"God asked me to open my hand, and he gave me the world."

Hello, there. My name is Rebekah. I'm a teenage Christian writer with a passion for serving God and others. I have my own little blog, Found and Cherished, where I share about my journeys and struggles and discoveries. Because, truly, life is one big adventure.

At the moment, a wonderful woman from my church is leading a book club for some of our teen girls. We're reading Let's all be Brave by Annie F. Downs. It's a beautiful book, and I recommend it to every person out there in this crazy world.
So. I was reading this book, devouring Miss Downs' words and thoughts and beautiful writing style.
And I came across this quote. It entered my soul without invitation, sat down by the fire, and stayed.
"God asked me to open my hand, and he gave me the world." That struck me as crazy. Opening my hand to God? But that's risky. It's like running onto a main road without looking both ways. It takes the courage that I don't have.
But that quote, that idea, had made a home in my soul. I'm staying, Rebekah, it said. For good.
So I began the long and tedious thinking process that comes with being as introspective as I am. I pondered. I thought. I listened. And I came to a conclusion.
God has a plan. He knows exactly what's going to happen. So if I open my hand, I can have peace. I might not be looking both ways on this road, but God is. So in the end, I will be a better person. But right now? Right now, I need to be brave and open my hand.
So my hands are open. Ready to receive. And already, God has given. Opportunities to serve him have popped up in just enough places to keep me busy, but to also be willing to give more.
So.
Come with me. Be brave. Be beautiful. Open your hands to God. Receive what he has in store for you. And remember, he can give you the world.
Love,
Bekah Joan
p.s. to Elisabeth, you are amazing. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to post on your beautiful blog.

softly we tread

softly we tread
on the stars of dreams
escaped
from deepest slumber


softly we tiptoe
the dreams are waking
colors
leaking from the shadows



softly we tread
past the darkness
back into light


s  o  f  t  l  y

x-x-x

my sister and had a brainwave today and came up with a song that totally matched these words. such a beautiful beautiful tune. can't wait to see if i can share it with you lovelies xx.

#sostoked

liebster award!

Soooooo, putting aside my obvious MIA for a month or so (mien apologies guys :((( I've been so bad at keeping up), I was nominated for the Liebster Award by the amazing Maisie from Hipster Apocalypse (I knowwww awesome blog name). Thank you thank you thank you so much, dear! I really appreciate it xx. These beauties are for you:

don't they look just amazing i can't guys i really need some right right right now (o, i sound like sound whiney kid eeek. perks of being a teen. you're never quite grown up and you're never quite kiddie enough. ok fine back to the award)

The rules for this tag are the following:

• Post eleven facts about yourself
• Answer the eleven questions provided by the person who nominated you
• Create an eleven question set for the next group of nominees
• Choose eleven people to nominate and link them in this post
• Let your nominees know they’ve been tagged- and no tag-backs!

eleven facts about me:

1. I am in love with food to the point of obsession.
2. I hate writing facts about myself.
3. Because I always can't think of any.
4. That's why I'm inserting these pointless words in place of the facts.
5. Because if you actually bother to read this, you'll see it.
6. But chances are (!!) you'll skip over this and think that I wrote 11 facts.
7. It's quite a good tactic, isn't it?
8. *squeals over my genius-ness*
9. But of course, the first and the last point have to be a valid fact (and a repeated fact at that).
10. To contribute to the illusion, ya know?
11. I am in love with food to the point of obsession.

sorry.

(#notsorry)

maisie's questions:

1. How old are you mentally?

Depends. I can be a curious, crazy six-year-old at time, a mature young adult at others, and just oddly in between at seventeen. I tend to stick in the limbo between thoughtful adulthood and crazy childhood.

2. If you could have dinner with any 3 people in the world (fictional, nonfic, dead or alive) who would they be and why?

Ohh, this is a good one. Um:

1) Sherlock Holmes: his amazing mind and skill of deduction has always astounded me. Of course, he's a fictional character, but it would be swell if I could really meet him haha.

Robert Downey Jr. (YASS) as Holmes

Benedict Cumberbatch (!!) as Holmes

2) Florence Nightingale: I've always been inspired by Nightingale. Her perseverance in the nursing field facing so much discrimination has amazed me countless times.

3) Morgan Freeman: I don't know. I just saw an interview he had with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show and I was laughing so hard. It involved helium, so (ha). Go watch it, and if you're anything like me, laugh laugh and laugh. Because #helium (yasss).

3. What are your 5 favorite names?

Anne, Katie, Deb, Chris, Shawn

(wait it wasn't limit to girl names only right? eek. at this rate, i'll be breaking like all the rules of this award)

4. If you could be proficient in any 2 languages, what would they be?

Chinese (just because I'm a Chinese, and I would love to be proficient at my mother tongue xD) and German (just because it's a pretty amazing language).

5. What was the last movie you watched?

Half of How to Train Your Dragon 2. My parents stopped me when it was getting excited because we had something on (sob). I really need to finish it.

*puts it on mental to-do list*

6. What's your favorite TV show/Movie?

I love all TV shows that are mystery related / no crazy teenage romance etc etc etc. So currently I love love Sherlock, Doctor Who, Elementary, and Once Upon a Time. And I'm presently dyinngggg to watch Guardians of the Galaxy. (fangirl cries)

AKSKNEIWOFBINOCMSP;SLDSJFIAWPIOIEFN
marvel for the winnnnn

7. Apple or Android (or Windows)?

Apple for phone, Windows for PC <3

8. Favorite band?

Sorry, me don't have no favorite band. (Grammar Nazis, shoo shoo)

9. If you had to pick between eternally stuck in pajamas or formal clothes, which would you choose?

PAJAMAS PAJAMAS PAJAMAS PAJAMAS. thanks.

10. What's your favorite music and/or movie genre?

I like slow, jazzy, calming music. And my favorite music are currently from musicals like Defying Gravity, Phantom of the Opera, and Les Mis. :)

11. Where would you be right now if you had life your way?

If I had life my way, honestly, I'll be pretty scared.

Anyways, I probably would be relaxing on a premium cruise ship with loads of money I picked off a tree somewhere in the Bahamas. Just eating, swimming, relaxing, sleeping. (e.g. being a pig that can swim).

YOU KNOW WHAT. I GOOGLED SWIMMING PIGS AND APPARENTLY THERE ARE SUCH THINGS ARE SWIMMING BAHAMAS PIGS. guys i had no idea.

dawwww this is so cute <3<3

So thankfully I don't have life my way, and that my life has been shaped by many God-given factors. (I mean, I don't really relish the idea of being a swimming pig. Frankly, it's not my life goal [ha]).

Nominations:
I don't think I can nominate 11 people, but this was the closest I got (because almost all the bloggers I know have already done it so I had look for new blogs to follow! yayy) :

1. June S
2. Emily
3. Moriah
4. Cindy
5. Eve
6. Kat

(i'll be adding people along the way)

Questions:

1. What one movie totally deserve a sequel?
2. If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?
3. Favorite TV programs/movies that everyone needs to watch?
4. Who are your top 5 fictional role models?
5. Would you rather be in a: freezing cold arctic, or sweltering hot desert?
6. Would you risk your life to save another stranger's life?
7. Favorite place to go?
8. Have you ever been in a food fight and how was the experience like?
9. If you were a ruler of a country, what would you call it?
10. What about the opposite gender will you never be able to understand?
11. Which historical period would you choose to live in?

x-x-x-x

I always love doing blog awards. Your questions are always da bomb. So fun to do. My school is starting soon, and I might be busier, but I'll still try to do them. As always, thank you thank you to Maisie for the nominations and for everyone else who nominated me but haven't seen my post on the award yet but I assure you it's coming this is already a run on sentence which no one will probably read i actually sound pretty rambly and strange nvm

How you all bear with me I have no idea, but thank you and

l o v e

xx.

<all images via tumblr and the good 'ol internet>