Christmas Eve Doesn't Cut It (LYWB)

From a double rainbow against a dark sky to the undeniable pleasure in a scoop of chocolate gelato, our Daddy sure knows how to make us smile. He loves to give us good gifts (Luke 11:13)! And as the best gift-giver in the universe, He also knows the value of suspense. And I learned it, too, one Christmas.

’Twas the night before Christmas at the Jewett house, and everything was stirring . . . ’cause we got really excited about Christmas around our place. The stockings were hung, the lights were strung, and the presents were piled high under our decorated tree. Mom brought in our traditional Christmas Eve appetizer: sliced summer sausage, cheese, and potica (a Slovenian sweetbread), all sent with love from her family in Wisconsin. Everything was ready, and it was finally time.

Just One More
Our family had a tradition of each opening one gift on Christmas Eve, and my sister and I had been eyeing the bounty of carefully wrapped packages for weeks, trying to decide which one we’d open first. We went around the circle, choosing one gift and opening it. And then, as we always did, we turned to Dad and begged, “Please, can we open just one more? Pleeease?” I don’t know why we asked. He had never given in, and there was no indication that this time would be different. But contrary to all reason, this time he said yes!

In utter glee, we ran to the Christmas tree and chose another gift to open. Then, because the first attempt had worked, we tried again. “Please, Daddy? Just one more?”

To our shock, he agreed again! So we went around, each choosing a gift and opening it. Certainly the third time wouldn’t work, but we couldn’t help but ask. And it was like the universe was coming undone—he said yes again . . . and again . . . and again . . . until all the presents were unwrapped, and we sat staring in unbelief at one another under a pile of wrapping paper. Had we really just opened all our presents on Christmas Eve? The absurdity of it had us feeling a little excited, elated even.

Then came Christmas morning.

Worth the Wait
In all my years of Christmases, that one stands out as the darkest, most depressing of all. There was no excited pitter-patter of feet down the hall to wake our parents before dawn. In fact, I think we all just slept in. There was nothing to get up for! The excitement of the night before was replaced by sheer and utter disappointment that Christmas morning, when there were no presents to open.

God knows a gift is better because of the wait. When we cheat the system by opening one of His perfect gifts before the right time, it ceases to be perfect. That’s why the best gifts God gives us usually have a gift tag signed, “Wait to open. Trust me—it’s going to be good! Love, Daddy.”

God has given us the amazing gift of sex, and He also knows the surprise on “Christmas morning” (the wedding night) will make the gift all the sweeter! If you don’t give in by opening the gift on Christmas Eve, you won’t be disappointed.

And for those of you who have already known the disappointment of a premature Christmas, I know the holidays can bring on extra feelings of shame and regret. One of the things I love most about the story of my Christmas Eve debacle is that it didn’t end my enjoyment of every Christmas ever-after. The whole reason Jesus was born into this messed-up world was to bring hope and healing to those who need it. Amen? So let’s savor His grace and the beauty of second chances this Christmas.

And for heaven’s sakes, don’t ask your dad to let you open “just one more” on Christmas Eve! You never know when he might actually say yes.

Lies Young Women Believe

NOTE: Will be away for two weeks, so won't be posting for a little bit :( 

The Shower Routine (by Bekka)

All ladies have a very long shower/bath routine, especially if it involves shaving that night, so how about we all involve a little Jesus time while we wash our hair? Here's the shower prayer routine: 

While taking clothes off: 

I pray that in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that all evil is gone. Satan, you have no place here in my life so in the name of God LEAVE ME!

Rinsing off body:

Father, I thank you for the body you gave me. I thank you that I am fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of you. I pray that through my actions, others may come to know you; that they would see the difference in the way I hold myself 

Washing hair: 

Lord, I pray for my mind. I pray that you would protect my mind from all the evil in the world. I want to be pure in my thoughts as well as actions. Lord I pray that nothing impure would be in my thoughts. Lord, build a filter that protects my mind from all temptation to do wrong.

Washing arms/shaving armpits:

Heavenly Father I pray that the arms I have will be used for holding people up and not for knocking them down. Lord I pray that through my walk that whenever I see someone struggling I would reach out to them and be their arm for support. Give me patience as I learn to help people up and assist in carrying them through the rough times they face. Give me wisdom to know when someone is in need of help but too afraid to say it, that I might be able to approach them in a way that is not intimidating. 

Washing legs/shaving legs:

Lord God I pray that with these legs I am able to walk the walk as I have talked the talk. Give me the strength I need to walk down the narrow road that I may light the way for others to follow in my footsteps that ultimately lead in the way you set out for us. I pray that even though sometimes the road may hit a few bumps, that I would stay walking on the same track that leads to eternity with you. 

Washing hands and feet:

Jesus I pray that these hands and feet will be ones that mimic yours. I pray that with these hands I can give selflessly in order to show others the love of Christ. I pray that these hands won't spend time bringing in things for their owner to enjoy but rather give out things for others to cherish. I pray that these feet will lead many onto the path that was set out for us to follow. 

Rinsing off body at end:

I pray that you would help me in achieving all these goals I have laid out here today. Father I pray that I would lean on you and you alone to give me the strength I need to do what I am lead to do. Give me the courage and wisdom that is needed in each situation and I pray that through my actions, people will be turned to Christ. I thank you for placing me on this earth and I thank you for the plan you have in my life for me to do great things. Thank you for the body you have given me in which I am able to live out the plan you have for me. I ask all these things in Jesus' heavenly awesome name,

Amen. 

- Bekka 

5 ways to steer clear of pimples

dealing with pimples can be hard. they are irritating and totally kill your self esteem. its also incredibly hard to stay away from those horrid red things! but luckily there are a few methods that require some effort that beauty websites have shared and have helped me with my pimple battle

1. healthy diet. now in saying this, DO NOT fill your diet with only the healthy stuff. a treat once/twice a week is perfectly fine. if you always eat healthy then your body won't be used to that chocolate bar you ate after a month of no sugar. 

2. wash your face daily. for me cleaning my face with soap and ex-foliating cream does the trick. however, for you it may be a bit different as we have different skin. try experimenting with a few products and see which one helps the most.

3. steaming hot cloths. yes, i know. this one sounds a bit weird. however, applying a really hot cloth to pimples that are under the skin actually helps kill them. also try them with blackheads.

4. relax. sometimes stressing out and emotional lows can actually cause those pimples. 

5. remember your beauty. pimples or no pimples, you are still gorgeous.

much love,

miss h 

10 things i've learnt being a teenager

1. sometimes your friends change, but that's okay.

2. you change, you grow. and that's okay.

3. God is always constant. throughout the trials and body changes, He is always there.

4. don't get offended when someone comments on your hormones. yes, we all experience those horrid things and we all have mood swings. someone is always going to comment on your hormone level (whether it be your brother, grandma or mother) but don't let it get to you. 

5. social outings are awkward. the playground equipment is no longer a 'socially acceptable' place for a teenager to be (bummer, i know). but don't worry about it. you and your friends will soon find your new digs.

6. your grandparents will always see you as little. 

7. body changes are horrible. but its different for everyone.

8. never be afraid to ask your favourite female role model any puberty questions or anything about any teenage dilemmas (for me its my mum and her best friends). 

9. boys are completely oblivious to anything before they are 15. 

 

10. the Bible is totally relatable. while we may think only adults can understand it, the Bible has stuff for teenagers too.

blessed

i am blessed.

His gracious love

music

family

friends

chocolate

hope

money

food

this blog

the Bible

my bed

my house

my life.

and so so much more

tuesday inspiration

xx 

miss h

true love (It's Just Raquel)

True love is not blind.  It can see most clearly, for to truly love is to see and know and be aware of a person’s flaws - however great or small - and still choose to love them.

True love is indescribable.    

But if I could try painting pictures of it, it'd be something like this...
True love is not only loyal, it's respectful.

True love is thinking of more ways to love them and not even minding if the love is reciprocated or not. 

True love is compromising on things that you never thought you would.

True love is being happy when they are happy simply because their smile brings you more joy than being happy yourself.

True love is a sense of peace that you get at just the thought of them.

True love is asking yourself 'Do I really love this person?' in the middle of a fight with them...and saying 'Yes' every time.

True love is not about making the person a better human being, but challenging them to be a better version of themselves.

True love is being the utmost vulnerable because you know you will still be accepted unconditionally.

True love is when he is all sweaty and smelly from working hard but you love to hug and kiss him anyway.

True love is when she broke out really bad, is on her period, and acting very grumpy, but you think she's still the most gorgeous human being ever.  And you drive to the store at midnight just to get her some chocolate and flowers.

True love is sticking by that person's side even when it gets hard - and it always will.

True love is walking beside them during difficult times in their life.  And being willing to carry them during the most painful times in their life.

True love is not being ashamed to talk about your newfound person all the time, to anyone who will listen.

True love is remembering the details - rather big or small.  It's about remembering the location of the first date, what she was wearing, how his hair was styled, what she ate, what he drank, the first time you called him 'babe', the first time you kissed her.

True love can seem invisible some days.  Especially those days when you're at odds with your significant other.  They continue doing things that annoy you to no end.  They don't seem to change.  They don't seem to care.  But true love is trusting...and knowing that what they've told you is true.  They love you too.

True love isn't about being monumental.  Words don't mean much when it comes to love.  But love can be summed up pretty well in just being content in the pure assurance of knowing that they are yours.

by: It's Just Raquel

---

however much you feel that you haven't found your 'true love', please remember just how much God loves you, and that one day He will lead you to the perfect guy. 

just keep being ready for God xx

much love,

miss h 

relationships

we've all seen it. 

all the social media posts of cute couples. instagram has accounts devoted to making young girls desperate for love jealous. and for changing the healthy view on relationships.

lately i've been struggling with the title 'single'. i felt that i need a guy to be happy or feel content. 

and how can i call myself a Christian when that is my attitude on dating? God is my only need, he is what fulfils my emptiness. a guy can't, and neither can chocolate (sorry all chocolate lovers, you may shame me in the comments). 

it took me a long time to be content with what i had and accept God's awesome plan for my life. i learnt that God has an amazing guy planned for me (and you!!) in the future and we only need to be patient. God will show me when it is the right time to date, and he will bring us to the right guy. we need only be still and pray. 

much love,

miss h

worrying...

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Matthew 6:34

we are all guilty of worrying too much. i personally worry about everything. just recently, i said to my mum "when i am not stressing or worrying about anything, i feel that i am not doing anything". that is most definitely not a healthy thing. i drive myself crazy because i worry. 

i am a crazy, no sense type of person. how am I meant to get anything done while worrying? that's the point... i don't. i think that while i worry it makes me get along with life, but instead i get too stressed and to upset about life. when i sit back and calm down, that's when my life starts getting productive. 

life isn't meant to be spent worrying, it's meant to be spent living and loving God. i just need to step back and let God deal with it. i am merely a human being, i cannot solve the problems i got myself into, and worrying won't solve them either. only God can fix my mess. 

maybe you worry too? instead of stressing yourself out, take a step back and pray. God has everything under control, just relax. grab a book and some lemonade, lets enjoy life. 

much love,

miss H

tuesday inspiration

when doubt pulls you down

we all have those tough moments when doubt overwhelms you and you begin to fear. for me, it happens just before a race/competition or a test. i get so nervous, then i doubt my abilities, and then i fear failure. we have all been in that doubt filling situation.

so lets be plain about it, 

it sucks.

but it is completely unnecessary.

why? cause God is good. he listens to all we have to say and is with us every step of the way. there is no need to doubt ourselves when God is within us. He will help your nerves settle before the race and he will bless you with wisdom for your tests, just come to him. he is so good, and nothing is impossible with God.

much love,

Miss H

the inconsistency of this blog

as many of you know, i am a very inconsistent person, and this blog has seen many changes.

but one thing that has never changed is the feeling that i want this to be a place where you feel you. where you can feel encouraged and loved by Jesus Christ.

and i honestly hope that is how you perceive my randomness and inconsistency.

so in a few more months or so, they may be some small changes in this blog to make this place feel more free :) i will be coming to God on this topic, and i hope you can echo my prayers.

please feel free to comment below on how you think this blog can resemble God more xx

let this be a place where God's love shines.

lots of love,
Miss H

Beauty is...

Most of us have probably heard of the "Dear Fat People" video going around YouTube. I personally have not seen this video, and as I person who sometimes struggles with my body, I do not want to watch this video. 

But I have an idea of what is in that video. And today I wanted to speak the truth because we all deserve to hear it. So here goes: 

Beauty is:

1. being tall or short

2. skinny thighs, muscly thighs, thick thighs 

3. pimples

4. no make up

5. skin conditions

6. different color skins 

7. short hair or long hair

8. different styles

9. a make up less face, messy hair and track pants

10. you

beauty is you. 

you are more than what other say. you are more than your insecurities. you are more than negative thoughts. you are beautiful. there is no better example of beauty than you. you are worth more than you can ever think or feel. 

you

are

beautiful

44 Things I Wish I Had Been Told As a Teenager (It's Just Raquel)

1.  Ask yourself 'Will I still like this in 10 years?' before you lay hard-earned money down to buy something.

2.  Practice with the eyeliner, and use it minimally until you get it right.

3.  Listen to that gut reaction.

4.  God gave you a conscience for a reason.

5.  Call your grandparents - just because.

6.  Don't be passive aggressive on social media.  It's immature.

7.  Don't ever tell your parents that you hate them.

8.  You can wear a regular bra with a cross-backed shirt, but never wear a cross-backed bra with a shirt that doesn't cover it.

9.  Some people will just plain never like you.  Don't let it ruin your life.

10.  Kill people with kindness.  (The whole 'heaping coals of fire on their head' thing really does work.)

11.  Don't yell when you're angry.  You hurt more people than you will realize.

12.  You were beautiful before that guy told you.

13.  Don't let others define you or make you think they know who you are better than you know yourself.

14.  Invest money in a good car, not a fancy one.  All you need is for it to get you places.

15.  Don't let one mistake define you.  But learn from your mistakes and move on.

16.  Learn to cook.  And eat home-cooked meals.  They are literally the best.

17.  Your brother can see a crappy boy before you can.

18.  'Fun' doesn't have to include alcohol or smoking or drugs.

19.  Friday nights are 99% more fun if you stay home, have friends over to watch a movie and eat ice cream.

20.  It's only a bad day.  Not a bad life.

21.  Tell your parents 'thank you'.

22.  Learn to apologize...and to forgive.

23.  Learn to be humble.

24.  Sex does not make you mature or an adult.

25.  Treat others the way you want to be treated, including while you're driving on the freeway.

26.  Keep a journal.  Write in it as often as possible, but don't beat yourself up when you don't keep up with it.

27.  Listen to a song before watching the music video.

28.  Read a book before watching the movie its based on.

29.  Stop pretending to be someone to impress people and make them like you.

30.  You'll regret spending over $20 on a piece of clothing.

31.  I know sugar and chocolate make you break out really bad, but just eat the dang candy bar.

32.  Pray for your future husband.

33.  Ask your grandparents to tell you stories every chance you get.

34.  Learn languages.

35.  If you have a presence on social media, expect to get haters.  It's just how it works.

36.  Write thank you notes for everything.

37.  If you want to be treated like an adult, act like one.

38.  Travel.  As often as you possibly can.

39.  Get a job that you will enjoy doing.  Don't accept one that you'll be complaining about all the time.

40.  You can't fix people.  You can only love them through their difficult-ness.

41.  You can't make people understand what you're saying.  You can only hope they listen, not just hear you.

42.  There will be people in your life who change drastically - for the better and for the worse.  Learn about them.  And don't ever forget to love them through their stupidity.

43.  Ask God to show you the plans He has for your life, but don't expect Him to drop a How To manual from the sky.  Go out and search for opportunities.  Go until He shuts the door.  Run until He holds you back.  Always be in tune to His voice.

44.  Life really is beautiful.  It really is.  Sometimes you need to look for the beauty, but I guarantee it is always, always, always there.

blog post found here

when faith meets fear

i have many fears.

let me restate that; i have many outrageous fears.

i have a fear of ants. a fear of a car accidents. a fear of risk. a fear of small spaces. so many fears. too many to count.

why do i have these fears? because i overthink absolutely EVERYTHING. my mother drives out the driveway and i don't hear from her for two hours, and a list of every single thing that could possibly have gone wrong goes running through my head. i turn on an electric blanket and bad thoughts go running through my head. i am the definition of safe.

but what is life if its all just safe? 

i went on school camp a couple of weeks back, and i strongly dislike sharks. coincidentally, this camp was situated by a beach. and that meant surfing. it took overcoming a fear to step into that water with a surfboard. and you know what? i actually did pretty well. i have continuously been challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone and tackle a fear. whenever i feel afraid, i send a prayer up to God asking him to protect me and my loved ones, and he is so amazing and so loving and he promises to never let harm in reach of me and my family and loved ones. sure, i may get a few grazes here and there from falling of a ripstik, but who cares? at least that graze isn't a broken bone or a concussion. 

God has been so good to me. sure, i may have heaps of fears and do risk assessments for absolutely everything, but why should i? i have no reason to because God has continuously protected me and kept me safe. it takes a leap of faith to do something that scares you, but the realization that comes afterwards when you know that God has kept you safe is breathtaking. He loves us so much and it just amazes me on how much he can love one person. our God is purely amazing. 

sure, i might have fears. but i also have faith. and my faith in God overthrows all fears. and yours can too. 

love,

miss h

the time is upon us....

it is now the time for wearing odd woolly socks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!

wanna know why this is this time?

because it is winter!!!!! and odd woolly socks is the jam in winter. its what all the cool kids wear (obviously).

woolly socks are the bomb diggity.
the smile to my face
the beat to my heart
the plot in a good book
the l in lol (its so nice you say it twice)
the brush to my hair
and the socks to my feet (hahahaha get it??)

woolly socks are happiness in winter.

and that is all i have to say.

now you are wondering why you even decided to read this post.

hahaha got ya.

just kidding. have an awesome day!! :D

God Bless,
Miss H

and a special shoutout to Rose who was totally awesome and fixed some coding on this blog. You are awesome Rose!!

some things i have learned from having a cold

1. you always catch it from a family member
my sister had gotten sick on Monday, and i was doing everything i could to not catch what she had.

but then.... disaster struck!! she got a coke spider, and she asked me to eat the ice cream off. i asked her if she had eaten from the spoon, and she was like "nah". so me being me, i happily started eating the ice cream. and then that was when she told me she had forgotten she had actually eaten from the spoon.

and then what happens you ask? well, i caught what she had. 

2. you may think staying home from school is a good thing, but then when you go back to school, you realize you were horridly wrong. 
most of us do not like school. and i was kind of glad to not go. we hadn't really been doing a lot of work, i didn't think i would miss out on much. and then my friends sent the work i had missed out on home with my sister, and i had three sheets of math questions, 2 sheets for english, 2 sheets for history and two sheets for humanities. why??

3. your appetite is gone. even when someone offers you chocolate. 
we had youth group last night, and the theme was chocolate night. i felt okay to go, so i went. and after eating 5 little bars of chocolate, i was done. even when they bought out the chocolate fountain. 

4. when you are sick and everyone else is fine, they all eat ice cream and M&Ms...

*cries* any other time i would have danced and partied and eaten and eaten but i just am not interested and it hurts *cries*

5. waking up is the worst
when you are sick you are colder and tireder than normal which makes it extremely hard to get out of bed (but in saying that, its always hard to get out of bed) *winks*

now, i believe that what i have is just a cold.  but it is a really annoying cold and it just sucked all the energy out of me and turned my nose into a water fountain. this is why sometimes i don't like winter.

that is all for now. i need to go blow my nose. *waves*

Who am I? Really?

I started up this blog when I was around 10, and since then it has numerous name changes and about a 100 different blog designs. It has seen the growth of a little girl turned into a young teen. And through having this blog, I realized that I am many things, and other things I am not.

I am simply an ordinary teenage girl. I am somewhat addicted to my phone. I enjoy different types of music. I love instagram. I like inspirational quotes and different types of food. I enjoy sleeping and I think about many things all the time. I think about my future, I worry about my future, I want to grow up but I want to stay young. I am just a girl, searching myself to find who I really am.

My style of clothing is ALWAYS changing. I like shorts and t-shirts with cool quotes. But I like jeans and cowboy boots and converse shoes and thongs and sneakers, I am not a big fan of long dresses and high heels, and I don't really like long sleeved shirts. I am always trying different things, to find what my true style is, but in writing this post, I think "my style" is a combination of so many different styles. It's hipster/cowgirl/chic/traditional/girly/tomboyish. I like so many different things and me being me is combining it all.

I really don't know where this post is going, but I think it's about knowing who you really are. You don't need to take a quiz to know your personality, because everyone is different. You don't need to take a quiz to find your "clothing style" because not everyone likes the same thing. Just wear what catches your eye. Finding yourself isn't about looking at people to see yourself. I think it is about doing you. Everyone is different but that is what makes life interesting! Wear what catches your eye and makes you think "Wow. That looks awesome!!". Please don't strive to look like the popular girl, but strive to look like yourself. 

I'm not trying to tell you to break all the rules, but in a way I kind of am... Go ahead and break the fashion rules. Wear yellow with red, if it looks good on you then go with it! But remember modest is best. If your parents don't want you to wear a bikini in public, please respect that. I am encouraging you to break silly rules like "wearing sandals with that is so not cool" not to break your parent's/guardian's rules. Please don't take away from this post that you can flash your tummy in a crop top just because you can and who cares. But respect yourself. Respect your morals.

We all go through a time when we strive to find ourselves in  this hectic planet full of people. But remember to do you, just be yourself. If you don't know what you want to do with the rest of your life or you are at a cross roads in your life, just pray. God sees the future, he knows what is best. You may feel like you are going through a really tough time, but God knows how you feel, just vent and let it all out to Him, He loves you and cares for you. And please remember you are beautiful and unique, and you really really matter. 

God is the identity maker. 

God Bless,

Miss H

PS. All images from Google Images