Finished and Starting

I zipped through this book! The Redemption of Sarah Cain by Beverly Lewis is really good! Although, it's nothing like the movie, it's a must read. Here's a little bit of info on it, "Athoroughly modern woman, Sarah Cain had ridiculed her sister's choice of a Plain lifestyle, which served only to intensify the lifelong rift between them. Now, twelve years later, Sarah is stunned by news of her sister's death and baffled by Ivy's choice of a guardian. How can Sarah sacrifice her successful career and her life in Portland to raise five Amish orphans?"

My next book is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis. I would like to read it before the movie comes out, which should be December 2009, so that I can see if there's a difference between them.

Blog Awards

The Coolest Blog Award goes to: Taylor, and Kristen.
The Most Beautiful Blog In the World Award, say that five times fast, goes to: Taylor, and Bria
The Coolest Blog Award, for guys, goes to: Zac, and Calico Zak. (Go figure, two Zac(k)'s)

Two Tags

This first tag is from Eldarwen. Thanks Eldarwen. I think I'll really enjoy it, so let's get started....

Here are the rules:

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs.
Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.

Here I go...

(in no particular order)

1) Revelation Song by Kari Jobe

2) Slow Fade by Casting Crowns

3) Narnia Battle by Harry Gregson-Williams

4) The Uruk-hai by Howard Shore

5) Deliver Us by Stephen Schwarts

6) Amazing Grace by Chris Tomlin

7) In Christ Along by Keith and Kristen Getty

I Tag:
Zac
Leah
Josh
Kristen

This tag is from TJ. Thanks!

List twelve characters from any fandom, and then answer the following questions.

1. First off, I'm a fan of Jesus!

2. John Wayne. (The best western actor EVER!)

3. Elizabeth Bennet (Preferably the BBC Elizabeth.)

4. Susan Pevensie

5. Lucy Pevensie

6. Edmund Pevensie

7. Peter Pevensie

8. Reepicheep

9. Pippin

10.Arwen

11. Aragorn

12.Legolas

1. Who would make a better college prof, 6 or 11?
Edmund Pevensie, considering the book/movie's mention him going to school, while Lotr doesn't mention Aragorn in school at all!

2. Do you think 2 is hot? How hot?
John Wayne..... he's awesome..... not hot! I don't look as people as hot..... in my opinion it's stupid.

3. 12 sends 8 out on a mission. What is it? Does it succeed?
Absolutely! Between a pointy eared Elf Princling and a mouse knight of Narnia how can it fail!

4. What is or would be 9's favorite book?
Probably, How To Get in Trouble for Dummies!

5. Would it make more sense for 2 to swear fealty to 6, or the other way around?
Edmund should if he's going up against John Wayne!

6. For some reason, 5 is looking for a roommate. Should (s)he share a studio apartment with 9 or 10?
Lucy should share with Arwen. It would be more appropriate!

7. 2, 7, and 12 have dinner together. Where do they go, and what do they discuss?
John Wayne, Peter Pevensie, and Legolas. Hm... John Wayne would want Mexican, Peter would want apples and Legolas would want Lambas (Or how every you spell it!) bread, so they would probably argue over were to go!

8. 3 challenges 10 to a duel. What happens?
Elizabeth Bennet versus Arwen, Arwen would defiantly win!

9. If 1 stole 8's most precious possession, how would she/he get it back?
Sorry Reepicheep you won't get it away from Jesus!

10. Suggest a title for a story in which 7 and 12 both attain what they most desire.
Swords in Fantasy

11. What kind of plot device would you use if you wanted 4 and 1 to work together?
Susan and Jesus. Susan wouldn't have to do a thing!

12. If 7 visited you for the weekend, how would you get along?
I guess good... I don't know and probably never will! :)

13. If you could command 3 to perform any one task or service for you, what would it be?
I don't know, stay at my house for a while I guess.

14. Does anyone on your friends list write or draw 11?
What?

15. If 2 had to choose sides between 4 and 5, which would it be?
I think John Wayne would choose Susan over Lucy.

16. What might 10 shout while charging into battle?
Arwen would speak something elvish!

17. If you chose a song to represent 8, which song would you choose?
I don't know.... Narnia Battle I guess.

18. 1, 6, and 12 are having dim sum at a Chinese restaurant. There is only one scallion pancake left, and they all reach for it at the same time. Who gets to eat it?
Jesus would let the others have it, Edmund and Legolas would fight over it.

19. What might be a good pick-up line for 2 to use on 10?
"Howdy!" I don't know!

20. What would 5 most likely be arrested for?
Entering into another world without government permission.

21. What is 6's secret?
Edmund....hm.....even though his brother and sister don't want to follow Aslan, he does.

22. If 11 and 9 were racing to a destination, who would get there first?
Aragorn by far.

23. If you had to walk home through a bad neighborhood late at night, would you feel safer in the company of 7 or 8?
I don't know which I would feel better with......

24. 1 and 9 reluctantly team up to save the world from the threat posed by 4's sinister secret organization. 11 volunteers to help them,
but it is later discovered that s/he is actually a spy for 4. Meanwhile, 4 has kidnapped 12 in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise
advice of 5, they seek out 3, who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fic?

I lost ya after one of the numbers........

I tag:

Anyone!!!!!!!

My Reformation Day Costume

Our church celebrates Reformation Day, so this year I'm going to have a costume! Medieval was right before reformation. This is what my costume will look a bit like.
Yes, my costume will look like one of Eowyn's dresses! This is the pattern.
Mine will be the one farthest to the right. The brown/gold one! Although it won't be that same color. Mine is a bit more brownish. I will post pics when it's finished and when I'm wearing it! I'm so excited!!!! :)

Harvest of Friends Blog Party

Okay, this is my first time to do a Harvest of Friends Blog Party so hang in there with me. This look really fun! Let's get started. Here is a bit about me:

1. What is your favorite thing to snack on while you're blogging?
Hm.... that's a hard one...... I like chocolate, and chips.
2. What is one thing you wouldn't want to live without?
Jesus!
3. Beach, Mountains or Farm? Where would you live if you had a choice?
Ugh, beach or farm.... hmm.. I would like to live on a farm near the beach! lol
4. What's your least favorite chore/household duty?
Sweeping
5. Who do people say you remind them of?
Well, a few days ago I asked my friends who I most resembled in Pride and Prejudice and they said Maria... go figure.
6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying at home with the fam?
Hmm, I would like to go to parties with the family!
7. What's your all time favorite movie?
I can't pick one! Narnia (both) and The Lord of the Rings are my top two favorites.
8. Do you sleep in your make up or remove it like a good girl every night?
Well, right now I only wear powder, so I'm a bad girl and most nights I don't take it off.
9. Do you have a hidden talent or a deep desire to learn something that you've never had a chance to learn? What is it?
I would love to be an actress. I have taken lessons but right now I don't feel like God is leading me in that direction. I have a passion for it though!
10. What's one strange thing you're really good at?
Well, my family says I'm really good at using my wit.
11. What first attracted you to your spouse?
I don't have a spouse. Waiting for God to send the one, although I think it will be a while. (If you haven't read my profile I'm 14.)
12. What is something you love to smell?
Hmm... Sharpie (I know I'm weird.), Sweet Pea, etc.
13. Tell something about you that you know irritates people.
I'm usually ready to do something! It drives me crazy to sit and talk... most of the time.
14. When you have extra money (HA!) what's the first thing you think to do with it?
Buy and book, buy something whether it be for me or someone else.
15. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher? What makes you laugh the hardest?
Loud, I'm working in toning my laugh down! When people stare at me and make faces or raise there eye brows!
16. Where is your favorite place to shop?
Hm.... Mardel, Ross, etc.
17. What's one thing you'd do more often if you had more time?
Read, watch movie series, crochet, etc.
18. Are you a big spender or frugal?
Big spender, although as I've "grown up" more I've cut back on the things I buy.
19. Who is your favorite character of all time (from a movie or book)? (Can't be real)
Oh, that's hard. The Pevensie's, Arwen, Eowyn, The Fellowship of the Ring(the actual fellowship, ya know Aragorn, Gandalf, Frodo, Legolas, Etc.), most Pride and Prejudice people. Etc.
20. Would you want to be famous?
Yes and no. Like I said, I'd love to be an actress, well really just be in a few movies, but I don't want a certain life style that comes with most acting career's.

That was fun!

A New Book

The Redemption of Sarah Cain by Beverly Lewis. I just started this book today. No, I didn't finish Pride and Prejudice. I've been reading P&P for way to long. I will get back to it later, but for now I need something different. I have seen the movie, Saving Sarah Cain, and loved it. So, I shall read the book!

Oh, have any of you read the Left Behind series? I think I'll start those after this.

What's Going On and A Tag

Well, I haven't really been telling you what's been going on in my life, so that's what this post is about!

Let's see.......

~ This week we've been going to a revival/conference in Pearland. It's been really good so far. We will be going tonight and tomorrow night.

~ I have been a busy bee with school and outside activities.

~ Tomorrow my mom and I will be going on a field trip with our homeschool group. We will be going to Dewberry Farm's. What's really cool is Good Morning America and channel 11 News is going to be there. I have no clue why.

Know for the tag!

Thanks Elrania for tagging me!

What kind of a car do you want when you're older?

Jeep Cherokee

Where do you want to live when you're older?

I would love to live in Wyoming, but I will live wherever God put's me.

Do you want to go to collage?

If it's God's will. If I do it will more than likely be at home.

How many siblings do you have?

Three

How many children do you want to have when you're married?

Whoever many God gives me.

Boys or girls?

God's choice

This or that?
WHAT?!

City girl or country girl?

Country. I live in the city, but my heart is in the country.

Gourmet meals or steak with salad?

Steak and salad.

Flying or driving?

Flying

Bike riding or swimming?

Swimming

Sports or no sports?

Sports

Books or movies?

Don't ask me that! Both!

School or chores?

Ummmmmm..........

Inside or outside?

Depends.

Wednesday or Sunday?

Sunday.

Friends or Family?

Both... even better!

This or That?

WHAT!

Fried or scrambled eggs?

Fried

Pancakes or cereal?

PANCAKES!

Big meal or something small?

Big.

Movie or TV show?

Movie

FAVORITES

Thing to do outside?

Horseback riding, swimming, soccer, volleyball, etc.

Favorite meal?

Onion Chicken with mashed potatoes and some sort of vegetable.

Pass-time?

Read, Tv, Etc.

Place to read a good book?

Outside by a tree or in a hay loft.

What is your favorite vegetable?

Broccoli. I know weird.

NEXT QUIZ....

Where do you want to live when you graduate?

HOME! Unless God has other plans.

What time or day do you like the best?

Sleep time!

What is your favorite flower?

Rose or Sweet Pea.

What is your favorite weapon?

Medieval Swords.

Do you like sports? If so which is your favorite?

Yes, horseback riding, swimming, baseball, soccer, volleyball

Do you like writing?

Of course. Why else would I be writing a book.

What is your favorite month?

April and December.

Do you not like adventure?

Adventure+Danger= Moriah

Do you collect anything? What do you collect?

Yes, journals, patches, post cards, penguins, etc.

Do you live near your grandparents?

Yes!

Are you bored of this?

A bit

Well, it's over how did you like it?

It was interesting and fun!

I tag:

Zac

Taylor

and

Everyone else!

Eowyn and Arwen

I haven't done a Lord of the Rings post in a while so I will post my thoughts on Eowyn and Arwen. Please remember that this isn't an argument... I'm simply stating what I think.

I'll start with Eowyn.
Eowyn is a strong, courageous, beautiful, stubborn, kind, loving, and so much more type of woman. Here are the things I like about her.... I like her modest clothing. I like her courage. I like her kindness. Here are the things I don't like about her..... I don't like her feminist role. I don't like that she doesn't know how to be a keeper at home. I don't like her impurity.


Now for Arwen.
Arwen is a loving, beautiful, kind, gracious, brave, pure, hopeful, willing, and so much more type of woman. Here are the things I like about her. I like her gracious, kind, pure, and feminine spirit. I like her hopeful outlook. I like her bravery and willingness. Here are the things I don't like about her. I don't like her immodest clothing. I don't like her crybaby kind of attitude.

I like both Eowyn and Arwen. There are things I like and dislike about both. Please share your opinion in a loving Christlike manner. I would love to hear your thoughts.

The Books I'm Reading

A Young Woman's Walk with God by Elizabeth George. I love the books written by Elizabeth George. I recommend them. This is really good one. I'm actually going through it with a friend.
Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. This book is amazing! I really enjoy reading it every day. I absolutely recommend it.
Before you meet Prince Charming by Sarah Mally. This book is really good. I recommend it!
Tirzah by Lucille Travis. This is a story of the Hebrew slaves in Egypt. It's really good so far.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I've been reading this book for a long time! It's really good though. The BBC version matches it a whole lot better then the (as my mom and dad would say) Keira Knightley version. Anyways, it's really good.
This book is a biography of Jim Elliot written by Janet and Geoff Benge. My parents bought a whole series of biographies at a homeschool conference .


Well, those are the books I'm currently reading! Later on, I'll be adding The Lord of the Rings to the list. We are going to go through a curriculum called Literary Lessons through The Lord of the Rings. It's going to be really fun. They also have curriculum for Narnia, Anne of Green Gables, and more!

Daughter's with Vision

This is a really good article for young women. The world teaches us against these standards, but God desire's otherwise. This is from Visionary Daughters.

"Many girls have told us they struggle with keeping their hearts and minds pure for their future husbands. It is a difficult task, as God has wired the sexes to be attracted to one another, but also commanded “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

We’ve been asked so often for advice on this that we briefly addressed it in our message “What Our Father Taught Us About Boys,” last week at the Vision Forum 2009 Father-Daughter Retreat. Below are some of my remarks from the message.

Our travels, our work, and especially the fact that we have five brothers and a father who loves to disciple young men, has pushed us into company that is often male-dominant. Here are some practical things our father has taught us to keep our hearts secure and our focus on the things of the Lord.

1. Pray for the young men… and their future wives.

This really helps keep relationships in perspective and facilitates the right kind of sisterly interest in them. We need to look past this season of singleness and see the eternal perspective. We need to see the young men as more than “marriage material,” but as comrades and co-laborers in Christ’s Kingdom, and we need to pursue the kind of friendships that will outlast this season of “singleness” and continue into eternity.

2. Don’t assume that every attention paid you by a young man is a mark of intention.

If a young man looks at you, opens a door for you, greets you, smiles at you, etc., it might have just been a brotherly gesture. Not only is fantasizing and speculating dangerous, reading too much into young men’s kind deeds also is a great way to discourage gentlemanly conduct.

3. Avoid influences that stir the heart prematurely and tempt you to fantasize over men who are not and will not be your husband.

Music, movies, novels, or just our own sinful imaginations can be dangerous. Robert Burns wrote a great poem about this:

Oh, leave novels, ye Mauchline belles.
Ye’re safer at your spinning wheel;

Such witching books are baited hooks
For rakish rooks, like Rob Mossgiel.

Your fine Tom Jones and Grandisons,
They make your youthful fancies reel;

They heat your veins, and fire your brains.
An’ then ye’re prey for Rob Mossgiel.

I am not issuing an ultimatum here banning all movies, music and literature. You know down inside what influences arouse your passions, tempt you build false expectations, and make you feel discontent. Matthew 5:29 warns, “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”

4. Keep interaction with young men within a family context. Avoid private or very personal interaction (this includes online!).

This is something you need to talk to your parents about and ask them to make guidelines for you.

5. Last but not least, keep the lines of communication with your parents wide-open.

Notice that I said “parents”. Elizabeth and I have put a special emphasis on the father-daughter relationship because this is a father-daughter conference, but most if not all of these principles apply to your mother as well. We have made a habit of sharing everything with our parents, and this includes personal struggles, concerns, and our personal observations and opinions of the young men we know. We have discovered that the more faithfully we do this, the easier it becomes — it can really be the best way of relieving the burden of pent-up anxieties and fears that many girls feel during their singleness.

A lot of girls have confessed to us that they have a really hard time talking to their dads about personal things. Sometimes they complain that their dads don’t come and talk to them enough. We can’t always wait for our fathers to initiate and draw us out — men are never going to be as good at this as we would like them to be. Sometimes we need to take the initiative and start the conversation. Deuteronomy 32:7 says, “Ask your father and he will show you, the elders and they will tell you…” It doesn’t say “Wait for your father to remember to come talk to you.” Fathers need to tell, but daughters need to ask, and demonstrate to their fathers that they want their council and wisdom.

Some girls confess to us that whenever they try to go to their fathers to unburden their anxieties or concerns they always end up dissolving into a puddle of tears on the floor before they can get to what they wanted to say. What makes it worse is that most dads really don’t appreciate this. When girls tell me this, I have a pretty good guess what the problem is — it’s that they wait until there is an emotional crisis to talk to their fathers, instead of making a habit of talking to them often, about everything that is in their hearts. Some of you younger girls might feel like you are too young to be having these serious discussions about young men and marriage with your dad, but I would like to personally implore you to start talking to your father now, about everything that is on your heart, laying the foundation for your relationship, and establish good habits of communication, so that when you are my age (23), and things are more complicated, it will be a whole lot easier."