One Week!!

One week until my sister becomes a married woman....

One week until I can finally say I have a brother....

One week until I have to walk slowly and gracefully down the aisle as the maid of honor....

One week and a day until I can crash and not think about sewing again for a while. And then get back to sewing non-deadline doll clothes when I feel fully recovered from sewing those bridesmaid dresses... ;-)


I am so, so grateful for God's grace and guidance in the last several months.  Things haven't always been as easy as they've looked but God has been good and has led Amanda and Alex, and, indeed, our whole family, to this point.  I am so excited!! 

P.S. Prayers would be appreciated as I wrap up some wedding-sewing this next week.  One more dress to go and I'm feeling the pressure. ;-)

Update on Life

I continue to be very neglectful of my poor blog here.  I'm not even sure what to write about, presently, so I'll just give a quick update on life.

Most of you know, my buddy and older sister, Amanda, is getting married in June (WOOOHOOOOO!!!) and I have been commissioned to make three out of the five bridesmaid dresses.  They are made of cornflower blue satin, using McCalls 4491 (views B and C).  I am half-way through the first one (Bethany's) and having a blast.  Amanda and Alex have been busy planning, and bridal showers are right around the corner.  It's so wierd--but totally exciting!! :-D

I'm in the process of purchasing a new "model" for my Etsy shop.... Miss Esther Elizabeth, named after Esther Moore, one of the heroines in MD (and sequels). Unfortunately, with all the wedding sewing I have to do, I don't have time to work on any new doll outfits for the shop right now.  I do have lots in the planning, though. ;-)

Speaking of MD, I've been slowly working on editing it, but more importantly, I've been figuring out the details for the two other books in the trilogy.  In my searching to know my character's better, I found out an astonishing truth: that... well, somebody I thought was dead (can't say who ;-) ), actually isn't dead, and has been popping up throughout the story already, under a pseudonym, and I didn't even know it was...well, who it is ;-) .  So that's been exciting.  I also figured out, with the help of my writing buddy/editor Emily, more piratey names for the two main pirate villains and their ships.  This has been helping me get a better understanding of their personalities, which is very helpful (obviously ;-) ).    Earlier this week I was able to get together with my writing buddies, Emily, Matthew, and Mark, and get in an awesome writers chat... they were able to give some great ideas for MD and sequels, and it was just fun talking my stories and hearing about theirs.  Writers chats are the best. ;-)

Last week my mom and I went to the mall and I got my hair cut and styled.  I'm really excited.... I like it a lot.  It feels much more grown-up.  It also looks a bit like Rapunzel's at the end of Tangled when I blow-dry and flat-iron it the right way.. ;-) (I'm working on it. ;-) )

This next week I'll be going out of town to stay for a week or two with my friend Megan, who just had her first baby and needs help around the house and such.  I'm very excited about that!  It'll be a whole new experience for me.  Please pray that I will be a help, not an in-the-way guest, and that I can help lighten her load as she and her husband take on this new adventure in their lives. :-)

I haven't been keeping to a "Bible-reading schedule" lately... it's been in my mind lately that I too often look at the Bible as an assignment, at reading it as something I "ought to do", rather than taking joy in drinking in its words-- however much I need for the moment-- and dwelling on it and seeing Jesus in its pages, and through Him, the Father.  So instead lately I've been taking my Bible reading in little bits and purposefully looking for Jesus in what I read: what is He like, what did He do, what does this mean for me?  Because Jesus represents the Father and is one with the Father, what does His life and ways tell me about the Father?  I'm reading in John presently, but have always been parked in Romans 8 and Isaiah 40, chapters that speak specifically to needs in my heart right now.

And in case you are wondering, India is still much in my mind and on my heart, and I am praying about visiting a Christian children's home there...eventually (not sure when, especially with all the busyness going on right now).  Until then, I'm planning to set aside 20% of each of my Etsy sales for the children's home (though I haven't been getting any sales lately, so, I'm not sure if that means anything or not right now! :-P )  But yes....please keep praying that I would know God's will concerning me and work in India: part time, full time, at all?  Present there, or ministering from here?  And when, how, where?  Please pray that God would show me His will in His time and that I would follow it.

Okay, so, that's what's going on!  Do you feel updated? :-)  I really don't know how much I'll be posting in the near future... it will probably continue to be very sporadic.  But please do comment.  I love comments.  I am still here, just not always posting. :-)

*waves* :-D
~Melanie

Literary Ball

Last weekend I had the lovely opportunity to attend a ball hosted by my friend Kate. The ball was literary-themed, so everyone came as a character from literature.

My character was Amy Dorrit from Charles Dickens' classic, Little Dorrit. I based my costume on one of Amy's from the BBC miniseries. It wasn't exactly like hers, but it was close. :-)

It was a lovely time of dancing and visiting, reuniting with friends and making new friends.

~~~~~~~

Eva, Kate, and me, the day after the ball. :-)

Photos by Brandon P., Patrizia F., and Christopher L.

In His Hands

I know!  I know!!  I have been absolutely TERRIBLE about posting lately.  Actually, I have my excuses.  So much has been going on lately...some major changes took place and kind of sent me into a spin--stress, confusion, doubt, fear, loneliness ("ceaseless ebb and flow", as the poem below says)... so I really haven't even felt like sitting down and writing a blog post lately.  Sorry about that, folks. :-/

I was looking at my quotes collection on OneNote this evening, for something uplifting that would set my focus on Christ, and came across a little four-line poem that I read somewhere, a long time ago, that was very encouraging.  I decided to google it and see if there was more to the poem, and found four stanzas full of encouragement.  They met me right where I am right now, and spoke to my heart what it needed to hear-- an idea that I've had in mind in recent weeks but was expressed so much more beautifully in this poem than I could have worded it.  No matter my changing emotions, or the days when the clouds block the sunlight... God never changes, and He is holding on to me, keeping me, and helping me through.  He never fails.  He is SO wonderful!!!   

I probably just said more than I meant to say...but anyway.  Without further ado, here's the poem, and I trust you will be encouraged as I was.  

IN HIS HANDS

'Twixt gleams of joy and clouds of doubt
Our feelings come and go;
Our best estate is tossed about
In ceaseless ebb and flow.
No mood of feeling, form of thought

Is constant for a day;
But thou, O Lord, thou changest not:
The same thou art alway.

I grasp thy strength, make it mine own,
My heart with peace is blest;
I lose my hold, and then comes down
Darkness, and cold unrest.
Let me no more my comfort draw
From my frail hold of thee,
In this alone rejoice with awe—-
Thy mighty grasp of me.

Out of that weak, unquiet drift
That comes but to depart,
To that pure heaven my spirit lift
Where thou unchanging art.
Lay hold of me with thy strong grasp,
Let thy almighty arm
In its embrace my weakness clasp,
And I shall fear no harm.

Thy purpose of eternal good
Let me but surely know;
On this I'll lean—let changing mood
And feeling come or go—
Glad when thy sunshine fills my soul,
Not lorn when clouds o'ercast,
Since thou within thy sure control
Of love dost hold me fast.

          —John Campbell Shairp

I'm Back!!! and one of those fun questionairre thingys... ;-)

Hey everyone!
I guess I should say it the way most bloggers say it ("No, I'm not dead!") but that's too typical.  I'm not going to say "I've been busy" either because that's not really it either.  Well, I have been out of town, and last week I wasn't staying at a place with internet so I truly wasn't able to post then.... but besides that, it's not necessarily busyness but pre-occupied-ness that's been keeping me away from blogger.  There's a difference.  But enough of that.

Lynette Kraft is hosting a blog party on her blog.  I'm not exactly joining the blog party because I'm not really interested in the giveaway, but you know me; I can hardly resist questionairres. ;-)  Besides, you all need a post that says more than "Sorry I haven't been posting and this is why".  So here's the questionairre with my answers, just for fun. :-D

How would people describe your personality? (If they could only use ONE word.) Are they right?

Sweet (lots of people say that).  I'm not sure whether they're right or not.  I guess I am sweet when I'm around people, but not all the time.  (Amanda?  Bethany?  any thoughts?) :-P  But who knows, some people may think I'm snobby because I'm very quiet around people at first, and tend to be distant when something weighing heavily on my mind.  How would you describe my personality? :-P

What celebrity/celebrities would create a “Star-Struck” feeling if you saw them in real life?

 Ioan Gruffudd!!!  

(first one that came to mind.... ;-) ) (there are others too)

Who is your favorite blogger? Why?

I decline to answer this question, because I don't need to pick a favorite out of all the wonderful bloggers I know. :-)

What is your comfort food/drink?

Coffee... :-D

Be brave – tell us something very random and weird about yourself.

When I was little (five or six, maybe?) I had the most terrible habit of chewing on pencils and rulers.  Every once in a while, I find a pencil or a wooden ruler with teeth marks all over it, and I know who had a hold of that... ;-)

Do you have a strong desire to do something you’ve never done? What is it?

Two strong desires:  1) To publish one of my novels.  2) To travel to India (and possibly live there, with the purpose of sharing Christ with the Indian people...probably not as a traditional missionary though.)

Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite genres?

Family films, if that's a genre... Disney animated films... Period dramas... action as long as it's not too graphic and makes allowances for girl viewers...

Books: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Biographies, True Stories, Self-Help, Devotional/Study? What are your favorite types of reading material?

Fiction, biographies, and devotional.

Music: Funk, Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, Film Score, Blues, Classic Rock, Crooner, Alternative, Heavy Metal, Techno? What are your favorite types?

I love Celtic, film scores, and ... whatever that kind of music is that doesn't exactly have a name.  The Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team style music... a mix between hymns and...pop?  Yeah...whatever that is.  I also light Contemporary Christian (the more conservative, toned-down branch ;-) ) .  Oh, and Broadway and Disney songs. :-D

If you inherited a million dollars, what is the first thing you would do with your money?

Go to either England to study for my book, or India for a survey trip. ;-)  I think....maybe.

Name one weakness of yours (confession is good for the soul).
Disney...(Disney movies, Disney songs, Disney store...)  and American Girl... you didn't know that, did you ( :-P )  Oh, and buying things on a whim (like the 5 1/2 yards of gorgeous purple polyester shantung for my Amy Dorrit dress, the other day... ;-) ) (I only do that when I have money though. ;-) )


If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go?
England or India

Strange Talent? Can you juggle basketballs, put your legs behind your head or perform some other strange feat?
Um... not that I can think of.  I can make really crazy faces though...like, really crazy... is that a talent?  More like a random fact....

What’s something you consider yourself to be good at? (Don’t worry, it’s not bragging, it’s acknowledging a God given gift).
Well, I could say I'm good at writing, but a writer should never say something like that... not because it's bragging, but because it could keep them from becoming a better writer than they already are. :-)  And sewing...


What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of? 
<3 apple blossoms <3


When you leave a social gathering, do you wish: You would have talked more or You would have talked less? 
I usually wish I'd talked less, even though I don't talk much in social gatherings anyway.

If money wasn’t a factor, what stores would you shop in?
The American Girl place.  The Disney store.  Kohls.  J C Penneys.  Definitely. ;-) 

What is your greatest fear or strange phobia?
Fire is, without question, my greatest fear.  Always has been, probably always will be.  I'm terrified of the woodstove, the furnace, bonfires, lightning, anything associated with fire, except those who can stop it.  



What is your greatest accomplishment?
I don't know.... I don't really feel like I have accomplished to much as yet... unless finishing a novel is considered a great accomplishment, though I've done it a couple times... maybe writing a 50,000 word novel in one month?

What are your favorite animals?
 Cats:  domestic, tigers, lions, snow leopards, etc.... I also love horses, long-haired dogs, and elephants. :-D



Are you a hopeless romantic?
Get ready for a complex answer. If, by "hopeless romantic", you mean always living in a dream world, then yes.  But I don't know...  I can't stand mush and sap, but I look a sweet, sincere, meaningful romance.  I don't mind if the couple doesn't kiss at the end of the movie.  I don't usually think too much of marrying, unless I like someone in particular (which is very hard to get me to do), or unless I'm thinking of practical things, like "They say single ladies tend to get kind of goofy when they get older, and I already am,  so if I don't get married, I'll become known as the Crazy Doll Lady when I'm old..."  (Okay, so that's not the only reason I would get married.  Like any girl, I long for someone to build my life alongside of and raise a family with and serve God together with and love with all my heart and be loved by... but getting married isn't the top priority of my life.)  But when I do think of getting married, I like to think it will be like in a storybook.  "I am determined that nothing but the very deepest love will induce me into matrimony"... :-P And like I said, I tend to live in a dream world and see things with rose-colored glasses.  So what do you think?  Am I a hopeless romantic or a hopeless non-romantic?


What movie or book character can you most relate to?
It varies according to what's happening in life at the moment.  Lately I've felt quite a bit like Molly Gibson from Wives and Daughters; lots of people confiding in me and relying on me, and me being in positions  in which I could get in trouble either way, and needing to be there for people and listen even if I don't agree with them about everything.  Other characters I can identify with in one way or another are Jo March, Bella Wilfer, Ariel (The Little Mermaid), Violet Parr, Eustace Scrubb, and Rapunzel... in one way or another. :-)

Race Towards The New Year....

Hey folks!
In case you are wondering why I haven't been posting lately, it's not because I've forgotten to post, and it's not because I don't have anything to post.  It's that I don't have time to post! ;-)
That is, I have a couple long post ideas in my mind that I'd like to write down-- a book review, a devotional article or two, reflections on this last year and this Christmas season-- but I am busy with something else instead. 
You see, I am aiming to finish my novel, The Marquis' Daughter, by 12:01 A.M., January 1st, 2011. :-) And I still have almost a whole chapter and a short epilogue to write by then.  So expect my "New Year" post to come a little late. ;-)
Well, I'd better get back to my writing now. ;-)  
~Melanie

Regency Christmas Ball

Here's for an abnormal post on my blog. ;-)

Last Friday, my family and I had the opportunity to attend a Regency-themed Christmas ball with a group of homeschoolers and homeschool graduates. We had a lovely time!
Here are some pictures:

We had a lovely time and the Lord allowed us to make new, like-minded friends. And I tell you what, English Country Dancing is addicting. I'm still skipping across the kitchen floor.... ;-)

If you want to see more pictures from the ball, here are some posts by some of the other young ladies who were there.

Rachel B's blog
Anna F's blog
Hannah M's blog
Kate D's Blog
Michaela F's blog

And videos-- I am sorry they're so big!! I'm not sure how to make them smaller.

STRATHSPEY




WALTZING TO IOWA




POSTIE'S JIG



Photos by Brandon Pieplow and Hannah L.

:-)

I'm so sorry, everyone, for my lack of posts!  I have been seriously very busy.  I had an Etsy order to finish "as soon as possible" and several other sewing orders from people for Christmas, I and am working on finishing Bethany's petticoat and hers and my Regency gowns for a Regency-themed Christmas gathering coming up on December 10th.  I've had a little time to catch up on reading blog posts and writing emails, and very little time for writing MD (I am sooooooo glad I didn't do NaNoWriMo this year or I would have had NO time to write or else felt VERY overwhelmed), and almost no time for blogging.  I have had several post ideas but they haven't taken the form of typed words yet. :-)

Hopefully next month I will have more time for posting. 

Happy Last Day of November!

In Which God Answers Prayer and Reminds Me of His Protection

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. For He will deliver you from the snare of the flower and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night..." (Psalm 91:1-5a)

Those who know me very well know that I am a very fearful person. In fact, a bit of a phobiac, if indeed that is a word. Ever since that month in which Aunt Leah, Harrison, and Sophia died in a fire, our cousins' cousin died unexpectedly from a seizure, and we discovered about our friend Megan R's death from an accidental gunshot wound, I have been terrified for the safety of my family. I have been terrified of fire, of carbon monoxide, of hunters, of illness, of the cracked tree in our side yard falling on my parents' bedroom during a windstorm. Many has been the night that I've laid awake praying over and over, "Lord, please protect us-- please protect each member of our family-- please protect our house."

I know the Lord understands the fear that arises from seeing tragedy in the lives of people around me, and yet that does not make that fear, that lack of trust, right or even "okay". But He cares. He watches over us. And today He proved that to me in a very special way.

I had been awake for much of the night. From the time I went to bed to about 12:30 or 1:00, I was awake thinking about this and that, and at around 4:00 I woke up again-- not with the terror that I've awakened with many a time, thinking I smelled smoke or something like that, but rather just with a nagging, quiet sort of fear. My dad was going to be leaving to visit some friends in another state at 5:30, and a violent wind was blowing outside and smacking raindrops against my window. I was worrying about him and Mommy driving to the airport in the bad weather, and about him flying, and about us at home, and the wind... and as usual in a windstorm, I was thinking about the tree in our side yard with the crack up the center. "Lord, please protect Daddy as he travels, and please protect us here at home. Keep us from all harm..."

I decided to stay up to see Mommy and Daddy off to the airport, so about five minutes before they left, I got up. Kitty had come in when they were taking luggage out to the van so I sat on the floor and pet her while Mommy and Daddy finished getting everything ready. Then I hugged Daddy and told him "I love you" and "Have a safe trip." Then Kitty and I went to the sliding door, which offers a good view of the road, to wave to Mommy and Daddy as they drove away. It was still dark outside, so I did the usual "wave" we've been doing since we moved to this house-- switching the porch light on and off a couple times. They disappeared around the corner and I let the curtain fall. "Well, I guess we'll go back to bed," I was thinking. But before I could move from that spot, I heard a noise.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

I'd heard that sound before-- like the prelude to thunder, only louder and closer. "Ohhhhhhhh Lord, help us! The tree!" I scooped up Kitty in my arms and made a dash for the side of the house opposite the side yard. Kitty, terrified, jumped out of my arms, and before I had even crossed the room, I heard a loud BANG!

My next thought was, "Did it fall on the house?" It hadn't sounded like it-- the bang was more of that of the tree landing on the hard ground outside. Still, I hurried to Amanda's and my bedroom to see. The windows in our 1950s ranch-style house are very high for a short person like me, so I climbed onto my bed, lifted the shade, and looked out.

My heart stopped.

Oh. My. Word.

Just outside my window the very tip-tops of the tree were just touching the side of the house. Right on the other side of the wall from where my head goes when I sleep. Right there. Just touching the edge of the house.

"Wow. God is good!" I said. Amanda, who had been awakened by the noise, climbed up on my bed too and was awestruck as she, too, saw the protection of God. A moment later, Bethany joined us and we all were amazed at the goodness of our God.

A while later, when the morning had cleared the darkness, we looked out and saw that the tree had not broken off close to the ground. It had broken off several feet up-- maybe five feet-- jaggedly, as it had had a crack up the middle (I think caused by us having our campfires right next to it). If it had broken further down, it might have landed on our roof and caused more damage. However, God guides even the forces of nature, and He had it cut off just where it did to protect us and our house, just as I had prayed He would.

I wonder why we are so hesitant to believe that God really does watch over us, that God really does hear and answer our prayers. Our God loves and cares for His children. He has promised in Scripture to watch over them, and He always keeps His promises. Sometimes He allows what we call tragedy-- a freak fire or a mistake gunshot-- but that does not mean He has forgotten to watch over His children. And sometimes-- in fact, most of the time, if you think about it-- He shields us from things that can harm us. Whether it is a tree falling on you during the night, or skidding on the ice on a bridge, or a semi-truck drifting into your lane-- so many things could happen that we don't even realize, but our God keeps His eye on these things, and He protects us. And he not only keeps an eye on our physical protection, but He also sees the other details of life that we think He might not notice-- family problems, church problems, friendship problems, stress from busyness, and other things. He sees, He knows, and He cares. And He always keeps His promises.

So now I know I do not need to fear. My God is watching over me, and when I lay my head down at the end of this day, I can do so knowing my God neither slumbers nor sleeps-- He is watching over me and my precious family.

A Walk

I had been inside all day.  I had woken up late, and my afternoon had been spent in between my computer, my fabric, a BBC miniseries playing on the TV, and dinner.  The sky overhead was bleak and cloudy, the air was cold coming in my window, and the never-ending hum of electricity was growing old.  A feeling of dullness hung over me.  Very undesirable.  Hardly uplifting.

Then I was checking my facebook (not feeling like doing much else) and a friend of mine posted that they had just seen a double rainbow.  While I knew I likely wouldn't see a rainbow, still I felt the urge to get outside, out of the house, out from the hum of electricity, and take a walk with just myself and God.

So I pulled on my hoodie and slipped on my sneakers and headed outside.  For those who don't know our house, we live on a very short road that is part of a series of three short roads all at a right angle to each other and connecting with a main country road coming out of town.  We have trees surrounding us on all sides, in a similar fashion to a clearing.  And as some of you know, I've had it with trees.  Well, too many trees at once, that is.  On a day like today, I felt I couldn't even see the sky for all the trees-- there was just a flat blanket of dark clouds overhead.  Suffocating.

Anyway.  I walked down "John Street" and turned onto the other short road that leads down to the main road.  As I did so, a fresh breeze greeted me, coming up through the tunnel of trees on either side of me.  And down at the end of the road was our neighbor's field, and there I could see... the sky!  It was no longer a flat blanket of dark clouds but the dome of beautiful sky.  There were still clouds, but they were light-colored, happy clouds, not dark, gray, angry ones. And in the midst of them, there were two patches like eyes, and through these patches poured brilliant golden sunlight in radiant shafts.  Once I reached where the roads met, I stepped off to the side and stood there, gazing at the resplendent display and feeling the breeze pressing against my face.  After a whole day of gray clouds overhead and dull fluorescent light inside, the sunshine and breeze sent a thrill to my heart and filled my spirit with happiness.  There is something so beautiful about the things God made.  There is something so wonderful about stepping away from man's little creations and being alone with God, enjoying His creative power and beauty.  And there is something so freeing about talking into the wind and knowing only the birds and the squirrels and my Creator can hear me. 

Picture taken by my Aunt Catherine

I stood for a couple minutes thus, and then turned to walk back up the little hill to our road.  As I did so, the wind whispered in the tops of the trees, and I had to pause and look back at the beautiful sun, not really wanting to go back to the veil of trees shutting out its light.  In fact, I couldn't resist two more rounds of the walk, coming back to this point with the sunlight at a different angle each time, pushing back the clouds gradually for a brilliant finale before disappearing into the west.  How I love moments like this!  What a wonderful God we serve, that He should give us these glimpses of His glory.  Truly, "the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork."

Just Miscellaneous Happy Things :-)

Today I went to JoAnn Fabrics and was able to pick up some fun things for my "Etsy" sewing.

Let me show you some up-close shots of some of the items. I'm pretty happy with them! :-)

Iron-on applique for a doll-sized polo dress that I'll be making:

Decorative fabric roses to trim some Colonial-style doll dresses (I noticed several of Felicity's dresses are trimmed with fabric flowers, especially on the sleeves, so I followed suit :-) ).

Frog closures for a doll-sized Spencer jacket:

An awl for setting eyelets (unfortunately, the JoAnn's we went to doesn't carry eyelets so I may have to order them):

Two white-on-white prints:

They're not so bold as that, but I took the picture with flash so that you could see the difference in the prints. The one on top is for a Georgian/Colonial doll dress, the one on the bottom for a Regency doll dress.

Then I got home and found a lovely package in the mail for my dear sweet friend and sister in Christ, Leah!

And this was what was in the package:

I Come Quietly To Meet You: An Intimate Journey in God's Presence
Devotional Readings by Amy Carmichael, Arranged by David Hazard

That was so sweet of her! I LOVE Amy Carmichael and just devour anything I read of hers. Thank you so much for the book, Leah! I love it!! (((HUGS)))

Another happy thing--

A sneak peak of the dress I drafted some time back and sewed on Saturday. I need to get better color pictures before I list it on Etsy.

Now, one more happy thing:

I ordered a new "model"/"investment" for my Etsy shop! I'm debating whether I should show her to you or not. Shall it be a surprise when I get her, or should I tell you now? Hm...........

No, I won't tell you. You'll have to wait til she arrives! :-D

Thanks for letting me share! Remember to rejoice in the Lord today and thank Him for all His blessings-- "forget not all His benefits", not only the material benefits, but the amazing spiritual benefits as well.

Graduation and Reflections

 Yesterday we celebrated my graduation from highschool with a graduation open house.  Being homeschooled and not part of an actual homeschool group, I did have a cap-and-gown ceremony, but the open house was a nice way to "officially" make the transition between being a schoolgirl to being GRADUATED! :-D :-D :-D

With graduating and reflecting on my years so far and being asked what's next, I have been thinking a lot about the supremacy of God in every aspect of my life-- including (or especially) in graduation.  Yesterday morning I read in Philippians about Paul's many great accomplishments-- "circumcised the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless"-- and yet all these things he counted as loss, they meant nothing to him, "because of--" (I love this!!) "-- the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." 

All I do-- all I accomplish, in sewing, in writing, in music, in church activities, in friendships, in preparing for my future-- all these things matter nothing if Christ is not in them.  I can do amazing things, but if Christ is not my all, then I have wasted everything.  As I graduate and step into the next chapter of my life, I want Christ to be my ALL.  My desire is to give Him that place of highest importance in my life, that He may reign preeminent over every aspect of my life.  Oh that He would reign in my writing, guiding my hand and heart to write the words that bring glory to His name.  Oh that He would receive glory in my sewing and music, that I would use them for His kingdom and to grow in character as I run into challenges.  Oh that He might have supreme place in my heart as I wait for the man who will be my husband and best friend-- that I would find fulfillment in Jesus and not be discontent with where I am now.  And oh that with each trial, each joy, each new experience God brings into my life, I might embrace those things and be molded more into the image of Christ Jesus-- that I would more and more reflect His patience, His love, His compassion, His humility.  That there would be less of me and all of Him. 

Graduating and stepping into adulthood is a little scary in some ways.  I am now having to make more decisions, and more significant decisions, and people are expecting me to make their idea of a good decision... and the more I realize this, the more I realize the great need I have to come before God and seek His face and ask for HIS wisdom and rely on His leading.  I am also seeing the need to "take every thought captive to obey Christ", to not allow myself to immerse myself in what is past (a.k.a. nostalgia, a.k.a. a form of depression ;-) ) but instead to "forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead.  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  In these new and exciting challenges of growing up, I am finding so many opportunities to step out of myself and to rely more fully on Christ and seek Him more diligently.  I praise God for that!

Please do pray for me as I graduate, not that I may be successful in any upcoming career, nor that I would have all the things my heart could ask for, but that I would be completely satisfied with and devoted to Christ-- that He would be my ALL.  Not just Number 1, but my ALL.

~*~*~*~*~

TONE CHANGE:

For those who want to ask what my plans are and who I can just answer all at once, here's my plans... liable to change, though, for God's plans are always better!

• Finish writing The Marquis' Daughter
• Send The Marquis' Daughter in to a publisher
• Keep up my Etsy shop and get more experience costuming/sewing
• (far-fetched, but not impossible) Take a trip to Colombia to study and experience for Airborne :-) +PLUS+ as a missions trip opportunity
• Learn guitar and improve my singing 
• Memorize 1 John
• Improve homemaking skills

Okay, see?  So a girl can stay very busy without having to go to college.  Thought I might throw that in here since we were talking about graduating. :-)  May God reign over all those activities.

My Salvation Testimony

I originally wrote this article for the "By Grace" column for the January-March 2010 issue of my magazine, the Tuckleberry Times.  I thought, because some of you may not have read it, I would share it here.


In each person's life comes a point of turning from self unto God; from reliance on one's works to reliance on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Sometimes this point comes later on in their years, after many long, hard years trekking down a pathway of sin. For others, it comes early on, at the beginning of the journey of life, giving that person a whole lifetime to travel that new road of salvation.

The latter was the case for me. I was only six years old when I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I don‟t remember much of that night; only, I remember sitting on my bed in the room upstairs in our house in Erie, and my mom talking with me, and I remember praying a simple, heartfelt prayer.

Because I was so young then, changes came alongside the regular growth of most elementary-age children. Early on, God placed in my heart a deep love for His Word (one afternoon I spent entirely in reading the Gospel of Matthew out loud to my toys!) and a passion to proclaim His truth to the lost (one of the most memorable instances of this was when I prayed out loud in front of a Catholic friend for her to be saved!  That didn't go over very well...)

As I got older, however, doubts began to fill my mind. I would hear preachers say that you ought to be able to identify the exact day, time, and place you were saved, which made me worry, because the details were, for me, so very fuzzy, and I couldn't even remember what month it was! Then I would hear about people being saved out of terrible lifestyles and experiencing complete, radical change, and I worried because I couldn't remember any radical change in my life. To add to all that, I doubted the sincerity of my faith because at one moment I might be so passionate about someone getting saved and the next moment be mad at my sisters or doing something behind my parents' backs. Whenever I heard a sermon on repentance, I felt sick inside, because I just wasn't sure whether I had ever experienced true salvation or not. Whenever I heard about the return of Christ, I feared—even in my sleep, I would dream about Christ returning and me being terrified because I did not know if I would be left behind.

The climax for me came when I was thirteen years old. A sermon I heard at church helped me to realize that I needed to stop worrying about my salvation and hoping that my prayer had “got me in”; I needed to just rest and trust in Jesus Christ completely. That afternoon I consulted my mom, knelt down by the couch in our basement, and talked to Jesus about it. I confessed that I really didn't know whether I was saved or not, but I wanted to rest in His saving grace and His work on the cross, not on any prayer that I had prayed. And He gave me peace and reassurance, reminding me that His grace is sufficient, and His promises are sure. It was such a burden off my shoulders, to know that my salvation was secure in Christ, and I did not need to doubt any longer!

Since that day, I have seen the Lord working so much in my life. I definitely can say that I am far from perfection, but the Lord is helping me, reminding me of His truth, teaching me about Himself so that I can strive to live like Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. What a great joy it is that we do not need to live a life of fear and despair in trying to reach favor with God. Jesus has taken the penalty for our sin and clothed us in His righteousness so that we may be justified (“declared righteous”) before God and have a living relationship with Him. It is truly by His grace that we are saved! Let us praise Him for it!

For the Sake of a Post :-)

Yes, yes, I know. I am becoming a terrible blogger! My bad!

I have been writing nearly everyday, but not on blogger. Lately my main project has been The Marquis' Daughter. In order to ward of laziness and finish my book sooner, I have set myself the goal of writing at least 500 words every day of the week but Sunday. I started this on the 7th of June and have missed my wordcount "only" three days. ;-)

500 words really isn't very much. It's only about a page plus a paragraph. Therefore, it's slow moving and even at 500 words a day, I often don't feel like I got much done. Yesterday, however, I was in an incredible writing mood. I plugged myself up to my MP3 player (Soundtracks and Writing Music folder ;-) ) and wrote almost all day! Total wordcount added? 4,576 words. :-D It was SO FUN!

But today it is cloudy and muggy and dull, and I don't have much inspiration. :-P

Here are some "just for fun" pictures of Minorca, one of the settings in The Marquis' Daughter. :-) This is where the character Mark Sayers lives at the beginning. I think I'm gonna have to go visit there... :-D

I hope to post soon some reviews on books I've recently read, as well as some of what the Lord has been teaching me lately. He has been doing some great things and showing me so much about Him, and teaching me to trust Him!

TTFN!
~Melanie

Remembering

Today is one year since Aunt Leah, Harrison, and Sophia went to be with Jesus. At the same time, it seems like it's be so long, and yet like it happened just a couple months ago. Please be in prayer for their families today. Pray that the Holy Spirit would fill them with hope and peace in the salvation we and they have in Christ, and the resurrection that is to come.
Looking forward to seeing Aunt Leah, Harrison, and Sophia again one day, at the feet of Jesus, who gives us hope!

Friends Visit :-)

Just for fun. :-D

More to come on "Day by Day"!