Nov. 12, 2009 It's Thursday...
Lego League is scheduled for tonight, instead of tomorrow night. I'm posting this from there.
I hate it tonight. They don't care a bit about the research project, which I'm in charge of, even though it's worth half of our overall score. All they care about is the robot. I am SO frustrated. |
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Nov. 11, 2009 Seven Steps to Forgiveness
This has deeply impacted my life, and so I'm glad to post them here, hoping that they may help somebody. This is partially based upon Matthew 5:21-26
The following material is taken from "How to Overcome Bitterness by Forgiveness" by Institute in Basic Life Principles.If we do not understand God's purposes for suffering we will become bitter toward offenders instead of forgiving them. Consequences related to unforgiveness include physical illness and disease, emotional disorders, and spiritual deception and bondage.
Steps to turn bitterness into forgiveness:
1. Repent of temporal values: Temporal values involve being more concerned over things that last for a time than things which last for eternity. Bitterness reveals temporal values and covetousness. We must believe that Godly character is far more important than possessions. In so doing we can view temporal losses as trades for eternal character gain.
Project: List those who have deeply hurt you and whom you have not been able to forgive. List their offenses and determine whether your losses were temporal or eternal
2. Thanks God for the offense: God instructs us in I Thessalonians 5:18 to give thanks in all things. We must realize that we are not thanking God for the offenses, but for for His good and overriding purposes in allowing them to take place. We will not be able to express thankfulness if we assume that god owes us happiness or if we focus on what we think we should have rather than on what we receive.
Project: Examine each loss that you have experienced as a result of an offender's action and identify the things God gave you before the loss occurred. Thank God for what He gave and magnify the benefits which they have brought you.
3. View your offender as God's agent: We must see offenders not as independent people attacking us, but as those specially chosen by God to accomplish His particular purposes in our lives. Three things happen as we view those who hurt us as simply instruments under the control of a wise and loving heavenly Father. First, we remove the possibility of being bitter towards the offender. Second, we have a new confidence that God has special plans for our lives. He is in thne process of preparing an instrument for His use. Lastly, we demonstrate the love of Christ to our offender by our Godly response.
Project: Take your worst offender and picture him or her as an ageny under God's control. List in a specific way how this will change your attitude towards your offender.
4. Learn God's purposes for suffering:
a. Suffering is God's way of getting our attention. When suffering comes, we are face dwith problems and pressures to big for us to handle. As we turn to Christ, His ultimate purpose is to conform us to the image of Christ.
b. Suffering is our assurance that God loves us. Those who he loves, he disciplines. Hard does not mean bad; easy doesn't necessarily mean good, either.
c. Suffering is God's call to self-examination. Self-examination must take plac ein God's work. God establishes the regular observance of the Lord's table as the time and place for self-exmination.
d. Suffering is God's way to conquer our pride.
e. Suffering is a reminder of our weaknesses. It is as we learn to glory in our weaknesses that we will be able to experience the power of Christ resting upon us.
f. Suffering is our motivation to cry out to God.
g. Suffering is our evidence of spiritual warfare. If we do not recognize when suffering is spiritual warfare, we will be overwhelmed and tempted to give up. When suffering takes the form of confusion, suspicion, and division, spiritual warfare is taking place.
h. Suffering is God's increasing our hatred for evil. When God exposes secret sins, He allows others to see the devastating consequences of them. Our hatred for evil should increase as we see how sin has robbed us of our potential for achieving and enjoying what God has planned for us. Also, we should hate evil as we see how our sin damages the lives of those whom we love.
i. Suffering is our reminder to pray for our authorities. God teaches that a quiet and peacable life is related to intercessory prayer for those in authority over us. When we experience the pressures of temptations, we should realize that those who are in authority over us are also undergoing temptations and are in need of intercessory prayer.
j. Suffering is our signal to re-evaluate priorities. Wrong priorities may result in much painful suffering, not only for us but also for those who are affected by our lives.
k. Suffering is God's means of testing our work.
l. Suffering is God's way of sifting our friendships. Suffering will always test friendships. It will reveal which friends are concerned about getting and which friends are concerned about giving.
m. Suffering is God's call to identify with Christ. One of the ultimate purposes of suffering is to cause us to desire more of Christ's power in our lives.
n. Suffering is our motivation to open accountability. God's key is to life and peace, wisdom and lasting achievements a moment by moment awareness of our accountability for all our words, thoughts, actions, attitudes, and motive. When we lose our awareness of God, we begin to think and act as if God did not exist. God raises up painful reminders on a human level.
o. Suffering is our preparation for comforting others.
Project: Discern the purposes that God has had in allowing you to experience suffering. List them.
5. Compare what you owe God to what your offender owes you: In praying the Lord's prayer, we pray that God would forgive us our trespasses in the same way we forgive those who trespass against us. The story of the unforgiving servant is a grave example to us. I owe God ten thousand talents, or fifty million dollars, and you owe me a hundred pence, or forty dollars. That's a big difference. But it's so much bigger than that! I owe God a trillion trillion dollars, with the universe thrown in, and you owe me a penny!
Project: List the things you are doing to "murder" one whom you have not forgiven. (e.g. cutting him off as though he does not exist, thinking evil thoughts about him, killing his reputation, taking matters into your own hands, encouraging others to take up your offense etc.). Based on this list, write a prayer telling God that you are fully forgiving your offender from your heart.
6. Distinguish between forgiveness and pardon: Forgiveness involves your attitude toward your offender. You no longer hate or wish him harm. You desire the best for him.
Pardon is the release from the legal penalties of an offense, and the one who grants a pardon must have the jurisdiction to do so.
Project: List those with whom your offender needs to be reconciled. Tell God that you are willing for him to use you to bring your offender to full restoration.
7. Voluntarily invest in the life of your offender: This step is often overlooked by those seeking to have a forgiving spirit. It is the key to turning bitterness into forgiveness and genuine love.
Project: List ways you can benefit the life of your offender. These "treasures" should represent sacrifice on your part and be recognized by your offender as haveing value in his life. |
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Well, the whole family has been sick for the past month. So we missed a bunch of stuff. Anyways, I'm better now, so I have no excuse to keep on avoiding my blog.
So... What's new... Paul is no longer going to Lego League! I couldn't be happier. I mean, I'm sorry that he can't come, because I think he enjoyed it, but I'm also glad because he seems to think that it's amusing to plague the life out of me.
God touched my heart a few days, reminding me that I need to read the Bible more. So I think now that I am trying to post every day, (knock on wood) I will also post what I read for Bible study.
In WISE Science, we are going through the 7 steps of forgiveness. This has deeply troubled my conscience, as I know that there is bitterness still in my life. I will post the seven steps in another post, and what I am doing about them.
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I missed a week of posting!
Life has been so busy... First (okay, second) day of Swiss Choir, first day of Science Class, Mt. St. Helens trip on Saturday, first day of Friday School coming up (guess when-Friday, of course!), Great Wolf Lodge trip on Sunday and Monday, with a potluck at church first, and a day off to get over our day off on Tuesday...
I was aiming for a month straight, but I guess I'm not successful so far... I'll have to start all over again. Maybe the month of October will be better... |
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Sep. 21, 2009 School Begins
Gileskirk, math, spelling, reading... The start of a new week.
Swiss Choir is tonight, and the first meeting of WISE Science is tomorrow! One of the families from Lego League is there. Gee, I wish that AWANA still went on in Hinson. We'd be seeing the Willseas three times a week! |
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Church was great. The sermon was very interesting. Afterwards I played a little foosball, and then we had small group. We ate and then went into the sanctuary for the lesson. It was about the early history of Calvinism.
We came home, ate dinner, and then left almost right away to get to evening church. A visiting missionary gave a presentation on the situation in Mexico.
Well, time for bed.
I remain Randomly yours, KitKat |
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Okay. Several good things happened/are happening today.
First: I got the score on my test. 86.8%. That's higher than any score I've gotten in Gileskirk before! Barring summaries, of course, nearly always 100%. Studying paid off, and I am DETERMINED to get better and better. Hopefully by my senior year I can get 100% on everything. Galena was aiming for that last year... Don't know if she was successful. I'll have to ask Greta, her little sister.
Anyways. Tonight is Lego League! I'll have fun, as my whole day has gone well-so far-despite a horrible boy who I have mentioned before...
Well, see you later. Must get back to Gileskirk. :)
Randomly yours, KitKat! |
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Right. We went to Fort Vancouver for three hours in the morning to help with the open garden. It was hot, and I was stuck in a long, stuffy dress with loads of petticoats and an apron. Perfect start to a busy day.
After that, we went home, got caught in traffic, ate lunch, studied for Gileskirk, and we're about to leave. At least, I'm ready to leave, I don't know about the rest.
Mom is letting me use the laptop for my opportunity, while everyone else writes on paper. This is because I slashed the muscles on one wrist several years ago, making my right hand permanently weaker, and just last month I wrenched my hand pretty hard, so it's nearly useless for writing. Even drawing hurts, but I'm not using my wrists when I type.
So... We'll be leaving any minute for Gileskirk. Can't wait! |
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Just more school. Studied for Gileskirk until I thought my head would fall off. Drew some pretty pictures-may scan them up to the computer later.
I am really bored. Aleks was a breeze. Well, have to fix dinner for Dad, as the others are at a friend's house watching a pampered chef show. I'd rather not sit through two hours of boredom, so I stayed home.
Well, I am still randomly yours, KitKat |
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Just plain old school today. I'm studying hard for Gileskirk, on Thursday, as I don't want to make scores in the 30's and 40's as I did last year. I'm determined to get better scores than at least some of the newbies. *glares at three specific boys...*
Anyways, I'm studying hard, and I think I'll do pretty good on my test.
(not so) randomly yours, KitKat |
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Today is Swiss Choir. We'll be singing in French, English, German, Swiss, Romanche, and maybe other languages. We'll also be yodeling.
Well, not much else to tell, so I close.
Randomly yours, KitKat |
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Church was good. The sermon was interesting, and I played quite a few games of Foosball afterwards. Lovely! We went to evening church. The sermon was interesting, and I got six inches of knitting done on my scarf. I just started it today.
Well, au revoir
Randomly yours, KitKat |
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Candlelight is tonight! I'm a Mattee-with much too small moccasins-and I'll work in the garden for the second half. Can't wait! Have to go and get dressed.
UPDATE: I have just gotten home. It was an exhausting but exciting day! I plowed a few rows behind Willie and Charlie, two massive Percherons. There were two other teams plowing-a 3/4 Percheron 1/4 Quarter horse mix who acted up dangerously during the last half-hour, and a mule team who were quiet and docile the whole afternoon.
After that, I went to the Mattee camp, just outside the fort. I played a Celtic drum or danced almost four hours straight. Near the end a couple of friends and I got permission to walk through the fort. We had immense fun. One of my friend's friends who also works at the fort was accused of being the American deserter. Once it was proved that he was not, they attempted to recruit him for the British Navy. The funny part is that this was the second time during that half-hour walk that he was accused of that!
Well, it's past 11, and I'm tired, so goodnight!
Randomly yours, KitKat! |
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In memory of all those who died on this date eight years ago, and to the policemen and firemen who risked-and sometimes lost-their lives trying to save them.
(not so) Randomly yours, KitKat |
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Lego League again tonight. Good, but still bad. Paul will be there, but so will Julia, Anna, Wesley, Eli, and Caleb will be there, so it'll be bearable. Caleb's really nice for a boy, and although Wesley and Eli are rough, they're kind. Julia and Anna are loads of fun, even though they're years younger than me.
Okay. To brief you on the happenings of the day:
We went to Fort Vancouver, intending to help in the garden, but got there a little late. So, we went to the costume department above the kitchen and helped there. Libby needed a new dress for Saturday (SATURDAY IS THE CANDLELIGHT WALK AND IT'S FREE!!!!!!!!!!) so Eileen Trestain, head of the costume department, found two and brought them to the dressing room. Libby tried on one, a beautiful red and gold striped gown, but it was too tight, so she put on the other, a light mint green dress, and it fit perfectly. I tried on the other dress, just for fun, and it fit me just exquisitely! The bodice was a little tight, but not uncomfortable or immodest. Libby went to show Madame Trestain, and I followed just to see what happened.
Well, to make a long story short, I get to wear the dress! I was expecting that I would have to wear my ugly, uncomfortable Matee clothes, but all I have to wear is the leggings under the dress! I even got a lovely purple cloak with a gold (or at least pretend gold) clasp on it! I'm riding on clouds for now.
TTFN, ta-ta for now!
Randomly yours, KitKat |
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Today was a little bit boring. Did school as usual. I'm typing this up while waiting for Da to read Treasures of the Sea. It's a book about buccaneer Sir Harry Morgan and his Welsh steward's son, Ieuan. It's in Welsh, and he translates it to English as he reads.
One thing I hate about the fact that it's in Welsh: I can't read ahead.
Randomly yours, KitKat |
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Sep. 8, 2009 First day of school!
*sigh* I'm tired. Did math, science, and history, some reading, and then we went to the library, returning many stray books and cleaning out the library shelf for our regular library days on Fridays. After the library, we went to the Zoo for $2 Tuesday, and walked all around trying to get to the Lions, seeing many things-and finally realizing that the Lion's path was closed off. To top this disappointment, I hadn't eaten anything (except a couple zucchini) fries-explain later-in some dip. So I'm really tired, and still rather hungry after home cooked burgers with wine fried mushrooms.
To explain: Zucchini fries are an invention(as of today) by my sister, ZoeZoDog and myself. You deep-fry thin sliced zucchini pieces after dipping them in milk and flour+spices. We experimented, and without batter they are raw and soggy, with batter they are fully cooked and crunchy-not to mention that the spicy batter covers up the taste of zucchini. I HATE zucchini, and I found myself eating the fries like, well, fries!
So I bid you adieu. I have other things to do, although I am glad I remembered to make my daily post.
Randomly yours, KitKat |
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Lovely Labor Day! Mum and Da have run off to Julie & Julia, the new movie, and we're staying at home. Plenty of time to have fun, and post here on my blog.
Anyways... I've got plans for stew for dinner; hearty hamburger stew with peas and carrots, with a sauce of Balsamic Vinegar, a touch of maple syrup-to give it a bit of sweetness-white wine, and crushed garlic. Umm...
When they get back, we'll be having rootbeer floats, our Labor Day tradition. Mmm... I can already taste them in my mouth... *wipes away drool*
Well, school starts in earnest tomorrow. Got to go-my sister is calling me.
G'bye!
Randomly yours, KitKat |
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Sep. 6, 2009 Sleepyhead...
Late, so I'm tired. Church was a blast. Me and a friend beat one of the best foozeball players in the church-or at least, who frequents the playroom where the foozeball table is...
Anyways, I had fun. I had a headache, so I didn't enjoy the songs as much as usual, but the music was beautiful. The pastor was sick, so the head elder read a Spurgeon sermon on God's Providence. Proved interesting.
It was kinda scary-I had listened to a Gileskirk lecture that was sprinkled with references to God's Providence, and now it was being preached on in church. Guess God has a message for me...
Randomly yours, KitKat |
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