I now have a . . .

BLOG BUTTON!!!! It took me a little while to figure it out, but I finally did it - with some tips from other blogs! Once I figured out how to do it, I realized that it isn't so hard (at least, as hard as I thought it would be). And I'm not even computer savvy!!! :) So, how do you like it??? (You can see it on my sidebar, near the top.) Maybe I'll make one for my video blog next. . . .

A Fun Tag

Eldarwen tagged anyone who commented . . . so I did!


1) Why do you have a blog? Read this post

2) Do you have more close online friends or offline? Many of my close friends that I know in person, I also communicate online with! So, I'm not sure. But I'm also meeting lots of new friends online - you all have been so encouraging!

3) Do you correspond? With my friends? Yes!

4) Do you have a best friend? I don't exactly like that term, but of course some of my friends are closer than others.

5) Do you play April Fools Day pranks? I try . . . but they usually don't work :)

6) Have you watched a movie and then regretted it? Many times.

7) Do you generally prefer books or their movie adaptions? Almost always the books! So many movies have been disappointing!

8) How many siblings do you have? 2 bros, 2 sistas

9) Do you want more? Sure!

10) Do you have any married siblings? Nope (I'm the oldest!!!)

11) What is your favorite branch of the military? Hmmmm, I've never thought about it, seeing that I'm not going into the military. . . .

12) What do you hate most in books/movies? Using God's name in vain, crude jokes, all-around goofiness, etc.

13) If you had to name just one book (other than the Bible) to call your favorite, what would it be? Hard one, but I have to say I really enjoyed Ella Enchanted.

14) What book/series/movie have you been the most wrapped up in? When I was younger: Mandie mysteries, Nancy Drew. Now: I don't have time to be wrapped up in anything. lol!

15) What music are you listening to right now... at this very moment? Nothing.

16) What are you having for dinner? Well, today is Thanksgiving. I kinda had dinner in my lunch :P


Like Eldarwen, I tag anyone who comments!

An Award, An Award, An Award, & An Award!

Whew! There's been a lot of awarding going on! I have been awarded by Eldarwen these three awards:



She awarded all female followers. I'll also award all my female followers and anyone who is not a follower but leaves a comment.

She awarded all Twilight haters. I award anyone whose purpose of their blog is to encourage others in the Lord by going against the flow!

I was also awarded by Morgan:

This one comes with a tag where I must list 7 things which my readers probably don't know about me. Let's see . . .

1. I am NOT a picky eater
2. I take voice lessons (I'm still a beginner, though!)
3. My favorite color is blue
4. I have my drivers permit (but it's going to be a while before I get my license!)
5. My sisters and I all have the same initials
6. I can't stand people popping their fingers!!!
7. I almost never drink pop

I award anyone who wants this award! :)

Thank you so much Eldarwen and Morgan!!!

Sweet 16

Thank you all for your lovely comments; I had a wonderful birthday! I think my little sister Cierra was more excited about it than I was! She kept talking about it days before, and she made me some special cards:


On this one she displayed her letter skills, although the only word she actually spelled was her name at the top! I loved it! (You may have to click on the picture to see it clearly.)

I was amazed when I saw this one!!! She drew these cats all by herself! She's never drawn a cat before - and she's only 4!!! Aren't they so cute???

She colored this picture of Minnie Mouse for me (and added a sticker of Larry in a chicken suit!!!!).

Mariah was so sweet too! She picked out a special movie for me:

I haven't seen it yet, but it looks neat! And here's a beautiful cross she made me:

My whole family and my friends made it a very special day. Thank you soooo much! Lastly, I just have to share this special song with you!!!

Have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!

Another Page in My Life

O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.

For You formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

(Psalm 139:1-6, 13-15, 17-18, 23-24)


Today, November 23, another page was turned. A page in the story of my life - of whom God is the Author. Right now, this new page is nearly blank; but with each passing day, more words will begin to fill the page. And with each day, as every detail is becoming clearer and clearer, I pray I am becoming closer and closer to my Creator. The previous pages are reminders of how fast time goes by and how little I have left. Those pages are reminders to keep pressing on and to make my life count (only by living as unto to the Lord, and not unto men). I do not know the end of this story, nor how near or far away it is. But the Author does. And I pray that He will be my only source of strength and guidance through the many conflicts that will come my way - and there will be many. Each year of my life brings a new page. Each new page brings me closer to the finish. May this page reflect Christ in every aspect. Page number 16.

Joy

You all have probably seen this acrostic of joy before:

Jesus first
Others second
Yourself last

And, while serving the Lord and others does bring joy, service and ministry is not the source of our joy. But before we get into that, let's go over what joy actually is.

How would you describe it? What does it look like? It's probably important that we know what it is because God commands it of us in Philippians 4:4. :) Is it that feeling of "delighted contentment" that you get when you're together with your family huddled around the Christmas tree? Or maybe the excitement you feel when you learn that your family is going to Hawaii for a week (now that would be awesome!!!)? Or maybe even the satisfaction you feel about getting an "A" on your test? I once heard someone describe joy as "an emotional response to something that brings great delight and excitement." I think that's the idea people get in their minds when someone says, "joy." That just leaves one question in my mind: Is there a difference between joy and happiness? And, if so, what is the difference? Well, I think many of us know there is a difference between them, but pin-pointing the difference is a little harder. Let's go back now to the source again and see what the Bible says.

Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"
Philippians 3:1a "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord."
Galatians 5:22a "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. . . ."

Both verses say that we are to rejoice in the Lord. So, the source of our joy should be from the Lord. Joy isn't being "glad" when something bad happens, when you have a terrible day, or things just don't go your way. Joy is totally separate from circumstances. It's based on god's unchanging promises and knowing your relationship is right with Him - no matter what's going on in your life.

Unlike joy, however, happiness is the result of favorable circumstances. When things go your way, it's easy to be be happy; but rejoicing in the midst of trials is something that can only come from God. This is why joy is such a great evangelistic tool! When non-believers see our joy - through annoyances, through troubles, through misfortunes - they will know that the joy isn't of ourselves. Our joy is in the Lord!

So how do we get joy? It's one of the fruits of the Spirit and therefore a gift from God, but that doesn't mean we just sit around waiting for it to come! Though God is the One who brings it into our lives, we have to work and spend time in His Word, and get to know God. Remember, though, that it's not a knowledge about Him that brings joy, but our hope and relationship with Him!

Our rejoicing in the Lord is commanded! Did you notice that? God not only commands it, but He says we are "always" to rejoice. Wow! That means every day, every minute, anytime I'm thinking or working, whenever I talk. I know that this is not true of me! I would encourage you all, along with myself, to make a more conscious effort to place your joy in the Lord. "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord."

My First Award!

Rules:
1. Do a post about the person who awarded you, and their blog.
2. Give the award to five of your favorite blogging friends, tell about them and their blog, and leave a comment on their blog.
3. Answer the ten random questions

I was awarded by Eldarwen at The Faithful Elven Princess. Thank you so much! I too just recently found your blog, but I can already tell that you're a sweet young lady and striving to glorify the Lord! You are always so encouraging in all your comments! I'm looking forward to all your upcoming posts! Thanks a bunch! :)

Now, since I'm still a little new in the "blogging world" I haven't been following any blogs for a LONG time, but I really do appreciate all my followers! So, I want to say thank you and award you all! Okay, I award . . .

Ashley

Katie

Taylor

Morgan

Amanda

Maggie

. . . and anyone else who has recently become a follower. Thank you all! (Yeah, I know that's more than five, but you all don't mind, right?) Now for the random questions:

Have you ever ridden an elephant? Nope

Have you ever eaten squid? No (who has?)

What is something crazy you have done with your best friend? I've done A LOT of crazy stuff with friends - I don't just want to pick one!

Have you ever held and alligator? Not that I know of...

Have you ever let a snake slither through your fingers? I don't know if I'd put it that way, but I have held a snake

What is your first and foremost dream? To be used by God and that He gets all the glory!

What is your dream vacation? I've always dreamed of travelling the world, but England would be a good place to start! :)

What is the funniest movie you have ever seen? I've seen SOOOOO many, but the most recent one would probably be Night at the Museum 2

What is your favorite song? For right now Lead Me to the Cross by Chris and Conrad

The Next Sherwood Movie

It's here! Well, the announcement, at least! Sherwood productions has announced what their next movie will be about. Have you all seen Flywheel, Facing the Giants, or Fireproof? (Call me crazy, but I actually haven't seen Fireproof yet - but I desperately want to!!!!) I can't wait until it actually comes out! To find out what it's called and to sign up for further announcements visit the website:

The Next Sherwood Movie

O, give thanks to the Lord...

Thanksgiving. It's commanded by God. But it's a joy to do because it reminds us how blessed we really are. I want to share with you a list of some of the things I'm thankful for....

1) The air we breath
2) The color blue
3) The smell of freshly baked bread
4) Humor (what would the world be like with out humor?!)
5) Purses
6) God's faithfulness
7) Brothers and sisters
8) Fingernail polish
9) Water
10) Music
11) The ability to communicate
12) Chocolate :)
13) Pencils
14) Voices to sing
15) The privilege to learn
16) God's righteousness (which is mine through Christ!)
17) The Piano
18) Sunsets
19) Cute skirts
20) Creation
21) Health
22) The Cross
23) Loyal, encouaging friends
24) Prayer
25) Fruit
26) The smell and sound of rain
27) Cozy fires
28) Moonlight walks
29) Good books
30) Smiles
31) Little children and babies
32) Photographs
33) The Word
34) Earrings
35) Names (for those of you who don't know me - I'm a name fanatic!)
36) Exciting movies
37) Emotions
38) Stars
39) Fuzzy blankets :)
40) Hugs and kisses!

I could go on and on! God is so gracious and we are so selfish! So many of His blessings we take for granted. I would encourage all of you to make a list of things that you usually take for granted to remind yourself of how blessed you are!!! You can put it on your blog or write it down and hang it up - you can do whatever you want - but just take time this month to reflect on God's goodness.

Thanksgiving is a time to show our gratitude to God. But we should be in the habbit of continually thanking Him, not just at Thanksgiving time. I'm going to make more of an effort this year to spend more time thanking God. He truely does shower us with blessings!!!


Psalm 92:1
It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Psalm 31:19
Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!

Got Water?

I have just recently completed a five paragraph essay for a humanities class that I'm taking. I chose the subject of dehydration and its numerous effects - and I found some very interesting facts about water in my resaerch! So, instead of sharing my whole essay :) , I thought I would just share a few of the facts I learned....

• 75% of Americans are (unknowingly) chronically dehydrated


• Water is involved in every single process and function inside the body


• Next to oxygen, water is the most essential element for the body!


• Even MILD dehydration will slow a person's metabolism down as much as 3%


• A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focussing on the computer screen or on a printed page.


• One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the time


• Drinking plenty of water helps combat ailments (flu, colds, headaches, back pain, fatigue, fever) - you have a better chance of staying heathy by drinking water, because...


• Water flushes out toxins away from the cells and out of the body


• And water also carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells and helps to convert food into energy


• Drinking plenty of water helps you have more productivity at work


• The body becomes dehydrated before it tells you that you're thirsty - so avoid getting thirsty!


• On a daily basis, the body loses about 100 oz of water (mostly through sweat and exhaling)


• The average water intake should be eight 8 oz glasses of water a day (of course, this varies on your body build and your daily amount of exercise)

I didn't know this, but you lose more water in the winter than in the summer because the air is so dry. So you should be drinking a little more water than usual in the winter to keep your body hydrated.

There is so much to learn about water's role in the body and why it's so essential! This winter, I encourage you all to make an intentional effort to drink more water! God has created the perfect drink for our bodies - and nothing can substitute it (and it's calorie-free)! So, get in there and grab you a glass of good ol' H2O!

John 4:13-14
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”