life is a gift

and this little princess...

2011-10-19T21:01:00.001-04:00

and this little princess..., originally uploaded by noel_harmony.

This was from the flight I took to pick up Joy and Gus. We had a lot of fun at the airport and in the plane with only a few minutes toward the end of the flight where they were both a little grumpy and possibly in pain because of the shifting in air pressure. That always gets me too. I fell asleep in the airplane on the way to Texas and woke up in a ton of pain because I hadn't yawned or done anything to let my ears pop and there was a ton of pressure built up.

The only hitch was that on my way through security the machines I had to go through indicated that I might have explosives. The only thing I had on/with me at all was Gus and I while I know for a fact he can be explosive I don't think it was the kind they were talking about.

It was so nice to have the whole crew up here (Symph and Caleb too) for mom's birthday and just at all. I didn't realize just how much I missed having them around. It will be nice when they move back in February to this area.

wolf spider

2011-10-19T19:46:00.001-04:00

wolf spider, originally uploaded by noel_harmony.

I love it when teachable moments happen. I think they are so much more fun sometimes than the lessons I plan because they are unexpected and very relevant to what the kids are interested or need to learn at the right time. Spiders just happened to be one of the lessons that we have been learning about lately.

It all started at nap time a few weeks ago and I was just about to turn on some quiet music when I looked down and saw this "little" guy/girl and thought that someone must be playing a joke because there definitely wasn't a real spider this big in my classroom. Upon closer inspection however it was definitely real. I immediately grabbed one of our many bug boxes and began the chase. I had to move a few cots (with sleeping children on them) and get down on my belly to find it under the heater but I was able to capture it unharmed. When I turn around with my prize one of my students who hadn't fallen asleep yet was watching with wide eyes and said in a very impressed voice "That was a good catch Miss Harmony, a good catch."

Well that good catch went on to help us learn about peoples fears (of spiders) and how we should be respectful of them and help them not to be afraid of them if we can. We also learned basic facts about spiders and how many legs and eyes they have and how they shed their skin as they grow. After researching for a few days, we found out that this was a wolf spider (the eyes placement was the biggest help) and that they're harmless. One interesting thing about wolf spiders though is that they carry their babies on their back (the mommies do anyways) for about a week before the babies go off on their own. We read some really good books with spiders in them (A Diary of a Spider, Charlotte's Web, and Once I Knew a Spider), and had fun making spider webs with yarn and paint.

Such fun! I love my job:)

What to do when your car won't shift?!?!

2011-09-13T19:28:00.000-04:00

I call my Daddy and he comes and helps me tear the car apart to find the problem then provides the string (rope) that helps keep it together so I can get home. Of course he complains at first and says the I need to get a new car, but if my car hadn't been so old and he hadn't had a similar problem with his Javelin when he was younger then he wouldn't have been able to help me as much as he did.

Thanks Dad!

I miss these cuties

2011-09-13T19:19:00.001-04:00

I miss their momma too of course. Fortunately for me I get to see them at the end of the month. I'll be heading down to Texas to pick them up and bring them back to Maryland so Mom and Dad can enjoy some time together on the road coming up just the two of them (and their dog Isis too).

Hopeful!

2011-02-11T21:15:00.005-05:00

This lovely flower is what I saw this evening when I came home from work. I was reading e-mails when I smelled something wonderful. Joy had been playing in the dirt earlier this week so I knew it was going to be blooming soon, because it had buds on it then.

I absolutley love having flowers any time of year and am truly grateful for the gift of them from my students. The bulbs were given to me by one of my students for Christmas. I immediately put them in a pot and set them under the kitchen sink. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to add water or not so I didn't and forgot about it for a while. About a month later I saw that they were starting to sprout some so I pulled them out to get some sun and a few weeks later this is what I'm blessed with.

I think they're called paper whites but I'm really not sure.

This next picture is my coffee table covered with many of the events of the week.

- the boogy boo mask that Joy loves to play and was left there by her earlier this week.
- bean bags I've been making for my students (our old ones were getting pretty dirty).
- valentine's in the works for my students (involving chocolate).
- and a book that I definitely didn't stay up too late to read because I was enjoying the reading of it so much :) (especially since it was reading I didn't have to do!).
- oh and a mug of crayons and pencils that Joy was using to color (fortunately on paper and not the cover of a new book!).

That's all. Have a wonderful weekend!

looking back

2011-01-01T14:09:00.002-05:00

So what was the best part of 2010? I was asked that question recently and had a really hard time answering. I could immediately think of what the worst part (being the optimist that I am) was but the best was really hard to decide. I have been to some pretty cool places and enjoyed good times with friends so here are the highlights:

- crawling around in the caves of West Virginia
- climbing outdoors using ropes and harnesses
- meeting my nephew Augustus Wallace Lovelady
- meeting my nephew from a brother from another mother Matthias
- getting to spend more time with my sister and her children
- spending more time with my grandparents and getting to hear their fun stories
- working on quite a few quilts to give away
- moving into a new place with more space
- getting to work with an amazing group of kids
- getting to hang out with my friends
- getting snowed in with friends and not being able to find my car the next morning
- questioning a lot about what I want to do in this life I have to live here
- kayaking under a full moon
- meeting new people
- connecting in a different way with people I've known for a long time
- unexpected and undeserved gifts from friends (camera, ipod, shoes)
- having fun taking pictures again
- laughing a lot
- playing 6 hour long board games and not hating it
- friends willing to hold me accountable and help me with my frustrations
- people who get my sense of humor
- learning new things
- getting to play more volleyball and having people think I'm great (little do they know)
- communicating my feelings

Now this list is fine and dandy but I think that the question of 'what was the worst part of this year?' needs to be asked too:

- recognizing my feelings and lack of ability to communicate them for a long time
- being a hermit when I don't want to deal with things that need to be dealt with
- being frustrated with friends who don't understand me because I won't communicate to them my frustrations (pure foolishness)
- getting injured pretty badly twice within a space of 3 months (one a torn MCL while playing volleyball and the other a badly pulled muscle in my arm after water skiing)
- not to mention getting punched in the face while playing volleyball
- having a hard time relationally with multiple people that I work pretty close with and not knowing how to deal with that
- trying to figure out what my goals are as of now, how they've changed and whether or not they are God's will or my own
- trying to better understand God's call on my life specifically
- being frustrated with the church and not motivated to do anything about it
- not being creative or making as much as I would like to have done (too many ideas and not enough time or motivation)
- putting up with childish adults (don't get me wrong I think it's great that people can still have childlike hearts when they're older but to act childishly relationally and not accept things about yourself is the kind of childish I'm talking about)
- having my own childish attitude at times and not wanting to admit it
- not being able to shut my mind off at times
- not being about to work out my own thoughts so that I don't have to think about them incessantly

Now for a new year and new challenges along with old ones.
I read this recently and thought it fit pretty well for me too, My goal is to "do what I'm doing already only better". To live an intentional life and learn from my mistakes.

Nature Boy

2010-12-30T23:37:00.003-05:00

there was a boy

a very strange enchanted boy
they say he wandered very far
very far
over land and sea
a little shy
and sad of eyes
but very wise was he
and then one day
one magic day he passed my way
and while we spoke of many things
fools and kings
this he said to me
the greatest thing
you'll ever learn
is just to love
and be loved in return

One of my favorite songs sung by the wonderful Nat King Cole . My grandmother told me the other day one of her favorite sayings was that the greatest thing is to love and be loved in return. I immediately thought of this song and how much I have appreciated it over the years. I believe that this saying is in a way part of God's call for us to love, and in return we will be loved without a doubt. In fact we are loved regardless of whether or not we love others in return. God's love is all encompassing. How else can I react to his wonderful love but by loving others.

blue skies

2010-12-15T21:51:00.002-05:00

october 23 016, originally uploaded by noel_harmony.

There are so many days where I feel like there couldn't be anything good about it when all I have to do is look up and see the beauty of the vastness above me painted with the masterful hand of the creator.

The enjoyment of colors recently

2010-10-05T23:30:00.005-04:00

I have always loved the way that metal changes over time, and this summer I have seen some absolutely beautiful specimens of this in my own backyard.

Wouldn't these colors beautiful in a quilt!

I want to do some upcoming posts based on colors I'm seeing lately (and even maybe some from the past). I just know that it's been pretty amazing to watch falls changes overwhelm us lately. Last year we didn't get a lot of color in the fall because it was so dry, but this year has been a burst of color see. Even now that most of the leaves are fallen I am staring at the beautiful deep red of a male cardinal outside my parents living room window and his mates beautiful touches of red amidst its brown gray chest.

I Thank God for the beauty he has created in everything. One of my favorite stories that Mom tells is about how when we lived in Tampa she hated the color of our house. It was something akin to pukey yellow brown and she couldn't stand it. She asked Dad to paint it but it's not exactly cheap to paint an entire house. One day when she was driving home and complaining to God about how hideous the color of this house was and how she couldn't stand it anymore God told her simply to look up and she saw one of the prettiest sunsets. The amazing thing about this sunset was that it was the exact color of the house she was complaining to much about. I don't know what exactly I would have felt in that situation but I can imagine there was awe and wonder at God's amazing beauty as well as feeling humbled to complain over something so silly and unimportant. I would feel joy and hearing and knowing God's answer to my prayer, and honor that he would listen to even the silliest of my complaints. Shame at having complained so readily and incessantly, and a need to remember the moment so that I could avoid the mistake again and be reminded of God's glory in similar moments.

Be reminded of he beauty of God's creation around you and enjoy it!

A bit of sewing for Gus

2010-10-05T23:24:00.002-04:00

A Beautiful Gift

2010-10-04T19:31:00.003-04:00

The last flowers of fall are showing their faces around here. I'm enjoying them in all of their glory.

I didn't forget I was just waiting for better pictures

2010-07-27T21:22:00.002-04:00

Guess what!
Symphony had a baby and his name is Augustus Wallace Lovelady!

random tidbits from this summer

2010-07-23T00:31:00.003-04:00

Time sure does fly when you're doing lots of things and the last place you really want to be is on a computer. Anyways, here is a picture walk through my summer thus far.

lots and lots of laughing!

Especially when friends let me put daisies in their absolutely ridiculous beards.

Contemplative moments around a fire with friends after a long road trip.

Taking pictures again after a long time of not doing so and absolutely loving the way my hair looks in this picture a friend took of me recently.

A quick trip to Philly to see a friend and see God's community in action at PBU and CCC.

Enjoying getting to know my nephew Matthias (a brother of mine from another mother, and sister too).

Meeting interesting critters along the way.

Enjoying time spent with my wonderful Grams at Brookside Buterfly Gardens and having adventures while learning that riding a motorized wheelchair in gravel can be very difficult.

Visiting a most beautiful farm for a weekend in West Virginia where life slowed down considerably for a while.

Growing a vast garden only to have much of it be eaten by pesky groundhogs (this is the only time I can think when a gun would be handy).

Kayaking at night and sharing the creek with the lightning bugs.

Enjoying the River in other ways!

Letting the moon amaze me with it's beauty and light.

Climbing around with friends.

Enjoying the genuineness of pictures that are taken when not expected.

2010-06-07T23:10:00.002-04:00

Thoughts aplenty
words are few
wishing I knew what to do

God your will
is on my mind
let it be of my will too

obedience is hard
disobedience much harder
LORD help me to be smarter

no not smarter
but wiser still
to follow only and always your will

things i don't want to forget

2010-04-05T09:00:00.001-04:00

So I've told this story to a few friends and will probably never forget it but in the event that my memory gets really bad this is one I don't want to forget.

This past week nearing the end of the work day while playing out on the parking lot with the remainder of my students and the two year old class one of my kids fell down and scraped their knee. I of course go over and pretend to perform emergency surgery and "cut off" their leg to be replaced with a new one. With my assistants help and after many giggles the surgery was a success and the patient walked away well with a new and improved elephant leg. After he got up one of our two year olds flopped herself in my lap and yelled "cut me, cut me."

I can't tell you how long I laughed but it was the perfect end to a day and just reminds me of our pure and simple these kids are. We show them something and they react in honest eagerness (whether or not what they ask is actually good for them or not). I love being able to have a conversation with these little ones and walk away astounded at their innocence and purity. No wonder you hear so many instances of children praying to God about crazy things and God coming through for them. I want that kind of innocence and purity in my conversations with Him again and always. And not just because I want Him to give me what I want, but to have Him reveal Himself to me too.

I guess the first step is mine.

emotional mess

2010-04-04T19:08:00.003-04:00

I know I haven't been on here much lately but I guess I haven't felt like I had much to say (I often feel like that). However, my beautiful sister wants me to get back on here and write so for her (and a little for myself) I will attempt this yet again.

Rather than trying to catch up with everything that has been going on since I was last on here I'm going to start with the present.

On this glorious Easter day I have probably gone through every emotion imaginable starting off with anger and exacerbation then moving on to exhaustion, loneliness and self pitying and lastly blessed, loved and at ease (not only with myself but with those around me). Where are all of these emotions coming from? Firstly a build up of life questions that have been haunting me lately and secondly from a side effect of being a female (when I was younger I used to not believe in PMS but as I've grown older I've been more observant of changes in mood and lack of emotional restraint once a month or so).

While I could go on and on about the latter reason I want to focus this post more on the persistent life questions that have been following me around lately. I started this year off wonderful and confident and feeling like I was learning and growing in my relationship with God a lot. As soon as I proclaimed to a few friends this growth satan attacked me with past sins, self doubt, and insecurities and rather than face them full on I ran away and hid from the world so they (you) wouldn't see how messed up I truly am. Since then God has been slowly drawing me back out of my hiding place with questions like:

What do you have to be afraid of?
How can you feel unloved with a father like me?
How do you communicate to others?
Why are you letting other peoples problems hurt you? Give them to me.

Each of them questions that I've thought about before but never needed more than now.

I was helping my mom out with Easter dinner this afternoon and purging all of these thoughts and more on her while she patiently and quietly pointed me back to putting my trust in God. It made me think of all the suffering that I've put myself through in the past and compare with the suffering that Jesus endured on the cross over 2,000 years ago for me and it reminded me that He suffered so I wouldn't have to. A simple concept all too easy to forget. Being able to forgive myself for the fault in my life that he forgave a long time ago.

Thanks Abba!

Oh Bountiful Summer!

2009-10-17T17:49:00.002-04:00

I was looking back at how little I posted on here this year when I realized I hadn't posted about my garden in all of it's glory! Well here are the few pictures I actually have of it.

One thing I've learned in this whole experimental garden is that it takes A LOT of time to make it work 'well'. A garden will still grow if you're not there to tend it but it may not grow what you want it to. I got into a good rhythm for a while going out in the morning for a short while each day to weed and make sure everything was looking good. Also I need to get a sprinkler to I don't have to stand there and water the garden and not really know how much water it's getting each week.

The things that were successful in my garden this year were; tomatoes, potatoes (although I might try a different variety next year), swiss chard (I had more than I could handle of this but it was good for sharing), onions, basil (not a big fan of it anymore), bell peppers, acorn squash, zucchini, yellow squash, parsley, cucumbers, berries, and a few carrots .

I think next year I'll do chives instead of onions and I'll try some cauliflower and broccoli. My green beans and peas didn't do too good where they were so I'll have to get that figured out too. I was able to harvest some but not a lot. I haven't looked into it yet but kidney beans might be something I'll try and a hot pepper plant for chili fixins. Corn never got in the ground this year but it is something I want to grow, along with sweet potatoes and strawberries. All this food is making me hungry.

Inevitability

2009-10-16T22:29:00.002-04:00

Today I came to a realization about myself and what the future holds for me and that is this:

I will never be monetarily rich. I won't live a life of luxury where I will never have to think about what I'm spending my money on. Nope not me. I don't have the right kind of career for it, let alone the aspirations for it. Instead I will live a life full of the simple pleasures. A life where I will never have to worry about money because it's not mine to begin with. Everything I have belongs to God and He can manage it a lot better than I can. I will be rich in the blessings that God has to offer to His children. That seems like a better choice to me anyways.

Kayaking is my favorite place to be!

2009-09-05T17:33:00.001-04:00

I have been kayaking a lot this summer with friends and family. I wanted to go so much more and with more new people but I don't know how to make things happen sometimes. Anyways here are a few pictures of this summers kayaking adventures and things found along the way. Enjoy!

Have a great night!

a fragile existence

2009-08-21T00:35:00.002-04:00

Have you ever been frustrated with how fragile and breakable you or the ones you love are? I can see how easily it would be to become angry with God for the loss of a loved one or the pain we experience in this life through sickness, pain and disease.

Then I have to think about that amazing truth that God made us this way for a purpose. If we lived forever and could never feel pain, the joy and preciousness of this life would be lost on us. We would forget to cherish every moment and live our lives full. I may not always thank God for the life that he gave me (especially when I think my body is not acting like it's supposed to, I hear that happens more and more as we grow old) but it is my goal to try!

Lord help my existence not to be an empty one but full of the joy You give.

Interesting video!

2009-08-17T19:36:00.000-04:00

The Longest Way 1.0 - one year walk/beard grow time lapse from Christoph Rehage on Vimeo.

Falling Spring Falls

2009-08-07T21:11:00.003-04:00

This past weekend some friends of mine and I went down to Virginia to check out some waterfalls and hiking. Well we didn't really do all that much hiking but we did enjoy the waterfall and surrounding area of Falling Spring Falls. There were many pools of water below the falls to explore and some big enough to swim in. The waterfall wasn't so powerful that you couldn't go under it and if you walked down further along the edge of the fall back where it was dry there were these various caves to explore that were easy enough to climb up to. It was all around a fun place to explore and just enjoy God's amazing creation. The best though was at the top of the waterfall with a little walk further back there was this pool with rope swings to jump in and swim around. It was an absolute blast and something that I've wanted to do for so long.
There were so many things about this trip to enjoy. First off getting to spend more time with a friend that I haven't really gotten to spend extended amounts of time with (apart from her wedding day and into the late nights after bible study). It was good to hang out in a different setting than normal for us. The camping was nice because I got to sleep on the extra cushioning of a futon cover (the most comfortable waking up experience I've ever had camping!), and we also gave ourselves enough time to pitch the tent while there was still some daylight (at least one of the nights). The waterfall was awesome because there are a couple of things that I've always wanted to do at a waterfall but never felt that there was the opportune time when I'd gone before with friends and that is to jump into the water and also to walk under a waterfall.

The other amazing thing was exploring these caves. I climbed up after Dustin and I wasn't really sure what to expect but as the others were climbing up I went further back into the cave and realized how large it was inside. We sent Dustin back to the car to get the flashlights (and water and batteries and string) so that we could go back further and explore. While he was gone I used my camera to shine a little more light in the darker area of the cave so I could get an idea of what it looked like in there and realized it wasn't quite as big as I thought it might be at first but still worth exploring none the less. There was dew everywhere inside and when a little light was shone on it it glittered and shimmered everywhere. We even found a critter who had made the cave his home (the random bones and many seed shells were a bit of a give away). There were probably many but we only encountered one. We saw all kinds of stalactites and rock formations that were absolutely beautiful to behold. One place even looked like an upside down palace.

I've only ever explored caves one other time without a lighted tour along a concrete path was when I was at Messiah College. I went with a group there and we played hide and seek in the cave in the dark (if you've ever wanted to feel what it's like to be blind and not know where you are in a dark and cold place then I definitely recommend it). It was an experience I'll never forget. Anyways it was neat to explore a cave on my own without anyone who knew the place already and could tell me what everything was but I had to kind of figure it out on my own, or only with the observations of those with me. It forces me to look at everything more closely than what I would've done had I had someone there to tell me everything they already knew about the place.

It was definitely an amazing place to explore and enjoy!

Go and have some fun outside!

Road trip!

2009-08-06T20:44:00.003-04:00

What do you do when you are stuck in traffic for over and hour and a half?

You get out of the care and start making sandwhiches.

Then you get to know the people around you and share the zucchini bread that you made way too much of!

Here's to new adventures, new people, cool license plates and enjoying every moment!

Country Roads (and Rivers)

2009-07-05T20:30:00.002-04:00

So today my brother in law helped me accomplish a goal for this year. He took my sister and I on a kayaking trip down the Shenandoah. It was wonderful! We started on the Shenandoah went past Harpers Ferry and ended up on the Potomac in Maryland. The ride was beautiful and exhilarating. I swam a couple of times and we lost a few things along the way but no one was injured so that's a blessing.

This weekend was the weekend of kayaking. Today was the fourth time I've been kayaking. Saturday I went with my friend Darcey, then mom and I went out for a while, and in the evening I went with Melody and her friend Alex.

I can't imagine living in a place where there wasn't water nearby. I've loved the adventures that have come my way here.

Not a real green dress, that's cruel

2009-06-18T21:32:00.002-04:00

While you may think that my title is strange it actually makes sense (to me). I've had a song stuck in my head for the last few days and this just happens to be one of the lyrics. Its called "If I had a million dollars" and it's wicked funny. Anyways it's got me actually thinking about what I would do if I had a million dollars (not much unlike this post). I've been thinking way too much about this so here's the list just in case you were interested what I would do if I had a million dollars.

I would:
- buy some land and a house (preferably next to water with enough land to have a small farm
- build a deck with a faucet outside for easy clean up after garden work
- build a couple greenhouses and a hen house
- get more kayaks with whitewater accessories
- oh yea, pay off all my school debt
- put some away in saving for when I need a new car
- have a kitchen without the washer and dryer in the middle of it
- have a sewing room separate from my bedroom
- put skylights in my house
- buy a mountain and have it moved to my back yard (I had to put something huge in there)
- add more blueberry and raspberry bushes to my garden
- take a road trip to the west coast and then fly to Ireland
- get a motorcycle (and the lessons to go with it)
- add a sun room with a fireplace for cold winter nights
- build a tree house
- oh and get a really nice camera and printer (with a lifetime supply of ink)

Hopefully that is out of my system now and I can stop thinking about it.

What would you do if you had a million dollars (and please be more selfless than me)?

Early mornings

2009-06-15T23:05:00.002-04:00

All my life I've wanted to be an early riser. I think it's from all of the farm and ranching romance novels I read as a teenager (please don't hold that against me). Anyways, up until about a year ago I've been nothing but that. Don't get me wrong. I've always been able to get up in the wee hours of the morning if I HAVE to. If other people are dependent upon me to be somewhere at a certain time then I'm there. However, getting up in the early morning to just get myself ready without rushing or get things done at home that need to be done but could be done later was never motivation enough for me to get up earlier.

Since starting my job at Rehoboth I've been not only forced to get up earlier but more willing to get up earlier without rushing. I'm not exactly sure what has brought the change about (maybe something to do with less late nights out with friends), but I am absolutely loving it. Being able to take the time to eat breakfast and get my lunch together or go weed in the garden and read my Bible has been something that gives me a chance to be more ready for the day ahead that I've ever been before.

Two dear friends of mine got married at the end of last month and they decided to have a morning wedding so they could have breakfast foods for their reception and then hit the road early to head off on their honeymoon (I'd probably want to skip out early myself, weddings are enjoyed in medium sized doses). As the unofficial photographer of their wedding I had to be there at 6:30am to take pictures. Which of course meant that I had to get up more like 4:30am to get up to the place in time (about an hour away) and be able to get pictures of the rising sun. The lack of sufficient sleep was totally worth it.

While yes I am getting up earlier these days it's usually not early enough to actually watch the sunrise so any opportunity to witness this miracle was one I couldn't pass up.

When was the last time you took the time to get up early and notice the breaking of the dawn on your part of the world?

Moments

2009-06-03T20:05:00.003-04:00

Last night we had the first "real" thunderstorm that we've had in a while (maybe a couple of years). Growing up in Florida will allow you to appreciate and not fear so much the beauty and power of a thunderstorm. Well whenever we get one around here you stop whatever you're doing and you go enjoy it. That's what I did last night with my mother. She found me working on the computer and told me to come see something in the laundry room.

At first I must admit I was irritated and told her I would in a minute. Well when I hadn't finished what I was doing in a minute she came back again and said that there was something I really needed to see.

Let me just interject here that mom has been on an absolute cleaning kick lately (which is not all that odd), and has been telling me a lot lately to stop what I'm doing to see what she's done that day. This particular evening she had painted the back porch and walkway, painted the stairs inside, water-pressure cleaned the bricks out front, and done laundry. So I had been getting up a lot. I've been working on getting some pictures together that I'd taken of my friends wedding a couple of weekends ago, so I was really trying to get some work done. Finally, though my mother's insistence won me over and I walked outside with her and stood in absolute awe of God's amazing world (I wanted to kick myself for not going sooner, mom really wanted it to be a surprise so I could enjoy it more, she knows me to well).

We stood there for close to an hour and just watched and talked.

Mostly we just watched.

And stood in awe.

I think the best part of that night was just hearing my mother thank God aloud for the thunderstorm. It reminded me that I am truly blessed to have a family with whom our faith is open and out loud (most of the time).

Thank you God for the thunderstorm, and for my family.

What a day!

2009-05-16T23:03:00.003-04:00

I wanted to share the peonies opening up with this week with a little rain and sunshine. This were some of the last pictures before my camera lens got stuck so I'll be without a camera for a while (which is really hard for me).

Enough of me being remorseful over the loss of my camera for now. Today I was able to enjoy a wonderful day with friends in D.C. We went all over the place. We went to the Smithsonian museum of American History and Natural History. I've been going to D.C. at least two times a year for about 3 years now and I'd never been to either one of them before. The museum of Natural History was my favorite museum by far. Its exhibit on rocks and minerals was absolutely delightful. I found a new favorite type of rock that I'd never known by name before. It's called Labradorite and it reminds me of the beautiful butterfly the Morpho Butterfly.

The other thing that was really fun on our trip was that even though I didn't have a digital camera with me I had two disposable cameras and let my friends take pictures of whatever they wanted. It was a blast. I am looking forward to seeing how they turned out after they're developed.

I love film!

Everyday Miracles

2009-05-11T08:18:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite flowers in my garden are the Peonies. These are so beautiful when they bloom and they smell wonderful but my favorite part is their growing process. They start out as these little purple shoots that grow so fast you can almost watch them growing. In about two weeks time they send up these balls awaiting blooms like in the picture above. They are beautiful as well but the most amazing thing is that these plants are unable to actually open up and bloom without help. They would die if they didn't have the help of one of God's smallest creatures. Ants are the heroes here. They climb up to the top of these flowers and eat a waxy film covering the buds. They feast on it for a couple days and once it's all gone the flower is finally capable of releasing all of it's beauty to the rest of the world.

There are a million lessons we can learn from the simplicity of this fact of nature, but the one I am taking to heart today is the fact that we are not independent planets that are completely self-sufficient. We are only able to release all of the beauty inside of us with the help of others (and no I'm not talking about beauticians and cosmetic beauty). If we didn't have people to teach us what it means to be good and help others we could be very ugly creatures indeed. Most importantly if we didn't have anyone to love or love us back there would be no beauty in the world at all (at least that's what I think).

Season of growing

2009-05-10T19:55:00.002-04:00

Joy showing me how to dig up the dirt. She's a total pro by the way and an awesome helper.

This year is the year of the garden for me. I have been dreaming of having a big bountiful garden for years now without having the time or the space to be able to fulfill it. Not like the container garden at my first apartment or the tomato garden at my parents. No, something much bigger. While I don't know how bountiful my garden will be I do know that it will be bigger than any garden I've ever done before and have more varied plants. I also know that there will be potatoes (big and little), onions, blueberries, tomatoes (3 varieties), zucchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, blackberries, raspberries, black raspberries, brusslesprouts, swiss chard, carrots, peas, beans, pumpkins, corn, and cucumbers. That's the plan anyway.

I just finished clearing out the main garden plot this weekend and have already gotten started with planting and starting seeds. I thought I was going start out small and work my way up to a larger garden but my wonderful sister gave me a gift card to buy seeds and a friend of mine gave me some young shoots from their raspberry bushes. I've been truly blessed with what everyone has given me to get this started. I'm praying for a few more things but more on that once I get them.

Some seeds started and waiting to grow a little bigger before putting in the ground.

One of my beautiful potato plants.

Blueberry blooms.

My onion row.

A full view of the first bed (yes there is a second one in the works behind my house, and yes I know that I am crazy). The fence is to keep the groundhogs, skunks, and rabbits at bay.

Here is to not having to go to the grocery store to make a meal, and enjoying the fruits of your labor!

What are my goals?

2009-04-17T22:32:00.004-04:00

As I said in my last post (along with a lot of other strange and random things), I have finally taken the time to think out and write down my goals for this year (I know only four months late but that doesn't matter). Here they are:

* Be more disciplined with- reading my Bible
- studying
- praying
- cleaning
- eating well
- exercising

* Build stronger relationships

* Get my garden up and running and eat or give away everything in it (Another post on that later)

* Pay off credit cards (I used them for school my last semester at Shippensburg to pay the difference and I'm still paying, ridiculous I know)

* No fast food (I've been getting into the habit of not packing a lunch and heading over to the local restaurants too frequently)

* Start a girl's Bible study that gets together at least once a month

* Have at least 3 big tea parties

* Paint more often

* Finish my degree (which should be done by the end of the Summer!)

I can't even begin to tell you how good it is to have them written down and concrete. They are things that I've known I wanted to do and have been working on but having them there for me to see makes me focus more on accomplishing them. Some of them I know I'll do and some will take a lifetime for me to accomplish but with God's help anything is possible.

I think I can handle this thing called life

2009-04-15T21:21:00.007-04:00

Warning you might not 'get' this post if you don't have sisters:

Do you ever have quotable moments? I do with my sister on a weekly basis. I wish I could remember all of the laughs that we have. Well today one of those was the title of this post. I completely agree with her by the way.

I've been floundering with trying to figure out my goals for this year and I've finally taken the paper and pen and written them down. They are definitely going to stretch me this year but "I think I can handle this thing called life," at least I know I can with the help of the One who made me.

Some more fun sayings:
At least I have a sword.
And then they died.
Satan's here he said you're doing a good job.

New ones just in:
I'm getting a dvd that looks like this (with hands held up in the shape of a circle).
You should see the bruise on my butt! (reply: you should check out mine!).

And it all begins with one step

2009-03-03T19:49:00.001-05:00

So if you're reading this that means you probably know me personally and know that I have been a Christian for a long time. For as long as I can remember actually (I can even remember making sure I was a Christian by asking God into my heart as a young child at least once a night just to be sure). Well I just have to share how amazing it is when God is teaching me something new and I suddenly realize it. Lately, I have been in a terrible funk. Stuck in fact! I couldn't get past certain thoughts and ideas about who I was and who I was expected to be by everyone but God himself. Do you ever get bogged down by other peoples expectations (or the worlds expectations)?

Well, I get together with friends to study the Bible once a week and we just finished the Pentateuch (Genesis - Deuteronomy). We were trying to figure out what to read next and I didn't know really what I would be interested in reading but someone suggested 1 & 2 Peter and I am so glad that they did. I wasn't overly excited about it at first but I knew that I wanted to have a more fulfilling and interesting Bible study experience, so I 'decided' to be passionate about 1 & 2 Peter. I read through it and had some disjointed excitement over various things but as I began to take notes and look for the "big picture" of the book I began to be encouraged. I volunteered to help lead because one of the guys would be gone the next week and nobody else volunteered.

My Grandparents were gracious enough to let me borrow their commentary on 1 & 2 Peter (The Letter of James and Peter by William Barclay), and after reading it I feel like I am finally released from the weight that was holding me down. One verse in particular that I read jumped out at me, 1 Peter 1:13, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." When reading it first I thought that it meant we need to not only look to the future of our joy in Christ but prepare ourselves now and put our hope in the grace that Christ gave to us. In the commentary though there was a section that I couldn't get enough of and want to share:

"Here, then, Peter is telling his people that they must be ready for the most strenuous mental endeavor. They must never be content with an easy and superficial acceptance of the faith. They must think it out. It may be that they will have to discard some things. It may be that they will make mistakes. But that with which they are left will be theirs in such a way that nothing and nobody can ever take it away from them."

So many things in what I've been reading and hearing lately have prepared my heart for what I was reading there. I had just read prior to this "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.... no the very word is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it." Deuteronomy 30:11-14. Not that I've ever been a very sinful person (sin is sin though), in fact most people think I'm almost a saint (if only they knew), but I do struggle with my thoughts and how they affect my relationships with others. This was another encouragement to be more right-related with others and closer to God. It's easy to be discouraged and feel like you can never understand but God is guiding us to understand Him better all of our lives, if we only open our eyes and ears to his word/guidance.

And further in the book of 1 Peter 2:1-3 it tells us to "rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." This may be a strange analogy to you or not (probably not considering how musical all of my family is, except for me), but I've been attempting to learn the guitar lately. I started a few months ago and got discouraged because I didn't understand it and my fingers didn't want to do what I wanted them to do. Well I tried again the other night and all I can say that it was like learning to walk again. Trying to get my fingers accustomed to the movement and not push down on certain strings but do on others was extremely difficult. But, I knew that if I continued to practice and aquaint myself with the movements then before long they would become second nature to me. This verse speaks to me in that way. We are to be like newborn babies, who don't know how to do much of anything and need to learn how to do everything. It's not easy to learn how to walk or talk or play guitar. In fact it can be painful to use muscles in a way you've never used them before, but the more that you do it the easier it becomes.

I've known areas of my Christian walk where I've been lacking and have been unsure of where start improving upon them. Now I'm excited and encouraged to do it one step at time. Cliche as that may sound it's been a huge encouragement to me lately and hopefully has encouraged you in some way as well.

Inspiration

2009-02-21T20:48:00.001-05:00

I have been taking all sorts of trainings for work and learning how to be a better teacher and I have to say that it is exhilerating. You get so filled with new ideas and better understandings of how to help your children learn that it can be almost overhwleming. Today I spent eight hours with my lovely co-workers and a woman named Sue. She is so passionate about teaching and her passion just sort of spills over onto others. Just watching and listening to her made me wonder what I am passionate about. People like her inspire me so much and make me want to be a person who is contagious in the best possible way (I've had enough of the other kind of contagious going on at work lately).

What inspires you?

I am always looking for new ideas to work with my kids and I have to share this site that I absolutely loved, Imagine Childhood (found via The Crafty Crow and Soulemama). My favorite part of this blog are the amazing books to choose from. I am probably addicted to books. Yup, I'm definitely a life. If anyone tried to get me unhooked I'd probably kill myself but I don't think that will be a problem (can't believe I just went there on here, btw total joke in case you're sarcasm radar is broke).

So if you have any favorite books from when you were a kid I would love to hear what they are.

My kiddos singing

2009-01-25T20:50:00.002-05:00

my kiddos singing
Originally uploaded by noel_harmony

Here's another video from Christmas of my Pre-k students singing a beloved Christmas song to the people at our local Nursing Home. Enjoy!

Better late than never

2009-01-25T19:41:00.001-05:00

For the past few years my family has been asked to go to a small church in West Virginia and play Christmas music. I don't exaclty know the name of the church but we've always called it the church in the Woods. It is always a wonderful time of music and family and I just wanted to share a few videos of some of my families music. Make sure that you hit pause on the music at the bottom of this page if you want to listen to these videos.

Inspiration!

2009-01-13T20:57:00.001-05:00

As a teacher of 3-4yr olds, I have to say that sometimes it's hard to find projects that are both good for the child's development as well as interesting. I am really thanksful to be able to just get on-line and find so many great ideas. A few of the websites that I frequent for children's activities (you have to take the good with the bad in all of them) are:

http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/
http://loobylu.com/
http://scrumdillydo.blogspot.com/

Check them out if you have kids and need something fun to do with them!

Am I Still Here?

2009-01-10T10:45:00.001-05:00

I just read an article that put my mind to thinking (a lot). I love it when an article can do that and I just wanted to share it with whoever may be reading this (you). It's called Am I Still Here? by, Anthony Doerr. Give yourself some time to read it as it's somewhat long.

Time with my favorite little one and a clean room!

2009-01-03T21:42:00.001-05:00

Another one bites the dust!

2008-12-31T17:55:00.001-05:00

Well another year has past and a new one awaits us with new sunrises and new days to bring us new opportunities for change in the best kind of way. This winter I've felt the change of a new year more than any other time. I've felt it in the change of seasons with the trees shedding the old dead leaves and taking the time to rest before creating new blooms, leaves, and fruit in the coming seasons. There is this time to be retrospective and look at the years joys, accomplishments, and struggles. Then the desire to see the coming year be a better one. May your new year be a fruitful and joy filled year.

New York

2008-12-31T09:26:00.001-05:00

This is just a picture post because I haven't time to write much but the pictures are stories in and of themselves. Use your imagination and if you want to see more from my trip to New York then check out my Flickr.

Pops....

2008-12-27T22:14:00.001-05:00

While this picture was not taken today it's one that I wanted to share earlier but didn't. On Christmas Day my dad asked me to help him out for a minute with something. I'm not always the most willing person to leave family time (my mom's family was over and we were getting ready to play games). I went though and helped him work on a broken pipe for one of our tenants. It had frozen and broke a couple of days before and the weather had been too cold to get to it properly so the first good opportunity had been after Christmas dinner.

Whenever Dad asks me to help him out with something I will more than likely be standing around watching him doing whatever needs to be done for most of the time and feeling as if I'm not being of much assistance. Growing up this was extremely frustrating and tried my patience a lot, but I've gotta say that it's taught me a lot too. Sometimes people just need you to be there to be an encouragement to them, and other times they need you to be able to help them figure something out with fresh eyes. Although I don't feel like a very patient person sometimes, I've had people tell me before that they're amazed at how patient I can be (mostly my students parents when they see me in the classroom with twenty 4yr. olds). I have my Dad to thank for that. Not to mention a God who helps me be patient even when I don't want to be. If I couldn't give Him my frustrations and troubles I'd be the most impatient, irritated person you could meet.

in the light!

2008-12-26T23:54:00.001-05:00

So I got to have lunch today with two of the coolest girls I am blessed to know. We went to Panera Bread and hung out for like 2hrs. catching up. It is a really good time to be able to hang out with people that you really like and just talk about anything. I didn't do too much of the talking either, which is kind of nice. This picture is fun because Karla looks like she's thinking "whoa did you know you had a light coming out of your head?"

the fun...............

2008-12-25T21:20:00.001-05:00

Two of my favorite people in the world just chillin' until dinner is ready!

My daddy fixing one of our renters water pipe.

The Wilson girls Christmas photo op.

The robo-boogie!

Grandpa's word game.

Going for a joy ride!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T11:23:00.001-05:00

You've gotta love the looks that she gives.

So yea, Christmas has been really low key this year but wonderful all the same. My favorite part so far is being able to spend so much time with my family and listening to them play such beautiful music. We've had two family concerts and today when they all come over we're going to be playing and singing together again (more pics of that later).

I have to share that I'm really excited about getting a new camera this year! I can't wait to take a million pictures with it. This coming year I want to try and take a picture a day and post it on here as a kind of journal of what I see, do and appreciate throughout the year.

So here's the first picture. It's showing the remnants of the last bonfire we had this fall (the wind knocked all of the chairs over that way).

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

Grateful Day!

2008-11-14T16:52:00.001-05:00

I am truly finding it had to believe that Thanksgiving is so close at hand. I remember the things I told my self I was going to do last year and am saddened to know that I haven't fulfilled them all. This past year has been more thoughtful with regard to things that I am grateful for and people too. It is so easy to just live life taking everything and everyone for granted, but this past year I have tried to notice more what people do and say that I am grateful for. Here are a few things that I am thankful for:

- people willing to drive for me when I don't want to
- the willingness of others to listen
- the thoughtfulness of others to check up on me even when I don't want to be bothered
- people who believe in something enough to share it with me (regardless of whether or not I agree)
- knowing that you have people who will take care of you if you're in trouble
- being able to talk to people about your worries and fears and let them go
- a God who never tires of me
- friends and family always willing to reconnect
- understanding and acceptance of my strangeness
- crisp autumn air
- the worlds abundance of curiosities
- kids who are so excited and full of love everytime I walk in the door at work
- trials that bring me closer to the one who made me (not always on this one, but I'm trying)

These are just a few of the things I wish I had written down every day to remember what I'm grateful for over the past year. I wonder what I will be able to be thankful for next year.

What are you thankful for?

Fall

2008-10-26T16:54:00.001-04:00

Fall is here and it is absolutely beautiful. I love being able to walk around my yard and see all of its markings. There is just too much to take in at this time of year I think I'm going to miss some of it. Now is the season for bonfires and snuggling up with blankets and a crochet or knitting project. It's also the time that I feel more inspired to create so hopefully you'll start to see pictures of things that I'm working on (now watch the desire to make leave me and you'll see nothing all winter long).

Do you ever wish things in life? I'm trying to stop wishing things so much and living them instead. Lord help me to live for You!

how AWEsome!

2008-10-18T16:31:00.000-04:00

I just read my cousins blog about some exciting news that they are sharing and couldn't resist to share it with you (whoever you are), because it was such a cool way to share the news. Lots of love to the Larcey's and prayers and praises sent up for you.

check it out:

www.thelourceys.blogspot.com

My momma

2008-10-12T20:26:00.000-04:00

Today we celebrated my Mom! She is only the most amazing woman that I know. Although it's not actually for another week, we went ahead and celebrated her 50th birthday with family since she was going to be away for her birthday. She was probably exhausted from being at work until 5am the night before and then having to get up at 7am for church but she was gracefully grateful and joyous even with her tiredness. She's such an inspiring person to grow up around because of her earnestness to try new things and find new ways to enjoy life and also her ability to share those things with others. Her newest adventure is fishing and she's got pretty much the whole family joining in on her fun and relaxation. I know that she doesn't always think she such an amazing person and has a tendency to notice her own faults more than her accomplishments (we share that in common), but mom you are a treasure and I love you.

how to be a beautiful woman......

2008-09-30T07:46:00.001-04:00

My mother sent me this poem in an e-mail recently and it's worth sharing here:

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

-as told by Audry Hepburn when asked for advice on being beautiful

On Holiday

2008-09-01T12:24:00.000-04:00

This weekend I went with a friend to go and visit the island of the ponies. Assateague Island that is, on the coast of Maryland. It was the first time that I have ever visited a beach in MD and the first time in over 3 years that I've been to any beach. I have to say that I really enjoyed this trip but it was probably one of the strangest holidays I've had ever (that's not something I can share on here though).

Here are some horses that we saw when we first arrived. The momma and baby are absolutely precious to watch together.

We couldn't find a campsite along the beach as we had hoped because of the holiday and lots of people being there but we found a wonderful place at Pocomoke State Park.

Katie went to the store to get some things while I read for a while.

The next morning we went to the beach on the VA side (we had seen the MD side the day before and this was closer to Katie's home, so her drive would be shorter going back).

Some reading done on the beach.

Went swimming in the ocean and thought of the Bible study that we're doing in James right now. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." James 1:5-8

I tried standing in the waves firmly on the ground and felt a constant tugging back and forth unable to stay any one place. I've felt this before many a time but this time I thought about it in relation to what we'd been reading and I instantly thought about the house that was built on the solid rock and the house built on sand. One house stood on the foundation of truth that is God and the other was like a wave of the sea, easily tossed about and soon crushed. How can we be single-minded with Christ if we get so caught up in our own ideas and those of this world that only want to pull us apart.

Father God, thank you for your truth and the strength to stand firm on it with you.

Just Be

2008-08-20T08:18:00.000-04:00

Not a whole lot to say right now but 'Good Morning' and enjoy the day. Let your day be surrounded and filled by the one who created you and everything around you (Let everyday be that instead of in a downward spiral around yourself).

Some pictures of a recent trip to Chimney Rocks near Waynesboro, PA.

Count Your Blessings

2008-08-18T20:39:00.000-04:00

I had forgotten that I hadn't posted about my car until my cousin Elizabeth asked me about it in an e-mail recently. This is my car. It doesn't have a name and I haven't even cleaned it yet since buying it (you know, to officially make it mine), but it's mine. This past winter I had an accident. One in which my car was totalled and I was left very badly shaken and sore. In a previous post I mentioned how God had blessed me with a gift of money from some mysterious friends. My insurance didn't cover any of it and I had to start all over with buying a car. This was something I hadn't had to worry about for a while because my old car had been paid off for a few years now. I didn't know how I was going to be able to afford another car payment but with this mysterious gift and borrowing a car for a while from my dear daddy I was able to save up enough to buy a new car free and clear. It took a while to find a car that was in decent condition and affordable. Plus, I really wanted a car that was 'stick' because I had just learned how to drive since my old car had wrecked (out of necessity). One day I was looking at Craig's list and found this little gem for just my price and I have been driving it for 3 months now. This is the car that I prayed for and God provided just like he always does. It may not always happen the way we want it or in our time but He always takes care of us. Just wanted to share that as an encrouagement to anyone who may need it (myself included because it's so easy to forget the things that God does for us in this world).

Totally Tea!

2008-08-17T20:56:00.000-04:00

So today was the glorious 'Tea Party' and while not every one who was invited could show up we had a blast none the less. My sister Melody took me a little too literally on the Tea Party thing and wanted all kinds of hot teas to drink and had to have croquet (which was totally fun by the way), but to me a tea party is just an excuse for people to get together and hang out. There may be tea (even though it was a little warm today for hot tea) but that's not the point. I'm glad that all of the wonderful women that came today were able to come out and I know that there were a good many that wanted to come but couldn't and I understand that. That just gives me the excuse to throw another one so that those who missed out can get in on the fun next time. Summer's not over yet!

Affirmation

2008-08-10T12:51:00.000-04:00

Okay so I know I may seem a little crazy but I prefer to call it freakishly weird. Well anyways, at church this past Sunday the speaker spoke on Elijah and Elisha. He explained how Elijah was tired. Tired of not being able to see the fruit of his labor, tired of being chased by God haters, tired of feeling alone so he ran. He ran for his life and hid in a cave and when God found him he showed himself to Elijah through a whisper. God had already shown himself to Elijah in fire, wind, and rain throughout his ministry. It was through this whisper that God was telling Elijah that he wasn't done and he could do even greater thing through God then he'd done before. How many times do we feel too old and too tired to continue doing God's work (I'm not that old yet but I do get overwhelmed sometimes). God is not done with us yet or we wouldn't still be here. He has a plan for us and we shouldn't just sit around like bumps on a log waiting for it to happen. We should listen and do, live and love, and get over ourselves.

Tea Party! Why not!

2008-08-09T18:56:00.001-04:00

Okay so if you're checking this blog out either you're a relative or perhaps you've received a postcard from me or someone about an upcoming Tea Party at my house. If that's the case then you're awesome (If not you're probably awesome anyways)! You also might be thinking that this crazy girl came up to me in church/work/on the street today and invited me over for tea (is she crazy or normal?- what is normal anyway). While the tea or beverage of your choice is cool and delicious, the real reason for a tea party is to have fun, get dressed up (if you want to, which if you're honest with yourself you really do!), and get to know people better.

Well if you don't know who I am I am sorry because I should definitely be getting to know more of you all the time but I find it hard to approach people unless I have a purpose in mind so here's my purpose. I want to get to know you, and have some fun in the process! You're worth it. Some of you I may already know and I want to get to know you better too.

I figured that this would be a fun opportunity to get to know more females in the community. I don't know about you but I can be a bit of a loner sometimes and hide in a hole instead of put forth the effort to get to know new people. So here's me coming out of the rabbit hole! Oh and if you need directions go here. Hope to see you next Sunday!

Spring is here and I am outside!

2008-05-25T20:43:00.001-04:00

Ever since good weather has arrived I would rather spend my time out of doors then inside on the computer. I've enjoyed kayaking with friends and family, recitals, bike rides, family dinners and picnics, mowing, climbing trees, and getting my apartment painted and pretty. It's been really busy and today has been a nice and slow day to reflect on what's been going on this past month.

My family and I were really blessed to have our cousins come visit us a couple weekends ago, Shannon and Elizabeth! I don't know if they were expecting to be dragged every which way when they came to visit. They of course got dad's house tour and then the rest of the time we spent visiting Harpers Ferry, kayaking, grilling, and just hanging out. It was wonderful to see them both before they leave to go to Prague coming up at the end of this summer.

We climbed dangerous trees out into the Shenandoah River

Contemplated life the universe and everything

Snuck down secret passageways

Identified trees

Waited a really long time to eat lunch with family

Learned about the Civil War

And enjoyed unexpected adventures

The weekend before their visit we had the annual National Pike Festival wagon train that comes over the bridge on our property. We had all of our family that could come over for a big brunch before the wagon train came. It lasts all of 5-10 minutes for the wagons to go over our bridge but it's interesting to see. It's always such a blessing that I get to spend so much time with my extended family. They are so much fun to be around and so full of wisdom and laughter!

The horses and their wagons going over the Wilson bridge

Jeremy practicing for when he has six of his own!

Mostly though I've been spending my time on the creek by my house with people I love. I hope to be on it a lot this summer and with lots more people too. There's just so much to do and see on the water.

Mom's got mad skill

Melody styling the cool straw hat

Me acting like a monkey

Tons of turles just chilling on fallen logs

And the reality of new life all around.

I hope and pray that God is showing you how wonderful His creation is in it's people and world each and every day!

Tag! I love that game.....

2008-05-16T23:16:00.000-04:00

Okay so to say that I love playing tag is a true statement (and I honestly play it daily with my pre-schoolers), but being tagged on-line is a totally different thing. Never done it before so I don't know what it's like yet. Here goes, my cousin Emily tagged me to share these things about me:

10 years ago I was:

I was 14 years old and just finishing my freshman year of high school, I swore like a sailor and thought I was the coolest.

5 years ago I was:

Working on my associates degree in Education and working at a Fabric store (without the potty mouth and with a much stronger relationship with God).

1 year ago I was:

Finishing my degree in Art and getting ready to move home.

5 things on my to do list today:

Paint the kitchen

Call about a canoe

Find a car

Feed the butterflies (which I forgot to do, they're not butterflies yet I just hope they don't come out of their chrysilids before Monday)

Catch tadpoles (we're studying sea life next week in my pre-k class, how can we do that without looking at actual aquatic life)

5 snacks I enjoy:

slush (a frozen mixture of pineapple, orange juice, and bananas)

breyers vanilla ice cream (plain jane style)

cut up fruit and vegetables (watermelon, pears, bananas, cantelope, strawberries, pineapple)

cheese and crackers

no bake cookies

If I were a billionaire I would:

Pay off all my families debts, Buy the house next door and then open up my own pre-school to teach a small class of students through exploring the world around them in a safe environment. I'd buy more kayaks so I could invite more people to go kayaking with me and not have to borrow other peoples boats (not that they mind but I don't want to become burdensome). Help the people in my neighborhood to repair their homes. Make sure that I always had food with me to feed anyone that I met that was hungry. Buy the racetrack next to my house and turn it into a community center with fields to play in and dirt to grow with if you want, an awesome rock climbing facility and a recreation center for kids to come to when they're done with school so they have a safe place to hang out (but it wouldn't by any means be just for kids). Have a place for animals to be kept and grown; sheep, cows, goats, chickens, and pigs. Take my Grandparents out to visit their family out west. Travel to visit all of the people that I've been wanting to visit but couldn't because I had to work or couldn't afford it. Then go visit all of the other places in the world that I want to see (Israel, Egypt, Ireland, British Columbia, New Zealand, Sweden, Zambia, Alaska, Iceland and the list goes on).

5 bad habits:

-remembering to brush my hair :) (the finger stroke gets me by pretty well)

-procrastinating

-either not getting enough sleep or gettting too much of it (not a good balance there)

-not being considerate enough of the people that i care about the most (it's too easy to say that i know they'll love me anyway)

-getting back to people in a timely manner (phone call, e-mail, what have you)

5 places I have lived:

Jacksonville, FL

Hagerstown, MD (back there now)

Chambersburg, PA

Grantham, PA

Greencastle, PA

5 jobs I have had: (just five?)

Newspaper girl

Joann's Fabrics cashier/stocker/keyholder

Ponderosa Steakhouse waitress/cashier/cook/dishwasher

Roofer (volunteer work in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and then paid work with my daddy)

Pre-K Teacher/Art Teacher (current position and loving it)

The Perfect Day!

2008-04-12T22:52:00.000-04:00

While it's not a day that I could have ever dreamed up on my own today was one of the most enjoyable days I've had in a very long time. The sun was shining bright and warm and everyone in my family was itching to be outside working in it so we did. Melody, Christina and I worked outside cleaning up the flower beds around the house. Then we all helped dad pick up the thousands of sticks that have fallen over the winter and collect them so that Dad could mow. And to finish the day off I built a fire pit with cinder blocks and we enjoyed smores together. It was a glorious day for sure. Here some pics of my day and hoping you had a day just as wonderful!

Mom enjoying the newly cleaned back porch.

Dad enjoying his new toy!

Melody's new patio table, umbrella, and candles.

New things everywhere to discover!

The backyard with the lights from the race track going through the trees.

Head in the clouds

2008-04-11T21:41:00.000-04:00

In case you didn't know this already I am a Pre-school teacher and my job entails playing with kids 5 days a week. Well this past week our lessons were on the weather and clouds. For a fun project we painted clouds on blue paper with white paint throughout the week and then today while my kids were taking their nap (which we do for 2 hours everyday and I must admit that this is such a wonderful thing not only for them but for me as well) my co-teacher and I hung up all of their paintings, as well as a few of our own, on the ceiling of our room so that when the kids woke up they'd be able to see all sorts of things in the clouds. We were going to have a day outside where we all lay in the grass and looked up to see what we could see but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. Don't get me wrong we had a couple beautiful days this week but either no clouds or clouds too big to picture anything, so we made our own sky filled with all sorts of creatures.

I loved (still love) to look up at the sky and make pictures out of the clouds. Even making up stories about what I saw up there. Just ask my friends, I think I've tortured them enough on our road trips where I tell stories about what I see in the sky (it's their own fault for having a sun roofs in their car).

If you get the chance spend some time outside now that the weather is getting nicer and enjoy the wonderful world above us. Oh and if the weather doesn't cooperate check out the book Sector 7 by, David Weisner from the library and enjoy his wonderful book (also check out this one if you get the chance!).

To get started here some pictures for your imagination.......

Oh and just for fun some clothes on the line now that it's warm enough outside!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T13:34:00.001-04:00

I love this time of year when you can see new life beginning to push it's way back out from hiding. Hopefully this year I'll get to put more plants in the ground early on than I did last year. I love being able to make a meal almost completely from my garden.

Tomorrow my family and I will be getting together at our house for a big dinner and time to spend together and catch up with what's going on in each other's lives. I love my family very much and I love nothing more than to hear how they've been doing and how God's revealed Himself to them lately (even if it's something as strange as having six kids when you grow up!). For those that I don't get to see, know that I am thinking about you and wishing you were here.

Z is for zzzzzz....SLOR!

2008-02-28T21:24:00.000-05:00

Okay so I'm too lazy to think of anything for Zz and I have no intention of doing it but to complete this craziness I thought I'd go ahead and keep the title. Last year my friends and I made a sled to help raise funds for a local boys home. Well this year we did it again. I only have a couple pictures worth showing but there will be more soon if I can bum them off my friends any time soon.

Y is for Y (Why?)........

2008-02-26T17:30:00.000-05:00

I have always been a very inquisitive person. I don't know if I've mentioned this on here before but I was actually grounded once from asking questions (the only time I was ever really grounded). I was only five and my mother was very pregnant so you can figure out the rest. Some questions that I have lately have been:

Why has it taken me so long to get through the alphabet on this silly blog of mine?

Why don't I spend more time keeping in touch with the people that I love and don't see often?

Why do I need sleep?

Why haven't I started planting seedling yet for my garden?

Why is sharing my life with people so hard sometimes?

Why am I alive?

This question should be better explained. Last week I got into a very bad car accident. There was wintry conditions with slick roads. I was coming around a turn down a hill and lost control. My car turned sideways and rammed into a bridge where it then spun out of control and rammed into the other side of the bridge. I've only been in a couple accidents before and they were more of "doh" kind of accidents (insert bart simpson accent and context of show to understand). This one was much more serious and frightening. I pushed my way out of my car door and immediately thought 'God, why am I okay.' I don't know why He let me be virtually unhurt (only a few bruises and some soreness) but I know without a doubt that He has a purpose for me still. The title of this blog holds true more now than ever. Life is a gift! The most wonderful gift that we can receive. The only thing greater is life beyond this short time spent on earth, spent with the one who created us.

This question can only be followed by another and the wonderful ways in which God has blessed me.

Why am I so incredibly loved?

Monday morning when I walked in to work I was looking in my book bag to find my work keys so I could get inside and I found a wad of cash in with the rest of my junk. I don't cry easily but when I saw that money in my book bag I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with so many emotions. I walk in the door to my pre-schoolers who are all making birthday cards for me and wishing me birthday wishes. I didn't want to scare my kids by bawling my eyes out in front of them when they were being so wonderful so I accepted a couple cards and passed out hugs then went to the sanctuary to compose myself before I had to start work. I couldn't believe how incredibly blessed I was. Not only am I alive but I now have a good start to be able to afford a car that my insurance won't cover. I don't know who exactly gave me the money, I hadn't told that many people about my accident, and honestly I don't care who gave me the money. It is just an overwhelming feeling to know that 'I am loved' and have friends and family who take care of me when they see a need. To whoever gave me the gift if you read this THANK YOU from the innermost of my heart for your love and encouragement.

And to all of my family and friends whom I don't say this to often enough, I love you!

'xantho spider, xantho leaf'

2008-02-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

My X is a lyric to a song by Mewithoutyou. If you ever get a chance to see them in concert it's very interesting. Actually the lyric is 'yellow spider yellow leaf,' but my friends and I changed it to 'xantho' when we were on a roadtrip one time going through all of the words that start with the letter x in the dictionary. Xantho is another word for yellow. Look it up if you don't believe me.

Sled construction has begun for this year's Wild and Wacky Cardboard Sled derby. I can't give you any details right now (top secret!) but I'll be sure to post pictures when we're done. There hasn't been a whole lot of snow to play in this year so far. Only one snow big enough to sled on (which I didn't have time to do) and another time with enough snow to have a snowball fight (which I did get to do!). I'm ready for some serious snow though. Especially if I'm going to be going skiing for the first time ever this weekend. I'll let you know how that goes for sure!

W is for Woman

2008-02-07T18:17:00.001-05:00

Yes that's right woman. What does it mean to be a woman. What are the desires of a woman's heart and why are women the way they are? Don't ask me because even though I am one I can't answer these questions any better than you can.

A dear friend of mine just attempted her last chance for having a child through In Vitro fertilisation. Unfortunately the attempt didn't take. They already have one amazing child through this method for which they are very thankful for, but it's costs are so high that they decided that this would be their last try for another child. I don't know if they have considered the prospects of adoption or not but I know that they could be so blessed by it (just as the child would be).

In reflecting on their situation and trying to put myself in her shoes I wonder why it is that women want to have children so badly. There's lots of reasons that people have for having children:

- sharing life
- they make life interesting
- child labor (just kidding, sort of)
- laughter
- loving to love
- you get to act like a kid again
- a squeeze around the next (I love kid hugs)
- fulfillment of husband and wife
- producing a blood line (passing on the family name)
- it's what we're made for (among other things)
- entertaining
- the experience of being pregnant (and it's closeness to God's creation)

While I know that there are many other reasons for having children I don't think that having your own biological children is the only way to experience the joy that children bring to our lives. There are so many many children out there who need to be loved, taught, and cared for because their own biological parents can't take care of them (for whatever reason). I wonder if more of these children aren't adopted into families because our reasons for having children are so messed up that it's not so much about the child but about fulfilling something in ourselves.

Don't worry I'm not thinking of having/adopting kids any time soon (I'd have to be married first), but these are just thoughts that I've been turning over and over in my head this week. I love children dearly and hope to have my own some day (in one capacity or another) just not now. I am surrounded by children everyday where I work as it is, and they are more than enough for me to love on right now.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
- James 1:27

V is for V v v v ......

2008-01-01T22:44:00.000-05:00

I don't know what V is for and to be honest I can't believe I'm still doing this encyclopedia of me. I started this out hoping I'd be done in August but here it is January already and I've still got 4 more letters to do.

Aside from whatever V may before I want to wish all a Happy New Year with many good wishes your way! I am starting this new year with a new job as a Pre-K teacher at the same place I'd been before.

Lord help me to be a guiding light to these little children of Yours. Help my actions to be a visible reference of who you are to all I come in contact with.

U is for Unexpected gifts......

2007-12-28T09:22:00.000-05:00

Okay so usually I'm not one of those people to go bragging about the gifts that I got for Christmas, but there's one gift in particular that I'm kind of excited about and wanted to share. My sister bought her husband a new ipod for Christmas, so she in turn got his old one and they were trying to sell hers. I've wanted an mp3 player for a while and this seemed just as good. Well my mom surprised me completely and bought the ipod for me for Christmas. I was actually really surprised by it. While opening Christmas presents I even told her that she must've confused someone else's gift with mine because it was a itunes gift card, but she said it was for me (after saying "oh you shouldn't have opened that one yet").

While I'm not the biggest person on music or anything I do enjoy a good book (don't get me wrong I love music I just don't have to be listening to it all the time to feel alive). I've always gone to the library to borrow books on tape there but I haven't been able to in a while because where I live the house is so open that everyone would hear (whether or not they wanted to). That and I've been terribly busy, and my cd player is on the fritz so it's kind of annoying to get into the first chapter of a book and it suddenly decides to stop working. But now I can listen to a book while I'm sewing or cleaning and not have to worry about anything.

I've already got a few classics that I haven't read in a long time on my ipod as well as a few new ones, but they'll have to wait until I get my reading done for school first (oh priorities).

Thought you might like to hear this

2007-12-27T09:45:00.000-05:00

Just hit pause on the music below and hear what this 13yr old boy has to say about God's son. I heard this this morning from a friend and I had to share.

T is for Time and Thought......

2007-12-18T09:02:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that there's only a week before Christmas and then another week until the new year. Time is such an abstract concept for me sometimes (I think I get that from my Dad, 15 minutes usually means an hour and an hour is like 4 hours, i love you Daddy!). It's hard for me to think about plans beyound a week and how that actually effects what I should be doing during this week. I try to be a good steward by planning trips to get everything that I need done at once so I'm not wasting gas by taking several trips to get what I need. I'm even worse when it comes to having other people involved with future plans and communicating everything that they need to know (or maybe would just like to know) with regards to our plans.

I was talking to a co-worker of mine today (yes another story about work and kids, how unpredictable), and we got onto the topic of children and their manners (or lack there of). Parents are so busy running around trying to take care of things NOW and not considering how it's affecting their childrens future. The results in children learning poor management and planning in their lives and a constant need to be moving and doing all the time.

Some of my most precious moments as a child are the ones that aren't so busy. I can remember distinctly the feeling of lying on my bed with the sun shining on me with absolutely nothing to do. I was gloriously bored. I can't remember when the last time was that I felt that. I've got a list of things to keep me busy now that's at least a century long (if lists were measured in time). Wouldn't it be nice if we took the time to just be with out family, friends and selves? Try it this holiday and see if you don't enjoy yourself a little more.

S is for Sick, Snow, Salary, and Singing......

2007-12-16T20:18:00.000-05:00

I've been dreadfully sick this past week. I was so sick I was referred to as the tissue monster by a few. I finally feel like I'm getting toward the end of it though!!! It's been a busy couple of weeks working on Christmas projects with my kids at work and trying to keep up with the Christmas stuff at home as well. I finished my class at school in Art History II and I will be starting my last class tomorrow (after this one I have my degree!). I'm both excited and apprehensive about the class I start tomorrow. It's called Culturally Diverse Literature and it sounds really interesting, but it's an on-line class and I'm not always the most discipline with school work so hopefully I'll be able to stay on the ball with this class and not get behind at all.

Walking inside this evening from running errands was the first time that I actually felt like looking forward to winter! I've felt kind of saddened by the coldest thus far but while walking in I could almost sense the snow. I got really excited and felt the urge to go for a walk in the cold and blowing wind. The moon was shining and the clouds moving fast. In less than a minute there were snow flurries blowing around everywhere. It won't amount to anything on the ground but being there when it first started was very exciting! I can't wait to see the creek freeze over and snow piled high around the banks (picture below is from last year). I know I'm supposed to be an adult and not like these sort of things, but honestly I get just as excited about going sledding and snowball fights as my kids at work do. I can't wait!

Some exciting news for me at work is that I'm going to be starting in a new full time position where I work after the first of the year! Yay, my first big kid job where I'll be getting a Salary and Health Insurance. My cup is overflowing with the goodness of God. I'll be working with a wonderful woman and some amazing Pre-K kids that I've been blessed to get to know over the last few months. This means that I won't be seeing my school age kids as much and that saddens me, because they are so creative and interesting to get to know. I know that the teachers that are still with them care about them a lot and will continue to be there for them.

Last night, our family on my mom's side gets together almost every year to go down to this small little church (hardly bigger then my parents bedroom and living room combined) called 'The Woods' and sings. Usually Symphony sings, Melody plays something Mom plays a piano piece, her sister and children do lost and my grandparents will play a piano duet. This year we went but it was a bit different. Symphony's in Texas, Melody was sick, David had to work and Grandma wasn't feeling well. We had the gathering and Mom, Lauryl and Lauren sang and played and I SANG! I never sing in front of people, unless it's worship or fun with friends who I don't care if they hear me sing. Singing in front of a large group of people that you don't know a song that you only just learned the day before is a bit of a scary thing for me. I sang but I was a shaky nervous wreck the entire time. Just a few reminders for myself:

- Don't sing a song you don't know very well in front of a group of people
- Don't agree to sing a song you don't know very well in front of a group of people you don't know when asked the day before (okay the week before but we didn't get to practice until the day before)
- Don't agree to sing a song you don't know very well in front of a group of people you don't know when asked the week before and you have the sniffles
- Relax! It's not worth getting nervous over.

R is Really for Rest.....

2007-11-30T11:41:00.000-05:00

Rest. What is rest? Do we ever truly know what rest is? I think I've experienced it before but I don't remember what it's like. Can someone remind me what it means to rest? This time of year is really busy for me and I've been super busy trying to get my final projects done for school, stuffed toys made for an art sale at school, lesson plans written out, and a plethora of other things that I think I have to do. While I enjoy this time of year immensely with all of it's family gatherings and festivities I have to admit that it's not even December yet and I'm feeling a little bit in need of a rest. Hopefully once classes finish (not this Tuesday but the next), I'll be ready for the Holiday.

As for other R's...

- I try to reflect on what I am doing daily and see what I should be thankful for and how I could have done things differently that day (you know learn from your mistakes instead of making them over and over again). This is especially important with regard to working with kids, and so many of them at that, because you want to remember how each one tics and how best you can work with them.

- Since the year is almost over I've already begun thinking of resolutions. The thing is that I never make New Year's Resolutions. I think they're silly. If there's something in my life that I need to or want to change for the better I should make that proactive choice to change it as soon as possible not waiting until an appointed time by society to make that change. I guess the end of the year just gets me re-evaluating all the changes that have happened in my life in the past year and whether or not they've been for better or worse.

- It's nice to know that I have "roots" where I live. I've gotten to know a lot of people and I can go to a parade and run into people that I know and catch up with them.

- Rising early in the morning is something that I've always wanted to be able to do consistently and I'm finally able to do that with my job. I've always needed at least 8hrs of sleep or I get grumpy, stressed, and irritable. I know 8hrs seems like a lot to all of you sleep deprived crazies out there but I know that I am a better person when I get enough sleep. I'm much more likely to be a person that I'm not ashamed of when sleep well, and that's huge. Especially since I want my life to be one that strives to be like Christ.

R is for Review (movie review that is).......

2007-11-26T22:17:00.000-05:00

First of all scroll to the bottom of this page and pause the music so you can hear the preview below.

Okay so my family and I went to see August Rush tonight and I have to say that it was a wonderful movie. Somewhat korny at times (but who doesn't love that), a bit of a fairy tale (but you're warned about that to begin with), but completely inspiring. There's nothing in it that would make you want to look away, a very clean movie all around (a huge plus in my book, I really dislike when there's just one part in a movie that you could totally have done without and really didn't add to the story at all). Hearing the music in the theatre is the only way to hear it I think (unless you've got some really nice surround sound system at home). I think I'll be seeing this one again (something I never do).

Day of Gratitude

2007-11-22T18:14:00.000-05:00

Are you thankful? Or do you just assume that you're thankful and not fully appreciate all of the little things that we are given or blessed with? Too often I take for granted that I'm thankful for the little things. I wish it wasn't once a year that I forced myself to think about all the things that I truly am thankful for. This should be a daily thing, to count my blessings! I am so very thankful for so many things. I know last year I wanted to write one thing down that I'm thankful for each night. I never actually did this but how inspiring would it be to go back and read this thankfulness journal and see all of the amazing things that I have to be thankful for over the past year. I really do want to do this and if you're reading this and you know me ask me about it sometime as a way to keep me accountable (I might seem disapointed in myself if I haven't followed through like I hoped, but I'll be thankful that you brought it up so I can get back on track)! Anyways looking back this past year here are some things that I am thankful for:

- a place to stay after moving back from school

- being back home where I'm closer to those I love

- a new addition to the family who makes my world turn!

- relationships with my sister that have grown so much since our more pugnacious years

- being able to know people where I live and having a history with them

- cows that follow me to the mailbox

- friends that will stay up to the not so wee hours of the morning with me playing games and talking

- friends who let me play with their horses and hang out with them

- people who care about our earth and it's preservation

- to be able to release my thoughts out into the world and have friends hear them and understand

- the use of my hands and my ability to work with them

- children and the many joys and lessons that they teach us in life

- adults who are willing to share their stories and wisdom with others

- all those in-betweeners who are desperately trying to figure out who they are in the context of our world

- music that touches the innermost part of you and you don't know why

- laughter in all its various voices (especially giggles adults and kids alike!)

- deer that silhouettes against a moonlit sky

- and most importantly a God who provides me with every thing that I could possibly need (Thanks!)

Q is for Quiltmaker

2007-11-19T18:58:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm only 23yrs. old and a quiltmaker. There's no rule that you have to be an old empty nester to be a quilter (or an old maid for that matter). When I was 12 yrs. old my Grandmother taught me how to make my first quilt. I haven't been able to stop since. There's something about the ability to maneuver the colors of fabric around to make something beautiful and warm that someone will wrap themselves in. Now I haven't made many quilts but I've dreamt of them. I've planned for them, even bought fabric for them. It is my goal this coming year to complete many of my unfinished quilts that are waiting around to be finished. Let's see if I will follow through.

Here I am enjoying a quilt by the fire with friends this past year. The quilt was made by my mother and the qulited pillow made by me.

Some other Q things about me:

I'm not very quiet most of the time. I really try to be but when I get excited or find something funny it's hard to hold back.

Oh this is a big one. I am a walking question. I'm constantly asking questions. I know my family gets tiresome of it because that's the reason for my one and only time of being grounded. I was asking a lot of questions in the car when I was four and my momma was pregnant with Symphony. The questions were just too much for her nerves so she begged daddy to do something about it so he grounded me from asking any more questions. I'm not exactly sure how long I was supposed to be grounded for but I'm quite positive it didn't last very long.

P is for all the Pretty Colors!

2007-11-19T08:40:00.001-05:00

My Grandmother and I have an ongoing joke about how I love the color orange just a little bit too much. Don't get me wrong I don't have favorites or anything, but this time of year how can you not appreciate and just absolutely fall in love with the color orange!!! Here's some pictures that I took at the city park yesterday that are decent enough to put on here.

Other P things about me....

I don't like posing for pictures (I feel so fake when I do), however, I love watching other people getting their picture taken. Go somewhere famous and people watch to see how ridiculous some people look when they're getting their pictures taken.

Peanut butter and bananas are yummy (as well as peanut butter and honey sandwiches).

Poppies are probably one of my favorite flowers, especially icelandic poppies (they're best in the garden though, I've tried to make a bouquet of them and they don't last more than a day).

Peonies are another fun one and they do look good in bouquets!

I would love to paint more but it's just too messy for my life right now (watch me start painting tomorrow now!)

I'm the pickiest non-picky person you'll ever meet (ask my cousin Jeremy about that).

Have a "Pleasant Day"!

O is for Obedient

2007-11-12T13:38:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine told me that his niece has discovered the words "I don't want to," and will say it to any suggestion before it's even said. It may actually be something that she wants to do but she won't change her answer (most of the time), because she's already said no. She may be missing out on something that she would enjoy just because she has to stick to her silly rebellious attitude.

How often do you say no to someone just because it's them asking you to do something you don't want to do, whatever it is that they are suggesting or asking or even telling you to do (be it boss, parent, sister, friend)? I'm like this more than I'd like to admit (rebel at heart). For instance, all my sister has to say to me is "you should...." and immediately I shut down to whatever it is that she thinks I "should" do. It may a great idea, something I agree with but because SHE told me I should do it I really don't want to agree.

I've been wondering a lot lately if I have this same attitude with anyone else. Do I have this same sort of rebellious attitude even with what God wants me to do with my life? Don't get me wrong I want mine to be a life that is God honoring and following the path of His will, but do I sometimes dismiss what he tells me because I really don't want to do it? I'm not sure if this is making any sense but I have just been wondering how mature I am with my ability to listen and obey to what God has in store for my life. If my childishly rebellious attitude with my sister telling me what I "should" do is like this, how am I with my attitude in other areas of my life.

Lord help me to never be blind to the areas in my life that need work and help me (with Your help) to overcome them. Help me to grow up to be Your child, open and obedient to Your will.

N is for National Adoption Month....

2007-11-11T19:41:00.000-05:00

Did you know that November was National Adoption Month? I found this out while I was trying to find out fun days in November for my kids at work. I also found out that the 13th is the World Kindness Day, the 16th is Button Day, the Slinky was invented on the 26th in 1943, and on the 30th it's Stay at Home Because You're Well Day (I definitley remember taking a few of those days growing up:).

At work for our bible lesson we talked about November being National Adoption Month and I found out that quite a lot of the kids at our before and after school program were indeed adopted. It was so neat to hear this and then talk about Moses in the Bible who was miraculously adopted by the very people who were trying to kill him. God works in truly amazing ways. I am really looking forward to hearing about the kids own stories of adoption and just their stories in general. Kids are amazing story tellers if you will just listen to them (true and false alike).

I've been blessed to know a family of amazing proportions from my church who have adopted 12 children and have just been aproved to adopt 5 more (not to mention they have five biological children and a grandbaby - not all living with them of course)! I can't think of another family whom God has used to bless these amazing children. I'm so grateful to know them and be able to be a part of their lives. Right now I am teaching the school age children Art once a week and really enjoying coming up with the lesson plans as well as working with a small enough group of kids that it's not so overwhelming (like at work sometimes).

It's amazing how big the family of God can be if only we let it.

M is for MINE!

2007-11-11T14:25:00.000-05:00

I went with my sisters yesterday to check out two new stores in hagerstown Fivebelow and Best Buy. Well, while we were in Best Buy I found the camera for me. My heart fluttered when I read it's information. This camera was there and I was completely amazed at how close to being perfect for me it was. If you read its information you'll see that it's water-freeze-shock-and crush-proof! The only down side was that it had digital image stabilization instead of optical image stabilization (and it was a tad too expensive for me). This camera is perfect for my accident prone lifestyle. I've already been too rough with two digital cameras in my life. The first one I lost to the ocean (St. Petersburg, FL where we were kayaking and the bag I placed it in was faulty), and the other to hard use (I think it got dust/dirt in it causing the lense to not open properly). I still need to take my camera to a repair shop to find out if there's any hope in repairing it.

My title makes it sound like I'm one of those totally spoiled little kids that think they can get anything they want if they play their cards right. While this does not accurately portray my temperment I have to admit that I do feel that way sometimes. Most often when it comes to my life and how I life it. I am constantly having to remind myself that this life is not my own but God's and everything in it belongs to Him.

Another L post!

2007-11-04T15:42:00.000-05:00

I was thinking up this post for quite a while and when I finally came to write it I realized that I had already written up an L post but hadn't posted it yet due to lack of pictures. Well it ties in really well with my idea of L is for Lost.....

I feel completely lost sometimes without my camera. I keep coming up with ideas for posts and then not following through because I haven't had the access to a camera for photos. It truly is amazing how visually dependent I (and I think a lot of other people out there too) have become. It's like something is not worth giving your interest if it is not visually appealing (which is definitley not true by the way). I'm trying to save up to either repair my current camera or get a new one and if I have to continue on without photos or using old photos than so be it. I enjoy this medium of expressing myself (blogging that is) and something as silly as not having new photos isn't going to stop me.

I lost myself in my thoughts yesterday hiking up a familiar trail. The colors of fall are all around right now and I have been feeling drawn to go enjoy them all week. Work and rain made that impossible though so I'm so glad that I was able to get out yesterday and be surrounded by it all. The feeling of my heart beating as I was hiking up the mountain was just the reminder of living life that I needed.

L is for life

2007-10-22T13:14:00.000-04:00

How often to we try to fill life with things that we think we're supposed to do but really they're not all that important?

I want my life to be one filled with the most important things out there:

God, Love, Family, Giving, Breathing, Learning, Being, Creating, and Living.

Still working on trying to prioritize what things need to be done (eating, working, cleaning, sleeping), with things that are fundamental to wholeness. I tend to focus on one thing at a time and forget about the other important things that I should be doing when I'm focused on a task.

k is for kids!

2007-10-18T12:37:00.000-04:00

Kids are an absolutely awesome part of my life. They always have been and always will be. They are the reason that I act the way I do most of the time (I'm very much like a kid myself most days, completely crazy, loud, and annoying, but also creative, fun, and full of love). I'm working a job right now where I'm surrounded by kids at work. It's a before and afterschool program where I chill with the kids either until they go to school or their parents pick them up (before and after school).

The first few weeks I struggled with getting down the rules that the kids follow and dealing with kids trying to tell me otherwise and being thrown into classrooms not knowing any of the kids names or temperments and being expected to teach them. Those situations have been trying but the people I'm working with have been very helpful. I've gotten to know about half of the students already and will hopefully learn the rest here before the month is over.

It truly amazes me how different each and every one of these kids are. They're so amazing and unique to get to know. I'm truly blessed to be working with them.

One thing that I hadn't realized about kids (either because I've always worked with smaller groups of kids or because it's been so long since I was in elementary and middle school myself) is that they're LOUD! Volume control is difficult with a bunch of kids who've just gotten out of school and all they want to do is wild and be loud (or so it seems). I have to admit that driving home in my car without the radio is absolutely blissful.

J is for Joy!

2007-09-17T21:17:00.000-04:00

I'm so lucky to be able to have this beautiful face around for another week. Along with her mother of course!

And just because here's a piece of one of the beautiful quilts that my Grandmother and I saw the other weekend at a quilt show in Harrisburg, PA.

I is for "I don't know".......

2007-09-09T21:34:00.000-04:00

I don't know the answer to all life's questions.

I don't even know all the questions.

I don't know what I'm going to be doing tomorrow let alone next week, month or year.

I don't know what I want to do for the rest of my life.

I don't know how to be a great friend.

I don't know how to plan things out very well.

I don't know how to not procrastinate.

I don't know enough about the Bible and my relationship with God.

I don't know how to explain my thoughts very well to others (verbally).

What I do know is that I have a God who does know and I can trust in Him to be there beside me always guiding me. I just have to be obedient to His gentle promptings. If I'm not obedient then what's the point?

This isn't a post of me depreciating myself, it's of me knowing and understanding the things I struggle with and making a conscious effort to improve myself.

I know that even though there's a lot of things that I don't know, I am very capable and willing of learning the things that I don't know.

Lord help me to never settle to be content with where I'm at. Help me to always be hungering to know You and be ever-growing in You and Your way.

H is for Home

2007-08-18T00:02:00.001-04:00

The thought of home has been on my mind a lot today. Not that I'm having a bad time in Texas with my family or anything because I'm enjoying my self very much. It's just that my trip is coming quickly to an end and I will be heading home shortly. Growing up I didn't always know where home was for me. We moved an awful lot and I was always trying to find my place in the world. It wasn't until we moved to Maryland that I truly felt at home. At first it didn't feel like home to me because it was all so new but after settling in and making some roots (pronounced ruts) I can definitely say that I really feel at home in Maryland. I've been able to invest my life in people here and it's been such a great blessing to get to know as many people as I have here. My family has grown tremendously since moving here and our relationships continue to develop and grow here.

As much as I love my home in Maryland I also know that it is not and will not be my home forever. My Mom grew up much the same way I did, never staying any place for very long and I like how she puts the situation into perspective best. She says that her home is in Heaven and that each of these temporary residences are just one step closer to her eternal destination. I agree with Mom that my home is in Heaven, but I also thank God for the home that he has given me on earth.

Now for other H's........

* I like to help people out (more than I like to help myself sometimes)

* I love to hike!

* Hair is not a big priority of mine (I try to brush it once a day, but that's pretty much the extent of it, I know....... shameful).

* I really love a good hug. You know the kind that let you know that you are loved! My Grandmother actually cracked a rib of my Grandfather's one time she hugged him so tight. Now that's what I'm talking about!

G is for Gone

2007-08-17T00:32:00.001-04:00

Yes, I am gone. Gone to Texas that is. I'm visiting my sister and her husband and baby in Texas for a week, helping them to get settled into their new apartment. Today we finished setting up the baby's room and tomorrow we're going to get some dressers and finish getting their room put together. The part of Texas where I am visiting (Fort Hood), looks an awful lot like one giant strip mall. I hadn't seen anything but stores in Texas until today when Symphony and I got lost on an adventure. We were trying to find a Thrift shop where we could hopefuly get a good price on a dresser for them when we found ourselves out in the farmland of texas. It was actually very nice to see and the trees are much different here. We saw some farms with cows, goats, and donkeys. We never did find the thrift shop on our adventure but it was enjoyable none the less just to see a different side of Texas than I had seen before.

Symphony chillin' in the morning.

The reality of motherhood. Exhausted 75% of the time.
Not entirely true but show anyone this picture while saying that and they'll believe you.

We're going to visit Colorado Bend State Park while I'm visiting and possibly some other parks. We're just kind of chillin' though and getting her settled here as much as possible. What with changing doctors for her and Joy, and getting her a new library card I'm sure we'll have plenty to do the whole time.

as for the letter G...
* Symphony has a Gnome!
* I've been known to be very goofy
* and grumpy
* I don't really enjoy chewing gum (it makes me feel like a cow, and it gets tiresome).
* Oh and I'm very gullible.

F is for Fire

2007-08-09T23:33:00.000-04:00

This past year has definitely been a big one for me when it comes to fire. I've had more experiences with fire this year than I have in my entire lifetime. You see, it all began with taking a course in Ceramics. The various ways in which you can burn things to make them beautiful had never been revealed to me before. It all started with raku and gradually built up to a woodburning kiln where I singed my bangs off (at a mere 1280 degrees F).

There's also been lots of bonfires with friends. One in particular in which we built a fire so high it was over the roof of my friends parents house. The Thorpe's are a really laid back couple and really cool to hang out with, but I think we freaked them out with the fire that we built there that day. The biggest disappointment though, was not being able to burn slor nino.

* I don't know what I would do without my family and friends

* My sister thinks I am some sort of Free-Spirited Freak (Melody that is:).

* Oh and Fudge rocks!

* Then there's my Faith......

Growing up I thought that my faith needed to be tested so that I would know that I truly had faith. I used to wish that I could just go off on the road with absolutely nothing and just rely on God for all of my needs. I figured that I could drive off with a full tank of gas and where ever I ran out I'd find someplace to work or some one who needed some help and we'd sort of trade for things that I needed. I'd trade helping someone mow their lawn or weed their garden for a meal or me, some gas for my car, or a place to stay the night. I'd go to church wherever I found myself and tell people my story. I don't know how well this would have built my faith in Christ but for the longest time I thought that I had to do something daring to get an opportunity where I would have to rely on God and test my faith.

Our world is a world where we think we don't need God most of the time. We have plenty of money and resources and lots of people to help us out in a scrape (well I do anyways). I guess I felt like I had to be without to truly experience the kind of faith I'd always read or heard about. I never took my grand adventure (even though I still wish to do it sometimes, for different reasons), but I learned that faith is something that can be obtained if you simply ask for it. It can be given to even those who have everything they physically need. While I know whom I believe in, it also doesn't hurt to have a fire to know him more breathin inside of us every moment. I truly hope to know him more every moment of everyday. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not one of those saints who can actually achieve these kind of goals in their daily life but I wish to be able to live up to them.

Lord, help me to know you closer every day. Help my eyes and ears to be open to your voice and our spirit, and to never doubt that it is You speaking to me.

E is for Eyes

2007-08-08T13:10:00.000-04:00

* My eyes are uneven. No really, one eye-lid is bigger than the other. Not that it's a big deal or anything it's just the way it is. I know random and weird but I'm running out of things to say about myself. Either that or it's beginning to weird me out. I'm such a boring topic.
* I love looking at interesting pictures of peoples eyes.
* I'm pretty Easy-going. You almost have to be in this life with all of the troubles that are thrown at you on a daily basis. My motto is "No Worries" though. Now of course I didn't come up with it all on my own, I've borrowed it from the Australians, or for the young one's The Lion King.
* Just finished a bible study on Ecclesiastes and I hope to do a study of Ephesians next.

D is for Day

2007-08-07T21:23:00.000-04:00

Do you ever feel like you can accomplish so much more during the day time as opposed to the night? I think I've created in my mind some sort of theory that once it becomes dark the fun begins and you don't have to DO anything until it's daylight again. This of course is simply an illusion. I know that some people can get so much more accomplished at night but for me I get too preoccupied with wanting to sleep when the sun goes down (granted not immediately after the sun goes down). I don't see how people can stay up all night to finish papers or projects for school or work. I'm not saying I've never done it before because believe me I have more times than I'd like to admit.

* I am also quite the Dreamer. I have all of these crazy ideas that I think would be super cool (yes I just said super cool, and no I'm not 14 yrs old), it's just that reality sets in and tells me that they would be absolutely difficult to do. Like that stops me though.
* There's too many Depressing things that begin with the letter D. For example, depressed, distraught, down, dunce, dope, distressed, dumb, doubt, dork, duck, etc.
* I grew up reading about Dufflepuds
* Shasta Daisies are probably my favorite flower ever (well at least one of them, it's so hard to choose from all of the beautiful varieties). I really want to plant some for cutting next year!
* For now I am Done and going to bed.

C is for Community

2007-08-06T09:02:00.000-04:00

I have been truly blessed to be a part of a community of friends and family that are always there for me (and of which some are cardboard). These pictures don't even begin to describe the many people in my life that I care about they just have the most in each picture. We share our faith and our lives together going on adventures and putting up with each other quite tolerably.

* I love cameras (which is why it's really hard for me right now without a camera until I get mine repaired), especially capturing life with it

* I planted about 16 tomato plants in my garden this year and found out alter that about 10 of them Cherry Tomato plants (I must read signs more clearly, good thing my mother loves them)
* The first author I remember reading and one I continue to read and enjoy is C. S. Lewis
* I was a Ceramics intern for a year

* Color combinations make me insanely happy
* I can draw a mean stick cow
* Most importantly I am a Child of God and I daily try to live a life that is Christ centered

B is for Balance

2007-08-05T17:19:00.000-04:00

I've constantly been trying to find some sort of Balance in my life. I have been blessed to be named a name as beautiful as Harmony but I have to admit that sometimes it's downright hard to life up to. I struggle with balancing my thoughts and what I want to do with what I actually do. This past month has been incredibly difficult for me in figuring out what my next step is in life. I've finished school and have moved back home. Adjusting to that has been alright. I still have to find a job though and I'm not entirely sure what I'm waiting for. I've applied to one place so far but to no avail. There are a few others that I'm interested in I'm just not sure how well they would fit into my life right now.

I've been working since I was 10 and I've always done any job that came to me. I've done paper routes, data entry, stocking grocery shelves, retail, babysitting, mowing lawns, cleaning construction sites, renovating houses, making costumes, teaching at camps and waitressing. Now all of these jobs have been great experience for me and I can truly say that I enjoyed them all (most aspects of them anyways), it's just that I've never actually done a job that I've searched for or sought out that had to do with my interests and degree. I guess I am just ready to do something that I have been training for all this time now. The only thing is that I don't exactly know what that is. What I do know is that I love working with kids and art and if I could combine these two that would be wonderful. I would love to teach but I don't really care to work in the public school system. I would love to start my own school of Art for home schoolers. I'm just not sure if I want to start out doing something so unstable and risky. I don't know if anything like this already exists in my community and if not how to start one.

While I am still searching for a job I've been helping my Dad out with some work on the properties. I've also been teaching some girls from my church how to quilt and that has been an absolute joy. They are quick learners and a lot of fun to work with. Spending time with family has been at the top of the list also during this in between time. I know that God has something in line for me I just hope and pray that I'm not too blind to see it when it's sitting right in front of me.

As for the rest of my B list here you are.....

* I think I'm terribly boring when it comes to conversing with others.
* I've been known to be boisterous

* My sister tells me I have a big mouth
* My all time favorite family recipe is broccoli and cheese casserole
* I went berry picking for the first time ever this summer down near Harpers Ferry.
* I'm going to Baltimore tomorrow to pick up my cousin after spending almost a month with our uncle's family in New Jersey.

* I love going barefoot.
* I'm incredibly blessed to have the family, friends, and faith that I have.

A is for Anyways

2007-08-04T21:40:00.000-04:00

So I'm going to do something slightly different here for the month of August. I'm doing an encyclopedia of me. Each day I'll share something different about me using the a letter of the alphabet. The idea came from a lovely blog belladia.

I know it's not the first of the month but I'm starting today anyways. So what can I tell you about me that starts with the letter A???

* I use the word "anyways" in conversation when I don't know what to say or I want to change the subject.
* I am an Art student

* I enjoy the Appalachian Trail very much
* I love adventures
* I just became an Aunt for the first time and I must say, it's awesome!

* A favorite author of mine is Jane Austin
* I love to sing the song Amazing Grace under bridges and in tunnels with anyone who will sing with me, I love making any sort of noise actually where there's interesting reverberations.

I'll be back tomorrow with the B's of me!

Wallpaper is the devil!

2007-07-27T15:05:00.001-04:00

I like a good renovation, don't get me wrong, but wallpaper is a huge mess to deal with. My dad and I are fixing up one of the cottages for some renters coming in on the first and 'he' started a project we just couldn't finish. This one room had 4+ layers of wallpaper on it and we've been working at it for several days now without much improvement. In fact we're making the room uglier by the second. We tried using vinegar and hot water on the walls to get it off and then a miracle product DIF that doesn't work a true miracle. We even went so far as to rent a professional steamer to work on the walls but none of them are doing the trick. And we're both getting impatient about it. Dad finally decided today to just cover it up with some extra paneling we had from a previous renovation (our motto, save everything because you may need it one day). It will cover two of the walls and we're going to mud over one of them and just prime and paint. This post is just to remember how horrible removing wallpaper is and to prevent myself and anyone else out there reading this from ever doing it again.

p.s. I didn't write this for suggestions on how to remove wallpaper because we did everything we were supposed to and it was still awful. We scored the walls with those little circle tools and followed all the instructions but to no avail. Never again!

Unexpected Joys

2007-07-25T12:34:00.001-04:00

I got an unexpected call from my cousin last week wondering if she and her husband could come up to jolly Maryland for a visit. Now considering Symphony and Caleb had just come home with Joy I very quickly realized that they didn't want to really see me but the baby instead. I am completely fine with that I just wish they would have said that to begin with.

All kidding aside it was a wonderful two days spent with Emily and Rob. They just moved to North Carolina so they're only about 5 hours away from us instead of the 17hrs when they lived in FL. It was a joy to visit with them.

Joy isn't afraid of heights at all and the sun doesn't bother her when she's sleeping either.

We went to Antietam Battlefield and did some drive-by reading of the monuments. And of course we went to the top of the Tower at Antietam (don't ask me it's real name because I couldn't tell you).

And after that we went to Harpers Ferry where Emily really wanted to take a picture by one of these white informational signs. Go figure.

There were kind enough to pull over so I could take a picture of one of the canons at Antietam battlefield. I thought the color of the aged/oxidized copper was really cool. Maybe something to incorporated in a painting or quilt.

All in all it was great fun seeing them both. Hopefully I can make it down to see them before the end of the summer is over.

Blessed

2007-07-25T11:50:00.000-04:00

So the moment that everyone has anticipated in my family for months arrived last Saturday. Symphony and Caleb came home bringing with them Jaclyn Joy Lovelady. It is so amazing to be able to hold and love this little child of God that came into our family so unexpectedly. She is truly a blessing like none other. While I pick on her a lot for looking like a little old man (and if she scrunches her face just right one of those little tree monsters off of the movie the The Mummy II, sorry Symph) she is of course the most beautiful child I've ever seen. She's so tiny but she's already got character and strength all her own. Symphony and Caleb are going to have their hands full with this little wiggler. She's going to be crawling around getting into all sorts of mischief before they know it.

We had most of the Brown family over this past weekend to celebrate .
So of course there was lots of family portraits.

Here's Great Grandma and Grandpa.

The four generations picture. Four generations of love and life.

And of course Joy and her favorite Aunt posing pretty for the camera!

I don't know how I'll ever survive with them living so far away in Fort Hood, Texas. It's just not fair. Symphony and Caleb are going to be great parents, I know that, but Joy is going to need someone to play with and who better than her favorite Aunt.

Father of all,
Be with this new family of yours as they move so far away from their earthly family. Please provide them with friends and a church family in Texas that will help them when they need it, and keep them close to you always. Keep Caleb safe as he works and Symphony sane while she takes care of Joy. May Joy grow daily learning about You and Your world so that she'll never forget who You are. I love you and I thank you for your many blessings.

So you know I love you

2007-07-10T23:22:00.000-04:00

Some no bake cookies for Symphony, whom I've promised for a while to give, to be sent with mom tomorrow!

*edit: make that try to let you know that I love you because you won't be getting these. I goofed the recipe up! This time instead of cereal type no bakes I got gloppy no bakes due to adding too much milk (oops!). Sorry but know that I will have plenty of goodies for you when you come home:) I love you

Jaclyn Joy Lovelady

2007-07-10T22:36:00.001-04:00

In case you haven't heard yet there's a new addition to our family as of yesterday. Here is my niece Jaclyn Joy Lovelady. She was born July 9, 2007 around 11:30 am eastern time. She ways 6lbs. 7oz. and I have no idea how long she is but does that matter? Look at her adorable face.

Granted the picture is not the best but mom will take care of that when she flies out to Arizona tomorrow to visit her kids (Symph and Caleb) and hold her new "joy". How I wish I could be on that plane with her tomorrow but I'll just have to wait another 9 days before they come home to visit before moving to Fort Hood, Texas. Mommy and baby are doing just fine (and I think daddy's doing okay too now that he's gotten some rest:). They're already home and recovering and discovering everything they can about each other. How I long to hold her and tell her just how much I love her and have anticipated and prayed for her coming into this world.

Thank you God for the many blessings that you give us in this life. May we never forget to give credit where it's do and have a joyful and thankful heart in you.

It's about time!

2007-05-30T15:05:00.000-04:00

So I finally got my vegetable garden started this year! It's not much of anything right now simply because I don't have a lot of time to take care of it nor the equipment to get it bigger quick. I've been hand tilling the earth and planting seedlings I started as well as store bought plants. Most of the seedlings actually didn't survive but there are a few zucchini plants that survived and that makes me so happy! If only I had an entire garden of zucchini I'd be even happier. No I'm just kidding. Although I am a bit partial to zucchini I also love many other vegetables. Here's some pictures of the plants I've started......

These are all my tomato plants! I like tomatoes almost as much as I like zucchini.

Here's a picture of the rest of the plants. There's mostly tomatoes right now. With a few zucchini plants a yellow squash, cumber, and green pepper plant. I want to get more in the ground still, but this will have to do for now.

Then there's this mysterious vine that was right next to my little garden. Have any idea what this plant could possibly be? If you do please let me know so I can know to either let it be or pull it.

I know it might seem crazy to be planting a vegetable garden when I can just go to the store and buy vegetables without all of the work. A certain sister of mine thinks I'm crazy for doing it I'm sure (among other things). There's a certain satisfaction in planting your own garden and being able to eat plants that you helped to grow. I enjoy the being outside and seeing the plants mature. The best part though is being able to just go out in the garden and pick something to cook for dinner. So much better than having to go to the grocery store!

Next summer (or maybe even this summer if I get around to it), I want to plant the back field of my parents property with sunflowers of all kinds. We'll see if that ever happens though.

Not goodbye

2007-05-28T22:28:00.001-04:00

So yea,

Only one of the coolest people I know is going to begin her journey to Australia in about 3 hrs. She's going to be there for two years training people to be disciples through an organization called YWAM. She's going to be on staff there working in the Biblical Studies program.

She's not one of those girly girls (no offense to those of you who are), that like to talk about hair and make-up or boys all the time (again no offense to those of you who do). This is probably one of the reasons that I appreciate our friendship so much. I'm not very girly (or at least I don't feel so most of the time) and it's nice to have someone around that I can relate to. She is very "real" and not afraid to be herself in front of everybody.

An instant friend to anyone, she is super-fun to be around, and always easy to talk to. I value her friendship and insight into life and God's workings in it, more than she knows. Although she can be a little dramatic sometimes (something to do with her being a middle-child and all), there's never a dull moment.

It is my hope and prayer that while she is back in Australia, she continues to glorify you God in all that she does. Father, help her to train up disciples to follow you and know you more. May she remember that You are always with her in the good times and the bad, and that Your plans for her are better than any she could have planned for herself. I love you and thank you for putting her in my life.

It's a girl!

2007-04-10T20:50:00.000-04:00

There's going to be another girl in the family! Symphony found out today. Pray for dad with all of us girls to contend with:)

Remembering

2007-04-08T15:14:00.000-04:00

For Good Friday this year my friends and I watched the Passion of the Christ and then spent some time together talking, reading scripture and singing. I had seen the movie before but never really taken the time after watching it to think about what I'd just seen. Something that stood out to me while watching was how Jesus was silent for the most part while the people persecuted him. He didn't defend himself or show them their own faults, He simply let them do what He knew had to be done in order for all of us to be forgiven. I kept hoping He would say some cutting remark (trust me, there were a thousand going through my head), to hurt those hurting Him. But that would have completely defeated the purpose of His sacrifice. There was also the scene with Judas running down the hill with all of those little demonic children chasing after him and harassing him on all sides. I've definitely 'felt' like that before, when there's too many conflicting thoughts coming at me from all sides trying to break me down and I let them get to me.

After the movie we sat around thinking, reading scripture, and singing. Just generally worshiping God. It was something I haven't done in a long time. When it comes to worship that is sung I often find it hard to do in church. It's not that the worship is bad (all of the time) or anything like that. It is mainly because worship became more about me hearing my own voice than worshiping God. Then there's the issue of analyzing the songs that you're singing to see if they are praiseworthy enough to sing for the glory of God. Oh and don't forget about the music being so loud that you're too irritated to actually sing, let alone worship. I think that one of the most amazing things to hear is the sound of hundreds of people singing out to praise the God that we are all congregated together for. Worship for me in the past couple of years has been more of a time spent with Him in His creation along with prayers of thanksgiving and praise. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it felt good to sing again and glorify God.

worship-The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity