missions

ok so I am not going to lie, this beginnings was not my favorite. In fact it was a struggle for me to stay focused at all this week. I think it was mainly because I had a hard time following the speaker, but I also didnt really see the need to spend an entire class talking about the need to go on missions. I realize that this is an extremely important topic, but doesnt everyone already know that? I felt like they didnt need to spend an entire class on this topic because we talk about it a lot here at APU. Which again I agree that it is important and I think that everyone should go on a mission at some time in their lives, but it was just a little overdone to hear about it for an entire hour in our freshman beginnings class.

body image

Body image is something that I believe everyone has to deal with. That "perfect" body that no one can ever really can have. Its everywhere. Its in the movies and on the internet and on posters everywhere. That perfect shape that everyone strives to have. I hate that image. I hate that we need to constantly be comparing and that we are always aware of our imperfections. I want to know why we dont focus on our positives. What would the world be like if we just loved ourselves? I think people would be so much happier. I know I would be. With no insecurities, people would be free to completely be themselves. Erasing these insecurities may seem impossible, but I do believe that it is possible through Christ's eyes. He sees us as his perfect creations, and if only we could see what he sees it would solve all of our problems. Everyday this is a battle for me, but I will continue to fight against that image that is thrown at me from every angle. I will try my best to see myself as Gods perfect creation, and to be truly content in my own skin.

drinking doubts

I have a very limited experience with alcohol. The only time I have ever been around it has consisted of my parents having the occasional drink at dinner. I have personally never had an interest to drink so I have surrounded myself with others who feel the same way. I can have so much fun hanging out without drinking that I dont understand why I would need to do it. I dont want to be out of control at anytime or ever do something I know I would regret. I feel that it is wrong to drink because its the law and it is wrong to ever be drunk because it is what God tells us. I know that it is easy for me to say all of that because I dont have any interest in drinking so its easy, but if someone asked me my opinion then that is what I would share with them. I dont see many grey areas when it comes to drinking, especially underage.

adaptability..Well I think this strength definitely defines me, and I feel like it is a good trait but it could lead to some problems in the future. If I'm not careful, all of these expected detours could ultimately lead me away from my future goal. I am not always the most focused person because I really enjoy living in the moment. Even though I have a goal out there, I have to make sure I am constantly taking steps toward that goal.

developer.. I have found that I really love to see others succeed and I also love to be apart of that growth in their lives. The downfall of this strength is that if I am not careful my expectations get too high and I expect way too much from that person. This not only disappoints me but discourages them. In order to make this strength grow I'm going to keep listening to people and caring about their lives with NO strings attached.

empathy.. This gift tends to really bother people and I have to really be careful to not over analyze every situation. I am so aware of how people feel that I tend to bombard them with questions until I ultimately make everything worse. I will really be careful with balancing questioning others about their feelings.

connectedness..I could possibly become so obsessed with peoples connections that I forget about peoples individual stories and what they are going through personally. I need to make sure to see the underlying connections without overlooking peoples stories.

positivity..This strength could be a bad thing because there is such a thing as TOO much positivity and people dont appreciate it because sometimes people just need time to dwell in their pain. It is ok in moderation, as long as there is still compassion.

strengths

My five strengths are adaptability, developer, empathy, connectedness, and positivity. I believe that adaptability defines me accurately because I have future plans but I do not live for the future. I realize and understand that events will happen to lead me off that path from time to time. I understand that God will move me around to where I am needed whenever that might be. I don’t have a problem with it because I believe that Gods plan for me is far greater than any future I might have in mind. I am willing to bend to fit whatever course he has in store. I am not so sure I agree with the developer strength because I really enjoy following instead of leading all the time. I also have a hard time sticking to projects from start to finish. I agree with empathy because I know that is a passion of mine. I have decided to go into nursing because I have realized that I have a love for people and their individual needs. I want to please them and make them feel better in their pain. This also goes along with connectedness. It really means a lot to me to have a group that is strongly connected. In my youth group back home this was a huge struggle for me because I wanted to be a very close group but my church was so large that it was close to impossible to recognize every face. I would have long talks with my youth pastor about how we could better become close and more connected as a group. Lastly, positivity I feel comes and goes for me as a strength. I feel that I have a harder time being positive in my own life, even though I have a gift for finding it in others. I have found that when God is very present in my life, I have an easier time being positive then when I take my eyes away from him.

Who am I?

My name is Erica Wilson and I am eighteen years old. I have been struggling with the question of who I am, for a great majority of those eighteen years. I still haven't fully been able to comprehend who I am exactly, but there are a few details that I have been able to unfold throughout this journey I've been on. I have slowly learned things about myself and the way I operate through friendships, trials, and various learning experiences good and bad. I have lived in Las Vegas for most of my life, and I really love it there. I have a younger sister named Kayla, and she is a huge part of my life. I really get along well with my parents. (well ok, most of the time!) I played volleyball from sixth grade until highschool, and I loved being apart of a team. I have two best friends who I have known since I was in diapers, and they know the real me, the good and the bad, but miraculously they love me anyways.My faith is very important to me, but I have to say that I have been blessed to grow up in a christian household. My dad is an elder at our church, and my mom leads more biblestudies then she knows what to do with. They have been an incredible example of Christ's love, and grace as they have been patient with me through my rough times. They have instilled in me Godly morals, and they have always been there through the good and the bad.