Psalm 90 meditations

This is not just because of the "New Year", but more what I have been mulling over for a while now...

1 Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

10 The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
11 Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Update:

I have been banned from computer for some time, therefore I have not updated, or responded to any recent comments.

My plays went ok. My performance was sometimes comical, and other times just sad. The first night I was much to quiet, and my aim was very bad!! (I throw candy to the audience in a part of my play)

Yes, Rache, they thought the accent most unique, and since I was the only person really doing it I stood out. One person who knew me in a different context was really, really shocked and impressed by how 'well I did it' which was probbably very bad according to any knowledgeable judge.

For those of you who were not initiated, I played the part of an old Russian grandmother, and when I decided of my own volition to add an accent, I called up a lovely friend who was from around there and who would naturally know all about what to do and how to roll the tongue properly. (though...I did forget the "ing-a" a couple times!!!)

Thursday, I said a line to early, and therefore messed up the dialogue and said the opposite of what was intended, but the church had SUCH amazing resonance that even the people who could not be heard were able to be understood.

Saturday, Bethy returned from her missions trip, and we finally had a camera, so all my pictures are from this one play. I missed coming in because we were all talking behind the curtain...but I guess it didn't show. I hit people with candy, and burst out laughing, which made me loose my train of thought. I then messed up a very serious dialogue, and had to run through it again...and apologised to the audience. Then, after forgetting my last sentence, I waited for my 'son' to say his line. He was awaiting my last sentence, so he said nothing. I assumed that he had forgotten his line, so I went on on the next sentence I could remember......which happened to be a whole page away. Thus, a whole chunk of the story went missing, and most of the little details were left hanging. We finished off in good style, and I only wanted to get away and have a good cry.

Because of the rectangular set-up, the cast had to sit behind a room-divider the entire play with the lights off so as not to distract....so I got to sit in a corner and no one knew what I was doing. I managed to fake a smile for the rest of the play, remembered the rest of my 5 lines, and bore out through Cast & Crew pictures, family hugs, congratulations from everyone on what a great performance it was, and the last piling of things into their respective owners cars.

I do not know if I was meant to be included or not, but as I was standing by the director's daughter, she could not help but invite me to an unofficial cast party at Friendly's, as she was inviting a couple other people. My dear oldest brother stayed behind to drive me home in his car, and volunteered to take me. I decided to go...thought not with much gusto, as I had a bad headache He scolded me for crying, and told me he had enjoyed the performance, and not noticed any problems but my 'sorry'. (which was unutterably sweet of him)

Because we got to the restaurant first, the manager kept on addressing me, who had no idea what was going on, and who was in no way able to organize for an American group of an unknown number at a very strange restaurant. My dear brother paid for some ice cream, and made the night much more enjoyable that it would have been by opening up conversation with some people, and getting things going. I left glad that I had gone, and in a much better frame of mind than I was before.

The next few weeks were filled with a whole lot of 'preparation-for-guests' cooking, and 'making-up-for-the-people-who-are-gone' work, and 'why-is-the-house-such-a-wreak' cleaning, and a bunch of other things which might possibly bore you.....

So I shall end with what we did last night......

Cut deer!

(Note: the WMD you see pictured here is a sundang (soon-daung)....and is very, very, very common in the RP)

Should We Own Our Ancestors?

Ape Rights

Quote:

"People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives … and when the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted."

-- Nate Saint

It is Snowing....

HOW can one be happy?!

A Mission Statement:

A life's passion...

Invitation:

Dear blog readers:

For those of you who are at all interested, or care, I am in a homeschool drama club, and practicing a play. I am issuing a public invitation for some who can come, and a 'let you know' for those who can't.

The shows will be Dec. 4, 6 and 8 at 7pm.

The show on the 4th we will be at Grace United Methodist in Carlisle.
On the 6th we willbe at Hope Grace Brethern Church, in Dillsburg.
On the 8th we will be at the Camp Hill Church of God in Camp Hill.

Be forwarned, two have 'X-mas themes' and may not be in harmony with your weak stomachs. The play I am in has little to do with ch- sorry X-mas, but with 'giving out gifts'. The theme of the other plays also color mine however.

I shall not give seasons greetings, but I DO give an invitation to all interested and semi-interested parties. Come, or not. But you HAVE been invited!

The Death Penalty and Genesis

Genesis 9:6 "Whoever sheds man’s blood,

By man his blood shall be shed;

For in the image of God

He made man."

I was reading Genesis in Time and Space, by F. Schaeffer, and he made a very interesting point in ch. 2. He said that the image of God changes the way we look at the death penalty. The reason we have a Biblical command to kill murderers, is not primarily because they killed another human being. It is because they have silenced the image of God. The image of God in every man is the reason that man has personality. It is the reason that man craves love and communication, and they are the evidence of a personal creator.

When we minimise the necessity of the death penalty, we are actually straying from the Biblical method. Murder is punishable by death. Murder is a defacing of the image of God.

I thought it very profound.

Worth it?

What is a concert worth?

Another amazing Square Dance

Luke 11:32

When I was about 13, I made a list of the 'earthly treasures' that I prized the most. I have since lost that list, and forgotten most of the dozen things on it. However, near the top of the list was my 'one great beauty' (to quote Amy March) my hair, which the Flipinos compared to cornsilk.

This past week, I have wanted to add one more thing to the top of that list...a little thing of earth that matters to me a lot more now. My eyes.

A couple people have asked me what made me 'get into' photogrophy. I don't know. I began to enjoy 'seeing' things through a camera. I made good shots, and attended a class. But now, as I begin to treasure my eyes, the camera has becaome dearer.

This month has been a roller-coaster eye-wise for me. I have gone in for check-ups three times now, and tried out contacts. My glasses are a really old perscription, and since I got them early summer 2006, my eyes have gone down two more steps. What a person with 'normal' eyes can see at 100 yards, I can see at 20. The doctor apparently told my mother that he didn't know how I made it around without my glasses.

Suddenly, sight means so much. Being an (oftentimes over) imaginative child, I have often imagined myself as a great saint, bed-ridden and weelchair-bound. Or a frail, pale creature, slipping slowly away. What? Blind? NO!

I always loved verses in proverbs about the eyes. But the one that echoes through my head a lot lately is this:

The lamp of the body is the eye....

Day in Philly:

This week, I had the opportunity to go back to NJ to see old friends and aquaintances.

Thursday I was in Philly for a fun-filled time with newly-met friends.

I got to go to a concert,

And was even 'allowed' to tour the Liberty Bell building!!!

It was very sad to be a citizen of this country, to live here in peace and (supposedly) in freedom, but to have to undergo humiliating and invasive 'security' checks before seeing my own national monuments.

I feel violated because people are authorised to paw through my bags and search me for 'dangerous devices' because I am not allowed to protest. This is why the second ammendment was enacted....does anyone CARE anymore?

Proposal!!!!

Saturday night I recieved a proposal of marraige. This dashing young man not only bent on one knee to ask for my hand, but he gave me a bright red rose, and quoted Romeo and Juliet lines about me.

I was so charmed, that a refusal would not come out....I accepted, and we marched to the front of a church, in front of an adoring audience, and (quote) "...on that day she became Mrs. J___ N_____"

My wedding boquet was a lovely white. I wished to invite a couple of you dear readers, but we needed to hurry. Of course, I had to explain to my family, and...of course...my father....but I have high hopes that this sudden, suprise engagement and wedding will turn out for good.

Yours-
Mrs. N_____

Pledge of Divergence?

How would you like to help out the poor people today who are suffering from religious oppression?
This article shows how some students are trying to make a change....by making pantheism the main religion.!!

"I pledge allegiance to the flag and my constitutional rights with which it comes. And to the diversity, in which our nation stands, one nation, part of one planet, with liberty, freedom, choice and justice for all."

"A lot of people have different reasons (for the protest), but mainly it's (because the traditional Pledge is) a complete violation of our separation of church and state," one student said.

Strangely, they are protesting a law which is actually not a Federal law, and not even a constitutional right, but a:

...state law requiring that schools make a time available during the school day for students to recite the traditional Pledge if they want...

They plan to hold a protest every week until the oppression is lifted. An interesting postscript is on the last paragraph of the article.

Boulder High also is the school where students were herded into a mandatory seminar where a special guest speaker encouraged them to use drugs, and etc.

"Planned Deception-hood?"

In Aurora IL. Planned Parenthood has just built a new building.

What is the fuss?

Well, not only had Planned (Non-)parenthood not only kept the REAL purpose of it's building a seacret....(i.e...abortions from states all around the mid-west)...but it has kept it's own identity under covers. The building has been in the works for years now under the ownership of 'Gemini Office Development', who had no idea- even until last month- what tenant would rent it.

Strangely, Planned Parenthood had planned on moving in since....since! It had also scheduled abortions for Tue, Sept 18, it's planned opening date.

Citizens became suspicious of the 'office building' when bulletproof glass was installed, and after some searching, (which the city officials didn't bother to do) they found out the true purpose and owner of the building.
Here is and OR article that gives the basics.

When petitioned, a judge made the clinic not open, and remain closed until things could be sorted out.

Then, a Planned Parenthood spokesperson wrote a letter to the town saying that PP had NOT done anything deceptive, and condemned the pro-life protesters for their 'long history of violence'. See whole letter here.

This Article is about the requirements that PP skirted by posing as 'Gemini'.

Funny Picture

Quote:

"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy."

President John Adams

For Big Families Only:

Have you ever threatened to "kakishapoo you lazshy shmugeroos"?

2 Month Old Picture

Two months old, and sucking his thumb!

I also got him to laugh...but he doesn't do much more than giggle....

Send ME!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bfn4BUBuKw

On the other side of the world
She stands on the ocean shore
Gazing at the heavens
She wonders, is there something more
Never been told the name of Jesus
She turns and walks away
What a shame


Just across the street in your hometown
Leaving from his nine-to-five
Gazing down the road
He wonders, is this all there is to life
Never been told the name of Jesus
He continues on his way
What a shame

Whom shall I send?
Who will go for me?
To the ends of the earth
Who will rise up for their King
Here am I, send me
Here am I, send me

Whether foreign land or neighbors
Everyone's the same
Searching for the answers
That lie within your name
I wanna proclaim the love of Jesus
In all I do and say,
Unashamed

Whom shall I send?
Who will go for me?
To the ends of the earth
Who will rise up for their King
Here am I, send me
Here am I, send me

How beautiful are feet of those who bring good news
Proclaiming peace and your salvation

Whom shall I send
Who will go for me
To the ends of the earth
Who will rise up for their King
Here am I, send me
Here am I, send me
Here am I, send me

The music is rather loud and boisterous. But it brought tears....and an ache to my heart.
The video is sad. At 2:06 the people are offering incense sticks, and they sing "searching for the answers, that lie within Your name".

Oh....why can't I GO!!!!

Words of a Legacy:

“Now, I know that someday I am going to come to what some people will say is the end of this life. They will probably put me in a box and roll me right down here in front of the church, and some people will gather around, and a few people will cry. But I have told them not to do that because I don’t want them to cry. I want them to begin the service with the Doxology and end with the Hallelujah chorus, because I am not going to be there, and I am not going to be dead. I will be more alive than I have ever been in my life, and I will be looking down upon you poor people who are still in the land of dying and have not yet joined me in the land of the living. And I will be alive forevermore, in greater health and vitality and joy than ever, ever, I or anyone has known before.”

--Dr. D. James Kennedy,

1930-2007

Guests!!!

We have people over!

Not exactly a full house.....but almost! :)

Skip that post!

Because not 20 minutes later I found two more!! There are 7 so far.

Oh....just a sec.......





















































Oh.....ok.......I'm back.....I'll keep you posted!

Jehova has given...

And Jehova multiplied!!!

Today my lovely, sweet cat gave birth(!!) to 5 furry little balls of cuteness!!!

Psalm 66 meditations:

v. 8- Oh, bless our God, you peoples!
And make the voice of His praise to be heard.
v.9 - Who keeps our soul among the living...

v.10- For You, O God, have tried us,
You have refined us as silver is refined...

v. 12(c)- ...But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

v. 17- Come and hear, all you who fear God,
And I will declare what He has done for my soul...

v. 20- Blessed be God
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!

Thought:

Does speeding qualify as 'redeeming the time'?

What is an:

Anti-Evolutionary Charade?

Cautions about sources and topics

Never cite a religious science source such as ICR, Answers in Genesis, or anything else like that. It is easy to recognize these groups. They are virulently anti-evolution. This caution also extends to the new ID (Intelligent Design) movement - another anti-evolutionary charade. These people are 95% wrong. As for the other 5%, no answer is known so they make up things that are not supported by experimentation. More than 100 years of rigorous investigations in fields from biology to geology have proven evolution as a fact. The debate is about mechanisms and it is a vigorous one. This debate is the theory part of evolution. You will be penalized for citing anti-evolutionary material. It is not science. If the thesis of your paper is anti-evolutionary (akin to arguing against the germ theory of disease or against the atomic theory of matter) you will receive a failing grade. Scientific journals do not publish papers with creationist and ID themes. I will certainly not accept them.

Christian Assertion

"To take no pleasure in assertions is not the mark of a Christian heart; indeed, one must delight in assertions to be Christian at all."

"Nothing is more familiar or characteristic among Christians than assertion. Take away assertions, and you take away Christianity."

Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will

The Illinois Trip 1

(For conveniant reading, I have posted these in 'backwards' order...you don't have too keep on going down, and then back up, and then down again.)

Well, we were gone for 9 days, and 12 + hours.

It was a time of spiritual meditation, and closeness with God. Death was a constant theme....especially at speeds far exceeding 85 mph!!!!!!!!

The overall trip was good...or at the least OK....that is, not considering the open hospitality, free room and board, good meals, fun games, delighting companionship, hospitality, big fat blankets, friendship, fellowship, good singing, encouragement, constant exercise (hem*), and love extended to us by the E* family. Needless to say, the floor was wonderful, and the dog-house was roomy enough!!!

We stopped by the J's house on Tue. night, and spent a couple hours making jokes, looking through photo albums, and talking about things until everyone was SO exhausted that they HAD to go to bed.
Everyone except David got up early, and I made a big hot breakfast. ;) We walked around, took pictures, and had to pull ourselves away...but we finally got on the road to IL.

We crossed the timezone, and the border after an extended period of time, and then enjoyed ourselves gaping at the city like some fresh-from-the-country tourists, and took a couple dozen pictures.

At the E's our dearest hostess fed us and gave us a grand tour of her house, and showed the staff to their rooms. We two then ordered a cup of tea and chatted for some time before turning out the lights.....(*HEM*). However, I was taught the grand and strategical game of Catan, but was not able to finish it.

I fell asleep before being rudely awakened by two giggling girls turning on the lights, walking on me, jumping on and off beds like hyperactive puppies, playing youtube songs, and on the whole acting rather shamefully for the late hours they had been keeping.

The Illinois Trip 2

Thursday, the 16th, I was awakened, with no thought as to the horror I had endured the night before, at the absurd hour of 7:30. I was rushed about to get dressed and ready, as we would be leaving VERY soon. However, at 9:15, when the first party arrived at the Metra station, the train waved goodbye to us, and we girls decided to weary ourselves early by touring the prestigious village of L____ville.

Once our party arrived, I shot pictures and we all got situated in the train. At the great and legendary Windy City, we walked for hours and took many pictures, as well as many turns carrying about 50 lb. of backpack full of a great lunch. We spent some time at Millenium Park, took a full turn around the Navy Pier, and then suroy-ed the Chicago Cultural Center.
Afterwards, I went home with Mr. E*, and the two younger boys, while BJ, DK, and our hostess spent the rest of the day (and a good bit of the night) in the Art Museum.

The Illinois Trip 3

Friday, after a time of singing and praying, I went along to an American Mall, and took pictures of my two lovely companions in evening gowns. I then treated them to lunch, and bought their favorite dress, which they wore to the White House for the official MK Awareness Luncheon with the President. (yeah...you better believe it).
We were then abandoned with a stomach full of Pizza to sit in front of the TV and watch a horror movie about Antarctica. Ruthanna was very sweet and brought my shivering sister and I two blankets, which helped us survive the peril. After that, I watched National Treasure with the two youngest boys and retired at about 11 PM.

Saturday, I went up to Wisconsin with the maid and my good friend Matthew, to spend a fun, albeit a bit windy hour along the beach front of Simmons Island. We came home and spent an afternoon lazing around, and the night taking interesting pictures of our hostess.

The Illinois Trip 4

Sunday, the 19th, we wttended a sermon-and-singing-time at a designated place of meeting, after which we ate hamburgers and potato chips inside because it was raining steadily. Having gulped down our food, we rushed home only to go out again, and tour the campus of the school our hostess was set to attend.
At about 3 PM, everyone went home except for her and the maid, and I played a 'real' game of Catan, and tied for second....even if I DID have my best numbers as a two and a three. I also created a new reasource, or at least re-named one. That night, we also all enjoyed an African movie.....or at least on ABOUT Africa....to an extent....which our Muslim-Culture audience seemed to enjoy.

Monday, I spent the entire day with BJ. We visited two colleges of renown, the center of the ministry that introduced my father to homeschooling, and the house a friend. At said last port of call, we spent more time than planned, because our car mysteriously and with great evil in it's heart, died, and had to be jump-started.
Once said evil car was grudginly working, we returned to the E's and faced the wrath of said car's owner, and I went to bed....at 3 AM....after wrestling with another evil-at-heart peice of machinery which refused to download pictures. It won, and I have since...yes, I admit my sin...harbored evil thoughts towards it, and planned intricate tortures for it should it fall into my hands.

The Illinois Trip 5

Tuesday, we took a sad departure from the lovely quarters we had enjoyed for so long, and drove many long hours south towards Kentucky. Our left, front tire saw fit to loose most of it's unfortunate life's-breath about 2/3 of the way there, and we spent prescious time waiting for it to be fixed. Arriving at our destination, we were precariously close to closing time, and didn't really want to rush through.
God provided a host family not more than 30 min. away who were more than glad to have us over at the spur of the moment. We enjoyed many jokes, good pizza, a dumb TV show (wink*), and some intellectual debate until midnight, at which all who were left awake went to bed.

The next morning we spent as long as we wanted touring the Creation Museum, and really enjoyed it. It was VERY well presented, and the shows were really memorable. We got to be part of a photo shoot, and enjoyed the funny signs....like "Out of Order- we live in a fallen world" or "Creation still in progress" or "Thou Shalt not Touch!".

We set off past noon, and arrived home very exhausted, grumpy, and tired. However, we did try to have fun, and we learned how to work together with people in less-than-medically-well-for-you personal space, and loads of baggage which hampered movement.

It was OK......yeah....it was good! :)

08-15

At Mrs. Edith's:Doing beads,
Doing Backflips,
Posing,
As a family....

08-15 Lake Michigan

SO....

I have now been to Wisconsin!!



.....and Illinois....



.....and Indiana...

About that date-

So....."it" went off well with my partner....

And my other two guys (I like to bring the security guards along.... just in case)....

And the rest of my eccentric and pizza-loving party!!

Family can be really great! (sometimes!)
;)

I've got a date!!

With the SWEEETEST guy!!!

Some of you know him, and some have yet to meet him....but his interests include:



Toy Trains-His Shoes- And Making Faces-
I am also out on a date with my littlestest sister.....
*sigh*.....I'm in LOVE!!

There Once was an Archaeologist...

Who while out digging, found a large stone tablet. It read: "I do not exist". It was signed: God.

The man held his prize aloft and yelled triumphantly to all who could hear him, "See!! I told you so!"

(A story told by Gustave Flaubert)

Lunch

Lunch today was bulad.....for those of you in the know! ;)

Mokaon pa si Saralyn!! Tinood Pinay, diay!

He likes his bath....

But not his towel!!!!!

Interesting.....

The illustrious and genius minds of mankind's great scientists can cure Cancer and change how people live by revolutions in technology.....

But they still don't know what causes hiccups!

"The Laughing Song"

Fast-forward to about 45 seconds....the first part is all talk. I like the "Laughing Song"

We got a Sling today;

And we tried it out at once.

Caleb loved it,

And Isaiah fell asleep....

Pics from today

Listening to his big sister

....intently....

Eating Sara's 'food'...

We Have a Garden...

And we can't find enough people to give veggies away to!! In fact, people are giving US veggies!!



Baby is officially two-and-a-half-weeks old....but no pictures of him will upload. An extra-sluggish computer is no help either....