My never fail guide to succeed in having good day.(It might not work for you...but it ALWAYS works for me)

  Have you guys ever had a really bad day? 

  Holy goodness, that sounds so dumb. We've ALL had bad days. But what I mean is: Have you ever had a really bad day, but there really isn't any reason for it to be bad? Like, the sun's shining outside, the birds are singing, everyone around you is happy, but you just feel like crud? Yeah, that happens to me a lot. A lot. 

  Now don't worry. I'm not having a bad day today. (surprise, surprise.) But Tuesday to Thursday? *shudder* Those days weren't too good. 

  Because I'm not having a bad day today, I'm going to give you a list of things that make me really happy. I know, I'm so nice. Let's go: 

  Hello, folks. Welcome to Charis's wonderful how-to-make-a-bad-day-a-good-one book. (Well, not really a book. More like a blog post....but, I'm pretty sure you get my point.) 

First scenario: You're at your house doing math on the computer, and you feel insane inside. Now, You could just keep answering your problems, which would probably be the most beneficial thing to do....Or you could look at pictures of...*pause for affect.*

 Josh Hutcherson. To make you the most happy, you should look at pictures of Josh. Preferably this one:  (This picture always makes me giggle and smile like an idiot. Am I in love? Why, yes. Yes.I.Am.)

 
  Second scenario: To add to your already bad day, you find that you have absolutely NOTHING in your house for lunch, even though your mom insists she just went to the grocery store...You could, (a., Eat some nice, healthy vegetables...Or you could, (b., eat a chocolate bar. If you want to get out of a bad mood, you should probably eat a chocolate bar. Get this biggest available bar you can find! 

Third scenario: If you feel like crying...don't just cry over your life. Cry over something worth-while like Mockingjay. Something that will make you bawl, but will ALSO warm your heart. Turn to my favorite page if you want: 

   Fourth scenario: Are you feeling lovesick? Do you want to experience someone loving you? Well, you can't make someone magically appear and start hugging you...but, you can read a really adorable love scene! I suggest either a really cute scene between Katniss or Peeta, or one between Fang and Max. You can't go wrong either way<3 


  Fifth scenario: Are you in the need of a good laugh? Well, I've got just the thing for you!! (the longer you look, the funnier it gets!) 

  Six scenario: If none of these things have helped you so far, then this will: go to one of your best friends. I find that they always have the right answers and can help you out more than you could ever wish for. Lillic(more commonly known as Lyric) Soriya, and Rachel Martin: I love you more than you know. You guys are the best friends a girl could ever ask for, and I am SO HAPPY to have you in my life. You guys know what to say, how to help me out, and how to make me feel loved. I will never be able to repay you<3

  So there you have it! That's how to make a bad day turn into a good one...I mean, at least for me:)

Winter Retreat 2012

  So...this weekend was really amazing. Like so freaking amazing that I can't even describe it. But for your sake, I'll try my hardest to describe an accurate picture. 

  For those of you who don't know, this weekend I went on my first Winter Retreat. And for those of you who who really don't know, the Winter Retreat is a retreat that my youth group at my church goes on once a year to encounter God and to grow in Him. And for those of you who are absolutely clueless, " youth group" is a group that takes place once a week at my church with only teenagers. We worship God, listen to teachings, etc. 

  This year was my first time at the Winter Retreat. I am completely and totally happy that I decided to go. Here's my experience: 

  Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. (Ahaha, do you like that use of The Sound of Music?!) Anyway, we all had to be at church by around twelve in the afternoon. Everyone packed up their luggage, and picked a car to ride in. I rode with two of my best friends, Soriya and Rachel. The ride up was really fun. Also: I deserve to brag about this because I totally beat everyone in holding my breath all the way through a really long tunnel. WOOT! IN YOUR FACE! (Sorry, just had to get that outta my system) 

  So, we got to the Poconos after three and a half hours. The place itself was pretty awesome. We found our cabin, unpacked, and just hung out. 

 And then...then we had our first dinner. 

  I have no idea what I was expecting. Maybe I was expecting to be served like Katniss while she was at the Capitol---but that's totally NOT how it was. The very opposite, to be exact. The food was awful. Now, other people may disagree, but I'm totally spoiled because my mom cooks homemade meals pretty much every day. So, yeah...I guess you could say I'm sort of picky. But there's just something about total stranger plopping globs of food on your plate and eating it. And if you find a hair in one meal(like I did) it's even worse. Maybe that's why I didn't eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner on Saturday. So yeah, i didn't like the food, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS POST IS ABOUT.

  Alright, back to the topic. Sorry to get all worked up. So where are we? 

  Oh right, I just finished talking about the food. Anyways, after dinner, every teenager filed into the main meeting room for worship. 

  Worship was fantastic. Seriously--that was definitely a highlight of the week. You could really feel God's presence there. So many kids there were so passionate about worship that it was just amazing. Hands were raised in the air, so many of the kids singing their hearts out. Pretty epic:) 

  After worship, our speaker Robby Dawkins shared his first teaching. To say the least, Robby is amazing. I could listen to him teach forever. You can just tell that he can totally sense the Holy Spirit and has a great relationship with God. That alone is just so freaking awesome. 

  Throughout the weekend, Robby spoke on power evangelism. Every story he shared was powerful and sometimes really hilarious. I mean, the guys goes to the most dangerous spots and is basically like, "Can I pray for you?" And the mind blowing part is, is that most of the people he prays for get healed. 

  When he was done teaching, he has kids pray for other kids. And what I really realized is that you don't have to be an pastor to heal people through God. You don't even have to be an adult. 

  Putting that thought into action, I prayed for several people that got healed. One girl I prayed for had a sprained jaw that was really painful, and kept popping. She was really stressed out because she was helping lead worship in two days. So I prayed for her three times: And just like that, God healed her. There was no more pain. 

  After the meeting, we all went to our cabins that aren't exactly super clean or nice. But it was enough for me. We went to sleep quickly at around 2:30 and woke up at seven twenty the next day. 

  The rest of the weekend went really well. It closely followed the plan of the first day, only we had workshops and lat night worship. 

  Workshops went really well....And, er, part of it was hilarious: Casey Duzan. I don't really think I need to explain myself any further. Well, let's just say that apparently he really likes artificial fur;)

  Late night worship was really great too. Amazing, actually. So powerful...So awesomely powerful! 

  So, we left around noon-ish on Monday. But--before we left Kyle decided to have a piggy-back-ride race, so we did that. And then Casey pushed Soriya and me down. Grreeaaaaattt idea. 

  Anyway, it was sad to leave, but I think I cried for joy when I saw a steaming, delicious pile of homemade pasta sitting in front of me when I got home. But, the trip was amazing. Here's what I got out of the trip: 

1. My relationship with God is right now stronger than it ever has been. 

2. I learned that kids can make a difference. A big difference. 

3. I learned that God has the power to allow me to heal people through Him

  I also got closer to my friends, which was really great. 

  Now, just to clarify, I'm not saying that now I'm perfect or anything. Or that I'm this ultra-strong Christian that never wants to have fun, and will never ever break rules or complain again...Because I know that no one can ever be perfect. It's impossible. What I'm saying is that through God I fell more at peace, stronger, and more able. 

  This was a life changing trip. I will never look at God the same way again. <3

23 things that I can't stand

  Hello again, people of earth...

  Or if you're an alien, I'll welcome you as well. You don't necessarily need to be from earth. I hope my bad wording didn't offend you guys. 

  Anyway, today snow finally fell. And then it melted. And now it's slush. Ugly slush. Very disappointing to a girl who wishes for a lot of snow. But unfortunately, I have to deal with it. So, that's enough to make me semi frustrated\annoyed. And that's why I decided to do this particular post.

  So today, I'm going to blog about things that annoy me. Really, if you know me well, you should know that 90% of the things on this world annoy the heck out of me. The list could go on and on and on and on and on. I'm going to make a list for you guys today. It may or may not go on and on and on and on and on...we'll see. 

  If you ever hang out with me, you probably shouldn't do, say, or get any of these things while with me, or you might just end up with a broken arm. You might---just warning you. But some of these things that annoy me are things that you guys can't prevent from happening. Whatever. The majority of things on my list are all things that YOU can choose to make happen or not. You guys should really use this post as a guideline if you're ever around me. It will help you re-think what you've done in the past to me, help you make your decisions in the present time, and seriously--if you do any of these things AFTER reading this blog post, i will seriously be ticked off. So, here we go: 

- I hate it when people try to make something a really big deal when really it's not. It totally gets to me. I think, "Just suck it up and continue and stop crying like a baby." 

- I really, really dislike Justin Bieber.  I don't like his voice, his looks, or (blah) his music. Really I could've written the song, "Baby," when i was five. So, no, unlike half the teenage girls in the world, i DON'T have a shrine to Bieber in my room. I literally want to get a cardboard cutout of him and shoot it down with my arrows. 

- I hate the sound of people eating. Ugghhh, it makes me want to scream. 

- I hate blue pens. They. are. terrible. 

- I hate when people fake laugh. It's so annoying. 

- I can't tolerate when people text like this: "Hi bro. I hurd ur going 2 a movie 2day. cud i cme? ill b reads n a sec." please talk in plain American, please. 

- Whenever I read a romantic scene in a book, my right hand starts tingling and going into random spasms. I have to put down my kindle and take time to massage\stretch out my hand. As you can see, it gets pretty frustrating.

- I hate when things aren't fair. I HATE IT!

- I really don't like awkward conversations. They make me want to scream. so, if I ever just walk away during an awkward pause, you'll know why:p

- I hate the look people give me when I tell them I really like blood, gore, sharp items, etc. I feel like saying, "Look. I'm sorry I'm not the sweet, perfect little girl you thought I'd grow up to be. Get over it."

- My name is pronounced Care-iss, not Chair-iss. It's okay if you didn't know that before. Just, please don't slip up again, okay?

- I really don't like when I meet people for a first time, and they start telling me their life story. Dude, chill out. We just met three seconds ago.

- I hate it when I know people are talking about me behind their back. (I mean, who doesn't?!)

- I really don't like misbehaved children. Especially when I have to babysit them.

- I hate eggs, peanut butter, bananas, and whole wheat bread. Yuck!

- I hate the high-pitched voice people use when talking to animals. "Aww. Isn't she the sweetest thing? Oh, baby, come to Mama." It starts to get disturbing after awhile.

- I can't stand being in tight, concealed places. It makes my breathing pick up at a rapid place and chills spread up my arms. Not a good thing. 

- When people sing songs but they don't actually know the words--it really makes me annoyed. 

- I hate when people copy off of me. I had the idea, now use your brain to think of a new one. 

- I cannot take the duck face. Please, people, can we just smile normally for once? 

- I do not like rates, tbh, or truth is on facebook. I just like "liking" that kind of status if people who I don't know post them so that they have to give me a rate, tbh, or truth is when they don't even know me that well. Puts them in an awkward situation...

- I really hate when people put their statuses on facebook about something personal. Face your problems...don't facebook them. (*Stolen from my uncle)

- And most of all, I hate it when people tell me that I'm not going to marry Peeta Mellark.

There we have it, folks.  Twenty- three things that I hate. And believe me, the list can keep going on and on and on and on and on. But it won't. 'Til next time:)

My Book.(Yeah, yeah: Boring title. Just suck it up and read, please.)

Alrighty, guys. Hi!

  Anyway, so most of you know that I'm writing my own book. Actually, I have written it, finished the first draft, all that jazz. The reason why not many people have read it, is because I'm lazy and don't feel like editing. But enough about me..let's talk about the book. 

  So, I've always loved to tell stories: when I was younger and my parents would write my words down, telling stories while a group of people gather around me, and also typing on the computer. To me, writing is a way to leave your life for a short amount of time. It allows you your only opportunity to become another person, body, mind, and spirit. I actually find myself missing my characters if I don't write for awhile. 

  The idea came to me when I was probably around eleven. I thought, "I'm going to write a book," which of course, I didn't do. I wrote what I though was a good chapter and a half, scrolled up the document, and found that I had written two pages. Two freaking tiny pages. I was going to go back and continue writing, but I sorta stopped after that. Whoops. 

  Even though my "chapter" was so tiny, I looked back at it around a year later and saw the beginning to some great possibilities. Of course, the actual writing was junk, but the idea--well, it wasn't too shabby. 

  The idea lingered in the back of my mind and wouldn't go away.  A voice inside my head was practically screaming at me to get up off my butt and start to work on writing. The thought was appealing to me, but I never really decided to pursue it. I mean, it's a lot of work to write a book. Plus, I didn't know if I was any good at writing...and what's the point of taking the time to do something when you're terrible at it? 

  Well, I proved to be not-so-terrible at writing. In fact, I took a writing course at Mt. Sophia and got really, really good scores. My teacher would constantly email my mom, telling her how impressed she was. One of my essays was even featured on the website!(eep!) 

  That's when I decided that I needed to start writing. Not just boring little essays, but a big book that I and I alone could decide what to do with it. 

  So, I got to work. A plot steadily began to work its way into my mind, weaving fabrics together to form a new world of a teenage girl that no one has ever seen before. Characters came to mind, along with different traits, appearances, and so on. It was just so dang fun. 

  And then, the actual writing started. I sat at the computer and typed away, breathing life into my outline. It surprised me how easily words came to mind, how smoothly everything flowed. I had finished a very very rough draft of my first chapter. And then I deleted it on accident. (*Sarcastically, i give myself a pat on the back.)

  To say the least, I freaked out. I yelled at everyone to get out of the room, and they did. Now probably what a normal teenage girl would do, would be to cry and accept hugs and encouraging messages like, "Don't worry--that happens to everyone! Just breathe in and out and start writing again." Did I do that, nope. Instead, I got incredibly angry and wanted to stab something with a knife. There we go, that's definitely more of my personality.  For a minute, I thought that it was over, that this was a sure sign that I should stop. 

  Instead, I swallowed my self-pity, gritted my teeth, and re-wrote the first chapter. Believe it or not, I actually liked it better than the first draft I had deleted. 

  From there, it just went on. I didn't stop. I developed a love for writing. Every night, I would flop down into my bed, grab my phone, flipping the keyboard open my phone provided me with. (Yes, I know. I wrote the book a 400 page book on a phone. Craziness,) I would write and write and write. My parents thought it was pretty funny how i ended up writing the whole book on my phone. They say they'll get the laptop fixed.(A little late on that decision, guys) 

  And now, now I'm focusing on making a short promo trailer for my book. If you'd like to audition for it, email me at latshawcharis@gmail.com. 

  So there we have it, everyone. That's how I wrote a book. That's how i got the idea, imagined the plot, deleted the first chapter(*I'm sighing a  long, freaking annoyed sigh right now FYI), and finished writing a 400 page book. 

  Excuse me while I go pretend to edit:)

A new belief

Hey, there:)

  So today, I googled, "Quotes about following your dreams." I was just in the mood to read some really inspiring things that would make a new-found belief course through my veins. I found so many amazing quotes, but one of them stood out to be in particular: 

  "All our dream can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." ~Walt Disney

  I sat on the floor and kept re-reading the quote on my Kindle. For some reason, the quote filled me up with hope. Walt Disney's words reached gripped me and kept my attention for a long time. It reminded me that you have to work hard to get anywhere, and that maybe sometimes, your dreams really can come true. 


  The reason why these words really captured me is because I have so many crazy dreams. Sometimes, i just lay in bed at night and let my mind ponder over what I would like to accomplish. 


  For instance, last night, I was talking about my biggest dreams with two friends. For those who don't know, I want to be an actress and\or an author. Wow. Just think about that for a minute. That's some pretty serious dreaming...and most likely, it won't ever come true. 


  Sometimes it kind of depresses me to think that some of the main things I really want to do in life are crazy dreams. Crazy, frivolous dreams that have about about as much chance in coming true as i have of growing wings and turning into a butterfly. I mean, really: It's a one and a million chance. But when i read Disney's quote, i felt as if someone had grabbed me by the arms and was leading me down a path of hope again. 


  The thing is, in Disney's quote, it doesn't say anything ridiculous like most quotes about your biggest dreams do. It didn't say anything like, "Everything you ever want will happen if you believe."(Which, I mean isn't a bad thing--it just isn't very true. I mean, if i believed that a huge ice cream sundae would appear right in front of me, would it? No, it would not.) 


  Walt Disney's quote stresses that you have to have courage.  

 

"Courage Meaning and Definition

1. (n.) That quality of mind which enables one to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear, or fainting of heart; valor; boldness; resolution.
2. (n.) The heart; spirit; temper; disposition.
3. (n.) Heart; inclination; desire; will."

  
  You can't be afraid to fail. And if you do try and fail, you can't just shrink away into the shadows. You have to ally with hope, bravery, determination, perseverance, and courage if you want to go far. 


  The quote also brought to mind that you have to work for things you want. You can't sit by and wait for somebody to notice you, taking the easier route. YOU. HAVE. TO. WORK. FOR. IT! 


  And when i say, "You have to work for it," I don't mean that you have to spend every hour, every second doing what your dream is. I mean, if that's what you want to do, I won't stop you. But what  I really mean is that you have never give up. ever. Even if you want to, even if the odds are completely working against you--keep pushing forward. When you get knocked down hard on the ground, come back stronger. But coming back stronger isn't a matter of how hard you fell, it's a matter of what you tell yourself. 


  Example: Let's say something awful happens and makes you give up all hope. You could, (a., come back stronger, determined to show your life that you and you alone can make a difference. When you come up, instead of standing still, you break into a sprint, collecting hope. or you could, (b., stay down on the ground, telling yourself that if you got knocked down once, it's bound to happen again. You'll convince yourself that you're safer face-down in the dirt, not willing to take risks. 


  Now which one do you think will benefit you the most? 


  That's right, folks: Choice a. 


  All of this is really a challenge for me. I'm more of the pessimistic type, sarcastic and you know, see-the-cup-half-empy kind of person. Reading this quote really struck a match inside of me, and has ignited my body with a new-found hope and belief. 


  Alright, i think I've made a point. Now just promise me that you'll think about what I just wrote.