learning2surrender

At the Present Time...

2012-02-08T18:33:00.000-08:00

I'm...

On a Wind At My Back marathon. That's my favorite show! Made by Canada's Sullivan Entertainment its better than Road to Avonlea...even though all you ever hear about is Anne of Green Gables.
Working on choregraphy to What Love Really Means with a very talented young dancer who's a lot of fun to work with.
Teaching the twelve little girls in my class their Swan Lake dance. They have so much energy. I'm always hoarse after class. When they come up and hug me and tell me that I'm, "The best ballet teacher!" it's a really great feeling!
Working on my own piece for the recital
Anatomy and Physiology is interesting, certainly beats Chemistry!
Les Miserable is becoming one of my favorite books, definitely fills the description of a classic.
Just found out that Ballet Magnificat! will be performing near us! I've been wanting to see them for years. I'm very excited!
Eating toast with hummus and avocado, quite nice.
Enjoying my new favorite High Kings song, Red Is The Rose.
The upcoming election. I find politics interesting, though I have very decided beliefs that not many politicians vote in favor of. :)
Preparing for the dance competition at the end of this month.
I've cut back on time spent on the Internet.
Eating Bittersweet Chocolate...or any kind of chocolate for that matter.
Reading Tim Tebow's book
In awe of how great God's plan is and of how amazing He is. He's shown me that I need to trust Him more, believe in faith for Him to accomplish what to my little mind seems to think impossible. He is above my wildest imaginations.

No Greater Love

2012-02-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

Before I knew Your Name
You knew my every breathe
Before I found my way
You knew my every step
Before I knew everything that I need
You gave it all to me

No greater love than this
That You should lay down Your life
For someone such as me
I'll spend a lifetime wondering why
The beauty of heaven is here in my heart
And know there can be
No greater love than this...

I never understood how merciful love could be
Until I found His flame
Light every part of me
And I would give everything that I am
Cause I have been saved
Yes, I have been saved

No greater love than this
That You should lay down Your life
For someone such as me
I'll spend a lifetime wondering why
The beauty of heaven is here in my heart
And I know there can be
No greater love than this...

The beauty of heaven is here in my heart
And I know there can be
No greater love than this....

~~~~~~~

No matter the extent of our bondage or our fear, Jesus Christ can free us.

"Forget the former things;
Do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland."
Isaiah 43:18-19

He came to set us free and He delights in doing it! Believe.

Praise His Name With Dancing

2011-12-10T15:12:00.001-08:00

"And David danced before the LORD with all his might..." 2 Samuel 6:14

"You turned my wailing into dancing;
You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy."
Psalm 30:11

"Let them praise His name in the dance: let them
sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp."
Psalm 149:3

"Praise Him with the timbrel and dance: praise Him with stringed instruments and organs"
Psalm 150:4

"A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance."

Ecclesiastes 3:4

I'm in a balletic mood this evening...can you tell?

Tomorrow is my dance studio's Christmas recital. I'm really looking forward to it! Here's the song that I'm dancing to, "Your Great Name"

All the lovely photos came from google images...I particularly am fond of the first and second. Oh, to have that split and arabesque! :)

The Spirit is Willing

2011-12-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

Examine Yourself - Paul Washer

2011-11-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent message given by Paul Washer. It's long but REALLY worth watching.

Healing

2011-11-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

"Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise." ~ Jeremiah 17:14

(I wrote this about two weeks ago, it has just taken me a while to publish.)

Last Tuesday I had all of my wisdom teeth removed, the surgery itself wasn't bad but the next couple of days I felt pretty crummy. I got a cold and I felt pressure in my ears, and three of my lymph nodes were swollen. On Saturday I was up and around more but I felt really achy and tired. My head and jaw were really sore. I consumed a shameful amount of ice cream. It felt wonderful on my gums and it didn't taste bad either. :)

I went to church on Sunday and I was feeling better. The first song we sang was about God being our Healer- that spoke to me. I had been taking strong pain medication but had stopped using it and had taken an ibuprofen before the service but I didn't feel it working. :) I was feeling pretty sick. My head felt tired, sore, and my jaw hurt. In my heart I prayed to be healed from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet.

After the time of worship our pastor spoke to me and told me that God wanted to reveal something to me during the service. As he was speaking to me I felt this warm sensation rise up my back. It was peaceful and gentle but strong and then I felt it rise to my neck. It was calming but at the same time powerful. The entire time he was speaking to me I felt it, I know it was the Holy Spirit's presence. It was like nothing I've ever felt before; it was a wonderful feeling. The warmth settled on my back and it calmed me. The tired, worn down feeling left me instantly. My headache was gone and I felt so much peace. Throughout the service I continued to feel better. I went home and even though it was still uncomfortable, eating was easier than it had been at breakfast. I didn't have to rest at all the remainder of the day; I didn't lay down once!

I wanted to share this with you to encourage you to trust God for healing.

When someone asked Jesus to heal them, He never once refused. I'm afraid we've set such low expectations on His power. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us!

"Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His Holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits;

Who forgive all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases"

Psalm 103:3

"Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them."

Matthew 4:24

But there's one other thing I want to add before I hit the publish button; I've had a hip injury in my left leg from ballet for over two and a half years. It hindered my flexibility and I had irritation when I sat for long periods of time. I was reading an excellent book the other night and the author told a story about a friend of hers whose spine was completely healed of scoliosis. It really inspired and encouraged me, so I asked the Lord to heal my hip. And I haven't had the least bit of pain since! Not only that but I also seem to have more flexibility in that leg!
I went out of town today and was on the road for about an hour and a half, and I didn't notice any irritation whatsoever! Praise God!

"Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you."
Matthew 7:7

Did I live My Live For You?

2011-10-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

"At the end of our lives, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by, 'I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in.'" ~Mother Theresa

I don't want to waste my life on things that don't matter.

"When it's all been said and done, there is just one thing that matters. Did I do my best to live for truth, did I live my life for You?"

Matthew 16:25
"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it."

“I'd rather have people hate me with the knowledge that I tried to save them.”

2011-10-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

"No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green" has become one of my favorite books! Once I finish it I hope to do a review but until then I wanted to share some of my favorite Keith Green songs. It took a little while to get used to his style but I love it! I love the passion that is so evident it every song. "Rushing Wind" was my first favorite but "O Lord, You're Beautiful", "Make My Life a Prayer to You," and "No Compromise" are a few other songs that I really enjoy.

“If your heart takes more pleasure in reading novels, or watching TV, or going to the movies, or talking to friends, rather than just sitting alone with God and embracing Him, sharing His cares and His burdens, weeping and rejoicing with Him, then how are you going to handle forever and ever in His presence...? You'd be bored to tears in heaven, if you're not ecstatic about God now! ”

“I'd rather have people hate me with the knowledge that I tried to save them.”

“I've never tried to be controversial. The truth is controversial enough.”

“If somebody writes a great poem, people don't run around applauding the pencil, saying 'Oh, what a great pencil'...I'm a pencil in God's hands.”

Make my life a prayer to you

I want to do what you want me to

No empty words

And no white lies

No token prayers

No compromise

I want to thank You now for being patient with me
For it's so hard to see when my eyes are on me

I want to take Your light and shine it all around

But first help me just to live it Lord

And if I'm doing well help me to never seek a crown

Except to give all the glory to You

Rushing wind flow through this temple

Blowing out the dust within

Come and breathe Your breath upon me

For I've been born again

To obey is better than sacrifice

I don't need your money

I want your life

And I hear you say that I'm coming back soon

But you act like I'll never return

Well you speak of grace and My love so sweet

How you thrive on milk but reject My meat

And I can't help weeping at how it will be

If you keep on ignoring My Word

I Have a Shelter

2011-09-29T05:51:00.000-07:00

Words of Wisdom

2011-09-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am”

― John Newton

“I have one desire now - to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it.”

― Elisabeth Elliot

“The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”

― Oswald Chambers

“It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God: but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, and this is not learned in five minutes”

― Oswald Chambers

“I wish thy way.

And when in me myself should rise,

and long for something otherwise,

Then Lord, take sword and spear

And slay.”

― Amy Carmichael

“All God's giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reackoned on God being with them.”

― Hudson Taylor

"I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back."

My Utmost For His Highest

2011-09-16T05:39:00.000-07:00

"Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" John 11:40

Every time you venture out in the life of faith, you will find something in your common sense circumstances that flatly contradicts your faith. Common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense; they stand in the relation of the natural and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense can not trust Him? Can you venture heroically on Jesus Christ's statements when the facts of your common sense life shout-"It's a lie?" On the mount it is easy to say-"Oh, yes, I believe God can do it"; but you have to come down into the demon-possessed valley and meet with facts that laugh ironically at the whole mount-of-transfiguration belief. Every time my programme of belief is clear to my own mind, I come across something that contradicts it.

Let me say I believe God will supply all my need, and then let me run dry, with no outlook, and see whether I will go through the trial of faith, or whether I will sink back to something lower.

Faith must be tested, because it can be turned into a personal possession only through conflict. What is your faith up against right now? The test will either prove that your faith is right, or it will kill it. "Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me." The final thing is confidence in Jesus. Believe steadfastly on Him and all you come up against will develop your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith, and the last great test is death. May God keep us in fighting trim!

Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us."

"Sublime Intimacy" from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers

Georgia On My Mind...

2011-09-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

We're going to Georgia this week!

Going to GA means spending time with our family

Packing into our suburban

Listening to whatever will keep the little ones quiet. Sometimes that's classical sometimes its Veggie Tales. Whatever will pacify them! :)

When we reach the Ga line we sing "Caledonia" an old Scottish ballad about homeland because we're very sentimental.:)

We spend a lot of time playing spoons, UNO, and Phase 10 with everyone around the dining room table

Swimming all day long and getting sunburned

Taking long walks

Staying up late

Eating ice cream and watermelon

We sing a lot with my aunt and cousin. Lydia has been trying to learn how to harmonize for the last couple of years. I think it's starting to click...finally. :)

I ♥ Georgia!

2011-08-31T09:33:00.000-07:00

I've tried it on my own and failed

Temptations and tempests beat against me ceaselessly

Helpless I am in the face of offense

And fearful, and cowardly I am in defense

But the Spirit came upon me with a breath full of Life

And lifted my head up to look above the strife

And a feeling of wholeness wrapped around me and a comfort came

And an assurance that I would never be the same

For above the din of the confusion of life

I heard a voice say "You are not alone, and never will be"

And a constant Peace I will be to thee

I know I would not want to live a single day

Without The Holy One as my Helper

My constant defense

The Lover of my soul in the hour of offense

We're each on a mission, as we live our lives

We have no need to fear for we know He will rise

Though hard the road, and difficult the path

We are protected and safe from the enemy's wrath

So send the fire today

Send Your Spirit upon us

We need a touch of Your mighty hand

We need the Power to take a stand

Here we are waiting

For the One to descend

We're waiting for the breath of Your Rushing Wind

Rushing Wind

2011-08-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Rushing wind, blow through this temple,
Blowing out the dust within;
Come and breathe Your breath upon me:
I've been born again.

Holy Spirit, I surrender; take me where You want to go.
Plant me by Your living water,
Plant me deep so I can grow.

Jesus, You’re the One who sets my spirit free;
Use me, Lord; glorify Your Holy Name through me.

Separate me from this world, Lord;
Sanctify my life for You.
Daily change me to Your image,
Help me bear good fruit.

Ev'ry day You're drawing closer;
Trials come to test my faith.
But when all is said and done, Lord,
You know it's been worth the wait.

Jesus, You’re the one who set my spirit free;
Use me, Lord; glorify Your Holy Name through me.

Rushing wind, blow through this temple,
Blowing out the dust within;
Come and breathe You breath upon me,
For I've been born again.

Lord, I pray this will be the cry of my heart until I see You one day face to face!

Fudgy, Gooey, Cocoa Brownies

2011-08-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

I've made these brownies more times this summer than I want to count. We really, really like them. And they're really simple to make.

For a large batch,

Put 4 sticks of butter in a large saucepan on high heat. Don't think about the amount of butter too much just stick them in the pot and melt them. :) Then wisk in...

Two cups of cocoa powder. Its a lot but it gives it a rich, deep chocolate flavor.

4 cups of sugar (I do cut back on this by about 1/3 of a cup)

Once blended together take the saucepan off the heat and add,

4 teaspoons of vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

Six eggs (whisk them into the batter quickly otherwise you'll end up with scrabled eggs.)

2 cups of flour

Add 2 cups of chopped walnuts.

Bake at 350 degrees

And honestly I couldn't tell you how long this bakes. I'd set the timer for 35 minutes and check it. It depends on how hot your oven is but I usually end up baking them for 45 minutes or so. It just depends. But don't rely on the toothpick test because these are supposed to be very gooey. I usually bake them until the edges appear done but the middle looks a bit underbaked.

These are addictive. Just ask my family.

I'd say it probably serves about 15 people,

Or a mom and two teenage daughers.

No, I'm kiddng it usually last our family up to two days. :)

Heart of Worship

2011-08-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

When the music fades

All is stripped away

And I simply come

Longing just to bring

Something that's of worth

That will bless your heart

I'll bring you more than a song

For a song in itself

Is not what you have required

You search much deeper within

Through the way things appear

You're looking into my heart

Chorus

I'm coming back to the heart of worship

And it's all about you

It's all about you, Jesus

I'm sorry Lord for the things I've made it

When it's all about you

It's all about you, Jesus

King of endless worth

No one could express

How much you deserve

Though I'm weak and poor

All I have is yours

Every single breath

Chorus

I'll bring You more than a song

I'll bring Your more than a song

I'll bring You more than a song

You're looking into my heart

Your're looking into my heart

You're looking into my heart

Into my heart

I'll bring You more than a song...

Mama, My Best Friend

2011-08-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

She taught me how to walk, eat, swim, read, write, sing, and ride my bike

She taught me about God from the time I was born

As a toddler I remember her reading 2 Timothy and Proverbs 31 to me. One of the first verses that she taught me was Deuteronomy 6:4-9

I know that her prayers have been showered over me.

She's a chocoholic. Like mother, like daughter.

I've always wanted my Bible to look as well loved as her's.

She can read me like a book

She knows me better than anyone else

She is really into nutrition and exercise

She doesn't play sports

She played basketball for a short time in middle school but quit because she was scared of the ball

She wanted to marry a doctor and live in New York City. She swore she would never marry a redneck with a tool box on the back of his pickup truck.

She married a redneck with a tool box on the back of his pickup truck.

She's frugal and thrifty

She drives me an hour and a half away for ballet every week.

She always wanted to be a ballerina

When she and my dad were dating she said he was perfect...love is blind. :)

She's lived in West Virginia, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky

She's always wanted to have a big family

My mom on her wedding day in 1993

She's the one I spill my guts to :)

She's really fun to travel with

She's a hard worker

She has a great sense of humor

She can't stand to waste anything

She's a registered nurse
I always turn to her for advice
Her favorite colors to wear are black and white, I'm the same way :)
I want to go to Washington D.C. with her
She doesn't mind listening to all my ideas...and quotes

Her favorite movies are Fireproof, Facing the Giants, Gone With the Wind and The Parent Trap (old version)

She taught me how to drive, I was the first person she's ever taught.
I've broken her in for all my siblings. :)

She says she hasn't gotten a full night's sleep in seventeen years

She, Lydia, and I (and sometimes my dad) watch 19 Kids and Counting every Tuesday night

She always buys me good books
Sometimes, when I'm about to climb into the suburban she drives off, laughing. Over and over again. (she likes to do that to Lydia too) - she said she didn't want me to tell that because it makes her sound immature! :)

When I was little she read to me every day, sometimes hours at a time

She expected me to read when I was four, like she did.
I didn't read until I was seven
She's an amazing cake decorator and seamstress...not! :)
She doesn't mind my accents...even when they don't sound right
We have our own brand of humor that we understand completely
She hums and sings a lot
She always wanted long hair as a child

She's not an animal person
She's one of my kindred spirits :)
She seeks after God
She's a noncomformist
She makes great bread
I tell her everything, I know I can completely trust her
My forgetfullness exasperates her (I'm working on that)
Once when we were in the mall parking lot she blew the horn really loudly at a lady who she thought was her sister (it was not.)
I love spending time with her.
She is my dearest, sweetest friend and I mean that 100%

I'm SO glad that God blessed me with the mom that He did. She wants all that He has for our family. She hungers for the things of God and of the Holy Spirit.

My Mom with her two sisters in New York City in 1991

The Dirt on My Dad

2011-08-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

The first thing you'll notice about my dad is that he's not afraid to say what he's thinking

He has a very strong personality

He's a really great cook

We've watched a lot of The Andy Griffith Show together over the years

And Food Network

He's extremely protective

My mom says that people either really like him or they really don't like him,

He has a tender side

He loves sarcasm

He works hard to provide for our family

He grew up in Georgia

He doesn't read very much but when he gets a hold of a book he likes he reads it in a day or two

He's always wanted to have a big family

He wanted to have a little girl first to teach him how to be gentle

Lydia gives him a manicure every week, thus he never has to cut his own nails

He's gotten out of the habit of exercising regularly, just sayin' :)

He loves Christmas time

He makes it very special

He wants a tattoo of our family tree

He likes southern Gospel music

He's gone to the dentist once in the last nineteen years

He has great teeth, he's never had a cavity

My parents on their wedding day

He and I rarely have a disagreement

But I exasperate him, and he exasperates me

He encourages me in my goals

I like to hear him pray

He always turns to my mom for health advice, he doesn't always listen to her though

He turned twenty-five nine days after I was born

He and Gabe are going to hike part of the Appalachian trail in October

He can't carry a tune

He had long hair in highschool

He bought my mom a pair of ugly men's hiking shoes for her birthday one year. Other than that he usually is really great about birthdays.

I usually like the clothes he gives me for Christmas, he has good taste.

He's the kite, my mom's the string

Financially, he's the free spirit, my mom's the nerd

He's not fun to travel with but once you get to your destination he has a good time

When I was younger he bought me leopard print footed pajamas for Christmas as at joke. They were hideous.

He lets the boys eat junk food :)

He's a command man...as if you didn't know that

He gives me good advice, I value his opinion a lot

There's been many nights when he has comes to pick me up from ballet at 9 o'clock at night, he's never once complained

He can't put on accents to save his life

He's a good planner and coordinator

He respects my mom

He's very generous

He's hospitable
He has called Lily Kate "Baby Girl" since the day she was born

He dislikes math

He was in the army when I was born

He's a dreamer

He loves bull mastiffs

He likes sports

He never misses one of the boys baseball games

He's a good builder

My mom's nickname for him is Scotty-boy

He's creative

If he's in the kitchen while I'm cooking he always has to tell me what I'm doing wrong, then he sees that I'm annoyed and he lets me get on with my work..most of the time.

He got his Bachelor's degree last year!!

Lily Kate has him wrapped around her little finger :)

He introduced me to sushi, I've been hooked ever since.
The first time my mom met him she thought she was cute but a little arrogant.
My mom can't stand to be in the kitchen while my dad is cooking.
He likes war movies.
He always has a new business scheme cooking up in his mind. Right now it's a food truck business. I suppose I'd be his sous chef. :)

God really created my dad with a unique personality. I've really never met anyone like him. Haha.

I believe God has great plans for him. I'm thankful for him. I believe that God has something great in store for him.

I love you :)

Oh, and one other thing. He doesn't know I'm writing this... :)

All about my Little, Big Sister

2011-08-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

~Abigail Layne~

This is Lydia-- you read about me yesterday...

I told Abigail since she had written about all of us, that I was going to write about her, and surprisingly she agreed! :)

She is a very kind person. She does not like to say ANYTHING unkind about anyone.

She gives great gifts... despite the fact that she is a major tight-wad.

She likes to bake- one of my favorites is chocolate cheesecake.

She is the most indecisive person I know.

She is extremely creative.

She gets obsessive about things (ballet, chocolate, accents, Europe, books, quotes, Les Miserables, just to name a few). We laugh saying that she could go an entire day speaking only in quotes.

She really likes chocolate. When my mom walks in from grocery shopping, her first question is "did you buy any chocolate?"

She cries about e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. She cries when she is happy, she cries when she is sad. She cries when she is frustrated, and she cries when she is mad. She said that if there was a pill that she could take to make her not cry, she would take it.

She is an amazing driver... that's all I am going to say. ;)

She is a beautiful dancer.
      She entertains us daily with her attempts at playing "Les Miserables" songs on the piano. It is indeed miserable.
She humours us with her daily attempts at accents- particularly her British accent.
      When it comes to swimming, she is a good diver.
She is a dreamer. She is very soft-spoken. She is a hard worker, always striving for excellence.
If you look through her ballet bag, you will find a spare big toe-nail in a plastic bag.. we call it her prosthetic toenail. She lost it dancing en pointe and she had to bandaid it back on before the new nail grew in.
     She is extremely forgetful, but she is quick to remind us that she does remember important things.
Even though she is extremely careful with her money (as in not spending it), you will find it laying around the house, along with various other things of hers.

She brushes her teeth ferociously.
She walks like a ballerina (aka- duck)... and she's proud of it, go figure. ;)
She desperately wants to travel.

If something is difficult she thinks she has to do it. She started running when we lived in south Georgia and would run in 100+ degree weather.

She had an enormous amount of hair when she was born... she still does.

She hates the fact that people sometimes think that I am older than her.
She likes to point out that she is the guinea pig of the family.
She and I have shared a room since we were very little.
She is a stickler for traditions.
She thinks my south Georgia accent is excellent, although she really dislikes it! :)

She loves beautiful things-- music, home decor, old things, clothes/aprons, flowers...
She and I love to sing together... except when I try to harmonize and it doesn't come out quite right- then she gets annoyed and stops.

She is a beautiful girl, and I am so happy to have her as my sister. God has been working so much in her life and it is very evident. She follows hard after the heart of God. She is willing to let Him use her in whatever way He wants to.

My Big Little Sister

2011-08-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

Lydia Caroline

She's my best friend, room mate, and critic

She has a great sense of humor

When it comes to teasing she can dish it out but she can't take it

She is very creative

She reads my mom's news feed on Facebook

Did I mention that she's really nosy?

She's great at putting outfits together

She adores babies

She doesn't like animals, especially dogs

She sings in the shower...everyone in the house can hear her

I won't say what she thinks about boys because she'd slug me

She took ballet for seven years then switched to piano

She doesn't always share her emotions

She's a great care giver

She LOVES watermelon

And shoes

She is a procrastinator but when she finally gets around to doing a job she does it with excellence

She despises math

Sometimes we have to peel her away from the computer screen

I could see her having a lot of children

She makes fun of my driving ability

She makes fun of my brownies

She's a very opinionated person

She and I have spent many nights watching Road to Avonlea together on her little DVD player

She's three and a half inches taller than me

And she thinks its really great

People think that she's older-I clarify it for them :)

We make it a point never to go to bed mad at each other

We're similar in a lot of ways and totally different in others

She requires a lot of sleep

She's bossy to me, I guess she's paying me back for all the years I bossed her around

She has a quick wit

Sometimes I want to shake her with frustration, sometimes she wants to shake me

She can seem shy if you don't know her well but once you do she's VERY outgoing

She takes a lot of self portraits

She stalks blogs

She hates to run

She chews bubble gum for days (she saves it for later) it's disgusting :)

At one point she had five blogs going

She gets to do things a lot sooner than I did

She's great at impersonations! She does a MEAN south Georgia accent!

She makes me laugh so hard

She's a manipulator!

She drove for the first time a few weeks ago on our friends farm. I was in the back of the pickup truck and she almost sent me sailing through the back window a time or two. :) She did a great job for a first timer though.

She's very kind

When she gives a compliment I know she means it.

When we play a game if she's losing she sometimes resorts to cheating

When she's playing spoons she sometimes resorts to clawing

She likes to add her two cents worth :)

She's my dear friend

God has really been working in her life! I look forward to seeing what He has in store for her, she's special to me.

She told me she had to proof read this before I can post it. I hope she approves.

Gabriel Baldwin

2011-08-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

Gabe is the oldest of the boys, he has a lot of oldest child characteristics

He's a hard worker

He loves Man vs. Wild and Survivor Man

He and I have an ongoing debate on whether baseball or ballet is harder.

He's very kind and considerate and he's a lot of fun too.

When it comes to clothes, comfort is his top priority...I try to get him to branch out. Sometimes he likes that and sometimes he doesn't.

He loves baseball, hiking, and camping

He can do twenty pushpups

He's great at making things and figuring out how things work

He hates chocolate

He's a grouch when he doesn't get enough sleep :)

He likes country music

He doesn't like ballet

He's a big Braves baseball fan

I won't say what he thinks about girls because he asked me not to

He's going to be a middle schooler this year

He likes war movies, especially The Patriot

He's not a huge sweet eater.

He keeps Titus from getting too swell headed. :)

He's the slow and steady type.

He's honorable

He's a gentleman in every sense of the word. And I mean that.

Titus Hudson

2011-08-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

Titus Hudson

He has a great smile!

He eats constantly

He's very strong for his age, he's proud of it too. :)

When he gives me a hug I feel like I'm being tackled

He's named after the biblical Titus and the missionary Hudson Taylor

He loves dogs

He thinks girls are nice

He can't sit still for very long

He wants to cut the grass but he's not quite big enough yet

He's LOUD

He lives life with PASSION

He acts like ballet is for wimps but he loves to dance

He likes Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, and Tom and Jerry

He loves to be gross

Shock factor-that's what Titus likes

He's never mean to me, he's just pesty! :)

He has really dark brown eyes, they were almost black when he was a baby

He had WILD hair too.

It took him a while to learn how to talk, he was a man of few words

He has a great laugh, it's LOUD

He loves to buy gifts

He's really growing in his walk with the Lord

His name means "of the giants" somehow that seems to fit

He is going to do great things...

Levi Walker

2011-08-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

Levi's my youngest brother. Charming, clever, handsome...haha

He has beautiful eyes
He has a bad temper
He's a big teaser
He loves to sing
He gives me driving instructions
He has a lisp :)
He really likes celtic music
He appreciates words of affirmation
He has a guitar with two strings remaining.
He's not very kind to our cat.
He "accompanies" himself on the piano while he sings "Les Miserable" songs
He likes girls (a lot)
He learned to swim this summer
His birth was the worst out of all three I've seen.
He is very charming. When he was very small he would ride in a backpack on my dad and sing "Amazing Grace" at the top of his lungs.
He appreciates ballet.
He loves sushi, coffee, and spaghetti
For about nine months my mom, Lydia, and I couldn't leave the house without him going through the following routine:

"You're gorgeous, and pretty, and beautiful! I love you! And you're genteel, and I so adore you! You are my one heart, you are my one star, you are my one pink Georgia bulldog. GOODBYE!" (can you tell he has separation anxiety? :)

He and I have a lot in common, he wants to travel. He and I are going to go to England together one day-he is absolutely sure of it.

I love this boy.

Little Sister

2011-08-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

A Few Random Things About Lily Kate,

Every time she sees a picture of herself she goes, "ME! ME!"

She loves wearing something new.

She doesn't eat anything that's green (except for avacados)

She loves yogurt, cheese, and hummus

She's being potty trained....she's had a couple accidents today. Fun.

She loves to dance

She loves having her toenails painted.

She almost always has a ponytail "sprouting" out of her head.

When it comes to sleeping she's a GREAT faker

She and I are exactly 14 years, 2 months, and 25 days apart in age

She has many nicknames...Lady Katherine...Katie Bug...The Duchess...Baby Girl...

She and my dad have a very special bond

She doesn't use very many words but what she does say she says with great emotion. haha

She has a pink blanket known as "tag"...they are quite attached.

She loves sneaking chocolate

I love having a little sister. She's my little dancer, my little buddy, my little friend. She has a very special place in my heart. I'm so glad God gave her to me. She turned two last month. I got to be at her birth which was a really great experience. I was hoping she would have black hair...she had no hair. But that's okay! She looks a lot like I did at her age, minus the hair. She's quite a personality, she has her own ideas about things. It's so much fun seeing her discover new things. She really loves music and dance, and pretty things. When she spots something nice she yells, "bobo!" meaning "beautiful!"

She is very special.

The Power of Christ in Me

2011-07-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

If you asked me to leap
Out of my boat on the crashing waves
If you ask me to go
Preach to a lost world that Jesus saves

I'll go, but I cannot go alone
'Cause I know I'm nothing on my own
But the power of Chrst in me makes me stong
Makes me strong

'Cause when Im weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind you shine Your ligt on me
'Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that You want me
So I'll sand on Your Truth, and I'll fight with Your strength
Until You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me

If you ask me to run
And carry Your light into foreign land
If You ask me to fight
Deliver Your people from satan's hand

I'll go, but I cannot go alone
'Cause I know I'm nothing on my own
But the power of Christ in me makes me strong
Makes me strong

'Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind You shine Your light on me
'Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that You want me
So I'll stand on Your Truth, and I'll fight with Your strength
Until You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me
The power of Christ in me
The power of Christ in me

Learning to Surrender

2011-07-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

When I was five years old my mom asked me if I wanted to ask Jesus to come into my heart and give me salvation. I prayed for Jesus to save me from my sin and then I was baptized. I understood that I was a sinner and that Jesus died on the cross to save me and that I couldn't get to heaven without Him. I understood it as well as a five year old little girl could.

I learned more about God as I got older. But I also did some stuff that I'm not proud of. I didn't feel conviction over it at the time, I just did it.
When I was ten years old I became really convicted. It wasn't from a sermon, a book, conversation or anything like that. I simply believe it was the Holy Spirit. The guilt I felt from my sin really gripped me. I had anguish. I had a hard time thinking of anything else but my sin. Even though I was only ten I knew it was displeasing to God. I asked for forgivness. I told my mom everything, that was the first time I had a "spill your guts"conversation, I've had many more since then! haha

One morning I was in tears. My mom found me and asked what was wrong. I explained what I had done and I asked her to forgive me. She did and she told me that God would forgive me too. When I asked for His forgiveness I felt a sense of peace that I can honestly say was the best feeling I've ever experienced. I just felt God's love in a way that I had never felt before. I felt true joy.

During this time I went through a lot of changes...preadolesence. It was a really difficult time. But it was then that I believe I was regenerated, that my faith became my own and not just knowledge that I had been taught. These were beliefs that I believed not because my parents told me they were true but because I truly believed that they were. I had a lot of questions concerning the basis of Christianity. Was God real? Was I really saved? Was I going to heaven when I died?

It was tough. But it was a big growing experience for me. He answered my questions through His word and through a lot of talks with my mom.

Once when I was questioning whether God truly was real. I read a chapter in Psalms that I place my full faith in.

Psalms 46

God is my refuge and strength
A very present help in trouble
Therefore, we will not fear
Even though the earth be removed
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.

Though the waters roar and be troubled
Though the mountains shake with its swelling
Selah

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God
The Holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High
God is in the midst of her,
She shall not be moved
God shall help her
Just at the break of dawn

The nations raged
The kingdoms were moved
He uttered His voice
The earth melted
The Lord of Hosts is with us
The God of Jacob is our refuge
Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord
Who has made desolations in the earth
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two
He burns the chariot in the fire

Be still and know that I am God
I will be exalted in the heavens
I will be exalted in the earth

The Lord of Hosts is with us
The God of Jacob is our refuge
Selah

Be still and know that I AM GOD. It's one of my favorite verses, one of my favorite lines.

During that time the Holy Spirit really gave me regeneration. How do I know? Because before that I didn't have conviction when I sinned. I didn't feel sorry for it. I felt sorry that I had been found out. But the sin that had been so attractive now became disgusting to me. I couldn't stand it. I felt very ashamed of it. But Christ redeemed me. I'm clothed in His righteousness. I'm so thankful. It's nothing that I've done. We're helpless on our own. But now my past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.

There have been times when the "old man has risen up within me." I've sinned, I've been selfish, prideful, full of the flesh but He always convicts me. He shows me my sins and when I confess He forgives. Through Him we have victory.

That was a major turning point in my life.
~~~~~~~
When I was fifteen I heard a sermon on sharing your testimony. I started to think about my own. I began to wonder whether or not my baptism at five was genuine. I didn't feel conviction of my sins when I was five. I was a very little girl at the time! :) I wanted to nail it down. I had really faught and stuggled with it before and I felt that God wanted me to do it. Not because I had just become a Christian but because I had begun to live like a Christian. For a month I deliberated on whether or not to be baptized again. Not because baptism saves you, baptism is only an outward symbol of what God has done in your life; that you've given your life to Him.
I finally decided that I would. I was scared. But I did it because I wanted to obey what I truly felt God was telling me to do. When I finally gave it over to God I felt peace about it. It was hard. When I was baptized I wore my "Do Hard Things" shirt ecause it was one of the hardest things I've ever done! I don't like being up in front of lots and lots of people unless I'm doing ballet. Weird but true.

We moved from Georgia to a new state and a new church. This was really different from what I had been used to. I learned about true surrender of life. To be poured out for God. To tell you the truth it scared me a bit! :) What was God going to want me to do? I think I was most scared of giving up my dreams and goals. I'm a very goal oriented person. I set a goal for myself and I do everything in my power to reach it. My dream had been to be a dancer. I wanted to start a ballet company and travel. Farfetched I know but that's what I dreamed of. I also had fears of having to do things that would cause me to be humiliated. God's really changed my heart on that. As Christians we're supposed to do things that others might think are strange. And sometimes the real Christian life appears strange to other "Christians." If we live like true Christians we WILL have people call us fools.
But in the words of Brother Andrew, "I am a fool for Christ, whose fool are you?" Who cares what people think? Live for an audiance of One.

Say what you mean,
Mean what you say,
Those who mind don't matter
And those who matter don't mind.

Little by little God began to change me. I read "Radical" by David Platt and "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. It shed some light on what I had been thinking about. Our church has played a major part in my change of heart. I want to live sold out for Jesus!

I realized that I hadn't truly surrendered my life to the Lord. I still held on to my passions, my pursuits, dreams, and goals. I was scared to let go of them. Up to that point my focus was on becoming a professional dancer. I worked for hours. I lost toe nails and almost suffered heat stroke! :D All for that goal.

But I want to give them to the Lord. I think that in the back of my mind I had been thinking, "Is this really all I'm going to live for? Dance is a very small thing to spend your life on."

I've come to the realization that the life well lived isn't about having fame. It's about living to glorify God in everything you say, do, and think. Its about winning souls for Him.

So I've surrendered it all to Jesus Christ my Lord. He has everything that I need. If He wishes me to be a dancer so be it. If not He has something much greater in store. He has my life. When I'm scared He'll give me courage and when I'm weak He'll give me strength.

That's my journey so far, that's how I became a Christian. It's not one of those thrilling testimones but I like what Alex and Brett Harris have to say on the subject of becoming a Christian at a young age, "God saved us from a life of sex, drugs, and violence at the age of six." God has all different ways of leading His children to Him. We all have sinned and we all are in desperate need of Him no matter our age and no matter what we've done.

One of my heros is John Newton, the author of my all time favorite song, "Amazing Grace".

"All I know is that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Saviour."

It's been a process for me. Right now God's been teaching me about the Holy Spirit. About taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. About being a witness in a secular enviornment. Showing me how to trust Him and step out in faith--even when it's totally out of my comfort zone.

I thought long and hard about a blog name. My mom suggested Learning2Surrender. I liked it so that's what I used. Since I created the blog back at the beginning of the year I've learned so much. God has been teaching some lessons, some have been pretty hard to learn! :) So I've really had to make a conscious effort to surrender everything to Him. Its not always a one time lay it down and it's no longer a problem. Some things you have to work on letting go of.

So I want to spend each and everyday learning to surrender. It's been a process, it still is, but it's an adventure and I can't wait to find out what happens next. ~

Welcome to Learning2Surrender

2011-06-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

This is the opening of my new chapter in the wonderful world of blogging. For the last three years of my life you can go to Amazed By Grace. I've had this new blog in the works since the beginning of this year but its finally ready. :)

My name is Abigail, I'm a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ. I want my life to be completely His. I don't want to hold anything back, I surrender it all to Him. I will follower Him wherever He leads.

I have two great parents, Scott and Kellie, two sisters, Lydia and Lily Kate, and three brothers, Gabriel, Titus, and Levi.

"Every experience God gives you, every person He puts in your life is preparation for the future that only He can see." ~Corrie Ten Boom