What I've been listening to

Music is such a fantastic way to deal with stuff, am I right? When I'm feeling confused or lonely or worried about anything, praise and worship music is the best way ever to cheer up and remember that God's got this! :)

Here are some of my recent favourites.

Ask Me Anything // Volume III

I've done Q + A posts before (read my answers to the questions here and here) but I thought since it's been almost a year since I have done one and I've gained a few readers, it would be fun to do another Ask Me Anything opportunity. Who's excited? I am!

Here's how it's going to work. You now have the opportunity to ask me any question(s). All questions asked are anonymous. I won't know who asked them (unless you put your name on it, of course). You can ask me anything you like and as many questions as you like. The more you ask, the more I'll answer.

Extending Grace - especially in our conversations

Today I want to talk about the wisdom of extending grace to others. I'll be honest - what I'm going to talk about isn't entirely my own thoughts! I was blessed to be able to attend a talk on this at a conference recently. What was said really impacted me so I want to share it with you, too. :)

Guest Post by Megan // the most important lesson I have learned in my teenage years

Today I'm RIDICULOUSLY excited to share this post with you. I came across the lovely Megan through blogging and we recently decided to do a post swap. So I'm blogging over at her fantastic blog (Pen and Ink) and she's taking over here today. Megan is amazing and I'm so excited that you get to read her awesome thoughts!! :) Here we go.

'By the Book' tag

Emily from A Purpose and a Promise tagged me in the By the Book tag. Thanks, Emily! This looks fun.

A + A // "Have a lice day!"

Awkward:
- Telling the customers to "have a nice day!" after they've paid for their food. Then thinking that's getting a bit boring so changing it up a bit and telling them to "have a lovely day" instead. Then getting the two mixed up so what comes out is an embarrassing mixture of the two. Dear customers, all we want is for you to have a lice day.

You know you're from a big family when....

You're never lonely... or alone.
There's always someone to play with, practice card tricks on, tickle, tease, read stories to and go crazy with. However, get used to the fact that you're not alone very often!

You're really good at sharing.
And knowing exactly how many pieces to cut things into. Twelve people = four oranges and everyone gets a third each. Twelve people = five croissants so everyone gets half each apart from the two people who aren't home today... what they don't know can't hurt them. :P

My Day - in selfies!

Who loves all the tags that ask questions about you? Me, although I can sometimes get tired of them. So I've decided to begin a new tag - although this one will be slightly different. I've decided to start a tag where.... wait, it will be easier if you just read the rules.

Bonnie's Opinion // Feminine Modesty

Aaah, feminine modesty. What a delicate and much dramatised subject. I thought today I'd offer my thoughts on it and maybe (hopefully) get you thinking about your opinion on the subject.

So, without further ado, my opinion on feminine modesty.

dear teenage girl of today

When I saw you laugh at the vulgar, crass and crude, I was saddened.

When I saw you walking down the road flirtatiously eyeing every male that passed you, I was saddened.

When I saw you wearing things that would have been seen as scandalous when our parents and grandparents were growing up, I was saddened.

When I watched how you acted towards your parents, grandparents and towards your siblings, I was saddened.

When I saw the lack of respect and absence of such beautiful virtures as humility, generosity, patience, love and kindness, I was saddened.

When I saw the way you treated boyfriends as trophies, and things to play with and show off, and not real people with hearts, desires, fears and feelings of their own, I was saddened.

When I saw the extremely rude way you treated my co worker the other day at work when she was tired and had had a long day, I was saddened.

When I saw you whispering and giggling together and pointing at that old lady walking past who was having a bad hair day, I was saddened.

When I watched you shove past each other and the small children in order to be first on the bus so you could get a good seat, I was saddened.

You see, dear girl, your behaviour reflects on the rest of us.

I don't think I'm being prudish and stupid and not-with-the-times when I say that your actions are often obscene, ridiculous and disrespectful. I'm saddened when I see how you act, how you dress, how you speak.

I, too, am a female of today. And when I see you acting in this way I can't help but be saddened because I know that this is how society views teenage girls. Silly, giggly creatures who are only interested in boys and makeup. But what happened to make society view teenage girls this way? I have a feeling that as you began to act this way, society began to view you this way.

What happened to sensibility? What happened to respect for the elderly and authorities? What happened to being kind and sweet and gracious?

Why do you have to sacrifice kindness for stupidity?

I praise the Lord that not all teenage girls are like you. I know many wonderful teenage girls who refuse to participate in the gossip and sass and rudeness to others. Yet there are many of you and I fear your behaviour is starting to invade the girls younger and younger.

When I see you trading decency for indecency, kindness for rudeness, being nice for being obscene and respect for disrespect, it not only saddens me, but it breaks my heart.

Society was never meant to be this way. God made us to be a loving daughter, then to be a loving wife, then to be a loving mother, then a loving grandmother and so on. Not to intersperse loving daughter and loving wife with 'ridiculous, insensible, tasteless, coarse and unhelpful rebel-of-a-teenage girl'.

Please don't think I think I'm better than you when I say that your actions are ridiculous. I am simply concerned for our society and think that something must have gone terribly wrong for your character and your actions to be so accepted!

It shouldn't be like this.

Sincerely,
a teenage girl of today who thinks sensibility shouldn't be a thing of the past


PS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my lovely, sweet, kind, gentle, hilarious sister Sophie who is turning a sweet 16 today! (This post wasn't directed at you, Soph. You know that, right? You do? Phew.) Hope  your birthday is fabulous. Many blessings on this next year of your life.