Just me having a little chat.

So yeah, I turned 19 last Saturday. I don't feel a bit older, although I may joke about being 'so old'. :D What was I worried about? Mama jokes that she and Daddy made my childhood so wonderful that I didn't want to leave it. ;) It's partially true - I had an amazingly enjoyable, wonderful, incredible and happy childhood growing up 10 minutes from the beach, climbing our huge carrotwood trees, swimming in our pool, riding my bike up and down our quiet dead-end street and playing for hours on end with my two younger brothers and the little girl who lived across the street. It was truly idyllic. (well, except for the occasional surfeit of mosquito bites.) :D

Childhood, with all it's happinesses, also carried a lot of 'growing pains', so to speak. It wasn't all easy! Learning life lessons is tough! While I am by no means done learning, and I'll always be God's child, it's nice to look back and see all I've come through. Being an adult, instead of a child, will mean a lot more responsibility, it's true. But it'll also hold some of the sweetest joys imaginable. :)

Today I took a brisk walk, going twice down and up our quarter-mile driveway. I was trying to work some of the kinks out of my stiff muscles - although the walks 'up' were quite a lot less brisk than the walk 'down'... we have a rather steep gravel driveway, so in parts it's more like a hike. :D

The reason I was stiff was that the day before yesterday, Sunday, my family and I went to a get-together for some homechurches in our area. We had a wonderful time, and I was thrilled to play a game of Ultimate Frisbee with friends old and new. :D Since it was the first game I'd played in months, and I relentlessly pushed myself to the limit of my endurance, I was stiff and sore all over for the next couple days. :D But it was so worth it! I'm really competitive - always have been - and my favorite way to play Ultimate Frisbee is to race out as soon as the frisbee is thrown off, and to play the middle of the field, staying in the middle of the action whenever possible. :D So you can see why I might be a bit tired afterwards. :D

As for upcoming news, I'm going to be running a booth in the vendor hall at the GHEA convention this year for both days - consequently, I may not be on my computer for a while. (I only have about 2 weeks left to prepare!) I'm selling my handmade jewelry, featuring my all-time favorite jewelry elements... Swarovksi crystals, pearls, and fine glass beads. I'd love to see you there! :)

Back to Cyberspace Once More!

Hello, my dear sweet blog readers! :) It's been ages since I've done anything on my poor desolate little blog here, and I regret it very much. The truth is, I've been neglecting my computer sorely for the past 2 months or so. In a way, it's a good thing. I used to constantly be on the computer, working away at different projects and things, checking my email every hour, but this wasn't a healthy way of life because it ate up far too much of my time. For some reason, it's taken a wild swing in the other direction for me and I've been focusing on my crochet and jewelry making and reading, and the computer work has fallen by the wayside! Hopefully I can adjust back to a balanced middle ground and incorporate some computer into my life again. :D

Now, for your regular weather update: ;)
I don't know about you, but where I live in Georgia the air has been filled with pollen for the past couple of days. A few rainstorms yesterday cleared the atmosphere a little bit, but there's still plenty of the yellow dust left. What surprised me very much though, was the sudden and miraculous greening of all the trees and plants roundabouts! In a matter of days every twig and branch in the woods in which my log home is nestled were sporting lovely new green foliage - that elusive shade that's only seen when the leaves first make their appearance. Beautiful! :) I'm looking forward to the profusion of blooming flowers that, hopefully, will come out soon.

My grandmother and great-aunt Barbara were able to come for a visit over Easter weekend and we had a wonderful time with them. Some highlights of their stay were giving my grandmother her first computer lesson, (in preparation to getting her a computer of her own) showing my aunt Barbara how to crochet (Ah, what fun! I love crocheting!) and attending the Easter Sunrise Service at Callaway Gardens, spending a gorgeous day exploring the gardens and visiting the butterfly house.

Yesterday, my darling wonderful dear friend Allison H. came with us on a shopping trip to celebrate my 19th birthday, and we had such a blast! Before we left Allison presented me with a GORGEOUS journal with a cover that had been ribbon-embroidered by her. It was so beautiful! :) We stopped by Bath & Body works, and got matching bottles of fragrance mist, browsed the incredibly awesome store of Ross (where I always find something I absolutely love!!) in this case, finding some lovely skirts and a few picture collage frames (among other things). We went out for lunch at Stevie B's pizza and I was able to experience the astonishingly wonderful baked potato pizza... seriously folks, you gotta try some of that... :) Anyway, we came home loaded with goods from our shopping spree. Allison joined my family as we went out for dinner at a charming little Greek/Italian restaurant in my small home town and I had the most delicious Greek chicken salad ever. Oh. Wow. :)

Then, on top of that, Allison got to spend the night! I haven't had a sleepover since I was .... let's not think back how many years, shall we... And this one must have been the best yet. :D Allison and I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning whispering and trying to stuff our giggles into pillows so that we wouldn't wake anybody else. We ended up getting about 5 hours of sleep, making me take a nap this afternoon to catch up on some rest. :) This morning we watched Sense and Sensibility, which Allison had never seen before... She told me she loved it! Yeah! Score one for the Jane Austen fans! :)

Yes. You did read that fact correctly up there. (That is, if you're paying attention) I did say "My 19th birthday". It's tomorrow, actually, (April 10th) and I have a beautiful cake planned out that I will bake... involving fresh strawberries and vanilla and strawberry cake. :D I've felt so many mixed emotions about this birthday that I've finally decided it's time to stop trying to analyze my feelings and just go with the flow, enjoying the happy moments. :) On one hand, I am thrilled to be another step closer to being a full-fledged 'adult'... but on the other, something in me mourns the passing of childhood. I realize this MUST seem melodramatic to my friends who are already in their 20's... but that's how I've been feeling for the past month or so. 19 seems so much older to me - am I really finished being 18? ;) Like there's really anything I can do about it anyway! :D I am excited about what this new year will bring across my path.

Well, I have thoroughly enjoyed dipping my toes into the pool of blogging once more. Hopefully it will be followed by a big splash as I dive back in! :D

Oh yes - did anybody notice the new blog look? What do you think?

Much love, hugs, and many blessings to you, my friends!

One Million Arrows: Book Review

Will the world change our children...or will our children change the world? Time is short and lives are at stake. Right now, God is inviting our families to become part of a bigger story—a vision that will engage hearts to make a radical difference. One Million Arrows is an inspirational call to raise our kids to impact their culture, community, and world for Christ. If we want our kids to discover their purpose, if we want them to live with passion for the Kingdom, if we want our family to go down in His-Story, accept the mission...and leave a mark for eternity.

Recently I read this book, One Million Arrows, after the author, Julie Ferwerda, contacted me and asked me if I was interested in joining her book blog tour. After learning what the book was about, I knew this was something I wanted to do.

So one day, I looked in my mailbox and found a package containing this book, which I immediately began to read. I discovered that Julie doesn't focus on just one international ministry, but writes of many different families, couples, organizations, and people who are all making a vital difference in reaching the lost children of this world. 

The book is divided into three parts: Gather, Sharpen, and Launch. Recognizing that the time is short, and the need great, Julie exhorts all parents to disciple their children to impact the world instead of the world impacting their children. In her section on gathering, she lays out a plan for the parents to chart their own course with their families, and to hop on board the one million arrows campaign. She challenges each family to own the mission of discipling their children.


Part two guides the parents in gathering the arrows (children) to sharpen them. She helps the reader to understand how to shape your arrows in your home and beyond. In so doing, you will ultimately be able to send your arrows off into the world to impact the kingdom of God.

The final part of the book is how to launch your arrows. This can be a difficult process for all parents while also being perhaps one of the most rewarding times in a parent’s life.

While I do not think I would feel peace in my heart about sending out my own 15-year-old daughter to start an orphanage, as in one of the stories in the book, I do agree with the heart of Julie's message. (My family and I have always had a soft spot for lost orphans, and have supported a little boy in Thailand for many years.)
Throughout the book, you get to know Papa–Dr. M.A. Thomas. He was the inspiration behind the book and the movement, One Million Arrows.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the chapter in which Julie wrote about the Tebow family, and some of the principles they followed when raising their children, including:
*Start training them when they're young
*Teach them to give thanks to the Lord in everything
*Get them outside of themselves from an early age, caring about the needs and problems of others.
(F.Y.I, if you haven't checked out the Tim Tebow foundation, I suggest you go take a look.)

I would encourage you to go check out Julie's website, onemillionarrows.com, for more information about the book, the ministry, and how you can help.

If you want to cut to the chase and purchase the book, you can buy it online.


Blessings!

Julie Ferwerda is recognized for making the Bible exciting and relevant to everyday life through her writing and speaking. Her articles are featured in many Christian magazines and websites for both adults and teens, and she frequently volunteers her time and talents to international orphan ministry. Learn more at OneMillionArrows.com.


 
 
 

Julie has a special place in her heart for orphans and has designated that all proceeds from the sale of One Million Arrows be used for international orphan ministry.

Winter Wonderland

And without further ado, here are the snow pictures! :)

Our house. (as you can see, my family members were outside as well... marveling at all the fluffy white stuff)

I loved the snow... while it lasted, it was so beautiful!
Me, in the snow.

My brother Mark made a snow Koala Bear. *Cute!!*

Our chickens were highly insulted at the weather, and hardly poked their heads outside the whole day while the aggravating precipatation fell.

Our garden pots were buried underneath a generous blanket of icy snow. Miraculously... some of the lettuce survived! :)

A view off the porch. (I believe I took this shot out the window)

This used to be our driveway - it morphed into an arctic forest while we weren't looking.

I can still feel the crisp, frosty air on my cheeks that I enjoyed while shooting this photo of our mountain view.

I managed to get Steven to take my picture in front of the view. That's me, down in the corner there. :)

This is a shot down the driveway while it was still snowing heavily on Friday evening. (Some of these pictures are from Friday the 12th,, and some are from the next morning.)

As a side note, I have no idea how I managed to get my wide-leg cargo-style corduroy pants to look amazingly like wild, hippie bell-bottoms in ^that shot.

I ended up making my mom's birthday cake the day of the great snow, even though her birthday was on the 9th... so I decided to photograph the cake with the snow. :D

The view out my bedroom window.

Steven, standing out in the little clearing where we have a tulip poplar, a pear tree, and a plum tree.

A shot through the woods.

More woods. This is on Saturday morning.

This is looking up the driveway.

Snow-laden branches of the post oak trees. Lovely!

Hope you enjoyed the snow pictures! :)

Spring Blog Makeover

My delightful mother picked out an ADORABLE new blog background for her spring makeover. :) I helped her with the font colors and designed a cute new header and blog button for her.

And, the obligatory sneak peek... ;)

I melted when I saw how sweet the finished project looked. You really must head on over to her blog, Gloria In Excelsis Deo, and drop her a little note! I know it would brighten her day to hear how you like her new look. :)

I am frightfully behind in posting pictures of the 8 inches of snow we were blessed with one week ago, but I plan on sharing those very soon. :) (in fact, if I don't post them soon, feel free to send me a little reminder via the comment section saying something like "Julia! Where are those snow pictures you promised??") :D

Love & Hugs!

Watching "Emma"

Are any of you interested in watching the new Emma Jane Austen movie, starring Romola Garai? *squeals* ;)

I watched it and I must say, I was more impressed than I expected I'd be. I love the Gwyneth Paltrow version of Emma, but there are many things about this new version that captivated me. :) I was pleasantly surprised by how many of the lines from the movie are actually taken straight from the book, and how little the screenwriters changed the plot, characters, and situations. The timing of everything is extremely close to how everything happens in the book. All this I love! :D I like the newer Harriet much better. At first I wasn't sure about Mr. Knightley, but I absolutely loved him by the time the movie was done.

Frank Churchill is much more like I would have imagined him to be... the ages of the actors seem to be closer to the actual book... Unfortunately, I didn't think Romola Garai acted quite well-bred and elegant enough for the part of Miss Woodhouse, and does a few things that I don't think Emma would have done... (i.e, bursting into Mr. Knightley's library, making a short electrifying statement, and immediately running back out) And Miss Bates was not quite as 'bates-y' as I would have liked. Overall though, this is a very well-done, satisfying Jane Austen Movie. :D

Love-y Things

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...to all my dear readers!

And... HAPPY BIRTHDAY

...To my brother Mark, who today turns 16 years old. (sniff! He's growing up so fast.) :D

Love & Hugs,

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today my dear, sweet Mama has her birthday. :) I love you so much Mama!

 Love & Hugs,

I Loooooove blog design. :)

Today I went up to a house of some friends of ours and helped the very sweet Mrs. Pam set up a blog! :) We applied a totally awesome background from http://shabbyblogs.com, and I designed a header to go with it and helped Mrs. Pam edit her fonts and colors... and we had such a blast! :D I would have had a way easier time if my photo editing program had worked on her computer... *arrrrrgh* Windows Vista and I are not very good friends. :D However, I managed to outsmart the computer *da-da-da-DAAA! Victory!!* and use a different program to create her header online. (hurrah for Paint.net!)

Now, I would be absolutely thrilled if ya'll went over and said hi and tell Mrs. Pam if you like her new blog! Also, come back and tell me if you liked it or not. I'd love to hear your responses.

Here's a sneak peek.....

Ooooh, isn't it pretty??? :D

When Julia isn't blogging...

One of my very good friends remarked once, on hearing that I had been very busy lately... "I thought that's what it was, it seems that when Julia isn't blogging, she's really busy!" How right she was. :D

When I'm busy, I don't blog! It gets bumped back to the bottom of my priorities. Laundry, Dishes, Housecleaning, and checking my email all come first. :D

Also, I feel like for some strange reason that my blog posts should be meaningful and have a great and important topic. I feel silly typing away for no reason about not much, or giving little tiny tidbits of information on what I'm doing recently. (Why the picture of the beach? Well, that was rather random, but it conveys such a sense of serenity that I knew that... somehow... it went with this post. :D)

Take a deep breath. Now let it out slowly. Ahhhhhhh. Didn't that feel good? I sometimes have to stop and do that in the midst of a hectic day. It clears the mind. :)

Today I got my bedroom all clean and vacuumed the floor... and put away the piles of clean laundry left over from Wednesday... :D I feel so much more peaceful when my bedroom floor is all clean. You know what I mean? Somehow, when the area around me is cluttered, my mind feels cluttered too.

My next huge, gi-normous project is organizing my jewelry worktable. Oooooiiiiiyyuuugh. (That was a groan) My creative moods, oh-so-wonderful for designing jewelry, leave much to be desired in the area of... um... neatness. :P In other words, when I'm playing around with beads and colors and silver and crystal... I make a royal mess! :D

I'll have to take before-and-after photos so you can see what I mean. :) It needs to be done soon so I can start bulking up my inventory for a jewelry show in March. Having lots of beautiful stock on hand will be nice when it's a week before the show and I'm quickly and efficiently (hah, or frantically and crazily) finishing up the last few hundred pairs of earrings. :D

Anyway, thank you for reading my evening musings and do take a moment to drop me a comment. It's such lovely thing, hearing from you! What have you been busying yourself with recently? I'd love to hear about it. :D



P.s.
I just did a post on MOHL, if you want to read it.

Very Exciting News!! New Shop!

I am exceedingly pleased to give you...

JandKdesigns! A fabulous new Etsy shop that my dear friend Kierstyn and I started together!

Kierstyn and I go way back. We've been friends ever since we were about 3 months old in church nursery together. :) We grew up going to the beach together and having the most wonderful time dancing together in ballet class. There were several occasions that we performed choreographed worship dances to songs like Shout to the Lord on stage together. When I moved up to GA we lost touch, but last year Kierstyn looked me up on white pages and sent me a letter. Ever since, we've been in close contact, catching up on each other's lives. Then, Kierstyn got a bright idea.... Scarf and Earring sets!

We have combined our talents of crochet and jewelry design into one amazing place.  Kierstyn and I have matched up sets of her scarves and my earrings to make something splendid. :) Here are a few samples:

Now you just HAVE to go take a look. :D