Saturday Summary: "Travel is Broadening"

When this particular blog post goes down in history and farther back in the blog archives, and the mass of my readership only stalks me this far back in rare bursts of time-consuming appreciation, no one will notice that I posted a Saturday post on a Wednesday. Right?

Right?

Right. Okay thank you. 

For the last two weeks, I've been traveling Europe. (My excitement over that would render it in all caps, but that's a little too obnoxious even for this extreme level of excitement. So keep that in mind.) 

And as it's Saturday (IT IS SATURDAY) (sorry I'll stop yelling now), I shall provide you a recapitulation of a few marvelous adventures! 

I've decided to organize them according to location, which works nicely because we left Ireland (our first destination) on Saturday, making it our first week. Perfect! 

But before we get that far, I'm going to warn you: I have lots of good pictures from the week I got back from kamp and had a foot procedure, and as tomorrow is Thursday, I might do a throwback-thursday-saturday post and share some of that fun. Now you know. 

On our drive from Dublin (where we landed) to Belfast (where we stayed), we stopped at Tolleymore Forest. It was positively enchanting. 

This is Dunluce Castle, which is abandoned and in ruins and you can climb all over. Because of the considerable pain my feet were in, I took this picture then a nap. I love this because it is of a castle, a tiny town, and the sea. All in one picture! Lovely, isn't it?

The second picture is my dad and I as we were leaving. And the sun. And some rugby-playing Irish people. #local, yanno? 

This is Kinbane Castle, which we visited on Thursday. It had a hike of stairs leading down to it. It's on a promontory jutting into the sea (see it? the grey thing in the middle where the rock meets the sea?). I wrote my name in charcoal on one one of the smaller structures. 

After Kinbane we went to Cerrick-a-rede, which was similar except you crossed a rope bridge to get to the promontory. It was beautiful, exactly what you'd picture Ireland to look like. 

We stopped for lunch in a tiny, adorable Irish town. The flags? Those are real decoration. They were really there; this is not made up. Why do we not string banners around towns in America? let's start doing that. Plan? Plan. Also, we passed a post office that had ice cream. Let me repeat that louder. 

A POST OFFICE. 

WITH ICE CREAM. 

America, take notes for the second time. Ireland has managed to take a happy place and make it even happier. And they call Oreo ice cream "American Cookie," which I thought was funny. 

There was also a fruiterer. I think that word speaks for itself. 

After lunch we visited Giant's Causeway, where there are hundreds and thousands of rock columns in hexagon shapes that reach under the sea from Ireland to Scotland and no one knows why. It was beautiful. See my tiny feet?

We spent Friday in the city of Belfast shopping and la-dee-da (wow that does not read smoothly). This is a lovely and adorable lunch we ate (notice a trend of those two words?) at Avoca. 

The next day, before returning to Dublin to catch our flight to Normandy, we went to St. George's market. It was very local and fun. And, true to form, lovely and adorable. 

And there were more banners strung from the ceiling. Ireland really does it right. 

There were also stalls of pastries, eggs, and an organic juice stand. 

So with that, we conclude our week in Belfast. It is a lovely (and adorable ... no? too much?) city, which my older sister claims is far superior to the tourist-y Dublin. Please, if you get the chance, go. 

Bye for now,

Charlie

Maddie

I'm both now, I've decided. Sorry if you're confused. Please don't have an identity crisis for me, I'm not worried about it. K? Swag. 

Fashion on Tuesday: Haute Couture 2—Oscar de la Renta

I couldn't find a runway show on the Oscar de la Renta website. Their instagram posted a short video of their most recent resort collection, but I couldn't find it online. So I looked at their ready-to-wear, and these are my favorites. 

This pink dress. I like gowns, pink, pleating, and has all of those. I also love the neckline. And, 

THE BACK. Isn't it sweet!?

I thought this was kinda precious. Pleasant, perhaps. It's a little low for practicalities, but it looks nice in the picture. And the back is cute!

I thought this was intriguing. I like the Chinese-inspired design, the use of jade, the fluffiness and length of the skirt, and the transparency at the top and bottom. 

Then I started watching the bridal show. I wasn't as blown away by them as I was expected, but I liked this little one! You know me, I always pick short over long anyway. I like this one, and the texture is interesting. 

Then these precious little ones came trotting down the runway. Aren't they adorable?

I have nothing great to say about Oscar's recent endeavors, except that I was unable to find them easily, I like the pink gown, and I am excited for a new Oscar show soon. And I hope that I can find it when it happens. 

In the Gap: Dance

Hola! Exciting news! This post right here is the first dance video! I pretended to post one earlier, but it never uploaded.
This is to "Heartquake" by Mads Langer. I decided to do a dance sitting down because I recently had an operation on my feet so I'm not too mobile. I'm facing backwards to retain my sense of mystery.
Here's a reminder: I am "in the gap" with dance. Have you watched the video yet? You know it's my favorite! Do it, if you haven't. And just in case you don't read it, I'll explain: I am new at dance, so I have to work through a "gap," a gap where my skill and technique don't match what I know is good dance. But the thing about the gap is that there's no way to get around it. I have to work through it, and that's why I made dance posts a part of this blog. So that I would have accountability to choreograph. Because if I don't practice, I won't improve.
I wrote this post while watching a movie, so no promises on the grammar. or continuity.

Fashion on Tuesday: Haute Couture 1— Dior

About today's topic, "haute couture:" If you're like me, you're not exactly sure if "haute" is pronounced "hot" or "out," and you always forget the first "u" in "couture." Well today when I was preparing for this post, I was in the eye doctor. And in the waiting room, I read the wikipedia article on haute couture. (I phrased that as if the waiting room induced me to do it, because for some strange reason I think it did.) I learned that there is a regulating committee in Paris protected by French law who releases a list every year of houses who are considered to be haute couture. I looked at the list of included fashion houses and watched and analyzed certain shows. I'll begin today with Dior.

I watched their Autumn/Winter 2015-6 show, and I am sad to say I was less than impressed. That seems like a silly thing to say, so I shall rephrase: "I was not impressed." Usually their designs take my breath away, but the ones I've included only caught my eye in relation to the other unnoticeable designs. Sorry, Dior, for the harsh review. I'm probably wrong, but hey! I'm only in the gap anyway. Maybe I'm just not seeing your creative vision, Raf.

Multiple silhouettes featured this cage-structure-over-dress design; this was was the best of those, and I liked it hitting the all-white look that's so popular right now.

Here we have the cape/cloak trend, which I love, and this silhouette is flatteringly enhanced by the fur sleeve. Positive ratings.

This one is slightly more "deconstructed-I-couldnt-find-my-coat-so-I-grabbed-this-blanket-do-I-look-couture," but I'm buying it. I think?

Here the cape/cloak trend is expanded into slouchy-coat trend—I like this direction. I would be so down to wear a slouchy coat around to keep warm this winter! Also the burgundy/pink pairing is on point.

And again:

These are two dresses I—well—liked. I give an overall positive review for the dresses in question, but an overall negative review because my top-ranked dresses from the show I merely "like."

These are the last two, and my top pics from the whole show. Despite the low neck of this first one, the power and elegance it portrays shoot it to the top of my list. Also, velvet? Yes! Sleek, chic, and not-so-meek! (Just kidding about the last one; fighting for the rhyme, yanno?)

And this. Blazer+feminine pattern+menswear+pajama trend=business-chic-please-come-into-style-and-my-closet.

So there you have it, our first July Haute Couture show review. I'm not sure about the timing of these; I can't figure out all the fashion weeks and the different shows and designers at each of them. Until I figure it out, except more patchwork gatherings-up like these! Up next: Oscar de la Renta (and hopefully fewer this-is-my-train-of-thought adjectives).

Verses for Meditation: Summer 2015

I've always known that memorizing scripture was important. Recently, though, someone pointed out to me that the Bible does not tell us to have a quiet time or command us to read it daily. The Bible says to meditate on scripture day and night, to write it on our hearts. This livened both my quiet time and my scripture memory, for it re-energized my quiet times and provided new purpose and importance to scripture memory. Here are a few verses I've selected for meditation this summer:

"...I will cleanseyou from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." Ezekiel 36:25b-27

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.' " 1 Corinthians 1:27-31

"Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." 1Corinthians 3:18-23

I've also been working on memorizing more in Romans. Right now Paul is discussing the importance of faith over law for righteousness. 

Thank You, Lord, for a mind capable of memorizing. I pray that I would not be a hearer only, but also a doer of the Word. I pray that it will not merely be available for playback, but that it will infuse my mind, heart, and soul. Please use it to soften, encourage, and convict me. 

Tuesday: Letters

A few letters from the past, because letters are a beautiful way to communicate and I love them:

Notes to sweet sophomores from school:

Notes to some sweet freshman friends:

A letter to a couple who were a blessing to me when I'd just moved to Samford:

Mail I sent from kamp that I painted on my time off:

Tuesday: Grammar

Well, seeing as I haven't met my quota for the month, and the month ends tomorrow, and you have all expressed your concern, and Tuesday has three categorical options for blog posts, and I'm waiting at the airport for a few hours, I have decided (drumroll, please!) to post again. 

*cheering gif that wouldn't paste in*

This post is about grammar. I like grammar. But I also like people. This post is about the lack of agreement between those two statements for many grammar-lovers. 

See, some people are good at grammar. They've had good schooling, or good parents, or they like to read, and somehow they're good at grammar. Most people, however, aren't good at grammar. They know their language enough to use it, but maybe not enough to use it well. They know enough to use it, but they don't know how it works. Just like me and my iPhone (or computer or car or flashlight or pretty much anything technological), I can use it to get online or send a text, but I couldn't explain to you how the Internet or texting works. And if it were to break, I would guess one or two ways to make it work, but I'd be pretty much unable to fix it. 

Most people have this relationship with grammar. But because language is our central method of communication, people continue to use and misuse it. Then the grammar-competent come across grammar mistakes and the people who make them. They berate them for their comma splices, split infinitives, and misplaced modifiers. They point out their lack of parallelism, hyphens, and Oxford commas. Their effect is to affect whether the person can weather their company and accept them except when they can't stop correcting. 

Then the poor person who never learned the intricacies of the English language leaves having decided never to talk again, and the grammar-competent person leaves having corrected the injustice of the world. As they walk  home, cheering peasants line the streets, throwing down their clothes to be walked on and singing the praises of their faithful hero. 

What's wrong with this picture? I think it's priorities. 

Just like in any appearance of pride, in this situation the grammar put their own knowledge and concerns above that of the person they spoke to. I think the reason they don't see it is because they told themself they are helping the other person. 

But here's the thing I wish they understood. Conveying their importance helps people. Affirmation helps people. Loving words help people. Who is supposed to be cheered for? Who walked on cloaks and was worshipped? Jesus! 

Jesus helps people, not grammar. Love helps people, not criticism! Words are powerful when used correctly, but they are more powerful when used affirmingly! 

People's grammar loses its importance when people's salvation is brought up.  

So to all those who notice mistakes in grammar: Nothing you teach people will be more important than that Jesus loves them and you love them. 

Any way, I know their's alot but its worser then somethings.

Fashion on Tuesday!

I've been at a summer kamp in the Missouri for the past six weeks, so I decided that the best way to catch up on fashion is to flip through celebrity pictures on the Internet. Here we go!

#1: WHITES

I love love love white on white on white. Here's a few of my favorites:

Light, pretty, breezy—I can't get enough. 

#2: LDD (Little Denim Dress) 

Instyle alerted me to the popularity of these coming in summer 2015, and I haven't been disappointed by their prediction or by the trend. I think they're summery and precious! 

#3: DRESSES 

Okay I know it's a category not a trend, but here's a few that especially caught my eye in addition to those beautiful white ones above. 

#4: SLOUCHY

I am completely okay with this bed-to-runway trend. 

#5: MENSWEAR

Always on the top of my list, menswear by these lovely ladies especially caught my eye. 

And this next one has a choker! I'm interested to see how chokers will reappear over the next few seasons. 

MISCELLANEOUS: 

jumper + animal print + b&w = 🎉

art + structure + hem = 🎉

embellishment + black&metallic + shorts = 🎉

So there you have it—six categories of looks I like. Hooray for fashion and being back to cute clothes!

Music Monday

As I write this post, I find myself wondering how important what I have to say is. When I thought of "Music Monday," I pictured myself holding up various popular songs each week and measuring them against scripture. When I started to write for this post, however, I wondered why I would dissect one song when so many so obviously are so contrary to scripture. But clearly people either don't care (a major portion) or don't realize the contradiction (a few, at least!), so I push through despite my feelings that what I'm saying doesn't matter. But here's what's funny: no one reads this anyway, so it's not consequential anyway. So there's another way to solve that problem. 

Now I need to pick a song. 

*goes to iTunes*

Okay I decided to do Fight Song, because it's generally happy and I'm hoping there won't be much wrong with it. I'm not in the mood for something crazy sad or explicit. Here we go! (watch there be absolutely nothing wrong or extraordinarily right and this post be completely boring. Hey, I'm not complaining if a song like that is in the top 5!

welllllllllllllll.........

I'm afraid I predicted that a little too well. The song is lovely. SO I have decided o try to find places it lines up with scripture. Hooray!

"Like how a single word

Can make a heart open"

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." Prov. 25:11

"I might only have one match

But I can make an explosion"

"So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!" James 3:5

"And all those things I didn't say

Wrecking balls inside my brain

I will scream them loud tonight"

"Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit..." Job 7:11

"But there's a fire burning in my bones

And I still believe"

"There is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in..." Jeremiah 20:9

Now I understand that these verses are out of context, but I think they prove that the song lines up with Biblical themes. Certain lines from it are almost word-for-word with Bible verses, and the song emphasizes perseverance and courage. 

Final Declaration: 

👍🏻👌🏻🎉

bye, another idol! :)

I'm dropped my dance minor. Because I was pursuing it over Christ, because it was an idol in my life, because it fed my pride. Because the Holy Spirit convicted me to, and convinced me to (which, I assure you, took some doing). Because God is working good through lame human Madeline. 

I pray that he will purify my mind of false dance desires and put within me good dance desires which are pleasing to him. 

Ezekiel 36:25b-27

"I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you, I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."

That is my prayer, for my lame, stubborn, prideful self. My self which, thankfully, is covered by grace. Thank you, God. 

Sabbath Ponderings: Fellowship

(this is me not commenting on how long it's been since I posted. okay. glad we had that talk.)

I've been at kamp! And kamp is wonderful. And God convicted me of something at kamp that I'm going to share with you. Because sharing obedience is a way to fellowship with other believers. (see the next post for that:)

But speaking of fellowship, here is today's Sabbath Pondering: I am tired of believers' fellowship being getting together, eating, and being cordial to each other because we aren't similar but talking anyway because we're members of a church and that's what we're supposed to do. I think believers' fellowship is, as my dear friend Mary, a missionary for 34 years in Japan, said, "talking about Christ." That's what she missed about Japan, that in Japan, people would *passionate old person voice* "talk about Christ. Here in America, we do not talk about Christ." She said this when I was at lunch with her; I had asked her to lunch because I wanted to hear the heart of someone extraordinary enough to spend so many years in Japan for Jesus. "I will talk to you about Christ!!" I wanted to say, "anytime! I love to talk about Him! I think that's what we are supposed to do!" The Church would look more like Christ if He were the subject of our conversations. I also think those "I'm going to this because I'm supposed to even though my relationships there are awkward and forced" church functions would be so much better because our  conversations would be rich and full, and the awkwardness and forcedness would be, if not less (I think it would be less!), at least more purposeful. It's often so much easier to love people when we knows their hearts, and it's the people we don't understand who are hard to love. So let's talk about Christ when we fellowship.
...she powerfully concluded, then went on writing, knowing that she herself was also guilty of not trying to talk about Christ and not being vulnerable, hoping the very writing of it would convict it in herself.