a motto + a song

Today as I was finishing up  In His Steps  by Charles Sheldon,
 the song Take My Life by Chris Tomlin popped into my head.

While reading Sheldon's book, I was struck by the fact of --true Christian discipleship--

After a series of lifechanging events, a pastor, Henry Maxwell challenges his congregation to ask ‘What would Jesus do?’” before doing anything, and then to act as they are led by the Holy Spirit, regardless of personal consequences. Some people accept the challenge & truly seek to live by it, some face loss (social status/wealth/jobs), some struggle and doubt what Jesus would have them do in their life, still, others find a purpose and seek to wholeheartedly imitate Christ in every way. While working to meet the challenge, many realize that they must grow in their knowledge of Jesus in order to act like & imitate him.

 

Yet, as in reality, some reject the challenge as fanatical imitation of Jesus & see no need for change, others hold onto vices, habits & sins, and others loudly oppose the challenge. In the end, however, widespread change occurs and an exciting movement begins. .........The premise of his book on Wikipedia.org.

After reading the book, I was compelled to ask myself, What Would Jesus Do with my life?

First, he would apologize for being easily angered with my mom last night.
Secondly, he would be patient, enduring the sacrifice of personal desires that I am going through with humility and grace. Joyfully seeking human suffering and personal sacrifice.
Then, I thought about what I've been focusing on lately.
And honestly, for a long time (maybe a month), I've been driven by selfish desires and focused on meeting my needs/desires/wants.

One of those desires concerned blogging.
After hearing about different women who stopped blogging, others who've gone on breaks, and still others who have struggled with different aspects of blogging, I read a lot of 'do it for you- not x amount of followers' and I found myself torn.

Now, after reading Sheldon's story, I find myself realizing,
no I will not continue blogging for others.  no, I will not continue blogging for myself.  no, I will continue blogging for God.

By writing about my life/struggles/dreams/likes, I can glorify Him.
And that is how I plan to continue blogging.
I do not share this for personal acclaim, vanity, or any impure intentions.

I share this as my personal motto.

--My blog's manifest.--

Needless to say, the book is awesome.
I love me some Christian fiction : )

{Take My Life} -Chris Tomlin

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as You choose.

-Chorus-
Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.

Take my will and make it Thine
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is Thine own
it shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord I pour
at Your feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.

Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.

LLT

a recent addition on bloglovin:

link

a little crafty, inspirational, personal & Chrisitian!

a cool artist & peek into real lives:

link

what a pretty flower!

http://burstsofcreativity.blogspot.com/2011/04/easy-paper-flower-tutorial.html
I'll be making my own version of this quite soon :)

fun grab bag etsy store:

apple blue handmade

I can't wait for this collection to hit the stores!!
Missoni for Target!! via: stephmodo.com

early birthday gift please!

link via: etsy

the 'crochet' thread of a new-to-me blog

link: youwillwontyou.blogspot.com

Saffy's Angel... and other things

**I found this filed away in my draft folder from March 11th, 2011.....**

Last week I read a book.
In an entire day.

But, it was a children's book. (At least it was a chapter book, right?!)

Anyways, back to the point....
I like to read children's literature.
Not only because I work with children, like the stories, or because I like to read.
I simply love the simple stories, messages, and fantasy used in them.

Also,
my mom raised me right.
I am definitely a born & bred reader!

I would read anything when I was little. Seriously.
Labels on boxes/packages/food/receipts, signs, children's books, adult fiction & nonfiction, manuals.

When I was growing up, the thing I got in trouble for most often was reading.
I would read when I was supposed to be in bed, doing homework, doing chores, & basically any time I was supposed to be doing something, I would read.


Therefore, my main form of punishment for a good chunk of my childhood/adolescence, was to have my books taken away.

If my mom wanted to bribe me (which she rarely ever did- go mom!),
all she had to do was threaten to take my book away.

Aaand.... presto!

The trash was suddenly taken out!

or......

the dishes were scrubbed & magically put in the dishwasher

or.....

my room was cleaned

or......

(insert any chore here).


Yes, I was bad :)


If I just wasn't getting it, or the motivation to finish up fast to continue reading wasn't enough for me to stop & obey my mom, my book was taken away.
and hidden!
the horrors!

But, since I wasn't too awesome at obeying my parents, I eventually learned all my mom's hiding places for my books.

Soo, I would sneak to the hiding spot, take the book and go read in a hidden place.
(Which was usually the bathroom floor- the only room with a lock on the door- privacy was precious when you have two sisters!).

Then, since I still wasn't great at the whole obedience thing,
I would finish up the page/chapter/book, and put it back.

That is dedication.

And it is also sin.


Not only would I disobey my mom in the first place to earn the consequence of having my book taken away,
I would then go behind my mom's back, sneakily take the book, & then lie about the whole thing.
Later on, 'Oh! Thanks for my book back mom!'

Yes, she caught on, as did the rest of my family, & I was eventually given another consequence for disobeying and lying.
And she thought it was all pretty silly a few years after I outgrew my sneaky-ness.

_____________________________________________________________________

Anyways, I thought it would be fun to write down some of my favorite children's books.
In no particular order, here are some of my favorites:

The Chronicles of Narnia
Frog & Toad
George & the Purple Crayon
Madeline
The Poky Little Puppy
Beatrix Potter
Heather Whitestone's autobiography
Froggy Gets Dressed
Eloise (she lived in The Plaza in NY -learned about her through the Babysitter's Club)
Saffy's Angel (I now have Saffron on my list of baby names :)
Indigo's Star
Harold And The Purple Crayon
Shel Silverstein's: Where The Sidewalk Ends
The BFG
Stuart Little
Caps for Sale
Stone Soup
Indian In My Cupboard
The Snowman
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Are You My Mother?
Pipi Longstocking
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
Homer Price
Henry Reid
Dandelion
Winnie The Pooh
Little Bear
Mr. Popper's Penguins
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Babar
Harry The Dirty Dog
Strega Nona
Richard Scarry
The Five Chinese Brothers
Mercer Mayer
Arthur
Ballet Shoes
Imogene's Antlers
Zack's Alligator
Chrysanthemum
Frances
Miss Rumphius
The Hundred Dresses
Black Beauty
My Friend Flicka
Sarah, Plain And Tall
Number The Stars
A Wind In The Door
And since I read voraciously, I have many favorite series:
Amelia Bedelia
Berenstain Bears
The Littles
Betsy & Tacy  -Maud Hart Lovelace (from the 1940's!)
Encyclopedia Brown
Little House on The Prairie
Junie B. Jones
Nate The Great
Trixie Belden (an old, vintage series! The books are out of print & falling apart. eep!)
Saddle Club
Nancy Drew
Boxcar Children
Little Sister
Babysitter's Club  (anyone else??)
Dear America (a select few)
Christy Miller
American Girl (the originals: Felicity, Kirsten, Samantha, Molly, Abby)


And don't even get me started on Comics!
As one of the few things my Dad & I had in common, we loved to talk about & read the comics every day.
To this day, that's the first thing I turn to when reading a newspaper.

And if they don't have the comics, it spoils all the fun :)

crafty-ness

My first link up!

After spending a day fasting from screens (tv/computer) for obvious reasons....
with this girl on the left -->

......here's how I got my crafty-ness on last night after church.

making an upcycled t-shirt wreath. (still a work in progress)

   ........um, yes!

braided jersey

so fun!

so easy!

Now I want to cut up all my shirts & get my craft back on today : )

In retrospect, it doesn't look very exciting.
Except that it was my first time using my rotary cutter & cutting board,
and also my first time making a wreath! Woot!

{New sights around the apt.}

clipboard from 4th grade + water color art (& a water color semi-fail)

wow. just realized that totally looks like actual mustard.
like I couldn't find paint so I used some from the fridge.
ummm..........

new wall art over the desk (something I did in highschool   --  needs to be framed).......

continuous line project
-drawing someone without picking up or looking down at the pencil-

to fill a space from a print I moved upstairs to my room   ...also needs to be framed.....

pencil project: draw something made of pencils : tulip in a vase

and the print upstairs....

 
yes, I realized it slid down. but I'm lazy, or uh, busy : )

Please, don't

Please don't ask me what I did yesterday.

Because if you do, I'll have to tell you that I did not.....


let my alarm go off for a whole hour,

eat breakfast/lunch at 11:30,

watched a few whole discs of Modern Family & Friends (& a show online),

and got on facebook briefly .three. times,

and then wikipedia & blog hopped for an hour,

and looked at the dirty dishes accumulating in the kitchen and hoped, 'Maybe the sister will wake up early tomorrow and do them all!',   (wishful thinking, I know :)

and then had a mini fight with the sister,

and then hugged the sister after we cooled off, told her I loved her, and then promised to go to bed soon.

and then brushed my teeth, washed my face, and then got in bed.

.....Because, hey! I was already in my pajamas.

As in, I never changed out of them.

......umm............


So, Please don't ask me what I did yesterday.

Because one (or all) of those things might have happened.

made me observe:

http://www.irinawerning.com/back-to-the-fut/back-to-the-future/

made me smile:
http://lesleyraes.blogspot.com/

made me drool:
http://annies-eats.net/2011/03/30/chocolate-peanut-butter-swirl-muffins/

made me cry:
http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/2011/03/quick-video.html

made me excited!
http://ashlemieux.blogspot.com/search/label/shine%20challenge

made me smile, and bubble up inside with encouragement!
http://littlemissmomma.blogspot.com/

New favorite nerdy blog!!
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html

And then, here's another classic :)
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/03/7-games-you-can-play-with-brick.html

And oh my word, too funny!
http://awkwardofficemoments.tumblr.com/

Sounds of home.....

....little boy drum solos from our next door neighbors garage

....screeching from across the street neighbors parrot
*who supposedly only chirps a little* WHATever

....country music blasting from across the street firefighter neighbor's car
(he always sings loudly & badly while washing his truck -tis hilarious :)

....windchimes from other next door neighbors back porch
*storms always make me think of home bc of the sound the windchimes make in blustery wind :)*

....adolescent singing on American Idol on Wed. and Thurs. nights
*my mom got me hooked -Ah!*

....cats meowing outside my sister's bedroom window

....sigh.....

....this is......home

:)