Today was just packed full of things to do. After work we set to mulching the front flower-bed and I thought it would make a nice post. LJ just loved helping move the wheelbarrow and shoveling. BJ and Dad did the polishing touches of smoothing out and washing the sidewalk off. Here are the pictures of the job and the finished product.

After the work was done. I thought that I’d get some pictures of the flowers that are blooming and just ramble. Here is what I came up with. Some of these are unedited. Straight from the camera to you. Others... well. They are slightly edited. ;)

One of my personal favorite self portraits... :)

This ant was very determined to not let me get his picture. Well... after much stress I finally got him! :)

Tomorrow is another big work day. The mower at work is finally fixed so we have been mowing like crazy! Thankfully we have the vacuum running otherwise we could almost sell some hay! :)

By God's Grace, I Am Still In the Race!

Well as you can guess from the title, today, by God’s boundless grace, I am 16! What a joy my sixteen years on this earth have been. I am so thankful for my mom and dad being willing to raise me up in the, “ admonition of the Lord”! I truly have a wonderful family who I know will always be there for me. Thank you Dad, Mom, BJ, and LJ for always loving me ( not liking but loving, because I know, there have been times that I have not been likable. :) and always being there. I love you all and THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I also have an absolute wonderful God and I am so thankful that sixteen years ago he began creating me and molding me into his image. I am thankful that He has, and always will, love me, despite my unworthiness, and sent his only precious son to die, yes, die, for me so that I might live a life freed from the bondages of sin. While salvation does bring heaven, it also removes sin’s power in my life and I am so thankful that he has made it possible to live that victorious life! THANK YOU LORD!

Well, as for my plans for today, I wanted to do some kind of a construction project with LJ and BJ like a birdhouse. However, I got a call last night and the mower at work is fixed! YEAH! So, today I am going to work. What a reality birthday! I am so excited that the mower is fixed so I will not complain! Birthday and all! Tonight then I am going to have a Bible study with some young guys and their dads of which I have discovered that I need to work on planning just a wee bit.... such as not waiting until the day before the event to invite. :)

Well, I must run. I am off to work shortly! Maybe I'll put together a post of pics later!

Ps. To anyone who left a comment I have responded I believe! Whether on my blog or another. :)

Last Friday night we had the best time. We had our end-of-the-year program and what fun... We had a concert and a Shakespeare play, ( The Merchant of Venice ) I played my arrangement of Come Thou Fount and was Shylock in the play! I was told though that I was not allowed carry my role into real life! What a shame... what a shame. :)

The Video of Come Thou Fount is at the bottom... I am still learning how to work with video's on here. :)

Anyway, here are some pictures of the performances and play. J and I did Ash Grove, J on the Hammered Dulcimer and I was on the Classical Guitar. It went well but you can’t hear me on the recording.... I guess my mic wasn’t loud enough! :) I guess that I just won't upload the video for this one.... If you want it I'll put it up... you just can't hear the guitar.

It is very hard to believe that another year is done yet, it is true. Well... we aren’t quite done but two weeks aren’t that long.

Here are some of the pictures. One is of me on the guitar and then on the piano and then there is the court scene pic and lastly is the actors. What a crazy group! :)

I want to take a moment to thank all the teachers, Mrs. Sam, As our Shakespeare teacher you were just amazing with us kids and the way our play worked out, it was because you helped us do it! Thank you! Ms. Suzie, Speech class was such fun this year. Thank you for working with us and making it as fun as speech can be! Thank you! Ms. Carol, writing is never anybody’s favorite class yet you made that enjoyable too! Thank you! Ms. Marci, Art was fun this year! I know that I have always struggled through art yet you helped me along and I really enjoyed it! Thanks! Tim and Sam, PE was a blast as well and I think that Dodgeball should most definitely a part of next year’s PE class! :) Thanks!

I think I covered just about everyone... oh yes.... To my mom, Thank you for forbearing yet one more year and being there for me. You are my favorite teacher ever and I love you! THANK YOU MOM!

Enjoy the videos and have a great day!

Well... I tired to upload the video but it is a really big file. 117 MB to be exact so I will post it later for you all! Have a great night!

Due to the perfect weather condition yesterday, I took a walk out in the woods with LJ for a photo shoot. Sadly, I didn’t have a tripod ( of which I seem to need really bad.... I guess I shake to much :) and a lot of the almost perfect photo’s didn’t turn out but the one’s that did turn out are really nice! I thought I’d share the green with you all! Also, there are some pictures from random days. 

I praise the Lord for the wonderful weather that He has given us even if it is a little dreary and grey. It still has some beauty to me! 

Today at work, I stepped into the garage to fill the mower up with gas, I heard this little, but very loud meow! Now... those of you who know, cats aren’t my favorite animal... I am more of a dog person but since I started working I’ve started appreciate cats. This afternoon was the killer for any prejudice. I turned my head in surprise as I see this little, 3 ( or 4... not sure ) week old kitten come running up to me! I have to admit.. I saw this little one and I fell over. IT WAS SSSOOO CUTE! Now... I know what some of you are thinking.... WHAT? ARE YOU MAD? I am afraid my friend, yes... I am. I think that this picture should clear all minds.

ISN’T IT CUTE!

Next to my hand, how little!

I am amazed at God’s miraculous creation. How amazing are you God!

Your works are amazing oh Lord! How marvelous is your name!

I was reading this morning in Ephesians and something really stood out to me. 

Ephesians 1:4 says:

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." 

As I read this all I could really think was, WOW! This really sums up my life here on earth. Let's read it "piece-by-piece".

According as he hath chosen us, It is God who has chosen us not ourselves. Am I willing to live for the one who has chosen me? Is my life reflecting Christ?

In Him, This part is amazing.... through only two words Paul manages to fit in all the story of Jesus' life into these two words! In Him. I was chosen by the blood of the precious Lamb of God who came to earth, lived a sinless-life and died and rose again for who? Me! Am I living my life as though it was bought with a price? Am I willing to surrender my will to the the One who bought me through Him? 

Before the the foundation of the world, This is a proof of God's power and existence over time. It also speaks of his complete knowledge and wisdom. Do you realize that God knew you before you did? God has had a plan for your life since before the world was even made? When you think about Life this way it really adds a lot of value to it! Suicide, Abortion, Murder, even Depression, they would all lose their the predominance in our culture if we could just value the fact that God has a plan for all people. He knew them before the earth was created and we must value them for it.  

That we should be holy and without blame before Him, All of the facts now lead to the climax. The fact that God has chosen us, Lived a blameless life, died, and rose again, and chose us before the foundation of the world, are we, the people who God did all this for, are we willing to be Holy and without blame before him? He died and was tortured by the worst means, suffered so much for you and I so that we could benefit and will I/you live holy and blameless before him? My prayer for myself and you is that we can live that kind of life. and it is possible. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me! Paul has made that clear for us and we love to use it when we are taking on the Spiritual Goliath but what about when living our personal life? We must live holy and blameless! 

Now the last two words really sum it up. In Love. All of that being said, let us not forget that we should live our life in love. When we are in a group and someone starts doing something that is in disobedience with God's word then, depending on the circumstances we should just walk quietly away but if we confront, let us do it in love. I am starting to learn that, as Paul put it so well, "...If I lack love, then I am like sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal. Ever heard the two? Paul later says that if I lack love, even if I gave my self to be burned,( and I think that is a huge act of sacrifice ), even if I did that, it would be nothing if I didn't do it in love. Wow.... I constantly need this reminder. I know that some reading this will agree but sometimes I stand for what is right, which is a good thing, but I do it SO harshly and with such I-am-right-and-you-are-wrong attitude that what Paul said becomes true.... it is as an annoying noise. Let me/us not forget to do all we do in love.

This verse is really my life-purpose verse. So I will end this post with it again,

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."

WOW!