I fell down a hill.

I'm going to update everyone on how my first semester of college went. I can say it in one word: horribly. My first semester was a nightmare of epic proportions. I made less than stellar grades, decisions and friends. I picked up smoking, I realized that I was not emotionally ready for college and I faced serious medical issues. I may not have hit rock bottom, but I certainly saw it. I'm not going to go into detail...I'm sure bits and pieces will come out as I write later.

What  want to do with this blog post is just toast to new beginnings. It's never, ever, ever too late to turn things around. I'm getting a 4.00 gpa this semester, I'm quitting smoking, I'm weeding out my true friends from the ones who are...well, weeds. Also, I'm not going to run away from everything anymore. That's what children do and I am not a child. I am an adult, who will deal with her problems. Cynics might say these are lofty ambitions, but it's within reach as long as I give it my all. I truly believe that. I'm going to work until I can't work anymore.

That being said, it's not too late for you either. If you're struggling with something right now and think it's too far gone...it isn't. Smile, lift your head up, move forward. God gives infinite chances...don't squander them.

Now Stop: Hatin's Bad.

Alright, so this post has been swirling around in my head for a while, it might as well kick off my blog. This post, as indicated by title and clever picture, is about hate.

To put it in the most cliche way possible: I hate hate. I think hate, when used incorrectly, is a total and complete waste of time. Let me specify what type of hatred I'm talking about. I'm not talking about a righteous hatred for something completely awful like cancer or murder. No, I'm talking about that stingy little hatred you have for someone: an ex, a friend, a family member, a stranger; a self-serving hatred.

Question: what is the main function of this hate in our society? Answer: IT HAS NONE. I can think of literally no direct benefit from hating. Question: what does it accomplish? Answer: nothing but wasting YOUR time and making other people feel like crap and eventually get over it. Even if you get some sick enjoyment from making someone feel like utter filth because of some "haneous wrong" they committed against you, they will realize that for you to harbor such unadulterated hate for them for something so temporary and fleeting only makes you look like a fool. They will get over it, they will be happy and you will sit in your stinky little hate pile.

Upon further examination and after putting more thought into the concept of hate as more than a stinkylittle pile, I have come to a fairly logical conclusion: hate, boiled down, is wounded love. You trusted someone, you loved someone, you tried to please someone...and they wronged you; they shook you to your core. Your first response is the desire to make them feel the same way you did, and by acting on this desire, hate is created. The purpose of hate, if it has one, is to be a slap in the face. To make someone feel bad. More often than not, that "purpose" is accomplished-- temporarily. Yet like all things, it eventually fades. You know what would be more of a slap in the face? Love.

Let me explain: I'm not talking like, someone breaks up with you and you scream at them "I'LL PRAY FOR YOU." No, no. That's holier-than-thou. Not love. I'm talking about when someone breaks up with you, you treat them with respect, wish them a happy life, and don't talk behind their back. I'm talking about when someone betrays your trust, and you keep theirs. I'm talking about when someone disappoints you and you hug them and say "it's okay, I forgive you." To someone who wronged you unintentionally, it is a blessing beyond words. To someone who wronged you intentionally, it is like a heap of coals on their head ( Proverbs 25:21-22. I like this biblical explanation better than the ol' "kill um with kindness" cliche). I mean, have the right intentions. Be nice to them to be nice to them and because you once loved them/still love them, not to make them feel bad.

I just want to note, I'm no saint in this department. I have said I hated someone(s) before, and I regret it. I strive to never hate anyone anymore. It's harder to love, but it's so much more rewarding. Look at 1 John 3:11-18, and 1 John 4:7-21. Loving your brother is a huge deal, whether they wrong you are not. We are commanded by God to do it. We wrong God every day and He still, through His infinite mercy and grace, loves us. He's not telling us to do anything He doesn't already do. God is not a hypocrite. God is love, God is just, God is holy. Through His strength, we can love even the most unlovable.

I guess I'll just end this little rant by a summary: hate is bad, it wastes time, it makes you look like a fool. Love is rewarding, a blessing from God to others and one of the most powerful things in the world.

Now spread the love.