5.26.2011

I'm here!

Hey there! I said that I'd post when I get to the internet and here I am!

On Sunday I helped out my Uncles and Cousins with branding. It smelled real bad. Burning hair, the moan of the prostrate calves, straddled by two cowboys, yep, that's branding. It's rainy where I am, so Sunday was the first day that it hasn't rained in a really long time. Yesterday it rained like non-stop.

At the branding my brother had fun sneaking up behind the unsuspecting calf and grabbing it by the hock instead of roping it. In all he was able to grab about 6 or 7 calves.

As I was saying before it rains alot here. Like, all the time. But the air is fresh and the experience is priceless!

I'm spending time with my Grandma today, so I can' t hang out at the local library too long. Yep, I was able to finally get internet access at the library.

I hope to talk to ya'll soon, but I really have to be going.

Oh, and the other day my brother was having a deep conversation about baby oil. So you get the drift here is the main dilemma. "If olive oil is made from olives, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?" You get the idea. Weird pondering.

5.20.2011

Fare thee well! I'm off for 2 weeks!

Hello there!
As ya'll know I'm getting ready to take a break from technology starting tomorrow, so today I'm going to tell you about what to expect when I get back. And this is also so you won't think I died or got eaten my a mountain lion, or even a prairie dog-those little critters are devious behind those big black eyes and button noses!
 Book Reviews! I will be reviewing Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Science Fiction/ Futuristic Fiction, etc.,some Non-Fiction Apologetic Books etc.
But don't you worry none, because between the occasional book review I will be back to blogging the way I have been since February, so don't fear, you haven't lost me yet!
I'm also going to try and include things I learned from studying the Bible here and there.
Maybe my random opinion here and there on various things, but I already do that.
So now you know what to expect in June.
I'll try to post whenever I have Internet access, but that might not happen.
So long for now! Hope to see you soon!

5.19.2011

Bad day

Hello there!
I'm having a rough writing day today, so this is your only warning. It might be bad. Or rather, it will be bad.
Just so you know how bad my writing has been today here's a gem that I wrote this morning. It's terrible.

If there was any indication of Bert’s presence, they wouldn’t have noticed. Well, Ranunculus might have noticed something if she’d known what they were looking for, in the first place, which she hadn’t. So she didn’t. But as far as either of them knew there was nothing, so it’s not like Cephas could blame her.          

Betcha that made you cringe. Yeah, me too.

Today I decided to work on outlining and scene plotting, just so you know. But I'm sure not a sprocket of pure poetry today.
So what do you do when you aren't exactly stuck, but every comes out more than a little off?

P.S. Tomorrow will be my last post before getting cut off from Internet access for up to 2 weeks.

5.18.2011

Reading can really make you think

Hello there!

I'm overjoyed right now, because I just finished my Literature course for this year, which is just awesome!
I had to read some poetry and novels by some British authors, then write essays about my impressions of them.

Most of the poetry seemed to glorify creation over the Creator, which I found very humanistic. The Only Poet I remember actually enjoying was John Keats. He's pretty awesome isn't he? Then there were other poems that were written around the time of WWI that introduced new ideas, or at least voiced ideas that no one had dared speak aloud before, about the plain reality of war. But each poem presented it's point and the idea that the poet was trying to convey very nicely.

I was especially depressed by Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach, which is a poem about a man who struggles to reconcile his faith in God to Darwin's Evolutionary Theory. Darwin wins. It was so, so depressing. My heart went out to Arnold, who abandoned the truth in pursuit of lies.

The novels were well enough, but the only one that I actually enjoyed was Jane Austen's Emma. Though I admit I was a fan of hers long before this Lit. course. Yeah, I'm one of those girls, (Jane Austen fan).

The others were well written but each chilling in it's own way, so they were books that I would most definitely not re-read for pleasure. And hopefully will never have to re-read ever. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, was one of them. Honestly, it was well written and I enjoyed that part, but the whole taking dead people's body parts and sewing them together to create giant monster, was just gross. The story was a tragedy that played to human nature, saying that it is society that is the problem, and that people are inwardly good, but the Bible teaches otherwise.

I also read The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, which was the sad story of Darwinian Evolutionary Theory carried out to the extreme.

 And today I finished The Animal Farm By George Orwell (Eric Blair), about animals who over throw their oppressive owner and start their own republic with a pig named Napoleon at the helm. It is a story that was written to criticise Stalinistic Communism. Not communism all around, only Stalinistic communism. It shows how communism, instead of liberating the people only enslaves them to a greater degree than they ever were before. It was well written, but hard to read because of the injustice of the whole situation.

Many of these books and poems are considered classics because they changed people. This literature presented new radical (at the time) ideas that challenged people's thinking and basically changed cultures. That is the effect that literature can have on the public. And that is why I want to write Christian fiction that encourages people in their faith, instead of tearing it down. The written word can make a difference.

So write!

5.17.2011

A song that you might have heard before-but not here.

Okay, so I said that I would post more often and all that but right now I'm drawing a blank. So have fun watching Tim Hawkins! My brother requested this video. Yeah, I noticed that he has a thing for random, yet funny songs. It's a parody.

5.16.2011

The Weather and Mr. Hawking

I don't know where you live but here where I live 65 degrees is sweating hot for the middle of May.
I sense strange looks coming from all of you guys not living where I live. And yes, this post may be confusing, but I hope you survive it.
 
I just was reading a story on the Internet about Stephen Hawking a theoretical physicist a man who doesn't believe in Heaven or an afterlife. I was saddened to read the story, thinking the whole time as I read the article, that this man needs Jesus. I believe that Mr. Hawking is a smart man who has accomplished much in his life, having faced the possibility of an early death for over half of his life. Mr. Hawking was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease at the age of 21.
 
Here is what he said:
 
I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first. I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.
Isn't that a sad way to view life and death, as a passing into nothingness? I thought that it was overwhelmingly sad, especially knowing how Mr. Hawking's books have denied God and His creation.  He is famous for writing many books that try to use science to deny the existence of an all-knowing creator. 
 
Next month I will be reviewing a book written in response to one of Mr. Hawking's books, called "God and Stephen Hawking," by John Lennox. (If it arrives!)
 
Any thoughts? Please post a comment below. I'd love to hear from you!
What would you tell Mr. Hawking? Remember, arguing science probably wouldn't get you very far with him.  

Lunch is Served!

Today, I volunteered with my church group to pack lunches for people searching for jobs. A lot of people line up at Labor Ready at about 4 a.m. in the morning just so that they can get a day job delivering pizzas or filling sandbags, then the next day they start all over again looking for a job. Because these people want to work they often miss out on getting meals at local charities, because they have to get to places like Labor Ready so early in the morning. These people want to work, they don't ask for hand outs, they just want a job. But often that means going hungry. So this place called Lunch is Served makes it their goal to feed these people. The Lunches are filling and nutritious, they always contain a breakfast bar, chips, 2 Sandwiches, a fruit cup (they used to do apples but then they found that some people don't have good teeth so they couldn't eat the apples), some kind of individually packaged cookie, utensils, and an inspiring note, usually a bible verse. Lunch is Served is a Christian mission, that packs lunches every Monday and Wednesday.

I helped by putting meat and cheese into the sandwiches. We made over 400 sandwiches today! Alot of the food is donated, like the meat is from John Morrell, and the bread is from the local grocery store. And people can donate money so that the rest of the supplies can be purchased. They also use food from local food banks.

I was so much fun and I was so blessed to have this opportunity to help out in my community. This is my 2nd time helping with Lunch is Served.

5.14.2011

Spring Vacation!

Hi ya'll! I just thought I'd give you some warning that starting next weekend, I will be absent for up to 2 weeks. Yeah, that's a long time. But if I get any internet access while I'm gone I'll be sure to say, "Hi."
I promise.
But I'm not gone yet, I just thought I'd give you fair warning, so you wouldn't think I died or got kidnapped by a mountain man!
I'll try to post alot this next week so that you'll have reading material while I'm gone.

Thanks!

5.13.2011

Time machines, life and reading my head off!

Hi all ya'll!
So I guess my plans for the summer are somewhat different than I planned. Isn't that just life? You see, our TBQ team was planning on going to Nationals this Summer, but that fell through when they told us that being sponsored just wouldn't cut it. It was disappointing to say the least.
But I'm still gonna have fun. I'll be participating and helping in our church's Summer Reading Program, so in essence I will be "reading my head off!" as the church librarian would say.
I was planning on posting yesterday, but when Blogger shut down yesterday, that changed things. So I'm really sorry if you missed me-I hope you did!
I just finished reading The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, for school. Yes, I'm homeschooled. It was the depressing story of the year 802,701 where Darwinian Theory has been carried out to the extreme. Not to mention even later, when the whole earth is dying, burned out and tossing in its death throws. One of the most depressing books I've ever read, because it shows a life without God in the picture. And what a bleak picture that is indeed. I was disappointed in the book because in the end they had resigned themselves to a life of dying and death, without meaning and utterly lost, when they didn't even have to! They could have rejected the Theory, though I admit, if the Time Traveller had really travelled to the future and saw all the stuff he did, it would be hard to believe otherwise, when it would appear as though he saw the real future. But seeing isn't believing, if it were we'd be in pretty big trouble.
Right now I'm finishing up with school, so hopefully I'll be done by early June.
Drop me a comment, or just say "Hi," you're welcome anytime!

5.10.2011

Maybe we didn't?

I might have jumped the gun the other day by saying that we had made it to Nationals. Because now there are complications. You see, BQ is for Assembly of God churches only. We are only strongly supported by one.
It's complicated, but in essence they won't let us go to Nationals, unless we figure something out fast!
It's disappointing, but maybe things will be better this way. The other night I was thinking about all the crazy stuff that I would have to give up for this dream. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. But whatever happens I know that it is God's will and will make me stronger in the end.
Please pray for our TBQ team.

5.07.2011

We Made it to NATIONALS!!!!!

Hi, this is Faye and I know that I said that I would post on Monday but we got home earlier than expected and I wanted to tell ya'll about Regionals!

Our team placed 4th, and qualified for Nationals. The top five teams get to go to Nationals. This is the 1st time a team from our state has qualified for Nationals in over 50 years! And we had a 3 way tie for 2nd, but nobody wanted to do a play off so we decided to take the 4th place trophy because we were just beyond ecstatic to qualify. It's really hard to qualify.

I got 5th individually, which is beyond awesome! I got this mega nice purple trophy, with a spinner on it! I missed 4th by a few points but the 4th place trophy is yellow. I like purple better. I had my eye on that 5th place trophy the whole day even when I was in 3rd or 4th after a match. Yeah, I'm weird.

My brother placed 9th, but he tied and offered to take the 10th place medal because the 9th place medals were gray and the 10th place medal was sky blue. My brother likes blue.

The most awesome thing is that most of the teams are our best buddies. We are really close to our opponents, they are awesome! Having fellowship with other Christians is amazing! So we will be seeing our good friends in a couple months at Nationals! Most of our friends qualified! I wish everyone could qualify, but life doesn't work that way.

Nationals is in Dallas, TX, on July 2nd through the 8th.

I can't wait!

And we had so much fun on our trip; not all of it related to quizzing. I bantered back and forth with the 2nd place top quizzer with Bible verses from John. I started to recount the entire conversation for you guys but then I realized that it really isn't that funny if you aren't a Bible Quizzer. Actually it sounds kinda senseless. But was a blast!

I have made so many fond memories of this trip and have made so many more friends, that I will continue to see through out the years, attached to so many memories.

We also had some fun moments where our assistant coach told jokes to relieve the pressure during timeouts. For example we pondered deep questions and other interesting topics. I will give you a sneak peek into our timeouts, and deep thoughts.

"Why do you park on a driveway, and drive on a park way?"

*In a British accent* "We will now talk about deep, deep subjects, such as brownies.No, let's not talk about those simple things, let us use this time interval for more deep ponderings, such as how Pop-Tarts are vital to human Survival!
"Or how you might be able to survive on a deserted island with only a couple of boxes on Pop-tarts! I did it once-not really. But I dreamed that I did so that counts!"

"What is brominated vegetable oil? It's in Mountain Dew, so now I can say that it actually has vegetables in it! What does brominated mean anyway?"

Now I must remind you that we were dying to laugh and that it was alot funnier if you were there. Sorry if I made you suffer!

I had an amazing time and I hope that BQ will continue to bless me with learning, growing and many more friendships and memories!

Now I have to go study my brains out.

5.04.2011

Off to Regionals I go!

    Tomorrow we set off into the great unknown, (a.k.a. somewhere in the U.S.A.) for Teen Bible Quiz Regionals, which decide which teams get to make the trip to Dallas, TX for TBQ Nationals. Most journeys do not begin with a 6 hour, claustrophobic van ride, but mine does.
    Actually the journey began about eight months ago when I started studying the Gospel of John, hard-core, in depth, word-for-word. We made it through the State meets and State Finals, but Regionals is the next stop. Last year we made 7th of 12 teams, the top 5 go to Nationals. We are attempting to make that top 5.
    But it's not about winning or losing or about who is the best and knows the most about the Bible, the test is how we apply what we have learned to our lives, and well we keep it perserved in our minds. Most importantly, we have to remember that we are not doing this for ourselves, or our glory, but for the glory of God.
    I have learned so much this year about Jesus and his time on Earth. And so much more! This year our team has gone through difficulties, but we have pushed through them. The problems aren't totally gone but they are healing, by the grace of God.
    I'm so thankful for the opportunity that God has given us this year. And I pray that through this God will use us for His glory. Who knows? Maybe someday we'll be witnessing to someone and a verse that we learned in John will help us explain salvation to someone.
    Bible Quiz has blessed me in so many ways. Pray for us while we are at Regionals, and on the way back. (There are rumors of thunderstorms).
    Thanks so much for your support!
    I will post on Monday, to tell ya'll how we did.
   
    Off to Regionals we go!

5.02.2011

The first day of May!
And a beautiful day it is too!

Getting ready for Regionals, and dying to be there already. And at the same time praying for more time to study. You what I'm talking about. Someone should write a novel about the world of TBQ, there is alot of drama and romance (couples actually get married having been on opposing teams in BQ, true story!). It would make a really interesting Christian book. Maybe I'll write that story. I don't know. Maybe.

This will be short because of all the studying I'm supposed to be doing.

I'm reading "From Darkness Won" by Jill Williamson. A great action-packed book!

Over and out!