Goodbye, Shannon!

Here is a letter from bloggirl Shannon: 

Hello sweet friends!

I want to inform you all of something rather sad.... As this school year has started up, my schedule has been immensly filled with school, family life, and other devotions. I have loved blogging with ya'll and growing in Christ together as sisters in Christ and friends {and I pray that we may be able to continue to do so} but after praying about it, as well as discussing it with my parents, I need to step down from blogging.

I love writing with you all, but I have so many things going on that I feel like I am quickly rushing to get it done, and in that process it is taking away time with school and family.... Maybe when the Lord slows things down abit I may be able to join ya'll again, but as of right now, things are going to just pick up! I cherish each one of you and pray that we may still be able to encourage each other through different ways.... :)

May the Lord bless ya'll and use you to bring Him glory.

Blessings,

Even though Shannon won't be posting regularly on the blog, she can still be found on her personal blog: A Bright Light In a Dark World

Dreams in the Sky



 Thinking of lace and flowers, cake and rings...

Dreaming of the one whom I shall give my heart to, the one whom I will walk down the aisle with, the one who I shall love all the days of my life.

Um, wait. Did I just say all the days of my life?

So, that means every day... even before I even know that special him? Yes, dear friends, it's true.

"She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life."

Proverbs 31:12

In my thoughts now. My actions now. My feelings now.

But you may ask, "Well, how would I bring him harm?"... and that is what I want to talk about. As women, created in God's sight as beautiful and precious, we have that God-given desire to love, and to show love and comfort to people. Yet sin has twisted that love and made it an idol, in which all we do is dream about who that special "Mr." is whom we can love. {Or can I say fall in love with us and sweep us off our feet?}  So we get carried away... start dreaming, and often fall into seeing us stand up alongside a certain young man we know. Maybe he's cute, or funny, or really nice. Today, we call that a "crush". You know that you want to save your heart for one man, but sometimes it's hard not having those feelings... those dreams for you and him. And what if it is that young man? Maybe that is why God has placed him in your life, right?

Well, not exactly. :)

See, this is a part of loving your husband all the days of your life. It is saving your heart, affections, and thoughts just for him. We don't know who that special someone is, and until the Lord reveals it to us, we need to keep our heart and thoughts pure. But it's hard, isn't it? How can we put aside these feelings, so that we can do good to our husbands all the days of our life?

Here's a few concepts that have truly helped me and strengthened me as I strive to live in purity.

•Seek God's will above your own

So many times we focus so much on ourselves, that we forget to whom we truly belong and live for.

We think about me.. and me ... and my life... and my dreams.. and, well, we lose our heavenly focus.

Yet by asking the Lord to turn our hearts ever more to Him, our priorities shift and our desires are changed to what He desires.

• Remember that we do not have a claim over the certain young man.

We may think "Oh yes, this ones mine. I have every right! I've known him since first grade, have done so many things together, etc." We have to remember that this may be someone else's husband, and if we truly want to show the love of Christ, we must desire their personal good, not our's. If we see the young men around us as someones husband, or as if they were already married {for God has ordained our future}, then we will be able to guard our hearts and keep our thoughts pure.

• Don't build castles in the sky

By dreaming of what house you and him are going to buy, where you are going to go on your honeymoon, and thoughts like that, you are building something that may never even happen. This ends in heartbreak and pain as we see that they never really thought of a relationship with us. And when we start dreaming and planning our life together, it is almost as if our brain goes out the window in that we fail to realise what kind of man we want our husband to be and begin to "settle for less". We fall in love with our romantic fantasies and adventures, where we are always being saved by that special young man. Yet we fail to realise that He doesn't truly live for Christ.

        •Remember the bigger picture.

Is our life supposed to be about how much happiness, joy, and attention we can get out of this life?

Um, no. Sorry to disappoint you. :) As daughters of the Lord, our aim in life should be to live to bring Him glory and honor... to show His love and mercy to those around us, and to put others' interests before our own.Remembering that we are accountable to God for what we do in this life places us back on our feet and gives us a vision for more than our temporal happiness.

These thoughts have helped and encouraged me as I strive to live for my Heavenly Father... to keep my heart pure and to guard it. They have reminded me that if I truly desire to show God's love, I must seek a love that is patient and kind, selfless and forgiving, rather than a self glorifying love that is centered around {guess who!} me.

May these simple thoughts bless you and encourage you as you continue to walk this narrow path.

Blessings,

{All photos via Pinterest}

{Key points and thoughts taken from "Its' not that Complicated", a wonderful book by the Botkin sisters which I am in the middle of reading}

Hi ho, off we go!

To step away from everything. The routine. The chores. The daily cycle of life.

To breathe in new air. To see new creation, and new life.

To stop and praise the Lord for who He is and how He is working in your life.

This past summer my family and I took a trip to our favorite area, the mountains of North Carolina. Coming from a southern land of swamps, forests, and sandy beaches, the height and depth of those rugged hills were a delight and refreshment to me.

We visited old towns, hiked, and simply slowed life down {just a bit!} and spent family time together.

So many memories were made, so many smiles and laughs, it is quite hard to share of my time without keeping you all day! But fear not... I will try to keep this post... well... not *too* lengthy! :)

Our trip mostly consisted of driving on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway.... a road filled with overlooks and hiking trails. My family loves hiking... to hear only the quiet sounds of creation... it is so pleasant!

My and my sweet little brother... :)

Budding rhododendron... they were blooming during our trip, and there beauty added an extra joy to our time!

Linville Falls...

An amazing waterfall which we hiked to {that climb down was so worth it!}

The time was simple. sweet. and cherished.

A vacation that I shall look back upon and smile.

A trip that was filled with the mercies of God and one to be thankful for.

{For more photos and details of our trip, please visit my blog here}

May the Lord bless the rest of ya'lls summer... filling it with His love and joy!

Blessings,

Joy...

Joy is a Godly adornment... a virtue to strive after... a fruit of the Spirit in our lives {Gal. 5:22}.

But so many things can distract us from recieving God's gift of joy, and often times we exchange His joy for the temporal "happiness" of this world.

Lydia Brownback has created a wonderful devotional series studying the topics of Contentment, Trust, Purity... and the book that I am going through now is on Joy.

I never realized how distracted I was from truly living in the joy of the Lord... the true joy that is unlike our temporal understanding of worldly joy, which never satisfies and leaves us empty.

These short though thought provoking devotions has encouraged me greatly and has challenged me in my walk with Christ, to live in His joy. There are so many passages of this book that I desire to share from, but I decided on one that I read recently that has truly blessed me....

"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

John 15:11

Jesus has just given the primary condition for joy, and that condition is abiding; abiding in His love and abiding in His obedience.....

To abide in Christ is to cling to Him, and only as we do so will good be produced in us and in our lives. We will find that what we become in the process makes us joyful. Jesus said, "Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. {John 15:5} The results of failing to abide couldn't be more clear.

Abiding brings us in tune with God's will, which always brings joy. As we abide in Christ, even our desires are conformed to reflect His so that we find our selves wanting what he wants.....

Joy and abiding in Christ are inseperatable.

That is just a tidbit of the many encouraging words that fills this book.

The joy that the Lord offers is there for us, yet we must seek Him and His will in order to receive it. I highly recommend this devotional series, as it has been a tool in my life by which the Lord has taught me and sanctified me.

May the reading of this book bless you and it has me, and draw you closer to the Lord as you embrace His joy!

Blessings,



My Book of ...

thoughts

prayers

hopes

dreams

aspirations

tears

struggles

pleas

Simply put, the portrait of my life.

Two years ago I started on a wonderful journey, a beautiful one, and one that I cherish each day. Call it what you would like, I have been keeping the pages of my life in my daybook. {Well, I should say "daybooks"}

This is a beautiful art that has been put aside in this culture of rushing and business. Who has time to write these days?

But wouldn't be nice to be able to look back, when you are much older and revisit the days long ago? To remember the times of joy and gladness, and the times of pain and sorrow and how the Lord used them in your life... to see the picture that Christ has painted in your life.. to see that though maybe you didn't understand what He was doing at that time of your life, you can now see how beautiful that brokenness was, and how it brought you closer to the Lord.

Even looking back through the pages of two years ago of my own life, I am amazed at how the Lord has worked in my life. To read the thoughts that filled the pages of that time, to see that those tears were not in vain, and the joys were so sweet to have, and that the Lord has held me and will ever hold me through all!

I have also pondered the thought that maybe my writings of my girlhood will be a blessing to my daughters {if the Lord wills one day}. For them to read through my life would be an immense joy to me, and maybe a tool in their life.

I can look back at the time when Mom and I went to Cracker Barrel... just the two of us... to sit and talk over many things, and finding myself encouraged by her words and renewed. Or to reminisce the long bike rides with my Dad, among the wooded trails, talking and bonding together. To ponder the times with my little brother, whether it is playing submarine in a tree fort, or simply reading together... these sweet gifts are not to be forgotten! They are all tools in our lives that the Lord uses, and to cherish them and mediate on lessons learned is invaluable!

So, though I can and do get busy at times... I desire to continue my journey of the writing of my heart...To write out my struggles and prayers, my dreams and aspirations, my tears and hopes...

Will you join me?

Blessings,

 

Love is.... hard.

This week's topic is about Scripture that challenges us... that calls us to deny ourselves and carry His cross... to live a life set apart for His glory. In thinking about what Scriptures challenges me {and trust me, deciding on just one wasn't easy!} I picked a verse, or rather passage, of Scripture that some may say is one of the simplest and sweetest contexts... yet I see more hidden behind it.

It involves... Love. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. Love can be very hard to live at times...

As children of God, we must reflect Him. He has called us to...

"...Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Ephesians 5:1-2

Walk in love. Well, that sounds easy enough, right? Wrong. :)

Before I walk in love, I should first learn what love truly is... so, what is love?

Well, love is

                                                                                                                                                                                    "...patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own  way; it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Oh. :) 

So, to walk in love means to be patient, kind, not envious or proud, selfless, and not irritable...

But it is hard at times.

When I am tired and exhausted and someone asks me to do them a favor, am I selfless? Am I showing love?

When some one has hurt me, am I not resentful or holding a grudge?

Am I showing love?

When all seems to be crumbling around me, do I bear all things?

Am I living love?

Love sounds easy at first, but when you realize what love is, you realize what a challenge it is to live Christ's love.But there's hope. We are not alone in our walk with Christ, for He is with us, to help us love out His love.

So when someone needs help, even though I may be worn out, He will give me the strength to serve. He will help me love.

When I have been hurt, He will help me forgive. He will help me show love.

When I don't understand why things are happening like they are, He will help me to bear it. He will help me live His love.

What a merciful Savior to help us reflect His love... to live His love daily in our hearts and lives. What a beautiful picture of love that He has portrayed through taking my place upon the cross, taking my shame and punishment so that I may be set free from my sin...showing me the depth of His love for me. By His grace, I must show His love to others...

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God."

1 John 4:7

Blessings,

Faithful Friends...

Friends.

We all have them some are... they are gifts to be cherished.

They add joy and laughter to our life...

They help us and pray for us when we face struggles...

They cry when we cry, and giggle along with us as we giggle...

They encourage us to walk with the Lord each day...

They forgive us when we fall short and accidentally hurt them...

They are a tool that the Lord uses to sharpen us...

Friends are to reflect His love, which is patient, kind, not envious or rude, seeking the interests of others,  and placing others desires first before your own... forgiving each other and helping each other to be more like Christ.

 "A friend loves at all times,

    and a brother is born for adversity."

Proverbs 17:17

Friends are faithful to you, sticking to your side in the good times and bad...

They are tools that the Lord uses to help you grow in Christ.

Yet in thinking about what friends are... or rather what they are to be, I must ask myself "Am I that kind of friend?"

When struggles arrive or hardships come, am I a faithful friend?

Do I love like Christ, seeking others interests above my own?

Do I encourage others by my words, or do I hurt them with careless lips?

Am I forgiving, patient, and merciful?

In striving to be like Christ, we must daily pray for His strength to help us be faithful to the friends that He has given us... that our friendships may reflect His love, faithfulness, and joy.

I know that I have fallen short, that I have not always been a faithful and loving friend, but the Lord is teaching me, and through HIS strength alone do I seek to be a faithful friend.

Value the sweet kindred spirits in your life... cherish and treasure those whom the Lord has sent into your life to add encouragement,  joy, and to help guide you as you tread on this narrow path... may we

strive to be a faithful friend, loving like Christ, and reflecting His light!

Blessings,

Godly friends are tools which the Lord uses to mold you and sanctify you, as Proverbs 27:17 says...

 "Iron sharpens iron,
    and one man sharpens another."

Though the Fields are Dry...

"Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines...

...the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls...

... yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

     I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

 God, the Lord, is my strength;

     he makes my feet like the deer's;

    he makes me tread on my high places."

Habakkuk 3:17-19

When I was younger, someone blessed me by showing me this beautiful verse. Ever since then I have loved to read it over and over again.

We will admit that there are times when we feel as if everything around us is dry and fading... when life seems so complicated, or when pain fills our hearts. There are the seasons of sorrow, and questions fill our mind, asking the Lord why He is allowing this to happen...

I know that there have been several of these seasons in my life recently, and through them the Lord is drawing me closer to Him. That is the blessed joy of those hard times... we come to learn that we cannot supply enough strength to press on. We are weak. We are weary. We are empty.

But the Lord is powerful. Mighty to save. Our fortress and joy.

Suffering is a tool that draws us to our knees, bringing us to the truth that we cannot do it on our own. The Lord is offering His strength, His joy, His love. All we have to do is accept it.

He will fill our hearts with His eternal joy, but only when we stop relying on ourselves, and begin to delight in who He is.

Our contentment should not be placed on things of this world, but on our holy and imperishable eternal home, where the King of glory sits upon His throne. He allows us to go throw these seasons to refocus our hearts on Him.

So, though the fields may be dry, the seasons painful, or the heart heavy, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. I will delight in who He is, in that He uses all things for my good and His glory, and in that He will give me His strength to live for Him. I will do these things through His power alone, for I know that I am sinful and will falter. But He is always there to pick me up, to shield me in His arms.

"Draw me closer to You, oh Lord... use what You know will humble me and fix my heart on You...

I will rejoice in You alone!"

Blessings,

When I grow up...

I want to be

a ballerina

a teacher

a writer

a nurse

the list can go on...

As a child, "growing up" seemed so far away, that you could change your mind over and over again on what you wanted to do when you were older. Yet, now you may find yourself about to face the question of what to pursue after you graduate, and the answer doesn't come as quickly!

There are so many different views on what a young lady should do once she graduates, so I would like to share of my thoughts...

Before the decision is even made, you must turn your heart to the Lord and strive to understand what He desires... what plans would glorify Him as Devin recently shared.

Each person is different... the Lord gives us all different callings... and only when we obey Him can we find true joy.

My deepest desire is to be a homemaker, mother, and wife. Homemaking is a Godly desire and one to be treasured. Yet, does that mean that once I graduate I am just going to wait for my prince charming to come and sweep me off my feet? Well, though this may be the Lord's will for some, I have the conviction that while the Lord has me single, I want to be useful for Him. During these years of waiting, I want to prepare my heart as well as my mind for what the Lord may have planned for my future.

If it is the Lord's will that I marry, I would like to have certain skills mastered so that I may use them as a tool to bless my husband. They may be such skills that I need to take college courses to accomplish them, or they may be skills that I can gain through other areas, but still, I feel as though that I need to be sharpening my mind for God's glory.

For example, I love praising the Lord in song and He has blessed me with the ability to play a few instruments.While praying about and pondering what I should do after I graduate, the thought has struck me that I should pursue my study of music, that way I can give music lessons in the future. That may be a blessing to my husband, helping him and seeking to bless our family, and a tool to glorify the Lord.
These are simply thoughts... ponderings... which fill my mind as I pray about this season of change. {Which for me is about a year away}

I do believe that the Creator has made man to be the breadwinner, and the wife to support her husband. Sadly, our generation tries to switch these God- given roles, which results in chaos and heart ache.
Only when we embrace God's design for us as woman can we truly be content.
Thus, I have the conviction to not desire a life career. Indeed, this is a conviction, one that I feel upon my heart, yet I do not judge those who feel otherwise!

Therefore, like I have previously shared, your decision regarding college/ higher education truly depends on what the Lord has convicted you about... what choice would enable you to glorify the Lord more?

So, though I have no immediate plans... I am trusting in the Lord, waiting for His wonderful plan for my future to unfold, and lifting up this matter to Him. Prayer is of utmost importance in any decision!
He knows thethoughts and desires of my heart.... yet I must be willing to submit to whatever His will is.

May we trust in the Lord with all of our heart, leaning not on our own understanding... in all areas of our life.

Blessings,

Schooling... a bit differently

When it comes to schooling... we do things a bit *differently*.

I get up each morning, eat breakfast and complete chores.. and then begin school. Though, our school is special. Each day varies... sometimes the schoolroom is outside in the beautiful sunshine... or in my room with a cup of warm tea... sometimes it is on the kitchen table, with the sound of my family around me.

Sometimes we take a spontaneous field trip...sometimes life skills are our schooling.... but each new day comes and as they go, I am learning more and more, and cherishing each day as I embrace homeschooling.

I still have my Algebra, Chemistry, Literature, and all the studies that a student must receive. But I also get an experience. Homeschooling, to me, is a lifestyle, not just an education. It is taking all the studies one must learn, and learning them at home... living them at home.

 The time around my family, from eating meals together, figuring out English difficulties with my mom, to bike rides on beautiful afternoons, is one of the greatest blessings of being homeschooled.

I am often filled with joy as I sit down with my school books to read... either walking into the world of Corrie Ten Boom and the life that she lived during World War 2, or learning about the amazing design the Creator has filled the universe with as I study the molecules and atoms that make it up.

It is not just studying a textbook... it is embracing a journey.

Our schedule is structured, but centered around the verse which tells us that though man may plan his paths, the Lord establishes His steps...

{Proverbs 16:9}

Being homeschooled is one way that we as a family strive to apply the commands in Deuteronomy 6, to teach our children of the Lord, to talk of Him when we come in and go out, when we lie down and when we rise up... to have His words daily on our lips and in our lives.

Homeschooling is a gift... a gift which I cherish everyday

{yes, even those hard days when x doesn't equal y :)}

It is a journey...

A calling...

A joy...

Blessings,

True Beauty

 She looks into her mirror, a sad countenance on her face... why must she have so many freckles, blemishes, and faults? She tries to put up her hair like the "other girls" do, but her efforts fail her, and the ribbons and clips and fanciful additions all come to nothing.

She opens her closet, glancing from side to side, and wishing that she had more clothes that made her look like the others... wishing that she would be counted amongst the "pretty girls". Her vain pursuits have taken her no where...

Why don't others pay attention and pamper her desires like they do to the popular ones... the ones who always have it all. Why are there never people busy about her, flattering her, and giving her attention?

She wonders if she is not pretty enough, doesn't have a good outward appearance...

"Maybe if I start acting like, dressing like, talking like...."

She falls liable to that trap that so many young ladies fall into... the trap of discontentment and the wrong view of beauty.

This sad tale doesn't have to be... there is another way, another road. The Creator has made each and every one of us beautiful... and by rejecting ourselves and His design for us, we are saying that He, the Almighty King, made a mistake.

But, as it says in Psalm 19:14...

"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well."

I am made in the image of God... the Creator of all.

He who loves me with an everlasting love, shaped me and formed me.

He gave me every single freckle...He made my eyes the perfect color...He gifted me with the hair that He desired for me to have.

Yet, our outward appearance means so little, if anything, in comparison to the place of true beauty, the beauty of one's heart. A truly beautiful person is one whose heart fears the Lord, who wears the adornments of love, kindness, compassion, and humility as graceful garlands...the beauty of a Godly heart is the most to be desired.

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Proverbs 31:30

Many of us know this verse by heart, but how many of us are living it?

Do we value a pure and contrite heart, or are we so focused on being popular or pretty?

"Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God"

1 Peter 3:3-4

A truly beautiful young lady is one who wears the Godly virtues of gentleness and love...

Dear reader... the Lord has made YOU BEAUTIFUL just the way you are, for HE MADE YOU!

You have been created by the Lord, who has a beautiful plan for your life...

Contentment comes when we embrace His gift to us... when we bless Him for making us who we are, because He did it for His glory. Let us strive to continue to put on the beautiful virtues treasured by the Lord, and to fear Him with all of our heart, knowing that He has made us exactly the way He has planned, for our good and His glory. The one who does this is truly is a beautiful person...

Blessings,

Dresses, a photo by Nurse Kate on Flickr.
Poppies I, a photo by cwasteson on Flickr.