eleven things tag

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{ via Google.com, just because he's so CUTE! }

I was tagged by Sarah Elizabeth at oh, restless bird
Thank you again, Sarah!
  

1. What is your favorite breakfast food?

Scrambled eggs or French toast.

2. What is your least favorite food? 

Hamburger soup. Bleh...

3. If you had to pick the worst color you could wear, what would that color be for you?

That dark green-blue color.

4. What is your favorite genre in books? 

Fantasy, fairy-tale, sci-fi, mystery.

5. What is your least favorite genre for movies?

Horror, no doubt about it!

6. When was the last time you gave someone a hug?  Who did you give it to?  

I hugged my mom about an hour ago.

7. When did you last see a sunrise? 

A few days ago =)

8. Can you say the alphabet backwards?

VERY SLOWLY... yes.

9. Where do you live? (again, no addresses please!) 

I live on the Boarder of White Bear Lake and Hugo, MN

10. Are you married or do you have a special someone? 

  No, but I'm waiting for God to bring His own choice into my life... patiently, hopefully waiting.

11. Do you have any pets or wish that you did? 

  I have two fish and one plump cat; the latter follows me around the house until I stay with her on my bed, where she falls asleep and twitches while she dreams.

Want to join in? I'm tagging YOU!

farewell to thee, Picnik

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{ taken this summer; edited yesterday via Picnik.com }

Apparently, my favorite photo-editing site, Picnik, is shutting down April 19th.

Upside? 

They're letting everyone use their premium features for free until that day arrives!

Enjoy the magic ASAP, and don't forget to spread the word!

Like Lucille Ball...

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{ http://www.creativejourneybyginny.blogspot.com }

Summer Lily

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Blogging Epiphany

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"Several months ago, I decided that I wanted a change. Blogging had become a numbers game, only posting to see numbers rise and gain a follower or two. I was constantly comparing myself to other bloggers who seemed to have it all together. I was jealous of the way their words flowed and how perfect their photos looked. I wanted their life. Their story. But that’s not what blogging is about. Blogging is a way to capture the life that you are living. To share about your life at the moment and post about what’s on your heart. It doesn’t matter what kind of camera you own or the clothes that you wear, it’s about sharing your passion with others just like you." - Maggie June at Bliss

Wow. I couldn't have expressed it better. That would be the beginning my blogging experience in a nutshell. I felt small, like a fresh green leaf amongst a vast tree full of bright and beautiful budding flowers. But it's easy to see all of those flowers and in trying so hard to be just like them, stunt my growth as a little green leaf.

I can learn from others, but just emulating their work will not cut it. My purpose at Thirst for Purity is to show the world how God is working in my life, to proclaim His Gospel, to express the desires of my heart throughout each new page of my life, to let people see things the way I see them through the magic that is words.

One foot forward

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I can read a verse a thousand times, but it seems everything comes together best on Sunday morning. My pastor is incredible --- honestly, every week the sermons just get better and better! ;)

He spoke mostly about the church and the way God intended it to be, according to clear verses in His Word. 

It was positively wonderful! 

There was one thing he said concerning fellowship which hit me like a boomerang gone wonky: "Talk to one another; speak to one another... you shy ones!" Everyone laughed, but it is so true --- week after week for some time, I've stood by in the corners, just watching all of the happy faces pleasantly when I should have gone out on a limb, risked the possibility of a few mumbles from my clumsy mouth, and tried to get to know those beautiful people. As soon as pastor said to do it, to pray to God for strength and get out there with the rest of my church family, I resolved not to let this Sunday go by without opening my mouth.

It was exhilarating, standing there with people I had never met, finally saying hello and offering all the small talk I had too long been holding back. My church is filled with such wonderful people! I wonder how I couldn't stand up and speak to them before....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Delighting in worldly things--effectually prevents our delighting in God. Therefore it is often the case, that the Lord strips us of these things, or incapacitates us to enjoy them--in order to bring us back to delight in Himself." -James Smith, The Believer's Companion in Seasons of Affliction and Trouble

How precious a reminder!

One hour ago, I was just about done practicing the piano and wanted to sit down to play a little Spyro the Dragon on the PS2 for awhile. Well, I'm sure there's nothing wrong with playing games on occasion, but I kept thinking about what my pastor said this morning about prayer; to start small, if you must, but to be able to say one day in the future "I am devoted to prayer".

    So I took a deep breath, turned away from the TV set and sat down with my prayer journal and pen. I wrote down all of the little things I had heard that morning --- oh, she has laryngitis, I'll pray for her voice to return; oh, they just got back from their trip, I'll thank God for keeping them safe... and so on.

The point is, it's so easy for worldly things to get in the way; even simple, harmless little things like playing PlayStation. But when those suchlike things are so prevalent in our lives that a huge struggle has to take place, it would be a good time to at least take a break (if not remove that distraction entirely) and rediscover what is most important.

And believe me, it is so refreshing, so freeing... and so worth it!

"Good Reads"

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I've read so many great books this year! Some of them were entirely new to me, while a few others are old favorites. I can't get enough of good fiction that makes me think (as a writer), and I'm trying to invite new "reads" to my extensive book list. The last two you'll see below here are nonfiction as well as amazing first-timers I would in no way be sorry to read again!

    ~The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale~

This is my favorite novel of all time! Based on ideas derived from a fairytale by the Brothers Grimm, it is about a princess who does not seem fit for royalty --- she is a klutz, is very shy, and does not have any close friends.
    Ani, as she is called, is sent away by her sixteenth birthday to marry a prince in the neighboring kingdom in order to gain peace concerning a dispute over some unclaimed land. She is sent from one adventure to the next: falsely accused, sought out by a murderer, and now very far away from all familiarity and everything she once held dear.

    This is a tale of magic, destiny, hope, and love. It is technically part of a series called the Books of Bayern, but is so fantastic, so original, so classic, that it is perfectly wonderful just on its own. I have personally read it four times, own a hardcover copy because my mom sweetly gave it to me, and am going to continue to read it over and over again!

    ~Enna Burning, by Shannon Hale~

This is the second of the Books of Bayern. Its protagonist was Princess Ani's new friend, Enna, a forest girl who loses her brother to some mysterious obsession with fire.
    I found this book to be intriguing at a high degree, just as magical if not more than The Goose Girl, although a little more predictable. The ending did, however, catch me by surprise, and although it was not exactly my favorite book, it was very exciting and full of inspiration. Actually, I liked it a lot!

    ~The Frog Princess, by E. D. Baker~

Ever heard of those stories where girls would kiss a frog so that they would turn into a twist? Well, this story is told a little differently. This is the book on which they based the Disney movie "The Princess and the Frog". When Princess Emeralda finds a frog in the swamp who claims to be a prince, she agrees reluctantly to kiss him and turn him back. But when she does, something altogether unexpected and frighteningly wrong happens; she herself turns into a frog!

     I loved this tale, although it was obviously written for a younger generation. It made me think about magical possibilities, and I love books that do that! Now here's the most interesting part: I found it on the shelf because I liked the cover! I believe that today, one really can judge a book by this method!

    ~Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J. K. Rowling~

After seeing all of the movies repeatedly, I finally decided to sit down with this and see the magic from J. K Rowling's personal perspective. I really loved it! The style of writing was easy to read --- I believe the first one was meant for younger children --- and having enjoyed the movies already, the excitement of the ending had me captured. (Also, I tried to read much of it aloud according to the way the actors sounded in the movie.) I plan on reading the rest of the series --- that is, as soon as I've finished off some of the other books on my ever-increasing reading list.... ;)
    Favorite quote: "There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them."

    ~The Healer's Apprentice, by Melanie Dickerson~

I had hardly any idea what to expect from this novel when I first picked it up. I learned of it from Sarah Elizabeth, the brilliant writer behind oh, restless bird (formerly Daughter of the King). From her, I understood that it was a retelling of the famous Sleeping Beauty tale. The truth is, it wasn't what I expected. It was even better! I had no idea it was written by a Christian woman, and was delighted to read a fairytale that honored my God.
    I loved how realistic and believable all of the characters were, and especially how they made their decisions based on what was right and not on what they felt. It was truly inspiring, intriguing, and it has been put high up on my favorites list. Really, this is one that I would love to own and read a hundred times!


    ~The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom, with John and Elizabeth Sherrill~ 
This is the true story of the Christian heroine, Corrie ten Boom, who experienced the effects of the German invasion of Holland. She and her whole family, along with many friends, were put in prison for helping or showing kindness toward Jews. The book is an account of the fearful trials she endured, as well as the grace which God showed her throughout all of her struggles.
    This is a book which I would recommend to anyone --- it is not only touching, but inspiring; inspiring to live for Christ in such a way that not even persecution and death can destroy hope of something far greater than mere  freedom --- a life with God in heaven.
    This is my favorite quote: "There are no 'if's' in God's world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety---" -Betsie ten Boom

    ~Hope Rising, by Kim Meeder~

This book was incredible. It's the first horse story I've ever read where there isn't utter selfishness or rebellion, where there is faith in God, and where everything that happens is completely true and not a work of dramatic fiction.
     And it is so beautiful!
    There is an astonishing, delightful number of secret metaphors in this book, so sweetly flowing with the rhythm of each short account, so that one nearly misses them altogether. This book gives the reader hope and clearly shows us the fact that with God, all things are possible; that miracles do happen; and that dreams really do come true. ♥

God bless and Happy New Year!

Color

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My room is a splashing hurricane of color --- a kaleidoscope of God's glorious rainbow --- the color wheel of wonder that would be much-envied in my childhood. I have mixed, hardly matched, and am still slowly-but-surely adding to this magnificent little square space I affectionately call 'bedroom'.

I found my dream bedspread on sale at WalMart --- four different shades of blue and green circles on one side, neon green on the other. It most delightfully contrasts the overwhelming pink on my walls and in my wardrobe.

My darling Princess Pumpkin (also referred to as Plumpkin, Flumpy-dunk, or 'our fat cat') loves to share my bed in the daytime while I read. I really don't think that she cares a cat's whisker about what colors my room consists of, but she seems to really like it in there.

If I had had mine own way, my whole room would be cool colors, particularly blue. But as it was, I selected five visually-satiable colors that matched some already-made curtains mom had intended for the room practically since we moved in: desert gold, pale tan, disco and princess pinks, and lavender. The colors have become a little (as mentioned above) overwhelming, so I've been calming it down with blues and greens. Emily even painted my closet trim blue for me. Now, as it turns out, the curtains cannot be found, and so my mom says I can get new ones. Now I can have even more blue in my room!

I would actually love to paint my walls a dark grey to contrast the crayon-box colors of everything else in the room. I've learned so many incredible craft ideas from Pinterest that I can't wait to get started on, and all of these will also add some pizazz to my room. {click the provided link to check out my ideas!}

Once I get around to it, I'm going to crochet myself a rug to cover up the matted-down grey carpet. (There's only one book I have found so far in all of my local library that has a rug pattern. Wow.) And guess what color it's going to be? That's right, blue.

There's also the dream of getting the trim up, the new white door, buying new carpet, and locating a cheap but still eye-pleasing desk lamp. Before any of those can come, however, I shall make myself thoroughly content. 

My room has never looked this good, this ME. ;)

Upon the Ice

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So far, I've been babysitting regularly for about four or five months, now. It's been a challenging experience from which I have learned so much. And today, I and the boys I care for went down to the lake for ice-skating. 

I'm no great skater myself, but it was still a blast. I tried to go as fast as possible without losing my balance --- not very fast --- and the boys were chasing after each other and their hockey-playing friend (who is actually quite good).

I was exploring a large crack in the ice when I realized that one could see how deep the ice was according the the crack, for it went all the way through to the cold water underneath.

I showed the boys, who immediately proceeded to attempt to hammer a hole in the ice with a hard stick. They couldn't get very far. Not only was it cold, and the ice very strong, but the layer on which we stood was over six inches thick.

We were observing another area where two cracks ran over each other in an X, when we heard a deep, quiet boom. That's the only way I can think to describe how it sounded when the ice shifted slightly under our combined weight. I knew it wasn't enough to send us into the icy water, but natural fear and caution drove me to persuade the boys to move nearer the shore, just in case. It was exhilarating.

After this adventure, we returned back to their house --- for not only was it dark, but we were growing cold --- and played games after a hearty meal of pepperoni and sausage pizza, along with mugs of hot cocoa.

It was a very nice day.

Waluigi

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This afternoon, I spent a few hours at a friend's house --- someone I now only rarely see, and have missed immensely --- and spent at least two of those hours playing Mario Kart with her and her sister! Having only played it perhaps once in my entire life before, I obviously wasn't very skilled. I was almost always in last place, but I still enjoyed it. I was Waluigi.

The coolest Wii character I've ever seen, he made us all laugh with his vengeful "I'll get you next time!" and his disgruntled, "Ah, Waluigi lose... IMPOSSIBLE!"

That, along with a delicious lunch, gift-exchanging, and simply talking every ones' heads off made for a great time with my buddies! ;)

The "W" in Christmas

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I love this story. Although simple, and perhaps silly-sounding to many people on whom it's meaning is lost, it is a good reminder of what this season --- this "holiday" --- is all about.

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience.

I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending.

Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the
precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of
Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old.

For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant."

I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the
production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation.

All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then.

Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes
early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats.

As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer.

So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snow-caps upon their heads.

Those in the front row- center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song.

As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W".

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W".

Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together.

A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.

In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: "C H R I S T W A S L O V E"

Humpty Dumpty

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Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the king's horses and all the king's men

Couldn't put Humpty together again.

But when Jesus Christ at last intervined

Grace entered the vastly discomposed scene

He repaired Humpty 'til he was better than new

And none other this undertaking could do

❤

I Have Bangs!

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After nearly six years of never, EVER having bangs, I finally decided it was time. Time to give them another chance. I put the hair I wanted to keep up in a ponytail.

And then my mom snipped off the rest.

 
And then, I wanted to finish it up on my own --- a very unwise and frankly dumb decision.

But mom helped me straighten it out. I hated it for the first five minutes, but I'm warming up to it. It still isn't the style I planned for, but my one comfort is...

IT WILL GROW BACK!

Lovely Chaos

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My world is a tumbling hurricane of chaotic Christmas preparations, deep-sea cleaning, novel-writing, and a little bit of everything else. I'm sure my story is not that different from many others' at this present moment.

I'm trying to clear-off as many things as I can off of my laptop in order to refresh it and make it go really fast again. (I never realized just how many pictures I had taken until today.)

Tea is my one comfort while stressing over math.

I've started knitting another purse, a scarf, and hope to get working on some hats --- the last ones I made didn't quite turn out the way I had hoped *blush*.

It's great to have winter back again. Just loking out my bedroom window at the snow cheers me up and makes the day worth getting through.

Wow; it takes a lot of effort just to make room for fifteen minutes with God in prayer!

And yet, what a blessing it is to be busy and at work; how dull life would be if there was nothing to do but the things we want to!

God bless!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope you all did things that made the day all the more special to you, and are thanking God for everything He puts in your path, even though the special day set aside for it is here and gone.

I can't believe how quickly this has gone by, this series of gratitude. I loved the picture of the verse ( to the left because it reminded me not to simply thank God for what He has done and all that He is simply this one month and certainly not this one day, but always, and in everything.

And now we come to the final thing on my list:

    24. Salvation in Christ Alone

As the verse goes, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

    I was saved at about the age of eleven, not of mine own work, but because of God's love and mercy. He showed me my sin, my worthlessness, my need for His hand in my life. I would never have chosen Him on my own accord, but I did because I love Him; and I love Him not on my own, but because He loved me first. I realized that I was a prisoner to sin, and that Christ had set me free. Obviously, this is the thing I am most thankful for, above all other things --- this is true love... God's love. ♥

Giving Thanks ... day twenty,three

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    23. My Family and Friends

I absolutely love my family. My parents are so sweet and generous, my sister Lilly is the joy and entertainment of my daily life, and Emily --- although we argue often --- is adorable and I love her so much!

    As a child, I had only a few very special friends, and today I now know so many wonderful, godly people. I love planning hundreds of ways to fill up my days with their company. (My best friend of all, whom I have told you about before, has a birthday in two days --- I just hope her surprise arrives in time.) ;)

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones." 

-Proverbs 3:5-8

Giving Thanks ... day twenty,two

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    22. Life Itself

I've definitely covered the essentials of this over the past twenty-one Thanksgiving posts, but how often are we truly thankful for life? The fact that God gives us breath at all is a marvelous demonstration of His incredible mercy!

    Everyone has days when they are tempted to want a different life. But notice; even the people who have the life you find ideal are also discontent. Don't think anything but what God has giving you would or could ever be "better". He knows better than we do, that's why He gave us the life we have, and not somebody else's life.

    I'm making it a goal to thank the Lord every day for the life He gave me because I know that regardless of the struggles that tempt me to be discontent, He has a plan for the best. And besides, it's much better to enjoy the good times when they come, and to remember them when they depart to make room for trials.

❧

Amazing... we're only two days away from Thanksgiving already. This series has been excellent practice for being consistent in my writing --- although I have missed a few days and needed to catch up a little --- and I hope that the things I've shared have inspired you in some way. =)

Giving Thanks ... day twenty,one

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I've decided to stroll off the beaten path today and list a few different things I'm thankful for, just for today, instead of simply one for which I'm thankful in general.

    1. Writing

I don't know why, but when the seasons change, I am more inspired than ever to write. Since the snow fell just a few days ago, I've felt such an urge to sit down and just GO. I'm only into the second chapter of my story, but as more and more ideas come, the more I know I need to set free my fingers and print the words from my whirlwind of thoughts.

    2. Piano Music

It is the day of the first piano lesson I have had in over a month. And so, I now regret having not practiced more over the lapse of time, but I am reaping the consequences tolerably. I am thankful that God has blessed us with music to enjoy --- and of course, I want to practice more in the future so that I am not so easily caught off-guard. ;)

    3. Sleep

I've been caring for a friend's cat this week, and the friendly little thing does not want anything else but to be in my lap whenever I am in the same room. My bed is also located directly under my window --- a favorite place for her to roost --- and so she must jump from the floor to my feet, and from my feet to the windowsill in order to peer out into the starlit night. I like to roll around in my sleep, and so my consciousness of her presence prevents me from rolling enough and thereby sleeping soundly. If all that escapes your understanding, simply know that I have grown to appreciate sleep more than ever this week!

    4. Thick Socks

Doing school today was hard because my toes were soaking up all of the cold in the room. (It's very hard for me to concentrate on anything when I can't FEEL anything....)

    5. Pinterest

My sweet sister-in-law introduced my family to a fun site called Pinterest, and I am completely addicted to it, as she predicted! (You can find me on Pinterest here)

"Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name." 

-Psalm 103:1

Giving Thanks ... day twenty

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    20. God's Blessed and Holy Word

I confess, I have a hard time remembering how truly important it is to read His Word daily. There's ALWAYS something else I want to do, and I have to make a choice. I often --- nay, most often --- choose something else. No, we don't need to be reading our Bibles constantly, and no, doing pleasurable things (such as reading other books, going for a walk, or spending time with friends) is not evil --- they are an entirely different matter of discussion. But we do need to keep in mind that if we are Christians who spend more time doing the things WE want to do rather than what GOD wants us to do, we're giving Satan an enormous foothold on our lives and hearts. We begin to justify what we do, thinking, "But I'm not going out and murdering someone, so it's okay." Yeah, that does sound drastic, but read what Corrie ten Boom had to say on the subject when she and her sick sister Betsie were in prison for harboring Jews in their home:

"Selfishness had a life of its own. As I watched Mien's bag of yeast-compound disappear I began taking it from beneath the straw only after lights-out when others would not see and ask for some. Wasn't Betsie's health more important? (You see, God, she can do so much for them! Remember that house, after the war!) 

    And even if it wasn't right --- it wasn't so very wrong, was it? Not wrong like sadism and murder and the other monstrous evils we saw in Ravensbruck every day. Oh, this was the great ploy of Satan in that kingdom of his: to display such blatant evil that one could almost believe one's own secret sins didn't matter."

{ emphasis added }

Every sin, no matter how small is sin, selfishness included.

God's Word is such a blessing that I wonder sometimes why it is such a struggle to sit down with it, even for as little as fifteen minutes? I really do love the Bible; not only is it full of true stories that are as delicious to read as my beloved fairy-tales, but the Truth of the Gospel which gave me new life in Christ, as well as instructions for how to return His love for all He has done and all that He is.

Bless the Lord for His Word, and for not letting our Salvation depend upon us, but only on He who saves!

"And looking at them Jesus said to them,  

“With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

-Matthew 19:26

Giving Thanks ... day nineteen

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    19. God's Power

In fellowship with many of the wonderful women from my church two nights ago, we discussed holiness. Holiness, in a nutshell, is being completely like-minded with God; loving what He loves (righteousness), hating what He hates (sin). As Christians, we are to pursue holiness, being as much like-minded with God as we possibly can.

One of the main things we discussed was how this was impossible... by ourselves! 

Christianity does not end with Christ dying for our sins; He also commanded us to pursue righteousness, to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). We've tried that, haven't we? Everyday we try to pursue godliness, but at the end of the day we're crying out to God in utter failure! The most important part we need to remember is that we must go to God in prayer if we are ever to have the strength, or even desire to pursue holiness! We can't do it. He can! But He doesn't just do it for us. He gives us all the strength and nudging we need and then it's our turn to obey and take the first step. And then the next. And pretty soon, we're like toddlers learning to walk, but it's the Spirit holding us up, and our Savior to whom we're walking!

Along with thanking God for His Grace given to me freely, I thank Him also for His strength and power to help me pursue holiness every single day until I am at home with my Lord, King, and Savior Jesus Christ.