Just being real.

A blank page is so overwhelming when you have so many thoughts to put down. So you can disregard the first few sentences of this post as they are to simply fill up the space a bit so that I can actually put some real thoughts down.
Not that any of it will make sense. I will never make that claim.
Life is busy. I remember mentioning that in my last post. But having a busy life shouldn't mean pushing out the important things to make room for less important ones. Going places, participating in activities, volunteering, working, being a relational person, none of  those things are bad necessarily.
But the more time we spend in the world should mean that much more time we spend meditating and spending time with God.
And let me be honest; I'm writing this because I DON'T do it. I'm not saying this is something that I am so good at and you should be better. NO. I am seeing this as a gap in my life.  The more time I am spending in the world, the less it seems I have time to focus on my Savior.
How sad.
And if I do have spare time, what am I doing with it? Netflix? Cooking? Pinterest? Reading? Sleeping? Eating?
How often I wish for God to be closer, only to realize that I need to actively pursue Him. We frequently ask where God is, but we really need to ask ourselves where we are.
He has told us to seek. He promises to be found. He has made Himself available to a dirty, sinful, impure, lazy, wandering, lost, distracted, busy people. He has redeemed us.
We didn't deserve it. We still don't deserve it. We will never deserve it.
But the grace doesn't stop there.
He offers salvation and doesn't leave us hanging. Leaving us to figure things out on our own would be completely justifiable, but God doesn't do that. He sends us Help. He fills us with His own Spirit and offers us refuge in Him.
WHY WHY WHY?
I don't think I will ever ever understand. Ever.
And yet I still somehow think that Netflix, Facebook, Twitter etc will give my soul more relief than a Living God?
Why are we so easily entangled and pulled away from our Savior? Maybe it's because we aren't actively fighting to know Him better every second. I know I am lacking there.
And again, He has promised to be found.
Just in case you've forgotten, God has never broken a promise.
What makes it even crazier is that we can't even desire to pursue God deeper without His prompting us to.
We are utterly dependent on God. 
~Bugg

LIFE {ramblings and more}

Getting wrapped up with school slowly but surely is putting me in the mood for some time in the blogosphere...But I must say, this has the potential to be a very boring and rambly (is that a word? probably not.) post because I am just a wee bit exhausted. Anyhooo....Spring has put the bee in my bonnet to be outside and doing all sorts of DIY stuff. I kind of spaced out how close Mother's Day was and so had to scavenge around to make some kind of present for my momma.
 (Who, by the way, is an AMAZING mother, and I love her to the moon and back infinity amount of times.)
So, to cut to the chase, here what I made her and the recipe is below:

 ~Vanilla Cinnamon Coconut Sugar Scrub~
1 cup brown sugar (I used white because we didn't have brown, and it worked just fine)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vitamin E oil (I'm pretty sure we got this in the pharmacy section of Walmart or something...)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(optional) 1/2 teaspoon (or however much you want to add) cinnamon
You just mix all this in a bowl and then pour in a jar or whatever. You can modge-podge labels onto the jars like this one if you want to give as gifts or something. Also, I heard you can mix coffee grounds into it for a different aroma or pumpkin pie spice, different extract flavors, essential oils or whatever :) It actually works really well!

That was my first time doing something like that, and I will definitely be doing it again.
And my mom liked it so that's the clincher :)
I also got to spend almost all of Mother's Day shopping for flowers with my mom and we bought all the plants for our garden and flower bed....I am seriously so excited to plant our garden and I would be doing it right now instead of writing, but alas, it is drizzling outside....Call me a weirdo, but gardening and canning and that sort of thing is right up my alley. I'm no expert yet...I'm pretty much clueless as to what I'm doing, but my goal is get better and better, so practice makes perfect!
AND...to top it all off, tomorrow we get to cook Ethiopian Doro wat (like a spicy chicken stew) to bring to a friends house for some African fellowship which means I get to be in the kitchen for hours chopping onions, mincing garlic, and simmering tomatoes and berbere over a stove. yay yay yay yay!
Ethiopian food has become a big part of our lives since we brought home my brothers from Ethiopia almost 8 years ago. Really, the food is a main tie to the culture and over the years we have all grown to love the sour injera and spicy wats that make up this cuisine.(maybe pictures to come...)

Just some random pics of what's been going on lately...

My friends and I went on a photo-shoot at a park nearby and we had a ton of fun! :)

My AWESOME bro Isaac turned 13...yep. I feel old now since I remember when he was born. He's my buddy.

ROADTRIP! For spring break we headed out on our long anticipated trip to see some friends that moved away and then our cousins. We had a blast. Getting to spend time with family, fellowshipping over good food, shopping, just chilling and drinking tea, going to museums...ahhh...it was so relaxing!

 We ate at skyline chili for the first time...and wow.

TEA PARTY TIME!

At a petting zoo, my brothers never referred to this animal as a camel, but 'hump day.' :)

Okay...well...that's about all I can think of now! thanks for bearing with me...
~ Bugg

Ahhhh

Yea, I know. Blog post titles are pretty much not easy to think of.
Anyway, I just wanted to take a quick couple of minutes and spill out a few things. Just ramblings, so bear with me :)
I'm just going to be nice and up front about it.
The fear of man and the cares of this world are very ensnaring. I am so prone to being tossed about by so many dumb, foolish things that won't matter in 10 years, much less for the rest of eternity. Who cares if you are the trendiest dresser? Who cares if you always have something smart and intelligent to say? Who cares if you offend people for the sake of Christ? Isn't He worth it?
And yet the struggle is real. I will be again honest and tell you that I want people to like me. I want to be thought of as smart and fun, strong and personable. And guess what? It makes me prideful. I let what I want other to see in me get in the way of how Christ is shone through my life.
My life is not my own anymore anyway, right?
Having a close relationship with the God who created me and saved me from eternal punishment is more important than anything this world could offer me. Because it is a relationship, and relationships take work. Not just 10 sleepy minutes in the morning and a few thoughts during the day, but a passionate pursuing! Maybe instead of worrying if my outfit is cute, I should worry about the hidden beauties of the heart. Outside charm is nothing, absolutely nothing, if my attitude is selfish, vain and prideful rather than others centered, humble and gentle.Maybe instead of trying to be funny and always having something to say, I should work and strive for a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious before God.
And then stand thankful before His throne because He is not a God who shakes His fist at us every time one of His children has blown it. I'm His child. He's paid for all my shortcomings at the cross. He is a faithful, loving, trustworthy God. How amazing is that?!
~Bugg

So Very True

We've been enjoying the cold, subzero temps here at my house, because it means getting our noses nipped while spending hours outside iceskating, playing in the snow, and drinking hot chocolate and playing board games. In the midst of the freeeeeeeezing cold weather, I thought this verse was very fitting and made me remember that God is still in control of everything, down to the tiniest icicles.
     "He gives snow like wool, He scatter hoarfrost like ashes. He hurls down His crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before His cold?"
{Psalms 147:16+17}

 Keep enjoying your winter!
~Bugg

Wait

This is one of my favorite pictures. My parents and I were having a photoshoot on the dock and we got quite a few photos, some good, some, well...memorable, and by the time I told them to go hold hands on the very edge, we were all laughing, and making funny faces and having a good time. But, that's not the only reason that I like it.
It reminds me of what I'm waiting for.
It reminds me that purity and romance go hand in hand. That in perfect time, if it's in God's plan for my life, He'll bring someone. And until then, I already have true love that will never let me go.
Christ's love is all sufficient. He is who my heart should pursue all the days of my life, and I will be the first to admit that it can be such a fight. The world tells all single people to hurry up because life is ticking by and you don't know what might happen. It says that you need to try lots of different things, date as many people as you want and just have a good time because otherwise you don't really know what there is to offer.
Do we not trust that the Creator of Life knows exactly the right way? Do we not stop and look and perhaps see what He has to say?
Not many people do.
In 1st Timothy 4:12 you see the instructions for young people to be examples in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. In Matthew 6:33 you see how we are told to seek first the kingdom of God.
And in 2 Corinthians we are told what real love looks like. It's patient, kind, not envious, boastful, arrogant or rude. It's a love that serves, and is much harder than the fluffy teddy bear love so easy to grab. True love for others is a battle and struggle. Sounds a bit different than the offer the world gives, doesn't it?
The world offers love that feels good, makes you happy...for a moment. Then, as soon as it came, it fizzles away into painful regrets and fleeting memories.
 I don't know about anybody else, but as the daughter of the Most High King, I so desire to make the ambition and love of my heart revolve around the God who saved me from an eternity apart from his goodness.
~Bugg

Ready?

Well, after thinking for awhile, I decided to blog once again. I would apologize for the delay, but I do think it's quite past that point. I'd much rather spend my time writing new things than back-tracking and side-tracking; accounting for all the reasons I haven't blogged for almost the past year.
It seemed quite necessary to freshen up the place though! :)
I really am just going to jump back into this, and try to be regular about writing because it is simply so thrilling and enjoyable.
Fall is really wrapping up around here and I rather wish it wasn't, because I love this season so very much. I've been in the mood for apple cider and pumpkin cookies lately....maybe this weekend....and not to mention chai tea! It's one of my favorite things to drink while trucking away at school....What I really can't wait for though, is pie season. I absolutely LOVE making homemade pies. Seriously, it puts me in my happy place. Right up there with gardening and canning. And reading, and writing and cake decorating.....
God is so good to give us autumn as a picture of the wonderful creativity He has. It's like the universe is His canvas and he's not only drawing beautiful masterpieces, but filling them with colors so gorgeous I could yell and jump for joy! What a glorious Father we have. It makes me want to desire Him even more than I do now. I never ever ever ever in a thousand million years want to think that I could stop learning about God. Sometimes, my heart goes through periods of not longing as fiercely as I want it to, and reading the Bible and seeking Him out can be hard. But isn't it wonderful that He pursues us? Even when I'm being a disobedient, rebellious child He still loves, and He still seeks after my soul. How amazing.

We've been up to so much lately, from pumpkin patches with friends and couuuuuuuuuusins, school, costume parties, plays (my sister starred as Cosette in Les Mis....and totally ROCKED it!), bible studies, and much more....

 Oh boy. Gotta love those crazy pictures...we seriously didn't get a single 'perfect' one, something about the hands on the chin...but honestly, I think I enjoy the real life pictures better, they're much more meaningful. :)

 The Oggie is about an inch away from being taller than me, and he's all the sudden mr. strong guy. I like to take advantage of the piggy-back rides...I figure he owes me for all I years I gave them to him!

 Our halloween costumes this year...(left to right: clown, 50's girl, hippy, 50's girl, the cutest lion in the whole world and Flash)

 We've already had our first snow....I love it!

 More to come....hopefully sooner than later!
~Bugg

An excerpt

I thought I'd post these quiet time notes from my journal as a reminder to myself... :)
~...when it comes down to the moment, I want to be good, self-controlled, pure, a hard working home maker (in training), to show integrity, dignity and sound speech so that I cannot be condemned! So, then God's word can be glorified and nothing evil can be said against us! (1 Peter 3) I also want to be humble! Pride is my "worstest" :) enemy.
I want my conduct to radiate the gospel and to respectful and pure in body and heart. I don't want my worth to come from my hair and clothes or accessories or any other outward feature. I want to frequently pursue how I can decorate my inward character! I want a gentle and quiet spirit because I know God loves and is shown through these things, but He is the one who will have to help me because I can't do it on my own!~

~Bugg

Miscellaneous

Yeah, from the way I describe miscellaneous, the title will pretty much fit the post. :) I just thought I put down some random thoughts... But, if you've ever read this blog you'd know that randomness isn't too much out of the ordinary...
Life goes on...Pictures could probably describe better than words, otherwise ramblings may stretch far beyond anyone (including myself) would appreciate.

Jellyfish.
I told you it was going to be miscellaneous around here... :) No, but in all seriousness, I just have to let out a breath and stand in awe of our artistic Creator once again. These little blobs are gorgeous! Fragile as a sprout pushing it's way out of soft soil, yet you don't want to get too close because you know it's flowing tentacles aren't just ribbon like decorum on the sea creature and they will sting! And obviously I'm no ocean expert, but I have to out on a limb and say that these creatures aren't really on the top of the "Most important Water Creature" list. So, why do we really care whether jellyfish have been invented or not? Well, one verse that pops into my head is Psalm 46:10...
 “Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”God shows His glory through His creation. He is an artist, a designer.
He didn't just make jellyfish, an outstanding feat in itself, He created it. He knew that a little mushroom shaped organism fluttering through the ocean would show His glory.
Sometimes in my flurry to try and behold God's glory and to get closer to Him, I don't stop and be still. I don't look around to the earth He designed and marvel, knowing that the God who created all of this sent His only Son to save my soul for eternity. I need to do that more. He is God.
The biggest thing that stands in our way of knowing God more is satan. Keeping us from the salvation of Christ and knowing our Savior more isn't just a fun hobby for the devil, it's his passion. He desires that we would fall away and forget our God,  he wants to cloud our eyes and turn our heads away,make us think we can handle our lives on our own,  putting our strength above God Almighty's. I don't know about you, but thinking about an active enemy who is passionate about keeping us from Christ, makes something inside of me flicker and want to run to Christ and never ever ever let go. I want to fight the devil and his wily schemes. The thing is, I'm not always fighting. Sin is subtle. We have to be watchful, preparing ourselves for battle, the sword of the Spirit continually at our sides. If sin announced itself with a flashy neon sign that sign that said "Turn in here!!! Sin reeks havoc in your life and you know that's what you want! Pride, arrogance, disrespect, impurity, gossip, blaspheme and everything else God tells you to turn away from, it's all here!"
No. It's not like that. The devil whispers. very very very quietly. He twists what is right until it's wrong, and then hands it back to you. "It's not wrong...." he whispers, "You aren't as bad as that guy.......He deserves it.....nobody will ever know you thought that..." I could think of many more examples....And when we give into that, it's like throwing ourselves onto a bed of this...

Ouch.


So....all that being said, I want to be aware and FIGHT by the grace of God and the Holy Spirit. We can trust our God to hold us. He is eternal and holds us, past, present and future.
Jumping right to the next thing....

Mom and Dad! <3

Dash and Oggie

Erna and I :)

I'm so thankful for relationships. I have a wonderful (not perfect, but wonderful all the same) example of the relationship of a husband and wife in watching my parents. And I'm am proud to say that Christ is at the center of my mom and dad, and even though I've observed hurt feelings or misunderstood situations, when they run to Christ as their first love, forgiveness and a deeper love comes between them. I am so so so thankful for my parents, and I am realizing the value of their being in my life and in my life even more as I get older.
Oggie and Dash. Huge sigh. Not sure what emotion flows through my mind when I think of those two, but love for sure. If you have brothers, or if you even have more than one brother, you have probably observed that  there is competition. But, I have to say, I'm proud of them both and most of all thankful to Jesus for the growth in their relationship. Oggie, one of my 5 best friends, and brother in Christ has grown a lot and I am thankful that I have a brother so close to my age and that actually likes to hang with me. :) Dash is another one of my best friends although it can be hard sometimes, I love him more and more each day.  :)
Erna, (my lil' sis) and I are so different. so different. But God I think God is using our relationship as sister to grow us both, and Erna has pulled out the goofy, crazily creative side and oh, I just love having a sister!
God has given me 7 awesome relationships to grow in  in this stage of life, and He has shown me that I don't need any more to worry about right now. :)

 And...here is some random-ness for you :) We went to a museum with some friends and the triangle of mirrors fascinated me! haha :)

 I LOVE this picture. I don't know why, but I do. I love the little girl in the picture even more though!

 Yep. I love her!

Well...closing down for now! Thanks for reading (or skimming the page...)
~Bugg~

just a little music :)

~Bugg~

A Hand-Typed Post

In this our society I have noticed a peculiar trend of specific preferences. Hands.
        Hand-breaded nuggets, hand-written message, hand-made purse, hand-knit hat, hand-sown dress, hand-fried chicken, hand-played instrument...etc. etc.
Want to get people interested in an item you made? Add the prefix "hand-" and you will have people knocking down your door for that product. Want people to eat the burger you just grilled? Just add some hand leafed lettuce. Want people to read a blog post you just wrote? Hand type it. (wait....)
        How do you feel about this fad of fashion? Is it really good to have hands touching everything? But, on a side note, how awesome would hand-fried bacon taste? Not just fried bacon, hand fried. It makes all the difference... (But I'm not exactly sure how that would all play out...)
Just some food for thought!
~Bugg
(Now I'm going to go and hand-make some tea, hand-write some schoolwork and hand-play the violin...)

10,000 reasons (and counting!)

God is so good! He has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams and I don't want to shrug Him off or take what He gives me for granted. This year I want to remember to be thankful for not only the things He gives me, but for the salvation He so miraculously bestowed on me and the paths He has shown me and the growth He has given me as a christian. (Trust me, I have a lot more growing ahead :)
  So, I just thought of this goal, a resolution, (if you want to call it that) :) but it's mostly a very ambitious goal that may take more years than one.... I'm going to try and list 10000 gifts God has given me and reasons I have to praise His name! (Told you it was ambitious :)So, with that being said....
1.) God's gift of salvation
2.) All the colors of creation
3.) My wonderful family
4.) Laughter
5.) Schoolwork
6.) God's word
7.) The freedom we have to worship Him
8.) Books
9.) Music
10.) My bedroom :) {random, I know, but I'm thankful all the same}
11.) Friends
12.) Tea
13.) shoes (after being in Africa I appreciate those all the more)
14.) snow and the reminder of how God makes us as pure as the white snow when he takes us into his family.
15.) Adoption
16.) The opportunities God has given me to spread his love, even if that opportunity is staying at home with my siblings. I can be a light while doing school, cooking breakfast and laying down my sister for bed, and I pray that God gives me the grace to stay patient, humble and honoring to him while doing these day-to-day tasks.
17.) The birds, even if they are all hiding away right now :)
18.) Playing board games and pretend games with my sister. (You are never to old to play imaginary games :)
19.) Singing (whether I am a good singer or not is to be determined :) But, I enjoy it all the same)
20.) Learning a second language

Well, 20 is a good starting number...only 9,980 more things to go..... :)

On another note, I hope everyone's Christmas's and New Years went well and all of you are healthy. The sick bug took quite a few members of my family down for a while :) Well, off to do the rest of my school!!
~Bugg

Bacon, Turkey, and Benjamin Franklin

In 1784, Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to his daughter telling her that he wished that, instead of the lazy bald eagle, who has bad moral character, Congress would have chosen the wild turkey for the national bird. He also said this because turkeys are a more respectable bird, and are native to America.

 This was well over 200 years ago, but, in the grocery store the other day, a thought struck me. The turkey, offended by this "whole not getting to represent his country" thing is now trying to make his way back into our everyday lives. It started with Thanksgiving, and it's an American tradition to eat turkey at Thanksgiving... I mean, I don't think I've ever eaten a bald eagle at that time of year, have you? Then, deli meat...My whole family loves turkey sandwiches...We also eat turkey burgers. Yep, ground turkey patties can also double as the classic dish usually made with beef. And now, the turkey is trying to beat out pork. We never eat real bacon anymore. The turkey has us cornered, because it pulls off a mock pork taste, and it's way more healthy! But, back to the grocery store. As my mom pulled the turkey sausage off the shelf, I pulled off the pork sausage. She compared nutritional info, and got a betrayed look on her face. The pork sausage had 15 grams less cholesterol! We looked at each other, shocked, and as the turkey sausage went back on the shelf, I grinned. The turkey might be able to be bacon, burgers, sandwich ect... And it might be more healthy than some meats, and taste just as good, but it hasn't beat out the sausage yet! :)

 ~Bugg


 { *Disclaimer* This post was kind of a joke, as in, the turkey actually caring that it isn't the national bird. But, there is some truth to it making it's way into practically every food.... :) }


PS (here is a funny video that my siblings love to watch before bed, but it gets stuck in your head!)

Also, life has been CRAZY lately, so sorry posts are lacking and rather random.... But I should be back to posting somewhat normally next week. :)

Summer is here...

Ah.. Sorry for the lack of blog posts in the last month. (Has it been that long?) I haven't much time to post, but I thought I say hello, and tell you all I am still alive. Summer is here, and the weather is wonderful. (hot, yes, but wonderful all the same.) I spent a bit of time with a couple of my really good friends at a lake and we had a blast!! Not to mention, some totally AWEsome photo shoots...

Well, I've got little siblings to read books to and play dolls with...so, posting will have to wait until further notice! Hope your summer is going well!
~Bugg

Not sure..

Not sure why I'm actually posting right now, except for that I have time and I feel like it. I really don't have anything to post about. So beware... :)

 "{I do like a road, because you can always be wondering what is at the end of it.}"
From 'The Story Girl' by L.M. Montgomery

Just a cool picture from Africa. I snapped this one for my brothers, I thought they would like the dirt bikes....

I am taking a little breather from a short story I am writing right now. (Literally.) I find the sinking of the Titanic so interesting. So, I have been doing some research and just finished the beginning of the short story. I like it and I have this brilliant writing structure which helps my idea filled mind get a story out on paper without it having lots of good ideas, but no real story. (Check out This Post. JD describes writing quite well, in my perspective.)  Anyway. I haven't been up to much. Right now, I would be at orchestra practice, but it's over and our concert went quite well. And drama is over too. Bummer.... My cousin in the Air force came and visited us today. It was Awesome!! He used to bbsit us like every week, but since he's moved now, I do the babysitting, and I'm not sure how much my sibling appreciate that. :) I went and saw the Avengers on Friday, (or was it Saturday... I can't remember...) It was good! I thought it was cool and the special effects were amazing. They picked the perfect actor for Loke, (the bad guy) because he wasn't like super villian-y looking with and evil laugh and stuff, but had a nice smile and these irritating sneaky things he did that drove you bananas the entire movie. Captain America was valiant as usual, and Iron Man made me laugh! I have to say, I didn't think I would like Hawkeye that much, but I did. He was probably one of my favs because he was bad then turned back good... I think he reminded me of Legolas,(sorry if I spelled that wrong) from   Lord of the Rings, in a modern way. Well, signing off for now and sorry if I bored you to death with my random post.. :)
~Bugg

Drama Days

I just got done with this fantastic drama program and some of my friends and I put on this super awesome play the other night. Now that practices are over and we won't get to be as a group anymore, I just had to post this picture in memory of Jimmy and the Hendricks.

(Photo Credit to my awesome friend Faith who loves taking the randomest pictures of people..)
~Bugg

Random-itus

Sometimes I get into the mood to post random things.  So, here are some random things to make a hodge podge post. (Whether it is interesting or not I will leave up to you...)

Trying to explain this picture would be a bit difficult :) Let's just say Daddy and I always have fun playing with the ipad...

 This is me on vacation with my awesome cousin Belle. She is so cool... Her birthday is tomorrow too, so happy bday cousin! She and I always have fun together, and I look up to her like a sister. :)

                                                         I LOVE her music...

 My dad took us on a hike, and I thought this picture turned out pretty good for an iphone...

OH, my... I love this little stinker. She is funny, naughty, cute, loving, and just so Lillers. I love her so bad.
Okay, so at orchestra the other day, my good friend said this and I totally am going to start using this..."Don't listen to what I say, listen to what I mean." That fits me because sometimes words sound great in my head or look good on paper, but do not come out right.

Here is probably the most random thing though. We have the First season of the original Muppet show, and the kids thought this was HILARIOUS. I must say, it totally gave me the giggles the first time too.
 Well, I'm signing off now. We are on our way to see our cousins for Easter, and I am excited!!! I am sitting in a hotel bed right now blogging while my brother is next to me playing Angry Birds, and my 4 younger siblings are watching Mickey Mouse. Ha, Ha, only on spring break...Well, Maybe see you later, but if not, Happy Easter. Jesus is ALIVE!!!

~Bugg~