Starting Monday is our official Christmas break. After that I'll be half way done with my senior year of high school, the mixed emotions are over whelming. I have dreamed about this day since 6th grade. I've planned and planned yet all of those plans are now void due to my surrendering to the Lord. I use to have to all planned out, where I would go to college, what I would study, and what I would do after that. Even how many children I wanted! A "perfect" plan in my own eyes. Now I'm not so sure. It's never been a question of wither or not I'd go to college, my father has told me since I was eight that I was going to college, plain and simple. I was always told I'd complete college before I married and that was all there was to it. Now I'm confused, Yes I will be going to college since that is what my father wishes for me to do and my duty as a daughter and as a woman is to honor and obey him in all that I do; But now, there is no strong desire to go and get a degree. I feel no pull towards getting a career before I marry. I'm content with taking correspondence classes and learning to care for a home though other means. This spring I'll be taking some basic herb and family gardening classes. Those are the things that the Lord has turned my heart to, not going off and getting some expensive degree and getting a high paying job, then getting married and having children.

As I reach the half way point of this final year of schooling, I feel a thrill of pure happiness that 'yes its really going to happen!' I am also scared of what lays ahead, as I go into the college campus what temptations will I face and what challenges on my faith will I have to over come? Will I be able to over come these? I'm also hopeful, hopeful of that which the Lord is preparing for me. Every time I pray for my future husband and children I feel a hope for my future! I feel as if my life has a purpose and that I'm getting closer to one of the highest callings that the Lord has for me. I also sense waiting. My parents want to me to have finishes college before I can marry. I know that there will be temptation in this area. Will I be able to wait for His will? Will I ever meet the man the Lord has for me? Does he even have a mate for me or does he wish for me to remain single forever?

I feel as though I'm coming near the end of a road that I can't see around the next bend. I have no idea what is coming and I only have two options. One: Stay still in fear and never know the fullness of what the Lord has planned for me. 2: Go forward with faith and trust Him fully. My favorite verse, Jeremiah 29:11, reads: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
Even though I do not feel like I have an expected end all the time I know that I do. Faith is all that will get me though the remainder of this school year and all that lays ahead.

As I look back over the past few years I can see the working of the Lord in ways that then I didn't see. Times He lead me to those that would help and encourage me and times that he lead me to those that needed help and encouragement! My greatest desire of these upcoming years are that at the end of this part of my journey I'll be able to look back on my single years and say that I did not waste them! I want to be able to serve my God and others with all my heart during these years. I know that this season in my life is not meant for me to be finding a mate, but to be preparing my self for my mate though service to others and to the Lord. As I take an over view of the past few years I am amazed with how much I have changed and how much I have grown. It seems as if the past few years I've started a whole new "growth spurt". I'm done growing physically but no where near done growing spiritually and mentally.

I'm working on an end of the year post on the matter of personal growth so I won't go into detail here.

I guess the main thing I'm feeling is over whelming excitement. I'm about to finish HIGH SCHOOL! Its sort of like coming to the end of a good book. You are excited that its over but your sad that its coming to an end; But at least you know there's a sequel!

So what do I have left as far as school work?

I have to finish Geometry.
English 12.
Sonlight for history and literature.
Human anatomy.
My foreign language.

When do I plan to get my diploma?

The second or third week of May!

What do I plan on majoring in?

Education and anything that has to do with homemaking.

Well I could write for a loooong time on this subject but I'll save it for another week.
Have a great week end!

What do you do when the winter winds start to blow?

You Moisturize of course! Its that time of year again, winter. *sighs* I honestly dislike winter! Give me 100+ degrees any day over winter! Since its here I might as well face the facts and share how to keep your skin health all winter!

With winter often comes dry skin, but have no fears its relatively easy to prevent and or cure it!

1. We've all heard a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! So one way to keep that skin hydrated is drink water! How much should you be drinking? Take how much you weigh and divide it in half, that is the number of ounces you should be drinking each day.(approximately)

2. Cut back on the hot water in the shower and when washing your hands. The water does not have to be scolding! Hot water washes more of the skins natural oil and drains the skin of its moisture faster than cooler water! I'm NOT saying that you should take icy showers but just cut back on the hot a little.

3. Don't just assume that the same lotion you use the rest of the year will keep your skin soft in the winter. I just had to switch my face lotion because of this! I went from sensitive skin to an advanced hydrating lotion. My favorite facial lotion is the generic CVS brand its about 3 dollars cheaper than Olay and works just as well.

4. Use lotion every single time you bathe.

5. If you suffer from dry scalp in the winter try deep treating your scalp with some warm olive oil for about 15-20 minutes just to relieve the dryness and to add some moisture. Be sure to wash it out thoroughly!! Also there are shampoo/conditioners made just for dry scalp! My favorite shampoo/conditioner for dry scalp is Head and shoulders, you can normally find coupons and free samples at their website.

6. Don't forget your lips! Our lips are often exposed even when we're all bundled up! A simple chap stick can help prevent your lips from splitting and cracking. Carmex works wonderfully! Basic kind seem to work best for me, The fruity glossy lip gloss' may be fun but put on a base coat of protection first!


Keeping your skin healthy in the winter time is not hard, you just have to know how to do so. Got any tips? Share them!

Just for fun

Miss Lacy has tagged me!

~ The Rules ~

*Post the six to ten things that you do on a daily basis
*Link to the person who tagged you.
*Tag five other people
*Leave a comment on the blog of the person that tagged you letting them know that have posted this to your blog.
~*~ A rule I'm adding; you must tag at least one person who's blog you have either just found within the last week or some one who's blog that you don't know very well!


Let me think...

1. I feed my darlin' kitten and darlin' doggy
2. I brush my teeth! I hate having dirty teeth!
3. I read my Bible and pray
4. I wash dishes
5. I attempt to tidy up my room… <---ditto Lacy.
6. I check my e-mail
7. I knit
8. Check other peoples blogs.
9. Hmmmm...I read books other than my Bible
10. Thinking...hang on...do the wash!

Now, who to tag? :) How about.. (in no particular order):

1. Anna
2. ellielulu
3. Miss Serenity
4. My mom
5. Felecia
6. And any one else who wishes to do so!


In other news, My mother and I participated in an apron swap! I just wanted to share the lovely pictures of what my partern made for me!

Here is my lovely reversible apron!

A overview off all the charming items she blessed me with!


Ms. Melinda included not only the mandtory apron, cookie cutter, and cookie recipe, but she graceculy sent me a notepad cover, an awesome folding shoping bag which I spent a good amount of time folding and refolding into a small purse size bag, and sprinkles! Which will be wonderful on sugar cookies!
About the shopping bag, Its really neat. Its a full size bag, that has a pocket on the outisde, once your done with it you fold it up neatly and it contains itself in the pocket!



You can buy the pattern she used here!

You can find her blog here

One last topic for this post. My mouth is pretty much fully healed! I had no infection nor complications other than the pain medicine making me depressed, The Lord mercifully dulled the pain more quickly then was expected so I was able to drop the hydrocodone within the first two days instead of dragging it out for a week. I'm still taking the penicillin just for precautions as the oral surgeon said but the lacerations are almost fully healed and just barely swollen! I should be 100% set to sing this coming Sunday! I praise God that He kept me in good health though the removing of my wisdom teeth.

Why I don't wear pants.

I've been asked this question a lot lately. At work I'm constantly asked why I'm wearing a skirt since its freezing out side. Even friends at church have questioned the change, so I'm going to address the issue and share my journey into wearing skirts.
This is going to be a somewhat hard thing to write mainly because so many people dear to me don't share the same view so I'm going to try my best to not offend anyone but chances are I will, so before warned.


I've been wearing just skirts for about three or four months now except for bed time. I found the feelin' feminine challenge and took it for a spin. at the end of the week I felt very feminine and just plain lady like. I started wearing skirts more then but it was a ways later that I started wearing just skirts. I used to love jeans, they were comfy and to me practical. I used the excuse that they could be modest even though, at times, I wore them tighter than I should have! When any one would mention wearing skirts instead I would blow them off and give the whole spill about "that being a thing of the past" and that pants are just more practical. Yeah right, so far I've been able to do every thing that I was able to do in pants in a skirt and still be modest.

One of the largest arguments I had for wearing pants was also the lamest of all. "some pants are more modest then some skirts. Skirts can be immodest to!" Looking back I see how completely lame this was. Yes skirts can be immodest, but just because a skirt can be immodest why does that mean that pants are acceptable? I've heard "well if you compare a mini skirt or a long full skirt with a thigh high slit to a pair of loose jeans then the jeans are more modest". OK, this is a huge cop out! You don't say well candy is better for you then a rotten apple! Thus candy is better for you! Another excuse is some things can't be done in skirts! Well, the pioneer women wore skirts all the time and they rode horse, drove wagons, and walked for miles over rough land all in skirts. Simply lengthening the skirt can fix a lot of problems with modesty, but I'll get to that later. Another thing I hear and use to use was "I'll freeze!" dear madam may I introduce you to the microfiber tights! I wore these for the first time last night and I stayed as nice and warm as if I was wearing blue jeans.

So lets debunk each of these myths one by one. The first one I've already taken care of.

Second myth: Some things just need pants. If you wear a knee length skirt out hiking things are gonna show, that's the long and short of it. If you wear a long skirt, mid calf or longer, then you should be able to walk and do moderate climbing with out showing it all. If this is still a fear wear long walking shorts under your skirts! How about skirted culottes? These are wonderful creations. They are like walking shorts that have a built in skirt over them! Like skorts but the skirt goes all the way around. Unlike normal culottes these aren't insanely full so they don't balloon out and fly up when you run.

Third myth or excuse: I'll freeze!
Again let me intrude you to microfiber tights! These are so warm and stylish! Don't like tights? How about knee length socks? Or layering? The day after thanksgiving we went out to a homestead farm and let me tell ya it was cold! I wore an ankle length jean skirt and two under skirts and I was warm! To my delight there where a lot of ladies in long modest skirts! For once I didn't feel like I was a minority but back to the subject at hand. It is possible to stay warm in skirts it just takes some creativity. Here's a set of links to different blog post on staying warm in skirts:
http://krisantecountrymom.blogspot.com/2008/10/skirts-and-staying-warm_25.html
http://buriedtreasurebooks.com/weblog/?p=1189 this one is just about staying unfrumpy.
http://susangodfrey.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/keeping-warm-in-dressesskirts/

I'm not going to get into the legality of pants and skirts but here are some links for your own reading.
http://plainhomesteading.blogspot.com/2008/09/pants-are-not-for-woman.html
http://lilyamongthorns16.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/why-skirtsdresses-only
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldPathsMom/589071/
http://www.tanbooks.com/doct/dressing.htm


For the record I do NOT look down on those who wear pants. I do NOT think this is a matter of salvation merely an issue of obedience.

The tale of two kitties

As y'all know on October the 10th my mother found four orphaned day old kittens. We lost two with in the first week while the other two grew into health kittens. Last week I had to give Gus-Gus to a lady with whom I work and the other is now my very own!

So here is a slide show of the last seven weeks of my dear kittens.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30433983@N02/show/
I could figure out how to add a slide show to my post so I had to use a link to my mom's flickr! If any one knows how to add one directly to a post please tell me how to do so!


The cutie with the cooper spot on her head is Izzy, short for Isabella. The handsome black one is Gus-Gus.


Also I wanted to share how my wisdom teeth execration went.
I meet the dentist and with in 15 seconds of meeting him he had the I.V in and with in 2 seconds of the iv I was totally out. I don't remember anything after that til the car ride home where I'd wake up and panic then fall back asleep just to do the same thing over and over again every 10 minutes. Once we reached the garage my mother told me to stay in the car and she'd help me out. Either I didn't hear her or I didn't understand her but I tried to get out on my own and I promptly fell on the floor resulting in my 16year old brother having to carry me inside, which I don't remember either. Next thing I know I wake up an hour later in my bed as confused as before and for the next 2 hours I as in and out of my foggy daze. When I did wake up I was in pain, and a lot of it! Thankfully I was able to take some painkiller that worked almost immediately. The medicine I'm on to prevent infection is making me quite sick to my stomach and a little dizzy but over all I'm doing quiet well.
I still get dizzy when I stand up a lot and when ever I eat but its not near as bad as the first day. Also I can't open my mouth very much and moving my tongue hurts something awful! So I'm avoiding talking and eating only soft food. I'm praying that tomorrow I'll be back up and running!

Using everyday events as a witness.

Being that I can be painfully shy in front of people that I don't know and even with those I do know I have a difficult time sharing the Gospel and declaring the saving power of Jesus with every one in a bold way but I have found that the Lord often brings situations into my life in which I can share the Gospel in a small way.

Monday I will be having my wisdom teeth removed. I was shocked to hear that I would have to take a pregnancy test since I'm going to be lightly sedated. I had seen the sign that declared that all women of childbearing age must have one but I didn't view my self in that category. I simply told the lady that it was unnecessary and that there was no way I could be pregnant, she told me that I could sign a waver testifying that I'm not pregnant if I wished to do so. After my consolation I was talking to my choir director's wife and she told me that the same thing had happend to one of her grown daughters and she had been able to use it as a quick witness of her christian faith. I hadn't thought of it this way. So since then I have been planning on how to use this as a witness. Instead of just saying that I was a virgin inform the lady that I'm a christian and as a born again believer that I believe in all forms of abstinence until marriage or something along those lines.

Other ways I've been able to get a living testimony have been at work. When guys ask me out or ask if I'm single, I'm able to tell them that I believe in waiting for a relationship until God brings the most perfect man along for me, and that til that day I'm building a strong walk with my Savior. I've been able to give out a few tracts this way. Also when customers tell me that they enjoy my smile and that I'm always so friendly I'm able to tell them what makes me so happy all the time. One night the other ladies I was working with where being very short and rude and I have a middle age woman thank me for being to polite and helpful, I thanked her but told her that I'm simply trying to show others the same love that God showed to me. Some people just smile at me like I'm crazy but I've had others seem interested in the Peace that I have though Christ. There are a few godly christian that often encourage men with their witness, They come in my store regularly always dressed modestly, the ones that have children have their children dressed modestly as well and they are behaving like good children. The power of our life testimony is strong even when we're not thinking about it, it shows. At the grocery store, at work, at school, and even at home our lives are always speaking of what in out hearts; the only question is, Is it good or is it a bad witness?

1 Timothy 4:12 (King James Version)
"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

Alphe Bet.

Dear MJ over at a pondering heart wrote about the Alphe Bet! The song has been running in my mind since I first listened to it before my concert! So consider you self warned before you listen to it! Also, I was eager to learn my Hebrew name but quickly found out that Sydney is a boys name only is Hebrew and well...I'm not a boy! The video is super cute and funny, as sad as it to admit it I watched to four times...in a row. Its late and I just got back from a concert so I won't write a whole article like I had planned and I can't find my cord to upload pictures like I had wanted so I'll just share Dear MJ's post with y'all!

How to read the Bible daily

In my last post I spoke of the importance of daily Bible reading. In this one I'm going to share how to do this. The only way to read the Bible daily is to have a set time to do so each day. If you don't have a planned time them more likely than not it will fall to the way side. So first things first. Pick a time to spend time alone with God. Tell your family or at least your mother so that she can either help keep your accountable or so that she knows when to let you have alone time and not disturb you.

Secondly you have to get into worship mood. For me this means covering my hair and just having a few minutes of silence while I focus on God. I then pray for God to open my eyes to His Word and I then start to read. The hardest part of this is tuning out distractions. If the weather is nice maybe go outside or if you’re indoors shut your bedroom door and just ignore everything else.

Thirdly, want something, have a goal. We only get out what we put into something. If we approach the Heavenly Father with a casual "lets get this over with so I can mark off today" attitude then that’s all we will get out of it. A day to mark off the calendar. If you approach the Word with a "lets see what He can show me today" attitude then the Lord will show us and or teach us something.

Fourthly, Deal with any sin that’s in your heart. Some one once said “Sin will keep you from this Book and this Book will keep you from sin". When there is a heart issue then we will have a hard time reading the Good Book. If there is someone that you need to forgive then forgive before you try to have your prayer time. When we go to God with sin in our hearts it’s like talking to him though a wall we know he's there but we don't feel Him quite the same. The experience has been dulled by our sin. It’s like trying to eat a piece of cake with a burnt tongue. There is still a little enjoyment but near as much! I know that spending time with God is nothing like eating cake but the allegory is still the same.

Five, Have a note book and pen ready. If you read a verse that really stands out write it down so you can read it again when you need some encouragement. Maybe have a little section in a notepad for different kind of verses; encouragement, prayer help, fear, and praise etc.

Six, keep a concordance handy. These are wonderful tools! I had never really used one until I started my study on head coverings and it proved to be extremely useful! Many have Greek and Hebrew dictionaries in them as well which is nice when you don't know the meaning of a word or you just want more clarification.

Seven, Keep an open mind. Be willing to do what ever God shows you. Don't allow your self to become harden to the Word. When ever you receive correction, apply it to your life and or corrects the wrong that you've been shown. If we harden our hearts them the Lord will stop showing us stuff and we will become bitter and useless to the Lord.

Any tips or helpful thoughts? Please share! We can all benefit from learning from each other! So don't hide your candle under a bush!

Senior Shirt

Over the weekend I received my senior shirt! So this post is a hearty thanks to MJ over at A Pondering Heart and to the Homeschool Boutique!
Pictures are to follow shortly! Its rather late in the evening and all ready getting quite dark out.

When I pulled the package from the P.O Box I was so thrilled! My mom tried to tell me that she was going to put it up for Christmas but I had already started opening it right there in the lobby! Thankfully she was joking and allowed me to finish opening it! Top marks to The Boutique and to dear MJ for having such a wonderful blog and doing a grand giveaway!

As New Born Babes...

...desire the sincere milk of the word,
that ye may grow thereby:" 1 Peter 2:2, KJV

Being some what close in age to my younger brothers I never really knew how new born babies ate nor how fiercely they desired milk! As I feed my kittens this verse pops into my head and makes me giggle at first then sends my mind into a deep train of thought. Do I desire my Bible and time alone with God like these babies desire their milk? Have you ever seen a baby eat? They suck like theirs nothing else in the world, just them and the source of milk! When my kittens start to cry they want milk! And they want it now!! If I tried to give them something else they would cry even louder and start throwing a little kitty fit. Nothing will fill their passion except the milk! When they see the bottles now they start pawing the air in attempts to get to eat sooner! They want to drink! They want to drink till they can drink no more. My hands now show testament to how much of a fight they put up to eat. They knead their paws and they claw like crazy just to get what they want. Milk.

No one tells a baby or in my case a kitten "you've already eaten once today, surely you don't need more milk!" or "are your sure you really need that much milk, surely it won't hurt you to cut back or skip it for one day". When a baby stops eating it cause for worry! We don’t think well I guess its ok for him to skip it just this one day I mean he can always catch up later. NO! We would have to be crazy to think that it’s ok for a newborn baby not to eat for a whole day. Two of the four kittens died, they both stopped eating. When they started to skip meals I was worried and I knew that they couldn't make it with out milk, I tried and tried to coax them into eating but it didn't work, they passed on. I think they may have been sick from the start and that’s why they died but I'll never know. Any ways back to the Bible study! When my kittens stopped eating it was cause for alarm! Something was wrong! Yet how many Christians skip their Bible reading and think nothing of it? A few years back a group of teenagers started a summer Bible study with our pastor their was only 6 of us at the most and on the very first day he asked how many of us had a regular time with God. To my surprise, and relief, I wasn't the only one who struggled with this! Others had a hard time getting into the word as well!

Its easy to fall out of the habit of daily Bible reading, you stay out late one night and then when you get home your so tired that you don't even think about reading your Bible, Or you wake up later than you had planned and your realize that you don't have enough time to get all your stuff done, so the Bible falls to the way side.

Why is daily Bible reading so important? Here are top ten reasons according to more questions than answers


10. To know your King and Savior
9. To grow (1 Peter 2:2)
8. So you can claim the promises that are yours in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20)
7. To see some awesome examples of faith (see Hebrews 11 for a start)
6. To be rooted and grounded in Him (Colossians 2:6-7)
5. So you can stand firm in the trials of life (lots of references!)
4. To know your marching orders
3. To avoid pitfalls
2. For more powerful prayer--what better thing is there to pray than God's own word?
1. Who doesn't love a good, well awesome, love letter?


I have never received a love letter, but once my earthly prince sends me one I'm sure I will cherish it and read it over and over again! How much more should I do so with my Prince of Princes? I personally find it hard sometimes to read my Bible. Either I don’t have time or I just lack the desire to dive into His word. But how many of us would take a letter from our loved one and just set it aside and not even bother with reading it? I know that I read my letters, wither it’s via the postbox or via the e-mail, A.S.A.P!

If you struggle in your Bible study may I suggest getting an accountability partner? Someone who will ask you how your Bible study is going and will up lift you when you succeed and will admonish you with love when you fail. I don't have an official one but my mother often does this for me and I know that when she asks if I haven't done it yet I better! Cause chances are she'll ask again!

Another great tip that my previous pastor gave me was to set a time and place to spend with the Lord daily. If your like me and you think the best at night do your Bible study/Heavy reading before bed; but remember to start each day with prayer and maybe even a proverbs or Psalms to get your mind thinking on God.
If your one of those morning people who thrive in the morning, I don’t understand you people but hey, its ok you can be a little off in the head I won't tell; then spend time with God in the morning first thing! If you have a busy morning and evening then spend time with God in the afternoon! The time is not important! The important thing is to spend time with your Lord and Savior every single day!

When I first started attending church I thought that you had to wake up early in the morning and read a prescribed number of chapters from certain books of the Bible in order to have a "real" Bible study. What works best for me is to read until the Lord shows me something, some times that's a few verses, some times its five, six, even seven chapters but I always try to read until the Lord shows me something. Before I open my Bible I pray Psalm 119:18 “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.” Obviously the psalmists are not talking about the physical eyes but the eyes of the heart. The Lord will not just drop divine inspiration on our laps ever day unless we're seeking him and earnestly desiring to know him.
Luke 11:9 reads: "and I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."
The tells us that if we ask and knock He will show us what the Bible says! He will not hide his truth from those who sincerely seek his face. He made withhold His will from us for awhile but in the end He shows us what He means.

My next post will be on how to set up a time and place to read the Bible and some other practical ways to get into the Bible and how to really study it. I've always been told to study my Bible but no one every told me how to study it. So I plan on sharing some ways that I've learned to really study and learn from what you read.

Second Thessalonians 3:13 "Brethren, be not weary in well doing."
Psalms 1:2 "2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night"

New e patterns!

Jennie Chancey owner of Sense and Sensibility patterns has just converted most of her patterns into ePatterns. If you have never been to her site you have got to get over there.

Her patterns are beautiful, elegant and best of all modest. I'm looking forward to getting some my self!

I'm sorry that I haven't posted for awhile but things are slowing down and I'm 3/4 done with my next post! I also want to let y'all know that even thought I haven't been commenting on your blogs I have been reading them! So, please, don't think I've forgotten my friends!

Please look for my next post on Friday!

Playing mommy

Last night when I called my house from work, my dad picked up the phone. This is strange because my mom normally answers the phone, so I asked where mom was. I heard a sigh and he told me she was feeding the cats, I was like "what??" as being we don't have cats and that my dad strongly dislikes cats! All he said was I don't want to talk about it! Then my mom called me back after she was done and told me that she had found four newborn kittens that had been abandoned. They can't be more than 2 days old because they still have their cords. She and my brothers had found them wandering blindly around the yard of the empty house next to ours; cold and crying pitifully. They found the first to in the early evening then a few hours later went back to make sure they found them all and found two more even colder and still alone and crying.

By the time I got home they had eaten once and where curled up in a box asleep. Four little balls of fuzzy-ness! Last night they slept in my room and I was up every few hours checking on them and trying to feed them. So far they are all doing quite well and are currently sleeping in a plastic tote box lined with blankets right next to me. The only pictures we have of them are on my mom’s camera so I'll have to wait to post them. Oh, you want me to tell you what they look like? Ok, since you asked about my babies! One is black, one is black with gray stripes, the other is black with a tan spot on his head and a white mouth, and the other is black with gray and tan stripes. They are so cute and just so tiny; they fit in my hands so perfectly!

I told y'all that I would post the response I got about my head covering! So here it goes! Wednesday night most people thought it was just a wide headband, a few girls who knew what I was doing said that it looked very pretty and one girl even said I looked like Maid Marian from Robin Hood, I guess that’s a good thing? She said it like it was! Then last night at work a man was having a conversation and was cursing every so often, when we saw me and looked at my head he quickly apologized for his rough language and said that he hoped he hadn't offended me! I think tomorrow is when the rest of the church people will notice that I'm wearing headcoverings which makes me very nervous! So once again I promise to tell y'all how it goes!

Have a great weekend!

~Home School Senior Give Away~

Attention all homeschool seniors! Miss Jocelyn. is giving away a totally awesome senior shirt! Homeschool Boutique was very generous and donated one to MJ in order to give away! I've visited the boutique a few times and every time I have I've been greatly impressed with the products! So even if your not a senior check them out! They have christian t-shirts for non-homeschoolers too!
So what are you waiting for?? Click on one of the links and sign up if your a senior!

Tagged and some pictures!

First of all I was tagged!
by Lacy at A Godly Maiden

The Rules

Link to the person(s) who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write six random things about yourself.
Tag sixish people at the end of your post.
Let each person know he or she has been tagged.
Let the tagger know when your entry is up
So let’s see.. six random things about myself…


Hmmm Something random about me...

1. I have a slight obession with knitting books! Slight might be a tad of an understatment.
2. I have a little stuffed sheep keychain that snores when I squeeze it!
3. I've broken all my toes at least once and I think I've broken a few twice.
4. My goal is to grow my hair out to my waist again, when I was 8-9 I could sit on it!
5. When I'm nervous I fiddle with anything that I can get my hands on. Even when I'm not nervous I fold all my papers with out even thinking about it! It drives my mom crazy!
6. Some times I drop my "g's" and I say y'all instead of you all.

So how is my next victum...I mean who should I tag...hmmmmm...I know!

I tag anyone who reads this! Just joking, I tag anyone who wants to do this!


OK now for my pictures!

I wasn't able to attend church Sunday because my family was still getting over being sick so tonight will be my first ngiht to wear it to church. The past week I've worn it full time, mainly just to get used to wearing one before church and also just to see how it feels, I'm still praying about when I should be wearing one but in the mean time here are some pictures of a few that I've made/bought.


Little brother zoom out alittle please!



Thanks! Ok this one I made from some fabric my mom bought, its basicly just a bandana with ties.





This is the one I bought from Garlands of Grace! Front and Back. Also, I'm wearing this one to church tonight.



This is simply a bandana I bought a while back from goodwill and finally found a use for it! It matches my choir polo perfectly! My youngest brother (and my photograhier) likes this one best of all.


Well, off I go to church! I hope that this weekend I'll be able to share the response I get tonight!

When the waiting is easy

We always hear about how hard it is to wait, waiting in line at the bank or in the drive thru at a fast food place, and especially for Gods perfect some one and will for our lives; but how often do we hear about the joys of waiting? On some of your dear blogs I read about your joys of waiting and of your joys of training to be keepers at home, but up until now its been a huge struggle for me, currently I am very content with waiting. Right now I feel as if I'm not missing out on anything.
What bought this change? I'm not sure, I think it’s because I've take a few steps back and started examine my life. "Am I really ready to get involved with this young man?" or "do I really have all the traits that a wife/mother should have?" The answer is no! In six months I'll be legally an adult and by law I'll be viewed as ready to marry but we all know that we should use Gods' measuring tape and not the world's.

When I started looking at how my life measured up to Gods' yardstick I found a few areas lacking. As I've been working on these things I've felt a peace come over me about waiting. I realize that God had work for me to do as a single lady and that I must complete this before He shows me the next part of my life. How long will this take? I can't even begin to fathom! But you know what else I'm looking forward to the wait. Strange as it may sound I'm pleased to be in waiting. I'm under going some of the most important years of training in my life. Right now decisions that I make will shape my future.

As dear sister Sarah Mally writes in her book Before You Meet Prince Charming our purity is like a gift given us from The King. This gift must not only be given to the right person but at the right time. We can’t put this gift on a shelf to protect but instead it goes with us every where, even the slightest mishandling can damage it. We see others sharing their gifts’ around freely with others and we see the "fun" there having and we begin to wonder, do I really have to guard it this much? Well of course the answer is yes. Instead of watching the others ruin and damage there gift we should focus on the other tasks The King has given us. Such as being a servant to others and learning the things that He wants us to perfect. The gift I’m talking about is our heart and our purity.
Right now I'm not thinking about the future to much, of course I’m thinking about it some being in my last year of high school but mainly I'm striving to be a better servant in my home and working on being a better servant to my God. When I see all the work that needs to be done in this world I realize that it’s not my time yet, my time right now is to work in this world but not work for this world. Currently my calling is to be a candle while serving others and pointing them to Jesus.

Fairly recently a young man was showing a little interest in me. Needless to say I was flattered and he was a very nice young man so I started talking to him. Being careful to guard my heart I would smile a short smile when he passed and keep our conversations short and in groups of other friends. Yet, something was not right. At first it seemed as though it was just a friendship but later I realized that unless I put up a stop sign it could turn into something more! I realized that this young man was not what I had thought him to be but I didn't see this, I won't say how or why, but the Lord opened my fathers eyes to why this was heading towards a dangerous place and he then show me how this young man was not the right one for me at all.
I was consoled to not let anything form between him and I but to just keep a very causal and just friend relationship with him. Some how the Enemy used this as a door to plant a seed of discontent. I began to miss what I had never had, a real relationship with a young man.

Even though I was guarding my heart and protecting my self from becoming emotionally attached to this young man, who was not the right one for me, I let in what is called discontentment. This is where we begin to think that God just might be holding out on us, maybe, just maybe He doesn't really have a plan for us. We started to get antsy and we get flustered with our command to be set a part and to be an example of the believer with our purity.
This is very dangerous! We should never doubt that God has a perfect plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11 says: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." I once heard how we see life this way.
A grandmother was sitting in her rocking chair working on some embroidery and her little granddaughter was sitting on the floor looking at the underside of her grandmother’s work. The little girl just saw the knots and crossed stings and asked her granny "why are you making such a mess? Surely you can do better, I've see it before!" The grandmother just smiled and said "you'll see once I'm finished dear one" so after the grandmother had finished her work she showed the little girl the right side of the work and the girl saw that it was a beautiful picture and that it was just a good if not better than all the others her grandmother had ever done! The wise old grandmother told the young girl " this is just like our life we see the under side and doubt Gods abilities and question Him, but God sees the right side and tells us "you'll see once I'm done working on you", so dear one don't doubt that God has a plan for you, you just can't see it yet".
Once I heeded my father’s wisdom the Lord began to work in my heart and removed that seed of discontentment and began to point out areas that I needed to be working on.


So right now waiting is easy for me, God is working my life and is holding my hand tightly as I walk though this life. As for now, I'm fully trusting HIM and keeping my eyes towards my Savior and waiting, joyfully waiting.

Free Give Away!!!

My mother is giving away a free apron and bonnet for a little girl! Perfect for dress up or for anything else a little girl could want it for! I know I used to enjoy playing pioneers with my best friend clear up until I was 12 or so! All you have to do is leave a comment on her blog to be entered! If you have a little sister or maybe you just know a little girl that would like, be sure to leave my mom a comment! You never know, you might win it!

*************************************************************************************
Up-Coming post!

~When the waiting is easy~

Headcoverings

I feel like I've abandoned my poor little blog the last few weeks but I've been reeeeeeeally busy! So heres a little peek into whats been on my mind.

What I'm about to write it not to change anyone’s ideas or to try to make y'all see this my way but simply to let y'all know what’s going on and to know what I've personally decided to do.

The past few months I've been having a really hard time doing my personal devotions because every time I did I would stumble upon First Corinthians 11 and would be so confused that I simply did not want to read anything else. So this past month I've gone all out studying about head coverings and I doubt my concordance has ever been used that much. Website after website, article after article just confirmed what I had been feeling; I needed to be wearing a head covering in church. I spent a week just praying, and then I spent some time doing a semi-deep study on the topic. I then came to the conclusion that I should be covering my hair at least in church services at this point.

As I said in the beginning I'm not trying to convince any one that they should do they same but I do want to share why I'm doing this. First let’s look at the passage in question.

1Cr 11:1 be ye followers of me, even as I also [am] of Christ.
1Cr 11:2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered [them] to you.
1Cr 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man; and the head of Christ [is] God.
1Cr 11:4 every man praying or prophesying, having [his] head covered, dishonoureth his head.
1Cr 11:5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with [her] head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
1Cr 11:6 for if the woman be not covered let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
1Cr 11:7 for a man indeed ought not to cover [his] head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
1Cr 11:8 for the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
1Cr 11:9 neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
1Cr 11:10 for this cause ought the woman to have power on [her] head because of the angels.
1Cr 11:11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
1Cr 11:12 for as the woman [is] of the man, even so [is] the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
1Cr 11:13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
1Cr 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
1Cr 11:15 but if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for [her] hair is given her for a covering.

When I first started studying this I, like most people I know, thought it to be only for those women in that day. But when I looked at the word "every woman" in the Greek it means "with out exclusions" "every virgin, married woman, or widow". Since I happen to fall into that group thus the passage is a command to me.
Then I started wondering is the hair a covering? Yes, it is "a" covering but not "the covering". If we where to use the word hair in place of covering, the passage would not make much since. It would sound something like "if a woman has short hair let her hair be cut short".
It would also mean that men would have to be bald. The word Covered means to let something hand down and to cover thoroughly. The verses also implies that it is it be something that we can take off and put on as we please, I don’t know bout y'all but I can't take my hair on and off at will.

Another verse that speaks of the covering of the hair is Isaiah 47:1-2

Isa 47:1Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: [there is] no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.
Isa 47:2 Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, and pass over the rivers.
Isa 47:3 Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen...

In this passage God is referring to the daughters of Babylon and their nakedness. He tells Babylon to sit on in the dust and to leave her high position of being a virgin and to show her nakedness to the entire world by uncovering her hair and by exposing her thighs. Her shame is to show her hair and thighs, both of which should be covered.

I've only told my family and 3 friends about this decision so far and almost every was very supportive of me even if they did not agree. I had one friend look at me very funny as was like "...why?", One who also covers her head was praying for me and was very supportive the whole time and I know she won't ever read this but I do want to thank her! So am I nervous about my first time to go to church covered? YES! Very much so. I know that it will rock the boat a bit and that people are going to laugh, but I also know that I must do what I feel the Lord is calling me to do, even if that means going against what people expect me to do and what the consider normal. If you would like to read more about this subject please vist Miss Lacy’s blog.
She and I have e-mail back and forth a few times about head covering and I found her to be a great encouragement!

I haven't gotten my first covering yet but it should be here any day! I order it from Garlands Of Grace!

When I get it I'll be sure to post some pictures and tell y'all how my first day of wearing it goes!

Feeling Feminine Challenge Day Two

Yesterday was a very busy day, or so it felt. In reality I didn't do that much but it just felt rushed for some reason. It was rainy all night which means that I slept really well and deep, it also means that I slept in!
I woke up and after basic morning stuff (eating, dressing,brushing my teeth, Devtions ect.) I started my morning with Physics. I'm only three days into it, so far I am enjoying it greatly, check back with me in a few months and see if I'm still saying that.

As for what I wore, I wore my choir uniform to choir (go figure) and then I also wore it to work I just threw my "fashionable" apron over it!
(no that is not a bad spot on my shirt I just blurred the choirs name on it! The wonder of ADOBE PHOTOSHOP!)
Over all it was a very quiet night but I sure was glad when I called my mom and told her that I was done at work and she could pick me up.
Tonight is church and since I help teach one of the chrildrens class we have to be there early so I wont have time to post todays pictures until tomorrow, So I'm thinking that I'll be posting my pictures a day behind.

I hope all y'all have a great night a church/Bible study or w/e you will be doing tonight!

The Feelin' Feminie challange

I've done the feellin’ feminine challenge once before but I'm doing it again and this time with my mom! This past week and a half I've stopped wearing pants, so I guess you could say I'm on the challenge permanently. So this time my mom and I will be sharing our pictures and writing out posts together! So here’s my picture for to day!


To day I went to my yearbook/photography class, most every one there was in pants so I felt a little out of place at first but quickly got over than and went crazy taking pictures of the class I had been assigned to photograph. Other than that I’ve just done school and hung around the house.
At the end of this week I'm going to try and make a slide show with all our different pictures.

On another note I was awarded a blog award.

Dear Miss Kira was the dear lady that gave it to me. I'd highly encourage you all to vist her blog and to vist the other ladies to whom she gave the award! I wasn't told how many people to give it to so, in no particular order I give it to:


Mia At Aspiring Homemaker.

Paige At Retro-Belle

Samantha At running after HIS heart

Pray for China

Please the the following then vist this link to recive your free pray for china band

*"The eyes of the world will soon be on the Olympics. But the eyes of God remain on His children and especially those who suffer for their faith.

Despite what you may hear in the news, Chinese Christians who refuse to register with the government controlled church are being persecuted. Many have undergone horrific suffering.

Recently a prominent representative of a group of house churches in China asked Christians throughout the free world to pray for China during the Olympics. The Voice of the Martyrs, in partnership with China Aid Association, has accepted that call and has produced the Olympic Prayer Band. We would like to invite you to request one for free to wear during the Olympics. Similar prayer bands will also be distributed to house church Christians in China and they will be praying for you as well."

*Taken from the VOM webpage.
We might not be able to go to China ourselves but we can pray for the Chinese people!
I want to challange every one to pray for china and for 5 minutes a day for 30 days just five minutes for 4 weeks thats just 6 hours and 15 mitues for a whole month! I know I spend that much time doing other things. So maybe while your doing the wash or taking the dog for a walk, or what ever you'll stop and take five minutes to pray for China. Maybe if we do this then the Lord will work in China maybe we'll see a diffence.
If you want yo take this challange please join the Mister linky and add a link to the VOM site, spread the word and lets see how many people we can get in on this! I'm going to start the challange on the 22nd of this month, so tell as many people as you can between on and then and get ready to get on your knees!

When others laugh

Laughter often is a good thing and mainly makes me smile but last week it almost made me cry.
Its been awhile since I've been teased for my standards and when I was it was mostly from my "back sliding" friends who didn't care that I had standard's but just teased for something to do in a light manner; but the other night at work a lady in her late 40's said something that really just made me want to cry a little. We were talking about sewing and she asked if I had sewn my skirt, I replied that yes I had and she then asked why I made it so long (mid-calf). I told her that I didn't wear anything that came above my knees. She looked stunned but only for a second, she then proceed to ask me if I was ashamed of my body, I blushed a little and told her that I try my best to dress modestly. She then asked me if I thought my self so tempting that I had to hide my body lest I tempt a man into the "scarlet sin". She carried on by asking me if I was a Christian, I told her that yes I was hoping that I'd be able to plant a seed of the gospel in her heart but she quickly shut that door. She, in a very loud jeering voice, began to interrogate me further but asking if I was one of those "holier than thou Baptist" who looks down on women who know that their good looking and show what they got. This went on for about 15 minutes before I finally left. I was biting my tongue so hard to keep from ruining my testimony and from running my mouth back at her. Thankfully God helped me control my self and I was able to leave the lady with no ill thing to say of me.

Her laughter when she asked if I thought I was to hot to dress in nice clothes, cut deep. I've always tried to keep from looking frump and still look modest and I think (most of the time) that I’ve managed that; but that lady who so brazenly mocked my standards did leave some doubt in my mind. All that night I was slightly embarrassed by my long skirt and the fact that my shirt was buttoned almost all the way up, thankfully this did not last long. Then something came to mind that my last pastor’s wife had once told me, prayer for the people who laugh at you because they need it more than your hurt pride needs it. So I started praying for that lady at first I wasn't to kind in my prayers simply referring to her as "that rude lady" then I got convicted by the hold spirit and began to see her as what I once was. A sinner in need of a Savoir, so instead of being hurt and angry I began to pray for her soul.
I know that it’s not easy to blow of hateful comments but in the end it’s more damaging to harbor bitterness than the comment was its self! Here are some things to keep in mind when people mock and are just plain down right mean about your standards or anything else you might get teased about.

1. Chances are that the person in question is not saved or if they are they are not living the life that they should be, so pray for them, yes easier said then done I know!

2. What truly matters is not what man thinks but what God thinks about our life. We're here to please God not man! Yes, it is nice to have mans approval but some times it is impossible to please God and man.

3. One thing that’s helpful to look back on is the day you made the decision to, in my case, dress modestly and remember why you made that choice to do what ever you committed to do.

4. The best thing to do is smile; nothing throws a person off like a smile! When some one starts to mess with ya just smile and politely say, "I'm sorry you feel that way, I wish that you had the same Peace I have from Christ". I wish I had said that, instead simply just excused my self and left the lady standing.

What do you find helpful when in a situation like this? Have you ever been mocked for your Christian life? What did ya do?

I hit something!

The past Monday I hit a HUGE mile marker, and no I did not hit it while driving! I got my drivers license! I've been holding off because I didn't want to pay for insurance befor I had enough money for a down payment on a car, and as of Friday the eighth I now have enough for a down payment! Them my mother informed me that I have to pay for about six months of insurance upfront. So, another two weeks, I can wait! I am mature! Yeah, incase ya can't tell I'm very excited and I'm border lining impatience!

Tuesday we started choir back and I was so excited to see all my old friends again from over the summer! I had to leave early so I didn't get to sing any but I still got to warm up and chat with old friends! This coming Monday I start my photography/year book class. Then the Monday after that I officially start my senior year in high school! The next few weeks are going to be a little busy getting back into the swing of things but I’m looking forward to it greatly!

Then for some not to good news today I'm heading to the dentist to get some x-rays to get my wisdom teeth checked out. They plan to remove them the first week of September and I'm more than a little nervous, I've never had any stitches or any type of operations. I know that it'll all work out but I'm still a little jittery. I have to leave in fifteen minutes but I wanted to let y'all know what’s been going on!

I'm working on a few posts right now that I think will be of some interest to my readers! I don't work tomorrow so I'm going to spend some time to comment on the blogs that I'm an avid reader of and writing some e-mails.
I hope y'all have a great summer day!

Growing up

When I was little I used to read books and I would wish for the life that the characters had and I used to believe once I reached that age my life would be perfect. When I was 12 or so I was very clumsy and out of place and I would read books and the main girl was in high school, she was smart, beautiful, went to parties, had her own car, had a cell phone, and yes you guessed it she had a boyfriend. I used to look in the mirror and try to see what I would like when I was "all grown up". When I was 15 I began to wonder why my life hadn't played out like I had planned for it to, after all I was in high school and I was almost sixteen and yet the only person I matched from my stories where the geeks and social rejects. My friends all seemed to match the girl that I thought we all grew up to be, they where beautiful, they had perfect hair, they always knew what to say and of course they had boys who followed them around wanting to date them.

Here I am at seventeen and very little of what I once dreamed would happen when I "grew up" has happened and I want very little of it to happen now. I have a job and can nearly buy a car, but I don’t see it as just a "ticket to freedom" as I once did now I see the payments, insurance, tags, inspections, and all the other things that my mother so graciously told me about!
I'm fairly bright, I wouldn't call my self smart but I wouldn't call my self stupid. I used to think that high school was all about parties and hanging out and those good grades just happened. Yeah right, I'm at the point where I realize that "hey if I wanna finish high school, I'm going to have to bare down and start cracking the books!" I'm also at the point where instead of reading the silly novels that I normally would check out from the library I've started checking out "how to ace your SAT's" and "how to survive Algebra" and books like that.
Cell phone? Well I started looking and instead of seeing the major "cool factor" I see a phone bill and a practical way to stay safe when I start driving my self around.

Beautiful, that’s one that I use to look for in the mirror everyday, to see if I had "blossomed" into a beautiful teenager that would be able to turn heads and have people say "wow! That girl is beautiful!" This is one that I wish I had learned along time ago. No matter how much I wished for straight blond hair and bright blue eyes I never got it, I never got a tan either.
Then one day I really looked at my self from some one else’s eyes, I had gotten a birthday card from a dear friend that said something like, Sydney your a very sweet girl, your beauty is in your smile and the way you include others and make them seem important...you make others feel beautiful. That’s when I really realized that I didn't want to be like the girls that I had read about, that I didn't have to meet this imagery stander before I could be considered grown up. I had already started down that road. It slowly dawned on me that I'm not some one in a book, I'm a real live person that already has her future written down; the only difference is my story has been written by the Master Author and not by some mere human author! The pages of my life and yours are being penned even as you read this and while I write this. God can see the full story where as we can only see what has already happened. We see what we want to be and what we are; God sees what we will be.

Tagged:again

I've been tagged again, and this time by my own mother!
Here are her rules
1) Link to the person who tagged me.
2) Mention the rules.
3) Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about myself.
4) Tag 6 other blogger´s by linking to them.
5) Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged.

I'm not going to tag anybody because not to long along I tagged a lot of people so I'm going to give it a rest for a bit.

1. I love wearing my hair down! I can't stand to have it up, but some times I do braid it back so it doesn't get in my way but I HATE wearing it all the way up!

2. When I get scared, nervous, or embarrassed I cover my face with my hands, I was totally unaware of this fact until I took drivers ed last year and my mother told me that she was sure that the first time I drove I'd end up covering my face like I normally do!

3. I kind of like house work, but I dislike having to do something more than once (like rewashing the kitchen sink because some one dirtied it up again)

4. I like folding laundry but I don’t like hanging it up in the closest.

5. If I could I would go barefoot all of the time! I dislike shoes but socks are ok.

6. I have an unexplained fear of answering machines. I'll hang up the phone and call back later rather than leave a message! They creep me out for no reason what so ever!


Upcoming post: Growing up isn't what I planned it to be!

A fine art

When I first planned to do this I was planning on using my own pictures and doing it all my self, but I couldn't get the pictures to work out so I decided to Leave a link to a wonderful video that had already laid out all the basics. If you do decide to learn how to knit let me warn you it is very addicting! I started knitting a few years back for a high school credit. The book from which I learned had no picture and very poor instructions, my mother and I where up most of the night trying to figure it out before we finally looked it up on-line and watched a few videos and it finally clicked. Ever since that night I've been running head first full speed into the world of knitting. Yarn is under my bed; knitting needles sit in a vase in my bookshelf and sometimes they even, some how I have no idea how, wind up on the couch! Knitting books and patterns find their way into my stacks of books at the library and hop into my arms from selves. Six months ago or so I talked my mom into taking me to a yarn store just to look, wow! I saw yarn I never knew existed! Things like cobweb mohair, rabbit hair yarn, self stripping, wool, cotton, and sock yarns!

I've dreamed knitting before; about a month into learning how to knit I decided I wanted to try my hand at ribbing, which is mixing the purl and the knit stitch on the same row. No matter what I tried I had a giant knot of yarn that looked nothing like the desired project. That night I had a dream and in my dream I figured it out, so at 2 am I grabbed my knitting needles and started to do it. The next morning I hurried and looked at what I had done and to my amazement it was right! I'm not a very reckless person most of the time, I normal think things though first, but with knitting it’s a different story. I open a book and see something that I want to try and I grab needles and yarn and start going, more than once I get a little ways into the project and realize I don’t know how to do cables and right then and there I mess around and makes lots of mistakes. Then that moment of dawning happens and I get it, it just clicks and all the sudden I can do it!

I've taught five people at my church/choir/work how to knit. I often hear "oh, I could never do that. It looks to hard." or "I don’t have the patience and/or coordination for that." I'm the worlds least coordination persons, if not the most then at least the top five. It does take a little thinking but if I can do it then anyone can do it. A knitter, whose books I love to read, says that "if you can dress your self you can knit, if you can dress your self and match then you can knit well".

So dear adventure enter the world of knitting if you dare. If you have any questions or need some clarifications then feel free to ask! So grab those needles and some yarn and get knitting!

Coupon giveaway and other great deals.

Hey Everyone! My mom is doing a coupon give away! All you have to do is leave a comment in order to be in entered in the drawling! It ends soon so be sure to check it out!

Also I got a flier in the mail to try Proactive for one month for free! I've only been using it for five days or so and I've already noticed a difference in my skin! I have very sensitive skin so I was nervous about trying it at first. All it did the first day was make my face pink because I just dived right in and started using all of it full force instead of waiting and slowing adding in the lotion like they suggest, but anyways =]. Any one that I refer can get the same deal I got pay 5.98 I believe it was for shipping and that’s it! Since I have to refer you I'll need you E-mail addresses. You can send me an e-mail with your name and e-mail address and I'll sign you up under me so you can get your free month worth too! In no way will I find out your home address or anything other than your e-mail. I'm really excited to find out how my skin will look at the end of the month! Again if you’re interested send me an e-mail at youngladyinwaiting.ymail.com. I hope to hear from y'all soon!

Simple Pleasures

Last night I was lying in bed, cuddled up in my freshly washed blanket and breathing the sweet aroma of sun dried laundry. As I was being intoxicated by this sweet smell I heard the sound of crickets chirping and began to think of the simple pleasures in life.

The next morning when I awoke I heard birds singing praises to their maker, I’m not really a morning person unless I have something that needs to be done, yet I could not help but smile at the sound of cheerful birds. Then when I went out to the garden and felt the warm summer breeze I inhaled the scent of the herbs my Prince had sent to my garden. I looked up at the sky admiring the heavens and the beauty of the Master artist. I then heard the sound of children giggling I looked two house down and saw some little girls playing in their backyard.
If any of you had seen me you would have wondered what had placed such a huge smile on my lips and the distant look in my eyes. My Prince was showing His love to me! He sent these things to me everyday but I rarely took the time to slow down and just inhale and soak up the wonder of it all!

I began to wonder what other gifts had my Lord given me that I over looked and I came up with a list of the simple pleasure of life.

A baby’s laughter and smile
Children playing.
The smile of a friend from across the room.
The smell of line dried wash.
The feel of the warm sun against my skin.
The breezes that teased my cheeks and played with my hair.
The sight and sounds of birds in the trees.
The sound of water.
My family.
The taste of blueberries (and food in general).
A hug of a friend.
Music.
Smiles.
Nature.
People.

I could go on and on with my list but I think I’ll end here. What simple pleasures do you have? I’d love to hear them!

TAG! I'm it!

Hello dear readers! Its been a little over two weeks since I've last written here! I've been tagged so here it goes: I was tagged by Mackenzie (aka Grl4God) and by SamanthaMarie.

Here is what I (and whoever else I tag) have to do:

Answer some questions from whoever tagged me

Link her to my blog

Tag six more other people and comment on their blog to let them know!
Ok, the first question.


Who is your favorite author and why?
It would have to be Jane Austin! I love all of her books! They really make me long for days past and inspire me to act more feminine!

Who was your first favorite author and why?
I have to agree with Samantha on this one and say Ann M. Martin. For those of y'all who don't know who she is she wrote the "baby-sitters club" books. I used to LOVE those books and would check all of them out from the library and read them over and over!

Who is the most recent addition to your favorite authors and why?

This is gonna sound strange but I would hae to say James W. Loewen, He wrote "lies my teacher told me" it is a history book and its is wonderful! I would highly recommend it! Also Leslie Ludy author for "Authentic Beauty". I really enjoyed this book just because of the heartfelt honestly from which the author wrote, I would recommend this book to y'all as well. Then John and Stasi (I really like that name) Eldredge, authors of "Captivating". The reasons I love this book goes beyond words, If you haven't read it yet then read it!!

So lets see I tag...

Mia

Lydia

Paige

Lauraboralice


I'm working on a post that will be about learning how to knit. I plan on posting step by step pictures and maybe a video. So keep your eyes open and get your needles ready!

What to do??

Monday night while I was at work something happed that I'm sure has happened to all of my readers at least once. A group of teenage boys from about 15 to about 18 came in and while I was cutting fabric kept talking very loudly trying to get my attention. After I had finished cutting fabric and went to run the cash registered the eldest of the boys leaned on the counter in that cocky way that guys have and asked me where my boyfriend was, I proceeded to tell him that I didn’t have one and before I could tell him that I didn't date he asked me if I was interested in going out some time. I quickly told him that No I was not interested and that I didn't date, his friends started laughing at him a bit so I told him that it was nothing personal against him but that I just wasn't interested in dating and that I explained that I did not believe in dating. He got the idea and thanked me for his purchased and left. So how can you turn down a date with out hurting a young mans feeling? Well if it is a total Un-Appropriate person, then its best to just say no politely yet firmly enough for him to know you’re serious. If it is a person close to your age then again say no politely and assure him that he is not the reason your turning him down but your believes or just tell him that you don't date yet if you don’t wanna explain courtship and such.

So what if it’s a guy that you like and would like to get to know later on? I've yet to experience this one but here are some ideas that I've heard/read that I thought sounded like good ideas. Tell the young man that you’re flattered but that he should ask your father first and get to know you and your family better before you can consider accepting his request.

Flirting is something that is MAJORLY affecting your youth today. Even in church groups you see young teenagers flirting with each other. If a young man is flirting with you it can be VERY tempting to flirt back or tease back to get attention, trust me I know! Flirting, as harmless as it may seem can lead to some serious problems; what if a guy is flirting with you and you flirt back "just for fun", maybe he really does like you yet you don't care for him and probably never will. This would be very painful and confusing to the young man that you lead on with your "just for fun" flirting. If a young man does start to flirt with you then quickly correct the behavior. How do ya do that? The way that I find easiest is to simply play dumb and oblivious to the flirting. That’s easy as long as it’s just light flirting and nothing that’s totally wrong. If he doesn't get the hint and carries on then try giving a "stop that" look as discreetly as you can. If he still doesn't get it then its best to just leave lest you fall into temptation and or lead him further down the path of temptation.

Another thing that is hard to respond to is when people honk their horns as you walk by or holler out at you. My mother and I where walking at a park last year with my younger brothers, and cars kept driving by honking and yelling trying to get our attention. At first I looked back to see if it was someone I knew, big mistake, the car drove around another time and started yelling out the window, at this point I learned to keep from looking and to act like I didn't hear it.
Another time at church one of my friends cousin said something like "Hey beautiful" as I walked by and he said it in a not so quiet voice so a good few people heard him. At first I wasn't sure what to do or say so I just kept walking acting like I didn't hear him. Later that night he walked up to me and addressed me by my name and asked if I had heard him, I said that yes I had but I refused to be spoken to in such away and that I rather him use my given name or my common nick name that every one used. He was somewhat startled by that but he never again called me any "pet names".

I've never really had to deal with this one much but I feel as if I should at least touch on it little. If a young man tries to touch you in anyway then you should put distance between you immediately! Once at a soul winning clinic I went to a young man kept trying to put his arm around my shoulder or lean in to close. At first I just moved over, he didn't get it. The next time I gave him a hard look, that stopped him for awhile and the next time he tried to place his hands on the small of my back as he tried to talk to me I told him to stop and to keep his hand to him self and placed my self at arms length away. He got the message and kept his hands to him self the rest of the week but still kept trying to follow me around. The youth pastor that we went with seemed to find it amusing and did nothing to intervene, after all he had stopped trying to touch so what was the harm in his antics? The rest of the trip was very stressful and annoying the girls I was with found it charming and kept trying to get him and me to talk and sit together. His church was sitting behind ours the whole week so there was no escaping him. I finally asked his youth pastors wife to talk to her husband about it to get him to leave me alone. This worked but it was the last day of the conference! I wish I had thought of that before hand! All that to say don't be scared to ask for help in dealing with a persistent boy. If your father is not around or for some reason is unable to help you then ask a brother, if your brother-less then ask a youth pastor or pastor or some male in authority to please talk to the guy for you. You don't have to deal with it on your own!
Finally if any body places you in a situation that makes your uncomfortable in any way then get out of there! Don't worry about being polite just take care of your self and run and get some help!
If a young man try’s to get you to compromise your standards say something like "you have potential to be a great man one day, and when you are you will a protector and not a conquer of a ladies purity" as you leave him. I'm sure I've seemed up tight at least once in my dealings with males but in the end I rather seem little up tight and "prudish" then to allow my purity and femminity to taken lightly or to be put in question.

What have you found to help when responding to any of the above or other situations?
Any tips of polity turning down a date? On discouraging flirting? Anything you want to add? Something you disagree with? Then please share it! I love hearing more than one side of things! Just be sure if you do disagree to support your reasons and to do so in an uplifting Christ like manner!

What have your words done?

Words are something that we use everyday and think very little of. Words can build up, can make people happy and encourage them. Words can show love and can inspire people to take their life to the next level. Words can also kill. Words can hurt and injure more than anything else. We can scar and mangle people with a simple slip of the tongue. When I was younger I was the weird one out. People liked to make fun of me so when I was in my early teens and finally found "acceptance" I took it...at a very high price. The people with whom I hung out with there not very godly and in all fairness neither were I. They'd tease people and I'd just stand their watching never daring to say a word to stop them, I may have not joined in but I did help them by never intervening. As I got older it became easier and easier to blend in with the crowd I was not as strange or as clumsy yet I still felt as if I had to change in order to be cool; I never even stopped to think what I was paying to fit in. Later on when I was fifteen or so, at a Christian camp my "friends" told me that I couldn't hang with them anymore because I didn't look Goth enough or bad enough and they wanted to get to know a group of "awesome" Goths from another church. The words stung like none other I was not enough for my friends and thus I was being cast aside.

Matthew 12:34 reads: "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."
If our hearts are full of evil and hate then our words will be damaging not only to ourselves but to others. We so often speak with out thinking and the damage is done the instance our words fall from our lips. The Bible is full of verses dealing with words and the danger there of. Pull out your concordance and read some of the verses dealing with tongue.

Words are powerful. My mother saw this on a blog and showed it to me. I wanted to cry the words touched my soul and brought back memories. After I watched for the fourth time I went to my room sat down, picked up my knitting needles and started to pray and think things over. I can remember a time when I wanted to end my life. A time when I felt as if no one was on my side because of things people had said to me. I thought that no one would care or would even notice my death, what made me think this? Words. Then a sickening feeling hit me in the gut, how many people had I made feel this way? How many people had felt this same hopelessness because of words I said or words that I never said? Another sickening thought was how have I affected those younger than me who look up to me? My younger brothers or children at my church? The thought was almost too much to bear.
As you listen to this song and watch the video I pray that the Lord will speak to you and challenge your heart. There is not much for me to say on this matter the song says so much.