True Beauty: A Message EVERYONE Needs to Hear!

Hello everyone! Hope you are having a great day! Today I came across a video talking about true beauty. I was so inspired and encouraged by this, and I wanted to share it with you all! Please take the time to watch this incredible video! Let me know your thoughts!

1 Samuel 16:7

 ^"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" 

Thoughts and Things About Writing

        

Hello readers! Hope you are having a great day! If you didn't already know, I am a writer. Not professional, of course. A few years ago, a family friend of mine wrote a book and gave me a signed copy. Along with the book, she gave me advice about writing. The one piece of wisdom that caught my attention was getting a blog. My friend said that blogging is the best place to start. It gives you chance to get your words out into the world, though you may not be published. I feel as if I have not used this blog as a tool for my writing experience as much as I think I could. So, I'd like to add a little more. And to start it all off, I want to just share with you all thoughts and feelings I've had with writing. 

     Writing has always been a passion. Yes, I can't get enough of my running, piano, and volleyball. But there's just something special about writing that I can't quite explain. It's the rush of the words that are out there. Countless words that have all sorts of meanings. I don't think people realize how much power words contain. It's mind blowing to think about. But the real spark is putting those words together. Putting all those meanings together in a sentence to form one big meaning. I like to think about it in the big picture, though. All those pages, with all the meanings you could imagine, telling you something. Informing you. Convicting you. Compelling you. It truly is a powerful thing. And as a Christian, it's even more amazing to see how God can use my words, our words, to speak through us. 

     When I think of stories, I usually think about the parables Jesus told during His ministry. Those were stories with meaning. Stories with a purpose. Those purposes sometimes being to inform, to convict, to compel, but most of all to show God's love, compassion, and grace. It's a beautiful thing. As a writer, those parables show me how I can write with a purpose.  But when you think about it, they're really not my words. Now you may be thinking, "This chick is nuts. She makes no sense". And that's okay. Let me explain in a way that just might make sense to you. 

     Lord of the Rings is one of the most popular trilogies in the history of literature and film. I know a lot of you have heard of it. But the person behind it all was J.R.R. Tolkien.  I will never forget the words he gave to describe himself as a writer. He called himself merely a "sub creator" of his stories. Tolkien was a firm believe in The Lord. He knew that his talent of storytelling was a gift from God. Something God used. But more importantly, something God spoke through. God gave Tolkien the words, the meaning, and the story. Tolkien was the tool God used to bring the story into our world. You may be surprised, but Tolkien's fairytales really do have some powerful meanings and purposes to them. (My personal favorite is in The Hobbit, where Bilbo chooses to step out of his comfort zone and take a leap of faith; an adventure that will change him forever.) 

     I hope that may give you a clearer picture of what I mean. God gives me the words, I deliver 'em. I may not ever be published, but I have this little blog, my dear readers. I intend to use it for God's glory, especially through this passion for writing He gave me. 

    And its okay if no one cares to read what I have to say. As long as I give it my all and allow my Savior to speak through my words, to give them a whole new meaning and purpose, I will be content in that! 

                        -Madison

Family Vacation

Hello all! Hope you are having a lovely Sunday! My family and I traveled to Longboat Key, Florida a couple weeks ago, and I thought I'd share with you all a few pics! Enjoy!

Some Days Are Sad Days

Hello everyone. Today is a sad day. You might want to go grab a box of tissues, because here's what went down. We bought a Ninja blender. I LOVE making smoothies, it's like a hobby. So I had all these smoothies planned out to make. I made a Pre-workout smoothie this morning, which I loved. And for dessert, I planned on making this vegan shake (that was supposed to taste like a Wendy's frosty) recipe I found on Pinterest. I blended the ingredients until my creation was a nice, creamy mixture. I eagerly spooned out just a little so I could taste it and make sure it was perfect. Now, I haven't had a Wendy's frosty in a long time. But I was sure this stuff did not taste anything like a Wendy's frosty. It was gross. I was so disappointed. So, knowing  I couldn't waist this disgusting substance, I mixed in some froyo. I gulped that crap down like a 6 year old chugging cherry cough syrup. After several brain freezes, I finished off the last of it. It was finally over. It was finished. Now that I look back on the recipe, I see that I neglected to add what the recipe called a "key ingredient". I couldn't pronounce the stuff, so I didn't think it was necessary. It may have made it taste better, or it may not have. Either way, I'm not going to be the one to figure it out. Not after this tragic experience. So here's two lessons for you, my friends: follow the recipe & don't assume all Pinterest recipes taste good. Ever had an experience such as the one I faced today? Would love to mourn with you in the comments. Until next time, dear amigos. 

                        -Madison