Horse lover for Christ

Do you dream of escape?

Last week I was very alive.

You just read that short sentence and raised your eyebrows at me, because you're thinking, 'Grace, you are pretty much always alive. I hope.' Well, I hope so too. ;-) But I believe that you will understand what I mean when I draw your attention to some of those times of your life when you felt so bursting with happiness that you were... more alive than ever. If you can't recall any, I pity you. Because life is made up of times like that. Moments. Days. Most recently for me, it was last week. I was tremendously blessed to be able to attend a Communicators For Christ (CFC) conference in Corpus Christi. The motto for the organization is; ‘shaping culture through authentic communication'. Generally, people equate public speaking with communicating. But although public speaking is an important part of communicating for Christ, the biggest part is simply how you interact with the people around you. And even those of you who aren’t big about the whole ‘command the platform’ can't tell me that you don't interact with people. Not even homeschoolers are that unsocialized. =D So read on a little further, as I try to relate a little of what I've learned this week.

I competed in the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA) last year. And I had gone to a CFC conference before. And I was never a shy person. It's actually pretty funny to listen to all the accounts my friends give of how their mom made them go to the conference, or whatever. Because my parents didn't tell me I had to go. I told my parents they had to send me. =D Anyway, nothing I learned at this conference was new to me. Anyone could have asked me about it, and I would have agreed. But not until last week were these truths really cemented in my heart. The theme for this year's tour conference is 'Lead the Escape'. It’s not talking about escaping from your problems or from the world- on the contrary. This is an escape from artificial to authentic communication. And an escape from Self. The goal is to throw aside everything that would hinder you from sharing the Truth of the gospel, and equip yourself to go into the world in order to change it. And isn't that all our lives are about?

I'd like to briefly share four things with you that specifically stuck out to me while I was at the conference. I've put them into a handy little bullet list for you. (I love those things!)

• Not only is it totally awesome to know how to talk to people and communicate your beliefs, it's necessary. We do not have a choice. Let me repeat that, because the truth of it still hits me like a bomb: we do not have a choice. Either you will be able to converse with people and share Life with them, or you will be showing them through your insecurity that you don't know the answers. Everyone communicates. Through your glances, through your body language, through your words or lack of them. You will either communicate your beliefs, or you will communicate your unbelief. It's that simple.

• Value the relationship above the argument. Those of us who don't have problems with shyness often struggle with forcing our beliefs on others. We've got to remember that only God can change the human heart, and we are only his instruments through which He channels the Truth. Once we plant the seeds, our job is now to tend the ground gently and pray for the rain. And after all, if you are willing to lay the argument aside in order to keep your friendship with someone, you will have another chance. Once you sever ties with a person, you can never go back. There's a quote I heard this week by Phillip Yancey. It says, 'No one ever became a Christian because they lost the argument.'

• Being a competent cultural communicator means being willing to risk yourself. That scares me, so I know it probably scares you too. But life is so not about us. If we are willing to risk looking 'weird' or being in awkward situations sometimes, or simply willing to give other people the time of day when we're busy, we will be able to reach farther into people's lives. We've got to be engaging and real and joyful and trustworthy. Then people will connect with us, and we can touch their lives through Christ. We can't wait on the sidelines for the world to come to us. We must go to them.

• For those of you who compete in speech and debate, let's remember that competition is only a way to hone our skills. Our goal is never to win rounds, but to win people. How many people do you think you're going to win by speaking to a bunch of homeschool parents? Sure, there may be a few 'community judges', but most likely they are Christians as well. Unless we're taking the skills we learn out into the community, all our moving rhetoric is for nothing. I know we've heard this before, but NCFCA is a game. A means, and not an end. Let's actually use what we've learned by impacting people who need us.

In final (I promise, this is the final) conclusion, I wrote a poem:

Dream of an Escape

If this was all a dream,
Spun from silver moon reflections on the water,
And fanned by firefly wings.
Or tossed from wave to wave, in tempests worthy...

Then when I wake up, I will laugh with the sky,
And everything will be more real, and more right.
I'll grasp for the pillow and sing for pure joy,
Because this dream has changed my life.

Sometimes our dreams are more real than our lives,
When we are not willing to live them for Christ.
And sometimes our dreams are our way of escape
When we are too frightened to risk for His sake.

But sometimes life seems like a dream
And everything exudes a golden gleam.
And I know that it's real, more real than I am.
Though it's bound to my heart with a velvet band.

And I realize that, escaping this way,
I'm delving in, not fleeing away.
The care isn't that I should save myself,
But help to lead the escape from Self.

For Christians may all sit and babble away,
And be very smart and have things to say,
But what have we done for the kingdom of Christ
Unless we go into the world and speak Life?

There is no higher calling, and no greater care
Than to reach out to others and simply be there.
If we can love in a world full of hate,
We are called to Lead the Escape.

{For more information about the Communicators for Christ nation-wide tour, visit http://www.instituteforculturalcommunicators.org. or http://www.theiccblog.com/ }

NaNoWriMo Day 10

Word Count: 20,903

"How could anyone throw away this happiness? How could anyone reject such joy?" 
~ Wynn Ainsley

Well I'm still plugging away, boosting my word count by the thousands every night, and every day when I wake up setting myself an impossible goal I know I can't reach, but I do anyway.

The plot is coming along nicely, I've been rather surprised at how easy this story has been to write, then again it's been waiting for November for the last seven months.

Its been amazing discovering more about my characters, and the places they live in. Each day of writing I find out something knew and exciting about one of them.

I expected to grow tired of my book title, my names, and my characters, but instead they have gotten even more interesting to me, and I'm still totally in love with the name Wynn Ainsley.

There have been moments of stress, in fact just the other night I was in near panic because I couldn't get the NaNo website to load, therefor making it impossible for me to update my word count. Since I had just breached the 20,000 mark it was rather disappointing I couldn't do it right away. After a few more tries however, all was well.

So, that's how my NaNo has been going. If your interested in reading the progress of other NaNoers here are the links to friends of mine who are doing it as well.

• Defective Compositions
• His Beautiful Love
• In Word

Recent happenings!!

The other day we all went for an afternoon walk, and there was lotsss of flooding!! We all eventualy got soaked, and by the time I got back to the car, but feet felt numb, as I was wearing canvas white (but are now gray, ) and water soaked in easily.


This is what mostly all the paths were like...It was not very deep at all, only roughly about 2 inches.


This is the lake. :)

You know what little brothers are like, and this is what my cute little (nearly 2 yr old) brother has been doing.


then the freezer bags, I doen't know how he managed to get it!!!




And I was helping my in the kitchen and I heard this rustling in the bathroom and then, what a waste of freezer bags!!!
I also promised my good blogger friend (ALadyBug) a photo of my new budgie, Tommy.


Isn't he beautiful!!!!

well thanks for stopping bye!!!

Lego Movies

Hey, ya'll!

So sorry that I havn't been on. Well, I mean posted. lol. I have been on...heh heh

Anywho, we've been making lego movies, that's why I havn't posted. cuz it takes my whole turn, and I'm the "audio producer" he he! 'Tis fun! Anyway, here's a lego movie by our favorite producer: "Indiana Scones and the Quest for the Platyum Waffle". Google "Lego Indiana Jones" on Google videos, and it should pop up. Like I said, we like it.

Thanks, g2g cuz Micah's crying!

sam

Happy Happy Joy Joy, Here's The Boy!

Samuel and Me

Isn't he just so handsome?! I'm taken yet again! :) He is so very precious and I am just so happy to have another baby brother to love and hold! :D I know that picture isn't enough, so here is more:

Little Samuel

Isn't he the CUTEST?!

©AmandaDixon2009

*gasp*

Tickled Blue!

I am so excited and very proud to say I am now officially the oldest of 9 children! :) Samuel Ira was born today! We are 20 years and 12 days apart.  He is just precious and sweet! A true gift from God! I'm tickled there is another newborn in the house! :D Altho... there are so many people to share him with. LOL! Trying to snatch him anytime I can! ;) Will get some more up about him and pictures soon! :D I am just soo happy he's here!
I am so blessed by God to have another sibling to love, to watch grow up and to TRY to be an example of how to live as our Messiah did!
Thank you God for the blessing of this precious babe! Such an awesome Shabbat this has been!

©AmandaDixon2009

"Please Mom?"

Here is another one I made with only pictures of Elisabeth's face.

Speaking of faces, Picasa has the neatest feature where it can sort faces! Its really hard to explain, so if you'd like to read about it, go here: http://picasa.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=93773 Its really good at it too! Only once did it think that Alison was me. :-) Even the computer thinks we're twins! LOL!

This last one is just a few random pictures that I've taken that I really like. I'll probably make quite a few more collages with my pictures! It's really fun!

I've learned a few things about Picasa the hard way, but now that have figured a few things out not to do, I'll never never NEVER do them again! LOL!

Party Post III: The Grand Event

Kaira was a very excited princess when the big day finally arrived.  We were were joined by Lady Beverly, Sir Richard, the Bowman James, Lady Lorelle, the beautiful princess Kaitlyn, and the delightful jester Sirhc!  The games were underway when the Royal executioner showed up, escorting a servant girl he had found fleeing the Manor of Lord S and Lady K. 

The servant girl threw herself to the ground and begged the princess for mercy, and the executioner inquired what should be done with the servant, who was no doubt an accomplice in helping the Lord and Lady escape.  Kaira looked upon the groveling servant girl in mercy and answered the executioner emphatically, "Let her have fun!" 

And so, have fun we did.  The games included a quest for the grail, tests of archery, musical chairs, and tiara and shield making.  James the Bowman provided a demonstration of his skill, putting arrows through our bales with such force that we found broken shafts the next day!  The Lady Lorelle even brought along her pet draglet, whom Kaira took to immediately. 

Kaira's cousins attempted to present her with her very own prince, (who had journeyed all the way from Prague) but alas, her mischievous cousin, the wee jester Sirhc had enchanted the poor fellow and turned the Prague Prince into a Frog Prince.  The counter enchantment required she recite "Prairie Frog Fairy Prince" seven times in succession before kissing him three times.  (Seven plus three adding up to ten--her age, of course!)  Poor Kaira failed to recite it properly each time, and he remained amphibious.  Fortunately the fellow seems content to remain a pet.  (She's too young for a real prince anyway, so I'm secretly relieved.)

"Kenneth O'Laughlan" read the Fools Prayer, and the wee jester Sirhc did a Sirhcus act for us!  We feasted on shish kabob and raspberry cream filled cake. 

I should have required a few guests stand still for a quick photo op.  I didn't manage to capture my niece and nephew's beautiful costumes as fully as I'd like, and somehow the Lady Beverly managed to avoid the camera lens.  I also neglected to capture my own wee knights, Sir Keegan and Sir Kieran before they shed their armor.  (And, I was behind the camera instead of in front of it.  Which is all very good and well.)

A good time was had by all!  Huzzah!

Edited to add clarification regarding one of the couples pictured: Two separate bloggy friends emailed convinced that I was mistaken in declaring myself absent from the photos.  Drawing my attention to the upper left of the collage, they pointed out that I was right there, next to my husband, Ken.     

In the interest of autonomy, I should explain that the lovely lady in that photo isn't me, but rather my sister.  Likewise the gentleman beside her isn't my husband but her own--Ken's younger brother.    They are a cute couple, and especially since they are younger than their aging, older siblings, the confusion is considered a compliment.  (Shhh... please just don't tell "the sibs" you mistook them for their Froggy northern relations....)