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,

What to do when the guy in the music store is staring at you

A Quiz. ;)

You walk into an unassuming little music store with your mother. Three guys are inside running the store and one of them spots you coming in and quickly moves to the counter before the other two can get there. As you walk up, he says "Hi! What can I do for you?" Your mom has some questions to ask about a microphone that will record voice and piano and transmit the sound into a laptop, so she talks to the very helpful young man for several minutes. The young man is very polite, answering everything she asks and getting several different microphones for you to inspect, but meanwhile he keeps shooting little glances your way when your mother looks down at the microphones on the counter.

Do you:

A. Smile prettily at him
B. Frown at his forwardness
C. Assume a very bored expression 
D. Hide behind your mom
E. Smile politely and look away
F. Say that you forgot something and retreat to the car outside

When your mother is finally done talking about microphones, she asks the guy where to find voice training books, and he says "Right this way", walking out from behind the counter and leading you over to the book room. (He could have just pointed it out to you...) He then begins to look through the drawers to help you find your books, even though all the drawers are clearly labeled and you could have easily found the 'Voice' section all by yourself. He jokes that the bookkeeper would know more about the books than he does, but shows you where to find the voice books, and then finally leaves you to peruse the selection.

While waiting for your mother to find any books she might want, do you:

A. Tiptoe over to the door to the book room and peek out at the guy
B. Hide in the corner farthest from the entrance and cover your head with a piano theory book
C. Engross yourself in a contemporary christian songbook, shutting out the world for a while
D. Walk around in circles
E. Note that there is now "Twilight" music and feel disgusted at the obsession people have with it
F. Do jumping jacks in an attempt to get the guy's attention

After a mere four or five minutes, the overly attentive young man returns and says "Are you all finding everything okay?" Your mom says yes, and that you are about done (There wasn't anything there you needed) And she begins to walk out. The young man leans an elbow against the wide doorway, and as you walk out a few feet behind your mom he looks directly into your eyes and smiles.

Do you:

A. Swoon
B. Slap him
C. Burst out laughing
D. Smile and keep going
E. Stop and ask him if he needs a map, because he seems to be lost in your eyes
F. Bolt for your car
G. Look at him like he's weird

When you reach your vehicle (finally!) and tell your mom that you think the guy kind of liked you, she is surprised, because apparantly the guy wasn't obvious enough to attract her attention...(or he was subtle enough when trying to flirt with you that she didn't see him) also she was distracted with the microphones, and then searching for a voice training book. You laugh about it together and she remarks that they probably don't see pretty girls in there very often, and so when you came in they all went "ooh, look at her, and wow, look at that hair!" ... (as your hair falls so long that you can sit on it)... So you laugh, and forget about the whole thing....... right?

:D

And yes, this happened to yours truly, and no, I didn't flirt back or hide. (Surely you didn't think I would??)
I actually think I handled it rather well.
I just couldn't resist doing a blog post on it! :D

When Exhaustion Reigns

That picture kind of summarizes my state right now... the cloud of exhaustion has been raining on me (or could it be, reigning over me?) for the past week.

But it's starting to draw away.
I think. :)

Yesterday some dear friends came over and we finished shooting some medieval 'skits' that accompany our unit study of the medieval age. It was so much fun, but when my friends drove away I realized all I wanted to do was fall into bed. I was so tired.

I have not really ever experienced a sickness that wouldn't go away. This 'cold' I have has been dragging on for far too long, and the symptoms have all but left me, yet there remains just this... tiredness. Ugh. It's just not fun feeling so drained.

So in essence, my dear reader, that explains why I have not posted since August 6th. :D I haven't gotten around to it! My poor blog. How it must have been so lonely. :( But I had visitors while I was away... I still got some comments on my crocheted doughnut post that had been sitting there for far too long! :) I made some more of those, and maybe I can actually take pictures of them and post those in the near future. :D

Psalms 77:14-19.

Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled. The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad. The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook. Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.

God is Great.

I needed to realize that again ~ that the One whom I speak with whenever I am down in the depths of exhaustion or tiredness, is allmighty, all-powerful, beginning.... and the end.

I Praise you, oh God, my wonderful Creator and King!

Blessings,

God and Blackberries

God.

All-knowing, All-Powerful, Omnipresent (big word - it means he's everywhere).

I took a walk down our long, rambling, rutted gravel driveway today. I heard the gravel crunch pleasantly under my mom's crocs that I was wearing, the 90-something degree heat seemed to pulsate in the air around me, the sun shone brilliantly through the woods surrounding our log home.

I saw wild blackberries ripening in our spontaneous, entirely self-governing blackberry patch. Some are tinted with just a hint of pink, some are still a pale green, some are red. None are black yet. But I know they will be. Soon the juicy, tangy sweetness of them will be converted into jam and spread with butter over homemade biscuits.

I cannot see the ripe berries yet. I only see un-ripe ones. But I know there will be ripe berries for me to enjoy later, if I just wait a little while.

I cannot see God. In the flesh, anyway. I see him in what he does, what he has promised he will do, and what I feel when I'm listening to him.

I will not get to enjoy those blackberries if I just sit comfortably in the house, in the air-conditioning, on my big soft bed, waiting for them to just fall into my mouth. Procuring those berries takes a little, well, maybe a lot of effort. I might be scratched by those wicked thorns, bitten by chiggers, (shudder) and burned by the sun while picking them.

I will not have a very fruitful life if I just coast along, not making any effort, acting totally lazy about improving myself and the world around me and refusing to grow up. Fact: Growing up is hard. There are thorns, there are bugs, and there are burns.

Yet ....

I know there is something greater waiting for me. Those ripe blackberries beckon. New stirrings and awakenings are rising up from the depths of my heart. God is real. This I know. Not just because the Bible tells me so - I see Him. He calls me by name. He comforts me when I've been hurt, and he is there when I cry out to him. God is with me as I walk through this life, and He will be waiting to welcome me into His heavenly kingdom someday.

If you haven't cried out to God, ever, there's no time like the present. If you grew up in church but ... something's stale in your relationship with our Heavenly Father- don't wait anymore. Refresh yourself. Spend some time with Him.

Get ready to pick those blackberries.

Love & Blessings,

The Foolishness Quiz, created by: The Botkin Sisters

FOOLISHNESS.

I had a wonderful talk with my father at the Father/Daughter retreat about foolishness and maturity, and the aspects of both. He suggested several ways for me to mature a bit in my own life, and reminded me that as a nearly 18-year-old young lady, I am a role model for the younger girls in my circle of acquaintances.

This really brought a new awareness to how I view my interaction with others.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. - Proverbs 12:15

A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards. - Proverbs 29:11

Have you ever done that? I have. "Uttered all that was in my mind". And later I regret it, but words once spoken can't be taken back. A sobering thought.

My dear friends, two very wise young ladies, Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin have once again done a post very timely to what was going on in my life, and this time they've created an excellent quiz. I highly encourage you to go take it, answer the 13 questions honestly, and use it as a soul-searching tool to brighten up any unpolished areas you might have in your life.

Soli Deo Gloria!

I'm Currently....... Pensive.

The Post With All The Awards...

I have five awards that have stacked up on me! Oh my! :) I am honored, but this means a lot of work! :) Here goes...

Thanks Madison! Behold the Gold Star Blog Award...


I am awarding the Gold Star Blog award to Laney @ Got Freckles, Amber @ HorseyGirl, Zoe @ Horses R My Life, and Lauren Ann @ Beside Quiet Waters.

Thank You Madison! This one is beautiful! The "One Lovely Blog" award...

I am awarding the One Lovely Blog Award to Jenna @ My Strength and Song, Rachel & Jessica@ Young Homemakers, Mckenzie @ Pecan Pastures, Bethany @ Polished Cornerstone, Katherine @ Pure In Heart, Emily Rose @ Simply Vintagegirl, and Breezy @ A Bowl of Moss and Pebbles.

Thank you Rachel! "The Lovey Award"

I am awarding the Lovey Award to Joelle @ A Stroll Through Delirium, Mckenzie @ Pecan Pastures, Lydia @ A Ray of Optimism, and The Meiners @ The Meiners' Blog.

Thank you Rachel! I am deeply honored! "The Godly Blog Award"

I am awarding the Godly Blog Award to Jasmine @ Joyfully Home, Ella @ All Because of Grace, Kaysie @ Alabaster Box, Mia @ Aspiring Homemaker, Madison @ Madison's Musings, Amanda @ The Daily Planet, and Jocelyn @ A Pondering Heart.


Thank you Rachel! The "Excellence in Blogcasting" award...

I am awarding the Excellence in Blogcasting award to Breezy @ A bowl of Moss and Pebbles, Amanda @ The Daily Planet, Jocelyn @ A Pondering Heart, and Madison @ Madison's Musings.


I am very sorry about my lack of links, but if you look on my sidebar you will find the blogs and names named. (I couldn't do all the links! It would have taken forever!)

I also want to do something that Madison did on her blog, which I thought was so sweet. To my blogging friends, (You're my friend if I've left you a comment) if I neglected to award you with one of these awards and you think it's just so neat, consider yourself awarded by me. :)

Blessings!

~Miss Julia

I am feeling Very Rushed!!

The Incredible Shrinking Julia

I got the title of this post from my dad... this morning when I walked out of my room he said "Julia! You look really slim!" This was very encouraging for me, because for the past 23 days I have been cutting back with my diet... eating only 1 carb a day and very few sweets. For example, for breakfast I usually have an apple and scrambled eggs. (We eat scrambled eggs every morning at my house because our chickens lay very tasty ones, and we like them for breakfast) and for lunch, I have a salad with chicken or a hardboiled egg, tomatoes, cheese, pickles, sometimes carrot slices or peels, but no croutons. I happen to really like salads, so this isn't a bad thing for me. You have to be careful though, because some dressings like Ranch and Caesar are PACKED with calories. Dressings like oil & vinegar or Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette are a better choice.

Here is a picture of one of my typical lunches...

Anyway, I said "Thanks!" and sat down next to my dad on the couch. He kept looking at me and said "Wow.... my incredible shrinking daughter!" This made me laugh. :) I've lost about 12.8 pounds, going from pushing 160 pounds to 147.2 pounds as of this morning. :) Yay! :)

A picture of me taken in my room today.
I would like to get down to where I only weigh 140 pounds. I think that would be a healthier weight for me... as I'm 5'9", rather on the tall side. :) I've been riding our exercise bike every day (except for when I was sick) burning close to 200 calories every day, which has helped me a lot.

I didn't find this 'diet plan' anywhere... I simply asked my mom what I could do to lose a few pounds and she reccommended eating fewer carbs and more vegetables. So far it's working quite well! :)

I believe that it is a biblical principle to take care of your body, and I'm not doing it in an overly obsessive way - I'm simply taking good care of what God gave me. :)

Love and Hugs,

Currently I'm feeling... Refreshed! :)

5 Practical Tips for Guarding a Maidenly Heart

Mrs. Stacy McDonald has given me permission to share something with you from her wonderful book, Raising Maidens of Virtue.

These 5 tips have been very helpful to me, and since most of my readers - well, the ones who comment, anyway - are young women, I thought this would be appropriate and possibly even help or encourage you, as it has me. :)

5 Practical Tips for Guarding Your Maidenly Heart

1. Read God's Word and pray every day. Specifically ask God to help you guard your heart. Pray for your father to make wise decisions regarding your future.
2. Avoid romance novels or discussions with other maidens regarding boys. When discussing your future role as a wife and mother, focus on preparing yourself biblically for your vocation. Keep away from discussions about romance, wedding fantasies, or eligible young men (whether they are godly or not).
3. Avoid being alone with a young man. It is best to fellowship while under the protection of your parents, within the environment of the home and family.
4. Avoid fantasizing about who might be "Mr. Right". Stay on guard, especially when you sense that you may be attracted to a young man (or that he may be attracted to you). Remember your goal is to stay pure for the one you marry, both physically and emotionally.
5. Talk to your parents about your feelings. Let them know when you need prayer in a specific area. God has placed them over you for your protection - trust them and Him.

What are your thoughts on this subject? Have you ever had a difficult time guarding your heart?

I hope this was helpful! :)

What Would You Choose?

Lately I read this book, "The Parting" by Beverly Lewis. It's about a young Amish girl named Nellie Mae. She finally gets the chance of a lifetime when Caleb, the very handsome guy she secretly has had a crush on for three years, asks her to 'go steady' with him. They fall in love. Meanwhile, Nellie's father talks to a relative who's recently been 'shunned' by the Amish community for daring to declare that he was "saved", a big no-no for Old Order Amish, who believe that it is prideful to 'boast' of salvation, and that you just have to live a good life and hope for the best. Well, Nellie's father talks to this shunned relative and ends up being convinced that there's more to God than he originally thought. He goes home and starts to read passages in his Bible that he's never read before, because his religion only believes in select parts of the Bible. He reads John Chapter 3, and is convinced that God does promise salvation. He shares this with his family.


Nellie is shocked. But then she becomes intrigued by this "New Faith" and desires it for herself. She's long had an empty place deep inside.

Only problem is... if she accepts this 'new faith', she'll lose Caleb. He's strictly "Old Order", and he will not be swayed from his position for anything.

Ouch. I got to thinking about this sticky situation. Can you imagine what a hard choice it would be to have to choose between a new faith and the very handsome young man whose attention you've always dreamed of capturing?

Of course you will probably say "Oh, well, I'd choose the faith" to reassure yourself.

Stop and think about it. You know nothing about this faith. You think you know everything about this handsome, blond, young man.

Which do you think is the right choice?

What would you choose?

I'd love it if you let me know by leaving a comment.

Blessings!

Blog Finagle-ing and Movie Madness

Hi Readers!

Well, the first thing you might have noticed is the new background. I'm still messing with it but I think I like this one better than some of my other attempts. :P

I really like these header pictures I made...

...But I couldn't find backgrounds that matched!! *sigh* It looks like I'll just have to learn how to design backgrounds. How I'll do that, I have no idea. :) Anyone got any tips??

And for the second part of my post, My family and I watched two new movies yesterday and enjoyed both. The first one was "Horton Hears A Who", which was really cute and crazy, and I loved seeing a favorite story come to life. The second was "Wall-e", which was so cool and also very bizarre...but enjoyable. :D That sounded funny. :) Anyway, I give both movies a thumbs-up.

To quote my younger brother, "Today was the Best Day of 2009!"...yet! :D

Hope you're having a great 2009 so far...

Julia

Currently I am... slightly aggravated, about messing around with blog backgrounds that didn't work... but really I feel Okay. :)

Guess What This Is

I took this picture and thought it looked so cool! Guess what it is!

Julia

Currently I'm feeling... Mischievous!

Ten Things I do daily

I have been tagged by two sweet maidens over at Young Homemakers! Thanks, Rachel and Jessica!

Since this one only has ten things I must list I think I can give it a go...

Here goes...

Every day, I :

1. Check my email and my blog to see if anyone has commented. I adore comments and I absolutely love hearing from you!
2. Read. I don't feel like my 'lunch break' is complete without a book in my hand. This might cause you to say "well then, how does she eat?" Simple. I hold the book in my left hand and use my right hand to eat.
3. Hmmm... this was harder than it looked... oh well... let's see, I'm always on hand to help my mom make a home-cooked dinner and do half the cleanup and dishes... *Thinks to self: Oh come on! That was unutterably dull...*
4. Make jewelry. It's my little business operation. Especially in the past few weeks... I've been working on listing some jewelry on Etsy, and also I'm planning to put a rack of my jewelry in a florist's shop sometime next week, so I'm creating some new inventory.
5. Laugh. With two very funny brothers in the house there's usually something to crack up about. I can't remember a day when I haven't laughed about something. :)
6. Laundry. There are 5 of us in our family and there's always more laundry to wash. *that was also unutterably dull...sigh*
7. Think, Julia, Think! What else do you do all day?... Well, on weekdays I do my schoolwork. I'm very much looking forward to next spring, when I shall be graduating from the 12th grade (Yeee-Haw!) and will no longer have to put in 180 days of school a year. (Something that's required for homeschoolers in Georgia.)
8. Write. While you can see that I don't manage to do a blog post every day, I almost always write something about the day down in my real-life journal. So far I've been doing it since I was 11 years old, and I have six and a half years of memories recorded to look back on and laugh or cry about, as fits the entry.
9. I used to have to go outside and feed our 15 Rhode Island Red chickens every day, but we've switched that over to being my brothers' job, and they no longer have to do the dishes with Mom. *I'd rather do the dishes anyway!*
10. Pray. While I don't always read my Bible every day - I want to though- I always find time to pray. Usually when I'm by myself somewhere... outside, or in my room... It doesn't have to be long, but it's crucial to my walk with the Lord. Think about it this way... how do you have a relationship with someone you never talk to? You don't! So... I try hard to pray every day.

OK... Now, to be extremely merciful to my fellow bloggers, nobody is officially 'tagged', but you are all warmly encouraged to do this tag.... so let's see which of you really enjoy this! :)

Blessings!

Julia

The Enchilada Tag

:)

Well, actually, this has nothing to do with enchiladas, but I found it on Joelle's blog, and she said she was tagging "all the enchiladas who live in this sphere", So I thought I'd do it. :D

1.Favorite Food?- Hmm. Right now I'm quite fond of dried cranberries, but all-time favorite would be Ghiradelli chocolate.(if that counts)
2. Favorite Animal?- I love baby animals, but most especially bunnies and kittens. However, I can't stand a cat with an attitude.
3. Favorite Song?- I don't think I can pick one... I love Celtic music and Christian music...and I love listening to very talented guitarists.
4. Favorite Singer?- Again, I don't think I could pick just one... there are a lot of talented musicians out there. But I really like Steven Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns, and Chris Tomlin.
5. Favorite Book?- (Assuming this means fictional...) Right now I'm reading "Beric The Briton" by G. A. Henty, which is really interesting ... but actually I have a ton of favorite books. Maybe my all-time favorite would be #5 of the Million-dollar mysteries by Mindy Starns Clark.
6. Favorite TV Show?- I rarely watch TV, when I do it's an NFL football game. Go NY Giants! :)
7. Favorite Number?- It's funny, but however old I am is always my favorite number. Right now I'm 17.
8. Favorite Holiday?- Probably Thanksgiving.
9. Favorite Color?- I love aqua, have a great fondness for light peach, adore pink, ...I like a lot of colors.
10. Favorite Things you like to do?- I have a long list of things I like to do. Foremost among them are dancing, singing, jewelrymaking, blogging, emailing, and photography.
11. Do you like Long hair or short hair?- Long! Some people look really good in short hair, but I think long hair is beautiful. Especially if it's curly...as I wish mine was.
12. Do you like this tag?- Yes, but it's not very interesting.
13. Do you like the Person who Tagged you?- Technically I wasn't tagged, but I like Joelle (whose blog I found this on)-a lot. She's neat. :)
14. Do you like rings?- only on my pinky fingers.
15. Do you like makeup?- Just underneath my eyes. And chapstick.
16. Do you like animals?- Yes!
17. Do you think this is long?- yes. :P
18. Who are you going to tag?- Everyone who wants to be tagged! :)

Julia

Respecting Younger Brothers

I've discovered an important thing... and I would like to share it with you. :)


So here goes.

I am currently working really hard to stop ordering my brothers around. They are 14 and just-turned-13, respectively, and they've always been smaller than me because they're three and five years younger.


I realized lately that I have had a habit of wanting to correct and control and manage everyone else. I've been convicted. Not condemned. Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit, and it's a positive thing. Condemnation comes from the great accuser, the devil, and it is the opposite of conviction.
I have been convicted that I need to respect my younger brothers.

Just because they're younger doesn't mean they're not young men.
They deserve just as much respect as a friend's brother would.

My "little" brothers are fast turning into men. One of them is only about half an inch shorter than I am. (And I'm not short) They are also maturing spiritually and mentally.

Someday they will be husbands and fathers. If I respect and honor them now, then someday they will have a much easier time taking their place in their own homes as the leader and head.


There's also another benefit that would happen from this good behavior. When I marry, as I believe that is God's calling on my life, I will be better able to love, listen to, respect, honor, and obey my husband... because I'd be used to being the one who is a helpmeet. That is a wonderful thought - and it's true! :)


This is why I am earnestly trying to treat my brothers as young men, not just 'little brothers'.
These are my brothers - Steven(left) and Mark(right). And they approve this message. :)

Have you ever had difficulty respecting a brother? I would love to hear how you overcame this in your life.


Julia

Another Tag: 15 Things I'm Not Afraid To Admit

I was tagged by Ella! :) How nice of her. I love these things!! :) This looks like an interesting one.

I am going to list 15 things about myself that I am not afraid to admit, and then I will tag some of you and see what you have to say about yourselves! :)

Here goes:

• 1. I am not afraid to admit that I am quite silly sometimes. Especially in the company of friends that I am comfortable with and who very admirably put up with my little oddities. :) You know who you are, and I am so thankful for you all! :)
• 2. I am not afraid to admit that the reason I did not post anything about the presidential election was because I didn't want to get caught up in the fracas and chaos of it all and end up saying something I'd regret. :( Besides, everybody else already said everything. The purpose of my blog is not to convict the readers to vote for a certain person...it is here to encourage and amuse and entertain my readers. :) I like it that way.
• 3. (This is hard...wait until it's your turn!!) I am not afraid to admit that I love all things ''wordy'' and do not get along with numbers very well. :D I'm just one of those right-brained people. :)
• 4. I am not afraid to admit that I love being tall. It's a good thing! I can reach stuff on the top shelf! :) I can change the light bulbs without a step stool! :) (For those curious, I'm 5 feet 9 inches tall) However, this means that my high heels usually are not too high. :)
• 5. I'm not afraid to admit that I am a semi-picky eater. :) There are certain things I just can't seem to eat...like Lima beans, onions, squash... food that burns my throat... but I'm only semi-picky. I have a wide range of food that I like. :)
• 6. I'm not afraid to admit that I SO do not have it all together! I learn something new every day, I make mistakes all the time, I slip up and stumble in my daily walk with God, and I really am a far cry from a perfect example of a homemaker-in-training or a meek and quiet spirit. But the main thing is that I'm at least trying. :)
• 7. I'm not afraid to admit that I have an absurd fondness for collecting things. Especially when I was younger, I had a mania for collecting all sorts of odd things. :P My mom calls me a 'collector of collections'. I collect erasers, stickers, bouncy balls, TY beanie babies, delicate glass figurines, teacups, beads, pens... You get the picture. A lot of odd stuff. :)
• 8. I'm not afraid to admit that I love little kids. Children fascinate me and little babies melt my heart. :) I've always loved youngsters and I started babysitting at age 14. I recommend playing on the floor with a 1-year old. It's a beautiful experience. :)
• 9. I'm not afraid to admit that, well, sometimes I wonder what my Prince Charming will look like, act like, be like. ;) don't we all? :) I also wonder if I'll be ready to be a homemaker when the time comes that I leave my father's house and start a home of my own.
• 10. I'm not afraid to admit that I am quite feminine. I'm thrilled that God made me a girl!! I love skirts and dresses and pretty hairstyles! :) But I also love running around outside and playing tag and frisbee and all sorts of outdoorsy things. :)
• 11. I'm not afraid to admit that sometimes my common sense goes out the window. :D I'll say no more about that...
• 12. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm quite creative. I love sitting down at a tabletop scattered with beads and making a necklace or bracelet out of them. I love going outside and taking pictures of flowers or fall colors or anything in particular that catches my fancy. :)
• 13. I'm not afraid to admit that I love computer games. (Nothing with violence or anything like that, mind you) games like Frogger, Zoo Tycoon, and Backyard Skateboarding. :)
• 14. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a very cheerful person. I usually have a smile on my face. Sometimes I can get cross and grumpy, but that's not the norm. :)
• 15. I'm not afraid to admit that sometimes I'm afraid! :) I do not like things that go bump in the night...particularly our ice maker... and sometimes I worry about how I come across to other people. But on average I'm not a fearful person. :)

So, what do you think? Was that fun?

I hereby tag:

Miss Jocelyn, Joanna, The Meiners, Trinity Mommy, Brianna, Mia, Horseygirl, and Joelle. And if you're reading this you are invited to participate as well!

Blessings!

Julia

Too Much- What To Do?

Do you ever feel like you've bitten off more than you can chew?

(And no, that is not my hamster)

Sometimes it is hard for me to say "No," when I'm being asked to do something for someone. I want to do everything, help everyone, be everywhere... you get the picture. :)

It is just not possible to do everything. Some things are more important than other things. The important things have to be done first.

I heard a very truthful analogy the other day of how we fit things into the course of the day. It's like your day is a big, empty bucket. You have three categories of things you want to put in it. The big, important things are the big rocks. The second-rate but still rather important things are like the pebbles. The other, 'extra' things are like gravel or sand.

How do you go about filling up your bucket?
Well, if you try and put the sand and gravel in first, then the pebbles, then the big rocks, you will be left with some very important things that didn't get done...the big rocks will be sticking out the top of the bucket. The way to go about filling the bucket is to put in the big rocks, then the pebbles, and then the sand. That way the sand fills in the tiny cracks in between the big rocks.

Just my little thought for the day. :)

Blessings!
Julia

Marigolds

First of all, I changed my blog background! :) I really wanted a change... I was getting tired of the orange. :) Now If I could find a red-based fall background I would be completely satisfied, but orange is just really not me. So....what do you think? I'm sorry to dissappoint the girls who voted on the other background... I think I shall do it sometime a few months hence...

And while I'm posting, I thought I'd share a few pictures from my day yesterday with you.
My family and I went to Callaway Gardens and enjoyed the outdoors! They had some very pretty marigolds there that I got some very nice pictures of...
Purple, too!

And Pink! And a gorgeous, glowing, orangey-gold!

Blessings!
Julia

VOTE FOR ME!

No, I am not running for president and I never plan on doing so and all political comments will be deleted. :D LOL. Not really, but please don't turn this into a political discussion.

This is what I want you to vote on.

Which template?

1)

2)3) The orangey one I have now.

Please, please vote! I like both of the new ones and am having an awful time choosing which one to try! :)

Julia

I've Been Tagged Yet Again!

This time by Jasmine. Thank you Jasmine! I love tags. :)

Rules:

State six things you have learned this year.

Tag at least six people.

Leave comments on their blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

All right, Six things that I have learned this year are:

• 1. I have learned that Math can actually be useful (haha)
• 2. I have acquired better kitchen skills since last year
• 3. I have learned how to blog - I started this blog last June.
• 4. I have learned how to play Ultimate Frisbee which is very fun!!
• 5. I attended the Vision Forum Father/Daughter retreat last April and I discovered that there is a very large number of other young women out there who have the same convictions that I do, which was immensely encouraging!
• 6. I have learned that God can sustain me through difficult times when something goes wrong.
  

And I hereby tag:

Mia, Madison, Lillie, Laney, Kaysie, and Waiting-Rose. And if you're reading this but you are not on my tag list, you are completely welcome to do it as well! :)

Julia

Peace

Sometimes, life is hectic.

There are stresses and problems and aggravations and annoyances and lots of things that are purposely thrown in your path to drag you down. We have an enemy out there who is more than happy when our day goes down the drain.

Ephesians 6:12, KJV "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

But in the midst of all this turmoil and confusion, we can remain at peace.

John 14:27 KJV "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Those are the words of Jesus spoken to the disciples.

God loves us SO much. There are not words in any tongue to describe how much he loves us. His thoughts of each of us are more in number than all the grains of sand.

It doesn't matter what happens right now, on this earth. We have a heavenly Father who has the whole world in his hands... so why are we striving?

Peace is a precious thing, and sometimes it seems hard to find. But if you stop and ask the Lord to give you peace, suddenly ...there it is. It really works, I've tried it myself. :)

I'm really not sure why I did this post... it was just lying on my heart and I thought I would share it with you. I'd like to know what you thought of my little rambling here, if you'd like to leave a comment.

Blessings!
Julia