Tag: Favorites

Autumn Musings; Followed by Music, Life, & New Goals!

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Hello everyone! I hope you’re all doing well! What are your future plans; special days, special get-togethers with others, and activities you’re stoked to try? Let me know below, friends!

The end of summer has filled the beginning of autumn with a flurry of preparations! For some reason, our family has been super busy this autumn, so school had to take to the back burner for a couple weeks; although, for a couple days, I managed to get done quite a bit before the busy part of fall!

Autumn is such a gorgeous season; especially in the Pinterest photos! 😉 I only wish that my backyard could always contain the idyllic autumn-themed black iron-wrought lamp-posts, red brick walls, orange and yellow and red and burnished umber leaves, and pumpkin arrangements among the burlap and twinkling fairy lights! Out in nature, the autumn is majestic – the bright colors speak for themselves without a pruner or gardener to maintain during its short-lived flight towards winter’s approach.

Autumn may be able to share its glory with us without much effort – the season does the work for us! But what about when the transformation requires a bit more dirty work?

Take home improvement and upkeep, for example. Washing windows, scraping off peeling paint, and making repairs are all part of maintaining a house in condition to weather the approaching seasons. When finished, the work is beautiful. It’s noticeably so much better than before.

Photo by Artem Saranin on Pexels.com

What about ourselves? Are you feeling confident in your ability to “get back into the swing” again? Or has school and academic pressure overwhelmed you like a sudden tsunami? Maybe you’re disappointed in yourself for how much you seem to have “lost touch” with your school routine, or feel sad to be “behind” in school, even if nobody else cares.

But don’t be discouraged. Yes, we’ve fallen, slipping as we attempt to scramble up the slope of our own expectations. Yes, we’ve failed, though it may be ever so minute, or seem so to others from the outside looking in. Yes, although nobody really knows how you feel or how much you’ve beat yourself up over your apparent shortcomings; there is hope.

A little bit of trimming here, a splash of paint and a dab of water to wipe clean the little stains, a whole lot of good honest effort; and you’ll get it again. Your habits and abilities will come back. You can do it.

We can “autumn clean” for the school year, pick up these responsibilities, and honor God through it all. Don’t give up; it should be an honor to work hard for the King.

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

~ Colossians 3:23-24, NKJV

In this beautiful and fresh season of autumn, I want to encourage you all to take a deep breath. Exhale. Close your eyes. Take a sip of water. Glorify God with the breaths you take of the Breath He gave you. And don’t sweat the pressure, because that’s exactly where your enemies want you. Take care of yourself, friend! Enjoy the opportunities, even if they’re stressful. Instead of falling into temptations or time-wasters, find an accountability partner *ahem .. parent* to keep you steady and on track with your school, especially if you’re homeschooled and self-taught. And instead of worrying about your grades or that tough assignment, laugh in the face of those who think you can’t do it. Eat tough assignments for breakfast. In the colloquial sense, of course. 🤣

I just want to encourage you that no matter how behind, how inadequate, how dumb or busy you feel, YOU. CAN. DO. IT!

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

~ Philippians 4:13, NKJV

Because my life is so interesting (bows to my fans), I’ve put together a list of some of my recent favorites in a short attempt at reconciliation for being gone from the blog for so long! I hope you all enjoy the following thoughts and short bursts of hilarity from my recent life!

Moments:

  • Getting told I’m a blonde, getting asked if I’ve ever heard of blonde jokes, and then getting laughed at when I said I’d never understood them. XD
  • Stealing a friend’s whistle on a backpacking trip, and leaving clues around our campsite for him to find!
  • My mom and I talking about how tired we both were, then her telling me the only difference between her and I was that I stunk! (Background: I had just returned from the said backpacking trip in the previous bullet point. So yes; stinky teenager. XD)
  • Some great conversations and personal realizations. Tough times make for tough people. 💪
  • Making coconut flour cookies, a recipe of my own design, and getting the shock of my life when my Dad, the pickiest culinary expert in our house, told me they were good!

Music

My friend Laurel Jean at laurel-jean.com just made a music swap post that was so fun I thought I’d share my many recent favorites in a post of my own! I hope you all enjoy listening to my recommendations – they’re all perfectly clean and family friendly! (I haven’t listened to all recently, but they’re all dearly beloved by yours truly!) Please forgive the repetitiveness of the artists … I know, I’m stuck in the genre of Christian pop! 🤣 If you have a favorite song that gets you really bubbly and energetic, let me know! 😉

  • “Dead Man Walking”, Jeremy Camp
  • “Control”, For King and Country (Somehow, this one always makes it onto my list of favorites! XD)
  • “Healing”, Riley Clemmons
  • “Until Grace”, Tauren Wells
  • “Defender”, Jeremy Camp (SOOOO GOOOOD!!!)
  • “This Could Change Everything”, Francesca Battistelli
  • “Known”, Tauren Wells
  • “Godsend”, Riley Clemmons
  • “God’s Not Done With You”, Tauren Wells

Favorite posts:

Goals for Autumn (and the new school year!)

  • Go hiking
  • Bake a pie
  • Begin school – which I’ve already done!!!! (Come on! I know it IS stressful, but surely I’m not the only one who’s excited!! 🤣)
  • Watch some OLD movies as school assignments … should be fun!
  • Spend as much time outside as I can!
  • Listen to great music while driving (The best combo ever! 👏)

Well, guys, I’m swamped with such amazing blog post ideas but not enough time to write them! About seven pretty cool drafts sit unfinished and unedited in my drafts box, waiting for a time when I and my proofreader are a little less busy! 😅 I’ve received some great encouragement that’s helped me to feel wanted on the blogosphere, by some sweet friends! I hope y’all will forgive me, and thank you to all who have chatted with me during my absence!

I hope you are all doing well, and, as I said at the beginning of the post, please feel free to let me know what you’re up to! And what – tell me, do – what is your favorite fall baking recipe? (By the way, my proofreader *ahem, AKA my mom* wants to know what y’all’s favorite pumpkin recipe is! 🤣) Have a great week!

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Psalms + Proverbs – Part Two: Proverbs – Collab with Joy from Discipleship With Joy!

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Hello friends! Welcome to the second post in a mini collab series I’m doing with Joy! We’re excited to bring you all our favorite verses from each of the Proverbs! (To check out our first posts, in which we shared our favorite verses from each of the Psalms, see my post here and Joy’s post here!)

What comes to mind when you think of the Proverbs? A fool and a wise man, standing side by side, compared in yawn-worthy language? Or a father, chatting with his son at the table, giving him tips on how to live for best success and fulfillment in life? Personally, I enjoy reading the Proverbs because if I have an issue, I’m bound to find at least one solution after flipping through a couple chapters. (The Proverbs is where I’ve gone when I’ve had “boy troubles”, by the way. It tends to shift one’s perspective quite a bit!)

Please please please read Joy’s post here as well! For those of you who didn’t see the last post, Joy is a blogger and writer who seeks to honor God through every word she pens. Her blog is full of fun stuff for believers and authors, and you all should totally head over and give her a follow! (Thanks for doing this collab with me, Joy!)

A couple years ago, a camp speaker recommended for those new to studying the Bible, to just read at least one chapter of the proverbs a day; since there’s 31 days in the month, you’ll finish by the end of the month, and still have some wisdom stuffed in your skull. It’s a free and easy bible-reading plan if there ever was one!

But for real, y’all. This advice was brilliant, and I’d encourage all of you who aren’t reading anything in particular, to take my challenge. Read a proverb a day for a month, then comment and let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear about the wonderful things God teaches you through it!

But now – for the post! I hope you enjoy!!

“A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.” ~ Proverbs 1:5

“Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” ~ Proverbs 2:3-5

“For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.” ~ Proverbs 3:12

“Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.” ~ Proverbs 4:13

“For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths.” ~ Proverbs 5:21

“My son, keep your father’s command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you.” ~ Proverbs 6:20-22

“And saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, a young man devoid of understanding.” ~ Proverbs 7:7

“Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it.” ~ Proverbs 8:33

“Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.” ~ Proverbs 9:6

“The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.” ~ Proverbs 10:29

“As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.” ~ Proverbs 11:22

“A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, and the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.” ~ Proverbs 12:14

“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.” ~ Proverbs 13:20

“A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.” ~ Proverbs 14:30

“The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.” ~ Proverbs 15:28

“The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits. Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” ~ Proverbs 16:1-3

“He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.” ~ Proverbs 17:27

“A man who has friends may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” ~ Proverbs 18:24

“Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days. There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.” ~ Proverbs 19:20-21

“Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, as do stripes the inner depths of the heart.” ~ Proverbs 20:30

“He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor.” ~ Proverbs 21:21

“Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them.” ~ Proverbs 22:5

“Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.” ~ Proverbs 23:4-5

“My son, eat honey because it is good, and the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste; So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, and your hope will not be cut off.” ~ Proverbs 24:13-14

“A righteous man who falters before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well. It is not good to eat much honey; So to seek one’s own glory is not glory. Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.” ~ Proverbs 25:26-28

“He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a dog by the ears.” ~ Proverbs 26:17

“As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” ~ Proverbs 27:17

“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.” ~ Proverbs 28:26

“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” ~ Proverbs 29:25

“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” ~ Proverbs 30:5

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.” ~ Proverbs 31:30-31

I love the Psalms and Proverbs, but I love them in different ways. When I’m in down in the dumps or in the mood to write a song, I flip to the Psalms – but when I’m looking for wisdom that I can apply to my life, I’ll go to the Proverbs. I love how the Proverbs were written, essentially, to youth – from a father to his son, on topics that are relevant to the lives of youth. Have you ever stopped to think about how teens struggle with some of the character traits described in the proverbs? On the positive side, hard work, obedience to God, selflessness, honoring parents, and commitment to faith are some traits that believing teens long for, but don’t take steps to develop. And on the flip side, teens can struggle with mental and physical purity, addictions, laziness, purposelessness, and being an inconsiderate friend.

The answers to all these struggles are found in the Proverbs. The long-term solution is found in the power of Christ’s holy spirit, which roots out sin and shows us our pitfalls clearly so we can repent and do better next time.

And that brings an end to the mini-series and collab with Joy! (Thank you so so soooo much for doing this collab with me, Joy!!) Although I’m not so sure I’m done forever – this was too much fun to give up totally! 🤣 But in the meantime, which proverbs did you like best? Which spoke to you in the place you’re in right now? I’d love to know some of your thoughts and favorite verses from the Proverbs!

June Life Update!

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Hey everyone! I hope you’re having a fabulous day! If I haven’t talked to you lately (even if I HAVE talked to you lately XD) tell me how you’ve been!! I’d love to know what y’all have been enjoying (and thinking about) lately! 🤗 And of course, if you don’t comment, I’ll just look at who liked my post and come ask you myself, “so, what’s up?” XD

How have we come to the end of June and I have STILL not posted my goals? *brain blows up* Well guys, I have a lot of posts in drafts but the time doesn’t feel quite right to post them yet. Suffice it to say though, I hope to be on here a little more in the near future. I haven’t given up on y’all! 😂 So I thought I’d do a little “life update” post to update y’all on my June goals, plans for July, and bucket list status!

Although I didn’t complete all my May goals, I worked at them and learned a lot of huge lessons over the month of May, like realizing that I’d like to spend more time reading the Word, and I’ve been working on that during this past month of June. Even if its just a couple chapters a day, going forward, I think that it will be key for me to make time for reading the Bible, but not put pressure on myself to complete a certain number of Bible books per month. Even though that can be fun in it’s own timing. 😂

And, here are my May favorites! (Plus some all-time favorites that I’ve been wanting to share for some time! XP)

  • Some articles, here and here, from my friend Noelle over at “A Rose For The Lord”! I really loved these posts and found them inspiring and fun, so be sure to check them out at Noelle’s Christian life-style and love-style blog!
  • My friend Keziah’s podcast, which already has several great episodes. I’ve really enjoyed listening to it while doing chores! She has some really great thoughts and tips for us Earth-dwelling and Bible-believing teenagers!
  • Going hiking!
  • Singing and playing guitar in a worship session.
  • Redoing my bedroom! (Don’t worry, I WILL eventually post on this! 😜)
  • This post, by Tanyaremkiv. So good.
  • Finding a poem I’d begun writing a while ago (to my great joy and thankfulness! I’ve been scarred for life by the loss of a ton of files, so I was really grateful to find at least one of my literary flights and make it intact!) 
  • Allie’s blog! Allie is just a barrel full of fun and passion! Check out her most recent “get to know you” post here!

This month of June, I wanted to keep my goals simple. I only had a few things that I really wanted to accomplish during this month, so I thought I’d focus on those, and on recuperating and getting my strength back up for school in the Fall!

  • Go hiking
  • Help lots of people with gardening!
  • Practice volleyball
  • Cross a TON of stuff off my bucket list.

And, like perfection, it happened! But of course, there are still three days left in June, so maybe I can try to “redo” some of these! XD

School

First of all, now that it’s the summer before my last “first day” of school, I’m really stressed and nervous about getting the appropriate coursework done before graduation next spring … I’m considering doing Government, American History, American Literature, Chemistry, Trigonometry and Calculus, studying Electrics modules, studying Piano, and trying out for the volleyball team. *wipes beads of sweat just thinking about it* As a homeschooler, (and this might be most homeschoolers’ experience,) I have been pushed to the limit academically before, but I never had to spend much TIME on it. It was difficult mentally, but it never took me long to complete assignments or essays.

Now that I’m working on Grade 11 coursework, I’m overwhelmed by things that shouldn’t seem so insurmountable. It will take a lot of committed work to attain the educational goals I’m aiming for.

Update of how my Summer Bucket List is coming along …

  • Hiking … twice!
  • Lots of volleyball!
  • I have not worn make-up in months. It’s Insane.
  • Talked to people! *fist pump* That is, talked concisely and maturely. 😉
  • GOT TO LESSON 111!!! 🎉🥳
  • baked a couple things I never had before …
  • made smoothies (this took SO much work … 😜)
  • I have studied three of my electrics modules! Only thirty-six more to go! XD

Personal + The Bible

Lately, I’ve been thinking a LOT about the future, and what I’ll do in my future. I know that everyone has a different path, and I’ve been seeking God’s Will in this, by praying and asking Him to reveal my steps. It’s so hard. And its also really hard. Did I mention its really hard? XD Another burden that I’m struggling to bear, is knowing that as I seek God’s Will, there will almost certainly be things that I don’t want to do. There might be so many of them that I’ll wish I hadn’t prayed. But, according to the book of James, I have a responsibility to pray for wisdom, in faith, and to follow through on the directions God gives me.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

James 1:5-8, NKJV

One of the things that I am SO grateful for is that I am blessed with a supportive family. My parents love me in different, but complementary ways. My mom is always ready to listen, and my dad always says the right thing. (Oh, and not forgetting my brothers, who are brutally honest, but can be very sweet!) Put them all together, and I have the most amazing support group ever! XD Seriously, I have been given so much peace whenever I’m feeling really stressed, by talking about it and getting my family’s advice and encouragement on what I should do, what steps I should take … AND, by just not thinking about it! I try to do the best I can with what I’ve got going on right now, and not worrying about the future.

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Mathew 6:31-34, NKJV

Of course, the Bible has been so helpful to me in this search. Striking a balance, doing what God wants me to do as well as taking the initiative, taking tiny steps while looking up at Him every once in a while to make sure I’m going the right way, is SO difficult, and I think is the MOST difficult when the only specific and definite life direction I’ve ever received from him is what I’ve read in the Bible, which applies to everyone generally … but its not so clear what the Bible has to say on the specific details of my future career. #stillpraying

During the first whole week of July, I will be taking an intense lifeguarding class which has minimum fitness requirements far beyond what I am used to. I’m not too concerned about the head knowledge testing but have been praying over the approaching class. It lasts from 9:00-5:00. Monday to Friday. 😳 So yeah, for a week I essentially have a fulltime and part-time job. *tosses math book in the trash* *for now*

I’ve also got high hopes for more hiking, beachgoing, and maybe even some kayaking. I’ve been realizing more and more, that its so hard to “plan” a summer as one kid out of four siblings, with lots of work and chores also begging for attention, and trying to arrange schedules, but it has also been amazingly surprising how my parents have planned so much fun stuff that I already wanted to do, so I’m feeling the blessings! XD

I’m not going to share too many specifics, since I’m planning to make a “July Goals” post pretty soon, so stay tuned for that! For now, I’ll just say to all of you who have made it this far, thank you so much for caring enough about me to read this long (and probably confusing!) post! Your support and friendship means so much to me! 🤗

I hope this gave you a bit of a window into what I’ve been doing lately! I’m going to leave y’all with a song of the day, one that I immediately enjoyed the first time I listened to it, and one that is so encouraging and amazing! *keels over* Anyways, hope y’all enjoy! See you next time! 👋