Hi all! I guess since I told you all I was sick I owe you a update. :) Thank you for your prayers. Yesterday was my first full fever-free day since Friday the 13th. Yes, I've been sick for a while, but now I'm on the mend. My cough has been pretty bad but it to is doing better. The doctor put me on some new medication that is working better. I thought I would share with you some of my thoughts from my reading of God's Word. I was just reading 2 Timothy 1 and I was struck by the verses 6-10.

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. ⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, ⁹ who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, ¹⁰ but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

God has not given us a spirit of fear. Isn't that a wonderful encouragement? Or even more so a rebuke to us. How often are we (am I) too afraid to witness or even hand out a tract? But "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind". Let's remember that during this week.

      Hi all! At the moment I am lying in bed with a fever and a cough so prepare yourself for a rambling post. :) I suppose this would be a great time to get some writing on my Jennie story completed, and perhaps I will later. Patrick Henry College is having another short story contest, but I don't have a good plot at the moment.

       I would appreciate your prayers for me as I fight this illness. I've been sick for about 5 days now and would really like to be healthy again. But there, I shouldn't complain, I have so many wonderful blessings that the Lord has given me.

       For one thing, my dad and I just returned from a long road trip in a big rental truck. We brought my Grandma's things here because she is moving here in spring. God gave us a good trip, kept us safe, and gave me some opportunities for gorgeous pictures of the Sierra Nevadas.

       That brings me to another ramble. For all of you tech people who might read this blog, do you have any experience with SD cards? Several times over the past few months, I have been getting the feeling that some of the pictures I take don't show up on my computer when I put it in. I am not positive but I just get that feeling. This time with the mountain pictures I (clever me, hehe) counted them before I entered the card into my computer. When I looked on the computer one was missing, but I could have miscounted. But 2 of the pictures are messed up. One is minor enough to just cut that part out, but the other is not repairable. This is it:

Yikes! After that awful picture I will show you a much better one.

       So if anyone knows what in the world is going on I would love to know.

      Whew. I had intended to write more, but I am tired from all this typing. And trying to figure out how to post the pictures. So I will say goodbye for now but I may update later today or tomorrow. I will just add to this post. Bye, and have a blessed day in the Lord.

In my school I have a subject called Wordly Wise where I learn new words and their meanings. Several times I have to make sentences with the words in the list. Sometimes I have a theme going and I make a little story or dialogue with them. Here is a short story I formed with them a few days ago, minus the first two words. (If you don't know some of the words, look them up.)   NOTE: All of the words are in order as given in the book.

             Aideen stood on the shore, watching as the flotilla of six ships came into the dock. The gossamer that covered her dress was a stark contrast to the heaviness of her heart. While many women were rejoicing that their husbands and sons were returning from the war, Aideen's husband would never return to her. She blinked back the tears, trying to avoid an ignominious scene in front of the others. She knew that if she lost control she would incur malicious gossip. 

        In an attempt to calm her emotions she turned her attention back to the ships. The men were returning from the K---- War, having liquidated the evil magnate, O-----, and his conquering army.

                Aideen's somber face showed that her name, meaning pensive and thoughtful, was no misnomer. Sighing, she turned back to her wagon to complete the onerous task of loading her heavy goods onto her wagon. At that moment, pandemonium broke out on the dock as the first boat landed a group on the dock.

             As Aideen attempted to block out the noise, a notion broke across her mind. Perhaps her husband was not dead. Maybe it was a mistake. But she instantly dismissed it as a totally quixotic idea.

           Suddenly, arms encircled Aideen's waist. She tried to fight them off, but they held tightly to her with a tenacious grip. A voice came into her ear, "Aideen, it's me." Aideen whirled around, her throat tight. When she saw her husband standing there alive, every vestige of her self-control fled. She threw herself joyously into his arms. A zephyr swept across the dock ruffling their hair as they stood there weeping, each rejoicing in the reunion.

Here is a short story I wrote awhile ago for a contest. It is called Mandy's Miracle.

                                                                      Mandy’s Miracle



    



    Mandy Kline sat in the waiting room in the hospital. Her mother was giving birth to a baby. It was several months before the due date but for some reason the baby had decided to come out early. 8 year old Mandy didn’t know why.

    Suddenly Mandy’s father came into the room. Mandy looked at him expectantly. Sitting down next to her brother Will, he started to tell them something. Mandy didn’t understand most of it but she did manage to grasp that her mother was all right but the baby wasn’t.

    Phrases kept swirling in her mind. “Baby is dead. No more children.” Mandy started to cry.




    
    Mandy sat reading an article. Suddenly she threw the magazine down with a sigh.

    “What’s the matter?” her dad asked, looking up.

    “All I ever see in these magazines are happy stories about families with kids.”

    “I thought you liked those stories,” her father said.

    “It depends on what mood I’m in,” Mandy replied, pushing her dark-brown hair off of her face.

    It had been four years since her mother had lost the baby. Mandy could now comprehend the full implications of what her father had said that day. She understood the awful truth that her mother could no longer give her a baby brother or sister, the thing Mandy longed for most.

    

    
    Mandy left the room and entered the kitchen where her mother was busy preparing dinner.

    “Hi, Mandy,” she said. “Can you grate the cheese for me?”

    “Sure Mom.”

    As she worked Mandy’s mind went back to the magazine she had been reading and her face sank into a frown.

    “What are you thinking about?” her mom asked.

    “I was just thinking how nice it would be to have a baby brother or sister,” Mandy said.

    Her mother looked at her sharply. “You know that is impossible.”

    Mandy was quiet for a moment and then said, “You know I was just reading in the Above Rubies magazine about a family who adopted some children.”

    She was trying to sound casual but hoping her mother could take a hint.

    “That sounds like a nice story,” her mother replied.
    
    Mandy tried a little harder. “It’s really the responsibility of Christians like us to adopt and care for orphans and-”

    “Mandy, don’t be silly. Adoption would be out of the question for us. It’s much too expensive and I’m perfectly happy with the family I have right now.”

    “And besides,” Will said, entering the room, “A little kid would drive you crazy. It would cry and get in your stuff and annoy you.”

    Mandy was becoming upset. “Why were you listening?” she cried. “And a baby wouldn’t annoy me. Just because you are sixteen you think you know everything.”

    “Mandy,” her mother said reprovingly. “Is that the way God wants you to talk to your brother?”

    Mandy felt ashamed of her behavior and apologized. When she had finished grating the cheese she went to her room and threw herself onto her bed.

    “Doesn’t anyone understand how much this means to me?” she thought as tears came to her eyes. “Will I ever get a baby sister or brother?”



    That night as Mandy lay in bed she started to pray. First she prayed for her family and asked that God would help her to be a good sister and daughter.

    Then her mind turned to her longing for a baby sister or brother. She started to pray. “Dear Lord, you are the only one who understands how I feel. Please God, it’s so hard to go through each day seeing babies in the store and having to come home to nothing. I feel like I am going crazy with this longing.”

    Mandy closed her eyes and imagined the warmth of a little body pressed against her and little hands grasping her fingers. But the mirage was only there for a moment and she was left with an irrepressible yearning.

    Mandy’s eyes flew open and she screamed into her pillow. “WHY? Why, Lord?” She curled into a ball and started to sob.






    The next morning when Mandy rose she felt irritable. She spoke sharply to her brother at breakfast and pouted whenever her mother asked her to do something.

    By the end of the day Mandy was frustrated and tired. She had wasted a lot of time daydreaming and had finished her schoolwork late. Nothing seemed to be going right. She was fed up with everything and everyone.

    That night as Mandy lay in bed she felt shame and remorse for her attitude that day. She thought, “Oh, why do I have to be so horrid? Why can’t I just forget about this and go on with life?” She rolled over and started to pray.

    “Dear God, please help me. I feel so miserable. I know I should be content but I’m not. Please God, I want a younger sibling so much. Why can’t I have one?”

    Suddenly she realized, “I should be content with what I have. I’m letting this longing consume me to the point that I can’t even appreciate the family that the Lord has given me.”

    She rose from her bed and knelt on the floor. She poured out her heart to God, giving Him her desires. She asked forgiveness for not being content with her family. She asked that He give her a love and appreciation for them.

    Mandy rose from her knees with a wonderful peace. The longing was not completely gone but it had become bearable and less important.



    The next morning when Mandy went downstairs to begin her schoolwork she went to her mother and gave her a hug.

    “Mom, I am sorry I was disrespectful to you yesterday,” she said. “Will you forgive me?”

    “Yes, of course, Mandy. Thank you for apologizing.”

    “I love you, Mom.” With that Mandy skipped off to apologize her brother.


    A few weeks later on a Saturday morning the Kline family was sitting around the table eating breakfast.

    Suddenly Mandy’s father cleared his throat. Mandy looked up from the toast she was busy devouring.

    “Kids, I want to discuss something with you. Your mother and I have been praying about this for awhile and have decided that the Lord is leading us to adopt a baby.”

    Mandy choked on her toast and started coughing as the front legs of her chair came down with a bang. She stared at her father wide-eyed. She had no idea that her parents had even been considering adoption.

    “I want to know first if you kids are willing to adopt. We have to agree to this as a family,” he continued.

    Offering a silent prayer of thanks, Mandy nodded. Will hesitated for a moment and Mandy sent a pleading look in his direction. He grinned at her and assented to the plan.

    

    After breakfast Mr. Kline called an adoption attorney and requested the paperwork needed to begin the adoption process.

    Mandy couldn’t believe it. She had given her desire to God with no idea of what He would do. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought that He would lead her parents to adopt. “He is so gracious,” she thought as she washed the dishes.

    A few months later Mandy was again waiting expectantly for a child to enter the world. This time she and Will stayed home while their parents were at the hospital.     

    Suddenly the phone rang and she rushed to answer it. But Will was faster than her and reached it first.

    “Hello,” he said, grinning at Mandy.

    “Yes.” There was a pause. “Great, I’ll tell her. Bye.”

    “Well?” Mandy asked.

    “It’s a girl. She was born an hour ago.”

    “How big is she? What does she look like?” Mandy asked.

    He shrugged. “Dad didn’t say.”

    “You men! You never think about details,” Mandy sighed.

    “Well, you will see for yourself soon enough. Dad is coming to get us. Then you and Mom can talk over every precious detail.”

    Mandy threw her slipper at him and smiled.

    
    
    A few hours later Mandy entered a hospital room. There she saw her mother sitting in a chair holding a little bundle.

    Mandy quietly approached the chair and looked at the little baby. “Do you want to hold her?” her mother asked. “We are going to call her Abigail.”

    When Mandy wordlessly sat down and held out her arms, Mrs. Kline placed the precious bundle in her arms.

    Mandy gazed into the little face and smiled. Abigail had fine blonde curls that were barely visible against her fair skin. As Mandy was examining her, Abigail’s blue eyes opened and stared straight into Mandy’s.

    Mandy hugged her close and knew that she would love Abigail for the rest of her life. Yes, there would be hard times, times when they would quarrel. But this precious baby had been given to her by God. She would never forget the miracle that God had given her.

Hey, do you like my new look? It was created by Courtney over at One of the Bunch and is a contributer at Stay at Home Daughters. She has her blog protected so you won't be able to view it, but her photography and graphics site is open. You can go to it here, Sacred Moments Media. She just started making templates and the like, so to build her portfolio she very graciously offered to make one for me for free. I think she did a GREAT job. How about you? So please head on over to her site and take a look. If you are looking for a new blog look, I would definitely recommend you to have Courtney make it. She did a very good job, was great to work with, and easy to understand.

Hi. I am going to post this author's tag that I found on Alyssa's blog. (This is my second time typing this. The first time I had just finished and it deleted it. Grrrr.)

Do you have a pen/pencil collection? How many of those are chewed? No I don't have a pencil collection. I have a box by my schoolwork with pencils in it, but they are switched out a lot. And no I don't chew pencils. I have braces and my orthodontist would kill me.

Do you prefer handwriting or typing furiously? Typing furiously. Although sometimes I like the satisfaction of sitting down and writing a story in a notebook.

How often do you get inspiration? Uh, it depends. It comes in spurts.

Are you blogging this on a computer or laptop? My laptop.

Do you get inspiration more in the early morning or late at night? I would say more often late at night. Especially since I like to imagine stories while I drift off to us.

Do certain movies/books/music inspire you? Yes, I often take an idea from a story I read or a movie I saw. And I like to have music playing in the background while I write.

How do you incorporate God into your stories? I like to either have characters become saved or go through faith challenging struggles.

Do you kill off your villains or make them repent? Um, I probably tend toward killing them off.

Is the majority of your characters magical beings, humans or halflings? Or something else? Human beings, period. I don't believe that as Christians we should be involved in magic.

What genre of writing are you most comfortable in? If you were to step out of your comfort zone, what would you write? I really like to write about people who have dramatic experiences. That is as close to a genre as I can come. I would probably try for an adventure novel. I have never really been able to do that type of thing.

Do you work better alone or with someone else? I work much better alone.

Do your stories make sense, or do they ramble wildly? Well I think that the first draft always rambles a bit, but with some editing manages to make some sense. Mrs. Marlow can attest to the fact that my e-mails really ramble.

Are your characters mostly Renegades, Peacekeepers or a mish-mash? I would probably say a mish-mash. I like to have some characters that are weak and cry a lot when I imagine a story in my head. For stories that I jot onto my computer screen I like stronger ones that have lessons to learn.

Are you a sucker for good grammar? Somewhat. I definitely try to give my stories a sense of being well written.

How is your handwriting? Bad. Really bad.

How evil are your villains? It really depends.

Are you long-winded or succinct? I am long-winded. I really like to add descriptiveness in my stories. I guess that is why I talk so much. :)

Do you have typical "writer" traits such as inkstains on your fingers or a pencil behind your ear? No but I do often get  a dreamy "writers" look. And I like to pace in a circle when I am writing in my head.

Would someone walking past you on the street consider you normal? Maybe. I like to dress modestly and I am not very good at matching colors.

Do you write mostly poetry, stories, novels or a mixture? Stories and novels mostly. And I write essay's for school.

Do your characters vary in accents, appearance and attitude or are they mostly the same? Yes. I have one character that is Irish and another one that is Scottish. I am having a lot of fun with those accents.

Do real people and/or places inspire your writing? Yes, sometimes.

How many blogs/websites do you have? I just have this one and my science blog, Biology is Fun. I haven't updated it in awhile but I may be able to soon.

What is your favorite character? Or do you choose to remain unbiased in case of a revolt? I have a few favorites. You always like the good characters over the bad ones, right. :)

Do you talk to your characters? Do they talk back? No I don't talk to my characters. I hope this doesn't sound weird to non-writers but I live through my characters and talk for them and think for them. So why talk to them?

Are you more comfortable with girl or boy main characters? I am much more comfortable with girl characters.

Do you follow basic overused plotlines with new twists thrown in or do you depart from the norm all the time? I really don't know. I try to use original stories.

Do you feel God has called you to be a writer/poet? Will you grasp "the power of the pen"? Huh? I don't really understand exactly what you are asking. I really enjoy writing and I try to write for God's glory. I trust that He will use my stories for His purposes.

Here is a story I wrote for the TOS short story contest. It is called, My Journey.





    “Julie!” Ana called.

    A few minutes later, Ana was rewarded by the young nurse entering the doorway.

    “What do you need, honey?” Julie asked.

    “Could you do something for me, please?” Her breath was coming in short gasps from the exertion of talking.

    “What is it?”

    Ana reached over to the table beside her bed and grabbed a notebook. She ran her hand over the leather cover of the book and handed it to Julie saying, “You know the doctor said it won’t be long until…” her voice trailed off and a faraway look entered her eyes. “I want to write down my story, but I am too weak. Will you write while I tell it to you?”

    Julie closed her eyes and Ana knew she was struggling with her emotions. A moment later, she nodded.

    Julie sat down at a small desk and with a pen held firmly in her hand said, “I’m ready.”

    Ana leaned back against her pillow and looked at herself in the mirror. Thoughtful, green eyes gazed back at her out of a pale, wasted face, making her appear older than her twelve years. Her thin body bore the marks of a long and painful illness. She sighed, remembering happier times, and began her story.


    I can still remember the day when it all began. I was playing in my room just after another doctor’s appointment. I hated those appointments. Doctors, nurses, and hospitals all made me nervous.

    Suddenly Mum called for me to come to the kitchen. When I entered the room I knew something was wrong. My parents were sitting at the table and they both were crying.

    “Ana,” my mum said. “We need to talk to you about something.”

    “What is wrong?” I asked.

    “At the appointment today the doctor said that you have cancer and-” here Dad’s voice broke.

    Mum finished for him, “You’re dying.”

    I was stunned by the news. But in a few moments the numbness was gone and something else had replaced it. Fear. Fear of what would happen. Fear of the world I knew that I had to face at the age of ten. A world full of doctors, hospitals, and tests.

    I ran to my mum and buried my face in her chest as I cried.

   
   
    The next year was a whirlwind of tests and procedures. There were days that I would just forget that I was sick, others when all I could do was lie in bed surrounded by my terrors.

    My parents tried to console me but in vain. Looking back, I think that the reason that they couldn’t provide comfort was because I was afraid to open up to anyone. I had locked myself in shell which no one could open.

     My biggest fear was that I wouldn’t go to heaven. My parents were Christians and I had always played the part, but I knew that it was an act. My “faith” wasn’t real, and I knew it.

    Those months were the worst in my life, or so I thought.

   
    My body was beginning to deteriorate when something occurred that drastically changed my life.

    I was home alone as Mum and Dad had gone to the hospital to talk to the doctor. He had been pushing them to place me in a hospital permanently because I needed full-time care. The thought filled me with dread. They were going to discuss the options with him.

    I had begged to stay at home and they let me. I think it was because I had been in good spirits lately and they thought that going to the hospital might make me depressed again.

    While they were gone the phone rang and when I answered it I heard a policeman telling me that my parents had been killed in a car accident.

     The phone fell from my hand as I dropped to my knees and sobbed.

    When a few hours later I had run out of tears, I thought, “What am I going to do?”

    I was alone in a cruel, miserable world. I had no friends, no relatives, and no idea of what would happen to me. Facing the battle with cancer totally alone was staring me in the face.

    In desperation, I called the only person I could think of; the doctor who had been taking care of me. He brought me to the hospital where I was placed in permanent care.

    There I drew further into my shell and soon all the nurses gave up trying to befriend me. All except one, that is.

    Julie was always kind and sweet to me. Even when I refused to talk to anyone and just stayed curled in a ball, she would manage to keep up a stream of chatter that made me feel a little better.

    Soon I began to enjoy her company. I would mostly listen while she told me about her family.

    I had been a part of a family like her’s at one time, but that world was slipping away from me. Lost in the dark with no light ahead, I found it hard to picture the happy life she described. 

    One morning when Julie came in to work I knew that something was wrong. She was acting normal but I could just sense that she was upset.

    I was lying in bed wondering what was wrong when I heard two nurses talking outside my door.

    “Did you hear about Julie’s sister?”

    “No.”

    “She was out walking last night and got hit by a car.”

    They moved further down the hall and I sat quietly for a few moments thinking about what I had heard.

    I was perplexed by Julie’s serenity, recalling my own hysterical response to my parents’ death.

    When she entered a few moments later, I asked her, “How do you do it?”

    She looked at me with a puzzled expression.

    “How do you stay so calm when…”

    She realized what I meant and pain swept over her face. But she composed herself and sat beside me. “I could never do it by myself. But the Lord Jesus gives me peace. I know I will see Emma again someday. It is hard, but Christ is my strength.”

    At that I burst into tears. Julie held me in her arms as I told her my story.

    “I don’t have the assurance that I will see them again,” I said, when I had finished. “I’m not a Christian. I am so sinful, how could God let me into heaven?”

    “He can’t. God is so perfect, sin cannot be in His presence,” she said. “None of us deserve to go to heaven. But God sent His Son, the sinless Lamb, to take our punishment and die.”

    I raised my head and looked into her face. I had heard the story before, but this time it pierced my heart. “He died for… me?”

    “Yes, Ana. If you repent of your sins and believe on Him, He will forgive you.”

    I threw myself at God’s feet and begged for forgiveness. It’s difficult for me to describe what happened then. God saved me that day, of that I am certain.

    These last months I have spent learning about the Lord and reading the Word. I have a peace that I never had before. I’m no longer terrified of dying for, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

    Each day I grow weaker in body and stronger in my faith. The Lord has given me strength to face whatever lies ahead. There are still moments when fears threaten, but spending time in prayer sends them flying away.

    My point in telling this story is that I want others to know that they don’t have to die without hope. Christ can save you and give you peace.

    It won’t necessarily mean that your troubles will be gone. I am still lying in a hospital bed dying. Others around the world are suffering for their faith in Christ. But Christ will help you through all trials and most importantly He will save you from hell. He saved me.

   



    Ana held the notebook in her hands. It was finally written down, just as she had wanted. Perhaps it would encourage other Christians in their walk with the Lord, and help them understand what sufferers go through. “Maybe,” she thought with a smile. “Some other girl will see it and will have the strength to endure whatever her trial is.”

    “What do you want me to put for a title?” Julie asked, interrupting her reverie.

    Ana struggled into a sitting position, wincing as a wave of pain swept over her, and reached for the pen that Julie held in her hand.

    Julie pulled back her hand. “No, I don’t think you should do that. You’re too tired.”

    “Julie, I have to do this.”

    Julie relented and Ana took the pen. Holding it between her weak, trembling fingers, she wrote at the top of the page:   My Journey. 

:: Updated update. The birds made and we have an empty nest. :( But I am glad that they made it and that they must have had a parent out there taking care of them. :)

:: Update. The birds are still alive. I don't understand how they could have survived this long. I am wondering if there could possibly be a parent still alive and feeding them. I have named them and the names are drumroll....

Terry, Ronny, and Sandy. Read It's a Jungle out There from the Rani Adventures series to fully understand the names.

Wow, that was a long title. Today I was outside with my brother and he said, "Did you know that the bird eggs hatched?"

    Well I didn't know so I went over to take a look. I could see them all. At the time I thought there were two but there are actually three. Well they looked very cute and small with their big beaks. We always have a bird nest in our small bush/tree but I have never known the eggs to hatch. I kept going over and looking at them until it hit me:

Fact 1. A few days ago my dad found evidence of a bird being killed by a cat, tons of feathers all over.

Fact 2. There was NO parent bird around. (And believe me I was looking. I didn't want to get attacked by an irate parent bird)

Fact 3. They looked HUNGRY. They were opening their beaks and sticking them up.

Therefore I have concluded that it is very likely that the parent bird was killed by some nasty cat. (I don't like cats and they make me cough.)

      Sadly there is nothing I can do. I looked it up on the internet and saw that they have to be fed every 15-20 minutes. That would be the impossible for me to do and I would probably feed them the wrong thing. I checked on them after dinner and they are still there with even wider open beaks. Here are some pictures I took.

      I would probably consider "adopting" them if not for another bad wildlife experience I had. Our neighbor across the street had a cat. The cat had hurt a little baby bunny in the leg. We, the unsuspecting people, agreed to take in the injured animal and try to nurse it back to health. And I, the animal lover, assumed full responsibility. Now today I found out when looking around about the birds that it is against the law to entrap wild animals, so we probably shouldn't have done what we did. We put the bunny in a old bird cage, (I kid you not, it was all we had). I had feed it every 2 hours with warm milk, which made for a very sleepless night. I named it Star because it was light-brown and in some spots the edges of its hair were black and of course it had a white star on its forehead.

  Well we lasted for one day and one night until we had to put it outside because it was not enjoying its captivity. It died later that day.  :(

 I have an idea for a short story based on my own experience so I might try writing it. My family thinks that I try to pack too much into my short stories and then I just don't have enough words. So this might work.

 I was going to post another short story that I wrote for a contest and lost, but it is getting late and I need to go to bed. So it should be posted in a day or two.

Hi all! It has been awhile since I have posted anything to do with writing on my blog. So I thought that I would post a short story that I wrote for a contest in, oh, November. It was a Patrick Henry College writing competion. It was themed and the younger kids category (the one I was in) theme was Pursuit of Purpose. I looked at that and thought "What?" Is it just me or is that a little vague. I had no idea what they meant but I did my best. I didn't win and I think my idea of purpose was a bit different than theirs. You can see the stories that won here.   The older kids had a much easier theme: Joy in Pain. Well here is my story. It is called For the Good of Those Who Love Him.

Today... March 30, 2009 and time for another daybook. If you want to join click here.

Outside my window... A clear blue sky with a few wispy clouds.

I am thinking... That it is a beautiful day and just the right temperature (Not too hot, not too cold).

I am thankful for... My family and God's grace.

I am listening to... Pray for me. (I just want to say that I was just reading the HSB newsletter about not uknowingly linking people to bad sites. I just want to say that I have no control over what comments go up on any videos I link to. So I would VERY strongly recommend that if you click on the links, don't look at any comments.!!!!)

I am reading... Luke. I just read this morning about Jesus saying that if anyone is ashamed of Him before men, He will be ashamed of them before God. (Or something like that) It just makes you think of all the times we don't share the gospel or don't stand up for what's right, etc.. We need to stand up and be bold about our faith. Don't worry. No one is going to kill you!

I am creating... This post and my skirt.

One of my favorite things... Cool weather.

For education this week... I am on spring break!

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning... Sewing, sewing, and more sewing. At least for this week

A spiritual lesson I am learning... Being bold for Christ.

A godly character trait I plan to work on... Having a good attitude when things don't go my way.

Scripture I am memorizing... Romans.

I am praying for... My ten-year old Catholic friend. My luke-warm Catholic sewing teacher. (That's right, I found that out when I was talking to her.)

For the rest of the week... I am off of school and I am going to use my extra time to finish all of my unfinished sewing projects. And my sister wants me to start a dress for her. Busy week!

Bye!

It is time for another daybook. If you want to join this meme click here.

Today... March 23, 2009

Outside my Window... Some birds and some cirrus clouds

I am thinking... That God was so gracious to send Jesus to the earth to die for our sins. Also that He is our mediator and brings our prayers before the very throne of God!

I am listening to... The Glorious Impossible

I am thankful for... Books!!!!

I am reading... I am in Luke right now. I just started an L. M. Montgomery book. She wrote Anne of Green Gables. Her theology is not quite right, but I it is good writing and my mom likes me to read some good literature.

I am creating... A dress, this post, and I have been working some on a special story of mine.

One of my favorite things... Logic Problems. (Really, I have a very logically mind. I am the only one of my siblings who loved Intermediate Logic.)

For education this week... Apologia Biology. Algebra 2. Sewing class.

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning... Cooking

A godly character trait I plan to work on... Not having a critical spirit.

Scripture I am memorizing... I am in Romans right now. I just finished chapter 6 and am going back and reviewing the previous chapters.

I am praying for... My brother, as he is working through a difficult class right now in college.

For the rest of the week... This is an update from last week also. I did witness to my sewing teacher but I didn't get to say all I wanted to and I am planning on talking with her some more this week. The other girls will still be gone. So please pray for me this Tuesday.

Bye!

If you want to do this meme too click here.

It is time again for the Daybook. I'm sorry this is late but I couldn't resist going outside with my brother in this weather. :)

Today.... March 16, 2009

Outside my window.... the sun is setting on a warm and beautiful day. I have to enjoy these days while they last before the heat of summer sets in.

I am thinking.... About my stories that I sent in to a contest today. I hope they win! Also that Steve Green has a beautiful voice. Especially in Find us Faithful. (I'm listening to it right now)

I am thankful for... Growing up in a Christian home with parents who train me up in the Lord. And for music.

I am reading... Ten Books that Screwed up the World and Five Others that Didn't Help. Right now we are on Utilitarianism.

Luke

I am creating... This post. A dress and I have a skirt that I still have to hem. I'm a procrastinator. :(

One of my favorite things.... Pretty feminine and modest skirts and dresses. Days that are not HOT.

For education this week... Algebra 2. Apologia biology. New Testament Greek.

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning... Taking care of children

A godly character trait I plan to work on... Witnessing more.

Scripture I am memorizing... Romans. I am almost finished with chapter 6!

I am praying for... My friend who I take sewing class with. She is about twelve years old and she and her sisters are being raised Catholic. It is hard to see it because she knows so many of the right words, but it isn't all there.

For the rest of the week...

Please read this and pray for me on this Tuesday. This Tuesday in the morning I am going to try to witness to my sewing teacher. I am pretty sure that she is not even a professing Christian. The other girls in the class will be gone and I will be alone with her. So I am planning on sharing the Gospel with her. I want you to hold me accountable to this. With you and my family expecting me to and much prayer going into it, I am hoping it will keep me from becoming scared and not doing it. I will let you know how the conversation goes.

A picture I'd like to share.

Here are some pictures I took of ducks last year. They come every summer. They should be here soon!!

 Hi I'm ready to do another daybook hosted by HsKubes' Gal.

Today…

February 23, 2009

Outside my window…

A blue sky with lots of fluffy, white clouds.

I am thinking…

About this post and that It is Done. 

I am thankful for…

The family God has given me and allowed me to keep.

I am reading…

10 Books that Screwed Up the World and 5 Others that Didn't Help. I'm reading it aloud with my mom for school.

I am creating…

2 stories for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine contest. This post and I suppose I could include the skirt I am making.

One of my favorite things…

Music. (The kinds I like)

For education this week…

Algebra 2. Biology. Annals of the World (Interesting book) :)

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning …

Sewing. It is fun.

A godly character trait I plan to work on…

Being diligent.

Scripture I am memorizing…

Romans 6 and all of Romans.

I am praying for…

The family of three year old Emme- who died on Sunday. Read about it here.

I have decided to join a meme called A Young Woman's Daybook. It is hosted by HsKubes' Gal. I hope you enjoy it.

Today…   Feb. 16, 2008

Outside my window… Trees and a blue sky.

I am thinking… That I like the song Stand by Me (I'm listening to it) and that I like this meme.

I am thankful for… My family and salvation.

I am creating… This post and a story for the TOS magazine story contest.

One of my favorite things… Hot Chocolate

For education this week… Algebra 2, Annals of the World, Biology, Intermediate Logic.

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning … Caring for children

A spiritual lesson I’m learning… I need to pray more.

A godly character trait I plan to work on… Not having a sharp tongue.

Scripture I am memorizing… Romans 6

A picture I’d like to share…

 I took this picture while riding in the car and the sky was so pretty.

I am sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I'm sorry to say that the topic of this post is rather sobering. 

Christians are starting to be persecuted more and more these days. We are not allowed to speak out about issues that we believe in. Children cannot talk about Christ in school. Soon we will probably be seeing persecution that is much more violent, like it is in China.

This persecution may not come for another 20 years or so but for kids mine and your age that means we will still have a lot of our life ahead of us. I don't know about you, but to me that is a scary thought.

What I want to ask you is; are you ready? Can you be faced with losing your job, losing your house, or even losing your life and still say, "I will not deny Jesus Christ."

We are so spoiled here in the US. Most "Christians" don't even know what being a Christian means. When persecution comes many people who believe they are Christians will fall away.

Do YOU know what it means to be a Christian? Do you understand that you are a sinner and that you need a Savior? This issue is so important. Your eternal salvation depends on it.

Will you be ready when the persecution comes? if you are truly saved God will help you through it. If you are not you will perish.

So I ask you to examine yourself to be sure you are saved. Ask God to give you strength if the persecution comes.

The editor of HSB is having a poll of people about their blogs. You can go to it here. I am to young at 13 to enter the contest but I am going to answer the questions.

1.  Why did you start a blog?

I originally started my blog to post my writing assignments from Mrs. Marlow's Writing Workshop. I have now branched out to other subjects like my Hymn Monday. I also post the stories I write on here.

2.  What did/do you hope to accomplish with your blogging?

With my stories I like to get good critics on it and advice. I would like to have people do my Hymn Monday and be blessed and encouraged by the hymns. I would like to encourage people to stay strong in the Lord through my story The Promise Ring.

3.  Have you found that you don't post as much as you did when you started?

Yes.

4.  If yes, why not?

When I first started I had assignments to do every day, something which I do not now have.

5.  How important are comments to you?

They are very important. I love to hear what people think of what I write. If I have a prayer request it is nice to know that someone actually read it and is praying for me.

6.  Do you ever find yourself wishing people would not always leave comments that agree with you?

Maybe a little. If someone has something positive to say and something negative, you know that they meant the positive part. On the other hand it can be upsetting if someone doesn't agree with you.

7.  Do you comment on other people's blogs a lot, sometimes, or very little?

I would say sometimes.

8.  What determines why you don't post a comment on someone else's blog?

If it is not something that interests me enough or if I don't have the time. I should probably post them more than I do.

9.  What determines why you do post a comment on someone else's blog?

If I feel that they should be commended for something they said, or if there is something I disagree with. Or if they ask a question, that would be a reason too.

10.  Do you have more than one blog?  Where?

Yes. I have another blog at HSB called Biology is Fun. I talk about my study of biology, of course . I am also thinking of starting a blog on Blogger to post one of my stories on. The reason I am considering blogger is because it gives me more security which I want for this particular story.

11.  Do you read random blogs either off of random blogger or friends lists?

No.

Those are my answers. Bye. Lulu

For my Promise Ring readers I have decided to make a story change. It is a slight one but I want to tell you. I said before that Crystal's father is a pilot. I have decided to change that and make him an ARMY pilot. I will go back in the chapter and change it,  but I thought I would tell you.

It is time for Hymn Monday again.

Hymn Monday is where every Monday I will post about a hymn. I am going to try to play this hymn on the piano (or for you whatever instrument you play) during the week. Anyone who wants is welcome to join me, even if you can't play an instrument. Feel free to leave me a comment if you need help understanding how to do it.

This week I am going to talk about O to Be Like Thee. I have been playing it for a while and haven't written about it because... well I might as well admit it, I have been lazy, and busy though.

I have really been convicted by this song.

"O to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear."

We often just sing this song but we don't mean it. Is it really our "constant longing and prayer"? Are we really willing to forfeit all earth's treasures?

What another verse.

"O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save."

"Lowly in spirit"???? We aren't very lowly in spirit. All we think about is ourselves. Are we "willing to suffer others to save"?

Well that is my hymn for the week! I will play mine and I hope that you play yours as well.

Please join me in talking about your favorite hymns. But please if you do join sign Mr. Linky so I can find your post. Thank you!

Have a great week praising the Lord!

I have started a new blog for my science. It is Biology is FUN!. The full URL is http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/scienceblog/ . I have created it to document my journey through biology.

I would also like to request that someone who knows how to make blog buttons make one for me for the blog. Let me know if you would like to do it.

Courtney over at One of the Bunch awarded me a few months ago. Click here for the post. I haven't posted on it so I thought since I have some spare time right now I would post about it. The award is the Kindred Spirit Award.

I am going to award:

Rebekah at By His Grace and for His Glory

Emy at Writing

Kalani at Unhidden Light

The rules are here.

Have a good week!

It is time for Hymn Monday again.

Hymn Monday is where every Monday I will post about a hymn. I am going to try to play this hymn on the piano (or for you whatever instrument you play) during the week. Anyone who wants is welcome to join me, even if you can't play an instrument. Feel free to leave me a comment if you need help understanding how to do it.

This week I am going to talk about Praise to the Lord the Almighty. First I would like to refer you to my earlier post that discusses the same topic. You can read it here.

This week especially we need to realize that no matter what happens, God should be praised.

Well that is my hymn for the week! I will play mine and I hope that you play yours as well.

Please join me in talking about your favorite hymns. But please if you do join sign Mr. Linky so I can find your post. Thank you!

Have a great week praising the Lord!

Please listen to this beautiful, fun song. It has quickly become me and my siblings favorite. It has some comedy in the begining. When you are done watching leave me a comment and tell me how you liked it.

I took a walk/bike ride with my dad tonight. Oh I love the fall. It was nice and chilly. The sky was so beautiful so I had to take some pictures.

Now don't think from these photographs that I can take good pictures. My indoor photos are pretty bad. I actually didn't know that my camera could take pictures that good.

The point of this post is that while I was writing I was thinking of the magnificent creation of God. It is so wonderful to look at the world and see all that God has made!

Wow! I was tagged by Courtney at One of the Bunch, Kalani at Unhidden Light, and Andi at Andi and Taffy's blog. The same tag! Now I don't like to do tags much because having to much personal info on the internet is not the best idea. But Mrs. Marlow (Andi) gave me an idea. I am going to complete the tag as one of my characters. I picked Crystal, the heroine of my story The Promise Ring.

So without any further ado, here are the rules:

It is time for Hymn Monday again.

Hymn Monday is where every Monday I will post about a hymn. I am going to try to play this hymn on the piano (or for you whatever instrument you play) during the week. Anyone who wants is welcome to join me, even if you can't play an instrument. Feel free to leave me a comment if you need help understanding how to do it.

This week I am going to talk about Come, Christians, Join to Sing. This hymn talks about one of my favorite things to do. Singing! How good God is to give us such a wonderful way of praising him.

"Come, Christians, join to sing"

I don't know if you ever noticed but singing with someone can kind of bring you together. I love it when my sister sits down at the piano and we sing together.

Well that is my hymn for the week! I will play mine and I hope that you play yours as well.

Please join me in talking about your favorite hymns. But please if you do join sign Mr. Linky so I can find your post. Thank you!

Have a great week!

It is time for Hymn Monday again.

Hymn Monday is where every Monday I will post about a hymn. I am going to try to play this hymn on the piano (or for you whatever instrument you play) during the week. Anyone who wants is welcome to join me, even if you can't play an instrument. Feel free to leave me a comment if you need help understanding how to do it.

This week I am going to talk about He Leadeth Me. I first learned this hymn in BSF (Bible Study F something) 

I really like this hymn. It was taken from Psalm 23:1-3 “He leadeth me beside still waters, He restoreth my soul.”

I don't really have much more to say. The hymn says it all!

Well that is my hymn for the week! I will play mine and I hope that you play yours as well.

Please join me in talking about your favorite hymns. But please if you do join sign Mr. Linky so I can find your post. Thank you!

Have a great week!

It is time for Hymn Monday again.

Hymn Monday is where every Monday I will post about a hymn. I am going to try to play this hymn on the piano (or for you whatever instrument you play) during the week. Anyone who wants is welcome to join me, even if you can't play an instrument. Feel free to leave me a comment if you need help understanding how to do it.

This week I am going to talk about How Firm a Foundation. Cyber Hymnal has a lot more of the verses than my hymnal does.

I am sorry but I don't have much time to talk about this, and to tell the truth I can't think of anything to say. So I am going to leave the talking to you. (Even though nobody ever does my Hymn Monday) /Sigh

So I am going to ask if anyone reads my Hymn Mondays and just can't or doesn't want to join me in it, please take a few moments out of your busy schedule and just leave me a comment telling me that you at least read what I write. Thanks!

Well that is my hymn for the week! I will play mine and I hope that you play yours as well.

Please join me in talking about your favorite hymns. But please if you do join sign Mr. Linky so I can find your post. Thank you!

Have a great week!

Fireproof is coming out today! Never heard of it? Go to the website here and find out about it. If you think it sounds good go see it. My family is going on Saturday.