The PRESSURE!!!! =D

School is FINALLY here!! YAY!! (and no, I don't read with a whole bunch of books in my arms.

Lyd

My handiwork?

My sister, Jubilee, just turned 13.. (the little twerp... JK) yesterday. I spent the whole afternoon making the cake and I just wanted to share some pics. Please don't overlook my bottom post with the movie. =D

Lyd

A Tribute to Chief Bill

The former programs director for Camp Susque has been a dear friend of our family's, fondly called Chief Bill by all the campers. He's taught us so many hilarious tricks that are hard to forget. Here's is the proof! (We all love and miss you Chief Bill!!!) Btw, Chief Scott is the new programs director... He's awesome too, but in a different way than Chief Bill.

Our responsibility to stay pure...

Most girls look forward to getting married someday. We thirst for male attention and the slightest notible action makes us blush. I've struggled with flirting, one of my worst downfalls. Sound familiar?

Recently, my mom bought two Josh Harris books: I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship. Flipping through I Kissed Dating Goodbye the other day, I came across two sections: A Guy's Responsibility and A Girl's Responsibility. Yay. Reading through, I was amazed. Guess what the guy's responsibility was? To defend the honor and righteousness of their sisters. WOW!!! I had never heard of that. I mean, really, who would think of that?

Most of you are girls so you are probably waiting for the girl's responsibility, right? This is it: to keep our brothers from being led astray by our charms. Joshua Harris tells us to be aware of "how easily your actions and glances can stir up lust in a guy's mind." Now that was really helpful to me! Like most of you young ladies, I have a particular young man in mind who meets up to my standards. Man, I fight all that junk that keeps bugging me when I see him. "Stand closer to him," "Tease him a little; it won't hurt," "Make sure you hug him before he leaves." Ring a bell? So, to hear this bit of advice coming from a guy is SO awesome. Now, when I feel tempted to be a little bit too friendly, I can say to myself, "Both of us are trying to follow Christ and keep ourselves pure. Will me being too friendly help him?"

I want to close with the last paragraph of this section:

"'And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds'
(Hebrews 10:24). It's time to start seeing other people's purity as our
responsibility."

Lyd

Camp Susque

Every year, for about 10 years, my family and I have taken our little van and a WHOLE BUNCH of stuff down to Pennsylvania for Family Camp. By the number of times we've been there, you can tell that we are the biggest fans of Camp Susque (which, btw, is pronounced "sus kuah"). My mom went there as a kid and I've gone since I was 4. In a few days, we'll be on the road again for our 7-8 hour drive back to that place that we look forward to every year! WOOHOO! Since I'm going to try to put a post on here every day while I'm there, I thought that perhaps I should tell you about it.



Camp Susque is not a normal camp. Almost everybody knows almost everybody... but of course, there are the inexperienced newbies that we show around. There's a great camp crew that makes meals for those who buy a meal pass and take care of the grounds and the pool... yes, there's a pool. A very nice one, I might add. We all stay in different cabins or platform tents. Some people even stay in their own campers. The cabins and platform tents have their own bunk-bed cots. There are 3 cabins that have electricity, and we get one of them (because we don't actually camp).



Family Camp is completely unscheduled. The only times that are enforced are wake up time, pool time, chapel, evening service, and lights out (which is like midnight). Chapel is about 30 minutes of a quick devotional and singing. Evening service is an hour long done by a pastor who is invited to preach for the week. A lot of times, we have John Reissinger, a pastor and author of many books. It's pretty sweet.



Most of the time, there are activities in which you can take part like pottery, rocketry, ropes course, crafts, canoeing, etc. They also play this game all week with a wooden duck. The first day, the duck is hidden by a person who works there. Then, at chapel, we hear a clue and everybody tries to find it. The person who finds it hides it and gives a clue. And it goes on and on for the week. Pretty awesome!


On Friday or Thursday, we have a talent/skit show... it can be really funny and then really weepy. Most of the people there are VERY talented.



We had a great time last year and were very sad to leave. I CANNOT wait until we get on the road... I even enjoy the long trip! I'm thinking of bringing a portable radio, sewing (I'm making a dress), books, and writing. It'll be fun.



So, hope you liked learning about it. I'm going to try to take LOTS of pics and put some on everyday.


Love you,


Lyd


http://www.susque.org/

Girls having fun!!

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted anything since last week! Well, here's one for ya.

This past weekend, my sisters and I had a sleepover party for two of our friends, Elizabeth (12) and Kathryn (11). We had a blast!!! We decided that, since they had 6 brothers and one little sister, they should be treated to a weekend with no guys (except for my brothers and dad which is only 3). So, we picked them up on Saturday at 11 and went to the library to look for movies, but they didn't have any exciting ones. And the rest of the afternoon was spent shopping at thrift stores and consignment shops. We bought iced teas somewhere in between there too. There was this really great deal at Apres Vous and I bought two awesome shirts and a pair of jeans for $6.50... (how much better can it get?). At one shop, I decided to try on a $20.00 wedding dress (already used, but in GREAT shape).. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me... it was hilarious... I barely fit in the dressing room, but it fit PERFECTLY...

When we came home, I got Elizabeth to put on an old bridesmaid's dress that I had grown out of, and then i did her hair. She thought she look horrible. I thought she looked beautiful. Decide for yourself who is correct; check out the picture.

Anywho, we watched two movies: The Game Plan (hilarious) and Love's Unfolding Dream (pretty good for a Janette Oke movie). Then we were up until like 3 am (at least Jubilee, Kathryn, and I were). When we woke up the next morning, to my surprise, most of us were actually bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. We got ready for church and then went church (no, really?). When we got back, we had lunch and then we wanted to go swimming. But weather would not allow us. So my mom took some pics of us being weird. Check it out:

Yeah, that's us...

In the evening, we went to youth group at church and afterwards, their older brother, James, picked them up and took them home... 'Twas a sad parting. LOL.

It was so awesome! We had so much fun. I don't think that I've ever had that much fun for a long time. We're hoping to do it again really soon.

I'll post again ASAP. There's this GREAT book that I'm reading and I want to share it with ya'll.

Love you all,

Lyd

PS. Everyone should post a comment on here!!! I want to know that you are actually alive.

Rainbow...

I just wanted to share this picture I took of a rainbow a few weeks ago.. I was thirlled that they turned out. It's a beautiful picture of God's promise to never flood the whole earth again.

12And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me
and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:
13I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between
me and the earth. 14When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in
the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every
living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to
destroy all flesh. 16When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember
the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that
is on the earth." 17God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I
have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth." Genesis 9:12-17

SCHOOL!

Hey there,

You're probably thinking: "School??? Don't even say that; it's summer, Lydia." I know, but for some reason, with getting ready for school and stuff, I seem to look forward to it. To be sure, my school gets REALLY tough especially around April-May when I just want to be DONE. But right now, I'm looking forward to it. Last week, my mom went to the store and came back with a big bin full of school stuff she found for like 50 cents each thing at Wal-mart (that's a first, right?)... She bought crayons, scissors, highlighters, and PAPER (my favorite school supply since I use it like CRAZY)... Even though i'm not going to be using some of that stuff, it still made me get excited about the stucture and drill of the school year. Lately, since we are going on vacation soon, my mom's been getting our schedule and school stuff all situated. So far, we are getting up early and finishing school around 2 pm (which is really good) and that includes our classes and homework. Yipee!!!!!!!! My classes are Geometry (yuck), Chemistry, Spanish 2 (uh oh), and World Views which encompasses literature, history, social science, etc. (hmmmm... idk how I feel about that). Anyway. That will be a lot of homework and World Views is the worst... you would not believe how many books we are reading in one year (and they aren't the most amusing books ever either). I think that, if I REALLY try to do my best, I can make it amusing though. I mean, when I read an informative, but boring, book, I usually read and explain it to myself (concealed in my room of course). If I let you in on my study world you would hear something like this: "So, that means that, in order to choose a president, they have to..." yeah... I'm weird. Math's weirder (that's a word right?)... I say things like "well, it can't be A because x has to = y, and B is out of the question... so it must be C because y=x and x=3.." That's me!

Anywho, I just wanted to blab about something, so I could put a post up.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finish a Shirley Temple movie with my siblings. =D

Luv,

Lyd

THE BEST BOOK FOR TEEN GIRLS!

Hidden Pearls

By Abbie Benton Bonsteel

A great book for pre-teen and teenage girls! This book is about keeping your purity as you go through the years before you are married.

It starts out talking about a young girl, Marcia, and a present that is given to her from her father: a wedding dress. She was probably about 12 or 13 years old when this gift was presented to her with this little note:

"For your wedding dress, my daughter. And on that day may your heart and
life be as beautiful and pure as is this gift today."

When she received it, she was determined, with God's help, to try to be as spotless as the wedding dress.

Throughout her life, when she would be tempted to do something inappropriate or impure, she would walk to her room, open the trunk that held her dress, and pray. This dress kind of became her friend with whom she could talk about anything.

When she was of the college age, she realized that she loved her childhood playmate, Tom. She missed him terribly when she and him were sent to different colleges. But at one piont during the year, Marcia's college had a party, inviting the students at Tom's college, which was not far away. Tom was coming! To Marcia, that was the best thing that could ever happen to her. She was very excited and her mother sent her a beautiful dress, not extravagent, but simple and becoming. She looked forward to the night of the party.

But, of course, every story has a problem. Marcia's problem was that this party was going to be dancing. She didn't hear of it until a few days before the party and when she did, she knew that she couldn't go. She knew that if she was at a dancing party, it would cause her to stumble into impurity. For Marcia, dancing was something that couldn't be done until marriage. You can only imagine how upset Marcia was. Now, she wouldn't be able to see Tom. In her mind, Marcia made excuses. "I'll go to the party, but I won't dance," or "It'll only be with Tom." But, her wedding dress wouldn't let her. As she was making these excuses, the wedding dress didn't look as bright as it used to. Marcia got up and started on her way to the party, even though she felt it was wrong in her heart. Then, on her way, she remembered that she had forgotten to lock the trunk that contained the wedding dress. She retraced her steps quickly. When she saw her elements of purity, she broke down crying. She didn't want to listen to her conscience, but she knew she had to.

This is where I'll stop. The rest of the book is for you to discover. It is probably one of the best books I have ever read in my life (and that's a LOT of books). If you ever want to borrow it, just let me know. Otherwise, I think you can find it really cheap online.

I really encourage everyone (even guys) to read it, but especially girls, because I know that in our culture, all we ever think about is how to get guys to notice us.

Enjoy!

Lyd

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! I'm so glad that you decided to stop by and I hope that you will come by often. What will you find on here: anything! It could be pictures from a trip to Pennsylvania, or it could be a recommendation to some restaurant. Whatever it may be, I hope that you will enjoy it.

Remember that our lives were created for the glory and delight of God our Father.

With love to each and every one of you,

Lyd

^My Family^