The Joy And Happiness Of The Lord!

"I think happiness is what makes you pretty. Period. Happy

people are beautiful. They become like a mirror and they

reflect that happiness."

-- Drew Barrymore

Why can't we be happy? Why can't we be defined as a people full of joy and laughter and smiles? What a powerful community that could be! And why can't we be that? The Bible says after all: "A cheerful heart makes good medicine but a crushed (or broken) spirit dries up the bones" (Proverbs 17:22). I don't know about you, but dry bones doesn't sound very healthy or particularly good. But that's not the only place it says something like that...repeatedly we find the phrases "Shout aloud with joy!" or "May you be filled with joy" or "Rejoice in the Lord!" or other such phrases...most commonly found in Psalms but also in other books. I want to share some with you in case you are ever in the instance where you need encouragement in this area. 

Philippians 4:4 
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 40:16 
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The LORD be exalted!"

Psalm 13:5 
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

Romans 5:1-4 
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Psalm 28:7 
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

Romans 15:13 
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 64:9-10 
All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done. Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!

1 Peter 1:8

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory

John 16:24

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

And that's just the very beginning...I didn't even begin to even *start* to list all the many many verses that go on about joy and rejoicing and happiness and all that relates to those topics. You can just go to Google and type in "Bible verses about joy"...there is no end to them! Now to return back to my original point: why *wouldn't* you be happy and filled with joy? Is there any reason valid enough not to be joyful? Is there really any negative thing that is bigger that the greatness of salvation and life in Christ? We are a redeemed people and we are no longer bound to sin, hell, and damnation! We have been set free from our cage and given a new life to live completely separate and apart from that old life. So why would we revert back to that life and be filled with gloom, sadness, or any negativity?

Which brings me to my second point: negative people. There are few things that can ruin a day apart from negative people. They just kind of drag themselves into a pit and bring everyone else along whether they want to or not. Well, I take that back...if you are a joyful person it is your choice to be dragged down with them or not. I have been around a lot of negative people before...I live with one and I became close friends with one while I was away at camp. It's not always a McDonald's playground type of life when you are around them, I'll tell you that. But I don't even need to tell you that...all of us have probably come in contact with at least one really consistent negative person in our lifetime. They surround us and seek to live their lives in perpetual misery. I think misery makes them happy...or wait, they don't want to be happy....well at least maybe they get some kind of fulfillment out of being gloomy. 

Okay, I am being a bit unfair here...but truthfully...what is accomplished by being constantly negative? By always seeing the worst in people or in situations. By seeking to avoid all good things and only focusing on the bad? How does that advance anyone let alone the glory of Christ? These people don't get less blessings than the rest of us...they don't somehow get all the "mean" stuff in life and the rest of us get the good stuff. They just chose to focus on whatever seems bad and blow it up and make it their life and existence. 

We are told that everything that happens to us is from the hand of God...whatever we receive whether we think it is a blessing or a curse...it is all for our good and our benefit. Without the "bad" we would have no spiritual growth or maturing. So why look at the "bad" and call it bad when in reality it is all good...it is to educate us and grow us in the Lord to further His glory and kingdom. 

I'm not saying any of this because I have all this rejoicing stuff down pretty darn well. I am a pretty negative person myself, just ask my family. But in this new turn of life that I'm trying to take to become a true Christian and child of God I'm seeking to take every area of my life and pick it apart and see where I can improve and encourage others to improve. Maybe the negative people don't even realize they're negative. I talked to the girl I met at camp and it wasn't even till she was away from home and around us other girls that she began to see how exceedingly negative she is. 

All this to say...go be happy! Smile and laugh it up. This is your one and only life to do it right and have fun and glorify God! There isn't a single reason in this world to be negative or gloomy or unhappy...even Job didn't reject himself to that even when he lost *literally* everything he had...family, possessions, or health! Everything is straight from the hand of God and given to us to build and strengthen us up to do His will. May you truly be filled with the joy of the Lord and live to praise Him for it!

(All italics added by me...I still don't know why I did it, but it seemed like a random good idea at the time...I hope it doesn't bug any of you!)

Who To Blame?

I come from a family who is pretty used to having someone at fault. That means, whenever something (no matter how small) goes wrong, even if no one asks who did it, someone is sure to pipe up with a "So and so did it!". It is always someone else's fault. Someone else is always to blame for something going wrong. But when something goes right...oh boy, well there are usually two or three people you can thank for it because they were allllll involved somehow!

My point, although stated rather silly, is this: is there always someone to blame? If so, who is it? Our natural instinct is to say that it wasn't us....it was always someone else who should get in trouble as opposed to us. How is this responsibility at all? How are we to be mature and responsible adults if all we ever do is push blame on others and take credit for the good things? How are we to learn and grow spiritually if we cannot acknowledge that we mess up and make mistakes? Maybe it was that so and so who messed up...but maybe it was you who told them that they needed to do that and so really you are the one to blame but you hide behind the curtain saying "Well they didn't *have* to do it! I just told them they should."

What kind of mature Christian of God would constantly be looking and faulting other people and not accepting their sin and error. Okay, not always sin...but if we blame others in the small stuff it will lead to blaming others for the larger stuff too. One of the first things that I noticed when reading through the catechism a couple weeks ago was this: the first thing they address is man's sin nature. You start reading it and BAM! they immediately hit you with the fact that you are completely sinful and can do *nothing* good on your own. We are totally depraved and can do no good! How depressing is that? The catechism does go on to talk about how that's why we need Christ so much, but it does impress me very much that the authors of the catechism were so wise about where they started...they started with the core of man...our sin and our fallenness.

Maybe we could argue that it's self-centered to start something so educational with man. You could say that we need to start with God and His word and law etc. But if we did that...man could escape with thinking that he isn't that bad off and isn't quite as sinful as he really is. So instead...we begin by telling man he is in a hopeless situation he is in. The catechism is divided into three sections: Man's Sin and Misery, Man's Deliverance, and Man's Gratitude. It is a teaching tool to guide and instruct us in how we are to view and live according to God's standards. I will just put a little bit of the first part of what I was talking about: Man's Misery.

#3 Q. How do you come to know your misery?
A. The law of God tells me.
#4 Q. What does God's law require of us?
A. Christ teaches us this in summary in Matthew 22 - You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.
#5 Q. Can you live up to all this perfectly?
A. No. I have a natural tendency to hate God and my neighbor.
#8 Q. But are we so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good and inclined toward all evil?
A. Yes, unless we are born again, by the Spirit of God.

It then goes on to ask if God is unjust in requiring us to follow His law perfectly when we can't (No), asking if God will permit our disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished (No), asking if God is merciful (Yes) and going on to set the perfect stage for Christ. I am very impressed by how they just start with our sin. We cannot avoid sin without our Deliverer to be there for us and helping us through all the temptations that life sets before us. When it comes to sin or error, we are totally at fault...there is no need to name names and point fingers. What is required of us is to be responsible and step up to the plate and just say that it was our fault.

I have found this is one of the hardest things to do: to be able to say that it was my fault and I am the one to blame. But it is what God asks of me to do as a responsible and mature child of His. To be able to take upon myself the blame, but ask for forgiveness and then seek a better path with a better future...Christ and His glory. We are to look ahead to the magnificent glory that awaits us and seek to take be able to be the one at fault....face our duty, not shirk it. If we get in a habit of shirking that which is good or right then how long will it take till we are shirking away from God's law and God Himself?

Anyways, that was me rambling once again...just some random thoughts for this beautiful Tuesday that God has blessed us with! "This is the day that the Lord hath made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24 I pray that you are blessed with a joyful heart and perfect health! God bless you all! :)

Eliminate Control And Fear To Trust

This is a week where I'm already needing to just trust Him. Fully commit every thought and action in the future, the past, and the present to Him. It's the hardest thing to do when as a human all we want is control. Control of our lives...control of the future...even control of our loved ones. We want to be able to go places and see people and keep people. We want to be able to control what happens to us...whether it be the score of the game we are watching or the people who enter and exit our lives. We wish everything to be picture perfect, a dream come true. And when our dreams are "coming true" we all of a sudden have a bad jolt to this lovely wish and when it all goes down we wonder what happened. It was reality coming back to hit us square in the face. Yes, our lives *can* be just as beautiful and perfect as our favorite movie. But not if we dictate it...it will only end in absolute disaster at that point. As humans we are nothing but faulty...we err and mess up...we make *huge* mistakes. We become blinded by our sin and that leads to unbelievable disasters. But not even once has God ever messed up...He has had no sin and so cannot be blinded by it and He has had no unbelievable disasters or huge mistakes of any kind. Now I ask...why *wouldn't* we give over the writing of our life story to Him? Why can't we wake up every morning and pray for the ability to just let go and let God rule our whole day...to not worry or try and control the circumstances that enter our life..why can't we pray for that daily?

This leads me to another point of trusting God (or rather the lack of trusting God): fear. Fear gnaws at us throughout the day...and night. I know far too many nights where I've stayed up to watch some movie or TV show that has left me running to bed with all the lights in the house on for fear of the monsters (spiders, ghosts, aliens, animals...you fill in the blank) under my bed or hiding in the darkest corners of my room. Now, maybe this isn't the best example to give...what if I give the instance of knowing some test is coming up and you're not prepared? What if you have to meet with people and give a speech? What if you have an intensive work schedule and you're not sure how you'll handle it? What if you meet people and you find yourself constantly wondering if they were offended or disliked you? What if you dash around the house before you leave for somewhere because you're not sure if you can get everything you need together in time? Okay, before we go any further...I'm not saying if you've ever done any of those things that you didn't trust God. Sometimes He does employ tactics (like running around the house at breakneck speed trying to gather stuff together to leave the house) to be able to give us a kick in the pants for, say, not getting up early enough. Maybe He does plant these little scenarios in your life just so that you can stop in the middle of it, refer back to God, and then be able to realize that you are just a small human capable of error, that God is a great and powerful God who is fully capable of controlling every situation, and you should just lay whatever burden you have and are struggling with over to Him entirely. I say entirely because I know that a lot of times when I trust God it can turn out to be a "half-way trust". Meaning that I say I trust Him...and for the most part I do...but at little intervals I make time to worry about it in the tiniest corner of my mind.

So what does this mean for us in terms of application? It just means that God is great and good...100% of the time. We are really small and rather sinful (a lot!) and we mess up...we worry and try and control as much as possible. But that is not to say at all that it's not possible to just trust God! It just means that it's going to take some work and dedication. Meaning a good study of the Scriptures on a regular basis and a life that is led by and defined by prayer. Scripture and prayer are SO incredibly powerful and I'm coming to realize this more and more each day! God has come down to us...His little people...and made Himself very close and personal and all we have to do is open His words to us (located in the Bible) or just *talk* to Him (by the use of prayer)! It really is so simple that I don't know why a lot of Christians today say that they "just don't have time to devote to stuff like that a lot". Well I ask you...God gave you time...He gives everyone time. And He gave you just as much time as the rest of us...not even us in the present...but in the past.

Just as much time as great people like John Calvin, Martin Luther, R.J. Rushdoony, Augustine, Athanasius, Robert E. Lee, George Washington, C.S. Lewis, Albert Einstein, Jane Austen, J.R.R. Tolkien, Bach, and Walt Disney. Some of those were pretty weird examples, but my point is...those people did *work*. Great work that influenced the lives of others. Why can't we do the same? We can influence...spread our great talents and work. But only if we choose to stand up and make a difference. We do have the time...but we waste it. I'm reading a book called "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper and I am hugely impressed by his points and how he points out that so many people just waste their lives. They die and those around them are effected yes, but who else? Most of the people reading this have been alive long enough to have witnessed someone great who died. I remember Michael Jackson dying and I remember that great female singer who died...now her name escapes my memory (she obviously wasn't that important to me!). But it's not only death that can effect people...it's other things. I remember when it came out that Michael Phelps was doing drugs and stuff and I remember when Tiger Wood's affair came out. These are really big events that shook up and really did influence a lot of people. And not in a really good way.

Why is it that the people of today who effect the "great American people" are not good or Godly people, yet as we look back at our past at people who made a *good* influence they are the ones who were solid Christians, leaning and trusting on God? Why can't that be us? Why can't we regain those good morals and foundations that we once had? Why can't we have Godly people who influence us instead of the pop celebrities who lead lives of ruin and destruction? It is because we as a people have strayed far from God. We've strayed from His word and decided to dictate, run, and control our own lives. We have taken matters into our own hands instead of trusting the One "person" who can do it right. I believe that if we are to ever return to God and a flourishing nation that we need to start by trusting God. But that won't happen until we are saturated and grounded in Scripture and in a Godly theology. All in God's timing, of course...and something we must pray for and trust God for...but reformation is something that this world is desperately in need of.

I know I strayed a lot from my original topic...I hope that you are still with me. Those are my thoughts and insights on a whole bunch of topics. If you have any comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear any of them. I'm also considering adding Scripture to these "lectures". Often I get to rambling and I don't have any verses written here to "back me up" or support my cause. So I am considering doing that, though it will take more time to write up posts then. I think it will be a good way to spend my time though...I am trying to reap something from the book that I referenced earlier "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper. I highly recommend it to anyone who is trying to get their life on the right track and stay motivated to live a life dedicated and devoted to God. Anyways, I am praying for you, my readers, and hoping you have a beautiful and blessed day!

Life and Guilt

Yesterday and today have both been eventful and very full days. Yesterday, I woke up and had work first off. The house was empty and I had a list made up for me to do. It was so very pleasant to just have the house to myself...quiet and peaceful. No time to rush or hurry though chores, no one to be waiting on me to be done so they can do their stuff. I did a bunch of laundry and unpacking as well as general clean-up and vacuuming. I was able to just blast my music and chill without worrying about feeling self-conscious about anyone watching. It was a little nerve frazzling sometimes though when I heard a creak in this strange new house.

Then I went home and did some good transcribing work. I am finding myself more and more encouraged by that work. I know God is using this work to bless others and for me to learn more increasingly about Him. But yes, it was a blessing to do that. I also fixed a little bit of food before headed off to L'Abri. We had such an enjoyable evening learning more about God and His great sovereignty and rule over all. I also got to color a bit in our Winnie the Pooh coloring book with Aimee.

One of the biggest joys of yesterday was that I made a new friend in Christ. She is a real light in my life already. She speaks the word of Christ to me and uplifts me to our Heavenly Father in prayer and supplication. I know God placed her in my life to grow me up more in His ways and to bring others to Christ and to be able to more confidently be proud of the God that I serve.

Today I worked for about five straight hours, just cleaning the house. It was mostly empty and those who were home knew to stay out of my way (Sarah has cleaning fits - don't argue!). So now the house is sparkling...okay, not really...I could honestly spend days and days just cleaning this house and never be done. By the time I was feeling absolutely exhausted, people started coming back home and by now I feel like all my work is pretty undone! After all that I got some good mowing in and then my mum, da, Becca and I all loaded up to go see this wood chipper which we ended up getting. Ever since then it's been a quiet evening of just relaxing at home. Now it's just my mum and I just resting here at home. All in all it's been a wildly productive day...a huge blessing since I've felt rather lazy and useless around the home this past week.

One big thing that God has been showing me is how the devil uses guilt against us humans. We mess up and are pretty faulty...but God is so gracious, merciful, and forgiving that even though we sin and make HUGE mistakes, He never holds it over us or tries to blackmail us in any fashion. When we do feel overburdened and weighed down by our guilt, it is only Satan working against us to draw us away from our loving Father. He has forgiven us! If we truly repent and turn away from our sin in a desperate effort to be better then there is no excuse why we cannot be forgiven 100%...not 99% with God coming back to remind us of how awful and sinful we are...but entirely, completely, and fully...our sins have been paid and forgiven!

What kind of desperate joy should that bring to us! What bright smiles should be on our faces! Just knowing that I am absolutely spotless before the throne of grace and before my Father in heaven...that relieves the heavy burden of sin. I know that the dark side has *nothing* to hold over my head. Even if Satan hasn't forgotten my sin, I know God has truly forgiven it and promised me eternal life with Him if I truly repent and seek to do better in the future. God grant that all of us may have this sweet assurance and peace of forgiveness and living a guilt-free life!

Blessings Heaped On Blessings

Let me just start by saying that I love my blog. I love writing and the thought that people read my stuff and enjoy it (well...maybe enjoy it). Ever since I've begun to write more on here (not even a month ago) my viewing rates went WAY up!! This has me so happy and just feeling absolutely blessed. God has blessed me with this month already having the second highest views I have *ever* had. And the month is just over half way over! I could easily get up to the highest viewings in a month that I have ever received. I have no one to thank for this than God. He has really blessed me with this opportunity to bless all of you through the words that I speak.

He is my blessing, but the fact that He gives ways through His people to bless others is just more of a blessing than I could imagine! The fact that He has chosen me as one of His messengers to carry His words to you is just...I can't even quite sum up how amazing that feels! He is SO good and so great and powerful. It's truly something that can't be found in words. I am currently in the middle of typing up an R.J. Rushdoony lecture on the infallibility of God...(after typing that word about 50 times you really know how to spell it!). It just kind of takes my breath away to think about how self-conscious and infallible God is. Whenever my eyes are opened to some truth like that it just fills me with awe at the great majesty of God.

Maybe I will post the lecture that I will type up on here when I'm done...I wrote most of it last night and just have a little editing to go over first before I turn it in. I just wanted to say before I end this post how amazing you all are...even if you don't comment or read every post or follow me...thank you for stopping by and reading...you are such a blessing to me and I am honored to be speaking to you. I thank God for my readers and for His words that I may openly speak and I ask for wisdom in all my thoughts written here. May God bless you today!

Who Says?

A lot of people I know don't give themselves near enough credit for themselves. This is bound to happen in a world where pride is looked on as a bad thing...so people humble themselves down to the ground. They take absolutely none of the credit. In reality, God gets all the credit...but still. When someone performs a beautiful piece of music and then when praised they say "Oh no no, it really wasn't that good"...that is just wrong. Maybe instead they should say something like, "Well thank you...I thank God for the musical talent He has given me and the blessing I may be to my listeners". That is placing God first and foremost where He belongs but still acknowledging some amount of giftedness of their own. It was, afterall, the musician that put in the hours of practice, but still God who gave the talent behind it all. We can practice all we want, but unless God gives His "okay" then it will do nothing for us. "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain." Psalm 127:1.

This applies to more then talent. It spreads out and affects our whole lives. A lot of people I know don't treat themselves very well. They settle for the less than the best. They settle for less than the best boyfriends, friends, work, and many other things. How can you live a life of treating yourself like you aren't worth dirt? God has a much better and bigger plan for you then that. He asks and calls you to Him...commanding you to be still and understand (trust) that He is the Lord God Almighty...none can stand in comparison to Him. We are to be comforted and built up by that. We are to feel like precious treasure of His...gems more precious than all the money in the whole world.

How would you treat something like that if you held it in your hands? Would you let it settle for any less than the best? You would want to honor and respect it...love it and care for it tenderly. This is what we are called to do with every day of our lives. We are loved by Him...He cares for us, loves us, forgives us, cleanses us...all this because of NOTHING we have done! Doesn't that fill you with immense peace? And knowing that, why would you do stuff that makes you unhappy? Anything that concerns our Father whether it be seeking to learn Him more, living out His law, obeying Him in every aspect, joyfully and prayerfully seeking out His will, and blessing those around us. That is what should cause us great joy! And why settle for less than the greatest joy in the world! It is what God wants for us.

So take a moment to look around you...look at the friends and the people and things that surround you. Could you do better? Is there a better way you could serve God? If so, I encourage you to empty that out of you...fill it with more solid and substantial things. Don't think it isn't out there...God has always provided in the past and He is faithful to those who look to Him for everything and anything. Keep your head up and your heart full of the joy of the Lord!

Friendship...What Does It Mean?

Throughout our lives we have heard it said many different ways what friendship is. We have heard it from our family, our churches, magazines, movies, books...even from our friends. How many of us take it seriously? When I was younger, I was considered the social butterfly. The butterfly who had a lot of friends. I always looked at my sister who had a few really good friends and wondered if she was happy. Wondered how that made her happy. But I've come to see, that is the true meaning of friendship...being close to a few people. Being their everything and their all.

I've tried being there for everyone of my many friends...that way doesn't work. You get stressed and overwhelmed by the many requests and needs of your friends. But it works best when you have a few close and personal friends who love and trust you. Friends are faithful...the good ones. They aren't back-stabbers. They don't leave you in your time of trial.

Life lately has been a bit rough. It's been a struggle, and God has shown me that complete dependence on him is needed. My friends have unknowingly come around me and supported me...my true friends. They are the ones who don't need to be told that I'm struggling or that I need someone. In times of trials, I find who my real friends are. They are the ones who lift me up in prayer and encouraging verses. They are the ones who actively try and spend time with me.

I was keenly aware of this...within the past week I lost the two friends who are closest to me through a lot of drama. One of them has been my best friend for about 8-9 years...my closest confident of all my friends. It's so hard to see this happening because of a lot of drama...but I know God has a plan to bring other better and ever more amazing people into my life who will stay with me for a whole lifetime. Friends just don't leave friends...they stick with them...closer than a brother the Bible says.

These people are to be Godly to one another....not just in their church lives...but encouraging and uplifting to one another. Sharpening each other for the glory of God. Pushing each other to be the best they could ever be for the glory of God. Seek out these people in your life...surround yourself with them. I heard it said once that you are most like the five people you spend the most time with. Who do you spend the most time with? I guess I'm referring to the people outside of your family since your family is bound to influence whether you want it or not.

This is what I'm looking for in my friends...friends who are there through thick and thin. Friends who love me and trust me no matter what they hear about me. Friends whose hearts are so bound up in God that they can't help but out pour Him to me whenever we talk or hang out. Friends who grow me up in the knowledge, wisdom, and grace of Jesus Christ. Those are the friends I know I should be having. God grant me many such people to come across in my life...and I pray I may be all that and more to the people of God, my loving friends.

Live With A Purpose

Works without meaning? Action without purpose? How many mindless actions do we do every day without being thoughtful to the true meaning or purpose behind it? Do we really take to thought what we're doing when we do things?

One of these things that we easily skip over is the idea of the sacraments. Baptism for instance: how often do we consider or refer back to it, even if we don't vividly remember it? It was/is not just a random at that God commanded us o do, He has a distinct reason for it. It is His one sign and seal upon us, claiming us as His own. But how often do we take that seriously? We are His! (1 John 3:1a)

And also considering the Lord's Supper: every time we eat and drink His body and blood, do we consciously consider the real meaning behind it? Consider the gravity, but also the joy created by it? He ordained it in order to keep our minds and thoughts on Him and His great sacrifice for us.

We are great sinners, but 1) we have a greater Savior, 2) we have been baptized, signed, and sealed by God Himself as His very own most precious treasure and 3 we have been saved, and are cleansed and are constantly forgiven only because of Christ's work for s on the cross where He died for His elect as He was 100% man (in order to be considered a just punishment) an 100% God (in order for Him to be holy and blameless, thus capable for taking all mens' sin upon Himself). Longest sentence ever.

Every action you do throughout the day is founded upon what you believe, your worldview. How you speak, how you work (or not work), how you treat others wil all be based off of how you view God. Is your life a glorifying one A life that simply shouts out God and His Word? Or one that rather reflects us and who we are apart, separate, and not related to God?

Just Another Day of Life

Yesterday, I learned how to look like an absolute idiot in front of people! Let me rephrase that...I went ice. skating. Now don't get me wrong...I love ice skating, I really do. But ice skating for me is like painting, running, singing, dancing, drawing, and other such things are for me: I love them and I wish I was super good at them, but I just plain fail at them!

No, but Aimee and her mum and I all went out yesterday to go ice. skating. It was fun...and I didn't fall...but I know I didn't push myself and go as fast or as daring as I could have. Also, my skates were a piece of crap so I hurt my ankle pretty bad and have plenty of bruises from that...but bruises are a bit like battle scars, as Aimee likes to remind me. She also said that if you didn't fall you were doing something wrong. I guess I was doing something wrong all day! But yes, I was taking it easy since I had work later that night.

It was definitely a new experience to go ice. skating during summer. To go in with my summer clothes and then to bundle up and put on a hoodie, fuzzy socks gloves, and a hat and still get chilly and then get hot chocolate before going outside to shed it all off again! But all in all I had an enjoyable time.

Originally this was going to have some deep and purposeful meaning to it, but now that I've reached the end of the story nothing much comes to mind. I guess just...go out there...enjoy life. Smell the rain, dance in the puddles, praise God for all His blessings, live in the moment, never regret the past, learn from life's lessons, love your friends, smile more, compliment a stranger...and other funky stuff! Have a great day! :)

My Community

We are naturally a people who take things for granted. I saw a sign yesterday that said, "What if we woke up tomorrow with all the things we thanked God for today?". It really made me stop and think. How many things do we really just overlook and not truly appreciate? Far too many. Do we really stop all the time and thank God for this and that? For every little blessing (or big blessing) that He sends our way? In reality, every thing that seems good or bad is a blessing from the hand of God.

My pastor has always (for as long as I've known him) emphasized the importance and the need for community. Simply put...small, strong, well-built, Christian groups. For years I have just taken this for granted, not really thought about it. But especially lately, I have come to see exactly what he has been talking about when he says that one step toward reformation is the building of good communities. My church family is my community...that is where my best friends are, the people who know me best.

We've been going to this church for about 10 years now...these are the people I've grown up alongside of and been taught from. I was about 7 or 8 when I first started attending this church. It is where I was baptized and catechized. I took Sunday School with the kids there, played football, soccer, wiffleball, climbed trees, had parties, contests, and Bible studies with these people. I couldn't even begin to start to list the hundreds of activities that I've done with people there. But most importantly, I learned God there. That started my foundation for belief.

We have church starting at 10am on Sunday morning...it goes until 11:30. Then starting at 11:45 we have Sunday school for 30-45 minutes. We have evening church for an hour at 5 pm, and we usually spend Sundays in fellowship or something that involves one another. During the school year, we have Wednesday classes that usually take up 3-4 hours (not counting homework or tests). Every other Friday we have L'Abri at my Pastor's house where they feed us dinner and we study for an hour or two. On the "off" Fridays we have a young adults' Bible study for a few hours.

Our church is not dead, neither is the determination to grow up these community children in the way they should go. Yes, we mess up...I am the one who has messed up and strayed the farthest, but by God's grace alone I have been brought back from the far country and back under the guidance of my parents and church family. Disciplined and set apart for the glory of God alone.

No matter how much I've strayed in my life, God has always been there and He has always used my church family to guide and direct me. No one has ever been too busy to stop and sit down with me and talk. Maybe this happens to everyone, but my pastor takes time for everyone...he stops and asks how things are. He doesn't forget events that happen in our life, he checks up on them. He asks how work is going. He compliments something you are wearing. He has a smile on and a joke to crack if that is the mood, or he can be dead serious, concerned, and caring if the situation calls for it.

And it's not just him! This is the case with everyone in my church, not excluding my very own family. I've come to realize (took me long enough!) that my family is my BEST friend. They have never left me, never given up on me, never not cared. They love me *so* much, even if sometimes it doesn't feel like it. They want me to succeed, to grow, to achieve, to be the very best. They will push and pull me (even if I don't want to) until I am God's very own and completely dedicated to Him and His will for me.

These are all things that I've really taken advantage over the years. Things I've ignored, or not cared to see. But I see them now...I love my church people, my friends there, my family there...they are my closest confidants: the people I know love me and will never leave me, even in the darkest hour. They've never given up on me. Even when I screwed a lot of things up, they've never treated me like I've failed. I feel like I am running a race...and I totally messed it up...I tripped and I fell and instead of treating me like I fell, they've cheered me on, picked me up, and carried me the rest of the way.

In their eyes, I'm a hero...I'm a champion. Simply because I am called by God. They have strengthened and encouraged me, even if they didn't know what they doing for me. People say that love is not judging. I say that love is gently judging, but always supporting. Supporting the person to get back up and make the right kinds of decisions and turn around in life...turn back to God. So I am thanking God for everyone in my life, who, when I messed up, stood behind me and supported me every step of the way. Those are the friends and people you keep forever. You don't leave them in their darkest hour, you stand with them and help them pick themselves back up.

That is what community looks like. Being there every step. Even if you live a couple hours away from someone that doesn't mean you can't be their "cheering on" person (I don't know a better term for that!). One of my biggest supporters lives an hour away from me...and yet she has been there every step of the way. She prays for me all the time and lifts me up with her encouragement. Those are the people who motivate me to dedicate my life even more fully and truthfully to God. I can only hope and pray that you have a person or some people like that in your life. May God bless you, whoever you are, and gift you with a strong community around you to build you up, support you, and encourage you on to the God of Christ-likeness and a Godly servitude util the day you leave this earth for a better home.

Control - Who Has It?

Lately God has really been trying to get my attention on the issue of control. If you know me, you know that I love being in control...maybe not totally all control freakish all the time...but I do like to have things going smoothly. But somehow what is smooth to me isn't always smooth to God. He's been showing me that even though I like to be the one in the driver seat, it just isn't best. I really suck as a driver. He is my driver...the one with the directions. He knows exactly where I'm going, even though I don't know it yet. If you've never been smacked in the face with this kind of reality it really is a bucket of cold water.

A lot of things have happened lately without meaning or a purpose behind it (at least not that I can see). Things took a complete turn around and I am left in the dust...blinking and wondering when on earth everything changed. Sound familiar? It's life! Within a few short breaths you are facing a whole new direction. Maybe it's because I'm just at an age where things hit you harder and faster...like when you close your eyes during baseball and when you open them all of a sudden you are being pelted with tennis balls.

That whole new direction isn't always nice...it doesn't play "fair". It doesn't know the "rules of life." But those aren't real rules after all...they're just rules that you've set up so that life is somewhat easier. And since you're not the driver those "rules" aren't truly valid. They are wishful thinking. Life is really really hard...you're gonna have days where you just sit and cry. Do you have what it takes to get through (hint: that's God)? Do you have His strength to make it through? To ignore the fact you don't know what the heck is going on with your life? To give him the keys to the car of life? If you don't...do it before you lose control of the wheel. It's a crazy mess with Him.

How Much Sense Does This Culture Make?

So this is just going to be a short rant about how absolutely retarded this culture and what defines us is just stupid! Well, maybe this will be longer then I thought - haha. The culture that we live in now is pretty crazy - and what defines a lot of any culture is the music that they listen to. Now, I'm not condemning anyone...because if I was to get on anyone's case about the music that they listen to then I would be a true hypocrite. My point is...the music that you listen to: is it what defines *you*? Do you let it shape and form you to become and to think like how the people behind the music want you to be shaped and formed? A lot of the music nowadays is completely retarded (apparently I like that word today)! One of the songs that has stuck out to me lately is one that I won't name...but if any of you have heard it you will know exactly which one I'm referring to.


One of the big things that bugs me is how we let this *kids* sing music that makes up a daily part of our lives. I'm talking 13 year olds...now I won't actually name names...but it is slightly frustrating when these adolescents get to sing these songs that should be sung by at least 20 year olds! What does a 15 year old know about true love and dedication? It doesn't help that their definition of love is twisted and false. And the lives of celebrities shows that they believe what they sing and fall for that false, twisted love. But that's a whole different conversation!

Back to my original point: this particular song that I've chosen to pick on starts off pretty harmless...the guy is telling his girl how she doesn't need makeup and how everyone sees her beauty. Ok...that may be harmless, but it gives the impression that beauty is just the outer stuff...and it's not. The prettiest beautiful is on the inside. Anyways! I'm going to just try and breeze through my points instead of dragging this on like I already am. He tells her that she lights up his world like none other and how all the little things she does is so amazing to him. Now...for my biggest peeve with this song: he says "You don't know you're beautiful...that's what makes you beautiful." Ok...how on *earth* does that make her beautiful?? If a girl doesn't know she's beautiful she is going to deny it constantly and that is certainly is not attractive. I've seen it happen before and it is rather ugly if you ask me. He then goes on to say "If only you saw what I can see, you'll understand why I want you so desperately"  and says that just to prove his point he put all this in a song. So...correct me if I'm wrong but he says that her not seeing her beauty is what makes her beautiful...but then writes this whole song to try and prove how beautiful she is to her? So maybe he doesn't want her beautiful anymore?

Anyways! That's my random thought for that song. I could be totally wrong, maybe I'm just misunderstanding his point or maybe I don't have that missing puzzle piece that would make it all make sense! If you have any insight on this song or anything I've said go ahead and let me know! I love any comments. Have a super great day!

Spiders and Memories

Lately I have been set with the curse of spiders! It's actually kind of weird. The other night ago, my brother found this huge spider that we nicknamed "Shelob" (for any of you who have seen Lord of the Rings) and he captured it it a Mason jar and I have it somewhere around here. Then when I was in the car last night headed to work I found two different spiders on me. I just looked down and there was this spider just sitting on my shirt...so I flicked it off and then I noticed another one on my hand. Crazy! Plus I've found two different (what I believe to be) spider bites...maybe the cause of my weird dizziness/black outs. It's like I'm all of a sudden a huge magnet for spiders! Or maybe I'm just now noticing how many spiders we have around this house. Hopefully it doesn't make me paranoid and then I start imagining being covered in spider webs as I lay in bed (yes, I have had that kind of funky experience). 

Also, yesterday we headed off to Indiana...which turned out so much fun! It was kind of to get away and do some shopping...so while we were shopping yesterday Jon found some lemon drops. For those of you who don't know what these are, they are just hard candies that taste like lemon. Anyways, we were both reminded of something my mum used to do for us when we were younger. Back when we lived in California my mum had this jar of lemon drops, and on rainy/cloudy days she would pull it out and give us each a lemon drop "to brighten our days". It was a real treat and it brought us a little sunshine! She did it for a little bit once we moved out here, but then it just didn't work out so great and so eventually we just dropped out of the habit. But anyways, we were reminded of it yesterday but when we asked my mum if she remembered it she said no. Rakie does remember it, so it must have happened! So that's the weird memory for the day.

Hope you all are having fun and get a chance to get away for a little R&R whatever you're doing! Trust me...this trip to Indiana really made a difference. God bless you!

Facebook Status From A Friend

I found this on Facebook as one of my friend's posts and it really encouraged me!

"I talked to a woman on the phone today who has six kids…four boys and two girls. When I called her, she was on the other line with the doctor, dealing with a detached retina that’s been going on since April. She asked if I would hold on the line while she finished booking her appointment, and I said that was no trouble. When she came back on the line a minute later, she apologized for having made me wait and she shared her life story.

She lost her husband to a tractor trailer wreck five years ago, when the youngest was only five years old. She said, “I didn’t realize until he’d been gone for several months that I had been my husband’s princess. He had asked me to keep our home, prepare the food, and raise our children after the Lord….and he took care of everything else. He paid the bills, he transferred the money for groceries, he paid the insurance, he scheduled the service jobs, he drew up our wills, he took care of it all. He was the head of 

our home and the head of my life.

He left me a life insurance policy, and once he was gone, everybody told me to go to work and save that money for when the I’m old and the kids are grown and out of the house and I have nobody to take care of me. But I knew that my husband wouldn’t have wanted them to go to the government school. I decided that we’d live on that money so that I can stay home and homeschool the kids until they are grown…and if I have to go back into the workforce at 55 years old and live in on next-to-nothing, I’ll do it. Frank would have wanted that. Their Daddy would have wanted that.”

All of her children, including three that are now adults but who were in their teens at the time of the accident, are professing Christians.

What a strong woman, and what a Godly man. His faith was so evident during his lifetime that his Christian legacy will follow him long after the grave, lived out in the lives of his six children."

How amazing is that! A father providing for his family...even after he is gone and cannot physically be there working to put food on the table. That is what we, as Christians, are called to be: futuristic and mindful stewards of Christ in every area of life. This godly man did this...he thought ahead and was thoughtful of the fact that God is the author of life and death...not man. Our days here are short and never guaranteed to last (Psalm 103: 15, 1 Peter 1:24, James 1:11). We never know and all we can do is be prepared and ready for whatever God has in mind for us. Who can know His mind? Whether it's mentally ready (saved and living out a Godly life) or physically prepared (things set in order as this husband had) we are called to be a people who are God's...entirely devoted to Him and completely compliant whatever His will (not like you get a say once you die or anything). 

Anyways...those are just some thoughts! Hope this encourages you!

 

My "Excuse Post"

Hey y'all....I've been getting really lazy with posting lately. I'm sorry! But yeah, pretty much I am getting busier. I go through stages (who doesn't??). Sometimes I'm crazy busy all the time with nothing good to post about...and sometimes I'm just plain free with lots of good quality things to talk about. And then there are those times where I am free with internet access but I'm way too lazy to get to my blog. I check my email...I check facebook...I check for comments on my blog...I listen to music...I find more music....I check my other emails...I GET ON PINTEREST. ...Yeah, Pinterest is my downfall. Ever since I've had more access to the internet it's been rather an addiction.

Anyways...I've been working a lot lately too. I have four jobs now...two babysitting, one at the library, and one transcribing. The latter is the most recent and I haven't really gotten into it...Pinterest has been in the way so far, but I will learn self-control! But the work I was really talking about is the library. Ever since I started working there (a little over a year ago) it's been like a dream come true! Moving into pace there and getting accustomed to the work and how everything operates really came naturally to me and apparently I was a natural at it! I've worked it up to where I'm one of the fastest (and hopefully efficient too) workers there. This means when they need someone in there to do extra work they call me...which is good...cuz I've missed my paycheck. I was gone to Blue Lake and then they were closed for 2 weeks for remodeling starting the day after I got back from camp.

I worked at the library last Wednesday (I'm sorry if I'm repeating at all!) and Friday just straightening everything up and dusting all the shelves and books. Many people may not think about that....or how hard it is...but considered doing that to literally thousands of books. Ick. Anyways! Then Monday came and they called me in an hour early. Let me explain...on the busiest day we've ever had in the 18 years we've been open, the most items that have ever been checked in on a single day was approximately 500 things...including books, cds, dvds, etc. Well yesterday, when we opened after being closed for 2 weeks, we checked in 1,552 items in a single day. And it was the day I was scheduled to work. I haven't had that much fun in a long time! :D Today, I was called in during the morning shift (which never happens cuz our job is to put away all the books collected and checked in during the day...hence why we work the closing shift). I went in at 9 and was supposed to work till 12, but there was so much work to do that I didn't leave till 2:30. It wasn't just shelving stuff....I was packing bags for kids since our summer reading program is over and that is their end prize. So yup...been busy working.

That is my "excuse post" as to why I haven't been posting every single day. Which got me my post for today! Yay! Hurrah for multi-tasking! Anyhoo...I"m rambling. I should go now...I really do need to get offline sometime in the near future. Viola is calling me and tonight I will be hanging out with Rakie. Probably getting a movie or something. Gotta love awesome restful nights like this. I bet I just jinxed it...maybe I just jinxed the jinx by saying that I just jinxed it. Yup, and I've had a lot of coffee today too. Coffee really does rule everything else...even cats...but don't actually say that to your cat because most cats don't agree.

God bless you, whoever you are!

17 And "So Grown Up"...

The other night I went to my grandparents with my family to celebrate my grandma and my birthdays. It was fun, we had a good dinner and spent good time with them. We don't get to see them very often even though they live about 5 minutes away. Anyways, we were just saying our goodbyes when my step-grandpa says to me, "Well...now you're 17...when are you going to get a boyfriend?". Even after I said that I wasn't interested in one he still pressed the issue: "So when will you get one? Why wouldn't you get one?". I've gotten this speech before...and not just from them. A lot of people see me as "grown up and mature"...so why don't I have a boyfriend? Simply put...I'm not ready nor do I want one.

I wouldn't even say I act like a normal 17 year old should be acting. I mess up...a lot. I'm not the great person a lot of people see me as. My mum has always told me that no matter how great a person may seem that behind it there is a person who has issues just as big as you. It's true. We put on a good face for the public...rarely taking it down even for our best friends. We are people with a great sin nature and I am not excluded from that *in the least*. So one of the greatest reasons I don't have a boyfriend is that I'm simply not ready for one! I have a long way to go before I have started turning in the right direction.

Even then...when people say "boyfriend" they are not thinking "life partner". When they say "Why don't you have one?" I think...'Do I *need* one to appear human??' Is that what defines a person now? By if you have a boyfriend/girlfriend and how many you've had before? I just read something this morning that said "Dating is usually about meeting a self-centered need. Courting is about intentionally building a foundation for marriage." Maybe that seems a little off-topic, but let me connect some dots. When people say boyfriend they usually mean dating. "Do you have a boyfriend" translates into "Do you date?" ...aka "Do you have a life?". I don't believe in dating...I don't believe it's right at all.

Why would you put two teenagers together alone without any real standard of right or wrong (meaning parents being right there) when they are in a stage of their life where they can't think comprehensively for themselves? What good is that going to do? Looking at the history of dating it hasn't led to really great things. Even if it does go to marriage, how long does that marriage last? Now, this is *not* to say that if you ever dated anyone that your marriage (if it happened) is going down in flames.

All I'm really saying is that maybe a more ideal path would be taking those same two hormone driven teenagers (or whatever age they are) and putting them with people who have been through a similar situation of finding a life-partner before (meaning parents) and have them LEARN about each other. Not romantically...not even particularly attached...but with the thought that it *might* lead to marriage...not positively though. This is normally called 'courting'. It's the two people getting to know each other with the idea of seeing if the other person is compatible with them and if they would be able to live happily with them for the rest of their life.

So when people ask if I'm dating, if I have a boyfriend, or anything of that type, I can easily answer that I am not going to casually date until I feel "complete". Because once you enter into that pool you'll never leave it. It will turn out to be an endless string of guys...one after another. I want to court with a purpose. I want to be completely serious about it, not taking it lightly. This is the rest of your life that we're talking about! This is what will determine your happiness! I'm not ready for marriage and if I find a guy who might be considered a "boyfriend" then the future idea would be marriage...and at 17 years old I'm not ready for marriage or even to be wishing/thinking about marriage. What my chief goal should be right now is focusing on God, my daily walk with Him, my relationship with my parents and family, and seeking to glorify God with whatever I do in regards to my future (college and such).

So those are my brief thoughts on that subject! It just got me thinking the other night and I thought I'd share my thoughts with you! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think, if you want. :)

Power outtage

I have always been under the mindset that when the power goes out then it automatically becomes some romantic situation. The other night I was once again reminded of how much a pain in the butt it really is! I was just sitting down to watch the finals for the women's gymnastics...probably the number one thing I would never want to be uninterrupted while watching it. Any other sport...any other channel...any other show I wouldn't have cared so much. I guess it's a good thing though...taught me not to set my mind so firmly upon doing something that I simply wanted and didn't need.

Anyways...so the power shut off and that pretty much put a damper on the whole evening for everyone. We didn't have many candles and we never have flashlights (they always go missing -.-) so it was just pretty dark. It was a little sad to see how firmly we are attached to running water and electricity. My dad has become so used to the A/C in his room (that's the only room with A/C) that he slept down in the basement because it was a little cooler. Pretty much the only space to sleep down there is either in his big comfy chair or on the futon...both of which are in my "room/space" down there. I usually don't sleep too well if other people are in the same room so I just moved blankets and pillows and such upstairs to the couch where I sat and watched movies till about 1am. The power did come on shortly before midnight, but my dad still slept down there so I just stayed on the couch.

I don't exactly know where I was going with that story...I thought I had some kind of wholesome thought or good moral to take away from it. Oh well! Maybe you can draw your own special meaning or lesson from it. I hope you have an excellent day wherever you are and with whatever you're doing. God bless!

Charlotte Community Library

For those of you who didn't know already, I work at our local community library. This library has been open for 18 years now...all without any remodeling or replacing going on. Well for the first time since we've opened we decided to finally do all that remodeling. So it's been closed for the past 2 weeks as they've all worked hard on making it look brand new. And it does! Let me tell you....a lot of our regular patrons will be coming in shocked on Monday morning. We moved whole sections around, added more study places, painted new carpets, painted new colors...a ton of stuff! Anyways...I was in there Wednesday and today...mainly just dusting every single book and every single spot on every single shelf and also shelving any books or stuff that comes in the library while it's closed. All that to say that if you live anywhere near Charlotte you're gonna love what we've done with it! We open on Monday, August 6th and it's gonna be absolutely beautiful. Enjoy!

Strength Part 2

I am finally sitting down this morning with a nice, large cup of coffee in hand. This day will be good, I will make sure of it. So I got to thinking about my post the other day about strength and what I said about it...but what Part 1 should have consisted of was this:

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. (Psalm 121)

That is the *true* source of strength and peace. In a world that so desperately needs to be built up and made strong this is a message that should be promoted. Unfortunately, this world is pretty messed up in many more ways than just that one, so it's rather hard to tell which message to put out first and foremost. We are just desperately in need of a lot of messages, the need for true salvation is essential as well.

My prayer for you, my readers, is that you are well strengthened and built up today...that you would lift your eyes up to the Lord, where all your strength originates.

Beautiful Birthday

Right now it is late Wednesday night...but it's still August 1st...so yesterday was my birthday. On July 31, I turned the big 17. It doesn't feel all that big. It kinda crept up on everyone so it wasn't that big of a deal. We were kinda busy for it anyways. And God has been putting me through some life-shaping experiences lately too, so it's been a little rough. Needless to say, I didn't think it'd be all that super. But God as usual, laughed at me and showed me up. The morning wasn't too great to be honest...but the day did get better. By the evening I was enjoying myself.

Aimee came and picked me up and we went out shopping a bit and tried to kick some stuff off our bucket list (the whole list can be found on pinterest). We found out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop and we began our goal of finishing a whole coloring book. Don't laugh, because that last one is really a challenge. We found out that there are 96 coloring pages in the one book we got. Thankfully it's a Winnie the Pooh coloring book so it's way worth it. We also got my free birthday coffee and then walked around downtown Charlotte just enjoying life.

Today I got to watch my newest babies...Ellie, Abby, Lucie, and Kade...they are the cutest, sweetest, most energetic little ones I have ever seen. Thankfully they love me to death. The moment I stepped inside today I was surrounded and covered by little ones! What a blessing it is to have that "complaint". My job is mainly to occupy the kids so their mum can do work around the house or just relax. She has another new baby: Annabelle...so I do not blame her for needing a breather! I got to take the kids out on a nice long walk/bike ride and I got to learn Patience and Self-Control 101! We got back and then got to head out to the little lake that they live on...it was SO much fun to splash around with them and laugh and giggle and just enjoy all the little things. I felt ages younger then 17 at that time. Then it was lunch time and then just relaxing until I had to go.

I went straight over to the library where I spent a few hours wiping down books and shelves. Our library is doing remodeling for the first time since it was built 18 years ago. We've been closed for about 2 weeks and will open on Monday but until then they need help cleaning up shelves and books and organizing and reading the shelves to keep it all in order. Then I came home and just relaxed...a full day away from home and spent doing either physically or mentally taxing jobs kinda wore me out. I did get to spend some good time with my sister Becca and tomorrow we will hopefully be going on a bike ride. In addition to that us girls will probably begin work on the wedding invitations. My mum doesn't know yet, but we'll be surprising her with a "Mama's day off"...she doesn't do *any* work at all.

It is encouraging to me to see how many views I'm getting on my blog...even if they are accidental stumbles across my blog by a random google search it motivates me to write more and think deeper and educating thoughts so that I can share them with you, my readers. If anything ever strikes your fancy, please comment. I love reading any thoughts or comments. Goodnight blog readers!