Unbroken

It was when I was almost dead,

that you taught me how to really live.

It was when I was on the ground,

that you gave me the strength to get up.

When I was just a flicker of a flame,

you blew life into my fire and made it roar.

And when I lay there crumpled and small,

you promised you'd be there through it all.

There's still a long way to go,

but I look back now on this road I've taken,

I see the two sets of footprints,

and I know your promise remains unbroken.

-T.H.

31/08/15

Isaiah 42:3 / A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.

6 Things We Idolize, And Shouldn't

Idolatry. I believe it's a sin we're all guilty of, in one way or another.
I've been thinking more and more about this lately. I have been thinking about if I have my priorities right. I'm a Christian. My God, Jesus, should be at the center of my life. Not off to the right, or over there in the left. No. He must be in the CENTER. Above everything else, I should turn my worship and attention to Him. Nothing else is worthy of getting in the way.
We all idolize. Sure, in subtle ways, maybe. But that's what makes it hard to notice, to be concerned about. Often it can be the stupidest little thing. Humans are labile, fickle creatures. They repeatedly give in to their desires, give in to what they lust after, whatever it is. I know I, for one, want to please God with my whole heart. That does not mean I don't sin when it comes to this. The Bible says the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)

So what do we allow to be exalted in everyday situations, when we shouldn't?

1. FOOD.

Oh, how many times I catch myself thinking about food. Chocolate, pizza, french fries, cheesecake, you name it. It's so easy to fall into the trap of permitting our stomach to govern us. Our stomach can become to be like a god to us.
In Philippians, the Bible says: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame- who set their mind on earthly things. (3:19)
God made food for our enjoyment. He did. But it is not meant to come before Him. Ever seen that little sentence at the bottom of the TV screen, whilst watching an ad for beer or wine or some form of alcohol? The one that says 'drink responsibly'? As Christians, our duty is to eat responsibly. It's okay to enjoy food. Don't worship it.

2. APPEARANCE.

Outward appearances. Admit it, we've all heard it, and often believed the lie that tells us we have to be picture perfect to be accepted. Honestly, the standard has been set too high, and I'm here to break it to you.
Some people judge themselves for their outward appearances. Some people judge others for their outward appearances. I can't deny that I've let this get to me. Lately, though, I've felt very strongly that God is telling me to change. Stop, He's saying, just stop. You really think that I breathed life into you and put you in this world so that you could stress about the way you look?
Not only has He been reminding me that outward beauty is not what matters, He's also been rebuking me for insulting Him. Yes, when you look in the mirror and say you don't like what you see, you're saying: God, your artwork is ugly. Please, realize how serious that is. He's the Creator. Everything he has made is beautiful.
And trying to value everyone (Including yourself) by how pretty their face is or desirable or good looking they are according to the world's standard is wrong. It's also of a sign ignorance, which is a sign you've been brainwashed by the world.

3. PEOPLE.

There are a few subjects I need to cover here. Idolizing people can happen as anyone of the following...

(a) Actors, singers, boy bands, authors, popular friends, even your crush. Whatever, any of those. Sometimes we obsess about other people, hence the term 'fangirl'. It's not alright. The only One we should fangirl over is Jesus. It's fine to show appreciation for someone in your life, of course. But here's some advice. Don't obsess and don't fantasize over other humans. It is a sin, because it steals away the time we could be using to spend time with our God, and really, it's not healthy.
(b)  For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)
Society piles on the pressure. I know that. I know how it is. You want to impress and please others, you want them to think you're cool. You often do things keeping in mind what they would think of it. We should only keep in mind what our Father in heaven would think of it. It doesn't make Him happy when we make pleasing men our primacy.
(c) Yourself. Ourselves. Being selfish is a way of putting someone else in a higher place than God. That someone being you. Doing what we want instead of what He wants is the opposite of being selfless, which we're called to do.

4. POSSESSIONS.

Mine. I want. Give me.
Those things that go through our minds. It's so hard not to take what you want. Or to be stingy with what you have. But guys, stuff, stuff is so worthless when you think about it. Owning fancy, expensive or beautiful things will not fill that hole you may feel in your life. And whatever objects and possessions you have with you will not go with you into the next life someday. There is joy in having little and not minding.
I'm also referring to envying things that someone else has, like King David did. Pull against the urge to have what isn't yours.

5. ENTERTAINMENT.

Meaning: movies, music, social media. Spending too much time in front of the TV, preoccupying your mind with the wrong music, or biting your lip at too little likes on a photo you posted.
I believe entertainment is one of the pleasures God has gifted us with, yes. Good things are good for you, when rationed out in the right amounts. If you're thinking about them too often, spending too much time dwelling on them, then you're letting them be too important to you.

6. MONEY.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:10)
My point has already been made with that verse. However, I'll go on to say this. I think everyone will agree that money is tempting. Very, very tempting. And oh, how the evil one loves for us to fall into temptation. Just remember that you can't do it on your own. You cannot beat temptation without help from above.

You might not like what I'm saying. If I'm honest, I don't even like what I'm saying. I won't deny it's a battle. Fighting against what we as simple humans fancy, and instead satisfying ourselves in Him. But I promise you this, He is so satisfying. He is all you need, all I need. He can give that deep sense of belonging. And He keeps His word.
I was reading in the book of John today, and I came across a couple of verses that I think will finish this post with the right words.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (John 2:15-17)

I encourage you to watch and pray. And to glorify Jesus as your only God. Don't let the gods of this world entice you, lest you be caught in their snare.

Cavalli

In June, my mom and I went to a fine dining restaurant for lunch one noon. My sister works at the place where we went, being a chef and all, which is why we decided to visit. Equus is its name, latin for horse. It's based near Stellenbosch, on a beautiful wine and stud farm, Cavalli Estate. The scenery is gorgeous, with mountains in the distance, greenery everywhere, indigenous plants in bright colours, beautiful horses grazing in their paddocks near a large, modern stable, a paved road leading up to the buildings and and a wide lake that was in full view from where we sat, on the deck.

I have my lovely mom to thank for the wonderful treat of going to Equus.

The experience was amazing, it was my first time having a 'fine dining' three course meal. At first, when I picked up the menu, I decided on pork belly, one of the mains. Satisfied with my choice, I closed my menu and told my mom, who laughed. She told me I was supposed to choose my starter first. And also that I was going to choose a dessert. I was surprised that we were having three courses, but of course, happy about it.

So, for my starter, I had 'House Smoked Pastrami, Healey's Cheddar, Piccalilli, Caper Sultana'.

If first impressions are what matter most, I was already hooked. This dish was so tasty, thinking about it now is making me hunger for it. And look how prettily it was presented.

My mom had 'Citrus-Cured Salmon, Red Wine Poached Pear, Num-Num Gastrique, Spiced Almonds' as her starter.

I don't usually enjoy almonds. But I tasted a few pieces of toasted almond from my mom's starter and loved it.

It was a little harder to choose a main, all of the exotic, appealing titles vying for my attention. In the end, I went with my original choice. 'Cider Braised Pork Belly, Roasted Beetroot, Carrot Puree, Caramelized Apples'. My mouth is watering from just typing the title...and I'm not joking.

The main was delicious and filling. The pieces of what looks like folds of polystyrene on top are crackling, which was brilliant. It was absolutely yum.

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the main my mom ate. But here comes the best part: dessert.

I ordered 'Gingerbread Spiced Cheesecake, Candied Ginger, Honeycomb Ice-Cream'.

This. Was. So. Good. Wow.

My mom went for 'Chocolate Eton Mess'.

Which, as you can see, was art on a plate. As well as being delectable.

The garden was perfect, and the sky so blue...I'm grateful for what a good day it was. Spending time with my mom alone can be tricky with so many other people in the house all the time, but when we do manage, it's great.

Interview I: O Williams

Disclaimer: Before I continue with this interview, I have an apology to make. In my last post I promised a post on explorations in the Cape. I have a good explanation for not delivering on this. The weather on the day we were going turned out to be rainy, droopy and overcast. I took very few photos, and none of them were as good as I'd hoped for.

So, that was slightly disappointing. Ah well, sometimes, c'est la vie.

Hey, everyone. Hope you're having a great Thursday. The weekend is creeping closer, so smile.

I've decided on starting an interview series (Which may or may not prevail over my seeming inability to continue with these sorts of things. We'll see.) and my first interview is with the brilliant Olivia (O Williams) from Life as a Young Lady. She's smart, and she's got funk, so I'm sure you will enjoy her answers to my questions.

/ / /

How old are you? Fifteen years old which is honestly so weird to say and I can't believe my next birthday will be my sixteenth like help.

What is your middle name? (If you have one) It's classified, sorry! But it's handed down from my family (just like my first name) so I like it ^^

Are you a quiet, shy thinker, or a loud, outgoing person? (Maybe a bit of both?) 

I'm definitely the quiet and shy thinker; when I'm with a group of people, I just "hold up the wall" as they say and observe people and have thoughts about them and me and stuff. I rarely say a word when I'm with a group of people.

Do you enjoy sports and adventurous outings, or do you prefer things like literature and photography? 

Literature and photography, for sure. Outside scares me (literally) and I'm just a complete fail at sports and all sports-related things.

Favourite sweet food? 

Oh, man. I guess...cupcakes. But I love donuts too. And cookies. And just everything dessert-y.

Favourite savoury food? 

Oh, man. These questions are making me so hungry. Um...oh, man. I just love food so much. I can't even answer this one. I love too many foods.

Number of siblings? 

Just one, thank goodness. One is definitely enough; he's got enough sass to make up for about five siblings.

What makes you happy most of all? 

Thinking about God and how we all have second chances. And I love to think about how He made everything; like I may love bands and pretty photography and poetry and books and movies but God gave us the mental ability to make those things and to communicate with other people and I think that truly shows His omnipotence.

What intimidates you most in the society we live in today? 
Just everything haha. Every time I stare a fellow human in the face I just panic like "omg they already don't like me and they haven't even heard my name yet"

Favourite blogs and/or sites?
Your blog is of course beautiful.​ A Free Mind is super relatable, ​Eve of Womanhood has simply gorgeous photography, Random Rants by Rcubed is hilarious, and The Ups and Downs of My Not-So-Average Life is just amazing.

What does blogging mean to you? 

blogging (v.) something you do when you waNT TO USE ALL CAPS​, ​force music on people (psst *pushes you twenty one pilots album*) and ​discus​s future Marvel movies (but tbh I don't know if I'm more excited for Marvel or DC...like Civil War and Deadpool sound like they're gonna be awesome but Suicide Squad looks sooo good like I don't know--wait. Not the time Olivia, not the time.)

What is the story behind your website's name?
I wanted a blog name that started with a letter from my name. I put the "young lady" phrase which everyone had been using in reference to me together with the "life" to make it start with a letter from my name and ta-da! (Wow yeah that was a boring story.)

Do you have any all time favourite songs, movies, or books? (Name as many as you like)
Oh wow. This list could get long. I'll try to keep it brief, though. ​
Songs: Impossible acoustic cover by James Arthur; piano versions of Chandelier and Elastic Heart ​by Sia; acoustic version of Cool Kids by Echosmith; Skinny Love cover by Birdy, Background by Lecrae, The A Team by Ed Sheeran, Safe by Britt Nicole, and See You Again by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth.
Movies: Captain America: the Winter Soldier, Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, To Kill a Mockingbird, Akeelah and the Bee, Roots, Tangled, Toy Story 3, Inside Out...there are way way more but I can't think of them all right now.

Books: When You Reach Me, all of The Chronicles of Narnia, all of A Series of Unfortunate Events, all of The Secret Series, all of The Hunger Games but especially Catching Fire, The Dark Unwinding, Hattie Big Sky, Monument 14, and loooots of others that I can't remember at the moment.

Which bloggers inspire you most and why?
Of course you, as well as Autumn, Rose, Mackenzie, and Cally--the photography and writing in their (and your) blogs ​are just very beautiful.

What goals, dreams and ambitions do you have? (Even if they are small)​

​I'd really love to write, direct, and produce my own original studio film (yeah, I know, that one's a long shot.) If I don't do that when I grow up, I guess I​'d like to continue blogging (on an advanced level of course) and be a book editor at a publishing company as my "real job".

July Days

Alright, this post is late. July has passed and it's August. The last month of Winter. (Or Summer, you know, depending on which side of the world you live) But I wanted to publish my July catch up post even if I didn't quite get there on time to actually write it during July.

With August has come a surprising burst of warm weather, and we're only three days into the month. It's like summer is reminding us that it's just around the corner. Which I am happy about, although I'll probably long for cooler weather once it gets here. However, I suspect a cold front is approaching. It would explain the weirdness of the warmth in the breeze and the sun that has been beating down in hot rays.

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lately...

+ painting numerous watercolor patterns because it's just so much fun

+ reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes and another book of hers, The Girl You Left Behind (They are really good books)

+ studying Revelations in the Bible (God says that His people die for lack of knowledge, and I refuse to remain uneducated when the Bible sits there full of information that He Himself has provided for us)

+ walking all over the mall and checking out the 75%, 50% and 25% sales (Currently, they are everywhere. End of season sales)

+ watching Inside Out at the cinema

+ eating burgers and Mcflurries from Mcdonalds with my older sister because she is on leave for three weeks (Her leave ends tomorrow, but I don't want to think about that)

+ finding the perfect lightweight, grey dress (And what do you know, it was on sale)

+ getting irritated with my phone and myself because I have no storage space left (I'm sentimental, okay, and I can't bring myself to delete any of the 1,852 photos on my phone)

+ lettering more typography, which has become like a drug to me

+ spending far too much time on Pinterest

+ trying to finish up with my blog design; I already have everything planned out in my head, I know how I want it all to be, and I need to quit my procrastinating ways

+ staying up late (Stupidly) and watching Legally Blonde and John Tucker Must Die with my sister (She's a bad influence)

+ going out for lunch with my mom to this extraordinarily beautiful and fancy restaurant where my sister works as a huge treat (That little fact is actually a hint. A blog post on our trip there could possibly be coming soon)

+ swapping interviews with Olivia at Life as a Young Lady (Also coming soon. I'm starting an interview series, guys...I'll give you more info when I get there)

+ purchasing cute earrings (On sale!)

+ discovering that I can still climb trees, even if I am slightly rusty
bonus: + putting up paper lanterns in my room

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P.S. Tomorrow my family and I are adventuring. We'll be visiting wine farms around/in the Cape, and hopefully I'll come back with a million photos and a post that's ready to be published before the end of the week. And one more thing: forgive me for the awful quality of some of the pictures in this post. I'll do better next time.