It's okay.

It's okay to gain a bit of weight at Christmas. It's a special time of year and enjoying homemade treats are a favorite part! (Don't worry the extra fluff will go away in January anyway!)

It's okay to get a pimple. Despite how tragic they feel, they are actually quite normal. Nobody notices it the way you do. Besides... you make up for it with your striking good looks and sparkling personality. :)

It's okay to over-eat at a meal. It's not ideal and shouldn't be done at every meal... But no need to panic when it happens. You won't get fat. You haven't ruined anything. In fact you probably had a great time with people you love and food you love. Be thankful for that meal. And IF you over-ate because you feel out of control with food... STILL don't panic. As a girl who has battled my own bundle of eating disorders, please trust me when I tell you that everything WILL be okay. Take a deep breathe, pray, and drink some water. God created you and He created food, He can restore you to a healthy mindset toward all things edible. He continues to do it with me everyday.

It's okay to want to strangle people from time to time. Jesus never promised that our neighbors wouldn't make us crazy, He just told us to love them. So sure, you might feel yourself hoping they get vigorously stung by a swarm of bees... But just don't act on that feeling. Instead, look for a way to express love to them out of obedience to God. When you do it He will change the way you see them.

It's okay to want alone time.
It's also okay to want friend time.
We need both.

It's okay to think he's cute. That in itself is not romantic or sexual or sinful... It is merely appreciation of a good thing. It just might be wisest to keep the thought to yourself.

It's okay to sometimes feel yucky after having been on Facebook for a while. That usually happens because everyone on there is posting the highlights of their life... Marriage, dating, babies, job success, beautiful photos... And if too much time is spent looking at other peoples' "highlights" we can start to feel that our own lives don't compare. It's not true lovely ones. Other people feel the same way when they look at your page for too long. Comparison makes us feel bad. Recognize it. Shut it up. And praise God for the life He has given you.

It's okay to tell people about Jesus even if you haven't read the whole Bible or haven't studied theology. In fact it is good. Jesus told us to do it. When Jesus healed the blind guy, other people asked the guy how Jesus could have done it and he responded saying, "All I know is that I was blind and now I see... And Jesus is the one who did it." Its amazing how God can work through something as simple as that.

It's okay to miss your ex, even when you know he isn't right for you. It's a normal part of healing.

It's okay to wonder if you "should be" somewhere else, with someone else, doing something else. It happens to all of us at times. Just don't linger in those thoughts too long because they can be destructive... Try to refocus on the gifts in your life and all of fun the opportunities to grow where you are at.

It's okay to love God but still feel sad/mad/bad sometimes. You are not crazy. You live in a fallen world. Sometimes it just stinks.

It's okay to celebrate silly things... (says the girl who STILL believes in Santa) Actually I recommend finding ways to celebrate as often as possible. Life is short and best lived with large doses of laughter involved.

It's okay to make mistakes.
It's okay to apologize for the sake of unity, EVEN when you weren't totally wrong in what you did.

It's okay to not love something your friends love. I don't love cats...
There... I said it.

It's okay NOT to complain when you don't like something.

It's okay to lovingly confront someone when they have made you feel bad.

It's okay to NOT please everyone. The sooner you lay down your need to be everyone's favorite, the better and more free you will feel.

Alright... There's more to say but...

It's okay for me to stop here and go to bed.

Goodnight moon.