Bows and Ribbons

Life always comes in neat little packages wrapped with sparkling, glittery paper and floppy bows. Ribbons always engulf the package only waiting for you, the lucky receiver, to tear into. Life always seems to make sense and because of that we are always happy. We never have to struggle. It's always shine, glitter, bows, and ribbons. 

Maybe if you live in a fantasy world. I know that my life does not always come wrapped with ribbons and bows. Usually it's wrapped with a little frustration, a little resistance, a little persecution, or a little failure. Of course, there are times that we consider ourselves blessed for getting the perfect, pretty package that we admire, but honestly, how often does that come? It feels like it's always the girl who has the perfect hair, beautiful clothes, and stunning personality that is handed the most extravagant package. It feels like the popular jock who plays starting quarterback every game is the one who receives the luxurious gifts. It's never your time. 

But maybe it's not the wrapping that matters all that much. Maybe what's important isn't the bows and ribbons, but the things inside the boxes. I know for me, the best lessons that I've learned about life haven't been from gifts that were perfectly wrapped. There was always the packages wrapped in frustration that led to me growing as a peson. They were the gifts tangled in heartbreak that made me realize where my value comes from. They were the presents delivered by unlikely, and often (I say with much shame) in my eyes, undeserving people. The gifts that weren't the prettiest, were the ones that I consider myself completely and utterly blessed by. Through these gifts, I have developed a new identity in Christ, a new love for people around me, and I continue to grow from many of them. 

I know it feels like there's always that one person who gets everything on a silver platter. The package comes wrapped in wealth and property, but inside, the only thing that they find is loneliness. The package comes wrapped in beautiful children but inside comes the painful reminder of a messy divorce. The gifts can come wrapped in a nice package that you, the onlooker, is completely entranced by and jealous of, but sometimes it's the people who look like they have it all together that are truly struggling the most. 

Do not look at the wrappings of the parcels that life gives us, look at the worth of what's on the inside, but also be willing to step in and be the good that adds value to their life. I know I am blessed through some amazing friends who step into my life daily and bless me. I honestly do not deserve them, yet they stick around and encourage me in my walk every day. I'm not perfect. Life still has a lot of things to teach me, but I'm ready for whatever God is going to throw my way. 

For those of you who just received a beautifully wrapped package with something good inside:

Give thanks where thanks is due. Remember that even if you feel like you deserve it now, there have been times that you don't. Remember the grace that has been extended to you and I to allow us to have gifts like that.

 

For those of you who just received a beautifully wrapped package with something bad inside:

Things will get better. There are people around you who can encourage you and a God above who has hidden a fantastic present in what seems to be a bad gift. Keep faith and take a look at the big picture. God may be giving you some important message. 

For those of you who just received a package that was not beautifully wrapped and has something bad inside as well: 

It's all part of His plan. Right now, I know it doesn't look like it. It looks like the end of the world, but I promise that God has a plan. I don't know how He is going to use it, but even if you don't see it, He is using it for His glory. Have faith because though the world seems to be crushing you, He has overcome the world and if He is on your side, He will not let it overcome you.

Lastly, 

For those of you who just received a package that was not beautifully wrapped and has something good inside: 

God grows us with these kinds of gifts. It looks like resistance. It looks bad, but He uses what looks messy and hard to show us who we are and how we are to serve Him. Don't let the messy packing deter you. Walk boldly because He is setting you up for something great that is right around the corner. 

I love you all! 

Kenzie Mason
Laying Down Myself

Up-side Down Kind of Love

I think about the sacrifices that Christ asks us to make as his followers. We have to sacrifice our desires for His will. Whether that be our desire for a well paying job, our desire for a relationship with a significant other, our desire to become wealthy, our desire to be popular or famous, or our desire to be god, we have to realize that our desires pale in comparison to God's good and perfect will. He has set up these amazing things in our lives that He is going to use for His plan and in the end, we try to grab hold of them ourselves, steer them to "work for us", and ultimately, lose everything. We lose the goodness of the plan that God has originally intended and often, we lose the very thing that we decided was ours to control. Let's be honest, we might as well be the opposite of King Mitus sometimes. Whereas everything he touched turned to gold, everything we touch turns to dust. I know that's how it often is for me.

I feel like that's what happened in the garden. The serpent came up and instilled this spark, an idea, nothing more, in the mind of Eve. She started taking hold of the apple in her mind much before she physically did. As the thought of being like God overwhelmed her, her desire overruled God's command. She took with two hands something that she hoped to turn into gold. Sadly, it became dust and darkness to the world. Eve's original desires were to listen to God and as she walked in His will, she found herself happy with her husband in the presence of the Lord, but when she tried to make things even better for herself, it made her ultimately lose everything. She lost the garden, the ease, the comfort, her relationship with God, purity, and she welcomed death as it came into the world.

As people died, God couldn't let his children be sent to hell, because although He is just, He is also gracious and loving. He gave the best form of grace that could ever be imagined. He came down to earth to teach His people about Him. He lived like we do on this earth. He dealt with common, daily struggles like the ones that we have, yet in the end, because He is perfect, He never sinned. Not once. Jesus never tried to go against the will of the Father. Even when He was faced with death, He did not waiver. He walked parallel to the plan of the Father. One of his closest friends betrayed Him and as the prophesies had foretold, He was hung to a cross to die. He didn't speak out against the Father, instead He spoke out for the people who hung them there to die. Even on the cross, in the pain, He remembered why He had to come to earth. He had to come because He couldn't stand the thought of us staying an eternity in hell, because He couldn't imagine losing His sons and daughters to the evil one. He loves us and wanted us to spend forever in His glory.

I love the cross. It is the ultimate sacrifice of love. Perfect God loved me enough to come to earth and to die. If that was the end of the story, there wouldn't be much hope. I'd be serving a dead God. Instead, three days after His death Christ rose again from the grave proving that in the end, Satan can not hold down the power of God. God is alive.

I believe that with all of my heart, but now I go back to my original statement, Christ asks us to make sacrifices as His followers. Maybe we do have to sacrifice everything that I mentioned before for Christ. Maybe He asks us to go even beyond that.

I think of Peter. He loved God and laid down his life to follow after God. He literally died upside-down on a cross because he felt that he was unworthy to be crucified like Christ was. What if our love for God was that radical? So up-side down that we feel it totally ridiculous to hold on to our lives only to in the end lose it? Oh wait. . . that does sound pretty ridiculous. Maybe we should all just start sacrificing little things for Christ, then maybe things would start to change. Maybe by sacrificing little things, we would ultimately, be sacrificing a lot. Maybe then we could have a committed up-side down kind of love like Peter had for Christ.

I don't think I would be offended to have my faith compared to his. Sure he might have been a little crazy, but only because he wanted to give his entire life up to the one person who could in the end, save it. He didn't believe in the world. He believed in the one who overcame it.

And that made all the difference.

Kenzie Mason
Laying Down Myself

Warm Fuzzy Songs

Girls grow up with this idea that they will be swept off of their feet by Prince Charming. I'd like to think that it's something like that, but I want my Prince Charming to stay with me through ups and downs...I'm not naive enough to think that it's going to be happily ever after, but I have faith that there will be forever...

Anyways, that's kind of beside the point. Here are some songs that make me get that butterflies in the stomach, forever kind of feeling (:

1. Fine By Me- Andy Grammer 
I love that it's so imperfect and not fairytale, but it's real and forever.

2. Are You Gunna Kiss Me or Not- Thompson Square
Come on...every girl wants to be kisssed.

3. God Gave Me You- Blake Shelton

Let's be honest, I want a for better or worse relationship. 

4. Give Me That Girl- Joe Nichols 

I don't want to have to be perfect. 

5. Our Song- Taylor Swift 

This is just super cute! 

6. 1 2 3 4- Plain White T's  

Those three scary words.

7. The Woman with You- Kenny Chesney

Simple as that. 

8. I Do- Colbie Caillat

If you're a girl and say you can't relate. . . you lie. 

9. Wanted- Hunter Hayes 

Cliché, but true. 

10. Hey There Delilah- Plain White T's 

Close or far away. 

11. Fall For You- Secondhand Serenade 

I want to fall for him, but he also has to fall for me.

12. Check Yes Juliet- We The Kings

This just makes me smile. 

13. Smile- Uncle Kracker 

Gives me butterflies. 

14. Bless the Broken Road- Rascal Flatts

Yea...it's not a perfect journey, but the end result will be beyond what I can imagine.

15. Little Moments- Brad Paisley

I'm a little clumsy. 

16. Don't Take the Girl- Tim McGraw

It would be nice to have that guy. 

17. Good Morning Beautiful- Steve Holy 

Who doesn't like being called beautiful? 

18. She's Everything- Brad Paisley 

I would love to be that to someone. 

19. Check Yes or No- George Strait

AWWWWWWW 

20. When You Say Nothing At All- Allison Krauss

Overused, but cute

And there you go! In no particular order, with every video. I hope you like them (: 

Kenzie Mason
Laying Down Myself 

...Accursed Word

Let's be honest, boyfriend-girlfriend relationships can be such an amazing and beautiful and uplifting thing, however it can also be something that causes unnecessary heartbreak. For me, I always have to remember what God says about guarding your heart. I'm the kind of person that let's myself care about someone way too quickly. I've worked on this a lot. The people who have places in my heart have showed me that they honestly care about me and love me. I am thankful for each one of them. (Of course here I'm not talking boyfriend, but more best friend).

Right now, having a boyfriend seems like such a weird concept. I have to think that next year I will be going to college and leaving behind some of my best friends, my cousins, my family, and I can't imagine adding a boyfriend to the mix. Of course this is my plan FOR NOW. I know how I am and I know how things change for me. 

The good part is that no matter what, I know that God will show me the right thing to do. . . even if it's hard and I know that it most likely will be either way. 

But here's what anyone might want to know about my "Boyfriend Wishlist" if you will:

1. He has to be a Christian

2. He has to be social

3. He has to be kind to everyone, not just me

4. He has to be gentle

5. He has to be funny

6. He has to smile and be happy

7. He should be close to his family

8. He can not be a cheater

9. He has to accept me for who I am (though I'm willing to change little things about myself, but not who I am) and he can not be embarrassed of me in front of his friends (AKA I want a title)

10. He has to be American (; (Inside joke! But those who get it . . . seriously though lol) 

I don't like talking about boyfriends much. . . so this probably won't happen again. 

Kenzie Mason
Laying Down Myself

Coming out

Let's be honest...I haven't told many people about my blog, but today was ground breaking. I finally told two of my best friends that I write a blog. It looks like they might enjoy it (;

Kenzie Mason
Laying Down Myself

Welp, This is Awkward..

Ok so usually I try to connect what I'm going to say to my spiritual faith, but tonight, I'm just going to talk about something that I think every single person understands. Sometimes, let's be honest, life just gets so. . . awkward. I can't help, but think that God giggles as he watches these little events unfold.
There are some places that just create awkward situations. We would all be lying if we denied that awkward moments seem to spawn out of school dances. From the parents watching at all angles, to the teachers commenting on your dress, to the moment when a guy walks up to you. He smoothly says, "Hey do you like this song?" Your heart beats fast because you've had a secret crush on him and your mind flashes through the images. The first one, is you all dancing, the next dating through college, then getting married, and having a baby (okay. . . that's a MAJOR exaggeration). Some how you formulate words and without even knowing what song is playing you say, "I love it!" To which the boy looks you straight in the eyes, takes a deep breath and says, "Well I hate it!" After that, he plops himself in a seat close to you to wait out the slow song. Talk about awkward.
Maybe that's never happened to you, but maybe this has. You get to the dance. Your hair is fixed and your dress fluffed. You've talked to this certain guy and he's told you that he plans to dance with you all night. You're giddy as you walk through the doors into the dance. You walk up to the sign in table and bend over to write your name when the seam of your dress by the zipper splits in two, almost causing the dress to fall down. You run to the bathroom with your best friends.
Maybe you had your eye on a guy all night. You are just waiting for him to ask you to dance with him. Your friend whispers in your ear to ask who you want to ask you to dance. You smile and giggle as you whisper his name. She looks at you and with an encouraging nod says that she knows it is going to happen. Suddenly, the D.J. announces that he is playing the last slow song of the night. You make yourself easily accessible by standing in an open space easily in his line of sight, but as you look for him, you see your friend who you just told that you wanted to dance with him, talking to him. You kind of think how nice she is for encouraging him to ask you to dance when suddenly, his facial expression gets nervous and he says, "Ok." Your friend, the one you trusted, starts to dance with the boy you told her you liked.
Sometimes things just get awkward, but when you surround yourself with good friends, they all end up working out to be in your favor. Sometimes your friends make or break a situation.
As you sit there awkwardly after the boy you have a crush on told you he hates the song, a mutual friend comes up, tells him to get over his hatred for the song, and choose someone to dance with. You're still sitting right next to him so he asks you if you want to and you get the chance that you thought you lost.
Your friends try to help you the best they can. They seek out a sewing kit and eventually find one. The dress is stitched together for the night, but at the end of it all, you have to cut the dress off. Sure, the end is still a little weird, but you, without paying much attention to the dress situation, dance the night way with the boy who then asks you to be his girlfriend.
You feel your heart break with betrayal and a little sadness. You sit down and decide that you are going to give up on trying to find someone to dance with. Your best guy friend comes up, and even though he HATES dancing, he sees how sad you are and offers to dance with you. He pulls you close to him and you all spin around the floor, with each step, you forget the boy who originally occupied all of your thoughts.
It's a good thing that friends are there at school dances. They are some of the best memories and most awkward situations. They are a place to socialize and enjoy yourself. School dances are just great, but only if you have great friends to be there for the awkward and the awesome. There's only one thing friends can't help you escape at school dances. . . the most horrid of all dance songs. . . "Then".

But that's a different story for a different day.

Laying Down Myself
Kenzie Mason

If God Was Like ME...

I have to start this off with saying I feel like I've had my share of bad luck with boys. I have had some guys in my life who have been high quality, God-loving, gentlemen. Others however...well...to be completely honest, I'm going to quote my mom, "If you can't find anything nice to say, just don't say anything at all." In other words, I'm not a big fan. I know one thing that helped me get over or past the heartbreak in those situations is a song that made me feel like I didn't deserve what happened to me. It also makes me sound a little better than I actually am, but even though I don't believe that I am high up on a pedestal as this song makes it sound, it quite clearly conveys the emotions I felt. For all of you Taylor Swift haters who thought my last blog about Taylor Swift was bad...I bet you can't wait for this one!

Ok I know this might be a far stretch for some people, but for me, this is how I feel like God should react to us sinning. I mean, He is supposed to be the best thing in the world to us and He should be walking away with His hands in the air saying, "I'm never taking you back since you decided that money, your popularity, sex, drugs, alcohol, is more important than me." God is a gracious God. He doesn't walk away from us. He is absolutely heartbroken over our sin, but He waits like a loving Father for His children to return to Him. When they do, they receive an extravagant homecoming, not a jaded God. He loves us past our mistakes.
I'm not saying to the girls out there who have ever been cheated on to accept that guy back into their hearts because that's what God would do. I am saying however, imagine how hard that is for you. Now imagine how much harder that would be for God to accept someone back who completely rejected Him in order to follow after something else. All I have to say is I've been there and I know that our God is so much more gracious than I will ever be able to be.  

Laying Down Myself
Kenzie Mason