Stop. Pause. Rewind.

Do you ever feel like you wish you could just PAUSE life and rewind it a little bit? Not just when you do something silly or embarrassing and you wish you could fix it, but when things are beautiful and time is going too fast - and you want to let it just be a little longer?

Maybe I'm the only one. ;)

For instance, I'm thrilled that my childhood best friend is visiting me this week on her way home from a vacation in North Carolina. Then I tried to figure out the last time I actually saw her in person, and my mind went all wibbly-wobbly. It's been at least NINE YEARS. *jaw drops* Wow. It doesn't feel like that long - but at the same time it's been ages. Time is weird.

Anyway, aside from hosting one night this week, I also want to get some more written on Smoky Mountain Serenade. And then plan a tea party. I don't know, something wild and crazy like that. *giggle* While Summer's still here, anyway...

Although the idea of autumn is sounding rather nice. The heat does get a little old after awhile. And I have some beautiful sweaters, boots, and scarves waiting longingly in my closet. Can you believe they're already putting holiday stuff in the stores?! It's barely August, people, not October... :) Maybe it's strange because I'm located in the south. Perhaps seasons change more swiftly up north. Do you think that's the reason, or are shops just hungry for the commerce the holiday season brings?

Okay, blog-readers, I want your input here. What kind of posts are you interested in seeing the rest of this month? Aside from the companion series I'm doing with Victoria, (Book review, DIY, and Fashion coming up)
would you rather read...

• A post filled with pictures of vintage teacups I recently found at an estate sale
• A post about the characters in my upcoming novel
• A post about my experience of being on the Trim Healthy Mama Plan since January, OR
• A post topic that you shall suggest in the comments section

Please tell me, if you're reading this. I see all sorts of interesting visitors on my live traffic feed from places all over the world, so I know SOMEBODY's out there! ;) Don't be shy, say hi! :D I don't bite. much. ;)

Love & Blessings,

Locked-up Hearts | Letting Go

I think God's trying to draw my attention to forgiveness this week.

We visited a charming little church on Sunday and the pastor preached an amazing down-to-earth sermon on forgiveness. He said some things that shot straight to my heart like arrows.

God's view of forgiveness is radically different from our own. 

Past pain is a tool the enemy uses against you - 

because he wants you to cling to that heartache. It'll keep you from the glorious future that God has for you. 

The enemy wants you to believe that there's no way - 

that you're unable to forgive. (But that's not so. You are.)

Even Christ-followers will hurt each other. 

Sometimes God will allow and even orchestrate offenses, to separate relationships he never intended to happen in the first place. If God's not in it, it ain't gonna happen. 

Forgiveness does not = Reconciliation. You can forgive someone without having to allow them back into your life to constantly abuse or mistreat you. 

You can simply forgive them, and move on. 

Don't get me wrong, reconciliation is a beautiful thing. But it's true - sometimes God moves us away from situations (or people) that he doesn't want happening (or being) in our lives. And sometimes that hurts. Really bad.

If you're going to have any kind of relationship, ever, you have to open yourself up to the possibility of hurt. To be vulnerable. But we will always have the love of God supporting us, there for us, when people fail us. And they will, inevitably. But that's okay.

We can't lock up our hearts, safe from any cracks or bruises.

We can't hold on to heartache and miss out on the glorious intimacy of a relationship with God... and beautiful relationships that reflect a picture of the love God holds for his church.

The important thing is to forgive, and to discern when to let someone go if that's what God shows you is right.

After I got home from church, made lunch, and was washing up the dishes in the warm sudsy water, listening to a christian radio station - the radio announcer randomly starts talking about forgiveness, and then plays a song all about forgiveness. Haha. Okay, Lord. Message received! :)

I'm curious. Have you had to forgive someone for something serious?

And am I the only one God talks to using the radio? ;)

Five Problems with Social Media - Post Prompt

Hey Guys!

Life's been good the past week, though I didn't manage to blog regularly. I promise I'm not going to leave you hanging again without advance notice - it's been so humbling to hear from those of you who have been following me for years and were sad when I stopped blogging for a really long time. :)

I found a little thing on Pinterest - a writing challenge with prompts for 30 days of topics. It looks interesting, so I think I'll give it a go along with my Singleness posts as they arise. :D

Day 1: Five Problems with Social Media.

*steps up on soapbox*

#1 - Artificial Relationships
Social media can become a replacement for real-life encounters and experiences. Sometimes the friendships you have online are false, built on vanity and not really made of stronger stuff. Flimsy, even.
(However, I don't feel that way about my blog followers or facebook friends! :) But I only have about 150 facebook friends, some people have thousands! Can you imagine trying to keep track of all of that?!)

#2 - TIME-SUCKERS
Scrolling through Pinterest feed. Need I say more? I could waste hours on there having so much fun... and I have. And Pinterest certainly has its purpose, but it and Facebook are huge black holes where my time disappears. I don't want that to happen anymore - I think I'm going to set a healthier goal of more like 15-20 minutes a day on those sites and see how much more I get accomplished in real life!

#3 - Competition Arises
My baby is cuter than yours! Here, see? These 1,000,000 pictures will convince you. My vacation was better than yours. I take the best selfies. I have better friends than you, look how awesome my life is!!!!!! - Not everyone on social media is like this, but the trap is there to fall into! We present the best side of ourselves, and sometimes feel pressured to compete with friends.

The solution? I dunno. Only post 1,000 baby pictures? Especially if the baby really IS cute. :D Maybe encourage more honesty and sharing? Reach out instead of put on a show like everything's perfect?

#4 - Breeding Grounds for Arguments
Something bad about social media is that people feel more free to argue and 'debate' and rant and criticize MUCH more boldly, rudely, and outspoken-ly than they would if there was a real person standing right in front of them. We have to remember that these are real people, not just names and duck faces. ;) I haven't noticed this among my friends, but out there in article-land people tend to get vicious and vile really fast.

#5 - Misunderstandings. "Say WHAT?" 
Tone is so hard to convey with just black words on a white screen. It's far too easy for people to get mixed up or offended. Most of human communication (I think I read somewhere that it's about 90%!) is non-verbal. That means we're only talking with roughly 10% of our abilities on social media, and it's often things get taken the wrong way.

So there you have it! However, I am an optimist, and therefore I believe the benefits of social media outweigh the bad. How else could I keep in touch with friends in other states or countries? Where would I find all those amazing DIY projects, inspiring quotes, and wonderful info for my novels?

Speaking of novels, I have one coming out soon. And there's going to be a facebook party to celebrate! Stay tuned!

But - What If I NEVER Get MARRIED?!? | The Singleness Adventure

Deep breaths, girlfriend, deep breaths.

I understand the feeling of raw panic and despair that may tear at your innards when  you have that thought, of not getting married - the dread that you may be left to wither, a wallflower whose bloom has faded. But you know what? That's not gonna happen. You will only shrivel up, a crisp dry dead thing, if you become a bitter old maid.

Repeat after me. "I WILL NOT BECOME A BITTER OLD MAID."
There. Problem solved. :)

You know what you can be instead? Right now? A vibrant, beautiful princess, serving her people. Or a dynamic, determined secret agent, delivering the information of the gospel. Or anything! Pretend this is one of those role-playing games and create your own character! :) You can be anyone you want to be.

Honestly, the thought of not getting married used to terrify me. Right up until last month. Until God got ahold of me and I had a heart-change. I let go. He took that fear away and whispered "Daughter - I am enough."

And he is.

Matthew 28:20 - "I am with you always, even unto the end of the age." 

James 4:8 - "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." 

Isaiah 26:3-4 "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord, is everlasting strength." 

It took me a long, hard walk to get to this point. I went through difficult times and learned painful lessons. It wasn't easy. Kind of like my hike up Yonah Mountain. But now... the view is incredible. :D

I realize how tough it is to be honest about this point. Of not being afraid to let God have complete control in how things play out. Of not getting married when YOU think you should get married. And I always knew I should be okay with the thought of staying single if that was what God had for me.

But I wasn't. OH no. I am an extreme case. :D I have wanted to get married and have a family since I was fifteen. I remember lying on my bed, sobbing my heart out, because I wasn't married yet and it would probably be five long years until I turned 20 and could FINALLY get married.

Imagine what my reaction would have been if I could have looked into a portal and seen that I would still be single at 24!!

Can you guess why I wanted to be married so bad? Because then I'd have a husband. Husbands were perfect, magical beings who brought home money and showered you with hugs and kisses and gave you sweet babies and met your every need and never failed you once. (any married ladies out there, laughing yet?)

Husbands are hard work! They leave piles of laundry to take care of! They eat all the time and want dinner every single night! ;) Yes, they can be awesome, but they all have flaws, and are NOT perfect!

A husband is not Jesus. A husband will NOT be able to meet your every need. ONLY GOD CAN. And he needs to be your everything now before you are married, or you will be disappointed and depressed instead of living your happily ever after.

Almost two years ago now, I almost got married to the wrong man. I shudder to look back at that brief experience, but it's always accompanied by a prayer of thankfulness to the God who brought me through with as little pain as possible and taught me a valuable lesson through it.

Marrying the wrong man and being miserable would have been ten thousand times worse than staying single and living a happy, busy, productive, creative life!

Marriage is meant to be a comfort while we walk this earth. But it actually isn't for forever. (I never liked this thought either.) Men and women are created to help each other in an equal partnership of matrimony through the difficulties of this life.

I was reading this verse this morning:

Matthew 22: 30

"For in the resurrection, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as angels of God in heaven."

In heaven, marriage doesn't matter anymore, because we are all with God. Can you imagine looking right at God? Being in heaven? I can't wrap my mind around it. But it will be so.

We desire marriage so much because we were created to do it. Get married. Be helpmeets. Bear children. But you know what? I serve a God who does miracles. Anything is possible with Him.

We are created to eat, too, right? (Honey, I know I am.) God has miraculously sustained people who are fasting and praying, time and time again. In the same manner, he will supply your need for love and companionship. In Himself, firstly. And if you stoop dabbing your tearful eyes with tissues and look around - in many other people who love you as well. Your family. Loved ones. Friends, even!

But what if you're thinking "I STILL WANT TO GET MARRIED!"

ME TOO. :)

But if I never get married, that's okay. Because I have a God who is more to me than an earthly husband ever could be, and that will never, ever change, throughout eternity, when we're in his glorious presence.

Thank you for being patient and reading this gigantic post! I hope it was helpful or encouraging. And feel free to share with your other single friends. :)

And if you want a laugh, go read this charming post by Amy Dashwood. TRY not to laugh at that girl's humorous wit! You will not succeed! ;)

While on the topic of marriage, I would also like to take the opportunity to wish my parents a very happy anniversary! 

They have now been married for 26 years!

*applause*

*confetti*

And they're such cuties. So blessed to have them in my life. :)

Love & Hugs,

Pearls are More Amazing Than You Thought

Via Pinterest

Pearls are the 'birthstone' for the month of June.

I love wearing pearls, don't you? So shimmery and sleek - classic and chic. (hey, that rhymed) ;) I think they glow like tiny moons. They're unique in the fact that they're the only "gem" that is actually a material created by an animal - a pearl oyster. All the other gems are rocks and minerals. Oh right, except for some rare corals.

I kinda have a thing for jewels. ;)

Treasures of the sea have always fascinated me. I grew up near the beach, you know. When I was a little homeschooled girl, we had a large library of books in our house, and one of them was all about treasure that had been brought up from the ocean - loot from shipwrecks. I don't know how many times I read that book, over and over again. I stared at the pictures of the emerald-encrusted gold cross, the Spanish doubloons, the ruby-studded dagger.

But anyway, where was I? Talking about pearls, that's right.

You've heard about how they're made a thousand times, right? So often that it's become a little tired-out, I would imagine.
Pearls are formed when a tiny irritation enters the oyster, like a grain of sand. (Poor thing. Imagine having something like that in your eye and you can't blink to get it out!) The oyster coats it with layers upon layers of pearly 'nacre' as long as it remains inside the shell. After about five seconds on Google I found an article that details the process a bit more here. To a jewelry-maker that works with pearls often, it's even more interesting.

This part sounds super scientific, but bear with me: "The nacre is not just a soothing substance. It is composed of microscopic crystals of calcium carbonate, aligned perfectly with one another, so that light passing along the axis of one crystal is reflected and refracted by another to produce a rainbow of light and color."

I'm sorry, but that's just beautiful. I'm freaking out over here. Pearls are actually tiny worlds composed of millions of rainbow-reflective crystals. How awesome is that?!

I was sitting on my bed, holding my Bible, thinking about pearls, after reading three verses the evening before with my family. (They're in Matthew, chapter 13, if you want to go read 'em yourself in your own preferred translation, but really, KJV, people, it's just so rich)

The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. 

Um. Wow. I can't begin to imagine giving up every single thing I own for one pearl, even if it was gorgeous and bigger than my head. But this guy here, he didn't hold back. Not one bit.

These verses are in red letters in my Bible, which means Jesus said the words. He was actually talking to the disciples in this scene, because after he'd come back from preaching to a huge crowd from a boat they started asking him what the heck he meant with all those parables. ;) So Jesus starts to patiently explain to them what they meant.

They he hits them up with this pearl story. I believe the field represents believers, as a whole. Jesus sacrificed everything for those who would accept the price he paid for them on the cross. The pearl of great price?

That's me.

My hands fly to my cheeks and I almost blush, thinking about it. Jesus gave his life for me. He thought of me as he hung there dying for my sins. Sins that, at that point in time, I hadn't even committed yet, because I hadn't even been born, nor had my great-great-great-grandparents.

I can't even begin to fathom it. I'm just grateful that I've accepted his beyond-generous offer.

Have you?

If your heart answers "Yes, I believe it, and I've said it - Jesus is Lord. And he died for me." then - WOOOOOOHOOO! We'll be dining together at the most glorious banquet ever, in heaven, and worshiping the one and only GOD. There's no way I'm not accepting that party invitation! :) In fact, I already have!

When your heart is looking forward to something so incredibly beautiful... it's easier to let the day-to-day irritations become softened and covered in grace. forgiveness. love. mercy.

Like pearls.

I'll never wear pearls again without thinking about the fact that I'm treasured by the creator of this world (and the little pearl-worlds of rainbowy crystals - still can't get over that) more than anything.

And guess what? So are you!

{The Singleness Adventure} Introduction

It may take him two-dozen years, but eventually, God will get your attention one way or another. :) The past few weeks have taken me completely by surprise, as the Lord has revealed some amazing things to me. I'm going to try to put it into words - I'm a writer, after all, it's what we do. (Or try to do!)

Picture this: I'm sitting in our living room, which is alive with the presence of some good friends of ours. We've just had a Bible study taught by my dad, and now we're taking prayer requests and praying for them. And then I get this thought - I need to ask for prayer for my Future Husband. Ooh. Things just got real. I'm a really outgoing, bubbly person, but in certain areas I prefer to keep things to myself. I actually got trembly as I waited for my turn to talk.

So then the moment comes, and when I speak, it's a croaky whisper.
Oh dear. The trembling hasn't stopped, either. The good people around me could sense my emotions just under the surface. And here I'm thinking Where in the world is this coming from? One minute I was just fine and the next I'm all teary-eyed.

God was softening my heart.

Some of the ladies started asking me questions and it took an unexpected turn - suddenly we were talking about me. Not my future husband. ME. My plans. (Nebulous and vague at best) My goals. (Umm, what goals?) My ambitions. (Ha. Nonexistent.)

Something became painfully clear. Something I didn't want to look straight at and see, but when the spotlight shone on it, there was no avoiding it. I have nothing that I'm working towards.

So the men adjourned to the porch, where they prayed over another topic that had come up, and the ladies and I stayed in the living room and formed a tight little circle and prayed... for me. And something finally cracked through my walls and set my heart aglow. Or rather, someone.

As we prayed, and after we prayed, all these wonderful, astonishing, why-didn't-I-think-of-this-sooner ideas exploded around me. The women had some great suggestions - and I believe they were hearing from God and sharing it with me. Things were dropping straight into my mind as well. It's hard to describe exactly what it was like, but the closest thing I can compare it to is a dried-out little sponge getting sprinkled, splashed, and then doused with water until it swells full to bursting, fresh again and dripping.

Then, the opportunity opened up for me to visit McKenzie for a week! It was exactly what I needed. A chance to get away from it all for a little bit, clear my head, climb mountains, breathe the fresh woodsy air, swim in their pool, laugh - and learn. I was opened up so God could pour new inspiration and encouragement into my spirit.

Want to hear from God? Go stand on a mountain and listen. :)

Oh. And while I'm sitting at McKenzie's kitchen table, she just happens to mention this book - Preparing to be a Helpmeet - which I, on a whim, began to read that night. HOLY COW. Mind. blown.

I've heard this stuff for years, darlings. All my life. "You need to be a woman of God if you expect to marry a man of Godly character", yada-yada-yada-blah-blah-blah..... but this time it was like...
"BAM!" 
It wasn't so much the words, it was that they came at exactly the right moment. I was so full of zest to get started on applying everything I was learning anew, that the night I got home I grabbed a brand-new blank notebook that a sweet girlfriend had given me for my birthday and scribbled in it for upwards of two hours.

I'm on fire. I can hardly sit still. There's SO MUCH I want to do with my life now - my focus has changed entirely from what it used to be, which was along the lines of:

"Sigh, I, the princess, will try my best to be content and wait here, quietly, in my tall tower,

 until my prince arrives on his white horse, 

and I can finally decorate my own castle and have beautiful royal babies".

Now, I feel like I'm a secret agent and I've been handed a mission. To reach my objective, I've got to go out and get some things done! It's extremely important that I train myself accordingly - learn all I can learn, be all I can be. Time is short! This season is only a brief interlude of freedom, in which I can do these things without the added burden of a husband and family to care for.

I have to use it wisely.

Not only do I want to learn everything I should know, and do great and wonderful things and finish cool, amazing projects - I desire to cultivate a heart that is so sweet, so tender, so giving and so thankful, that it sparkles in a beautiful example of Christlikeness. Grow a character that is pure, righteous, and faithful - until I am the woman my man needs. 

Rome wasn't built in a day, folks. If I want to be all that, I'd better get a move on!

When that man comes along (white horse or not) I'm hoping he'll find a prize worth winning - a queen, who has benefited the lives of so many others within her circle of influence, highly skilled and fit for a king, to reign in splendor by his side - but is the picture of Christ, and the first to get her hands dirty and leap to someone's aid if she is needed.

I could go on, but I'll save the rest for another time - I think this is the first in a series of adventures in Singleness that need to be shared! :) Hope you enjoy following along!

Love & Hugs,

North Georgia Adventure | May 2015

Intro: If you still remember that blogger called "Julia" - I'm honored! No blog posts all year, and here I am again, popping into your blog feed! Well, it's crazy how fast time flies these days. It seems like the older one gets, the faster the ride. Pictures become more valuable, because they're frozen moments you can always look back on. :)

I had a lovely winter and spring. Some of the things I did (after publishing my novel, of course) -

• Traveled up to Michigan for my grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary party, where I reconnected with a sweet friend named Victoria G. (who blogs HERE)
• Went down to Florida to visit my other Grandma and saw the beach in November - chilly!!
• Had fun at the Rock Ranch Staff Christmas party
• Steadily babysat an adorable blond tot (and now he has a baby brother!)
• Worked for the month of January at the deli in town (such fun!)
• Started Trim Healthy Mama (more on that later!!)
• Professionally photographed and staged our log home for sale and listed it online (Pray about it for me? Still waiting on a buyer)
• Celebrated my 24th birthday in style with a spring-themed party :) Victoria came to visit me!! We had a blast. 
• Went to Florida again, and celebrated my Grandma's 90th birthday!! Wow! We had a birthday shopping trip and I found a fabulous dress. 
• FINISHED WRITING the second book in my Agency series, DIAMOND, which is due for release mid-June (eeek! So excited about that!) 

And then... I went and had an amazing adventure and stayed for a whole week with my sweet friend McKenzie (whose wedding I was in as a bridesmaid - first time in my life I was one!)

And this is what we did...

The first evening I was there, we went for a drive and saw not one, but two gorgeous mountain views! And there were blooming flowers everywhere, Mountain Laurel and Rhododendrons. Gorgeous!

I know, right? WOW.

And here are the two cuties who put up with me for a whole week:

Yes, there was considerable newlywed mushiness - I didn't mind! Research for one of my novels!! ;)

Then the next day, McKenzie and I mustered up our girl power and hiked Mount Yonah... only the second highest point in Georgia. Uh-huh. And even stopping for breath on occasion, we made it to the rock face in about an hour and a half. Boo-yeah!

This isn't even the top, more like halfway up. So blue. And serene. *inspiration galore*

Did I mention the gigantic boulders studding the mountainside yet? Here ya go:

That little human is me! 

I will never forget the feeling of exhilarating triumph as I took the last few steps onto the top of that mountain. I actually screamed "WOOHOO!" at the top of my lungs and pumped a fist in the air. There were very few other hikers around to notice this momentary display of craziness - so I started singing "Top of the World" by Anthem Lights for good measure. :D McKenzie found it amusing.

Here is a terrible picture out the car window so you can see what I'm talking about:

Ah yes, and here we have a specimen of the delightful Mountain Laurel, with blooms that bring pink peppermints to mind.

The next day, we took it rather easier (My muscles didn't complain overmuch of the terrible trial I'd put them through - perhaps they were appeased by the very rare treat of strawberry cheesecake ice cream) McKenzie and I went shopping in a darling, bigger-on-the-inside antique mall full of unusual and curious things. I found a complete matching set of all the Winnie-the-Pooh originals by A. A. Milne and snapped them up.

But anyways, McKenzie is a master at hair. Even my mid-thigh-length slippery silky tresses. Look what she did!

Oh, and their little garage apartment (which is dollhouse-esque in its sweetness and layout) also happened to enjoy the privilege of sharing the landlord's pool. We took advantage of it all week. :D

And then on Wednesday we took a day-trip (In Kenzie's gorgeous white Camry) to Helen, GA and strolled around like tourists and I took about five bazillion pictures,

The horse-drawn carriages were a big draw!
We didn't try it out, being content with our own on-foot mode of getting about. 

^ That, my friends, is my first cup of coffee. EVER. And from what I'm told it was very mild for coffee and full of cream and sugar and some caramel flavoring. I still thought it was really strong, but it tasted like the coffee place smelled and the experience was fun. Don't think I'll adopt it as a habit, though!

Speaking of the coffee shop ^ It was SO cute, and honestly smelled amazing. (Not quite as amazing as the fudge-shop, but it was a close second!) McKenzie was in heaven. :D The bartender (barista just sounds so wrong to say about a guy!) was friendly and helpful and looked so much like a hipster we were both holding back laughter. :)

Downtown Helen, you were charming. I'll come back one day! I'd been there before as a child, but seeing it with fresh eyes was wondrous. Also walking to Anna Ruby Falls - which were just as loud and crashing and pretty as I remembered.

The last full day I was there, McKenzie and her husband Daniel took me down to an unassuming place called "Panther Creek". The trail was ten times rougher than Yonah Mountain (which was plenty rugged) - I mean, in places we were literally climbing down tree roots and picking our way along a path SO STEEP, each foothold was about three feet down apart from the next.

But it was worth it because at the bottom awaited us a glorious, raw, wild view of THIS WATERFALL...

It was like encountering a majestic beast that just waited for you, and let you come right up close to it. The water streaming through the huge pool at the base was not very deep and we waded right out to the rocks that the water tumbled over.

I actually went barefoot, in the rough-sandy river. Ya'll, I wear flip-flops in the house. That gives you an idea of how free I was feeling at this moment. :D

This last photo, McKenzie snapped of me with her phone as I sat perched on a rock after we'd ascended a branch of the trail that led us to the very top of the falls - I was looking off down the river. I think it captures just a hint of the grand and overwhelming inspiration that infused the whole trip.

More on that inspiration later, but for now - I'm blogging again! I'm going to shoot for a Monday-Wednesday-Friday thing and I already have a month's worth of posts scheduled in advance. So here goes! Hang on for the ride with me! :) Julia's Journal is not done yet. This is the 500th post, and I still have more stories to tell!

Love & Hugs,

Sequins & Twinkle-lights | Twenty-Three

I turned 23 last week, on Thursday.

I was expecting to feel old. I mean, fifteen-year-old Julia envisioned that I would be married, with two children, the perfect little house, and driving an aquamarine VW Bug by now.

You know what? I don't feel old. I feel YOUNG, vibrant, colorful, fresh, and blessed-blessed-blessed. (The last one needed repeating for emphasis.)

I'm unmarried, yup, but I have a savior who cherishes and loves me tenderly. I don't have children yet but there are sweet little kids all around me at work and church. I live in a gorgeous log home with two marvelous parents and two handsome brothers who are becoming charming gentlemen before my eyes.

The past month, I've been out and about so much for one reason or another that there hasn't been two days together that I've been at home all day! It's crazy! It's hard work! But it's fun. :D I love 'doing things' and I've certainly done my share lately.

So what did I "do" for my birthday? Ah - well, on the actual day, I enjoyed a delectable dinner with my family of the best. lasagna. ever. And I had my sweet friend Allison M. over and we watched Persuasion and drank chamomile-lavender tea and ate homemade strawberry cheesecake and she created a show-stopping hairstyle for me, which she then replicated two mornings later, when in the evening, we both attended ... an English Country Dance BALL.

Yes. I went to a ball. It was thrilling and lovely and splendid! *happy sigh*

And this... is what I wore...

I really did feel like a princess.

Hugs and love to my wonderful mom who finished my dress just how I wanted it!

 See? There they are. The azaleas, right on time for my birthday. God telling me "Julia, you are precious to me, and don't ever forget that." :D

And just a FEW pictures of the ball - I have way more, and videos besides, but that will have to wait until I can edit them all! :D

Delightful chitchat - this is just in one small spot of the lovely barn.

Twinkle lights and polished floor... (this is only a fraction of all the dancers that were there)

And now... *drumroll please*... 23 things I've learned in 23 years:

1. A smile fixes {nearly} everything.

2. Always check to see if someone left the parking brake on (really, we live on a hill...).

3. Mom and Dad give THE best encouragement and counsel. period. 

4. Strawberry anything, anytime, anywhere, for the win. And Chocolate. Yes.

5. There is always a silver lining. Look for it. (In other words, be grateful. There is always something to be thankful for!) 

6. Do not, under any circumstances, buy a piece of clothing without trying it on first, and hang on to the receipt for at least ten days in case of buyers' remorse. Also - shop thrift stores! One gal's leftovers are another's gold mine. 

7. Drink lots of water, eat lots of fresh fruit and veg, and go on long walks in the sunshine whenever possible.

8. Take zillions of pictures, write in a journal, and make a million memories. The best moments in life deserve to be remembered. 

9. Stay true to your standards, faith, and convictions, you won't regret it. Don't let the world tarnish your shine!

10. Music can turn a dreary job into a dance par-tay.

11.There are a terrible lot of shop assistants with flirtatious manners out there, but do not let it ruffle your feathers. You're holding out for a real gem. (Perhaps Mr. Collins has a cousin.) ;)

12. Brothers make great friends and shed valuable insight on occasion. Also, they are hilarious. Respect and honor them, and never let the sun go down on a disagreement. 

13. Do not be superstitious (see what I did there? #13) or fearful. God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. He's already got your story written out so beautifully, even if you can't imagine what the next plot twist will be.

14. Find your best color (mine is peach!) and wear it whenever possible.

15. Embrace the gifts and talents you have, and work to overcome your weaknesses. There is always room for improvement, but there is only one amazing, unique, and wonderful you. 

16. Always be prepared. Bring a sweater, pack a lunch, wear sunscreen, read up on the subject, practice beforehand, do your research. It pays off big-time. 

17. There are inevitably going to be people who are jealous, bitter, angry, rude, unkind, unfaithful, and annoying. Ignore them, and forgive their foibles. Worrying about what someone else thinks of you is not worth your time.

18. Work HARD. Play HARDER! :D Be amazing and awe-inspiring, if you can. But always be kind, gracious, and humble. You are a mirror that reflects the image of Jesus Christ.

19. Never, never, never give up, keep calm and carry on. :D

20. Do something enjoyable, something you love, something inspiring, something refreshing, every single day. Have fun! But don't forget to take some time to be still, rest, and soak it all in. 

21. Spend as much time as you can with family and friends. They are priceless. So answer their emails, letters, texts and phone calls, and listen when they talk. :)

22. Try not to spend your entire life scrolling through Pinterest. ;) 

23. God will always come through, and he is literally the only thing you'll ever need.

I should totally make that into a tag. :D If anyone wants to write their own list of things they've learned in their own number of years, I'd love to read it. 

Love to all my blog readers!

"And Oh, You Electrify My Soul..."

WARNING: PRETTY FLOWER PICTURES AHEAD ;)

I've begun to not take blog post titles that seriously. :D They don't have to perfectly describe the post like a newspaper headline! :) (FYI: The title is a line from a Natalie Grant song that I got on iTunes recently. The last half of the line is ... "and you're bringing the dead to life!" Love that victorious note in there!

 So yeah! Look at me, coming through on a promise! I did go out and snap some shots of the beautiful spring blooms... it just happened on an unexpected day off instead of Sunday. It was raining so hard on Monday that they canceled all of the events at the Rock Ranch.

On the one hand, I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to go to work, I love that place, but on the other hand... yay for not having to work with muddy ponies!! :D Feels like I dodged a bullet with that one! ;)

 You know... my post title does go with this post. Looking at these pictures electrifies my soul with some sparks of awe at the grandeur and majesty our Creator displays even in the tiny veins of a dogwood blossom petal. My God, how amazing you are!

 I will admit, there is a hint of a photo filter in these pictures, I about gasped when I clicked the button whilst editing them and saw the result. WOWZA.

 My faithful readers are welcome to pin these to Pinterest, but please don't take them for anything else. (You'll notice I actually watermarked them this time!) :)

Noticed this little fellow and got right in his face for a close-up, marveling at how he matched the flower center exactly!

 I hope my grandma Pat is seeing this blog post - wish I could show her our sweet GA spring season in person, she has always had a great appreciation for flowers!

Oh... and we also have azaleas.

I know!! Aaaagh, I love them so much. I will take more pictures as soon as they hit peak bloom, there are only a few at present.

My faves are these "Peppermint Azaleas". They look as if they have a bright brushstroke on each crisp white petal!

Take care, lovelies! I shall write again soon...

Heart Songs

Hello Darlings!

This week looks exceedingly packed. I am working almost every day, and tomorrow (Sunday) we have an Ultimate Frisbee game and I'll be playing bass guitar for the morning worship service - did I ever tell you the story of how I became a bass player? I'll have to write that sometime. It was hilarious. :D

Anyways. I love it when life revs up like this and the days are jam-packed, a whirl of crazy color and music and laughter. It makes my heart dance.

The only problem with running here and there, to and fro, up hill and down dale, attending this gala and that garden party, is that in all the happy cacophony of noise, sometimes that still, small voice gets drowned out. :(
(ugh. The writer in me cringes at the amount of commas in that last sentence!) ;) Back to my point!

God wants you. Relationship, not reluctance. Communion, not carelessness. Prayer and praise, not procrastination. If you spend a little time each day with Him, life suddenly gets a whole lot sparklier. It's like tuning up your instrument... the song rises and swells until beauty bursts into every corner and cranny and the stress and worries all get squeezed out.

(Random photo of the Hillsong United concert we went to a few months ago, because it was overwhelmingly amazing)

My resolution for this next craaaaazy week is to do *something* every day that brings God and me closer together. Quality time with my father, savior, first love, and best friend.
Hopefully that means taking a few minutes to open the Bible app on my iPhone right after I wake up to sunshine pouring in my windows...
Having a few ongoing conversations with Jesus while I'm standing out in the middle of a field at the Rock Ranch watching exuberant kids on the giant jumping pillow...
raising my hand to lift His name high when I have a second in-between strumming a guitar string, or singing at the top of my lungs while I vacuum the living room carpet. :D

Being a believer doesn't have to be complicated, you know. Sometimes the best relationships in life happen when it's natural and unforced. There's still a choice involved, and it takes an effort on your part... but it's a two-way street. God meets you in the moments you turn to Him. :)

So be encouraged! Take some time to "be" with God this week, whatever that looks like! :)

Love,

The Bright Side

I'm staring out at the sun glittering yellow through the woods as it dips below the hills on the horizon. Earlier, I went for a 2-mile hike and crunched the fallen leaves under my feet. (Then I painted my toenails aqua with sparkles.) ;) The trees are nearly bare. Autumn is on its way out... and Winter is peering around the corner.

You know, there is always going to be something "Not Perfect" in your life. Nothing will be just right until we cross beyond that last shore and find ourselves in the presence of God. But that's no reason to waste the moments you have right now.

Life is such a beautiful thing! There is always a bright side, always a silver lining, always a reason to smile, and sigh, and be thankful. Tiny blessings are all around me. All I have to do is look up and start to count them. And when they all add up... they're huge. I am so blessed. I have been given so much.

In the waiting times, the seasons of 'limbo', hold up your head. Good news is just around the corner. Past the bend in the road, something glorious awaits.

Independence and Maturity

The other day, I drove myself somewhere.
All.
Alone.

It was the first time I'd gone anywhere, just me and the car, without a single person with me.

It was ... exhilarating!

It was ... sobering.

I went to Curves and worked out. By myself. And it turned out that I was the only person in the gym at that hour besides the owner who was running it. She and I chatted while I jumped, bounced, hopped, skipped, and did all sorts of things on the machines like pulling levers and pushing bars and moving things back and forth. (I love Curves....)

We had quite a conversation! She asked me where we went to church, where my family was from, and what my daddy did for a living. I basically got the sweet, Southern, interrogation. :D If you live in the South, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. :D It was well-meant, of course, and the lady is the sweetest woman, but she was finding out everything she needed to file me away in her social records. Did I belong in the aristocrat section or the downtrodden dumpster-diver section? :D

She told me that she thought I was very well-spoken and my speech was precise and easily comprehended. Also that I didn't have a southern accent. ;) I was touched by the honest compliment that I was "well-spoken". She wasn't "sloppin' sugar", like I've seen before. (the sugar-sloppers will remain nameless to protect the guilty) ;)

I really am seriously thinking of writing a novel set in a small town in the South. There's so much material right at my fingertips! ;)

But anyway. What was I talking about? Ah - independence.

On the way there, my usually quiet drive got crowded when I was stopped at an intersection while a long string of schoolbuses rolled out onto the road, halted by flashing lights and a signaling policeman. While stopped, a whole bunch of cars got clogged up, which made changing lanes up ahead a little difficult, but I kept my cool and did a great job. I parked smoothly and danced up the steps into the gym.

~*~

This sounds silly, but going there all by myself made me feel like a grown woman.

Which, I guess, technically, I AM. I'm almost 21, after all. Some days I feel so young and inexperienced... more like 15 than 20. And then other days, I feel like I can handle myself like an adult. When we're running a booth at the homeschool conventions I can handle crowds of people with endless questions without even breaking a sweat. My feet might get sore from standing all day, but my composure never falters.

It's on the days I'm tired and stressed and I get annoyed with the housework, food prep, or my brothers that my immaturity shows. Why is it so easy to present a perfect facade to the outside world, but so difficult to be meek and quiet and kind at home when the pressure's on to get dinner on the table, the clothes in the washing machine, or help a family member out?

It's on the home front where the true test of maturity shows the real results. Who I am in private, under the sheen of capability and social graces on the surface, is who I really am. The way I interact with the people I am closest to defines my character.

~*~

The trip home was uneventful. I cranked up the radio and sang along as loudly as I wanted to, with no fellow passengers around to complain or ask me to hush up. (All the while watching the speedometer like a hawk, lest it creep past the requisite 5 miles over the speed limit, because if you're over 10 miles over, a cop will pull you over, you know...) ;)

Daddy and Steven welcomed me home, standing in the driveway on their way back from checking on the chickens. I tapped the horn in a victorious "beep" and waved as I pulled into the carport.

My family told me they were proud of me. I can handle myself in the real world just fine.

My desire is that my conduct at home, in the comfort of familiar surroundings, around my family, is as sparkling and sterling as my behavior out there where everybody can see it.

Hope is the thing with feathers...

Hope.
Is it an elusive thing, there one moment, gone the next?

Or does it remain, steady, constant, a slowly enduring flame in the embers of our hearts?

Read the rest of the post here:
As We Hope In Thee.

A Last Gift

I named our chickens after Jane Austen characters. What that says about me, I'm not sure...

As follows, we were the proud owners of:

Emma

Harriet

Elinor

Margaret

Elizabeth Bennet

Jane Bennet, and...

Lady Catherine De Bourgh.

Among others that didn't "stick".

I know what you're thinking (at least, if you're familiar with Pride & Prejudice) a hen named after Lady Catherine de Bourgh? Yes, I had the nerve to name a proud, haughty hen with feathers on her feet after the great Lady Catherine herself. :D It fit, too. She would never let us pet her or pick her up like the other chickens and was very high-strung. ;)

Jane was my favorite.



This is Jane.  (You can see the gray-and-white Lady Catherine right behind her)

Often shortened to "sweet Jane" or "Dear Jane", she was definitely the most adorable little friendly chicken I've ever seen. We liked her so much that when it came time to get our next lot of egg-layers, we bought Buff Orphingtons (Jane's breed).

You might have noticed that I am referring to these chickens in the past tense.

Today... we gave them away.

I was shocked to find out how attached to those birds I really was. I mean, one could understand becoming attached to one's dog, or cat, or family pet. But chickens? Well - those chickens were our pets. But they had grown old... and were down to three or so eggs a day from ten hens. In short, they were eating more than they were giving us. And for logical reasons, we had to either give them away, or they would be eating us out of house and home... and we would have to put them in our soup pot. Oh! Dear me, it would have been quite shocking! (...to quote J. A.)

For a good while, they had been living in a little home we built off of one of the main chicken coops, and affectionately christened "The Dawdi Haus". (after the Amish term for a small house that the parents move into when they pass the farm down to the firstborn child).

There is the Dawdi Haus, with Daddy, and Jane. (There was a completely fenced run stretching out the back, not visible from this photo).

When my brother Mark brought in the eggs this evening after the final egg-check, Mama asked him if any of them had been from the Dawdi Haus, trying to determine how many our other chickens had laid.

"One." Mark answered, his face growing half-mournful, half-comical. "A last gift."

Do you know what I did?
I cried!

I was washing dishes in the sink, and a few of my tears fell down into the soapy water. I pulled it together within a few minutes, never having made a sound, and I don't think my mom and Steven even realized I had been crying. After all, it was silly, really... the chickens went to a good home with a young couple who had some little kids who would love them and keep them for pets, with the bonus of the occasional egg just for fun. But I'm going to miss them.

Sometimes there comes a time in our lives when we have to "let go" of things... and I don't like letting go. I like holding on. But if I always hold my precious 'things' close in a tight-fisted little grasp... then it won't be possible for me to receive, open-handed, the new gifts that the One who loves me most wants to give me.

So... I've let go, and my hands are open. :)