Merry And Bright

'Tis the season to be jolly, and lemme tell you- I am! It's not even Christmas yet and I am so filled with love and joy and Christmas spirit, mostly thanks to my amazing friends.

We planned a Secret Santa brunch, and had a blast exchanging thoughtful and hilarious gifts. I was the recipient of the Michael Buble Christmas album, of which I was in desperate need, and a Christmas Vacation coffee mug with Clark Griswold's face on it (ily Em). There's absolutely nothing better than being surrounded by the people you love the most.

I was even surprised by my best friend in the whole world who has been at an arts school all semester. As my mom was telling me that she wouldn't make it home in time to see me, and was generally just making me sad, Katharine walked through my front door, and I couldn't have been any happier. I guess you could call it a Christmas miracle! (or just another episode of "Let's Trick Rachel Because She's Really Gullible")

And just this afternoon I exchanged gifts with yet another great friend, who gave me knitting supplies and will soon be teaching me how to use them! (Lord help her) I've always wanted to learn how, and she remembered that. I am so excited to get started on my new hobby!!

I know I say it a lot, but I am so darn thankful for my amazing friends. They are with me when I'm on top of the world, and they're also dragging me along when I'm at my lowest. I think the holidays make me extra sappy because I just love them so dang much today!! So if you're reading this (you'll know who you are), I am so unbelievably thankful for YOU being YOU! You inspire me to be a better me. And that's a gift that can never be repaid.

xoxo and Merry Christmas,

Rachel

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" -Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

This I Believe

I believe that you control your own happiness. When you are in a situation that makes you unhappy, you have the power to leave. When you are in a relationship that makes you unhappy, you do not have to stay. If there is something new and exciting that you want to try, you have the freedom to go for it.

One morning I found myself sitting at a table at Panera sipping sweet tea and eating overpriced bagels listening to my friends complain about school work, their jobs, sports practices, and everything under the sun. I found myself suddenly enraged. I was partaking in the same activities, but I had decided to not let them control my emotions. I decided to only take on sports and classes and work that I enjoy, and that I know will benefit me. This makes it hard for me to understand why someone can be so unhappy with what they are doing.

The Dalai Lama once said, “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” Being happy is all up to you and what you decide to do in your life. Happiness is something you must work to find. Life is not just going to magically work out exactly the way you want it to, although it will present you with abundant opportunities. Carpe diem—seize the day. Go out there and create your own happiness.

After a week-long trip to the Colorado Rockies this summer, I have come to find and accept my inner self—the good and the bad. By knowing who I am, I now know what makes me happy. Being a Younglife leader, blasting 80’s rock tunes, working with children with special needs, and sipping on a coffee downtown with friends all make me happy. Overworking myself, procrastinating, Brussel sprouts, and unnecessarily mean people do not make me happy. So what did I do with my life? I cut out the bad and added in some more good—and it wasn't even that difficult. I believe that this is something every unhappy person can do.

So, if you find yourself at the end of a long day worn out, sad, and dreading the next, here is my advice to you. Figure out who you are. Figure out what makes you happy. Figure out what makes you unhappy. Then, make a change. Your happiness is in your own control. 

xoxo,

Rachel

5 Quotes for Your Case of the Mondays

1. "It's okay to be a glowstick. Sometimes we need to break before we shine."

I love this one because it's 100% true!! If you feel like you can't handle everything this day has to throw at you, don't stress. Let this Monday push you to your breaking point and prove it wrong by shining your light through.

2. "It all begins and ends in your mind. What you give power to, has power over you, if you allow it."

This one echos my life motto- think happy, be happy. YOU control your life. This Monday on the other hand, does not.

3. "Life's to short to drink crappy coffee and cry over boys who don't care."

'Nuff said.

4. "All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming."

When you're drowning in work and your to-do list is ten pages long, just remember that you can (and will) overcome this struggle. 

5. "I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being."

Above all, know that you have value. Although you may not see it in times of darkness, you have a light, and can shine it- it's all up to you.

xoxo,

Rachel

73 Years of Younglife

Today is the 73rd birthday of the program that I hold near and dear to my heart. Ever since my friends convinced me to go to camp three years ago, I've watched Younglife change me, and my life, in ways unimaginable.

As a rising 8th grader, I was drowning trying to balance home life and school life. My parents got divorced and I had no idea where to turn or what to do. That's when I received a Facebook message from my Wyldlife leader Shelbi, someone I barely knew at the time, telling me that she understood what I was going through, that she cared about me, and that Jesus cared about me too. I was blown away (and still am) by her love and light and the way Jesus shone from her, and I wanted that. I wanted to radiate love for others to see, and I found out that Younglife could show me how.

My Younglife journey has taken me all over the country, form Southwind in Florida, to Sharptop in the Georgia mountains, and all the way to Crooked Creek in Colorado in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. I've asked my friends to tell me what their favorite Younglife memories are, and I hope to better show just how much this organization has impacted us.

Sarah:
     Sarah's favorite Younglife memory is from when we went to Sharptop freshman year. We were there in February so it was freezing cold, and we all ran back to our cabins after Club to talk about sin and forgiveness. Through our talk we got to the verse Isaiah 1:18, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." As our leader was reading the verse out loud, someone looked out of the window and saw that it had started to snow outside- right as we said that verse! Everyone ran outside and we played in the snow for the rest of the day, and we'll never forget the fun we had, and God's perfect timing when it came to that verse.



Emily:
     Emily's favorite Younglife memory is on June 2nd during Southwind 2012. That was the night she and Isabel fully accepted Christ into their hearts, and is definitely a cornerstone of their Younglife relationships. Going through that together has given them an unbreakable bond, and is something that I always think of when thinking about Southwind.





Redding:
     Redding's favorite Younglife memory is also from Southwind 2012. Hers is when we had game night in our pajamas. We ran all over camp doing team games until midnight and it was an absolute blast. I remember tons of laughing and smiles (and peace signs).







Isabel:
     Isabel's favorite Younglife memory is June 2nd, as well as making all of the friendships she has through Younglife programs and events. You can tell that camp is Isabel's (or should I say Peaches's) favorite place to be. You can see and feel her light up with an infectious excitement and enthusiasm that you didn't think was possible.










Rachel:

     Because of all the amazing times at Younglife I've had, it's hard to point out a specific moment that's my favorite. One of the most moving experiences I've had through Younglife though, was our hike up Sheep Mountain this summer at Crooked Creek in Colorado. To be honest, I'm lazy. And hiking up a 12,000 foot mountain is not exactly how I wished to spend one of my last days of camp. The hike was brutal, especially with a sprained ankle, and with the lesser oxygen in the mountains I struggled to get to the top. As I came over the last hill to the top of the mountain, I was met by  a 360 view of the amazingly beautiful Rocky Mountains. The sight was breathtaking and I absolutely will never forget it.


So here's to you Younglife! Thank you for giving us everything we could have asked for and more. You truly changed my life for the better and I can't wait to see where God leads us next on our journey together.

xoxo,
Rachel

Expect the Unexpected- Homecoming Week

Last week was our annual Homecoming week, which basically means that we're almost entirely off the academic hook for a whole school week. Hallways are decorated, everyone is dressed in costume, and teachers are encouraged to not give homework!

The week started off with Movie Star Monday and Too Tired Tuesday. On Around the World Wednesday, I kicked off my morning with middle school Wyldlife Donut Olympics! We ran around playing games (all involving donuts) and I even went up front and led one of them (snaps for Rachel).

Wednesday night I heard from my friend Bo who lives in Athens, informing me that his school was on a field trip to Columbus- and eating at one of my favorite restaurants! Expect the unexpected- right? I headed over there with one of my Link Crew peeps who also had some Athens friends and we had a great night catching up and goofing off!

Next was Throwback Thursday, so my friends and I decided to dress up as Biblical characters. Among us were David (me), Mary (with babydoll Jesus), grown-up Jesus, Noah, Moses, and Angels. At first we were worried that we would get in trouble for being offensive or sacrilegious, but quickly discovered that our teachers and admin found it hilarious! We even won the dress-up award for the day. Expect the unexpected! After eating with my Athens friends again, I headed over to school to play in our annual Powder Puff game. Our grade has never won a single game before, but we changed that on this beautiful Thursday night. We ended up in second place (Seniors in first), which was a huge step up from our 2-year last place losing streak. Expect the Unexpected!!!!

Friday was a blast. The school day was spent doing almost nothing. We had a pep rally in the morning, and after that I had a study hall in almost all of my classes. After school, my friends and I picked up our boxes of Happy Club t-shirts and they turned out wonderfully! The game was a lot of fun, but the end result was very disappointing with a Cougar loss. On the bright side, one of my good friends was voted as Homecoming Queen, and deserved it more than anyone else I've ever known! The Junior class won the competition in the Hallway category, and with fingers crossed we listened as the Juniors were announced to have won Homecoming Week overall!! The Seniors always win, so this was extremely unexpected. Big props to our SGA and everyone who volunteered to help with the hallway, video, and Powder-Puff!

Saturday was an awesome day, and the dance was so much fun! The band was amazing and I had a great time with all of my friends. This year's Homecoming was a huge success!!

I learned a lot from this week, the most important thing being that nothing is impossible. So go ahead- try out that new thing and don't be scared. Expect the most out of every single day because this life is beautiful and precious and amazingly unexpected. Make the most of it.

xoxo,
Rachel

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit' -- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." -James 4:13-14

"But life inevitably throws us curve balls, unexpected circumstances that remind us to expect the unexpected. I've come to understand these curve balls are are the beautiful unfolding of both karma and current." - Carre Otis

Another Rooftop Tale (#3)

SURPRISE!!! I'm on top of a parking garage again!

Today was insanely awesome! Back in Colorado at camp, our server all week was a girl named Katie, who also happened to be from Georgia. Through the course of our week at camp, we all got to know her, and have kept in touch with her since then. Well, today she was in Columbus so of course we planned a reunion! After we filled up on Mexican food and Dairy Queen, the only logical place to go next was the roof of our hospital's parking garage.

As we sat under the sweet southern sunset (hehe), and watched the heat lightning, our moods shifted and we were suddenly talking about every aspect of life- Jesus, school, relationships, families, pressure, happiness, our hopes, and our fears. And that's one of the many things I love about my friend group. We can easily shift and talk about what really matters, instead of leaving our conversations on the surface. I am totally not afraid or embarrassed to talk about my relationship with Jesus around them. In fact, I'm encouraged by them every single day to pursue His love and guidance.

Tonight was a huge head-clearer for me. By letting out everything that's been bothering me, I received so much advice and guidance from my friends, as well as from Jesus too.

At this time in my life, I am so full of joy and life and energy, and I just want to share it with everyone I come into contact with. I want to radiate God's love to others so that they can experience it for themselves because there truly is no greater feeling.

xoxo,
Rachel

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." -Matthew 5:16

Being Sappy and Whatnot

I've been back in school for about a week now, and wow is it crazy already!! On top of 5 AP classes, I'm going to be a  Link Crew leader, Wyldlife leader, Honor Council Member, started two school clubs, and I just finished registering for the ACT... My schedule is jam-packed (as always), and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I want to take a minute to just be thankful for the people I'm surrounded with. There are some pretty amazing people in my life, and there's no doubt in my mind that God placed them there. Whether it be stuck on a bus for 3 hours laughing until we cried, dancing our hearts out in front of 80 freshmen, stuffing our faces with chicken fries and icees, or running around all afternoon in weird costumes to "It's Always a Good Time", I almost always have a smile on my face (which is not something I would have said a year or two ago).

I truly believe that by surrounding myself with quality, Jesus-loving, caring people, I can become the person I'm supposed to be. Every day I am encouraged to be brave and happy and honest. I am truly loving life right now and I'm giving that all up to God!

xoxo,
Rachel

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

Facing Fear Head On (literally)

I meant to write this post last week but, well, I forgot. So here goes...

Last weekend my good friend Bo came to town with his family and invited me to go white water rafting with them down the Chattahoochee, and I gladly accepted the offer. It's the largest urban white water course in North America, and sits right in the heart of downtown Columbus. Because the downtown area is one of my favorite spots in the city, I've watched countless people try out the course (and make it out unscathed) but there was still a pit of anxiety forming in my stomach as our turn came nearer.

As much as I wish I was, I am so NOT adventurous. I like having a plan and knowing what's going on and you'll never catch me sky-diving or bungee jumping. It also didn't help that I had just read a news story about a man drowning in the river a few days before. But I tried to suppress those thoughts as I put on my helmet and life jacket and grabbed a paddle.

On the bus ride over to the starting point, it started to rain. Like really rain. Which made me nervous all over again. We met our guide "Big Red" (given name Nicholas) at the bank of the river and loaded our raft into the water. Bo kindly volunteered the two of us to sit in the front (against my will, I might add). As we started floating down the river, I actually started to relax a little (weird right?!), as Big Red started giving us a history of Columbus. When we hit our first rapid, a level 1, we came right out with no issues and I was suddenly ready for everything the river could throw at me. Or so I thought.

We hit two more rapids, and both went as smoothly as our first. We were approaching the legendary last rapid Cutbait, but I felt confident. We had already conquered three other rapids!

We approached the giant wave with raindrops pelting our faces and paddled hard. As we made our peak without flipping over a wave of relief swept over all of us. We then looked up to see the second wave, twice as big as the first, rolling towards us, and then all of a sudden I couldn't see anything.

I felt the raft slant up and my feet came out from under me. I fell back and knocked into Bo's little sister Emma, who then fell into his mom and we were all three out of the boat. The same thing happened on Bo's side and he and his sister knocked our guide into the water, and only his dad was left in the boat. My biggest fear had become a reality. We were in the water at the roughest, rockiest part of the river, and our guide was in there with us.

Falling backwards into the water is so disorienting. It took me what felt like minutes to figure out how to get my head above water (thank you life jacket) and as I took a breath I was swept back under. I made my way up again and then felt myself slam into the rocks. I slid across them and banged up my ankle, and then I was under the water again. Gasping for breath, I ended up swallowing more water than air (I threw up river water later that night). I finally felt the water calm and we were out of  the rapid. Our guide had miraculously made it back onto the raft and was asking me for my paddle to pull me back on. And then I realized that I no longer had my paddle. Oops. Thankfully Bo saw it and grabbed it and me and I somehow made it back onto our raft.

As I caught my breath I processed what had just happened. Yes, it was terrifying and I got a little bruised, but I survived. I faced my biggest fear about the day and came out on  top. As we all realized what had just happened, laughter filled the raft. We had done it, and now had a great story to tell.

xoxo,
Rachel

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." -Deuteronomy 31:6

“There is no illusion greater than fear.” -Lao Tzu

#ColGaTakesCrookedCreek

I'm back!!! Finally!! I am so excited to be writing again!
DISCLAIMER: This will be a long post...

A few hours ago, I got off of a 36 hour bus ride back from YoungLife camp at Crooked Creek Ranch, Colorado. I'm extremely sad that I am no longer at camp, but happy beyond words that I am off of that bus.

I hope that everyone who wants to go to YoungLife camp gets to in their lifetime because it is such an amazing experience. I have been fortunate enough to go to a week-long camp in Florida called Southwind, two weekend camps in Sharptop Cove, GA, and week-long camp in Crooked Creeek, CO.

In case you didn't know, YoungLife is a Christian organization with a focus on high schoolers, and has a program for middle schoolers called WyldLife. My leaders are absolutely amazing and make learning about Jesus so much fun. A few of them are my school teachers which I thought was weird at first. I soon realized though what a blessing it was to be surrounded by people who know me and will support me every day of the week. We have campaigners every Monday (a small Bible Study group), small group breakfast on Wednesdays, and club on Thursdays. In addition, every February all of the schools in my city take groups up to Sharptop for our weekend camp.

The first thing you notice at YoungLife camp is the joy that everyone who works there possesses. Keep in mind they do not get paid for what they do! Everyone who works there loves Jesus and loves you and wants you to have the best week of your life. All of the campers go in wanting to make friends and everyone is so open and kind and it's so wonderful. The food is AMAZING and there is so much to do. At Crooked Creek you can zip-line, do a ropes course, ride the giant swing, mountain bike, hike the Rocky Mountains, horseback ride, blob, and explore. On the first day we are split into teams (Red, Green, Yellow, and Blue) and have a Rodeo, Volleyball Tournament, Wiffle Ball, and Pool Olympics all throughout the week. At night we have "Club" which includes skits, singing, a musical performer (Tim Halperin), a sermon by Steeeeeve, and games.

A typical day looks like this:

8am- Wake up, shower, and have some Bible time alone
9:30- Breakfast
10:15- Team activities
12:30- Lunch
1:00-6:30- Free time and/or cabin activities (i.e. the ropes course)
6:30- Dinner then free time
8:00- Club
9:00- Cabin time
10:00- Night activity

After seven days this schedule is exhausting, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

For our cabin times, we decided to each tell our testimony. It was so interesting and we all learned a lot about each other that we didn't know before. I feel so much closer to everyone in my cabin after that. Staying in a room of 16 girls for a week is a bonding experience in itself.

At Club, our speaker was Steve Chestney. He was so awesome. He explained to us the story of Jesus's crucifixion like I'd never heard it before and it really did change me. He said that if I was the only person on Earth, Jesus would still have died on the cross for MY sins, which blew my mind. I loved watching other people accept Christ into their hearts. Its an indescribable experience to witness. I am just in awe of Jesus's love.

The bus ride was also an adventure in itself. It takes 36 hours to get from Columbus, GA to Fraser, CO. On the way there we slept on the bus one night and stayed in Denver, CO the second. Denver was so cool. Our hotel was downtown so we got to walk around and eat and shop for hours and then go back to our rooms and take nice showers and sleep in comfy beds. Every time we would stop anywhere, our leaders would play "On the Road Again" and we all learned to sing along. I remember waking up at 4am at a truck stop to Willie Nelson's voice which was quite odd to say the least. Anyways, on the way back we drove the whole time instead of staying in a hotel. We left camp at 8 pm and drove all through the night and ate breakfast in Kansas. I slept until lunch in Missouri. And fell asleep again and woke up in Illinois. I got off to go to the bathroom and a leader on the other bus told us that their transmission had blown... and then we were stuck in Illinois for 6 hours. We made the most of it though by playing Roll-Call, creating beats, having dance offs, and buying out the vending machines. We slept through the night and woke up in the Target parking lot in beautiful Columbus, GA.

I am so thankful for YoungLife and the incredible support and love I receive through it. God placed this program in my life for a reason and I can't wait to see what's in store for me!

xoxo,
Rachel

Confidence: What Tennis Has Taught Me

I am a very insecure person. I'm just gonna put that out there. But among the many other things the game of tennis has taught me, confidence is one of the most important.

I don't dress wildly, I don't take huge risks, and I don't call people out. Except when I'm on a tennis court. Something about tennis wakes up the part of me that I would like to be 100% of the time. That's why it has become so important to me.

Tennis matches surround the decision of when to take risks. If you don't time your shot right, your ball sails out of the court and people will yell "Homerun!". But when you do hit that perfect shot, and trust me you can feel it when it comes off of your racquet, you and your ball are untouchable. You have to be confident enough to go for that shot. In "real life" I would never sit among a group of people I don't know or wear that striking outfit to school, even though those risks can be very rewarding.

This weekend I played a match with more than the normal amount of drama. In my doubles match my partner aimed a perfect overhead at our opponents and we won the point to make it 40-30. The next point I called a ball out that our opponents didn't agree on. When questioned, I stood my ground and even raised my voice at the other players. How dare they question my eyesight and my honesty!! They called a ref on me and he agreed with my call. So we win that game right? Nope. Our opponents claimed that they were up 40-30 the last point (which they weren't), so we had to go with the rulebook and back to the score that we could agree on which was 30-all. We ended up losing the match, which should have been a lot closer if not for that horrible scoring, and I found myself talking to my partner (loud enough for my opponents to hear) that at least WE know how to keep score.

In comparison, when given the perfect opportunity to let one of my friends know how I really felt about being left out lately, I let it pass because I was too scared of a confrontation. Yet I could yell at these girls and assert myself on a tennis court. It's crazy.

I just wish I could be half as independent and confident off the court as I am on the court. Or even when I'm around my "tennis friends" from other cities. For some reason I'm not as afraid to be outgoing and confident around them as I am around my other friends. And I literally have no idea why. I'm trying so hard to become more confident but it's so hard.

But I like to think I'm making progress.

xoxo,
Rachel

"A tiger doesn't lose sleep over the opinion of sheep."

Kindness

Today was not a good day.

I've felt really disconnected from my friends lately, and it kind of all hit me at once tonight along with some really terrible news about someone I knew in middle school.  Being tired and grumpy at the end of the day usually does not help my attitude either.

So now I'm sitting here on my bedroom floor mad and upset trying to figure out how to confront my problems when I realized that being angry and retaliating will not solve anything.

Yes, going off on someone via text message might feel good a the moment, but about five minutes later I know I will regret it. Instead of responding with rage, I need to, for lack of better wording, kill 'em with kindness.

While being kind is not always the easiest route to take, it's always the way with less fallout. I personally want to leave behind a legacy of love and life, and not of things I said in a hotheaded rage.

Life is way too short, unexpected, and far too important to make yourself or anyone else unhappy, so I am going to try my absolute hardest to treat everyone I come across with the kindness that they deserve. You never know what inner demons someone is fighting, and your kind words just might be their saving grace.

With a heavy heart,
Rachel

"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." 1 Peter 5:10

Make Do

There has been so much buildup to this summer... Spending whole days at the pool, parties and sleepovers with my friends at night, a killer tennis run. But so far none of that has happened. At all. All I've done is work at the tennis camp at the club and watch movies on Netflix by myself.

This past weekend though I went to a Zac Brown Band concert which was awesome, and there are some more exciting things coming up soon like the Cutbait music festival this weekend and Younglife camp in Crooked Creek Colorado next month, but so far I have been a bit disappointed with my summer vacay.

I think all of these 80s romance movies are starting to get to my head. A hot guy at work is not going to fall in love with me (Dirty Dancing) and nobody is standing outside of my window serenading me with a boombox in the near future (Say Anything), so I'm just going to have to make do.

This week I challenge you, and myself, to make the most of your week (and summer) even if it's not as exciting as you'd hoped.

xoxo,
Rachel

Oh, I wanna swim in the sunshine,
And every day find a way to face my fears.
Oh, wanna get in the wind.
Gonna take every chance I'm given,
Feel the wind through the open plains.
Freedom is a gift, get livin.
Go chase that sunset highway down,
You got to get uncaged!

            -Zac Brown Band

The Start of Summer and Open-Mindness

This week was the first official week of summer... And the majority of it has been spent on a bus driving to colleges in North and South Carolina. Now my parents (both Clemson alum) think that I'm already going to attend their alma mater, but now I'm not so sure. Here's a list of the colleges we hit:

Clemson

Wofford

Davidson

Wake Forest

High Point

Duke

UNC Chapel Hill

UNC Wilmington

College of Charleston

USC 

Furman

It's been a busy busy week indeed.

Right now I'm on my way from Charleston to Columbia enjoying these first few minutes of quiet time we've experienced on the bus since we started off on Monday.  I get really bus sick with headaches and nausea so these few hours have been heaven for me.  They even inspired me to post!

This week has taught me a lot already, especially in terms of patience. 

When you feel like you're going to throw up and all you can hear is loud yelling from your friends, you get a little frustrated. But then you have to remember that everyone is just enjoying themselves, trying to make a 5 hour bus ride somewhat fun. So I plug in my headphones and curl up with my blanket and pretend I'm sleeping in my bed. 

This trip has also reminded me to remain open-minded, whether I'm considering colleges or people. My eyes have opened up to smaller colleges like Davidson, and also led me to a few unlikely friendships. How can I know them if I never give them a chance?

We're gathering up our things getting ready to tour USC (my Clemson raising has led me to gag every time I say those words), so I have to wrap up, but focus on being patient and staying open-minded, and you might end up in a few unlikely places. 

xoxo,

Rachel 

Recent Photography

The Unconditional Love of a Team

Throughout life, we experience so many types of love. There is parent-child love. There is sister-sister love. There is pet love. There is best friend love. But then, there's team love.

During my two years of high school tennis I have come to learn that team love is so different.

I'm not gonna lie, team love is tough love. These girls push me to my limits; limits higher than what I thought I had. They push me to be the best player I can possibly be and the best person I can be.

But what I've also learned, is that team love is unconditional. Period. When I am at the top of my game, they are there holding me up. But when I'm at my lowest they are the ones who catch my fall and are fully prepared to build me back up again.

This week was intense for our girls tennis team. Last year we lost a close match in the quarters of state so our goal this year was to get past there. About an hour into our quarterfinal match we were at 2-matches all, and I looked around to suddenly find that it had all come down to me. My match would decide the rest of our season.

It was 5-7, 4-5, and I only had to win one more point to make it 5-5. I knew I could do it. Just keep pushing Rachel.

Amid my jumbled thoughts and loud cheers from the crowd (half the high school came down during lunch), the only cheer I heard was from my teammate: "I believe in you Rachel."

No, it wasn't "Win this match for us Rachel," "We're all counting on you Rachel," "Winning state is all up to you Rachel." It was just that they believed in me. Nothing else. And I believed in myself after hearing those words.

Now, I wish my life was a movie and I could tell you about how I overcame adversity and won this match and that we're headed to the state semis next week and that I'm the hero of the high school. But, as I've been reminded quite a few times lately, my life is not a movie, and I did fall short on Thursday, losing the second set 6-4.

After I shook hands with my opponent, I couldn't even make it off of the court before the tears started coming down. Real tough right?

With my hands covering my emotion-filled face and muscles shaking from adrenaline, I felt arms close around my shoulders. Bracing myself for their tears as well because of the end of our season, I looked up only to find 7 smiling faces looking back at me. The gratitude and love I felt at that moment while being congratulated on what I was told was my best match of the season is hard to put into words. I let the team down didn't I?

No Rachel, you just proved to everyone just how tough you are. You just pushed yourself to your furthest limit. That is the best match we've ever seen you play. Rachel we are so proud of you.

It's that kind of unconditional love that makes me so indescribably thankful for my team.

And there's always next year to win state, right?

xoxo,
Rachel

"Dear Lord, we pray that we should play a good, clean game and win. But if you choose that we should lose, keep us from giving in."

Get What You Deserve

"You are never gonna get everything you want in this world. First things first- get what you deserve."

-Neon Trees

One thing I am extremely adamant about in my life is, for lack of better wording, not taking crap from anyone. Why should you let someone walk all over you? Why should you let someone give you less than what you deserve?

My advice for this week:

Get what you deserve.

Neon Trees was right when they said that you are never going to get everything you want in the world. That's impossible! But that doesn't mean you have to settle for less than what you deserve. 

You deserve to:

• Be happy.
• Be healthy.
• Do what you love.
• Have healthy friendships.
• Get into the college you want.
• Play the sport you love.
• Be treated with respect.
• Be who you want to be!

So never settle for less than that.

xoxo,

Rachel

Being the Best ME

I've been feeling so weird lately. I'm having a hard time putting how I feel into words so please forgive my weirdness tonight okay? Thanks.

There are so many things in this world that I want to do and see. And there are so many things that I want to be. I want to be smart and powerful and love myself and be passionate about something. But most importantly I want to be the best ME there can be. 

Here are a few quotes from my Pinterest inspiration board:

"I want my heart and my passions to be the most beautiful things about me"

"She,
In the dark,
Found light
Brighter than many ever see.
She,
Within herself,
Found loveliness,
Through the soul's own mastery.
And now the world receives
From her dower:
The message of the strength
Of inner power. "

"I saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and I could do anything I wanted."

"Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers."

Soooo yeah. I hope that kinda helped you see what I'm striving to be a little clearer.

I just want to be a good person. And I want other people to be able to see my passions, and I want to be able to spread happiness. And I also have this secret hope that someone, someday will right a poem about me. Maybe I'll write one about myself. 

My resolution for this week, and for the rest of my life, is to be the best Me there can possibly be. Where could I possibly go wrong?

xoxo,

Rachel

"I can't explain what I mean. And even if I could I'm not sure I'd feel like it." -J.D. Salinger