Living for Him

I've moved!

2011-07-27T21:45:00.002-04:00

Hey readers,
I've started a new blog! Hop on over to Ponderings! I won't be blogging here anymore, but this blog will remain up. :)

~Livvy

Elinor and Marianne

2011-05-03T18:01:00.002-04:00

My mom and I are starting a business in order to raise money for my trip to Europe next year: Elinor and Marianne Bag Boutique! Hop on over to her blog to read all about it: http://pasticheknits.blogspot.com/

How can it be May already?

2011-05-03T17:57:00.003-04:00

Here I was with all these grand blogging ideas, but how many have I done? Very few. I cannot believe it is May already! I know it's a cliche, but time truly does fly. I only have 23 days left as a sophomore. Yikes! Then only two years of high school left. Gulp! And time races on. :) Ah well. Summer will be a most welcome break. I enjoy school, but there is nothing quite like being able to sleep in a wee bit more in the mornings. Summer plans, anyone?

Sun

2011-04-16T19:28:00.004-04:00

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. " ~C.S. Lewis
I had heard this quote before, but I don't know that it had really registered. If one day the sun simply didn't come up, life would be so very different. Think about it; if you had no light, how would your life change? The sun helps us see everything as we go through our daily life. As Christians, we believe in Christianity as we believe the sun will rise, because we see it, and it serves as our "filter" through which we will see everything else in our lives.

Motions

2011-04-12T19:39:00.004-04:00

Often when I'm getting ready for school in the morning, I'll turn on my radio. At least once in the course of the day, KLOVE will play "The Motions" by Matthew West:

This might hurt

It’s not safe

But I know that I’ve gotta make a change

I don’t care

If I break

At least I’ll be feeling something

‘Cause just ok

Is not enough

Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don’t wanna go through the motions

I don’t wanna go one more day

Without Your all consuming passion inside of me

I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking

What if I had given everything?

Instead of going through the motions

No regrets

Not this timeI’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind

Let Your love

Make me whole

I think I’m finally feeling something

Take me all the way

I don't know about you all, but for me, when school and life and family get busy, it's too easy to just go through the motions, whether it's praying, reading my Bible, or really fellowshipping with God. A classmate of mine recently spoke about this song during devotions one day, and it really hit home. God should be first, not second or third or fourth! Especially growing up in a Christian home, attending church every Sunday, and going to a Christian school, it's so easy to go through the motions. But that is not what God has called me, or you, to. We are not to be complacent as Christians. No passivity. Not just motions. We need to be active.

I'm back!

2011-04-11T16:03:00.006-04:00

Hello readers! Yes, it's true; I'm back! Hopefully I won't neglect you all as shamefully as I was before. :) School is pretty busy, but with only 44 days left until summer, life seems pretty good right now. Spring break was a few weeks ago, and we went to Charleston for a 4-day vacation. It was lots of fun, especially jumping in the ocean and finding an amazing pizza place called La Pizzeria. How very original. :) My sixteenth birthday also happened during my blogging hiatus. My older siblings were able to come down for a few days which meant so much! So that's a brief synopsis of the last four months of my life; how about you all?

P.S. I hope to get back to (semi) regular posting soon, so check back in the next few days. Oh, and if you're reading this, will you please leave me a comment? I like to know who's here. :)

A hiatus

2010-11-19T18:50:00.002-05:00

For the few of you who read my blog, I'm sure you've noticed that my regular posting has slacked off. So I'm "officially" taking a blogging break. School and life are so busy right now, so I just wanted you to know, that's why I won't be blogging! Be back to posting sometime......

~Livvy

Vintage Pearl Giveaway!

2010-10-19T16:55:00.001-04:00

These necklaces from The Vintage Pearl are so adorable! Check them out here.

Time flies.....

2010-10-11T20:31:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's been a whole month since I've posted! I'm sorry to have neglected my blog for so long; life has been quite busy, and school occupies most of my time. I have three Honors classes this year, and they require a bunch of extra work! But it's been a good couple of weeks. Our school went on our fall retreat, which was very good. The flour-water tank wars were so intense! We had to build our own tanks out of cardboard and duct tape, and then bomb each other with flour and water-soaked socks. So fun! The sessions of worship and teaching were so good too!! We had some good times of student prayer; it was so neat to see how God confirmed some things to a some of us! How have the past few weeks been for you?

The Vintage Pearl

2010-09-14T17:09:00.002-04:00

I've enjoyed looking over the various creations from The Vintage Pearl, and I thought you might too! She is hosting a giveaway; here is the link. Enjoy!

YLCF

2010-08-30T20:36:00.001-04:00

Take a peek at the YLCF's post for today. The link is down on the right.

Life and school

2010-08-30T20:30:00.003-04:00

Actually I guess school is my life right now. :) Just kidding. School has been really good lately. Everybody's getting ramped up for Fall Retreat!!! I did a post on last year's FR, but for those who weren't reading then, my school takes all the highschoolers away for about two days for a time of fellowhip, worship, speakers, games, food.... :) They break up the students into groups of about 12, and I'm very happy with my group this year. Fun teacher, fun classmates; it's all good! School itself is going quite well too. I was a little busier than usual tonight, but better tonight than over the weekend. Sophmore year really doesnt' seem so bad so far. How did your week go? Let me know!

Pictures

2010-08-23T17:48:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was just so pretty out, so Mom and I (and Bono!) went out to take some pictures.

Modeling!

2010-08-23T17:41:00.003-04:00

I modeled some of Mom's designs for her yesterday. So fun!

Inspector Bucket

Lucy Beret

Cassandra Hat

Lucy Beret

First Day!

2010-08-16T15:13:00.004-04:00

Today was the first day of the 2010-2011 school year! Thankfully it was a half day. :) I have Apologetics, Geometry, Spanish I, Honors English, Honors Biology, World History, and Creative Writing. My class is divided in some interesting ways. The sophmore class has 22 students, but we're in two different maths, so half of my classes have 22 students and the other half have 8! Funny how the schedule works.... All my teachers seem very nice and fun (I've had most of them before), and my classmates are great people too. Now, why don't you tell me about your first day!

Jane Austen Charater Quiz

2010-08-07T11:56:00.004-04:00

I found this on the YLCF's archives. Try taking it, and then let me know what you are! (I'm an "L" for anyone who wants to know.) Jane Austen Character Quiz

ADDED LATER: On the request of a friend, here is a link to another Jane Austen Quiz: Jane Austen Quiz

Post from the archives of YLCF

2010-08-07T11:39:00.004-04:00

I really enjoyed this post. It was very good...and very convicting. :) I don't always treat my brother or other guys in my life as I should; it was nice to get the reminder of one of the reasons that it is so important! Encouraging Boys to Manhood

Hair and more hair!

2010-08-05T17:24:00.004-04:00

I know that a couple of you blog readers have dogs, and most of you know that I have two Golden Retrievers, Bono and Tallie. They shed like you wouldn't believe, but I never thought it was possible for a dog to have as much hair as Bono does. I brushed him for close to 15 minutes and this was the result:

The box was half full of hair by the time I finished, filled all the way up to the handle! Bono looks like he's lost about 5 pounds....

"By Our Love"

2010-08-04T18:49:00.001-04:00

I read this post this morning and really enjoyed it. I think it's a very good and timely reminder of what it truly means to be a Christian, especially in our society today. Let me know what you think about it! Lies Young Women Believe By Our Love

Look at YLCF!

2010-08-04T18:43:00.003-04:00

This month, the Young Ladies Christian Fellowship is rerunning certain posts of theirs. I really liked the one today, and would encourage you to take a peek. I was inspired to apply it to my own life, through school! I can work harder at not complaining about teachers or homework, I can try to do my best in everything, I can be productive, and I can also be nice to those classtmates that maybe get on my nerves. Anyway, take a look and then what I've just written will make more sense! :)

Life stays exciting...

2010-07-31T07:17:00.004-04:00

I have two basset hounds that I regularly pet-sit; they're a bunch of fun! However, this morning when I went over, there was evidence that the owners hadn't left yet. I kept hearing noises, but I wasn't sure. Then Mrs. K came down after I'd fed the dogs, medicated the dogs, and given them their rawhide chews. At least her job with them was mostly done for the morning. Oh well. Life would be so much more dull without happenings like this!

Pencils: proof of God's immense grace

2010-07-29T16:15:00.006-04:00

Today I was cleaning one of our old pencil boxes, weeding out the stubby, unusable ones. And it struck me. We are so blessed to serve a Creator who isn't like I was with those pencils; He doesn't get rid of us when it seems that we are past our use, when we feel like we have no drive to accomplish anything. No, He takes us, and He sharpens and refreshes us again and again, as much as is necessary; He makes us new and whole. He'll never throw us out, He'll never leave us by the wayside. He'll never treat us like an old pencil...

"Because of the LORD's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."

~Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)

"The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made."

~Psalm 145:13 (NIV)

Little laughs....

2010-07-26T19:06:00.004-04:00

I just found this on a blog I follow. Try it and see!

Go to google.com (the actual website, not a search bar)
Type in "google Chuck Norris" (make sure to include the word google)
Hit the "I'm feeling lucky" button (not the regular search button)

See??

Tooth update

2010-07-17T16:57:00.002-04:00

Thank you so much for all your prayers! The procedure went really well, even though it took about two hours to get me properly sedated. I'm well on the way to a full recovery, and today I'm feeling ever so much better. I go back probably on Thursday to get the sutures out, and then I'm done with wisdom teeth forever! Thanks again!

~Livvy

Summer Stars

2010-07-14T20:31:00.002-04:00

Summer Stars

Bend low again, night of summer stars.

So near you are, sky of summer stars,

So near, a long-arm man can pick off stars,

Pick off what he wants in the sky bowl,

So near you are, summer stars,

So near, strumming, strumming,

So lazy and hum-strumming.

~Carl Sandburg

Tooth take-out....

2010-07-14T20:23:00.003-04:00

My dear blog readers, this is a request for prayer! Tomorrow I'm having all four wisdom teeth extracted. Needless to say, I'm not bouncing off the walls with joy. :) I start on medicine this evening, an anxiety reliever (how timely!), and then will be on antibiotics for a week. I am allowed to eat a diet of almost totally ice cream and milkshakes (!) for 48 hours, but I still have quite a bit of trepidation about the procedure and would appreciate your prayers and thoughts. Thanks!

~Livvy

True Faith

2010-07-10T15:54:00.004-04:00

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

~Martin Luther King

Indiana vacation

2010-07-06T22:40:00.003-04:00

My mom and I spent three lovely days with my older sister, brother-in-law, and nephew. Jen recently got a compression fracture in her back from a whale-watch [look out for those zodiacs! :)], so we thought we'd go up and spend some time with her. We met at a beautiful lavender farm to pick lavender to make wands, an oh-so-fun and easy project. We also enjoyed watching the 4th of July fireworks in downtown Indianapolis and eating scrumptious barbecue wings. :) Yesterday we spent the morning shopping, visiting multiple yarn stores, Penzeys Spices, and the ever-popular Trader Joe's, which sadly we don't have here and are therefore required to stock up on their products whenever we frequent a TJ's store. They do have the most delicious chocolate mints. :) Mom and I also got to see Jen's Outdoor Learning Center, a cabin from the 1800's. So much fun!

Quotes

2010-07-06T22:37:00.003-04:00

"Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way." ~American Proverb

An excellent reminder

2010-07-02T11:58:00.002-04:00

This is a really great post!

Lies Young Women Believe HALT!

His promise to us....

2010-06-21T14:26:00.009-04:00

Today I was looking through a journal a friend had given me. On each page is a Bible verse. The one I opened to was:

"God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble." (KJV)

I feel that this is a really good reminder. God is always with us. He promises that He will never leave us, He will never forsake us. (reference Hebrews 13:5) He will never abandon us or leave us to work everything out ourselves. God is there and He always will be!

Book Review: Mark of the Lion Trilogy

2010-06-12T14:50:00.006-04:00

I recently read A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, and As Sure as the Dawn all by Francine Rivers. I really enjoyed these books, staying up into the wee small hours to finish them. The books are much to complex to go into much, but I'll try to give a small preview. The chapters rotate between characters, so that makes it a little more difficult to review too. However, here are the individual reviews of each book:

(Spoiler Alert!)

A Voice in the Wind: The touching story of a young Jewess and Christian named Haddassah. All of her family is either killed by the Romans or die of exhaustion and starvation. Haddassah alone is left alive, and even she is taken as a slave. She is bought by a Roman family as a maidservant for their young daughter, Julia, who is wild and ambitious. Haddassah ends up falling in love with Julia's brother Marcus. Near the end of the book, Julia agrees to release Haddassah and let her marry Marcus. But Haddassah refuses because Marcus isn't a Christian. Julia is furious and sets Haddassah up to be taken to the arena and eaten by lions. Marcus goes to the games that day and is sickened by what Julia is done, but he's too late to stop it. Thus ends Book 1.
An Echo in the Darkness: As it turns out, a doctor waiting for the bodies when the lions are finished rescues Haddassah and treats her. Haddassah works with him, and God blesses her with healing power. She becomes know as Rapha, or healer. Through a twist, she becomes helper to Julia again without revealing her true identity! During Haddassah's ordeal, Marcus has gone to Judea to search out why Haddassah so steadfastly stuck to her faith. Marcus becomes a Christian on his journey. At the end of the book, Haddassah reveals herself, and after another twist, Marcus proposes again. Haddassah accepts.
As Sure as the Dawn: This book is a follow-up of a sub-plot in A Voice in the Wind. A former gladiator named Atretes pursues his lost son and struggles to return to Germania, his homeland. But a young lady named Rizpah complicates matters...

These were among some of the most well-written books I've read in a long time. The faith of Haddassah and Rizpah is astounding. These books were so encouraging! There was a lot mature content, though, so just use wisdom and discernment when reading. What have you been reading lately?

Woodworking II

2010-06-02T21:16:00.008-04:00

Last week I showed you the newly created dog table. Here's the finished product! I went over it first with basic white indoor paint to form a base coat. Then I did yellow acryllic, followed by green stripes, and then Mom put on the polka dots and names. Cute and a moneysaver!

Homemade Fajitas

2010-06-02T21:00:00.003-04:00

Yum!

Summer Reading

2010-06-01T11:26:00.003-04:00

Our local Knox County library hosts a summer reading program every summer. The teen summer reading only requires five books. I've often participated and have some good books that I'm planning on reading that I thought I'd share with you!

My required school reading for next year is The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway and Night by Elie Wiesel. I'm also in the process of rereading The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare. And I just put A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, and As Sure as the Dawn (all by Francine Rivers) on hold at the library on the recommendation of a friend. I'll be posting reviews as I read them. I'm eager to hear your reading for this summer! Who has some good books?

P.S. I'm also in the process of writing a book! It's definitely a little kid book, a spoof on the forming of the United States of America. My brother likes it though (as a 13 year old), so I may post some snippets as I write...

Patriotic Pavlova

2010-05-31T15:27:00.003-04:00

Mom and I made a pavlova for our Memorial Day get-together this evening. It turned out really great!

Happy Memorial Day!

2010-05-31T11:14:00.004-04:00

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! Today, take a minute to think about the sacrifices made by our countrymen and to pray for those currently serving to protect us...and our freedoms.

Woodworking

2010-05-29T18:28:00.002-04:00

Because of Tallie's back problems, Dad and I decided to build a little table for both dogs' food bowls. Tallie and Bono were a little skeptical about eating off of it, but in the end, with a little encouragement (and a few treats) they gulped their food down. I'll post some pictures of the painted version later (after we paint it), but here are the current pictures.

Listen to this......

2010-05-28T13:06:00.006-04:00

"It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare." ~Mark Twain

Broken-Armed

2010-05-20T14:35:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, my brother sustained a buckle fracture to his left wrist. He'll have to wear a cast for about a month, so at least it's the end of the school year, since he's left-handed. He's already gotten a few signatures on his cast, and one in German and Russian!

Doggie travels

2010-05-20T14:23:00.003-04:00

I was just going to take Tallie with me, but.....

Finals

2010-05-17T12:47:00.003-04:00

School will be out on Friday! This week, well, Monday-Wednesday is finals for the highschool. This morning I had my English final which went pretty well. It was totally over Romeo and Juliet so it wasn't too difficult. My teacher has already graded them, so I got a 90 without the extra credit. Tomorrow is math and geography, neither of which am I too worried about. In math, we have a safety net of 10 problems, so it's fairly simple to get a good grade. Geography is the maps of Asia and Europe, along with the flags and capitals of Asia, Europe, and Oceania. It sounds like a lot, but it really isn't. Wednesday is Spiritual Life II and Physical Science. Science is the only final left that I am really worried about. It'll be a mixture of chemistry and physics, which is hard on the brain, at least on mine. :) I see some very detailed reading and studying in my future........

Checkers

2010-05-15T17:08:00.006-04:00

My dad and I enjoy playing checkers a lot. We got a mammoth cloth checker board, so we usually play on the floor. This means that the dogs join us. Tallie and Bono are usually quite helpful in offering advice. Here are some pictures from today's game, which, ahem, went fairly unhindered. :)

They do love to rest their chins on whoever or whatever is there!

From the Inside Out

2010-05-14T16:38:00.010-04:00

From the Inside Out

A thousand times I've failed

Still your mercy remains

And should I stumble again

Still I'm caught in your grace

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades

Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

My heart and my soul, I give You control

Consume me from the inside out Lord

Let justice and praise, become my embrace

To love You from the inside out

Your will above all else, my purpose remains

The art of losing myself in bringing you praise

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades

Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

My heart, my soul, Lord I give you control

Consume me from the inside out Lord

Let justice and praise become my embrace

To love You from the inside out

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades

Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise

From the inside out, O my soul cries out

This is a song we sang today in Chapel, and it was like I was just hearing it for the first time. I realized that this song is really what I want; I want God to consume me from the inside out. I desire to lose myself in him, to put his will above my own. I will be forever thankful that when I stumble, God is right there to save and rescue me.

Mothers' Day Preparation

2010-05-08T13:31:00.007-04:00

With Mothers' Day tomorrow, Dad, Ev, and I went out this morning and purchased gifts for Mom. I decided, instead of using purchased wrapping paper or a bag, to paint my own wrapping paper. And that way I can personalize it! To make your own, all you need is a piece of paper big enough to wrap your present, paint, and brushes. For Mothers' Day, I wrote: # 1 Mom!, Mommy, I love Mom, Happy Mothers' Day, etc. I also did my handprints. It was fun and easy! Below are some pictures:

Just to keep you updated.....

2010-05-01T15:05:00.004-04:00

I was looking at my archives, comparing this year's posting to last year's. I'm not posting as much, but as my mother pointed out, "You weren't a highschooler last year!" Quite true. Life only gets more busy as time goes on.
Today I went to a farewell party for the senior girls. It was quite fun and an enjoyable time of fellowship. I also am in the process of helping my nextdoor neighbor train her new Cocker Spainel puppy, Cocoa. Today she was introduced to the electric fence with her proper collar. She did not enjoy it, but that's hardly suprising. :) And if the rain holds off until 8:00 tonight, Ev will be able to have his baseball game.
Oh yes; There are only 15 school days left!! (And have a Happy May Day...)

Busy!

2010-04-19T17:26:00.002-04:00

I seem to be doing a lot of apologizing lately for not posting much. :) Life has been keeping me rather busy. There are only 24 school days left (but who's counting?). I also had my school banquet and overnighter Friday/Saturday, and that was quite fun. I'll post some pictures later. I slept in until 4:00 pm Saturday, which was a new record and one I don't plan on repeating until next year's banquet rolls around. :) I decided which Honor classes to take next year; hopefully I'll end up in Honors English, Honors Bio I, and Honors Social Studies. For my electives, I'll be taking Personal Finance and Creative Writing. Anyhoo, that's the news from here.......

Massachussets trip!

2010-04-01T14:59:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday, I got home from having spent five days with my older brother and sister in MA. It was such a wonderful time! Their dog Selchie had eight puppies in mid-February, four girls and four boys. Last July, they had invited me out to stay for a few days, and thanks to Frequent Flyer Miles, I made it out there. :) Most puppies are cute, but I think Irish Water Spaniels are among the cutest. With curly dark hair all over and the sweetest eyes ever, these puppies were probably the most adorable I've ever seen. On this trip, I.....

got to spend awesome time with my older siblings
cuddled the puppies!!
experienced the frenzy of feeding eight small puppies
cleaned up more poop than you would think eight pups can produce
flew about 1000 miles by myself
saw the pups on their second trip outside; they absolutely love the outdoors!
did crafty stuff, such as making zipper pulls and putting together binders for the new puppy owners
went to Flatbreads, the BEST pizza place in the entire world
throughly enjoyed myself: Jer and Kim, thanks for such an awesome time!!!!!

Since I didn't take the camera with me, I have no pictures to show you, but if you click this link, you can see plenty of puppy pictures!

Spring!

2010-03-20T16:45:00.004-04:00

Happy first day of Spring, everyone! Today, we put the screens back in the windows so that we can enjoy fresh air and keep the bugs out. :-) It was so refreshing to see the sun and be able to spend time outside! I was also able to pick some daffodils from underneath our pine trees and out in our back woods. Spring is here!

Nashville

2010-03-19T17:25:00.004-04:00

On Tuesday, my family and I were able to go to Nashville to see my older sister and my nephew. We had quite a wonderful time visiting Trader Joe's, the Parthenon, and Noshville, a delicious restaurant. We also got to hear the band Barefoot Truth; they were quite good!

My brother, historical guru that he is, informed me that the steps of the Parthenon are purposefully designed to be a bit of a stretch for the average person so that one bows as they go up the step. Who knew?

All the comforts of home.....

2010-03-19T17:21:00.002-04:00

I've often said that Bono is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. However, he is smart enough to know comfort when he sees it. The little sneak! Just goes to show that I don't need to let any pillows stay on the floor. :)

Beauty

2010-03-08T16:45:00.002-05:00

Days

2010-03-08T16:39:00.006-05:00

Just in case you wanted to know....

There are 13 days to Spring Break
14 days until I leave on my trip
Roughly 75 days until school is out and
39 days until Banquet

School Spring Formal

2010-03-05T16:19:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday, my mom and I went to a "Prom Dress for Haiti" event at the downtown Emporium. The women of Knoxville donated approximately 600 formal dresses to be cleaned and then sold to raise money for Haiti. A few of my classmates had been talking about the event, so I decided to go and just see what was there. I'd kind of been dreading having to look for a dress, simply because I wasn't sure if I could find one that was cute and would fit the school standards. However, I was pleasantly surprised. My mom and I prayed before we began looking, just that God would guide us to the right dress for me. The last dress I tried on was the one. I'm so happy with it!!

Techinical troubles

2010-03-05T15:54:00.001-05:00

I appear to be having technical trouble with my blog, so please just bear with me for a little bit while it all gets straightened out. Thanks!

Life

2010-02-25T18:18:00.004-05:00

It's been a long time since I've posted! School has kept me quite busy the past few weeks, and it's just been a rather stressful time. However, I wanted to let you know that I am in fact still here, and I have not dropped off the face of the earth!

I'm so happy to be approaching the end of the third 9 weeks of school; only about 11 more weeks of school to go until summer, and twenty days until Spring Break! How nice. :)

how He loves......

2010-02-09T18:33:00.005-05:00

We've been doing this song at church and at school quite a bit, and it's definitely become one of my favorites. He truly does loves us greatly!

How He Loves

He is jealous for me,

Loves like a hurricane,

I am a tree,

Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,

And I realise just how beautiful you are,

And how great your affections are for me.

And oh, how he loves us so,

Oh how he loves us,

How he loves us all.

Yeah, he loves us,

Whoa! how he loves us,

Whoa! how he loves.

Yeah, he loves us,

Whoa! how he loves us,

Whoa! how he loves.

We are his portion and he is our prize,

Drawn to redemption by the grace in his eyes,

If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.

So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,

I don't have time to maintain these regrets,

When I think about, the way:

He loves us,

Whoa! how he loves us,

Oh how he loves.

Yeah, he loves us,

Whoa! how he loves us,

Whoa! how he loves.

Cedarville Leadership Conference

2010-01-29T12:36:00.003-05:00

I had the best time last weekend at Cedarville University! My school sent 15 students to Cedarville for a leadership conference, and I was fortunate to be able to go. We stayed in the dorms with college students, and I thankfully got put in a dorm with another of my classmates from Berean. We were able to enjoy a chapel, get a tour of the campus, sit in on a class, and experience Chuck's (the cafeteria), all before the conference started! The speaker, Dr. Bill Brown, who is also the president of Cedarville, was the speaker for the conference, and gave three inspiring messages. We were also put into small groups for the conference, and mine was awesome! My leaders were wonderful; the whole atmosphere at Cedarville was so great. Everyone was really friendly and welcoming and filled with the love of Christ. Anyway, it was a really wonderful time, and if you ever get the opportunity to visit Cedarville, take it!

Title change

2010-01-28T21:31:00.004-05:00

You may have noticed that I have changed the title of my blog to "Living for Him". This seems a better heading than what I had previously because my greatest desire is to live my life to glorify God, and not dwell on promoting what I think. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy my blog!

NO SCHOOL!

2010-01-28T21:26:00.002-05:00

Yippee! Knox County is closed tomorrow, so even though I go to a private school, it's closed too! Let's hope for the 4"-8" that the weather men have been promising us......

One year + 11 day anniversary

2010-01-28T21:20:00.003-05:00

One year (and 11 days) ago, I gave my first blog post! Since then, I've enjoyed being in contact with other people in the "blogosphere" and finding new, interesting, and inspiring blogs to read. So thank you all for being faithful blog followers, and I hope to bring you new material to peruse in the coming year.

~Livvy

Musings....

2010-01-20T15:48:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry for neglecting my blog in the past few weeks! Life's been busy lately, especially with school. This weekend I'll be attending a conference in Ohio, so there should be a post on that early next week. :) I hope everyone is having a good week. For you students out there, only two school days left for this week!!!!

Last post of 2009

2009-12-31T20:18:00.004-05:00

This has been an excellent year of blogging; I've been able to talk to people through my blog and join the "blogosphere" of writers. I've had blogging failures, unposted posts, and posts that drew up to 10 or more comments. Thank you for sticking with this blog for 2009, and I hope to bring you more interesting posts in 2010!

~Livvy

Happy New Year's Eve

2009-12-31T20:15:00.003-05:00

Hello! I hope that all of you have a wonderful evening being with family and friends, making resolutions for 2010, and staying up late. :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!!

Adorable Puppy!

2009-12-29T20:57:00.003-05:00

The most aborable puppy tries to whistle!

Puppy Tries to Whistle!

FreeRice

2009-12-29T20:33:00.004-05:00

I would encourage all of you to take a few minutes out of your day and go to www.freerice.com. A sponsor will turn every correct answer you get into 10 grains of rice to feed someone in a third-world country. If you need to brush up on math, English, geography, etc, this is an excellent way to do. It's also a good way to turn a strong point in some subjects into food for a hungry person.

~Livvy

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T10:43:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas, my faithful blog readers! :) I hope you all had/are having a wonderful day with family and friends; I did. I also received some thoughtful gifts, including a gorgeous bag that my mommy made. I'll try to post pictures later. :) What was your favorite gift that you received, and what was your favorite gift to give (and who did you give it to)? Have a very merry Christmas, all!!!!

~Livvy

Merry Christmas Eve!

2009-12-24T09:06:00.003-05:00

There's irony for you; I told you that I wouldn't be posting as much, and now I've posted more in the last few days then in the whole month. :) But I couldn't resist telling all of you blog readers Merry Christmas Eve!!!! Now hopefully there are people reading my blog, and I'm not just writing for my own benefit. So, if you read this blog, I want you to leave a comment on this post. That's all I ask. Just leave a comment. Okay? Have a blessed time celebrating our Lord Jesus' birth!

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's a Pokenberry Christmas (I, II)

2009-12-22T11:45:00.004-05:00

Today's Adventure in Odyssey was a clever twist on It's A Wonderful Life. Enjoy! Whit's End

Musings.......

2009-12-22T11:36:00.002-05:00

Since nothing earth-shattering has happened in the last little bit, I haven't had anything to post. But with some exciting things coming up, I thought I had better write!

With Christmas in 3 days, I am enjoying celebrating the season! We've been going through our Advent book, and on Saturday we set up our tree and decorated it. The last few days have been a flurry of buying and wrapping presents, cleaning, and hanging out with friends and family. My cousin, her husband, and their little baby will all be coming down either late this week or early next week. I'm planning on getting together with a close friend that I haven't seen since summer time.

I may not be posting much the next few days, so don't be surprised if I seem to disappear from the blogging world for a while. :) Merry Christmas!!!!

Gotta love ordering online

2009-12-18T16:43:00.004-05:00

Oh well. The present that I had ordered for my dear mother got shipped off to who knows where, and what I ordered someone else has no doubt received. Let's just hope that the company straightens this incident out. I'm sure they recieved at least two emails today. :)

Christmas Break!

2009-12-18T13:54:00.004-05:00

School is officially over until January 5th! Finals are done, and they all went really well. I am however thrilled to have over two weeks off. :) We have our church group coming over tomorrow for a Christmas party, and hopefully we can get together with friends on Christmas Day. We also have to get our Christmas tree this weekend; life has been so hectic lately we've had no time for decorating! But as we gather with our families and friends to open presents, and share time together, let's not lose the focus. I know that I often do, but this year I'm going to strive to put Christ at the center of this holiday. What are you all doing for Christmas?

International Festival and FINALS!

2009-12-13T12:56:00.003-05:00

I have been silent the past week or so because I've been insanely busy working on my International Fest. The project was last night, so I thought I'd take the time to tell you all about it!

All the freshman at BCS had to present a country at the International Fest last night. I chose the country of Israel, so for the past three weeks, that is just about all that's been occuping my time. It was a lot of fun though. I got to talk to a lot of people and share what I had learned; I also got to dress up in modern Israeli clothes, so that was really cool too! I am happy that it is over though!
Finals start on Tuesday, so today I reviewed some English a wee bit, and then practiced a LOT of algebra. Finals are over Thursday, and Friday all the highschool students get to go play with the elementary school kids! Friday is a half day for the whole school, and then I am free until January 5th. Yippee!

Argh!

2009-12-05T11:42:00.002-05:00

My internet died yet again, so I'm sorry again for my silence. I think we have everything worked out, but if not, you'll know why I've disappeared. :)

It was amazing; this morning I woke up and the ground was covered with snow! To get snow in Tennessee at the end of fall is unbelievable! So we went outside with the dogs and had snowball fights and raced down the hill in sleds. So fun!

Compline V

2009-11-24T20:38:00.005-05:00

Tuesday -- The Cuthbert Compline

*I will lie down and sleep in peace

for You alone, Lord,

make me dwell in saftey.

*O God, and Spirit, and Jesu, the Three,

from the crown of my head, O Trinity,

to the soles of my feet mine offering be.

Come I unto Thee, O Jesu, my King -

O Jesu, do Thou be my sheltering.

My dear ones, O God, bless Thou and keep,

in every place where they are.

*Whoever has chosen to make

the shelter of the Most High their dwelling place

will stay in His over-shadowing.

*He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;

He is my God, and I am trusting Him.

*He will rescue you from teh traps laid for your feet,

and save you from the destroying curse.

*His faithful promises are your armour.

You need no longer be afraid of any terror by night,

or the death-arrow that flies by day.

*The Lord Himself is your refuge;

you have made the Most High your

stronghold.

*Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,

for You are my crag and my stronghold.

*How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand.

When I awake, I am still with You.

*I will not lie down tonight with sin,

nor shall sin

nor sin's shadow

lie down with me.

*O God of life, this night,

O darken not to me Thy light.

O God of life, this night

close not Thy gladness to my sight.

O God of life, this night,

Thy door to me, O shut not tight,

O God of life, this night.

*Be it on Thine own beloved arm,

O God of grace,

that I in peace shall waken.

*Jesu, Son of Mary!

my helper, my encircler.

Jesu, Son of David!

my strength everlasting.

Jesu, Son of Mary!

my helper, my encircler.

The peace of all peace

be mine this night

in the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Compline IV

2009-11-23T18:05:00.003-05:00

Monday -- The Aiden Compline

*O Christ, Son of the living God,

May Your holy angels guard our sleep,

May they watch over us as we rest

And hover around our beds.

*May You reveal to us in our dreams

Visions of Your glorious truth,

O High Prince of the universe,

O High Priest of the mysteries.

*May no dreams disturb our rest

And no nightmares darken our dreams.

May no fears or worries delay

Our willing, prompt repose.

*May the virtue of our daily work

Hallow our nightly prayers.

May our sleep be deep and soft

So our work be fresh and hard.

*I will lie down and sleep in peace

For You alone, Lord,

Make me dwell in safety.

My dear ones, O God,

Bless Thou and keep,

In every place where they are.

*Into Your hands I commit my spirit;

I give it to You with all the love of my

heart.

*How precious to me are Your thoughts,

O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them, they would

Outnumber the grains of sand.

When I awake, I am still with You.

*Christ without sin, Christ of wounds,

I am placing my soul and my body

Under Thy guarding this night,

Christ of the poor, Christ of tears.

Thy cross be my shielding this night,

O Thou Son of tears,

Of the wounds of the piercing.

*I am going now into the sleep:

O be it in Thy dear arm's keep,

O God of grace, that I shall

Awake in peace.

*My Christ! My Christ!

My shield, my encircler,

Each day, each night,

Each light, each dark.

*My Christ! My Christ!

My shield, my encircler,

Each day, each night,

Each light, each dark.

Be near me, uphold me,

My treasure, my triumph.

*Circle me, Lord,

Keep light near and darkness afar.

*Circle me, Lord

Keep peace within; keep evil out.

*The peace of all peace

Be mine this night

In the name of the Father,

And of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Complines III

2009-11-22T18:06:00.003-05:00

Sunday -- The Ita Compline

*The Sacred Three

to save

to shield

to surround

the hearth

the home

this night

and every night.

*Search me, O God, and know my heart.

Test me and know my thoughts.

*See if there is any wicked way in me

and lead me in the way everlasting.

*O Father, O Son, O Holy Spirit,

forgive me my sins.

O only-begotten Son the heavenly

Father,

forgive.

O God who is one,

O God who is true,

O God who is first,

O God who is one substance,

O God only mighty,

in three Persons, truly merciful,

forgive.

*O God of life, this night,

O darken not to me Thy light.

*O God of life, this night,

close not Thy gladness to my sight.

*Keep Your people, Lord,

in the arms of Your embrace.

Shelter them under Your wings.

*Be their light in darkness.

Be their hope in distress.

Be their clam in anxiety.

*Be their strength in their weakness.

*Be their comfort in pain.

*Be their song in the night.

*In peace will I lie down, for it is You, O

Lord,

You alone who makes me to rest secure.

*Be it on Your own beloved arm,

O God of grace, that I in peace shall awake.

*Be the peace of the Spirit

mine this night.

Be the peace of the Son

mine this night.

Be the peace of the Father

mine this night.

The peace of all peace

be mine this night

in the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Glory to God Forever

2009-11-22T17:55:00.006-05:00

This was a song we sang at my school retreat (link), and it's been on my heart ever since. Enjoy!

Glory to God Forever

Verse 1 Before the world was made,

before you spoke it to be

You were the King of Kings

yeah you were, yeah you were
And now you’re reigning still

enthroned above all things

Angels and saints cry out

we join them as we sing

Chorus Glory to God, Glory to God

Glory to God, Forever

Verse 2 Creator God you gave

me breath so I could praise

Your great and matchless name

all my days, all my days
So let my whole life be a blazing offering

A life that shouts and sings

the greatness of the King

Bridge Take my life and let it be

All for you and for your glory

Take my life and let it be yours

(for more info, go to this site)

Complines II

2009-11-21T10:19:00.003-05:00

Saturday -- The Patrick Compline

*In the name of the King of life;

in the name of the Christ of love;

in the name of the Holy Spirit:

the Triune of my strength.

*I love you, O Lord my strength.

The Lord is my rock,

my fortress and my deliverer.

My God is my rock

in whom I take refuge.

*I will praise the Lord who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

*I have set the Lord always before me.

Because He is at my right hand,

I shall not be shaken.

*I am placing my soul and my body

under Thy guarding this night, O Christ.

May Thy cross this night be shielding me.

*Into Your hands I commit my spirit;

redeem me, O Lord, the God of Truth.

*The God of life with guarding hold you;

the living Christ with guarding fold you;

the Holy Sprit, guarding, mould you;

each night of life to aid, enfold you;

each day and night of life uphold you.

*May God shield me;

may God fill me;

may God keep me;

may God watch me;

may God bring me this night

to the nearness of His lvoe.

*The peace of the Father of joy,

the peace of the Christ of hope,

the peace of the Spirit of grace,

*the peace of all peace

be mine this night

in the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

16 Golden Retrievers Teach On The Atom!

2009-11-21T10:15:00.004-05:00

This is so adorable! I wish my dogs were so well-behaved.....
16 Golden Retrievers Teach On The Atom!

Hand Care

2009-11-20T20:00:00.006-05:00

Even in Tenessee, the winters can get cold. My hands crack badly, and last year my mom gave me a helpful tip, so I thought I'd share it with you! The secret: olive oil and salt. No, I'm not kidding. Pour a small amount of salt into your hand, and pour a tablespoon or so of oil on top (doesn't need to be exact). Rub it around on your hands for a minute or two, but be forewarned: it will tickle! Use just enough water to get the salt off, and then pat your hands dry with a paper towel. Your hands will feel soft and hopefully won't crack as much.

Complines I

2009-11-20T18:15:00.006-05:00

Lately, before I drift off to sleep, I've been reading a compline to myself. Complines are prayers for each day, (I believe) from the earlier centuries, named for the priests who wrote them.I will post one each day for 7 days; I hope you enjoy them!

Friday -- The Boisil Compline

*O Lord, you will keep us safe,

and protect us forever.

*I am placing my soul and my body

in Thy safe keeping this night, O God,

in Thy safe keeping, O Jesus Christ,

in Thy safe keeping, O Spirit of perfect truth.

The Three who would defend my cause

be keeping me this night from harm.

*I call on You, O God,

for You will answer me;

give ear to me and my prayer.

*Show the wonder of Your great love,

Who who save by Your right hand

those who take refuge in Your from their foes.

*Keep me as the apple of Your eye;

hide me in the shadow of Your wings.

*Lighten my darkness, Lord.

Let the light of Your presence

dispel the shadows of night.

*Christ with me sleeping,

Christ with me waking,

Christ with me watching,

each day and each night.

*Save us, Lord, while we are awake,

guard us while we are asleep;

that, awake, we may watch with Christ,

and, asleep, may rest in his peace.

*God with me protecting,

the Lord with me direscting,

the Spirit with me strengthening

for ever and for evermore.

*In the name of the Father precious,

and of the Spirit of healing balm.

In the name of the Lord Jesus,

I lay me down to rest.

*The peace of all peace

be mine this night

in the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

While I am reading them alone, during a quiet time, you can read it with family members, alternating phrases and reading the bolded phrases together.

The Explanation of My Recent Silence....

2009-11-19T17:04:00.005-05:00

While the Internet is a wonderful thing, we must sometimes go without. :) My computer suddenly quit about 2 weeks ago, so I haven't been posting, but I've been thinking about a lot of posts! So don't be surprised if a wave of posting begins very soon....

~Livvy

New books to read!

2009-11-02T19:58:00.004-05:00

As a very critical reader/writer, I am always on the lookout for good literature! With this mind set, I've decided to go through most, if not all, of Jane Austen's work, as well as Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, on the recommendation of a friend. (Thanks, Katus!) I just got Persuasion, Emma, and Jane Eyre out from the library, and I'm going to start reading one of them tonight. So don't be surprised if a few book reviews start popping up the next week or few! (Any good book recommendations from my readers? Let me know please!)

Practical Science in the Home

2009-11-02T19:38:00.005-05:00

Stand back, Mythbusters! In an effort to prove something, and to add selling charm to Mom's latest knitted designs, we were testing the effectiveness of her new cup cozies! Here, in detail, are our steps!

Step 1: Boil water and measure a cup of it into each travel cup. One cup is covered with a knitted cozy and one is not. The initial measurement of the uncovered cup: 188 degrees Fahrenheit. The measurement of the covered cup: 186 degrees Fahrenheit. (difference of 2 degrees)
Step 2: After 15 minutes, check both cups and take new measurements. Uncovered cup: 152 degrees Fahrenheit. Covered cup: 158 degrees Fahrenheit. (difference of 6 degrees)
Step 3: After another 15 minutes (30 minutes from the start), take final measurement. The uncovered cup: 131 degrees Fahrenheit. The covered cup: 140 degrees Fahrenheit! (difference of 9 degrees)

Our theory was proved! The cup cozy kept the drink approximately 9 degrees warmer for 30 minutes than the cup with no cozy did. Just goes to show that some science is applicable in the home!

Foothills Craft Guild Show 2009!

2009-10-29T13:33:00.005-04:00

Many, if not all, of you know that my mom is a knitter! This year, she'll be in the Foothills Craft Guild Show. If you are an artsy person, and live in this general area, you may want to come check it out. Admission is reasonable; $5-$6 dollars. Here is the link to the official site: Foothills Craft Guild.

Sick :(

2009-10-29T13:16:00.005-04:00

This morning when I woke up with a raging sore throat, Mom told me, "Go back to bed!" So here I sit, blogging, feeling somewhat better, but not well enough to go to school. Since I only woke up about 2 hours ago (11:00), it doesn't feel like it should be after 1:00 already! Another reason I decided to stay home was the fact that I have a huge geography project due tomorrow. A classmate and I will be teaching the rest of the class on Western Sahara, and I thought if I have to miss a day this week, it should be today and not tomorrow! On a happier note, the project is going well. Last night I painted the flag, my friend is doing a poster, we're going to do a crossword puzzle and play a fishing game (at first we thought we might try camel racing, but decided against it!), and have a fruit salad! It should be a very good project. I'm just praying that my throat will be well enough to talk for 40 minutes. :) I need to go make some fishing rods, and type up so notes....

Blessings!

~Livvy

Family!

2009-10-23T18:23:00.004-04:00

This week, my older sister and nephew came down for a visit. It was so much fun! They came in on Wednesday night, late, so everyone said hello and then went to sleep. In the morning, Jen and I introduced Tallie and Bono to their dog, Domingo, and thankfully it went well; no one bit off any limbs or anything like that! I took the day off from school (it was such a sacrifice..... Not!), and we went to the Smoky Mountains. The weather was absolutely gorgeous! One stop we made before we explored the mountains was at a store called "Wood and Strings." The man who owns the store specializes in handmade dulcimers, but also has flutes, lap harps, bow psaltrys, steel drums, and other instruments. My nephew Rhys enjoyed the steel drums especially! After that, we went to the Y (a beautiful stream in the mountains, and a good place to throw rocks). Our next stop was Buddy's, for some true Tennessee barbecue! It was a great time for hanging out and enjoying good family time! Thanks, Jen and Rhys!

Good for a laugh...

2009-10-17T15:25:00.003-04:00

If you want a laugh, just watch this:Who's on first

October Reading List

2009-10-15T14:53:00.006-04:00

I have seen this done on another blog (link), and I thought it looked like a nifty idea. Every month, I'll post and give small reviews on books I have read during that specific month. Some months will obviously have more than others, since school keeps me pretty busy. So, I now present my reading list for the month of October (thus far).

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. An interesting remake of the traditional story, Cinderella. This book is well-written and fast-paced. Mrs. Levine does an excellent job of creating believable characters, while still including the small amount of magic necessary for any fairy tale.
Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene. I've been reading various books in this series, both from the new and the old. Although not the best writing, reading Nancy Drew gives me a break from other more studious requirements.
The Bible (NIV). In Spiritual Life I, we do three Bible readings a week. Right now, we're going through Philippians and Psalms.

Not much else, but then, it's only October 15! What are you reading?

Adventures in Odyssey!

2009-10-11T19:24:00.006-04:00

One of the fun points of each day is to sit down after school and listen to the new episode of Adventures in Odyssey. With good morals and no bad language, they're a pleasure to listen to. If you would care to check it out, just follow this link.

What a week....

2009-10-02T19:41:00.006-04:00

I do believe that this week was the longest school week that I have had so far. Overall, I had about 7 tests/quizzes and a huge geography project on Sudan, besides all my regular school work and basic things like eating and sleeping. :) It was, however, a good week. I feel as though I got plenty accomplished, and the project on Sudan went okay. Our food though was absolutely, without question the most disgusting thing I have ever had the misfortune to be required to put in my mouth. My partner and her mom made a custard, flan type thing. They definitely made it the right way, so it certainly wasn't their fault. But the food just jiggled while we carried it, and the texture was totally gross and slimy. Ugh! The project itself went well though.

So, this weekend I plan on recovering from my activity-filled school week by going to my brother's soccer game and spending time with church friends. Ev's team is short a few players, so maybe I'll get recruited! Have a great weekend, all!

Blessings,
Livvy

Note...

2009-10-01T16:34:00.004-04:00

I have removed comment moderation except on comments older than 10 days. Just thought I'd let everyone know. Since I love to get your comments, and removing comment moderation makes commenting on my posts easier, it seemed like the wisest thing to do. Thanks!

~Livvy

Rolls!

2009-09-25T19:58:00.006-04:00

From dough....

to risen dough....

to rising rolls....

to the finished product!

For many, many years, Dad and I have been making these triple-rise rolls. They are the best! If you want to read a funny story about one of my experiences making these rolls, click here.

Back to 1st Grade....

2009-09-24T16:15:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I was able to go back to my old school and spend the day with 16 first graders! It was so much fun! The day started out with lots of stares from the students at Paideia Academy since I was wearing my uniform for Berean (where I am now). I also felt so old! My brother's class, seventh grade, is the oldest there, and since I'm in highschool... Well, you get the idea. Through the day, I sorted papers, graded papers, copied papers, cleaned bleeding mosquito bites, dried off a locker, cleaned up popcorn and pretzels, helped build pyramids, helped with spelling, read, and washed desks. It was fun, but a lot of work. One little boy, during lunch, popped his popcorn bag, and it opened from the bottom! I also had to walk all sixteeen kids to a potty break, which was actually really exhausting. It was hard to keep them all in a straight line, and quiet. Actually, it was impossible! But it was good. Hopefully I can do it again sometime. :)

Vote!

2009-09-21T17:27:00.003-04:00

Yet again, I am going to ask for your help for Heartland Golden Retriever Rescue. The voting challenge has started up again, and HGRR is in 1st place for the state. To win overall, they need lots of votes. Please help! http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com Click the "it's free to give" button and then the "vote now" button. Also, I completely understand if you're not allowed to. Please don't feel pressured. If you want to see what HGRR really does, the link to their site is over in my list of favorites websites. Thanks!!!

No school!

2009-09-21T17:23:00.003-04:00

Due to H1N1 (and others), Berean Christian School has closed for the week! While I am sorry for those that are sick, I am so glad to have 4 days of freedom. :) I do have some work and a project due on Sudan that I will have to work on by myself as my partner has swine flu. Oh well. It's going to be a good week......

Camp BaYoCa Retreat!

2009-09-18T18:59:00.002-04:00

Hello! I just got back from a wonderful high school retreat today! All of Berean Christian high school and faculty went to Camp BaYoCa for two and a half days, and it was wonderful.

Wednesday was a full day of school except for 7th period, when we left. After a one and a half hour bus ride, we got to Camp. That night was just settling in, but we managed to pack quite a bit into it. Dinner was barbecue sandwiches, and then we had Session 1 with our speaker, Richie Beeler. The worship was so powerful; I haven't experienced anything like it in quite a while. Everyone was totally focused on God. It was so beautiful! Mr. Beeler gave a talk on "Being An Authentic Christian in 2009." I have been totally inspired! After that, my friends and I walked up to the Mess Hall (there was a TON of walking up and down very steep and slippery paths). Our theme for Camp was Survivor, so that night the teachers hid our team flags (there were 10 teams), and then we had to find them. But it wasn't quite that easy. We had to be in groups of three and link our arms! My team never did find our flag, and in fact, the teachers hid it so well they couldn't find it! After games, my friends and I went to sleep.

Thursday started early for me, 6:30 am. Wake up wasn't until 8:00, so I just read my book by flashlight. When everyone finally did get up, controlled mayhem ensued, and then with much hiking and groaning, everyone made it to a breakfast of tater-tot casserole! We then had Time Alone With God and Session 2. The worship really blessed me at all the Sessions, and since I was having a pretty rough week, I appreciated it so much! After another thought-provoking session with Mr. Beeler, all the teams went off to play games. Let me just say the game was stress-filled, involved tons of running, and I did not think I was going to make it to the end. Thankfully, all the participants (save one who passed out) made it to the end, and my team, The Ligers, came in 3rd. I staggered up the hill yet again with some friends for lunch and then performed clean-up duty. That afternoon, everybody rested, and later on in the afternoon, all the teams were given different scenarios to act out. Ours was pretty lame, but we managed to do it without making very big fools of ourselves. For dinner, we had a banquet and the teachers served us! Then we had Session 3, which was really "Weeping Night." Most people were bawling and/or praying. It was amazing to watch God move in our student body!

Friday was Race-the-Clock-Day. The bus schedule got messed up, but we managed to have a good 4th Session. After that, we all raced around packing up, cleaning, and eating lunch. It was a wonderful retreat!

I'm now home and thankful to be here! I am also so grateful to God for touching my heart and really showing Himself to me in this somewhat difficult time. May the praise continue!

My Music Corner....

2009-09-12T11:39:00.003-04:00

I am definitely in a posting mood; four in two days! Anyway, since I just told you what books I've been reading, I thought I'd tell you what music I have been listening to recently!

"My Deliverer" by Rich Mullins
"Freedom" (CD/#6-12) by Michael W. Smith
Adventures in Odyssey by Focus on the Family. I really enjoy listening to audiobooks, and AIO is humorous with good messages.
Father Gilbert Series by Focus on the Family. Good mysteries about a cop who became a priest. *Some episodes are not acceptable for kids under 15.*

My Reading Corner....

2009-09-12T11:22:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite past times is reading. Being a writer as well, I'm always on the lookout for good books! Here are some books that I've read within the past month or two that I would recommend:

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. This story is wonderful! There's just enough reality to the book that you don't question the fantastical parts. :)
Ranger's Apprentice: Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan. Again, a fictitious book. The Ranger's Apprentice series are among some of the most well-written books I've ever read. Definitely a worthwhile read.
Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan. Set in India, Homeless Bird is the story of a young girl who is married off at a very young age. I'm in the process of rereading this book, and I'm enjoying it tremendously.
Ryan White: My Own Story by Ryan White. I've already written about this book, but it's worth posting again! This was my favorite summer reading book, and an inspiring story of a teenage boy with hemophilia and AIDS. *Please be warned that there is a little bit of rude language in it: bad names, etc.*
Fair Weather by Richard Peck. Absolutely one of the most hilarious books ever written!! If you want a laugh, read this story! Other Richard Peck books that are good for laughter are A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder.

That's what has been on my shelf recently! I'll try to post the books I'm reading every month for all to see!