The Little Black Book

Christmas happy...

2010-12-16T07:59:00.000-08:00

My sister posted this the other day about her trip to Target with my three year old nephew Garrett. It's too cute not to share...

Christmas happy: We were at Target last night picking up some additional lights, when G looks over and says," OOOh, look at all the pinata sticks mommy!" I turn, confused,"They are cool, but no G, that's wrapping paper".

I think they've lived in South Texas too long haha!

Do You Believe That God Wants Best...

2010-12-15T08:43:00.000-08:00

A dear friend reminded me this morning...Do you believe that God wants best for you? That he isn’t with holding anything from you that you need? You may be frustrated that you aren’t getting what you want in the moment, but do you trust him?

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end leads to death.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 84: 11-12 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

As we grow in the Lord our way of life will change. It has to change. Everything changes. Previously we’ve done things our way and love feeling as though we are in control. When we start to lose that control, and finally allow God to lead our lives and start to follow, it can be a tough transition. So much of our lives we’ve chased after what we want and done things our way, but where has that lead us? Hurt, heartbroken, empty, or maybe realizing there has got to be something more. So often we become dependent on ourselves and others that we aren’t dependent on Christ as Savior of our lives.
Do you believe that God wants best for you? That he isn’t with holding anything from you that you need? You may be frustrated that you aren’t getting what you want in the moment, but do you trust him? Are you taking time to truly know God?

2 Peter 1:2-11

2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

JESUS, WILL YOU WAIT UNTIL AFTER JANUARY 10th?

2010-12-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

I woke up in the middle of the night Saturday with the thought:

WE FOCUS SO MUCH ON THE FUTURE, WE MISS THE PRESENT.

Lately I’ve been so excited about my future! I can’t begin to explain my excitement about going to the National Championship game in January, going to Haiti on mission in April, being on my boat again this summer, and where the Lord will have me in regards to serving, relationship, career, travel, etc.

I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE, BUT WHAT ABOUT TODAY?!

The Lord has us here, in this moment, on this day for a very specific purpose. He has given us this day to possibly come into repentance with Him, serve Him, learn more about Him, and share His Good News with others. TODAY.

In life we get so excited about what is to come we are missing out on the joys of today! Let’s stop rushing today away. It’s like a wedding day. We plan for days, months, years for that big day. Then as soon as it’s over we think, “Wait I can’t even remember what the decorations looked like, who was there, what the food tasted like…and now… what do I start looking forward to now?”

CHERISH THE GIFT OF TODAY. The Lord is up to something so good, better than you can ever imagine. Even if life today doesn’t seem exciting, maybe it’s even a sad day for you (See Romans 8), TRUST HIM and SEEK HIM.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

To be honest, in a jokingly way, I prayed that the Lord would wait until after January 10th to return back for us because I would love to see Auburn in the big game. The truth is WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY it is going to be when Christ returns to bring us home. It will be greater than any future plan we have here on earth, greater than any football game, greater than any relationship, greater than any vacation…and that is the day I truly cannot wait for!

Revelation 21: 4-7
‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

THE PORCH DEVO 12.14.10

2010-12-13T09:38:00.000-08:00

JESUS TALKED MORE ABOUT HELL THAN EVERYONE ELSE IN THE SCRIPTURES COMBINED. HE SPOKE MORE ABOUT HELL THAN HEAVEN...think about that.

JP brought it last Tuesday. While writing The Porch News this week I become teary eyed thinking about how bad we miss it. By “it” I mean understanding what Jesus, our SAVIOR, did for each of us. We could never imagine how good our God is, and therefore can’t even begin to imagine how bad hell is.

“There is no pain in this world that compares to hell.” Hell is real, it is not a joke, and it is not a party. What breaks my heart is that we, ourselves, are what is going to keep us from eternity in heaven with our Father. “What prevents us from all the goodness God has for us? Ourselves.” (Matthew 10:39, John 3:30) Who should end up in hell? Everyone. We have all run from God. (Mark 10:18)

Romans 3:9-12 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all!... As it is written:“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away..."

“Addictions to sex, porn, attention, spending, relationships…all those things are born out of an addiction to ourselves.”

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Think about some hard truth JP shared Tuesday:
*We are called to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-39).

We often respond, “nah love me”.

*The opposite of loving God is not worshiping Satan, it is worshipping self.
*We love His stuff and so often just want to bargain with him to get what we want.

I pray so much that you all would experience what I have in the moment where I “got it”…I need JESUS, I need a SAVIOR! I finally understood that my way of life, no matter the temporary happiness, will ALWAYS lead to death (Proverbs 16:25), and keep me from this indescribable life I’ve now found with Christ.

“Good people and bad people end up in both heaven and hell. The difference is those who are forgiven are in heaven."

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. -2 Corinthians 7:10

Praying you all would experience His amazing grace~

THE PORCH DEVO 12.07.10

2010-12-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

WE SPEND OUR LIVES SEARCHING FOR A WELL TO CLINCH OUR THIRST, AND WE WILL NOT FIND IT APART FROM HIM.

I’ve been contemplating on what to share this week, and really feel a tug on my heart to be truly transparent. I loved when David talked about how we constantly look to the next best thing for temporary pleasure and happiness. Then “even when you get the exact thing you want, the excitement of it only last so long”. For young adults this often comes in the form of a relationship. While searching for the one thing that will satisfy we often end up “demanding more from that person, than they can give.”

After taking time away from dating I’ve finally felt my heart open to date again. I’ve also found the devil sneaking his way back into my life in the form of insecurity. The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

When relationships don’t work out I’ve started to question my worth, and how people view me. If only I was quieter, looked different, or haven’t gone through a divorce etc maybe things would work out differently. My dear friend Lulie would say, “That is a lie from the pit of hell.”

My worth and yours is found only in Christ Jesus. Like David said, the thing I need most is not a relationship, not more money, not a new car…It is a greater understanding, an intimate relationship, with my heavenly Father. I see clearly that I need more time with the Lord to continue working through these insecurities, and that no relationship, attention, or compliments from a man will ever satisfy. I could never put that expectation on a guy (career, money, etc) to satisfy only what can be found in the Lord. Those things have and will only leave me feeling that there has to be something more. Understanding who God is and growing my relationship with Him is the only thing that matters. I loved when Todd referenced Matt Chandler this Sunday when he said, “All that matters is…I am His.”

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” –John 6:35

What are you looking towards to find satisfaction? Where are you finding your worth?

The Greatness of Our God…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPxxzxBK_Eg

I encourage you all to read through Isaiah 55 & Psalm 23.

God doesn't make junk, YOU are God's masterpiece...

2010-12-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhfUzodLRvk

So often in my life I've tried to control instead of trusting God. I've tried to bargin with Him. I've even questioned the way He made me and rarely feel like a masterpiece. I love how this video shows a sad, but true example of many of our relationships with our heavenly Father, mine included. It also shows more importantly the goodness, grace, and mercy of our Father.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:10

BEST TRIP OF MY LIFE

2010-08-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

AMAZON 2010 GOT TO!

It has been a couple months since I returned back from the Amazon and I still don’t think I have the words to describe the beauty of Brazil, the people, and the experience. The trip was more than I ever imagined it could be!Below are some brief notes about the incredible journey through Manaus and the Amazon:

*MANAUS (the city)- The outdoor markets in Manaus were filled with culture. There was music, dance contest…and I bought a coconut to drink while shopping :)

*OUR PARTNER CHURCH- The Presperterian Church in Manaus was packed with believers singing worship and praise in Portuguese. It was moving to see people worshiping our same God in another part of the world and in another language! (Revelation 7:9-17)

*OUR BOAT- was 3 stories with the kitchen and a few rooms on the bottom level (mine was there). Our dining room/hangout/guys bedroom was on the second level along with a few more rooms for the girls. The top level was just an open hang out area where we could watch the MOST BEAUTIFUL sunsets and sunrises I have ever seen in my life. The stars at night would completely cover the sky in a way I’ve never seen and because of our location the moon would disappear.

*LONG JOURNEY- It took us 18 hours on the boat to get to our first village. Hints why they call the people of the Amazon the “Forgotten People” because it takes so long for anyone to get out to where they live.

*THE RIVER- We were on the Rio Negro River. The water was like glass…wake boarders/skiers seriously the smoothest water I have ever seen in my life. The water created a perfect reflection of the land, clouds, sunsets/rises, and even lightening. It was breathtaking.

*THE VILLAGES- The villages we went to were small, around 10-30 families in each. Women on average had 3children by the time they are 25-27 years old (my age). Men fishes and hunted, one even speared a jaguar a couple days before we reached their village. Women would work in fields and take care of the children. Many children also attended a small school in their village.

*OUR TEAMS- We had a medical team, women’s team, men’s team, and children’s team. The people would line up to get medical help and even medicines from a pharmacy we had on our boat. The women’s team would paint nails to open conversation, go to their homes to help cook or just meet them, and have afternoon meetings to share testimonies, the Gospel, pray, learn more about the, and give them goodie bags with everyday toiletries. The men played soccer, went on jungle tours, got to know the men, and share testimonies etc. The children’s team would play games, do a VBS, sing songs, and act out skits of Bible stories etc. They worked so hard! At the end of the day we would have a church service where one or two of us would share our testimonies and then one of the leaders would give a message. We also were lucky that a guy on our team, Justin, brought his guitar with him so we did worship on our boat during devos and in the villages as well!

*RESULTS- I am not sure how many people were “saved”, but seeds were definitely planted and we left encouraged. Many had a wrong view of the Gospel, so we had the opportunity to share with them the TRUTH and the Good News! We shared a lot, prayed a lot, smiled a lot, and even cried. Lives were changed…both theirs and ours.

*FUN FUN FUN- Some fun things we got to experience: jungle hikes, picking pineapples, canoe tours, swimming with dolphins in the river, an alligator hunt!, fishing, tour incredible hotels in Manaus (including one with a zoo), and eat amazing Brazilian food!

*THANK YOU GOD- Three of us actually got baptized on this trip. Kylea, Kiersti, and myself. I was actually baptized as a baby, but this was different. I truly understand and believe the Gospel now, and the fact that in being reconciled to Christ I am a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5, Romans 6, Matthew 28, Acts 2:38)JP, our young adults pastor, did all three of our baptisms. God has used him in all our walks, and he has spoken so much truth to us that we all were so grateful he would agree to baptize us in the Amazon River. It was INCREDIBLE! Thankfully none of us were bitten by anything during the process! :)

*REFLECTION- I learned so much about sharing the Gospel and praying for people in the moment. You know how people tell you something and you tell them you will pray for them? I’ve learned not to wait, but to pray right then. It’s amazing. The people taught me so much about living simply, being content, and realizing I already have more than I ever need. The joy of the Brazilians that served with us was contagious, I pray that I can be that way! To many of us the trip made God seem so huge that he could reach so far and so many languages, but at the same time be so small that he wants each and every one of us. I am truly humbled at the opportunity I was given to serve HIM and make HIM known.

GeTTiNG ReaDy FoR THe aMaZoN...(Part 1)

2010-02-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

I appreciate your continued prayers and support more than you will ever know. As promised I would like to update periodically with what’s going on regarding my first mission trip! Our team is going through a course at Watermark Community Church every Thursday night for five weeks called Finding Your Mission.

The purpose of this class is to:

1.Discover the power of the gospel to provide purpose and mission to every area of our lives.

2.Discover that we are already greatly and uniquely equipped to be on mission for God.

3.Discover that we live in a unique and challenging mission field right now, every day.

Our first session was last week and the focus was on:

The Gospel Changes Everything. We started by discussing what the gospel is:Jesus Christ, the son of God, died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin, and rose again from the dead to offer forgiveness of sin and eternal life by his grace, through faith in Christ alone.

Then we worked on having a 3 minute testimony to share with others. In our testimony we talk about how are life was before Christ, when we truly trusted Christ as our savior, and how our lives have been changed because of Christ. It's important for us to make Christ the hero of our story, not ourselves or anyone else.

Our homework was to take a SHAPE Test, Spiritual Gift Assessment. I realized the same problem I had in school. If the question isn't extremely detailed I have a hard time figuring out what it is really asking. For example one of the statements you had to rank how likely you were to do the following:Give use of my car for the youth retreat.At first I checked "No Way!" because I'm not comfortable with a group of teenagers taking my car etc, but then if it meant I would drive them to the retreat I would put "Love it!". Too confusing for me :)

We also had to read a chapter about “the opposite of wasting your life is to live by a single, soul-satisfying passion for the supremacy of God in ALL things”. It reminded me of the Francis Chan quote:

“Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”

It made me think of all the time I've wasted in my life trying to please everyone, getting others approval, and succeeding in things that for the moment seemed like a big deal, but really don't matter nor make a huge impact in my life. How many opportunites did I miss to share with others and grow personally? I should have been looking to please Christ and trusting in Him. So glad I am following Him now! Life is much sweeter! Even if I had everything this world could offer, it would mean nothing without Christ. He is my single soul-satisfying passion!I actually read the chapter while on the elliptical because the font was large :) I ended up going faster and for a longer time period than normal because I was so caught up in the reading! Hoping we keep getting chapters with large font… learning about Christ & burning extra calories all at the same time works for me!

Our second session was last night and the focus was on: Spiritual Gifts.We learned that our spiritual gifts are not talents, personality, or fruits of the Spirit, but are a “God given special ability, given to every believer at conversion by the Holy Spirit, to share His love and strengthen the body of Christ”. What really made me think though was when we discussed the traps of the spiritual gifts. Two that stood out were that we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others 1Corinthians 12:21-22, and we shouldn’t expect others to do things the same way we do because we all have different spiritual gifts. We ended last night sharing our 3 minute testimony with a partner.

I could not be more ecstatic about this trip! It has everything I could hope for: Christ centered, awesome group, Brazil, and a boat! I can already see growth in my walk going through this journey, and it is awesome! Thank you for reading this and being apart of my journey!

WaTCH ouT aMaZoN... HeRe CoMeS aLLy!!

2010-01-15T13:02:00.000-08:00

www.e3partners.org/AmazonAlly-Support

I am beyond ecstatic for my first mission trip! Having my first mission trip be in Brazil is beyond my wildest dreams!!! Things that I love: JESUS, PEOPLE, and BOATS! So watch out Amazon, here comes Ally! Below is basic info about my trip. I would greatly appreciate your prayers for me, my team, and for the hearts of the people we will be meeting in the jungle.

WHO: I am part of a team of twenty young adults from Watermark Community Church, partnered with E3 Partners.

WHAT: Mission Trip in the Amazon Jungle to share the Gospel and our faith in Jesus Christ. We will have different teams including: Medical/Dental team, Mens team, Womens team, and Childrens team. Using the different teams we will be able to love on the people we meet, aid them, and use translators to help us share the Good News!

WHERE: Flying into Manaus, Brazil. Then we will take a boat down the Amazon and stop at various villages.

WHEN: May 15th, 2010 through May 23rd, 2010

WHY:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Mark 16:15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."

Matthew 4:19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

2 Corinthians 5: 14- 21 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sinfor us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Romans 12 (one of my favs)

I will be updating my blog about our training and preparation for this trip! Excited to share this journey with you all!

THaNKFuL

2009-11-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

This week hasn't been the best, but in the midst of everything I've tried to think of some things I am thankful for and here we go:

1. My amazing family (immediate & extended). I am blessed to have parents that are still married for more than 30 years, an incredible sister, brother-n-law, and nephew. I feel so lucky to have Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, & cousins that I love keeping in touch with... Extremely blessed!

2. My faithful friends. It is the best feeling in the world to know that I have friends who are there to listen, pray, be honest, and support me.

3. My precious nephew. When he says "Love you Aunt Ally" I melt and it is the greatest thing in the whole world.

4. ATM Direct deposits. I love being able to drive up & just put my check into the machine. So much easier!

5. Good food. Enough said. Blessed that my mom brings homemade gumbo etc, and Fernando brings homemade tamales!

6. My generous friends who give me tickets to games because they know that makes me the happiest girl & my friends with cute clothes who like to swap with me =)

7. The awesome high school kids that I get to hang out with through Young Life.

8. and MOST importantly I am thankful for a perfect, loving, and merciful God who has blessed me more than I could ever dream of or deserve.

WeDNeSDaY WoRD

2009-11-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

I send out a weekly news letter to my young adults church group and decided to share this weeks with you all:

After last Tuesday I couldn't stop thinking about this...

Luke 15:21-24

"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate."

All of us have sinned against heaven & against the ones we love, BUT...

"I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Luke 15:7

Rejoicing? Celebrating? How humbling is that. We have a Father who loves us unconditionally, loves us in a way that we can't even imagine. All He wants is for us to come home to him with humbled hearts...

The Bible clearly states:

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:11

But let us not forget that Christ humbled himself first.

"And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:8

Humbled by God's grace and love...

Check out this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJIG8PswugM&feature=player_embedded

True Story Thursday

2009-10-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

I was at the office and heard on the radio that Denny's had FREE Grand Slam Breakfast for everyone! I immediately went into my bosses office and asked if I could go get some free food. (My boss is also my mom) She said that would be ok, so off I went!

Anyone who has been around me for any extended part of time knows that I am HORRIBLE with directions. I depend on the sweet lady inside my Garmin to tell me how to get anywhere and everywhere.

I plug Denny's into my GPS and start following the purple line. I was so focused on which way it was telling me to go that I was not paying attention to my speed or the officer on a motorcyle up ahead. I fly by him. OOPS. Lights come on and here we go.

I pull over so depressed that this free breakfast was about to cost me a speeding ticket. The police officer gets off his bike and comes to my window.

He ask: "Do you know why I pulled you over?"

I say: "Yes sir, I'm pretty sure I was speeding."

He ask: "Why were you speeding?"

At this point I literally have a little debate in my head about what response to give. Make up something? Cry? Smile real big? Beg for forgiveness?

I say:" Well sir, Denny's is giving away free Grand Slams today and I really wanted to go, but I am horrible with directions and was concentrating so much on my Garmin that I honestly was just not paying attention."

I prepare for him to go ahead and write me a ticket.

He says:"Well all you have to do to get there is stay straight about a mile, turn right, and at the next light turn right again and you'll see it. Turn off your GPS and watch your speed. Have a good breakfast."

Seriously? Did that just happen? A police officer pulls me over for going more than 10mph over the speed limit and gives me directions to Denny's instead of a ticket??!!?

True Story. Can't make this stuff up.

(I got to Denny's and the line was wrapped all the way around the building. So I left and went to Ihop and bought the Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity)

Wednesday. Word.

2009-10-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

1Peter4 continued...

7... Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.

Be clear minded. So easily I read this and really don't think about what this means to be clear minded and self-controlled. It's easy to become distracted by worrying, relationships, friendships, how we look, and material things. When we do this we lose sight of what really matters.

Personally when I get distracted by these things my prayers become more of what I want right in that moment, and less of what Christ wants for me. My thoughts are filled with doubt, confusion, wanting more, not being satisfied, etc. I am definitely not clear minded to think about situations the way I should.

Psalm 10:4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Be self-controlled. We know what is right and wrong. We know. We come up with excuses for our sins to try and justify why we do things that we know are not good for us or others. I'm definitely guilty of this. .

6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and SELF-CONTROLLED. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be SELF-CONTROLLED, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Thessalonians 5:6-9

Relating this to dating...

Example: I was talking to a friend one day about how I date. I was trying to justify getting to know someone quickly so that I'll know right away whether I should spend anymore time with a guy. See I don't want to waste anymore time. I found myself getting really defensive in this conversation about dating, and remember thinking my friend just doesn't get it. Finally, after I was done trying to justify and convince him to understand my perspective he said something that I consider profound :

So you've done it your way and how has that worked for you? Where has that gotten you?

Wow. I've never thought about it that way. When I've done it my way I have not been clear minded or self-controlled and this caused me to not protect my heart (Proverbs 4:23). When I've done it my way...well I'm still single so I guess that hasn't worked. There has been much heartache, pain, regrets, feelings of being unlovable, not good enough... the list could go on and on.

Why trust myself when I have a perfect and loving God who has a perfect will for my life?

Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding"

2 Samuel 22:31 "As for God, his way is PERFECT; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

I've definitely been that person that pretty much says:

"Hey God, I got this. If you wanna come along for the ride thats fine, but I got this."

Where has that gotten me? Nowhere good.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Looking back I remember times where I literally didn't pray because I didn't want to have to admit where I had been wrong. I didn't want to have to face the fact that I was really hurt and needed someone to help me...I needed Christ. So when this verse says "so that you can pray", that's what I think of. When I wasn't clear minded and had guilt of not being self controlled by making decisions that hurt me and others...I literally didn't pray. I didn't know what to pray or how to pray.

I'm starting to watch my thoughts because I know that my thought lead to actions. When I spend time in the word and prayer, focusing less on me and more on Christ my thoughts become pure and I start to find more discernment. I make less regrettable comments/decisions and become much more clear minded and self-controlled.

1Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus

Hebrew 3:1

Wednesday. Word.

2009-10-22T08:10:00.001-07:00

While having my quiet time the other morning I decided to study 1 Peter 4. There are so many verses that really hit home for me that I've decided to spend the next couple weeks sharing this chapter.

1.Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.

2As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

3For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.

4They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.

5But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

6For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

WOW. I am humbled when I read this. I've definitely fallen short and continue to fall short. So often I choose temporary happiness and desires, rather than God's perfect will for my life. We joke all the time about drunken debauchery, make jokes and comments about lust, and ALL of us have made something an idol in our lives. What I mean by that is we all have something that we chose before Christ, that we just can't seem to surrender and trust the Lord with.

It's amazing that this was written so long ago, but is still so true. Especially in verse 4 when it says that they think it's strange when you don't give into this debauchery with them and they will heap abuse on you. Most of the time when I've chosen not to drink or party I've definitely been rediculed by those who are doing just that. When I have chosen to party I end up regretting something. Whether that be because I waste away the next day being so tired, texting/calling people I wish I wouldn't have, saying things I wouldn't have said, aiding others to stumble in their walk as well, the list could go on and on...

I'm humbled because so quickly I seem to not think about the fact that Christ SUFFERED for ME and YOU. We've heard it all our lives, most of us, but take a minute and think about that....

If you think because you've fallen short so many times there is no hope, you are wrong. I've told myself that before. Then some amazing people brought truth to me. We are all imperfect people in need of a perfect savior. That is exactly why he sent his son. Christ is constantly in persuit of us no matter how many times we've fallen short. You see, Christ's love is unconditional. That's so hard for us to understand because everyone we've ever met has let us down in some way...

We will have to give an account to him. What are you going to say?

True Story Thursday!

2009-10-15T06:25:00.001-07:00

Today's true story comes from a good friend of mine...

"I threw my bestie an "All White" Birthday Party...

my ex-fiance showed up...

in a tuxedo t-shirt...
it was his Bachelor Party...

I snuck out a side door while

the birthday girl... in a tiara...

gave him a piece of her mind...

she's the BEST. FRIEND. EVER."

- Anonymous

Who runs into their ex-fiance at HIS bachelor party, at the same place as your throwing your bestfriend a birthday party?!?!

I was there, it was nuts. Although she's right, seeing the bday girl wearing a tiara have a little chat with the bachelor in a tuxedo shirt was pretty priceless.

True. Story. We can't make this stuff up.

Wednesday. Word.

2009-10-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

Romans 12 has some of my favorite verses and I couldn't pick just one. Take time to read these and reflect on your own life. How you are living and treating others?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"says the Lord. 20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Things I've Learned Lately...

2009-10-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

5 things I've learned lately...

1. I should have someone else do my laundry. I shrunk three brand new articles of clothing in the last wash.

2. I should not valet park at House of Blues. I went with $12 cash thinking $10 to park $2 tip. It cost $15 to valet there. So I had to go to the ATM and pay $3.99 to get $20 to pay for my $15 valet parking when I could have just walked 100 feet to begin with.

3. I should not hit snooze on my alarm. I never get up when I want/need to.

4. I should not workout legs on Friday. I hurt all weekend.

5. I should not go to the grocery store hungry. I buy way more than I need, and food that is not healthy.

True Story Thursday!

2009-10-08T13:42:00.001-07:00

I once had a guy I was dating send me to the spa to get a massage. When I called him after to thank him... he broke up with me. Best breakup ever. True story.

Wednesday. Word.

2009-10-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

~1 Thessalonians 5:16:18

The Porch @ Watermark yesterday was amazing! So often we lose our joy to little things that bother us. It could be: friends, family, work, co-workers, money, status, traffic, sickness, relationships, not having a relationship, etc.

We put our joy and hope in these things, and then when our expectations aren't met we are let down and so quickly lose our joy. Even when we get all that we have ever wanted we still are left searching for the next thing, or something even greater. Why do we continue down this pattern? I don't think there is a good answer.

The verse above is God's WILL for us. To be joyful ALWAYS, pray CONTINUALLY, and give thanks in ALL circumstances. Not just the ones that bring us temporary happiness and pleasure. If we put our JOY & HOPE in the LORD, and not these other things, we will not be let down... We will not lose our joy. Let us be joyful always because of our belief in Christ.

Love & Prayers~

Ally

www.theporchdallas.com/media

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!?!

2009-09-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

Top 10 things I love about football season so far

(da na na ...da na na):
10. THE FELLAS... what girl doesn't like to watch some good looking guys play football? Or if you're like me and like to toss the pigskin around with your friends or even some flag football!

9. WHAT TO DO??...don't have to think about that anymore bc there is always a game on!

8. THE WEATHER...for some reason it becomes gorgeous outside!

7. JERSEYS...or "gear". You don't have to worry about what to wear!

6. STADIUM FOOD... I suggest "sloppy nachos" wherever you go!

5. UPSETS... make college football even more exciting!

4. THE SEC... has 3 teams in the top 4 (except boooo bama)! There hasn't been 3 teams from the same conference in the top 4 since 1971!

3. COWBOYS STADIUM...opening game vs. the Giants & MNF game when the Boys won!

2. AUBURN... going back to watch them beat Miss St & tailgating with friends!

1. AUBURN is 4-0! (who would have thought!?)

True Story Thursday

2009-09-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

Thursday will be True Story day. To protect my friends and myself no real names will be used. These are situations that after left us wondering, seriously...did that really just happen?

I was set up on a blind date with this guy Bob. During the date Bob proceeded to get drunk, offered me only alcohol...no food, asked me to go outside with him while he smoked cigarettes (knowing I hate smoke), cursed throughout all of his stories, and even took a call from his mom in New York and asked if I wanted to talk to her! By the end of the date Bob was shocked that I didn't want to give him my number and see him again. I mean he "has a place at the W and condo in New York"...

Classy guy.

True story.

Wednesday. Word.

2009-09-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

I'm going to start blogging more and Wednesday will be WORD day. By word I mean THE WORD, some good stuff straight from the GOOD BOOK!

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
-Matthew 22:36-38

"Love God. Love others. It's really that simple."- JP

Love & Prayers~
Ally

LADIES & GENTLEMEN

2009-09-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last blog so there is plenty to talk about, but lets start with this...

ATTENTION LADIES & GENTLEMEN:

I had a light bulb moment a while back when I realized that dating is not at all what it used to be, and I think I figured out some of what is going wrong. You see girls and boys date differently. I use the terms "girls" and "boys" because real gentlemen and ladies would not date this way.

Girls date for the future and boys date for the now.

Girls date for who the man can be:

"I just see the man he could be", "I know that one day he is going to have to put this partying way behind him if I am just patient", "Oh he'll change", "He just needs the right girl (insert your name here) to come along". Ignoring who the guy is right now, doing just about anything to keep this boy around so that she can be the one with him in the future when he becomes "the man she's known he could be".

"We are all programmed to believe that if a guy acts like a total jerk that means he likes you." - He's just not that into you. "

While girls are dating for the future of who he could be, boys are dating for the now:

"Well she's hot", "I mean I wouldn't marry her, but she's fun", thinking only about the moment and where they are in their own life and not the future. If she looks the part, and goes along with how he's living at the moment "it works". Steve Harvey says it well in his book that every man has a plan for the girl he dates, he knows if it's going somewhere or not. He also says men are like fishermen, some play for sport throwing fish back, and some play for keep.

Ladies want to be the fish that Gentlemen date to keep and show off, not throw back to catch another.

No wonder dating is so confusing. I once heard a quote and shared it with my mom in high school. I'll call her frustrated or upset with someone and she always reminds me of this:

WHEN SOMEONE SHOWS YOU WHO THEY ARE, BELIEVE THEM.

(Stop making up excuses for people)

Let's take time to get to know one another, figure out who the person is right now, and where they would like to be in the future. When dating you should want BOTH to match up.

GENTLEMEN: Think about how you treat a lady. Treat her the way you would want your mom, sister, daughters to be treated. Even if she doesn't act like a lady, be a gentlemen. Don't lower your standards, because trust me even if she says she doesn't care...she will be hurt and upset.

LADIES: Let's be ladies. Do not lower your standards for any boy, because a real gentleman wouldn't want you to be anything less.

"The more you act like a lady, the more he'll act like a gentleman"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some quotes from He's Just Not That into You:
"So trust me when I say if a guy is treating you like he doesn't give a s!$t, he genuinely doesn't give a s!$t. No exceptions."

"Girls are taught a lot of stuff growing up. If a guy punches you he likes you. Never try to trim your own bangs and someday you will meet a wonderful guy and get your very own happy ending. Every movie we see, Every story we're told implores us to wait for it, the third act twist, the unexpected declaration of love, the exception to the rule. But sometimes we're so focused on finding our happy ending we don't learn how to read the signs. How to tell from the ones who want us and the ones who don't, the ones who will stay and the ones who will leave. And maybe a happy ending doesn't include a guy, maybe... it's you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future. Maybe the happy ending is... just... moving on. Or maybe the happy ending is this, knowing after all the unreturned phone calls, broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment you never gave up hope. "

Last Year ReMiX---Goodbye 25

2009-04-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

Another year has come and gone. This weekend I turn 26, and I can't believe all that has happened this past year!

NEWS: We have a new president. Although I may not love Obama I will remain hopeful, prayerful, and remember that our God is in control no matter who is in the office. I also welcome back President Bush and Laura to the great state of Texas!

AMERICAN IDOL: David Cook was our winner and was my pick!

AUBURN: Well our football team was awful and I was depressed most of the season because of this. I did however LOVE that Bama lost to Florida in the SEC Championship. Our basketball team had a good year! Auburn's mens swimming and diving also won their 8TH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!! We had 27 former and current athletes & 2 coaches in the 2008 OLYMPICS!

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEC all the way! I've never been a bigger Gator fan than this year, first beating the team I hate the most, Bama, and then beating the team I hate second most, Oklahoma! GO GATORS! Thank you for winning and adding some excitement to a season that couldn't have been much worse for my Auburn Tigers.

SUPER BOWL: Although the Steelers won I was so proud of my friend Karlos Dansby who got a pick in the game for the Cardinals!!

TRIPS: This past year some of my favorite trips were visiting my sister and her family in Mission, Las Vegas with my girl friends, and Puerto Rico to watch some baseball! Fun, Fun, Fun!!

JOBS: I left J.M. Wendell in The Woodlands and moved up to Dallas to work for my parents. It has been the best transition I have ever made!

A L L Y***D O E S*** D A L L A S ! ! ! !: I moved to Dallas and lived in uptown with Kristin, which was so much fun! I now live in Addison and after only being here for eight months have already done the following:

1. RANGERS game 2nd and 3rd row, including the Yankees game!

2. COWBOYS pre-season game lower section 50 yard line. Then against the REDSKINS! My friends Jason Campbell and Carlos Rogers play for them and got me some tickets and then beat the Cowboys.

3. NASCAR for the first time and sat in a suite! Also got to go into Pit Lane and meet some of the crew. So fun.

3. MAVS games in the platinum level, suites, and just recently 3rd row!!! So much fun!

4. STARS games 2nd row a couple times!

5. Exciting- I found a Church I really enjoy and am involved with their Young Adults group and a Community Group! http://www.watermark.org/ & http://www.theporchdallas.com/

Being 25 was fun for sure and included a lot of time with friends, family, boating, and getting back to the basics of what is important. I am so happy with where I am in my life and excited to see what this next year has in store for me. Thanks to my family, old friends, and new friends for showing me patience, love, undestanding, and joy this year!

10 FAV SONGS FROM THE PAST YEAR (random order):

Stop and Stare http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg6VXicZIQg

Paper Planes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sei-eEjy4g

Say http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ0z86LmXBM

I'm Yours http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zut0TznmSu0

Whatever you like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqEpWxp4neE

Better as a memory http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBgNbSA4WdM&feature=related

Dead and Gone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVw1yZTUlkw

She never cried http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_JFbWZnTHA&feature=relate

Waitin on a woman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvKgnkIN8C8

Lillipop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=740d8sTpM7U

I'm sorry Jason, the Bachelor, You're just a tool.

2009-03-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

So I have decided to catch up my blogging. I didn't really know where to start, but thought I would just share some random things :)

THE NEWS: Who cares about the Bachelor? I mean really. To be honest, yes, he did not handle things the best way, BUT are we really surprised? Not me. Think back to your life, have you ever gone back to someone that you let go? OR have you ever had someone you were in love with decide they wanted to be with someone else? At first you may have been hurt/mad/peeved etc, but then life went on and often times, for me atleast, I was so grateful not to still be with that person. I say lets get over this Jason guy and be more mad about Chris Brown & Rihanna. Now that's a real issue.

TELEVISION: Even though the show was a little silly, I love the line: I'm sorry (insert name here) You're just a tool.

MOVIES: I'd like to NOT recommend seeing the movie the Reader. But TAKEN is a must.

FOOD: I've become a fan of the restaurant called The Mint! It is delicious and filling. Also, sad the Black Eye Pea closed next door to The Mint. Big question is, why must I eat Chipotle atleast once a week???

RANDOM: I was really upset that the rain was going to delay my moving. I was supposed to go to Conroe and pack Friday, bring the Uhaul back Saturday. While down & out I checked my myspace and my friend was giving away awesome Josh Turner tickets. Now I am so happy the rain delayed my move and will be packing the Uhaul Saturday, going to the Rodeo with my girls that night, and unpacking the Uhaul Sunday! God is very creative sometimes :)

INVITE: If you are in the Dallas area and are feeling like something is just missing during the week come check out the PORCH this Tuesday at Watermark. I wouldn't talk about it so much if it wasn't THAT GOOD. What's an hour and a half out of your week to be around 300 or so young adults worshiping the Lord by singing and hearing an awesome pastor!?! Plus after you can hang out and meet some new people! Check it out at http://www.theporchdallas.com/

BEST THING: I got to share part of my testimony at Watermark Sunday and am so excited to truly trust Christ with every aspect of my life. I'm SO happy and feel full of life even though I don't have things that I thought I would need to feel that way. IT'S AWESOME.

SHOUT OUT: Natalie & AJ helped me move my clothes etc into my new place last weekend and I am SO grateful!

SONG OF THE WEEK: Amazing Grace
http://www.twine.com/item/11xpg4rw4-19w/youtube-chris-tomlin-amazing-grace-my-chains-are-gone

CLASSY-NOT TRASHY (For the Ladies)

2008-12-11T13:37:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my last blog and today something very normal happened that caused a thought....

They say you are what you eat, but what about what you wear?! What does that say about you?

I personally think that you can tell a whole lot about a person by their clothing. This is not meant to come off rude by any means, BUT most people choose their clothing so that others will have a certain image of them. Have you ever stopped to think about what you are portraying?

To not hurt anyone's feelings I will use my own personal experiences. I have pretty much suffered from every fashion no-no.

I can remember in high school wanting to look "cool" and of course wanted something that would make boys notice me. (Just being honest here) My parents are pretty conservative so they were definitely not going to buy me anything to help with the boys. This is when most girls start sharing clothes! Great idea! But lets move on....

College and early 20's you aren't living at home. You can now legally get into bars/clubs and clothes... well they seem to be the more you show,the more people you know! Girls have matured and guys have grown taller and bigger. We start showing it off.

This brings me to where I am in my life now...

Single. 25. Working. Educated. Christian.

What image do I really want to portray?! I'm going for Classy-Not Trashy. I have not perfected this yet by any means, but have really been contemplating how I am perceived. Just the other night my friend and I went out to a very trendy club in Dallas. We were the only girls in there that did NOT have fake boobs, shirts showing major cleavage, showing our abs/cracks, and dresses up to our bottoms. Don't get me wrong a lot of them were gorgeous. However I noticed guys talked to me just as much as they had done before when I was that girl trying to show off anything and everything.

Sometimes I think we try so hard to portray one image, lets say confident and sexy, but really it turns out looking trashy and easy. Why not try confident and classy?!?! Really...try it. See if you can get just as many looks and people to talk to you. Maybe this time they will be the kind of person you'd actually enjoy meeting and not just a "good time" friend.

GRANNY PANTIES!!!

2008-09-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

Many of you may be wondering...what the heck is all this granny panty talk about?! In fact I know a few of you are because you have been asking so here we go....

You see I HAVE THIS PROBLEM of letting people "walk all over me". I don't believe that makes me weak, but look at it as I can be too nice, too forgiving, and maybe even a little naive at times. Silly me, I seem to think that people might actually mean what they say. Apparently this is not true when it comes to dating.

After seperating over a year ago-and then divorced many people told me I had this "right" to be jaded (please see first blog). One would think that I would take this right and run with it, not trusting anyone. Oh not me, I continue to trust and be let down.

This is NOT a pitty party for me though. Instead this is more of a come to Jesus moment where all my girl friends said ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. It was time to stand up for myself, not be so gulible, raise that wall a little higher, play the game a little more, and make guys work a little harder. The term came about when I was emailing with my girl friends about this guy. He was very confusing to me because he called- then didn't call, wanted to hang out- then stuff came up, talked about things WE could do-then really it was about him, taking me to breakfast and lunches-not just the bars, making it obvious he was with me while in public-then no communication...I think you are understanding.

At this point I had called once and texted the following day and did not receive any message back. It's my whole 2 communication rule. Once you try twice, that's it- no more....don't be that crazy girl. We try to give them the excuse..."MAYBE MY TEXT DIDN'T GO THROUGH", or "maybe he doesn't check his voice mail", but once you have tried both...STOP leave it alone.

Fast forward 4 days later...I get a text from Mr. Breakfast and of course reach for my phone to text right back, but this time I stop and email my girls telling them the bird had pooped. AKA Mr. Breakfast had sent communication. I asked them to send me messages telling me not to write back. OH and boy did they! My life was literally threatend I think, but the best one was...Ally "PUT YOUR BIG GIRL PANTIES ON" and do NOT respond. Meaning be strong and do not let him walk all over you.....

A couple hours later I send another email saying ok help again, it's been a couple hours can't I write back now?! One of the girls wrote, "NO MAM you are going to need some bigger panties apparently. I'm gonna get you some GRANNY PANTIES. Do not write him back." I guess it's the whole "he's just not that into thing" and I am starting to understand it.

Once you put your granny panties on you realize that the guys phone DOES ACTUALLY WORK, and he has 24 hours in every day JUST LIKE YOU do. Mr. Breakfast should be able to take 1 minute and text back. In case you are more of a numbers person that is 1,440 minutes in a day or 86,400 seconds....and if he waited 4 days to respond that would make it...345,600 seconds spent "too busy for you". So depending on how long it takes him to actually text he still should have plenty of time to do whatever else was so important, or here is a crazy idea....even text you while he is doing something or call on his way home?!?!?!

This blog is NOT to put down guys, or say that all guys are this way. It is simply to say that girls like me need to "man up" and not allow guys to walk all over us. We can still be kind and gracious, maybe just a little more selective.

I thank my girl friends Kaymi, April, Jenny, Stephanie, Jessica, and Kristin for helping me realize GRANNY PANTIES can in fact be very comfortable!

Guys: beer belly or manicure??

2008-09-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

Chatting with a girl and guy friend of mine I was asking him if he had any single friends for her to meet. Of course he asked her what she was looking for?

Tall, smart, ambitious, a guys guy, age 24 to 33 etc..... Then a question that triggered my thoughts came from him:

So would you go for a beer belly over a manicure?

What a great question!?!?

Our society has changed so much over the last 10 years. Guys now have smoother shaved legs than women, use concealer sometimes to cover up blemishes (yes, trust me, they do) use more hair products than you, and worry about their looks sometimes more than you could imagine. So what has happened to this "guys guy"?? Does he still exist?

Sometimes the word metro sexual is used for these types of guys and don't worry I have the definition below in case you are confused. According to Webster's dictionary metro sexual is:

: a usually urban heterosexual male given to enhancing his personal appearance by fastidious grooming, beauty treatments, and fashionable clothes

Now don't get confused. Just because a guy is a metro sexual this does NOT mean he is homosexual. Often times you find these guys at the gym, or trendy clubs. Eyebrows waxed more recently than yours and perhaps while in the saloon a mani and pedi!

I am going to go ahead and say I actually prefer the beer belly over the manicure. I think the guys guy is very hot in itself. Weather their nails, God forbid, are dirty, hair a little messed up, eyebrows you may want to pluck a little, hair on their legs- and yes even if they have a little on their chest! I know! SHOCKING! To be honest women already feel intimidated by other women looking better than they do and now we are having to worry about the men looking more put together too?! You think I am kidding but I can honestly say that there have been times I have shaved my legs because I was worried the guy I was going to go out with would have smoother legs than me! What the heck!? I also have accused a couple guys of cheating because I found concealer...nope not cheating, it's theirs....oops. How can they cover their blemishes better than me!?

Don't get confused by what I am saying though. Men can definitely take care of themselves and workout etc, but I say we bring back the guys guy. Beer drinking, football watching, 4-wheeling, hunting, dirty hands, messed up hair guys!

If you agree choose the beer belly over the manicured!

*** To not hurt any of my friends feelings I am not using their pictures...y'all are welcome. I have put an example of a metro sexual and a guys guy for you to have an image of what I am talking about. See if you can find the differences between the two :)

JADED?

2008-09-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

Jaded according to Websters dictionary means:

1 : fatigued by overwork : exhausted 2 : made dull, apathetic, or cynical by experience or by surfeit

For some reason this word has come up in the last month or so pretty regularly and I ask myself, "Self, are you jaded?"

Having been through a divorce of course I am hurt, and slightly more cautious, but am I made "dull, apathetic, or cynical"? I still try and put myself out there and believe that people are good, trust when dating new people that they are being honest, and am honest to them as well. Recently I came across an attractive guy and quickly could tell he must have been hurt before and seemed very guarded. Was he too jaded?

After contemplating this I realized something even greater. I could almost bet that most of us in or lives have been hurt or burned by someone. Do we therefore, as many people tell me, have a "right" to be cynical? If we all get hurt, and were all jaded, how horrible would dating become?! Imagine trying to date and meeting different people trying to convince them you are not like the others in the past that have hurt you. At the same time, wondering are they being honest with you and will they too play you. With no one trusting each other and everyone questioning your sincerity why even date at all?

So, No, I am not jaded..... are you?