12.31.2014

The Sunset of 2014






Here we are.

The last day of 2014.

365 days

of laughs,

of tears,

of smiles,

of memories.

   

     This past week we traveled for Christmas, we got back Saturday, Sunday was of course church, Monday my aunt came to visit for the day, and Tuesday my grandparents arrived.  We are leaving tomorrow for Texas.  So stress is basically the name of the game.  The first thing I did this morning after getting dressed was wash dishes.  We were running around all day trying to clean up, take down Christmas decorations, and stress about getting ready for our trip.  Yesterday I had to tear out a blanket that I was crocheting that I had almost 4,000 stitches in it.  4,000!  One of our dogs who is really disobedient and dumb as a box of rocks went running out into the front yard barking at our neighbor, and so I had to run out there and carry her back, which equaled to getting dirt stains all over my brand new white jacket.  We left the house and I forgot my cell phone.  It was a good day.

It was a good day because I had a family and a house to have decorations in.

It was a good day because I know how to crochet, and I have a second chance.

It was a good day because I still have clothes to wear and dishes to eat off of and a cellphone to use.

It was a good day because I was alive with air to breathe.

It was a good idea because I live in a free country.

It was a good day because I have a Savior.


   That is the attitude I want to carry into the New Year.  We only got one life, guys.  One day at a time; we are never promised tomorrow.  You will never have today again.  The words said, the thoughts, the actions, the smiles, and the tears.  We only have one life.  Let's make it one worth living.


~ Love,
Jess
 Enjoy New Year's, ya'll! <3

12.16.2014

Tacit Tuesdays! {Can Ya' Believe It?!}

Hiya!

  Tacit Tuesdays again!  Whoo! lol

Today for ya I have a photo shoot.  And, I'm making up for all the Tacit Tuesdays I missed.  Like, 30-pictures making up.  Julia took all the ones of me, I took all the ones of her. (duh)

Enjoy, peeps.

~ Jess <3

*M*E*R*R*Y*  *C*H*R*I*S*T*M*A*S




















And for all of you who asked on my relationship with cats, observe: 


And when I finally decide to try and pose with her; this happens:















12.14.2014

Blogging Break

Hey Peeps.

   I was contemplating in the tub the other day, (probably a little too TMI for ya, but whatever) and I was thinking about your survey responses (which I'm going to post soon) and I was realizing how I've kinda stunk at blogging lately; this whole fall has been tough, and I don't want to keep blogging just to keep blogging.   I love this blog, and I love all of you, and I hope to keep this up for many many years.  Because of that, I've decided to take a little break and just cool off and re-evaluate some things. I could also use the focus on school, and in January we are driving out to Texas to see a very good blogger friend, Mikayla!  (Which, if you read the comments, I'm sure you know of her! ;)

   So, on December 19, I will be taking a month long break, and coming back on January 19, which "happens" to be my 16th birthday!

   Now, I'm going to still be around.  I'm going to try to stay up with all your blogs, and I'm still going to be on my email and all that.  I just won't be posting.  So if you have anything you want to tell me, or ask, or just to see what's up, just shoot me an email.  I'm just backing up for a little bit, not dying. XD

   With that said, I'm going to try and post Tacit Tuesdays this week, and I'll post the survey responses.  Maybe something else before then too.  And I plan on doing a New Years post, but I'll see what happens.

  I think this break will be good for all of us, and I already look forward to coming back! ;)

~Jess <3

12.10.2014

A Life Worth Living



December.

How on earth is it December, peeps?

It seems like yesterday I wrote a "Welcome To 2014" post, and I was sitting at the kitchen table writing out a long, long list of things I wanted to do.  Heaven knows where that list is, and I probably didn't even do anything on it.  Maybe one or two things.

So, what did I do this year?

  I can think of a lot of things I didn't do.  Things I failed at.

Like finishing 9th grade.
Getting to bed on time and getting more sleep.  
Walking my dog consistently.  
Reading my Bible consistently.  
Like being a good housekeeper and helping with cleaning more.  
Like reorganizing my room and keeping it clean.

It is really easy to get thinking about what we failed at.  What we didn't do.  So sometimes I have to stop and look at what I did do.

Like getting my drivers permit.  
Like learning to live with a cast on my arm, and overcoming joint problems and pain.
Like living with a mom for 4 days and helping care for her 3 little children.
Like going to camp with my best friend.  
Like taking standardized testing and getting good scores.
Like driving to Maine and back, and having all those adventures.
Like volunteering at the library.
Like spending probably over 3 months of time with my grandparents this year.
Like still plugging along at school, despite being really far behind and getting discouraged.
Like volunteering twice at a distribution center for Operation Christmas Child.
Like making plans to go to Texas and see one of my very best friends for the first time ever.
Like making plans to, once I turn 16, get a job.
Like spending time building relationships with people
Like helping with our church through community dinners, weddings, and nursery.



   School is my biggest stress for me.  I'm way behind.  I can't keep up and sometimes I just feel like I should just give up.  Like I'm a failure.  But, when I look at it, some weeks we are out of the house 3 or 4 of the 5 school days.  And in the end, I learning to decide; I would rather take a couple extra years to finish school, and live life, than stay caught up and not live.

Volunteering, babysitting, driving, spending time with my grandparents; these things won't always be around.  I'm not saying to forgo all responsibility.  I'm just saying to let go of the stress of responsibility.  If worrying about getting behind is hindering you from spending time with and helping others, than maybe it's time to take a look again at what is important.  



I know this blog has been a little wacky lately.  My life has been too.  

Just keeping plugging along guys.  We can do this.

We are Daughters of the King.

~Jess

ps. Check out my "Find Me Elsewhere // Contact Me" page. I just added it. =)

12.09.2014

Would Ya' Like To Take A Survey?

Well peeps, I made a couple of surveys for you!

I love surveys: filling them out, reading other people's answers, so I decided to make my own!

This first survey is just a survey for my blog.  Has a couple fun questions.  This is open to anyone who reads my blog. So, if you are reading this, then you qualify.  ;)

Link #1

I hope you fill it out!  If surveys aren't your thing, than that is a-okay.  Just as a note, on there, when a question has circles, it means it is multiple choice.  If it is boxes, you can only choose one.




Now, just for fun, I made a SECOND survey!  This one is a fun one and it is kinda a quiz to see how well you all know me!  =D

Link #2

I hope you like them!  =D

~Jess <3

12.06.2014

My Thoughts On: Gay Marriage


*As a note, while I believe every thing that I will say here, this is a highly opinionated and "up on my soapbox" kind of post.  Just warning you.*

I recently (aka, 5 minutes ago) stumbled across and read THIS article.  And it made me want to...cry.  It churned my stomach into knots and tears well up in my eyes.  It was titled:  A Complete History of the Duggar Family's Hateful Anti-LGBT and Anti-Abortion Comments.  Yikes!  I clicked on it mostly out of curiosity, and a bit of, "umph, suuure, haha."  But I didn't expect it to be as bad as it was.

  I'm not writing this to talk about the Duggars.  They are the main ones under attack in this article, but I'm talking about the deeper issue here: gays vs. those who believe it is wrong.  Or, as this article suggest, Those who just want to be able to love freely vs. haters. But, who is really doing the hating?

It would probably be best to actually read, or at least scan, the article I'm mentioning, but basically, the article starts out my talking about the channel, TLC, and how it recently canceled a show known as Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. (Which I know nothing about, and have never seen)  A petition, it seems, had now been started to likewise cancel the 19 Kids and Counting because,

"The Duggars have been using their fame to promote discrimination, hate, and fear-mongering against gays and transgendered people. You need to take a stand on the side of justice and cancel their show."
 ~ Creator of the Petition, Jim Wissick

   I've been taking a logic class for high school, and this quote did almost make me laugh.  Propaganda is basically spreading your ideas and opinions.  Some propaganda is not bad, but it is easy to be caught up in agreeing with them, rather than thinking why you are agreeing.  Now, in this quote, he doesn't say how the Duggars have been hateful.  He doesn't even present us why the Duggars, whatever they did, is unjust, and he doesn't say how his side is "justice."  But, standing on the side of justice sounds so nice.  Standing with the Duggars in what they believe automatically makes me a discriminating, hateful person.  

But really, in what I believe, the exact opposite is true.  I follow and trust in a God of love.  A God of peace, and joy, and obedience and perfection.  I know that no one is perfect.  But that is why my Holy God sent His son, to be our Perfection!  So when we come to Him, He takes our sin, wipes it away, and calls us to Himself, to be with Him for eternity, in this life and the next.  All sin is sin in God's eyes.  Whether I steal a pencil, or a million dollars, it is stealing.  It is sin.  Whether I grow up my whole life as a church kid, never steal, never swear, never commit adultery, or murder, or rape, I am still no better than someone who did all of those things.  In God's eyes we are equally sinful, and if we come to Him, equally clean.  As a Christian, I am called to proclaim this truth.




I believe that abortion, and gay marriage is wrong.  It is sin. Like I just said, I don't think that a gay person and someone who has had an abortion is any more of a sinner than I am.  But, just because everyone does it, does not make it not sin.  

Further down in  the article, it talks about one of the Duggar's sons becoming the director of an organization (that I do not know) that, as the article puts it, "...Is vehemently anti-LGBT and anti-abortion, and has been classified as a hate group..."  It quotes a different organization that says, "Will TLC allow [itself]  to become a mainstream outlet for [the organization that Josh Duggar is now working]'s dangerous message?"

   Now, how can someone being in support of something so strongly be okay, but someone being against the same thing be a hate group?  Ready for another one of my examples? ;)  

   What if I made peanut butter cookies, and I walked around the house saying that peanut butter cookies are the best cookies ever, and that everyone should eat peanut butter cookies, and I made posters proclaiming how much I loved peanut butter cookies.  But then my sister told me that she didn't like peanut butter cookies, and that the peanut butter that I used in the cookies had gone bad, so no one should eat them.  If I turned around and called her a hater on peanut butter cookies, and saying that she has such dangerous ideas, and if I trashed her room, and called her all sorts of mean names, and purposefully stuck my peanut butter cookies in places that I knew she would be, just so when she put them aside I could call her a mean hater, who would really be the hater?  The one who dislikes the cookies, and is against them, or the one for them that is so angry about it that if anyone disagrees with them they instantly label them as hating discriminators?

The next point of the article talks about a event in which Michelle Duggar spoke out about a bill being passed that would allow people that "wished" to be of an opposite gender to be able to use the corresponding bathroom.  Michelle compared this to the actions of a child predator.  If men who "decide" to be girls that day are allowed into the women's bathrooms and changing stations; privacy is totally forfeited, and even worse.  I would never use a bathroom if I knew at any moment a man could walk in, and do whatever he pleased!  As a teenage girl, that thought just appalls me.  How can being against a man allowed to invade the privacy of a woman be called being hateful!  How can rape (which IS wrong) be wrong, and yet this be right??

About 3/4's down the page, there is a quote of a Instagram caption that one of the Duggar girls wrote.  Please read it, her words are amazing, and I totally agree 100%!  She says that the whole racial discrimination starts from the theory of evolution; some humans supposedly being more "advanced" or "evolved" than the other.  In reality, we were all created in our Creator's image!  None higher than another.  We were humans from the very beginning, and all of one race.  Adam's race.  She also compares the Holocaust to current day abortion.  In the end, it is simply a loss of the sanctity of life.  If a child in the womb is no longer worthy of the right to live, why is a child with down syndrome?  Or an elderly woman?  Or a teenager with cancer?  Or a man on life support?  You cannot take away the sanctity of life for one group, without destroying all of it for every group.


According to the article, it quotes a comment made on her photo:

“While your pro-life viewpoints are totally valid and respectable, the fact that you would even think to make this comparison is absolutely dehumanizing to those involved in the Holocaust, and beyond disrespectful to all women, not to mention the ones who have actually had to choose to go through the difficult process of abortion.”


How is her comparing death to death disrespectful?

Then the whole thing about the Duggars kissing.  Jessa, a newlywed, received criticism for posting a picture of her and her husband kissing, and so her parents backed her up by having a Facebook challenge of married couples posting pictures of themselves kissing.  Many did, but a good number of homosexuals did also.  And the pictures were deleted and the people who posted them were banned from the Duggar's page.  This brought on a whole new wave of criticism.  One man, whose picture was deleted, said, "How sad that they feel threatened by other loving marriages!"  For one, the Duggars deleting a picture from their own page does not equal them feeling "threatened."  That is an assumption, and one that is probably untrue, because there is no evidence to back it up, and just doesn't make sense.  If an atheist, or gay, had a facebook page, and if Christians started bombarding their page, the page owner would most likely be backed up and the Christians condemned!  But, when the roles are switched, the hate is still turned towards the Christians.


The article ends by having a quote from the same man whose picture was deleted:

Whether the petition causes TLC to question continuing to give the family a platform or simply fizzles out, the attention it gives to LGBT causes is worth the effort.  [T]his story is definitely having an impact, because it’s starting conversations about marriage equality in spaces that may still not be used to having those conversations yet, and it’s exposing the Duggars’ fans and social media followers — a good number of whom are social and religious conservatives — to images of loving, happily married same-sex couples, possibly for the first time.  The fact that so many of the responses were positive shows how quickly hearts and minds are changing on LGBT issues.”

The first thing I get from this is that after all this, they are really saying that they don't care about what happens to the Duggars, but they just wanted the attention drawn to themselves.  

I believe the homosexuals know that what they are doing is wrong.  If you are doing what you know/believe is right, then you can turn the other way from all the criticism.  But when you know that what you are doing is wrong, you want other people to agree with you so you can try and convince yourself that you aren't guilty.  Have you ever been on a website, or listening to music, or reading something that you know you shouldn't, but you just tell yourself, "Well, everyone does it" or, "All the other teenagers are reading this book, so it's okay."  Or, "Kids at church listen to this kind of music."  Really what we are doing is trying to convince ourselves that "everyone else agrees with me, so it can't be wrong."  But it is really easy to get offended and and angry when someone does point out that it is indeed wrong.

The attack always used is "freedom."  Gays need the "freedom" to get married.  Women need the "freedom" to kill their babies.  Men need the "freedom" to rape.  People need the "freedom" to steal.  Wait a minute!
    There are some things that are opinions.  Like whether airplanes should allow passengers to recline their seats.  And the minimum wage.  But no one questions that green means go and red means stop.  If you run a red light and a policeman pulls you over, you can't tell him, "Sorry officer, but I believe that I should have the freedom to decide what color I want to drive under."  That wouldn't work.  There has to be rights and wrongs.  And if it is simply up to humans to draw that line, then there will be problems.  People will always try and change, stretch, or sneak around the rules.  If the rules were made by humans to begin with, they won't last under the pressure.  BUT, if the rules were made by a Holy God that created everything, including us humans, then even when we try and mess with His rules, they will stand firm.  That is why I can say with such confidence that gay marriage, abortion, lying, murder, adultery, theft, and many more sins are all EQUALLY sinfully.  Because my LORD said that they are.


And His word stands.



*I'm officially climbing off of my soap box now.  Until next time.*  (tips hat and darts off)



12.01.2014

Winter Wasteland Tag

Thank you so much, Julia for tagging me in this!  What a fun idea! =D

Here's how it works:

   1.) Answer this question
                  
                 What do you usually do when snow starts falling and you are unable to get out of the house?

   2.)  List 5-15 things to answer the question / things that you like to do in winter.

   3.)  Tag 5-10 people


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Okay!  So here are my things!

   1} Sense I live in the South where it only snows anywhere between 0-3 times, and the snow only lasts less than a day.  So when it snows, I go out and play!

   2} Take pictures of the snow falling; the snow on nature.

   3} Take a well-bundled up sibling or friend out for a winter photoshoot!

   4} Make different kinds of hot chocolate; experiment adding different spices and toppings.

   5}  Curl up with a blanket and aforementioned hot chocolate to watch a movie or read a book!

   6}  Bake!

   7}  Wrap up homemade cookies, freeze them if you want, and later give them to people you know.

   8}  Do something fun with a sibling; like color or play with Legos.

   9}  Make homemade Christmas cards

   10}  Decorate!  Pull out some old ornaments or tinsel, and decorate your desk, dresser, window sill, etc!  

   11}  Go on Pinterest, or blogs, and find some DIYs.  Try something new that you haven't before.

   12}  Call a friend!


Well, that's 12!  And most of these will work any day that you are board.  Thanks for nominating me for your brand new tag!  How fun!

I nominate:






and anyone else that would like to do it!  (If you were already nominated, sorry. lol)


 



   


   

11.29.2014

I Nominate Myself for the "Bad Blogger Award" (and rambles)

I missed Thanksgiving.

I'm seriously a hundred or so posts behind in reading.

I haven't done Tacit Tuesdays in, like, forever.

yahhhhh.....

I lost a follower, also's....Not sure who it was, or what exactly went on there.  That's okay, though.

As for excuses, my grandparents were here this past week, so that was awesome.  They left today =(

On a good note, I've been inspired and have been going through and major cleaning my room.  I bought some wall hanging things, and some Christmas decorations.  I also painted my mirror.  I'm trying to bring out my inner decorator, and it's been wonderful so far. ;)  I have felt inspired to follow what I feel I really like to do; which is decorating.  I posted this on my facebook:



Today I discovered what I really want to do.  I want to be an interior designer/decorator.  Since starting high school I've just been wallowing in so many choices and options, almost "stuck" in them.  But today at Walmart I was looking through some different wall plaques (I bought two of them) and I realized how much I loved truly loved just looking through the different designs.  In clocks and posters.  In fabrics and flowers.  Just being able to take a blank space and make it...beautiful.  And I realized that instead of looking at the rest of my life by thinking of what I "have" to do; like pick a college major, or decide on a career, or get married; I should be looking at what I want to do.  What interests me, what inspires me, and how I can impact others.  I don't have to go to college to be a success.  I don't have to get married someday to be a success.  I can be successful in my everyday life.  So I made up my mind.  I'm not going to keep worrying about what I "have" to do with my future.  I'm going to do what I really love doing; be willing to change if the LORD leads, and just follow Him.  Because that's what really matters."Today I discovered what I really want to do. I want to be an interior designer/decorator. Since starting high school I've just been wallowing in so many choices and options, almost "stuck" in them. But today at Walmart I was looking through some different wall plaques (I bought two of them) and I realized how much I loved truly loved just looking through the different designs. In clocks and posters. In fabrics and flowers. Just being able to take a blank space and make it...beautiful. And I realized that instead of looking at the rest of my life by thinking of what I "have" to do; like pick a college major, or decide on a career, or get married; I should be looking at what I want to do. What interests me, what inspires me, and how I can impact others. I don't have to go to college to be a success. I don't have to get married someday to be a success. I can be successful in my everyday life. So I made up my mind. I'm not going to keep worrying about what I "have" to do with my future. I'm going to do what I really love doing; be willing to change if the LORD leads, and just follow Him. Because that's what really matters."
 Well, I'll try to post later.  Sorry for my...everything XD     ~Jess





11.26.2014

A Confession

To my fabulous, amazing and incredible followers,

                        I have a confession to make.

 There is a certain young boy I adore with all that I am. He is oh, so wonderful.
Every moment near him is glorious! His gaze is loving and true.
He is the best colt around. His name, Carmel Apple, ought to be know 'or the globe,
and with his name, such honor bestowed!
 He is certainly the best colt around.
You can pick all his feet or lead him around,
You can hug him tight and long, or hide in his mane.
 He is oh! so precious to me..


Sorry Jess, but I knew you felt it all deep down inside. ;)

~     Her rascal sister, Julia (and of course her baby Carmel)

The Homeschool Autumn Ball!



There are two different kinds of balls.  One I like, one dislikes me.  Ball #1 is round, usually hard, and usually attracted to my face like gravity.  Especially when kicked by boys with apparently strong legs.  Especially when walking innocently in a church parking lot from the sanctuary to the fellowship hall when all of a sudden out of nowhere I'm being face-planted by a RFO (round flying object.)  Especially when forced to attend yet another teen event centered entirely around sports because 90% of my youth group is guys, and the only other girl is athletic.

Ball #2 is a fancy, formal dance in which you dress up in lovely clothes, with lace gloves and fancy shoes; to be asked by a young gentleman to dance in which you as whisked off onto the floor...for square dancing.

Okay, yah, so, it wasn't a Cinderella type ball.  But it was called a ball, none the less, and I attended.

This is that story.


(Sorry for my over-dramatic intro.  I'm feeling drama-ish today)

  This was the first time I had gone to anything like this; and it was a blast.  How it worked was they had two practices, where everyone just dressed casual and they taught everyone the dances; so that on the night of the actual ball everyone knew how to do them.  Now, they call it English-Irish Dancing, or something like that, but it is really just square dancing. And it's not a Cinderella ball with the boy and girl all tangled up together and yet somehow moving.  The only thing that touched was hands.  So, just to get all that out of the way.

My favorites were ones called Posties Jig, and something Waltz.  Those were awesome.  The girls outnumbered the boys at these dances, so the girls can dance with each other but the boys have to ask a girl.  Even at the practices the boys had to come up to the girl, and say, "May I have this dance?"  As a girl I then dipped my head slightly and said something of the effect, "Yes, thank you."  And then we held hands as we walked out to the dance floor.  For the first practice I danced all but 3 dances, but about 1/4 of them with girls.  For the next practice I danced all the dances, and about the same; 1/4 with girls.  For the actual ball, I only danced about 1/2 the dances and boys only asked me for less than half of the ones I danced.  But that's okay.  I had gone roller skating the day before, so I was sore! lol

Well, that was rambl-y.  Sorry.  Ahem.  Okay, here we go:






        Okay, see the guy in the white, on the right, clapping his hands?  I have kinda a funny story about him.  Okay, see I have this really crazy friend (I mean seriously, she's a nut) and she is certain that him and I are going to be married someday.  'course, he don't know t'is, and I don't believe 'er, but that's what she says.  So I laughed and we made a bet that if I am not married to him in 20 years then she owes me a homemade pie.  And if we do get married (haHA......No.) then she gets to help me pick out my dress and be a bridesmaid.  I'm looking forward to my pie.  Anyway, she said that she thought that he would propose to me at this ball, and I'm happy to say he did not.  *Rolls eyes at friend*  Also, now, whenever I mention any other guys she says that she is disappointed because (blank) is my "true."  Waaaahhh?

After that delightful story, here are some pictures from a little photoshoot that Julia and I did with me in mah dress.  Enjoy:




I included this picture because Julia took it while I was starting to lose my balance, and for some reason now the way my hands are moving and the look on my face reminds me of a penguin.  So, yah...Weird, right?


Me in Motion




Julia and I's shoes

My gorgeous sis and I! <3



Well, that's about it.  Sorry this post was so rambl-y, I didn't mean it to be.  Also sorry for my lack of posts and everything.  We've been ridiculously busy.  Like, seriously.

The end.