Rebel with a Cause :)

I've been listening to India.Arie and Chrisette Michele over and over and over and over and........did I say OVER again? LOL!!! I love those women: they are soulful, classy and beautiful. They know who they are and what they want. They are young non-conformists who refuse to live by society's rules (or in their case, by the rules of today's music industry). I love that and I WANT that! I don't want to live my life by society's rules. Now, before you get any ideas I am an extremely law-abiding citizen: no arrests, misdemeanors or run-ins with the police here. Heck, no tickets! Okay, may be that doesn't count. I don't think a lot of pedestrians get tickets out there-but these days, who knows? :)

What I mean when I say that I don't want to live my life by society's rules is that I want to know what I stand for, WHO I stand for, what I believe in and WHY I believe in it. I stand for Jesus Christ-for His Kingdom, His authority, His sovereignty and His LOVE. I believe that He died for you and I, is alive in those who receive Him and continually transforms my life with every encounter I have with Him (that is no exaggeration). I believe that I am loved more than I will ever understand-that the Hands that carry me are invisible yet all-powerful, that every single step is orchestrated by Him, that my present and future are already taken care of. I believe in it because it has been proven in my life time and time again, because the love I know I feel is so overwhelming that no words can ever describe it; because I know that when I lift my voice in song to try to express it (I'll have you know that I act like my life is a musical), a well of love runs so deep within my soul that I know that even those heartfelt notes will be insufficient; because I see miracles happen in my life; because I have absolutely no reason to be where I am today, who I am or be this consistently joyful; because there is no other reason for which li'l sinful, prideful, doubtful (and many other -fuls) "me" should be this blessed to be have relationships with some of the most amazing people in the world.

I don't want to live my life believing what everyone believes, doing what everyone does, wearing what everyone wears. I want to be different-not for the sake of it or because I think I'm all that and a slice of mango-but because I want to live the right way. I am sooooo human sometimes that it annoys me. I can get scared easily, worry about things that have not even happened, refuse a helping hand because I am "Miss Independent", disappoint myself, those I love and God; the list is endless. I want to be different because I want my life to have meaning. I want to have a purpose. I want my life to count for something. I want to leave a legacy. I want to know who I am by knowing who He is so that I can contribute to the world in the only way that I can: in a way that no one else will ever be able to duplicate. See, you and I are originals. I will never be you and you'll never be me. That's what makes us special!!!

In doing these, I want to enjoy my life. I LOVE being a woman and I love the challenges, responsibilities and maaaaaaany perks that womanhood brings. I want to be the best young woman I can possibly be-even if it means going against the grain some days. I sincerely hope that you do, too. So go out there, be as gorgeous as you are, love every inch of you and dare to be different. You are so much more than a sheep without a shepherd.

Mango Kisses,
On Eagles' Wings

P.S. Yes, I admit I LOOOOOOOOOVE mangoes. I think they are one of God's ultimate gifts to humanity. Now, you know what I really want for Valentine's Day :)