I'm Back . . . ; )

Yes, I know - it's about time I posted something again. Sorry - I have had not too few but too many things happening in my life - spiritually and otherwise, to have had time to post before now. So here you go - I have not fallen off the face of the earth. ; )
I have come to a whole new understanding of the purpose of my life, of the purpose of our family, and the purpose of the church (as a whole). This book we've read, Radical, has only been a very starting point - the Lord has been waking us up from the slumber of our comfortable American way of life to His calling, His purposes for our lives. We have begun to see the world no longer from the context of our place on the map, and about a 50-mile radius around us, but in God's context - the whole world. We have awakened to the fact that we have brothers and sisters in Christ ALL around the WORLD who are suffering. Starving. Being persecuted for the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the heavy realization of the vast millions who have never even heard the gospel, or the name of Jesus.
We have always known this in our heads, but the Lord has begun to reveal it to our hearts now.

Please watch this video - it is one we have shown at church, and it will give you some idea of what I mean:

Priorities - Video 'Tears of the Saints' The Lausanne Global Conversation

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream

Radical, by David Platt, is no easy read.

Here is some of the back cover summary:
            What Is Jesus Worth to You?
    "It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said HIs followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, He said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for Him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily . . . "
          But Who Do You Know Who Lives Like That? Do You?
"In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being His disciple- then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a 'successful' suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus."

Okay, so that's a sort of scratch on the surface, but it's a beginning of the idea - do we truly understand what it means to take up our cross and follow Him? Where is He going? Among the least of these.

I will post more as we study it - we are going through the Radical Bible study with a group of people in our church, and so far, it has been very eye-opening . . .  hard to read, at points, and very convicting . . but it comes down to the core - do we really believe what Jesus said? And if so . . . are we ready to lay it all down to follow him?

So far the picture on the front is accurate - a house turned upside down. : )

God Loves Surprises!

     Well, I was certainly not expecting it, but my cast did come off that weekend! (7-24-10)
That Friday, both of my parents went with me to the doctor's office, leaving my brothers at grandma's house.
     That was special, to have Dad with me - his work schedule does not often allow him to come to things like that, but he really wanted to be there - for support, because he knew I was a little discouraged from the news I had received.
     Waiting in the waiting room, I had such a peace that came over me - I was prepared for whatever they would say, prepared to have it re-cast and be on crutches for another couple of weeks. I knew it was alll going to be alright - because whatever happened to me, I knew it would be what God had ordained in His Sovereignty, and I trusted in Him.
    Therefore he was there when the doctor came in and said, quite unexpectedly, "How would you like to get this thing off today?"
     It was really wierd, after having my foot in that thing for so long! The firs thing I wanted to do was wash it off. Daddy offered to wash my foot and ankle for me. The nurse brought in a little basin of warm, soapy water and a washcloth, and he washed it - it was so sweet!
And I surprised my Grandma to pieces when I came in with no cast on! It was a pretty awesome day.

I could hear the Lord saying - "Daughter, have you forgotten that I love surprises? You trusted in Me, and see - I have rewarded you."

So I have had to re-learn to walk . . . So far, I can't stand on my own two feet just yet. ; D
All in God's timing! It may sound strange, but it's so nice just to see my foot again!!!
Thank you again to all the wonderful people who gave me encouragement, prayers and support through this little ordeal, and to my Heavenly Father, who always knows what is best for me, according to His plans. All the glory to Him!!

(Again, my apologies for not posting sooner!)
 

I know it's been a while since I posted, so I will give a little update:
    The recovery time for my broken leg has been a little longer than I had hoped - I went back to the doctors after four weeks (that had seemed awfully optimistic to me, having expected six to eight weeks for a break like mine) and the x-rays came back showing progress, and healing, but not definite healing.
So, they gave me another two weeks, and said they would x-ray it then and check my progress.
    I was not really surprised - my leg was still pretty sore, and I had a feeling it needed some more time.
It didn't bother me, since I had half expected it, even though I had been thinking a lot about the things I would like to be doing right now: gardening, horseback riding, swimming, even doing the dishes and laundry sounds so nice!! ; D

    However, God knew what I was supposed to be doing right now, and I have decided to make the most I can of this opportunity He has sent. I've been able to think a lot, to read more than I usually have time to, and to complete several art projects. Counting my blessings has been and is still a challenge some times, but I know I have been learning and growing through this process, and while my projects and plans may not all be getting done like I want them to be, by God's grace, His perfect work in me continues- He is faithful.

    I don't know about you, but I find I need to remind myself of that pretty frequently- that's why I have posted this. To tell you the truth, I have been dealing with a lot of discouragement this week, and especially today. I found out today that I am most likely going to be wearing a cast for another two weeks, maybe more. I had my hopes up quite a bit that I would be getting the cast off this weekend; my leg is feeling almost completely healed - it doesn't hurt like it did two weeks ago. I was fairly confidant that it was healed. However, the report said that the bone is still not completely healed, and I go back in two weeks for another checkup. Please pray that I can choose gratitude, because I know in my heart I want to - it's just getting a little harder. : ) Forgive me if I sound any kind of whiny!! ; D

     I know that healing is in the hands of the Lord, and, ultimately, I must trust Him- His timing, and His plan for my life.

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted bythe waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, and it will not be anxious in the year of draught, nor will cease from yielding fruit." - Jeremiah 17:7-8

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ" - 1 Peter 1:6-7

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. (; D) " - Psalms 34:19-20

Thanks for reading- I hope you find this helpful and encouraging.

A New Look At Gratitude (and my family's first broken bone!)

I'm sorry - I would've preferred getting this post done in a more timely manner, but when you've got doctor visits and are hobbling around on crutches, it's a little harder to get things done. ; D

If anybody has looked through my bookshelf recently, you would notice that I have added some new books by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, including and especially a book entitled "Choosing Gratitude".

I have just finished reading it, about a week ago, (on Friday, I guess).

The first page, containg a foreword by Joni Earickson Tada, told me it would be good, and that I needed to read it. The following chapters have shown me my need for a grateful spirit, and what that really looks like. Like thanking God not just in the midst of trials, but for the trials.

Well, I guess the Lord decided to see if I really meant it - if I was in earnest about pursuing a grateful spirit- this week.

    Sunday, I was picked up at church by Mrs. Billings with her horses, and my grandparents, who we would be following to a Cowboy Church Camp. I had been looking forward to this camp since last year, after my grandparents (who attend Cowboy Church) had gone, and told me how wonderful it was.

This camp had 190 miles of trails - on 5100 beautiful acres of rolling hills, woods, open fields, and caves and cliffs. And horses . . . . so  . . . .many. . . horses! Horses to rent and to ride, and hundreds of stalls, if you want to bring your own. Gorgeous horses to take pictures of - just name the breed and the color. ; D

    And it was church camp too - a (Cowboy) church service every evening, Bible studies, and singing around campfires.

I was so keyed up, so wound tight, I couldn't sleep the night before, and when I got to church, I could not stop smiling - I think my friends noticed. ; D You know me!

     Well, my ride arrived, and we headed out. I had a wonderful visit with Mrs. Billings on the way. She had heard that I was reading "Choosing Gratitude" and looked forward to reading it herself, so I told her about it, and read a few passages that had stuck out to me.

   Upon arrival, chaos immediately set in as we read a sign posted by the gate, telling us that all horses without veterinary papers for this certain rare disease would not be permitted. State Law. Of course, neither of us had expected this; we didn't have a brochure, and the disease was so rare, and she thought you only needed those papers for shows . . . we didn't have any papers.

Sinking feelings slowed our steps as we went in to the office to try and register, and tell the manager the news.

     They told us we could get a local vet to come do a quick test and get the necessary papers, but we would have to quarantine the horses until then. First, we had to call both local veterinary clinics to find one that would come to the ranch (instead of having to come to them) and would do it immediately.  Once that was settled, and we had scheduled an appointment for that afternoon, we drove through the ranch to this overgrown, secluded little round pen, to wait for the vet to arrive.

While we were waiting, we drove the trailer down to the stalls and parked it (which was another ordeal) and went back to the office to see about our rooms in the lodge.

[Talking it over in Grandma and Grandpa's room late that evening, we were laughing about how crazy the day was - everything went absolutely wrong, nothing ran smoothly, it was unreal! I thought things were only this insane on I Love Lucy, but I guess not! ; D]

   First of all, we had this friendly older man from the office helping us park the trailer, but he parked it in (I am not kidding) FIVE (5) different places before he was satisfied, and the place he finally chose backed up to a steep hill, and we were all afraid it was going to go careening down the hill backwards as soon as we unhitched it. Well, it very nearly did . . . but it got left there, with blocks of wood behind the tires.

   Then we went to our rooms, one of which was finally sorted out, to unpack some and wait for the vet. Mrs. Billings had a room, but my grandparents still didn't know what room they were to stay in, so they remained at the office, where I believe the entire staff was trying to decide where their room was.
Even though they reserved it last year.

     After a little while, Mrs. Billings and I went back up to the quarantine pen to wait for the vet. He soon arrived, ran the tests and filled out the papers, and went to the office to deliver the results.

We had Mrs. Billings' truck, and we were trying to figure out how best to take the horses to their stalls without hitching up the trailer. Mrs. Billings suggested that I ride one, bareback, and lead the other, while she drove the truck. I had been positively itching to ride since our arrival, having seen several people already riding, so I thought I would try it. Well, "Star" did just fine bareback, with her halter, and I rode her around in the pen a little while.

      I had just commented to Mrs. Billings that my lower back (which I had injured slightly earlier in the week) was feeling just fine, when I felt Star tense up and throw her head down. Then she acted spookish, and I wasn't sure what she was going to do. I was pretty sure she wouldn't try to buck me off, but in new surroundings, with a lot of strange horses, I decided to get off and lead her instead.

 I slid down, but instead of landing flat-footed, I landed on a tall clump of grass, on my right ankle, and rolled it sideways, hard. I heard a small snap, and felt shooting pain as I hit the ground.

    Immediately Mrs. Billings saw what had happened, and she came to help me get up. Fortunately, in the next corral was an older gentleman who had been working with his horse, and had seen the whole thing.
He rode over to the roundpen and asked if I was alright. I think I said I was okay, but things were getting kinda fuzzy - my hearing was muffled and the world had faded to a dark grey, and I knew I was starting to black out. Vaguely I remember the cowboy climbing over the fence and helping Mrs. B pull me to my feet. All the way to the truck he kept me talking . . . asked what my name was, and told me his name was David. If he hadn't, I'm sure I would've blacked out completely.
Then after they helped me into the truck and we had thoroughly thanked him for his help, Mrs. B and I drove to the lodge and got me to my grandparent's room to ice my ankle.

    Grandma and Grandpa had followed us to the lodge, and they helped to get me some ice and pain medication. After a few minutes, in which I was given kindess and love and sympathy enough to kill a person (; D), Grandma and Grandpa decided to try to call my parents and let them know. There is no cell service in camp (Did I already say that? Well, that is the one drawback) so they had to go to a town about 5 minutes away.

     Meanwhile Mrs. Billings stayed with me in the room. She and I had a really good conversation, about the whole day, and I told her some more about the book. (She also shared some chocolate covered peanut clusters with me. There is no medicine like chocolate when you're having a hard day! ; D)

I said-I didn't really have it bad at all. I mean, even if I had broken every bone in my body, I live in America, where I could be at a hospital with the nation's best doctors in just minutes. In most third world countries, you can't afford to break a bone, and if you do, there is usually not much you can do about it. No hospitals. No doctors. No money.

But even then . . . I could choose to be thankful. I have a loving family and many wonderful friends who care about me.

And beyond all that I could ever have, beyond anything that could ever be taken away from me, I have the love of my Heavenly Father and Savior, who knows what I truly need, even if it hurts.

There was a story in Choosing Gratitude that I don't think I will soon forget.

     It was the story of man who went on a short term missions trip to the Bahamas. Not the tourists' places - the ones you always think of, with quaint little villages and bright blue-green waters and shops for souvenirs, but the real places - where the people live - in absolute poverty. The missions team went to a local lepers' colony, to hold a church service. It was a gruesome picture, all of these people whose lives have been devastated by this disease, many without fingers or limbs, some without faces.

They had finished their service, and this man, who had led the service, said there was time for one more hymn, and asked if anyone had any requests.
In the very back, he saw someone - a woman who could best be described as "Body", because that was almost all that was left of her. Almost no features - no face. She raised what had once been her arm - no fingers, no hand- and said "Could we do 'Count Your Many Blessings?' "

    Tears of holy conviction streaming down his face, the man ran out of the building, a friend of his close behind him. The friend turned to him and said "I bet you can never sing that song again, can you?"
The man replied "Yes, I will sing it, but never in the same way."

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Lord has really granted me a different perspective in this little trial of mine - for once in my life, of all times - I mean - it would've been so easy to wallow in self pity over my situation - after all I had looked forward to, and now the weeks ahead, in a cast . . . but He gave me the grace to be thankful.

To come out of this praising Him - for this trial - "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:2-4 
My Grandpa quoted this, and Romans 5:3-5 to me, that night in their room.

That's something else I am thankful for - the blessing of having Godly grandparents who can encourage me with Scripture!

When you think about it, a crucial, essential part of the Chiristian life is our response - that our attitude should reflect thankfulness and glorify God.

And it's not easy - sometimes it's a sacrifice. I struggle constantly with maintaining a good attitude about this, but now I have a goal - and I press on.

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." - Phil. 3: 12-14

By the way, thank you to all the wonderful people who have signed my cast, and have and continue to encourage me and bless me with your kindess and gifts. I am so tremendously blessed.

Family and friends . . .<3 Thanks!

The wondrous wit of Dr. Billings! ; D Haha!

My dear Mrs. Kay - my Kindred Spirit!

The Azalea Parade

Sunday afternoon I got to ride my lovely horse in a parade with some of my favorite cowgirls - my precious friends Mrs. Kay, Mrs. Billings, and my friend Jenah.
It was awesome, fun fellowship, and the Lord really blessed us with safety and a good time.

We all dressed up in Civil War period costume, and Mrs. Kay and I rode side saddle.

Here we are, all dressed up and ready to ride!

And coming down the street- my mom took this from where they were sitting.

My friend, Mrs. Kay and I were naturally the only people riding side saddle, and the four of us were the only people dressed up.

We got quite a reaction - most all of the people watching had never seen someone ride side saddle before, and asked us a barrage of questions about it - "Isn't that uncomfortable?"

"Do you feel like you're going to fall off?"

"How do you hang on?" and many more.

Several people were amazed that such a thing even existed anymore, and many of the ladies (thanks to our culture) have the feminist misconception that "Men made them ride that way." and that this represented a part of women's "historic bondage to men".

Wrong!!!

(First of all,  I do not belive that women were ever in "bondage" to men, but that God has given women a seperate role- to be the helper and completer of man. I'm posting on that soon.)

Actually, ladies found it infinitely more comfortable, in a skirt or in pantaloons or whatever- most people do not know that even some men rode side saddle too, for comfort's sake - and still do to this day - fully decked out cowboys - even at events!

I nearly prefer side saddle to riding astride, except at a fast gallop, which I have not yet mastered. :)

I had a friend who could race on a side saddle!

And, if you are a girl who enjoys wearing skirts frequently, it's a lot easier to be modest - and a lot harder for your skirt to fly up. (which is, of course, very important ; D )

I made my costume just that week - I was in quite a time crunch to finish it, especially since I didn't have a pattern or instructions for that jacket- Aaaaaah! : )

We were at the very back of the parade, because a couple of the horses hadn't been in one for several years.

Toward the end, we had to have Dr.Billings, Mrs. Billings' husband, step in and give us a hand with the horse Jenah was riding- "Star" had decided she didn't like anybody except her pasture-mate, "Abby", and was slightly on edge and ready to go home. But she did fine while he led her - thank the Lord he had been walking the parade route with us anyway!

I've Been Awarded Again!

Thank you so much Lizzie!

Okay, so five random facts about myself:

1. I love cute hats - any hats, more than purses or shoes- I wish I had a hat for every outfit!

2. I dream in technicolor - extremely vivid and imaginative dreams. So does my Dad - some of the ones we've had are just plain hilarious. Like snowing multi-colored ground beef. Or shooting a grizzly bear with a bb gun at a church picnic. Kinda makes ya wonder what we ate the night before . . . I might blog about them someday. ; D

3. I love words - language fascinates me, and I often have read some of the dictionary, just to find a new cool-sounding word to use.

4. I wear contacts - I couldn't recognise my own mother standing ten feet away if I didn't. ; D I have some really cute glasses I wear sometimes as well.

5. My favorite color is teal. Blue-green. Turquoise. Aquamarine.

And there you have it, folks.

 people to tag:

1. Kerry at Kerry's Creations

2. Ashley at A Cowgirls' Dream

3. Jenna at Feminine Farmgirl

I've Been Awarded!

My precious cowgirl friend at My Imaginary Horse has awarded me the Pure in Heart award!
Thank you, Lizzie! You are so sweet!

#1 Post about your tag

#2 Pick ten bloggers who deserve this award

#3 Answer these 20 questions, post them on your blog.

~Questions~

#1 Apples, Oranges or Bananas?

Apples


#2 How many siblings do you have? Two



#3 How old are you? I'll be eighteen in June.


#4 Do you live on the prairie, woodland, swamp city or other?
      Other - I live in a beautiful valley surrounded by hills, and made up of woods and farmland.

#5 Scissors or glue?

Scissors

#6 Describe your dream house?
    A remodeled two-story farmhouse on 50-100 acres with old red barns, a stable and ten horses! ; D



#7 Is your room clean?
    Most of the time- I try to keep it clean, but busy weekends leave it pretty messy! ; D



#8 If you could be a movie character for a day, who would you be?

Elizabeth Bennet


#9 Italy, Greece, France, Spain or England?

England!



#10 What denomination are you?

Christian, quite Reformed



#11 Do you sleep with a stuffed toy (BE HONEST!!)

Does a pillow with a picture of a horse on it count? ; D



#12 Gum, chocolate or jelly beans?

No caramel? No peanut butter? Well, I guess chocolate, then. I prefer those three, in combinations!



#13 What is your favorite book?

I love books. Aside from the Bible, of course, well, I couldn't really pick just one . . . I like horse books, adventure books, classics, Jane Austens, C. S. Lewis, Lord of the Rings, theology books . . . Spurgeon's sermons, Voddie Baucham . . . . ; D



#14 Favorite ice cream flavor?

Cookie dough or Oreo!!!!



#15 If you had to eat one type of food for two weeks, what food would that be?

Mexican - no contest! ; D



#16 What is your favorite Olympic sport?

They all fascinate me, but I like swimming and gymnastics. Does this include the Equestrian Olympics? ; D



#17 If you woke and discovered that you had turned into Miley Cyrus for the day, what would you do?

Go buy some modest clothing!!!!!!



#18 Describe yourself in three words?

Christian Country Girl



#19 What chore do you positively hate?

Doing the dirty dishes : (



#20 What is your favorite chore?

Vaccuuming. Being somewhat a perfectionist, I can get a little carried away with making straight lines . . . ; D


Okay - the people I am awarding: (technically, it's supposed to be ten, but I don't know that many who blog)

1. Kerry at  http://kerryscreations.blogspot.com/

2. Ashley at A Cowgirl's Dream

3. Jess at My Father's Daughter

Ta-Da! I Finished It!

Here it is!

As I was flying out the door to head to my piano recital, I had Dad snap a picture of the finished dress.

If I look nervous, that's because I was. ; D

The recital went really well - all of the students did an excellent job- (almost all of them are close friends of mine ; D ).

Then I was whisked away by my grandparents for a weekend trip to Cowboy Church, and to the church rodeo! It was really cool - their challenge this year was a colt-starting competition between Pastor Jim Matthews of my granparent's church and a cowboy church pastor from another church.

They took two young horses that have never been handled - ages 3 and 4, and started from scratch, gentling them and working with them until finally, they were able to ride them.

The grand finale was an obstacle course including some low jumps, a "mystery" object the horse must approach, and performing a trot and canter.

I really enjoyed it - it was so amazing to watch them building a trusting relationship with those horses.

After a certain point, the horses starting following them around, stopping when they stopped, turning when they turned. Anything they asked of them, no matter how scary it may have looked, those horses would at least try, because they trusted those men. Pastor Matthews made this illustration - that just like those horses have to trust their rider to protect them and lead them safely, we as Christians must trust the Lord to lead us. Horses are flight-or-fight creatures, instinctively afraid of predators - a fear they must have to survive in the wild. They also have horrible depth perception - they often shy away from shallow puddles or streams, because they can't tell how deep they are.
We have to trust that the Lord can lead us through deep waters, that no matter what trials He takes us through, He will protect His children.
Ps. 121:5-8 says- "The Lord is your keeper, the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in, from this time forth and even forevermore."

I was inspired - maybe my colt has hope after all! ; D
Anyway, sorry for not posting this sooner, but life is crazy this week!

A Small Accomplishment of an Unaccomplished Seamstress

I'm making myself a new spring dress!

I wanted to have a dress that I could wear to my piano recital and our spring English Country homeschool dance, but it is close to impossible to find a modest, reasonably priced, and cute dress at your typical clothing stores, so I got brave, and decided to attempt my own.

Guess what? I couldn't even find a pattern that was modest and flattering, by Simplicty or Mcalls anyway.

So I found a cute pattern with a modest top, and a cute pattern with a full skirt, and am attempting to marry the two. So far, so good.

Found some adorable fabric at my favorite store -Hobby Lobby!

Here is what I have so far, but it's kind-of hard to tell, because the bodice and skirt aren't attached yet, but you get the idea.

When I have it done, I'll show it to you, but until then- you are the witnesses - I can sew!

On Not Judging A Book By Its Cover

I was really blessed by Jasmine Baucham's latest post-


Judging A Book By Its Cover

I have often been convicted of the same thing- I am ashamed to say that I am often inclined to prejudice, and quick to judge people based on outward appearance or brief acquaintance. By God's grace, I believe I am changing my habits. Jasmine's post is an excellent reminder!

I remember distinctly several times where someone new has come to our church, or been introduced to our family, and I didn't exactly like them at first- maybe they looked a little rough aroung the edges, or dressed a little unseemly, but when you talk to them, their love for the Lord is the first thing you know- it glows from their eyes as they tell you about how they became a Christian, or share pieces of their life with you, and almost immediately, they don't look so bad at all . . . in fact, you don't even care any more.
You begin to see the person underneath, the person God sees.

It makes me wonder . . . how do we appear to the world? Do I always speak with the graciousness that a Christian should exude, or do I snap at people when I'm having a bad day, or things aren't going my way?

Yeah, I may be dressed like a Christian. I may be carrying a Bible.
But am I dressed in Christ Himself? How am I making Him look by my attitudes and actions?

 I think I would rather be the hobo on the corner- sharing the gospel with a passion and a zeal,
than be a perfect little Christian young lady, in my perfect little denim skirt ; D, walking aroung with my Christian friends, talking about how we should be changing the world. As I've said before - it's about getting out of your little zone, and being willing to sacrifice your personal comfort to live like Christ.

I will tell you - I am a pretty shy person. You may or may not believe that, reading my blog, but I find it far easier to talk to a bunch of invisible internet people than face to face or even on the phone! ; D
Therefore, I find it hard to be very open with people about my faith - unless I know they're Christians.

So, I preach to myself when I say this - shyness can be a form of selfishness, or even of pride- ('how is this going to make me look?'). When we have so many gifts and ways we could be ministering to people, is it not selfish to hold them back? This is killing me with conviction, but it's like when my Dad has to preach (he's an associate pastor) - often, the sermon ends up being about something the Lord is dealing with him about. It's how the Lord has worked in us a lot.

So - as Christians we need to be marked by our actions - so if people do judge us by our covers, most likely, it's going to be accurate. I do not mean go out and buy a wardrobe full of Christian t-shirts (of which I own a few : D ) and wear them everywhere you go - I mean that we should be sure we are wearing Christ - when we go to the grocery store, when we're at our friend's house, from the time we wake up until we go to bed.

The best way I know how to do this is to pray for God to fill you with His Holy Spirit, at the start of every day, and all through the day - if you are tempted to snap at someone, or you're just having a bad moment - ask Him to fill you up. And what are the fruits of the Spirit?

Galatians 5:22-23 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

Hope this is somewhat uniform- my train of thought got derailed several times. ; D

The Change They Thought They Wanted

The recent passing of the healthcare reform bill reminded me of this video, which I had seen on another girl's blog a while back.
I tend to agree.
What do you think, fellow Americans?
Now more than ever, it is time to pray for our country - and be willing to stand and fight for the truth.

Also, as Christians, we must remember that our country, our lives, are in God's hands, and He will always protect and provide for His people. And He is the one who puts kings on thrones, and presidents in offices. As Proverbs 21:1 says "The king's heart is in the hands of the Lord; like the rivers of water, He turns it wherever He pleases."

Sanctus Real - Pieces of a Real Heart

 My favorite Christian band just came out with a new cd, which my Daddy got for me Wednesday! I have been savoring every song for the last several days! ; D

Their new cd is called Pieces of a Real Heart. The words of their songs are awesome- I've shared one song with you before- Legacy, here, in one of my first posts.
The first song is called "Forgiven". If you've been listening to Christian radio recently, you might have heard this song played. It has really been an encouragement to me- I often find it hard to forgive myself for mistakes I've made and let it go, hard to believe that I'll ever do anything right - and I can't, I won't, but He can - He will give me the strength to change, to turn around, and He has promised that when we ask for His forgiveness, we are forgiven. The devil can never take that away from us - he can place doubts in our mind, and he will try to, but that's when we go to the Word of God, and read the truth -
1 John 1:9


You can listen to the song here:Forgiven

The past is playing with my head
Failure knocks me down again
I'm reminded of the wrong
That I have said and done
That devil just won't let me forget

In this life, I know what I've been
But here in Your arms,
I know what I am

I'm forgiven
I'm forgiven
And I don't have to carry
The weight of who I've been
Cause I'm forgiven

My mistakes are running through my mind
And I relive my days in the middle of the night
When I struggle with my pain
Wrestle with my pride
Sometimes I feel alone and I cry

And in this life, I know what I've been
But here in Your arms ,
I know what I am

When I don't fit in and I don't feel like
I belong anywhere
When I don't measure up to much in this life,
Well, I'm a treasure in the arms of Christ

In this life I know what I've been
But here in Your arms, I know what I am-
I'm forgiven, I'm forgiven
I don't have to carry the weight of who I've been,
Cause I'm forgiven


I love that song- I've probably heard it, played it twenty times now, but every time,
It's message is just as sweet to me - the grace of God blows me away, that no matter how often I mess up, how many times I turn away, how many times I fall sooooo short, He is willing to forgive me, and He never gives up on me!
In turn, it's made me look at other people in a new light- if my Lord grants me this grace, should I not as a Christian grant the same grace to others? Roots of bitterness can all too easily spring up in our hearts, when people hurt us, when relationships go through rough times- and they do - because people will always mess up, so relationships take work.
We have to look at people like God does- never give up on people, life is too short to hold grudges, and bitterness is an acid that eats it's container - as Christians we should be first to forgive our fellow believers and friends, and to forgive our enemies.

Romans 12: 9-21
"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing steadfastly in prayer;
distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.
Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written-
"Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
Therefore
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

-Thank you to my pastor, Pastor Randy, for preaching the Word every Sunday- he uses this passage of scripture frequently- used it yesterday, actually.


My apologies for not having posted sooner- sorry, life is busy! ; D

Cool New Art Toys!

I have discovered a new medium of artwork that opens up my possibilities beyond my imagination.
I have been working with graphite (pencil) for several years now, and I have enjoyed it, achieving better realism with practice, but a few days ago, I decided to try a picture in color.
I felt like doing something different, I guess, and I had some old oil pastels in my art cabinet that I had
played around with a few years back. I began a picture of a horse (of course ; D), and was happy with it, but didn't have much luck with making it look real - it felt kind-of like a cartoon, even though it was technically pretty good.
I looked again with despair at the work of my favorite artist - Lesley Harrison. She works in pastels, and her horses look like photographs. I have a small collection of her calendars, which I have dissassembled and hung on my walls - those of you who have seen my walls know - her work is stunning. ; D
Here is her website: http://www.harrison-keller.com/
I have wished for years that I could create artwork like hers!

You see, she has a blog - which I follow, and in it she mentioned the types of pastels she uses.
I went to my favorite store (Hobby Lobby ; D) and found them.
They were not, as I had thought, oil pastels, but were in fact soft pastels.
There is a huge difference- oil pastels are kind of globby and greasy - they will blend, but they leave little crumbs and are bulky. You cannot get much detail, and I love details.
Soft pastels are almost like a chalk, but a chalk so soft and smooth it works like paint.
The detail you can achieve with them is unbelievable - I can now draw individual eyelashes. Individual highlights on eyelashes. Infinitesimal hairs. I am ecstatic!
So - I have posted some of my work.
What do you think?

Yeah, I know this isn't a very profound post, but I am totally tickled with how much
fun these are and had to tell somebody! ; D

Okay - so before, with oil pastels . . . grainy texture, not much detail . . .

Now after! See the difference?

Love the way this one turned out!

See the hairs? The eyelashes?

Sorry, I am having too much fun!

I got the reference photo for this one from a photography book, so I cannot

technically call this my own,

even though I have taken some artistic license with it.

I was thrilled with how it turned out!

I will probably be posting some more as I get more time with my new toys. = )

Thank you for so patiently bearing with my rambling! ; D

Happy Valentimes!

My Daddy brought me flowers for Valentines Day. Aren't they beautiful? He is so sweet!

My brother Isaiah could not say ''Valentines'' when he was a toddler, but instead said ''Valentimes''. It was so cute! To this day that is what we sometimes say in our family - ''Happy Valentimes!''

I started experimenting . . . I love roses!

Thought this was pretty!

Daddy will usually bring home something for ''his girls'' (Mom and I) for Valentines - flowers, or  chocolate, and once even a little teddy bear.

It always serves to remind me - first, that my Daddy loves me. He has always loved me, and tells me so, but it is a precious expression of that love when he buys me something so special.

It also reminds me that my Heavenly Father loves me, because He is the one who chose to place me in this family, and gave me to my earthly father.

He has chosen to place me in this family, and for this season of my life, He has called me to live and serve here, in the sphere of my home and my family. Now personally, I am feeling quite content right now with just living here - I love, love, LOVE our new home in the country, and hope I get the priveledge of living here for at least five more years, Lord willing!

There are days, however, when I get wistful - waiting for the day when I can get married, have my own home, and a tall, dark and handsome Valentine to bring home flowers for me. ; D

I know, especially for you girls who are 20, 25, 30 . . .really of all ages, who are still single, it is hard to wait on God's timing, but He is faithful - and in Him is all the love and protection you could ask for.

And if He is asking you to walk this road right now, just trust Him - He will give you the grace to carry on, and He will give you joy that never goes away and peace you can't understand.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." - Matt. 11:28-29

Love is here.

But beyond just waiting - take advantage of the opportunities you have now. This special and unique season of your life will only come once - the chance to serve in your home, with your family; the chance to build strong relationships with your siblings - to encourage them towards Godly manhood or womanhood, and to gain the most knowledge and wisdom from your parents.

Remember, they have been traveling through life a lot longer than we have, and they have had to fight the same battles and face the same struggles as we have.

Enjoy, savor, the family times - read a book to your little brother, take a walk with your Mom, work on a project with your Dad- it makes awesome memories, and will teach you things you will need to take into your future life.

Rest in your Heavenly Father's love - get to know Him, by spending time in His Word, and talking to Him on a regular basis.

I do not really consider myself "single", because I am part of a family. Nor am I lonely - I am surrounded by an abundance of wonderful friends of all ages.

Nor am I hurting for chocolate (yes, I splurged just a little for Valentines Day, but I had planned on it, and I'm back on the diet now. ; D)

Besides, girls, let's be honest - we love chocolate, but it doesn't always love us back! ; D

Hope you can sort through my thoughts - this is just what has been on my heart lately, and I hope it was encouraging to you!

Feeling Close to God

Rich Mullins was a pretty amazing person.
Awesome musician, incredible songwriter, and a very humble person.
He really makes you think.
Here is a clip of one of his concerts I found on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQnFU5JvuWY

Here are some things he said in that concert that really stuck out to me:
"We were given the Scriptures to humble us into realizing that God is right in everything and the rest of us are just guessing."

"I am all the time being asked by people, 'How do you feel closer to God?'. I kinda always want to say, 'I don't know.'. When I read the lives of the great saints, I think they didn't necessarily feel very close to God. When I read the Psalms, I get the feeling like David and the other psalmists felt quite far away from God for most of the time. Closeness to God is not about feelings. Closeness to God is about obedience. It's just as simple as that. And here's a little Bible verse that I've come to love more over the years - Jesus said 'Whatever you've done unto the least of these, my brethren, you've done it unto Me.'
Jesus seemed to have a particular place in His heart for the oppressed . . . . I don't know how you feel close to God, and no one I know that seems to be close to God knows anything about those feelings either.
I know if we obey, occasionally, the feeling follows, but not always. Occasionally. Jesus said 'Whatever you do to the least of these, you've done to Me.' - and this is what I've come to think -
that if I want to identify fully with Jesus Christ, who I claim to be my Saviour and Lord, the best way that I can do that is to identify with the poor. This, I know, will go against the teachings of all the popular Evangelical preachers, but they're just wrong. They're not bad, they're just wrong. Christianity is not about building an absolutely secure, little niche in the world where you can live with your perfect little wife and your perfect little children in a beautiful little house, where you have no minority groups anywhere near you. Christianity is about learning to love as Jesus loved, and Jesus loved the poor. And Jesus loved the broken."

Wow. That is so true, and powerfully convicting.

Not that there is anything wrong with having a "perfect little wife, perfect little kids, and a beautiful little house",  - there isn't.
I think it is more of a challenge to live a more selfless life, not to be satisfied with just a quiet little life, but to be willing to step outside our comfort zone to reach out to the poor, the broken, and the oppressed, as Jesus did.
This has rung so true with the things the Lord has been repeatedly challenging me with - investing my life and everything I have in the work of His kingdom, ready and willing to do hard things.

I am adding a blog called "The Rebelution" to my blogroll. Please - I encourage you to read it, and be prepared to be challenged! The Harris twins, Alex and Brett, are the founders of the blog and the authors of the book Do Hard Things, a challenge to young adults to a 'rebellion against low expectations'.
This book was a tool God used to begin convicting me to rethink the teenage years, and to go against the culture's mentality towards young adulthood.

There have been many times in my life, in the past and recently, when I have not ''felt" really close to God, but I desire with all my heart to do His will, and in that He gives me peace.

Snow!

I guess I'm just really in a posting mood.

Our weather forecast says we are due for snow, up to 6+ inches!

We are really excited! We love snow, and if it's going to be cold and cloudy anyway, it may as well snow. It is so beautiful- it makes ordinarily plain things look pretty, and reflects so much light into the house. I hope it snows deep!

Here are some pictures from our last snow, when we went sledding at our cousins' house.

This is the sledding hill - the track was long and fast, but that uphill climb was quite the exercise!

Dad had an idea - everyone who tried going down facing forward had turned about halfway down and started going backwards. Theoretically, he supposed that beginning facing backwards would cause you to face forward, once you turned. Only problem was, he didn't get turned, so he went backwards all the way down! = )

Then a snowball fight began. The younger kids had built forts out of snow bricks, and had already laid in a supply of snowballs, so everyone else  (namely me, my dad, and cousin Isabel) got bombarded.

We defended ourselves well enough, until my younger brother got the idea to start throwing snow bricks at people - things got interesting - and a lot wetter!

My cousin Isaac had snow on the inside and the outside of his glasses! I've always thought that glasses should have a built in de-fog. ; D

After we were all thoroughly coated with snow, we decided to make height-order snow angels.

Some of them were kind of wobbly, but they were cute.

Mom and Dad

We had so much fun - it was wonderful to enjoy playing in the snow, and fellowshipping with family.