July Goals + Inspiration!

Well hello hello everyone! HOW is it already July?!

I’m excited to start this new month and even more excited that I’m actually getting my goals post out in time! YES!! What have y’all been doing in the last … few days? 😂 I’m keeping cool during the heat wave in my area and doing some school to finish off the last day of June! Farewell, beautiful June! *gets sentimental* But hell-lo July! *spirit revives*

Is anyone else craving some rich spiritual meat right about now? Me too. I don’t consider myself a provider of wise words that satisfy, but perhaps my thoughts on this first day of July can be somehow beneficial to my readers and encourage them in some way! 🤍

Lately I’ve been thinking about my future a bit (as mentioned in this post). I found an amazing verse that helps me in the stage I’m in, as a teen girl with fewer responsibilities than a career-woman, wife, or mother. While I’m here in my current phase, with certain responsibilities as a daughter, I’m curious as to what I can do right now, for the future ahead. Within Ecclesiastes, (a book some believe to have been written by Solomon, the wisest man in the world,) is a little jewel that gives me a bit of relief.

“Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.”

Ecclesiastes 2:24, NKJV

Although this certainly relieves pressure, we do carry a certain responsibility during the teen years. Near the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, there lies an encouraging yet sobering message.

“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,

And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;

Walk in the ways of your heart,

And in the sight of your eyes;

But know that for all these

God will bring you into judgment.

Therefore remove sorrow from your heart,

And put away evil from your flesh,

For childhood and youth are vanity.

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,

Before the difficult days come,

And the years draw near when you say,

“I have no pleasure in them.”

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 – 12:1, NKJV

There are ways that in my heart I long to follow. There are desires I have that are unfulfilled as of now, and dreams that may never be fulfilled. But as the verses above show, we have a responsibility to remember that while we pursue our dreams, we pursue them in a way that honors God and His plans for our life. May we pursue our future in a way that let’s our light shine as a witness to the world.

Additionally, I’d like to encourage all of you to let it go, if you’re feeling overwhelmed. I believe that our Father wants us to do His Will with ALL of our hearts, not grudgingly because we think we should. So if you feel guilty, pressured, or uncertain, my friends, just cast your cares and burdens on our Father, and He will give you His perfect yoke, which yields freedom and peace.

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Psalms 55:22, NKJV

” ‘ “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” ‘ “

Mathew 11:28-30, NKJV

(These three songs are some of my favorites! Listening to these songs would be a big favor to your musical ear! XD)

Alrighty, let’s get into July Goals! see below! 👇🙌

THEWILDFIREGIRL.WORDPRESS.COM

#1 Drink in the sun, but stay wise! (The last few days I swam outdoors, but I wasn’t very careful about applying sunscreen, so right now my face and arms are .. unbelievably red! So, going forward, I’m going to treat my body with a little more TLC when in the sun!)

#2 Swim at rivers, lakes, dugouts, wherever I can! I need practice in order to complete my next goal ..

#3 Pass my Bronze Medallion and Bronze Cross. (I have never been a competitive swimmer so I’m a little intimidated by the idea of timed swims. I’ve been praying so hard that I’ll be given strength and energy to pass!)

#4 Hike two related trails *hopefully!*

#5 Read one Proverb and five Psalms a day (This will enable me to get through the books of Proverbs and Psalms in one month, without burning out, especially throughout the week of the Bronze courses.)

#6 Wake up at 5:30 so I can train for volleyball before the day gets hot! (And, of course, to give me an incentive to wake up earlier!)

#7 Get to lesson 140 in school, 29 lessons in both subjects.

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My own pic! (drinking sunlight counts as a drink, right?)

So there we go!! A little inspiration for the month ahead, my goals, and some pretty pics! What thoughts are running through your mind as July shines down into your backyard? Do you have any goals you’ve got planned to smash? I’d love to hear about it all, down in the comments!

Farewell my friends, and we’ll hopefully talk again next time!

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I Have Finished! And Yet, I’ve Only Just Begun …

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

I thought it would take me forever, but I have finished.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

9 months have passed, and hours and hours, but finally, I have finished.

“And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”

Thanks be to God for His Word, the water of life!

“He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”

I began reading the Bible in fuzzy story-book form in my toddler years, but last summer I began to read the Bible all the way through, from beginning to end. My parents encouraged me to, and my brother and friends inspired me along the way, and just today I read the last words of the book of Revelations and thought about how far I’ve come.

• I’ve surrendered my future, my desires, my life.
• I’ve grown to love reading and studying the Bible.
• I’ve come to understand my own faith, on so many different levels.
• I’ve been able to share my faith, as a result of increased confidence.
• I’ve grown in character, which has always been my heartfelt desire.

As I traveled through the beginning of the Bible, I relished learning all the back story, the history, the “frame” for my faith. The Old Testament is considered boring by some people, but for me its rich and meaningful, always giving shadowy glimpses of the future in Christ. When I reached the four gospels, I was beyond excited to read about Jesus and see all the amazing parallels I had read about in the beginning of the Bible.

It all fits together, like a puzzle, and I have finished the puzzle for the first time. You know how you sit there in awe, after finishing a 5’000 piece puzzle, wondering at the hugeness and the complexity of it? You know that puzzle like the back of your hand. You’ve studied every piece. But all together, its beautiful.

It’s breathtaking.

But as soon as you finish it, it’s time to take it apart. But then after taking it apart, why not build it again? And again? Now that I’ve finished the Bible, I know I HAVE to read it again. And again. And again. To keep on building that 5’000 piece puzzle, until the edges are scuffed and the colors have faded. But the puzzle will still fit together.

It’s perfect.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, as it judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart. 

Hebrews 4:12

The sword of the Word of God has pierced my soul. Nothing can pull it out. Nothing will ever release the hold it has on my heart. It’s changed me and my preconceived indoctrination of what I thought life was, and I know that it will continue to change me.

Can I say something?

I want you to study the Word with all your heart. I want you to begin at the beginning. I want you to discover truth. I want this for you.

But it will be hard.

And YOU have to want it. YOU have to make the choice.

So I’ll just tell you that if you decide to read the Bible, it will change you. Because the Word of God is living and active, sharper than a sword, convicting you.

Maybe you don’t want to change.

But what if that change gives you more happiness, fulfillment, and real life than you’ve ever experienced?

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

What I’ve Learned Since Turning 16 …. (part 1.)

A few months ago … I turned 16!

I actually didn’t want to turn 16.

All my life, I’ve been dying to be older, but as I’ve actually attained those ages that were so eagerly anticipated, I’ve realized that with the perks and the privileges come a ton of responsibilities too. Now, I’m scared to be older, because that means that I have to make some big decisions about my future, who I am and who I want to be, what work I want to do, and what people I want to be around. It means remodeling my life, and it’s a really scary and uncomfortable phase.

I have all these expectations of what I’d like my life to look like, but I know that YHVH’s plan is the only plan. When I can’t see His plan, I get scared and either want to shrink and hide, or take control of my life. I’m uncomfortable in a transition phase, because I don’t feel secure.

Okay, so none of you ever knew. Even if you know me personally, you would never have described me as someone who wants to shrink into a corner. You would have described me as a ‘go-getter’, a smart student, quick-thinking, creative, athletic, studious, fun-loving, confident enough to strike up a conversation with anyone regardless of their age or gender. A soak-up-info-like-a-sponge girl, a romantic, a musician. (I’m serious! People would definitely describe me this way!)

But sometimes, the people who look the most put-together and in-control, are the most insecure. We put pressure on ourselves to be as awesome as everyone thinks we are, sometimes to be even better! As an oldest child, with a competitiveness inherited from both my parents, my mindset is “finish it fast, first, and better than ever before!”

But it gets exhausting, and when I can’t do it, I wonder what’s wrong with me.

But the truth is, I don’t HAVE to be better.

I just have to do my best. Waiting, patiently, for YHVH’s plan. (Did I mention I’m not very patient?) But we don’t have to become patient people to wait. We just have to become trusting people.

What I have learned throughout the year …

1. You don’t have to do it all.

I have really high ambitions for myself and I worry about if I’ll graduate on time, will I be able to get into a college if I want to, am I smart enough to make a living, am I secure and strong enough to live alone … but my Dad advised me to just take it one step at a time. You can’t get to square three without starting on square one.

And yes, I’m still ambitious! I want to play volleyball and do calligraphy and make vision boards and complete all the math curriculum possible and write songs and go on morning runs and redo my room and make money and workout … just see my bucket list!! But those things don’t have to take first place.

First place belongs to the things that are REALLY important.

2. Honor the people you live with.

I know it seems like your family understands you and can put up with you when you get annoying, but recently I’ve had to ask my family’s forgiveness a lot for being, as two of my brothers put it, cranky. (A most glamorous epithet for a contemporary teen girl, I know! *facepalm*)

My relationship with my Dad is so close. He is my protector against the world. He deserves my trust because he has proven himself to be a man after God’s own heart. I trust him so much … even when I disagree with him, I respect him because I know he only wants the very best for me. I’m so thankful for his presence in my life, providing for me, giving me all sorts of wisdom and advice, and leading our family in a strong walk of faith with God and in ministry to a huge sector of people.

My Mom and I have the relationship every girl has with her mom – we’ve had all the long talks about fashion, boys, and the future. But that’s not the only way my Mom helps me … she works so hard to make great food, cooking, baking, gardening, drying, preserving, and canning. She takes me to piano lessons. She takes me to my friends’ houses. She has my friends over! She goes shopping with me. When my acne was bad, she literally did everything she could to help me with it. She has a great faith that gets her up in bed every morning to read the Bible and pray for hours. My Mom is Superwoman.

My parents are a team. And they love me together.

But parents aren’t the only ones who deserve respect …. Anyone got siblings? 😂

There are so many reasons to be kind to your siblings. As an oldest child, I frequently have problems suppressing my sisterly urge to tell my three brothers what to do … hehe. When I do it, it obviously doesn’t go over well. I’ve seen so many girls that have horrible relationships with their brothers (or sisters!) And I don’t have any experience with sisters (because I don’t have any), but I have a brother who is 17 months younger than me and we are best friends. I’m not kidding.

My relationship with my brother is so close and wonderful! We can tell each other anything. He is great at so many things and we share our knowledge and ideas and struggles.

Neither of us are perfect siblings, and we do get mad at each other sometimes, but our relationship is so strong that we can easily forgive and forget. I get so sad when I see brothers and sisters snapping at each other, or laughing when the other person has their feelings hurt. This is not the way it should be! We should be loving and caring, helping each other along in Christ, helping each other to become better and encouraging each other!

Something to think about …. Someday you may like someone in a special way. You need to realize that the way a girl treats her brother is the way she’ll treat her husband. The way a guy treats his sister is the way he’ll treat his wife. And trust me, people know this. When I see a boy who mistreats his sister, not only am I saddened, but that means that the boy has lost a ton of estimation in my eyes because … if he treats his sister in that way …. Then how will he treat his wife?

3. It’s not about Me – it’s about Him. (God)

Every year, me and a bunch of other families rent a whole camp and stay there a week, staying up late, having shared meals, and studying the Bible. This year, it’s going to look a lot different. I’ve been struggling with that a lot and wishing that we could do what we always do. I selfishly want this, I want that ….

But it’s not about me. The reason we DO this campout is FOR GOD. And this applies to everything in our lives! Whatever you do, do it for the glory of GOD.

It’s not about me; it’s about Him.

4. Boundaries mean nothing if you don’t have the right motive.

How close is too close to get to a guy? Can you hold hands? Can you be alone together? The Bible doesn’t say anything about “just friends” or “hanging out” or “dating”, so how do we know what to do?

The fact that some people ask this is a dead giveaway that they want to get as close to the line as they can, without “actually” sinning. Or, some people might be just genuinely wondering. I’ll assume I’m talking to the second audience, because if you belong to the first audience, you shouldn’t be here. You should be on your knees with your Bible open.

*Anyway* To address the issue, here are a few verses that are important to remember :

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:30-31, NKJV (emphasis mine)

(Treat others the way you would want to be loved. If another teen were in love with you but they didn’t respect your boundaries or tried to accelerate your relationship beyond what you were comfortable with, that wouldn’t be a loving act, would it?)

Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.

1 Timothy 5:1-2, NKJV (emphasis mine)

(I get that the context is about exhortation versus rebukes, but it also highlights the way we are to relate to the sexes in even the most tense and highly emotional situations – as brothers and sisters. Maybe not the way we normally relate to our siblings (since many of us are prone to failure in that regard,) but if you think about just how platonic and caring your relationship with your siblings should be, it presents a much clearer picture of how to relate to others “in all purity”.)

5. It’s not enough to just talk the talk – it’s not enough to just walk the walk – you have to LIVE the LIFE.

I found this truth buried in a heap of missed bible readings and ever-piling workouts. Yep. In plainer terms: I was so busy trying to build myself physically, that I forgot about building myself up spiritually. I constantly have to remind myself to go and DO things – not because they gain my salvation, but because of my salvation! If you have a light, shine it!

6. Appearances are deceiving …

Let’s be honest: when was the last time you saw someone with a zit and thought “Man, they look SO ugly today. If they didn’t have that zit, they would look SO much better.” Nobody thinks that! The truth is, we are much harder on ourselves and our appearances than anyone else is. Most people don’t even care what you look like! And yet, that truth is so hard to grasp.

What really matters is what’s going on in the inside. The most gorgeous girl can appear ugly if she is rude, shallow in character, or obnoxious. I’d rather spend my time in the pursuit of spiritual beauty, than wake up one day with the acne gone, but spiritually empty.

(All that being said, sometimes we think we suffer more than anyone else appearance-wise. But guess what – everyone thinks that! I don’t know a single person who has not been insecure about something at one time or another. So, although they may look like they’re fine on the outside, they may not be doing so good on the inside. So – let’s be sensitive to the unspoken insecurities of others, and build each other up.)

7. Just DO The Hard Thing.

You know when you have a dream, but having that dream means you’re going to have to do things that are either impossible, very difficult, or take a long time? When faced with the realities of a dream, I often give up, telling myself it isn’t worth it to me. But what if it truly IS worth it? Then you’ve missed out … Big time.

Don’t go in headfirst, without knowing how deep the bottom is. First measure the depth, then dive in … immediately! Before you have a chance to lose your nerve … or worse, let the dream slowly slip away.

8. Age is just a number.

I spent many years practically wishing away my life so that I could be 16, or 17, or 18. Then, finally, I neared my 16th birthday, and for the first time in my life, I wasn’t excited. Because I’ve finally realized how fast time flies.

Life slips away so fast that we don’t realize when we are wasting our life. And dreaming away our lives, til the day we can drive; til the day we can date; til the day we can graduate high school; til the day we can go to college and blast the socks off our teachers; til the day we can get married; til the day when we *finally* have our dream body; we could waste our whole lives dreaming in this way, never stopping to enjoy the amazing benefits of right now.

Please, don’t wish the years away like I did. Age is just a number, but the years of your life are a blessing. Enjoy them while you have them! They will be gone before you know it.

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Alright everyone, I hope you enjoyed these and that they were a blessing to you! Which one spoke to you the most? What’s one thing (or two, or three …) that you’ve learned in the past year?

(I’ll post a second part, as a series, sometimes in the future. No plans as to when, though!)

Goals for my lifestyle in 20 years!

No matter what my life will be like in 20 years, I do know that I want my life to be full of purpose, passion, and fulfillment. I want to work hard, succeed in my niche, and never stop learning and growing. If I could have the world at my disposal, and all my dreams come true, this is what I would want my life to be like in twenty years.

I’m a country girl through and through, so I never want to leave, whether I live in the prairies or the mountains. I want to live an active lifestyle, with swimming, hiking, and kayaking playing an important part of my weekends! I can’t imagine life without a healthy body or not being able to run or hike, so I will be sure to stay in shape – I can foresee more workout challenges in my future as well!

I want to have a strong faith, self-esteem, and use my spiritual gift. I haven’t found it yet, but it’s inspiring to see people I know in my faith community stepping up and showing hospitality, making meals for people going through hard times, and providing music for worship.

I want to build, own, and direct a camp where I can encourage teenage girls and boys in their faith during some of the toughest years of their lives. As teens, we need more strength than we did as children to sustain us and assure us of the Truth of what God says in His Word. I want to mentor teen girls and young women with encouragement and Biblical truth, and just be there for them if they ever wanted to talk, study together, or go out and do something fun and crazy!!

I want to marry a man who loves God more than anything else, and will stop at nothing to seek truth. I want to be head-over-heels in love with him, but I also want that deeper love that will enable us to stay committed even in the worst, toughest, and darkest times. I don’t want us to ever stop seeking the Kingdom of God.

I want a local business; however, it doesn’t have to be a small business. I’m toying with a new and revolutionary business idea, but shhh! It’s still a secret! 🤣 The mission of this business would be to provide everyone with the opportunity to see themselves the way they could be, or the way they really are on the inside, and to make that happen on the outside.

I want to complete everything on my bucket list. Yes, I know it’s crazy, but there’s so much I want to try, learn, and experience!

I hope I can someday achieve all of these goals. I’m excited for my future and I know that I’ll have to work hard, but I’m used to that! 😂 Thank Yahweh for everything he’s given me, every talent, dream, and scrap of intelligence! May I use them all for His Glory!

Makayla

My Ideal Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship is a contract between an employer and a (potentially) untrained individual. The common situation is one where the employer trains the apprentice to do the work required of workers in that field. The employee gets paid minimum wage.

I love the idea of apprenticeship because it enables you to learn elements of any business, at no cost to yourself, even getting paid! This is an equivalent (in my opinion) to getting paid to go to college! Some of the best benefits of an apprenticeship are …

• Hands on training. You aren’t just another kid in a classroom. Your boss gives you real attention in order to train and instruct you.
• You get paid to learn a trade. You could apprentice part-time in high school to earn money and learn.
• Real-world experience. As you interact with customers and employees, you will learn more about the market and what people are interested in, as well as learning to deal with different groups of people.
• Business training. As well as learning the hand-work, you learn about various aspects of managing a business, like doing taxes, hiring, paying, and firing employees, etc.

As you can see, I’m totally in love with the idea of an apprenticeship, and my ideal choice would be to apprentice in electrics or mechanics, for various reasons.

Benefits of apprenticing in Electrics:

• You could wire your own home.
• In my area, it’s a high-paying job.
• Everyone needs electric work done.
• You visit other people’s homes and learn to work on all kinds of systems and buildings.
• It requires physical labor, unlike a desk job.

Benefits of apprenticing in Mechanics:

• Depending on the area of mechanics you decide to study (airplane, auto, or farm machinery) you could use your skills on your own, your family’s, or your friends’ vehicles.
• Again, almost everyone has a vehicle. Auto mechanics are in high demand.
• Again, in my area, it’s a high-paying job.
• It often requires physical labor. No getting soft on this job either!

Additionally, in both of these apprenticeships lie the opportunity to become a fully-fledged electrician or mechanic.  As an electrician, I could start my own business, literally from scratch, since it only requires smaller sized tools. I would need a dependable vehicle to get me where I needed to go, since an electrician does quite a bit of traveling to other people’s homes.

Setting up shop as a mechanic would be a bit trickier and more expensive, since I would need a shop and heavier equipment. However, the majority of people would bring their cars to me, so that would cut down on my gas usage, saving a lot of money in the long run.

Notwithstanding the previous point, one way I could fill a hole in this market would be to travel TO a person’s house to fix their car. Not only would I be providing service, but I would be saving their time while showing them I cared enough to show up. This adds quality to service, and might get me more referrals.

Thank you all for reading!

~ Makayla