Award Season!

Well, it's award season! I have a couple of awards and tags that have piled up in my drafts - so here they all are! First up is the beautiful blogger award:

I was awarded this by Eden at Heirs of Promise. Thanks Eden! :)

As a part of the award, I have to write seven random things about myself. So here goes:

1. I have a very hard time making decisions.

2. I like peanut butter, though we hardly ever buy it. :(

3. I love "older" Christian music artists such as Twila Paris, Michael Card, and Keith Green.

4. Reading or writing a well-written allegory is one of the best feelings in the world for me.

5. I love doing art in all different mediums (though I've never used acrylics)

6. I'm an "edit as I think" person (which sometimes makes it very hard to write!)

7. A year ago today, I would never have imagined myself blogging. But I'm so happy that I started, otherwise I would have never have met all of you. :D

I award:
Celebrilomiel at Melodies of the Miscellaneous 
Amber at Taking Life One Step at a Time
Emily at Practically Pink
Lindsay at Content in Christ
Miss Raquel at God's Daughter

 This one I received from Memzie. Thank-you so much! :)

If you are tagged:
1. Post about the tag
2. Pick 10 bloggers who deserve this award
3. Leave a comment on the blogs of the people you tagged letting them know they were awarded
4. Answer the questions along with your post 

1: Apples, Oranges or Bananas? Apples. I like them any season of the year! 

2: How many siblings do you have? Two younger brothers 

3: How old are you? Well I don't think I've said my exact age yet on this blog... so I will just say old enough to be called an adult, and young enough to still feel like a kid. ;)

4: Do you live on a: I live basically in the woods. :)  prairie, woodland, swamp, city or other?
5: Scissors or glue? Well, I don't like glue...

6: Describe your dream house. I like a lot of different styles of houses, actually. I would like a big porch and lots of property with woods and a river/stream/pond. After all, it's the outside which really makes a house (in my opinion) ;)

7: Is your room clean? Um... it's relatively clean (which means I think it's clean and my mom doesn't). :P

8: If you could be a movie character for a day, who would you be? Oh wouldn't that be amazing! I'd love to be Elizabeth from Pride & Prejudice. 

9: Italy, Greece, France, Spain or England? England, because I could see all the old buildings and art and stuff.

10: What denomination are you? Non-denominational :)

11: Do you sleep with a stuffed toy (BE HONEST!!!!) No - but I do have a few at the end of my bed.

12: Gum, chocolate, or jelly beans? Are you kidding me? Gum & jelly beans have nothing on chocolate!

13: What is your favorite book? I have too many favorites. :P

14: Favorite ice cream flavor? Moose Tracks

15: If you had to eat one type of food for two weeks, what would that food be? Oh wow... I don't think I could do that. I guess maybe

16: What is your favorite Olympic sport? Ice skating.

17: If you woke up and discovered that you had turned into Miley Cyrus for the day, what would you do? Um... freak out because I'd like to continue being myself, thank you very much. ;)

18: Describe yourself in three words. Creative. Caring. Inspired. (I tried to think of three C words, but I couldn't)

19: What do you hate? All the problems that sin has caused in this world. :(

20: If Elmo came into your room with a gun, what would you do? This is a random and strange question. I think I shall chose not to answer! ;)

Now, I award:

Eldarwen at The Faithful Elven Princess

Richelle at Richellephant

Bekah at The Word Crafter

Lizzie at Lizzie's Library

Stephanie at Stephanie's Saga

Nicole at Psalm 27:14

(sorry that's only six!)

This award is for the bloggers who I believe have a practice of turning the lemons of life into lemonade.  You all inspire and encourage me. :D

Bekah
Hannah
Cassie
Merriette
Evergreena
Eden
Ivorydancer

Oh, and one other thing: a week ago or so, I got my 50th follower! Now I'm almost at 60, which is awesome. So I just wanted to shout out a thank you to you all! Every single one of you makes my day! I hope you all have a very blessed day. :D

To the Brides of Christ

Violet at All For The Love Of Chaos posted this beautiful essay she has written. It is called, "The Window of Your Heart" and she wrote it specifically for Christian girls... the brides of Christ. It is one of the most beautiful things I have read about Christ's love for His own.
 

The Window of Your Heart

You sit there, against that Wailing Wall of your room, wondering if you are ever going to make it though this mess they call Life. Everywhere you turn someone puts you down, and the tears that stain your heart mark the pain and the burden of your rejection. Love… you are yearning for love.

But wait! Hope is coming like the Spring’s beauty after Winter’s frost. You have not been abandoned, you are not alone. There is a Lover who pursues you, and longs for you to notice Him. He is waiting.

He loves you so much that he knocks at the door of your heart, and stands in line patiently with the others. He longs for you to pick him & invite Him into your heart, and His heart shatters each time you choose someone or something else to be the love of your life.

He loves you so much He puts His strongest, fastest angels to take care of you, and watches your every move. Tears spring to His eyes when you don’t accept His angel’s help and protection, and instead accept the strength of some mortal protector, who, in the end, cannot shield you from the Enemy’s attacks.

He loves you so much He wants to give you the whole world and He does. He gives you the moon, and the stars, and lies in the grass with you, pointing out every little point of light, His heart soaring because you like it. He took so long to paint the sky so it would be beautiful for you, hoping, knowing, that it would touch your heart.

Flowers? He loves you so much He brings you flowers, millions of flowers, and shows you his sense of humor by bringing them even in the form of dandelions or ragweed. He beautifully packages His flowers in colors of green and yellow and red and purple, orange, pink, blue, white… all the colors of the rainbow. He knows you love them, and they are labeled “From your Secret Admirer. You’ve always longed for a Secret Admirer, someone who pursued you because you were beautiful, alluring, lovely… well, you do.

He is so much in love with you that he doesn’t care about your past. He gets down on His knees and begs you: “I love you, I have loved you for as long as I remember. Please tell me that you love me,” He pleads.

He is valiant. He fights the demons that hold you, the addictions, the obsessions, the sin that has you in chains, a phantom of fear cast around your heart. He hears your screams to be rescued, loves you so much to throw Himself at the dragon and fight for you. He could have left you to die, there are other girls who are easier to come by, who would love it if He even gave them a glance. But no… He gave them up for you. He loves you, and will go to all lengths, all risks, to get you, to prove to you His love.

He is close, and sensitive, embracing you when your heart weeps, when your life breaks apart into a million pieces. He carries you when you get scared in the storm, and comes looking for you, crying out your name, when the hurricane of your thinking separates you. He tears up about your pain when you open up to him, and with gentle hands He heals you.

He is thoughtful. In the morning He wakes you softly with the rays of the sun and the melodious songs of birds. He whispers you good morning and kisses you with the soft breeze coming in through the open window. Even on a gloomy day he has a special surprise only for your heart to know and understand. He tells you of His plans, of His purpose, and how much He desires to be with you within the pages of His love letters to you. And He is downcast and so dejected when you pass up reading His words to you for some other book or method of leisure. You allow someone or something else to romance and allure your heart, and it brings tears to His eyes and pain to His heart. He knows how weak that someone or something is, and how weak you are.

He cries out to you, longs for you to look at Him. But your gaze is fixed on someone else. The Enemy. The Enemy has captured the gaze of His beloved.

He loves you so much that He waits, even though you left Him. When you realize that the Enemy’s tune-less murmur in your ear is taking you away from He who cherishes you, you will cry out to Him. He will valiantly rescue you again. He loves you so much He will throw thousands of angels up against the Enemy, only to get you back. And he loves you so much, he will rescue you again, and again, and again, and again. Nothing you can do will make Him get angry with you enough to leave you. And He will never let the Enemy harm you. He will not leave you, He will not desert you. Although you might reject Him, He will wait patiently, pursuing your heart until you return to his arms, safe once more.

But He does not wait motionless; no. Every single moment you are away, in the Enemy’s lair, he is resless. He calls for you, runs to you, trying to make you notice Him. He does not rest until you are rescued, safe. He pleads with you, begs you, trying to gently tell you that the way you are going leads to destruction, and heartache. His heart breaks when you let the Enemy plug your ears. He screams in anguish when you let the Enemy lead you, knowing it is towards Destruction.

“Take anything else!” He cries. “Take anything else! My home, my creation, my crown, even myself, if only you would spare my beloved! Take me instead, not her! Please!”

He loves you so much He ran into the land of Shadow to bring you out. The Enemy tied Him up with the chains destined for you. He was blamed for your addictions; He felt the pain of your abuse; He cried out when the burden of your sin was thrown upon him, wrung around His throat. He looked at you, His starry eyes tearing, as His Enemy pushed Him into the abyss, instead of you.

He loves you so much he took your past from you: your impurity, your abuse, your pain, your ugliness, your infliction, your depression, your loss, your disability, your weakness, your arrogance, your ignorance, your poverty, your nakedness, your embarrassment, your unloveableness, your scorn, your hurt, and ultimately, ultimately… your brokenness.

But… He is powerful. He is strong. So powerful, He defeated the Enemy. He defeated your sin! No longer does the Enemy’s lairs have power over you. Your addictions have been taken away from you… you are free! Your anger has been vanquished… Smile: you are free! You are whole, perfect, pure- the scars of abuse have been taken away… you are free! The traces of darkness, ugliness and depression have been washed away… He is victorious; rejoice! You are free! The loss, the wounds of that which was ripped away from you by Death, by Poverty… by the forces of the Enemy, are restored… You are free!

And He runs, galliantly, towards you, arms open wide, ready to accept you into them. Tears streaming joyfully down His face, the light and beauty of His Kingdom filling the defeated darkness of the Enemy, He throws you up into the air, and catches you, embracing you. Finally you are together, free. And when you are with Him, you are who you were made to be. He completes you.

Hand in hand He walks you down a glorious path in the woods. Butterflies, wild flowers, a shimmering brook rushing over smooth rocks and stones and cascading over them into a deliciously cool pond… Rabbits scamper as you swim and bask in the sunlight.

Then He pulls you up, out of the Valleys and into the Clouds. Up over the trees and into the mountains. The sunset sets the rocks afire. A warm, crackling campfire, roasting marshmallows and hot dogs and talking softly… You lean your head against His chest and even the chill of the starry night air can't get to you, because He is holding you. With Him, you are whole. You are free. 

He shows you many things, talks to you. And He wants you to talk to Him, about everything. He wants you to let Him know you.

When you feel alone, head in your hands, back against a wall, He comes walking up the aisle with His hands shoved in His pockets. He gives you a small smile and squats next to you, eyes searching, asking you to tell Him what is wrong.

When you are happy, rejoicing over an accomplishment, He throws you a party. He breaks out a grin and invites all of your friends. “Look how fantastic she is… I don’t know what I’d do without her!” He exclaims.

When you are stressed, and cant seem to get anything right, His arms embrace your world and your heart, and just holds you. In His hands, you will be safe, and your heart will be healed. Your pain will soon go away, and in His hands you will be healed.

When the end seems to come too soon…
When you feel as if life is not worth living…
When you cant cope…
When you feel sick, or alone, or ugly…
When you cant do anything right…

He’s waiting. He’s longing for your voice. Restless He waits. In His hands He can heal. In His hands he can free.

When life is going right…
When you are encouraged…
When you are victorious…
When you look in the mirror and you are beautiful, and radiant…

He wants to know. He is waiting to rejoice with you. He’s the first one to pop open a bottle of champagne. He’s the first one with the party hat on. He dances with you.

You see, He wants you. Just like you want Him. He could do it without you, of course, but He loves you so much, there’s a special ache in His heart for you, that only you can fill.

He would look awkward dancing by Himself. You make the dance glorious, beautiful, graceful, and purposeful. He loves you, and you love Him. You are one. He would look strong paddling a canoe in the rapids alone. But with you… it looks like an adventure. A team. A fight between fear and valor. You help Him. He could do it alone, but together… ah, He would only do it with you. 

He shows you the sights, the smells, the sounds… together… you are one.

He loves you so much. He longs for you to love Him back. He throws pebbles at the window of your heart.

Wake up and let Him in…

Beloved.

An Inspired Young Woman's Daybook #7

Here is my entry for An Inspired Young Woman's Daybook. I actually filled this out yesterday, but I was trying to upload a video of my piano-playing, and it failed. So I'm posting my entry (from yesterday) today. I will just have to try uploading a video another time.

Find out how to do An Inspired Young Woman's Daybook here

Today was one of the most productive, joyful, and blessed days I've had in a long time.
I'm feeling happy. Genuinely happy. And for no specific reason!
My outfit is exactly the same as last week's! (I guess it's my Saturday outfit, lol)
Outside my window the sun has set and everything is dark. It was a pretty stormy day today, though.
A song that's stuck in my head is the second movement of Vivaldi's Spring. (click on the link to listen to the song)
Something (a book, song, movie, person...) that's inspired me recently: my parents challenged and inspired me this morning to make a habit of redeeming my time and doing the hard things first. I followed their advice today, and what a difference it makes!
A prayer of my heart this week is to be more intentional with my time, focus, and my words with others.
I am creating a number of book ideas, actually. I just wrote a short story, and I'm working on another one. I also had an idea for a book this morning... we'll see if it amounts to anything or not. ;)
I am reading Do Hard Things, (can you tell?), Passion & Purity, and A Series of Unfortunate Events (which a friend recommended - I'm not sure if I like it or not.)
I am thinking about the abundant blessings God has poured out upon me!
A scripture verse or passage that's stuck out to me this week: Psalm 73:25-26 "Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
A spiritual lesson I'm learning is that my worth is found in Christ alone.
An attribute of God I've seen this week is His peace - I've been sick most of this week, and yesterday was a rough day for me, yet I felt His peace and strength throughout it all.
A picture I’d like to share:

raindrops

A creative goal for next week is to keep working on "Rescue My Heart" - I think I'll challenge myself to do a chapter a day.
Did I complete my goal from last week... no, actually I didn't finish the allegory I'm working on - because I got distracted with other story ideas!

Chosen

I know so often when I wake up in the morning, my first thoughts are centered around me. I often think, "What fun things can I do today?" or "I wonder if anyone left a comment on my blog?" (it's true!). This morning I woke up with the song, "This is the cry of my heart, to worship You" stuck in my head. Though I immediately thought those two other thoughts I mentioned, the song stuck in my head made me realize what I was doing. I was being a hypocrite.

In John 15:16a, Christ says, "You did not chose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last." This verse really struck me recently, and I've been meditating on it.

First of all, God chose me. It wasn't the other way around. I couldn't chose Him when I was dead in my transgressions and sins. I was dead for goodness' sake! And not only was I dead, but I was willfully rebellious against Him.

Yet even in my rebellious, dead state, God singled me out and chose to give me life. This fact alone should cause me to want to give Him my whole life. But there's even more. He not only chose me out of the world, but appointed me to a specific duty. This duty is to bear fruit for Him.

Interestingly, this verse says "to bear fruit that will last." What is fruit that will last? What immediately comes to my mind when I think of fruit (in the Bible, that is), is the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, and so on. But I realized that fruit that will last is also pointing others to Christ.

So I challenge you this day, as I am challenging myself, to live life as one chosen by God! Let your actions, reactions, and interactions with others show that you are set apart for God's purpose. You are chosen for the beautiful task of bearing fruit for God. Should this not be the focus of every day, every minute, and every second?

Planting Chums - Fun Games

I missed last week's topic on Hannah's "Planting Chums", which was "Food Loves" (that's good anyways, because I have so many it would be hard to chose!)

This week, the topic is "Fun Games." Now I have to tell you, my family is really into games. It all started with my dad: he loved to play board games with his friends when he was a kid, and his love of games has continued as an adult (he still gets together once in a while with a friend and plays this really complicated World War II board game). He enjoys buying us the games he loved as a kid, and we usually really like them as well.

Needless to say, we have a lot of games. And not just the traditional games you see like Monopoly or Scrabble or Uno (though we have those too). We have games like Kingmaker and The War of the Ring (from LotR) and Wooden Ships and Iron Men (which I'm sure you've probably never heard before). And we also love to make up our own games as well.

So, I have a lot of favorite games. In this post I will try to limit myself to five. (Ack, this is hard!)

First off, I love Settlers of Catan:

We recently got this game for Christmas, and have been playing it with my dad every chance we get. It's kind of hard to explain if you've never played me, but trust me, it's a lot of fun. You're trying to rule the board by having the most settlements, cities, and roads. It relies both on chance and strategy. The awesome thing about it is that it's never the same twice!

Second (really more of a tie) is Dutch Blitz:

This fast-paced card game is so much fun - and the more the merrier! The first time I played it, there were like ten people playing. I was so lost as everyone frantically was putting down cards all over the place. I've gotten much more speedy now!

This one you probably haven't heard of: Landslide.

This is one of those oldies-but-goodies. My dad played this game as a kid, and he introduced it to us. In the game, you are a presidential candidate, and your goal is to win the most states (by a landslide). It's a whole lot of fun!

Fluxx. The wackiest card game I have ever played.

There's really no way to describe this game. It's hilarious and completely random, and will have you sometimes groaning with frustration as you try to follow all the rules that are laid down. The winner is often the person who looks like they're losing (and you usually can't even tell that). And it makes some hilarious inside jokes!

Last but not least is good old Apples to Apples!

This is one of my all time favorites, and the one our family most frequently agrees to play (we're all pretty picky when it comes to our favorite games). We've developed quite a few versions of this two - blind, put down two, opposite... always loads of fun.

Ah, now I'm raring to go play games with my family! :)

An Inspired Young Woman's Daybook #6

Well, I've been lax in my daybook for a couple of weeks, so I thought I would get back into the habit. So here is my Inspired Young Woman's Daybook.

Find out how to do An Inspired Young Woman's Daybook here

Today I am kind of overwhelmed.
I'm feeling tired from the English country dancing "ball" we went to last night (though it was lovely!)
My outfit is jeans and a gray sweatshirt that says "Lovin' Life"
Outside my window it is a gray and weary day. Everything seems bogged down by the heavy clouds.
A song that's stuck in my head is the National Treasure theme... my brothers and I are using it for a movie we're making.
Something (a book, song, movie, person...) that's inspired me recently: the song, "Oh Lord, You're Beautiful", by Keith Green. I sing it often, and it helps me to re-focus my thoughts on God instead of on my worries or on a catchy song with not-so-good lyrics.
A prayer of my heart this week is to be able to trust God in all areas of my life - and especially about my future.
I am creating a ton of things... I seem to love multitasking at the moment.
I am reading Do Hard Things by the Harris twins, and Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot (with my mom).
I am thinking about how nice it was to have a heart-to-heart talk with my mom this morning. :)
A scripture verse or passage that's stuck out to me this week: Psalm 90:14 "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."
A spiritual lesson I'm learning is to be willing to let God use me no matter the consequences.
An attribute of God I've seen this week is His omnipotence - He has everything under control even if I don't!
A picture I’d like to share:

The sunrise was beautiful yesterday!

A creative goal for next week is to finish a short story I'm working on which is an allegory of Christ's redeeming work for us. And also continue in re-writing "Rescue My Heart"!
Did I complete my goal from last week... well, I rewrote up to chapter 11, but not all of Anna's part. So - I guess I did most of it. ;)

Giveaways and Blog Parties!

Lots of my friends are hosting giveaways! Check out these awesome ones: 

Eden at Heirs of Promise is giving away some cute dishcloths she crocheted herself! Aren't they beautiful?

Rachel at Rachel's Blog is giving away three really cute things: jeweled bobby pins, note cards of scripture verses, and an apron she made.

Lindsay at Content in Christ is giving away a handmade bag and apron, both of which are reversible. Aren't they cute?

Eldarwen at Faithful Elven Princess is doing not only a givaway, but also a blog party! She's giving away Ocean Eyes by Owl City.

And here are the questions for her blog party:

1) How old are you? Old enough to think I'm an adult, yet young enough to still want to create fantasies and worlds all my own... :)
 

2) What name do you go by on blogger? Melody.

3) When is your birthday? I'd rather not say the exact date, but it's towards the end of July.

4) If you could live anywhere in the world, besides where you live now, where would it be? I guess it would be kind of cool to live near the ocean, but I really do love where I live now.

5) How did you find out about Blogger? I don't really remember how exactly... I think I was surfing through blogs and all of them were Blogger, so I thought I would start one.

6) Tell us something interesting about yourself: For some reason, though I love to read humorous books (think "At Home in Mitford" by Jan Karen), I never seem to be able to write them.

7) What was your favorite toy when you were little? I had a little reindeer stuffed animal named Pepper that I loved. I still have it, too. :)

8) What is your favorite meal? Have you ever cooked/helped cook that meal? My favorite meal is chicken pot pie, and only homemade. And I'm usually the one who makes it at our house!

9) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I've been asked this question so many times - and I really don't know. I'm pretty fine with my outward appearance, and God is changing and conforming my character to be more like Christ. So I guess I wouldn't change anything!

10) Are you an outside person, or an inside person? I really love the outdoors... but I also love the indoors because it contains my computer and piano. If I really had to chose one over the other, I would pick the outdoors, because I just love God's creation!

11) Are you a mommy's girl, or a daddy's girl? A mixture of both. I would say Mommy's girl in the morning, Daddy's girl in the evening. :)

12) In one word, describe the feeling you get when you stub your toe, after just being told by your parents that you are grounded for the next month: Overwhelmed.

13) Let's say you TP'd your friend's house (for those of you who don't know what TP'd stands for, it means toilet papered. As in, put toilet paper on their trees, cars, house, porch, etc.). If someone asked you why you TP'd your friends house, you would say: Well, in the first place, I would never do that! But if I did, I would say, "So-and-so made me do it!

14) Have you ever gone swimming in deep, dark, dirty water? Deep and dark, yes, but not dirty. The lake we swim at in the summer is actually one of the cleanest lakes in our area. It still can be pretty scary at times, especially if you are out in the middle without any floaties. 

15) Have you ever dreamed about getting ready to leave the house, and forgetting to get your pants on? lol - not exactly, though I have had dreams which were similar. :P

16) Have you ever done something so ridiculous, that you wish you'd never done it? If so, what? Haha so you want me to proclaim my ridiculousness to the world? Actually, I can' really think of something that ridiculous I've done. I bet if I asked my friends, though, they would have a lot to say on this question. ;)

17) Imagine that you saw a purse snatching. What would you do?

a. scream and run away

b. move out of the state/country

c. tackle the purse snatcher to the ground.

d. ignore it, start whistling, and turn the other direction.
 Um... how about none of the above? I would scream "Thief!" and point so others could go chase after the purse-snatcher. Then I would go about my business. :)

18) How many friends do you have on blogger? I'm friends with just about all of my followers. So - about 50 (which is a lot!)

19) What makes blogging so much fun for you? I love being able to share my thoughts, writings, things God's teaching me, triumphs, tough times, and everything in between with all of you! And every time I get a comment, it really makes my day!

20) You're a turtle, who has bet that you can win a race with a rabbit. How does it turn out? Well... though I've never been a turtle, I expect that they can really speed if they need to. So I would say the turtle wins the race. :)

Come Read...

...this story!

Violet from All For the Love of Chaos and I are writing a story together, which we have been posting on a private blog. There are about eight journal entries up right now, and we are continuing to add to them. We would love to have readers who can give us some feedback and let us know how the story affects them.

Here's the little "teaser" to pique your curiosity:

The story is told through the journal entries of Rosandra Seams and Diana Kelper, best friends in an unusual situation. After Diana lost her family in a fire that burned down their manor, Rosandra's family kindly offered to take Diana in, at least for a while. It seems like the perfect situation, right? I mean, who wouldn't want their best friend to come and live with them?

But though they believed they were "best friends," they soon come to realize how little they really knew each other. Their friendship is severely tested as they constantly work against instead of with each other. They will have to learn all over again what being a true friend really means.  Yet their road to trust is rockier than even they can imagine.

Interested? Post a comment with your email address (which I won't publish) and I can invite you to view the blog. Or, if you've already sent me your email for something else, just let me know and I can add you!

Femininity & Modesty

Recently, after reading the Modesty Survey put on by the Rebelution, I was really convicted about the way I dress. It's easy to rationalize things and say, "Well, this isn't that immodest," or "I can wear another shirt under it or over it and it will be fine." But through this survey, I realized that what I wear does affect guys, and can lead them into wrong thinking very easily. I also realized that I want my outfits to reflect God, not myself, to others. So I have been culling through my wardrobe evaluating my clothes.

That said, I haven't thought much about femininity before this week. I have a ton of skirts (trust me - my closet is mostly filled with skirts!), but I don't wear them very much. I've mostly saved them for church and special occasions. Doing this feminine farmgirl challenge has changed my view on that. I've realized that I can wear skirts more often - and I enjoy doing so!

During this challenge, I've noticed a number of things. When I wear a skirt, I'm treated differently by guys. I'm treated with more respect, and sometimes with more distance (which is fine with me!). Wearing a skirt also affects me: I walk more carefully, feel more feminine and free. At first, it was a little hard for me because I felt self-conscious (especially at my college class). But it was good for me to think about dressing for God, not for others.

I've realized that dressing femininely is beautiful, just as much as dressing modestly is. Even though I will continue to wear jeans, I plan on wearing skirts more frequently. And, as a young woman seeking after God's heart, I want my outward appearance to reflect my status as God's daughter. Because that's what true modesty and femininity is all about.

Feminine Farmgirl Challenge Day 6 & 7

Well, yesterday and today were interesting days for the feminine farmgirl challenge! Yesterday it was very cold, and it was also the day that I had a class at a local college, so I really would have rather worn pants. But, I continued in what I said I'd do - and I am happy that I did. :)

Here is my outfit from yesterday:

I wore a long pink tiered skirt, brown socks, a pink camisole, brown short-sleeve shirt, and a brown sweatshirt with pink embroidery on it. I also wore a pink necklace (which you can see better in the pictures below). The skirt and camisole were from Kohl's, all else is from the thrift store. :)

For my hairstyle, I pulled my hair up and put it in a large clip. Then I curled the wispy pieces that were left loose.

Today was a pretty amazing day. This morning, my brothers, best friend and I filmed a movie - and I was the villain. (Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of that, but I assure you - it was epic!)

Then, in the afternoon, I was a part of another movie. In this one, I was a queen:

And finally, tonight, I'm just plain me:

I'm wearing a greenish-yellowish flowered skirt, a bright blue shirt over a dark green cami, and grey socks. My hair is pulled back in a simple headband (which is actually just a ribbon). I've definitely enjoyed this challenge, and though I probably won't continue wearing skirts every day, I think I will wear them more often.

Tomorrow, I will try to post about my ideas about modesty. Hope you all have had a great week!

Feminine Farmgirl Challenge Day 5

Alright, so here is my outfit for day 5 of the feminine farmgirl challenge! It's amazing how the time has flown by this week - and how much fun I've had picking out these outfits!

Today I felt like wearing a dress, so I pulled out this from my closet:

Pink and brown are my favorite colors, so it was fun to wear them today! The dress is a tight knit weave, and very comfy. It was a rather cold day today, so I wore matching knee-length socks and a pink scarf. Oh, and I realized that I'm supposed to be saying where I got my outfits and how much I bought them for - and in all honesty, just about every one of my articles of clothing I've worn so far are from the thrift store! Today's outfit was a little more expensive however - the dress was from Dress Barn (I think it was about $20). The scarf was given to me, so I have no idea how much or where it was from.

I tried to do something a little different with my hair today, so I pulled some hair back from behind my ears and braided them together. (I braided each side, and then put the three strands from each braid together to form one braid.)

I think it looks rather elvish, don't you? :)

Until tomorrow,

Feminine Farmgirl Challenge Day 4

Okay, I'm not usually prone to loud exclamations, but today's an exception. Ivorydancer had a poetry contest recently, and today she posted the winners. Go over to her blog to read the amazing poems and find out who won! (I bet it's not hard to tell from my exuberance!)

Okay, and here's my outfit for day 4 of the feminine farmgirl challenge:

I'm wearing an orange short sleeve shirt with a gray cami underneath, white socks, and a blue-jean skirt. The skirt is made out of "tencel" so that's why it looks shiny. It was a bit more clingy than my other skirts, but not too bad.

My hair was up in a basic bun, where I just twisted it and then secured it with bobby pins:

Oh, and I got a compliment from my brother today! He said I look more adult and like a piano teacher in my outfit. That, and the results of the poetry contest, made my day! :D

Feminine Farmgirl Challenge: Crazy Day 3

Yes, today was crazy in more ways than one. First off, the weather was crazy. It was one of those days where the clouds chase each other across the sky and wonder if they should pour forth rain or only rumble a bit at us earthlings down below.

Also, my car was acting crazy today. I had some trouble with the brakes as I was driving to my piano lesson. Thankfully, they didn't give way completely, but I had to put my foot practically to the floor in order to brake! It was pretty unnerving.

Therefore, my outfit today was crazy as well. This morning I had to wear pants (for various reasons), but then I changed into a skirt. It was a little different wearing pants at first, like I had forgotten what they felt like. :P

Then, as we were going out, I changed into a nicer top. I also pulled my hair back, because it was getting frizzy. So here's the final outfit:

I'm wearing a light blue shortsleeve top underneath a white hoodie, a darker blue skirt (which came out very wide if I twirled or something), and light blue socks. I'm wearing my usual tennis shoes, which are brown.

My hair was originally in a "half french braid" (as I call it) where I only braid part of the hair and leave the rest down:

Then I just pulled it all back into a ponytail.

So there you have it, my crazy day! :D

Feminine Farmgirl Challenge Day 2

Here is my outfit for the second day of the feminine farmgirl challenge:

I'm wearing a lavender-colored shirt (it's boatnecked, but that's hard to see in the picture), and a brown skirt. They both have embroidery, which I love. I also love purple, if you can't tell! :) My hair is just down, like I almost always have it. (I usually just let it air dry from the shower - yes, my hair is naturally stick straight!) Today was a lovely day, just the right amount of warmth and sunshine. So I went barefoot all day!

I'm enjoying this challenge quite a bit, actually. I had thought I might be limited in what I can do with a skirt on, but I'm finding that's just not true! And I love feeling and looking feminine. :)

Feminine Farmgirl Challenge

I was browsing through my followers' blogs, and I came across the Feelin' Feminine website. As I was looking around on there, I noticed that they have a challenge, called the feminine farmgirl challenge. Basically, you wear a skirt or dress every day for one week, and post about it each day. Even though I don't usually wear skirts, I love them, so I thought I would try it out. At the end of the week, I will post my thoughts about this whole experience, and also about what I think it means to be modest.

Here's my outfit for today:

This picture was actually taken at my church, in front of the grand piano I play. :)

Since today was Easter, I'm more dressed up than usual. I'm wearing a white eyelet blouse with a cami underneath, and a long lavender skirt. I curled my hair with a curling iron (though I didn't have enough time to do all of it) and then just left it down after brushing it once.

So that's my outfit for the first day of the challenge! I would love it if you joined me!

He is Risen!

Here are two poems I wrote last year for Easter. The first one is actually a song, which I later put to music. I hope you enjoy them as you reflect today on the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Let Me Never Forget

(verse 1)

Lord, let me never forget

The depth of your love for me.

The cruel sharp nails that were pounded

Into your hands and feet.

The agony and suffering,

The shame and the disgrace,

All this You bore so that I

Might receive amazing grace.

(Chorus)

Oh yes, let me never forget!

You offered up yourself to pay all my sin-debt

And let this be a prayer for my life

That I would not forget

That your love for me is so great

That you would lay down your life.

(verse 2)

Lord let me never forget

That once I was lost and blind.

But now you’ve brought me to the light,

And lifted the darkness from my mind.

It’s only through Christ’s suffering

That I come to you my King

So now to You I bring

This, my prayer and thanksgiving.

(to chorus)

copyright Melody 2009

After Three Days

After three days

Joy was re-born

Peace was restored,

Hope was renewed.

After three days

Light shone again,

Love had conquered,

Christ rose from the dead!

  copyright Melody 2009

Praise Him with me, for He is Risen!