Friday, October 31, 2008

Reformation Day

Today is known a Halloween, a day of kids (and some adults) dressing up as various characters, from your cutest little pumpkins to the most hideous creatures imaginable. They go from door to door demanding candy by threatening a nasty trick, spending the night at a fall festival at their church, handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, or going to a party celebrating this interesting day of collecting candy and playing dress up.

But few know of or celebrate Reformation Day.

October 31st is shared by to events, Halloween and Reformation Day, on completely opposite sides of the spiritual spectrum. An interesting theory I have heard was that people made up Halloween to counter-attack, so to say, Reformation Day and turn it into a day of celebrating ghosts, ghouls, gross things, grotesque creatures, and basically all things related to dark magic. Or that Reformation Day occurred to counter-attack Halloween.

But what is Reformation Day exactly?

Reformation Day is the day Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the doors of the Castle Church (also known as the All Saints' Church or Schlosskirche) in Wittenberg, Germany, proposing reformation in the Catholic church because of the pardons, indulgences, the hierarchy of church positions, and doctrines.

What is so important about this occurrence?

This act basically sparked the pillar of flame known as the Protestant Reformation. It encouraged people to focus on God and the Bible, believe in justification by faith, and the priesthood of all believers.

So tonight, whether go do something for Halloween or not. Think about Reformation Day and the impact it had on Christianity today.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Reformation


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformation_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints%27_Church,_Wittenberg


http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/495574/Reformation-Day

God Bless,

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Adoption Status

As many of you know, my family is adopting a child from India!
We have finally gotten a referral for a little two year old. She is adorable, with big, expressive eyes and a wonderful smile.
It may take several months until she can come into our home, but she is already in our hearts and prayers. As of now, some paperwork and things to do from India need to take place before we go.
Please pray that we will be ready to be the best family for our little girl and the process goes quickly!

God Bless,

Poll Closed!

The poll is officially closed! Again, thank you to everyone who took part and cast your vote! This has really helped me out in deciding what to post!

Book reviews, both negative and positive-8

More about you, and your life (including adoption process)-8

Poems and other cool literature-4

Your thoughts-8

Cool Youtube videos-7

Cool Photos you find-5

All of the Above?-7

Total Votes: 15

God Bless,

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Pain Everlasting

Twin_oracle, my friend from the Dragons in our Midst forum, just told me that she once heard a little boy say that P.E. was "pain everlasting". I think it certainly does fit!

Anyways, one more day to vote! Yahoo! Thank you to all who voted! I'm working on some new stuff now to post in the future, incorporating what you want to see on my blog!

Today is Wednesday, so for me it is P.E. day! Since I'm homeschooled, I don't have a gym in my house (well, unless you count the rarely used treadmill and stationary bicycle) so every Wednesday I go to a church in my area that has a wonderful gym with other homeschooled students. And boy, is it tiring!

Today we did started out as we usually do, 5 laps around, then we stretch out, and after that we run 3 more laps (though sometimes we lose count and we do more or less)
So we took a water break and came back to find that we were going to toss beanbags to see who would be the two team captains. So the gym is lined with different colored lines and about six or seven feet from the middle line was a blue line, and we had to get our beanbags on or really close to it. 3 people got really close to the line, me included. Since most of the time we have one guy captain and one girl captain, the guy who got closest to the line was automatically a captain, and another girl and I went for a tiebreaker. We were both indifferent to being captain, since you have to pick people and your friends or whoever gets picked towards the end don't get really happy.

So we couldn't decide who would throw first, so finally we decided to throw at the same time, and I threw closest so I was captain. We picked out teams, took another water break, and then began.

The first race was fairly easy and was definitely the most safest. It was just a baton race, going through the course and passing it to the next person. The other team won, but not by much. Our team actually won first, because the rules were that whoever's team all sit down first and complete everything, wins. But the other team wasn't too clear on the rules, and maybe our teacher didn't make it too clear, so the point was given to them.

The second race was using scooters. The scooters we used were low to the ground, have four wheels, and were square. They are basically big, bulky skateboards. So someone sat on the scooter, and the other people on the team would pull or push them. It was quite an adventure for some! Some fell off, some thrown, and some got their arms bent in weird ways as they were pulled along. I had the privilege of smashing into a wall, but it was padded and all. Thank goodness, no one got their fingers run over, and no one got hurt other than the slight pain that accompanies being thrown off a scooter. The other team was really fast, and the won again.

The fourth race was, in my opinion, the most dangerous. But thankfully, there was a lot of precocious people who went slowly, so there were no injuries. Again, someone was sitting on the scooter and someone either pushed or pulled, but this time the person who was pushing or pulling was blindfolded! The person who was on the scooter was to lead them verbally. My team decided to pick the smallest persons on the team, and I was one of them. Somehow, though, I was put through several turns resulting in someone knocking my headband off, falling off the scooter twice, going in circles, and utterly confusing the person I was leading. Fun, huh? Yet again, the other team was triumphant.

The last and final relay was the blanket race. Each person was required to sit on the sheet while the others pulled him or her around the course. That race required the most endurance and strength. Our whole team grabbed some of the blanket and got ready to go with one of our teammates. The first couple of runs were fun and exhilarating as we saw that we were beating the other team, but they soon caught on and were doing our technique. Soon, our whole team was gasping and our feet felt heavy, but we plodded on. Then, it came to the last person. They quickly hopped in and we took off, trying to think of running and pulling as hard as we could. The other team was ahead, but not by much. We kept on going, and soon the end was near. The other team slipped and the person on the blanket fell off! We dragged our team member to the finish line and all sat down. Our team had won!

After we were done, I was still panting and felt weak. I cannot wait for tomorrow. I'm sure I'll be really sore!

God Bless,

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Tagged!

So, in the spirit of making my blog easier to navigate and making it better looking, I've been updating several things, including my tags. So now, it should be easier to find related posts and all. Maybe I'll be able to add more gadgets and thingamabobs as I learn more about blogging!

God Bless,

Monday, October 27, 2008

Review of The Bloodstone Chronicles by Bill Myers Part 1


*fanfare* This is the long awaited review of The Bloodstone Chronicles (also known as Journeys to Fayrah or the Imager Chronicles) by Bill Myers. This book can either be together as a whole, or in the four books it is divided into. This review will give a main overview then focus on each book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A red stone. What could be so special about that?

The answer: A whole lot.

Meet three teens, Denise, Nathan, and Joshua who are just normal kids, going through life. Little do they know that another world awaits them. One filled of concepts, foreign to them, and love boundless and ever-flowing from the Imager, the story's equivalent of God. Through different adventures and quests, these teens grow in their faith and understanding. A great allegory to further deepen one's faith and an excellent resource for one who doubts God's existence, and loves fantasy.

There are a few plot holes, though. They really irked me as a reader. One is about Denise's uncle who supposedly traveled to Fayrah and had disappeared. It builds much intrigue and anticipation of finding out what happened to him, and, alas, it gives no explanation. Whether it was meant for the reader to dream up or for a sequel to be written much later, I don't know, but I did not like not knowing much.

Book One: The Portal

When Denise gives Nathan, a self-centered brat who she dislikes, a red rock found in her strange uncle's attic, little does she know that the little stone, intentionally given as a petty gift, is much more than it seems. Three strange creatures appear (Aristophenix, a big bear with a bad habit of terrible rhymes; Listro Q, a cool purple fox with mixed up speech; and Samson, a cute little dragonfly/ladybug), speaking of a strange land called Fayrah and of the Imager, a loving king. Soon, the two are whisked away to Fayrah. Into the midst comes Mr. Hornsberry, a stuffed dog given to Nathan, that suddenly comes to life. The Fayrinians give Nathan and Denise a grand tour and they become amazed at all the "strange" ways of living. The people of Fayrah delight in putting others first! They see the bloodstone mountains, where Nathan's rock came from, and discover it is a symbol of the great price that the Imager paid for the humans. The also see a river, where the "water" is words, words spoken by the Imager. Soon, when the others aren't there, Nathan is baited to follow Bobok and the Illusionist, an evil one, who manipulates Nathan to follow him by using Nathan's selfishness. He soon finds himself trapped in a place where selfishness is rampant. Will Denise and the Fayrinians be able to find him? Will Nathan escape? What will happen to Bobok and the Illusionist? Will they prevail? Find out, in The Portal.

I highly recommend this book! It contains a great message in an allergorical fashion that keeps a reader hooked. Filled with fantasy, humor, truth, and a wonderful lesson of selflessness, The Portal is a must-read to start off this amazing series.

God Bless,

Friday, October 24, 2008

Template Troublecy An' More

As you can see from my post's title, I have officially declared template troublecy.

Template troublecy-The state in which one either cannot find a template, cannot load in onto their blog, or cannot make a template. *

Unfortunately, I concur to all the requirements, so I am in DEEP template troublecy. I did find a blog skin, though that worked enough for me. music notes and PURPLE! I could have done without the pink, but ya can't have everything.

There's an upside though! I'm not going to take a blogger break. In fact, I plan to blog even more with....stuff...

Anyways, I got an e-mail from a friend and I thought maybe I could answer some on here just for fun...

FAVORITE COLOR? Purple and Green

FAVORITE ANIMAL? Horses and Tigers

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Sometimes

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Turkey......

DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? I guess.........YES!

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? What kind of questions are these? *sigh* Yes, yes, I do.

WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Ohhhhhh, yeah! Just say when and where!

DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? yeah.

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Somewhat.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Chocolate!

RED OR PINK? Purple :D

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? "Average Girl" by Barlow Girl

IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Purple.....or Green.....

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK? Orange Fanta or Sprite, but the good old H2O is good for me

FAVORITE SPORT? Several........track and field, soccer, football, and tae kwon do

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE FOODs? pizza, and almost anything with cheese on it or in it...I'm cheesy :D

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Happy endings

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR?
I have several:
Bryan Davis
Terri Farley
Lois Walfrid Johnson
Sigmund Brouwer
Robert Elmer
Donita K. Paul
Wayne Thomas Batson
C.S. Lewis

AUTHORS YOU LIKE IN GENERAL?
(All I listed above plus)
Nancy Rue
Mary Reeves Belle
Bill Myers-Bloodstone Chronicles Series only
Paul McCusker
Carolyn Keene

So yeah....More about me!

*NOTE: This term made made by me. This term cannot be found in a dictionary. Well, unless it was AGoMC's dictionary, but there is not a published one yet. Maybe I should write one.....but that would take FOREVER....*




God Bless,

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

All People to See, Places to Go Deleted.....

Hey ya'll. Before I go, I just noticed that my bloglist of super-duper blogs have been deleted! How? I don't really know! I was updating it a while back and I get I accidentally removed it. I redid it with as many I could remember, but if you don't see your name on there or I did not have it there before and you want to have your blog on there please comment on this post and I'll add you!

God Bless,

Blogger Break.....Maybe

Salvete Amici! Translated in Latin: Hello friends!

Life's been pretty busy for me for a while now, so I may take a little blogging break for about a week or two. I may post now and then, but most likely I'll not be on for a while. So if ya don't hear from me, don't freak out. :D

Anyways, nine more days until the poll ends! Since many would like to hear more about me and about my opinion of books, here goes!

About Me:

Well, right now I'm writing a book that's a Christian fantasy. Not finalized on the title yet, but its 197 pages and around 83,000 words when I last checked. And I hope to make it to around 250-350 pages. Whew! A loooong way to go!

Tae Kwon Do is going well. I haven't been much this month due to the horse adventure I had plus I had a flu shot (those always get me sore and slightly sick)

Right now in piano I just finished The prelude of the Prelude and Fugue 17 by J.S. Bach. It was quite challenging and I'm looking forward to finishing the whole piece with the Fugue! I'm also preparing for a competition soon for a Beethoven Sonata.

Violin is rolling along pretty well. I tried taking off the tapes and playing, but that did not work well. I think I have a ways to go before I can do that!

It's been pretty COLD where I live so my fingers have gone into hibernation.

Yeah, ya heard me right.

Hibernation of fingers: A state in which one's fingers freeze to accompany the cold weather, thus becoming stiff, numb, and COLD!

In other words, a pianist's worst nightmare.

If only I could move to Florida or California.....

Or the Sahara Desert.......

Anyways, I've been reading and rereading several books, which I will try to do reviews on when I come back

The Riverboat Adventure Series by Lois Walfrid Johnson (Rereading, and loving it!)

Bloodstone Chronicles by Bill Myers (Rereading and soaking it up! A wonderful allegory!)

I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Jonathan Harris (Reading)

God Bless,

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Review of Lucy Doesn't Wear Pink by Nancy Rue


Okay, so this is a book I've read recently. I recommend this book to girls age 9 and up. Though I may be considered to old to read it, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm sure long time fans of Nancy Rue (The Lily and Sophie Series or new readers will love it!

Lucy Doesn’t Wear Pink by Nancy Rue is about a tomboy named Lucy Rooney who learns more about God through exciting adventures by facing what she dislikes most. Lucy does not like pink, almost as much as she dislikes her aunt, who wants her to leave her blind father and come live with her, plus wants to help transform Lucy into a woman, known to Lucy as being a girly girl. She refuses, digging deeper into her dream of starting a real soccer team with her best friend, J.J. When she tries, she is stopped by her new teacher, Mr. Auggy, who requires for her to let other kids play, but they are the kids that Lucy believes hates her because she is not Hispanic. She is also having trouble at home with a new housekeeper who requires her to do a Bible study with her girly girl granddaughter, dealing with missing her mother who died when she was little, and finding a way to reconcile with J.J. who is going through a hard time and decides to dislike her. Will Lucy overcome her obstacles and sort through the lies? Will she fulfill her dream of becoming a soccer team captain? Find out in this amazing book! I really enjoyed the blend and contrast of characters and how the author describes so vividly and wonderfully how Lucy and readers may feel.



So here's my review. More to come!
My next review will be on the Bloodstone Chronicles, a long time favorite of mine.

God Bless,

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

New Blog Template???

Hey ya'll! I'm searching for a good blog template that will fit in better with my blog (the whole colors thing). I've been going to a few sites and found several I like, but if I update it now, all of my wonderful widgets and logos will dissipate!

Sooo......Once the time allotted for my poll is over, my blog shall be renovated!

Any one have any recommendations for sites to look for templates? I'm looking for something colorful, or with horses, or tigers, or cool and Christian! Please comment on this post if ya do!

Here are some I've found:


http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates/details/white-tiger-2


http://www.jackbook.com/blogger-templates-gallery/rainbow-garden-blogger-template

http://www.eblogtemplates.com/blogy-rosa/


http://www.eblogtemplates.com/dream-light/



Which one do you like best? Please comment! :)



God Bless,

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Review of DragonLight by Donita K. Paul


Kale and Bardon head out with their meech dragon friends, Regidor and Gilda, to search for the meech colony. With surprises at every turn, action and adventure, and a wonderful ending, I highly recommend this last installment of the series.

God Bless,

Review of DragonKnight by Donita K. Paul


Bardon heads off to solitude to think about his pending commitment to join Paladin's ranks. He is hindered by two women and a little guardian seeking to find the father of one of the women, N'Rae. Bardon believes that Kale's father may be amongst them. Is his assumption correct? Will they successfully make it and fulfill their quest?

I loved this book! With the new characters, as charming and exciting as even, this book just pulls a reader in!

God Bless,

Review of DragonQuest by Donita K. Paul


Kale continues her adventures from the last book, discovering more and more about Wulder and more about her ability as the Dragon Keeper. In this book you meet new characters from little Toopka to stiff Bardon. More baby dragons hatch with wonderful abilities. But will the evil Wizards get in her way?

Find out in this amazing book! It is my favorite in the series and readers learn more about Kale and her gifts as the DragonKeeper.

God Bless,

Monday, October 6, 2008

Ride of a Lifetime- God is our Protecter

I would called a tenderfoot amongst horse riders everywhere. Only ridden a horse once and twas a trail ride. Anyways, my family and I went to a church picnic. One of the members of our church owns horses so he brought them. He didn't let the kids younger than 10 ride alone, so I was allowed to ride alone. No person leading or riding with me. I rode the horse twice, once at a walk then a trot, having the time of my life. I even led the horse with my mom's horse-shy friends around. I was a bit wary since I'd never led a horse before that plus the horse tried to bite me. (Don't worry, all I got was horse drool)

My sister wanted to ride too, but she was scared so I offered to ride double with her. The owner agreed, but my parents were wary. We both got on, my sister did with difficulty since she's never been on a horse. So she sat behind me and the horse started moving. But it galloped! It took off and my sister couldn't hang on. She fell off and hit the ground with a thud that made me fear she was gone or had been severely injured. I couldn't stop the horse though I pulled and pulled. Once my sister fell off I screamed as the horse continued its rampage. My mom's horse-shy friend started praying, so did the pastor, and several others. My hat flew off and so did my headband.
Now, I was all on my own. Or was I?

So this girl who knows nothing about horses only what she read in books and such. The only thing that ran through my mind was, "Whatever you do. Don't fall off." Which I got from a book I read about horses that was fiction (Phantom Stallion by Terri Farley, and AMAZING series!) As the horse and I were charging through the park, I suddenly realized that I heading to a street! I yanked the reins hard to the left. He jerked, and I almost fell off, but I kept pulling. He finally stopped, and I dismounted and started walking him back. My dad met me and yanked the reins from my trembling hand. The owner met us in a car and took the horse and rode him back, as I ran all the way back to my sister and a group of shocked onlookers. Thankfully, she was okay but extremely sore, and still is. When the owner of the horse came back, he smiled at me and said, "Okay, that was lesson one." My cap was found, but my headband was forever lost (Still mourning over it!). God had kept me and given me incredible peace to think clearly. He had also protected us during that frightening time. God is our Protector!

Now, I may not ever ride a horse again if my parents have a say in it, but I have always dreamed of going to a ranch to visit. The owner of the horse offered to let me come and ride and help him! A prayer becomes reality! Now, to convince my parents. ;) To make a statement, all this week I shall be wearing my many t-shirts that have the lettering "I LOVE HORSES!" Along with a horse necklace.

God Bless,

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Review of Tears of a Dragon by Bryan Davis


Billy and Bonnie now journey to Dragon's rest, where the search for a lost loved one. They find a simple dwelling place of people who were once dragons, but remember nothing about their heritage. They attempt to free the former dragons, but are hindered with those allied with evil. Little do they know that the biggest, baddest battle awaits them.

This is the final book in Dragons in our Midst. For avid readers who have just discovered the book and fan rereading it, this inspiring series is bittersweet, for it is the end of one adventure (an amazing, adventurous, lesson-teaching, and fantastic one at that!) and it end with a promise of a new, wonderful adventure. I loved this book and highly recommend it to any fantasy lover age 10 and up!



God Bless,
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