Some Photos :)

...pictures I've been taking. Yes, I am rather obsessed with flowers. No apologies. :)



Iris below columns of a gorgeous old house porch :)

This is said porch... ;)

Waterfall in South Dakota

Buttercup-type flowers and a flooded creek in the Wyoming mountains

Fun times. :) I love photography!

Where I Am

Right now our family is spending two and a half days in the not-so-little-anymore town in Wyoming (okay, it is pretty small really) where I spent three months at age seven.

Honestly. We only lived here three months. And it was intended to be a "real" move. Long story...sometime I should tell you all about it...In a few words it would be: Don't run away from hard things, guys. If God has led you there, stick with it till He leads you out. Don't try to make your own way out.

But anyway, we're here. Saturday we're leaving for Colorado, where we'll be spending the rest of our vacation before driving back to home sweet home. And I have been having a grand time today taking pictures. ;)

Today and tomorrow we have been spending time with relatives. Tis interesting because very few of our relatives on this side of the family are committed Christians, so we are back in the position of sticking out, being in the "minority." Honestly it is almost nice. It keeps me remembering to run to God, to ask for His love towards them, to ask Him to show Himself through me. I forget that too often back at home.

Well I'm going to try to get you all some pictures. :) Until then, have a blessed and wonderful day!

(dogwood flower in our yard)

So you know something? The past few months I have really been impressed with one thing especially.

I need to fall in love with Jesus.

More. A lot more. A whole lot, lot, LOT more. I don't think I can ever be "enough" in love with Him. Especially right now.

It's hard to focus sometimes. Especially when I'm at work...or at home and everyone is talking about other things and sometimes those things aren't very positive...they need to be talked about but sometimes it gets me down. I need His help.

This is my prayer lately...it's an old poem of mine but it applies so well...

WINGS
Soaring above there’s a swallow
Little bird but far above
The raging of this storm
It flits on wings
Aloft

Wild simple beauty
Flying up there
It needs no song or words
To make me want to
Soar.

Lord lift me up on eagles’ wings
Hold me in the breath of dawn
Send me through stellar
Galaxies till
I’ve caught the slightest glimpse of
You.

Then help me show
What You are like
Shine through me, illumine please
Each corner of my new-found
Heart!

Lucy Hairstyle (randomness for girls...lol)

So I have not had work today! Well I should say, I have not had paying work today. I watered the garden and helped around the house instead. 'Twas lovely. :) And since last night a friend came over and we watched Prince Caspian (don't ask my opinion, you might not want to know!), and one of the (few) really good parts was Lucy and Susan's hair (haha but it's almost true), I set out today to copy one of the styles. Since it was really easy. :) It's the first real "Narnia" style, and I noticed it first when the Pevensies and Trumpkin are rowing up through the canyon. But Lucy at least wears the style for much of the movie.

I'm sending you to a link for the first part just because it's hard for me to take pictures of myself. Part your hair in the middle, take a small section from each side, and do two mini rope braids. Keep going until you've done more than enough to go around to the back of your head. Then put a ponytail holder on each end and loop them back behind your head. Like this...
...and put a ponytail holder (or something more cool looking if you have it) where you want to hold the braids.

Then take out the other two holders and undo the "untied" part of the ropes. Redo a section of the rope "tails" as another braid. I believe it's a three-strand braid in the movie, but I did a rope because it's easier. And did a terrible job anyway...
Ta-da! :) Easy, and rather cute, especially if you can find something to replace the ponytail holders.

Anyways. Enough randomness for one day. I'm going to try to do some photography this week; we'll see if it happens. :)

Reality

(orchids in Florida)

I like people who are real.

Real people--you know what I'm talking about. People who just "are who they are" and if you don't like it, that's your loss. I think they're amazing.

The problem? I'm not really one of them. Oh, I'm getting better for sure, but it's taking a studied effort. I know it's normal to be insecure as a teenager, but I don't want to use that as an excuse. It's true--I had (and still have, somewhat) a horrible time being honestly who I was around people...if I were, surely THEY wouldn't like me any more. The real problem was that I generally knew what to say to kind-of-sort-of-not-really fit in when in a given circumstance. It didn't really work, I know that, but at least it used to fool me.

But what was really disturbing was that most people could see through my facade in a few minutes. Only those who really knew me well knew what was truly underneath, but most everyone else could tell what they DID see was only a fake. At least, that was usually the case when I was trying to "act right." Some people couldn't tell that I was just trying to make people like me, but that was just as bad, because then they tried to put me up on a pedestal I knew I didn't deserve.

I'm still recovering. I don't think I'll ever be able to be totally transparent with everyone--or if I ever am, it will be another miracle!--but one thought above everything else has helped to change my "try-to-fit-in-with-everyone-and-everything" nature.

It's what GOD thinks that counts.

If He thinks something is right--if it's in His Word--then it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. I have the freedom to do it without worrying about others' opinions. Far from tying me down with lists of "to-do's," God's Word is the #1 thing that allows me to be "real" about who I am as I adopt His perfect views and ways.

"I am quick to follow your commands, because you have set my heart free." (Ps. 119:32, NIRV)