Hi, my name is Alyssa and I am a 16 year old homeschooling girl who is saved by God's grace and wants to live a life that is pleasing to Him. I strongly desire, if it is God's will, to be a freelance writer, author, and film-maker for the glory of God and the furtherance of His kingdom. Some of my other interests include: missions (I am passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel), entrepreneurship, reading, drawing, music (listening to music and playing the piano), watching movies, and homemaking. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:21:00 -0600 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:21:00 -0600 Five days ago, my eight-year-old brother, being his adventerous self, suggested that he and I should make a cookie without using any recipe.  He said we would call it the "Experimental Cookie".  Well, those who know me and the way I cook/bake know that I normally cling to the recipe for whatever I'm making.  However, it did seem fun and adventerous, and how could I resist my little brother's "Pleeaasee!" :)?   So we set out to make it.  My younger brother asked to put in a myriad of objects but I restricted us to more traditional ingredients.  Something tells me salad dressing, curry powder, cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, dried black beans, balsimic vinegar, cornmeal, and Ragu sauce should not all be thrown into a cookie mix.  Most of them were playful requests...I do not think they were all in earnest...at least I hope not :).   We put in half a cup of butter, one cup of flour, and half a cup of sugar.  Then, a little bit of vanilla and honey were added.  Next came one egg, some crunchy peanut butter, and a pinch of baking soda.  At this point, I could tell something wasn't quite right.  It didn't look like cookie dough; it looked like a floury mess :).  It needed more liquid so we added more butter.  One big spoonful...this time it was melted.  It looked much better and we sprinkled chocolate chips in.  The dough now felt a little too soft (a.k.a. not firm) but we figured it would be all right.  Finally, the cookie sheet was buttered and the cookies pressed onto it.  In went the sheet for ten minutes.  Then, two more.  Then, three more.  Eventually, the oven was turned off and the cookies were left in to warm up a little bit more.  At last, they were taken out.  Whew!   Happily, my bit of baking experience proved helpful and we managed to make cookies...not UFO's (Unidentified Food Objects).  They actually received very positive reviews from our family.  I plan to try them again.  I want to get a better consistency (these easily fell apart) and to write down a real recipe!   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/744798/ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:21:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/744798/   September and October have been an incredible start to the school year...but that doesn’t mean they were without disappointment and tears.  Yes, there was laughter, fun, and productivity...but there was also frustration and dead-ends.  One project in particular did not turn out as expected.  The Pajama School trailer, that was supposed to be finished and entered by October 30th, is still not finished.  I bought the book, read it, and filmed the scenes for it.  So what was the problem?  I had hoped by that time to have already bought a new desktop with which to edit.  The computer I am currently using is not capable of true video editing.  The frames freeze up and skip, making it impossible to edit frame by frame.  Still, I was willing to give it a shot.  Bigger problem: the computer no longer recognized my camcorder. I could not upload any video.   This had happened before.  I had tried uploading footage for the first time ever and it didn’t work.  For months, we had no idea how to solve the problem.  At last, Dad cleared out our computer and started it over from scratch with the start-up discs and it worked...somewhat.  There were still problems because of its limitations.   Back to the present, I was facing the same problem once more.  I didn’t want to clear out the computer again (a ton of work) since it wouldn’t work properly anyway and I would be getting a new one soon.  Or so I thought.  To make a long story short, October has come and gone with no new computer...and no finished trailer.   But the object of this post is not to fill you in on my filmmaking woes :).  As the deadline was approaching, I hoped somehow everything would work together at the last minute.  After all, I’d prepared by reading the book and filming the necessary footage.  I thought about how it would be awesome if, by God’s grace, everything came together and I was still able to enter the contest...especially since it would be obvious I didn’t do it in my own strength.  It would be a great opportunity to give God all the glory. Would that be wonderful?  Yes, I would’ve loved it.  But then I thought, wait a second.  Can God be glorified when things do not look "successful"?  Or as my title says: What about when things don’t work out?  Definitely!!!  In Facing the Giants, Coach Taylor doesn’t just say, "When we win, we praise Him."  He also said, "When we lose, we praise Him."  Either way, God was to be glorified.  I want it to be that way in my life.  When, by God’s grace, I’m able to accomplish something...I want God to be praised and glorified.  And when, no matter how hard I try, I can’t accomplish something...I want God to be praised and glorified.  Because I "lost"?  No!  But because He is always worthy to be praised and deserves all glory and honor forever!  Soli Deo Gloria!   Note: I still plan, Lord willing, to eventually finish the trailer and post it here. I don’t want all that interesting footage to go to waste :). Who would have thought that sixty seconds could involve so much? I was able to practice my piano playing and handwriting, dress up as a pioneer and detective, serve and drink tea, and much more! Are you wondering if it’s possible for all that to actually be pertinent to a book trailer? Stay tuned and see for yourself!   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/741841/ Tue, 3 Nov 2009 17:09:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/741841/ I have been incredibly busy for the last two months!  I thought I'd give y'all an update :). -I finished at least two months worth of 11th grade. -More Than Conquerors Magazine was "published" on September 20th. Sadly, it will not be continued. There are too many other things that I should be focusing my time on. I will simply keep posting here. -I joined an Apologetics/Speech club and have written and given speeches. Also, this club offers a writing course which I am participating in. -Two new videos were created: GFA video and Agnus Dei worship video. -Quite a few storyboards were drawn and a screenplay was revised. -I wrote and sent out over ten articles (including but not limited to my articles for GGM). -A very rough draft for a novel was completed and I worked on my other writing. -I practiced piano, taught my younger brothers piano, and learned The Sweetest Name of All. -A short story for the Match That Artwork contest was written and entered. -I read Pajama School, Voices of the Faithful book 2, Redefining Beautiful, Take Your Best Shot, The Land of Calais, and The Bible Answer Book. -And more! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/741234/ Sun, 1 Nov 2009 16:17:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/741234/ Firmly Fixed on the Father (with Miss Peggy's permission) has adapted The Simple Woman's Daybook  to A Young Maiden's Daybook for us young ladies who are not quite women yet.  You can read her orginal post regarding it here.  Today… October 26, 2009     Outside my window… Soggy fallen leaves.  It's wet and cold outside.    I am thinking… about a *real* blog post that should be coming up soon.    I am thankful for… my new account on Vimeo.  I like it better than YouTube :).    I am wearing... A dark red t-shirt and jacket and jean skirt.   I am reading… The Bible (Job right now).  It hasn't even occurred to me but I don't think I'm reading anything else right now.  *Gasp* Could it be?  No wonder I've been feeling somewhat book deprived :).  I've just been too busy.     I am creating… Novel, speech, blog post(s), etc.    One of my favorite things... comfortable sandals (I know tis' not the season but they still come in handy :)!)   For education this week… You can see my list of subjects for this school year here.   A keeper at home skill I am using/learning … keeping the kitchen clean   A spiritual lesson I’m learning… joy   A godly character trait I plan to work on… steadfastness   Scripture I am memorizing… I'll be reviewing this week.    I am praying for…  Various people and people groups.   For the rest of the week… I need to finish writing my speech and give it at the Speech and Apologetics club meeting, attend a friend's birthday dinner, go to a church event, etc. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/739520/ Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:35:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/739520/   You’re doing something right now that is such a part of your daily life you don’t often even think about it. Yet, it is necessary for your survival. I am talking about your breathing, specifically the fact that you breathe in oxygen and nitrogen. Even though you can’t see those two gases, you see their effects. If someone came up to you and said, "I can’t see oxygen or nitrogen so how do I know they’re real?" You could respond, "They’re keeping you alive right now!" God made us. Without Him being real, we would not exist.   Today, I’m going to be answering the question: If God is real, why can’t people see or touch Him?. I"ll be doing this in two parts. 1. God’s handiwork and 2. What about feelings?   The reason we cannot physically see or touch God is because God is Spirit. If you think about it, there are a lot of other intangibles we live with. Love, joy, peace, etc. You can’t see love physically floating around. You can’t grasp it. But you can see its effects on a loving person’s attitudes and actions. And you can see what it does to those who are loved. In the same way, we see the effects of God’s existence through His handiwork. "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–His eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20 His creation is incredible! That certainly includes us.   Have you ever thought about how many things must work perfectly to keep us alive? We need oxygen in our air to survive. But if the air contained more than 21% oxygen, we could die. The chemical reactions in our bodies would speed up too much, causing strokes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, etc. If the percentage was raised even 10%, it is estimated that our life spans would be cut in half. Dr. Jay L. Wile, in Exploring Creation with Chemistry, wrote, "For ever 1 percent increase in the amount of oxygen in the air, the chance of natural forest fires occurring goes up 70 percent!" Thankfully, air continues to be made up of 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and 1% of other gases–a perfect mixture. And this is just one tiny part of the universe we live in!   Let’s move on to point two. What about feelings? Some people may think or say, "Okay. I see the evidence. The effects. But I just don’t feel like God’s real."   Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’"   "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12   I think this has a lot to do with our feelings-based culture. For example, we have twisted what love is. Love is not just a feeling. If you love someone only when you feel like it, then perhaps you don’t truly love that person. Selfish love, which "loves" only when it is convenient, is not true love at all. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." True love never fails. We can’t just trust what we feel in our hearts. Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"   We must come back to absolutes. The Bible is inerrant. When the Bible and God’s creation clearly show that God is real, non-believers should believe–regardless of their feelings. True faith is not based on feelings. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1   I would like to conclude by encouraging you to see God’s handiwork in the amazing universe we live in. I want to encourage you not to be guided by your feelings. I really like something that was said in the movie Fireproof. Caleb’s friend, Lt. Michael Simmons, is talking. "Don’t just follow your heart, ‘cause your heart can be deceived, but you got to lead your heart."   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/739211/ Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:41:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/739211/   "Teenagers think they know everything." It’s something adults say. But it can actually be close to the truth. As teenagers, we look back at our younger selves and see how much we’ve learned. We can be tempted to think-and even say-that we know quite a lot. We figure we’ve got a pretty good grasp on things. Without even realizing it, we have displayed our immaturity. The older and wiser we get the more we realize how much knowledge in the universe we don’t have. Dave Irish, a Christian singer, wrote a song entitled "The More I Learn The Less I Know". Two different lines that strike me as important and relevant are: The more I learn the less I know, with every turn along this road. AND I need Someone to guide me show me the way to go. I believe this is true. The more we learn, the more we realize how little we really know. Thankfully, we do have Someone to guide us–God. While we will always have more to learn, God is omniscient.   Today, I’m going to be explaining the meaning and significance of the omniscience of God. First, what does the fact that God is omniscient mean? The word "omniscient" means "all-knowing". Wayne Grudem, in Systematic Theology, defines the knowledge of God as this, "God fully knows Himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act." Obviously, God and only God fully knows Himself. 1 Cor. 2:10-11, "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.   God knows everything that has actually happened, is happening, and will ever happen. Is. 46:9, "I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come." God also knows all things possible. Everything that could or could have happened. As Job 37:16 says, God is perfect in knowledge. In addition, God has never learned and cannot learn. If God were ever to learn anything, it would mean He is not eternally omniscient. This point is made using rhetorical questions in Isaiah 40:13-14, "Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed Him as His counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the right way? Who was it that taught Him knowledge of showed Him the path of understanding?"   Second, what is the significance of the omniscience of God? Personally, I would find it very heard to trust God if He is not all-knowing. How could I trust Him with my life, my salvation, my eternal future, etc.? I am very grateful that I do not have to worry about that because God is omniscient. As 1 John 3:20 says, "He knows everything." In addition, it is such an awesome thing to realize that God knows me perfectly. Psalm 139:1-4, "O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise, You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord."   In conclusion, we have looked at the meaning of the omniscience of God and seen that He is all-knowing. And finally, what a comforting thing to know that nothing catches God by surprise and that He is familiar with all of our ways!   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/739210/ Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:39:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/739210/   More Than Conquerors Magazine's Christianity and Science Fiction DVD giveaway ends on the 20th!   Out of curiosity, how many of you have read at least part of More Than Conquerors Magazine?  Can I please see a show of hands (comments)? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/736474/ Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:57:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/736474/ The following is a speech answering the question: If man is inherently sinful, why do most men lead relatively good lives?   Little kids can be amusing. Their innocence, naivety, and lack of self-consciousness is fun to watch. They’ll run to us with a drawing–very happy with it and believing it’s well done. Of course, we encourage them and say, "Good job!". They do not have a concept of what good art is so they truly believe they are good artists. Once they’re older, as teens or adults, they look back and realize their earlier attempts at art actually weren’t very good. They now have a higher standard. Stick figures and wiggly lines just don’t cut it anymore. Even those who are artistically talented and continued to be praised for their work will point out things they need to work on. They see their flaws and weaknesses so much more clearly and work hard to improve.   In a way, this serves as an analogy between non-Christians and Christians. Christians hold themselves to a higher standard. They will readily admit that they are sinners saved only by God’s grace. They are honest about their shortcomings and strive to meet God’s standards. Most non-Christians, on the other hand, have a very low standard. Many say, "I’ve never killed anyone or robbed a bank so I think I’m a pretty good person." Like a little kids, they do not grasp what good truly is and how far they fall short.   Today, I’ll be answering the question: If man is inherently sinful, why do most men lead relatively good lives? I’m actually going to be answering this question with 2 other questions. 1. Is this questions legitimate? and 2. What should our response be?   First, is this question legitimate? To answer this we must define "good" and see if it is even possible for inherently sinful people to do good. I think the 4th definition of the adjective form of "good" from Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary is fitting. It’s defined as "having moral qualitites best adapted to its design and use, or the qualities which God’s law requires." Now, let’s look at some Bible verses.   Psalm 106:1,3, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever...Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right." Here we see that the Lord is good and blessed are the people who constantly do what is right. Again, is it even possible for inherently sinful people to do what is right, much less constantly do it? Jeremiah 4:22 says, "My people are fools; they do not know Me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good." This verse shows us that people know very well how to do evil but they do not know how to do good. Psalm 14:2-3, "The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one."   I believe we can safely conclude that the question: If man is inherently sinful, why do most men lead relatively good lives? is significantly flawed. Since we are inherently sinful, none of us can lead even close to a good life. As Chuck Colson said, "Mere knowledge is not enough to undercut the evil in the human heart. Simply knowing what is right doesn’t enable us to do right." I think a more appropriate question is: If man is inherently sinful, what can he do? Is there any hope for him? Is there any way for him to be able to lead a good life?   This brings me to my second main question: What should our response be? Some people believe we should try to do all the good works we can and hope God will somehow be impressed and let us in to heaven. But the Bible says, "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6. I believe this is because we are incapable of true righteousness and goodness on our own. Our very best deeds do not measure up to God’s standard. God’s standard is perfection–something we can never attain on our own. Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." How then can we ever lead a good life? The answer is found in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. When we surrender our lives to Jesus and make Him our Lord and Savior, we are washed clean. 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." What we need to do is repent and make Jesus the Lord of our life.   In conclusion, we have discovered that the question: If man is inherently sinful, why do most men lead relatively good lives? is not legitimate but is in fact, flawed. We have found that our response must be putting our trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. I would like to end with a verse that has been show true once again. Mark 10:27, "Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’"     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/736470/ Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:43:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/736470/ Take Your Best Shot by Austin Gutwein (Founder of Hoops of Hope) with Todd Hillard   I’m glad this teenager decided to write this book and I was given the chance to read it. This book is encouraging and inspiring. It is a reminder that, by God’s grace, kids and teens can make a difference. It’s not often a book comes around that makes you want to change the world and helps you believe you can really do it. I love that Austin encourages us to put spending time with God first. At the end of chapters, there is a suggested passage of Scripture to meditate on and talk with God about. We are encouraged to see the need around us and seek out our own particular vision and passion. Do something bigger than yourself! We also get to hear the story of Hoops of Hope and other kid’s stories. Wow. Nothing is impossible with God! This book is easy to read, draws some interesting analogies, and manages to be funny and serious at different times. Have you ever heard of a Pet Rock? Did you know that every five seconds a child dies because of lack of food? That’s what I mean. Light-hearted and sad. It somehow works! Those who read my reviews will notice that in most books there are at least some things that bother me. I’m not going to say anything negative about this book. That says something :).   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/734237/ Wed, 7 Oct 2009 21:00:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/734237/ HsKubes' Gal, (with Miss Peggy's permission) has adapted The Simple Woman's Daybook  to A Young Maiden's Daybook for us young ladies who are not quite women yet.  You can read her orginal post regarding it here.  Today… October 4, 2009  I'm doing it a day early to make sure I don't forget or post it too late this time :).   Outside my window… It's sunny and cold.   I am thinking… about how important it is to "do hard things" for God's glory and to not waste my teen years.   I am thankful for… by God's grace, being able to finish More Than Conquerors Magazine!  Have you visited yet?  There's a giveaway!    I am wearing... A blue/green Steps for Life t-shirt and black skirt   I am reading… The Bible (Job right now) and The Bible Answer Book by Hank Hanegraaff   I am creating… Novels, articles, speech, etc.  You can read my first apologetic speech here.   One of my favorite things... receiving nice comments :).  Both here and on my articles at GGM.   For education this week… You can see my list of subjects for this school year here.   A keeper at home skill I am using/learning … communication   A spiritual lesson I’m learning… perseverance   A godly character trait I plan to work on… patience   Scripture I am memorizing… Philippians 2   I am praying for…  Various people and people groups.   For the rest of the week… Besides school, I hope to work on my novel, storyboard, finish and give my speech, write articles, etc.   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/733410/ Mon, 5 Oct 2009 13:41:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/733410/