New activities

Well I have some very exciting news, I just started an online english course!  I'm so excited about it!  Our instructor is Max Parish, you can look into this course and others by visiting Sharper Quill.com .  

My goal in taking this class is to advance and refine my writing and discussion skills.  I love writing and have been told that I'm good at it, but I want some advancement in this area.  I also am very interested in discussion, Max really focuses on discussion and our participation in it makes approximately 1/3 of our grade.  I think it's wonderful to get other peoples opinion and discuss different angles on things.  I've been noticing in the past year or so that I like to debate things a lot, but I'm not always sure how to put some of my thoughts into words.  I hope to get better at these things by taking this course.

Also, I got a violin from my mom for Christmas!  I am currently taking lessons and really enjoying it!  My teacher is the best!  She has a wonderful way of teaching and is so patient!  The violin has such a beautiful sound (when played correctly :) and I hope to one day be a great player.

However, between taking the online course, violin lessons and practice, and every day (and by no means normal or boring) life, post frequency might be affected.  Just how much I don't know yet as I have just started my course this week.  I WILL be continuing this blog though and will post as often as I can.  I'm going to try to maintain my usual activities; emailing, blogging etc. So don't feel as if I'm gone!  I'm still here :) and look forward to keeping in touch!

I would ask, though, that you pray for me, this is my first online class and, though I'm excited, I'm also a little nervous.  Also pray that I don't get overwhelmed by my (now very busy) days, that I'll be loving to my family through frustration, and that I will put God first in my days even when I'm busy.

Typically Country!

Today we were going to do a cleaning job for a friend.  I went down to get some cleaning supplies out of the garage, as I came up to the car I saw my little sister Priscilla. 

This is so typically country farm kid!  Hair flying wild, shoes that don't match her outfit, and leg warmers, one down around her ankle and the other up and they really don't match her outfit!  But of course, like a country farm kid, she also has the biggest grin on her face!  I've gotten over being shocked at how my younger siblings look sometimes when they go out, you know, the times they look like they just finished eating a scrumptious mud pie, or when they've been going exploring and have Manzanita berries, dried leaves, twigs and all manner of other underbrush debris in their hair, how about when they were so proud of getting themselves dressed and your in town and look over at them and realize for the first time that their socks don't match, their shoes are on the wrong feet, their shirt is on backwards, and the pocket on their skirt is in the middle of the front!  You just know the town folk are going to be aghast!  You do your best to put them to rights in the parking lot of the grocery store, you know, combing your fingers through their hair and pulling out the underbrush debris, irritably telling them "I'm sorry it hurts, but you look like a country bumpkin!" then, for lack of a wet washcloth, you resort to licking your finger (much to their disgust, like mother did when you were little) and getting the most prominent dirt spots off their face till you can get to the restroom and wet a paper towel to finish the job, switching the shoes, not much you can do about the socks, and turning the skirt. Then you stand back to observe and, as you see the big grin they still have on their face, your exasperation dissipates and you laugh out loud remembering a time long ago when you looked the same way.  

Pray Continually

As I was reading Before you Meet Prince Charming by Sarah Mally, I came across something I really thought was necessary in my life!  Let me tell you what she says;

Have you ever prayed for a whole hour?  Find a place where you can be alone without interruptions for an entire hour.  If this isn't possible at your home during the day, go to a park, an empty room at your church, or consider getting up in the middle of the night.  Spend the hour in communion with the Lord.  To help you stay focused,write a schedule for yourself to follow.  Heres a sample pattern you could use:

5 minutes - worship

5 minutes - thanksgiving 

5 minutes - confession

5 minutes - pray Psalms to the Lord

5 minutes - pray for your authorities

5 minutes - pray for missionaries 

5 minutes - pray for unsaved friends and family

5 minutes - other general requests

5 minutes - ask for wisdom, grace and humility in specific areas in which you need to change

5 minutes - personal requests

5 minutes - ask for Gods abundant blessing

5 minutes - praise and thanksgiving

I've decided to try to do this daily.  After all how do you get to know someone personally without spending time with them?  I would encourage you to put forth an effort to try to do this daily as well.  The Lord loves us with His all and longs to have us know Him in a special, personal way.  To get this we need to ask Him to show us Himself, we need to spend time meditating on His word and listening to Him, and we need to spend time praying to Him.  

I would really like to get your feedback on this and let me know what you think about all this. Maybe you can pick someone to keep you accountable, a parent, an older sibling, or another sister in Christ.  It's wonderful to pray with others too, getting together with others is great! But just getting alone with your Lord and pouring your heart out to Him is such a beautiful thing!  Just spend time siting with Him, listening to him, crying to Him, pouring your love on Him, delighting in Him, just let Him overwhelm your whole being!  It's the most special thing that we have the privilege to partake of, He gives us each His undivided attention, lets give Him ours!

Image from flickr

Books and Music

Hey everyone! (if there are any of you left) Sorry It's been so long! I've been so busy since the new year. I finally found time to start blogging again.

I've recently read some really good books and have a few I'm starting and I thought I'd share them with you.

Books I've read recently

First one is, Before you Meet Prince Charming by Sarah Mally. It's a really great book for single young ladies and I found it extremely encouraging and helpful in this time of waiting for that perfect person that God has for me. Believe it or not, most of us young ladies share the same daily struggles. It helps to know that I'm not the "only one".  If you are a single young lady, then this is a must read!

                                                                                                                                       

Another book I read recently is The Shack by William P. Young, 'where tragedy meets eternity'.  It's a book that will turn your brain upside down!  If you haven't read it, you might find it ... interesting, (very interesting)  It's a book thats kinda hard to explain but I really enjoyed it, and it's a book that, if nothing else, will really get you thinking.

                                                                   

Books I'm starting

This next book is one I came across in an economics book, An Inquiry Into the Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.  Quite a mouthful and pretty self descriptive.  I'm really looking forward to reading it, it may seem pretty boring to most of you but in this time of economic breakdown this book really piqued my interest.

I'm also starting a book that I've wanted to read for quite some time, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.  Just a book that was recommended by a friend a while back, most of you have probably already read it.  I'm looking forward to it though!

Now for music!  I don't know about most of you but I REALLY like music! I've recently added two new CD's to my already large collection.  

                                                                                                                                                                        

The first one is Wide Eyed and Mystified by Downhere. I borrowed it from the library a while back and have been wanting to get it ever since.  Downhere is a christian band and I like the lyrics that they write to their songs.  It has a good beat too!  Both very important in my book.

                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                         

The second one is Closer by Josh Groben.  Believe it or not I just recently heard some of his stuff and really liked it!  He has the best voice I think I've ever heard!  I'm really enjoying this one a lot!

There are lots more books and tons more music that I like but thats all I'll do for now ;)