The title says it all...

"Pray and Obey."

In those three simple words, my responsibility, my motivation, my mission, all clearly resound. I have no other goals, no other responsibility. The cross that I bear on my shoulders is one of obedience.. obedience to the Master, which means denial of self, denial of others, denial of worry, denial of confusion.

All. I. Have. To. Do. is this:

"Pray and Obey."

* To The Original VA Friend: Yes, I did spell it wrong first. Old habits die hard, I guess.


On Wednesday, I took some pics to youth group. I was gonna put some on the youth bulletin board. Those were thoroughly enjoyed. The youth liked to look at the miscellaneous other pics that I had with me, like some NYC pics! While they were looking, The Brown-Eyed Girl turns to me and says, " 'Amethyst', you're even pretty when you're mad!" LOL That's one of the nicest compliments anyone has ever paid me! Of course, now that I think about it....


I have a habit of getting out of bed the second that the alarm goes off. I haven't always been that way, but since my work schedule changed, I'm paranoid about oversleeping. I know that I only have a certain amount of time to get ready and if I don't get up instantly, something will go undone. Sooooo... On Friday morning, I jump out of bed and stumble towards the kitchen. As usual, it's still dark outside and I'm tired because I spent a little too much time reading the night before. I pour my cereal & milk, and look at a cooking magazine with bleary eyes as I eat my breakfast. Maybe five minutes pass. Then, I look at the clock. "WHAT?!" The clock reads 2:30, like, in the morning! I go back to my room and conclude that the alarm clock didn't even go off! I just randomly woke up and assumed that it did. So I laugh at myself and head back to bed for 2 1/2 more hours of blissful sleep.

Last night, the youth group played Capture the Flag. I officially love that game! We played in the early evening, then took a break and waited 'til the darkness fell. Then we played with flashlights. All my "prison" reading started to catch up with me, as I inevitably found myself imprisoned several times per game. The other team had one very HUGE flashlight, and so The Little Bro had one of his teammates in the middle of the field with that flashlight. Periodically they would shine it slowly along the length of the field. I felt like I was in a scene from The Great Escape. Total craziness (and awesomeness!).

Here's some quotes from the youth:

"Once I ran into a brick wall with my head on purpose." -The New Kid

"My grandma doesn't cook; she defrosts." - The Sparkly Girl*

"Yeah, I'm gonna take over China, and then attack Germany." -The Witty Kid (who obviously doesn't know that World War II is over.)

Life is weird sometimes. That's why I spend alot of time laughing... at myself, at (or with) other people, and at life in general. Without laughter, where would we be?

*The Sparkly Girl is so named because of the way her eyes sparkle when she's excited or happy! She tells me all that time that she's more excited about my apartment than I am. I'm not so sure about that, but it's fun watching her talk about it! :)

So I've been reading... Nothing unusual about that. But my choices in books have been, ummm, a little heavier than normal. Lately, I've been gripped by the stories of persecuted Christians. Many in the last few days. Tortured for His Faith, Corrie Ten Boom's Prison Letters, Faith Despite the KGB and Prisoners of Hope. These were people just like me, making daily choices with huge consequences. The thought keeps coming back--this could be me! This could be me.. today or tomorrow or ten years from now. Is my heart prepared to suffer for the Lord?

It's so easy to forget the suffering of fellow Christians, both those who have gone before and those who are suffering even now. We live easy lives of comfort, peace and safety. But persecution is reality! It's not some far-off concept. And honestly, I can't help thinking that if we lived more radically, we would be more persecuted. This comfortable existence is poison to our souls, lulling us into the sleep of death.

"Awake, you sleeper! And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you." (Eph. 5:14)

But really, I'm speaking to myself more than anyone else. Things could get really bad here. Or I could go somewhere else and literally lay down my life for the Gospel. Am I ready? Am I willing to suffer neglect, torture, pain, abuse, loneliness and even death, for the sake of my Master?

Somehow, all my little "challenges" don't seem so bad anymore. Today I'm taking up my cross--with all the suffering that entails--and following Christ.

It's been a very long time since I've had such a relaxing weekend. Since The Sis is expecting a baby at any moment, I'm not allowed to leave the area. And so, I am forced to relax a little bit more. That's a good thing for me. So yeah, even thinking about this weekend makes me smile. :) So I'm gonna try and give the highlights...

• A chai tea latte and an hour of relaxing reading to go with it.
• My attempt at black-and-white photography. We'll see how that turns out. There was a bit of lighting difficulties and a small person who seemed to have discovered the joys of sticking out her tongue instead of smiling. :) That's okay-we'll just "do again!"
• 8 books over the course of the weekend (though I gave 2 of them to The Niece. Somehow I think Pigs Galore and A Little Princess [small person version] would be enjoyed more by her). From a bookstore, thrift store, library sale and an antique store. And it took alot of self-discipline to walk away from a set of vintage Hardy Boys books. I'm still sad about that one. But in light of my other purchase....
• A china hutch!!! After looking at it critically with a "designer eye" (as The Sis says), I decided to buy it. We will be re-finishing it and possibly replacing two panes of glass, but it will work out perfectly in the new apartment.
• Movie premiere party at The Chatty Girl's house. Yummy spinach triangles and chocolate mousse. Laughing 'til I cried.... " *beat* You're pretty!" :)
• Taking in a small-town arts & crafts fair with Mom, The Sis and The Niece. It was a birthday weekend thing for Mom, who loves that kind of thing. I just like spending time with them. Usually I'm only really interested in the photography booths, but there was one booth with hundreds of mounted (i.e. dead) butterflies and other insects from around the world. They were all different colors, from brilliant blue to iridescent. Amazing! And The Niece and I went to see the clowns. :)
• A 2 1/2 hour nap. I was sleep-deprived. Don't hate.
• Picnicing in the classy park... the same one that was our first picture in Pennsylvania, the family and I feeding the ducks. Also the same one that we played at during our Christian school days. Good memories.

The rest of the weekend was lovelier still, but I don't want to bore anyone. Farewell for now!

Top Ten Reasons I Live at Home (at 24 years old).

1. I feel the peace of God about it. At the moment He tells me to move, I will. But not before then.

2. I love my family, and want to be close to them. I believe the family was ordained by God to be a unique cohesive unit that glorifies Him through daily life.

3. It curbs selfishness in my life. I am constantly forced to remember and consider the needs of others over my own, which is the basis of Christianity. *

4. It gives my parents the ability to speak into my life more often/more accurate. They see me day-in and day-out, and know what’s going on in my life. And in that, it gives me more opportunities to honor them. *

5. It is a mutually beneficial financial situation. I can afford to save/invest/use my money wisely in view of future plans, which would be nearly impossible if I were renting.

6. I have access/time/opportunity to train myself in a variety of life skills, not to mention the experience of my parents to teach me the skills that have taken them a lifetime to gain. So I’m several steps ahead of the game.*

7. It’s a mutually beneficial situation in general. I can help out in a bazillion different ways, from making supper to cleaning to helping cut wood (disregard if that sounds weird to you), and they help me in a bazillion different ways. It’s just so much easier because I’m already there.

8. I have a family to go home to. That means bright lights in the darkness, a warm fire and lots of laughter. Until I have the opportunity to make a home for someone else or the Lord calls me to a different place, I will rejoice in that fact.

9. I can share things with my brother, like an i-pod or a dog. :)

10. My parents’ house is in the mountains, (almost) alone, by itself. Sometimes I just love the loneliness. And I can see billions of stars in the night sky. That just really makes me happy.


*These things are not exclusive to living at home. As a single, Christian young adult, you can still do these things while living apart from your parents (or spiritual authority, in case of unsaved parents), but it requires concentrated, focused and deliberate effort.

"No reserves. No retreats. No regrets."
William Borden

This man challenges me. Can I live with this same devotion to Christ?

There's an on-going joke in youth group... something about me having to explain any word over three syllables. Yes, they count the syllables. I guess my words are a little bigger than they're used to. Even when I write, I'm trying to express things that are inexpressible.

Like every time I write about the Lord. Spiritual things are so far beyond the natural comprehension. How can words tell of the glories of God? How can language express that though the journey is rough sometimes, Jesus is still more than enough?

Splintering rough wood upon my hands
Heavy weight of this burden
Slowly, ever slowly I am walking
This is the cross I bear daily

Stumbling and falling on the roadway
Rising again; it's a new day!
Precious mercy extended towards me
Glorious grace poured upon me

Dust is clinging to weary feet
Sometimes the yoke seems too much for me
And then, when hope is lost
I collapse under the cross...

These eyes, before, looked only down
Now lift up to see The One
Who is called, Wonderful
And all words fail...

This is the state of our household lately. Finally, things are movin' and shakin' on many fronts. My parents officially started their own business. They had meetings with lawyers and accountants and all those fun people. And now everyone in the family is working 1 1/2 or 2 jobs. At the homestead, big stuff is happening! There will be a large hole in the wall of the family room today.... OH YEAH! For those of you who don't know, we're remodeling the garage into a mini studio apartment for me and also adding a hallway/closet/dressing room to connect the garage to the family room. After seeming months of delays, we have someone working very diligently on this project. Yesterday, we went to Lowe's for doors and lighting fixtures. You know, I used to hate Lowe's. Haha. Weird!

Anyway, the "peaceful chaos" comes into play here. I will eventually be moving into the apartment. Right now though, it's not quite finished. So I'm packing up my things (especially those 500+ books taking over my itty-bitty room) and staying in the studio. Then, the Little Bro can take over my room. It will be his permanent home. It's good that he's moving out of the loft, because its new identity is "Mom's craft/sewing room." And her crafting supplies had to move last weekend because of the soon-coming hole in the family room wall! :) Though this sounds chaotic, it's peaceful in our house... it has to be God!

I hate secrets.

Yes, I do. VERY, very much. Even "good" secrets, like surprise parties. I had the brilliant idea a few months ago to plan a surprise baby shower for my sis. My sis = the person that I talk to THE MOST. She knows pretty much everything that goes on in my life. Why I torture myself in this way, I do not know!!!

Anyway, after getting back from NYC, I went into massive planning mode. This summer, I've had so many things to plan that I had separate folders for each event. The girls that I went to NYC with thought it was kinda funny that I was always opening the "magic folder" to see where we were going or what our options were. :)

Back to the secret baby shower. A few weeks ago, I sent out an invitation to The Sis inviting her to a ladies' tea for the ladies of the church. She hosted one last fall, so this wasn't unusual. She didn't know about the little side-note I put on everyone else's invitations about the real purpose of the tea. Hehe. Sneaky, I know!

It was tough not talking about my plans, and I figured that she probably knew all because she didn't ask more questions. But then again, she is about 1-3 weeks away from bringing a darling baby girl into this world, so I'll give her some slack. :)

I invited two youth girls over to help me Friday night to do all the prep work. Both of them enjoy cooking, baking and otherwise preparing food, so it was a perfect match! They were wonderful!! I definitely couldn't have done it without them. We mixed up recipes, burned our fingers, fought with mini-muffins, got flour everywhere and washed more dishes than I care to remember. I made lists, finished them and made more lists. But I think that's what kept me from being stressed, so it's all good.

Long story short, the Sis made it to the baby shower. She had been suspicious, but was still surprised. Sweet victory!!! It was a wonderful afternoon and I am *so* glad it's over!!

And here is the afternoon tea menu for your viewing pleasure. My comments are in parenthesis.

Tea Sandwiches
Tuna Salad on White (I dislike mayo, so I didn't try these. But they were the most popular)
Ham & Dill on Pumpernickel (I actually liked these ones! Dill from my garden.)
Nasturtium on Rye (Nasturtium is a relative of watercress. Filled with other herbs also from my garden)

Sweets
Brownies
Chocolate Chip Teacakes (So classy-looking with their little chocolate garnishes!)
Pecan Mini-Muffins (Tasted like mini pecan pies! Awesome!!)
Orange Tarts
Lemon Bars
Ruby Tea Biscuits

Scones (Basic English scones, but were quite a hit!)
Whipped Butter
Strawberry Jam

Pretty Pastel Pink-and-White Cupcakes
(These were more for looks, than actual consumption. But then again, maybe I say that because I'm not a big fan of cake. They were alot of fun to decorate... at 7 in the morning. Methinks I need some cake decorating stuff!)

Drinks (It was like 90 degrees on Saturday. Hot tea would've been bad news!)
Iced Tea (I don't like iced tea, so the girls made it and I didn't even taste it)
Mint Juleps (like a lemony mint punch. I'll make it again, but cut down on the sugar)
Strawberry Lemonade

Just got back from a four-day road trip with some college girls from church. We went to experience the strange fascinating pleasures of New York City. We stayed in New Jersey, which we called "Little Hispania" because we were the only white people there (It's true!). I brushed up on my Spanish a little though. Now I can say.... well, nothing really. But I got a real kick out of the loud flamenco music they played on the shuttle to the City. After awhile, it started to get in my head. I'd be walking down the street, humming and doing a little shuffle-n-step. :)

I love David Wilkerson. He is a man of God.
We were so incredibly blessed to be able to hear him preach twice! On Friday night we went to a youth rally at Times Square Church and it just happened to be the one time this year that he was preaching to the youth. He preached on "responsibility" and how that related to the company you keep. You must choose what kind of friends you have and what kind of a friend you are. Then, on Sunday morning, he preached too! This time Pastor Wilkerson preached on "The Private War of the Saints." Very encouraging message... And we all liked buying books at TSC. On Sunday afternoon, the rain drove us inside. We ended up at a little table under the Rockefeller Center reading our new books. :)

I love the subway. It's my friend.
Wear sunglasses. So you can stare at people and nobody knows. People are the interesting part.... My favorite person was this old black Jewish gentleman (yes, wearing the little hat and the whole bit). He was sitting beside me on a relatively crowded train. I couldn't help noticing that he was studying a small New Testament and writing furiously on several notebooks. I looked closer. He was writing in a different language, right to left. He was studying Revelations 11, verse-by-verse. Then it looked like he was actually doing mathematical calculations. It was a long ride, so I noticed alot! Anyway, I'm still trying to figure out what exactly he was doing! I should've just asked!

Random tourist lady looks at the crowded subway station:
"How do we get through all those people?" she says to her husband.
Me, standing next to her: "Punch them all in the face."
Hey, at least she laughed. :)