Cherishing my Role (in the home)

Ecuador Post Part 3

2012-01-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

PART 3

Next morning, weawoke to seagulls screaming and the sound of the tide lapping up onthe beach. After breakfast, we met in a conference room where WessStafford shared with us about his passion for the Compassion ministryand his love for the poor! He told us about his childhood growing upin the tribal villages of Africa and speaking eight languages everyday! He told stories about being a spy, an ambulance assistance and adisc jockey. There is so much passion in him and so much love for thepeople around him that it radiates from him! He makes everyone feelspecial and accepted, no matter how long he's known you; for fiveminutes or fifty years. I can't say enough about Wess Stafford andthe work that God is doing in with and through him. I learned somuch!

There it is! The beach!!! My first ever glimpse of the Pacific Ocean!

After that meeting,we loaded up in the shuttle and took a scenic drive to a very smalltown in one of the driest parts of Ecuador called Las Lagoonas (manylakes :). The church was, appropriately, built at the top of a hillthat overlooked the city and I was touched with the love andacceptance of all the people there, not just the children! Theexcitedly welcomed us into their church family. We laughed, chasedeach other and gave many, many hugs and kisses.

The children gave us these foam faces that they made! I think I counted 21 in all between me and my dad! :)

There's Becca surrounded by beautiful little girls!

The hat was still a favorite!

Here's one of our trip leaders Justin and some new friends.

Once again, my big straw hat proves to be a great ice-breaker!

Tim holding another baby! Not a surprise at all!

Silly Mr. Tim!

Daddy was adored by the kids

This is Chloe. She too tried my hat, but it had those foam faces in it!

Once again! Smiles all around!

This is Ellie, her dad and their sponsored child, Evelyn! How sweet!

Lunch was tunasalad and chips with fresh fruit and a desert called “flan”. Amixture of sugar and eggs who's consistency is similar to nothingI've ever eaten. The closest thing would be custardy fish because ofthe way it comes apart in clusters.

Our home visit waseye opening. The mother Maribelle had two children and they lived ina sturdy brick house which was built by her husband who was out inthe field that day. The main occupations in Las Lagoonas arebrick-making and farming. Our translator, Roberto asked Maribellewhat she would say if God asked her what she would want. She repliedthat all she wanted was for her children to be healthy! It made methink of how much we can take general health for granted here inAmerica. There are lots of diseases that people can get from drinkingwater, eating poisoned food and so on. The people in Las Lagoonas gettheir water once a week from a rusty water truck that comes and fillstheir buckets. That's the water for the whole week. Talk aboutneeding conservation skills!

Looking around Maribelle's home, I was touched at how evident it was, that she had done her very best to make it less of a shell and more of a home. She said she hoped that someday, they could add another room because she didn't like that it was all one big room. She had rugs and blankets up on ropes to simulate walls that separated the bedroom area of the house from the living room/kitchen. It reminded me very much of a modern-day "By the Banks of Plum Creek" (a Little House book by Laura Ingalls Wilder) scenario.

These are Maribelle's chicks. They're in an old gas tank with the top cut off

Here's Maribelle, her sons and I outside their house.

When our visit wasover, we loaded back on the shuttle to visit another plant severalmiles away. I'm afraid I can't remember the name of that town either...We had a fun time playing with the kids and the family who had planted the church, talked to us about what they were doing there.

There was a rope-jumping competition. Boys vs. Girls :)

Next Day, after ameeting in the conference room, we boarded our flight back to Quitoand drove straight to the market place from there. I can't believe Ididn't get any pictures of it! My dad and I sort of kept onetranslator named Liseth to ourselves as we shopped around. We got somany great deals!!! I found matching blouses for my mom, my sisterMarley and then little dresses to match those for Mandee and Mirial.Dad found hats for Max and Moses, scarves were really cheap and therewere an abundance of trinkets and such for prices that were bothcheap and overpriced :)

That evening overdinner, we met two of Compassion's LDP (Leadership DevelopmentProgram) students. For $300 a month, a sponsor can support a youngman or woman to go through college and help support their family. Theyoung lady sitting at our table, I think her name was Naomi, wasgoing through the most prestigious electric engineering college inthe country. She was designing prosthetics for children who have lostlimbs because of illness and wars. You could see how passionate shewas!


This was my meal on our last night. The stuff in the bowl is ceviche. It was delicious! I tasted tomato juice and cilantro mainly. There was shrimp in it. So rich, I couldn't even finish it!

This is Naomi! She was very gracious to talk to us while her food got cold!

We had to leaveearly that evening to make our midnight flight. Everyone else wasleaving the next morning, but Daddy said that we saved over $1,000 onour tickets by booking them at midnight. Our flight to me seemedendless especially because I don't like sleeping on planes. I barelycaught a wink and was falling asleep on the escalator and trying tokeep up with daddy as he moved us fast enough to get us throughcustoms and security before we would be caught up in a long, longline.

After a quickbreakfast a Chili's (not bad at all), we boarded our next plane backhome. I slept the whole way :) As soon as we touched down, Daddycalled the house and within half and hour, we were in the minivan onour way home! I had jet lag pretty bad for the next couple of days,but now I'm better (in case you were wondering :)

To sum up: I can'twait to go back!

Ecuador Post Part 2

2012-01-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

FYI: THIS WAS WRITTEN ABOUT A WEEK AGO

Part 2

I haven't had a chance to write since that last entry. It's been awild time! Let me explain...no, there's too much; I'll sum up: Soonafter I wrote that, we boarded the plane and during the 5 hourflight, I got to watch Dolphin Tale. I highly recommend it.It's all clean. Not the most exciting story in the world, but it wasa great family movie.

After we landed andwent through customs, there was a group of Compassion staff to greetus. Even though it was after 11:00, they were very friendly and muchmore awake than I was. Quito is almost 10,000 feet above sea level,so the air is very thin up there. At first, I had a hard timecatching my breath because I was pulling heavy luggage and trying tokeep up with my dad's long strides. But, after a while I got used toit, breathed almost the same as if I'd been back home and had a goodnight's sleep.

What a view!!!

Then next morning,I awoke and opened my windows to a spectacular view! There was theregular city buildings and houses, but looking beyond them, I saw theAndes mountains. Beautiful! We were already 10,000 feet up and stillthe tops were shrouded in mist! At the very nice hotel westayed in, their idea of a “Continental Breakfast” is a hugebuffet with everything you can think of! Eggs, bacon, pancakes,toast, oatmeal, cereal, deli meat, cheese, crackers, juice, quiche,potatoes and a special omelet cook ready to take your order! Wedidn't even have to bus our own tables... Anyway, after thathappiness, we took off in a bus to the Compassion Country Office. Wewere briefed on what would be happening during the next couple ofdays and given a tour of the office where they handle thesponsorships, curricula and hundreds of letters that come and goevery day.

Looks almost like you could just hop from one roof to the other!

I never did get to swim in that pool...


This is Becca the day I met her :)


Taylor and her dad Shane.

This is a bull-fighting ring! I snapped it as we were driving by in the shuttle.


In the Compassion Country Office we were briefed in this room on our trip.

They have pictures everywhere of children in the programs :)

Fernando, one of the translators, and the woman in charge of finances


These are all letters to and from sponsors and children. They are individually translated by people in the community.

This woman is in charge of mail and gifts.

When our tour wasover, we loaded back up in the bus and drove for about twenty minutesor so until we reached a Compassion project in a village who's name Icannot begin to pronounce. The children were so precious! As soon asyou give the initiation of a hug or a smile or a handshake, they takeyou in as if they had known you their whole lives. I saw such joy andhappiness on their little upturned faces begging for attention andlove. But after we entered the church, I found it a little harder tobreak the ice. A lot of my friends had children sitting next to themin the pews or on their laps, but I didn't. So, I had an idea. Behindmy pew (which was in the back), there were some little girls playingwith balloons. So I got up and took off my big straw hat (I had itbecause I sunburn easily, you wouldn't believe how useful it's been)and grabbed one of the red balloons out of the air. I used the hat tocatch it and throw it back up. They thought it was the greatest thingever! I even put the hat on their heads which they thought washysterical! I made a lot of friends that afternoon.

The girls loved to pose!

Really pose!

Friends and Fun!

Best friends? :)

Apparently word got around that I had a camera...

The sweetie in the pink headband attached herself to me and made it a point to be close by.

She really liked the hat!

Tim was the baby whisperer! He was never seen without a baby at the projects.


The children didn't see cameras often. They didn't know what to do sometimes!

Lunch! Wow! That was a satisfying and very tasty meal!

One of the little boys gave me a flower he'd been given. So generous!

Hello there!

This pic was take accidentally when the camera shutters weren't open yet. It turned out great!

So presh!

Wess, Milan and me!

Wess with Milan on his knee. Love it!

So sweet!

After lunch, wesplit up into four groups to visit local houses of CSP (ChildSurvival Program for children under 4) children and their families.Our group loaded into the back of a pick-up (which is ALWAYS fun :)and rode about a mile or so down the road to a very small concretehouse with a little garden behind and another house down the road.The family living there consisted of a mother, a grandmother and twoyoung boys. The older boy, Jonathan, who looked about eight or nine,was in the CDSP (Child Development Sponsorship Program for childrenand adolescents aged 4-18) and the younger brother, Sebastian, whowas three was the one in CSP. A great part of the CSP program is thatit usually starts before the child is born, helping the mother to gothrough her pregnancy healthily and help deliver the baby. Then, the“promoter” steps in. A promoter is a knowledgeable lady from thecommunity who visits the house at least three times a week to teachthe mother things and give the child lessons like flashcards.

The promoter in thehouse we visited was teaching the mother how to take a temperatureand give fever medicine. Pilar led us in a song and prayer before her lesson (see video below). As Pilar led the lesson, the motherexplained to us that she was not looking forward to Sebastianbecoming old enough to join the CDSP because then, Pilar (thepromoter) wouldn't come to their house anymore. She was like a familymember to them.

Here is the house with Jonathan leading the way.

Here's Sebastian...being shy!

Pilar is using picture illustrations to teach the mother to read!

This was most of our visiting group.

Jonathan and Sebastian with one of their puppies.

The rest of the daywent by in a whirlwind. We drove back to the hotel to check out andthen boarded a plane to Manta, Ecuador. We checked into the hotel andhad dinner. The hotel we stayed in was about a five minutes walk downto the beach. I could see the Pacific ocean from my windows and therewas a pool area in a courtyard that could be seen from our balcony.Wow! That night, some of the girls and I decided to wade in the pool,but I was so excited that I actually got into the water and swam. Itfelt so odd to be swimming in January when it's snowing back at myhouse! The pool there was warmer that night than the pools in Cantonever get on the hottest summer day.

After a shower, Istayed up extra late instant-messaging with my mom on my dad'sFacebook account. Then we went to bed and that was the end of oursecond day in Ecuador. How fantastic!

Ecuador Post Part 1

2012-01-10T07:33:00.000-08:00

NOTE: FYI THIS WAS WRITTEN SEVERAL DAYS AGO.

ON MY WAY TO ECUADOR!!!

Unfortunately, I've been too busy to post the big news, but here I am on the plane telling you now that I am on my way to Ecuador with my dad! We're going on a mission trip with Compassion International and Stadia (an amazing church planting organization) to visit the churches they planted and the children they rescued last year. And, believe it or not, Wes Stafford, the president of Compassion is coming with us! This is a nationwide trip that many pastors (and their kids) from all over America are going on. I looked at my trip info and there's people from Nevada, Arizona, California, Ohio and all kinds of states coming.

When we got to the Akron/Canton airport, we checked our bags in and waited for the plane. While we were waiting we got acquainted with two of the people going with us. Greg Nettle, the pastor from a church that we planted called Rivertree and his daughter Tabitha. We chatted and got to know each other a little more while the plane was being repaired.

I happen to be wearing a just-below knee-length skirt and ballet flats on the lower half of me and it just happened to snow today! Bizarre! It hasn't snowed all winter (very strange) and the day we decide to take-off, it drops like three inches! So, as I was crossing the bridge from the “portal” to the plane, the wind picked up and was whipping the skirt around my legs and I was using my purse to keep it contained. When I made it to the plane, the stewardess (who looks like Aibileen from the Help) said, “Whoo, girl! You wearin' that skirt with no pantyhose and those little flat shoes! You makin' me cold!” I smiled. She seems very nice, like someone I would be friends with, so I prayed for her.

We're about half way through our first flight from Akron, OH to Atlanta, GA. It's an hour and a half flight and we were delayed, thank God! There is a 5 hour layover in Atlanta and with our delay, it's cut down to something like three hours, I think. From there, it's 5 hours to Quito, the capital city in Ecuador. We'll arrive some time around 11 or midnight. The crazy thing is that Ecuador is in the same time zone as Ohio! Isn't that bizarre?! Look it up!

Daddy and I are sitting in the very back of the plane by the lavatory and the engines. I guess we got the cheap seats this time :). The stewardesses just passed out puny peanuts and drinks. I took a zero-cal water poured into a coca-cola stamped plastic cup from a goliath-sized water bottle. Why don't they just give me the whole thing? I'll drink it all and take it as a souvenir!

Speaking of souvenirs, yesterday, I went around and asked all my siblings what they wanted me to bring back for them from Ecuador and I got a lot of different responses: Max wants an ancient artifact (which unfortunately, is illegal to take), Moses wants some LEGOs, Mirial wants “jools” (you LOTR fans will know what I mean), Matthew wants a sword and so on. But get this, Marley asked for me to bring her an ancient rock and some leaves and also...wait for it...bottled air. I laughed and promised her a rock, a leaf and some air. So, I'm going to ask the stewardess Aibileen for the bottle and bring Marley back and extra-large bottle of air!

ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Jan. 2, 2011 3:27 PM

I'm waiting here to board our second plane to Quito. The time is passing slowly, so I'll share what has happened since my last “entry”.

After we got off the last plane and were waiting for our checked luggage, I had the opportunity to talk with a little girl. She looked to be seven or eight years old and she was waiting with her mom who was also waiting for her luggage. I saw that she was holding an American Girl doll, and dolls, especially American Girls, being a subject of which I am exceptionally knowledgeable, I commented, “I like your doll. What's her name?”

“Rebecca” she replied.

“Oh! I remember, she's from 1914, isn't she?”

“Yeah.”

“I have an American Girl doll, too. Her name is Kaya.”

“Oh, yeah! She's the...um...”

“Indian doll.”

“Yeah! Doesn't she have a horse?.”

“Mhm, but I don't have the horse.”

“Rebecca doesn't have a horse...”

“But she has cats, doesn't she?”

“I think you're right!”

The conversation went on and I sat by her while her mom was picking up their bags. I asked if she had any brothers or sisters, and when she told me that she has two brothers, I told her that I had four brothers and three sisters. I was impressed at how quickly she did her math and determined that I had seven siblings and that there were eight kids in all. “Wow, busy parents.” A mom nearby commented. A moment later, I said goodbye, but after we were in the terminal, she came up and thanked me for watching her and talking to her. I wanted to scoop her up and kiss her because she reminded me of my Mirial, but of course, I couldn't, so I just smiled and told her that I had a nice time, then waved goodbye. I'll never see her again, but I will never forget her and always keep her in my prayers.

Well, we still had plenty of time to eat lunch and get to the gate in time, so we took a train to our gate (which was on the complete other side of the building) and walked around until we found a good restaurant. And it was GREAT! It's called Nathan's Famous (www.nathansfamous.com). I had a Philly Cheese Steak with bell peppers and mushrooms OMP (oh my pie)! It was really good! It came with a medium fry and a bottled water. If you can locate a store, get there and see for yourself.

Daddy eating his Nathan's. Isn't he handsome? Tired, though.

"Nathan's Famous" logo.

After a quick chat with Marley on the phone over a Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate (Please try it, I know it sounds weird, but it's awesome!), we headed to gate T4 and here we are. It's about 4:00 and we're waiting for our flight which departs at 5:30. I am writing this post down in a document file and will copy and paste it later into a post, once we find some internet usage! It's not working here!

Max'n'Cheese!

2011-12-03T15:43:00.001-08:00

Here's a great recipe for any day that's quick to throw together and (not to mention) makes a great meal for those who just had their wisdom teeth out or something like that...At my house, we call it "Max'n'Cheese" because my brother Max usually makes it. It's an altered Alton Brown recipe (we usually double or triple it, depending on how hungry we are feeling :)

Max'n'Cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (we use Quaker Steak and Lube's Louisiana Lickers Sauce)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

Directions

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy

Optional:
Slice a package of Coleman hot dogs 1/2" thick. Brown over medium heat. Add to Max'n'Cheese pot just before serving.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Chipmunk Cheeks :)

2011-11-30T12:55:00.001-08:00

Last night, Daddy called us all together in the living room for family devotions and reminded everyone that today I was going to get my wisdom teeth out. As we were praying, and I smiled on Mirial (6) and Matthew (4) asking God in their simple, precious words that I would be safe and (according to Mattie) not look like a bad guy (you know, like how cartoon bad guys have missing teeth haha!) Daddy prayed for me last and as he was talking, his words suddenly grabbed my better attention. He prayed that I would remember Proverbs 3: 5-7 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Of course I've heard that verse a gajillion times, and we even made a song about it, but last night the Holy Spirit really caused that verse to stand out to me like it never has before.

I thought about it later as I was falling asleep and was deeply convicted. My personality is the calm, cool, collected type who isn't phased by anything much, plus, I'm very smart and always have a plan ready. But that often gets in the way of my faith. I tend to put my flawed intellect on the "throne" of my heart and worship it instead of God. And it often leads me to become in danger of apathy, the most deadly temptation I think a Christian could ever be faced with. I tend not to make a big deal about things at all and usually don't make a big deal about my sin either. The Lord has been teaching me that I need to depend on Him more and more every day and realize my desperate need for Him always. That's my new favorite verse in the Bible, because even though probably everyone's heard of it, the Lord has given new meaning to it for me and I hope I'll think of it always when I'm tempted to fall into Apathy and neglect my Bible reading and prayer times that should be so precious to me. I ask that you would pray that I continually apply that verse to my life and keep it in my mind always.

Anyway, back to the story...this morning, I had every intention of waking up at 6:15 and having time to get ready before my 7:55 appointment, but when the alarm rang, Marley (12) promptly got up and turned it off instead of pressing the "snooze" button so I went back to sleep and didn't wake up again until 7:12! Ahhhh! I had less than half and hour to get ready and the tee shirt I had planned on wearing wasn't even in the dryer yet. I scrambled around and was finally ready with mommy's approval, so I climbed in the car beside daddy and we were only five minutes late (that's got to be some sort of record :)

After I took a quick bathroom break, the nurse led me into the operating room. I made small talk until the doc came in and started on my IV. That was probably the worst part and was only a small pinch. They put on a nose mask with smelly oxygen and told me to breathe through my nose. I sounded like Darth Vader, so I said, "Luke, I am your father!" You know, to reassure the doctor that I wasn't nervous an ounce (which I wasn't). I started reciting my new favorite verse and then I don't remember much after that. I woke up in the chair and the nurse let me get my bearings a little before she led me, stumbling down the hallway to a small waiting area with a bed and blanket so I could wake up more. Daddy was there and the doctor came in to tell us that the procedure couldn't have gone better. Meanwhile, I was just trying to swallow through my gauze-stuffed and swollen cheeks. It was pretty much impossible so I just sopped up my bloody drool with a tissue. I felt fine, just a little groggy and the nurse told daddy to pull the car around back so I wouldn't have to go through the waiting room. It was snowing flurries outside when I stepped out and the ride home was also uneventful.

Coming home was the best part. Marley had made a bed for me on one of the couches and promptly laid me down to start recovery. There was a glass of water and get-well cards that the kids had made for me. I'm awake enough now to appreciate them, but at the time, it was just nod and try to smile as little chubby fingers waved the construction paper hearts and snowflakes in front of my face. We took out the gauze (what a relief) and put less back in so I could actually talk and swallow. Mommy gave me some motrin and presented me with a creative and very useful ice pack system she made: ice in sandwich baggies inside socks with the open tops tied together so it drapes over my head and rests on my cheeks. It looks hilarious and unorthodox, but it's ludicrously effective! I love it! I fell asleep after and woke up an hour later for mommy to give me new medicine that starts with a v and I can't remember what it's called. Here I am now, waiting on the couch for a vanilla milkshake and watching my brothers watch LEGO videos.

The moral of the story is: It's not that bad to get your wisdom teeth out: the IV is the worst part and that's only a small pinch. Also, don't become Apathetic, it's the worst thing that can happen to your faith!

A Clean Room is a Happy Room!

2011-11-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

That's exactly what my mom always says and I believe it!

I just finished cleaning my room and it looks so much better!!! What a difference in makes to take a couple of hours and spruce up...I hope it won't take that long next time. Usually, Saturdays in our house are specifically for house cleaning, especially bedrooms, then when that's done we do something fun in the evening. But, I hadn't cleaned my room in about a month, so it took me awhile to get it back in shape. Plus, I share the room with my sisters Marley (12) and Mirial (6) so there's 3 times as much mess! It's a labor of love that has it's rewards. When I was almost finished, Mirial came in and declared that I must love cleaning because I do it so much! Hahaha! I don't always love it, but I always love the feeling it gives to walk into a room that is clean because of my accomplishment. Satisfaction!

Here I'll give you my list of things I do in order for bedroom cleanification:)

1. Make the bed. Clear it off and make it nicely. Put fresh sheets and pillow cases on and maybe take the comforters down to be laundered.

2. Make sure the closets and drawers are ready for clean clothes to be put away. Clean them out if need be.

3. Pick up all the clothes and fold them on the bed, tote the dirty ones to the laundry room NOW. (I've found that if you wait until the end, it doesn't get done until a couple of weeks later and by then, the clothes get spread out so the dirty is mixed with the clean and you have messy room again! Not fun!)

4. Separate the clothes you want to get rid of, put them in a trash bag and take them directly to the car so when you're out, you can just drop them off at a local thrift store when you go out next.

5. Put the clean folded clothes away in the drawers and hang them up in the closet.

6. Pick up trash from the floor and cluttered spaces. It's amazing how it piles up!

7. Put away all toys, books, etc. Your goal right now is to get the floor completely cleaned off. Now would be a good time to put away shoes.

8. Organize cluttered areas like dressers, vanities, side tables and bookshelves. Dust shelves, clean mirrors and windows and tackle other clutter-corners. Remove any marks on the wall and dust the baseboards.

9. Finally, vacuum the carpet or vacuum the rugs and sweep the floor. Make sure you clean out under the bed as well.

10. For an extra-special touch, put freshly laundered towels and washcloths on the bed(s) and place little hotel soaps and shampoos on the side-tables (I know you have some, we all do!:). As a final goody, put a chocolate on each pillowcase. Just make sure you don't forget and sleep on them. When you wake up, you'll think your brain has been leaking out your ear and you'll freak out! (Don't ask me how I know that...)

You can copy this list and paste it in a document if you like. I love sharing my joy of cleaning!

What's that in the Dryer?

2011-11-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

This morning, baby Mandee (Child #7 of 8. She's 20 months old), took the liberty of emptying one of the dryers of its contents and climbing inside. I spotted her from the kitchen and just had to take some pictures! She's such a little joy-girl! I love you, sweetie!!!

Enjoy the pictures, y'all!

One must always investigate one's surroundings before becoming comfortable.

"Look at me, sister!!"

Peek-a-boo!

Still smiling as she said, "All done!" and promptly climbed out.

My Dream Car!!!

2011-10-31T16:28:00.000-07:00

What a BEAUTIFUL car! My mom took a picture of this one. It was parked right outside our house. It's very much like my dream car. My DREAM car is a red 1960's truck with white-wall tires, beige leather seats and wooden bed-rails! Oh, yeah! What's your dream car look like?

Questions or Comments Email

2011-10-31T05:50:00.000-07:00

I've just created an email for this site, so if you have any questions or comments about any of my posts or need advice, please drop me a line at cherishingmyrole@gmail.com !

Well, well...It's been awhile!

2011-10-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that anyone who's attempted to follow this blog has been discouraged by my lack of commitment. My apologies! My plan from now on is to put at least one post a week, and if I don't, just assume I'm extremely busy or on vacation. Imagine I'm in some exotic location where there is no modern technology; I'm in the tropical jungles of Ecuador, am being eaten alive by mosquitoes and have no access to even a cell phone. Please pray for me!

Now, on a serious note, I am going to define now the top 5 topics that I'm going to share about with you in this blog:

1. Spiritual Encouragement! I will be sharing scripture that I've learned and things that God's shown me through His Word and the guidance of godly people.

2. Organizational Ideas. One of my MAJOR strengths is organizing and serving. I think that pretty much sums up what this topic is about.

3. Sewing and Arts! Two of my passions! I will also be teaching sewing classes that will be available to you. Coming soon!

4. My Journal. Things that might happen in any given day (usually involving a younger sibling) that give me joy that I would love to share with you!

5. Thoughts from a Mother's Heart. These posts are precious gems from my mother. I'm giving her a portion of my blog so that she can bless all of you!

I think that sums it all up! I hope that you'll check back often. Have a blessed day!

Sense and Sensibility Patterns

2010-05-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

Check out this website! I've been going there for a long time and follow on Facebook. The website has just gotten a redesign and looks great. Plus! To celebrate their website makeover, Mrs. Chancey (the owner) is selling all of her patterns, classes and sewing books at 15% off! Go to: www.sensibility.com. I also have this website as one of my links to the right.

Sense and Sensibility Patterns (the company) was founded by Jennie Chancey years ago and her great website has just gotten better! Check it out soon!

Toy Story 3!

2010-04-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited to see the third Toy Story to come out on June 18th!

Here's the plot:
It's been ten years since the last Toy Story and Andy's 18 now! The posters of Woody and Buzz on his walls are now replaced by posters of his sports heroes and favorite rock bands:( He never plays with his old toys now but can't stand to give them up (Poor Mrs. Potato Head is missing one eye). Mom doesn't want them around anymore so boxes them up and donates them to "Sunnyside Daycare." After their first day being tossed around, stickered and practically mauled, the toys decide they don't like the daycare as much as Andy's room. Mrs. Potato Head's other eye ends up still in Andy's room and she can see what's going on! Once they find out that Andy still wants them, an immediate escape plan is initiated. I can't wait to find out if they make it!

See the trailers and other stuff about the movies @ www.toystory.com. There was no way to post the trailer here, but I wish I could! Can't wait!

Random Things I Really Like

2010-03-13T19:35:00.000-08:00

Sewing, Baking, Cooking, Big Buttons, Doulas, A Timely Word, Gardening, Books, Comedy, Dogs, GREEN, Jesus, Old Navy, Ceramic Plated Flat Irons, Mrs. Beaver, Cotton Fabrics, 50's Dresses, my mother, my 1 month old sister Mandee, movies, long hair, acting, brushes, Aslan, reading, language, effort, hope, skeleton keys, pincushions, horses, Robin Hood, sunshine kisses, joyfulness, foxes and Psalm 106:4-5.

THIS...IS ME...

"I'll get you for this, Pan...if it's the last thing I do!!!"

2010-02-28T13:26:00.000-08:00

Bang! Splash! "Oh, dear, dear, dear, Cap'n Hook...shoot'n a man in the middle of his cadenza; it ain't good form, you know!" Wise words from Mister Smee but the poor Captain has let his anger and revenge get the better of him.

Consider the life of Cap. James Hook. A rich and powerful pirate living in the magical world of Never Land, he lives in his pirate ship in the sparkling waters around the island with his loyal crew of buccaneers. There is only one thing to put a damper on his wealth of happiness; "Blast that Peter Pan...if I could only find his hideout I'd trap him in his lair...but where is it..." Peter Pan, the fun-loving flying sprite boy and protector of Never Land Island has cut off the Captain's left hand and thrown it to the nasty, hungry croccodilian who resides in the shiny, abundant waters off the Island. To make matters worse, the croccodile, having tasted the Captain's flesh is out of devour the rest of him as a tasty hors d'ouvuoirs.

While running from the croc, Captain Hook is running towards Peter Pan to get his revenge but can't find out where he lives. Revenge and anger against the sprite boy has driven the Captain's life for many years now and he can't let it go...ever.

Now, put yourself in his shoes; Peter Pan, his hideout and the TicTock Croc controls your mind and life purpose. You can't sleep at night nor ever hear a clock ticking without the reminder that you wear a hook for a hand and are being chased by a sharp-toothed beast all because you've been outdone, outsmarted and unhanded by a flying child!!!

If Captain Hook could have just given up his wretched life and made up with Peter, he would have good, refreshing sleep, be healthier, happier and live longer because studies have shown that people with anger problems, fear and thoughts of revenge are unhealthy and because their bones will rot, they will die earlier than people who have no anger and no fear.

The only way to have absolutely no anger and no fear is to live in God's principles. Delving into God's word daily gives encouragement to your soul and health to your bones.

I believe someday I shall find Never Land and go as a missionary to save all the Captain Hooks ;). Will you go with me?

Bean Bag Pix

2010-02-05T10:05:00.001-08:00

Here are your photos. They correspond with the post below. Happy sewing!

Bean Bags

2010-02-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

Here's a great project that my mom came up with! She's a genius. You can visit her blog at www.madetomother.com. I'll post the pictures below. You have no idea how hard it is to do pictures and get them where you want!

First, you'll need to pick a template for your beanbag. A square card or piece of rectangular cardboard would serve you well. You could even make a circular or heart-shaped bag.
Now, cut out your piece. If the fabric is a little on the flimsy side, use fusible interfacing fused to the wrong side of your fabric, following the manufacturer's directions.
My mom's sewing machine has the ability to embroider; she made 6 of each color she chose and embroidered our names, the color of the bag and the number it represented. For example, red was #1 and blue was #2. Now would be your time to embroider it on the fabric.
Next, fold your fabric right sides together and make your seam allowance very small; lining up the edge of your fabric to the edge of the presser foot makes an accurate seam allowance.
Only go half way up the third side to leave room for turning the fabric right side out. Be sure to back-stitch.
Clip the corners and turn it right side out, pulling out the corners with a pin.
Fill the bag with dried beans like white beans, navy beans or you can use dry rice or wheat berries which give it a distinctive aroma. Hey! You could even use a really pretty fabric or something see-through and fill it with potpourri or rose petals! Measure out the amount you want it filled; for example, 1/2 cup for every bag. That way, you'll have equal amounts in each.
Now, fold the raw edges in and sew it shut either by machine or by hand-stitching (whip-stitch). Ta-da!!! First, you'll need to pick a template for your beanbag. A square card or piece of rectangular cardboard would serve you well. You could even make a circular or heart-shaped bag.
Now, cut out your piece. If the fabric is a little on the flimsy side, use fusible interfacing fused to the wrong side of your fabric, following the manufacturer's directions.
My mom's sewing machine has the ability to embroider; she made 6 of each color she chose and embroidered our names, the color of the bag and the number it represented. For example, red was #1 and blue was #2. Now would be your time to embroider it on the fabric.
Next, fold your fabric right sides together and make your seam allowance very small; lining up the edge of your fabric to the edge of the presser foot makes an accurate seam allowance.
Only go half way up the third side to leave room for turning the fabric right side out. Be sure to back-stitch.
Clip the corners and turn it right side out, pulling out the corners with a pin.
Fill the bag with dried beans like white beans, navy beans or you can use dry rice or wheat berries which give it a distinctive aroma. Hey! You could even use a really pretty fabric or something see-through and fill it with potpourri or rose petals! Measure out the amount you want it filled; for example, 1/2 cup for every bag. That way, you'll have equal amounts in each.
Now, fold the raw edges in and sew it shut either by machine or by hand-stitching (whip-stitch). Ta-da!!! You have yourself a beautiful, easy to make, handcrafted bean bag or sachet!

Regency Dress

2010-01-26T19:03:00.001-08:00

I finally got around to uploading these pictures. I made the dress out of some fabric made in India that daddy brought me back from England and a plain white sheet!

Sense and Sensibility...Patterns

2010-01-16T14:23:00.000-08:00

I've recently completed a gown for my piano recital coming next week. It's a Regency gown with three-quarter length sleeves and a split skirt with white lining. I'm going to get my pictures taken in it now and will hopefully post it within the hour.

I got the pattern from Sense and Sensibility Patterns. You can browse the website and buy the awesome historical patterns from www.sensibility.com. They have patterns from the Regency, Romantic, Edwardian, and Swing eras...but I'm sure I'm forgetting one...oh, Titanic/Teens.

My next endeavor will be to make short stays...something I haven't yet attempted. I'm watching Pride and Prejudice to get inspiration :). Did I mention that I'm playing songs from Pride and Prejudice for the recital; that's why I'm dressing up for the part. I'm sure I'll feel awkward when all of the other kids are dressed normally. Haha!

Salad...Mmmmm!

2009-12-19T13:02:00.000-08:00

I came up with this awesome salad recipe a few days ago and thought that you all might like it. I'd appreciate it if y'all would try it and tell me what you think of the taste:

McKenna's Cranberry Salad Composee (com-Po-zay)

2 C. torn turkey or chicken meat (I used our leftover turkey meat)
4 C. roughly chopped salad greens (all colors)
3/4-1 C. craisins or cranberries
1 sprig of thyme-stripped
1/2 C. pecans and/or walnuts
Dash of salt and pepper
1 C. FRESHLY-GRATED Parmesan cheese

-Mix thoroughly. Arrange artfully on a plate and top with craisins, pecans and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with Lite Olde Cape Cod Raspberry Vinaigrette.
Enjoy!

More to come!

2009-12-12T13:02:00.001-08:00

More posts will be coming soon, I promise! Keep watching! It'll be within the week.

Misunderstandings

2009-11-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

So sorry that I didn't get to do the next day of the challenge. Apparently, there's an actual time that ladies from around the country start the challenge. It's at the end of the month, I think.

Have to figure that one out.

Day 3

2009-10-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

Marley took these pictures in "Sepia" and Black and White colors. But, I couldn't find the files with the actual color photos, so I'll describe these colors for you. Hey! Maybe I'll be able to find those color photos tomorrow! I'll post them as soon as I do.

This rather pirate-like shirt is probably my most favorite of all my shirts ever! It's a really light blue color-almost white. The skirt is just a denim one.

For today's hairstyle, I simply swept my part away and pulled sections of hair back from the sides, braided it down and voila!

Day 2

2009-10-22T13:28:00.001-07:00

Here, I finally went in to Plato's Closet that everyone raves about and came out with this purpley shirt and a few others. I've had this denim skirt for awhile and they ended up looking pretty good together! Anyway, I'll hopefully be able to come up with some more creative outfits here after I do some laundry ;) Funny, Marley tilted the camera this time!
Now here, I simply parted off some sections from near my hairline, braided them toward the back, and secured them with the little hair ponytail holder. This is the way my hair poofs when it's not straightened; I might not try this again without using the flat iron :P.

Day 1

2009-10-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here you are; my first-day "Photo Shoot" ;)

I just received this cool green skirt a few days ago and the blue shirt was a gift, too. Mom got me the gray leggings yesterday. I love her!!

I straightened my hair and just left it down, though, I probably should have brushed it first :)

Can't wait to pick another outfit for tomorrow!

P.S. Please ignore the 03/04/2007 yellowy thing on the side of the photo. There's something wrong with how Marley's camera keeps time. LOL

Here we go!

2009-10-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

Alrighty-roo! I'm going to take the Challenge from www.feelinfeminine.com!

The jist of this challenge is to wear only skirts and/or dresses for a week. I already keep up with wearing only the skirts/dresses thing most of the time, but I'm going ahead anyway!

I'll start today (since I'm already wearing a skirt outfit) and each day, I'll post pictures of myself in a beautiful, modest skirt outfit and a stylish new hairdo! The picture post shall arrive very soon!

I encourage all of the young ladies out there to try this for a week and also read the entire rules for the challenge on the website. Happy skirt-wearing!

A Family Fairy Tale...

2009-10-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a very pretty and clever young woman called Priscilla. Priscilla was gentle, kind, had lots of brothers and sisters, and was respected throughout the city she lived in. She was the head of the girl's Bible study and lived purely dressed modestly, and never looked down on anyone. But, if Priscilla had one fault, it was very hard to see, but she had it. This fault was rooted deep down in her heart. Not many people could see it in her, but those few who cared enough to see it, were willing to guide her to conquering it.

One of these few, and precious people was her mother. She knew that in Priscilla's heart, there were seeds to plant and cultivate, and weeds to pull up as well, and it was her job to plant those seeds and pull those weeds. There was one particular weed who had grown deep roots in the warm, sunny soil of Priscilla's heart, one tiny little weed that was opt to hide itself underneath the big, beautiful flowers that everyone could see. The weed hid itself under the magnificent abilities of this young woman; her talents, her achievements, her confidence.

This weed was a powerful weed called "Discontentment." Discontentment wasn't seen much above the soil; only those with a quick eye and an open heart could see the little bit of weed that was visible. And those people often considered this weed to be merely a trifle, and never bothered to tug at it. But that one person, Priscilla's sweet, wonderful mother knew that Discontentment had deep roots in Priscilla's heart, and she knew that it was her calling from God to keep her daughter accountable, and she also knew that Discontentment knew that she was called to do it; Discontentment was determined to stay.

Priscilla's mother could see that it would take a long time of tugging and digging at this weed, and anyone who knows anything about real weeds knows that real weeds don't like to be uprooted. And anyone who knows anything about the weeds in your heart knows that spiritual weeds don't like to be uprooted just as much as the real ones.

Discontentment knew that it couldn't very well hide from mother, and Priscilla knew that, too. Any given sigh or indication of unhappiness from her was translated to mother as a warning signal "Danger Ahead" said a sigh, "I wish I were somewhere else," said the corners of her eyes. Priscilla would not be washing the dishes at the sink, no; in Priscilla's mind, Discontentment painted a picture of Priscilla washing the dishes in heated water from the brook outside of a cottage that sat in the middle of a quaint little kingdom. The cottage sat in a place where you could always see the castle, and Priscilla was meekly washing the dishes wearing a faded old brown dress and her long, beautiful hair was let loose to fly in the wind as she looked up at the castle and wished she were there. Discontentment is very crafty.

Whenever these signs appeared to mother, she would take her darling Prissy aside and lovingly chastise her daughter. "Where's your heart?" she would constantly ask, "You know that you can't hide a thing from mother, tell me how you're feeling today," "Are you still here with us?"

These little acts of loving kindness were rooted deep in Priscilla's soul and went beyond her heart and her feelings to her innermost beings and deep longings that would rattle her self-confidence or shatter her faith. The weed of Discontentment could not go there when mother pushed him aside.

And mother knew that it would take all of Priscilla's life to overcome this weed. Yet, even though Discontentment is a weed that cannot be eradicated, it is one that we must pull out every day of our lives. Discontentment will come back during the night while you're not watching just like real weeds in the garden, and yes, you must pull it out before it takes root and spreads far, creating a messy, weedy garden that no one wants to look at.

Priscilla wanted her garden to be beautiful and prosperous for her mother, for the world to see, and for God to smile upon. And she worked hard the rest of her life to keep pulling the weeds like "Discontentment," "Lust," "Deceit," and many others that would spoil her purity. Priscilla went on to be married, and confided in her husband to keep her accountable, and she would go on helping her children to pull their weeds and cultivate their lives until they went on to their children and so on. And this was because Priscilla's mother, and Priscilla's mother's mother took the time to love and care for their children for Christ's sake.

THE END

See PenDragon

2009-10-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

This blogger website wouldn't let me add the PenDragon trailer gadget, so, I'll tell you how to see it for yourself.

Go to www.pendragonmovie.com and watch the trailer, buy the dvd, meet the cast and get sneak peeks of the film. That's right; you get to preview scenes from the movie for free!!!

Pendragon: Sword of His Father

2009-10-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

There is a wonderful movie we saw last month called "Pendragon: Sword of His Father." The story is set in the Dark Ages:411 A.D. The Romans have just abandoned the island of Britain to fight for Rome as its biggest city has been attacked, leaving the British to fend for themselves against the imposing Saxons.

The story is about Artos Pendragon. Separated from his sister after their village is burned to the ground by the Saxons, Artos flees to the mountain village of Arfon. Through the movie, as Artos is made leader of his own army, fights for the king, and falls in love with the princess, he must cling to God and remember that "The One who gave the vision still calls!"

This is a must-see; I would encourage everyone to look into it. With epic battles, heart-pounding action and a thought-provoking storyline, "Pendragon: Sword of His Father" is one of the best movies I've ever seen.

Here I Am

2009-09-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am on the couch with little Mirial who has suddenly contracted a cold. Her poor little nose is stuffed up-it's tough to hear her breathing through her mouth all day long, and she's got a little fever. She's been laying on the couch all day-mostly with me; watching some TV, being read to and nodding in and out of sleep. She is the perfect picture of pathetic invalid. I'm praying for her...hard.

A post to my siblings!

2009-09-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

I know that some of you people are older sisters/brothers. Even if you're not, you might be interested to find out about mine.

This is Maxwell. More commonly known as Max. He's taller than I am which makes some people think that He's older-but he's not, of course. Max is hilarious. I believe he's going to be a comedian when he grows up!

Marley is a very big help to me. She is my best friend as well as my right-hand person. Marley can make the big people laugh and the little people follow her around like ducks! She's a wonderful sister to me

Moses is a little kermudjen. And that's almost become a nick name for him now! He's really a lot of fun to be around and he's the oldest of the youngest 3 (almost4) little ones in the family, so he has the air of an "oldest" brother.
A few weeks ago in church, Moses was called up in his little-kid worship to pray. When he was handed the mic, he covered it up with his hand and whispered to the teacher, "After I pray, can I do a little comedy?"!

Mirial is a perfect doll. She is such a little person but can certainly be surprising!

The other day, mom (who's pregnant) was laying in her bed on her back. After looking gravely at mom's belly for a minute, Mirial said, "Mom, I think the baby's crackin' out now!" How funny!

Matthew is the baby (for now) and he's got a way bigger personality than you might think at first glance. I believe he'll be a basketball player when he grows up because he's so tall and bulky for a little guy his age! And he talks too. At only two years-old he probably has the vocabulary of a 6 year-old!

He's a perky little thing, and I think that he could have cheered up even old Scrooge!

So there you have it. My awesome siblings in their awesome pictures-though I must admit that Mirial's picture is probably the cutest thing that's ever been posted online!

For those of you with braces...

2009-09-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

Or for those of you who have really nice friends with braces!

I have made a recent discovery. Perhaps you may have thought of it too.

If you have braces and use rubber bands, here's a fun way to utelize those rubber bands...
Take a tiny piece of your hair and braid it. You can use a rubber band to hold it in place. I tried it the other night. The rubber bands are waaaaay smaller than the regular hair pony-tail holders, so you can make tiny, miniscule little braids for you or your dolls or your friends. It's a fun way to make use of all those bags of rubber bands you've probably accumulated. This would work great on any type of hair!

50 more, can you believe it?

2009-08-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

My father and pastor Hampton baptized 50 or so more people this morning. Pastor Hampton described it as "God showed up and He showed off!"

Over 80 baptisms in one day

2009-08-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

You read right!
The Senior Pastor of our church, John Hampton has been doing a series about discovering the history, beliefs and activities in and of our church. This morning he spoke on the subject of baptism-a touchy subject for some people.
He spoke about the origins of baptism and answered FAQ's on the subject. Then, towards the end of the service, he took off his shoes, socks, watch and belt. He explained that he was going to baptize anyone who would come right there in the baptistery-in his preaching clothes. And anyone who would be baptized would be baptized right there in the baptistery-in their Sunday-morning clothes!
During first service 41 people came and were baptized! I-being the emotional person that I am, was sobbing hard, and so was my mom and lots and lots of other people in the congregation. It was a glorious service. So, instead of going home, we decided to stay for the second service, and it was well worth it...more than 40 more people were baptized! It was a wondrous time of worship and praise. Thank God!

So Sorry

2009-08-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

I haven't been very good about keeping up with this blog lately...Actually, I've been terrible!
My last post was on December 5th 2008 and it is currently August 23d 2009! That's over 9 months! I feel very ashamed of myself.
#1 rule:
A good blogger keeps up with his/her blog(s)!

Dancing for Joy

2008-12-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

I've been taking a praise and worship dance class for the last 10 weeks and we had an end of term performance for my class and some other classes.
Now, the hard thing about being in my class was that I was the oldest and second tallest girl in all of the class. It was for ages 6-13 and the only 13 year-olds were me and my best friend Shannon. It was kind of awkward for the audience to see all of these little girls next to me and Shannon who looked like giants compared to most of the other dancers in that class.
On the night of the performance when we walk up and took our places, I entirely expected my lower lip to be bitten off by the end of the dance, and I entirely shocked myself!! I was smiling my biggest and bestest smile the whole time!! By the end of the dance, I felt like exploding! Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not bragging, because, I didn't even see any of the other dancers or the audience by any means until the dance was finished and we skipped off of the "stage" (okay, we danced in a bank).
The audience was cheering and clapping and whistling and later, my mamma told me that she had the hardest time not sobbing because she was so proud of me and my sister Marley. My other sister Mirial said that she wanted to be a dancer just like us, so, she's going to take a little ballet class next term.
I think that dancing is such a useful and fun way to please God. That night, I felt in my heart that God was smiling at me, his little dancer. I felt like I couldn't say any thing, so, in my heart, as my way of saying thank you to God for helping me, is said....supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Laundry

2008-11-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry that I haven't had much time to write lately. We have family coming to our house for Thanksgiving and we've been very busy.
My particular duty this week has been laundry. Lots of laundry. Our Family Room has been transformed into my folding/sorting station. There are approx. 9 buckets stuffed with clothes neatly "arranged" about the floor.
Laudry has always been a big setback in our lives ever since...well...since my daddy and mamma had me. Mamma could never find time to do the laundry (I was a very fussy baby) and being a "rookie" when it came to managing a household, was always overwhelmed with clothes and probably dishes, too (not anymore of course, she keeps our house running like a well oiled machine!). Then after my brother Moses was born, we moved to Indiana where we had Mirial and Matthew and-you guessed it-the clothes piled up.
Then, we were getting ready to move again back to wherever we lived before (we move alot) and we had to have a friend help us get all of our laundry done! We moved back to the city in which we live now, and lived in a tiny rental house, and you-know-what piled up again. We lived there for a year and then, we get ready to move again. About this time, I was offered a position in the laundering business, $3.00 an hour. O.K., mom, I'll take the job. I did not know how deep the pool I was diving into was going to be.
It was MASSIVE!!!! It looked litterally like you could dive right in and start swimming..."Where's my bathing suit? Oh, right. I suppose that I'll find it once I sort these clothes out." It took me over two hours to sort it all. "$6.00!! I'm rich! Oh, I still have to clean the laundry. Well, I'll make up a song while I do it." I made up new words to the tune of "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins.

Clean the clothes, that's what I do.

Sorting, washing, folding all day!

Clean the clothes, I certainly try, while overhead mom's gaining her spry.

All around the dark basement the mice and the spiders all scurry out of the way!

Although I can't see them, I know they are crying because there is no place to hide.

Clean the clothes, that's what I do!

Sorting, washing, folding all daaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!

Impressive, huh? Mamma cracked up when I sang it to her. She told me to write it down, but, I have (as daddy says) a memory like a steel trap-and I can't believe that I actually remembered that song!!

Anyhoo, I finally finished all of the laundry with some help from my awesome family. And I made $0.00. Mamma and I actually forgot about the money(I'll have to remind her anour that)and we were doing laundry up to the day we loaded the truck and moved our stuff.But, hey, we were caught up. Not for long!! Cue the sad music!!!!! Okay, you can put your violins down now and keep reading.

We have lived in our house now for almost a month. I am now officially in charge of the laundry-I still get paid, of course, room and board and 3 meals a day plus desert and snacks!!! I'd say that's a pretty good exchange considering the fact that laundry's not all I do around this place.

I'm down to the last two or three loads now, and I'm internally rejoicing...untill...I'm not going to let it happen ever again!!!

Modesty

2008-11-18T14:12:00.000-08:00

I've recently sent an e-mail to a very wise person that I know of, asking her for advice on the issue of modesty.
Here was my e-mail:
Dear Very Wise Acquaintance,
I read your interview with modest ladies and I totally agree with everything that they said. But, I was thinking of girls like me, who really do alot of activities that are dificult to do skirts in. I like riding horses, and we live one house over from a homeschooling family who's just like us, and we play with their kids almost every day-we do the kinds of activ ities that a skirt doesn't work for like riding bikes which is the main thing that we do with them..........I don't have a whole lot of pants. But, I don't have a whole lot of skirts either. My daddy says that especially since it's fall, that pants are more practical-he's not saying that skirts are bad, he's just saying that skirts aren't as practical. I don't know what to think because I'm always feeling uncomfortable in pants, and my daddy loves to see me and my sisters and my mom in skirts, but I sometimes wish that we wore more skirts and dresses.
Could you encourage me, please? I love my daddy and I agree with him, but it seems like I'm getting pressured so much to wear more pants and less dresses and skirts from everywhere-even from him.
Thanks for taking the time to read this,
Mckenna

Here is her reply:
Dear McKenna,
It's nice to meet you! .......What great questions! To start off, I love the respectful way you talk about your daddy; how good to see you honoring him. :-) If he thinks that your outdoor activities would be better handled in pants than a skirt, then you may joyfully submit to him while still looking feminine!
I like to wear long, flowing shirts, or even short, knee-length dresses whenever I put on pants. This helps me to still feel feminine and graceful while giving me the freedom to go through my daily activities with the freedom of pants. These longs shirts and short dresses are all over the place this season: Target, Wal-Mart... and thrift stores are a great place to discover neat finds when it comes to any article of clothing.
As far as being pressured to wear pants, McKenna, I would encourage you not to heed what your friends thin about what you're wearing. You've got to be comfortable in your own skin! After all, it isn't your friends who have to wear your clothes; you do, and you ought to like them! :-) I usually wear skirts and dresses, and my friends are always making kind-spirited comments about that fact; at first, I took offense, but I had to get a th icker skin, and to wear what I liked, and what I was comfortable in! Pretty soon, my friends started trying to dress like me, asking me where I'd gotten some of my clothes! :-)
If you find you are too chilly in skirts during this season, maybe you could put on leggings or tights with them? I think that looks very cute and feminine, and it keeps your legs warm, too!
Keep striving to dress femininely, and to please your parents in what you put on, McKenna! I know your submissive attitude will glorify the Lord.
Love in Christ,
Very Wise Acquaintance
I definately agree with her. It doesn't matter what others think of what you wear, because, they're not wearing it-you are! That hits it home!!!
I have a pair of jeans that are beginning to wear out a bit in the top half-I've had them for almost a year. And I think that a short dress would be the perfect solution to my problem.
If you have a blog, I challenge you to write your opinion on modesty.

My First Ever Post!!!!!

2008-11-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

I've just created this blog that I call "Cherishing My Role (in the home)." I first learned about blogs from my daddy who has a blog and then I found Jasmine Baucham's blog "Joyfully Home." And I decided to be one of those awesome bloggers who is really encouraging and Christ-Like.
A few days ago I read Jasmine's post on 15 things that I'm not afraid to admit. She tagged anyone who would participate and for my first post I decided to. So,
15 Things That I'm Not Afraid To Admit:

1. I love being a homemaker.
I love to have the freedom of being able to care for my home and my family. It's a goal to work towards when I'm married and have my own house.
2. I love to read, read, read!!!!
Among my favorite books are: The Bible, The Chronicles of Narnia, the Secret Garden, and Little Women, and also The Hobbit. I'm reading The Fellowship of the Ring.
3. I have not seen Prince Caspian yet.
As soon as it comes out on d.v.d., my parents are going to preview it. I am a huge Narnia fan and I've been patiently waiting to see it since it came out on May 16th.
4. I'm good at doing voice impressions.
I like to do Veggie Tales voices the most e.g.; Larry the Cucumber, Ellen Gourd, Petunia Rhubarb, Mr. Lunt (Mr. Lunt is my favorite voice to do). And I also do Irish, English, and Boston accents as well as a valley girl and Grandma Ruffman among others.
5. I love to dress myself and my sisters up.
O.K. a shirt, and cardigan, a skirt, ballet flats, curl your hair, match it with a big purse, a cute headband and "Voila!!."
6. I love blogging!!
I'm pretty new at this, but, it's lots of fun!!
7. I love to go "antiquing"
My house is filled with antiques and old country style. I love it when my mamma and I can go shopping to add to our collection.
8. I love horses.
I haven't been able to actually get on the back of a horse for more than a year now, but, I'm hoping to go to a horse park soon.
9. I get annoyed when people interfere with my plans.
My daddy says that I'm a "Control Freak" like him. When I make a plan in my head, and get really excited, I often close my hand around it instead of leaving it in my palm until I get the o.k. to do it.
10. I wish that I didn't have to have glasses!
Next year, I'm getting contacts. But, hey, at least I'm not blind! Praise God for glasses!!
11. I love to dance ballet.
Graceful and gentle, and dreamy-just like me! I just ordered a new pair of ballet slippers.
12. I'm a very fast learner.
When I pick up on something, I do it excellantly!!!!
13. I love celtic music.
It relaxes me alot.
14. I often speak my mind when I shouldn't.
I'm often too bluntly truthful about things and get carried away with my emotions. I'm learning to keep my mouth closed when it should be closed.
15. I'm writing a book!
I want to publish it by next Christmas-that's all I'm saying.

That was fun!