In His Own Image

Genesis 1:27 (ESV)

So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.

It amazes me that in the Church, how many people hate their body. 

They feel that they are too tall, too short, too small, too large, too fat, and too skinny. 

They feel that they are ugly.

I've been thinking a lot about this recently.

To the world I'm too tall, too fat, too blah, too tanned, and too gangly.

But to God, I'm perfect.

Because he made me.

And he made you too <3

The world is full of lies, and we need to block them out.

Ephesians 4:27 (NIRV)

Don’t give the devil a chance.

 

Don't let him convince you that you are not lovely.

 

You are precious and perfect just the way God made you!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

 

 When you complain about your body, and listen to the world's lies, you are not glorifying God.

You are basically telling him that being made in his image doesn't mean a thing to you.

And that makes him sad.

Today, I want you to thank God for the glorious life and body he has graciously given to you.

Always remember that you are precious to him no matter what you look like. <3

Throwback Tuesday: Rachel Louise Carson

Rachel Louise Carson was a marine biologist and conservationist. She helped raise awareness of the endangered bald eagles. The eagles consumed prey that contained DDT. By 1972, DDT was banned in the United States. Because of this, the numbers jumped from 417 pairs of wild bald eagles in 1963, to 4,712 in 1995.

Since Google honored her today, I decided she would be perfect for Throwback Tuesday.

:~) An amazing lady of her time!

Memorial Day

Winslow reminded us yesterday the real focus of Memorial day.

But he did admit he enjoyed the parade!

Winslow's Remodeling

At the end of winter, Winslow noticed that tiling in the kitchen was starting to fall apart.

 

He decided it was time for a make-over.

 So a couple Thursdays ago, he rounded up some helpers,

bought the new flooring,

 and got to work!

Winslow was glad that the old wallpaper is hidden the rest of the year. He also wanted to remind you that when you are doing home remodeling, you should wear safety gear and watch your step.

That evening, the kitchen was 95% done!

Winslow loves how Great Great Grandma's table looks now!

The next day, he finished up the kitchen.

Saturday it was time to redo the bathroom!

The tiling was pretty bad in the bathroom. The gaps between the tiles were huge!

Winslow decided against a glass floor in there.

But when it was done, it was worth all the work!

Winslow is very happy with the way things turned out! :~D

Throwback Tuesday: Funny Face

 Dick Avery: When I get through with you, you'll look like... What do you call beautiful? A tree. You'll look like a tree. 

Funny Face is one of my favorite Audrey Hepburn movies! It is full of laughs and sweet music!

Frankly dear, your modesty reveals to me
Self-appraisal often makes me sad
And if I add, your funny face appeals to me
Please don't think I've suddenly gone mad

You've got all the qualities of Peter Pan
I'd look far before I'd find a sweeter pan

I love your funny face
Your sunny, funny face
Though you're a cutie with more than beauty
You've got a lot of personality for me

You fill the air with smiles
For miles and miles and miles
Though you're no Mona Lisa
For world's I'd not replace
Your sunny, funny face

I love your funny face
Your sunny, funny face
You're not exotic but so hypnotic
You're much, too much
If you can cook the way you look

 

I'd swim the ocean wide
Just to have you by my side
Though you're no Queen of Sheba
For world's I'd not replace
Your sunny, funny face

Childhood

Throwback Tuesday: Dorothy Hodgkin

When I saw the Google Doodle yesterday, I was inspired! 

It was for Dorothy Hodgkin, a British Biochemist, who determined the structure of Insulin.

She was the third woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The only other 2 women awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was Marie Curie and her daughter Irene Joliot-Curie.

An interesting random fact is that she was born in Cairo, Egypt. Alas I wasn't ;)

30 More Books!

Paris in the 20th Century by Jules Verne 
Song of my Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer
The Horse in My Garage and Other Stories by Patrick F. McManus
The Calling of Emily Evans by Janette Oke
Folktales of India edited by Brenda E. F. Beck
While the Clock Ticked by Franklin W. Dixon
Footprints Under the Window by Franklin W. Dixon
The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp
Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis
Love Finds You in Branson Missouri by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry
Love Finds You in Holiday Florida by Sandra D. Bricker
Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien 
Mama Poc by Anne LaBastille
Love Finds You in Snowball Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker
Gifts of an Eagle by Kent Durden
Mustang by Anthony Amaral
Love Finds You in Groom Texas by Janice Hanna
Love Finds You in Amana Iowa by Melanie Dobson 
Mister Carnegie's Lib'ary by Caroline Werkley
Deborah by Mildred Colvin
A Time to Plant by Kelly Eileen Hake 
Larkspur Dreams by Anita Higman and Janice A Thompson
Castles in the Air by Anita Higman and Janice A Thompson
Love Finds You in Tombstone Arizona by Miralee Ferrell 
Dick Van Dyke: My lucky life in and out of show business by Dick Van Dyke
The Matchmaker by Janette Oke
The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley 
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley
Beauty by Robin McKinley 

What Dance Is: A Guest Post

 Today I have a guest post from the lovely Emma who blogs at thedancechronicles.blogspot.com

Dance is a tangible way to express intangible thoughts and feelings.  Every specified movement of the hand, every distinct turn of the head, is part of the character you’re playing. Dance is captivating for me because you can imprint emotions on an audience through movement.  It's presented to audiences as a pure art form composed of flawless steps and gravity-defying movements.  

But I've seen--and experienced--first-hand the struggles dancers go through every day.  I see the girls I dance with crying in class or in the hallways as we hug them.  I see them fall on their faces.  I see them fall apart as a muscle or tendon swells to three times it's size.  I see them cry for each other.  I see them dance until they can't breathe, work until they overheat.  I see them come in and many days say, "I don't want to do this," then give everything they have to their teacher.

But I also see them get back up.  Come back.  Go back to class still crying.  Dance through the pain.  Push their leg an inch higher than the highest leg in class, no matter how much it hurts.  Put pointe shoes on bleeding feet.  Pull it together.  Wince and push through it.  Rehearse for several hours.  Keep dancing.

Because a true dancer knows that they can never stop dancing.


Other posts related to dancing you might enjoy:

Beautiful Feet
Dance Shoes
What's in my dance bag?
The History of American Ballet Performances
Ballet Shoes
 

Flower Blossoms!

The blossoms were so pretty yesterday, I just had to take some pictures! So we went for a walk after Church. :~)

This one ^^^^ looks like a painting!

 I love this one! ^^^^

And some tulips :)

The girls had fun on our walk!

Interconnected

Interconnected

"To connect with one another."

Before I really understood what it meant to be a Christian, I viewed life like this.

God was one thing in life, life was the other. 

They don't touch, they don't mix, they don't go together.

And then, I learned the Power of Prayer.

Prayer connects life, with God and creates something beautiful.

When you go through your day, praying, praising, and glorifying God through ordinary things, your life is interconnected. 

Each detail and piece is important.

As I go about my life, I'm praying for the people I encounter.

God and life.

Interconnected.

Throwback Tuesday: Grace Kelly

Never fear! Throwback Tuesday is here!

Grace Kelly, one of the "world's best dressed women".

Beloved for her movies, and as Princess Consort of Monaco, she is the loveliest Hollywood princess the world has known.

The Power of Prayer

Prayer is important.

Prayer is powerful.

Prayer was something I never payed much attention to until I realized how important and powerful it is. 

Here are a couple examples of how powerful prayer can be:

Several nights ago, one of the girls came down stairs around 10pm, crying. She had a nightmare and was shaking like a leaf. We cuddled her, and gave her hugs & kisses. After a few minutes, she and Daddy went upstairs. As she headed up the stairs, she asked Daddy to pray for her, because she knew Daddy would.

Yesterday was a long day. I was watching the girlies while Mom went to physical therapy for her ankle. Us girls were rehearsing some dance pieces for an upcoming show. While we were doing this T-Tot hit her ankle extremely hard on our wooden hope chest in the living room. She fell to the floor in pain. As I gave directions to the other girls, grabbed ice, and the phone in case I needed it, my first thought was "God. I need help." I flew through my mind of people who I could call, but no one (in my head) would be available. As I sat on the floor, rocking her, and icing her ankle, I was praying so hard. I was praying so hard. Within minutes I hear our door open. Mom wasn't supposed to be back for at least another hour, and I hadn't been able to get a hold of her. Who came in? Grandpa! Grandpa had to drop of his trailer at our relative's mechanics, and thought he would stop in to say hi! I was so thankful that God had provided for our needs. He looked at her ankle, and suggested we elevate it on the couch. He helped me make lunch, and he stayed  at the house with the girls while we took her to get x-rayed. Thankfully she just has a bad bone bruise.

Prayer is so powerful.

Matthew 21:22 

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

It's becoming such a big part of my life, that I can't imagine life without it. 

How does prayer effect your life? 

(I drew the picture a few years ago)