Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Join The Staff!

The deadline for ALL staff applications is tonight at 12 AM CST. Be sure to get your applications in as soon as possible! We're looking for staff photographers, writers, and graphic designers.

Go here for more information. :)

KyAnn

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Join the 2011-2012 Bloom! Staff!

Do you love writing, photography, or graphic design? Then this opportunity is for you!

We are looking for teen girls to be on our staff. If you are chosen to be on the staff, you will be a staff member for the coming school year (September-May). After the year is over, the editor can decide to put you on the staff again, give you a permanent position, or ask you to re-apply if you are interested in remaining on the staff.

If you are interested in filling out a staff application to be a staff writer, photographer, or graphic designer, please read the Bloom! Staff Regulations at the link below. If you agree to these regulations and meet all the requirements, fill out the application located below the Bloom! Staff Regulations, and send a copy to bloom.editor@yahoo.com.

We will accept staff applications July 14, 2011-July 26, 2011. The deadline for ALL staff applications is July 26, 2011 at midnight Central time. We will send out the new staff list by July 30, 2011.

Go here for more information and to find the application!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Be Still

Be still and know that I am God... Be still and know that I am with you. 


These are the opening words to one of my all time favorite songs to sing in the church choir. I love the bluntness of them - it's like God's saying "Just be still because you know I'll take care of it!"
Things have been hectic on my side of the world lately - there have been a few family deaths in the past year and my uncle was recently diagnosed with cancer. It's been a long and bumpy road, and sometimes we don't know what God is doing through the journey - but we've got to be still and trust that He knows what He's doing.
Sometimes, when things seem to reach their climax and I just don't know how to respond, I'll go on a "God-walk". I go down to the pond and park by my house and just breathe. I talk to God - tell Him how I'm feeling, vent a little - and just be still and listen. A lot of times I need to just collect my thoughts and ultimately, the right decision shows itself through God's hand.
Are you going through a hard journey right now in your life? Do you sometimes feel like God isn't really showing you anything?
Maybe it's because you're too busy talking at God to hear what He has to say to you. Next time a struggle arises, be still. Listen. Pray. God's still there. He's watching over you and you've got to trust in Him to make the right path unfold for your life.

my quiet place
--Love MCat
{glitteringcompositions.blogspot.com}

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Bloom! Staff Behind The Scenes-KyAnn



I also have a personal blog but it is invite-only at the moment plus I rarely post anymore because of my lack of time. So I decided to post my post on the staff blog! :)


1. Your blogging name, age/birthday (if you're allowed to reveal it on blogger), location (as detailed as allowed) and Bloom! staff position: (also - this is a great place to share your picture!)

Hey, ya'll! (Side note: No, I am not from the South; I just adore the word ya'll and relish any chance I get to say it without awkward backward glances! :) I'm KyAnn, the editor/manager and creator of Bloom! Magazine. Nice to meet you-if I haven't yet! I am 14 years old and will be 15 (eep!) on April 11. I live in the Midwest in Wichita, Kansas. Wichita's population is around 300,000 or so people and I love it! I'm not a big city girl, but definitely not a country girl, either! So I love Wichita and I've been born and raised here.

P.S. By the way, I apologize that my picture has a camera in front of my face but I seriously have almost zero photos of me because I'm always behind the camera. The only slightly decent photo I could find at the moment is this one, which, of course, still has my baby in it (my camera). Oh well. If I find one in the next couple of weeks without my camera in it, I'll add that to the post. Does anyone else have this problem?

2.  How many siblings do you have and what are their names/ages?

I am the oldest of four children. I have two sisters-Kenna, 12, and Kessa, 6. I also have a brother, Raydn, 9. I love being the oldest-most of the time! Except, of course, those occasions that I am designated to babysit the "sibs" when I already have plans. But, other than that, it's great! :)

3. How are you educated (homeschool, private school, public school, etc)?

I am currently homeschooled and I love it!! I hope to continue my home school education through high school. Just to give you a little history, I went to public school from kindergarten through seventh grade. At the start of my eighth grade year, my family made the switch to homeschooling and I absolutely love it!! I love the freedom, flexibility, and I definitely enjoy sleeping in later. Lol.

4. What denomination of Christian are you? What are your personal Christian beliefs, in a nutshell? (Realize that I'm definitely NOT trying to start any debates about Christianity here, so be charitable while answering this question or commenting on others' answers.)

Heehee, um, none? Actually, my church is a "non-denominational" church. So I am simply Christian! I believe that everyone who has ever walked this earth, except Jesus Christ, is a sinner and without Jesus would never be allowed into heaven. I believe that God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, down to earth to save me and you from our sins. I believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again. Because He took our sins and died on the cross for them, we have been given unbelievable grace from our sins. Jesus Christ is my personal Lord and Savior! I take every day with Him at my side and I strive to view Him as my best friend. That is something that has been somewhat of a struggle for me, simply because He is obviously not here in-the-flesh. But I'm working on it! So those are my beliefs "in a nutshell" (heehee, love ya, Hannah!). 

5.What are some of your hobbies - such as sports, musical instruments, artistic talents, etc.


Well, let's see, I am most certainly not into sports (every time I try it seems that I end up with a ball to my face! Not a good combination, by the way!) and I can't draw-at all. Unless cartoons and stick figures count! :) Some of my hobbies are reading, writing, photography (!!!), graphic design, babysitting, cooking, baking, talking and giggling late into the night with my best friend, running the magazine (of course!), and eating cookie dough or hot fudge sundaes. Love. :)

6. Describe your personality in a few sentences:


Okey-dokey! In real life, I am fairly quiet when I first meet a person. I don't like to make waves or take charge or be bossy. I just like to kind of fade into the background a little bit at first. But, once I get to know you, I will talk a mile a minute, giggle fanatically at crazy inside jokes, and jump up and down and/or hug you like I haven't seen you in years when in all actuality, it has only been hours. So, beware! I am more of a night person than a morning person and if you give me caffeine plus stay up until the wee hours of the morning with me, consider yourself warned that I can get a little bit crazy and wild. We're talking insane laughter at, like, 3 AM for absolutely no reason at all! I have also been told that I am a "go getter" (the magazine is evidence of that!). I definitely try to go after my dreams and goals to the best of my ability!

7. Do you consider yourself more of a girly-girl or a tomboy? Or somewhere in between?


I'm really neither, or somewhere in between. I lean more towards girly-girl, though. Like I said, I'm really not into sports at all and I loathe getting dirt under my fingernails (pet peeve of mine!) and bugs make me scream in terror! I promise, though, I'm not a flaky, princess girly-girl. I wouldn't really say that I'm overally girly-girlish, I'm just not a tomboy. I paint my nails, do my hair (usually for about 5 minutes because I pushed snooze on my alarm clock too many times!), occasionally pick out super-cute outfits (when I haven't slept in too long!), and put on makeup every day. So would you consider me to be a girly-girl?

8. Picture yourself ten years from now. What will you be doing, where will you be living, etc?


Well. This is a hard question because I have no idea what God has planned for me! But, if I were to plan it out, this is what it would look like: In ten years, I would be 24-25. I hope to be married, have at least one child, have plans to adopt, be a stay at home, homeschooling mom, and own our own house. I also hope to still be running Bloom! Magazine (maybe even have the magazine in print?!)! 

9. What is some of your favorite books? Favorite movies? Favorite foods?


Sorry, but I really can't answer the favorite books question. I have too many! Plus, my favorite book changes depending on what book I read recently. I love Amish books and Christian teen fiction. Some of my favorite authors are Melody Carlson, Sandra Byrd, Nancy Rue, and Beverly Lewis. My favorite movie would probably be Fireproof or The Last Song. Chick flicks are my favorite movies!!

10. What got you interested in becoming a part of Bloom?


Haha, well, since I kind of started Bloom! I can't say how I found out about Bloom or anything. But I can tell you how it is that I went about starting Bloom! Will that be ok? I saw the need for wholesome, Christian magazines in the world (online and otherwise!) and felt a tugging on my heart that I should start a Christian magazine. But, at first, I really didn't want to do that. Yes, it would be fun but it would also be a lot of hard work and it would be a stretch for me, taking me way out of my comfort zone. To give you the shortened version, I did (obviously!) eventually respond to God's call and took a step in faith and created this magazine. I have loved this experience and though it has been tough at times, I truly can say that I am super glad that I followed God and created this magazine. Besides, if I hadn't, I wouldn't have met all of ya'll (there's that word again!)! :)

11. What's one way - or more - that you've been blessed, inspired, and/or challenged through becoming a part of Bloom?


Where do I begin?! I have been so blessed by each of the staff members of Bloom! Magazine. Not only have I made some amazing new friends but you guys are really inspiring to me personally. When I see the ways that you are striving to become closer to God, it makes me want to do more of that. Your articles reveal so much about your heart and your character and how you live your lives for Christ! I look up to several of the older girls on the staff and they have really shown me what it's like to live a life fully set-apart for Jesus Christ. Bloom! has challenged me because it has made me really step out of my comfort zone. Like I said earlier, I typically am not a take-charge, bossy type of person (especially with people I have never met!!) but being the editor has forced me into a leadership position. That has really helped me to stretch myself and do some things that I had never done before. I still don't like being bossy but I'm getting to where I can take charge (not in a bossy way, but a kind way!) when needed.

12. What is your favorite thing about Bloom! as well as one thing you would like to see improved behind-the-scenes?


My favorite thing about Bloom! is reading the emails that have been sent to me telling me how much the magazine has blessed, inspired, or challenged them. I love seeing the results of our work at Bloom! Magazine. Another one of my favorite things is getting to work with all of you lovely ladies! I really do love each of my new friends that I have met through Bloom! and it is such fun working with you and getting to know each of you better personally. One thing I would like to see improved behind-the-scenes is staff interaction. I know I need to work on this more! I would like to see the staff working together more, getting ideas from each other, and helping each other out. I really would like it to be like a close family behind-the-scenes. Now I just have to figure out how to make that happen! :) Any suggestions?

13. What brings you inspiration?

Nature brings me inspiration, seeing God's glorious creation every single morning. As you know, I am a photographer and a writer. Photography helps me to see beauty in even the most simple things. I can go outside and find a blade of grass with dew sprinkled on it and that is beauty to me. But, ultimately, it is God's nature itself that brings me inspiration. Wonderful things in nature inspire me to capture a photo in a new and more creative way. Nature inspires me to script beautifully descriptive words into a notebook, describing the glory and awe-inspiring creation of our Father.

14. If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go? Who would you take with you and how long would you stay?

If I could travel anywhere in the whole entire world, I would go to Paris, France. Or on a cruise to the Bahamas. It's a toss-up; can I go to both?! :) I have always wanted to go to the Bahamas as well as Paris, so that is where I would choose to go. If I had to choose only one, though, I would probably pick Paris. Ah...the city of love, with its twinkling lights, magnificent views, impeccable fashion, and delicious food. Who would I take with me? Why, of course, I would take all of you with me! If I could choose anybody, I would honestly choose to take all of you lovely ladies (so I could meet all of you in real life!), my best friend (who is actually on the staff, anyway!), as well as her mom and sister, my mom, and my sister. Wouldn't that be super fun?! I agree! Let's start planning it! *wink* If only...

15. What's your favorite dessert/treat?


Hot fudge sundaes!!!! And cookie dough. And fudge brownies. Enough said.

16. Coffee, tea, or soda?


Soda all the way! Although, we call it pop here (haha, I love all the discussion on whether to call it soda, pop, or coke!). My all-time favorite drink is Dr. Pepper!! So, if you ever happen to have me over to your house and would like suggestions on drink selections, go with Dr. Pepper. :) I'll drink tea, but I don't adore it. And I really don't like coffee-at all. I know, I know. I do enjoy the "froofy" drinks at Starbucks, minus the coffee (another Hannah quote! Gotta love her!). :)

17. What's your favorite color combination? Or combinations? ;-)


Green and blue, orange and hot pink, and grey and light pink. :) Although I don't really think about it that much, only when I'm designing something on the computer. Or picking out something for my room. Or randomly drawing smilie faces and doodling. Ok, so maybe I do think about it occasionally.  

18. What's your favorite time of year? What about least favorite?


Honestly, I always say that winter is my favorite time of year during summer but then I say summer is my favorite time of year during winter, soo... I think I'll go with fall and spring because it's nice and cool, but not freezing and not blazing hot! :) I really don't know, though, I'm very confused about the subject.

19. Would you rather have one very close best friend or a group of close friends?


One very close best friend. But, I would love to have both! Right now, I have one very close best friend (you know who you are!) as well as quite a few close friends and several just "normal" friends. The best of both worlds!

20. Who is a role model for you in your life today (could be your mom, grandma, family friend, celebrity, etc.)?


I actually have a lot of role models! My mom is a role model for me for sure but I also have several older friends and ladies that I know from my church and such that are role models for me. I don't think you have to have just one. I think it is good to have many people that you look up to and can go to for advice. Just my little opinion.

21. Share a favorite quote or Bible verse. Why is it your favorite?


My favorite Bible verse is


Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future."

I love this verse because it reminds me that God is in control and that He has a perfect plan for me. He knows exactly what He is doing and He has every day planned out for me. It shows me that I just need to trust and rest in Him.

22. What is one thing that you've been trying to accomplish in 2011?

One thing that I have been working on lately is spending quiet time with God every morning. Reading the Word, praying, and just being still and listening for His quiet voice. Let me tell you, it is not as easy as it sounds! Just being quiet and still is actually quite challenging. But I'm working on it.

23. What is one way (or more!) that you are trying to strengthen your relationship with Jesus right now?


Right now I am focusing on reading God's Word more and spending time in prayer. Also, I am going to start memorizing more Scripture than just what is required of me for school and such. Memorizing Scripture is a great way to get to know more about Christ, grow closer to Him, and it is definitely an amazing tool (especially when talking to non-believers!)! I totally recommend it.

Bloom! Magazine is an online, Christian magazine for tween and teen girls. It is geared towards 11-20 year old young ladies. It features inspiring articles, recipes, an advice column with questions from our subscribers, amazing interviews, and much, much more in each issue! If you are interested in subscribing to Bloom! Magazine, visit bloommagazine.webs.com today! You won't regret it!

This has been great fun!! I really enjoyed doing it and I love reading all of the posts! I can't wait to see more as they pop up each day! :) Thanks again, Hannah, for organizing this! You are an amazing, super sweet girl. And so are the rest of you. Love you all! :)

KyAnn

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Staff Behind the Scenes - Allison

 Hannah and KyAnn, I think this is a marvelous idea. (I do have a blog, but it's an invite-only blog. I hope you don't mind if I put up my post here.) I look forward to getting to know my fellow staff members better.


1. My name is Allison. I'm thirteen, with a birthday in the middle of November. I live in Texas, and I'm a photographer on Staff 2.

2.  I have nine siblings - five sisters and four brothers, ages six months to seventeen years. They're fun. They're goofy. They're creative. They're blessings.

3. I have been homeschooled my whole life, and I'm thankful for it. When I grow up, I plan to homeschool my kids, as well.

4. My church is what is called "Reformed Baptist;" I am, too. Let me pull out some of my preacher's-daughter phrases for you. I believe in the complete sovereignty of God; in baptism of believers; that God chooses those He is to save, not us; that Christ Jesus was all God, all man, and our only hope of salvation.

5. I enjoy almost any sport, and I love to sing. I'm going to start piano lessons this Friday, something I had been wanting to do. I also want to learn the violin someday. I love to write, and, obviously, photography. I love to take unconventional pictures, especially of people, and to edit them.

6. I'm rather quiet - I tend to keep my thoughts to myself around most people - and quite shy. I'm very much a night person; I like to design things; my favorite board game is Clue and my favorite card game is Nerts. I love to be outside, especially in wide, empty spaces when it's windy and warm. I'm something of a perfectionist.

7. I'm a girly-girl. I like clothes, shoes, hairstyles, jewelry, the works. Sometimes I'm afraid I focus too much on those things; my beauty is to come from the inside - "a meek and quiet spirit" - and not from them. At the same time, it's built into girls to be feminine, and we should embrace that.

8. In ten years, I'll be twenty-three. (That's seeming really far away right now, but I know I'll be there before I know it.) Obviously I don't know what God's plans are for me, but I see myself getting married somewhere around that time. I want to have published a book by then - we'll see whether that happens or not! As for college, I'd like to look into online courses.

9. Some of my favorite books are The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Hiding Place, Mara, Daughter of the Nile, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Great and Terrible Quest.  I love the movie versions of The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Chronicles of Narnia. As for my favorite foods, I love almost any Mexican food, spaghetti with lots of cheese, supreme pizza, and chef salad.

10. I received an email forward sending out the news when Bloom! was just beginning last year. It included the website and KyAnn's email, if I'm remembering correctly. I applied for a position on the staff of either photographer or writer, and was accepted as a photographer. I was attracted to the project because I very much agree with the vision and goal of KyAnn and everyone else involved, and I wanted to be a part of it.

11. Through Bloom!, I have been convicted to be more active in my faith. I've also been challenged to achieve a greater excellence in my photography by seeing others' work, and learned lessons about deadlines and promises through dealing with sweet KyAnn each issue that I help with.

12. My favorite thing about Bloom!, quite frankly, is the finished product. That may be obvious, but it's really a great thing to see so much time, effort, creativity and faith come together in such a wonderful magazine. Each issue, I'm grateful for the work being done through this organization!

13. I'm inspired by the wind. Besides being amazing and beautiful in itself, it's a powerful example of God's ultimate control over every detail.

14. If I could travel anywhere in the world right now, I'd like to go to England. I would take about eight friends and three sisters, and stay out in the country for a while during the spring. So many books set in England describe the springs that it makes me want to see for myself, and then everything there is so old compared to things here in America.

15. My favorite dessert is vanilla Blue Bell ice cream. (*Faints.*) I also love homemade apple pie.

16. Coffee, tea or soda? - Well, soda, except that here we call it Coke. =)

17. My favorite color combination is dark pink, light pink, light blue, and white. I also like light green, light blue, pink, and black as a combination.

18. My favorite time of year is summer, although I love spring as well. My least favorite time is January. Cold. Gray. Uneventful.

19. I would rather have a very close "best" friend than a group of good friends, although I'd love to have both.

20. There are about four ladies in my church who are role models to me (one of whom is my mother). Together they make up the picture of who I'd like to be.

21. I think my all time favorite Bible verse is Hebrews 13:5, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." It's pretty obvious why - it's an explicit assurance of God's faithfulness and love. I also like some of the verses in Ecclesiastes which tell how it is for man (and woman) to work hard and enjoy his rest when he gets it.

22. In 2011 I've been trying to speak gently. I can't say I've had much success, but I'm trying. Maybe by the time I'm fifty I'll have it down completely. Until then, it's one of my New Year resolutions.

23. I'm trying to strengthen my relationship with Jesus by building up a habit of prayer. I usually pray for about fifteen minutes a day, and while that's good, I still try to do more, not because I think it's vital to my salvation or anything but because of what it does for me.

Thank you, girls! I had fun.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Silence

Sometimes it's hard to listen.
We all do it. We'll pretend to be listening to a parent, teacher, or friend, but really all we're thinking about is how to get our homework done super-fast or what we had for lunch on Saturday.
But what about your bestest friend? Would you just stop listening to her? That would be a little rude, wouldn't it?
I try to think of God as my bestest friend. He's always there, watching us through our trials and fears. For some of us, that's comforting. Sometimes, it seems a little creepy. But other times, do you push God to the back burner?
Sometimes, I regret to say, I do not listen to God. He'll be trying to tell me something, like a little thought that keeps nudging at my heart, but I'll push it to the side and keep moving on with my daily life like He's not important at all.
But He's the most important person of all!
You would think that it wouldn't be too hard to remember what He's done for us - brought us into the world, died for our sins, given us mercy and grace. But all too often, I do forget. And that's when I need to sit still and just listen for Him.
Do you have a quiet time to talk to God? If so, that's terrific. But remember, God is your friend. It's okay to tell your troubles to him, but remember that a friend will give responses to your conversation. Take time to listen for Him just as much as you talk. After all, sometimes it's annoying when a friend dominates a conversation, right?
I go on long walks to listen for God. Being in his creation makes me feel closer than ever to Him, and sometimes, especially when I'm feeling troubled, I hear His answer for my problem.

Take some time this week to listen for your Father. Love Him like a best friend.



--Mary Catherine
{www.glitteringcompositions.blogspot.com}

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Bloom! Staff Behind the Scenes :: A Link-Up

project me

Hello, Bloom! friends!  This is Hannah M, a staff 1 photographer.  Recently, Kyann and I have been working to create a fun "getting to know you" event for the Bloom! Staff...and today we're excitedly presenting "Bloom! Staff Behind the Scenes".  (I feel like I should write something like "eep!" here, but I'm not quite sure how that would look.  So we'll leave it at that.)

Here's some background...for a long time now, I've had it in the back of my mind that I really wanted to get to know my fellow Bloom! Staff members better, and that a fun way to do it would be to have some sort of blog-hop, with a questionnaire for the staff to fill out on their blogs.  As it turned out, Kyann had had a similar idea...and towards the beginning of the year we started planning a fun staff link-up.

Before words such as "blog-hop" and "questionnaire" begin to repel you, please realize that this really isn't one of those annoying tags/blog party things that I know many bloggers (me included) tend to avoid.  Instead, this is a way to get to know your fellow staff members muchmuchmuch better - and, isn't that exciting?  Well, it is for me, at least...though I'm pretty easily amused. ;-)

moving along, here are the rules and how we're working it:

-All Staff Members are encouraged, though not required, to participate. This is a "staff only" event though...hopefully, we'll provide something fun for our Bloom! fans in the future!

-Post the questions and your answers on your blog and link up to the linky at the bottom of this post. If you don't have a blog of your own, you're welcome to use the staff blog....but please use your own blog otherwise.

-Somewhere in your post, include the following sentences (or write a similar paragraph in your own words):
Bloom! Magazine is an online, Christian magazine for tween and teen girls. It is geared towards 11-20 year old young ladies. It features inspiring articles, recipes, an advice column with questions from our subscribers, amazing interviews, and much, much more in each issue! If you are interested in subscribing to Bloom! Magazine, visit bloommagazine.webs.com today! You won't regret it!
This will really help to spread the word about the magazine, so thank you.

-Somewhere in your post, please include the link-up button...which should be available to you shortly.  (If you post it before the button is out, you can add it later once we have it ready.)  We'll put it towards the top of this post once we have it, alrighty?

-Somewhere in your post, share a picture of yourself. If you'd like to include several pictures to go along with your answers, go right ahead!


-Please visit and comment on at least FIVE other links, if not more. You're more than welcome to pursue and follow any of these blogs if inclined.

-You have 3 weeks - until March 19 - to join. This provides y'all plenty of time to think through your answers and find time to link up.


and, here are the questions to answer:


1. Your blogging name, age/birthday (if you're allowed to reveal it on blogger), location (as detailed as allowed) and Bloom! staff position: (also - this is a great place to share your picture!)

2.  How many siblings do you have and what are their names/ages?

3. How are you educated (homeschool, private school, public school, etc)?

4. What denomination of Christian are you? What are your personal Christian beliefs, in a nutshell? (Realize that I'm definitely NOT trying to start any debates about Christianity here, so be charitable while answering this question or commenting on others' answers.)

5.What are some of your hobbies - such as sports, musical instruments, artistic talents, etc.

6. Describe your personality in a few sentences:

7. Do you consider yourself more of a girly-girl or a tomboy? Or somewhere in between?

8. Picture yourself ten years from now. What will you be doing, where will you be living, etc?

9. What is some of your favorite books? Favorite movies? Favorite foods?

10. What got you interested in becoming a part of Bloom?

11. What's one way - or more - that you've been blessed, inspired, and/or challenged through becoming a part of Bloom?

12. What is your favorite thing about Bloom! as well as one thing you would like to see improved behind-the-scenes?

13. What brings you inspiration?

14. If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go? Who would you take with you and how long would you stay?

15. What's your favorite dessert/treat?

16. Coffee, tea, or soda?

17. What's your favorite color combination? Or combinations? ;-)

18. What's your favorite time of year? What about least favorite?

19. Would you rather have one very close best friend or a group of close friends?

20. Who is a role model for you in your life today (could be your mom, grandma, family friend, celebrity, etc.)?

21. Share a favorite quote or Bible verse. Why is it your favorite?

22. What is one thing that you've been trying to accomplish in 2011?

23. What is one way (or more!) that you are trying to strengthen your relationship with Jesus right now?

you can link on up below! If you'd like to see a "demonstration" post, know that I will have mine up shortly.


Have a blessed day, friends!  We're so looking forward to seeing your links and getting to know you better!

Love,
Hannah (& Kyann, too...she's been such a big help for this!)

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Never The Same Missions Trip 2011

Hi, girls! I'm just wondering if anyone is going on the Never The Same Missions Trip to Ecuador this summer. I'm considering going and it would be super awesome if we could meet each other there (if you're going!)! :) Has anyone been before? I'd love to hear all about it.

KyAnn

Saturday, February 19, 2011

A New Design

I know it's way past Valentines Day, but as a graphic designer, I love making new designs, and this is one that I made mainly for Valentines' Day. What do you think?
-Allison

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Please Come Vote for me!

Hey everyone! My name is Jordan(most of you know me as Jo Bekah) and I'm a Staff 1 photographer for the magazine.I entered a contest because I'm wanting to expand my knowledge of photography and would appreciate a vote from you girls! 


Here is the info:


I entered to win a Photography Mentoring(online workshop) from France Photography.

Come over and vote for me! Names are listed in Alphabetical order - Find "Jordan Eaks" click on the circle to choose - then scroll to the bottom and click "done" to vote! 
Thanks everyone! It's appreciated!


Want to know more about what you are voting for?
Click Here!

Let me know if you vote because if I win I'm going to have a HUGE giveaway on my blog - for my followers and clients!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Having Patience

Lately, I've been thinking about what areas of my life I could be working on, especially in regard to the new year.
One of them is so obvious, it sticks out to me every day.

"You're taking forever to put your shoes on!"
"Mary Catherine, I'm trying!"
"They're going to leave without you!"

Every single older sibling that I know endures the constant waiting on a younger child. And sometimes - Okay, a lot - I get a little - Okay, a lot - impatient.
What can we do about it?
Did you know that patience is one of the fruits of the spirit? In James 5:7, the Bible tells us to be patient for the coming of the Lord. Imagine how patient God has to be with us, his little children. We stray off of the righteous path countless times, but does he get irritated or give up on us? No! He is patient, setting for us a Holy example. Sometimes we have to patiently wait for God to answer prayer. Psalm 40:1 says, "I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry."
Isaiah 40:31 says, "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles; They shall run and not be weary; They shall walk and not faint."
If we wait patiently, God will strengthen us. He loves and cares for us, and he never gives us more waiting than we can handle. God died for us. Don't you think that we can at least lovingly wait on our siblings?
Have a blessed day!
--Mary Catherine

Monday, January 17, 2011

Putting others first

[a very short devotion]

Read Philippians 2:3
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vein conceit, but in all things consider others better than yourselves."

Ouch! This very may seem impossible, but when we rely on God's power, we find the strength necessary to obey.
Followers of Jesus put others first. They seek to live this way every day. Of course they aren't perfect, but when they mess up, they ask for forgiveness and move on.

What is the most challenging thing about putting other first?
my Pastor's Wife's answer: I keep getting in the way. They don't say "thank you". Sometimes you can't do enough for them

The key to putting others first:
Listen first. Talk second. Always, always, always listen first and talk second. You many have the most fascinating life, but other people would rather talk about themselves. When you listen first and talk second then you give others the rare chance to express who they are, where they are, and what they are about. 


Most importantly: 
To truly listen first and talk second, forget about yourself and forget about what is important to you. Be able to listen to them without ever saying a word about yourself. You may be tempted to talk about yourself because we all have the need to have others notice us, recognize us, and give us attention. However, when we demand others notice us, recognize us, and give us attention by dominating a conversation, we end up ignoring others and we turn others off by letting them know they come second in our life instead of coming first.


I hope this has encouraged you to start(or continue) to put others first. 
Ashley Jean
http://photographybyashleyjean.blogspot.com/
ashley96jean@yahoo.com

PS- want a part 2 to this post focusing on listening tips/skills?
PPS- I would love to hear what you have to say!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Walking in the Fruits of the Spirit - Love


Recently, I've been studying in my morning devotions how to walk in the Fruits of the spirit. I'm studying in the section of Love.

Love is such a powerful thing! It's not only about romance and marriage. Love is so much more. It takes so much love to forgive someone that hurts you, or to love someone that you don't necessarily like. I'm sure we've all crossed paths with that.

In my study, the writer uses an example from the Elise Dinsmore Books where someone had pushed Elsie hard down a hill and she fractured her ankle. When she heard about what his consequences would be (That he would be sent off to boarding school, away from his family}, she begged them not to be so harsh on him, for she couldn't imagine herself in his situation. Honestly, I must confess that I wouldn't have been so forgiving and loving as Elsie was. And though she is a fictional character, she is a great example. It must've taken great love to feel that way.


God says so many times in the bible to love others.
Doing good to those that hurt you, loving your enemies, loving others as yourself, etc.The biggest example of love that could ever be imagined is when God gave up His own son for us! Can you imagine doing so? He sent His son so that we might have eternal life by believing in Him {John 3:16}.

At church on Sunday,our pastor did an example of it. Taking a father and son and putting you in God's shoes. How hard it must've been to do that!


--

This week, I'm supposed to memorize a verse that I love:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

If you don't have this verse memorized, I encourage you to do it!

--Allison

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Spiritual Fitness

Hello there, fellow bloggers, staff, and teenagers!
Ah, the new year. It looms ahead of us like a giant present from a distant relative - it could be something really amazing, or something terrible like a scratchy yellow sweater that sits in the back of your closet until your mom yanks it out and gives it to Goodwill.
The point is, it's all in how you look at it. The other day, I made a goal/dream/resolutions list for 2011. It was mostly made up of things I want to become and goals I want to reach - such as saving up for a Nikon D60 camera.
But one of the first things on my list that popped into my head was my goal to have a better relationship with God. But I have to ask myself, what is the best way to do that?
Let's back up to another subject for a second. I recently started working out regularily at my local fitness center, and something very noticeable occured this week - there were three times as many people there in the mornings! The classes were packed. It was, of course, because of all of the New Year's resolutions that people made. However, by the end of the next week, the crowd flow is back to normal again, because those same people decided that fitness wasn't important enough to them.
It's the same with spiritual health. Have you ever vowed to get closer to God and then ran out of time for Him due to soccer practice, ballet rehearsals, etc.? That's where we go back to the relationship-with-God goal on the list.
How can you become spiritually fit in the coming year?
Think of God as your best friend - your BFFL (best friend for life). Wouldn't you want to spend a lot of time with your best friend? In fact, God is better than a best friend - he can be there for you whenever you need him - even late at night or in the wee hours of the morning.
Even if you're busy, you can still make sure that you always have time to get to know God. It might mean getting up ten to thirty minutes earlier than everyone else for some quiet time, or staying up a little later with a flashlight for some Bible reading. If you can, find a special quiet time spot outdoors (well, not in this cold weather, but later in the spring) where you can sit on a blanket and just talk to God and admire his creation. We each give glory to Him in our own way. For me that means giving him glory through the things I love - I dance for Him, sing for Him, and take photographs of all He has given us in nature. Look deep inside your heart and find out how your talents can make Christ's name known. Through all of this, you can grow and make stronger your relationship with Christ throughout 2011.
That's my "spiritual fitness" plan for this year. Anyone care to join me?