Bible Verse of the Week #30

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is on great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4

This verse does not means it's wrong to look nice. Don't get me wrong, I love looking nice. This verse was to warn the Egyptian women that would spend hours on their hair and makeup. In the end it doesn't really matter. God wants to see us working on being beautiful on the inside: the beauty that lasts forever.

When I read this verse, I instantly remember that song. It is one of my favorite songs.

Beauty is more than skin deep. Covergirl makeup may cover up your skin and you may think you look pretty, but the truth is, real beauty comes from within. Think of it this way: It is better to be a plain, brown, paper bag present, with a fantastic present inside, than a beautifully wrapped present with nothing, or even nasty things inside. 

Just as C.S. Lewis says, God will make us beautiful in His eyes. He already did, when he made you.

"The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us; just as the roof of a sunhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but becomes bright because the sun shines on it."
C.S.Lewis

P.S. Today is my baptismal birthday! :)

Beginning of Christmas

It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas by Bing Crosby

It really is starting to look like Christmas.. at my grandparent's house. We usually set our Christmas supplies out really late, but since we went down to my grandparents' house in Nebraska, we got a chance to help them put up their Christmas decorations.

At both of our houses {my grandparents' and my}, we set up a fake Christmas tree. Why? I don't exactly know. It is a lot less messy, but I don't care too much. 

I have to admit something: I love Christmas. Wait, I take that back. I like everything that happens leading up to Christmas; shopping, decorating, music, it's all so fun!

I took that picture and wanted to delete it, but then I thought about it, and look at it, and realized it's pretty cool! :D Thoughts?

How are you getting excited for Christmas?

Happy {Thanks}giving | A Must Read

Hey guys!

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving!

I know I am having a fun week! :)

Today I just wanted to do a short post on what I'm thankful for. FYI, I am thankful for a lot of things. Only a few are actually on here.

1. God

2. Family

3. Friends

4. Food

5. House

6. Computers

7. My iPod

8. Eyes

9. My new camera (yes, you did just hear that!!!)

10. My blog followers/blog comments! :D

It's true I did get my camera. I got it on Wednesday. I love it, but I'm still completely lost on a few things.  I got a Nikon D3100 with a kit lens and a 70-300mm lens. I have a small, not stable at all, tripod. I also have 3 filters, a telephoto lens, and a macro lens. I bought an extra flash too. So I'm all set for a while. I've taken a lot of pictures, but since I'm not at home, I can't download them on the computer. That's why this post is picture deprived. :/ I'll be showing a lot of pictures soon though!

Have a great weekend!

~Madie

Bible Verse of the Week #29

2 Corinthians 9:15

"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."

I don't know about you, but I love thanksgiving and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow! I love this time of giving thanks. Today in chapel we had a guest speaker and he talked about how his grandpa always gave thanks. He wouldn't talk a lot about God, he wouldn't say much, but he would always remind his grandson to be thankful. 

I am thankful for a lot of things.

God provides me {and us} with so much! He has given me a house to live in, clothes {a LOT} to wear, parents, family and friends that love me, a computer to blog on, eyes to see, ears to hear, legs to walk... the list goes on! Sometimes I wonder why we don't thank Him enough.!? I mean honestly! He has given us so much, but we only celebrate that thanks once a year? That's crazy! We should thank Him with every chance we get! Those "gifts' He gives us are all around us! If you're reading this, you are looking at a gift. Your computer {or iPod or whatever device} is a gift! Say thank you to God right now! I dare you. :P Once you say thank you, why don't you read on with this little quote/prayer.

Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I hope you all have a great day tomorrow and be looking forward to some excited posts!!!

With Love,

Madie

First Snow//Right Now

The first snow is happening, right now.

Snow makes whiteness where it falls,
The bushes look like popcorn balls.
The places where I always play,
Look like somewhere else today.

~Mary Louise Allen

First snow to wash the autumn dust
First white to clean the gold
First beauty, only days to last
First change to fresh the old

 First light to kiss the gloomy day
First soft to mild the lawn
First clean to wash the dusty way
First cool to touch the dawn

 First pure to resurrect the sky
First soft to feel the sea
First dream to make the movement die
First snow to live in me.

First Snow from this website. 

Goodbye my beautiful flowers, until next year.

I'll miss you, but I'll survive.

Come back soon!

Goodbye perfect, round pumpkin.

I never carved you, but you looked pretty anyway.

Stay pretty for as long as you can.

I enjoy looking at you.

Goodbye, garden.

I enjoyed your yummy, delicious fruits and veggies.

For now, I'll plan out what to plant on you next year.

Hello, beautiful snow!

You are so pretty, but please don't hurt us.

Keep your beauty, but do not get in our way.

I'll enjoy you for while, but soon, your beauty will be gone,

and I'll be upset,

Hello snow, hi.

Have you gotten snow yet?

Bible Verse of the Week #28

Lately, I've been praying a lot to God. There's a certain thing(s) I've been praying for. I've been nervous and been asking for rest. I've been praying that I do well in school and in sports.

I am still nervous and praying more than I {usually} do. The thing is, I can find comfort in knowing that God sends His angels to guard me. Not only that, but the Creator of the universe watches out for ME, Madie. Why am I still so nervous?

I can't answer that question. I shouldn't be nervous, but I still am. When will this nerve racking time stop? There might be a time when I find peace because God listens and answers my prayers, but I won't feel completely perfect, until I go to heaven.

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Please pray for me. Please pray that I can continue to read the Bible to find peace and rest. I'm half way through the Bible, but I need more encouragement now that I've ever needed before. I'm excited about my success, but I want to know more about God and continue to finish the Bible.

Thank you!

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What are you nervous about? What can I pray for about you?

I pray that you find peace in your daily activities.

The Secret I've Been {trying} To Keep

Last August, I got my pictures done by Miss Kiley over at Click and Capture. I absolutely LOVE how they turned out.

 Now I bet you're asking yourself, "Well why did this have to be a secret?" I had to keep it a secret from my parents and my relatives, because I framed a few pictures and gave them to my family for early Christmas.

 I gave ^this^ picture to my aunts and uncles. This one is also in a frame in my room.

 I am so glad that these pictures turned out perfectly!

 I gave ^that^ picture to my grandparents, because my grandma bought that dress for me. I absolutely love it! I bet you've seen me wear it before!

 And finally, I gave the picture above to my parents in an 8x10 frame. They were {kinda} surprised and now it's on top of our TV!

 

I love this picture, because I love vintage cameras, and I just think that picture is really cute.

P.S. One of my "favorite" (favorite isn't really a good word to use, but I'm using it) things to hear from blog friends are, "You know, Kiley? Like, in person!?" Yes, I do know Kiley, in person. haha!

Happy Birthday!

Fourteen years ago, I was born, a gift from heaven. Here are a bundle of pictures of how I've grown up. :D Enjoy!

 Baby me!

 Toddler me.

 I think that is the cutest picture ever!! ^^^

 Okay, so here are some of my birthdays/birthday parties.

 Preschool

 ^6th birthday

First grade

Be looking forward to recent photos! :D They are really cute! 

Bible verse of the Week #27

Joshua 1:5-6
No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

Hey guys! I'm sorry that I didn't discuss this verse today. I have a lot of tests tomorrow. Not only that, but I'm also cleaning because I'm having my 14th birthday party!! I'll post pictures when I can!

Early Christmas

As some of you may already know, I celebrated early Christmas last weekend! :D It's true. For the last couple of years, we've been celebrating early Christmas because my grandparents go to Florida over the winter. I would too if I had the chance, it's cold in Minnesota! Oh and just an FYI, these pictures are almost all not posed. Yes, so they bring out real personalities.

 My amazing parents!!!

 That would be my older brother. :D He's in high school, and well, a little crazy sometimes, but I still love him! Oh and, my cousin is under him.

 This is my other older brother and his girlfriend. They both got these little pans, the size of my hand, that you can make sandwiches and eggs in. They're really cute.

 The next day, my family and I went to my cousin's Confirmation. It was really good! I kept thinking to myself, "I'm next!" Yep! I'm getting confirmed in April.

After the church service, we went to the "after party." This is my youngest cousin, Brooke, and I. Some more pictures of her are HERE, at the end of the post. 

Luke 2:16-20

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 

 

Do you have any Christmas traditions?

When You're Stopped For 20 Minutes Because of a Train

Haha! I love my title. :-) Okay, I'm done laughing now.

 Pretty fall colors!!!

 Leaves.

 I took a few pictures of these burrs because I got bokeh in every one! Yes! I love it when that happens because I have a point and shoot and it doesn't happen very often.

 Yeah, so as the title said, my mom and I were waiting at least 20 minutes before we could go past a railroad track. We were on our way to my brother's half marathon. We parked and then we had to walk the rest of the way.

 Okay, so I took a lot of pictures of the burrs. :D

 The sun was just beautiful!

 And here is the train that we waited for... for a long time.

 It was worth the wait, when you get these awesome pictures, and then you could walk across the railroad track and get a cool picture like the one below.

Which one is your favorite?

What you've all been waiting for...

Where my blog started out.

 Some of my past headers.

 I had these two only for a very short amount of time.

 I still very much like the one above.

And the winner is

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Destiny! 

Good job everybody! Destiny, you can just email me to claim your prize. You have 72 hours.

If I had to pick a second place winner, it would probably be Sophie.

Thank you everybody!