I am a terrible blogger...

But you probably already knew that.

However, I do promise to get better at it and do something about this.

Because, believe it or not...I actually do want to be better at it.

Not sure why...just, you know...there's something...cute about keeping a blog...?

I'm sure there's a better way to put that, but, I'll just leave it at that for now.

~Rachel

P.S. ~ There's a LOT we need to catch up on!  I mean, wow...

So it's Autumn yet again...

It's the most beautiful time of the year!  *Insert picture of leaves changing colors and blowing in the wind* I love October!  It's quite possibly my favorite month out of the entire year.  I love the weather, it's absolutely the closest thing to the perfect weather, in my opinion. ;)  Plus, special, wonderful things always happen to me in October, it seems. ;)

What have I been up to, though?  The last time I posted was...well, I honestly don't remember, because I haven't visited my own blog in awhile.  (But you can scroll down and see the last time I posted if you care enough to know, haha.)  Well, instead of giving you a long, drawn out and boring overview of what's all happened since then, I'll just let you know what has happened as of late.

Let's see... I have been busy with school, and ballet...rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal!  We have a lot of performances this year!  Presently, we are preparing for performing Corbeau next Saturday...yikes!  And then we have the Moscow Nutcracker performance next month, and then in December we have 3 Nutcracker performances with the youth orchestra... (2 locally, and 1 in New York City! Hurray!)

Oh yes, and on Saturday (the 8th) I played paintball for the first time!  ;-D I went with my brother Joseph, and our friends Adam and Erika...must say, it was a blast!  I did better than I thought I would.  *You wouldn't believe all the horrible ways of getting pelted with paintballs I invisioned for myself beforehand!* We are all determined to go back and play again sometime.  Hopefully we'll have more people coming to play with us then!

Well, I'll just bring this to a close, because I'm sure nobody wants to read me rambling on anymore! ;-P

~Rachel  

It has been quite awhile, dear blog of mine...

And I am really very ashamed of myself, as I always am when I have failed at consistently keeping up with something. I will try to do something about this, and make up for the posts that never were written and should of been. :P


Sincerely,
Whimsical Rachel ;)

It's been awhile...

It has been awhile since I last posted...and boy, a lot has happened!  Let me rewind a couple weeks back...April 27th.  Many parts of the state of Alabama were ravaged by tornadoes, including my town.  Thankfully, our house is still standing, but many trees have fallen, and homes around us got severely damaged or destroyed.  Our street didn't even look the same.  My family got hit the worst by the first series of tornado systems that hit early morning of April 27th.  The deadliest storm system hit later on in late afternoon/evening hours.

We had no water or power for a few days.  It was really dreadful. ;-P But, not nearly as bad as it could have been!  We are SO extremely blessed by God!

I will write more about it later, though... ;)

I want to go somewhere

I want to go to a place I've never been to before...but at the same time, I want it to be familiar.  I want to go off to a place of my very own where I can't be interrupted...on the other hand, I'd like for you to go with me so I won't be alone.  And on the other hand...well, I don't really even know what I want anymore...


Have you ever felt your heart sink?  Like...literally?  My heart sometimes, - when I begin to fear about something I really care about, it really feels like it's sinking within me, and that I'm going to be swallowed from the inside out, like it's a vortex sucking the life out of me with impenetrable force.  (Okay, so that was a rather verbose-exhausted sentence.)   I don't like that feeling...but at the same time, it is good to know, that there are things in the world that exist that I feel strongly about.  It's just, I don't want to lose those things...

Setting Priorities Straight

As of late, I find myself in a web of confusion of not knowing which things in my life should get more attention than others.  I occasionally lose sight of the vision God has given me just for my daily life.
I go through those days when I feel like I'm wasting time, investing it in the wrong things.  We naturally, (well, most people, anyway) seek purpose and meaning.  And when you fall short of feeling like you're serving your purpose, you get that hollow, empty, or just plain dull feeling.


I then make up my mind that I will focus on more "important" things.  Gotta' get those things done first, always!  Don't want to run out of time!  (Always telling myself James 4:14:"...for what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.")

Alright, well, wait a moment - what consists of "important", exactly?  My mind can be so cluttered and full of ideas,  it's very much like cleaning my room  -  "I just don't know where to start!".  
(And speaking of cleaning my room...) 

But what's the first thing?  What has ALWAYS been the first thing? (For me, anyway.) You bring it before the Lord.

For every season in your life, there's a time for different things to take place.  You have different obligations, say, as a young child or teen, then you will as a grown adult.  As Ecclesiastes 3:1 says "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven,".

The hard part, for me, is learning to accept things in the present moment.  Or, should I be doing things to change the way situations are in the present?  So very many questions I have!

But I know deep down inside, and well - everyone should - if you come before the Lord with a deep longing to know what you should be doing with your life, well, He won't mislead you!  If you have a question, or a desire, don't hesitate to ask.   

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." - James 1:5-8

   

Things to do...

Tonight is my night to make supper...oh joyyyy!  Nah, I don't mind.  It can be fun.  When I figure out exactly what I *want* to make, that is, and if everybody in this house is in agreement.  So, satisfying 11 people, is somewhat...of a task!  A daunting task.  But, I have a way of making people agree with me.  Not sure how...Hmm, must be something I was born with.  But, so anyway, I can get people to do things - things they don't even want to do.  My latest on going task at hand is convincing Benjamin to eat all the food on his plate.  (I really don't like it when people are picky eaters, because it's extremely insulting to the person that cooks the food!)  Well, we'll work on that!  
  So today, I'm going to have to run by the discount food store and get some things for supper, as well as LEMONS.  I have a hankering for wanting to make...lemonade.  Yes, and, I also can put lemon juice and mix it up and use it as hair wash... yes, I really did just say that.  And, besides, it brings out a lighter gold shade in my hair. :-P  Hmmm...should I!?