{ what a good friend looks like }

They have your back -

Ally & Livy, the perfect example. They are the kind of best friends you look up to. I love both of them to pieces for their adventurous souls and how much they care for people & each other. (srsly guys you should start up a "how to be the raddest friend out there" class.. I would go to it ;) A friend should have your back through thick & thin. Loving you no matter what. Speaking of loving you...

They love you unconditionally -

Friends are people who love you no matter the circumstance. They forgive you for your mistakes and love you for your flaws. A true friend is someone who knows all about you and STILL loves you. Lets be real here. I'm crazy. I laugh so hard I cry, sometimes embarrass my friends & family ;) and I don't understand how my friends put up with it, but that's another sign of a good friend. Someone who wont look at you weird if you do something crazy (crazy as in something adventurous or out of the blue.. not something that you could potentially end up in jail for). Someone who won't judge you for being you but will love you for it.

They laugh with you -

In the middle of this little photo shoot you're seeing throughout this blog, Lauren decided to randomly start dancing (this explains her creative pose in the pic). That's one thing I admire about Lauren. Her easy going, up for anything attitude puts a smile on everyone's face. From something as small as dancing down an ally to as big as being up to jumping in to a public fountain with me, she makes any moment fun & memorable. A good friend shouldn't make your day full of stress and worry. They should be the ones to brighten your day up and give you a good laugh :)

They encourage you -

Now I'm not sure if this picture was the wisest choice for the topic, cuz I'm not trying to say encourage your friends to do dangerous things aka stand on the edge of a parking garage just for a picture hehe. (Ruthie is just a lil rebel, and we love her for it). What I mean by encourage is, they'll encourage you to do the right thing and will remind you that God is watching & he knows what he's doing. There's absolutely NOTHING better than encouragement from a friend.

They listen to you -

A good friend listens when you need some one to talk to. Let's you vent about something you've been going through or is there with you to listen to something awesome that might've happened to you. A good friend shares the good times and helps you out by listening to you during the bad times. BUT another thing, if you want to be listened to then you have to put the time in listening. Remember that it goes both ways :)

Thxxx for reading guys. There's a lot of other things that come along with a true friend but I just wanted to get across the things I thought were really important.

See ya later dudesss.

{ growing up }

I've been a little stuck on what to blog about. I even went to Barnes & Noble and looked for blogging books, to get inspired and maybe give me some ideas. That failed completely, BUT I did remember that I turn 16 tomorrow and I thought I could incorporate that. So without further ado, here are 10 reasons why growing up sucks -

 1. Relationships aren't like the ones in Disney movies.

 2. People will judge you for making up a dance routine to your fav song.

3. Dinner doesn't cook itself & you actually have to start eating healthier.

4. Laundry doesn't magically end up in your wardrobe, cleaned and pressed, after dumping it on your bedroom floor.

5. When you finish up your Mcdonalds you worry less about the happy meal toy and more about how big your butt is getting & how much of a double chin you have.

6. Screaming in public wont get you what you want, it'll just get you kicked out of the store.

7. People expect you to know more, a lot more.

8. You have to buy things you need, not want.

9. Birthdays get less fun each year.

10. The only person responsible for your actions is you.

See ya later dudesss.

{ a letter to my 15 year old self }

I'm turning 16 in exactly 14 days. Uhh heck yes I'm excited. 16 is one year older & just a lil bit wiser (not really I guarantee you I'll still be burning mac & cheese in the microwave cause I forget to add water). Now normally people would write about this kind of topic when they are in their 20's and have a fair share of things they wish they hadn't done. Well I'm gonna switch it up a bit and give myself something to look back on & hopefully give some somewhat useful advice. Here goes nothing...

Dear 15 year old Jordan,
NUMBER ONE RULE - stay out of drama. Don't let it consume you. Rely on your friends to guide you in the right direction and if they happen to be the ones causing the drama, keep your distance. You may not be able to control someone's negative behavior but you can control how long you participate in it. There comes a time when you have to let go of the pointless drama & the people who create it & surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard that you forget the bad and solely focus on the good. After all, life is way to short to be anything but happy.

Focus on growing friendships and loving your family. Dont waste your time on trying to find a boyfriend. No matter how cute he may be or how much you may like him don't jump into something that could potentially go up in flames because you were so eager to "be in a relationship". You're only 15. Don't act like you're 20. That's all I gotta say about that. ;-)

Speaking about friends, choose them wisely. Your friends should motivate and inspire you. Your circle should be well rounded and supportive, keep it tight. Quality over quantity, always. "Bad company corrupts good character", < pls pls pls remember that. You are only going to be as good as the people you surround yourself with. So be brave enough to let go of those who keep weighing you down.

Next, work hard in school. School sucks. Studying sucks. Homework... Yeah it sucks. But work hard and you'll be rewarded. You most likely don't know what you're going to do with your life. Become a teacher? Stay at home mom? Oh hey, maybe a blogger? ;-) Whatever it is, work your hardest, and be the best "you", you can be. Good things come to those who wait. > Go out and earn it.

I've covered a lot of things. Friendships, hard work, drama, etc... Although there is one thing I'm leaving out and it is by far the most important. Follow God and his plan for you. Don't push him away because you think your plan is better because let me tell you something, ITS NOT. Sorry charlie. God's plan is always the best. Sometimes the process is painful and hard, but don't forget that when God is silent, he's doing something for you. As for your life, it may not be going the way you planned. You didn't plan to become home schooled. You didn't plan to start up your own blog, but it is going exactly the way God planned it. Jesus replied, "you don't understand now what I am doing but someday you will" - John 13:7.

I guess that's it. Last thoughts - Keep your friends and family close & God closer.

Lots of love, ALMOST 16 year old Jordan.

47 things to do before you're 70

• Sing karaoke... In public.
• Send a slinky down the escalator.
• Walk to get pizza. Order delivery. Get a free ride back w/ the pizza.
• Freeze mayo. Tell your friends it's ice cream.
• Conquer a big fear of yours.
• Stare at someone till they start laughing.
• Start running in front of a jogger and yell, "STOP CHASING ME".
• Go to a public place. Look up & see how many ppl do it too.
• Mute your TV and make up what they are saying.
• Sing happy birthday to someone random one day.
• Find a cookie. Tell yourself that eating the cookie is a bad idea. Eat the cookie anyway. Regret eating the cookie. Deal with the guilt by eating more (basically me everyday).
• See the sun rise & set in the same day.
• Spend a day making decisions by the flip of a coin.
• Go a whole day barefoot... Not sure if I recommend this. 
• Visit a cemetery/abandoned building at night.
• Run a marathon.
• Swim in a public fountain.
• Play paint twister.
• Send a message in a bottle.
• Create a set of cards with inspirational sayings on them & leave them in random places for strangers to find.
• Try every cheesecake the cheesecake factory makes.
• Pay for a strangers groceries, 
• Write your name in wet cement.
• Fall asleep in a hammock.
• Jump into a pool fully clothed.
• Go 48 hours without saying a word. Yeah I wouldn't get past the first hour.
• Help someone else cross a item off their bucket list.
• Give a waiter a 100 dollar tip.
• Have a street artist paint a caricature of you.
• Learn to use chopsticks (struggling with this one *sigh*)
• Get on a JumboTron by doing something stupid.
• Have an accent for one day,
• Vacuum your lawn. You'll get the best reactions.
• Be an extra in a film.
• You and your best friend write letters to your 20 something selves, so when you open when you're 20, you'll find kind words.
• Visit the houses your parents grew up in.
• Cover your bedroom wall with pictures & sweet things.
• Run through public sprinklers.
• Carve a watermelon.
• Care less about what ppl think.
• Take a picture everyday one summer.
• Try a food you cant pronounce.
• Have a memorable conversation with a complete stranger.
• Go backpacking.
• Watch turtles hatch & run for the ocean.
• Go for a fish pedicure.
• Chase a tornado.

   

F E A R

I went on Instagram today and saw that Sadie Robertson (a big role model of mine) had made a post about her new tattoo. It ran across her forearm and said "fearless." Under the picture there was a long caption explaining why she decided to get it. I read it & it kind of shocked me how much I could relate to it. I struggle with fear as well. Always scared of making decisions, of stepping out of my comfort zone, and so so so many other things.


Sadie also included a verse -
"Pray for me also, that whenever I speak, words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." - Ephesians 6:19-20.

When you let fear get a grip on you, it drags you down, and keeps you from doing what God wants. You are a fearless child of God & you are capable of anything :-) Don't allow fear to control you.
For example when I started this blog, I had a lot of fear and worry that people may think its weird or uninteresting. That was fear talking.

This blog is gonna be a little short because I feel like I just really got to the point, but a few notes for you guys before I go -
- Don't let fear keep you from doing something God wants you to do.
- Trust God and don't let anything (fear) get in the way.
- And as Sadie would say "be a fearless child of God".

See ya later dudesss.

Challenge Accepted

My friends recently gave me a challenge. Not a normal challenge. You might be thinking something like maybe the cinnamon challenge (nope), the warhead challenge (never), or even the doughnut challenge (eh... possibly). It was something completely different. They challenged me to stay single till this summer. They didn't do it because they think I "get around" or date many guys. They just want to keep me accountable.

I wanted to blog about this because I think it's important for girls to know that they don't need a guy in their life 24/7. Well... Unless you're 50 with 30 cats ;-) Seriously though, I see so many girls nowadays relying on there boyfriends for happiness and once it ends with that one guy, they find happiness in someone else. First of all, a guy isn't the source of your happiness Jesus is. Second of all, sometimes you just need a break from guys to just focus on you, and that's not a bad thing. I just got out a relationship a few weeks ago and I'm definitely NOT looking for another one. I want some time to focus on God, my friend relationships, and school (whoop whoop)!!!

My youth pastor said something about a month ago that really stuck with me. "Every person you date, you give them a piece of your heart. Your husband is gonna want your whole heart. Not half of it". I cant stress how true this is. Yes I know, this is coming from someone who has been in a couple relationships that didn't work out, but that doesn't mean I don't believe what he said. Ladies (& gents if you're reading this) you don't need a boy or girl. If you're already in a relationship and you're happy, stay in it :-) Don't let what I said bring doubt into your mind. Although if you are single and just looking for a boyfriend to have a boyfriend. PLS PLS PLS stay single. Don't give a piece of your heart away just because you want someone that you think will give you the happiness you're looking for. Wait for God to bring someone into your life that could potentially one day be your husband. I promise you, you won't regret it.

Hope this wasn't too long and drug out, I really had some stuff to say about it as you can see : ) I wanted to get my point across & I think I did.

Alrighty, see ya later dudesss.

Worry Wart

I came across a fortune cookie the other day and I really liked the saying. "Things are not always as they seem".

You could take this saying several ways. My family thought it was kinda depressing. While my thought was "OOHH I CAN BLOG ABOUT THIS".

When I first read this I immediately thought about how I'm the biggest worry wart. I always blow things out of proportion and have a tendency to think things are worse then they are when they really aren't. I think of horrible scenarios, which would never in a million years happen. I'm sure lots of you can relate. Anyways, you are probably wondering "Ok Jordan where are you going with this". Well think about it. How much time a day do you spend worrying about things like gossip, sports, or even am I gonna get Chick-Fil-A today? (99% of the time that's me). They are all little things that really don't need to be worried about right? You could be using that time that you're worrying to do other beneficial things. Yes, I know that its practically in our nature to worry about all kinds of things. Just take a breather, and realize not everything has to be worried or fussed about. Its something I'm learning too, so I'm with ya on this one.

Things that I want you to get out of this blog -

Not everything is meant to be worried about, dont stress over tiny things, and DONT become a worry wart. Cause nobody likes those ;-)

See ya later dudesss.

Thankful

A lot of the times you hear people say "there are people all over the world who have nothing", and its true. Cherish what you have. Your loved ones - friends, family, even neighbors. Let them all know how much you appreciate them. We often get caught up in what we want. Whats trending now? How can I get that? I want that. I want that. I want that. Slow down. Just take a minute and be thankful for the things you have.

 Even though its Thanksgiving that doesn't mean you have to only be thankful today. Show thankfulness everyday. I know I know, I can feel myself getting cheesier by the second, but just let me tell you guys a few things I'm thankful for this year.

FRIENDS //

I'm the kind of girl that needs her friends. I don't know how boring life would be if I didn't have em'. From my crazy friends who are fun to adventure with, to my calm chill friends who are fun to just watch Netflix and eat taco bell with, to my amazingly good advice giving friends (I don't know how all that knowledge fits in their heads), I wouldn't trade any.

FAMILY // 

 Life's greatest gift - what waits at home to give you unconditional love & support - to catch you when you fall - will always give you a smile, kind word, and honest compliment, a listening ear or a small act of caring - family is everything. 

PENS & PAPER //

I'm thankful for the ability to be able to write, to be able to have a blog, to be able to express myself through journaling & such. Some people do it through writing songs or drawing/painting a picture. Mine happens to be writing. My thoughts, adventures and other crazy things I happen to get myself into. :-)

CHURCH HOME //

A place where I can go, be myself, AND worship. Somewhere I can thank the person who gave me everything I'm thankful for. Woah man, almost too much "radness" ;-) (not even quite sure if that's a word but it is now).

Hope you guys enjoyed me blabbing about what I'm thankful for. Sometimes I just get in the groove and have trouble stopping. I challenge you guys to think about what you're thankful for.
See ya later dudesss.

Getting To Know Me

Hi guys, my names Jordan but most of my friends call me Jo.
I'm super super excited about starting up my blog & for you guys to enjoy reading it. Right now, most of you probably already know me.
Jordan - home schooled, lover of food, and Pinterest obsessed. Well I decided I'm gonna get this thing rolling by telling you guys some facts about me you may not already know.

1. I want to travel & do crazy adventurous things but at the same time I'm a home body. I love my bed and cozy house although jumping off a bridge with just a rope around my feet does sound intriguing.

2. Not a fan of coffee. Not a fan of tea, My addiction is coke. Its pretty sad when you and your friend have to have a 2 liter bottle of coke when spending the night. (you know who you are) ;-)

3. (this is probably the weirdest pet peeve you'll ever come across) I CAN NOT stand when people scratch. Their leg, their arm, anything. I don't know what it is about that sound but if you're ever around me and have an itch, you'll most likely see me cringing in the corner.

4. My dream animal to have is a pig... Still trying to convince my mom on this one.

5. If you are one of my friends then you already know about this one, but I refer to about every one as "dude" or "man" & I also use the phrases "dude that's pretty rad" or "woah man". I dont know "dude" its like I was meant to be born in the 80's or something.

Well I'm gonna stop right there. You're probably tired of hearing me talk about coke & pigs anyways. I hope this first blog gave you guys a little bit of an idea of who I am and I cant wait to post more.
See ya later :-)