God First. Blog Later.

I wonder what would happen if we spent as much time with God as we do our blog? Consider the amount of time you take to fix up and design your blog, then think about the time you take to read the Bible and "fix up" your relationship with God. Do you spend more time with your blog than with God? I have to tell you, I catch myself being guilty of doing this. Blogger can be an excellent tool but it also can be a bad one if it makes us obsess over it instead of taking time to be in the Word of God and in prayer with our Savior. What would it be like if we obsessed over Christ like we sometimes do with our blog? We would be more concerned about the lost than we would be about the number of blog followers we have, we would take time studying the Bible instead of scrutinizing the appearance of our writing, and we would care more about how our heart looks than how well our sidebar looks. Before you all begin thinking that I want everyone to delete their blog and go running off to a convent (that wouldn't work, I'm not Catholic) let me explain something. I feel that your blog can help further the Gospel of Christ, just make sure you can do that and spend adequate time with Jesus instead of spending all your time on Blogger. This post is a challenge to me more than I'm writing it as a challenge to you, praise the Lord if you've never struggled with delegating your time evenly between two things. Spend time with God and later you will have time for everything else.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58

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Interesting tag

I thought you ladies might like me to do this tag, I enjoyed it. Any of you who would like to do this tag, feel free to do so. If you do this tag, leave a comment so I can check out your answers.


What two qualities do you want most in your future husband (besides being a Christian)?
Honesty and Truthfulness - two very important things in any marriage

Is there a fictional character you see as a model for your future husband?
Hmm... Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice is nice but really, he's not practical.=)

Where do you want your wedding?
Maybe in my backyard

What are your views on courtship?
It is much better than casual dating of today (I'll post about that later)


What are your views on your first kiss?
I'm kissing no one but my husband and if I don't get married, I guess that's too bad.

Do you have or want a purity ring/locket?
I don't really think that any item is necessary to keep yourself pure but they can be a good daily reminder. I don't feel like I must have one.

Do you have or want a hope chest?
I'd rather have a nice dresser to use later on - yes, I'm a practical girl.

Will you wear a veil at your wedding?
Yes! The dress wouldn't be complete without it!

What kind of wedding dress do you want?
100% modest, white, and beautiful

What flowers do you want in your bouquet?
White roses, I love those


What do you want to name one of your daughters?
Sophia Grace

What do you want to name one of your sons?
Bryant Stephen

Do you believe in the 'knight-in-shining-armor' view of courtship?
?I'm not exactly certain what this question means

What music do you want to play at your wedding?
Classical played on stringed instruments

Are you a hopeless romantic?
Maybe.....but if I am a hopeless romantic, I'm not one of thos mushy gushy ones.=)




P.S. Thank you LaSara, for the tag.

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The Lesson's We Learn

"...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

Yesterday, I got my arm cast removed, needless to say, I was happy. Scars and stiffness aside, my arm is healing very well- praise the Lord! Now I only have four more weeks of a smaller splint and some physical therapy. Because of all this, I've learned a lot this summer. Since there have been several things I haven't been able to do, I have discovered some things about myself. I have come to realize that I haven't been as thankful for some things (even though I thought I was thankful) as I could have been. I've begun to miss practicing my instruments, having water fights with my sisters, and swinging in swings (yes, I still like to do that). All of those things are relatively simple but all the same, they are something we can all too easily forget to be glad to have. Simply put, I'm saying I've learned some lessons in thankfulness. This morning, I got my violin out and tried to play my Suzuki songs but didn't get far before my fingers were telling me they were tired. Once I can easily move my wrist and arm again, I'm going to challenge myself to be a more thankful musician-after all; I'll have much to praise the Lord for. Take the time to reflect on the smaller things of life, they can be as important as the big things in life.

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Anyone want a skirt?

On one of the blogs I follow, I noticed that a young lady is selling a skirt she made and I thought one of you might be interested in it. I love the color of the skirt but unfortunately, I think it would probably would waist be a little large for me. Here's the link to the skirt. If you're interested in the skirt, please leave a comment on the seamstresses blog.



Classy. Fun. Versatile. This spring green satin skirt is perfect for summer and even Christmas. One layer of shiny satin over two layers of shimmery tulle. And two covered buttons on the waist band.
Skirt is 19" long with another 4.5" of sheer tulle underneath.
Fits a 35" waist/hip.
Costs $17, plus about $5 shipping. Pay with Google Checkout.


I'm slightly tempted to keep this one! Too bad it's a bit big on me (hence the low rise in the picture). :D Leave a comment if you want it- I only have one!



Posted by Olivia Howard @ 5:41 PM

Labels ~ Clients, For Sale, Skirts

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The Answers to the guessing game

Thanks to all of you who decided to answer the 5 questions I posed in my "guessing" post. I enjoyed seeing what you each chose for your answers, now, here are the real answers.=^)

1. I live in Kentucky and have lived here all my life (does that surprise you?)
2.I don't have much of an accent (at least that's what others tell me, I sometimes sound a bit northern)
3. Here is my style: Classy and sophisticated with a bit of refined modern thrown in the mix, everything must match or at least cordinate very well.
4. My life verse is Jeremiah 29:11
5. My bedroom consist of three colors: blue, yellow, and green (how did you guess so well on this one?)
6. My hair is a light brown with a few blond highlights.

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The guessing game

Hi blog readers! I've decided to do a little guessing game to see how close you all can guess. First of all, don't take your guessing too seriously-I don't want every answer to be correct because that wouldn't be as fun.=) Also, if you're some of my family, friends, or personal aquaintances, try to restrain yourself to not answer; you might give everything away. Enough said, here we go.

1. What state do you think I live in?
2. If you talked to me, would I have an accent? If so, what kind?
3. In one sentence, define what you think my style is.
4. What is my life verse?
5. What color is my bedroom?
6. What color hair do you think I have?

That's it! In a comment, post your answers. In a few days, I'll post the answers to all these questions.

Turn your speaker on to hear a message from me-don't forget to hit the "play" button.

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Do I realize that they're watching?

I have 4 younger sisters ranging in age from 14-1, yes, that's a good thing. Being the oldest sister is a BIG responsibility (or so it seems to me, but I could be mistaken because I have been tagged "overly responsible") but I have also come to realize it is a huge privilege. For some reason, God chose me to be an "oldest" sister to 5 wonderful sisters. I'm not the perfect older sister, my sisters could tell you that too, I have a lot to learn. Whenever I become frustrated about spilled milk on my socks, disagree about who should change my one year old sisters diaper, get upset when my sisters are reading instead of helping me; I am painting an example. Whether or not you have a sister, no sister at all, or lots of sisters, be a good example of Jesus Christ. Younger girls are watching you, and in their minds are shaping the kind of lady they will become. The younger generation of Christian girls need a godly example of what it means to, "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ", will you be an example? The younger ones are watching-may we be watch ourselves and our example more closely.

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Nature Photography

Afew weeks ago, I headed outside to take some pitures. Because of the good light you can get while taking pictures in the evening, evening is my favorite time to break out my camera. What about you ladies? What is your favorite time of day to take pictures? I know I'm not very good at photography, but I am hoping you'll at least think a bit more about God's creations that make for good photography "subjects".




I have a feeling this cow thought I was a bit odd.

For those of you who have asked what camera I use, here is the link to it. I love my Canon S5IS and would recommend it to someone who is interested in photography, not just taking pictures. The one thing is, this digital camera is more pricey than other camera's and a bit more difficult to use if you haven't been using camera's long.

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This sums up what I'm feeling right now

I Could Not Do Without Thee
Lyrics by: Frances R. Havergal


I could not do without Thee
O Savior of the lostWhose precious blood redeemed me
At such tremendous cost
Thy righteousness, thy pardon
Thy precious blood, must be
My only hope and comfort
My glory and my plea

I could not do without Thee
I cannot stand alone
I have no strength or goodness
No wisdom of my own
But Thou, beloved Savior
Art all in all to me
And weakness will be power
If leaning hard on Thee

I could not do without Thee
For, oh, the way is long
And I am often weary
And sigh replaces song
How could I do without Thee
I do not know the way
Thou knowest, and Thou leadest
And wilt not let me stray

I could not do without Thee
For years are fleeting fast
And soon in solemn oneness
The river must be passed
But Thou wilt never leave me
And though the waves roll high
I know Thou wilt be near me
And whisper, “It is I.”

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It took a while

... but I'm finally doing the tag that Sarah H. tagged me with.


What is your favorite day of summer?
Since my birthday is on June 28th, I would probably say that's my favorite day of summer.

What’s your favorite outdoor summer activity?
Basically, something to do with swimming. The specific activities would be swimming, boating, and tubing.

What’s your favorite indoor summer activity?

The Importance of NOT Believing in Yourself

You've heard it all before, "believe in yourself", "believe in your dreams", or, "believe in the power of you". Other than the fact that these statements are utterly self-centered, what is wrong with them? Confidence is a good thing, right? What is wrong about those "empowering" quotes is this -they focus on me instead of God. When I begin to think and feel that I can achieve things, that I can decide what happens in my life, and that I am in control of my circumstances; I move my focus off the One who truly does control those things. The world wants us to think that we are the ones who are in charge; we can accomplish anything with our own power. How many times have I fallen prey to the fleshly idea that "I can do it all myself"? Probably too many times to count. I just want to challenge you (and myself as well) to stop believing in ourselves. When we get our focus off our supposed strength and power, and when we get our eyes on the Lord, we will be able to achieve things for the glory of God. So please, believe in God- he holds the power to everything you will do.

The steps of a good man are ordered by
the LORD, And He delights in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly
cast down; For the LORD upholds him
with His hand.
Psalms 37:23-24

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Greetings!

I've made it back to blog land. First, I want to thank all of you who kindly left comments to tell me that you were praying for and thinking about me. The surgery on my arm went well and the pain medication helped keep the pain bearable. Right now, I'm sitting here typing one handed, my blue cast comes past my elbow and as a result, makes it a bit more difficult to type. The end of July, I'll be going back to the doctor to have this cast removed and a different one put on. You could pray that my bone and ligament will heal well and that the metal plate and screws won't be too much of a bother.I believe I have rambled on long enough, thank you all so much for your thoughtfulness.

P.S. I was glad to receive all the birthday greetings as well.


Thanks to Emily Joy, I now have a blog button. Take on if you'd like. Oh, the little square with the x doesn't show up when you copy the image.

<a href="http://footprintsinthesand365.blogspot.com"> <center><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3F3IW9suKQM/SlEEdOWnchI/AAAAAAAAAsY/jdO3RCj36sE/s200/footprints.jpg"/></center></a>"/> Read more...