Precious Gifts (Guest Post)

You have all heard the saying, " Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain." I couldn't agree more. Ann Voskamp, the author of One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are remarked that "Life is not an emergency." Every moment is a precious gift. It's our job to slow down to savor it.

The world is full of pain. The world is full of ugliness and despair. Still, God has chosen to give us beauty. We don't deserve His gifts, but, still He choses to give them. They are truly gifts of love.

Open your eyes. Notice the beauty of the little things around you. 

A baby's smile. 

A loaf of freshly-baked bread.

 Golden sunshine.

 Sparkling dewdrops. 

Bright bursts of color. 

Leather-bound books. 

Classical music. 

New life.

Holding hands with your siblings. 

Twirling until you get dizzy. 

Laughing so hard your sides hurt. 

Blooming flowers.

Rain.

These are beautiful things. 

These are the things that God has given us to enjoy. 

These are the things that require us to slow down and notice. 

It's all too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. Trust me. I know. As the oldest of five children who is trying to balance family, friends, and chores while earning a college degree from home, slowing down for the little things in life is a daunting task.

Still, I need to step back and breathe. I need to stop all feel the presence of an Almighty God in my life and watch as He writes a story. My story. And, when He writes my life story, He puts in wonderful beauties of little things that I don't want to miss. 

I'm Cassandra. Hazel eyes behind black-framed glasses. Sixteen-years-old. A girl set-apart by Jesus Christ. Lover of words, pictures, family, friends, laughing, and life. Laughs often, takes pictures compulsively, writes like there is no tomorrow. A book-worm, singer, heath-nut, beach girl, bibliophile, wanna-be-world-traveler, adventurer, skirt-wearer, daydreamer, homeschool student, college sophomore, humanities major, and lover of beautiful things… This is me. You can visit my blog here: Inside My Mind

The Art of Arranging (Guest Post)

Hello everyone! I'm Sally from Treble Clef, and I'm really excited to be posting here on Vividry. Thanks so much Melody for this opportunity :)

And so without further ado, I give you...

The Art of Arranging
(Sally's exclusive secrets on how to arrange phenomenal music)

Arranging music is, in my opinion, harder than composing your own music because it has to actually sound somewhat like the song you originally started out with whereas in composition you can literally put any rhythms and notes together and you're fine. When you arrange, you are basically taking a song and formatting it for your group. You can make an easier piece harder (or vice versa), make a song compatible for your instrumentation, or play around with the bass and harmonies while keeping the melody relativity intact. When arranging I am most often doing the second two things in that list.

One of the things that I spend a lot of my time arranging for is an 'Arts Alive' week at my summer camp. If you follow or read Treble Clef  then you probably read part or all of my arranging experience for this camp over the past year as I took on the task of arranging the song 'Bring Him Home' from Les Miserables. This was a challenge, but a very fun challenge at that. I began actually arranging in January (the camp was June 26-July 2) but had done pre-arranging work for months beforehand. It really is a long process. Recently, I have actually started the process again....for next summer. It may seem crazy, but I think that after you see how much will be put into this project, you may re-think that thought.

  ---

The first thing that I do when starting to arrange is sketch out a plan. This is kind of confusing, so I took a picture of the one I did the other night for my upcoming project. 

The first thing I have to do of course is lay out some possible music ideas (very important). I go through some books of mine that have songs that fit the theme I'm trying to match and also look on the internet too. For this particular group we tend to do a lot of movie music- especially ballads. In the past we've done The Black Pearl (Pirates of the Caribbean), Eight Days A Week (the Beatles), A Whole New World (Aladdin), and Bring Him Home (Les Miserables). (All my arrangements by the way.) This is where I start. After looking at a BUNCH of stuff, I wrote down my four most likely possibilities- something by the Beatles, Hallelujah (Shrek), The Rainbow Connection (the Muppets) and Can You Feel The Love Tonight (the Lion King).

The next step is to analyze your chosen songs to figure out which one of them you want to work with. *do NOT choose a song that you are not TOTALLY in love with- you won't be very enthusiastic about arranging it and therefore you won't have as stellar of a product*  After careful consideration of difficulty, known instrumentation (see lower left) (although in my case I don't know all my instrumentation yet so I have to make an executive decision from my know facts and speculation as to what we might have. I will find out much later what my full instrumentation will be), popularity, and other factors, I decided that the song that I would work with over the coming year would be Hallelujah. After choosing the song I laid out some basic ideas that I want to use in this arrangement, and then I'm finished with my first step on the road to arranging an awesome piece. (I just used the reference to my upcoming project as an example because it is a bit confusing otherwise. The above step and those below are the ones I use for EVERY arrangement.)

After you've spent some good time on your sketch, make sure to look it over one more time and double check everything that you've done so far. When you have finished with that, congratulations! It's time to move on to step two!

Remember, to arrange music you are taking someone else's composition and arranging it to fit your group, so to do this you're going to have to find some sources that you can work off to create your arrangement. These will give you ideas about key signature, time signature, melody, harmony, chord patterns, and the general way that the song is put together. I usually look three places to find my base music- first I look in my own personal library, then the internet (free or cheap downloads are GREAT), and then at my local music stores. I usually like two or three pieces of base music because then my arrangement has a lot of neat variety. One thing that is the most helpful in arranging is finding a piano part that has the melody line on top, along with guitar chords. This is good because:

(a. the piano part is the hardest to write, so it's really nice to have one right in front of you to build off of,
(b. the melody is right there ready for you to work with as you wish and
(c. the guitar shows you point-blank what chords are being used.

Choral arrangements are great too for ideas on harmony.

For both Bring Him Home and now Hallelujah I used/am using the piano/melody/chord arrangement and a choral arrangement to help me with my arrangement. 

OK! You are now ready to start arranging! Before you go to the computer though, take a look at your base music and mark in some thoughts. Things like 'cello solo here' and 'trumpet descant', etc. This will help make it so that your brain might not end up quite so fried after finishing your arrangement.

Speaking of fried brains...If you've done all the above in one day without really taking a long break (which I do not suggest...) STOP. Go take a hot shower, put on your PJ's, make some popcorn, and watch a movie. Do not work on your arrangement again until a least the next morning. Rest is good. And if your parents complain, well, tell them I said so.

To do your arrangement you are going to need a music writing software. I suggest Finale Notepad which is great for writing music and is only a $9.95 download.Once your software is up, get it ready with your key signature, time signature, etc. Don't necessarily add all your instruments right away, but you can if you want to.  The first part you should start writing for is your piano accompaniment. The easiest way to write this part is to simply take the piano part from your piano/melody/chord base music and plug it in your score. Then go in and change it up a bit to make it your own. The end product of this part could be drastically different from the base music you started out with but it makes it a whole lot easier on you if you work directly off the base music to create your hardest part.

Once you have your accompaniment it's time to start on your melody. You can have the melody stay with one instrument, but it's a lot more fun if you bounce it around different sections and create interesting section combinations with the melody. Make it fun- fun to write and fun to play. You can also mix up the melody to really make it your own too, by putting in accidentals, rhythm changes, whatever floats your boat. Remember, you can ALWAYS go back and change things later. I do :)

The next step is to add in the background parts to your melody. These include (but are not limited to) your harmony, secondary melody, descant and bass line. Use your knowledge of chords (especially the guitar part in your base music), balance, instrumentation, and music theory, to write these parts. Use the playback feature often to make sure everything sounds the way you want it to. You want your score to be absolutely amazing.

If you don't really love how things are coming together there is no reason why you can't change it. Deleting and completely changing your piece are natural parts of the arranging process. If you get discouraged, just take a break and come back later. This is the longest part of the process and it is extremely important to not get frustrated with yourself. As I said before, it is a hard, long, brain-frying process, but eventually it will all come together and you'll have something that you can be really proud of.

Once your parts are finally written, add in dynamics, articulations, fermatas, measure markings, tempos, etc. Look your piece over one last time and listen to it very carefully. Fix anything that needs to be fixed and once you are totally satisfied, split your score into individual parts and print.

Congratulations! You have now arranged your first piece of music, a truly great accomplishment.

If you want more guidance on your own arranging endeavors, I'd love to talk with you and share some tips and listen to your music. If you want to hear more about my own arranging, especially about my next project with Hallelujah, catch me on my blog where arranging is a common subject that I cover. You can contact me at trebleclefblog@gmail.com and/or pop in at my blog Treble Clef. Seeya!

thanks to Melody for letting me guest post!

---

Hi, I'm Sally, and I run the blog Treble Clef. I'm a fifteen year old Christian, and I'm about to go into my sophomore year at my local high school. I'm not your average teenage girl though, in fact, far from it. I'm a feisty, smart, talented musician, standing at only 5'0'' but that doesn't stop me from wielding a mighty powerful trumpet. Want to learn more about me, and join me on my journey? Catch me over at Treble Clef (link above) where I share my story, the drama, the love, the adventure, and most importantly, the music.

The Fountain (Guest Post)

The forest is blooming with life…the fresh fragrance of the wildflowers and trees filling the air as a soft breeze sweeps around you, almost lifting and carrying you further down the path. You continue walking, drinking in the glorious beauty and the silence and wonder of it all as the woodland continues to come alive…as everything around you continues to sing anew and praise their Creator. Then you see it…glints of sunshine sparkling and shimmering on the water’s surface, beckoning you to come closer to the treasure that awaits you.

You make your way to the water’s edge and find yourself gazing into the clear, pristine spring water…taken aback by the vigorous and fresh life surrounding you, all nourished by this life sustaining blessing. You dip your hands into the spring, bring the gleaming water to your mouth, and as you drink it in, you are instantly filled…refreshed…and renewed; the glistening water a true treasure…a beautiful treasure.

“But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” ~John 4:14

“Even before we have a clear idea of what this image is referring to, we yearn for it because it seems to imply sweet coolness and refreshment; it implies moisture and growth and life…These very evocative words refer to something real…they are meant to put us in touch with something solid and powerful and living outside ourselves” (John Piper).

The water Christ gives us takes away our thirst forever…He satisfies every longing of our heart and promises to be our Sustainer, and it is all so truly beautiful. It’s in Him that we have a fountain of life, and it’s in Him that we live and are thus filled with His strength and comfort and love. Nothing refreshes my soul as much as being in His presence and walking with Him, because it is in Him I am strengthened, in Him I restored, and through Him I am transformed and made new.

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” ~John 7:37-38

Christ’s Words and life carry this living water, and “the essence of believing in Jesus is finding in Him the satisfaction of our deepest soul-thirst.” He promises that we will be satisfied. “When a drop of His water falls on the parched land of our soul, it doesn’t make a puddle; it makes a spring, and from the spring there flows a river. Drink in Christ by faith, pour Christ out in praise and love, and never thirst again; drink deep and savor the magnificence of Jesus who fulfills all” (John Piper).

“For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.” ~Psalm 36:9

_________________________________________
Lauren Nicole is a young lady whose heart's desire is to live daily for her Heavenly Prince and Savior. A few of her favorite things include adventures, dreaming, simplicity, disney world, sunshine, orchestras, books, handwritten letters, kindred hearts, and diamond-filled skies. She is the authoress of the blog, With a Smile and a Song, where she hopes to inspire and encourage others to live wholeheartedly and courageously for Jesus Christ.

Composer (Guest Post)

i’m a novelist.

it’s one of those things that slightly mandates my life, particularly during the month of November.

November is National Novel Writing Month. affectionately known to the writer world as the start of nanowrimo.

it is during this month that i and hundreds of other insane authours will embark upon one of the most incredible and frightening endeavours of our lifetimes.

50,000 words. 30 days. innumerable cups of coffee, endless playlists of Imogene Heap and Alex Goot, and a straight month of kissing midnight. 

one incredible novel.

or perhaps a collection of 50,000 words of ramble. it depends on how much sleep we get.

it’s this music we compose.

it’s the strangest collection of words and notes, all brought together to create one of the strangest masterpieces ever seen.

you wouldn’t think that all this stress, sleepless nights, and speed-writing would be worth anything at all.

but honestly, it’s gorgeous.

 it’s a flawless collaboration.

it leads to tears and pain and sometimes even a nightmare or two. it’s hard and full of longing.

but oh, the results.

it’s watching the birth of newness and the start of characters never once known. it’s creating magic upon the page.

time and
time and time
again.

kiss this inspiration. embrace the challenge.

write like the world is soon to end.

just pour out your soul

and write.

_________________________________________
This post was written by Rachel, a dreamy 20 year old newlywed with ink and Dr. Pepper for blood, and red velvet curtains and rose petals for a heart. She adores her amazing Savior with a passion she cannot describe. Her husband is her hero and her better half. Her family is beautiful, strong, and incredible. Her two best friends are breathtaking. Narnia is real. The wardrobe may be closed, but she will find another door. One day. Her letter to Hogwarts was lost in the mail...maybe, for her, they'll make an exception and let her take her place at the Gryffindor table under the banners of scarlet and gold. Her heart is made of red velvet curtains and sheet music, with a hint of rose petals for good measure....beating to the rhythm of Parisian streets and carriages passing atop cobblestone-paved avenues.

You can find Rachel at her blog Dramatic Elegance or at her Twitter (@souldancer1009)

Would you care for some tea? (Guest Post)

There are few things I love in the world so much as a good cup of tea. Worries and fears seem to seep away as I listen to the pleasant bubbling in the kettle and spoon some golden honey into the bottom of a flowered teacup. As I pause to sip the delicious liquid, I am completely and wholly content... that is, as content as we sinful humans can be. :P

"Tea is a cup of life." ~Author Unknown

tea |tē|

noun

1 a hot drink made by infusing the dried, crushed leaves of the tea plant in boiling water.

Now, since I like to be extremely thorough, I have chosen to include a very brief history of tea, to give this post a little background. There is a legend that a Chinese emperor first discovered tea in 2737 B.C. when tea leaves blew into his cup of hot water--this tale is not fact and we cannot be sure if this is really how the delicate beverage originated. No matter how it came into existence, though, we do know that tea has been enjoyed by many in the East for thousands of years, while those of us in the West have only been drinking it less than five centuries. 

"There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

In 1589, the Europeans were first exposed to tea when a Venetian author suggested it to be the reason behind the Asians' lengthy lives. After that, tea slowly began seeping its way into the Western culture, starting with the Dutch, who brought back green tea from the East in 1610. In 1662, it is stated that tea-drinking became so chic (due to the fact that the queen was a tea-drinker) that it replaced ale as the most popular beverage. Although it was rumored that black tea was enjoyed in the colonies, it wasn't until the year 1690 that tea was first publicly sold in a shop in Massachusetts. And of course, who can forget the famous "Boston Tea Party" in 1773 when American men--dressed as Indians--raided the British ships and dumped chests of tea into the harbour, all in protest against the British tax on tea. In 1840, it is told that the Duchess of Bedford introduced the British custom of afternoon tea, which has remained a tradition ever since. 

"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea." ~Bernard-Paul Heroux

There is a common misunderstanding among Americans that "high tea" means a fancy afternoon tea. This is untrue. Afternoon tea (also called "low tea") takes place late in the afternoon. High tea, however, is taken around supper time and a much heavier meal accompanies it. The rules of British etiquette when it comes to tea-drinking are very specific. Here is something I found on a website about what is and what isn't considered proper:

"In order for one not to spill the hot liquid onto oneself, the proper way to hold the vessel of a cup with no handle is to place one’s thumb at the six o'clock position and one’s index and middle fingers at the twelve o'clock position, while gently raising one’s pinkie up for balance.

"Tea cups with a handle are held by placing one’s fingers to the front and back of the handle with one’s pinkie up again allows balance. Pinkie up does mean straight up in the air, but slightly tilted. It is not an affectation, but a graceful way to avoid spills. Never loop your fingers through the handle, nor grasp the vessel bowl with the palm of your hand.

Do not stir your tea, with your tea spoon, in sweeping circular motions. Place your tea spoon at the six o'clock position and softly fold the liquid towards the twelve o'clock position two or three times. Never leave your tea spoon in your tea cup. When not in use, place your tea spoon on the right side of the tea saucer. Never wave or hold your tea cup in the air. When not in use, place the tea cup back in the tea saucer. If you are at a buffet tea hold the tea saucer in your lap with your left hand and hold the tea cup in your right hand. When not in use, place the tea cup back in the tea saucer and hold in your lap.  The only time a saucer is raised together with the teacup is when one is at a standing reception.

Milk is served with tea, not cream. Cream is too heavy and masks the taste of the tea. Although some pour their milk in the cup first, it is probably better to pour the milk in the tea after it is in the cup in order to get the correct amount.

When serving lemon with tea, lemon slices are preferable, not wedges. Either provide a small fork or lemon fork for your guests, or have the tea server can neatly place a slice in the tea  cup after the tea has been poured. Be sure never to add lemon with milk since the lemon's citric acid will cause the proteins in the milk to curdle.

~via What's Cooking America

And now we come to the all-important question: loose-leaf tea or tea in a bag. My mother and father much prefer the loose leaf tea, and I will admit that it tastes more authentic. We can only purchase it a few times a year, because it is very expensive (we buy from Teavana). As for myself, I am quite content with a cup of Irish Breakfast (my favorite!) or Lady Grey tea. I also enjoy African Roibos, which a friend of ours introduced to us, and Vanilla Chai. While the tea in a bag is very simple to prepare (boil hot water, add the tea bag for your prefered amount of time, and add sugar and milk to taste), loose leaf tea is not quite so easy.  We purchase it in cans, on which there are instructions for how to brew the specific type of tea. There is a special metal tea bag in which the tea leaves are placed, and this is put in the teapot to brew for the requited amount of time. When finished, you pour your tea into a teacup, add milk/sugar/honey, and enjoy!

"We had a kettle; we let it leak: Our not repairing made it worse. We haven't had any tea for a week... The bottom is out of the Universe." ~Rudyard Kipling

I would be very blind if I were to end this post without making mention of something vastly important--tea parties. For if there is one thing that can improve teatime, 'tis a lovely friend with whom to share it. We have a very charming book called Let's Have a Tea Party! by Emilie Barnes (yes, I did have to include a book in this post :P), and it lists many creative and fun suggestions for how to plan your very own tea party. From a garden tea party to a Little Women-themed gathering, this book includes everything: even down to invitations, a suggested menu, and decorations. I loved pouring over it for hours when I was younger--is it any surprise to you that the Little Women and elegant British tea party ideas were my favorites? 

There are many other things I could include, such as delicious treats that go well with tea, but I suppose that will have to wait for another time lest this post turn into a novel. :) 

Happy tea-making, ladies! 

"You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." ~C.S. Lewis 

Elizabeth Rose (also called Elizabeth, Lizzy Rose, or just plain Lizzy) is a young lady trying to do her best to live her life to His glory in a sinful world. She is far too old-fashioned for her own good. She loves long skirts, lace, window seats, and chatting with dear sisters in Christ over a cup of Irish Breakfast tea. Elizabeth is happily living at home, taught and instructed by her dear parents, along with her many little siblings. She blogs at Living on Literary Lane, where she reviews works of literature, posts poems, and shares her thoughts on every important matter under the sun, and at Unsinkable, an event blog she hosts with her sister dedicated to the centenntial of the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic. Teatime is her favorite time of day, and she wishes she could somehow share it with you over the Internet. 

Chests of Hope (Guest Post)

“And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.” – Psalm 39:7

Hope chests are an old-fashioned tradition. As a young girl grows and prepares for her future marriage, she fills a special chest with precious things to give to her future husband and to adorn her future home. She thoughtfully writes love letters and poems, collects delicately-painted teacups, embroiders tablecloths…while she eagerly waits for her Prince Charming, daily preparing to better serve him and love him even before he arrives in her life.

As the Bride of Christ, we will one day enter into a marriage relationship far greater and more spectacular than any earthly romance. We will be blissfully united with our beloved King for all eternity. We will be constantly satisfied with sweet, intimate communion, and be fulfilled with the truest, deepest love.

“My beloved is mine, and I am his…” – Song of Solomon 2:16

All our hope is found in Jesus. Nothing in the world can replace the joy found in hope in Him. He is always, perfectly faithful, and we know that our hope will never be disappointed.

As His well-beloved, blood-bought Bride, have we ever thought of preparing ourselves for our Bridegroom? As we wait on Him to make “all things new,” are we storing up a “hope chest” for Him?

Are we treasuring precious, sacred things in our heart that are only for Him? Are we growing in His grace and truth? Do we joyfully offering Him the “sacrifices of praise” and the “fruits of our lips” (Hebrews 13:15)? Are we loving others and serving them even as unto Him?

Are we daily falling more in love with our Lord, Who Himself is Love incarnate?

Let us realise that each moment of our earthly lives we have the priceless opportunity to invest in our one everlasting relationship – with the King of kings and Lord of lords! May we not pass it by.

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” – Matthew 6:20-21

_______________________________________
A little snippet about the guest poster: Annie is a girl passionately in love with Jesus Christ. She writes for Passion Magazine and The Pursuit. Some of her favourite things are: majestic sunsets, worshipful music, heart-to-heart talk with kindred spirits, and her amazing family.

Thoughts on Words (Guest Post)

Hello everyone! My name is Miss ALK and I’m the author of the blog Confessions of a Maine Teenager. I was so honored when Melody asked me to guest post for her! My post today is similar to one that I posted a couple months ago on my blog, with the same title… 

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. ~Proverbs 16:24 NIV 

One night back in July,  I was flipping through the book of Proverbs in my Bible, and the words “Pleasant words” caught my eye, and I stopped to read the worse, which was Proverbs 16:24. It really stuck out to me, and I felt as though that was just what I needed to hear, since speech and language are such important tools that we all use every day. This verse reminded me that they are a gift from the Lord, and we have to bless him in the ways that we use them!

As Christians, we need to be extremely careful about the words that we say, either in real life, online, or in our thoughts, because Christians are called to be an example to others. (Note: This doesn't mean that Christians are "better" then other people. That is entirely false, and all are created equal in God's eyes.) What I mean though is that typically when someone who is not a believer finds out that you are a Christian, they may begin to watch your actions and words a bit more closely, and we should try extra hard to be good examples, and show the "right" uses for words.

Cursing and using profanity is a sin, especially when it’s the Lord’s name in vain that is being used! Disappointing Him should be enough reason not to use these types of words, but another good reason not to is that foul language can help to ruin someone’s reputation. However, choosing not to curse doesn’t mean that you can never express anger. It just means to think twice about the type of language that you do to do so. For example, when I’m upset, I use words like “oh man,” “shoot,” and “oh gosh,” which are much better alternatives to cursing, and still get the point across!

Another thing that I thought about after reading this verse was how we can use words to encourage and uplift. This verse describes kind words as “sweet to the soul.” I think that everyone could use a little sweetness to the soul! Isn’t it nice when someone gives you a genuine compliment? It always brightens my day. :) Instead of complaining all of the time, how about trying to make someone else happy by telling them something kind? You’ll be surprised at how much better you will feel!

Now remember, no one is perfect, and there will be times when we will make mistakes with our words, and say things that are cruel or wrong. But amazingly, we serve a wonderful God who forgives us when we mess up! The most important thing is to thank God for his forgiveness, and learn from your mistake.

I hope that this post was an encouragement to you!

Blessings
xoxo Miss ALK


-----------------------------------------
About the guest poster: Miss ALK is a soon to be 17 year old teenager from Maine. She blogs at Confessions of a Maine Teenager, where she blogs about faith, friendship, fashion, music, entertainment and her life! She loves the ocean, bunnies, jewelry shopping, scrapbooking and the color aquamarine. She'd be honored if you visited her blog!

Treasures (Guest Post - Emily)

Dear Blog Readers,

Though many of you may only know me as the psycho girl who writes random bedtime stories, I am actually stuck with a brief flash of insight every once and a while. And today, I feel like it’s rather profound.

When I was a little girl, my dad would always find so much joy in my hair. He loved to see it long and I’m pretty sure he shed a tear or two when I got it cut (he still has the 7 or so inches of 5-year-old me’s hair). Though it’s darkened a bit over the years, it is still a great source of love for me and my dad.
Basically, I have fabulous hair.

No, wait! Hear me out.

It’s a dirty, slightly-strawberry blond and it’s thick, soft, luscious, and grows quickly to boot. I know that you’re still trying to click the little red  X and stop listening to this psycho chat about her hair. But I have a point. Although I have this beautiful hair, it isn’t mine. It’s God’s. I’m His little girl, just like I’m still my daddy’s little girl. And while my daddy loves my hair and delights so much in seeing it long spilling down my back, God knows, and I know, that there’s even something better I can do with my hair than let my daddy pet it.

There are so many other little girls out there with daddies who love them like my daddy loves me but not all of them have hair like mine, or, get this, hair at all. So I want to grow out my hair and cut it off and donate it so that another little girl out there can have pretty hair like mine (and so that another daddy out there can delight in his baby girl all the more).

Now, I’m not trying to convince you all that you should grow out your hair and donate it. That’s not my point at all.

Here’s my point.

Don’t miss it now!

What I’m trying to do is use what I have to… Add a smile to the world. I’m trying to take my God-given gifts and use them for a slightly more noble cause than playing up my own assets. While cutting off my hair isn’t exactly a soul earned for Him or a Bible donated or a tithe paid, I feel like it is being one step (out of infinity, I might add) closer to glorifying God with all that I am and all that I do. It’s a gift to a person who lacks what God has given me in spades.

Here’s where I was going with this.

It’s a positive action done in a world of negativity. And that right there is living for Him. And now that I’ve made the descision not only to grow my hair out , but to donate it, I can’t WAIT to see those scissors! I can’t wait to send another ponytail out into the world of wig-makers who make so many more smiles than wigs. I’m looking at this as an opportunity to serve and God is taking this opportunity to touch my heart and ‘serve’ me.

At Cedarville, I’m finding out that living your life for God doesn’t mean you study nursing and then go out to be a missionary nurse or studying Bible to be a pastor or playing the piano beautifully for Church services. It’s more about living out each day, in every way, for a pure purpose. This could look like picking up that random piece of trash you see laying around, dressing modestly, holding the door for someone, smiling at everyone you meet, censoring what kinds of music you listen to. It’s kinda all in the way you live that sometimes touches people the most.

Michael Franzese came to Cedarville and talked about how he first noticed the woman who is now his wife. He told us that she stuck out to them because she didn’t go out and party it up with the rest of the dancers or things like that. He was attracted to this girl because she lived her life differently from the rest.

So. That ties back in with what I was talking about – the whole “it’s kinda all in the way you live that sometimes touches a person.” So whatever you do, piano, art, chemistry, business, athletic training, food service, marketing… Do it all in a way that will please Him. Take the talents and gives He has given you and sail them out into the big, scary world to be a beacon of pure, white, radiant light.

I mention the boats because I once read a quote by William Shedd: “A ship is safest in its harbor, but that's not what ships are made for.” So set your ship out and sail boldly; knowing that all the time God is there to guide it safely wherever its destination may be.

-Emily

Breaking Up (Guest Post)

It happens way too fast and I see it far too often.

One summer afternoon, someone wanted to talk.  So we sat down.  I listened to everything.  It was a story far too familiar. The same guy who had been through ripping apart three girls' hearts had set his attention to the next.  His looks had every girl fall for him.  He covered his facade with a smile. 

"He's different now.. It's not the same.  I think he's serious now.  He did this and this and this.  He calls now. He really cares now".

After our talk and a couple months later, I heard.  She was upset.  There were tears.  He was over.  The "us"  was gone.  And the victim had another heart torn.  

Over the years, I've seen him move on.  I don't see him but once every year around usually.  I was walking with a good friend of mine through the crowds last month.  There he was again.  Surrounded by a group of girls.  He was always flashing another smile.  It made me sick.  

I couldn't believe anyone could be so blind.  How can each one of them give their hearts to a guy would just throw it away?  Could anyone see the stories before?

I felt angry.  I wanted to go over and slug him.   Then.... I realized this is us. 

We come to God about the world:  "But, God!! It's different now.  It's not the same thing like it was before.  It's fine." We give a speech.  We're ready to defend everything for our heart.

He says, "Listen.  It will tear you up.  Listen to me!  Don't follow your heart! Don't follow the world! This isn't what you want!" 

But, we run after it anyway.  We think we are in love.  We think everything is great.  Then the split happens.  We get hurt.  

We come back with tears. "God, where were you?  Did you care?  Why did this happen?" 

And just as we are sitting there crying - the world is already gone, setting after the next victim.

I'm not just talking about boyfriend-girlfriend split-ups. 

I'm not even talking about the world. 

I'm talking about us. 

Somehow along the way, we kind of forget that our hearts aren't bulletproof.  We somehow think we can be our own heroes.  We fall for the fake smiles of the world.  We jump before we know it.  Then, we get hurt.  It happens so fast. 

We jump and fall before we look.  Then, the fall happens.  We get hurt.  Sometimes, we just get away with some bruises and bumps.  Others come out with broken bones.  Then we wake up and think, "Woah!  Wait a minute..."

So many times, we think we can convince ourselves by saying in our heads, "I don't care.  This won't happen to me."

Then, your heart says, "Well, stupid.  You do care."  

I'm urging you brothers and sisters to guard your hearts.  Don't follow the world.  I'm in the battle with you!  Keep Fighting.  The world is watching. 

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

- Romans 12:1-2

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jessica is the author of this post and from the blog Far From Perfect!  She enjoys photography, writing, spending time with her family and friends, as well as learning more how to serve the LORD of her heart.

Sing, Praise, and Bless the Lord (Guest Post)

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

~Psalm 96:1-3

A boy sits under a low, scrubby tree during the heat of the day. The sheep he is tending are scattered in the field’s few other patches of shade, lying still and waiting for the heat to break. But the boy is thinking of a very different place. A few hours ago with his sheep he passed through a river valley, where the grass was sweet and the water cool. Seeing his sheep well fed and watered, his heart was moved in praise to God, and out of his spontaneous gratitude he started humming a song. Now, waiting for the heat to pass, he plucks the gut strings on the lyre he made and crafts a hymn about God’s provision for him. The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul...

***

I imagined this scene reflecting on David, once a shepherd, later a king, always a poet. In writing Psalm 23 he used his own experience as a shepherd as a metaphor for God’s loving care of him and turned his prayer into a song of praise.

God’s people have always expressed their praise and prayer in song—Moses and his sister Miriam sing of God’s deliverance in Exodus 15; Mary and Zechariah sing of God’s faithfulness in Luke 1; Psalms is a whole book devoted to songs, both of praise and anguish, need and provision.

What is it about singing? Why have God’s people always held it to be important? These are questions I muse often. I don’t have all the answers, only some thoughts, and the experience of singing itself.

First, singing involves the whole person: it's physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. When the Holy Spirit enables us to sing wholeheartedly to God it focuses us on worshiping Him; it helps us toward glorifying Him with our whole selves.

Second, singing usually involves words; it can speak a message, voice a prayer, and proclaim truth. What we may not realize is that singing truthful words impacts us as much as those who hear us.

Third, singing is often (though not always or necessarily) done in company—and when voices are unified it can be a powerful sign of unity of heart and belief. How many different occasions in history can you think of when an oppressed people kindled their hope and rebellion in song? In the same way, singing truth (words from the Bible, for instance) helps bring God's people together.

So today I'm asking: Will you join God’s people and the hosts of angels, and raise your voice in song to God? What do you have to sing to God about?

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. ~Psalm 95:1-7

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robin sings at home, at church, and in the car (which has seen some truly operatic moments). With the goal of glorifying God in her life, she studies music, the Bible, and writing, and hopes to be a church music director in the future. She believes the making of music offers many opportunities for lifting up the Gospel. She blogs as Edith at Observatory of the Quotidian

Take a peek inside your journal (Guest Post)

The time was 1:00 a.m., and I was still sitting on the floor reading over every word I've ever written. Now, this is nearly 10 years worth of journaling, and as I read over all the years past, in the secret place of my heart that was recorded on paper, there was Someone who not only read my heart, but who showed me that He would turn those secret thoughts into treasure.

If you're reading this, then you know that our God knows everything about a person: hearts, minds, dreams, goals, passions. Out of these sacred things we think about, shows a loving God who not only loves, but cares.

Can I tell you something? Some of the writings I wrote in the past made no sense to me, as in, I don't remember certain things laid on my heart, or dreams I had dreamed up that I had recorded on paper. After looking over those writings, I realized that God paid attention to each one, and they came to pass. 

There were times I wrote about needing a friend. A Christian friend I could talk to and get encouragement from. There was a time I wrote about how much I wanted to write (like I am now) for Christ. Times I wrote about dreams and goals (some non-realistic) that I wanted to do one day. Some of the littlest things I had no intention of ever seeing happening. The thing was, I had completely forgotten about those desires.

I cannot say that everything I wanted to happen, happened. I'm saying that God took some insignificant dream, and used it for many ways:

one. He used it to teach me trust;
two. He blessed not only me, but others with it;
three. I was just plain blown away that He cared about those little dreams.

A few days ago while we were at an organic foods market, I was browsing around for a cheap chap stick. I could only find ones that were over $2.00 and I didn't really want to pay that much for one I would probably only use very little of. I prayed about it. It wasn't until the checkout line that I saw a lip balm under $2!

Yes, this story may seem simple and unimportant, but that's beside the point. The point is, that God cares and provides. He may not answer right away; He may not answer a "yes" at all (He does know what's best). But if you look for the little things that He does for you; the simple delights He brings your way; the small wonders, you'll be surprise later of how big they really were.

You're reading from an imperfect sinner when I say that you don't have to be a perfect person to be cared for by a wonderful God. You don't have to be a perfect person to enjoy these things. You just have to be willing to enjoy them.

This 16 year old dreamer lives an imperfect life in an imperfect world with her perfect Daddy who treats her like a princess! Amber loves her new aspiration for inspiration, and simple delights out of everyday life. Nothing brings more joy to her than to be outside when the sun goes down, letting the sweet breezes tickle each strand of hair. You can read Amber's blog, Taking Life One Step At A Time, here!

A Blessing (Guest Post)

When I was merely 6 or 7 years old, I wanted something... badly.  Remarkably, it wasn't a new barbie, or a playhouse set with a load of toys.  Not even some cute outfits for my numerous dolls.  What I wanted was out of the ordinary in any little girls' dreams.

My desire was simply a loyal human-being, with whom I could walk hand-in-hand as we stroll through our path, leading to Christ.  Someone who I could play with, and trust so I'm positive that none of my (silly) secrets would be spilled.  A family member that will over-look the feuds we gets ourselves into, and give me endless love and vice versa.--no matter what happens.

I just wanted a sister.

Whenever I spotted a fountain, I asked my mom for a coin to throw in, and make a wish.  I still remember fragments of the times I would hold that penny up to my squinting face, and wish extra hard for a sister someday.  At night, as soon as my eye caught the first star, twinkle against the mid-night blue sky, I rehearsed the "Star Light, Star Bright" jingle.  In between all the wishing opportunities I received, I prayed and prayed and prayed.

About four years ago, my mom told me the exciting news...oh, how excited I was!  I was totally overjoyed and ecstatic; I just couldn't believe it.  I think the setting was actually in my elementary school parking lot, as my mom picked me up from an after-school program (therefore, there weren't that many people around).  So unexpected!

On April 26th, 2007 I became a big sister.  It was surely one of the best days of my life, and it's all thanks to God.  He was the almighty who had answered all of my prayers (etc.) and I am immensely grateful to have the extraordinary blessing that was given to me...by Him.  I now have a soul-mate, a soul-sister.  Nothing can replace Tori (which is my little sisters name--short for Victoria), nothing at all.  Although we look nothing alike, we're a part of each other.

Despite the fact that we're about 9 years apart, I can see God through her actions; because like Him, she is always there for me when I need her, and most of the times (when she's not cranky in the morning before her milk) always wants me with her.  This is definitely true because sometimes when I'm due for chores, she quickly clings onto my leg, and yells, "No Alex, don't go!  I love you."   She also might through in "you're my sister, you're my best friend" as an excuse for me not to leave because Tori already knows my weakness.  I can't help her cuteness...because honestly, no one could really help but smile back at my sisters' pleading face.

Tori proudly defends me, and encourages me when I struggle to accomplish a task whenever possible.  She also tries to comfort me when she'll rarely see me crying in worry or sadness...otherwise, she'll cry with me.  When it comes to that point, it almost seems like she's forcing me to stop.  Another sign that God is assuring me everything will fall into place, and that it'll be alright.  I never like to see her cry.

Just last week I had a nightmare about loosing my sister.  I vaguely remember that she had a strange disease of some-sort and was going to pass away soon.  That night, I was sleeping in my parents bed (my dad was working) and when I woke up, frantically sweating with my eyes popped open, I turned to Tori and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek.  I believe that God makes everything happen for a reason, and the nightmare he brought me, was worth the panic.  It made me realize how blessed I am to have a sister...and still have one today.

      "Hi bloggers, I'm Tori.  See you late, bye! (blows a kiss)"

"I love you, Alex"

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Alexandra is the author and photographer at Visually Alex.  She enjoys capturing the art and beauty in everyday life with her camera.  The whimsical thoughts she has, lead to her crazy imagination.    
A couple of her ultimate hobbies in life are playing volleyball, and dancing ballet.  She strives to please the Lord with everything she does, in every way she can.