This picture is from a torch walk I went on last year at our youth group retreat. It was an awesome thing to go hiking in the woods with these burning torches being the only light to our path. It totally reminded me of this verse;

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Ps. 119:105

Seventeen

So, tonight is the last night I get to be sixteen years old, because tomorrow is my birthday! We don't have any big plans, but I am looking forward to it.

God has blessed me in so many different ways in the last sixteen years I have been alive. I am so thankful for His loving hand in my life. Without Him I would certainly be a mess! He has been so patient with me. I have been so unfaithful at times, but every time I come back to Him, He embraces me with His amazing love and mercy. I am so thankful for my Savior!!! He is my refuge, my stronghold, my friend, my love, my joy, my everything!! Without Him I am nothing.

God is so good. I want the rest of my days to be spent in living in joy for Jesus my Savior!!

A Mirror for His Glory

"It is only when the waters are perfectly still that they can reflect the glories of the heavens. It is the same with us. Only when our minds and hearts are restfully focused on our Prince can we become reflections of His strong, steady, and unshakable peace."
-Leslie Ludy

This fall I had the opportunity to go flying in our friend's small plane. I had never been in a plane before so this was quite the experience for me. I was completely awed by the things I saw from the airplane! Everything was tiny and adorable! But I must say that my very favorite thing to see in the little landscape beneath me were the tiny silver lakes and ponds. The were like looking at little mirrors sweetly placed in different places around the land. When you flew over-top them you could look down and see them reflecting the clouds in the sky. It was beautiful! But, when the wind would blow and the lakes would become all stirred up you couldn't see the clouds anymore. And it seemed to lose it's charm.

I want my life to mirror that of my King's. I don't want to become so self-focused on the temporary storms so that I stop reflecting His glory and power.
And just like a lake catches the light and sparkles, I want my life to catch God's light and I want to sparkle for Him. But it is a hard thing to do. There are distractions of every kind. And the Enemy of our souls is always there to bring doubts and fears, rebellion and unforgivness, or just about anything else to distract us from God's goodness. We have to keep the eyes of our hearts purposefully fixed upon our Lord. And when things do get hard we have this blessed assurance:

"For because He Himself has suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted." -Hebrews 2:18

God is ready for us to come to Him when things are getting rough. He longs to comfort you with His love. What an amazing God we have!!

So, my question for you: What are you reflecting? Are you a mirror for God's glory? Or do you worry and fret over your troubles so that you can't sparkle for Him?
It is a question I have to keep asking myself.

The Sweet Charm of Anne and Gilbert

Totally one of my favorite stories of all time! And I like the movie equally as well!

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light so shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

Heart Check-Up Time

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your HEART."
-Psalm 37:4

"Keep your HEART with all viligance, for from it flow the springs of life."
-Proverbs 4:23

"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your HEART."
-Jeremiah 29:13

"Having the eyes of your HEART enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you."
-Ephesians 1:18

"And I will give them one HEART, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the HEART of stone, their flesh, and give them a HEART of flesh."
-Ezekial 11:19

Thankfulness

There is so much we have to be thankful for, and not only on Thanksgiving day! We should make it a point to thank our Heavenly Father for all of His blessings, continuously. God seriously has blessed me so much!
Here are just a few of the things I want to thank God for:
-Redemption through Jesus Christ
-His love
-My family
-The circumstances in my life (because through all of the really hard stuff, in my life, I have become closer to my Savior)
-My car
-My friends
-God's forgiveness
-The Bible (without the Word of God I truly would be lost!)
-My youth group
-My Pastors
-My church
-Prayer

God has been so good to us!! Take a minute to thank God for all of His blessings.

~Lady Florimel~

~The Dance~

I like to think of our life like a great dance. Our partner is Jesus, He directs our every movement, with grace and charm.

Sometimes our dancing is a little off beat. We feel like we're flopping around uncontrollably. We feel like we could never dance with grace and beauty again. But it's in the flopping around that we need to push through the momentary uneasiness and dance for Jesus. He should be the only One we dance with and for, even if it feels awkward or hard, keep dancing for Him!

"Dance like no one is watching"... because dancing for Him and with Him is really what counts.

"Let them praise His name with Dancing" Psalm 149:3

~Lady Florimel~

Life: With its ups and downs.

Life. It can be pretty crazy at times. But my sure foundation is in Jesus Christ. When things look confusing, the future looks dim and scary, we can be sure of this; that our Lord will never leave or forsake us. He will surely walk us through the dark times; with kindness will He lead us out of the tempest and into green pastures. God has a specific purpose for the hard times too. He uses them to draw us closer to Himself. And He uses the hard times to show His greatness. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

So, whatever the future may hold for me, I know that I can trust in my Lord. And my heart is peaceful.

~Lady Florimel~

Scripture for Today

"Therefore do not throw away you confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised." Hebrews 10:35-36

~Autumn~

Here we come into Autumn again. Leaves are starting to change to pretty colors, the air is starting to feel more chilly, and pumpkins and gourds are replacing the flowers on peoples front porches. It's that time of year when you pull out the sweaters and scarfs. When you make fires in the fireplace, and drink hot apple cider. I love this time of year!
What are your thoughts on Fall?? Drop me a note on what you think! :)

~Lady Florimel~

some pictures

Yeah, this is a random little selection of pictures, but I wanted to share them anyway! :)

~Lady Florimel~

I'm Alive!

Hello my dear neglected friends!! I'm so sorry it has seemed as if I have dropped off the face of the earth. But i haven't! I'm here, just crazily busy! Yes, life these days has been full. This fall both my older siblings are heading off to collage (along with most of my friends). So, we have pretty busy getting them ready. And I really can't believe they are both doing this! I mean time flies! Yep, way to quickly! It scares me that my brother will be 19 in two days! (Especially since I haven't found him a decent gift yet! lol! Any quick suggestions? haha!)

This fall is going to look different for me too. I'm on my junior year in high school, so this fall I'm going to have a pretty full schedule. Also, I am on the great look out for a job. Yeps, I need to make some money. lol! And, hopefully, I will be getting my driver's license soon. I should have got it like six months ago, but well, it is really hard to get out there and drive when you don't go many places. :) Oh, another cool thing is that I'm possibly going to actually take cello lessons this fall!!!! HOORAY! I've been teaching myself so far, so it will be wonderful to have a teacher! :)

Well, my dear little friends, I have to be on my way now. ttyl!!
Love in Christ,
Lady Florimel

"Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2

~A New Month, And a New Thought~

Today is July 1st. A whole lovely summer month lies ahead of me. I wonder what I shall do in this month?? Will I live each day to the fullest, or will I waste them daydreaming the days away? Hmm, I don't know, but I have the choice to either live this next month for my own glory and enjoyment, or I can live this month fully committed to doing what God wants me to do. I want to do things that will bring a smile to God's face, but I think to often I get caught up in my own silly desires, and I ignore God's plan.
It doesn't have to be just in just the big obvious things to make a difference for Christ, it can also be in the simplest little things that make a big difference. Like cheerfully doing something for a family member, or smiling at a stranger. You never know when and where you could touch some one's life. I think that too often I get so self centered that I miss out on many opportunities to be a bright light. God really does want to be involved in the little details of our lives.
So, my challenge for you today: consider what God would want you to do, even in the little things today. And maybe try sharing a simple smile with someone to brighten their day!

~Lady Florimel~

~Lady Florimel~

The Rainbow~

Today I decided to do my Geometry outside because it was SO beautiful out! And as I sat ther feeling rather discouraged about not getting the concepts right, I sat back a secound and looked up into that gorgeous blue sky and to my great surprise there was a segment of a rainbow right there in front of me! It was so beautiful against that clear blue sky! I quickly called my mom and sister, and we all stood and marveled at it. It was a true testiment of God's love for us. And I felt it personally. These past couple weeks I've made some determinded choices to put Christ first in everything, and with those decisions has come the almost overwhelming temptations to become distracted, angry, irritated, discouraged, lonely feeling and just downright gloomy. So, seeing that beautiful portion of the rainbow reminded me of God's great love.
The rainbow is a testimony of God's steadfast love, because when Noah and his family got off the ark God placed the rainbow in the sky as promise, a promise that He would never break, a promise saying that He would never again wipe the human race off the earth. It was a promise of love.

"And 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: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh." Genesis 9:12-15

~Lady Florimel~

Beautiful Blossoms~

Here are some shots I got the other day. I just adore apple blossoms, I could totally just get lost in them! They are so beautiful! And they make me feel like I'm in a fairytale. Only our great Creator could make such beauty!

~Lady Florimel~

One Purpose~

I've been considering some things lately. What is the purpose in life beyond giving glory to Christ and sharing about Him? And in my pondering and reading of the scriptures I came to the obvious conclusion that there is no purpose in this life beside just that; living for Christ. I mean, other then Christ there is NO solid ground. He is the only safe ground on which to stand.
There is so much corruption in today's society. There are no morals anymore. People just live for the moment. (When I say 'people' I mean the unsaved people out there).
But as children of Christ we are called to walk a different path, a set-apart life. One that brings glory to Christ Jesus. "Walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory." 1 Thessalonians 2:12

So, with the society that is falling and that needs Christ desperately why do we shrink back, why don't we become more enthusiastic for Christ and share the Great Love? Well, it's scary. You never know how people will react, or what they will say...but wait, didn't we just say that we are to walk a different path for Christ?? Yes! And this different path doesn't mean shrinking from the scary things in life and moving on in our own walk with Christ. It isn't a easy road we are called to.
"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps." 1 Peter 2:21
As Christians we are NOT to take the rose colored glasses and wear them to hide from reality. We are to take up our crosses and follow Christ's example. And that may mean through suffering. But even in the suffering Christ will not forsake you, He will stand by you through the thick and thin. (Hebrews 13:5-6) And when you cry He also will cry. He will be your comforter.

My desire is to live a life of Set Apart for Christ's sake.
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give the glory!!" Psalm 115:1

~Lady Florimel~

Dreamer~

~when my heart feels lonely I pray for you. I know we haven't met yet, but know that I am taking everything to the cross, and praying for you as you too journey through this life. I can't wait till we meet, I imagine what it will be like, I know I'll blush... but until we meet I will be faithful to just you and wait...and dream, because I'm just a dreamer.~

Violets in their Glory~

One Desire, One Path~

"Ponder the path at your feet...and follow the one I have for you..." Somehow this weekend this phrase has kept playing back in my mind. I feel like God is calling me out of the ordinary life I've been living for all of my sixteen years. Through the message my pastor preached this weekend to the lesson we learned in Sunday school all have been pointing to changing. God really must be trying to get my attention! As I sat in church I had this chill continue to go up my spine, it wasn't a cold kind of chill, it was an amazed chill. Almost everything my pastor said went along with the things God was showing to me in my devotions. On Friday night I was laying in bed feeling kinda sad about different things. And as I lay there with my Mp3 player on playing the radio, God showed me that I am going to continue to live a different life if I choose to follow Him. He doesn't want me to be like the rest of the world. The question is am I willing to change EVERYTHING I've been doing?? Can I drop everything and follow without a complaint?? I've have been living one of the most selfish lives. Oh, how I want to change! I want to be shaped into something new, I want to be used by GOD!!! What higher calling is there in this life?? But, I need to let go of so much to allow God in. I'm asking that you please pray for me, that I would become a vessel for Christ. I don't know what He is going to do with me, I can't see over the present mountain, but He tells me it's not too big for Him and all I have to do is FOLLOW HIM! Please pray that I do this wholeheartedly!! I want to Catch the Heart of God!!! I want to see and feel what He feels! "Celebrate the One whose making all things new!! Holy is our God, wonderful is He, Holy is the Lord almighty!" -Starfield "Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105 ~Lady Florimel~ (Sorry for the detour, my story is coming!!) :)

Something New~

Alright peoples, I decided I'd entertain all of you with one of my stories. It is one that I am currently working on so it's not finished yet.:) I don't even have a title for it yet, and it probably isn't the best of quality but it is something new to share, and I'll post my chapters to keep you all in suspense!! So please, sit back and enjoy

~My Story~
Stella slowly made her way down the dusty road. With her sunbonnet pulled far over her face she could only see the town through a narrow slit, something she usually didn't mind but today it was hot, bright, and dusty making her feel like her face was in a sticky oven. Her bangs clung damply to her forehead and she knew her face was red. Even so, she stumbled along determined to go to the general store for her mother. Finally she was out of the blazing sun and in the store. With little thought Stella yanked her bonnet off and let it hang down her back, she was far too hot to care about her once neatly curled bangs and braided bun. Moving on she made her way through the aisles, gathering things on her list as she went.

"Why Stella, is that you?" A voice said behind her. She turned to find her quaint, tidy, little, friend Allison Harding starring up at her. "I hardly recognized you, you're so messy looking," Allison teased. "Oh, do I really look that bad?" Stella asked quickly feeling her loose bun. "Oh, don't worry honey, you just look rather hot and your hair is coming out a little bit. But whose to care?" Allison said with
an encouraging smile to her best friend. At that moment the bell on the door merrily sang out, and both girls turned to see a tall cowboy enter the store. His blue eyes looked their way, he nodded, then with long strides he went to the front counter and began to talk to Mr. Harrison the store owner.
"wow! I've never seen him before! I wonder if he came on the noon train?" Allison whispered, then she glanced at her friend who was standing with her mouth wide open, and she continued to stare at the back of the tall stranger. Allison quickly elbowed her friend and both girls turned to look at merchandise with as much composer as the could muster.
Then it struck Stella, "Oh, Ally! Of all days for me to look so bad! There's finally a new young man in the town and I have to look like something dragged out of the rag bag!" She said this in a hurried whisper while the temperature heightened in her already red face. "I was thinking the same thoughts dearie." Allison whispered back as she closely examined a can of beans. "Well, anyway, you must find all you can about him, since you're the one who looks decent, for if you don't Mr. Harrison will have his daughter hitched to the stranger before we know his name!" Stella said. Allison nodded in silence then slowly made her over toward the counter where the two men talked. She moved over to the candy bins (which were right next to the counter) and slowly began filling a bag with candy, all the while listening closely to the men's conversation.

"Sure, we'd love to have you join us for Sunday morning worship service," she heard Mr. Harrison say,"in fact you can even sit in my family's pew, I know my wife and daughter won't mind." Well, thank yo very much, Mr. Harrison, that's awful kind of you to be offering that to a stranger like me. And thank you, sir, for all of your help. See you Sunday then." "Goodbye Stewart." Mr. Harrison said as the young man turned to leave. Still standing over the candy bins, Allison watched the young man exit the store. The young man's hansom features had taken her breath away, and his deep rich voice was truly thrilling. The town of Rochester had young men, but the few that were there were nothing that extraordinary; most were awkward farmers with no manners, and the other half were stuck-up town boys.

"Can I help you with anything, Miss Harding?" Mr. Harrison asked Allison who had a funny smile on her face. "Oh, umm...I'll just be buying these things." She said regaining her self. She chatted with Mr. Harrison as she bought her items, and the whole time she totally forgot about poor Stella who was stumbling around getting the things she needed. Hearing something drop brought Allison to remember her friend, she turned from whence the sound came and she saw Stella scramble to pick up some boxes. Allison finished her purchases, but couldn't resist to ask Mr. Harrison from where the new young man was from. "He said he was from a town up North of here," Mr. Harrison said. "Do you think he'll stay long?" asked Stella who'd come up from behind. "I believe so, he said he's staying in the hotel right now until he finds a place he fancies."
Both girls left the store chatting widely about the newcomer, Jeremy Stewart....


To be continued in later posts.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter in my book! Please feel free to leave a comment on any suggestions you may have. :)
~Lady Florimel~

COPYRIGHT 2011
by Alena A.

Hello, I'm Random what's your name?? =)

When I have something interesting to write I will come back and tell you about it because it is just one of those days when inspiration seems to wash away with the light rain that is falling. I mean, I get on here and just flip back and forth from dashboard to my blog, it gets kinda boring, so I will come back when something original hits me. I wonder does it hurt to be hit with an original thought??? (Sorry for the extreme random question).
TTYL!!

~Lady Florimel~

Some Little Things~

~Beautiful Things~

"You've stolen my heart, yes You have! You've wiped away the stains,and broke away the chains, yes You have!!" -Leeland 'Yes you Have'

"All this pain, I wonder if I'll ever find my way, I wonder if my life could ever change at all...You make beautiful things, You make beautiful out of dust. You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of us." -Gungor 'Beautiful Things'

True beauty is a girl turning her life over for Christ's great work. Hmmm, looking at my own life that does sound very hard and complicated. But why. Why is it so hard to let Christ's outstanding love sweep over my very existence??? The answer is the Enemy does NOT want us to experience Jesus' greatness. But I challenge you to stop the Evil One. Cling to Jesus with all your might. I say this to encourage you but really I'm saying it to myself too. I've been struggling lately. Instead of looking to Jesus for fulfilment and attention, I instead look to the people around me. I have no idea why, but I have this strange and growing desire to have attention from males. I know I shouldn't be wanting this so badly, but I do. I know the only thing that can fulfil this desire is Jesus, but I, being stupid to what really is of importance, keep on daydreaming of a knight who will sweep me off my feet. What he looks like, I really can't tell you for I don't know, I just know I want him. But this is not the time for a boyfriend. I do have assurance of that, now is the time to cultivate my mind. It is time to prepare for the bigger plan God has for my life. I know that is what these teenage days are for; preparation. God really has big plan for my little life, I just HAVE to wait and see.
And go aggressively after Jesus. The ultimate question is this: will I allow Jesus to strip me of everything that is not of Him??

Some Pictures!

Today I decided my blog needed some brightening up. So here are some pictures that I've taken. I find great delight in photography and enjoy finding the simple things and snaping a shot of them. Hope you enjoy this little post of pictures, and have a happy Saturday!!

~Lady Florimel~

~Love and Forgiveness~

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so does He remove our transgressions from us."
Psalm 103:11-12

This verse tends to leave me awestruck. God's saving grace is beyond my small mind to comprehend. Why would He care so much for sinners like us? He created us for His glory, and then we turn from Him in our sin. But even as we are sinning He is ready to forgive us. This is not something to take advantage of to sin, but rather something to be humbled at.
I think something we don't realize is that His presence is here. Every moment, everywhere. Sometimes it feels like God is far away, but He isn't. He is right there with you every step of the way. When you are feeling lonely, sad, angry, or even in our joy He is there. He is closer then our very souls. So we need not shout across the wide expanse we sometimes feel, because He is right at our side. He is at our side even when we feel like we are the worst sinner on earth. He is there, ready to remove the stains of sin from your heart. All you need to do is come to Jesus. He is ready to forgive and love on you.

~Lady Florimel~

~Glorious Friday~

Oh, what a beautiful day it is! I can't tell you how glad I am that it is FRIDAY! Earlier this morning I went outside with my dog, to take some pictures (it looked SO warm from inside). Well, I got out to the corner of the deck and a chilly breeze hit me, it wasn't half as warm as I expected it to be!! Anyway I got a few snapshots, and even posed with my dear little doggie! :) I would put the pics on here but they won't load. :(
I hope all of you have a lovely Friday!! Blessings to all of you!

~Lady Florimel~

The Blah Post

well, here I sit with my hoodie over my head and a warm blanket around me. It is a rainy February night and that fact is making me more sad then I previously was. I just feel so lonely and forlorn tonight.

Yesterday was a good ol' happy day all the way to the end. I enjoyed going to my youth pastor and his wife's house last night for the girls bible study. His wife teaches it. All us girls sat around the table chatting merrily and sipping tea. It was lovely. I almost didn't make it though, it's kinda funny how I almost forgot about it;

Well, since it was just me and my two sisters home all day together we decide to have our own Valentine's Day tea party and watch a movie. So my two sisters happily went out to get some cookies and a movie while I stayed home to clean the house up a bit. It wasn't too long before they were back, a bit disappointed. It so happened that the grocery store was out of the valentine cookies we wanted, so they brought St. Patrick day cookies instead. And also the movie we wanted to see wasn't out yet. So we never had an official valentine's day tea, instead it was more like a gloomy St. Patrick's tea. Well, I finished my last sip of tea, set my cup down then casually glanced at the clock. It was ten past five. At that very instant I remembered my study was at five o' clock. With a screech that startled my older sister I ran upstairs to grab my bible and race out the door. My older sister kindly drove me over there and I raced into their house just in time to sit down before the prayer over the meal (they share a meal with us each week). It was kinda funny to rush in with everyone sitting around the table waiting for me. That is my second time of very much feeling like Maria from the 'Sound of Music'.
After a lovely study in the book of 1 John, I came home to have my family finally do the little treasure hunt I had planned all day. It was jolly fun! I had made little rhymes up, on a heart cut out, and each person had to figure out what the object I was talking about. Then when they finally got it they had to go look around or in the object to find the next heart. In this next heart they had to unscramble the letters of another object. Then they had to find that and they would also find their prize somewhere hidden on it. They all thoroughly enjoyed it!
So, yeah, that was what my valentine's day was like.

~Lady Florimel~

~Fill Me~

"Holy Fire, burn away, my desire for anything that is not of you; that is of me. I want more of you and less of me.
So empty me, empty me. And fill me, won't you fill me, with you, with you."

This was a song that was sung at a youth retreat I went on this weekend. It is a powerful song; a prayer. What would it look like if each of us earnestly prayed this?
That is my challenge for you today. Examine your heart. Are you allowing Christ to have a hold on your heart? Or are you letting the things of this world to have a better grip on who you are?
This is also what I am asking myself.

Let Jesus become your all. Let Him reign over your heart.

~Lady Florimel~

Hello!

Dear Friends,
I am so glad to be back on my dear little blog again! I am terribly sorry for the long time since the last time I was on here! I am sure you all thought I was quite dead! Well, I am not, I'm very much alive in fact. :) My days have been busy with all sorts of goodies. Ranging everywhere from school to youth group activities.

Life for me has been very interesting. God is teaching me so many new things. In this new year He has taught me some very hard lessons, I believe He is planning something great for me, but I, in my sinful nature, pull away and don't want His great leading. This does not get me very far though. But He has been there every minute of those rebellious times, He has all along been gently calling to me just follow Him but I have plugged my ears and ignored Him. Again I will repeat this has not taken me very far. When we surrender all at the cross of Jesus there is such peace. I have learned this the hard way in the past year. For some reason I thought I could find peace on my own. I could not. Searching by myself only took me further from what I was actually looking for. Jesus has been so good in forgiving my selfish desires. He has picked me out of the dirty dungeon I was sitting in and made me into His princess. He has loved me like no one ever can. He has given me the peace surpassing all understanding.
What a wonderful Savoir!

~Lady Florimel~