First off.. Happy 4th of July! The past two days, I've had the pleasure of being with the 2013 contestants for Miss Brainerd Lakes and Outstanding Teen and Miss Central Lakes and Outstanding Teen, and Miss Minnesota 2013 for 4th of July festivities in Nisswa and Brainerd.
I can't speak highly enough of the contestants we have running for Miss Brainerd Lakes 2013, Miss Brainerd Lakes' Outstanding Teen 2013, Miss Central Lakes 2013, and Miss Central Lakes' Outstanding Teen 2013. They have made me so excited for August... and I'm not even competing! It has been so great getting to know each of them and I know that no matter what happens come August, we will have incredible representatives who are truly dedicated to giving up a year of their life to focus on serving the Brainerd community and changing lives.
This got me thinking of all of the ways God works through people. I fully believe that I am living out the calling God had for my life. While I know that there is so much more that He has in store for me in the coming years, I continually lean on Him to make my paths straight when they get too curvy.
Food for thought - Think of the ways in which God works through you. I didn't know how God was going to use me until a couple years ago when I entered my first pageant. Even if you don't know what your calling is, don't ever stop growing with Christ. He is waiting for the perfect time to introduce you to the things you are called to do! Just wait because His timing is oh so perfect!!
Always,
Bailey
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Friday, May 3, 2013
We all have struggles.
I've been thinking about the topic of "image" lately.
From the outside, it may seem like I have a perfect life. I'm a good student, I'm surrounded by family and friends that love me, I have a boyfriend who treats me like a queen, I'm going to the college of my dreams next fall, and I'm able to share my passion of community service through the Miss America Organization. I feel very blessed for all of those things but many don't know the internal struggles that I face on a daily basis.
By now, everyone knows that my dad has Alzheimer's. Life is a daily struggle when you live with someone who has Alzheimer's and no one will ever understand unless you go through something like this. I've watched my father steadily decline mentally while the only thing I can do is sit back and watch. From the outside, it looks like I'm okay with his diagnosis and that I've accepted the fact that I no longer have a father. But from the inside, I'm not okay with his diagnosis. I hate Alzheimer's. No one should have to go through something like that. From the outside, it looks like I've accepted and moved on from the grieve of loosing a father. But on the inside, you can never prepare for Alzheimer's. Everyday holds a new and different surprise. There is no way I can accept Alzheimer's into my life because it is so unpredictable. I don't know if my dad will be there to move me in to my dorm at college, or watch me graduate with a degree, he may not be there to walk me down the isle at my wedding, or be there for the birth of his grandchild. I don't know if he will forget my name tomorrow or next week. I can't accept Alzheimer's because everyday I say goodbye to a little bit of my father that I will never see again.
I've very comfortable in my own skin, but it wasn't always like that. Throughout middle school and part of high school, I internally struggled with my body image. I hated my height. I hated my pant size. I hated shopping with friends because I didn't want to feel bad about myself for picking a larger size than my friends. I looked in the mirror and saw an overweight pre-teen with unlucky genes. I think I took my hatred of my body out on food. From 5th to 10th grade I had slowly gained weight adding to my already poor body image. Leading up to my fourth time competing at Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen 2012, something clicked. I'm not sure what it was, but I wanted to get healthy. And I wanted to do it for me not society. Since the end of 2011, I've lost over 20 pounds. I've gone down two pant sizes and am now proud of my size 8 jeans. With every pound that I lost, I realized that I didn't gain more beauty with more weight lost. With every pound I lost, I shone brighter in God's light because I began accepting that I will never be a size 2. I will never fit into the size that society thinks it pretty, nor do I ever want to. Every once in a while I struggle with my body but I soon realize that I'm created perfectly in the image of Christ.
The truth is, we all struggle. Some struggle more than others. No life is perfect no matter how much it may seem so on the outside. We fight for the things that are important to us and never let a bump in the road stop us from achieving the things we always dreamed of. You cannot judge a book by it's cover nor can you judge people by the things other people say. Never allow yourself to be define by other peoples opinion of you.
God's plan for your life far exceeds the circumstances of your day. The sun will always rise but it will also always set. When life gets too hard to stand... kneel.
Your friend in Christ,
Bailey
From the outside, it may seem like I have a perfect life. I'm a good student, I'm surrounded by family and friends that love me, I have a boyfriend who treats me like a queen, I'm going to the college of my dreams next fall, and I'm able to share my passion of community service through the Miss America Organization. I feel very blessed for all of those things but many don't know the internal struggles that I face on a daily basis.
By now, everyone knows that my dad has Alzheimer's. Life is a daily struggle when you live with someone who has Alzheimer's and no one will ever understand unless you go through something like this. I've watched my father steadily decline mentally while the only thing I can do is sit back and watch. From the outside, it looks like I'm okay with his diagnosis and that I've accepted the fact that I no longer have a father. But from the inside, I'm not okay with his diagnosis. I hate Alzheimer's. No one should have to go through something like that. From the outside, it looks like I've accepted and moved on from the grieve of loosing a father. But on the inside, you can never prepare for Alzheimer's. Everyday holds a new and different surprise. There is no way I can accept Alzheimer's into my life because it is so unpredictable. I don't know if my dad will be there to move me in to my dorm at college, or watch me graduate with a degree, he may not be there to walk me down the isle at my wedding, or be there for the birth of his grandchild. I don't know if he will forget my name tomorrow or next week. I can't accept Alzheimer's because everyday I say goodbye to a little bit of my father that I will never see again.
I've very comfortable in my own skin, but it wasn't always like that. Throughout middle school and part of high school, I internally struggled with my body image. I hated my height. I hated my pant size. I hated shopping with friends because I didn't want to feel bad about myself for picking a larger size than my friends. I looked in the mirror and saw an overweight pre-teen with unlucky genes. I think I took my hatred of my body out on food. From 5th to 10th grade I had slowly gained weight adding to my already poor body image. Leading up to my fourth time competing at Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen 2012, something clicked. I'm not sure what it was, but I wanted to get healthy. And I wanted to do it for me not society. Since the end of 2011, I've lost over 20 pounds. I've gone down two pant sizes and am now proud of my size 8 jeans. With every pound that I lost, I realized that I didn't gain more beauty with more weight lost. With every pound I lost, I shone brighter in God's light because I began accepting that I will never be a size 2. I will never fit into the size that society thinks it pretty, nor do I ever want to. Every once in a while I struggle with my body but I soon realize that I'm created perfectly in the image of Christ.
The truth is, we all struggle. Some struggle more than others. No life is perfect no matter how much it may seem so on the outside. We fight for the things that are important to us and never let a bump in the road stop us from achieving the things we always dreamed of. You cannot judge a book by it's cover nor can you judge people by the things other people say. Never allow yourself to be define by other peoples opinion of you.
God's plan for your life far exceeds the circumstances of your day. The sun will always rise but it will also always set. When life gets too hard to stand... kneel.
Your friend in Christ,
Bailey
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
My hero is my grandpa.
Last night, my mom and I watched the movie Pearl Harbor for a school assignment. I have never watched this entire movie from start to finish until last night. For those of you that have watched it, I think you can relate to me when I say that this movie has completely changed my perspective on the military. Both my mom and I were brought to tears because this movie hits extremely close to home.
As I was watching the movie, I couldn't help but think of my very own grandpa who past away over eight years ago. My grandpa was a medic at Normandy during World War II. He was assigned the job of identifying soldiers, based on their dog tags, who had passed away in combat. Many of the people he had to identify were people he had trained with and had become friends with.
If any of you had the pleasure of meeting my grandfather, you saw an extremely patriotic man who had so much pride and love for his country, especially after his service to our country. Never was there a day that an American flag wasn't up in his yard nor would you ever hear him complain about the country that he loved. On the outside, you saw a happy and proud man. But on the inside, he was struggling from his time as a medic at Normandy. Upon retuning home from war, grandpa struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and would wake up screaming at night because of nightmares and flashbacks of war, and was in and out of treatment for alcohol abuse. I can't even begin to imagine what my grandpa must have went through at Normandy. Although my grandpa returned home from war alive, he sacrificed his normal life for a life of PTSD and alcohol abuse. All because he loved his country so much.
My grandpa passed away when I was six or seven so I never was able to truly appreciate what he did for our country while he was still alive. Now, at 18, I'm beginning to actually wrap my head around what my grandpa did and why he did it. He loved this country with all of his heart and he wanted a better life for future generations. He saw the mass destruction of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and knew that a life of conflict and war was no way to live. He wanted better for our country.
I am so incredibly thankful for what my grandpa went through and I feel even more blessed to be able to call him my grandfather. I wish that I would have been old enough to appreciate what he did for our country and thank him for sacrificing his life to maintain a free United States of America. My grandpa is everything that I hope to be and more.
Please take a moment to silently pray for those who are currently overseas protecting our freedom and for those who have passed on while in battle. You may not agree with the current wars, but that's no reason to complain about them. Next time you see someone in uniform, thank them. Seriously... Thank them. It takes a whole second to say "thank you". They are giving up so much for their country and many times are looked down upon. Pray for those whose final resting place is at sea at Pearl Harbor. Pray for people like my grandpa, who struggle every day with PTSD. And next time you start complain about war, stop yourself. Instead thank those who have sacrificed everything so that you could be free.
Much love,
Bailey
As I was watching the movie, I couldn't help but think of my very own grandpa who past away over eight years ago. My grandpa was a medic at Normandy during World War II. He was assigned the job of identifying soldiers, based on their dog tags, who had passed away in combat. Many of the people he had to identify were people he had trained with and had become friends with.
If any of you had the pleasure of meeting my grandfather, you saw an extremely patriotic man who had so much pride and love for his country, especially after his service to our country. Never was there a day that an American flag wasn't up in his yard nor would you ever hear him complain about the country that he loved. On the outside, you saw a happy and proud man. But on the inside, he was struggling from his time as a medic at Normandy. Upon retuning home from war, grandpa struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and would wake up screaming at night because of nightmares and flashbacks of war, and was in and out of treatment for alcohol abuse. I can't even begin to imagine what my grandpa must have went through at Normandy. Although my grandpa returned home from war alive, he sacrificed his normal life for a life of PTSD and alcohol abuse. All because he loved his country so much.
My grandpa passed away when I was six or seven so I never was able to truly appreciate what he did for our country while he was still alive. Now, at 18, I'm beginning to actually wrap my head around what my grandpa did and why he did it. He loved this country with all of his heart and he wanted a better life for future generations. He saw the mass destruction of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and knew that a life of conflict and war was no way to live. He wanted better for our country.
I am so incredibly thankful for what my grandpa went through and I feel even more blessed to be able to call him my grandfather. I wish that I would have been old enough to appreciate what he did for our country and thank him for sacrificing his life to maintain a free United States of America. My grandpa is everything that I hope to be and more.
Please take a moment to silently pray for those who are currently overseas protecting our freedom and for those who have passed on while in battle. You may not agree with the current wars, but that's no reason to complain about them. Next time you see someone in uniform, thank them. Seriously... Thank them. It takes a whole second to say "thank you". They are giving up so much for their country and many times are looked down upon. Pray for those whose final resting place is at sea at Pearl Harbor. Pray for people like my grandpa, who struggle every day with PTSD. And next time you start complain about war, stop yourself. Instead thank those who have sacrificed everything so that you could be free.
Much love,
Bailey
Monday, April 15, 2013
The Miss America Organization
There have been many experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today, but I think that the Miss America Organization is by far the experience that has shaped me the most in recent years. I'm not quite sure where I would be today had I not decided to compete four years ago. In fact, I don't even want to know where I would have been!
There are certainly a billion stereotypes about pageantry, and I want to address those stereotypes now because they are just that - stereotypes. First and foremost, I want to say that I am just talking about the Miss America Organization. There are thousands of pageant systems out there, but Miss America is the oldest and is the largest provider of scholarships for young women and of course the best in my eyes. The stereotype that I compete in "beauty" pageants bothers me the most. Miss America is NOT a beauty, nor will it ever be. It's a scholarship pageant, and is not based on looks. Saying that the Miss America pageant is a "beauty" pageant is degrading because the young women that you see compete on a local, state, or national Miss America stage have worked their butts of to make sure that they are the best person that they can be. They have spent countless hours volunteering because it's what they love to do, they have worked hard on a talent and genuinely love performing, and they go through training to make sure that they are emotionally and physically fit and healthy. I have never felt that I need to be perfect to win a pageant in the Miss America system. You don't need plastic surgery, lots of makeup, a pencil thin body shape, or big hair to win - you need a natural presence and an honest heart that is eager to give without expecting anything in return.
People who are spectators may disagree with me stating that Miss America is a "beauty" pageant because we make contestants compete in swimsuit. This bothers me even more because, unless you've competed, you have no idea why Miss America contestants compete in swimsuit. First, scoring on swimsuit is based on confidence NOT on six pack abs, thigh gaps, or a rib cage visible from thirty feet away. I, for one, am certainly not the skinniest person on stage nor will I ever be. I have a thick bone structure and I always will. I have never felt pressure to be stick thin. What I love about Miss America is that, at the Outstanding Teen level, they don't make teenagers compete in swimsuit but rather in fitness wear. As a former Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen, I can assure you I was not the skinniest person on stage but I won anyway. At the 2012 Miss Brainerd Lakes' Outstanding Teen pageant, I tied for fitness wear not because I was skinny or you could see huge muscle definition, but because I'm confident in my own body and I've accepted that I will never be a size 0. I'm proud of who I am and Miss America has laid the foundation for my thinking. Plus, knowing that I will be competing in fitness wear or swimsuit makes me want to workout and stay healthy!
Talent. I think a lot of people shy away from the Miss America pageant because they feel they don't have a good enough talent. I felt the same, but I didn't let that stop me from competing. I practiced and practiced and practiced and practiced some more. Scoring for talent is based on entertainment value not skill level - something I think not a lot of people fully understand. Anyone can entertain a crowd for ninety seconds, I promise. You just have to put the hard work into practicing. If you think you need to be talented to win, think again. So long as you are a real woman of integrity and have the drive for success, you will be successful.
Please visit www.missminnesota.org if you are interested in becoming a contestant in the Miss Minnesota or Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen scholarship pageant. Please email me bailey.wachholz@gmail.com if you have an questions as I would be happy to answer them.
Much love,
Bailey
There are certainly a billion stereotypes about pageantry, and I want to address those stereotypes now because they are just that - stereotypes. First and foremost, I want to say that I am just talking about the Miss America Organization. There are thousands of pageant systems out there, but Miss America is the oldest and is the largest provider of scholarships for young women and of course the best in my eyes. The stereotype that I compete in "beauty" pageants bothers me the most. Miss America is NOT a beauty, nor will it ever be. It's a scholarship pageant, and is not based on looks. Saying that the Miss America pageant is a "beauty" pageant is degrading because the young women that you see compete on a local, state, or national Miss America stage have worked their butts of to make sure that they are the best person that they can be. They have spent countless hours volunteering because it's what they love to do, they have worked hard on a talent and genuinely love performing, and they go through training to make sure that they are emotionally and physically fit and healthy. I have never felt that I need to be perfect to win a pageant in the Miss America system. You don't need plastic surgery, lots of makeup, a pencil thin body shape, or big hair to win - you need a natural presence and an honest heart that is eager to give without expecting anything in return.
People who are spectators may disagree with me stating that Miss America is a "beauty" pageant because we make contestants compete in swimsuit. This bothers me even more because, unless you've competed, you have no idea why Miss America contestants compete in swimsuit. First, scoring on swimsuit is based on confidence NOT on six pack abs, thigh gaps, or a rib cage visible from thirty feet away. I, for one, am certainly not the skinniest person on stage nor will I ever be. I have a thick bone structure and I always will. I have never felt pressure to be stick thin. What I love about Miss America is that, at the Outstanding Teen level, they don't make teenagers compete in swimsuit but rather in fitness wear. As a former Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen, I can assure you I was not the skinniest person on stage but I won anyway. At the 2012 Miss Brainerd Lakes' Outstanding Teen pageant, I tied for fitness wear not because I was skinny or you could see huge muscle definition, but because I'm confident in my own body and I've accepted that I will never be a size 0. I'm proud of who I am and Miss America has laid the foundation for my thinking. Plus, knowing that I will be competing in fitness wear or swimsuit makes me want to workout and stay healthy!
Talent. I think a lot of people shy away from the Miss America pageant because they feel they don't have a good enough talent. I felt the same, but I didn't let that stop me from competing. I practiced and practiced and practiced and practiced some more. Scoring for talent is based on entertainment value not skill level - something I think not a lot of people fully understand. Anyone can entertain a crowd for ninety seconds, I promise. You just have to put the hard work into practicing. If you think you need to be talented to win, think again. So long as you are a real woman of integrity and have the drive for success, you will be successful.
Please visit www.missminnesota.org if you are interested in becoming a contestant in the Miss Minnesota or Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen scholarship pageant. Please email me bailey.wachholz@gmail.com if you have an questions as I would be happy to answer them.
Much love,
Bailey
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