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!

Alan Parks!

Good morning all my readers! 

We had the wonderful privilege of hearing Alan Parks in person recently! What a wonderful time of resting and focusing on Jesus Christ. The music was wonderful and I could tell that he was very sincere in his music. I would definitely recommend you go if he comes near your area! What a joy and wonderful time! I wish now that I would not have forgotten my camera so I could post pics/videos but I will try and remember something like that happens. 

I really need to work on the blog more... I started this post... I am not quite sure, 2 days ago I think? Anyway the point being that I really need to get back on here more often. While I will strive to post more often I will probably keep those posts shorter for time's sake. 

So with all that being put out, I am off to continue with what needs done. :) 

Look for more consistent posts! 

God bless!

Business of Life is a good thing!

Well... It has been a while since I last posted and I would like to apologize. I have had the pleasure of enjoying the company of two young men from Germany for the past 4 days and it has been a total blast! I have enjoyed their company and will miss them when they leave! Yet, I know I can't enjoy their company forever, despite how much I would love it! 

Today we went to a widow's house to help do spring cleaning. It was a nice time of working with other Christian men and eating good food! ( Such as brownies, cheesecake brownies, and whoopie pies! [ yes... there was other food such as barbecue and the such but the brownies were WONDERFUL! ] :) 

Shakespeare practice... Ah.. as I think about that wonderful time last night I cringe in regret at the lack of my acting! Well, I suppose that I should correct that! It might not be the lack of acting but rather the lack of memorization that has produce the lack ( in my part ) thereof. I know that I can conquer my lines... perhaps I will start typing them and putting them on here... that might just help! ( and maybe encourage all my friends too! :) Although I love my lines, everyone has the hardest time taking me seriously with that wig that I wear... I mean... What 50 old man has Albany, curly, and "so" 70's style hair? :) I enjoy the, I guess you could call it, "picking" that I get... I guess that I just don't want to show it. :) As far as pictures go... I don't think I will put one up of the wig! :)

Lately, the Lord has been teaching me a few things... one thing is that life, school, and work, aren't what you would plan for yourself all the time. Yet, while things might not seem to be going the way I want, I am learning to see that God's ways are higher and that I can trust Him! Another thing that He is teaching me is to hand over my fears to him. Now, for those of you who don't know, I have a AMAZINGLY INTENSE FEAR of poison ivy. Part of that is the case that I had last fall that had both of my arms, most of my upper body ( except the back ), and most of my legs covered in poison, for a period of three/four weeks. ( The longest three/four weeks of my life! ) Now, this summer the Lord has brought many lawn mowing opportunities to me when I wasn't even looking for them! Praise him as I had been praying for a job. The only downfall to lawn mowing is frequently running in to, none other than the real deal, Poison Ivy. Ah....... I am so scared of that stuff but know that a "lawn business" is what God would have of me this summer. He provided the work and I need to hand those fears, no matter how valid they may be or seem to me, over to the Lord. Please pray with me that I will accept this and that I will hand this fear over to the Lord!

I am very thankful for the friends that the Lord has brought into my life and thank Him daily, when I remember you! ( Phl. 1:3 )

God bless and keep in touch! I have so many things I can post about so I hope to get some more posted soon! Such as, our recent trip to... oh.. never mind. I think I will wait to tell you!