Recently, I have noticed just how many important people have come into my life this year. Some I've known forever and never been close to, but whom now are integral parts of my sanity during the day. I think, through some major events that have unfolded, that I have changed a lot over the past year . Although I have never thought of myself as immature, I think that my general view of people and situations has changed dramatically. However, I have also noticed that people around me have gotten increasingly hypocritical and self righteous. Many people seem to only look for the bad in others. As me and my friends are walking through a store someone will point out another girls face, or clothing, or the way that they walk and criticize them based on that. Or in school there is a constant flow of racial stereotyping that often hinders possible friendships between people because of the worry of what others will think of them. I've found that I don't follow these trends. I try not to argue with my friends or others about being nice or stopping this constant critiquing of other because I know that you cannot really change people, and that whether they know it or not, they probably have their own reasons for doing this. Whether its because of lack of self confidence, insecurity, or hope of attention from others, who knows.

This morning in church, our pastor IV was doing a message based on the simplicity of having a relationship with God and Jesus. IV was telling us about the story of Jesus and Matthew the tax collector, and how Jesus got Matthew to follow him even when some of his disciples doubted His judgement of bringing a purposeful sinner into their group of followers. He said that Jesus doesn't want you to change anything to come to him. He wants you to come exactly as you are with all your baggage and past history, good or bad. If you change then you are not really you, and are just wearing a mask to please others. I think that when meeting people, acquaintances or friends, that you should approach it with the same frame of mind. It shouldn't matter whether they have spiky hair, or nose rings, or are technology whizzes, or they don't have the latest thing from polo. You should accept them for who they are, and get to know them before you can even begin to judge.

From a young age My mother taught my brother and I the importance of not judging books by their cover. I went to a very racially diverse elementary school where everybody got along with basically everyone regardless of skin color,background, or income. We went to a non-denominational church where we met some of the best friends that we've ever had. Some of them, if you were introduced today with no prior knowledge, would never guess that they were either gay, or previous drug users. We just see them as people, and nothing else. When we would see someone in a grocery store or on the street who was very downtrodden, I learned not to laugh or point fingers. You never know what hardships or tragedies they have been through, and had they the chance, they would probably gladly walk any day in your shoes. I just wish that everyone could go back to the oblivious-ness that we had a s small children, where we were unashamed to give a hug around the knees to any and everyone.