I cannot think of anything more damaging to the inward and outward beauty of a girl, than bitterness. It is a seed, that once planted, begins to choke out the grace and sweetness of a young maiden and is terribly hard to get rid of. The plant grows rapidly, and sends out new shoots that produce more seeds and can easily spread to others. Let me tell you about some ways this seed is planted, how it spreads, and what you must do to get rid of it.

The past two years for my family have stretched us to lengths I didn’t think possible. Or normal. But because of this stretching, I have seen seasons of distant relationships and thick bonding moments. All good things, as I’m always reminded in Romans 8:28, but we are still a remarkably busy family. And our individual selves are even busier.

​Well, my sisters are busy; I’m just along for the ride, right? ‘Cause, as usual, I just have school.

​Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
 
Worship is not just something you do at church when you sing songs and pray. No, worship is the way you should lead every day of your lives. Your life should worship God daily in every act you perform. Your life should be an act of worship. When you live a life sacrificed to God, every act needs to come into obedience to God’s Word. Your thoughts, what you look at, read, where you go, who you are friends with, the words you speak, your dress, how you spend your time, your money, what you eat and drink, how much self-control you have, and finally, love. It all turns out as an act of worship. Others can see by your life and character Whom you serve.

During the summer months I really enjoy hiking.  I particularly enjoy hikes that lead uphill and into the mountains because the view at the top is so beautiful and rewarding.  Living in Alaska, there are plenty of such hiking trails. In addition to the majestic views from high mountainsides, I also enjoy seeing all the wildflowers.  Although there are many varieties of wildflowers to be seen on almost any hike, there is one flower that I have admired hike after hike for a few years.  It is called the windflower. 

​The windflower itself is rather plain.  It grows just a few inches tall and has five simple, round, pure white petals.  I have taken notice of this flower not so much for its appearance, but for where it grows, as it seems to grow in the most unlikely of places.  I see this flower growing well above tree line fully exposed to the driving winds and sometimes harsh weather conditions we experience even during the summer.  Besides this, it grows in some of the rockiest soil, oftentimes having less than half an inch of soil to grow in atop massive boulders.  And yet these small windflowers bravely put forth their blossoms adding delicate beauty to the rugged mountain terrain.