a trip to lake Michigan...

the things that say a lot #1

So... this post is seriously totally super random and a little different than what I normally do... but, I am a random person, of course, and I just so happen to love writing this sort of thing. (I got the inspiration from this post and then this post!)

"Things that say a lot about people: the way in which they treat the waiter/waitress how they feel about the weather whether they dog-ear pages or highlight in books fingernails and hands in general their preferred creative outlet how much they dread/enjoy talking on the phone whether or not they drink coffee if they ever forget to eat how honest they are with themselves (and others) if they correct your grammar and whether or not they get nervous before haircuts."

i. I've always thought waitressing had to be a hard-ish, stressful job, since they're dealing with hungry impatient people. So... I always try to be super polite and patient + make them smile. =)

ii. the warm sunshiny days when I can run barefoot and throw myself in the grass are my favorites, but I also enjoy stomping through mud puddles on drizzly days or trudging through the snow while my breath freezes in the air.

iii. books are full of beautiful words that must be reread + remembered + repeated. Words are so important and full of meaning. Words have become so important to me + I want to make sure I remember them. Writing notes + highlighting in books {especially my Bible} is something I do often.♥

iv. because I play the violin I keep my nails short + usually painted with something light and glittery. My hands aren't anything to look at- they're generally rough and cracked from my eczema.

v. creativity is as much a part of me as eating and breathing is. Photography, writing, making fun stuff + making life beautiful are my favorite creative outlets!♥

vi. When I'm hyper, I LOVE talking on the phone with my best friends, but I generally dread calls to anyone else- especially strangers. I always rehearse what to say a hundred times before I actually make the call. (that always annoys my sister...=/)

vii. i don't drink coffee. There. I said it. =/ but... I do adore french vanilla cappuccino (with 2 creamers) and hot chocolate with whip cream!

viii. forget to eat? story. of. my. life. Breakfast is usually forgotten in my rush to start my daily tasks, so I eat late. (think almost lunch) and... lunch is normally ignored because I'm so rushed and distracted. but, I normally make up for forgotten meals with random snacks at all hours. =/

ix. I would say I'm usually honest with myself. I know what the real world + harsh reality is like and I've learned to have absolutely no expectations whatsoever so I'm always prepared for the worst.
as to being honest with others... I've never been good at expressing myself so I generally don't talk about much of anything around people other than my bestest friends.

x. grammar. Hmm... there are some words that I'm super picky about- like how you pronounce aunt. *Its AUnt, not ant.* but, I don't generally worry about grammar. I say ain't, people, if that tells ya anything. ;-P

xi. I only get nervous when a stranger cuts my hair, because they always chop off way too much. But when my friend does it I feel perfectly comfortable. She knows what I want + does nothing more. I'm always happy with the way she does it! =) 

Little bits of life...

Dr. Pepper * pizza bread * watching movies * homemade breadsticks * cooking(finally doing some of it!) * sticky notes + highlighters * thrift store shopping * eating waaay to many no-bakes{=/}

Well, life seems to get busier by the minute... and not to mention more complicated...

Gods really been working on my heart lately. Its hard to face reality sometimes, but you just have to. Its always gonna be there, so you might as well realize that now...

//Yesterday I set my alarm(yay! haven't done that in a while... =/) and actually got up! I was able to spend an hour + a half on my devotions! I really needed the extra time to prepare myself to face the day + the rest of my week!

//I've been doing a lot of writing in my journal! I'm gonna try to write everyday this week!
Writing is kinda hard sometimes, because its so real. And for me, its the ugly and messy kind of real.

//I decided to tackle reading the book of Isaiah. Its a pretty tough book to read at times, but there's a lot of interesting things in there that I've never thought about!

//I finally pulled out my scrapbooks and got a couple pages done! I found a new favorite color combination: light pink, orange, yellow, and green!

//last week mom took Gabby + I on a shopping trip! We were, thankfully, able to find quite a few things! =)

~what have you been up to lately?

~has God been working on your heart lately?

~ever read the book of Isaiah?

~what's your favorite color combination?

{and, yes I'd like some feedback please!} ;-P

Some thoughts on 1 Corinthians 10:13

// 1 Corinthians 10:13

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

// this verse has been one that I have used over and over since I first learned it about 15 years ago... my parents would use it to show me that I didn't "HAVE TO" respond wrong even when someone else did. I would use it to tell myself that even if it didn't seem like there was a way out, there would be.

- did you know that there is always someone out there dealing with the same issue as you are? You aren't the only one who has ever gone through whatever struggle you are dealing with. Someone else has too! Jesus knows exactly what you are going through too, because he was tempted just the same as you and I are tempted. (Heb 4:15)

- God doesn't let us be tempted above what we are able to, with his strength(Ps 73:26), resist! He won't give us a bigger load than we can handle!

- whenever we are tempted, there IS a way of escape! We don't HAVE to respond incorrectly to our younger sibling who just won't obey. We don't Have to get bitter at the person who has wronged us over and over.

And, even when you are in knee deep, God gives a way of escape! Even if you've already started making some wrong decisions, he WILL give you a way out!

I hope you all are encouraged from these thoughts! =)

Some thoughts on 1 Peter 5:6

*Humble* yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1 Peter 5:6

This verse really stuck out to me today... its one of those verses you've heard so much you can say it forwards and backwards...

But have you ever stopped to really ponder it?

Lately I've been fascinated by how many "if -- then clauses" there are in the Bible. There's a lot of them! This one doesn't actually say "if" and "then", but its still there.

We have to humble ourselves. Being humble is the opposite of being proud and pride is on Gods hate list(Proverbs 6:17).

IF we will humble ourselves THEN God will bless (exalt) us! But ONLY if we humble ourselves!

If we are proud, then God really CAN'T "exalt" us! He CANNOT bless us!

The only thing that comes with pride is shame(Proverbs 11:2), not blessings.

things im gonna do this summer

I made a random list in my journal of everything I really want to do this summer, and I'm gonna share part of it! 
//

•rollerblade 500 miles
•lay in the sun + read a book
•tan
•play Ultimate
•go barefoot
•watch the sunset
•camp out
•wear flipflops
•mow the entire lawn again
•read the New Testament
•have a water fight
•play volleyball
•do a picture a day for a month
•go tubing, kyaking, and canoeing
•go on a picnic
•watch a movie outside
•sleep under the stars
•walk in the rain
•go swimming
•play softball
•have a bonfire

little bits of my life

This past weekend was super busy, and I think I'm still in recovery mode.  (Like I posted on fb, I wanna sleep for a week!)

My cousin got married! (Pictures coming someday...) It still like isn't real to me... the wedding was beautiful! And I'm totally gonna steal some of her ideas... my favorite part was how much they laughed! It was very sweet!

I've been doing a lot of reading lately! This last week I finished 1 & 2 Corinthians, and James. I'm working on finishing 1 &  2 Peter, 1, 2, 3 John, and Acts this week!

I have a lot on my "to do" list again...
clean my room (I did okay until it came to unpacking everything from last weekend! =/)
sew
work on my scrapbook (only 8 weeks left!)
write (I have so many thoughts rolling around in my head, and I'm starting to actually get them sorted to where they *might* make sense!)
get caught up on my Bible class
start working ahead in my other classes
learn my recital song(s) (its about 10 weeks away, and they still need tons of work I'm gonna have to start hauling!)
finish memory verses

-Right now-

the sun is shining but it still looks nasty(COLD) outside. =( its quiet for the moment, which is rare with a 1 1/2 year old.

listening to... the silence!

thinking... about everything I want to do today! =)

wishing... Spring would come soon. And sunshine. And warmth.

hoping... that the doctors will find something out for my hands! I had to cancel lessons AGAIN. =(

praying for... some rather difficult situations... that God would guide and give wisdom!

loving... orange juice, stretching, studying my Bible, playing the piano, words, talking to my bf on skype every night =), the emoticons on skype ;-P, carnations, highlighters

Speaking the truth...

Last week I realized that I needed a little bit of a boost, so I decided to read through Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. It was a refresher for me- Ive never really read them and focused on what was in them! I got a LOT out of it. I kept my pen handy and underlined verse after verse and wrote lots of notes in the margins of my Bible! J

I just finished Colossians, and this verse really stuck out to me.

//

 I have loved writing for a long time.

When I was little I preferred writing stupid stories where all my friends were part of one huge family. 

When I was 12 I wrote sermons(okay, just my thoughts, but with a TON of salt).

And now…. Now I just write about what I'm thinking and learning. Some of it hurts though, because its real life for me, which is why this blog hasn’t seen much of me lately. It hurts me to write it. It hurts me to finally see the truth of what has been going on around me. It hurts to realize that most people aren’t gonna like what I have to say. They never have.

The funny thing is, usually the reason people don’t like it is because it is the truth. And sometimes the truth hurts.

Sometimes it hurts because we are wrong and someone else is right. Sometimes it hurts because it rocks your entire world and knocks out the foundation you thought was so strong.

The truth is, I’ve been so afraid of people that I’ve been neglecting some things. The hurt in my heart will never go away. My heart is a mess of scars, and wounds, and some of them will never completely heal.

But my hurt and pain has changed me. I'm a different person because of it.

And I wanna share that so that others can learn from me.

I don’t know much about gifts and all that, but I believe God has given me a gift. Writing is a passion of mine. I'm not very good at it, but its something I LOVE to do!

God has given me a ministry. He has opened doors for me to serve Him, and I’ve been pushing them closed. I want to do what God has for me to do, and I'm going to from now on!

I'm going to just say the truth, because that’s what God wants me to do. Even when it hurts. Even when I know certain people aren’t going to like it one bit.

All that to say this. I'm working on some posts. I have maybe 50 or more half-finished on my laptop and notes for that many more in my Bible, in my notebook, in a box, in folders- all over! Look for a piece of paper with my handwriting on it, and that’s probably what it is! =)

It may take me a little while to get things together. I have several projects I'm working on- a ladies fellowship lunch to plan, a devotional to write for that, a blog to redesign, piano to practice, school to get caught up on, a heart to strengthen for the coming battles, and blog posts to plan{I want to get a bunch scheduled to post} etc, not to mention my friend and I are working on a really big project! ;-P

Which is why I am taking the next 3 days off from the internet{more on why I chose 3 days shortly}... {*crossing fingers*} I'm going to try anyways. I'm even deleting some of the apps off my phone so I won’t be tempted! ;-P

So, Lordwilling I will get some posts up for next week. Unless life becomes a crazy hectic mess again. ;-P

My Life as usual.

*applied at 6 different places, and I have 4 more to do online. I got one interview- which really encouraged me! (I’m pumped- even if I don’t get the job.) The guy doing it seemed to like that I have detasseled. Haha. Yeah, someone who’s done it for 5 years either loves hot strenuous disgusting work to death, or is very determined, or maybe just flat out crazy. I'm probably the latter.

*pretty much finished sorting all of my stuff upstairs.

*finished reading through one Bible Study book. Now I just need to go back and do the questions for the last 4 chapters.

*practicing my instruments was on the back burner last week. L They weren’t on my list of top priorities{I'm not too happy with myself about that}. My hands have been bothering me a lot more too, which makes it hard sometimes.

This weeks to do list…

·         Write{I think this will be permanently on my list. :-P}

·         Finish the first half of my theory book

·         Choose recital songs

·         Finish sewing 2 skirts{got them cut out a couple weeks ago}

·         Sort pictures and get them printed. {really really need to do this!}

·         Make a verse book

·         Start exercising again{I'm pretty glad that our scale isn’t working right now, I don’t even wanna look at it! L}

·         Count everything I eat

·         Drink more water

·         Take my vitamins

And… Ill include todays list too…

v  Piano

v  Violin

v  Bible Study {I actually have 3 that I need to get done today}

v  Write(3 emails, a letter, and as many posts as I can fit in)

v  Physics Test{ugh!}

v  Economics reading quiz

v  Say 2 verses

v  Write out this weeks menu and start on next weeks. I asked mom if I could plan meals for next week and get groceries and everything. Dad said I could, as long as I plan this weeks menu- with only what we already have in the house.

Mom has been working hard on finishing the bathroom. We ran into a problem with the electrical outlet not wired correctly. It is looking TONs better!

We are also working on painting upstairs again little by little. J

I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress:

my God;

 in him will I trust.

 Psalms 91:2 

This week.

*sorry for the very uncreative post title.

Well, this last week went well, for the most part that is. {but I shall not mention the part that didn’t- thank.you.very.much.}

I think I got a lot done. I have a lot crossed off of my to do lists, so that is helping me stay motivated. {along with large doses of Dr. Pepper, sugar, and many many pep talks from my friends}

*I kept my room fairly clean this week! Yay!

*Although I didn’t always do it first thing in the morning, I think I did my devotions every day.

*I did better at practicing my instruments, but still not every day. I hate checklists when it comes to something like that since it keeps me very accountable, so I asked both teachers to give me them. :-P Ill see how THAT goes.

*My room is pretty much totally organized now. I'm still going through stuff, but I actually have some empty space- finally. Now I’m working on all my stuff that’s upstairs.

***I finished my theory book! Today I noticed I only had maybe 10 pages left, so I decided to just get it done!

This weeks to do list…

·         Finish sewing 2 skirts{got them cut out last week}

·         Write. Write. Write.

·         Sort pictures and get them printed. {really really need to do this!}

·         Apply for jobs. {hopefully Friday}

·         Make a verse book

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:22-26

Its Monday!

{this is something I wrote yesterday and didn't quite get around to posting...}

We finished the first day of our second {and last!} semester today! WOW! The Lord worked things out for me to spend last weekend with my Aunt and Uncle. I was able to see my cousin for a few hours before she flew back to Florida, as well as spend time just hanging out and relaxing! J

I am very motivated right now, and I want to try to get ahead on some things! I got a lot accomplished today, and hope to get more done!

Things I wanna get done this week…

*keep my room clean

*do devotions and pray every day

*write in my journal every day

*apply for jobs

*practice my instruments every day

*finish thank-you notes

*finish organizing my room

*write 2 posts {other than this one}

*sort pictures and get them printed

*get my eczema down

*redesign blog

Cast thy burden upon the LORD,

 and he shall sustain thee:

he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Psalms 55:22

Be not afraid of sudden fear,

neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence,

and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

Proverbs 3:25-26

My friend Suzy and I are picking a verse each week for the other to memorize and meditate on. The first one is the one she picked for me, the second is what I picked for her.

Something I've been thinking about.

Kindness: a basic Christian virtue that helps all relationships. {I am really going to be working on being nicer to people this week, especially people I don’t really like. And nice doesn’t mean keeping my mouth shut.}{This was a thought in the Bible Study I'm reading...}

{My Word: FAITHFUL}

  He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: 

and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Luke 16:10

A lot of people do this word thing. You know- Choose a word and live by it for the whole year. I thought about doing it last year, but since I never got around to it, I'm going to attempt to do it this year! J

I'm choosing something that I need to work on in my character too. Its something I struggle with a lot, but really need to focus on.

My word is FAITHFUL.

1. Firmly adhering to duty; of true fidelity; loyal; true to allegiance; as a faithful subject.

2. constant in the performance of duties or services; exact in attending to commands.

3. true to one's word.

4. True; exact; in conformity to the letter and spirit.

5. Conformable to truth; as a faithful representation.

6. Constant; not fickle.

7. True; worthy of belief. 

{paraphrased from Websters 1828 dictionary}

I need to be more faithful in a lot of things…

*with my devotions and prayer time.

*witnessing to people; this is a hard one since I am a girl. At times I justify things because my simply walking through the store is a testimony to something. But its not enough. I am determined to pass out more tracts- and I have a goal of mailing so many out each week.

*practicing my instruments; I'm not going to get anywhere without putting in the effort. I'm sick of being stuck in one place, and I want to do something about that.

*keeping up with school.

*being myself; so often I am around crowds of judgmental people, and I buckle under the pressure. I end up deciding to not wear certain clothes, say certain things, or do certain things because I am afraid of what they are going to say. And that’s wrong.

*standing up for what I believe; like I said above, too often I am afraid of what people are going to think. Changing my though process about that is something I am really working on, and determined to change. I WILL say what I think and believe, because I believe that it is what GOD says is RIGHT.

*getting things accomplished and prioritizing my time. J

A new Year…

A lot of people look at the new year as a chance to start over. This year, thats the way I am looking at it too! Right now I have a lot of motivation, and I'm trying to figure out how to make it last for me, since its usually short-lived. :)

// This year...

~I'm gonna start telling the truth like it is. 

AND

~I'm gonna try to be the real me no matter what. Its going to be really really hard for me, since I'm the type of person who really wants people to like me{since no one really does}.

{//People don’t like the truth. They don’t like people telling them the facts, because usually its true. The truth hurts, but nothing is going to change without the truth.}

// I am going to try something this year. I started writing lists for myself this fall, and it seemed to help me get more accomplished. I used a notebook, but I had so many different lists in there that it got really messy and confusing at times, so I made a new one that I will be posting about sometime this week! J

// I didn’t make a lot of goals for myself for 2013. I think I'm going to stick with mainly doing monthly goals. But, I do have a 4.

*blog more often. My goal is once a week, at least. We will see how that goes though. ;P

*not let myself get so discouraged. {in other words- stop thinking too much.}

*Learn to be faithful in my prayer time.

*eat healthier/exercise more.

  Peace I leave with you, 

my peace I give unto you: 

not as the world giveth, 

give I unto you. 

Let not your heart be troubled, 

neither let it be afraid.

John 14:27

 Have not I commanded thee? 

Be strong and of a good courage; 

be not afraid, 

neither be thou dismayed:

 for the LORD thy God is with thee 

whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:9 

Life...

These past few months have been literally a whirlwind. Time has flown, in both good ways and bad. Facing each day head on has been difficult, but as a dear lady keeps reminding us- God gives the strength to face each day as it comes.

I have been seriously unmotivated for a long time (too long), and this week was a killer. But I finally got some inspiration {probably from all my friends “pep talks” ;-P} to do something…  I have a lot to get accomplished in a very little time, but I am slowly but surely crossing things off my lists.

Through everything that has gone on we somehow got 2 weeks behind. Our goal was to finish our 1^st semester before we took our Christmas break. The normal schedule for our curriculum has us doing our Semester Finals 2 weeks after break, which makes no sense. So we are pushing to get them done by the end of this next week! Its going to be a long haul though.

We finally started working on our bathroom… Or mom repainted it rather! We have the flooring all ready to go, when we get the time. Mom has been doing some painting again, and I'm trying to talk her into doing some for me! ;-D I'm proud of my super creative Mama… she seriously has some talent that she’s been hiding for way too long! <3

My super cute little brother finally started saying my name!!!! J He is so funny sometimes, laughing randomly and giving his mischievous little grin. He learned to climb up on the table, and is obsessed with bread, anything electronic, “cookies” (animal crackers), vacuums, spoons, and his little friend Dee… J

/////

~listening to my favorite song a million times a day…

“Wow… after hitting back everytime my favorite song ended… I just found the repeat button on my ipod! Yay!” {My facebook status a couple days ago…}

~shopping for + wrapping Christmas presents- I tried to have fun this year, and not wait until the week before to buy them, and Christmas Eve to wrap them all! :-P I am, thankfully, almost done! J

~Drinking lots of water and taking my antibiodic + cold medicine + vitamins in an attempt to ward off another cold, or get rid of my first one … After being sick for 3 months, it gets old!

~looking forward to Suzy’s Christmas break… {we are gonna squeeze in a ton of time together!}

~trying to decide what cookies to make for the Cookie Exchange! {I got a cookie book from the library, but cant decide what kind to make…}                    

~laughing with friends always lifts my spirits! J

~reading my devotional book and Bible Study has been something that I have neglected, but this week I started doing it again. Both have really challenged me to have a different attitude when it comes to living life! <3

~enjoying… Christmas music, hot chocolate, red and green, the snow, warm boots, comfy sweaters, watching movies, texting one of my best friends, my Government class {I was never much into politics or anything like that, but its very interesting!}, egg nog shakes,

{the things that make fall wonderful}

*hot cocoa, chilly walks, apple cider, big comfy sweatshirts, chilli, last minute trail rides, bright colorful leaves, warm p.j.’s, cold mornings, chapstick, sweaters, random photo shoots, pumpkin, candles

Detasseling// Things I'm loving #8

Well, detasseling is {Lordwilling} about half over! This is the point where I am normally a walking zombie. This year is no different. At this point I am sick of dealing with stupid {and I am being nice when I say stupid- a lot of other words come to mind} kids who don’t get it even when I explain something in simple sentences one hundred times. My 10 month old brother understands better than they do.

Because of lack of crew leaders I have had my own crew two days, and been a checker the rest of the time. I like not having to pick better, but at the same time it can be pretty boring if you have a good crew. When you don’t have a good crew- um… a nice word… hmm… I guess Ill just keep my mouth shut so I don’t get in trouble.

I am tired now. Not really like “I need to sleep” tired- more like sick of corn tired. Sick of walking tired. I think I have probably walked at least 3 to 5 miles through corn fields every day we have worked. That’s what happens when you have super good {fast} kids, and stupid {slow} kids. Some are at one end of the field, while the others are still at the beginning.

I found out that I got a raise this year- which is really nice. Usually you don't get a raise until you are officially a crew leader. Maybe its because I have worked 5 years now- I think there is only one person there who has worked longer than me and my dad.

///

{Things I'm Loving}

- A/C - pudding - my new glasses{!} - spending more time with friends{the only downside is that it is at work} - being a crew leader - sleeping - s'mores with Reese's peanut butter cups - hearing Esther talk on the phone -

Detasseling 2012

Well, overall the first day went really well for us. Thankfully it was cooler than it has been the last week and we only worked a partial day- 6 hours. Suzy is a crew leader, but since she has never done it before, I went with her to show her what to do. We had a crew of 5 kids we know, and 4 we didn't. Only 2 were 1st year workers, but they both caught on fast- so did Suzy!

I am hoping because there might be a shortage of crew leaders, that I might get my own crew sometime. That would be fun, but we will see how it goes. I am almost jealous because my brother got his own crew of a grand total of 4 boys. :) They were all newbies- most of whom were under 5 foot. {And I thought I was short.}

Hopefully this next week will go well, and stay cooler. It can get pretty miserable when its so hot.


{Wanna know what exactly detasseling is? READ THIS.}

P.S. Now I will start seeing corn when I close my eyes... lol

Pennsylvania

Right now I am in Pennsylvania with my friend Suzy. We are spending a week here to help at a camp here.

 Suzy took these two pictures on the way out here.

Suzy and I took Esther for a walk. The town is right on the side of the mountain. It is really cool.

 This is the view down the road from Samantha's house.

{Samantha's house.} 

 It was Suzy's idea to go down this hill- it was super steep.

Front door anyone?

This is who I want to be...

Aspiration

2. A breathing after; an ardent wish or desire, chiefly of spiritual blessings.

3. The act of aspiring or of ardently desiring what is noble or spiritual.

Aspire

1. To desire with eagerness; to pant after an object, great, noble or spiritual; followed by to or after; as to aspire to a crown or after immortality.

2. To aim at something elevated; to rise or tower with desire.

 {for some reason these words have been floating around in my head a lot lately...}

What do I wish for? What is my desire? What is my aim, my end goal?

to be…

||an obedient daughter || a kind sister || an encouraging friend || 

a loving wife {someday}

 ||a gentle mother {after someday} ||

I’ve been thinking about that a lot. I’m 17 and life seems to be moving faster than ever. I mean- it seems like just yesterday I was looking forward to being 16. Now I am almost 17 ½. In a year I will {Lordwilling} graduate. Sooner or later {hopefully sooner than the later} I will be an adult making my own decision, living “my” life.  

I’m not a little kid anymore. What am I going to do with my life? How do I want to live?

I’m not talking about whether or not I am going to go to college, or what I’m going to do about a career or anything like that. {my career- wife and mother}

I am talking about me as a person. What is my goal, my desire for life? Do I want to be a selfish person, or someone who lives for Jesus?

I want to live for God. completely. no matter what. always. in everything.

My goal is to live a life that God would wholeheartedly approve of.

It won’t be easy, but I am okay with that- it will be totally worth it.

After I wrote about my responsibilities I’ve been thinking a lot more.

I want to be a daughter who honors and obeys her parents, not just on the outside, but in my heart too. That doesn’t mean that I always agree. It does mean it is my responsibility to respect the authority God has placed in my life.

I want to be a sister that my siblings can look up to. I want to be an example that they can follow. My siblings {all 3-11} of them watch me like hawks {even when I don’t realize it}- they see everything. I want to be someone who encourages, and treats them like they are important.

I want to be a friend who “provoke(s) unto love and to good works:”{Hebrews 10:24}. I don’t just want to be a person my friends like to “hang out” with. I want to be able to help them when they are struggling. I want to be there for them no matter what. I want to be able to be friends with them just for who they are, and not expect them to change. I want to encourage them to love Jesus with their whole heart.

I want to learn how to be a respectful, honoring, loving wife. I want to learn how to be a mother who is gentle and can train her children the right way.

This is the person I want to be.

I want to be someone who lives for Jesus no matter what. I want to be prepared to stand no matter what.

I have big goals. Some people would say they aren’t, but to me this is what I want my life to be. Its going to be hard, its going to take time. I am not going to be perfect.

This is what I aspire to be.

this week.

Nathanael and I went to take some pictures on the trail.

I saw a snake when we went to the trail, and I screamed. {of course}

I wrote a couple more posts, which I will hopefully schedule for the next couple weeks…

I started practicing a violin arrangement. My goal is to be able to play it in church in a couple weeks.

I started working on some last minute projects for the mother daughter banquet my mom is planning.

I’ve been brainstorming ideas for VBS.

I cleaned my room, and organized my closet.

Nathanael and I did some landscaping in front of the house.

I finished sewing 2 skirts{3 actually, but one came out too small}, and I started cutting out a couple more.

I forced myself to sew a zipper and it actually turned out. I have a habit of avoiding zippers as though my 

life depends on it because I always mess them up. I decided that since skirts with zippers fit me a lot better I am going to put zippers in all of them.

I pulled out my photo book and organized a bunch of pictures. Instead of scrapbooking them all, I got a scrapbook that I can put regular photo pages in- that way everything is in one book. Since a lot of the pictures weren’t dated, they are kind of all just in there…