Just Us

Hmm....

2007-06-20T22:21:00.000-04:00

Well, we kinda fell through on the pictures. Actually, we kinda fell through on the blog. Ah me. Such is life. It's crazy right now, so the best I can do is update my own blog, and Lea hers. Hopefully we'll keep this up enough to do it when we are older and maybe have kids and stuff and have playdates, and then we can bore everyone with our reflections on how well (or not so well) our kids played together...

Um, yeah. But seriously, I'm hoping for more posts, but that may or may not happen.

Hello, Everyone!!

2006-08-24T16:34:00.000-04:00

Hey, so I know it's been awhile since we last posted, but I think I'm going to try to stay on top of things now. We're at college, we're spending lots on books, and we're having a blast!! Hopefully soon I will post some pictures of both of us (however, I do have to take them first). :-)

I know that both Lea and I could use prayer as we continue on a new section of our journey...our journey with Christ, our journey in school, and our journey in Life (with a capital "l"). I'm sure there are more aspects to the journey, but I'm not feeling creative enough right now to figure them out. We both need an ample dose of God's grace to learn how to balance so many different things in our life...time management is huge! Also pray for our dicipline in schoolwork, in Bible studies, and in prayer. It would be so easy to let everything go and just have fun. There is certainly plenty of things to do. We also need prayer for our interactions, etc. We need to be guided by God, not by our own plans or feelings. Responses to hardships need to be Christ-focused. Basically, there is a ton of stuff that we need help with, and we can only change through Christ.

Thank you for your prayers, and pictures will be coming soon!!

Youth Retreat Reflections

2006-07-23T13:43:00.000-04:00

Firstly I want to say that I think I need my own personal blog...so perhaps that will be happening at some point. Keep your eyes pealed. (peeled? does that make any sense at all? the expression doesn't make sense anyway...)

So I stood and shared today during the first service about the "processing" (that seems to be a pet word at our church, not that that's a bad thing) that when on for me after the youth retreat. For those of you not at the first service, I said that after the youth retreat, I was very convicted of my pride in a new and real way. I didn't go into detail, so I will now. Before I came to faith, I really struggled with insecurity. While that is typical during preteen and teenage years, it was something that really got be down. Being fairly quiet then (and still now, to an extent), I never felt like I got much attention. That's what I really wanted - attention, popularity, feeling like I mattered. After I became a Christian, I also became a lot more outgoing. But as I look back over the last two years of my life since I came to faith, I still see the same trend of insecurity: feeling frustrated when I wasn't noticed and trying to acheive that recognition in various ways.

I think I must have reached a subconscious conclusion that I would never equal most people in most ways: personality, academics, attractiveness, athletics, wealth, accomplishments. But there was one thing I could do a lot better than others. I could write. Yes, this was my comfort, my hidden weapon, the thing I reminded myself of when I looked at everyone else and saw
myself fall far short. I could write. Someday, somehow, I would be noticed.

This isn't easy to admit. Even now I cringe when I read what I just said. It certainly wasn't easy to discover in myself, particularly when I thanked God the whole youth retreat that pride wasn't one of my besetting sins. But He is so good to show us our sin and then forgive us. I want to tell people about this becuase I think it is the only way I can truly be humble. Even though I felt insecure, I never wanted people to know that. I wanted to pretend I didn't care that I didn't measure up. But "His power is made perfect in weakness."

Writing for me was a way to be better than the best. I love it, and I loved impressing people with my skill at it. People finally knew who I was when they read my articles in the Reporter! Not even that, they were admiring and complimentary! I defininitely got a lot more respect from peers and adults alike. I secretly patted myself on the back and looked for more opportunities to get my name out there. Part of it was practically, becuase I do want to write and it is important to get published as early and often as possible. But I was, in a sense, intoxicated with success. I didn't want to give up my dream of greatness, even if it meant giving up a call to missions or marriage or a family. None of that mattered if I could write. What I was really saying was that God's will didn't matter for my life if it involved giving up my one chance for recognition.

It's been humbling realizing this, even more humbling sharing this. I know that God will give me the power to overcome this sin. I do feel like a spanked five-year-old write now though. Please pray for me.

I didn't share these specifics during the first service today, but I did want some of you to know the details of my pride, particularly those closest to me. The retreat was great, the girls were awesome, but that's what I really learned and that's what is going to have the most impact on my life at this point. You can pray that God will show me how I can use my talents for His glory. He's been calling me to surrender them to Him for a while and I haven't been listening very well.

So there is my "REFLECTION."

NO-Title

2006-07-06T10:44:00.000-04:00

Lea and I never really have titles, so I just thought I would put that as my title today.

The clock ticks away; 9:17

p.m.

I want to write, I want to think
I can write, I can think…
about…
sleep.

The softness of the bed
The way it conforms to my body
Like a drop of water on a still lake.

The dream-like reality of my pillow,
Ethereal as a cloud.

The comforter comforting me like a mother’s hand,
Quieting my soul with its soft fingers of fluff and cotton.

The creaks of my bed-frame singing to me
“Go to sleep”
“Go to sleep”
in a child-like pitch of love and loneliness.

My blanket, rubbing against my face,
like my papa’s stubble
so soothing and so relaxing.

The clock still runs, never stopping for the tired.
9:26, and my bed still far away.
My heart yearns for the beauty of my simple bed,
My feet yearn for a resting place.
Soon it will come, soon my heart will be satisfied.

The moon rises in the night,
My bed is calling and I shall answer.

Sleep

My Turn

2006-07-04T12:34:00.000-04:00

My turn to post something...

I like to freewrite sometimes and this is one that I did last spring - it isn't a poem, so to speak, and the stream of consciousness style can be hard to follow - but it's really good to get everything out. Again, I have no title. I'm not really a title person.

This place of crickets churning green lacy leaves they said you breathed here in the red mud that squelched against your Perfectly smooth skin. And I remember? or do I wonder if that is why I can’t remember, I can’t remember where I was born. Sometimes it is in that place in the mud at your feet and the hours chime in birdsong through the heavy, sultry air. Sometimes all I can see is this whirlpool of leaves and sky and clouds and so I wonder but don’t let the pain get me this time, take away the pain this time. I feel it so close it is my heartbeat but maybe it isn’t maybe it is just the echo of my heart and really I am fine. The place I was born, they told me the dawn screamed and fell into the ocean, they told me a whirlpool of watercolors accompanied my beginning chord. And would they lie to me, I ask, like you have? They said watercolors accompanied the concertmasters’ ‘A’. Did you live and die here, in this glorified mud? Or was it all the dream of the creation story that falters across crinkled, ancient papers and whispers in dying ink.

O.k. Time To Get This Blog Back in the Game!

2006-07-02T21:45:00.000-04:00

Here's is one of my favorite poems that I have ever written. I had been going through a rough time and I just wanted to lay bare my heart and get out what was weighing so heavily on me. The first stanza is a little rocky, but bear with it, it gets better!!

A tiny soul inside of me
Strives to grow and bloom.
But a problem arises and I can see
That what my soul opens to is a stormy gloom.

This tiny soul inside of me
Is battered in the open sea
For growing, it is to be—
Exposed—in spite of me.

My tiny soul inside of me
Gets lost once it’s outside,
But through its acquaintance from without,
It returns home much refined.

For my tiny soul was never fully grown;
Nor will it ever be.
But it constantly passes through fire full blown,
Leaving dross in the ash and the gold to see.

These journeys that my tiny soul takes
Are full of joy, pain, sorrow and life,
But these journeys only add wisdom and knowledge,
And my sanctified soul emerges through the strife.

More Politics

2006-06-27T14:55:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry that I am so political - I guess this shouldn't be surprising since my earliest memory is of eating macoroni and cheese and listening to Rush Limbaugh the day Bush Sr. lost the election. That was in 1990, so I was two years old. Anyway, I just heard about the New York Times article (which you can read by clicking the link) in which they publicized the method the government uses to trace international terrorists. The implications of this leak is vast, and this is yet another example of the damage our liberal media does under the giuse of "freedom of the press." Editor Bill Keller's letter to the public after the publication of this information even uses that idea as an excuse.

I have a strong feeling I will not be persuing journalism as a career.

Lea is Ranting

2006-06-22T10:38:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry, I just have to go political here. So yesterday I come home from the youth group party and my dad is on the computer and I see a breaking news story: WMD were found in Iraq. Now this isn't exactly new, because Bush has known about these since April, I believe the article said. And the WMD had been hidden since before the Gulf War, so they weren't part of a new weapons program. But they were there, and Saddam DID HAVE WMD! So I am so happy, becuase obviously, this is great news for those who have supported the war (like myself). Then I wake up this morning and start reading the Free Press, as usual, and is there even a MENTION of the story? One little blurb on the last page? Nothing. NOTHING. I am sorry I am using so many capitals but this is outrageous. Now, I am fairly inexperienced when it comes to journalism, but my liberal journalism teacher supported my belief that news is news no matter what you think of it. Wait a minute, I suddenly realized I have believed a lie all of my life. News is only news if it supports the liberal agenda. Other than that, it's fiction.

Killing Time

2006-06-20T22:46:00.000-04:00

So here I am, sitting on my bed using my new laptop which was a graduation present which I am so thrilled about...

But actually, I have been really bored. My job as a shoesalesperson (is that supposed to be one word?) is a flop since I have practically no hours and therefore torment the life out of my poor mother. So I am wondering - is there any volunteer work I can do? Does anyone know of some sort of a job opening I could get in a hurry? Entertainment? Anything?

Becuase if this is the way my summer is going to be, just send me to school now. Not that I'm complaining or anything.

I used to dream of this kind of freedom, but unfortunately, I daily learn the lesson that life is never what it seems. The problem with me is that I always fill guilty when I have free time. I feel like I don't deserve it. I never was good at "redeeming time" anyway; I always sit around thinking of all the things I could or should do and never actually do any of them. I think I lack discipline, but only when nothing is required of me. When I have to do something, I can force myself to, but when I don't, what's the point? But this cycle makes me miserable...maybe this is a spiritual thing.

All I know is that I am bored. HELP. Maybe I'll write that novel that has been stewing in my brain for years. I have no idea what I would write about. Maybe I'll just try and something will come out.

Maybe I'll just go to bed.

Update

2006-06-19T12:59:00.000-04:00

Hi, we've both graduated and are starting our summers!! Hopefully we will tend to our blog a little more faithfully, but there are no promises...

Actually, third time's a failure

2006-06-13T23:11:00.000-04:00

I have officially given up - the first two times it told me I had too many characters in my URL and THEN it told me I had too many kilobytes. I don't even know what kilobytes are. So no pix on my profile. Oh well, I'll live.

Third time's a charm??

2006-06-13T23:07:00.000-04:00

Alright I tried something a little different...

Try again

2006-06-13T23:00:00.000-04:00

The URL was too long or something on the other one so here is this one - this is from the Mississippi trip...Good times. I was sanding in case anyone was curious.

Lea becomes a Techie

2006-06-13T22:50:00.000-04:00

This is just a test because I am trying to move this picture to my profile. If anyone cares as to what this pic is all about, I will tell you. I was writing a story for the Essex Reporter on prom (horrible topic I know) and I went to a bridal shop and tried on all of these dresses. This one was incredible and huge - it had to have weighed ten pounds and the train was absurd - I loved it. It was definitely dramatic. But after looking at the $400 price tag and coughing my gum back up into my mouth, I decided to leave before I damaged anything...anyway, I'm doing this so I can become more technologically advanced becuase I am pretty hopeless. If you see this picutre on my profile, everyone be proud of me.

hmmmmm.....

2006-06-08T19:49:00.000-04:00

Here is a poem I wrote...um, yeah, I'm not sure what I was thinking, either. However, each stanza has a slightly different tempo and mood to it, so each is read differently with different intonation.

This…is the story of a hoary who was searching for some glory through the use of some poor quarry that would get a little gory when the fury of a jury went to judge him in a hurry…he went off in a great flurry and his sight got kind of blurry with the worry of the burry that he got himself into:

An Ode to My Fav’ Dude, Vader

Anakin, the man of skin, once raced some pods to win a spin in a shiny piece of tin that Ben flew the stars in…so he left his kin and stuck out his chin and resolved to return sometime again, but when he returned, much to his chagrin, he found his mother was traded-in, and thus begins the din and twins of Anakin’s sorry pathetic tailspin.

One day, in what was probably May, he met a girl who was named Padme. She was pretty and kind and had her own way, especially when she was in her forte. He did some swordplay and they fell in love. Straightaway they married but kept from display, and then they had twins though it brought much dismay.

This is the story that is but half told…to tell the rest would be quite bold…this rhyming scheme is hard to keep, so the rest will be saved for another week.

Cameroon poem

2006-06-05T19:39:00.000-04:00

Well no one actually commented (except the fair Elisabeth) on my last poem, but I'll try it again. Thank you Guilloume (spelling?) for your words of wisdom about plagiarism, I did mean that I hope no one copies my poem and says it's theirs. And maybe Elisabeth, who is more technically savvy, wiil be able to do the copyright thing. It is beyond me for now. So this is a poem I wrote about my experience in Cameroon. It is a style called a sestina, which means that it is very complicated to write and explain, but I will paste on an explanation that I wrote for some contest or something that is also very confusing but the best I can do. Here goes:

Sestina: A rigid poem structure that contains six stanzas with a triplet at the end. Each line in the stanza ends with one of the six end words that are repeated in a different order throughout the poem. The triplet contains those six end words in any order, two per line.

Bamenda

It’s always the smell I remember –
The greasy burning garbage littering the streets.
A haze hangs over the sky, over the stars,
A sweet sweaty fragrance, choking the breath from my throat.
Too sweet, it makes me ill, and I perspire in the sun.
I perspire as I boil and bake in Africa.

The ocean is too far to cross to Africa,
But at night I cannot help but remember
The way their eyes reflected a moist sun,
The way the children scampered in the street.
Their fuzzy hair and scabby knees constrict my throat
And blaze into a single dying star.

And every night I look upon the stars
I realize they are still the same in Africa.
The diamond jewels surround the moon’s white throat,
The milky way where I still remember.
And every day I look upon the street,
I imagine that the light overflows from an African sun.

Cameroon - my moon, my sun.
Cameroon – the place of humid stars.
The people clustered and crowded in the streets,
Peddling spicy meat, green bananas, tastes of Africa,
Carrots and square bread and pineapples to remember –
Pineapples that glistened, oozed juice, ambrosial in my throat.

In the morning, I hear the drums beating through my throat,
See their eternal light weakly portrayed in the Vermont sun.
Voices, chatter, laughter I will always remember;
The same laughter that lurches from the stars.
And though my tears beg me to forget this dream, this Africa,
I know my heart will forever wander on this one-way street.

Once some school-girls met us on the street.
In their eyes the deepness of Cameroon’s mountainous throat
Dwelt; their hips swelled at the corners like the continent of Africa,
Their skin the brightest orb, the most radiant sun
Screaming drumbeats and painful dancing like the stars –
And only then did I realize how intrinsically my being was called to remember.

For I remember the red-dusted street,
The sun pounding beneath my feet, the prickly pineapple star.
Always the essence of Africa smolders deep in my throat.

A Deeply Reflective Haiku

2006-06-03T21:24:00.000-04:00

There go some bubbles,
Flowing gently through spring air...
But then they say "pop."

My Turn

2006-05-28T15:09:00.000-04:00

This is a poem that I wrote about Dunns River Falls in Jamaica. It was truly an amazing sight and one of the most beautiful works of nature I have ever seen. The poem takes on a little more of a philosophical twist than what I had originally intended, but oh well.

A Mighty Body of Water

The powerful river running ever downward,
Boasting a magnificent palette of green and blue hues.

Rocks poke up out of the rush,
Practically statues by our standards,
Rough, tall and still—
Reminding the world that not everyone
Is obligated to sprint quickly through life.

The roar of the water is overwhelming—
Yet, undaunted, it continues to flow.
Though verdant banks stay shockingly still,
Life passes
Never stopping
Never slowing
For the moments to keep…and forget.

I stand, not knowing whether to stay dormant in
The stagnant pool or to join the flow,
Torn by the decision to live or let live.

Plagiarism

2006-05-24T22:13:00.000-04:00

Just had a thought - is this a possibility for plagiarism? That would be awful...and that is one of my favorite poems...now i am very nervous...OH NO what should I do...maybe I shouldn't post them...well i will see what Elisabeth says.

Poem Posting

2006-05-24T21:57:00.000-04:00

Elisabeth and I have decided to post poems...my reasons are thus: a). It will actually force me to blog b). It will keep me in writing practice for next year, since I'm majoring in Creative Writing c). Hopefully people will give me feedback - maybe more people will read this blog and interact and give advice...

I am really tired so this sounds dysfunctional but HERE IS A POEM I wrote a few days ago.
I can't think of a title, any ideas? I thought maybe "goodbye" but it sounds a little trite.

Is there a place for the innocence of daisies,
The deep silence of the forest,
The darkness of the night’s desire?
Is there a place for the finality of summer and the
Freckles like stars on our skin?
Is there an hour, a moment, a breath yet unwritten,
A tender mystery like the way petals unfurl to welcome their sun?

Don’t answer the question of my world,
For I know my dreams deceive me.
Fading like the dewy haze of morning,
Their death echoes darkly in my soul.

Tell me they deceive me.

It's Me!!

2006-05-07T15:57:00.000-04:00

O.k., for those of you who actually read this blog, we aren't dead. It's just been a busy time for both Lea and me, and we haven't actually had time to come up with anything intelligent to blog about in a short amount of time. Therefore, you readers might not really get anything out of us until graduation, when hopefully our summers will be a little less intense than the last quarter of our school years. How scary!! This is it; the end. College is next, and then life. Ha, just kidding, but really, it's coming so fast. Don't worry, we'll keep you updated occasionally. I will probably keep up my blog a little more faithfully, if any of you want to check it out.

Hi again

2006-05-05T16:59:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!

I know its been awhile since we updated. I want to post some pictures as soon as I get them back from the trip. I just wanted to post something because it's been awhile.

Never fear, we will return!!!!!!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!!

2006-04-20T19:42:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure I'm ready for college if it takes me three times to get the word "decision" spelled correctly. And not just once, but each time I try! Oh well.

I have also decided to go to Belhaven College. I know some might be wondering "O.K., who set that one up?" but it really is a cool story. Which leads me to the fact that there is a cool story, which I will try to do justice to and share with you.

So Lea and I have known each other ever since we were about eight years old (seems like ages ago). We were mere aquaintences then, just barely saying "hi" to each other when we met. Occasionally our families got together, but we were a little intimidated because her family always dressed up and looked very clean, whereas my family was 'laidback.' (We didn't think so, but we felt that way). They did some moving around, but ended up back in my town by the time we were about 13 or so. We still didn't see much of each other until the big freshman year came. We went to the same church some of the time, but I'm not sure when we each made it our regular church. Since we were in the same town, we were able to go to the same highschool together. It was a big deal, since both of us had been homeschooled for the majority of our lives.
Freshman year was great. We became very close friends and have kept up our relationship since. Not only is she an amazing friend, but she is also my sister in Christ. That year was a sweet time, but it didn't last. Her family decided to move to the next town over, and my family didn't (surprise, surprise). It was hard at first, but God was really working in our lives and teaching us many lessons. (One of mine was probably to be a little more flexible). We still saw each other all the time and promised that we would go to the same college together. Yeah, we kinda forgot that God has a will that will happen no matter what. But we were hopeful, looking forward to the future.

End of junior year rolled around and we started looking for colleges that we could both apply to that we were both interested in. As you might have figured out, that was easier said than done. I know that I got very frustrated as we found out that we really weren't interested in the same things and could not, therefore, find a good school that would suit both of us. After many tries and fails, we decided that God must be keeping us separate for a reason. We remembered that He was and is in charge and that nothing we do can help that. So, through much dissapointment, we decided to give college the silent treatment. We knew that if God wanted us to go together, then He would find a way that we didn't see. So we didn't talk about colleges until we had finished applying to the ones we had independantly chosen. I had applied to Belhaven, not really wanting to go there, but because it came with a relatively good pricetag. Once the early applications were out and we had washed our hands of applications, Lea and I resumed our college discussions and apprehensions.

We found out that we didn't apply to any of the same schools. We were a little upset, but still trusting God that His plan is good. We started getting letters back, and Lea decided to apply to Belhaven for the price reason, just as a back up. Neither of us expected or really wanted to go there at first. The time came, actually just a few months ago, when the acceptances came back and decisions were required of us. We decided to use the silent treatment again so that we wouldn't be influenced by each other. We were sincerely trying to seek God's will in all of this.

Well, that's pretty much the story. We did some college visits and we talked with our parents. Lea did decided before me, but I was almost decided anyway. God was so kind in all of it. We never thought that after our initial search and disappointment that we would actually attend the same college after all. It is enormous proof to us that God can do anything even though our feeble minds cannot comprehend how.

Thanks to all those who have been praying and for those who continue to pray for life. Not much more can be said about it, but Praise the Lord, for He is Good, and His Love endures forever!!

Senior Year is OVERRATED

2006-04-16T13:24:00.000-04:00

I am feeling very stressed lately. There is just so much to do, and everyone says 4th quarter senior year is easy. I have so many projects etc etc plus going away this week. I feel bad complaining but I am very stressed. Oh well nothing in life is as expected.

Thank you Mrs Dell for your lovely message. It was very sweet.

And as a regular announcement for anyone who may care, I am going to Belhaven College next year! I am so excited. It just makes graduation that much sweeter.

Goodbye!

Update

2006-04-10T11:49:00.000-04:00

Alright, sorry it's taken so long to write again. Also, sorry that the background still hasn't been changed. I need to talk with Linda about it...I really couldn't get it to change for me. Maybe that's a good object lesson...

Um, so, I didn't really have a reason or subject to write about. I'm really glad that school is almost done, though. It's been a long four years. I take my next trip to Mississippi tomorrow, so if you could pray for me that would be great. Also, I have to make my college desicion within the next two weeks.

Ah, Lea, back to you!

Home Again

2006-04-03T16:53:00.000-04:00

SO I did the math and Elisabeth has posted 4 times out of the past 5. Which means I have only posted 1 out of 5. Bad Lea...

I came back from a college trip Saturday...I am not allowed to say anything since Elisabeth and I are not talking to each other about the schools until we make a final decision (we are both looking at Belhaven and I am also looking at Geneva and she is also looking at Bethel.) While I would love to go to the same school as her (and I believe she feels likewise) we really need to make a decision independently. After all, if God wants us to go to the same college then He will lead in that direction.

But it is so warm in Mississippi! It is like Cameroon humid and tropical, and there are such exotic and beautiful flowers. It was awful to come back to the cold. And it's supposed to snow tomorrow and Wednesday (my bday by the way).

Well I must go and write an article for the Essex Reporter. Goodbye everyone.

Apologies

2006-03-29T22:04:00.000-05:00

I should apologize for my previous post because I think my mom was hurt and it doesn't sound very nice. It was all in fun, but, as my mom says, it's hard to know how to take written, unemotional writing. You can't tell what the person really means in some cases. I really love my mom and did not want to come across so harshly. I suppose I can glean a lesson about sarcasm and the mighty pen...or blog, as the case may be.

On a different note, please pray for Lea as she is leaving for a college visit tomorrow, and for me, as I leave on Saturday for the same. Pray that we would have safe trips and that we would be fully submitting to God's will, not our own.

On Pepto-Bismol

2006-03-26T22:12:00.000-05:00

I was trying to resist writing about this, but I can't help it.

So my mom was looking at our blog and I thought that everything was great. I thought it was pretty and that it was set up very nicely. Little did I know that my mom actually though otherwise, but didn't comment about it because she didn't think it would come across well.

You know, I'm kind of upset. I really thought that I would get more support from her about my online dealings. But NO. Her mind, instead of dwelling on the prettyness of things, immediately went to the gutter.

That's right.

She said that our blog reminded her of PEPTO-BISMOL (of all things)!! I mean, seriously. Who does she think she is? Gosh.

O.k, so for those of you who might be wondering if I'm having bad tensions with my mother, I am not. Be at ease. This is pretty much just sarcasm. But she really did say that. It was kindof funny.

Oh well.

If I have to change it, so be it.

Hey, at least the minty kind of peptol bismol tastes good. (I know because I've traveled, and you most need it when travelling.)

My creed

2006-03-23T23:11:00.000-05:00

Elisabeth, what happened to the profiles? Just out of curiousity... well I am taking this awesome self-defense course and I really want to take martial arts now... I LOVE SELF-DEFENSE... who would have known I could have that anger in me. But I really do and I feel so much more self-confident. I used to be so afraid of what would happen if someone attacked me becuase my dad calls me a hundred pound weakling and when I get scared I don't even scream, but I honestly feel like I could defend myself now. Every women should learn real self-defense. This is my new creed and I am going to practice every day and get a punching bag. Well good night.

New Fav

2006-03-21T20:21:00.000-05:00

My new favorite male character is now Roger Hamley from Wives and Daughters. He is so kind and yet so timid. I'm not sure that's what I like about him, but he is a very likable character. Also, he is handsome in the movie, but I've heard that the book describes him differently. Which leads me to a grievance. In my school library and in the Burnam Memorial Library such a book as this is nowhere to be found. Alas and aleck. I shall travel far and wide to the next town over at my leisure and hopefully find it there. If not, I shall be forced to buy such a book off the internet someday, but I'm sure that isn't the only way out. Oh dear.

2006-03-19T16:04:00.000-05:00

Ok, tell me what you think -- this is much more not depressing--the black was a little much for me...

I'm sorry about your day yesterday.

Frightening Things

2006-03-18T20:25:00.000-05:00

Today people shoplifted at Bass! We found the tags of two purses that someone had ripped off and stuck under a box of shoes, and another person put clearance shoes into a regular priced box and put the regular priced shoes (which were pretty expensive) into the clearance box so that whoever rang up the sale rang up the cheaper price which weren't actually the shoes he was buying (I say he because they were men's shoes). And of course we found out after the fact... people are horrid.

I think it's a good idea that we talk about Linda's study but I'm not going to talk about it tonight becuase I don't want to. It's depressing.

Yea!!

2006-03-18T19:20:00.000-05:00

I must say that I did miss your insightful comments, but now that you are back, my life has come together again (victorious theme music playing in the background...)

Um, anyway... We thought it might be fun if we had a small but fun Mr. Darcy fan club. Though most of what we do is fun and jest, we do take some things seriously.

Just kidding. (I must have used the word fun, like, ten times)

I'm sorry---weird mood.

Again, anyway, Mr. Darcy is to us the perfect man, except that he isn't a Christian. This discussion/fan club might launch into what it means to be a biblical woman and a wife vs. what we are expecting in our future husbands. (This is based on Linda's Bible Study Wed. night.) It might be an interesting topic to pursue. P.S. Lea, do mind if I change the template??

2006-03-15T21:54:00.000-05:00

Oh yay I am here again...poor Elisabeth missed my wonderful and insightful comments on life while my computer was being ridiculous...but it's better now.

So I was very upset in youth group tonight (well we had a wonderful talk -that's not why I was upset) becuase we were supposed to go around the room and talk about our fav male movie characters and everyone had already said Mr. Darcy so I said Johnny Cash in Walk the Line because I felt sorry for him and he was sweet and everyone was SHOCKED! and I was thinking about it and I got more and more frustrated because I realized that I like bad guys but I don't really think they are bad (I'm talking movies here). so johnny cash - yeah he did drugs and cheated on his wife but a.) he was extremely artistic/musical and those kind of people are slightly tormented in spirit (perhaps I may also feel slightly tormented and thus have more sympathy) and b.) he really was very deep in his love for June - he died four months after her! that's love and c.) there is a lot of evidence to say he became a Christian later in life and d.) he really sold himself short and his mannerisms were very endearing and childish and sad. but for a clarification I really don't respect him for womanizing/drug addiction. please don't think I go that far (sorry I don't capitalize but I'm in a rush)

also rhett butler - another guy that most people despise. I don't - yes, he was far from ideal, but he was real and he loved Scarlett even though she was a brat and he stuck with her for a long time. although he left her in the end I am sure he came back becuase she was finally appreciative of him, and no guy who loved a woman for that long would leave right when he got her where he wanted her.

and lastly, the phantom of the opera (or OG for Opera Ghost). in the movie he's pretty hot so more people have sympathy for him but I feel so sorry for him becuase he was treated so badly - and he loved Christine in his own way and was ultimately willing to give her up. again, another tormented musical type. my friends had better keep me away from those kind...who knows what I will do if I meet an OG.

bedtime...and I need to write an intro and conclusion for my essay - i am so bad at those paragraphs - i can write the thesis and the body but not the other parts.

REGENERATE OUR CULTURE

2006-03-15T15:07:00.000-05:00

Regenerate Our Culture is officially launched!!

Visit the new web mag here!

Hello

2006-03-14T17:27:00.000-05:00

I think it is time to make another post, but topics are hard. With Lea's computer down, there is just one mind on the site temporarily, not two. Oh well.

More on music, perhaps?

One of the current boy bands I really enjoy is Relient K. I like their older stuff better--it is more Christ-centered--but I also just love the rhythm. They have an excellent drummer.

Um...ok, that was true, but it was more to fill space. I promise I will not post again until I have something intelligent to say...

...which might not happen...

REGENERATE OUR CULTURE

2006-03-10T21:15:00.000-05:00

Two Things:

First: REGENERATE OUR CULTURE

Regenerate Our Culture is a project with a goal of regenerating our culture's mindset from a secular world-view to a Christian world-view. This is being done by four teens: Alex, Tim , Jake , and Kristen.

Their plan is to have a web magazine that will be updated on the first and the fifteenth of every month. The kick off is in 5 days!! Don't miss it!

To become a sponser and join the team, click here.

Hurry, it's only five days away!!

Second: Lea is not currently blogging because her internet is very down. Not that anyone has really visited our site (noted by the site counter) but in case that was confusing, there is an explanation. No, I am not taking over the blog. :)

Titles are so hard to come up with.

2006-03-05T09:58:00.000-05:00

I had to stay home from church today due to a pretty nasty head cold. I think it might be an ear infection. Anyway, since I can't be in church, I will share my favorite Bible story-the story of Joseph.

It's pretty long, but I'll sum it up. For the full version, click here. It is Genesis 37-50.

To start with, Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel. Remember, Jacob loved Rachel, but was tricked into marrying Leah. In the end, he married both and had twelve sons by four different women: Leah, Rachel, Leah's maid, and Rachel's maid. They each wanted to bear him the most sons. Leah was blessed by God and bore him 6 sons, but Rachel only bore him 2-Joseph and Benjamin. Jacob loved these two sons the most. When Joseph was young, he tended the sheep with his brothers. He had a dream that he would rule over his brothers, and his brothers hated him. In short, they managed to get him sold to some Ishmaelites who were on their way to Egypt. In Egypt, Joseph was sold to one of Pharaoh's officials, Potiphar, and he was honored because of his wisdom that he was given by God. One day, though, Potiphar's wife made it look like Joseph had an affair with her, so Joseph got thrown in jail, even though he was innocent. He interperated some dreams and eventually got to interperate Pharaoh's dreams. Pharaoh saw that Joseph was wise and made him second in command to himself. There was a famine and Joseph's brothers had to come to Egypt to get food. A few incidents happen, and eventually they see that he is Joseph. Jacob's whole family moves down to Goshen. They live happy lives blessed by God and Jacob is reunited with one of his favorite sons before his death.

There are a few things that I love about this story. First, Joseph is continually giving credit to God for everything that comes his way. He never gets too haughty with all the wealth and status that is given to him. Also, he sees that God's plan is good, no matter what happens (i.e. getting sold, thrown in a pit, believed dead...) And, in the end, Joseph is kind and forgives his brothers for what had happened. Joseph is truly an Old Testament type of Christ and there are so many lessons to learn from this story. Not to mention all of the cool, dramatic, and romantic things that happen!

Hymns and such

2006-03-04T20:04:00.000-05:00

I probably should contribute something here instead of leaving it all to Elisabeth...

Favorite hymns... "Saved by Grace" though it really is a funeral hymn: Here's the first verse and the chorus:

"Someday the silver chord will break,
And I no morea as now shall sing;
But O the joy when I shall wake
Within the palace of the KinG!

And I shall see Him face to face,
And tell the story - Saved by grace;
And I shall see Him face to face,
And tell the story - Saved by grace."

"When I Survey The Wondrous Cross" is my favorite hymn, and I also love "It is Well With my Soul" and "Come Thou Font."

So today I was working (at Bass) and a man in a snowsuit walked in. "Is this the men's section?" he asked (which was very obvious since he was surrounded by men's shoes). When I answered yes, he asked if the opposite wall was the women's section (again this was very obvious) and then he asked if we had any women's swim suits in the women's section. Bass is not a very large store - you can pretty much see all of the displays anywhere you stand, and since when have shoe stores carried swimsuits? So when I told him no (feeling and looking very flustered) he asked if I knew any stores that carried any locally, etc etc and then he stormed out of the store after I gave him a map of the area. I had a sudden and unusual urge to laugh hysterically. I could not figure out why a man in a snow suit would want a women's swim suit. But when I told this to my dad he said that it wa really very obvious - he was probably staying with a woman at the Inn at Essex or another such hotel and they had probably been skiing all day and now they wanted to relax and go swimming but she had forgotten her suit... this is a boring story I know but it just shows how easy it is to make wrong conclusions as to fellow mankind's sanity when a rational thinking-process would just solove the problems. Well we can't all.

Goodbye!

"These are a few of my favorite things..."

2006-03-03T21:34:00.000-05:00

Linda's right-Lea and I are both pretty crazy about music (see comments on About Us).

Some of my favorite hymn lyrics are these:

"Take my voice, and let me sing, always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from thee, filled with messages from thee.

Take my will, and make it thinge; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne, it shall be thy royal throne."

(Take My Life, and Let It Be, by Havergal [I think])

Also:

"In mansions of glory and endless delight, I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so brigth; I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus 'tis now."

(My Jesus, I Love Thee, by Featherstone)

I have so many favorite hymn lyrics, but these are probably my "most fav."

About Us

2006-02-27T21:31:00.000-05:00

My name is Elisabeth. Bet that one was hard to figure out. Anyway, Lea and I have been very close friends for quite some time now and we wanted to start something that would last for awhile, even though we might go in separate directions in life. Neither of us are very computer savvy, so it took us some time to get this running, which is why there are frantically written posts that consist of a few short sentences explaining how we will return, never fear.

As of right now, we're not sure what we will write about, but we would like to have a Christ-centered blog. True, our theme verse (at the top of the page) is funny on one level, but it also serves to remind us how quickly our lives pass away and how futile it is to live for anything or anyone but Christ Jesus.

We promise that there will be better posts in the future, but we're still launching the idea, not to mention the physical outworking of the process.

Hey

2006-02-27T13:51:00.000-05:00

So Lea and I were enthralled with the blogging idea...well not really. We thought it would be nice to do one together, so we'll see how long this lasts.

BTW

2006-02-26T17:54:00.000-05:00

Hi, this is just a prelim. test for our new blog. We'll continue later.