Bright Lights Conference

"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou and example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12

In July, I had the opportunity to travel up to Omaha, Nebraska with my mom, sister and our friends, Mrs. Anderson and Katrina. We had such a fun week together! We thrifted, went to the Omaha zoo, ate lot's and lot's of ice cream and attended the Bright Light's Strong in the Lord and Radiant Purity Conferences during the week. My sister and I have been involved in Bright Lights for over a year, participating in a wonderful Bright Lights Bible study group over in Kansas. God gave me the desire years ago to steer younger girls and even my peers toward Christ; being strong for the Lord, to live holy lives that emulate Christ, and to be set apart from the world so that we can brightly shine the light of Christ to this generation! We were very blessed to find Bright Lights, which is a program that teaches all of these principles and so much more. The conferences were wonderful and refreshing. My younger sister, Jacquelyn, really enjoyed the Strong in the Lord conference that is geared toward younger girls ages 8-13. She learned a lot and enjoyed good fellowship with like-minded girls her age. The Radiant Purity conference was the next part of the conference and is geared towards ages 13 and up. We covered topics like "Seeing Life From God's Perspective", "Radiant Purity" and "Living By Faith and Not Fear". It was exciting to hear from the girls on the Bright Lights intern team about how God has worked in their lives and I was very encouraged  by their love for Christ! Small groups were a very special time where we were able to meet with other young women to study scripture and just talk! All in all, it was an incredible week of sweet fellowship with young women from across the country, learning and growing in Christ and having lot's of fun!

We bought matching shirts on the Kohl's clearance rack for the trip up. We're just that cool. ;)

Trying to get that GPS to work....
Notice the roses? Those were Mr. Anderson's anniversary present for Mrs. Anderson. They rode along for the entire trip! <3

The waitresses delivering our Frosties!

Sissy and I at the zoo!

My dear friend, Katrina!
(For a bit of comedic relief...a bird just so happened to be perched above me in this picture...and, well...that's all I have to say about that.....)

VROOM! We went on an African safari in my Jeep.



She missed the sign that said "Elephant Crossing"....



This couch was in a field next to our hotel.

What's that? More ice cream!
Katrina and I shared this one. It was mmm mmm good!

Flirtilia, The Princess and IQ

Sarah Mally on stage doing a chalk talk.

The big picture: Seeing things from God's perspective

We thought it was funny that we just so happened to run into a knight in shining armor on the way home! ;)

Crazy Lazy Days of Summer

Life has been...busy...to say the least. I was on a role as far as studying was concerned, but that was interrupted by summer and all that comes with it. My family has been house hunting for the past 2 years, and it seems as if that journey may finally be coming to an end. Then came the movie premiere...yes, I said movie premiere. That one deserves a post entirely of it's own, complete with pictures. I'll get to it. I promise. At the beginning of June, my family and another family held a giant 4 day long garage sale. It still boggles my mind that you can stick your old stuff in the front yard and actually make money off of it! Last week, my adorable nieces and sister-in-law came down for a visit! We went to Diana Rose Farmstead, the T-Rex restaurant, had a birthday party for my oldest niece, Audri, who is almost 3 and just had fun spending time with each other. The house is strangely quiet without them here. My current activity is working at a fireworks tent, which I've done for the past 3 years.

I've been pretty lazy, and pretty busy, and I've definitely been having far to much fun. But, I don't feel too bad about it. I'll have to get back to my studies before I know it and conquer that mile long list of things I want to accomplish my senior year. For now, I'll just enjoy the vacation. After all, there are still 2 months of summer left and who knows what those months will hold!

Dresser In Distress

I got this little nightstand out of my grandmother's home last summer.

But, I wasn't a big fan of the brown paint and gold hardware...



So...I headed to the hardware store for some paint.




5 coats (and some sanding) later....





Voila! A cute, shabby-chic nighstand!



Oh! The Cobwebs!

April is in full swing and despite the random bursts of frigid weather, which are so common to my area, it would seem that spring has finally decided to "take off it's coat and stay a while." Spring is probably my favorite season. The flowers bloom, the grass turns green, little animals come out from wherever it is that they've been hiding and finally, after all the icey conditioning of winter, all things have become new again! At the first sight of spring, I cannot help but to toss on a flowery skirt and throw the windows open to let a fresh breeze into the home that has become stuffy during the winter months. I also start in on my spring cleaning regimine...

There I was, cleaning the dust off of my ceiling fan, when...all of a sudden...I got convicted...

I was thinking about how much time I spend freshening up my wardrobe, letting a fresh breeze into the stuffy old house and cleaning out the cobwebs, all very important tasks. It was then brought to my attention that I should spend some time and "spring clean" my heart! Often times I will find that something is weighing down my walk with Christ. Maybe it's just a little thing, but it makes my spirit a little heavy and takes a bit of that sweet look from my countenence that says "I am His and He is mine!" That little thing (or things, because many times...MOST times...it is plural) is my faults. My shortcomings, sins and failures. Everyone has them for "as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one." (Romans 3:10) As I was wiping the dust off that fan, I realized that, just as I re-examine the clothes in my closet, so should I re-examine my heart and my walk with Christ. "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith..." (1 Co 13:5) And, as I let in a spring breeze to freshen up the house, so should I refresh my mind and spirit! "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2

So, there I was, and here I stand, asking God to show me my shortcomings and the "cobwebs" that I needed to deal with. And I'll just say, when you ask God to show you what you need to work on to become a better servant for Him, He will tell you without hesitation!

Here's my list...(yes, a list. God was exceedingly abundant in His corrections for me :)

Meekness: I do not have a great deal of meekness in me. I want to win the argument and I want to be right. What I need is to be yielding. I need to be gracious and humble.
Titus 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing meekness unto all men.

Accepting Instruction: I need to listen to and consider the advice of others, whether I think I need it or not.
Proverbs 4:13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Humility: I need it! I want that same humility that was with me on the day I bowed before the King and confessed my need for the Savior to be with me in my every day life.
Micah 6:8 He hath showed the, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

And so, and spring moves into summer and summer into fall, these are the things I'll be working on. I'll continue to clean out the "cobwebs." I'll pray that God continues to reveal his will for my life and point out the areas where I need growth so that I can have "just a closer walk with Thee."

Pretzels: The All-American Snack

I was in the baking sort of mood yesterday and ended up making these salty snacks. I found the recipe in Mary Janes Farm Magazine. My little sister and I had a great time together in the kitchen while making our yummy snack. They were super easy and turned out great!



Success!!



All-American Pretzel Recipe

PREP TIME: 1 Hour, 30 Minutes

COOK TIME: 25 Minutes

MAKES: 6-8 Pretzels

1 1/2 cups warm water (not too hot! You don't want to kill the poor yeast!)

2 1/2 t active dry yeast (or instant)

1 T sugar

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 T salt

1 T baking soda

1 egg

course sea salt

melted butter (the recipe said it's optional, but I say it's a MUST.)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine water with yeast, and sugar and let sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add to yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until dough forms. With your hands, continue to work in flour mixture until a ball forms.
3. Turn dough out onto a flour-dusted surface, and knead the make a smooth sticky dough.
4. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm spot (a sunny window sill works best) for about 45 minutes, until doubled in size.
5. Preheat oven to 400F. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the baking soda to it. Stir well.
6. Turn dough onto a floured surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope. Twist each piece into a pretzel shape and place on a parchment lined, or greased, baking sheet.
7. With a slotted spatula, transfer pretzels into boiling water, 3 at a time, and parboil for 3 minutes, flipping once halfway through.  Drain on a cooling rack, then transfer back to the baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining pretzels.
8. Make an egg wash by beating 1 egg with 1 T water. Brush the egg wash generously over each pretzel and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
9. Bake for 25 minutes. Brush immediately with melted butter, if desired. (But, remember what I said. The butter is a must!)
10. Eat! Welcome to butter-coated, salt-sprinkled, soft-pretzel heaven.



Love Is...Not What You Think

   In light of Valentine's Day, I thought I post a few Bible verses about Biblical love and Christ's love for us.

   1 John 4:7-21
(7)Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
(8)He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
(9)In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
(10)Herin is love, not that we loved God, but that he loves us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(11)Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to also love one another.
(12)No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
(13)Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us his Spirit.
(14)And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
(15)Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
(16)And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
(17)Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is, so are we in this world.
(18)There is no fear in love; but perfect casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not perfect in love.
(19)We love him because he first loved us.
(20)If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
(21)And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.

Obviously, the word love is used frequently in this chapter.
We learned that love is...of God, perfect, fearless and unconditional.

In 1 Corinthians 13, we see that love, or charity, is long-suffering, kind and self-less. It is not boastful or envious.

Mark 12:31 says "...love thy neigbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

Luke 6:27 says "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you."

Biblical love is very different than the world's definition of love, which is self-satisfying, conditional, often impatient and flawed. Biblical love is just the opposite and is best exemplified by Christ's death on the cross to cover our sins.

Go Pack Go!

           

   This year's Superbowl game was great!...Or so I heard. After a long day of spending time with friends, eating birthday cake and talking in foreign accents, I didn't make it home in time to watch the entire game. I flipped on the tv just in time to catch the last 30 seconds of the game. The Packers won!!! GO PACK GO!! I was bouncing around with excitement, happy that my team of choice had won, when I heard something that suprised me.
A reporter was interviewing the Packers wide reciever, Greg Jennings. "How does this feel?" She asked him as confetti fell all around, "How does this moment feel after all that the team has been through?"
He looked at her and replied, "Glory to God. All the glory goes to God."
I was a bit shocked and pretty pleased to hear someone who's team had just won the Superbowl giving glory to God as opposed to spouting off about how hard the team had worked and how they deserved this. My mom looked over at me.
"Do you think God cares about football?" She asked.
I thought for a moment and said "I think that He probably cares about anything that we give glory to Him in."

1 Peter 4:11
"If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion, forever and ever..."

Waking Up To Snowmageddon

   Three days ago, I woke up to one of the biggest blizzards that I've ever witnessed. It snowed...and snowed...and snowed. All day long. And then, just as all the snow was wrapping up, it snowed some more!
  The only thing that has motivated me to leave my cozy house this week is the need to go to dance classes. In the past week, I've come to find that dancers are similar to the employees of the United States Postal Service. "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Nothing, not even Snowmaggedon, can keep us from doing our duty.
   Some people like snow. Their hearts leap for joy when the weather man announces "99.9999% chance of snow". They can't wait to bundle up and dash outside to roll around in the snow, making impressions of angels. I used to be one of the people. Then, I realized something. Snow is COLD! Now, I'm quite content to just sit inside with my feet wrapped in warm fuzzy socks, sipping hot tea, and watching my neighbors scoop the snow off of their driveways.
   In the end, despite all of the trouble that snow causes; wind chills of -12 degrees and plummeting, stuck cars, my poor father being trapped at work because the highway's closed down and slippery sidewalks that cause you to fall on your behind, I find that I still think that snow is a beautiful thing. It's sparkly, peaceful, and causes the earth to fall into the dormant state that it needs to be in for a short time in order for it to rest and replenish so that we might have a lovely, green spring. It covers the brown winter ground with pure white. It's a subtle, or not so subtle in the case of this particular storm, reminder of how Christ has covered our sins and made us beautiful, pure, and new.

And So It Begins...

I've been thinking and praying about starting a blog for quite some time. I've also been putting off the idea...for quite some time. However, there's a massive blizzard going on outside and I've nothing better to do than to dive in and start writing!
The time for procrastinating has officially ended.

The name of this blog is just a representation of how I am saved by Jesus Christ and covered by His blood. It could also have something to do with my red hair in a round about, metaphorical sort of way.

I'm not entirely sure what this blog is going to become. I suppose that it will just be me: what's going on in my life, thoughts, insights, random tidbits and some of what God is showing me as I grow in Him.

Let's get this party started!