We will not be moved

2009-08-04T18:12:00.000-07:00

So today was the day that we finally drained our beautiful green pool. (Brief explanation: the people who lived at the house before us didn't take care of the pool for a year and a half.) It was absolutely GROSS! As the water is ever so slowly draining, we cast our eyes upon an atrocious sight. Literally, two inches of sludge covered the cement walls of the pool. It was nasty. Mold, sludge, algea. *horrible shudder* Ew, ew, ew, ew, and ew.

So after the pool was finally drained, we gazed into "shrek's bathrub" and began to powerwash it. It took a long while (yes, because it was so thick..*goes to throw up*) but afterwards...wow. It actually looked like a pool afterwards!! Pretty cool. We're actually filling it back up as we speak and hopefully it'll be swimable by tomorrow! (Now all I need is a swim suit!)

But the point of this post was to write about something my mom said while she was powerwashing. She said it reminded her of how God has cleansed us of our sin. Sin is the gross, green, moldy sludge that drowns us but God sprays it all away when we let Him take control of our lives. It's an amazing thing. God can change is into beautiful things when we let Him. Then we are filled with Him and His love after we've been cleansed! Pretty cool analogy, don't you think? :)

"Obama's Picture on White House Site is Worth 1000 Words" - frorm the blog Seek Ye Truth

2009-08-02T06:10:00.000-07:00

"Arrogant, selfish, inconsiderate, self-absorbed, rude, ill-mannered, discourteous, snobbish, to name a few? Acting stupidly, perhaps? That's Sgt. Crowley helping a handicapped Professor Gates behind the Oblivious One. You remember the Sgt. Crowley who was called racist by Prof. Gates and "acting stupidly" by Obama? Incredible is the fact that no one on the White House staff even realized that there was anything wrong with this photo! This is the administration that truly cares about you!

In contrast, one of the articles I read about this showed a photo of former President Bush with one of his harshest critics in Congress:"

Help??

2009-07-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

I am in need of serious technical advice. For the past several months my blog has been acting up. It won't, for some reason, let me sepparate my posts into paragraphs, but instead squashes everything together. For example, look at my previous post. It's relatively long, but hard to read for there is no spacing. I'll paragraph it when editting the post but when it publishes, it screws up. Any advice? Anybody know what's wrong or how to fix it?? Thanks!!

2009-07-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about this for a while. What is the main purpose of Christians? Why are we here? Why doesn't God just merely take us into Heaven after we become Christians? Well, I think the main reasons are listed in Matthew 5:13-16 ("'You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven") and 1 Peter 3:15b ("...and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear"). God wants us to be a witness. We are called to be the salt of the earth or the light of the world. We are supposed to be different from everyone else - we have Jesus in us! He needs to be able to shine through us! That is one form of witness, not by words but by actions. Others should be able to look at us and think, "Huh. Something is different about them." Also, we're supposed to witness with our words. We are called to verbally tell others about our faith on a regular basis. But ask yourself, do you do that? I know I don't. I've been thinking....imagine when we reach Heaven, and we are standing before our Savior, and He asks, "Did you tell others about Me? Did you plant the seeds in the hearts?" What will we say? Did we? Are we? Ninety-seven percent of Christians don't share their faith regularly. 97%!!! How sad! We ALL must rise to this and obey God's command. This is our purpose. Yes, we all have different purposes in which God will use us in this world, but witnessing and shining our light is the main purpose. When you think about it though, it's probably the hardest thing for us to do. We tend to block out the fact that most of the people around us are likely going to Hell. We tend to live in la-la land, and blow it off, acting as if everything was fine. But it's not. We must share the word of God before it is too late! Our world is getting more and more evil with each passing day, and people are dying without Christ every single SECOND! We must tell them. Kids in our youth group could be without Christ, family members could be without Christ, our friends could be without Christ, the people in the stores that we shop in could be without Christ, those in the movie theaters could be without Christ, so many are without Christ!! And what are we doing about it? Are we truly making a difference? Are we stepping out of our comfort zone to tell others? We must remember that we are Christ's servants - we serve Him, not man. Even though we may get embarrassed or humiliated or even hurt physically for our faith, we must remember that Christ will never leave us. Just as John 15:18-19 says we will be hated for our faith. Jesus was hated. And we, as His servants, will be hated also. But Jesus will never stop loving us. So what is keeping us back? Are we scared? Are we afraid we'll be embarrassed or ridiculed? Will we be hurt - physically or emotionally? Will we lose friends? Are we afraid we'll say the wrong thing or won't know what to say? Do you need to be motivated or inspired to share your faith? Do you need confidence? I really recommend www.wayofthemaster.com. That is the website that has gotten me pumped up to start witnessing. I saved up and bought the training kit, and it is amazing!! I absolutely love it! I haven't finished it yet and still haven't witnessed on the street (which is so incredibly scary), but I want to soon. Guys, this website and their kit will help you with self-confidence, what to say, and helps you through it will small steps. If you look at the website, you could look at audio lessons, the love test, watch video lessons, and so much more. Please, take the time to look at it all. I would begin with the love test if I were you - that's what I started with. It's...I don't have the right word for it. I just recommend you watch it. Also, pray about this, read your Bible, become motivated. And remember, this is our purpose! God loves us so incredibly much and has done so much for us - He died for us! Why can't we be willing to at least tell others about Him? about His love? We must warn people before it is too late. And we all must remember that God will be with us always. Hebrews 13:5b - "...because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you'." I've been praying lately about hosting a Bible study at my house maybe in later months and use the training kit. It was actually designed for group training which is good. Is that something anyone would be interested in or not? Just curious. I don't know if I will do it. It's just an idea. I hope this post has encouraged you! God bless!! :)

An awesome day with a friend....

2009-07-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, my friend Megan and I met for some good, ole coffee at the one and only...STARBUCKS!! After we hung out and chatted for a good hour, we ventured outside into the Texas oven (whew! it was mucho hot! I felt like a piece of fish frying on a grill...ew, what a gross analogy.) Here are some pics of us at the cute little stream...

Afterwards, we went to RiceBox and ate some delicious Chinese food...I must admit, I got pretty handy with the little chop-sticks. But I was kinda slow and before I knew it the Truitt's were all finished and looking at me...Grinning sheepishly, I grabbed my fork in the end. :D How do the Chinese do it?? Lol, anyway, it was a lot of fun. Thanks, Megs!!

GREAT video - a total must-see!

2009-06-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

www.skitguys.com

2009-06-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

Aaaaah...we still don't have the pictures! Yes, yes...we're procrastinators...but when your car decides to croak on you for several weeks, its hard to get 'round (we have a disposable camera...that's why we have to go to walmart to have them developed..don't you dare laugh at our devoted cheapness!). :P Lol, have a good night guys!

2009-06-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm still alive! I promise! Sorry for the lack of posts. I should have some though by the end of the week. Pics from my dad's birthday party/father's day party! :)

Well....

2009-05-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hopefully I should have a new post by the end of this weekend with some pics!! Finally. But actually, I'll be extremely busy for the next couple of weeks so I probably won't be posting much. Anyway, have a great memorial weekend!! :)

"We are one body of Christ."

2009-05-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

So I just finished reading this book Tortured For His Faith by Haralan Popov. It was very intense and violent and my heart just ached for these Christian prisoners who are/were treated so inhumanly. But I was just in awe of how the pastor (Popov), enduring the most torturous treatments, and yet remained strong and continued to use every single opportunity to share the Gospel. Literally, every opportunity (including in solitary confinement)! During the last chapter of the 160 page book written from Bulgaria, Popov spoke directly to us Christians in the free countries of the world.

"My mission among you in the Free World is to awaken the conscience of the Christians in the Free World to the suffering and needs of our fellow-Christians behind the Iron Curtain....whether in Bulgaria or Russia or America, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, children of the same God. Yet that part of the Body of Christ in the Communist countries are being tortured, imprisoned and suffering as never before since the days of the martyrs of the Early Church. Can you not feel their pain?....even as this spiritual struggle rages behind the Iron Curtain, as martyrs are dying for their faith, and as true servants of God are arrested and have their children taken away from them for life, yet in the churches of the Free World, one can go for years without hearing one prayer for our suffering brethren in Communist lands! I have spoken around the world on behalf of the Underground Church and I have often asked, "Who here has prayed for the suffering Christians of the Underground Church?" Always the answer is almost no one! It is a shame on the conscience of all free Christians. We from communist lands are your brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one body of Christ."

It made me feel incredibly guilty and I am now determined to include our fellow Christians in communist countries in my prayers. I encourage you all to do so as well! A great website to visit is http://www.persecution.com/. I also am wanting to begin collecting Bibles to send to communist countries somehow. I'm not sure where exactly I will send them yet, but I will. Any ideas/thoughts? Also, think about this... Obama is wanting to cut off all Christian talk radio stations. How much longer will he, or future Presidents, allow Bibles to be sold in stores? We can't know. It could be very soon. He's already told the world we are no longer a Christian nation. Shouldn't that be a hint? I'm thinking we all need to start collecting Bibles, even if they're simply paper-backed Bibles at Dollar Tree (because even so, they're still God's Word), to be prepared for when we may not be allowed to have them. What are your thoughts???

2009-05-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

Warning: this is an amazing, intense, touching video that will leave you with your heart thunderring in your chest. But it is scary and it is dramatic. But hurry and share this with your friends - both believers and unbelievers. I don't know how much longer it will be on youtube. Last time I checked, it wasn't on Tangle. They took it off. Interesting, don't you think? I had watched this video several months back and it left a huge impact on me. I recommend it, but bring a box of tissues with you. This is why we just can't put off sharing the gospel. It is so important that we get the Word out as fast as possible...while we still have that freedom. And I'm speaking for myself as I'm writing this all. We need to become bold and fearless Christians who will eagerly witness at any opportunity! Just rememberr our main assignment as Followers of Christ - to spread the Word!!!!!

Our day at the pond

2009-05-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

Well, the other day we decided to take a trip to the pond to see how deep it was after the non-stop downpour of rain we've been having for what seems like months. And we were shocked to see how much it had changed. Eagerly, Jace and I decided we were going for a swim, soon joined by Jammer and Olivian (for about two seconds :D). Here's a "before" picture of the pond:

After! Amazing, isn't it?

Headed to our doom....

Jace found this turtle near the pond. Actually, we've found several turtles recently. I guess they're starting to come out. They're really cute.

And remember when I wrote about the snake we found? Here's a picture of it...(yes it is deceased :P). Kane was just itching to have himself a little snack. Hehe.

2009-05-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

Oh no. According to Slice of Laodicea, Miss CA has turned out to not be so great as we all thought. This is so sad. www.sliceoflaodicea.com.

So we're now the new terroists.

2009-04-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

According to the DHS secretary, Janet Napolitano, people who are military veterans, who purchase legal firearms and ammunition, Christians and Catholics who believe in the "end-times' prophesy", those who are pro-life, pro-marriage, those who aren't falling for this whole new globalism or "new world order" deal, and who basically don't have a problem with speaking out on how they believe are now considered "the real terrorists of this nation". Not those who blew up and killed thousands and thousands of Americans, but us. Those of us who believe in any of the previous could be monitored and profiled by the FBI. Guys, this is serious! We cannot allow this to happen. We need to speak out on this. We can't just sit here, living in la-la land, and let persecution of Christians begin. Because once we let this go, imagine what will happen next? This isn't about considering yourself "political", but standing up for your faith. We're watching all of our liberties and freedoms of this awesome country be thrown out of the window. They're trashing the Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Association, and basically everything! They do not have the right to throw away our Constitution. We can't just sit here and not do anything. The website "No Political Profiling" is encouraging us to add our name to the petition that is demanding Napolitano to be fired (or at least resign) for what she said, an apology from Obama, and for them to take back this claim that we are the real "terrorists". We all must sign!

Obama's 100 Days of Change

2009-04-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

Update on my prayer request

2009-04-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

We've just heard today from our other neighbor that Mr. K's cancer has spread to his brain. The lung cancer went into his bone and is now in his brain. We are afraid he may only have a month at the most to life. It is so sad!! Please keep he and his wife in your prayers!!

Swine Flu

2009-04-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

So apparently there is a new strain of swine flu that has killed as many as 81 and sickened more than 1,324 in Mexico and has spread to the United States and is raising fears of a possible pandemic! Fabulous, huh? This influenza is some sort of respiratory disease of pigs from the 1930s. But somehow it is spreading to humans, most cases happening with those who've had direct contact with the hogs. I guess after that it spreads from human to human. Supposedly, there are only eight Americans who are infected, but my dad thinks there are more than that, according to the talk show he listens to on the radio. But what baffles me is why in the world we are not closing the borders when we KNOW this disease can be deadly. It makes zero sense! I just desperately hope this influenza dies down soon before it gets too fatal!

Our Adventures... :D

2009-04-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

Well, guess what happened to me yesterday? So we're walking back from the pond (haha, yeah, we were swimming :D), with the boys in front with our dog Kane. Suddenly, Jace shouts, "Kane!! No!! Snake!!" Kane decided to "get into it" with the biggest snake I've seen in person (it was like two or three feet long!). I was terrified, thinking it was a rattler and Kane was going to get bit. So I start screaming hysterically for Kane to get away and let go of the snake (yeah, by now he had the creature in its mouth, jerking it back and forth). For about thirty seconds, this continues. I yell at the three little ones to go back to the RV and Jace grabs a hatchet. Finally, Kane flings the snake towards Jace and he begins to...um...destroy it with the axe. After the snake is decapitated, we're able to stop shaking. We ended up dragging the snake (uh, Jace picked the thing up, not me) home in a bin, with Kane trotting happily alongside us, proud of his prize. But we're still not sure what kind it was...thankfully, it wasn't a rattler. Maybe a bullsnake? Lol! Just thought you might want that little piece of our adventures! :D But hey, I'd rather take a snake than a spider. UGH!!!

Beauty Queen Stands Up For Sanctity Of Marriage!!

2009-04-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

I don't watch Miss USA TV shows normally, but I saw on the news today Miss California (not sure of her real name) being interviewed on NBC for remarks she made during the show. Apparently a judge asked her what was her thoughts on gay marriages, considering Vermont was now the fourth state to accept it. She didn't even hesitate but stood up straight and said with a smile, "I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, no offense to anyone out here. But that is how I believe and that is how I was raised." During the interview, Matt whats-his-face inquired why she didn't just give a more mutual answer...not such a straight answer. She answered saying something about how it didn't matter what the judges thought of her in that aspect, but what God would think. (That wasn't verbatim, but I just can't seem to remember what exactly she said.) She was so gracious and sweet about it too...not condescending or judgemental. Let's hear it for our sister-in-Christ! Isn't it awesome to hear of Christians who are standing up for what they believe in no matter the consquences?

My awesome weekend!!

2009-04-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! So sorry for not posting in a while....our computer has been down since the fifteenth or so. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Well, I got to spend the entire past weekend with my awesome friend Megan! On Friday, Megan and I stayed up until 4 o' clock and slept in until 10:30 the next morning! Then we went to my friends Courtney and Hannah's house to go and watch the 6-hour Wives and Daughter's movie. (And I was delighted to find I really enjoyed it! If you can manage to sit still for so long, I totally recommend it!) It was so much fun! We ate pizza, salad, and cup-cakes! Delicious! That night, Megan and I truly tried to be good girls and go to bed at a reasonable time since church was the next morning...but we ended up staying up until 2:00. But in our defensive, we ended getting into an intense and bloody theological debate. :D Very interesting! (Don't worry, we're still great friends! :P) On Sunday we spent the entire day at her church for they were having a lunch and meeting. Delicious food!!! *Drools in remembrance* :D But it was after church that we realized in utter shock that we hadn't taken any pictures! I know, catastrophic! So we hurried to snap a couple pictures to please our bloggers! We had such a blast! Thanks, Megs, for a fabulous weekend!

Wow!

2009-04-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

So there is this homeschooled 19-year-old, John Moore, who has written and directed a new movie that is going to be released on 94 screens nationwide. Go here. The movie is called The Widows Might. Apparently, Moore won the 2oo9 award at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival! How awesome is that?

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

I hope this video has encouraged you to remember the true meaning of Easter! The fact that our Savior willingly put Himself through a torturous, horrific death just so we sinners will have the chance to be with God in heaven. His love for us is just incredible! But the greatest miracle of all is His death was not the end. Today is the day he rose from the dead thousands of years ago. HE IS RISEN!! God is awesome! All for us He did this. Because of His love for us. :)

American Christians going to jail already

2009-04-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

Check out what Voddie Baucham has wrote about Walter Hoye, the couragous Christian who was arrested for offering an alternative to those entering an abortion clinic. Here. So now a law has been passed that no one can stand outside an abortion clinic and witness or offer another way. Great, huh? Like Baucham said, it's time for we Christians to be ready to be persecuted for evangelism. Because it is happening. Please keep our fellow brother Walter Hoye in your prayers!!

Do you need a good, on-the-floor, unable-to-breathe, laugh?

2009-03-21T17:21:00.001-07:00

Of course! We all do!! Ok, I think Tim Hawkins is the most hilarious comedian ever born! He is insane and needs to be heavily sedated, but absolutely hilarious!! It's so funny....I'll be watching the video, shaking my head in astonishment saying "that's so wrong" over and over while I am literally on the floor, cracking up. Believe me, you will be too! Go here to view all of his videos on Tangle.com (previously known as Godtube). I recommend all of them!! Hysterical!!

2009-03-14T09:09:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday, my friends Stephanie and Kevin decided to surprise me and Jace by suddenly showing up to hang out for the day (they live two and a half hours away). It was so cool! I got to meet Steph's fiance for the first time. L-R: Wesley (fiance), Steph, me, Kevin, and Jace.

Ok now...

2009-03-05T19:09:00.001-08:00

Well, on complete contrast to my last post, I'm going to cool down and post a "normal" post. I found some really pretty black-and-white pictures that my mom took in our old home. We were all so cute and young. :) Sorry if some are fuzzy. It was a disposable camera. =S

Awesome video: Obama Is A Communist

2009-03-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

To those who are trying to figure out what exactly is going on with our government or already knows what is going on, this video is gonna get you fired up. A definite must-see. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqkMfToY9Pk - So we are being ruled by a dude who isn't legal (by not releasing his birth certificate or college transcripts!)! How much you want to bet the terroists are over there laughing at us? Oh, and has anyone heard of the little thing that's going on with the boyscouts? People are mad that the boy scouts are not allowing homosexuals or atheists to be in their group; therefore, critics of the BSA are asking Ovomit to decline the honorary presidency...which EVERY president has agreed to since 1910!! Fabulous, huh? Remember, "everything must be fair"! Not to mention the fact that O-Vomit is trying to get the Internet under government control! And yes, he can do it. O-Vomit can get whatever he wants. And you know what angers me? There are so many young people in the US who could careless about what is going on. Do we realize that this is what we are going to have to deal with for more than ONE generation? This tremendous debt (if our nation is still intact) and the issue of our liberty-loss will be on OUR shoulders. Ovomit's goal is to destroy our Consitution....look behind the "stimulus" packages and policies he is wanting to/or has passed. We have to care! This is our country!

The Oath

2009-02-22T17:47:00.000-08:00

I just finished this really great book by Frank Peretti. At first, I was really wary in reading it since I made the mistake and read The House by him (this was before I realized there was a movie). Ok, first of all, I would not recommend reading it. If I had to sum it all up with one word it would be "stupid". And disturbing! Anyway, so I'm reading The Oath and it took me a couple days considering its almost 600 pages long. But all in all, it had an awesome message to it. Unlike The House, Peretti didn't seem afraid to actually make God the main point in the book. The whole message to it was basically this - we all have a monster inside of us; it's called sin. When we let sin take control of us, we are owned by sin. We don't control it. It controls us. It can deceive us to believe we are in control of our lives. But in reality, we are slaves of sin. Like the black slime that infested the hearts of the people of Hyde River that went from one person to another, sin is contagious. When we allow the dragon of sin to live in us, the only result will be, in the end, death. Is there any hope? Yes! With the power of God dwelling inside of us, we can stand up to the dragon. And that dragon will run so fast with its giant scaly tail between it's legs, it will be a blur! Sin can be dangerous and deadly, but compared to the power of God, it's a helpless little lizard.

Satan's Meeting Video

2009-02-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=0edec55cb25411422efd - That video, to me, was so convicting. I don't really have a nictoriously busy schedule (other than chores and schoolwork) and yet I'm constantly ignoring Christ! Setting Him aside for "later". It is so difficult to remain totally focused on Christ and truly ask ourselves "what would Jesus do". Why is it so hard for us to truly have Christ as the center of our lives? Is Satan winning this battle?

Red Envelopes For Life

2009-02-20T16:21:00.000-08:00

The following link (since I can't copy-and-paste the entire message since my paragraphing is screwed up) is a project every Christian needs to do. http://www.redenvelopeproject.org/ We have got to send these envelopes. Look, on the website it says that 120, 069 envelopes have been sent so far. That sounds great and it is fantastic, but compared to the population of this nation, that figure needs to increase, and it needs to increase fast. Yeah, it's out of our way to go purchase a pack of red envelopes (especially when your walmart -the only store in your small, country town- doesn't carry red envelopes! Aaah!) and take the time to write that small message, go to the post office, and send it, but isn't it worth it? This isn't some petition regarding a basketball hoop in the neighborhood lot, LIFE is on the line! We-need-to-do-this! I'm excited! This is a chance for us all to actually take a stand - to maybe make a difference! Life is precious!

Unborn Letters - Video

2009-02-19T19:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=7751c372ccf0bcada762 This video is so touching, sad, sweet, and horrifying all at the same time. Grab a box of tissues and watch.

Psalm 23

2009-02-17T19:30:00.000-08:00

"One day at a great party a great actor was asked to recite the 23rd Psalms. The actor said that he would if a pastor who was present would also recite the psalm. The pastor said that he would. The actor was a great speaker. His voice was beautiful. The people listened carefully. They were thrilled with the way he recited the psalm. When the actor had finished, the people all applauded him loudly. They thought the actor was a wonderful speaker. When the actor's voice had died away, the pastor, who was an old man, rose to his feet. He began to recite the psalm. His voice trembled. At times he paused as if to think of the wonders of the psalm. The Lord seemed to speak through him to the people. When he finished, no one clapped. Most of the audience were crying. Many sat with bowed heads. The Good Shepherd had become very real to them as the old pastor had spoken. The actor rose to his feet again and laying a hand on the shoulder of the old pastor, he said, "My friends, I spoke to your eyes and your ears, but this man spoke to your hearts. The difference between us is this: I know the 23rd Psalm, but this man knows the Shepherd." - From Jace's Bible curriculum.

2009-02-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

I must share with all of you what happened today. So funny! So Jace and Jammer were playing with Jammer's legos on the kitchen floor and Jace randomly asked, "So Jammer, do you know who the President is right now?" Jammer ponders this a while, chewing his lip, and replies, "Yeah, President 'O-vomit'." The rest of us about died laughing. So it's President Huisane 'O-vomit'. And my mom ain't gonna correct him! Lol!

1 Thess. 2

2009-02-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

Wow. We had an amazing sermon today at church. The pastor (who was actually filling in for the normal pastor who had just undergone stomach surgery) spoke about how we Christians, as ambassadors of Christ in this world, need to act. (Here are some random notes I took of the sermon...) We have got to truly reflect Christ in our lives. People are reading us like a book, watching how we act, speak, and think. We represent Christ and the world wants to know how we are - how God works in us. We're like books; sometimes we are the only Bibles people read! Humans have a disease - a very contagious, terminal (deadly) disease that spreads like wildfire. It is called "sin". There is no cure, no antidote but one thing - Christ. He can heal us, renew us, and save us from death. But not everyone realizes they have a diease inside of them, slowly destroying them. And we as Christians, who have been shown the disease inside of us, need to graciously diagnose them and show them the cure. Look, we wouldn't be here if we didn't have someone who diagnosed us and showed us the antidote! (Then the next part of the sermon...)+++++++It's sad, in the church there are many different types of Christians. There is the Cosmetic Christian - they look like a good Christian, play the part, but their hearts are far from Christ. Then there is the Closet Christian - those who stay out of church, technically "believe", and only come for holidays. Crisis Christian - those who only call upon God in dire situations, when they find themselves in a situation where they can't get out, or when they want something. While praying, they ask God to help them or give them what they want while promising to turn from their ways and go to church more often. Carnal Christian -those who "believe" in God but are slaves of sin, conforming to the world, and ruled by self. Then there is the Devoted, on-fire, follower of Christ - the believer who truly "walks the walk". Who strives to live like Christ once lived, hungry for the Word of God, and strives to please God and grow as close as they can to Him. They are willing to give up everything for Christ and serve him with all their hearts. Are we Christians on the outside, but not inside? A fake? Do we remain hidden in a closet, hiding our faith and only going to church on holidays? Do we only call upon God during emergencys or when we want something? Do we call ourselves Christians yet are ruled by self? Do we say Christ is our King and yet, in reality, sin is our king? Our captor? Or are we devoted, dedicated, on-fire followers of Christ? I encourage you all to examine yourselves, like I am doing, to see how we are treating our Savior. Do we shut Him up? Are we ashamed of Him? Is He simply an icon, only yanking at Him when we need him? How would you feel if you had a friend who did all that to you?

The Ten Commandments

2009-02-13T18:48:00.000-08:00

"The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this: You cannot post 'Thou Shalt Not Steal,' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery,' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians...It creates a hostile work environment."

Solutions for our problemos! :D

2009-02-13T18:46:00.000-08:00

"Everyone concentrates on the problems we're having in this country lately: illegal immigration, hurricane recovery, alligators attacking people in Florida ... Not me. I concentrate on solutions for the problems. It's a win-win situation. + Dig a moat the length of the Mexican border. + Send the dirt to New Orleans to raise the level of the levies. + Put the Florida alligators in the moat along the Mexican border. Any other problems you would like for me to solve today?"

On the Road to Teopeska!

2009-02-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

After Sarah and Lance picked us up, we hit the road. The ride in the back was so...exhilerating! (Evann's big-girl word of the day!) We were laughing almost the entire time!

The long drive to their house was extroadinary (another big-girl word! I'm on a roll)! The towering mountains were breathtaking! We took so many pictures as we passed by canyons, cliffs, exotic trees, and more, although many pictures didn't come out because we were being jostled around so much that we couldn't steady the camera! :)

We got a kick out of the McDonalds sign! Ha! Even in Mexico they're poisoning people with artificial meat! Blah!

Oh, this pic has a hilarious story to go with it! Ok, so we were driving through a town when Ju began to sing (or scream) "Felise Naveda" at the top of her lungs, making Wesley and me crack up. Well, there was a red truck behind us that kept tailgating us really really bad. When the truck was close, we realized it was a small kid (about eight) in the passenger seat (no, this one wasn't driving :D) with his dad (we think). The little kid was cute, so I smiled and waved at him (all the while Ju is singing). He grinned back and to our surprise, he pulled out a camera!! His dad pulls literally a foot away from the tailgate so the kid can snap pics! So while we are absolutely cracking up, we pull out our camera and snap pics at them! So now all of us are laughing hysterically. We could only imagine what they were saying to each other: "Dad! Look at those crazy Americanos screaming Merry Christmas out the bed of that truck!" "Take a pic, son, and we can put it on You-tube!" Hahaha! As they finally passed us, waving, we were about dying with laughter. :)

The airport and plane ride...

2009-01-31T07:48:00.000-08:00

Inside the DFW airport! Shiny.... there was barely a soul there too. Hmm, maybe normal people don't like getting up at four in the morning to catch a plane? I can't imagine why! ;)

After walking around the Dallas airport for a little bit we decided to convert our American dollars into our very first pasos!! Aren't they so pretty? I wish our money looked like that. So colorful.

Heading into the terminal!

Ju outside the plane door! I'm getting all excited again, remembering the sound of the air whushing outside, the roaring of the engine, the murmuring of people inside.... =D

Inside the plane (obvously)...slightly cramped, wouldn't ya say?

Lift off! Boy, were Ju and I excited! We were bouncing in our seats like little girls!

Isn't that picture so cool? This is actually out of order...this, I believe, is Mexico City from the sky. Not quite sure. Ju snapped this pic - I was asleep. :)

Aren't those beautiful views? We took many more but I don't think you want a post full of views.

Excitement began to wear off temporarily and we decided to catch some much needed ZZZs. =D (...as Ju's hand is extended to snap the pic....)

Wesley, Ju, and me finally in Mexico!!!!

Lance came to pick us up!

After Lance and Sarah pulled up in the truck, Ju and I rushed over to the truck and I got to hold little Joshua for the first time! They had come to the US in September for a few weeks, but things came up and I wasn't able to see them. So this was the first time I got to see Joshua! Oh he's adorable!

Pictures from Mexico!!!!!

2009-01-20T12:20:00.000-08:00

Finally! Ok, I'll have to take this slowly considering there are like a thousand pictures so I'll try to post some pictures every day in order.

Here is Ju and I outside our hotel on December thirteenth. Our last morning in the USA for a long time! :) It's like four in the morning too.

Mr. Fay and Wesley reluctantly posing for the camera. :P

Our gorgeous luggage. Actually, we had eight duffle bags! Each had one for their own belongings and another for the stuff we were bringing to Lance and Sarah and the kids. Thank goodness we didn't have to drag it very far once we got into the Airport. Ugh.

Ju and me in the airport shuttle. Ha, Ju looks so excited. And look at me! So bug-eyed and happy. Haha, let's just say I'm not too happy at four o' clock in the morning...even if I am going to Mexico! :D In the video Mr. Fay took, I was glaring at the camera (not even realizing it!) totally out of it. Ju was like bouncing off the hotel walls! Hehe.

LOL! Mr. Fay and Wesley. They're so bug-eyed too! Aren't we a lively bunch?

LOL! (the above is a sneak peak of our airport adventure - I really did have a good time even though it doesn't look like it. I think someone was talking to me or something. No idea what Mr. Fay is doing!! Haha!) Ok, that's enough for now. Either tonight or tomorrow I'll have another post with pictures of the plane ride, airports, views from the plane, etc! Yay!

A hilariously fun birthday party get-away!!!!

2009-01-16T12:21:00.000-08:00

Last friday was my friend Megan's eighteenth birthday! Her mother rented an awesome cabin that we all got to stay in for the night...so much fun!! Here are some pics... Here we all are (L-R) : Courtney, me, Megan, Hannah, and Abby. Right here we're showing off our loverly hair (get to that in a moment)! After we arrived at the cabin, we all decided to go on a "walk" on the "trail". But then we got a little side-tracked with this beautiful mini canyon! So instead, we went on a little hike. Courtney! :) Abby, Megs, and Courtney! Hannah and me! We came back after a long journey (and almost being attacked by a scary coyoty with purple foam -long story) and we found a table full of delicious fajitas that Mrs. Truitt made for us! Oh, it was so good. Then present time....*Present time, present time, open the present and see what's inside*! :)

Now, my mom had this awesome idea that we get fake hair for the partygirls and all sorts of stuff for Megs! Hehe!

Then we popped out the.....

Wine!!! Ok, so just kidding. It was delicious sparkling cherry juice!!!

The next morning we went shopping!

And ate at Starbucks!!!

Haha! Look at the guy. He looks so shocked. "What is wrong with these girls?"

We had an absolute blast! I cannot believe Megan is eighteen. *Sighs* I've known her since she was five. Wow. Happy Birthday Megan, my adult friend!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2009-01-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

It seems like just a post ago I was celebrating Olivian's Birthday...now its time to celebrate Jammer's fifth birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Rodent! :D He's loving life right now riding along on his new "big kid" bike!

A Glimpse of Mexico

2009-01-04T07:14:00.001-08:00

Guess what?! I have a few pictures of Mexico! Not all of them (not even close considering there is about a thousand!) but a few from an e-mail. Hopefully soon I'll have all of them! Enjoy!!

Here is the family that we spent so much time with! (Hope I have the spelling right) L-R: (Top)- Carlitos (9), Lucio (12), Alex (8), Kayla (11), Julianne with Sarita (3), Paloma (13) with Nachita (5), me with Pati (8), their mother Yada, (bottom) Wesley with baby Joshua, Steve (8), Orlando (6), Bato (4), Recardo (8), Christian (5), and their father Carlos.

The norm way of transportation - in the back of the truck! Oh yeah! (We're missing a couple people in this pic - including me - since the camera couldn't get all of us. :D)

The missionary family that we went to visit - Lance, Sarah, and little Joshua Keeling. :)

The kids enjoying the "American meal" that Mr. Fay cooked for us all. I take it they like it from all the "thumbs up". :D

Haha! Mr. Fay with Christian and Recardo. Lol!

And us back in the US! Ah, home sweet home.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2009-01-01T06:07:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone will have a great new year! Strive to live for God every day of this year and to strengthen your relationship with Him.

Well, yesterday was Avery's tenth birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AVI!!! She's so excited to be a "two-digit". I'm sure today she'll spend some time outside on her new bike, listening to her new cds, and torturing us by watching HSM2 (a.k.a High School Musical 2) over and over again. :)

Happy new year!

2008-12-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I feel bad since I haven't really written anything of importance since I don't have the pictures of the trip yet...so I thought maybe I could post some pictures of our land to give you a sense of where we live.

This is actually the back of our land...uh, I think. Yeah, that tree line is where our forty acres ends. Maybe in the spring I can take some more pictures. It's a lot more beautiful when the trees and flowers are blossomed.

Isn't this so cool? These are actually trees that hang over a dried up pond. It's so awesome with all the trees that it looks like a tunnel. (Sorry about the finger smudge. Avery was just dying to show off her fingers. Just kidding. :P)

This is what that tunnel looks like with the trees. Cool, huh?

This is was Jammer and Jace call "the rump slide". You should hear Jammer laugh as he slides down on his rear, flips over, and begins to tomble headfirst into the ditch. Lol! I prefer the skateboard. It goes down faster and you don't get as dirty. :D

Our lovely dried up pond. :P

Our beautiful "mansion". :)

2008-12-25T12:20:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2008-12-24T15:36:00.001-08:00

I'm baaaaaack!!!! Ok, for those who don't know what in the world I'm talking about, on the thirteenth I left with my friend Julianne, her brother Wesley, and her dad to go to Mexico to help out some missionaries down there. I plan to share some pictures (we took at least a thousand but I won't be able to post all of them, sadly) but that won't happen until Friday. To sum the whole trip up though, let me previse that I had an absolute blast. We visited these people in nothing more than mud huts, we played with kids dressed in rags, we saw mangy dogs scrouging the streets for food, we babysat the ten children at the orphanage for two-and-a-half days, and more. I can't wait to share details and pics with you (I wish videos since we took tons, but I don't think it will work on my computer)! Check back this weekend for hopeful pics of the trip. =) I hope everyone has a fabulous Christmas and even though the Christmas tree, lights, presents, and everything else is great, try to remember why Christmas has CHRIST in it. :) Merry Christmas, everyone!

For the girls...

2008-12-11T15:54:00.000-08:00

Hi girls! I have a friend who believes that keeping your kiss for your future husband is a bit too legalistic and believes that God is more concerned with the matters of the heart. But, she is open to other opinions and testimonies and said that I could ask you guys on what you think about this. Do you believe God wants you to keep your kiss for your husband? Why, or why not? Do you believe it is a special gift or do you think it is a minor thing that doesn't really matter and is too legalistic? Do you believe that kissing counts as remaining pure? Have you been tempted in any way to give away your kiss? What motivates you to remain pure?

I definetly think that God wants us to keep our kiss for our husband. I think that the man that I am going to be with for the rest of my life should deserve that gift. How special would it be for him when I say - "I have never kissed anyone but you." I don't think it is a minor thing. Sure, it doesn't say in the Bible "kissing is wrong" but it does say that we should be pure in other matters. It is demonstrated in several verses, though, that kissing is a way of enticement. In Proverbs 7, it is told of how the evil woman lurked and enticed the man with a kiss that led to his destruction. Oh yes, I've been tempted - no more than like a peck on the cheek, but still! I'm motivated by the fact that I want to keep all my "firsts" for my husband (e.g. holding hands, writing him a special song, cooking him a birthday cake - poor guy...I'll have like peptoebismo for icing or something and salt mistaken for sugar, have at you. For those who don't know me very well...I can't cook. :P-, making love, etc.) and that I know this is what God wants of me. Remember, just because we live IN this world, does not mean we need to be OF this world. By keeping our thoughts and bodies pure, we are not only honoring the Lord, but living up to his standards. :)

2008-12-10T15:57:00.000-08:00

On Monday, we met my fabulous friend of twelve years, Megan, and her amazing mom for lunch at Cheddars (yum!! Especially the buttered crossants! I could make myself sick on those things!!). Here are some pics...

Also, I wanted to post some adorable pictures of our two recently adopted dogs. Bailey Wailey- our border collie and Sugar Kane - our albino pittbull. :P

Pitiful Kane.

Beautiful Bailey. :) (Sorry about the dark pictures - I forgot to press "flash".)

Bailey again (technically not supposed to be on the couch...sshh)

Kane on the haystacks (he was so excited Jace had to literally hold him down. You should see him...we have three rows of hay bales and he runs and jumps on them with the rest of us. So cute. Bailey is scared of heights, lol.)

Haha...this was an attempted picture of the dogs wrestling...but they're a bit too fast. :) Its so funny to watch. They'll go tearing through the RV, running over anyone or anything in their paths all the while barking and growling (playfully) at each other. We'll fall to the floor laughing. Jammer says "Whoa! They fight like lions!"

Kane - loves his ball. You rarely see him without it - he sleeps with, explores with it in his mouth, does everything with it. Freaks out if he loses it. So cute!!! Kane Kong. :)

Bailey - every morning I wake up to a slobbery lick all over the mouth (ick!). So funny. She is absolutely crazy about catching mice and rabbits and adores exploring! She's the pretty, prissy, prancing, petite princess!

Fright in the Night

2008-12-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

Last night around midnight, I was awoken to the sound of my dad's phone ringing. (I was surprised I heard it over the thunder and rain pouring on the trailer and due to the fact I am a total deep sleeper - to the point if a bomb went off nearby, I'd be lucky if I heard it.) My first thought was "Oh no! Something must have happened at his work. He's gonna have to go to work tonight".

I strained to make out the hushed whispers from my parents room. I peered out from the curtain that I have draped over my lower bunk and saw my dad in his jeans hurriedly putting on his boots and shirt.

"What's wrong?" I whispered.

"Evann, get up and turn on the laptop to the Weather channel," he said without any explanation.

I nodded, slipped on my robe, and decided to ask questions later. Our computer takes a while to turn on so in that time, Jace had awoken and my dad had him turn on the TV to the News. To my shock, I heard from one of the meteorologists these words: "Warning to those in Fannin County - take immediete shelter! Spotted tornado headed straight for Bailey (the town where we live in) and neighboring towns." My eyes bulged and I looked at my dad. I found the website and let my dad get on. (My mom was also up at this time) After scanning over the site for a few seconds, he looked up. "Wake the kids up. We need to get to the storm cellar."

My breath was cut short but I rushed to the bunkbeds. I shook Avery awake as best as I could and tried to the same for Olivian. "Olivian! I need you to wake up. Come on...Daddy needs us..." That was pointless. She was out. I snatched her up and tried to get her to stand. "Come on, we need to go outside." The poor girl was so out of it that she just stood there totally confused and began to cry (adding to the stress). I stuffed her arms through her coat while my mom arose Jammer, wrapped him in a blanket and got her boots on. Then I raced back to my bed in search for my boots.

I couldn't find them! I looked everywhere and finally just grabbed my flip-flops (ugh). My dad was already outside near the storm cellar, taking off the board that worked as a temporary door. Jace grabbed Kane (our pitt-bull) and we all rushed outside into the pouring rain. The wind blew harshly around us, my bed-tossled hair whipped around my face.

"I'll get Bailey," I told my dad and rushed to the "Shack" where she sleeps (she has long hair and Jammer is alergic). Of course, she was all excited and about tackled me, smothering my pajamas with mud. I put her on the leash and took her to the cellar. It was there that Jace was having a hard time getting Kane into the cellar. He was panicked by the storm and didn't like the idea of going into a dark place. I about freaked when he somehow slipped out of his collar.

I practically threw Bailey to Jace and tried to grab Kane (all the way thoughts of animals bolting during storms raced through my mind) and picked him up. (FYI, he's HEAVY!) I stood there as Jace carried Bailey into the Cellar and I cried out, "Dad! I can't get Kane down there! He's too heavy!" (He was! I was like going to topple head-first into the cellar if I tried by myself.) My dad took Kane and I followed him inside. I took the leash and crouched in the far corner. Jace handed me Bailey's leash and hurried to help my dad bring in the folding chairs that were right outside. They were soaked, but we didn't care. My mom sat in one, a half-sleeping Jammer in her arms. Olivian and Avery shared one, and I sat in one with Bailey on my lap (of course, because she wouldn't have it any other way) and Kane by the collar. We prayed for protection.

My dad and brother were outside watching the skies for a sign of the tornado, meanwhile I was underground, trying not to panic and trying not to cry. (By the way, I absolutely hate natural disasters. Somehow it always really scares me. When I was little, I'd wake up screaming in the night from nightmares of fires or tornados. So this was a bit...um, frightening. Actually, I'd rather face twelve armed men than a tornado. Then like Jace said, "Ha, like you've ever faced twelve men with guns. Riiiiight." Well....:P)

Oh, and the phone call...that was our awesome friends the Melers. Miraculously, they had been awake (they normally go to bed earlier) and were watching the news when they saw the newsflash. While Mr. Meler called Daddy, Mrs. Meler said she had literally fallen to her knees and had prayed for us the entire time we were in the cellar.

My mom called them while we waited for the tornado and said we were safe and in the cellar. Then the signal was gone. I really had to control my breathing when my mom mouthed at me, "Listen." Then I heard it... BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, in the distance. "That's it," she mouthed. I was so close to crying. Yet, she looked so calm!

To make a long story short, the tornado (by God's Hand) missed us by a hair. It destroyed many homes in Leonard (a town barely six miles from us) and a few homes in Bailey, but missed us completely. (Boy, was I relieved!) The only damage the storm caused on our land was a lot of the stuff outside had been blown across the yard and there was a lot of mud. Big deal, right?

We eventually went back into the RV (putting the dogs in the "Shack" since they were ridiculously muddy - as was I, but my parents were gracious enough to let me sleep in the trailer :P) and we thanked God for protecting us and our land.

My mom said this experience made her laugh. "It's just God letting us know that he is in control."

I marvel at how calm she is in such situations - along with my dad and brother! I've learned from this situation how I need to really work on trusting in God in all situations - even the scary situations. Sometimes I think I can handle any situation calmly, but now I know I can't. At least, not without the total confidence that I KNOW God is with me and that he'll protect me. So like always, God protected us. He is an awesome God!

(Kiss The Girl) By Ashley Tisdale.

2008-12-09T12:01:00.001-08:00

(This is Kiss The Girl) By Ashley Tisdale, yes the girl who plays Sharpey in High School Musical. My sister Avery loves Ashley Tisdale, she is lip singing Kiss The Girl. She's really good at mouthing it! Amber's in the back playing the guitar. Enjoy:)

(Break Away) by Kelly Clarkson!

2008-12-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

I'm lip singing (Break Away) by Kelly Clarkson! My band members are, Amber my friend, and Avery my sister:) I think they really got into the music, like hitting each other with the guitars, swaying to the music, and flipping their hair around, lol! When Amber sneaks past me with a grin, she's closing the door that my brother and his friend swung open during the song! I was trying so hard not to laugh!!! Enjoy!!!!

Hello

2008-12-06T10:41:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! Sorry there's been no new post...there hasn't been anything new to write about. I had planned to post some pics of some stuff but it was from a disposable camera and I forgot to take it to Wal-Mart this morning to be developed and to be downloaded onto a CD thingy. I might be able to post it sometime this week but I might not have time because I have to get ready for this weekend. I'm leaving for Mexico next Saturday!! :D I'm so excited. I'm not sure if Mr. Fay is bringing his digital camera/laptop for pics, but I'm definitely bringing two disposable cameras that I can get downloaded onto a CD at Wal-Mart when I get back and then I'll be able to post them. Today, my mom and I went to Wal-Mart and got all the necessary stuff for the trip - duffel bag, cute little containers (like for toothbrush, soap, hair stuff) that I got all matching (yeah, I know...I'm a bit weird), long johns (because there won't be any heat in the Keelings' house), etc. Of course, I had to try out the duffel bag today to make sure most of my stuff fit. Well. I have to go...ta ta!

2008-11-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

Belay that message below. All who want to participate (whether you have a blog or not) can; just use the comment box (for those who don't have a blog). Savvey? ;)

I have been tagged

2008-11-28T17:17:00.000-08:00

I have been tagged for a book meme by Jolie! =)

The Rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages)

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence

4. Post the next three sentences

5. Tag five or more people.

Okay, but before I follow this....I have awesome news!! I fixed that dumb HTML Code problem!! YES!!!

Anyway...

Babylon Rising by Tim LaHaye (398 pages) Page 123, fifth sentence: "What are we looking for?" Laura asked. "Probably an amphora." Laura drew up her mental image of the ancient clay jars that we bubous in shape with two handles that stuck out like ears from their necks. Amphoras were used to store grain, dried fish, water, wine, and valuables. Hmm...that wasn't too exciting. Well, the book certainly is, let me tell you! Alright, friends... Megan, Courtney, Hannah, Little Mary, Amber, and Michaela are tagged! You're it!

Ta ta!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

2008-11-27T12:58:00.000-08:00

Psalm 95:1-6 (KJV) "O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker." Have a great thanksgiving! (The pic below is of my three younger siblings playing with our friend's chickens)

Random Pics Of My Past :)

2008-11-26T15:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, since my computer doesn't cooperate I'm going to describe the pics in a different way... 1st Pic - Sharpey :) 2nd Pic - Olivia and her first hair cut. So short!! :( 3rd Pic - These are our two dogs - Sofia (the pitbull) and Nicky (the little chihahua). I miss them so much. They were such great dogs. 4th Pic - My brother, me, and Julianne awaiting our certain doom. (I wasn't really crying, just pretending.) 5th Pic - Scary, huh? Yeah, that's us three on that wee contraption. Let me elaborate - we were at six flags and there's this sweet innocent ride called Skydiving. There could be up to three riders so we decided we were going to try it! But it was kinda sad...the crew people who were suiting us up seemed so dull and bored so I tried to cheer them up by teasing them. "Do you know what you are doing?" "I knew it. You don't!" "I'm gonna diiiieee!" "Will this cord snap?" "If this thing snaps and I fall to my horrifying death, I am so suing!" etc. Hey, and I got a couple laughs out of it! Anyway, this is what these thing does - you get fitted into this suit thingy then go up to this elevator sort of thing where they make you (force you actually with brutal strength - just teasin') step into this thingy that you have to hang on to and stand on with your feet, then they tie you to it (by this time I'm getting a teensy bit nervous), then this dumb cruel evil absolutely horrid guy pushes this button for his own utter sick pleasure that drops the floor out from out of us and we flip forward (shriek too), dangling in the air by this skinny cable. Then they grin sick, evil grins and press the button that takes us high into the air. (aaaaahhh!!!!) Oh, and I forgot. They have this idea that the biggest/tallest person needs to be in the middle, which was Julianne. Jace and I resigned ourselves to the sides (scawwwy). Oh! And guess what? Someone has to pull the cord that is attached to our foot thingy and that makes us go take a little trip through the air! Fun, fun! The people on the side have to do it. Well, there was no way I was letting Jace pull it. (You just don't let twelve-year-olds do that sorta thing) So I agreed to do it. The lady said (as we are getting pulled up and whimperin) "Oh, when I tell you, pull the cord and you'll drop." *Gulp and bug eyes* "O-okay." So we're getting pulled up (really high, btw) and all the while I'm thinking to myself 'Oh no, I'm responsible for our deaths! Waaa!!' So we get higher, higher, higher, and higher. Then I hear on a megaphone, "Ok, PULL!" And I pulled. 6th Pic - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! 7th Pic - Pretty high, huh? 8th Pic - Still a'screamin! Lol! :D ~~~~~~ Well, hoped ya enjoyed the pics. That's all I have for now. Oh, to my utter shock, I came off the ride alive. Slightly disapointed though. As scary as it was, I kinda wished it was a little more...scary. :D I am SO jumping out of an airplane! Who's with me???

2008-11-25T11:01:00.000-08:00

Sorry friends I haven't been blogging in a while. Our laptop isn't working anymore and is getting repaired at my dad's work. I think it should be fixed in a day or two but for right now I'm on the library computer. Look at those amazing scolptures made in the sand! Wow! Read these words that I got in an e-mail forward... Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Isn't it funny how someone can say 'I believe in God' but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also 'believes' in God). Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing? Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me. Easy vs. Hard Why is it so hard to tell the truth but Yet so easy to tell a lie? Why are we so sleepy in church but Right when the sermon is over we suddenly wake up? Why is it so easy to delete a Godly e-mail, but yet we forward all of the nasty ones? Of all the free gifts we may receive, Prayer is the very best one.... There are no costs, but wonderful rewards... GOD BLESS!

The Ball

2008-11-19T18:03:00.001-08:00

I have the pictures from the Ball that Jace and I went to November 7th. We had so much fun! It was great! I loved the costumes of everyone! There were some absolute gorgeous gowns from the other girls - most of them homemade!!! The friends who also went (Hannah, Courtney, Michaela, and her sisters) made their dresses as well. *Cough* I made mine too! At an antique store. :D The Ball was five hours long and I think I managed to dance all the dances except for two. My feet were so sore the next day! (And my shoulders were too! As weird as this sounds, I think it was from trying to stand up straight all night! :D)I hope you like the pics!! (Though a couple of them look really funny of me when I didn't realize there was a camera!)Oh, I'm sorry for my music box. Some of the songs like Burn For You isn't how it is supposed to be. Due to my limited time on the computer, I didn't have time to run through each song completely when uploading it so I didn't realize it was a remix. Sorry!!

Fireproof

2008-11-16T16:58:00.000-08:00

I finally saw it!!! My dad took Jace and me to see it on Saturday night. It was amazingly awesome! I completely and totally recommend it. The only thing that I have to slightly critize it on is some of the acting scenes were a little weak, but some were so powerful! It was so suspensful, entertaining (especially with the trash can and Mr. Randolph. Oh, and the Tomato Sauce! Haha!), emotional, and all in all, fabulous! What was amusing though was when we were exiting the theater room, Jace and I were the only teens. The rest were people over thirty. :D Oh well. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And get this! We were visiting a church home today and part of the message was on the verse "If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out." The pastor explained that wasn't supposed to be literal, but metaphorical. For instance, if there is something that you have that causes you to sin (like an addiction of some sort), get rid of it. I leaned over and whispered to Jace, "Yeah! Like Caleb (the main character of Fireproof) and the computer." He nodded. And then I almost laughed aloud when the pastor said something like "it's always good to have something to fight the addiction with". I whispered to Jace again. "The bat!" and he grinned at me. To those who have seen this great movie, you'll know what we're talking about. To those who haven't seen it, go see it! :D

This blog is driving me bonkers!!!

2008-11-15T08:54:00.000-08:00

The reason for the lack of posts from the past few days is because my blog refuses to cooperate with me. It's making me do everything HTML CODE and I can't stand that. For some reason it won't let me sepperate the sentences into paragraphs, so everything is slurred together and looks horrible. Plus, it won't let me change the font or color or anything. Does anyone know what in the world is wrong? Any of my professonal blogger friends? I'm going crazy on this end of the world.

Sad news....

2008-11-09T08:02:00.000-08:00

Last night, we came home about 8:30 from a friend's house to find that both are dogs were missing. Panicked, we called out their names and my brother spotted our black bulldog Sofia limping from the fence-line of the land next to us. We went through several explanations of the injuries (which was two puncture-type wounds on the right hip and at the neck) as we hurried her inside the trailer to treat her. We've come to the conclusion for the most part that she must have hurt herself trying to get out of the fenced-in chicken-wired area that we had them both in. We think she must have injured herself by getting caught on part of the fence and falling onto this metal box that we had pressed against the gate. That, or we're afraid she had a run-in with coyotes. We thought she was recovering, but I think that the stress took a turn for the worst on her heart worms because she died this afternoon. We are going to miss her so much. She was such a sweet dog. Nicky - our little Chihuahua- is still missing. We think he must have wandered off when Sofia broke out of the fence. We're praying he'll somehow find his way back to us wherever he is OR someone found him and will put a "FOUND DOG" sign at our post office or something. Please pray that we'll find him. I wish I had pictures of them on this computer to show you. We miss them so much. <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< Also, I just wanted to give you readers a glimpse of a future post. This is my friend Hannah A. and me at The Harvest Dance Ball Friday night. Hopefully, I can have more pics and I'll go into more detail. Also, I hope to have some pictures from Saturday when my family spent the day at a friend's house having a birthday party. Have a good night!

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

2008-11-02T06:11:00.001-08:00

This country severely needs our prayers. Please take the time to watch this 2 minute movie on Godtube.com. http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=76822072c0beaf313ad2 For those who can't watch this, let me brief you real quick. This is basically a video of Senator Barak Huessian Obama on June, 2006 criticizing and mocking the Word Of God, aiming his hateful words at the sermon on the mount passages, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. He takes bits and pieces, flips them around, and mocks them. Ending with the final remark of, "Folks haven't been reading their Bible." He says he is a Christian, yet how can he call himself a true Christian if he will mock the Scriptures and would not protect the sanctity of life and marriage? I think he is a liar. In my opinion, if Obama wins the election, this great nation of ours will never be the same, and not in a good way. We need to fall down on our knees, cry out to the Lord, and pray for our soldiers, our government, our leaders, and our nation. And why you are praying, please pray for Obama's protection from people who want to kill him. For as Jesus commanded, we are to love our enemies and to pray for them. Thank you, my prayer warriors!

What should I title this?

2008-10-30T17:45:00.000-07:00

No idea. :) Anoucement! I have officially finished the LEFT BEHIND: The Kids series (By Jerry Jenkins and Tim LeHaye)! Books 1 through 40! Whew, that took a while to read. As Jace said, "Wow. You finished them? Ha, I don't remember a time when you weren't reading them!" What did I think about them? They were amazing!! I loved them! I know that there are some people who do not care for the series because they aren't "theological". Well, its one man's (or two man's)oppinion on what they think will happen. Know one knows for sure! But I absolutely loved it. Personally, I found the last book to be a bit...weird. Not at all how I envision Christ's Return, but oh well. I totally recommend the series!! I'll miss Vicki and Judd though (the main characters). The series is so long, I'll probably never read it again. Ok! I have an idea! "A game? A game? A game?! I love games!! Pick me!" (Dory, Finding Nemo) :D Ok, by using the comment section, write down the book that you are currently reading, the title, the author, and the first sentence. Also, what page you are on. Then, this is optional, write down a small section of the book that you liked (small paragraph, sentence, etc). Then, optional, write what you think of the book so far! I'll start. Babylon Rising by Tim LeHaye Exactly thirty-three hours and fourty seven minutes after he had last been in church, Michael Murphy was hurtling through a terrible dark aybss. Favorite section: An impossible escape from the jaws of death... The secret of a Biblical prophecy revealed... A loved one brutally attacked... Forces of terrifying evil empowered... A man of surprising courage is tested and proves ready to become a much-needed hero for our times... And that's just the beginning... What I think about it? I love it. It's not as...bone-cracking suspensful as I would like it (you know like un-put-downable), but I still really like it. To summerize it all up, it's basically like a christian Indiana Jones book. I don't want to give too much away, so that's all I'm going to say. Oh, page number: 180 Your turn!! By the way, is any other bloggger currently experiencing technical difficulties with your blog? As in having to do everything through HTML codes? It is driving me absolutely crazy. My blog just doesn't like me!!

Fun day at the park!

2008-10-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, our two awesome friends - The Fay family and the Meler family - met with us at a park to celebrate that birthdays of Miss Lydia and Olivian! The whole gang! Left to right: (top) Mrs. Meler, my mother, Brandon Meler, Jace, me, Hannah Fay, Jammer, Julianne Fay (holding her brother Luke), Amber Meler, (middle) Avery, Abigail Fay, (bottom)Elise Fay, Megan Meler, Olivian, and Lydia Fay. That's everyone except for Mrs. Fay who graciously volunteered to take the pic! Opening presents...hmm, the bros in the background look a little envious...=D Three 'lil girls! (Lydia, Megan, and Olivian) Mrs. Meler and Luke (aka Opie) All the kids! (left - right : (top) Elise, Amber, Hannah, (middle) Julianne holding Olivian, Me holding Megan, Lydia, Avery, Abigail, (bottom) Jammer, and Luke who decided to suddenly turn around. :) The big boys are camera-shy. *tisks* Miss Avery and Miss Abigail :) Amber and Me Julianne and Me Hannah and Me Sittin' on Ju-Ju Look what we can do! Ta da!! *Shakes head* I tell her time and time again, Hannah just doesn't know her own strength. Rippin' Hannah... *sinister giggle* Rippin' ME! OWWW!!! Ta da! (yikes, little blurry) The Monkey Child "Smile at the camera. Ok, not too hard, Jace." "Whoa!" "Aaah!" "OOF! Ow! That HURT!" (Okay, for all my loving friends who are out there reading this and about in tears at my gruesome fate, be glad because it was posed. =D Julianne wasn't quick enough with the camera. She's mighty quick though! And to all my former friends who have just managed to pick themselves off the floor from laughing so hard at this scene, you may now leave my blog! =D) Squashing my wee little head!! (My friends are so mean to me!) And last but not least, our classy mamas! Mrs. Prego Fay (who is five months pregnant), my fabulous mama, and beloved Mrs. Meler! :) I'm sorry if the font is hard to read. My computer is not cooperating with me which is one reason why it has taken me so long to post. Because of this, I can't change the font color or style so if you hear a scream and then a crash you can nod to yourself and quietly say "Yup, that would be Evann throwing the computer out the window." Have a good night!

How to fail a math test with dignity!

2008-10-24T08:06:00.000-07:00

Haha! I love this! =D

On Fire For Him

2008-10-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

I once knew a girl who had a serious...enjoyment for the Jonas Brothers Band. In fact, she loved to talk about them above anything else. She'd send e-mails after e-mails, showing me videos, pictures, and other stuff all about them. She'd go on and on, describing them by using words like "BEAUTIFUL", "absolutely amazing", "awesome", "the coolest", "cute as can be", "totally amazing singers", "I just adore them", "I am in love with them", etc. E-mail after e-mail, until my mom and I decided enough is enough and asked her to end those types of e-mails.

It occurred to me that this is how passionate we ought to be for our Lord and Savior. We should desire to talk and think of him over anything else. We ought to use every opportunity to tell people about how awesome He is and yearn to learn more about Him and grow close to Him. We need to have a blazing desire to follow Him and trust Him with all our hearts. Let's be ON FIRE for Him!

Psalm 84:2 "My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God."

2 Peter 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."

Psalm 13:5 "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation."

Psalm 28:7 "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

Deuteronomy 6:5 "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

I strive to be on fire for Jesus, to walk with Him, and trust Him in all situations, but I fail constantly. I've found, though, when I'm feeling lukewarm in my relationship with Him that by praying earnestly and reading my Bible, counting my endless blessings He has bestowed upon me each and every day, referring to encouraging and uplifting verses helps me to remain in awe of what He's done for me and to strive to be on burning for Him.

To my sisters and brothers in Christ, let us encourage each other to keep our fire burning by praying for one another and asking how the Lord has shone you His unfailing love today! :)

Everything Video

2008-10-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

This video is absolutely amazing and all-powerful!! I've seen it dozens of times, yet never get tired of it. Everytime I watch it I tear-up and get "God-bumps" (as my mom would put it). I just love it. http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee73e63418003b47d7d5 Tell me what you think! =)

Um, I've been tagged and I have no idea how to do this.

2008-10-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

Wait. Actually, I think I do...barely. Ok, I've been tagged by Jolie. (Thanks a lot, Jolie. =D) RULES: Link to the person who tagged you.... list the rules, write six random things, tag six people, letting them know you tagged them, and let the person who tagged you know you've written the post. My Random Things: Ooh, this should be easy. I am SO random. 1. I love to climb trees. 2. My four-year-old brother smells. (What? He does!) 3. I love to ride horses. 4. My freckles are fading. (*Grins triumphantly* Vitamin C cream really does work, FYI.) 5. I want to travel the world. 6. I adore chocolate. That good? Ok, tag six people....I'm tagging Megan, Michaela, Courtney, Hannah, Amber, (who else has a blog?? Because I take it this is only for people who have blogs?), and that's all I can think of. Wa la. TAG you all are it! :)

FOOTPRINTS...A New Version

2008-10-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road together. For much of the way, the Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace.But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns.For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling, His consistently.You and Jesus are walking as true friends!

This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens: Your footprints that once etched the sand next to Jesus' are now walking precisely in His steps.Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones, you and Jesus are becoming one.This goes on for many miles, but gradually you notice another change.

The footprints inside the large footprints seem to grow larger.Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of footprints. They have become one.This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse! Zigzags all over the place. Stops. Starts. Gashes in the sand. A variable mess of prints.You are amazed and shocked. Your dream ends.

Now you pray:

"Lord, I understand the first scene, with zigzags and fits. I was a new Christian; I was just learning. But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You."

"That is correct.''

"And when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps, following You very closely."

''Very good.. You have understood everything so far."

"When the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was becoming like You in every way."

"Precisely.''

"So, Lord, was there a regression or something? The footprints separated, and this time it was worse than at first."

There is a pause as the Lord answers, with a smile in His voice. "You didn't know? It was then that we danced!"

Guess what?

2008-10-15T10:09:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited!! =D =D =D I'm going on my very first mission trip! Mexico!! I cannot wait! Okay, my wonderful friend Julianne (whom I've known for 6 or 7 years), her amazing dad, and her older brother are going to Mexico to visit and help out some relatives who are missionaries down there. And they invited me to go too! To my utter delight, my parents are allowing me to go. :D We're leaving December 13, by airplane, and are coming back on the 23rd. Ten whole days! Hehe, Julianne and I can't decide whether we're more excited about the mission trip...or the four-hour plane ride. =P I wonder if there is a way that I can take digital pics and put them on my blog...hmm...I'll have to do some investigating and scheming. ;) Plz don't think I'm bragging whatsoever...I'm just really excited! My first passport, my first mission trip, my first trip out of country, my first trip by myself, and I cannot wait!! =D =D =D

My Sibs!

2008-10-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

I decided to write a post on my siblings and show you some pics. We don't have a digital camera (we're saving to get a good one though) so I'm going to have to "borrow" some pics from friends' blogs. (Thanks Megan!) =)

Okay, youngest to oldest...

Jammer, also known as the following: Rodent, Vermin, Varmit, Skunk, Jamburger, Rumpkin Stew, Spiderman, Monkey-Child, Crazy one, etc. Lol, once you get to know him (or already have that utter pleasure) you will realize these names truly do fit him! =D

Olivian, also known as Tinkerbell, Tink, Loquacious one, 'Lil Motormouth, Chatterbox, (are you beginning to pick up on her personality?), Ye-Ya, Ding-a-do, and the Wild Animal. Everyone loves Tink! =)

Avery - also known as Avi Jacki, Drama Queen, Sharpey (ever seen Highschool Musical?), and Papoose. Spotlights on Avery!! =D

Then there is Jace...also known as Jason Bourne, Howling Mad, Hopping Mad (due to his current broken foot), Nuisance, Pakeeto, Big Foot, and the Fonz. He thinks he is the one and only! *Rolls eyes* But he is great! =D (But he can't stand the following picture of himself - "Ugh! I look HORRIBLE! What was I DOING?! I look constipated!" That's the Fonz side of him. ;) )

So that's my 'lil family! I don't have any pics of my parents though...they're camera-shy. ;)

Hi!

2008-10-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

I have been a wayward child ~ I have acted out ~ I have questioned soveriegnty~ And had my share of doubts ~ And though sometimes my prayers feel like ~ They're bouncing off the sky ~ The hand I hold won't let me go ~ And is the reason why~ I will stumble ~ I will fall down ~ But I will not be moved ~I will make mistakes ~ I will face heart-ache~ But I will not be moved ~ On Christ the solid rock I stand ~ All other ground is sinking sand ~ I will not be moved ~Bitterness has plagued my he art~ Many times before ~ My life has been like broken glass ~ And I have kept the score ~ Of all my shattered dreams and though it seems ~ That I was far too gone ~ My brokeness helped me to see ~ It's grace I'm standing on! I LOVE that song!! But why choose it as a blog title, you may ask? Well, besides the fact that I hit the air with my fist and express an "OH YEAH!" every time I hear it, I think it really nails it when it comes to what most Christians struggle with today. I know several people, including myself, who frequently refer to this song during times of trial. I see it like we, as believers in Christ, are standing on the Rock of God while the enemy is furiously throwing flaming arrows of temptation (jealousy, impurity, immodesty, dating and all that goes with that, currupt marriages, strife, rebellion, hatred, idolatry, dishonesty, cults, have at you!) at us as we desperately try to deflect them with the Word of God. Yes, the impact from the arrows sometimes make us stumble or even fall down, but nothing will ever move us from the Rock Of God, right? Isn't this song awesome?! Let's hear it for Natalie Grant! ... On second thought, God probably gave her the words...so sing with me! "Our God Is An Awesome God!!" =D