02/13/15 | Love is not abuse.

I have debated back and forth for a few weeks now about sharing this on here,but I strongly believe that everyone has a voice. No matter how big or small the influence may be,I believe that I need to speak out.

I am sure that if you watch the news at all,you have heard about the movie 50 Shades of Grey. The movie is set to release tomorrow,and although I have never read the book,nor plan to watch the film I have a very big problem with it.

I have always been taught and strongly believed that an abusive and disrespectful relationship is unhealthy,sad,destructive,and dangerous. Being the victim of physical,mental,or emotional abuse has never been something that I consider to be amusing,exciting,or romantic. Unfortunately,this is the rep that the movie/book 50 Shades of Grey is getting. Contrary to the way the media has spun the upcoming release,there has been a lot of controversy over the film and it's content. The fighters of domestic violence have launched a proposal to donate $50 dollars to a domestic violence shelter INSTEAD of going to see 50 Shades of Grey. There are a number of Christian and secular websites that are protesting this film. Even the feminist website Jezebel slammed the movie,calling it,"50 Shades of Abuse."

The scary thing to me about this movie is the fact that Hollywood is glamorizing a dysfunctional and sexually abusive relationship. They are taking porn and spinning it as romance. I have read several articles boycotting this movie,and from what I have read,the movie should just be labeled as pornography. If you think that is over reacting,consider the fact that the director of the film himself admitted that out of the whole 90 minute film 20 solid minutes of it is sexual scenes.

Despite the critics,I am sure that this movie will bring in mega bucks at the theatre. It has already been released in some areas and the news showed tons of women coming out of the movie saying it was great. One woman even claimed,"I want more!" I'm sorry,but we definitely do NOT need more of this junk!

Think about it. How is a movie about a young,vulnerable woman and a sex-crazed,abusive man in a sexually abusive relationship a good thing to go watch? How is that a healthy thing for the minds of our young men and women? How is this film Christ honoring or praiseworthy? It's not.

I wish I could convince every girl of her great value. It doesn't matter where you come from,or what your past may be,you. are. valuable! The world is glorifying this image of a weak woman,who is trapped in a relationship where she is tortured by a man who cares nothing about her as a person.
When I think of love,I think of respect and honor. I think of being treasured by someone. When I think about love,I don't see it as being any of the things that Hollywood is portraying. If someone loves you,they are going to love you as a person. They are going to care about you and your wants and needs. They are going to put you before themselves.

So before you go buy a movie ticket,think about what this movie is supporting. I think that it is a film worth MISSING.

02/02/15 | Layers

“She wasn't a coward. If she were she would have retreated back into her shell years before and pulled back entirely from life. She was a fighter. Life knocked her down, and she coped by getting up and moving on.” 

~Dee Henderson-Danger in the Shadows

(Unrelated captions)

01/27/15 | Winter blues

I mentioned in a previous post that I am growing weary of winter. I am longing for spring with a passion! Don't get me wrong,I do love winter. I love all seasons. I love that I live in a state that gets to enjoy all four seasons. I am however a very cold natured gal! I have been aching to do a photo shoot outside,or go for a nice long walk,without a sweater! Since we must endure another month or two of winter,I thought I would share some tips for fighting the winter blues!

1-Warm Drinks

Especially in the mornings and late evenings I find a warm mug of coffee or hot tea to be very cozy. It relaxes me,and warms my cold self up! If you don't drink coffee or tea,hot coco is the next best thing!

2-Cozy Sweaters

I have a huge stash of sweaters in my closet! It could probably be labeled as unhealthy,the number of sweaters that I have. If you are cold natured like me,it is definitely a good idea to hit up your local Goodwill for some oversize knits!

3-Find a Show

Being stuck in the house a lot,I know that we should try not to watch too much TV. When I am working on photos,or blogging,etc,I enjoy having a favorite TV show playing in the background. I Love Lucy is my usual. I don't really watch the new shows on TV now days,although I really enjoy cooking shows.

4-Read

I made a goal to write out a reading list at the beginning of each month. Reading is such a welcome distraction. When you're feeling restless,maybe it is the perfect time to start that series that has been sitting on your bookshelf for six months!

5-Bake

I love baking. Cookies,pies,cakes,doughnuts,it really doesn't make a difference to me as long as its delicious! 

I hope these tips help you fight off your winter blues! If you have any tips yourself,feel free to comment!

~Emily

01/25/15 | I'M NINETEEN

Today is my nineteenth birthday. And so begins my last year of being a "teenager." Last night my family took me out to eat at Cracker Barrel. (hallelujah chorus) We had the sweetest waitress ever. When she found out it was my birthday,she looked at me and asked how old I was turning. When I told her nineteen she sighed and said,"That is such a good age. I wish I could go back to 19." As a matter of fact,quite a few people have told me that nineteen is a good age. I suppose any age is a good age if you are…as a man told me the other day,"On this side of the grass." Nineteen feels special,different. Not that I feel different,but just the age itself. It seems fresh. To have your whole life ahead of you. There are so many new seasons to reach. So many new adventures to take. I am not sad to be growing up,maybe just a little bit weirded out. I am excited to go forward. I am excited to see where life takes me. In the past couple of days I have thought a lot about being nineteen,and I really want to just enjoy it. I want to savor every minute of being nineteen,and not wish it away to be twenty. It is indeed a good age.

19,you're looking pretty good to me!