He leaves me wordless! So precious!
©AmandaDixon2009
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!)
- 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/ }
Copyright © GraceElizabeth
Please do not send me private messages unless I give you permission. I will NOT add anyone as a friend who asks to be my friend in a private message. thank you! And if you want to link back to me, click on my button on the sidebar.
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Lest we forget.
A list of all of the soldiers who have bravely died serving our country during the afghanistan war up to now:
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Marc D. Léger, Ainsworth Dyer, Richard Green, Nathan Smith , Robert Alan Short , Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger , Jamie Brendan Murphy ,Braun Scott Woodfield ,Timothy Wilson , Paul Davis , Robert Costall , Matthew Dinning , William Turner , Myles Mansell , Randy Payne , Nichola Goddard ,Anthony Boneca , Francisco Gomez , Jason Patrick Warren , Christopher Jonathan Reid , Vaughn Ingram , Bryce Jeffrey Keller , Kevin Dallaire , Raymond Arndt Master , Jeffrey Scott Walsh Master , Andrew James Eykelenboom , David Braun , Frank Robert Mellish, Richard Francis Nolan , William Jonathon James Cushley , Shane Stachnik , Mark Anthony Graham, David Byers , Shane Keating , Keith Morley,. Glen Arnold , Josh Klukie , Craig Paul Gillam , Robert Thomas James Mitchell, Mark Andrew Wilson , Darcy Tedford , Blake Williamson , Robert Girouard , Albert Storm , Kevin Megeney , Donald Lucas ,Aaron E. Williams , Brent Poland ,David Robert Greenslade , Kevin Vincent Kennedy ,Christopher Paul Stannix , Allan Stewart, Patrick James Pentland T, Anthony Klumpenhouwer,Matthew McCully, Darryl Jason Priede, Darryl Caswell , Christos Karigiannis, Stephen Frederick Bouzane ,Joel Vincent Wiebe, Matthew Johnathan Dawe ,Jordan Anderson, Cole Bartsch , Lane Watkins, Jefferson Clifford Francis , Colin Bason ,Simon Longtin ,Mario Mercier, Christian Duchesne ,Raymond Ruckpaul,. Nathan Hornburg , Nicolas Raymond Beauchamp, Michel Levesque ,Jonathan Dion ,Hani Massouh, Eric Labbé ,Richard Renaud, Etienne Gonthier, Michael Yuki Hayakaze ,Jérémie Ouellet, Jason Boyes, Terry John Street,Michael Starker,Richard Leary, Jonathan Snyder , Brendan Anthony Downey ,Colin William Wilmot , James (Jim) Hayward Arnal , (Josh) Brian Roberts , Erin Doyle Master ,Shawn Allan Eades ,. Dustin Roy Robert Joseph Wasden , Stephan John Stock , Andrew Paul Grenon ,Michael James Alexander ,Chadwick James Horn , Prescott (Scott) , Robert John Wilson , Mark Robert McLaren , Demetrios Diplaros , Thomas James Hamilton , Justin Peter Jones , John Michael Roy Curwin , Michael Bruce Freeman ,Gaetan Joseph Roberge ,Gregory John Kruse ,Brian Richard Good ,Sean David Greenfield , Dennis Raymond Brown ,Dany Oliver Fortin,Kenneth O'Quinn , Marc Diab , Scott Vernelli ,Tyler Crooks ,Jack Bouthillier ,Corey Joseph Hayes , Karine Blais , Michelle Mendes , Alexandre Péloquin, Martin Dubé, Nicholas Bulger ,Charles-Philippe Michaud ,Pat Audet Master ,Martin Joannette ,Sébastien Courcy , Christian Bobbitt, Matthieu Allard, Yannick Pépin, Jean-Francois Drouin ,Patrick Lormand ,Jonathan Couturier , Justin Garrett, Steven Marshall
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One hundred and thirty three names. One hundred and thirty three families. One hundred and thirty three stories.
They died for us.
They died for me.
They died for you.
What are you doing for them?
Are you showing you appreciate them?
Or are you putting them down by telling them they're not helping?
They need our support, whether we believe in the cause or not.
They`re willing to risk their lives for people who don`t even appreciate them. What are YOU doing in this world?
Wear a poppy. Say a prayer for our troops. Read all the names. Honour them.
Lest we forget.
I will finish with the most famous poem of all time, in Flanders Fields
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In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
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BeCcA
Hey Everybody,
Ok, here's the update...
| my first soccer practice | 14 days |
| Thanksgiving | 17 days |
| We Put Our Christmas Tree up | 19 days |
| Christmas Eve | 45 days |
| Christmas | 46 days |
| New Years Eve | 52 days |
| New Years | 53 days |
Yesiree, I keep track of it all. Well, anyways. What is everybody doing for Thanksgiving? Comment and tell me. :) Dad is taking off of work for a week I think and we are going to sleep in every day, maybe go to the zoo, and get some Christmas shopping done, and just go places, and on the actual Thanksgiving Day I'm pretty sure that we are going to the get-together Dad's side of the family has every year for Thanksgiving. Well, they have a get-together for every holiday. Haha!
Does everybody like my Christmas Playlist? I'm going to add more songs soon. I just haven't had time.
Today we have no soccer at all! I woke up and was deciding what to wear and I was like, "Gasp! What are you supposed to do on a day that we don't have soccer?" We barely ever have any of those days. :) GreenPeppermint does have soccer practice tomorrow and Thursday and then the rest of her soccer tournament on Saturday and Sunday. Fields has an end-of-the-season soccer party at Brusters on thursday. That's all the soccer we have left though, untill indoor soccer starts. GreenPeppermint is doing good in her tournament. They won their game 7-0 on Saturday but she hyper-extended her knee in the second half so she couldn't play in the game on Sunday so they lost 3-1. They made it to the semi-finals though and she will be able to play this weekend. Her knee is doing better though.
I already have 45 minutes of my school done so I'm early on my school so I am going to make Chocolate Taffy after school. :) It's basicly Tootsie Rolls.
Well, Sorry this post is sort of short but, at least I'm posting. :)
Bye!
Your Friend, Felicity :)
Question: Do you play a sport? I so, what sport?
Answer: ...Do I need to answer this?
Samuel and Me
I'm In Love
Isn't he the CUTEST?!
©AmandaDixon2009
November 17th 2012
I never really thought about it. It just didn't matter. After all, why did it concern me? I'd never bothered it; why should it bother me? The dark whispers on the street corners honestly made me laugh. I mean, these people were taking things WAYY to seriously! I knew it wasn't evil. It gave us nice things, like school, and money to buy stuff without having to work for it. That wasn't bad!
No, it was nice. It took care of us. All these theories were just the mattering of people who had lost their minds from age, or just wanted to chew on something.
It's over now. I know more. And I know that it's my fault, not because of what I did, but because of what I didn't do.
But before you scream at me for bringing this on you, you should know something about Americans as they used to be. We had everything. Nice homes, nice cars, good food; it all fell in our laps. Even low-income families had computers and iPods. We were invincible. Except from within.
Everything collapsed. And all because of greed. When politicians see a rich, happy people, they want some of their wealth. So they promise you food, housing, healthcare, an education, and eternal happiness if you'll just elect them and pay a few more taxes. So you peel off the greenbacks and drink the honey of their talk and sit back and enjoy yourself.
And like the old Energizer bunny, it kept going and going and going....And every time, they put the butter on a little thicker and took away a little more, keeping us distracted by throwing mud and worse at each other. It picked up in '09, and people started noticing things. I can remember them, the nutcase conservatives waving signs at the Tea Party rallies. But I didn't understand why anything was wrong, and besides, there was always a flap around election time.
But nothing quieted down. People were getting more and more worried. When my dad went to buy ammunition for hunting, almost a year after the election, he had trouble getting some; it was still flying off the shelves. "I wonder where it's all going?" he asked himself and me and we drove home. Were people stockpiling it? If so, why?
I tried to laugh it off, but my more conservative friends shook their heads dolefully. "Few forms of government have ever lasted much over 200 years. When they hit the two hundred year mark, there's always some kind of upheaval. The country may remain intact, but the system of government changes."
"But this is America," I protested. "So it is, and here lies a spirit of tenacity that, no matter how dormant it grows, is surpassed by few, if any other nations." Their eyes were glowing annoyingly. "And here, if we wake up, there is a chance to break the cycle, or at least have a peaceful transition."
I thought they were crazy. Life was good. Seriously! The politicians were working for our good, weren't they? Why couldn't anyone see that? 'Upheaval.' Pshaw!
I was wrong.
Alot of people were wrong. But things did start happening, and I saw that it wasn't all that I had thought it had been. It was bad, or at least, worse than I had ever dreamed. There was some violence. Shots were fired. People got killed. And we still don't know how it will end, because you're writing the story.
The future swings on what you do and what you don't do.
What's your choice?
--Amelia Turner
Amelia Turner is a character of my own imagination, but the things she speaks of aren't. Yes, this is random stuff that drifts from my head, but I hope that, for once, this is more than playful writing.
Well, guys, sorry I haven't posted in such a while. Things have been pretty hectic, as usual :-) Everything is back in full swing. Piano lessons, school, speech, debate, church, a full load! Debate alone could take up all my time! We're having our first couple practice debate rounds this Tuesday. Please pray that they go well and we all learn a lot. Thankfully, my mom is the only one who has been sick so far this year. She had a weird virus for about a week where she was really tired and achy all the time, but we all took good care of her and she's 100% better now! And thank goodness, nobody caught it from her. School is going pretty well. I took a bunch of tests last week, the hardest one being an algebra 2 exam. Blech! I do not like math :P My other subjects are going great. Even Chemistry! Ha ha. I am really enjoying my history course this year. It is the book Streams of Civilization 2. World history stuff. But I am also looking forward to studying American history next year. My theology course is helping a lot with one of the speech categories, apologetics. In apologetics there are one-hundred questions about defending your faith such as "Explain the meaning and significance of divine inspiration" and you have to try to write 6-minute speeches for as many of them as possible. It is a really great speech event but it takes a lot of time and work. My Dad is teaching it this year, so that is really helpful :-) I ask him all kinds of questions! Hope everyone is doing well! ~Christine
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 do not send me private messages unless I give you permission. I will NOT add anyone as a friend who asks to be my friend in a private message. thank you! And if you want to link back to me, click on my button on the sidebar.
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Marianne Dashwood--a romantic, poetic, young lady who is easily swayed by any man who can recite poetry with feeling.
In the movie sense and sensiblity, we meet this young lady and immediately love her. We know she always has best intentions at heart, and she loves her family more than anything in the world, but her romantic side makes us laugh.
When they move to a small cottage, Marianne meets a certain heartbroken colonel who falls in love with her. She likes him, but he's not as romantic as she has always dreamed of. Because of some rumours which have been spread about the two of them, when he calls she takes a walk to escape from the house--and consequently changes her entire life.
It begins to rain, and she slips and sprains her ankle. Out of nowhere, the most charming, dashing man she's ever seen runs over to help her up. He carries her back to her house where they realize that they both love poetry, and in the blink of an eye Marianne falls in love.
Willoughby and Marianne do not care what other people think about them, but show their love to each other more openly than anyone else in the entire area they lived in, and rumours began to spread like wildfire--but Marianne is too in love to notice.
Suddenly, the formerly rich willoughby loses all of his fortune, and he runs to London on urgent business--leaving Marianne.
Marianne does not give up. She thoroughly believes that he will come back, and continues to write him letter after letter with no reply. Suddenly, the perfect oppurtunity comes up! They are all invited to London! she goes, and sees Willoughby at a dance where she sees him with other ladies. She goes to talk to him, but he is indifferent to her, and treats her the same as he treats her sister. She spends days after days crying, and her heartbreak eventually leads her to putting herself in danger of death. Eventually she learns that Willoughby lost all of his inheritance because of an affair he had with a girl which he then abandoned, so she was now alone with his child she bore.
The Colonel has not given up on his beautiful Marianne, though, and through it all he helps her. I always start crying when he runs out to save her while she is standing in the pouring rain on the hill overlooking Willoughby's house--even though he knows that she's only going because of her love for his enemy. While she is on the brink of death he does whatever he can, and at the end they get married.
How often are we like Marianne, girls? How often can we look past a man's character and only see the romantic outside? How often do we focus on the sweet things he whispers to us or the hugs he gives and look past the past relationships he's had and what he did to them?
We may say "he loves me. He'll change." But he might not. "How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? And how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?" we don't know. that's the point. Don't open yourself up for heartbreak. To quote Taylor Swift, "Look before you fall."
Even if someone is the most romantic, sweet guy you've ever met, they can hide terrible things. Some of the most amazing looking guys are great actors. Be careful. Guard your hearts, for they are the wellspring of life.
But there is a happy side! There will be a perfect husband for you. God is preparing him for you right now. Save yourself for him, mind, body, and soul.
If the guy you have a huge crush on right now is the one for you, HE CAN WAIT. Hear that? If you're 14, and you think you're in love with someone, give him the biggest test of love in the world -- TELL HIM TO WAIT FOR YOU.
I'm praying for you all girls! Don't give yourself to a guy who doesn't deserve you. Wait for the perfect prince.
BeCcA
Hi Everyone!
I am sorry it's been quite a while! I still have been looking at blogs, just not typing on my own. lol :)
A lot has been going on! A few weeks ago for school we made our own bread for the very first time! It was so cool! We watched a video called Homestead Blessings: The Art of Bread Making by the West Family , and we just had to make our own! You can read about our bread making at our Family Blog! Here is sneak peak of our bread!
Also, I have made a new blog! Since I love to write Book Reviews for The Backyard, I created a new blog for Book Reviews. I would love it if you stopped by, You can go to it HERE.
I hope you have a great day!
Love,
Liz