Grammys Showcase Adele & Whitney Houston

The 2012 Grammys had two leading ladies—rising star Adele and one star whose light had recently burnt out: Whitney Houston.

Adele made off with a clean sweep of all six Grammys she was nominated for, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

She performed the song that scored her the Song of the Year Grammy, “Rolling in the Deep,” during the show. Despite her recent throat surgery, her performance was flawless and the crowd gave her a standing ovation that lasted over two minutes (Watch it: http://bit.ly/adele2012).

While the night celebrated the success of Adele and other stars, it also mourned the loss of Whitney Houston, who died just one day before the Grammys.

Jennifer Hudson sang a heart-wrenching version of Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” in tribute to the singer (Watch it: http://bit.ly/houstontribute). Houston was also featured in a video of tributes during the ceremony.

While the Grammys celebrated the lives of these two women, one other woman had her chance at the stage but left a different impression on the audience. Nicki Minaj showed up in a “Little Red Riding Hood”-esque cape, escorted by a man dressed as a bishop. Her performance started with a mock exorcism that left the audience bewildered and, more than likely, just praying for more Adele. (Watch it: http://bit.ly/Aczbjq).

4 Tips on Giving the Perfect Gift

The giving of gifts is sometimes one of the most difficult gestures to perform and interpret. Finding gifts to give friends, family members, or worse — significant others — can be a nightmare. Here are my four tips on how to give the perfect gift:

1. Get a good feel for their personality, whether they appreciate funny presents or functional presents or sentimental presents and give accordingly.

2. Always be keenly listening to their wants and needs as you engage in conversations and daily life with them. If a man constantly complains about how worthless his coffee maker is, consider buying him a new one. If a woman points out how much she loves a certain kind of candy while shopping at the store, remember that for later.

3. Factor in what kind of occasion it is. Should a birthday present be different than a Valentine’s Day present … and does the recipient even care if it is?

4. Remember to put thought into it. A gift that is good in content can be terrible if the motivation behind it was thoughtless. Or a gift that would seem pathetic in content could be the most amazing present ever if the motivation and thought put into it was impressive. The best way to go is to get a gift that is great in content because of the amount of thought put into it.

I received a present today that fit all the requirements and more.

My boyfriend sent me the most gigantic box of chocolates I have ever seen in my entire life: 2lbs, 11oz, 105 pieces. And not just any chocolates. Godiva gourmet chocolates. Now that was a great gift in and of itself. But the thought behind it impressed me more. For one, he knows I love chocolate. He said he scoured the website so he could specifically pick out the kind of chocolate that would be in the box. And to top it all off, he chose a specific number of chocolates and timed it out so I could eat one every day until the day I graduate.

That, ladies and gentleman, is how it's done.

How to Maintain an LDR

Part of my crazy yet wonderful life is maintaining a long-distance relationship. He is 8 hours away working as an intern at Lake Ann Camp, and here I am finishing my last year of college at Cedarville University. If we’re lucky, we see each other once a month. It’s a bittersweet deal for both of us.

On one hand, not having each other around 24/7 is helpful for the schedules we have to maintain. I can do my thing here and he can do his thing there without us having to shove date nights and plans into our already overflowing planners. We support each other and grow in our relationship through the phone, and it can be convenient with such hectic lifestyles.

But it’s definitely not easy, and Lord knows I would jump on the opportunity for us to be in the same place regardless of how my schedule would need to shift. So many times I wish he was beside me to experience life with me. Or I wish I could be with him to watch his leadership grow in the internship and support him at camp. We have to somehow bridge the gap with words that can never quite sum up exactly what it’s like to live without each other in two separate worlds.

But we make it work. By God’s grace, we make it work, because we love each other unconditionally. We understand that being physically together isn’t necessary for a healthy relationship—one that honors God and shows care and support for each other.

Here are the Top 5 Ways , according to my experience, to maintain a healthy LDR:

• Tell each other what you need: Some people only want a phone call at night, others need to text throughout the day, and some are ok with just a Skype date once a week. Tell each other how much communication you need to maintain the relationship and feel secure in it.

• Do things together: Pick a book you can both read at the same time so you can discuss it together. Set your alarm at the same time every morning and call each other before starting the day. Work through the same devotion book or chapters of the Bible together so you can challenge each other spiritually. Pick something that sparks thought and conversation.

• Pray for each other: This is key. Always ask how you can pray for each other and commit to doing it throughout the day. Then you aren’t thinking about how much you miss them but instead lifting them and their struggles up to God.

• Take advantage of the time apart: While it’s difficult to be apart, it has its benefits. You can spend more time with your friends and family, focus on your schoolwork or career, and most of all get to know each other without the physical aspect. Sometimes the physical stuff gets in the way of really connecting personality-wise, so spend some time on the phone playing 20 questions and really find out who the other person is.

• Stay positive: Complaining about the distance won’t make the miles disappear and won’t help your conversations or relationship growth. Focus on how blessed you are to have found one another and take this opportunity to be creative about you how get to know each other and spend your time together. It will strengthen your relationship and, since time flies when you’re having fun, you two will be back together in no time.