Hooray! Another Tag!!

1. Fill in your memories of 2008.
2. Link my blog to yours.
3. Tag others, and comment on their blogs so they know they've been tagged.

I was tagged by Melanie at Complete in Thee

A good book I read:
Birthright by David C. Needham

A great film/movie I watched:
Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version) The best!

A new place I visited:
Umm…I don’t believe I visited anywhere new in 2008!

An inspiring verse or quote I read:
“Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”
2 Timothy 2:22

A new skill I acquired:
I learned how to make delicious chicken parmigiana!

A lesson I learned:
That my purity is a great treasure and it should be guarded as a priceless jewel.

A moment I will always remember:
I will always remember the first time I saw my nephew. He was all wrapped up in his daddy’s arms and, oh, the look on my brother-in-law’s face! It was such a happy moment!

I tag everyone who peels their bananas from the "wrong" end!

Sincerely,
Miss S.

The Proper Behavior of a Young Lady

This is a list that I wrote in my journal about a year ago. I revised it a bit and decided to share with all of you!

1: In everything she says she must know what she is saying and why.
Proverbs 10:19

2: She must not be afraid to be looked down upon by the world if she knows what she is doing is right.
1 Peter 3:14

3: When she is interacting with those of the opposite gender she should be reserved. Friendly but not flirtatious. Kind but not showing any particular attention.
1 Timothy 5:1-2

4: The music she listens to, the movies she watches, and the books she reads should have some purpose beyond keeping her entertained.
Philippians 4:8

5: She should prepare herself in every way to be a mother and wife, both in the skills she undertakes to learn, and in the guarding of her heart.
Titus 2:5

6: When children are the occupants of her attention she should be good natured, patient, and happy. She should follow their whims, play the games they want to play, and do the things they want to do. Even if they tire her, she must not tire them.
Matthew 19:14

7: When she is alone she must turn her thoughts to God. She must strive to be the young lady who is pleasing in the sight of the Lord. There is no greater goal than this.
Psalm 139:23-24

Sincerely,
Miss S.

Looking Back

2008 has come to its end. It was a very good year for me. It had its ups, and most certainly had its downs, but overall it was a very good year. As I look back at all the tears I shed, all the times I laughed, and all the moments of joy and pain, I think of how God was there by my side through it all. I think I can safely say that this past year has been the best year of my life.

But I cannot hold on. I've seen what happens when I linger on the past so much that I cannot enjoy the present or think about the future. The year 2008 was wonderful, yes, but what is stopping these next few years—or the rest of my life, for that matter—from being just as wonderful? If I linger too long, I will lose some of the most precious moments that God gives me. I must step into my future. It will soon become my past. In this story called life, we come and we go. The earth spins and orbits the sun. The stars shine and go out. Everything is in motion. God remains the same.

Sincerely,
Miss S.

My Very First Tag

I feel kind of weird saying "so and so" tagged me, when they merely tagged "all who wish to participate", but…I've always wanted to do a tag, and I've got to start somewhere, so here goes! Let's say that Jasmine tagged me on her A Tag! post.

Rules:
* Post the six to ten things that you do on a daily basis.
*Link to the person who tagged you.
*Tag five other people.
*Leave a comment on the blog of the person that tagged you letting them know you posted this on your blog.

Here are my six things:

1: I journal. Every day I wake up, read some scripture, and then write in my two journals. Yes, two! One is for writing more spiritual stuff and the other is for writing more daily happenings stuff.

2: I listen to music, whether on headphones or on the speakers set up in the living room. I can't concentrate very well without it!

3: I dance very randomly in the living room (to the music playing, of course).Sometimes it's faking ballet, sometimes it's swing dancing at an imaginary 50's party, and sometimes it's waltzing with an invisible partner. : )

4: I walk. When the weather is decent, I walk outside. When it's not, I relish the opportunity to go to the grocery store!

5: I daydream. This is a habit which I wish to break (at least somewhat)…I think I daydream far too much. : )

6: I stare out the window, and look at the splendor of God's creation. It's truly a blessing to be able to see the beauty of nature!

I tag everyone who likes to frolic in the rain!

Sincerely,
Miss S.

"It Feels Like I Have a Uni-Leg!"

When I was twelve, I was well-known for going barefoot as often as I possibly could. When I wore shoes, I tried to wear exclusively flip-flops. The reason? I didn’t like socks. And likewise, I disliked every pair of shoes that I had to wear socks with. I didn’t like the feeling of my toes being together that much. When asked, I stated that it made me feel like I had a “uni-toe”. : )

Also when I was twelve, I had a great aversion to skirts. I wore pants, capris, and shorts…but very rarely skirts. When asked, you may guess my response. Yes, it made me feel like I had a “uni-leg”!

Then came that notorious day in August. Around three years ago in late August, I met a young lady who was two years older than me, and a beautiful dancer. She wore the prettiest skirts, and when she danced, they would flitter all over the place in a very pretty way. I decided I wanted to be just like her. So I asked my dad, (who just happens to be the Israeli dance teacher at our congregation) to teach me a few dances. And also, to the shock of everyone around me, I stated that I wanted to buy a skirt. Nobody knew why I made this turnaround, and it was several months later before I told anyone the reason.

After that, I decided that maybe skirts weren’t as bad as I thought. They didn’t seem quite as uncomfortable as before. I started wearing skirts a little more often. Around once, maybe twice a week. It was around two years later before I started wearing them daily. And even then, my reasons for doing so were not right. I wore them daily with the thought that I would be seen as a “good” girl, who took consideration to the way she dressed (even though in my heart, I knew I didn’t). After finding the Rebelution’s modesty survey, I saw modesty in a whole new light. I found that if the desire to dress modestly, femininely, etc. was not for the right reasons, then what good would it do? If I dress modestly, but act immodestly, I have failed to understand what modesty truly is. And also if I dress femininely, but act unfeminine, I have failed to understand what femininity truly is.

So now, over three years after first admiring the flowy skirts of the young lady who is now one of my closest friends, I wear skirts every day; not because I want to be seen as “good”, but because God has put it upon my heart to be a lady, and wearing skirts is, for me, very much a part of that.

Sincerely,

Miss S.