungor

Jesus, Healer by Bluetree

I mean there are a LOT more but right now, those are my favourites. I just love the words. So powerful and filled with meaning and they just speak to me and I love them!

If you want a HUGE playlist of Worship Music to listen to, I got your back! So feel free to go listen to it HERE or leave it be. Whatever you wanna do. But its there if you want. The songs I just listed are also there if you have never heard them and wanna listen to them or whatever.

SO. Thats my post. Usually these kinds of posts won’t be freakishly long or they will be done sporadically in different parts as things unfold but I have so much to look forward to so I wanted to talk about it all here and now!

Thanks for popping by! Until Next Time

Adriana G.