It seriously bugs me when...

Parents talk about their kids as if they're some sort of infestation.

Parents being soooo excited for kids to go back to school so they can finally get some peace.

Parents who tell me how difficult their life with their teenagers is.

Ugh.

What I love, though, is when...

I see parents having fun with their kids.

Parents think their kids are funny and laugh at their silly jokes.

Other kid's parents are at all like my parents.

You see...

My parents are the BEST!

and i love them.

xoxo

the end.

I had a dream I could fly...

This has kind of been my theme song lately. I love it.

What I am.

Being a high-school graduate who is not going to college, working full time, or in a serious relationship, I had a difficult struggle dealing with my lack of "definition". I'm not a student. I'm not a wife or mother. There's really no socially correct definition for who I am.

But, then again, I never have been socially correct.

What I am...

A Christian.


A daughter.

A sister.

A friend.


A pianist.

A cook.

A blogger.

An artist.


A photographer, capturer of beauty.

A student and lover of life.

A worshiper of Christ.


A bit of sunshine.

An actress.

What are you?

What is truly beautiful?

"How beautiful are the arms, which have embraced Christ-the eyes which have gazed upon Christ, the lips which have spoken with Christ, the feet which have followed Christ. How beautiful are the hands which have worked the works of Christ, the feet which are treading in His footsteps have gone about doing good, the lips which have spread abroad His Name, the lives which have been counted for Him."

Christina Rosetti, 1880

Peace in the face of lions...

These pictures inspire me.

First of all, the art is beautiful.

Second, Daniel's peace in the face of such a terrible fate amazes me! In the first picture he is calmly standing, firmly, in front of the hungry lions. Yet, he doesn't seem to falter. He is trusting God.
The second picture, the lions are pacing all around him, seemingly ready to pounce, and Daniel doesn't even pay them any mind. He just looks up to God, with serene countenance.

We've all heard this story so many times, it often ceases to be interesting. But Daniel's faith and trust should be something we always remember. He didn't know he wasn't going to be saved, the lions could have eaten him. Many wonderful, godly Christians were killed for their faith. Daniel could have been one of them. Even still, in the face of danger and pain, he was surrendered to his Lord. Whatever happened, he knew that God was in control.

This pictures make me wonder, what are my "lions"? Probably not fatal, but things like: mean "friends", major decisions, a broken heart etc. And, as I stare those lions in the face, am I surrendering the outcome to Christ?

this touched my heart...sooo much...

Check out Danita's website HERE.

How to pray for Danita's Children:

1. Pray for safety, health and protection of the children,staff and missionaries, and their property.

2. Pray for wisdom and discernment for Danita and the leadership for Danita's children.

3. Pray for financial provision that will make it possible for them to continue to rescue, love and care for orphans.

When God Writes Your Life Story - Book Review

When people grow up and become adults, they tend to forget their big, seemingly impossible dreams and settle for a dull mundane life. This book, "When God Writes Your Life Story" by Eric and Leslie Ludy, encourages you to give your dreams over to God and let the author of true adventure take the pen and write out your life story. An amazing book, I'd really recommend it to anyone, no matter your station in life. I just graduated from HS, so this has been an awesome guide-book for my next couple years as I start making big decisions.

One of the things that I appreciated the most, was the emphasis on prayer.
"True prayer is a passionate encounter with the King of all kings. True prayer is the music of heaven, a beautiful symphony of adoration and supplication in the throne room of the almighty God." (all quotes in this post are from the book unless otherwise noted)

Some other favorite quotes (I underlined and made notes all over the book, lol, as I often do. How can I help it?):

"When we approach God with a child-like assurance that He is exactly who He claims to be, the adventure begins and never ends."

"It's not what man achieves, but what he believes in and strives for that makes him noble and great." - Oslwald Chambers

"When God asks us to say good-bye to the things we cling to most tightly, it doesn't necessarily mean those things are wrong in and of themselves. But often, those things have such a hold over us that they stand in the way of our ability to truly abide in Christ."

"Simply share the undiluted message of Christ with both your words and your actions and you will become a map that leads others to eternal life."

"One day, [D.L.] Moody discovered the secret to a God-scripted life. And his spiritual existence was forever altered. 'It is almost too sacred an experience to describe,' wrote Moody later. 'I can only say that God revealed Himself to me, and I had such an experience of His love that I had to ask Him to hold back His blessing.'" (emphasis mine)


Next up - Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris.

Happy Reading!

P.S. to see the rest of my book-list click HERE.