A Tag from Katy :)

My wonderful friend Katy (Who I miss a LOT, by the way) tagged me in this! So, here goes. :)

First the rules:
1.) You must post these rules (Haha this rule makes me laugh!)2.) Each person must post eleven things about them on their blog.
3.) Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.

Okay, so 11 things about me. 

1. I have been saved by the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and now my life is hidden with Christ on high. Every day He makes me more like Him, but I am SO far away from what I should be. I am so thankful for His mercy and grace. And thankful to see growth in my life, though it is slow indeed.


2. I want to be a missionary to a foreign country someday. God has been burdening me for the parts of our world that have absolutely NO access to the gospel, and are constantly dying (without CHRIST!) because they don't even have their physical needs met. And, what's more, they are not glorifying God with their lives, and Christ deserves the reward of His sufferings!

3. Can't decide whether I like being called Christianna of Christy better. Almost everyone I know calls me Christy, and I think it sort of fits my personality better, but Christianna is definitely more beautiful. (as long as you pronounce it an AHN-na, not ANN-na) Which do you think is better - Christianna or Christy?

4. My favorite animal is a white Bengal tiger. They are incredibly beautiful! I love all the big cats - tigers, lions, leopards, etc. God was so creative with the cat kind.

5. One of my dreams is to go to visit Australia - especially the Sydney Opera House. It's such an incredible work of architecture! I would also love to see some of the beautiful country landscapes in the country, and get to see all the native animals  - kangaroos, koalas, etc. That would be spectacular :)

6. I'm very much a girly-girl. I love dresses, flowers, and pretty things. I hate gore/blood and guts, bugs, and the like. But, I do have a bit of an adventurous side - I love hiking, camping, 4-wheelers, snowboarding risks and other such things.

7. One of my biggest faults is being unteachable. I am too proud to be corrected or told what to do. God is working on me in this area; I'm better than I used to be, but boy, do I have a long ways to go.

8. My personality is mostly sanguine, with a decent amount of choleric and melancholy. If you don't know personality types I will enlighten you: Sanguine is playful and energetic, Choleric is ambitious and take-charge, Melancholy is thoughtful and deep, and the other one (which I have absolutely none of - lol!) is Phlegmatic - easy-going and calm. If you'd like to see what YOUR personality is, try this link - it's pretty fun!

9. I love working with kids. I'm totally in my zone when I'm with kids about 6-11, and I love little ones too. I want to have an influence on the life of every child I meet, especially young girls. Mentors can make such a difference in a person's life, and having a child look up to you really makes you think about your actions. It's a win-win!

10. I LOVE music. I cannot imagine a world without music - ugh it would be awful! I play piano, and I wish I could play other instruments too. I love listening to music, playing music, singing, or whatever. Pretty much, I like every type of music that is God-glorifying.

11. I talk a lot! For all of you readers who know me in person you're probably smirking like, "You can say that again!" Haha. I love to laugh and talk, and talk and laugh.

Now to answer dear Katy's questions:

1. Do you like salty or sweet better? Sweet, for sure... hehe
   
2. What are three words you would use to describe yourself? Hmm... probably energetic, emotional, and determined.
3. What is the neatest things that ever happened to you in your life? I'd say meeting some influential freinds - particularly the Cases, Tabea and Paul, the Butlers, and the Sardinas.
4. What is your favorite Bible verse? Why. Wow, that's tough. I'd say my all time favorite is just this simple verse: "When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." ~Psalm 61:2. So many times that is exactly how I feel - overwhelmed. It's such a comfort to remember that when I am, I can go to Jesus Christ who is a high Rock to lean on and learn from. His grace is sufficient.
5. Would you rather read a good book or watch a movie to relax? Read a good book, for sure. I used to be *such* a movie person. But I realized that I was wasting way too much time watching movie, and so I sort of "swore off" movies for this entire year. (Although not totally) I don't miss it at all, and I find that I would way rather read a book, go for a walk, bake something, etc. I have time to do things that are truly refreshing now!
6. What is your favorite color? Every color!! Haha :) My favorites are probably purple, pink and sky blue
7. Who is the person who inspires you the most? Okay, this has to broken into categories. In the Bible: Peter, because he had my passionate personality, messed up a lot, yet did amazing things for God. In my life: My mom. She is such an amazing influence and godly example to me. In history: Gladys Aylward. She was a woman with some serious faith - she had "everything against her," but God on her side. She believed and lived out Romans 8:31-39. And God did amazing things through her!
8. What is one thing about you that people don't usually know? I deal with a lot of loneliness. I struggle with missing my brothers, wanting to see friends more, and wanting a "special someone." I think God is bringing me through this difficult time to show me that He is enough for me.
9. Would you rather be hot or cold? Probably hot. I always used to not mind being cold and get cranky when I was too hot, but now I am totally the other way.
10. What is your favorite type of food? Seafood!! Mmm looove it!
11. What is your favorite classic old movie? Probably Emma, the Jane Austen movie. As for animated movies: I totally love Lion King. :)

And here are 11 questions for those who I tag! 

1. What is something that you dream of doing someday?
2. Have you ever been on a missions trip? Where did you (or would you like to) go?
3. What is your favorite kind of pet?
4. How do you normally do your hair?
5. What is your favorite hobby?
6. What is your favorite article of clothing (hoodies, PJ pants, skirts, etc)?
7. Do you play any instruments? If so, how long have you played?
8. What are 5 words that you would like to describe you?
9. Do you prefer to be indoors or outdoors?
10. What is/was your favorite topic in school?
11. Who do you talk to most on a daily basis?


And, last but not least, the people I am tagging:
1. Leah Albright at God's Daughter
2. Karissa Noelle at Set Apart Girl 4 Christ
3. Emily at Emily's Ponderings

And well, most of my friends have already done this, so anyone else who wants to do it can take it from me :)

Alone?

*Sigh*

Lately I've been feeling pretty lonely and discouraged. Ever since my brother moved away I feel like I've lost a really close friend. And lately, I've been missing him a lot. Also, our family has been really busy lately, so we don't have as much time together. Sitting at the kitchen table - alone - has become a hobby of mine. I don't want to write on and on about melancholy details, but I just feel so alone.

But am I?

I know I am not. Even in the times when I feel so alone, I have a Savior, a Father, a Friend, and a Husband to be with and talk to. Sometimes I forget that. And when I do, I miss out on a wonderful joy and peace. He's waiting, eager to talk with me, to listen to me and comfort me, and to show me more of how marvelous He is.

So my challenge to myself - and anyone else who struggles with loneliness, as I know we all do sometimes - is to cry out to God. He will listen, comfort, help, and strengthen.

"Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." Psalm 62:8

"...casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

"This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life." Psalm 119:50

"My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him." Psalm 62:5

Though none go with me

I've been reading The Chronicles of Narnia recently, which I had never read before, and I am amazed at how spiritually beneficial they are! I had seen the movies plenty of times before, and there is some spiritual analogy in them, but not nearly as much as the books.

I just finished reading Prince Caspian - the second book of the series. At one point in the book, Lucy finally meets up with Aslan (who represents God). The conversation that follows goes like this:
"Welcome, child," He said.
"Aslan," said Lucy, "you're bigger."
"That is because you are older, little one," answered he.
"Not because you are?"
"I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger."

I love that! There are times in our life when God seems big to us, and times when He seems small. But is He the one changing? No! God is always the same, infinitely awesome God. But as we grow, we get a bigger glimpse of just how awesome He is.

As her conversation with Aslan continues, she tells him about how she saw him earlier, and knew it was him, but the reason she didn't follow him was because no one else believed that it was him and they all went the other direction. She felt like the only thing she could do was go along with the others, even though Alsan wanted them to follow him. But then she realizes (with Alsan's help) that she should have followed him, even if she had to do it alone. Aslan tells her that she must go and tell the others that she had seen him, and tell them to follow him with her. But if they wouldn't follow, she must follow him alone.

Wow, what an amazing analogy that is! Often, God shows Himself to us, and asks us to follow Him. We get excited and tell other people, (as Lucy did) but when they don't believe us and scorn what we have to say, we give up and decide to follow them. God wants us to follow Him, even if no one else is. We are never alone, because He is with us. And in the end, if we follow Him, we find out (as Lucy did, but it would take too long to quote the whole episode) that following Him is the only safe thing to do, and it leads to victory!

Every day I must make the choice to follow Him, through dark and seemingly dangerous paths and unknown territory, even if it means being abandoned and mocked by everyone. His path is not always the easiest, but it is the only one that lead to life!