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!