Below The Plateau - Blog Party

Here is another blog party I found! It looked fun too, so I decided to enter it while I was entering blog parties! ;)
Go to http://belowtheplateau.blogspot.com/ to learn more, and enter too - there are some really great give-aways to be awarded! But you'll need to hurry, 'cause you don't have much time... It ends today!

The questions:

1. Ring! Ring! You receive a phone call from a national sweepstakes organization saying that you have won a life-time supply of your favorite beverage!! What would that drink be?

Well, my favorite drink is water, but the Lord has allowed me to live in a place where I can just go to the faucet and get as much as I want anytime.
So I guess I'd ask for my next-favorite - fresh raw cow's milk, rich and sweet!



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2. If you could live in a Jane Austen novel, which book would you pick? What character would you be?

Well, I know this is going to come as a shock to you Jane Austen junkies out there, but I WOULD NOT want to be in a Jane Austen story! I have seen one (maybe two) of the movies made after her books, and that is PLENTY for my appetite! Hope I'm not making any enemies here... just being honest.

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3. What is your theme song, that favorite song that absolutely matches you?

I've actually got several. But these two probably come closest:

"Sitting At The Feet Of Jesus" - hymn (Tune: J. W. Davis - Words: Rev. K. C. Minter)



"I'll Praise You In This Storm" - new (Casting Crowns)



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4. You are trapped on a deserted island. Your only supplies are the clothes you have on, and a box with five things in it. What are those five things?

- My Bible.



- An anywhere-reaching-unlimited-minutes phone.



There. What else would I need?! I mean, I use the phone to call for help, and read my Bible in the meantime! Ok, I guess I'd probably get hungry while I was waiting for the help to get there...

- A Goliath-size box of energy bars.



- Soap.



- A knife.



And I'd still have the box these things came in that I could do something with... Is it wooden or cardboard? 'Cause if it's cardboard, that could limit my options...

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5. Chocolate or Caramel?

Hmm, probably chocolate. I really like caramel too, it just needs chocolate to go with it :) . But I like either. I will say one thing though; I'm not chocolate-crazy like some people are. I like it okay, but that's about as far as it goes. :)



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6. Vacation! If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Easy. Scotland.



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7. If forced to do one of the two, which would you do: sky diving or scuba diving? Why?

Ohh! Sky diving! I've wanted to go sky diving since I was little. Yes, I know, it involves risk. But how much risky-er can you get than careening along at 70 (or more) miles an hour, in a four-wheeled contraption not too well-built nowadays, with alot of others equally not-too-safely-built, and their drivers even crazier than you are, all whizzing along within a couple of yards of each other?! Yet we get on the free-way all the time...



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8. Favorite TV show, and why?

Here again, several favorites. But these are my three most favorite, I think. Why? Because I love clean, wholesome, funny, and sometimes old-fashioned things to watch.
{Note: Sue Thomas has had a couple of things I didn't like. There have been a few times (like at formal events) where the clothing was a little less-than, in my opinion. And there are four (I think) episodes where two people kiss who are not married. These things are pretty rare, though, and the shows promote the good-guys-always-win idea, love of America, respect to women and children, and the fight for good, that's why I enjoy them (not to mention mystery, edge-of-your-seat plots, and a peak into what the guys at the real F.B.I. go through so we can sleep safe at night).}

1. The Roy Rogers Show



2. The Andy Griffeth Show



3. Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye



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9. Are you a coffee and donuts sorta lady, or a tea and scones type of gal?

Well, I don't drink coffee, and rarely get donuts. But on the other hand, I've never had the opportunity to try scones that I know of. I do drink lots of mint tea in the winter though!



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10.The time machine has finally been created, and you are the first to be able to use it! What era would you travel too?

The 1800s in America.



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11. What is the last movie you watched?

Johnny Tremain - great movie. Not quite like the book, but I feel like the changes they made were acceptable ones.



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12. Ding-dong!!! Your favorite actor/singer/celebrity is at your front door! Who would it be?

I don't really have many 'heros' that aren't already people I know personally. I'll need to think about that one for a bit, but I'll try to remember to come back and fill this one in later.

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13. What was your absolute favorite toy as a baby?

How should I remember?! I was a baby! LOL!


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14. What types of blogs do you like best? (examples: DIY, cooking, journal, ect.)

I like a wide variety. I enjoy the journal type - just hearing about other peoples' lives, and the funny, sad, exraordinary, mundane things that happen to them. I also like craft tutorials, recipes, give-aways, book reviews, movie advice, politics-from-a-Christian-world-view, photography, creative writing, etc. I really enjoy blogs where all these elements are touched on every now and then.



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15. What is your favorite Bible verse, your "life verse?"

"To open their eyes, [and] to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." - Acts 26:18

It is my earnest prayer that my life will accomplish this in the lives of those I know and love who are not saved, and in the lives of others I don't even know are watching.



Oh my! Is that the end?! I really enjoyed this one too!
Hope you all enjoyed these little peeks into my mind :) !

'Til next time,

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

-Kyrie<><

{All images from Photobucket.}

Singing in the Rain - Blog Party

Ok, if I've ever entered a blog party, I don't remember it (hmm, that's what the 'previous posts' list is for...). Anyway, the questions in this one looked like so much fun for the most part, so I decided to join in! I've seen on some blogs, when they fill out the questions, they put pictures in there too. "A picture is worth a thousand words" is so true! I'm going to try to include pictures with as many of these questions as I can ;) !

Here are the questions:

1. What has been your favorite part of summer so far?

Going barefoot without my toes freezing off!



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2. What is your favorite part of autumn?

Wow. Hard question. I just love all of it! I love the leaves, the spice in the air, the cooler freshness of the days, my birthday, Thanksgiving, harvest time, everything!



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3. Raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens?

Aww, I like kittens! But I love rain!!



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4. Describe your dream house.

As you can see from the pictures below, my tastes are pretty varied... All of these have elements I love; and all of them lack elements I'd want. I don't think I actually have a dream house. I could see myself loving each of these equally, and others also.







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5. What's your favorite movie?

Slightly easier question ;) ! But still hard to narrow down to one. These are my top three favorites in order.







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6. Quote something from the book you most recently read:

I'll have to check, and get back to you on that one.

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7. What do you like/not like about my blog?

Actually, I've only visited once that I know of, and that was when I entered this party today (which is quite fun so far, by the way). But I have enjoyed what I've read and seen. You seem to be a sweet, sincere young girl, seeking to live pleasing Christ. I am always encouraged to learn of another young person who is choosing to not conform to the world, and instead take the sometimes-rocky road of following Jesus instead! As time permits me, I will be sure and keep up with you! Your blog is beautifully designed also. My only suggestion so far is that I didn't see a place to follow or subscribe to it. Maybe that would be a handy addition - it would allow people to keep up with you easier, and would probably increase the number of readers you have.



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8. Rain or shine?

RAIN



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9. The worst grammatical mistake, in your opinion:

Hmm, don't even get me started... I'm in college, and half (probably more) of the students here don't even know how to spell, much less use correct grammar. Irritating.

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10. If you had a choice, would you want to live: in the mountains, in a rainforest, on a prairie, or by the beach?

*Smile* Mountains.





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11. What character from a book would you say you are most like?

Dan, from Little Men.



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12. Be constantly talking the rest of your life or not be able to communicate in any way for the rest of your life?

Umm, can I skip this question? I know I wouldn't want to not be able to communicate, but talking all the time would be such a pain... For me and for those around me!

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13. Owl City or Switchfoot?

Don't know what those are... Remembering maybe Switchfoot is a band? Don't like what I know of them...

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14. Taylor Swift or Selena Gomez?

Nope.

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15. Your pet peeve?

Hypocrites. Especially "Christian" ones. Uuuhhh..... !



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16. What's your favorite font?

Probably Zapfino or Old English.





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17. How are you educated? (i.e. homeschooled, public schooled, private schooled)

I was homeschooled until I started college. Thanks Dad and Mom!



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18. Do you consider yourself tomboy-ish or feminine?

Tomboy for sure!



19. What's your favorite song?

"Sitting at the Feet of Jesus" - hymn (Tune: J. W. Davis - Words: Rev. K. C. Minter)



"Be Thou My Vision" - hymn (Tune: 'Slane', an Irish folk song - Words: attributed to Dallán Forgaill)



"Revelation Song" - new (Philips, Craig, and Dean)



"I'll Praise You In This Storm" - new (Casting Crowns)



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20. Did you enjoy answering these questions?

Yes, I really did.

{All images from Photobucket, except for Norman Rockwell tomboy painting, and Singing In The Rain blog button}

October's Bright Blue Weather

October's Bright Blue Weather

by Helen Hunt Jackson


O suns and skies and clouds of June,
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October's bright blue weather;

When loud the bumblebee makes haste,
Belated, thriftless vagrant,
And goldenrod is dying fast,
And lanes with grapes are fragrant;

When gentians roll their fingers tight
To save them for the morning,
And chestnuts fall from satin burrs
Without a sound of warning;

When on the ground red apples lie
In piles like jewels shining,
And redder still on old stone walls
Are leaves of woodbine twining;

When all the lovely wayside things
Their white-winged seeds are sowing,
And in the fields still green and fair,
Late aftermaths are growing;

When springs run low, and on the brooks,
In idle golden freighting,
Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush
Of woods, for winter waiting;

When comrades seek sweet country haunts,
By twos and twos together,
And count like misers, hour by hour,
October's bright blue weather.

O sun and skies and flowers of June,
Count all your boasts together,
Love loveth best of all the year
October's bright blue weather.

Today we had the most glorious weather! The spice, the cool, the magic in the air! I know it's not October yet, but this poem is quite accurately expressive of what I feel toward Autumn, and just describes what the day was like! Trissy memorized it in 2005 when our grandmother sent it to us as one of her favorites. I heard Trissy reciting it so much, I pretty much learned it too :) ! After five years without alot of practice, we're both a little rusty, but each fall I just get an itch to bring it out and try to refresh my memory. So to day Trissy dug her copy out, and we were seeing how much we could recite from memory as we cleaned up. In honor of the day, the season, and the Creator of both, I thought I'd share it with you. Hope you enjoy!

{Photobucket images}

Anything Up About "Upside"?

{Ok, I know, wacky post title, but I couldn't think of anything better... :] }

Has anyone heard anything about the movie "Upside"? I learned about it recently, and it sounds good so far, but as always, I'm a little leary about buying a movie I've never seen. It's supposed to come out on DVD on Oct. 5. If anyone knows if there's anything objectionable in it, or if it's another great one like Facing The Giants, Fireproof, or Come What May, please let me know!

9-11 - Remembering...

This picture is probably listed in the group of "Most Famous" photographs of America's history, along with images like the the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima, the sailor kissing his girl at the end of World War II, and others.

I remember exactly what was going on in my life on that September 11. I was practing the piano, I'm pretty sure it was a Saturday, and when my Mom came into the living room with a stricken look on her face saying, "[Grandmother] called and said a plane hit the World Trade Center!", it was the first time I'd ever heard of those buildings.

We turned on the TV, and there followed a living nightmare, playing out on the screen before our eyes. All I could think about was, "The people! There must be people in there! Some must have died. Dear God help us!!"The other plane crashing the second tower (which had happened just before we turned the TV on), the newsreporter woman saying, "I'm seeing smoke coming from the direction of the Pentagon. We'll have details about what's going on over there shortly.", the plane crashing in Pennsylvania, and the absolute unbelievable horror as, one by one, the two towers just sunk in on themselves, and the feeling of utter desperate helplessness as I watched. People were dying! People were dying and going into eternity, many of them without Christ, and there was nothing I could do about it!

Have we learned anything from this? For a while after 9-11, America was on a 'religious kick' - everyone turning to God, because there was no one else to turn to! We, America, the strongest nation on earth, had taken a vicious blow in the stomach, and we were crippling under the impact. God was our only hope! But, within just a couple of years, we got over our need for God, and moved on with our greatness. What a mistake. What a tragic mistake we are making. If we can't get the message with a blow that took us to our knees, what will get our attention?

God help America! She is not the same land that prayed "God bless America ... Stand beside her and guide her ... with a Light from above.""We will never forget!" This slogan passed around the country in the months following September, 2001. We may not have forgotten, but our dull minds have shoved the memory to the back of the closet, and refused to learn. God help us!

9-11-2001 - Remembering...

This picture is probably listed in the group of "Most Famous" photographs of America's history, along with images like the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima, the sailor kissing his girl at the end of World War II, and others.

I remember exactly what was going on in my life on that September 11. I was practing the piano, I'm pretty sure it was a Saturday, and when my Mom came into the living room with a stricken look on her face saying, "[Grandmother] called and said a plane hit the World Trade Center!", it was the first time I'd ever heard of those buildings.

We turned on the TV, and there followed a living nightmare, playing out on the screen before our eyes. All I could think about was, "The people! There must be people in there! Some must have died. Dear God help us!!"

The other plane crashing the second tower (which had happened just before we turned the TV on), the newsreporter woman saying, "I'm seeing smoke coming from the direction of the Pentagon. We'll have details about what's going on over there shortly.", the plane crashing in Pennsylvania, and the absolute unbelievable horror as, one by one, the two towers just sunk in on themselves, and the feeling of utter desperate helplessness as I watched. People were dying! People were dying and going into eternity, many of them without Christ, and there was nothing I could do about it!

Have we learned anything from this? For a while after 9-11, America was on a 'religious kick' - everyone turning to God, because there was no one else to turn to! We, America, the strongest nation on earth, had taken a vicious blow in the stomach, and we were crippling under the impact. God was our only hope! But, within just a couple of years, we got over our need for God, and moved on with our greatness. What a mistake. What a tragic mistake we are making. If we can't get the message with a blow that took us to our knees, what will get our attention?

God help America! She is not the same land that prayed "God bless America ... Stand beside her and guide her ... with a Light from above."

"We will never forget!" This slogan passed around the country in the months following September, 2001. We may not have forgotten, but our dull minds have shoved the memory to the back of the closet, and refused to learn. God help us!

Livvy at A Daughter's Heart posted this a little while back, and being somewhat familiar with the concepts demonstrated, I thought it was excellent. I wanted to share it here as a testimony to the fact that there is a Creator, and He does all things well! Enjoy.

Nature by Numbers from Cristóbal Vila on Vimeo.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!



-Kyrie<><

Fall And The Fair

{Image property of Livvy Taylor Photography. Used with permission.}

Fall is on it's way!!!
The last week or so, the mornings have been a tad chilly. Just a tad, mind you, but it has been there. Then this past couple of days, though it has still been hot during the middle of the day, the whole atmosphere has definitly been fall-ish. It's just something about the air - invigorating, spicy, refreshing, magical, beautiful! Oh I LOVE Autumn!

Fall also means Fair Time! Because of school, like last year I'm not getting to participate to the extent I have in past years. The Lord has blessed and helped me finish a few last-minute projects I was working on though, and we are going out to the Fair Grounds in a little while to drop off our items for the first installment of fair season - the County Fair. Next month will be State, and then the next County Fair. Because my family lives right on the county line, we get to participate in the fairs of both counties.

I'll try to post pictures later!

Thoughts On America's Prosperity

I am taking Geography online this semester, and the assignment this week was to post a response to the below thoughts:

"As we all know, America has the largest, most advanced economy in the world. The American people enjoy the most propsperous lifestyle of any large nation. However, this comes at great cost. For example, with 5 percent of the world's population, we consume 25 percent of the resources. The USA is also the world's largest polluter, and much of our wealth comes at the expense of other nations' labor and natural resouces.

This is not to assume that the American people are immoral. However, there is no doubt that presently it would be impossible for the rest of the world to enjoy similar prosperity. This would create economic and environmental chaos.

Thus, what is the solution? Are Americans justified in consuming so much? How can we bring the rest of the world "up" without reducing our own prosperity? Is this even possible? How much would you be willing to sacrifice for the greater good of other peoples and the natural environment?"

Hmm. Yeah. (Is it just me, or does this sound like Socialism?)

Anyway, here are my thoughts on the matter:

"The reality of this situation is that there just is not an answer that would satisfy everyone. For my part, I believe that the chaos in the world today is caused by one thing and one thing only: sin. Man is inherently sinful, evil, selfish, and greedy. Only by the grace of God through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, can the suffering of the world be alleviated and the evils of the world be righted.

God gave human beings the dominion over the earth - He made us the stewards to take care of nature and use our resources wisely, and we have failed miserably in many cases. There are, of course, many organizations out there trying to "save Earth", though lots of them are looking at the job the wrong way I think - worshiping the planet, instead of the Maker of the planet. But to a certain extent, they are at least trying to get the job done. I think recycling is good. I think being kind and humane to animals is good. I am not a wasteful person - in many areas of my life, I live by the old saying, "Use it up, wear it out. Make it do, or do without!" :) I recycle and I love animals - but it all goes back to the responsibility given to us by the Creator to take care of His creations!

I believe the reason America has prospered so mightily for so long, is that the men who led the founding of this nation realized Who is the ultimate source of life and liberty. They began leading the United States with the knowledge that, if the Lord is on your side, you cannot fail, and if He is not on your side, you will fail. For many years, we didn't fail - because "In God We Trust"ed. We are blessed here in America. We have been victorious in wars, undefeated in disasters, and prosperous in health and resources. In the past fifty years or so however, that has begun to change (I believe because of our national rejection of Christ as our Power), yet we are still the greatest nation on earth.

Is it possible to bring other suffering nations up to our level of prosperity? I don't believe so. Not considering all that an effort like that would involve and the immeasurable effects it would produce. Yes, in many nations, innocent people are going through horrible situations. But study the beginnings and histories of the majority of those nations - they relied on themselves and their personal strength and greatness instead of the Lord. They practiced Socialism, Communism, and rampant immorality. Now they are paying the prices.

I'm not saying we shouldn't try to help them! Another command God gave is that we should love others as ourselves. When we shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, and care for the hurting, we bless Him. And we have. As a nation, we have provided aid in many forms and in many situations: medical care, food, clean water, shelter and comfort in the aftermath of natural disasters, or even in places where hunger, disease, and poverty are, sadly, the "norm".

So, can we change the world? No. I don't think so. In many ways, the world doesn't want to be changed. If we are going to change the world, we've got to start with ourselves. Are we living right? Do we please God in what we say, do, or how we act? If we have allowed Him to make our hearts right, then we have changed part of the world! Now we are free to move on and, with His help, do what we can for the rest of it.

I in no way mean to sound harsh or unkind in all I've pointed out above. I'm just telling it the way I see it. And if you take the time to look at the situation with an open mind, I think you'll see that what I've said makes a whole lot of sense."

Hope I don't get an F :]

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

Thoughts On America's Prosperity

As you can see, I've been posting a little along, even though, technically, I 'quit' this blog. I've decided I'll keep it, at least for a while, and probably will keep posting things every now and then.

Today two things happened that I thought would be worth posting. This is number one. I'll post number two later, if or when I get the chance :)

I am taking Geography online this semester, and the assignment this week was to post a response to the below thoughts:

"As we all know, America has the largest, most advanced economy in the world. The American people enjoy the most propsperous lifestyle of any large nation. However, this comes at great cost. For example, with 5 percent of the world's population, we consume 25 percent of the resources. The USA is also the world's largest polluter, and much of our wealth comes at the expense of other nations' labor and natural resouces.

This is not to assume that the American people are immoral. However, there is no doubt that presently it would be impossible for the rest of the world to enjoy similar prosperity. This would create economic and environmental chaos.

Thus, what is the solution? Are Americans justified in consuming so much? How can we bring the rest of the world "up" without reducing our own prosperity? Is this even possible? How much would you be willing to sacrifice for the greater good of other peoples and the natural environment?"

Hmm. Yeah. (Is it just me, or does this sound like Socialism?)

Anyway, here are my thoughts on the matter:

"The reality of this situation is that there just is not an answer that would satisfy everyone. For my part, I believe that the chaos in the world today is caused by one thing and one thing only: sin. Man is inherently sinful, evil, selfish, and greedy. Only by the grace of God through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, can the suffering of the world be alleviated and the evils of the world be righted.

God gave human beings the dominion over the earth - He made us the stewards to take care of nature and use our resources wisely, and we have failed miserably in many cases. There are, of course, many organizations out there trying to "save Earth", though lots of them are looking at the job the wrong way I think - worshiping the planet, instead of the Maker of the planet. But to a certain extent, they are at least trying to get the job done. I think recycling is good. I think being kind and humane to animals is good. I am not a wasteful person - in many areas of my life, I live by the old saying, "Use it up, wear it out. Make it do, or do without!" :) I recycle and I love animals - but it all goes back to the responsibility given to us by the Creator to take care of His creations!

I believe the reason America has prospered so mightily for so long, is that the men who led the founding of this nation realized Who is the ultimate source of life and liberty. They began leading the United States with the knowledge that, if the Lord is on your side, you cannot fail, and if He is not on your side, you will fail. For many years, we didn't fail - because "In God We Trust"ed. We are blessed here in America. We have been victorious in wars, undefeated in disasters, and prosperous in health and resources. In the past fifty years or so however, that has begun to change (I believe because of our national rejection of Christ as our Power), yet we are still the greatest nation on earth.

Is it possible to bring other suffering nations up to our level of prosperity? I don't believe so. Not considering all that an effort like that would involve and the immeasurable effects it would produce. Yes, in many nations, innocent people are going through horrible situations. But study the beginnings and histories of the majority of those nations - they relied on themselves and their personal strength and greatness instead of the Lord. They practiced Socialism, Communism, and rampant immorality. Now they are paying the prices.

I'm not saying we shouldn't try to help them! Another command God gave is that we should love others as ourselves. When we shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, and care for the hurting, we bless Him. And we have. As a nation, we have provided aid in many forms and in many situations: medical care, food, clean water, shelter and comfort in the aftermath of natural disasters, or even in places where hunger, disease, and poverty are, sadly, the "norm".

So, can we change the world? No. I don't think so. In many ways, the world doesn't want to be changed. If we are going to change the world, we've got to start with ourselves. Are we living right? Do we please God in what we say, do, or how we act? If we have allowed Him to make our hearts right, then we have changed part of the world! Now we are free to move on and, with His help, do what we can for the rest of it.

I in no way mean to sound harsh or unkind in all I've pointed out above. I'm just telling it the way I see it. And if you take the time to look at the situation with an open mind, I think you'll see that what I've said makes a whole lot of sense."

Hope I don't get an F :]

SOLI DEO GLORIA!