My Covenant Ceremony

This past Friday evening, a special event took place around my house. My covenant ceremony. 

As you can see from the pictures, this isn't some simple affair. It's serious.

Unlike Stephanie and Emily's covenant ceremonies, I wanted more than just my family and pastor to be there. My friends help shape me into being the person that I am. They are my peers, and help to keep me in line.
So, with more than just my family there, as you can see, it made it all the more special. Even more so because a family of 13 was there. We've been pen pals with this family for almost a year and just met them in person last week. 

There is one table not shown here, but that's just about all of them. :)

Dinner was fabulous.

And so were the desserts! Which were homemade Profiterole Puffs, they're just like cream puffs, and Caramel Custard

After we finished this luscious meal, we all gathered in a semi-circle around the beautifully decorated arbor.

Dad gave a little speech thanking everyone for coming, and explaining what the purpose of this covenant ceremony was: my decision to place myself under my father's protection and to wait for God's leading in the direction of a future life partner. 

Mom explained the reason why my covenant was different than the other two girls'.

Pastor then spoke about me. His message was touching, and tear-jerking, for me at least. :)

After that, we invited anyone who wanted to speak. Stephanie and Emily gave me a heart warming and challenge-filled speech. My pseudo brother Josh spoke as well. That was tear-jerking too.

I sang the song, 'Thank You Mama and Papa accompanied by Stephanie on the guitar.

The covenant signing followed suit. 

Daddy read his vows to me:

• I will protect you from unqualified men.
• I will teach you God's principles of life.
• I will pray for you and for God's choice of your life partner.

I in turn, read my vows to daddy:

• I will keep myself pure for my husband
• I will obtain your blessing on my courtship
• I will wait for your full release before entering into marriage. 

We both signed it, and pastor witnessed and dated the document.

Daddy then presented me with a special ring as a symbol of our vows. 

By then we were both crying...

Daddy finished the whole ceremony up with a blessing/prayer for me.

A slew of pictures were taken after that. 

Each of these dear girls have made similar covenants with their dads. They are the ones who are to keep me accountable to the covenant I have made. 

Here's a close-up of the signed covenant;

And the ring! I love this simple little 14k white gold ring. It doesn't look fancy or anything, but I'm not one to have baubles or big things on my rings. With it being so small, it's easier to play piano with. 

The engraved design is the key to my heart under my father's umbrella of protection. 

An Announcement

I would like to introduce to you a new blog. My sister Emily just recently started her own.
Bright Light in a Dark World

Go visit it and become a follower. I can guarantee whatever she has to say will be worth your time in reading it.
God bless you all and have a great day! :)

Communication Manipulation?

America's freedoms are being taken one by one. The snowball of manipulation is growing.
 
My older sister just showed me this article. Everyone needs to read and wake up to what's going on.

http://rt.com/usa/news/obama-president-order-communications-770/

A Reminisce

The day, or a few days before my birthday, I always get the birthday blues. Yes, as weird as that sounds, it's true.
The birthday blues are a case of pre-birthday depression. Not really. I'm totally pulling your leg.
No, the birthday blues come over me whenever I start reminiscing about my life. About the entire past year. What all has taken place during that year? How have I grown in the Lord? How have I matured. What is something I want to change in my next year of life? And the list goes on and on and on.
Then I start thinking, these are my last few days of being this age. I will never be this age ever, ever again. That is depressing.
This time around it was sixteen.
I loved being sweet sixteen. It seemed to be such a fun and carefree age. Although, in reality it really wasn't.
I had so many challenges during all of last year. With my medical issues, which lasted almost all of my sixteenth year, and the trials the Lord sent my way so that I would grow, it was a tough year. I love challenges though. There is nothing wrong with a challenge. Anyway, I'm really bunny-trailing today....
There were lots of awesome things that took place this past year. I started my blog. I acquired a bunch of pen pals! I was introduced to the One Year Adventure Novel forum by a good friend. Thank you, Reagan, for introducing me to that epic place! :) I have met lots of new people.
And the list goes on. So you get the general idea of what the birthday blues is. They're not that bad, really. :P

Here are a few thoughts I conjured up while reminiscing:

What is something that I want to change in my life during this next year?
I want to change the fact that I'm so busy. Or at least I say I'm busy. Am I really busy, or is it just the little trivial things that coagulate and create a time sucking mechanism that sweeps through my days. Honestly, am I truly busy doing things that need to be done? This is something I can sort through, but not today.

What do I want to stay the same?
I want the fact that I live in a free country to stay the same. I'm hoping against hope, I know. Please, don't burst my bubble and force me to face reality. No, I'm totally kidding.

What would I like to accomplish in this next year?
Thanks for asking! Now let me borrow your ear for a minute and I'll try to talk as fast as I can before my time runs out. :P (I'm in a really playful mood this morning, please forgive me)
Well... lets see... I would like to finish my novel and get it published. I'd like to get another one started as well.
My graduating is inevitable, so that's happening.
I would absolutely love to meet a bunch of the OYANers. I'd love to meet all of my pen pals as well. You dear girls mean so much to me.
I would love to go to the 2013 Summer Workshop.
I want to make it to Carnegie Hall in the World Piano Competition. I think I would absolutely floor my piano teacher if I did that.
I want to grow even more in the Lord. I want my relationship with God to flourish into something grand.
I want to strengthen the relationship with my siblings into something much more solid.

As I enter into another year of my life, I'm not completely sure what the Lord has planned for me.
I do know this; whatever He has for me will more then likely have challenges.
Bring it on!! :)

Liebester Blog Award

Olivia at Epiphanies was so gracious as to grant me with the Lebester Blog award

The rules of being awarded are as follows:

1. You must post 11 facts about yourself.
2. You must also answer the 11 questions that the nominator has given you, and make 11 questions for the people you're going to tag
3. Tag 11 more bloggers
4. Notify the nominees that you've awarded them.
5. No tagging back
6. The people that you tag must have less than 200 followers

11 facts about me:  (this is awkward)

1. I'm home schooled
2. I'm writing a novel
3. My favorite author is Joel C. Rosenberg
4. I have nine other siblings
5. I don't read books, I gobble them up
6. I have 15 pen pals
7. Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Eric Liddell are my heroes.
8. I'm part of the One Year Adventure Novel forum
9. I'm fascinated with the WWII era
10. I love Roy Rogers
11. I find CIA and FBI undercover agent books absolutely thrilling!

11 Questions

1. What is your favorite poem? 
Who Am I by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
2. Would you rather go sky diving or scuba diving?
    Sky diving!!
3. If you could have one of your five senses enhanced, which would it be?
    Probably my hearing.
4. What is something you feel very strongly about?
    My faith
5. If you had to describe yourself in five words, which five words would you use?
   Social butterfly, Christian, shy, and laughter. (yes I know  having social butterfly and shy in the same sentence is an oxymoron... but it's true...)
6. When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?
    A baker. I wanted to own a bakery.
7. If you could have one day to do absolutely anything you wanted with absolutely anyone you chose, what would you do and who would you do it with?
 I would gather all of the OYANers and go to a park or someplace and just hang out and talk. :P Only a few of you will get that. lol
8. Would you ever hold a tarantula?
   Never in all my life.
9. What's the weirdest thing you've ever done?
   Uh...jumped off the side of a boat in a friend's pond with no extra change of clothes. Just 1, 2, 3, and me and my sister Emily flung ourselves over the side of boat and plunged into the cool water.
10. Summer or Winter?
      Summer!!!!!!!
11. What is your favorite word? 
     Usually it depends on what mood I'm in. Right now it's, fiddlesticks. :P

My 11 Nominees!!
1. Rachelle at Random Thoughts of a Seventh Born
2. Leah at Optimistic Worldview
3. Julia at Ribbon and Lace and Receiving His Grace
4. Cindy at Life as a Young Christian
5. Gabrielle at The Ink Stained Parchment 
6. Cecilie at Dancing on Rainy Dragons While Dreaming
7. Joel at Joel the Immerser
8. Lauren at Virtuous Daughter
9. Katie at Writer's Ramblings
10. Cheryl at Treasures From a Shoebox
11. Jdg50 at Founding Internets

My 11 questions to my nominees

1. Who is your favorite author?
2. Who is/are your heroes?
3. When did you first start blogging?
4. What did you and your family do for the fourth?
5. Would you ever hold a scorpion?
6. What's the silliest thing you've ever done?
7. Autobiographies or fiction?
8. Where do you see yourself in five years?
9. Why did you start a blog?
10. What is your favorite period in world history?
11. When did you accept Christ as your Savior?

Thank you guys for participating!!!