More awesome than a monkey in a bacon tuxedo...

Okay, so the title of this blog post was stolen from an awesome child out in Texas, but I think it fits in with what I want to blog about today. 

So a little more about the title... Yeah, that's right. You're awesome.

So in this world, it seems as though we're all trying to be number one, we're all trying to fit in and be like everyone else. This is something that I really don't want to be. I want to be proud of who I am, and what I stand for, and right now, I can say this. I am Jade Stoneley, I am happy, and I am proud of who I am.

This world also makes us feel like we're sometimes not good enough to achieve, or that we are not special. But you are. Everyone is special, and everyone matters to someone.

This has got to be one of my favorite stories ever. I think it just shows how important we are. If anyone ever reads these blog posts, please take the time to read The Wemmick Story, it is THE best ever. The Wemmick Story.

As we go throughout the day, I think we need to remember that we are "More awesome than a monkey wearing a tuxedo made out of bacon..." (I actually love that phrase) "And in case you didn't know that's pretty dang sweet."

"'Cuz I define myself and find my beauty in the light He gives.

I'm refined by His divine intentions every day I live.

It doesn't matter what the world believes,

Or what they say that beauty means,

It comes from within,

I want to be beautiful to Him."

Beautiful to Him. 

Have a happy day people!

'Top Team'

You all wish you looked this cool.

Okay, so I'm a day behind on the challenges from Miss Sarah French. Yesterday I was challenged to write a blog post about how me and Sarah make a top team.

Okay, so here it goes... 

I've known Sarah for quite some time now, and we have become like partners in crime. We do a lot of things together, and work on many different tasks. 

Sarah, is an awesome person with a lot of ambition, she has many goals that she wants to reach, and I know she can get there. 

Me on the other hand, I'm just going with the flow, I have my own dreams and things to reach, I just have no real plan to get there yet. But, I will.

The reason I think we manage to make a 'top team' is because we manage to make each other laugh through the tough times, and we manage have a lot of fun, even when things seem hard. 

We know when each other needs some help, and we're both there for each other. I guess I've interpreted the term 'top team' to mean 'top friends'. I have lots of awesome people in my life, and Sarah is just one of them.

To those who make my life happy, who are like the sunshine on a rainy day, I love you guys, and I think you're amazing. Please stay happy, and stay strong. 

Much love to you all :)

The awkward moment when...

Okay, so this week has seen my good friend Sarah set me a new challenge each day. So far I've had to have silent rave, and visit her at work. Today, she asked me to post a blog about how life is one big awkward moment. So, here it goes...

My life is full of those little awkward moments that make you want to scream 'WHY ME?!" So, I figured I'd fill you in on a few of them...

In year 11 at school, I managed to fall over a single pea in the dinner hall, whilst carrying a cake and a bottle of water... I managed to save the cake, drop the water, and lose any dignity that I might of had. It was awkward.

Yes, this is a time when I broke down

So I'm lucky enough to be able to drive, and being a Young Single Adult in my Church, we sometimes travel pretty far around the country to go to dances, or activities. I've been driving for just under two years, and I've never really had too much trouble with the car. Until BAM! It's like 2:30am, I'm mega tired, and I'm dropping people off after going to Birmingham on a Friday night. I go to turn around a corner, and hear a noise that I know a car should NEVER make. I get out, check that I've not hit anything, there's nothing in my wheels or under the car. There wasn't. So I checked my engine wasn't on fire, which it wasn't, it was all good. I go to start the car again, it's a big fat fail, the car wasn't going anywhere.. That's when Candy and Kayla, plus a few drunk people pushed it to Candy's house. As if that wasn't awkward enough, the next day I was towed home by the RAC, and my cousin told me I'd broken the drive shaft. His words were something like... "It's the drive shaft, and I've never seen one as bad as that before." - I guess if you're going to do something, you have to do it properly, right? Anyway, that was awkward.

I study in Liverpool, a city that I really love. I love the feel there, and the fact that it's completely different to being at home. I love the fact that I can be myself there, and that I don't have to fit in. But, last week I was coming home from Uni at about 8:30pm. I got the bus into the city centre, and was walking to my next bus stop, everything was normal. But, then I seen two women, and a man. Well at least I think I did, after hearing one of the ladies talking, I took a second look, and realised it was a man in drag! It was just the best thing I'd seen all day as I'd been in the library ALL day. I wanted to laugh in their face, but had to control myself, I just felt REALLY awkward for them...

LOL at his comment..

Then, yesterday, I got an assignment and some feedback from my tutor. The essay wasn't the best thing I've ever written, there were mistakes all over the place, but that doesn't matter. I think I managed to get the most awkward comment on an essay EVER! I'd been writing about some guy called Oliver Fulton, only I fist called Olivia, and then I referred to him as 'she' throughout the paragraph... My tutors comment: "Oliver Fulton is a man in his 70s." I'm not going to lie, I felt a bit awkward, but, it made me giggle though the seminar.

When I first did the burn..

What it looks like now...

But today has to have seen one of the most awkward, stupid situations I've ever managed to get myself into. I have naturally curly hair, and straighten it regularly. Yesterday, my Nan had asked to borrow my straighteners, so I told her that she needed to be careful because they get really hot, and she could burn herself. Today, I was straightening my hair, but I wasn't really paying as much attention as I should have been, and the next thing, I managed to burn my neck. Now I have two nice burn marks which I can't really hide because my hair isn't long enough. It's awkward, and I now know I'm really stupid...

Life is full of lots of little awkward moments, and at the time we can want the ground to open up and swallow us, or we want to go into hibernation until all is forgotten. But, looking back at these awkward moments, I actually laugh, and think to myself, "If these awkward moments didn't exist, life could actually be pretty lame, and boring." When life throws you an awkward moment, look back at it a few months later, and have a good old laugh! 

In all thy ways acknowledge Him...

Proverbs 3: 5 - 6: - "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; lean not unto thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

- Take that to mean what you want...  ^

So recently I've been having a really tough time at Uni, I've had to bite my tongue, and deal with things that I didn't like, and things that I don't fully believe in. I realised that the easiest thing to do would be to just give up, and quit. But I know that 'quitters never win, and winners never quit.' I also realised the real reason why I went to Uni, and that's to help me get the career that I want. But, none of this made it easier. 

With all this going on, I had to deal with assignments, this was the big problem, how could I write an assignment on something I didn't agree with? I know at Uni we're supposed to be able to give our own opinions, but this wasn't the case with these, we had to fit in with what they wanted... That's when I moved into the library.. Well not literally, it just felt like it, I'd be there from 10am and get home any time between 7 and 9pm. They were long days. 

Finishing the assignments, and handing them in was the best feeling ever, it's like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. But, then there was the waiting game. It usually takes around four weeks for the tutors to mark the work, and get them back to us.

Knowing I'd left these assignments quite late to finish, I say quite late, I was literally writing them on the day in a couple of cases, I had decided that I knew I was going to fail, I had done my best for the time that I had, but I just didn't think it was good enough...

But, Friday just gone, we got our results back... I was amazed at what I had got. I had somehow managed to get a B and a B+, something I wasn't expecting, I honestly thought that I would be re-sitting them in the Summer. So I was extremely happy!

But, I know that I couldn't have done this by myself, I know that someone was there to help me. I know that because I was doing my best with what I was left with, and that I was doing my best with my Church callings and other things, I was blessed to be able to pass.

I'm so grateful to have the Gospel in my life, I know what if I'm doing my best, the Lord will magnify my efforts and help me be the best that I can be.
I'm grateful to be able to see things from a different point of view, and I'm so grateful to be able to see different blessings happening because I am trying my best...

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."