You Know When It’s Real

Sorry Wendy’s lovers. This isnt a post about how to get a free burger. If I knew that secret, I wouldn’t share. However, this is about being real. A message from a great friend, talking about being real, made me think about this whole concept. In our Girls Gone Wise study, we called it being authentic. [of course all of my youth girls are nodding because they remember so well, riiiight?] Anyways. I thought it would be a worthy topic for a post. A few fall retreats ago, the speaker asked us what was the most important part on a tombstone. He got every answer in the book…except the one he was looking for. Go ahead, take a guess. Now, if you guessed [which I know I didn’t] the dash, yes that’s right, one of these (-), then you would be correct. He said that your birthday or date of death didn’t matter. In a few years, no one would remember your name or that you were a beloved sister, aunt, daughter, mother, wife, dog-owner, or ANYTHING. What would be remembered is how you lived your life and your influence. All of this being said,  I want my dash to be meaningful. I want people to be able to talk about my dash for years to come. One thing I want to be called is authentic. I want to be the same person at work as I am at school, church, home, and anywhere else I am. I want people to know just by talking to me, “hey, that girl is different.” And I think almost any other Christian would have the same desire. I want to be able to share the love of God and not have to use words. I want my teens, friends, coworkers, and family to know me. So here are a few facts. Good, bad, and ugly. Please don’t let the list make you stop reading. If you don’t care about random Kalah facts, I don’t blame you. But keep reading. I have a challenge for you ;]

1. My favorite colors are purple, teal, and mint green.

2. I hate gum. I can’t even look at a piece I just spit out. I hate the look, smell, and taste of anything except orbit wintermint. Everything about gum makes me sick.

3. I HATE candy.. Not chocolate..Candy.

4. I secretly want to be a rockette.

5. I’m awful with directions and driving in general.

6. I have NO common sense, only booksmarts. That’s why Joel and I make a good pair.

7. I get headaches all of the time.

8. My best friend Sarah is who I want my kids to be like.

9. I cry a lot. Over anything and everything, but not in public.

10. My parents are my best friends and I don’t care how much of a loser that makes me sound like.

11. I love and have always loved school.

12. I’m an old soul. I like crafts, HGTV, baking, and couponing.

13. I want to be a housewife when I grow up. Not like real housewives of Chattanooga. But a REAL housewife who cooks and cleans and stays home with kids.

14. Even though I’m going to school to be a teacher, kids terrify me sometimes. They’re too smart and sneaky.

15. I don’t have a coordinated bone in my body.

16. My family drives me nuts, but I wouldnt trade them for the world.

17. Im afraid of everything. Being home alone, scary movies, and the dark.

18. I take on way too much and stay busy all of the time.

19. I love scrabble and puzzles.

20. I get confused really easily.

So now, its time for my challenge. And since the topic is being real, why not use some SPAM? Not SPAM the meat.. that is quite the opposite. But SPAM is a challenge I got from “The Prayer of Jabez for Teens” when I was in middle school. I feel like I am more myself when I cut out all of the secular influences. I never noticed how it affected me until I cut it out once. When I started listening to music and watching tv that had a secular influence, I began to think and talk about what I heard. So I started SPAMing. Spiritual Preparation And Meditation. Cut out all things secular for a week [unless you’re forced to do it for a class..like me]. I spend the time I would usually spend watching tv reading my Bible or just talking to God and being still (which, if you know me, I don’t do still well). So starting….NOW, 10:05PM on September 18, 2011 I am SPAMing. I’m going to try and blog about it everyday this week, but if I don’t, please excuse me. Teens, and anyone else that wants to join, leave comments with how the SPAM adventure is going with you :] Here we go!