Finding Meaning In His Word! (+ July Goals!!)

Hey everyone! Is it not amazing to see flowers everywhere and be able to run barefoot? I am loving the spring/summer vibe that has found itself a home where I live! Golden hour is beautiful and warm again, and it lasts for a looong time, both in the morning and at night! Looking out the window is an adventure every time!

Its kind of like the way we feel when we’re really working on our relationship with the Lord. We feel uplifted, refreshed, and we want to read the Bible and illustrate verses and sing worship songs all the time! But when it settles into a less exciting routine, we become a little less passionate, a little less committed; and of course, then the dog days set in.

I’m not saying that we should always be on the “mountain-top”! Its wonderful there, and those times are amazing and special, but they don’t always last. The thing that lasts, is the love that is steady and calm and TRUE.

I’ve been challenged by several people recently (including my amazing friend Keziah in this post ♥), that the Word of God is not a part of our day that we need to just get through. We need to treasure it, make it THE most important part of our day! No matter how busy we are, reading the Scriptures and seeking our Father’s voice in His Word is more important than any exam, job op, or get-together. And the love of the Bible and the just being there to spend time with God, is part of what it means to have that long-lasting love, instead of just the wonder of the whirlwind romance.

This is totally not something I am perfect in. I have just been realizing it, little by little. Pursuit of God through His Word, combined with prayer, is our way of connecting with the Creator, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. But we all need His strength to hold us up in the spirit, keeping us from our fleshly desires to just laze through church and the motions. Being a passionate believer requires supernatural strength and wisdom, and praise the Father, He is willing to give it in abundance!

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

James 1:5-6, ESV

“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:29-31, ESV

HIS STRENGTH AND HIS MERCY, EVEN IN OUR YOUTHFUL FAILINGS, IS MORE THAN WE COULD EVER IMAGINE.

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And now, onto the May Favorites …

• coming to value the power of prayer more than ever before
• going out of my comfort zone and talking on the phone with people
• wearing shorts and not being cold! *jaw drop*
• watching The Chosen with brothers!
• babysitting and writing a book with two precious girls
• wondering why my arms hurt, and realizing that lifting heavy flower baskets was what did it!
• singing with thirty youth and young adults, voices lifted high
• commiserating with a fellow exam-taker about our nervousness
• to-do lists that take up a whole page, messy and in different colors and styles of writing, complete with varying levels of legibility.
• my crazy awesome Dad goofing off in the car and making us almost wet our pants laughing in the backseat!
• writing a song with a picture as a prompt
• staying up late, and going to bed early
• a nerve-wracking piano recital and wobbly arms
• wearing white pants at the piano recital, which made me feel like a bit of a rogue because they frequently change color based on the wearer’s care! XD
• a friend not recognizing me at an event because I curled my hair!
• the hilarity of six people eating ice cream at 9:30 at night, sharing three spoons!
• The Word of God – living and active.

And now for the June favorites …

• practicing piano like a maniac!
• hangin’ out with homeschoolers
• fireworks for some extremely belated birthdays!
• GOING TO THE BEACH!!! (Okay, it was a lake, but I liked it!)
• brunch with a couple other families, which turned into a huge unrelated project and games time!
• a girls grad party with a bunch of my sweet friends, that was such a blast!
• putting on my carpenter’s hat and building stands for said party!
• emailing people 🤗
• babysitting and playing goofy games with two-year-olds
• my first voice recital (at which I stood too close to the speaker and the mic didn’t work, but I couldn’t tell! I could see my family in the audience gesturing that they couldn’t hear, and I just kept singing! 😝😭 It went otherwise well, though. 🤣
• fencing with a friend and strategically figuring out how to fit six people on one quad!
• swimming and dying and swimming and half-dying and swimming and not-dying-any-more 😂
• learning that I aced a piano exam (despite shaky arms and the miles between heaven and earth, God worked miracles!)
• finished reading one of my teensy little books I seem to have acquired … and almost completely forgot about the rest. *facepalm*

And now …. JULY GOALS!!

1. Search high and low to find a pumpkin pie recipe for my Dad!
2. Spend four hours each morning on high school work.
3. Lane swim at least twice a week (with my crazy lane partners, aka brother(s)!)
4. Finish reading the prophetic books, Obadiah to Malachi, and read all the “writings” books, except Psalms! (That, my friends, is reserved for August, when I will be the coolest counselor you have ever met! 🤣)
5. Attend Staff camp! WOOOHOOO!!
6. Take my final lifeguarding course! (Hence the swim practice!)
7. Get a tan. (True, I have burnt many times trying for this goal, but we shall see this summer whether new strategies will succeed or not! I just hope this doesn’t affect my outgoing personality … you know what they say, “Once burnt, twice shy.” 😝🤣

HOLD UP! MAKAYLA’S GONNA BE A COUNSELOR?!

Yes! In August I will be away from home in some beautiful gorgeous place where I go to this cool unnamed camp, and I will tell you all the deets and learning lessons when I come back! (As you should have grown to be used to by now! 😂) I am so excited for this opportunity, and so grateful to God for this blessing that He’s given me!

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And that’s it! Tell me, y’all – how do you find passion in reading the Word of God? And relating to goals, what is one of the most exciting things you’re doing this coming month? Do you have any sensational summer plans? Chat with me in the comments!!

Y’all have an amazing day now, you hear?! 🤣

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

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

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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:

• Honey Frosting!! (From ‘Me, Myself, and Lambie’)
• Music Swap (From laurel-jean.com)
• Fall outfit ideas (from the stripedplaid.com)
• Two homemade spice recipes: Apple and Pumpkin, both from one of my favorite baking blogs, LittleSweetBaker.com
• Such great advice in a life update post, by Amber from ‘Dancing For The Holy One’
• Beautiful autumn aesthetic in yet another post by Amber!

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!

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!

June Life Update!

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

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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! 🤗

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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! 👋

My best tips for using extra notebooks!

Hey guys! If you’re like me, you love anything to do with writing or creativity, and collect all kinds of pens, pencils, paints, notebooks, stationary, sketchbooks, workbooks, and so on! The thing about that is … I end up with tons of extra notebooks stacked in my already-messy closet!

So, if you’re like me, and you want to use your gorgeous notebooks, but you don’t know how, then please, by all means, read on to see my tips on how to use your empty notebooks!

1. Journal! I try to keep a daily journal, and I have ever since I turned 13. (Its been 3 years?! Aaah, I’m getting old! 😂) But there are SO many more things you could journal about! Workouts, bible study, creative arts, even a songwriting journal would be so cute!

2. Write stories. Maybe you love stories and constantly get story ideas! Write down the date, then your idea. Or write an entire story in one notebook. I did this once and it was so much fun! (Although the story was rather predictable and immature!!)

3. Keep lists. You could make wish lists, to-do lists, bucket lists, goals, etc. If it’s a spiral notebook, you can write down your to-do list and rip it out if you want.

4. Dress up the covers and give them away to friends as a gift. I know I LOVE getting notebooks from friends, I don’t know, there’s just something about it! 😄

5. Make a devotional or an encouragement diary and give it to a friend. I have been toying with this idea for a while and I’m planning on trying it out. It would be so much fun and you’d basically be writing a book!!

6. Keep an inspirational idea journal. This is different from plain journaling because it involves everything, literally every good idea, quote, sketch you come across in a day. Carry a mini notebook around with you (like I do) and you’ll see what I mean. The ideas just come to you and you’re caught scribbling madly before you lose the spark!

I hope you enjoyed! What other ways do YOU use your empty notebooks? I’d love to know! Maybe I’ll add your ideas to the list!

You are SO Beautiful!

Have you ever known a girl who was just so beautiful and had such an attractive personality in her own way, but … she just couldn’t see it? In fact, maybe she even thought she was ugly … or dumb … or annoying … and maybe she wanted to be somebody else! Maybe that girl …

Maybe that girl … was you?

That girl was me.

Surrounded by what society calls “beauty”, I looked around, and saw that everyone else had clearer skin. Everyone else had skinny legs. Everyone else had a crush who liked them back (Presumably because of their looks.) And then there was me.

Can I tell you something, little girl with a crown? What you are doing is comparing yourself to others. And each of those girls are comparing themselves to you. And you are both coming up on the short end because you don’t realize that God made you YOU and even if you weren’t born with your struggles, get this: The YOU that God made is gonna have to put up with the hard times as well as the good times. And God will help you! He loves and won’t leave you hanging!

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 (emphasis mine)

And listen: If God is for you, than who can stand against you? Don’t let the world stand against you! Don’t measure yourself by their standards. Trust in God. Commit yourself to developing a beautiful character, an inner beauty.

Little girl with a crown, you are God’s child, and he will give you the desires of your heart … when you seek first His kingdom and righteousness.

I know it’s hard to wait, hard to be different, hard to keep going, hard to change your thinking … But you can choose to let the hard things make you better. Diamonds are formed under intense pressure. In the same way, your pressures can crush you, or it can create a sparkling beauty.

Things to avoid …

• Stop comparing yourself to other girls. Every time you catch yourself, chastise yourself. Tell God, “Thank you for your beautiful creation. We are both beautiful because we are made in YOUR image.”
• Don’t make the situation worse. If you are REALLY down in the dumps about your weight, acne, school, or something more serious, seek help! Talk to your parents or a caring friend, do a little research, you could even talk to me!😉 Seriously … you are not alone!

Step 1 – KNOW that outward beauty is second to inward beauty. Inner beauty is oh-so-important and comes FIRST.

Step 2 – LIVE what you KNOW. Work on your inner beauty. It’s okay to wear make-up and care about your clothing and try to look nice, but really cultivate your inner beauty. Let your inner beauty shine through the clothes you’re wearing. Let your happiness and contentment give your skin a glow.

Step 3 – Wait on Yahweh, and be strong. It takes strength and patience to wait, and these are both elements of inner beauty. Find a role model (your mom, aunt, even a friend) who shows you what inner beauty looks like.

I’ve been there, done that. I’m here for you, girl!!

Stay strong in the Word.

Inner Beauty – Start with your Heart (part 3)

Yes, I may be reading the Bible. Yes, I’m a lot nicer and more polite to my siblings. I’ve been getting better at honoring my parents. But my heart’s not right.

Yesterday we were all singing praise songs. I felt sad and moody and I could hardly sing because I was worried I would burst out crying! What happened? Exactly nothing!

I didn’t feel right. Now you may chalk it up to me only being able to play mandolin for one song. Maybe. But it felt bigger than that, like a stone in my stomach and a bees-nest in my head.

I thought back on the week. I only read the Bible when I had time. I still have a bit of a temper and a habit of acting quickly without thinking (even though I didn’t have bad intentions.)

I wrote this on my vision board last week. I had no idea how much I’d need it.

“Start with your heart.”

I was trying to do all the things, but my heart wasn’t in it. If Yeshua had come back during singing, what would he have found me doing? Sitting on my butt feeling sorry for myself?! Worrying about the future?! That’s not the way I want to live.

Take a pause. Are you trying to do ‘all the things’, but your heart isn’t in it? Are you exhausted from trying to be someone you’re not? Are you disillusioned or depressed with working and striving and never stopping to think about the whys?

I want to live each day like it’s my last. I need my heart to be soft and my spirit willing to do WHATEVER! I need to stop in the tough moments and take it to Yahweh. I need to give Yahweh the very best of myself and my abilities. Obedience. Hard work. Patience. A loving and soft heart.

As a huge milestone in my life approaches (my 16^th birthday) I’m worried I won’t be ready or mature enough to deserve it, to shoulder the responsibility and the change that comes with it. I had so many goals for my 16^th year, goals I haven’t completed, won’t be able to complete anytime soon.

It has to remind me to be worthy of each and every single day that God gives me. To use my time wisely, down to every hour. To live like each day is my last. When I feel Yahweh asking me, “What have you been doing, daughter?” I want to be able to confidently answer, “The work of The Lord.”

BeautifulYou Tip: Start with your Heart. Focus on the best and only reason to have inner beauty and a strong faith – Yahweh. Get yourself right with God … He’s coming back soon!

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

Mathew 25:13, NKJV

I took a pause that day. I didn’t like what I saw in my life. I didn’t like that I wasn’t in it with my whole heart. So I started right then to fix my heart. I know it’s not going to happen right away – it’s going to take time. But I am going to do it. I won’t live a superficial life of exhaustion and striving. I’m going to love Yahweh my Elohim with ALL of my heart and soul and mind and strength.

Taking Inner Beauty a step further … (part two.)

In last week’s post on Inner Beauty, we covered the first step – reading your Bible, the guidebook that God gave you. Now we’re onto the next step … trying to act in beauty in a world that makes it very difficult.

In your family, siblings (and even sometimes parents) can frustrate us and make us feel like they are squelching our inner beauty. But one thing that we all have to realize is that we are only as beautiful as we are at our worst. We all have a great responsibility to treat our families with the same beauty as we would our friends and teachers.

Sometimes it’s easier to act nicer to your family if there are other people around. But if you can have a beautiful attitude when no ones looking (or when you think no ones looking,) that is the best kind of attitude.

Yes, this takes time. But you can start small. Thank your family members for things they do for you – folding the laundry, picking up your book, driving you to basketball. Smile to show them you care. Show a little interest in their interests, and maybe they’ll even invite you to join them.

I’ve never had an older sibling, but as the eldest, I can tell you that I love it when my younger bros tell me “thank you” and “good job”. You might not think your older sister wants your approval on her outfit, but I bet she’ll smile big when you tell her you like it.

And outside the home, with September fast approaching, your friends, activities, and homework are all going to require your immediate attention. How will you handle them? Will you carry your inner beauty with you everywhere? Will you say no to evil and yes to good? Will you abandon the secular and popular and embrace the straight and narrow?

Beautiful You Tip: Remember who you are, whether you’re at home with your family or hanging out with your friends at school. Say ‘no’ to the enemy.

You are an ambassador of God’s kingdom to the nations. Let them see Christ in you, in your inner beauty. Honestly, same thing for the boys. If a guy is cute but has no character, his personality is hardened and ugly. Be a good representative of The Kingdom.

If this all seems too lofty or hard, don’t overthink it. You will mess up sometimes, we all do: But don’t ever think you can’t do it, because YOU CAN!!!

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

Philippians 4:13

Come to God for the strength to do this. Stay strong in The Word of God and in prayer.

Love y’all!

Makayla

How to get your Beauty Sleep!

We all know the feeling … rolling over in bed, so warm. Glancing out the window, the sun rudely awakens us with its cheery glow, but all we care about is tuning out everything so we can get rid of that headache! Why, oh WHY did we stay up SO LATE last night?

Staggering over to the mirror to soothe our parched throat with water, we almost faint at the sight of our face. Deep circles give your eyes an … interesting look. “Wish purple circles were in,” we groan as we splash our faces, hoping to banish the puffy eyes before our appointment at 9:00 AM … in 30 minutes!?

Yes, yes, we’ve all been there. It’s awful! How do we keep it from happening again?

Your sleep isn’t an annoying necessity, its a helpful one. But in order to make it work for us, we need to disconnect from the norm and plug into efficiency! Ready?

1. Go down early! Yes, thats right, early!! (I’ve found that being in bed with lights out at 9:30 will somehow cause me to wake up at around 5:30, and fall back again until 7:00!! Craziest thing! Maybe it’s just me … but wouldn’t you like to try it?) I heard an interesting thing once … an hour of sleep before midnight counts as TWO hours after midnight! Trust me … it works!
2. Prepare yourself and your body. Drink a glass or two of water beforehand, so that you don’t wake up totally dehydrated and zapped of energy.
3. Get yourself most comfortable. I tend to like sleeping in a cool, totally quiet room with dusky lighting and heavy covers. Whatever works for you, do it!
4. Wind down and clear your head. I read the Bible, draw, comb my hair, or journal. Sniffing essential oils has helped me tremendously … I love to put Peppermint essential oil in my FÜM and breathe it in before bed while I read!

Why go to all this work, though? Because …

1. A teenager needs 8-10 hours of sleep to function properly in school and work, avoid headaches and sickness, and keep energy levels up. You have a growing body, and you want it to grow as much as possible, as strong as it can, so nurture it with sleep!
2. … But not too much sleep. Too much can dull your senses and make you feel lazy and even more tired. Sometimes the early riser takes the cake!

I hope this helped you with some tips for a beautiful beauty sleep! 😂

See y’all!

Makayla

Landmark! Recap and Future Plans for ‘Yah’s Girl’

Heyyyy y’all! Its been exactly 7 months since ‘Yah’s Girl’ began! If you haven’t been along since the beginning, here’s a quick recap to catch you up:

January: I started my blog, and named it ‘Makayla’s Blog’. Began posting content for school and a verrrry small amount in personal life and lifestyle.

Later months: Some friends and family followed, and some people from RPC. (Not too much happened in the months between.)

July: Redid my blog, named it Yah’s Girl. Began publishing posts on beauty and lifestyle, in addition to Bible and Homeschooling.

August: Over 50 FOLLOWERS!!!! A big thank you to all of you who have followed, your support means so much!

At first I didn’t know if I could do school and lifestyle posts at the same time, but I am excited to say that I made it work! I hope y’all are okay with occasionally getting an essay on philosophy mixed in with your health and beauty sleep tips! 😂

In the future, I am planning on continuing the series on Inner Beauty … Not sure if it’ll ever end! XD I also want to do a series on Character … with sections for both guys and gals. As always, I’m interested in any ideas or tips you might have for me … such as post ideas, series, and, of course, awards! 😉

Most of all, this is a thank-you post. Thank you, all of you who have followed me (and to those of you who follow after reading this post! 😉😂) Have a great day, and know that your encouragement means so much!

Makayla