Today, I started my first day of college. This is officially the weirdest day of my life. The closest thing I have ever had to a public school class is my Science Olympiad competitions and my PSATs. So it was rather different today. Thankfully I am taking my first class of each day (ancient history) with Sarah and, it turns out, her brother Jared. My other three classes, however, I am not so lucky in my classmates. At least, in geography I'm not. I haven't had my dancing or my American literature yet. I'm hoping to find a mutual homeschooler in at least one of those two, though.
At first, it wasn't too bad. I've been in enough class-like settings that taking a class with people I don't know wasn't that alarming. It didn't quite sink in that I wasn't just with a lot of homeschoolers I hadn't seen before.
That is, it didn't until I heard this guy walking behind me use the F-word about five times per sentence. That I had never heard before. Ouch. THAT'S when it struck.
These people are what we know as "the world."
I need to be careful. I can't be open to everything they suggest. I must examine what they say, and compare it to the truth of the Gospel. This could be difficult. I've never had to do that before. It's never been necessary before. But now it is. It's really very sad.
So tomorrow I'll head back. And this time, hopefully, I'll be prepared. Prepared to stand out like a light in darkness - not because of who I am, but because of who Christ is within me.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Hallelujah!
These are two of the most amazing young performers I've heard for a long time. :) Jotta A. and Michely Manuely perform Hallelujah.
Monday, September 12, 2011
We Will Not Forget.
Every year at this time people pause in their routine and think of a day - the day that the sky collapsed and humanity drew near to comfort one another. The day that there were no barriers, social, racial or any other. The day that the world wept.
10 years. Can it be? So brief compared to the vast reaches of time, so long when applied to a single life. Yet we remember.
10 years. What happened a decade ago? What happened to break the hearts of millions - perhaps billions - of people? Four planes were commandeered by nineteen men and forced to fly where their captors directed.
10 years. 4 planes. One plane was crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers attempted to retake control. Another plane was forced to fly into the Pentagon in Virginia. The other two planes each crashed into one of the two Twin Towers. Both towers collapsed in a matter of hours.
10 years. 4 planes. 3000 people lost their lives that day.
Who were these men? Were they insane? Not at all. Were they evil? No more than the rest of human race. In fact, they believed they were doing good. They thought they died for the cause of Allah. In reality, they were mere pawns in a greater battle, one which cannot be seen by human eyes.
To minds of these poor humans, who won that day? Was it that invisible darkness manipulating the thoughts of the nineteen hijackers? No. It was the Spirit who breathed courage into the firefights and heroism into the everyday civilians. The hand that held the husband and father's fingers steady as he dialed the number to tell his family he wouldn't be making it home that night. The light that showed the Seeing Eye dog the way as she led hundreds of people out to safety. The bond that knit the American people closer together than a hundred years could do. And one day we will understand this.
But until then, what can we do? What can we do to show we care for those who died during those dreadful hours?
There is one thing we can do.
We remember.
10 years. Can it be? So brief compared to the vast reaches of time, so long when applied to a single life. Yet we remember.
10 years. What happened a decade ago? What happened to break the hearts of millions - perhaps billions - of people? Four planes were commandeered by nineteen men and forced to fly where their captors directed.
10 years. 4 planes. One plane was crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers attempted to retake control. Another plane was forced to fly into the Pentagon in Virginia. The other two planes each crashed into one of the two Twin Towers. Both towers collapsed in a matter of hours.
10 years. 4 planes. 3000 people lost their lives that day.
Who were these men? Were they insane? Not at all. Were they evil? No more than the rest of human race. In fact, they believed they were doing good. They thought they died for the cause of Allah. In reality, they were mere pawns in a greater battle, one which cannot be seen by human eyes.
To minds of these poor humans, who won that day? Was it that invisible darkness manipulating the thoughts of the nineteen hijackers? No. It was the Spirit who breathed courage into the firefights and heroism into the everyday civilians. The hand that held the husband and father's fingers steady as he dialed the number to tell his family he wouldn't be making it home that night. The light that showed the Seeing Eye dog the way as she led hundreds of people out to safety. The bond that knit the American people closer together than a hundred years could do. And one day we will understand this.
But until then, what can we do? What can we do to show we care for those who died during those dreadful hours?
There is one thing we can do.
We remember.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Incredible Quotes #5
To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him, the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.
~St. Augustine
~St. Augustine
Friday, September 9, 2011
Randomness
All day I've been thinking today was September 10. Now I find out it's the 9th. What's up with that?
I just spelled find in the above sentence dinf. I always knew my fingers were dyslexic.
I'm bored. I'm waiting for my mom to finish what she's doing so we can continue with the movie. Something about a woman detective in Botswana (which I never knew was in Africa before today).
Tomorrow I get to have one of my bestest buddies over to spend the night. Then on Sunday we go to our outdoors church service at some friends' house. It's supposed to be our annual church picnic. I didn't know we had an annual church picnic.
Speaking of bestest buddies, I have 15 best friends. Basically that means I like them all the exact same. I just know some of them better than others. And most of the time, that's not my fault...actually, I have 12 best friends and 3 who I could add to their number with very little persuasion. Ack, I forgot one. So it's actually 13 best friends + 3. Not counting guys. And then there's a girl or two or three who I used to be best friends with, but...not anymore and let's leave it at that.
3 of the 13 are technically only older sisters of my friends (and another is the friend of the older sister of my friend) but being homeschoolers, we have the freedom to be friends with people who are almost 2 years older than them. (Actually the four of them range between 1 year and 1 month to 1 3/4 years older than me).
Can you tell I'm tired? I don't even know what I'm talking about anymore. And for me, that's saying a lot!
College classes start on the 26th. Some might consider me to become a public schooler at that time. To which I say...NEVER!!! Agewise, I'm only a junior in high school. Which means I have two more years of sanity. Okay, I really shouldn't be so mean.
BTW, to certain friends of mine who say that they are graduating a year early, because all they're really doing their "senior" year is reading (plus some college), I must admit to them that for my junior AND senior year, all I'm doing is reading (plus some college).
I have a LOT of reading to do. Plato. Ptolemy. Aristotle. Archimedes. Some guys whose names I have no idea how to pronounce (except, somehow, I have a hunch they're Greek). Thank goodness I got most of my Shakespeare, Dickens, Dante, and Chaucer out of the way.
Super excited for Super Sunday! Super *ahem* I mean, Celebration Sunday (it's an inside joke) is when all of our Household of Faith congregations get together for one gigantic church service! You get to see a lot of people you haven't seen since last Celebration Sunday, and I made a lot of new friends at Gleanings that I'll hopefully get to see there. Plus I got to know some people I already knew a lot better, which means that I'm more excited to get to see them now than I was at the last Super Sunday.
Well, I should probably go get my mom. Or go to bed. Either one.
P.S. You should really read this book. Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl: Wide-eyed Wonder in God's Spoken World, by N.D. Wilson
I adore this book. Normally when I read a book, because I have such a good memory, I CAN NOT read that book again for at least a year. Usually it takes longer than that. But this book...I've read it at least twice times in the past year, and I could read it again. In fact, I am. N.D. Wilson is the son of the people who wrote The Fruit of Her Hands and Praise Her in the Gates and Reforming Marriage, for those of you who know what I'm talking about.
Really. I love this book. Can't speak for its doctrinal value, but it's fascinating.
Go ahead, read it.
I just spelled find in the above sentence dinf. I always knew my fingers were dyslexic.
I'm bored. I'm waiting for my mom to finish what she's doing so we can continue with the movie. Something about a woman detective in Botswana (which I never knew was in Africa before today).
Tomorrow I get to have one of my bestest buddies over to spend the night. Then on Sunday we go to our outdoors church service at some friends' house. It's supposed to be our annual church picnic. I didn't know we had an annual church picnic.
Speaking of bestest buddies, I have 15 best friends. Basically that means I like them all the exact same. I just know some of them better than others. And most of the time, that's not my fault...actually, I have 12 best friends and 3 who I could add to their number with very little persuasion. Ack, I forgot one. So it's actually 13 best friends + 3. Not counting guys. And then there's a girl or two or three who I used to be best friends with, but...not anymore and let's leave it at that.
3 of the 13 are technically only older sisters of my friends (and another is the friend of the older sister of my friend) but being homeschoolers, we have the freedom to be friends with people who are almost 2 years older than them. (Actually the four of them range between 1 year and 1 month to 1 3/4 years older than me).
Can you tell I'm tired? I don't even know what I'm talking about anymore. And for me, that's saying a lot!
College classes start on the 26th. Some might consider me to become a public schooler at that time. To which I say...NEVER!!! Agewise, I'm only a junior in high school. Which means I have two more years of sanity. Okay, I really shouldn't be so mean.
BTW, to certain friends of mine who say that they are graduating a year early, because all they're really doing their "senior" year is reading (plus some college), I must admit to them that for my junior AND senior year, all I'm doing is reading (plus some college).
I have a LOT of reading to do. Plato. Ptolemy. Aristotle. Archimedes. Some guys whose names I have no idea how to pronounce (except, somehow, I have a hunch they're Greek). Thank goodness I got most of my Shakespeare, Dickens, Dante, and Chaucer out of the way.
Super excited for Super Sunday! Super *ahem* I mean, Celebration Sunday (it's an inside joke) is when all of our Household of Faith congregations get together for one gigantic church service! You get to see a lot of people you haven't seen since last Celebration Sunday, and I made a lot of new friends at Gleanings that I'll hopefully get to see there. Plus I got to know some people I already knew a lot better, which means that I'm more excited to get to see them now than I was at the last Super Sunday.
Well, I should probably go get my mom. Or go to bed. Either one.
P.S. You should really read this book. Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl: Wide-eyed Wonder in God's Spoken World, by N.D. Wilson
I adore this book. Normally when I read a book, because I have such a good memory, I CAN NOT read that book again for at least a year. Usually it takes longer than that. But this book...I've read it at least twice times in the past year, and I could read it again. In fact, I am. N.D. Wilson is the son of the people who wrote The Fruit of Her Hands and Praise Her in the Gates and Reforming Marriage, for those of you who know what I'm talking about.
Really. I love this book. Can't speak for its doctrinal value, but it's fascinating.
Go ahead, read it.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Incredible Quotes #4
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.
~Albert Einstein
~Albert Einstein
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
First Impressions - The Movie
Hey, everyone! An amazing group of young people from Grants Pass, Oregon (some of whom go to our HOFCC congregation down there) are putting together a movie based on the novel Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, which, from the preview, looks absolutely fantastic.
They need $3000 to be funded. They have 19 days left to be fully funded and only have $1,042. They need your help! If only 196 people gave $10 they would have enough. Please go to the link below to support them!
First Impressions
They need $3000 to be funded. They have 19 days left to be fully funded and only have $1,042. They need your help! If only 196 people gave $10 they would have enough. Please go to the link below to support them!
First Impressions
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
I'm Back!!!
I cam back from Gleanings yesterday. It.Was.Amazing. I can't say that enough. Everyone says that the first year is the best, but I can't say that this year was any better or any worse than last year. They were so different and each was remarkable in its own way.
I can compare it in lots of ways. The first year God broke our malformed, distorted hearts so that He had something to work with. This year, God put our hearts back together - healed them - in His way.
Last year was a crazy year. It was reckless and giddy and passionate. We wept wildly and didn't care what others thought of us. As odd as it sounds, the thing it reminds me most of is the old pagan feasts (excluding the immorality.) The wild dancing in the moonlight and the firelight. The flushed faces and the feeling of pure intoxication. The thing is, that intoxication was from earthly wine. This intoxication was from the Spirit of God.
Do you understand what I mean, yet?
This year was slow and sweet and quiet. We wept, yes, but it was quiet and soothing.When we were done, it was peace. Rather than revival, it was growth. Rather than the passion of Romeo and Juliet in the summer nights, it was the gentle love that comes in the spring. Serene and calm and wonderful.
I don't remember what the word for last year was, but, if anything, it was a rekindling.
The word for this year was healing and I was healed both inside and out. I won't share any more that that, but I just wanted to say that God was more good to me this year than I ever believed He would be.
I am now officially addicted to Gleanings. :)
I can compare it in lots of ways. The first year God broke our malformed, distorted hearts so that He had something to work with. This year, God put our hearts back together - healed them - in His way.
Last year was a crazy year. It was reckless and giddy and passionate. We wept wildly and didn't care what others thought of us. As odd as it sounds, the thing it reminds me most of is the old pagan feasts (excluding the immorality.) The wild dancing in the moonlight and the firelight. The flushed faces and the feeling of pure intoxication. The thing is, that intoxication was from earthly wine. This intoxication was from the Spirit of God.
Do you understand what I mean, yet?
This year was slow and sweet and quiet. We wept, yes, but it was quiet and soothing.When we were done, it was peace. Rather than revival, it was growth. Rather than the passion of Romeo and Juliet in the summer nights, it was the gentle love that comes in the spring. Serene and calm and wonderful.
I don't remember what the word for last year was, but, if anything, it was a rekindling.
The word for this year was healing and I was healed both inside and out. I won't share any more that that, but I just wanted to say that God was more good to me this year than I ever believed He would be.
I am now officially addicted to Gleanings. :)
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