On Tuesday I started the Feelin' Feminine Challenge. This time I will be posting pictures everyday so be sure to stop by and check them out. At the end of seven days I will write my thoughts on the challenge.
Sorry pics are so messed up...will try and get that fixed soon :)
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
Monday:
Also two of the ladies who participate in this week’s challenge will be entered in a chance to win a pattern of their choice from Sense & Sensibility.
I’m not a sidelines kind of girl. I like to be all there, wherever there is, and I have a habit of taking on a ton of projects at once. Like every other person I know, I’m busy — sometimes too busy.
I think we’ve gotten into this bad habit of busyness. I have noticed this a lot in my own personal life. There is a pattern in almost every conversation I have with my friends. We say hi then move right into the “I’m-busier-than- you” game.My friends and I rattle off endless lists of what we do, because somehow in our little world, that list of to- do’s has become important and status-filled. We act exhausted (and sometimes it’s no act!); we talk about how we feel drained and tired all the time. If I had a quarter for every time I, or someone I know, have uttered the words “I’m soooooo busy,” I could buy enough caramel apples to feed my youth group.
I’m not saying busyness is wrong. Filling our time with activities that matter, to passionately pursue the dreams God has put in us, is good. But lately one verse keeps showing up that has struck me:
Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).
Can I not know He is God when I’m busy? When I’m bouncing from activity to activity? Can we not know He’s God when we’re writing papers, talking on the phone, doing chores or going to sports?
I love that God is God of my whole life. He’s into all the details. I can glorify Him through every bit of my life. But He wants to give me something in those quiet moments: a promise, a peace, a word of encouragement that can come as softly as a whisper or as gentle as someone wrapping his arms around me while I stare into the stars.When I stop talking, stop moving and rest in the reality of who God is, I know my priorities. I can step back and see that some things I’m pouring my time into aren’t as important as what God wants me to do. We’re only as busy as we let ourselves be, and in His wonderful eyes, the amount of activities we put on the list isn’t important but what we do with each task He’s given us.
The psalmist said it best when he wrote that we wither like flowers of the field, here one day and then gone the next (Psalm 103:15). Time goes by too quickly to not make the most of every second. Let’s do God’s agenda with each wonderful season in our lives; let’s enjoy moments to be still.
On another note I was awarded a blog award.
Miss Kira gave it to me. I'd highly encourage you all to visit her blog. I wasn't told how many people to give it to so, I give it to:
My youth pastor talked on advertisements and how we would read. I'm going to try and remember a bit what he said and add my thoughts. It was really good.
Check out the following advertisements. Each was actually printed as is in local newspapers.
• GEORGIA PEACHES — California grown. Eighty- nine cents a pound.
• Two wire-mesh butchering gloves: One 5-finger, one 3-finger. Pair $15.
• Nordic Track $300. Slightly used. Call Chubby.
• Snow-blower for sale. Only used on snowy days.
• Nice parachute. Never opened. Used once.
• Full-sized mattress. Twenty-year warranty. Like new. Slight urine smell.
• OPEN HOUSE: Body Shapers Toning Salon. Free coffee and donuts.
If someone were to run an advertisement on you , how would it read? Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”
The above advertisements don’t really make the reader want to rush out and purchase the items for sale, do they? Have you ever stopped to think that you’re a walking advertisement for Jesus Christ? So . . . if you actually were arrested for being a Christian, what would the evidence say? Do people know about your relationship with Christ? Is it as obvious as your hair color? When you walk into a room full of people, do they sense there’s something different about you?
Let’s take this a little deeper. Do the following key areas of your life give a true advertisement of Jesus Christ living in your heart?
#1: Conversation. Is your chit-chat filled with gossip and rumors? Any criticism or sarcastic remarks about others? Do you tend to spice your words with bitterness and negativity? Or are your conversations filled with words that bring glory to Christ?
#2: Clothing. Does what you wear (and how you wear it) cause others to question the depth of your relationship with Christ? Do you dress in such a way that the opposite sex has trouble keeping a pure mind when around you? Or have you learned the art of looking in-style yet remaining modest?
#3: Character. Does your lifestyle echo WWJD? Do you base your actions on what Jesus would do? Can others trust you to keep your word? Are you dependable? On time? Honest? Do you live a life of integrity . . . or is there always that little “something” that causes others to doubt your genuiness?
I just saw this comment on my blog from an old entry a while ago and thought I would share it since the commenter has asked me too:
"I saw this blog and the footprint theme, the christian feel to it. i felt at home at once. I have recently made a pact/promise/prayer for myself. I read the Footprints in the Sand poem and i thought this to myself "Wouldn't you always want there to be only one set of footprints?" Because i always want God to be carrying me. I don't want there ever to be a time in my life that i can see myself apart from him. Those may have been the person's happy moments, but i mean this in a different way. When i look back on my life, the only difference i want to see in the footprints is that when the times get hard, the footprints fall deeper into the sand. I hope you can share the concept of only one set of footprints for me. :)
xoxo, Ralily"
Oh and yes - be sure to watch Good Morning America on Wensday, September 10th. Me and my family( at least most of us) are going to be part of the audience inside along will some other homeschooling family's. Our homeschool group got invited for free but usually it cost big $$ to be part of the audience inside at the Times Sqaure studio in NYC. It's going to be very exciting!!
Back to school. Three words that make us all cringe. As August comes to a close and September creeps up, many of us will be heading back to our places of learning, anxious for the year to come. This up coming school year I want to encourage you to make the most of every moment. 1 Peter 1:24-25 says, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.”
Every moment is created by God, so my question is how are you going to glorify Him in it? How can we hold on to every moment while praising the Savior? We need to be visionary and have active faith.
We need to have a vision for the upcoming school year. Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” So how do you practically live out that verse this school year? Develop a mindset of service through prayer. How would you like to grow closer to Christ this coming school year? Do you want to be more verbal with your faith? Be pushed out of your comfort zone for Jesus?As you go back to your place of learning, I encourage you to be in prayer. Sit down with your family or friends and lift up the 2008-2009 school year to the Lord. Give Him your dream of getting straight A’s, completing what you need to on time, etc.
Set goals, remembering God is sovereign over all.
Here are a few of my goals for this upcoming school year:
1: Learn more about trusting God even if it's all I learn this year.
2: Get a good grade, Lord willing, on my SAT.
3: Help my mom keep up with all the correcting.
4: Finish all my needed school on time.
5: Try to keep up this blog on a weekly basis.
6: Help my mom with being the co-director of our homeschool group.
7: Plan some field trips for the new school year.
8: And last, give all the glory to the Lord!
Lord Jesus, I ask for Your help as I begin this new school year. Allow me to experience Your presence in the many blessings You put before me. Open my eyes to the new challenges and exciting opportunities that this new school year brings. Open my heart and mind. Give me a generous spirit to be enthusiastic with my studies and courage to accept new opportunities. Help me to be attentive and let me experience Your presence. Jesus, inspire me to do my best this year!
One last thing - since I start school on Monday I'm going to have a lot less time to blog. I will try to get on after school and on Saturdays. The hardest thing for me during the school year is finding time to comment you all, so please be patient and if I forget about you feel free to come back and remind me :)
“But you, oh Lord, are a shield to me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head.
(Psalm 3:3)”
Let's face it we all have bad days. Times when nothing seems to go your way and nights when it would be in your best interest to just to fall asleep and pray that tomorrow brings forth a better day.
I woke up the other morning with a pounding headache, and a stuffed nose that made it awfully difficult to breathe. I rolled out of bed and headed to make breakfast. "Wow, this was going to be a fun day," I thought to myself.
As the morning turned into afternoon, I opened my Bible and read a few passages on the crucifixion of Jesus. Now, there was someone who was having a bad day. Not only was he hung on a cross, but he was beaten, whipped, spat on, and even tortured. Why? Because He loved us so much that He would go through every bit of pain just to insure that you could spend eternity with Him.
After reading over the scripture, I started to relate it to my situation. "I thought I was having a bad day." But, what if Jesus would have woke up on the wrong side of the bed on the morning He was supposed to die for our sins. What if He would have felt bad, and decided He wasn't willing to go through the pain of being nailed to a cross. What if when He saw that it was going to be a bad day, and He decided to not die for us. We are so grateful for the fact that Jesus did die for our sins. We are so thankful that even on our worst days, we would never have to go through what He did. Just let us not forget that when everything seems to be crashing down, Jesus died so that we could be built back up.
-Miss Elizabeth
(Picture found at photobucket.com.)
Check It Out: Would you like a pair of ShooShoos for a little one you know? Jocelyndixon is giving away one pair, and she would love for you to enter!The giveaway will end at midnight on Friday, August 22nd, 2008. So head on over and enter!!
I have found this meme on many others ladies blogs and thought it would be fun to do myself. To participate in the meme is simple. All you do is answer the bolded questions with your own answers and then link yourself at the Simple Woman’s blog each week.
For Today… August 12th, 2008
Outside my Window…Bird feeders and rows of cosmos.
I am thinking…what we will have for breakfast today.
I am thankful for…for a God who has been teaching me some hard lessons but I'm making it through.
From the kitchen…I'm sitting at the desk typing this while everyone get's up.
I am hoping... to finish this up today and post it.
I am hearing…Mom tell the little guys to get dress and get some breakfast.
Around the house… it's a little dirty but not to bad. We''ll clean some more this afternoon.
One of my favorite things…Receiving mails from my friends...
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…Hmm...finish entries for the fair and get them there, do a litlte cleaning here and there, take foster kittens to vet, and maybe some yard work.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you…
This picture is one I took of the sky yesterday and my hand.
Please guys don't feel offended about this post. Feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts on this topic.
When we think of the word "modesty" we think of girls and how they are to dress. But guys have you ever thought that this applies to you as well. I'm sure many of you have but I think it would probably be much harder for a guy to think to dress modestly then girl.
Mind if we get a little personal? Guys, when you're not wearing a shirt in the summer, is there a reason for it? If you're mowing the lawn, working out, or swimming, it makes a lot of sense not to have a shirt on. But are there other times you're not wearing a shirt simply to catch the attention of the opposite sex? Is there a reason to make sure everyone can see the waistband on your underwear by wearing your pants so low? Honestly don't you think you are doing just as much harm to the girls as the girls do to you? I think that a guy dressing inmodestly can make a girl lust just as much as guys lust. Isn't that true?
So guys I would like you to think about this for a little bit. Is there a way you can improve dressing a bit more modest? I'm sure even just using the some of the same rules girls use to dress modest would help like not having your pants to hang below your underwear, or wearing a shirt with company (I'm sure most of you do but still...) and in the house.
Guys, we care about how you dress. It's hard not to lust when you leave your shirt off and pants hanging low. So do us favor, use the word modesty and applies it to your own lives if you haven't yet.
As we go through life, let us choose to dress for success. Modesty and proper dress play a large role in our physical and spiritual maturity. If we serve and follow Christ, we should dress in a manner that shows respect to Him and our brothers and sisters in the faith. Dressing appropriately therefore helps us keep the two great commandments of love for God and love for our fellow man (Matthew 22:37-39). What will you wear to serve them both today?
Don't forget to check out Miss Jocelyn's new site. About it: "The mission of the Feelin’ Feminine site is simple and it is our hope to ignite a fire that has long been put out. We hope to rekindle the Biblical world-view and image of young ladies and women all over the world." Don't forget we would love to have guys visit it and add their thoughts!!!
"God's kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seeds in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles(weeds) all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles(weeds) showed up, too." Matthew 13:24-25
A couple of weeks ago I finished weeding several gardens in our yard, I noticed that the gardens had an overabundance of weeds. The plants that were supposed to be growing there were tall ornamental grasses and the green stuff that was taking over looked amazingly similar, like a copycat. To the untrained gardener, nothing would have appeared out of place. But to a Master gardener, there was a big problem. You see, the weeds will multiply and grow, choking the plants originally intended to grow there. Then you are left with nothing but a huge weed patch where only good intentions started.
I have found this to be true in our lives as well. I've got weeds in my heart. I never intended for them to take root and grow there but I haven't focused on pulling up the weeds I knew were there either. It has just been easier to ignore them and hope they would eventually die off or go away. Now it seems like it'll take a forklift to dig up some of the tough stuff entangled among the good in my heart. But unlike me, our Master Gardener knows how to handle the weeds growing inside of us.
With some soaking and a gentle tug here and there, He can pull out from our hearts what does not produce worthwhile stuff and give room for all the good things in us to grow, as He intended. Sometimes we hang onto the weeds in us because we are too afraid to release them. Sometimes we don't even know that we are holding a weed instead of a flower. Dandelions are pretty but they are weeds, after all. Don't be fooled by the copycats!
Sometimes pulling the weeds can hurt but the results are so worth it!
Also Miss Jocelyn has started up a new site for the Feelin' Feminine Challenge! She did a beautiful site for it. Be sure to check it out - guys too because we would love to hear your thoughts on modesty, and tell your friends about it!
For as long as I can remember I’ve been wearing skirts or dresses. Why? Because my parents decided it would be the best thing for us ladies in our family. Only when we were real tiny, like 1-6 we were allowed to wear pants. I accepted this until I was like 13. I still wore skirts but deep down in my heart I was very rebellious against skirts or dresses. I wanted to be like the world and wear pants and tight tops. I finally got my mom to buy me some jeans which were definitely immodest and then I bought some shirts that were immodest also. When I saw a girl dressed immodestly, it made me feel like I needed to dress that way to be beautiful. And in turn when I wore something immodest, I caused other girls around me to feel like they needed to dress that way, too. Plus, I was causing guys to sin by looking at me lustfully, which isn’t the way God wants guys to look at girls. He wants guys to appreciate female beauty, but not in a dishonoring way. Soon after realizing these things, I knew I had to change. I didn’t want to be part of the circle that caused other girls to dress immodest, and I didn’t want to cause guys to fall into lust!
I started by reading Bible verses that would help me focus on inner beauty. I posted 1 Peter 3:3-4 on my closet wall: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.”
I went through my closet, but it wasn’t easy. I got rid of anything that looked immodest. There were a few shirts I loved, but they were just a little too tight. Sometimes I ended up in tears as I was getting rid of clothes. I realized my appearance was way too important to me, and I had stopped focusing on my inward beauty.
After redoing my wardrobe, I decided to work on my inward beauty. I would write down the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in my journal every night and rate myself on them. Using a scale from one to 10, I would rate how well I lived each one that day and make note of which ones I needed to pray about and work on improving.
By focusing more on God and inward beauty, my view of outward beauty dramatically changed. But every now and then, I still get caught up in it. Girls are girls, and we’ll always want to be beautiful. But it’s how we view beauty that really makes us beautiful.
My clothes are still fashionable (well, sometimes!), and I still don’t like to leave the house without brushing my hair. But the difference is, I don’t focus on it. I don’t spend hours in front of the mirror trying to look like celebrities. My beauty comes from withinmy character and the condition of my heart.
So I’ve decided to be part of this circle instead: the circle that motivates and encourages other girls to respect themselves and the guys around them by not flaunting their bodies in revealing clothing. Do you? Which circle do you want to be part of? The one that makes a difference and turns hearts toward true beauty or the one that makes girls feel insecure and guys fall into lust? I want to be part of the circle of true beautythe kind of beauty that lasts for eternity.
From a guy’s perspective:
"Hey, girls! I hope you'll hear me out for a second. Do you have any idea how VERY important it is to Christian guys that you dress modestly?
As guys even though we're Christians we have the desire to see as much of a girl as we can, but that's the problem! We're Christians, and we're desperately striving to hold ourselves to a higher standard. Most girls in our culture are incredibly immodest, and unfortunately many Christian girls just join right in.
When you wear low-cut tops or short shorts, we interpret that as your not caring to help us become all God wants of us spiritually. Do you really think it's easy for us to concentrate on purity at a youth event when the girls are wearing tops that show their stomach when they raise their hands during worship?
Girls, you have the power to help us become all God wants us to be. Please consider doing so!"
So What’s Your Story? To view the original “rules” about this challenge, please read them HERE
I am 15 years old. I have 8 brothers and sisters. I and my brothers and sisters are homeschooled by my mom.
I am a born again Christian and I love the Lord so much and He is very dear to me and can I never doubt it. I strive to love Him more, to attain His image, and to live only for Him! I blush and am ashamed when I consider how inadequate are the returns I am making Him; yet I can praise Him for the past and trust Him for all that is to come. I long to make progress every day, and each minute is precious, and I tremble if I should loose one. In Jesus Christ alone is the only way!!
Thank you 
