New Thoughts

Modesty.

I’m starting to see this in a new light. You know, modesty isn’t just about being modest. It’s about being considerate of those around you. What might actually be pretty decent clothing can still make some people uncomfortable. Specifically, guys.

Before, when people would say things like this, I would just roll my eyes. “I’m not immodest, okay? If your mind goes there, that’s your problem.”

While I still sort of believe that, it’s kind of mean when you think about it. Sure, guys need to be able to control their minds, but we don’t need to make it harder for them! Guy and girl minds work differently. Basically, guys are just more physical, and their instincts are more physical. The strongest, most amazing Christian guy is going to struggle sometimes. It’s not fair for us girls to parade around, leaving the self-control to all to them. It’s just not fair.

As nice people, not to mention Christians, we should try our best not to make others stumble and fall. Guys try really hard, y’all. (Well, most of them.) How fair is it if we don’t try at all?

This has never really been a personal thing for me, but I feel like it is now. I’m seeing this issue in a whole new light, and it’s incredibly eye-opening.

I’m not saying girls should dress only in long sleeves and skirts. Not at all. I’m also not saying that the responsibility of keeping minds pure rests completely on girls. Not at all. I’m saying it should be a joint effort. Guys, don’t go there. Girls, don’t lead them.

Be considerate, okay? Be fair. Be modest.

The word is taking on a whole new meaning for me.

~Kendra

tExTiNg PaRt OnE: Intro

Some of you may know that I have a cell phone. Some more of you may know that it is a red LG Shine that hates me. Even more of you might know that I like to text. Very few of you know that I lost this privilege yesterday.

Why? My parents don't want me texting too much. They feel like it's unhealthy, it fragments your brain, and distracts from who you are with right now. I admit, those are valid points. I started out only having 200 texts a month. That's like 3 texts, counting both sending and receiving, per day.

The average American teenager sends about 80 a day. So yeah, 200 a month did not work for me at all.

My parents eventually agreed that 200 was kind of a conservative number, and moved me to the 1500 plan, as long as I promised only to use 600 of them.

This month's cell bill just came up.

I sent over 1600.

*sigh*

Now, when you look at the statistics, that's not unreasonable. On average, teens send and receive 2272 a month. So really, I'm not that bad.

BUT. That's not the point. The point is that I didn't follow through with my part of the plan. My parents weren't going to let me have texting at all, but they decided that 200 was okay. I blew it big time there, costing them a lot of money. We renegotiated, and I was allowed to send 600. Well, I blew it again. As much as I really think I can stay within the limit, I'm not gonna get another chance, at least for a while.

I stand firm that 600 texts a month isn't a lot, and even 1600 isn't too many. My grades have been okay, and texting has not been interfering with my family life. However, as an aspiring lawyer and one who values justice over mercy, I can see exactly why I lost texting. It was fair. No, it was more than fair. I got three shots and blew them all. Maybe I'll have better luck in a few months :)

Stay tuned for Texting Part Two: Where Do We Stand?

~Kendra

Proud to Be An American

Thanks for following, Livia and Roxy!
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I know. It's not the Fourth of July. But do we really need a special day to celebrate our country? I hope not.

The first time I heard the song "God Bless The USA", I was little. Maybe seven? Eight? I don't know how old I was, but I remember hearing it one Fourth of July and getting chills. Every time I hear the song I get chills. Maybe it has something to do with the whole Cultural Honor thing, but I've always had this deep-seated passion for my country.

When I heard the song as a little girl, I remember feeling this fierce, burning love for where I live, where I come from, and how we got here. If I had to pick three things that I value above all else (excluding God), I would choose Freedom, Justice, and Truth--all things that America is built firmly on.

I respect and love my country so much. It's extremely difficult for me to put into words the feelings I have. America is all about Freedom and Justice. The Freedom to make your own choices, and the Justice to keep you from making stupid ones. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world.

We Americans fought hard for our freedom. We were patient, but eventually could not take the injustice anymore, and we set out to make our own land, the way we saw fit. People died so that we could be free.

Freedom is such a wonderful, beautiful, precious gift. The Freedom to say what you think, the Freedom to go where you want, the Freedom to talk to whomever you want, the Freedom to question your government, the Freedom to choose your government.

We get to VOTE. Do not take that for granted. One of the things that makes me frustrated and disappointed like nothing else is when people do not vote. Your ancestors fought and died to give you this freedom, and you're just ignoring it? Throwing it away? Way to slap our founding fathers in the face.

Anyway. Tangent XD

I don't know why, but for some reason I just really wanted to share with you guys how much my country and my freedom mean to me. I would love to have the opportunity to serve my country. I plan to. Not in the military (although it's possible that God will call me to do that), but in the courts. As a lawyer, serving Justice.

I really, really, REALLY can't stand injustice.

Sorry. Another tangent.

Before I leave you with these deep, patriotic thought (XD), I'd like to print the lyrics to "God Bless The USA", and leave to the song. The song that started it all :) The song that gave me chills when I was little, and made my little heart swell with pride to be an American. I've tried to voice my feelings in this post, but the song says it all perfectly.

I, Kendra Logan, am proud to be an American.

God Bless The USA by Lee Greenwood

If tomorrow all the things were gone,
I’d worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.

I’d thank my lucky stars,
to be livin here today.
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.

From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say.

That I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

And I’m proud to be and American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

~Kendra

Little Faults and Big Meanies

Yay! It's Quote Day! :) Alright, here it goes:

"We confess our little faults to persuade people that we have no large ones." - Francois de La Rochefoucauld.

Is that the truth or WHAT? Man, I never realized how true it was until I heard this quote. I mean, don't you find yourself doing that? Making a big deal out of a little thing that's wrong with you so people will think that...well, that that's the only thing wrong with us? I don't know. Maybe only I do that. Wow, now I sound really vain...lol!
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Okay, so, I had dance tonight. It went really well for the most part, except for one thing. Okay, I don't know if I've ever said anything before about this, but there's a pose at the end of one of our dances where someone has to do a split. Our class divides itself into a bunch of groups of three, and then one person in every group does a split in the pose (the teacher picks the split people). So, the split parts go assigned a few weeks ago, and I'd been practicing VERY hard, and I could ALMOST do the split. But, instead of me getting the part, this tiny girl who can't even do it as well as I can got the part. (Sorry, that sounded really mean. I'm just venting.)

But I practiced anyway. It was like a personal thing. I had to be able to do a split.

Well, I still can't, but a couple of weeks ago, the teacher realized that she'd miscounted; she needed another split person! And she picked me!! Yay!! AAAAAAAAND, I was in the very middle of everyone! Kind of in "the spotlight". I was so happy, and secretly, I sort of thought I WAS amoung the better split people (dang, there goes the vain thing again...).

BUT THEN, this week, a group of preppy, annoying, mean girls decided THEY wanted to be in the middle. So, they parked themselves in front of my group and totally covered us up. This other girl and I brought it to the teachers attention that we were hidden, and so she fixed it.

By moving US.

So NOW, my group and I are behind some more people on the SIDE of the stage, while the preppy, annoying, mean girls got their way in the middle of the stage. HOW IS THIS FAIR, PEOPLE??

Sorry. I know I just need to get over it.

But it's not really the fact that they're in the middle that bothers me exactly. It's more that they got their way. It's the principle of the thing. No one should get their way by being mean and shoving other people out of the way. It's just NOT FAIR.

Unfortunately, life isn't fair. There are those meanie-butts all over, so I guess the sooner I get used to that, the better. I only wish I could do something about all the meanies in the world. I wish I could bring the world back to flippin' justice. When people don't get their way by whining or sabataging other people.

Maybe that's why I want to be a lawyer so badly...

Carpe aestas!