10 Things Every Girl Should Know About Life

I scroll through Facebook daily to read up on what everyone is doing in life. I can't help but notice... Nobody has it all figured out, right? Seriously. No one. If someone told you they had life figured out and everything in their life was perfect then that person's pants more than likely caught on fire later that day...(they're lying if you don't understand what I'm getting at there.) 

I thought: help them out, Bron! And while I know I don't have it all figured out and I don't know EVERYTHING, I figured it'd be nice to tell you what I HAVE learned. So, I'm reaching out to the ladies here.

1.) There is such a thing as too much eyeliner. You can find a happy medium between football player stripes dripping onto your cheeks and nude water lines. It is possible. Just sayin'. 

2.) Being equally yolked in a relationship isn't just for religious and spiritual people. It's for everyone. It means having the same ideals and morals and yes, you ARE worth it. You DO deserve to share life with someone with the same values as you. You don't have to put each other's expectations on a weighing scale and figure out which one to go for. Compromise! And don't be so quick to get naked, everyone, for the LOVE! 

3.) Yeah, it is still cool to rock out to N'SYNC, Backstreet Boys, Cheetah Girks, or whatever awesome era of music you were born in. I don't care if you're 13 or 35...it's STILL cool, okay? Stop judging.

4.) Diets are completely non-existent and obsolete while on your period. I don't care who told you otherwise. They're wrong. Eat.

5.) You need girls night. Oh, but you're 60? Cool story, sister. You still need it. Whether this involves a glass of wine or a 2 liter of Coke, get it! You NEED it. Like to breathe and stuff.

6.) While we're on the topic of Coke, can we all just go ahead and tell Diet Coke to go home? Okay. All together now. GO HOME, DIET COKE. AND NEVER COME BACK BECAUSE YOU PLAY MIND TRICKS ON ME MAKING ME THINK I AM MAKING THE HEALTHIER CHOICE WHEN REALLY I AM JUST INTAKING LIQUID CANCER AND YOUR FIZZ ISN'T AS FIZZY AS IT SHOULD BE, OKAY?!

Okay, that was a little more than planned, but I'm glad I got it off my chest.

7.) What's up with this whole guys have to ask the girls out thing? Take the initiative, ladies! Don't wait on him! Because if you do, you could wait years because a lot of men are pansies and then you're two years late on getting married and you haven't even STARTED begging him for kids yet and your "biological clock is ticking-ticking-ticking" and you don't get your soccer mom minivan/SUV until you're 45 and it sucks...so...yeah.

8.) Number 7 only applies to those of you that are interested in marriage and babies because it's not for everyone and you can still live a successful life without it! So, suck it up and tell your mom to stop nagging because you are an independent woman and Kelly Clarkson wrote a song about you! 

9.) Buy the expensive shampoo and conditioner. I am partially saying this because I'm biased as a cosmetologist, but whatever, just buy it. You deserve it. It'll make you feel better. 

10.) Don't settle ANYMORE. Let today be the last day you settle! I'm not just talking about men. I'm talking about clothes, jewelry, words, emotions, EVERYTHING. STOP. I don't care what the situation is. You know what it is. Just stop.

That'll be all. 👍

I'm not a "Christian." I'm a Christian.

Well, I haven't written a while. Most of you know that I keep this blog as a way to vent and journaling/blogging is something I find really relaxing. I haven't felt that I've needed to in a while. Until today. It's time to make something very clear.

This morning, I took some serious heat at school. Most of our teachers will tell you it's because of jealousy since I had a good month in sales this May and while that may be the case for some, it's unfortunately not the whole reason I took the heat this morning. I openly stated that I'm a Christian. In fact, I openly stated it trying to relieve some awkward tension and make a few people laugh and I did just that, but others didn't see it that way.  The issue was that some people were taking a game we were playing a little too seriously and I tried to relieve some pressure in good fun after someone made some rude comments towards me by saying that I was a Christian so I wasn't going to comment back. Let me just clarify the following.

1.) I AM a Christian. And while multiples of you laughed and giggled about it in the corners and made snide jokes and remarks about it, I was sitting next to a group of people that actually have the capacity to recognize sarcasm and make light of a situation. Those people supported me and were embarrassed FOR you. So was I.

2.) I worked my butt off to make the numbers that I made this month. I advertised myself constantly. I wore everything Paul Mitchell outside of school to get people to ask about what I do. I dedicated my weekends to working at the school (let's not forget that I don't get paid for this.) I spent money buying people samples of product to use in hopes that they'd like it enough to buy some from me. I even paid for someone's service so she could see how much she'd love it and rebook. I should not have to feel bad while reaping my rewards for all of those things and there are a lot of you that tried to make it that way. I absolutely will not take that.

3.) I do not go crying to ANYONE'S office about situations like these. Not the owner's, not the counselor's, not the sales leader's, NOT ANYONE. I am an adult and as of right now I believe I can handle the situation myself and not have to go that far. But don't think for a second that just because I don't talk to them about it, they don't see it. They are not stupid. They are the most educated people in the building and they see it and know what's going on. 

Lastly, 

4.) Again. I am a Christian. And guess what? I have gay friends. I have lesbian friends. I have atheist friends. I have Mormon friends. I have Buddhist friends. I have any kind of friend that the "Christians" you're stereotyping me with would make fun of. In fact, the people you're stereotyping me with are the people who would do exactly what you did to me this morning to any of you. Go ahead, laugh and laugh. Tell me I'm a hypocrite. Tell me I'm a Bible thumper. Tell me I'm a stereotypical worldly view of a Christian. Laugh in the back of the room and high five each other when one of you is "ballsy" enough to say something out loud. I heard it. I saw it. Do you think that's the first time? Do you think you're the only person who has done this? Do you think I didn't see this coming when I enrolled into a secular school? Did you think I was unprepared? I'm not. If you'd like to talk about it, then TALK about it. I'm here all year. 

Thank you to every single person that stood up for me today and encouraged me and hugged me after class and laughed about the situation with me. You guys are the prime examples of decent human beings who just plain get it. To everyone else, I hope you get it one day. I don't care what god you worship or don't worship. I don't care what gender preference you have. I don't care whether or not you can read my sarcasm and decide my sense of humor. I don't even care what comes out of your mouth. You're just a human being like anyone else and you deserve to be treated with respect regardless of the situation. Right? Just like I do. 

The Love Sin: Why Christians Are Guilty

I don't know why I didn't think about blogging this earlier. Especially with the number of situations that have risen on my Facebook page specifically because of this problem some Christians have.

Whoa, Bron. Christians have problems? Like...within their belief system? Isn't that a little...naughty to say?

Nope. I'll say it. I'll say it LOUD and PROUD. Christians, we've got some problems. I'm guilty of it and so are you. I'm gonna give myself and some others a pay on the back, though, because if you are a Christian and you have the capability to say you love a person that is gay or not a Christian or whatever, then YOU, my friend, are awesome. 

Too many Christians have this issue. I like to call it the "love sin." It's when a Christian states that they have a good reason for disliking someone when that reason is, in fact, not a good reason at all! You've heard this before, I know, but the reason you don't like that person is because...they sin differently than you do. 

Let me just list out the endless number of things I do when I sin...on a daily basis. Bear with me here, because I'm human and there's no possible way I can remember all of the sinful things I do.

1.) I gossip.

2.) I lie.

3.) I think terrible things about people ALL the time. 

4.) I sometimes say those terrible things out loud. 

5.) I curse (usually in my head, but not always.)

6.) I forget about Jesus and God. 

7.) I rarely read my Bible (trying to get better, but this is because of number 6.)

8.) I give myself credit for things God should get full credit for. Like constantly. 

There is so much more, I'm sure, but I can't even. A lot of people (and by people I mean Christians) would read this list and say, "She's a bad person. She calls herself a Christian? She makes us look bad."

When really, the very thing you're saying is what makes Christians look bad. The list I just created is what makes us RELATABLE. Which builds a common ground and what is common ground a huge opportunity for? Witnessing. Mind blown, right?! 

I'm going to use two people as an example to make my point. Ellen Degeneres and Katy Perry. Why? Because I LOVE BOTH OF THEM and I know quite a few Christians who think they aren't allowed to love either of them. Ellen is a lesbian. Katy is a New Age believer. She believes in things like astrology and signs and such. Why some people think they just cannot love them because of this is beyond me. 

I have gay friends. I love my gay friends. I also have non-Christian friends. I love them too. And it sickens me that there are even pastors that would tell me that I shouldn't be friends with those people when in reality that's exactly why I SHOULD be friends with them. I'm not there to "fix" them, I'm there to influence them. Maybe make them see things differently and get a new perspective on life. 

With that, let me make this disclaimer. There are certain people that I understand need to distance themselves from people that are "lost." They will tell you they're more easily influenced than the person they'd like to influence. They'd be more likely to be dragged down than to pull up. I get that. I respect people that know their boundaries. But if that person is also the Christian that says they can't love or even like the people that are "lost," THOSE are the people that I have a hard time liking and loving. I still do, though! Because I'm a Christian. 

I'm done ranting for now, but I hope the right people read this. I hope I put into perspective the love sin for those guilty of it. And I hope that as a Christian, you remember Luke 15:7 and Isaiah 55:11. I'm not gonna write it out for you. Look it up yourself and live it. 

The Struggle: A Lesson Learned From The Hailey Owens Case

The world we live in is so ugly. The earth we live on is so beautiful. How can it be that God created this beautiful earth with all the resources we, as humans, could ever need yet polute it with such "bad people." And this is where the conversation gets difficult because how do you ever define one as "good" or "bad?" Let me cut to the chase. The reason I am posting this is because I've been convicted and I know better. 

Just yesterday, a little girl in the city I live in was abducted. Lately we have had quite a few amber alerts but they all ended up very fortunately with the child found safe. This one was not so fortunate. This precious and innocent little girl was abducted at the age of ten and brutally murdered shortly after by a man that worked in our school system. I texted my mom and sister about it because it made me absolutely sick. I don't have children of my own but I have children in my life that I love more than life itself and thus story devastated me for this poor girl and her family. So, I mentioned to my mom and sister that I hope the sorry excuse for a man rots in hell. I know, I know. I got to thinking...I asked myself, "How can this person ever deserve to be saved? How can he deserve a second chance to repent, find Jesus, and go to the same place all the 'good people' go to when they die?" 

Then the weirdest thing happened. It was like God literally spoke to me and said, "No one deserves it, Bron. Not even you." I found myself quickly correcting my statement and mentioning that I knew that no one was deserving, but man...talk about perspective.

Here is this man...a "bad person." A "monster." A "pedophile." A human. I realized something. I realized that I am quick to label. Everyone is. Call whoever whatever you want.

Hypocrite.

Heathen.

Slut.

Jerk.

Pedophile.

Criminal.

Molester.

Whatever. No matter the label you stick, each one has one thing in common. They are all human. You are, I am, he is, and so is she. I'm not excusing anyone of their sins. I'm ridiculing myself for thinking my sins were somehow better than theirs. How stupid of me. These sins are part if our fallen nature and I get that now, because if no one sinned, wouldn't this world be perfect? And if this world were perfect, who would want to leave? And where does that leave any room for an eternal after life? It doesn't. I get it, God. Thanks. 

So, tonight...I'm praying for Hailey Owen's family; that God gives them the understanding they need and the peace to find it.

I'm praying for myself and mine and Aaron's future children; that God will grant us the chance to live our whole life with them and the ability to comprehend if we don't get to. 

And I'm praying for Craig Wood, the labeled "kidnapper" and "monster." The human. That justice is served, Christ is found, and forgiveness is given. 

Doing anything else would be...so human of me. 

Rest in peace, sweet Hailey. You lived life as innocently as anyone possibly could.

19 Reasons Why I Still Need My Bestie Even Though I'm Married

We have been warned of the struggles that will come along with hanging out with unmarried friends after you're married.

"They don't understand."

"They don't get it."

"They're not as mature."

"They aren't as prioritized."

"They'll tempt you to do 'single life' things."

While these statements are somewhat wise and are good things to remember, they aren't necessarily true. I think that it's become normal in our society to categorize being single with drinking and partying and staying out late. In which case it would be very unwise to spend a lot of time with your "single friends" after marriage. For me, that's not the case. You see, I understand that my husband is my best friend. He's awesome and fun and we tell each other things we can't tell anyone else. BUT I still need my "bestie." Here are my reasons.

1.) She gets me.

There are things that she understands that no one else does or ever will. Like why I think it's funny and ironic that that "one person" did that "one thing" while everyone else is like, "What's so funny?"

2.) She is a woman.

This can be affiliated with number 1. Aaron is probably the most understanding man I've ever met, but he's still a man. He doesn't understand why it's okay to skip out on your "diet" that time of the month. She does.

3.) She shares with me.

It's like doubling your wardrobe really. I can't wear Aaron's clothes, though. 

4.) We've been through it.

There are things I experienced with her before I ever even thought about dating Aaron. So, she understands when issue A affects issue B which then adds up to issue C. You know?

5.) She speaks my language.

Don't get me wrong, Aaron is definitely becoming fluent in Bronisms, but she's been speaking the language a later longer. This involves adding "ish" and "ly" to the ends of nouns in order to turn them into adjectives. It makes sense if you don't think about it.

6.) Our moods have been synchronized.

Most women know that when you start to spend a lot of time with another girl, everything slowly starts to synchronize. This puts your mood swings at the same place and time and simply eliminates any egg shells that might be walked on.

7.) We cry and laugh about the same things.

Aaron and I do not have the same emotional capacity because he is male and I am female. I won't get into that. But she and I cry and laugh about the same situations and at the same things. This makes judgement much easier to pass.

8.) Our morals are on the same level. 

This isn't so much a comparison to Aaron because he is a very well moraled man. But when it comes to girls these days, it seems to be rarer and rarer. We can both understand how any circumstance or outfit would offend the other because it will offend both of us. 

9.) We can communicate with looks.

Need I say more?

10.) We've developed a rare kind of telepathy.

It starts simply with something as small as finishing a thought for the other. But it has become so much more advanced. It's almost as if we could really just never speak. 

11.) We have our days.

We do. And we get it. "Why are you being so snotty?" "It's just one of those days!" "Oh." Kind of like that.

Then there's always the days where we just need WOMAN TIME. No men. Just women. Organized, slightly chaotic, and loud women.

12.) We are equal part girl.

We have these moments that would make most people think we're lesbians. Like the fact that we get dressed and look at the other and say, "I look like a boy today." We don't like most girls because they are not equal part girl with us. They are more girl than we are. It's bothersome.

13.) We share a love for cats.

I never thought I'd meet someone who loves kitties as much as I do, but I have met my match. 

14.) We share the same style. 

I'm not sure what you'd call it. But it consists of galaxy print, cats, and random objects thrown all over a sweater. It's really exciting.

15.) We share the same humor.

It's one of those that most people sit in silence and give you strange looks while simultaneously wondering if you realize what you've said. Yes, we do. We just thought it was funny. Sor-ry.

16.) We share the same pet peeves.

This one is simple. It means that someone wearing tights as pants can pass us in the mall and we can just look at each other and say, "Ugh."

17.) We share the same ideals.

We know what's right and what's wrong and we hold each other accountable for it. We know when to say, "You're right." 

18.) We know each other.

It's not one of these, "Oh, yeah, I know who she is" things. It's one of those, "I know her TOO well" things. 

19.) We were born to be besties.

Like I said, Aaron is my best friend, but Mac is my bestie. There is a "best friend" difference between boys and girls and husbands and friends. As Christina Yang and Meredith Grey explain it, our husbands/boyfriends are our bestfriends, but we are each other's soul mates. 

If you have a best friend and are female, chances are you understood every single reason. If not, sorry, you're missing out.

I do believe in setting boundaries with your unmarried friends, but if you have to set a lot of boundaries then maybe those friends shouldn't be friends at all. 

Live More & Search Less

For those of you who know me, (and I mean TRULY know ME) you know that I have what some may call...oh, what's the phrase? 

...

....

.....

......

.......

BABY FEVER.

I'm not talking "I think babies are cute and I want one" baby fever. I'm talking down-right-crazy-person-everyone-looks-at-me-like-I-need-diagnosed-and-prescribed-and-babies-are-not-a-want-but-a-need-and-Aaron-is-so-cute-that-I-need-a-ginger-baby-that-looks-just-like-him BABY FREAKING FEVER. It's dangerous. It's scary. It's expensive. And, OKAY, I'll admit it, Dr. Phil, it's CRAZY. 

So, for me, my baby fever is obviously a lot more than just wanting a baby. Because I don't just want A baby. I want AARON'S baby. This fever became apparent immediately after we started having sex. (On the wedding night for those of you who haven't read previous posts. Yes, this is something I'm open about. Call me an open book, blah, blah, blah, whatever.) Needless to say, Aaron was a little bit freaked. "Whoa, a baby? Like...as in a tiny human that we create? No. No way. Too soon." Well, ladies and gents, after many a conversation...and begging...and pleading...I had him convinced to start trying after our one year anniversary...which is two years quicker than he'd originally wanted. For more information on how I felt, please refer to the picture below.

Yep. I literally felt like Jim Carrey from the cover of his movie "Yes Man." This is an accurate portrayal. So, where is this going, you ask? Well, today I was sitting with my sister-in-law Sarah and we were talking about different places we wanted to visit. There's a specific place in particular that we described as a "child adult vacation" complete with giant water slides that shoot under the water and awesome caves and crazy activities. This is when my realization hit me..."Bron, you can't go on a water slide like that while pregnant...you DEFINITELY can't hold a baby while sliding down a slide like that. WHAT WILL YOU DO?!"

Wah, wah, wahhhhh.

A word came to mind. "Prioritize." Dang it. Must you give me a wake up call, JC? I mean for reals. So, on my drive home it occurred to me that the only prayers I've ever prayed regarding this particular situation were entirely selfish. ENTIRELY. 

"God, please give ME a baby." 

"God, please let this test be positive."

"God, please surprise Aaron and I!"

Not good, Bron, not good.

Instead, I thought to myself, I should be praying for God to give me what I'm supposed to get based on His Will. I should be praying about what to GIVE even, not what to receive. That comes later. I shouldn't even be praying for a baby. I might not ever get one. Though I would be entirely devastated, yes, but really who knows what God's plan is? God. That's it. I have to learn to trust more and ask less. To give more and expect less. To live more and search less. To pray more and beg less. 

What a lesson, folks. I'd like to take credit for it, but it's all JC. 

So, I guess you could say Aaron was relieved when I told him of my surrender. We've decided to focus on what we have instead of we might add. 

That being said, water slides, here I come. 

W/<3,

Bron R.B.

Jumping On My High Horse

Well, if you particularly enjoy my "ranting" blog posts then you're in for a treat, because things have gotten personal, folks. Let me preface this by saying that I'm 100% advocating happiness, Biblical morality and the right to jump on a high horse every now and then. That being said, here we go.

I have jumped from career choice to career choice. I have considered every option, researched every contender, and even written a paper or two on my choices. I have gone from wanting to involve myself in theater to music to meteorology to broadcasting journalism to law to cosmetology to...you get the point. I considered everything. Why not theater/music? Because it's hard to have a family when you're so dedicated to something that time consuming. Is say about 75% of actresses aren't married. That's not a proven statistic, but that's my guess. Why not meteorology? Because most meteorologists have a degree in physics and I suck at math. I've carefully reviewed these choices and made a decision that's not just about myself, but the people around me and how my career will affect them; not just people I have now like my parents, siblings, and husband, but the people that will come into my life later on...my children. The picture below is a picture of me at a Future Business Leaders of America Conference (I was president of my chapter...*hair flip*) in Des Moines where I was digging and searching and talking to every entrepreneur and business owner I possibly could about career choice.

Yes, it's true. I chose cosmetology. Yes, it's also true that most Cosmetologists who have the opportunity to attend school full time finish in about 10 months.  But I'm tired of hearing about it, "Haha, Bron, cosmetology isn't really school." Like heck it's not. It's $18,000 worth of Monday to Friday 9-5 school. It IS school. 

"But, Bron, you just play with people's hair all day. That's not a career, it's a hobby." That is not the full job description. I will also have clients that sit in my chair with lice and don't know it. I will also have a client that doesn't really know what "strawberry blonde" is and is upset when they get it. I will also have clients with black hair that are pissed when they don't leave my chair blonde. It's not all peachy. There's a reason you sit in a chair while someone else "plays with your hair." Why, you ask? What's reason, you ask? Because you don't know how to do it yourself...because you didn't pay $18,000 to go to school for it. If you are the person that thinks cosmetology school is super easy and super fun and anyone can do it then why is it that you're not cutting your own hair at home? Because you don't want to leave for work looking like Joe Dirt and Miley Cyrus' love child. (No offense to Miles, she rocks that 'do. But I'm not sure it'd look so hot as half mullet.) 

Don't tell me I'm taking the easy way out just because my schooling is only 10 months. Instead be jealous that while you're writing papers and hovering over your desk, I'll be starting my career in less than a year. I can respect everyone that goes to school for anywhere from 2-10+ years for their careers, so you can respect me for learning to be the person that makes sure you're looking presentable for that interview. I don't want my career to be easy. I don't want it to be challenge-less. I want to succeed through trial and I want to have certain days when I say, "Holy crap. Did that day really just happen?" Because if I don't, I wouldn't learn anything. I don't want to be your average cosmetologist. I don't want to be referred to as the beauty school drop out. I want to be respected for being a working woman that is striving to be an entrepreneur. I want to be respected for being able to do something that most people just don't have the ability to do. I want my parents to know that they didn't waste 5 years of college preparatory program on a daughter going to "beauty school." It's so much more than that, because to us, it's not just our career. It's our happiness, our hobby, our calling, AND our career bundled into one. 

The fact that people come to me saying, "Bron, I'm getting married! Can you do my hair?" "Bron, I'm going to prom!" "Bron, I want to go red!" makes me feel SO excited and that's what a career should be; not just a paycheck. Here are a few examples of the work I've done. I'm not saying it's perfect because I haven't had training yet, but until you can replicate it yourself, don't tell me I'm taking the easy way out.

Alicia wanted highlights and a little pink in there.

Olivia wanted a different version of your traditional up do. 

And I wanted to be different when everyone was doing blonde ombré. 

This isn't where it ends. This is where it starts. I just can't wait to see where it all takes me. 

W/<3,

Bron

New Years Resolutions...But Seriously

New Years resolutions are always fun. We all decide that this year we're gonna lose weight, or take up a new hobby, or meet Mr. more Mrs. Right, or go skydiving or whatever! Whatever it is, I'd say that probably about 75% of us don't follow through. And I am 100% a part of that 75%...

Before I go into depth, I should caution you. YES. This is ANOTHER New Years blog. YES. It is better than any other New Years blog. NO. I am not biased because it's my own blog. YES. I am lying about the last two statements. Sorry. 

I never took resolutions seriously. Even when I made them I didn't take them seriously. It became this cool tradition that everyone was doing and I just thought it was a "cool idea." I am done with that. But instead of doing my usual, "I'm gonna start running everyday-LOL JUST KIDDING!" I'm doing something much more serious this year! So, her we go.

This year I resolve to grow a strong relationship with God, because no, I don't think I have a great one, and even if I did, there's always room for more. I blame my lack of a relationship with Him on a lot of the unfortunate things that took my place in my 2013. I'm not doing that again. I'm not going to just do the "prayer before bed" every night. I really don't even want to ALWAYS pray to Him. Just talk. Because that's what homies do. So, in conclusion, I resolve to become God's homeslice. Forever and ever, amen. 

Second, I resolve to be a better sibling and daughter. Don't get me wrong, I'm already pretty close to perfect when it comes to this area, but there's always room for improvement, right?! ...just kidding. Stop scoffing, you guys. It's rude. But on a serious note, I really want to focus on my family this year! Who knows? There could be multiple additions made this year through pregnancy or marriage and that's pretty big! Whatever happens, I want to be the person that always knows what's going on and is always reliable for my family.

Third, I want to be a better wife. I want to be a bigger encourager and supporter for my boo thang in every aspect. Work, church, love, family, WHATEVER. All of it! I want the Wife of the Year Award this year, so watch out, ladies. I'm gonna beat you to it. I want Aaron to always count on me and I want our relationship to grow with God and each other and I never want to stop getting CRAZY excited when he is home from work. Gosh, I love him. 

And fourth, I want to be a better BLOGGER. This mean I need input. So, don't be afraid to say, "Hey, Bron, you should write about THIS." Or "What's your thought on this?" I'm so down! And I'm all about it. 

So, to close this cliche New Years blog, I hope everyone has a marvelous 2014. I hope those of you who haven't yet discover Jesus, because he rocks. I hope you all have awesome relationships this year. And I hope you all keep reading my blog! Oh, and just for fun. Here's a gem for ya. 

Cheers!

W/<3,

Bron R.B.