Put on Your Dancing Shoes! :)

My family hosted a dance for my birthday on Friday the 15th! :) It was very fun!

We had it at our church gym.  The day before the dance, we decorated it with streamers (pink, green, blue, and purple) and flowers and butterflies that were all sparkly!  We even had streamers streaming across the top of the gym.  It was very pretty and rainbow-like!  We also had balloons over the snack table.  Here is a picture of the balloons over the table:

The dance started at about seven.  The first dance we danced was the "Duke of Kent's Waltz".  Some of the other dances we danced were the "Virginia Reel", "Hole in the Wall", and a dance where one of the steps was to "Dip 'n Dive!".  :)

In the last dance we did, the guys were in the center in a circle, and the girls were in a circle outside them.  You'd start with your partner, skip forward, skip backwards, change which way you were facing, skip back, skip forward.  Then, jump in, jump out, then the girl would swing over to the middle, jump in, jump out, then the girl goes under the guy's arm back to the guy behind her, ending up on the outside of the circle again.  Then, repeat! :) Whew!

The caller had to leave a little after nine, so the dancing was done then, and we cut the cake and took a little break (hey, that rhymes!).

Then chairs were set up in a circle, and some people shared some encouraging words.  We closed with a prayer and sang "Amazing Grace" then we cleaned up.

We had 74 people attend the party.  I feel so blessed that all these people came and love me.  I moved here with empty hands (no friends here), but God has filled them with some wonderful people.  May He always be honored and glorified in my life.

 ...And music fills the night 

And when you can't contain your joy inside, then dance for Jesus...

~"Untitled Hymn" by Chris Rice

Do We Care?

Someone new walks into your church.  They've been through all sorts of hard times, yet they smile on the outside  while still hurting within.  Maybe this person doesn't look wealthy or kind, so no one talks to them.  And everyone has their own little groups of friends anyway.  They don't want to go out of their "zone."  What is going to make this person come back to church?  They may not even be a Christian.  

How about the kid in your youth group who's parents have divorced?  And the other kid who is a Christian, but who's parents are not?


What will happen to the shy girl at school who no one ever talks to?  Do we even care?


We judge people before we even get a chance to know their story.


Something needs to change... now.


Do you realize that God has given you a wonderful opportunity to possibly help make a difference in someone's life?  Can people tell that you are different by the way you do things and talk?  

Do we sometimes just ignore what's right in front of us?  Instead, will we ignore the status quo, and take the leap and reach our hand out to those in need? 


We are the body of Christ.  My Sunday teacher once said, "If my foot hurting, I'd like to know!"  Don't you want to know if part of you is hurting? 


We are supposed to be different than the world.  We are to care for others.  


What do you think?  Is God calling you to reach out today?

Blog Award

Thanks to my dear friend Karissa of "A Daughter's Devotion" for awarding me with "The Most Stylish Blog Award"!  The rules ask me to list seven random things about myself.  So, here they are...

1.  I collect postcards.  I have many from around the world, even though I have never been to those places.  The only foreign country I have been to is Mexico.  If you know me, and ever travel anywhere (I collect postcards from the U.S., too), I would love to get a postcard from there! :)

2.  When I was little, I always wanted a dog, but my mom always told me I couldn't get one until I was twelve.  Well, my family got our first dog when I was ten! :) She's a Sheltie, and I'm happy we have her (even if it was a little "early")!

3.  I studied Latin for two years.

4.  I know people living in at least 17 states.  Some of them, I hardly know, but I've met them!

5.  I am part Native American.

6.  Last year, I visited both the East Coast and the West Coast.

7.  I have lived in three states, and five houses.

Now, I would like to give this award to my friend Katelyn of "A Life of Purpose"...