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Kayla's Only Heart

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Kayla's Only Heart

Tag Archives: values

Book Review: P.S. I Still Love You

14 Friday Dec 2018

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in books, Uncategorized

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angst, book review, books, expectations, fiction, Jenny Han, love, P.S. I Still Love You, pressure, relationships, romance, teens, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, values, young adult

My best friend and I continued our buddy read of Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy with the second installment. P.S. I Still Love You didn’t hit that sweet spot quite as strongly as the introduction to Lara Jean and the recipients of her love letters, but it did still hit the spot.

This story continues Lara Jean’s first steps into romance as she faces the aftermath of her fight with Peter Kavinsky and the release of a video of them online. As she navigates confronting the issue and enduring the ridicule of her peers, Lara Jean demonstrates how her actions as well as others’ actions can have a tremendous effect on her life. Of course her sisters and dad continue as her constant support, and she makes new friendships with a couple older and wiser ladies at the nursing home where she interns. Lara Jean’s experiences make a good example of how internet shaming greatly impacts people and how teenagers and young adults face significant pressure when it comes to relationships. I appreciate how Han creates a likeable character who reminds us of the vulnerability of developing relationships and communicating boundaries. Lara Jean models a realistic approach to balance cultural pressures with her personal values and makes a good example of voicing her wants rather than following her peers’ expectations.

So far this trilogy has provided some great conversation, a likeable and admirable character and a sweet story with the awkwardness, angst and fun of being a teenager and discovering love. I highly anticipate the third book, and the first goes in my top ten books I’ve read this year.

 

In case you were wondering, the Netflix movie adaptation of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before does a great job capturing this fun story on the screen. They cast the characters well, they kept the heart of the book, and gave it an authentic feel with their attention to detail on screen.

Book Review: Shaken

05 Wednesday Dec 2018

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in books, Uncategorized

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book review, books, Christian living, doubt, ethics, love, Tim Tebow, truth, values

I recently read Tim Tebow’s Shaken, 2017’s Christian Book of the Year, with my friend Stacie.

After initially hesitating to read this book, I find myself glad for Stacie’s suggestion and interest in Tim Tebow. His stories may come across simple at times, but he shares a lot of his personal struggles along with his triumphs. I hear strong doubt in my head every day and that occurs mostly privately, so I can only imagine what it feels like to have your life broadcast and know the general public doubts your abilities. Yet Tebow stays focused on his mission and pushes forward. He sets a good example for making good choices.

In addition to generally modeling high ethics and the importance of prioritizing your values, Tebow demonstrates how seemingly small actions can reach a lot further than we imagine. So we can all follow his lead to listen to God telling us to take an extra step to show God’s love and truth even when it seems unlikely to help, unimportant in that situation or unpopular to the scrutinizing crowd. That gives me a nudge to follow through on sharing my gifts despite any doubt I face.

 

What can you do to share love and truth with someone this week?

Winsome Women Wednesday: 13 Going on 30

24 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in Uncategorized, Winsome Women Wednesday

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13 Going on 30, choices, culture, goals, Jennifer Garner, movies, values

The girls in Mean Girls wear pink on Wednesdays. Though we think we leave drama and teenage angst behind when we graduate high school, the world continues to hand us lemons. We still struggle with maintaining a firm foundation of our values, discovering our identity, pursuing our purpose, developing relationships and more. The teenage angst lives on; therefore, we can still learn from young adults as they come of age. Let’s take a look at some ladies as they’ve forged their way into adulthood.

 

Thirteen-year-old Jenna Rink seeks acceptance into the popular clique The Six Chicks in the Jennifer Garner starring movie 13 Going on 30. When she wakes up in her 30-year-old body after making a wish to be “thirty, flirty and thriving,” she sets off on a journey to learn what really matters in friendships, career and life. She lives in her fantasy where she became the leader of The Six Chicks, a leader at her favorite fashion magazine and the girlfriend of a popular hockey stud. Yet as she ventures deeper into her superficially successful life, she learns she got there by abandoning what truly mattered to her. She learns some of the acceptance she received didn’t bring her the satisfaction she sought.

Rather than accept superficial approval as young Jenna Rink does, we too can stay close to our values. Jenna ultimately decides to make the right decision regarding her friends and career and starts to build a better foundation. She even reconnects with her family and decides to visit more often again. Fortunately, a movie allows a chance for a happy ending. Jenna eventually goes back to her 13-year-old self and chooses her best friend and future husband over The Six Chicks, and the movie hints at a happily ever after.

Jenna got to where she was at 30 due to a series of decisions. Clearly, she didn’t start there as we see her in a different scenario as a teen. We too don’t get into our messes by single choices. Most the time we get there unintentionally. For example, no one who struggles with a drug addiction says, “I’d like to be addicted to drugs and see what kind of ruination it can bring. I think I’ll try meth today.” In turn, it takes a lot of small decisions and adjustments to get back on track. We can choose what we value and base our goals and everyday decisions on that foundation. This keeps us on track for a more fulfilling life.

 

What choice can you make today that will help you stay on track?

 

Winsome Women Wednesday

19 Wednesday Sep 2018

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in books, Uncategorized, Winsome Women Wednesday

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angst, culture, goals, identity, lifestyle, teens, values, Wednesday, women

The girls in Mean Girls wear pink on Wednesdays. Though we think we leave drama and teenage angst behind when we graduate high school, the world continues to hand us lemons. We still struggle with maintaining a firm foundation of our values, discovering our identity, pursuing our purpose, developing relationships and more. The teenage angst lives on; therefore, we can still learn from young adults as they come of age. Let’s take a look at some ladies as they’ve forged their way into adulthood.

 

My best friend (since high school) and I recently have read Gayle Forman’s Just One Day for a buddy read. Allyson finds herself exploring Europe after her graduation, a gift from her parents to help her gain some cultural experiences in the great wide world. There, she meets a boy acting in a street Shakespeare company. Mirroring the comedy’s mixture of romance and comedic deceit, Allyson finds herself wondering where she bases her identity as well as what happened to Willem after he disappeared.

As Allyson begins college, we find her facing many familiar dilemmas for a freshman. She decides to go by Allyson again rather than the identity she tried in Europe at the insistence of her high school BFF, and she finds herself not performing well in her classes. After a meeting with her guidance counselor, she drops her science classes she took to pursue a career as a physician, a dream she later realizes is a fulfillment of her mother’s, in the interest of trying a couple new classes. Shakespeare enters the scene again as she joins a literature class where she meets her new friend Dee.

Dee contrasts Allyson as he changes his mask to match each person’s assumptions of him. Eventually, they discuss which of them truly know themselves and feels comfortable in that identity. Allyson finds herself doing well in her new classes and finally discusses her wants with her mom. As she moves forward communicating her needs and goals with those important to her, she finds an anchor for herself. Her relationships become closer and more genuine, she makes her decisions based on her values rather than someone else’s expectations and she meets her goals even if she experiences setbacks.

Unfortunately, most of us still struggle to find, own and present our true identities to those around us. We face expectations based on our roles, and we want to please others. Yet everyone ranks what they value a little differently. When we make our decisions based on what most matches our values and goals, it makes situations unfold a lot smoother. So take some time to consider how you would rank your values and then hold your dilemmas up to them. It might make it easier to move forward.

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You can't make advances if you don't take chances. These posts share my perspectives of my journey as I step forward, walking in the Light.

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RSS my weekly nail creations

  • Starlit Darkness 
              As it felt like I continued to fall deeper into darkness, I reminded myself to keep dreaming positively. My stars matched my pajamas to encourage my sleeping dreams as well.  The following weekend I ventured out with my friends to attend a Taking Back Sunday and The Used concert. Surrounding […]
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  • Falling
          These plain manicures go back to the fall. The season marked a time of change and a new look at my world. Perhaps the perspective in what I held in my hands stole some of the focus and expression I would normally have for my nail art.  I went from a bold […]
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  • Plain Sparkles
    After the Top Shelf plain manicure, I had another plain one with some sparkles added. I just didn’t feel spirited enough to enjoy my me time. I still made myself go through the motions though. I might not have been applying makeup regularly, but I kept my nails polished. The little touches kept me from […]
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