How My Week Went & How Life Pretty Much Goes in General

In answer to the question, "How was your week?"

This week was really good and really hard.

It was emotionally, physically, academically, and spiritually challenging and draining. I gave my ALL in all of those areas this week (except maybe in spiritual, that was more of God working in me than me doing the work). I came through in many ways, but I also failed in many ways this week.

One minute I was running through a meadow because I was so happy, the next minute I was gritting my teeth trying not to say something I would regret.

One minute I was praying "You're amazing, God!" and the next minute I was praying, "God, what--why--how, URGG!"

One day I wanted to journal about how perfect life is and the next day I wanted to angrily scribble about how stupid and unfair life is. Both times, I ended up not writing anything at all, believe it or not.

This week I felt like a child and I also felt like an adult. One night I would be venting about how I have no idea what I'm doing and how much help I need, and (literally) the next day I was thinking "This isn't too bad, being an adult. I can handle this."

One day I was praising God for how many wonderful people He has placed into my life and then the next day I was asking God why in the world he put "this one annoying person" into my life.

One day I accused someone for not "being there" enough, and the next day I felt like an idiot because she has actually given up a lot of her time just to make sure I'm doing okay.

One day I was daydreaming about graduating high school, and the next day...well, I was still daydreaming about graduating high school. (Some things don't change.)

One minute I remembered how God has come through for me so many times that I've been hurt in my life, and the next minute I remembered how God came through (and forgave me) for so many other people I've hurt in my life.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

Glennon Melton-Doyle has a great word for life and how much it see-saws: "Brutiful."

Life is brutiful...Brutal AND Beautiful!

Both/And. Mixed. Joined. Together. Tough & Lovely. Brutal & Beautiful. BRUTIFUL.

So, yeah...that was my week!

:)

How was yours?

The Season of Change is Coming Soon

I was just thinking a minute ago about how seasons sometimes have subtitles.

Winter: the cold season and the season of Christmas, the new year, and even Valentine's Day. (A thought just occurred to me about Valentine's Day. It is a holiday in which we celebrate love, but we celebrate it in the middle of winter--it's cold, nasty, and difficult. Doesn't that in and of itself represent what love is all about? How love is about caring about someone or wanting the best for them, even when it's cold, nasty, and difficult?)

Spring: the season of new beginnings, life, and resurrection. (Obviously, that would be why we celebrate Easter in this season, but we also celebrate Mother's Day, and late into the season, we celebrate Father's Day. We celebrate the lives of those around us in the spring.)

Summer: the season of EXTREME heat, and the season of rest. (I find a lot more pictures of the beach and vacation articles on Pinterest during this time of year, don't you?)

And finally...

Autumn (I like the name autumn better than fall!): the season of change and color.

Autumn is not here yet, but it's coming soon. (Did you know the autumnal equinox is next Tuesday?)

I always think that this time of the year is strange--when we are all ahead of the autumn season. School has started, so all the parents and students are saying, "It must be fall, since we're getting into the school routine and starting sports [and other extracurricular activities]." I have even seen Halloween decorations and specialty costume stores put up. My grocery store is covered with candy bags decorated with spiders and ghoulish faces on them. Halloween commercials are now found on every television channel.

Yet, when I look outside at my backyard, the tree is still green--not a hint of orange, red, or yellow. All the bees are buzzing around flower bushes, the sky is still as blue as a robin's egg, and it's 86º at only one o'clock in the afternoon.

Autumn usually means that I don't have to see ants crawl into the side of the house. It means that I get to enjoy how the wooden fence in the backyard gets wet, dark stains from the hundreds of raindrops and how the cold foggy mist feels on my face after a rainstorm. It means that I can wear sweaters, scarves, fuzzy socks, boots, and blue jeans every single day of the week, and so will everyone else I know. It means that I can bake pumpkin bread with chocolate chips and drink caramel apple cider at coffee shops. Autumn is the season of reading books next to a fireplace, sleeping with extra blankets, and enjoying comfortable walks outside, knowing that it won't be too hot or too cold.

No wonder we are all ready for the fall...but it's not here yet!

Right now is the season of patience. It's the season where farmers are preparing their fields knowing that it will rain soon, and there will be plenty to do when harvest comes. Right now is the season where everyone wants something in their lives to change, and they anticipate it wholeheartedly.

It reminds me of the seasons of life we have with God. How we impatiently anticipate a change that God is about to grant to us, but He hasn't quite decided to do it yet. It's that difficult season of waiting.

Right now in my backyard, it's still extremely hot. The tree is still green, even though I really want to see it turn orange and red. I likely won't see the flames blazing in the fireplace this evening, and I didn't notice any fog or mist in the atmosphere early this morning.

But I know all of those glorious things about the season of change are coming. I trust God that He's going to give us those gifts...in a little while, but not quite yet.

What do we do in a season of patience? What do we do when we're waiting on God to bring change into our lives?

We pray, we breathe, we worship, we meditate on God's Word, and we take in the gifts that He's already given us for right now.

I heard this at church yesterday: waiting on God is not necessarily the same as waiting in line. It's more like how you want a waiter to serve you when you are at a restaurant. Waiting is the act of serving God, not a lack of action on God's part.

The gifts that I can appreciate about my backyard right now is that the tomato plant is still producing yellow and red cherry tomatoes. The tree may not be orange, red, and yellow, but throughout the summer, I've seen it in dozens of shades of bright and dark greens. I've seen tons of squirrels and birds visit the tree and appreciate it more than I have. I have enjoyed the feelings of putting my hands in cold water, and seeing how my face looks when it's sun-kissed.

I still anticipate, but I can still appreciate. And that is the beauty of patience, even when I long for the season of change.

"O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. 'Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.'" --Isaiah 25:1, 9b

Where I See Myself in 19 Weeks (and How You Can Help!)

A few months ago for the 30 Day Blog Challenge (which I still have yet to officially finish....sorry), I answered the question: "If I could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?" My answer was Europe.

But I have a confession to make: that was the general answer.

Every summer at my church, several people in the congregation go on a mission trip to an English camp in Eger, Hungary. For several summers, I've been dreaming about going to Eger with my church. Here's what has usually gone through my head: "I really hope to go there someday," or "I can see myself going there in the future." But more recently, I've been praying very hard about it, and the monologue in my head has turned into: "I'm ready to go to Eger this summer. And it's only 19 weeks from now. I'm sure I'll get there soon."

Here's some info about the English Camp that our church missions group will be going to:

The campers in Hungary are people my age: mostly teens, but specifically, they are young people from the ages of 12 to 21, and a lot of them don't know Jesus because of the gypsy cultural influence in their community.

When I think about my own life and background, I know that I am very blessed. God worked in amazing ways so that I could have several opportunities to know Him more. But then, there are plenty of kids out there who don't have the same background as I do, and while God has a perfect plan for them, I know that I can use my gifts and abilities to help them find out what theirs are in order to serve God, too.

I have three objectives in going on this trip:
1) To share the gospel by way of getting to know the kids and sharing my testimony with them.
2) To teach teens about a language that they are interested in, which also happens to be my native language: English.
3) To get to know the teens in order to establish friendships with them, so that they can get better at their English by communicating with a native speaker such as myself, also, so that they can know more about American culture as I also get to know more about Hungarian culture, and that they may be led to Christ by the example of all the missionaries coming to the camp.

Here's the downside: this trip costs money. In order to raise enough, I'm going to need some help. If you are interested, here is a way to start:
Buy a t-shirt! White Fields Community Church (the church I attend), for the very first time, is selling t-shirts, and all of the proceeds go to missions. Plus, they come in multiple different sizes and colors! If you're interested in buying one, check out this link: https://squareup.com/market/white-fields-community-church (P.S. All you have to do is click on whatever colored shirt you want in the middle of the page, pick the size, and buy it! Careful, though, at the bottom of some screens, you might find ads that say "You Might Also Like," which don't belong to the church.)

Within the next few weeks/months, I'll probably come up with some more ideas for people to help, but for now, if you have any questions, please let me know, and please consider buying a shirt for the missions team! :)

Another way to help in a big way is to pray. Here is a list of things that I'll need to prepare for this trip, and a list of things that the camp and the missions group will need prayer for, as well.

Please Pray for Me as I Try to Accomplish These Things in Preparation for the Trip:

• Applying for and getting a job in the near future
• Getting my very first passport, and making sure preparing to fly overseas goes smoothly
• Preparing my heart and mind to be a useful missionary and to help the missions team

Please Pray for My Church, the Camp Leaders, and the Future Camp Attendees as Camp is Coming Soon:

• All of the other people on the church missions team will have their hearts and minds prepared to minister the camp attendees in the way that God sees fit
• The camp leaders will have clear minds to have as much prepared that's necessary
• The future camp attendees will have open ears, minds, and hearts to learn English in a way that is the least frustrating and most beneficial to everyone
• Many of the future camp attendees will come to know more about Jesus and accept Him as Lord of their lives

I hope that I will be able to go, but in the meantime, I'll be praying that this missions trip goes according to God's plan, and turns out wonderfully, with or without me. If it is the Lord's plan that I go this year, please pray that I'll be able to use my gifts and experiences to minister in a way that is pleasing to God and brings more people to Him.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support!

Don't forget to check out the link above for a t-shirt! :)

Questions for the Reader: Have you ever gone on a missions trip? What was it like? Do you have any advice about missions for me? Do you have any advice about traveling out of the country?

"For, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!' But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed our message?' Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: 'Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.'" --Romans 10:13-18

Carry On, Warrior

It's February 6th, and some of you are probably wondering where the monthly resolutions post is. Instead of making the goals that I normally do, I realized an overall life goal that I think is more important to focus on for now.

More than ever, I've felt the pressure about answering the questions: "What's next? What am I going to do in my life? How can I do something that can benefit the world and glorify God?"

I'm feeling the pressure of these questions mostly because it's registration time, which means that I need to be thinking about what classes I need to be taking for my senior year, which makes me think about college and beyond.

...and it's scary. Very scary.

Then I saw this video with my mom two nights ago: a TED Talk from Glennon Doyle Melton about what she learned about herself, the world, and superheroes at a mental hospital:

One quote from Glennon's blog stuck with me:

"The world doesn't need more 'strong' superheroes hiding the truth of who they really are beneath the capes of perfection, shame, cruelty, snark, addiction, or apathy. We need more plain old 'weak' people who are brave enough to come out of hiding. We need more messy, honest, fully human beings who will volunteer to tell the truth about who they are--who will live shamelessly out in the scary, messy world. It is braver to be Clark Kent than it is to be Superman. Carry on, Warrior." 

I was in my Omnibus class this morning after pondering these things, and the teacher asked if anyone would like to write on the board, basically acting as secretary, taking notes of what was being discussed. After several moments of silence, I decided to be the one to raise my hand.

Who knows why, but right then and there I got the exact encouragement I needed. One of my classmates immediately called me "Hayley the Brave."

Goodness, I thought, what a name. Surely I don't deserve it, just because I raised my hand to volunteer. Royalty, knights, and saints deserve those names, but surely not me. 

And it wasn't until just now, as I'm writing this, that God reminded me that as a child of the One, True King, it's ok to proudly wear a name like "Hayley the Brave."

TO BE CLEAR: I'm not saying that I want all my friends to now call me something that formal on a regular basis, because I like the simple name of "Hayley" that I have now, and it would be weird to be called that all the time.

All I'm trying to say is: I think all of us are more qualified to wear names like "Victorious Heroine" and "Hayley the Brave" if we decide to be a Clark Kent instead of a Superman, to be honest, kind, loving, and gracious, to be a warrior fighting against the "capes" and worldly temptations, and to represent and glorify God in all these things, as well as helping and encouraging others to do the same.

Now that's a resolution.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak." --Ephesians 6:10-20

Letter to the Readers: I'm Alive, I Promise

Hi everyone!

I'm sorry for the unexpected month-long hiatus from VH posts. I'm not proud of slacking off from it, at all. Life has been very busy event-wise, academically, and spiritually, not to mention preparation for and the act of taking midterm exams as of the last couple of weeks.

I'll be back soon with more posts for sure!

For now, here's a beautiful song that our church sang on Sunday, that I've been really enjoying lately in my worship time:

God's been speaking to me through it, and I hope you enjoy it as well. 

Blessings,
Hayley

November Report Card

Sorry it's been so long since I posted, everybody! 

To sum up what's been going on lately, I had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends, and have been catching up on A LOT of homework (by a lot, I mean waking up at 7am on a Saturday). 

I think it's about time I gave a report card for November Resolutions, wouldn't you think so? To be honest, I'm not excited about sharing the results. Last month did not go very well goal-wise.

1. Drink at least 6 glasses of water everyday: F
Poor planning on my part. I shouldn't have expected to set such a high goal for myself and immediately develop the habit within the month. Studies show that it takes about 21 repetitions of the goal to form a habit. This would take up the entire month in and of itself. 

2. Practice 120 minutes a week: F
Same story here for the most part, with an addition of laziness.

3. Blog at least twice a week: A+
I did pretty well on this one. To post twice a week means 8 posts in a month, and I made 11, so I'm letting myself pass this one, even though there were times where I posted three times a week, and sometimes didn't post at all in a week, or only once.

4. Monastic Project: D-
I've been focusing on other subjects, and I need to have this all done by Wednesday. I think it's doable.

5. Catch up on Omnibus Reading before Thanksgiving: C
I'm not all caught up, but now I have a workable plan to be all caught up by the Semester reading due date. 

6. Finish the 30 Day Blog Challenge: B
I AM SO CLOSE!!!! Only 4 more posts and then you guys will never have to see the inconsistent "The 30 Day Blog Challenge" titles on Victorious Heroine ever again!!! Unless of course I do another 30 day blog challenge in the future... Could you guys tell me if you enjoy those?

7. Teach Youth Group: A+
All went well. I made a power point slide (at a youth group meeting, I know, but it worked!) and talked about what it means to have a true friendship with God. 

8. Schedule/Plan/Organize More Often: C
Ahem. No, not exactly. My dad just said the other day when my mom was pretty much making fun of me for not knowing where a certain location was, "You don't plan ahead very much, do you?" I shook my head so that he'd leave me alone, but I have tried very hard in the past to plan ahead, but when it comes down to the most important things like making sure I set my alarm before I go to bed, or charging my phone, or remembering where the car was parked in huge parking lots, or keeping my school binders up to date: I fail. A lot. On the other hand, I'm good at keeping things like my school notes organized (and I even came up with a better system for note-taking), and I even utilized Google Calendar a lot more than I ever have. So overall, I'm beating myself up a lot, but I need to. Because I know that if I don't beat myself up now, then I'll be even more beat up by my life years from now from not developing the habits I should have been developing now.

9. Cut YouTube time on Tuesdays and Sundays: F
There was maybe one Sunday where I was able to refrain from YouTube for the most part, but this was a goal that didn't take off.

10. Health: D-
I've been taking walks at school, but to be honest, I could be doing more exercises and walks more often. I've learned that "I don't have time to exercise" is a horrible excuse. It only takes 10 minutes to jog a mile, and it only takes 5 minutes to do a few strength training exercises with dumbbell weights. 

Overall Grade Average: C-

Frankly, I'm surprised I didn't get a lower average! The numbers seem to have granted me mercy somehow.

Important Life Lessons Learned in November:

• Lots of perseverance, lots of hard work, lots of repetition and help from the Lord create good habits.
• If you want something done, don't be lazy. Laziness is no excuse for an incomplete task.
• If you learn to love something about a task, it makes the task so much easier and fun to do.
• Timing is important. Always make a plan and stick to it, but don't procrastinate or take more time than you truly have to get a job done.
• Building a friendship (especially with God) takes a lot of constant practice. Any kind of relationships never take a holiday.
• Sometimes when it looks like you're about to drown in quicksand, you're only going to drown faster if you try to get yourself out on your own. Ask for help, and the problem will likely be resolved much faster and more efficiently.
• It's good to take breaks, as long as they're reasonable and aren't breaks from taking breaks. Breaks are for those who have actually broken a sweat and accomplished something truly worthwhile.
• Plans are so much better than spontaneity. Even if they're not as fun on the front end, they will always have better results in the end.
• Doing something small is better than not doing anything at all.

I hope this post is more encouraging and inspiring than it is disappointing. :)

Question for the Reader: How do you like the new blog layout for Christmas?

"For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity." --Proverbs 24:16

First Blog Award Ever!!!

You guys!!!! I have an INCREDIBLE announcement!
Victorious Heroine got its very first award EVER today!!!!!

How long has this blog been around? 6? 7 months?

That's amazing.

This blog is a baby compared to so many others out there, and yet in its 6th or 7th month it has an AWARD.

So by now you're probably wondering what that award is. It's called "The Versatile Blog Award."

I'd like to thank all of you readers and subscribers for keeping up with my posts that are sometimes consistent, inconsistent, thought-provoking, not-so-thought-provoking, rambling, and hopefully fun to read as well.

But I'd especially like to thank Lois over at "You, Me, and a Cup of Tea" for presenting us with the award. Your blog is inspiring, beautiful, and a treat to read.

The reason I say "us" is because (I know it sounds cliché, but it's true...) I really couldn't write this blog without all of you. It's the comments, suggestions, and thoughts that motivate me even more to write. When I don't write this, I feel like I've let people down. So thanks for sticking with me for the past few months, and reading this blog so far. I appreciate it a lot.

This award, however, comes with a very small price: you have to write something (not too surprising, right? I mean, it is a blog award...).

My prompt is to write 7 things about myself that you might not have figured out by reading this blog. This is going to be harder than it looks, because I share a lot about myself...

1) The arrival of the Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks mark the first day of autumn in my book.
2) I got all caught up on my Pre-Calculus yesterday (it's a much more amazing feat than you might think if you've never taken Pre-Calc.)
3) My favorite T.V. shows are Downton Abbey, The Mentalist, and The Cosby Show.
4) A song I've had stuck in my head recently is "In My Life" from the movie "Les Miserables." No one sings it better than Amanda Seyfried.
5) I miss the beach.
6) I'm an LBD fan (Lizzie Bennet Diaries on Youtube), and I'm super excited for the premiere of "Emma Approved" coming out a week from now.
7) I'm currently reading "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris, "Le Morte D'Arthur" by Sir Thomas Malory, "The City of God" by Augustine of Hippo, "The Consolation of Philosophy" by Boethius, and "Idylls of the King" by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

The next condition for the award is to nominate 15 blogs of your choice for the Versatile Blog Award as well. Here are my picks:
1) Raquel at "God's Daughter"
2) Iris at "Country Girl's Daybook"
3) Lyle and Paige at "...our journey..."
4) Christi at "21 Empire Designs" (Written by one of my friends from Veritas Press Scholars Academy)
5) Anne & Tyler at "Almost There"
6) Sarah at "Camp Girl in the Real World"
7) Emily at "Emily is Smiling"
8) Leighanna Rose at "Fresh Ink"
9) Sarah Thérese at "Footprints on my Heart"
10) Hero at "Heroic Endeavors"
11) Karen at "Positively Ducky"
12) Mae at "Mae Mae"
13) Sarah "Strawberry" at "Rejoice Always" (Written by one of my closest friends online, who also attends Veritas Press Scholars Academy with me)
14) Moriah at "The Hill Country" (Written by my sister)
15) Elyssa at "Popcorn & Purple Ink"

If you have been nominated, the rules for the award are here.

Thanks again to all of you who have made the receiving of this award possible!

September Resolutions: Keep It Simple

We all know that according to the calendar of the United States, September is the month in which fall begins: the season of change.

Change has been the roaring theme of my life recently, and I'd like my resolutions for this month to reflect that. I don't want to be a person who is constantly freaking out about things that don't truly matter. Instead, I'd like to bring all of my focus to what matters the most: love. Loving God, and loving my neighbors as much as I love myself (which of course implies that I have some self-love and respect). 
So please do not be surprised that my resolutions have been cut down to the size of a fingernail in comparison to the norm. My goal is to simplify my life to a point where God has plenty of room to work. :)

1. Adapt to changes, even when they're uncomfortable.
2. Keep things as simple as possible--don't add, reduce.
3. Maintain self-respect...without pride or vanity.
4. Love Thy Neighbor: be merciful, kind, respectful, and generous to everyone around you, as well as obedient to your leaders.
5. Love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

These 5 resolutions are not only my resolutions for this month, but 5 things that I intend to grow in myself as I live the rest of my life in Christ.

Not only do I want myself to grow in these areas, but I hope that you may find them helpful in your own life as well.

Here's to the season of change!

Question for the Reader: What season of life do you find yourself in?

"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter." --Daniel 2:20b-23

August Report Card

It's high time for a report card don't you think?

So so so so sorry for the lateness everyone! It's been pretty busy around here lately, with my brother's birthday, Labor Day weekend, and then my first day of online classes today. I'm finally getting around to blogging again. :)

1. Finish Summer Bucket List: A
I did pretty well finishing off the list. We made cherry limeade, I at least made an attempt to do a vlog post (and I do plan to publish one in the near future!), wrote a story, witnessed my dad and brother build a rocket to launch with Boy Scouts, went to the library, and played hopscotch. Overall, I had a wonderful summer, and I'm glad I could share it with you readers. :D

2. Summer Reading: A-
My goal was to finish the requirements for reading "The City of God" by St. Augustine by the end of August, but I didn't quite make that goal. Fortunately, I completed most of the summer reading requirements.

3. Start 11th Grade: A+
I could not have been more excited to start this school year. Online classes started today, and every one of them taught me something new about how things are going to be, and each one presented me with new challenges to face. I know that God will be with me throughout this year, guiding my every step.

4. Get a job?: A
Ok, I admit: I am currently unemployed in terms of what most people call "a real job." However, I was able to make a decision, that until I get a driver's license in February, I am blessed with babysitting opportunities and enough extracurricular activities to keep me busy enough as is. I do plan to get a job soon, but now is not the time.

5. Publish more blog posts: A++
I am proud to announce that the month of August brought more blog posts than ever before in the history of VH. This month, August had an all-time high of 19 posts!!! This is even more than April 2013(the month right after I first started). I think it's safe to say that I picked up a bit more momentum, and this blog is going to stick around for a little while longer. :)

Recurring goals: 
Music Practice: B+
I think I could have done a bit better on this, but I'm starting to pick up more momentum.

Scripture Reading: A+
I've been called to focus more on God's Word than I normally have in the past. It is my goal for the rest of my life to be active in Scripture, as it is essential to following Christ.

Exercise: D
My focus has been elsewhere this month in terms of exercise. However, I have set multiple fitness goals for myself this month, so next time, I shouldn't have any excuses about sticking with exercise.

Diary Writing: F
Same story. While lots has happened this month, I haven't been keeping a good record of it in my diary.

Total Average: A-

Wow, I'm really happy with the results! I've had a great month, and I'm looking forward to a great start in the  school year. Happy September everyone!

Question for the Reader: How was your August?

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." --Romans 8:1

The 30 Day Blog Challenge, Day 12: A Day in the Life (As Promised)

I promised that I would publish a "day in the life" blog post as a result of a poll I did a few months back....and I never got around to it. But today, I have no excuse, thanks to the 30 Day Blog Challenge! 

Prompt: Describe a typical day in your life.

5:30am--I wake up and roll myself out of bed, because at this hour I am really, really tired. I then go and wash my face, because it helps me wake up.
5:40am--I try to wake my sister up if she missed her alarm. I grab my Bible, journal, and a pen, and start studying the word. Currently, I've been reading a lot of the Psalms, Isaiah, 1 Corinthians, and a few chapters from the Gospel of Matthew. After I read the word, I pray about what I studied that day and ask God for His companionship in my life as I do my best to apply His word to my daily life.
6:00am--Basically, after devotions, I make my bed, eat breakfast, get dressed and ready for school. 
7:00am--If we're on time, my brother, sister, mom, and I all load our stuff into the car, and drive to school.
7:25am--We arrive at school, and my mom gets set up for work (she's the head of the school), and my siblings and I entertain ourselves until 8:15 when we have to go to our classrooms.
8:15am--I say "bye" to my brother as he goes upstairs to his fourth grade classroom. My sister and I walk to the upper school building and set up our desk spaces in the high school room.
8:25am--Morning assembly with teachers, middle school & high school students. We pledge allegiance, pray, sing a hymn, and listen to important school announcements.
8:30am--Middle school students go to their homeroom class, as us high schoolers take our lunch orders and get ready for study skills DVD lectures and free work time. Since it's not September yet, we prepare for free work time instead of a high school devotion class which will likely start on the 6th.
8:35-10:35am--Free work time (Reading, art projects, planning) and/or study skills DVD lectures
10:35-10:45am--Break with Middle School & High School Students/Eat a healthy snack
10:45am-12:20pm--Continue free work time
12:20-1:00pm--Lunch with Middle School & High School Students
1:00-2:25pm--Finish free work time/DVD Lectures
2:25-3:15pm--This block depends on the day of the week. If it's Monday or Wednesday, I have a live art class that I attend. If it's Friday, I attend a community service class period. If it's Thursday, more free time! 
3:15-4:00pm--I pack up my stuff and get ready to come home.
4:00pm--Depart from school, and head home.
4:30pm--We all arrive home from school, and I unpack all my stuff and spend a few minutes in my room to organize my stuff or get comfortable. Sometimes when I come home and dinner is not happening soon, then I'll take the opportunity to grab a snack if I'm hungry.
4:45pm--Help with dinner, whatever homework I may have, or chilling in my room
5:00-6:00pm--Dinner with my family
6:00-7:30pm--Family time/finishing homework/music practice/chores
7:30pm--Start preparing for tomorrow's school day by ironing clothes or packing a lunch
8:00pm--I say "good-night" to my brother and parents and go to my room to hang out with my sister until we go to sleep at 10:00pm. Sometimes we'll watch videos until 9 and then read or play a board game until 10.
10:00pm--Turn off my lights, straighten up my room, charge my phone, set my alarm, and I go to sleep.

My days are pretty easy going since my online classes have not started yet. When I get into my class routine with electives and core classes, I will definitely have a lot more in my day. Maybe when that happens, I'll make another day in the life post.

I hope you enjoyed a tidbit of my everyday life! :)

Question for the Reader: What does your day typically look like?

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." --Colossians 2:6-8

The 30 Day Blog Challenge, Day 9: Note To Self

Prompt: What would you tell your 16 year old self if you could?

...I am sixteen. :)

However, that's not going to stop me from giving myself some advice, because I think I could use it.

I need to practice the beautiful act of thinking about others before I ever think about myself, and listen to the words and instructions of the people older and wiser than I am. Finally, I need to stop worrying about the past and the future, or any problems that seem big now. Instead, I ought to focus on God's plan, and in Him, all worries and troubles fade away.

Question for the Reader: What words of wisdom would you give to yourself?

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." --Philippians 3:12-14

What's New (Literally)

Tomorrow is the first day of school.

I've been preparing for weeks in order to be ready for it, but for some reason, my mind refuses to believe that I'll be waking up at 6am tomorrow, bringing a packed lunch and new binders, and getting ready for my attendance to be recorded. This will continue to be a pattern for the next ten months, five days a week, seven hours a day. Goodness...

I think I might be worried about change. God has been changing everything around me like a storm, and yet a part of me refuses to come to terms with how wonderful it is. I find myself only seeing the negativity of change, and therefore, I'm afraid of it. I can't understand why. Change is a great thing. 

I pray that all of you who might be starting a new school year, or maybe a new phase at work may rejoice in the coming changes of your lives. It's a beautiful thing, and I'm beginning to realize that. Behold, the Lord makes all things new.

Question for the Reader: Do you ever dread the first day of school?

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." --Isaiah 43:18-19

Summer Bucket List Update--8/06/13

I've been scratching off a few more things on my summer bucket list, so I thought I'd give you guys a glimpse on my progress. :)

1. Do a vlog post.
2. Post frequently on Victorious Heroine
3. Get an awesome gift for Father's Day
4. Go to Disney World
5. Take lots of pictures
6. Color in a coloring book or on a coloring page
7. Play in the rain
8. Pick flowers
9. Write some poems or stories
10. Give a person/people a present and/or a care package
11. Wear a sundress
12. Fro yo!
13. Fly a kite
14. Launch a rocket
15. Bake cookies
16. Defeat the summer reading list
17. Create a chalk art masterpiece
18. Sip an Arnold Palmer (sweet tea and lemonade combined!)
19. Blow bubbles
20. Go to the library
21. Play in the park
22. Play hopscotch
23. Play foursquare
24. Game night
25. Fireworks
26. Do something out of the ordinary.
27. Watch movies never seen before and movies that I haven’t seen in awhile
28. Summer of Blimey Cow
29. Listen to BCAN
30. Photo a day challenges
31. Grill out
32. Make homemade ice cream or sorbet
33. Go shopping
34. Eat a slice of watermelon
35. Bowling
36. Get a pineapple dole whip at Disney World
37. Conquer my fears at Disney's Haunted Mansion and Rockin' Rollercoaster
38. Go to the Beach!!!
39. Go to Water World
40. Go on a hike
41. Have picnics
42. Go for neighborhood bike rides
43. Eat a fruit pop
44. Buy a mocha coconut frapuccino (for yourself or someone nearby) This one had to be replaced with a Chai frappuccino, since Starbucks didn't have a mocha coconut frappuccino this summer.
45. Movie marathon
46. DIY crafts
47. Stargazing
48. Water balloons
49. Youth Group Activities
50. Make homemade cherry limeade

Only 14 more to go! (And 4 more on my August resolutions goal.) May all of your summer bucket lists be accomplished as well!!! :)

Question for the Reader: What's your favorite summer tradition?

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." --Ecclesiastes 3:11

The 30 Day Blog Challenge: "Seems Legit"

You know how sometimes you hear people say funny or cute stuff that just works for them, but when you say it, your friends think you're nuts? Maybe it's something like, "Yo," or "Mission Accomplished," or "Seems Legit." It's almost as if we're all walking memes...

This has happened with me recently with the word "awkies." A Youtuber from Blimey Cow, Jordan Taylor uses it plenty on the show Messy Mondays. I think it's so funny, and I've always wanted to get away with using the word. A few situations arose in the past couple of weeks where I finally got to use it! And guess what? My sister said, "Don't say that anymore. You sound ridiculous. That is so not you." So, my first response (like any other mule-headed, stubborn human being), was simply this: "Rawr. Leave me alone." I kept using it a couple of times, and I finally realized that there are some things in life that aren't just a "one-size fits all," free for the taking. Sometimes someone can say or do something that can look adorable, funny, or even intellectual, but it's just not going to work on you. You have to find things that make you unique!

I was thinking the negative version of this about blogging the other day. I thought that my blogging days might have been coming to a close. I wasn't writing very often, I was losing inspiration, and I was starting to lose the spark that I had with it on the very first day I created a blog. It seemed that blogging wasn't something that was working for me.

But today, I found a blog post on Emily is Smiling about the 30 Day Blog Challenge (Coincidentally, a similar post about the challenge where she got her idea from was on a blog called Mae Mae, which I follow as well!). This just seemed like the answer to the writer's block and inspiration problems I've been having. So, I'm putting it out there to say that I'm going to do my best to try this out. I'm not saying this will be the perfect plan that fixes all the problems for me, my lack of inspiration and writer's block, and Victorious Heroine itself, but I think this is a healthy way to start.

To see the prompts that I'll be using to start the challenge, check out this post at Emily is Smiling. I'll be starting the challenge very soon, so stay tuned!

(P.S. An announcement about recent life-changing experiences: I got my braces off yesterday! Feel free to leave comments about your braces stories or your own life-changing experiences.)

Question for the Reader: What do you do to conquer writer's block or lack of inspiration?

"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." --1 Corinthians 13:12

August Resolutions

I can't believe summer is almost over!!! And July has flown away with it. So a new month has begun, therefore it is time for a new post about monthly resolutions.

Finish Summer Bucket List

I don't expect to cross off absolutely everything, but I don't want to leave any more than 10 on the list.

Summer Reading

I still have one book to finish for required summer reading and then I need to continue to finish as much of the Omnibus list as possible before online classes start.

Start 11th Grade

Technically, online classes don't start until orientations at the end of this month, but I still get to take care of responsibilities at Rocky Mountain (brick and mortar school). 

Get a job?

I'm still thinking and praying about this, but I need to start raising some money so that I can responsibly take care of my parent's cars when I start driving them when I get my license, plus a few trips are coming around next summer which I'd really like to do, and my parents think it would be a good way to spice up my college résumé and practice for adult life. I have a few ideas as to where I would apply, but it's sort of a matter of whether I feel ready to take on that responsibility yet or not.

Publish more blog posts

I've been failing to post on here very often. I want to change that this month. 

Recurring Goals:

Music Practice

Scripture Reading

Exercise

Diary Writing

I'm sure this month will go very well. Best wishes to you all in ending the summer and starting the fall!

Question for the Reader: What has been the highlight of your summer so far?

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." --2 Corinthians 5:17