This blog was started by my BFF so I could communicate with her while away at school. She pretty much forced me to do it, although I'm sure I'll like it once I get to know it . . . http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Tue, 1 Dec 2009 01:25:00 -0600 Tue, 1 Dec 2009 01:25:00 -0600   It is after Thanksgiving and officially the time to start thinking, dreaming, getting excited for, Christmas! I listened to my first "official" Christmas song of the year: Welcome to Our World by Chris Rice, sung by Michael W. Smith. I love that song. I think my favorite line is, "Fragile finger sent to heal us; tender brow prepared for thorn; tiny heart whose blood will save us, welcome to our world". Just the fact that Christ was a baby sometimes escapes our memory. We, or at least I, think of Him most as a grown man during the height of His ministry. But before that He was small and delicate and who would have thought to look at Him that His fate was death, and spilled life-blood for a creation who would mostly shun Him? I think it very good to remember Christmas and its promise; that our lives were once pointless and sin-filled and horrible, but God sent His Son - who came willingly - to our earth as a child. That he might grow and live in our world and still be willing to die in our stead for our never ending sin. And that He did it out of love. Pure, True love that even Angels do not understand. And by this gift of God we may obtain a life abundant with Christ, and afterwards an even better, more wonderful life everlasting with our Great God in His heavenly kingdom!  What a blessed thing to remember and commemorate! What a beautiful gift that I gladly and humbly receive, and most definitely welcome to our world. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/748596/ Tue, 1 Dec 2009 01:25:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/748596/ I love the way the sun slants the shadows in the evening. And the golden rays are warm. And the air is cool. And the clouds are grey and glowering. But happily. As if they know that they are loud, but loved. I love the first drops of rain that fall before the rest. They are the pathway for the sprinkles that come after, and they unleash the earth smell that only rain can make. I love the green of early summer grass. It is better than any color of any other time. It just is green. Like you never understood what true green really was until you saw that lawn of early summer spread out before you both brazen and shy at the same time. Saying, you may look at me if you like. I am the fresh green grass that comes out when no one expects it. And I am beautiful. Oh, and the trees! I love the trees of summer. They are fat and full and proud. If they were ever not healthy before, they are now. As if they dare not be sick when all their brothers and sisters put out their best and are. Their shade is the most glorious and perplexing coolness that you can ever know. I love the water. How it sparkles with the sun, not just because of it. We notice water more in the summer. How it drains away. How it stays. How it looks. Especially how it looks! What is more lookable than a lake of shining water during the heat of a summer day when you know that you will join it soon. Splashing and swimming under the sun in the thing that refreshes you as well as lets you live. I love June. For that is the time when the roses bloom out and show the world what it's been missing. We are the most beloved, they say, because we are the wild rose of summer, and we bring you the scent of our souls, and of heaven.       http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/695487/ Wed, 3 Jun 2009 12:33:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/695487/   I get to be Gwendolyn Fairfax in my Acting in Realism final! I need to register for classes! I have to do lots of homework I detest!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just drank a sublime cup of tea! Jessica likes Todd Agnew better than Bebo Norman, and sometimes I have to agree with her. I've recently listened (over and over again as I do with favorite songs) to his song called Wait for Your Rain. Some choice lyrics: “I cannot believe I’m this dirty, and I’m ashamed to even ask to be clean”. What kind of relationship with his savior must he have to really see his sin in such a way? Lately I’ve been asking God to really teach me to hate my sin and to not want to go back to it again and again like I do. Like we all do. I shake my head in amazement at David, the man after God’s own heart. Who learned from his mistakes and did not visit them again. David had his share of sins, but he chose to bring his heart and soul before his God and break them at His feet. That God might see and know and forgive. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God you will not despise." Psalm 51:17 “Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.” Psalm 119: 132-133 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/681947/ Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:25:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/681947/   Parents are wonderful things. We need them – desperately. More than when we are small and cannot feed or clothe ourselves, but also while we are growing. And when we are done growing, we will still need them, as long as they live. God was amazingly smart to have made his plan involve children with mothers and fathers. It makes me angry and confused when people say we don’t need them, or when parents don’t do what they should as parents, or we are fine with two of the same gender. That was not how God designed the world to function, why do we think we know better than God? My parents were never perfect, and they still miss the mark by a wide margin. But I thank God every day for giving me to them, that they might be the role models they are. There are, of course, certain characteristics of theirs I hope never to have and I try and rid myself of the ones I already possess that are not favorable; but I pray I am like my parents in many ways when I am older. My mother is one of the most unselfish women I know. I have noticed lately how much she has taught me by simply living it out in her life. She hardly ever complains, she has never been vain, she is hospitable and gracious, and true. I see her take time out of her always busy days to have time alone with her Lord. She is cheerful and funny and kind. I remember once when I was younger, a friend told me she couldn’t ask he mother something right then because she was in a bad mood. I tried so hard to think of a time my mom had been in a “bad mood”, and couldn’t recall a single time!! She is patient, especially with my pesky brother, but most especially with me. My father, especially lately, has become something of a hero to me. He can be hilarious and then quite serious when there is a need for it. He has taken such good care of his family that I am ashamed of what I used to think of him when I was younger; but then again, he has changed and matured so much since then that I am amazed at who he is now. He is one man I don’t doubt would die for his God if ever asked.  He counsels with the Lord on decisions and day to day life, he works hard and well at a job he doesn’t like to support the family he loves. He has sacrificed much that we all might be financially stable and secure. My dad has a huge heart for ministry and devotes much of his time and energy to it. He has supported me, prayed for me, and loved me all my life; both my parents have, for which I will always be eternally grateful.   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/679875/ Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:48:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/679875/                 There is a song sung on the radio by a man named Matthew West. It is called The Motions, and listening to it has helped change my life. I know it’s cliché, but I don’t much care. The chorus of this song says “I don’t want to go through the motions, I don’t want to go one more day, without Your all consuming passion inside of me. I don’t want to spend my whole life asking, ‘what if I had given everything?’ instead of going through the motions”. I want to live my life without coming to the end and wondering how the outcome would have been different if I had given everything I was to God. Everything; not most of the time, but all the time, every time. So now begins the painful process of becoming more like Christ; and it will be worth it all. There is another song, an old hymn called I Have Decided to Follow Jesus that says “Tho none go with me, still I will follow. No turning back, no turning back.” We sang it in chapel at school the other day and it stayed with me. I suppose you could say I really realized that if no one else I know goes with me after Christ – I still will; because my life is complete and satisfied with Him alone, and not in anyone or anything else. I love how much I can rely on God. Faithfulness is my favorite characteristic of His, with good reason. Through many circumstances in my life - some painful, some pleasant - I have chosen to trust God during them. And He has never let me down. Not once. I can’t say that of anyone else I know. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/676699/ Tue, 7 Apr 2009 00:32:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/676699/ I believe I have made a new record for myself in that I have posted two whole days in a row! I'm not sure how I feel about that . . . Acting class today. Too short. Learned about the Energy Cycles while reading a script or acting a part. Extremely interesting and makes loads of sense. As Friday's are my "I don't do homework on Friday's" day, I will not be doing homework today. But will (it's to be presumed) do it on Saturday and Sunday. I might go to Disneyland this afternoon. Depends on if I get a certain affirmative phone call or not. Okay, enough of the short, indecipherable sentences! Let's discuss Roommates. I have one. If you are married - you have one. If you share a room with a sibling - you have one. If you live with anyone at all - you have one. (Dogs,cats and moniter lizards do not count on this one.) I have one roommate who has been my same roommate since my first year of college (last year) and she is pretty crazy. All you who know her (I'm assuming that the only person who would know her on HSB is Jessica) will agree. She has had a pretty crazified - it's a word, keep reading - life and likes to tell people this by 20 piercings and a tatoo on her foot. We are even more opposite than my best friend Jessica (mentioned above) and I. Which is a pretty big feat! But we get along suprisingly well and though we're not the best of friends she tells me things she doesn't tell anyone else. She lets me hug her and she let me decorate our new studio apt. which is bonus points for her! Our favorite movie to watch together is Center Stage. "Yeah Charlie!" I'm a sucker for dance movies and she loves horror, so to get her to even watch something like that was a bit difficult. But she watched, and we love it! Through all the praying I did for her last year God heard. And He is now bringing her back again to His way. If you ever happen to think of her during the weekend it would be wonderful if you could pray for her to stay on track and keep seeking after Christ. Thanks. ~Katalina P.S TIME!   Actually it's Russain time, I've got to run and go sit at a cafe and speak Russian to people for my class. Not random people, Russian speaking people. Yeah, that would make more sense. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/592483/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:56:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/592483/ Greetings! To all you who I know and all the people I have yet to meet (and still probably won't meet as we are most likely in different states or different parts of the globe). Let me do a quick intro for the scads of folks who read this hungrily EVERY SINGLE DAY: My name shall be Katalina on this blog as my father is freaked out my identity and saftey will be compromised by me saying anything too personal on the net. I don't balme him - not with all the creepy crazies out there and plenty of stories to back him up. Well, my best friend decided last year that I needed a blog to write on since I was going off to college. She figured I would love to write all about myself and she would love to read it. . .  (She's laughing now, I can tell). Whatever the purpose or expectations may be for this . . . thing . . . let me say that I do for the most part enjoy it. My problem is finding time or inspiration to write and answering comments. Don't get me wrong! Who doesn't like a good comment every now and then?! Leave me one and some day in the near future you should get a reply. I hope. Now it is my second year in college down in southern California. Good luck trying to find me, there are a million colleges down here! (Actually it's a University, but who's bragging?) I am a Theatre major and hope to teach Junior High performing arts someday. Yes, I'm crazy. But I was once a junior higher and know they desperatly need SOMEONE who cares. I also hope I can get involved or even help start an after-school-program type of thing for kids who need a safe place to go and be accepted. Doing this with performing arts is so amazing as it is one thing where they feel some sort of belonging (I know, sounds corny, but it's very true) and are able to come out of whatever shell they've been hiding in and be themselves. What is amazing is that by doing this I will get to be a Christian example to them  and will have the chance to shine Christ's love in their lives. Of course this all depends on God, right now that is my tentative plan but I keep praying that this is what He wants me to do. And that if it isn't, He will show me where to go next. Oh, and before I log off let me talk about Russain!! I hope to go to Russia next summer on a three week mission trip with my school and I'm taking Russian right now. AMAZING!! It is much easier than you might think and learning about a different culture is always facinating. Okay, enough for now. I'll probably go off on something else next time around.  .  . Pokah (the english spelling of a Russian word that means "so long") ~Katalina P.S. - Sorry, p.s' are sometimes standard. I'm leaving you with a question: If you had to choose between Ice Cream or Sherbet, which would you pick? And why in the world would you?! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/591872/ Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:04:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/591872/ Dear Jess, Today is Tuesday, I miss you more now than I missed you when I was at school. I don't know why that is, but it's true  . . . this morning I thought I was on a.m. shift and got up at 6:30, only to find out I'm on p.m and didn't have to be down in camp until 3:00! This is the last week of Fuge and the J.P staff ( or, five of us) are going to do a skit for the talent show on Thursday. NOT "Hey Jeremy". Thank goodness.  Did I tell you I was going to San Francisco with some of the summer staff? Well, we went this last weekend and got back yesterday after stopping on the way to see the Mummy 3. Gag me with a spoon Jess!! How did a mummy movie get to be so bad? Two Words "Rachel Weiz" - she's not in it and that  . . . is THAT! But S.F was so much fun! I got some more of those doughnuts we love on peir 39, yummm!!! We also spent some money to go inside the Ripley's Believe It Or Not - some things in there made me gag and some made me laugh, while others made all of us shake our heads and say "I don't believe it!". I think we reacted quite as expected, don't you think?  I also had a traumatizing experience on a trolley that I will not tell you over the world wide web but will save for later. I hope everything is going dandy at home, tell Joel I say "Hi", and anyone else who happens to care. Sincerely yours on this clouded day up in the mountains, ~Katalina   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/570301/ Tue, 5 Aug 2008 13:14:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/570301/ I have just completed my last final of my freshman year of college! I am now going to finish packing up all my many, many belongings (where did I get so much STUFF?) and leave for the open road, and home, by early afternoon. YEA!!!!! I am so ecstatically happy!!! Finals were actually not bad, I'm pretty sure I did well on all of them. Now I just have to get a job . . . ah me! This first year has been full of new friends. Laughing with them, crying with them, playing, studying, going for jaunts in the car, watching new movies, splashing at the beach, and eating lots of food. Sigh . . . I'm going to miss life in the dorms. I have also (believe it or not) learned a whole new amount of information from my classes. I now can't help myself from recognizing fallacies, I constantly look for circumstances to use my escapes from self-defense, I am starting to think critically, I actually LIKE to sew now, I can function better on the computer, and I might really be understanding math. Might. I have to go now, I need to finish parceling up all of my memories and material possessions. For those of you waiting at home for me - I'll see you soon! ~Katalina http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/524307/ Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:29:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/524307/ In my speech class today two people did their demonstration speech on Origami. Everyone in the class got brightly colored pieces of paper and with one girl - made a tulip, and with the other- a super sweet, incredibly cute, rather small box. I did origami this morning. And it made my day. Today is also Campus Day. The whole college gets together with their living areas, (apartments, dorms, etc.) and compete for a prize. Everyone represents their team with a t-shirt. Ours are brown - great color . . . The fun starts at 3:00! I'm bringng my video camera in hopes of capturing some awesome footage. I HOPE WE WIN!!! Everyone thinks my family is competetive; we are. I'm not as hard-core as my mother and sister, but I can sure get up there on the intense level. A problem for us freshmen is that this is our first time, while most of the upper classmen have already participated and some (of course) have won. We will also be competing against boys . . . who tend to take things like this way too seriously. Wish us luck! I am ridiculously excited about going home for the Summer next Tuesday!!! I have all sorts of plans and hopes, but the best part will be NO SCHOOL! It's a little sad to be leaving my friends here, my roommate, and my bed, which happens to be much more comfortable than home. But I'm sure I'll be totally fine once I hit the open road and drive the six hours it takes to get back to my beloved central valley! First, however, I need to finish strong on finals. Last night was the Communication Arts Banquet. As I am a Communication Arts major (Theatre) I was invited. I also got to cast my vote for best actress, actor, etc. of the year. It was a semi-formal affair with me in a black dress and heels, a lovely catered dinner, skits and videos and picture taking (as usual). It was very enjoyable! During the night I got a (this is random) gift card to starbucks from a guy who I had helped with a project of his. A bunch of us had made a movie for his project and even though I was an extra, I got my share of the spot light! He even promised me a DVD - I can't wait to laugh at us when I watch it! I hope your day is great! Adios! ~Katalina http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/521126/ Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:35:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Katalina/521126/