17

today i'm 17-wow! i don't feel that "old". i'm looking forward to chocolate cake & surprises!

For an update click here.

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For now, so long

Dear Blog Readers, as you probably have guessed from the blog title-I'm taking a break. In the past several weeks, I have been so surprised and blessed to see how many people read my blog and actually like it. God has done more than I could ever imagine, I am very blessed. The reason for my blog break is this-I'm having surgery. I'm scheduled to have orthopaedic surgery (that's on your bones, not your teeth.. grin!) Thursday, and I will be in a cast for at least 8 weeks. This surgery is fairly extensive and I'm really going to need your prayers!! Because of all that, I'm not going to be blogging for several weeks. If you follow my blog, you'll see when I post again. Although I have not met many of you, I am praying that you will be kind enough to pray for me as I go through this. I'm trusting God that everything will go well, I have nothing to fear. I think I will sign off now, thanks for reading this.






P.S. If you stop following this blog during my absence, please leave a comment and let me know why. Also, please pray I'll be feeling well Thursday. I have been battling a sinus infection and have suffered a few side effects from the antibiotic I'm taking.

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Father's Day

Father's Day doesn't seem to get as much press as Mother's Day-I don't know why really. Make sure you don't forget it!!!

Dad, Have a Happy Father's Day!!

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These are a few of my favorite things!

Did the post title have some of you humming the classic song from The Sound of Music? Before you pull out your DVD and start viewing the movie for the twentieth time, decide whether or not you want to do this tag. I have never created a "tag" before, but decided that there should be a first time to do so. If you all want to be, consider yourself tagged by me! If you do the tag on your blog, please leave a comment so I can check out your blog and see your answers.

When the "dog bites" and the "bee stings" what do you eat to comfort yourself?
Anything chocolatey!

What cheers you up when you're feeling sad?
The Bible,whiskers on kittens, chocolate, Jane Austen movies, and my friends.

Instead of schnitzel with noodles, what do you like?
Cheescake's of all different types and flavors.

Which season do you like?
I like cheery springs that breeze into summer

Brown paper packages or letters from friends?
Letters from friends!

Doorbells or ringtones?
Doorbells, because it might be a surprise visitor!

Those are a few of my few of my favorite things.

P.S. Lest you think I am a glutton who eats to much, I can tell you that neither accusation would be true. =^)

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One day you get a phone call...

....And you rush to the phone before one of your siblings has a chance to grab it. Talking to your friends is how you spend hours of your time and you're certain that this will be one of those times. You pick up the phone and say "hello". You don't recognize the voice on the other end of the line but somehow the caller knows your name. "Hello ____" the voice on the other end of the line says. You think that maybe you should hang up but decide to see if this is one of those prank calls. "Who is this?" you demand. "You don't recognize my voice?" the caller questions as sadness registers in his voice, "No!" you emphatically reply. This is getting annoying and you think your friends should be calling you soon, "I don't know who you are or why your calling, but please tell me who you are." "I'm Jesus" the man says, you gulp and want to get off the phone RIGHT NOW! You manage to stammer out "Oh, yes of course." "You haven't talked to me for a long time, my child; you have forgotten my voice" Jesus tells you. You answer back "Over the phone, I didn't recognize your voice." You hear Jesus sigh and he says "You haven't recognized my voice at all, you're to busy talking to your friends that you have forgotten that I promised to be your best friend." Call waiting pops up and you really want to answer the call, this conversation doesn't seem to be going anywhere. "Look Jesus, I have been really busy and I think you know that" you calmly tell him. "I know you're busy" Jesus acknowledges "but I have noticed you have managed to make time to talk to your friends for 4 hours, why can't you take a little of that time to talk to me?" You have no answer for that question, instead you start crying, "Lord, I'm really sorry" you mutter. For the next hour, Jesus talks to you and makes you feel at peace. The conversation nears and end but you have one more question to ask, "Lord, how many times have you tried to call?" "Everyday" is the answer that comes from the other end of the line "but you always put me on hold". "Jesus, I'll try not to let it happen again." The call waiting flashes and Jesus says "I've got to hang up now, but Child, remember to daily call on me." You promise Jesus that you will call on him every day, you hang up and look at the call waiting that is flashing before you, suddenly those other friends don't seem as important now. You realize that your Best Friend is the most important friend, the one who waited for you and cared enough about you to be put on hold and still call repeatedly You get down on your knees, you're not going to put Jesus on hold again-he's much to important for that.


Yes, I made this story up to illustrate the point of this story. How often do we neglect God's voice and say we're "to busy" to spend time with him? We can spend time doing other things and decide to put God "on hold" so to speak. If you have put your Savior on hold, take him off and start talking to him.

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I found this poem...

It's called Footprints in the Sand (this is different than the Footprints on the Sand by Longfellow). My blog is named for the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, but as that name was already chosen, I couldn't use it for my blog title. I have heard the poem below before, but I was glad to read it again. I am hoping you'll be encouraged by it. In difficult times, it is too easy to feel as though the Lord has abandoned us, buy that is never the case. The Lord will help you continue on-even when you have no strength yourself.


One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?”

The Lord replied,
“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you.”

-Mary Stevenson

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About Elizabeth

Every story has a beginning, mine began on June 28, 1992. By God's grace I was born into a loving family with two godly parent's and a sibling count which would grow to six. As soon as I could write the most simple words; I was writing them. Journals were something that particularly enticed me and when my Dad would take me out on our daddy daughter dates he would ask me to pick out a little gift and most often what I chose was a journal. When I was younger I didn't realize it but God was placing in me the love of writing and after I became a Christian I began to realize that my love for writing was a gift from the Lord.

In 2008 I began the blog Footprints in the Sand which started out with very few readers and has grown to over 200 regular readers as well as those who drop by from time to time. This blog is not to bring glory to myself but rather to bring glory to my Savior who loved me and gave himself for me. It is my desire that what I write would come forth out of a heart that is yielded to God.

If you have not experienced the amazing grace of Jesus, drop me a comment because I would love to talk to you about how you can have this gift.

May Christ be lifted up.

~Elizabeth A. Jackson

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Coming soon....

Yesterday my family and I took a little day trip, would you like to see some pictures? I'll try to get them posted this evening. Because some of you may be wondering what I look like, I may even post a picture of myself.=^) I'm not afraid of sharing what I look like, I just happen to be a person who doesn't like to share everything about her personal life. Anyway, check back this evening for a longer post.
P.S. If I run out of time this evening, I'll post the pics tomorrow.

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When I consider His works...

Look at the world around you-it's beautiful, right? That's God's handiwork and marvellous design. The universe is so huge and I am so tiny compared to it all (something that really stood out to me as I was visiting the planetarium at the Creation Museum). God created everything for his glory-we should praise him.

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent us Your name in all the earth, Who have set your glory above the heavens!

Out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants, You have ordained your strength, because of your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider the Your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him? And the son of man that You visit him?

For you have made him a little lower than the angels and have crowned him with glory and honor.

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What if........

There once was a young business man and his wife, the business man was making lots of money and his wife had a home business selling cosmetics. The couple had only been married 5 years and having kids certainly was aren't their agenda in the near future. They were a bit surprised when they found out that they were going to be parents. You would have thought the word "parent" was like telling them they both had heart disease or diabetes. The husband said they weren't in the financial position to have a baby-he must have forgotten that they had been able to afford the sports car he purchased the week before- and the wife said she certainly didn't want to start looking all frumpy like those Mom's she'd seen at the grocery store. God was up in heaven and he saw that couple-funny how they thought His blessing was a curse. God knew what he had in store for that precious baby that was developing inside that business man's wife-that baby was the one who would grow up to be the doctor who would discover the cure for cancer. The husband and wife started reconciling themselves to the "fact" that ending their "blob of growing tissue" wasn't really murder. God was grieved, he knew that babies name, and he loved him beyond any love that is imaginable. The couple chose to abort their growing child, a child that would cost them too much money and would ruin their life, or so they thought. The baby went to be with Jesus, and upon entering heaven, he asked, "Why didn't they want me?" With grief in his voice and sadness in his eyes, Jesus said, "They don't realize that LIFE is a precious gift and each life I create is created for a special purpose". The child looked up to Jesus face and said "When will it stop-when will people like me stop being killed?" Jesus looked at the face and said "When my Sons and Daughters realize that abortion must be stopped at all cost." "Jesus, what was I going to be if I got the chance to live in the world?" Jesus replied, "The doctor who would discover the cure for the disease called cancer." "Was I the only doctor who would discover the cure?" Jesus looked down and said, "Son... you were the 10,000 child I created especially for that purpose but none of you have lived". Jesus turned away in great grief, as thousands of his precious children were not given the chance to live.................................

Yes, I made that up. The TRUTH is this-it could be true. Why don't people realize that God created each one of us for his magnificent purpose? From the moment of conception, a child is alive and is a Person! Abortion isn't just a procedure! It is murder of babies that GOD has created. My challenge to all of us is this- Do what each of us can to stop abortion. The Lord must be supremely grieved that people do not value the sanctity of human life. Ask God what you can do to stop these killings, and with all your strength, do what God has told you to do.

Elizabeth J.


Side Note: a little clarification
The question came up, if he wanted to, don't you believe God is powerful to change those parents minds?Yes, I believe that beyond ANY doubt. This story is fictitious and I'm not saying it has happened but it could be possible. God didn't make us to be robots-he gave us each the ability to choose his way our our way. Even though we may choose to do something wrong, God doesn't force us not to do what he knows isn't right. In this post, I was basically trying to show a point-abortion isn't just. I do believe that God is sovereign and he does carry out his plans. Say a person commits suicide, was that God's original plan for that person's life? No. The idividual chose to reject God's plan and take his life in his own hands. Again, God doesn't force us to submit to his plan, but he does deeply desire that we obey him. God IS bigger than us and is the one that decides what we WILL do but sometime he will allow us to go on our own. God gets the glory in every situation and he can use all things for his own purpose and glory.
P.S. I do not pretend to comprehend all the ways of God, please know that.

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Summer Modesty Series: Part 4

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."


This is the final installment in my Summer Modesty Series. If you all don't mind, please vote on the poll so that I will know how I could have improved this series. While I know that is very possible that we all don't agree on everything regarding the manner of dress, I am hoping that we agree on this-we should dress modestly for the glory of God. I can be the most modestly dressed person ever, but if I don't truly love God, than all my efforts are worth absolutely nothing. Modesty without having the heart of God is vain and useless. Others see our outward appearance but God alone knows what is in our hearts. Dressing modestly should reflect our heart for God, and our heart for God should reflect in our dressing modestly. May you glorify God with your inward and outward appearances.



Final Part

Summer Tops:

I know it's hot in the summer and I know most of us like having a slightly tanned look but that's no justification to wearing skimpy tops. I think that perhaps shirts and tee shirts are one of the biggest problems with clothing today. The clothing industry seems to have one thought when making ladies tops- "How low can we go?" It rather disgusts me to see shirts made with less and less fabric and more and more fabric cut out. Girls, we don't have any business dressing in shirts that reveal things that shouldn't be revealed. When we dress in shirts that are cut low and cut short, we are setting ourselves up for guys to be tempted. Please make sure that any top you're going to buy is high enough so that nothing will show when you bend over or do anything else. I'm not a fan of sleeveless or spaghetti strap tops, in fact, I never wear them. Spaghetti strap tops make me feel like I'm wearing an undergarments out and I prefer not to wear sleeveless tops because often the arm holes gap freely. If you do wear sleeveless tops, be certain that you're covered appropriately. Ultimately, our attire should draw attention to our face, not to other parts of the body. Strive to attire yourself in a manner that is modest and wouldn't cause guys to look at you in a wrong way. When you dress modestly there will be those who think you are strange and there will be those who think it is wonderful, either way; honor God.

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Summer Modesty Series: part 3

Searching through a sea of shorts, capris, skirts, and pants; can seem daunting. Sometimes I look at the racks and think "Don't they make normal clothes for normal people?" or "Doesn't anyone care how much fabric is included in a piece of clothing?" Summer seems to be the time when clothes are made with less fabric and more holes. Modesty in the Summer can appear to be nearly impossible and sometimes the temptation to buy those short skirts or shorts can seem like too much of a temptation. While it may appear that "everyone" is wearing mini-skirts and short shorts, the truth is that they are not. It seemed almost too good to be true, but it was true! I found a pair of long enough, modest, shorts. By the way, I don't purchase a pair of shorts or pants just because they're long enough-I always make sure that they aren't inappropriately faded or ripped. Please don't buy a skirt or pants merely because they cover enough leg, make sure they look decent. Words written across the backside, back pocket designs that draw too much attention, and inappropriate fade marks; aren't the best things ever. If the article of clothing draws too much attention to areas they shouldn't be drawing attention too-forgo buying that item. Ultimately, clothing should draw the eyes up to the face-not downward. In closing, this post may have seemed like a "lesser" worry, but I think some details are as important as length and fit of an article of clothing. Also, online shopping has aided me in finding modest summer shorts and capris. I like shopping from Lands End as well as L.L. Bean and sometimes Cabela's. If you leave a comment and would like to share some other clothing resources, please feel free to do so.

Clarification: I'm afraid I wasn't exactly clear when I mentioned "designs" on the back pockets. Pretty designs and such do add a feminine touch to a pair of pants or skirts, but gaudy, bold designs may not achieve the same thing. Pretty designs on the back pocket? That's great!


This season I found summer capris/shorts at:
J.C. Penny
Belk
New York and Company
Lands End

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