A Newsy Little Post

Hello everyone!

Well, here's the newsy post promised earlier...now for the news! :)

My Family and I have been living in Georgia for 3 years and 4 days! Wow! It seems like yesterday since we moved here from Florida! I love Georgia though...the seasons are so beautiful. Florida is HOT and then cool for a while and then HOT again! Well, at least the part where we lived.

The yard sale was postponed to today due to Tropical Storm Fay sweeping through last week, when we originally planned to have it. I sold a lot of my jewelry and made quite a satisfactory amount of money...we got rid of a ton of clothes and books and ...junk! :) We were very pleased with the turnout of people ...there were many more than we expected.




This week I've basically just been preparing for the yard sale...but I managed to read through a GREAT BIG BOOK of every single Sherlock Holmes story that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ever wrote! I really like Sherlock Holmes...he's incredibly, amazingly, singularly smart!! I love the 'old English' the books are written in. But some of the cases I didn't enjoy due to the sometimes gruesome details....don't get me wrong, most of them are fine... but I would advise caution when browsing through the stories. Overall, though, I think that the books are worth reading.

AND, one last tidbit of news....I created a "True Friend Test"! You can see it on the sidebar over there on the upper right-hand corner. So far Madison and Lydia have taken it! It's really fun. I thought up the questions myself and some of them are quite humorous, in my humble opinion.





Thanks for all the comments on the last post...I appreciate everyone's opinions, and I am grateful that you took the time to leave me a note! :) I'll try to reciprocate! :)

Love and blessings,

Julia

Exposing Narnia

Now hold on, before you get all riled up and mad at me I want to say that I do not want to offend anyone or start a long involved conversation on C.S. Lewis's background and religious beliefs. :) But there is information out there that I believe needs to be considered. I have just found a good source of info at this blog, Exposing Narnia, and it has some very important information about certain aspects of the Chronicles of Narnia that are quite disturbing...and true.

Please, if you have read the Chronicles of Narnia or watched any of the movies or are in any way interested about knowing more about the things behind it, please click here and read this blog thoroughly, especially some of the links.

I'm praying that all of you who read the blog will be enlightened as you peruse the information. Form your own conclusions...I've formed mine.

Blessings to all of you, my dear readers.

Julia

The Common Joys of Life...

You are looking at drops of water on a lettuce leaf that was picked from our garden this spring. (Not a new picture) I loved the way the drops caught the light coming through the kitchen window, so I paused in the middle of washing the lettuce and ran to get my camera and hurriedly took a few pictures, then put the camera away and went back to washing lettuce.

How often do we stop and look at the little things?

I get so caught up in my life and the big things in it...Did I clean my room today? Did I get all my schoolwork done? Are the dishes and laundry done? Yes....usually. :) But perhaps we should take more time to live life...really live it, not just exsist in it.

Have you ever watched a ladybug travel across a leaf? How often do you take a moment to look out the window and enjoy the view? Have you ever walked barefoot in the grass with the morning dew still fresh upon it?

God has given us a wonderful world to live in...he created the stars in the heavens, the fish in the sea, the birds of the air, the beautiful flowers growing on the land...and this is meaningless if we don't stop and enjoy it.

I will write a newsy little post tomorrow, adding it on to the bottom of this one would destroy the ambience!

I'll leave you with one last thought....

"Take time to smell the roses."

Simple Woman's Daybook

I found this lovely idea on Miss Jocelyn's blog, A Pondering Heart.

For Today, August 22, 2008:

Outside My Window... It's rather cloudy outside, and I can see the wind rustling the leaves of the oak trees. Our log home is surrounded with 13 acres of woods, so we have plenty of trees! Maybe I'll post a picture later...

I Am Thinking... About sorting through my drawers for things to sell at the yard sale tomorrow...we're gathering everything up into a big pile and WOW there's more stuff than I thought there was! :)

I Am Thankful For... My parents. I love them so much! And the fact that tomorrow after the yard sale we're going to a kick-off-the-school-year party hosted by the local homeschool group...we'll be swimming in a huge pool with a water slide...

From The Kitchen... We are about to pause our stuff-collecting and get some breakfast...maybe a piece of Mama's homemade banana bread...

I Am Reading... The Mitford Series by Jan Karon...well, I actually finished them yesterday, so now I'm in limbo until I find the next book...

I Am Hoping... To sell a lot of my handmade jewelry at the yard sale so as to earn some spending money for our vacation to North Carolina coming up during the last week of September!

I Am Hearing... Birdsong, and the occasional crow from our rooster, Rocky.

I Am Wearing... A lavender Curves (curves as in the Gym) t-shirt with flowers down one side, and jeans.

Around The House... Orderly Chaos! There's a gargantuan pile of stuff sitting in the living room by the front door that we hope to be rid of tomorrow morning, and Mama is calling to let us know we need to feed the chickens...Okay, now I'm back.

One Of My Favorite Things... Strawberry cheesecake ice cream! (Sara Lee, of course)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Today, clean my room and gather yard sale stuff. Tomorrow, run yard sale at a friend's house and then go to kick-off party!

I Accomplished Since Last Week... Made at least 150 pairs of earrings, re-organized my whole walk-in closet, and baked a batch of white chocolate chip cookies. :)

Here Is A Picture Thought I Am Sharing With You...

I found this little squirrel taking a nap right outside our upstairs window, lying on a branch, looking oh-so-relaxed! It was so cute! In this picture he raised his head up slightly, the picture I took before that with him sleeping came out blurry.

Have a blessed day!!

Julia

Preparation!

Here's a view of our kitchen table, currently spread with boxes of beads and a workmat.... I am in the midst of taking a break from the delightful yet tiring job of making jewelry to sell at our upcoming Yard Sale!

Here's a close-up look at a few of the earrings waiting to be finished...

And, here is jewelry on the rack that is already done, and just waiting for someone to purchase it and enjoy it! :)
I have been designing and creating jewelry for 11 years. That means I started at age 6! :) It began with little plastic beads strung on elastic, then evolved to earrings, then I graduated to glass beads and now I'm currently doing Fine Glass, Semi-Precious Stones, Swarovski Crystals, and Wire-wrapped creations. I specialize in earrings but I also love doing bracelets and necklaces in a wide variety of styles.

Here are some of my previous designs.

Blessings!

Julia

I've Been Healed!

This is so exciting!

For a long time, just about 2 and a half years now, I have struggled with a very annoying jaw problem. My 'disc' was loose, I'd been told, which caused my jaws to make a variety of scary KA-CHUNKs, CREAK-Cracks, CLICK-Pops, and other weird sounds. I didn't have any pain, but I could feel bones in my cheeks and the hinges of my jaws move around whenever I opened my mouth wide enough to bite a large hamburger. That was a little unnerving, to say the least! I couldn't yawn without my jaw feeling tight and then snapping loose with a "Crack!".

Then, this morning in church, our pastor called anyone who needed prayer for healing to come to the front.

I believe that God still heals people today. (And I've been blessed as a result) I am pretty sure there is no place in the Bible where it says "And I the Lord will stop healing people at such-and-such a year" ...so the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob still works in his children's lives.

I walked to the front and asked for prayer for my jaws.

A wonderful, sweet lady named Nikki, who had also struggled with jaw problems in the past, prayed for me, then asked if I believed God would heal me. "Yes!" I said. "Then according to your faith you are healed!" She said, a smile on her face! We hugged and I thanked her and then walked back to my pew.

About ten seconds later I was brave enough to open my mouth and see if it still clicked.

IT DIDN'T.

I could open my mouth as wide as I pleased and the motion was smooth and effortless! HALLELUJAH!! "Thank you God!" I whispered. I turned to my Mother, Father, and two younger brothers seated next to me in the pew and whispered excitedly "My jaw doesn't click anymore!" Their faces lit up and they smiled happily. They knew how much the clicking had bothered me.

I ran up to Miss Nikki after the church service had concluded and told her my jaw didn't click anymore, eagerly demonstrating how I could open my mouth smoothly. "Praise the Lord!" She said, giving me a glad hug.
My sentiments exactly!

PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Julia

Biblically Feminine

At long last I am writing this Biblically Feminine post. :) I struggled for a while within myself, wanting to write this but unsure of the format. I decided to just start typing and see what happened. So here goes!

Before I say anything I highly recommend reading the books "So Much More" by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin, "Before You Meet Prince Charming" by Sarah Mally, and "Beautiful Girlhood" revised by Karen Androlea. They explain the deepest beliefs of my heart much better than I could. And please understand that I do not want to offend anyone by writing this post. I love you and I am hoping that no one will take offense by reading my thoughts on this subject.

First of all, I believe a Biblically Feminine young lady is content where the Lord has placed her - in her home. She does not desire to be continually out with her 'friends' and shunning the home atmosphere.

This does NOT mean she must be housebound! Having good, godly fellowship is very important.

A Biblically Feminine young lady desires to emulate the characteristics of a virtuous woman found in Proverbs 31 verses 11 - 27. (I'm paraphrasing here)

• She is careful with the heart of her husband and faithful to him (v.11)
• She saves her heart and romantic affections (v.12) "all the days of her life"
• She works willingly (without murmuring and complaining) (v.13
• She brings her food from afar (v.14)
• She wakes up early and makes fresh food (v.15)
• She makes wise purchases and plants a garden (v.16)
• She is strong and exercises to keep herself that way (v.17)
• She is strong through difficulties (v.18 - 'night' meaning adversity)
• She is skilled in creative employments such as spinning and weaving (v.19)
• She helps the poor and needy (v.20)
• She keeps her family well-clothed, perhaps mending and sewing (v.21)
• She makes coverings of tapestries (wall hangings and quilts) and dresses in lovely clothes (v.22)
• She's an entrepreneur (v.24)
• She is strong and honorable (v.25)
• She speaks with wisdom and kindness (v.26)
• She is not lazy or idle, and manages her time well.

Of course we will never measure up to everything on the list all at once, it's a growing process, a road we travel.
Anyone desiring to be like Christ will also endeavor to produce the fruits of the spirit found in Galatians chapter 5 verse 22.

• Love.
• Joy.
• Peace.
• Longsuffering (or patience).
• Gentleness.
• Goodness.
• Faith.
• Meekness.
• Temperance - also known as self-control.

Titus Chapter 2 verses 4 - 5 say "That they [aged women] may teach the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, (5) To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." This is serious business.
1 Peter 3:1-5 "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of their wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, and of putting on of apparel; But let it be that hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.


Get my drift? It doesn't matter what you show outwardly, what matters most to the Lord is that you have these things in your heart. You can be wearing the most modest dress ever and a head covering and still be acting in a way that is displeasing to him, and harboring sinful things in your heart. (I have nothing against dresses and head coverings, though I myself don't wear a head covering)
Please don't misunderstand - I firmly believe in dressing in a modest yet beautiful and feminine way and arranging hair in lovely styles and wearing tasteful and pretty jewelry, BUT - the most important thing is what you are wearing on the inside. It shows through, trust me.
I am so thankful for each and every person who reads my blog. I'd be delighted if you let me know what you think of this post in a Christ-like manner.


Love and blessings,
Julia

Sorry for the wait....

Hello Everybody!

I have not been checking the blog for a while and now I'm back!

One reason I delayed posting was because I was worrying about the Biblically Feminine post I was planning to do. I am still wondering just how I want to express the thoughts from my heart. Would you consider giving me your input on what characteristics a Biblically Feminine young woman would have? I am open to advice! :)

Thanks so much to Jasmine, who has awarded me with a Kindred Spirit Award!

I am so honored to accept my first blog award! :) I am looking forward to browsing the Kindred Spirit network and meeting other 'kindred spirits'! Now, I have several friends who are also kindred spirits and I would like to award them with this award as well! I award Joanna, Brianna, Breezy, Lydia, Lillie, Mckenzie, Madison, Waiting-Rose, Bethany, Katherine, Laney, Mia, Mia, (both Mias) and I would have awarded Joelle but Jasmine already did. :) Thanks again, Jasmine!

Don't forget, please tell me your qualities for a Biblically Feminine young woman!

Julia