Hold on to spinning ground.....

Hey you guys! It's been a while. These past few weeks have been a flurry of activity, consisting of alot of farm work, nannying, and shopping for our trip in 6 days! We truly cannot believe that next Tuesday we will finally be crossing the border from Hungary into our dear Romania. :) Oh, and for those of you who are interested in what our team is planning on doing while there, please check out our mission blog: www.tmcmissiontrips.blogspot.com We both are so blessed to be a part of this team and we cherish your prayers for health, travel safety, and that the Lord would bless our efforts and fill us with His Spirit while we minister.

circled are the cities we'll be traveling to during our 2 week stay!

We'll be in the air for a total of about 13 hours, so if you have any traditions or grand ideas of passing the time, we'd love to hear them! ;)

Feeling: very-excited-kinda-overwhelmed-cough-cough-PACKING-cough-cough-hyped
Listening to: Be My Forever
Eating: nothing....but I've been craving donuts. Just thought I'd throw that out there. 
Liking: my new haircut! 
Working on: finishing preparing my mini sermons/testimonies. Oh yeah--and PACKING LISTS
Enjoying: this gorgeous weather we've been blessed with.
Hoping: this cold of mine is gone by next week.........>.<
Loving: the Lord's grace and mercy evident in my life and those of my friends. <3

-Sarah

Spring is for.....

Beautiful azalea blossoms

Looking up into a canopy of that^ is pure bliss..

Wild cherry trees!

Inchworms. :D

Gentle breezes, rustling my hair...

Capris!!! 

Spring Fashion on the whole.

Rain showers

New life!

What just says spring to you?

Randomosity: Bullet Points Post!

Just because this picture made me insanely happy. :)

• Having a rabid cat on your porch and finding that your county Animal Control is closed after 4 on Sundays is disconcerting to say the least.
• Regardless what anyone says, skunk-smell from far away smells like marigolds or coffee and is therefore is one of those country smells that is ever-so-slightly comforting in a way. :)
• Tootsie-rolls kind of taste like orange now and then..
• Coca-cola may have a cooler logo, but at least Pepsi doesn't dry out your mouth. :)
• Peacock feather earrings are utterly amazing.
• Since November 38th (app.) I have written nearly 40,000 words of The Scarlet-Gypsy Song...it's coming together nicely!
• Rabid cats are scary.
• Swing Dancing would be so much fun to try.
• You may have your chicken soup--I'll take Panera's broccoli-cheddar soup in a bread-bowl! :) *yum*
• Ferdinand is a splendid name for a bull, and if ever I have one I'm naming him that.
• It tickles your vanity and gives your warmth all over to hear your 5 year old sister vow that your stories are better than books and that they "shine like stars"...rather overly poetic, but sweet all the same! :D
• Valentine's Day means the making of valentines...and the making of valentines means airing my annual heart-cutting skills.
• I would like to sharpen the claws of my brain on a session of banter with a witty person sometime soon.
• Little Dorrit....amazingness in toto. In toto? In toto.
• Les Miserables...a book and a half [in length, at least] if ever I saw one.
• I got an entry into my Valentine's contest that made me vewwy vewwy happy!

Oh yes! Check out our newest venture in the Blogging world: The Heffington Post--Sarah, The Gentleman from Virginia, and I are starting it up! :)

Little Notes :)

Dear Churchill, thanks a million for staying quiet last night! 

I really needed the rest. :)

Your new sis

Dear Jack Frost, you've got an open invitation here in VA...just sayin'. 

Come and stay as long as you'd like!

Very Warmly...

Dear Latin II, you're a very fun and challenging subject 

and I have a feeling we'll be great chums.

Tu amo ;)

 Dear crazily untuned piano, I've gotta say, you're pretty pathetic.:P

Quite Flatly...

Dear camera, *sigh* Where to begin? I apologize for my

desertion and promise I'll pick you up this week.

Your's til the shutter closes..

Dear Jo-Jo, I was a lonely alto today.... Missing you lots and hope to see you soon! ♥

Lots of Love!

Dear hair, you really vex me. Please grow a tad more before needing to be trimmed again, 

or else you'll stay in a continual state of just-below-the-shoulderness. 

Closely attached...

Dear Winter, Where are you? Why can't I find you? 

Why have you gone a--wayyy? ;P

Ever Hopeful...

Dear Mail-lady, I'd love to get something interesting in the mail...

wanna put a good word in for me?

Thanks!

Dear Amazon Gift Card, you were a delightful surprise and 

have given me a lot of possibilites! Fun, fun, fun! xD

Still shopping...

Dear Lemon-pepper chicken, I will fix you for dinner soon, I promise!

Continually Craving...

Dear January, you sped by like lightening! I've had bunches of fun with you

and hope to enjoy your last week just as much!

Time flew by...

Dear brain, I could use some inspiration just about now...please respond a.s.a.p.! 

Densely...

Dear Abigail, thanks for the amazing weekend and the introduction to contra! :)

Pluffily...

~Sarah

{p.s. If you are a bit confused by the first letter, we have dubbed our new puppy Churchill Sherlock Lewis. C.S. Lewis. Goes by Churchill ;) }

Random Bullet Points Post!

Having been so very busy and so very splotchy in my posts on this blog, (Sarah, you are priceless!) I figured that the best way in which to catch you up on things would be a random bullet-points post. Ready?

• Apple pie, when it turns out, is so worth all the work
• ♫"I've been to the dentist a thousand times so I know the drill"♫...and I didn't have anything wrong with me this time! :D
• The Lord is so faithful and amazing.
• ♫ "True love can be whispered from heart to heart when lovers are parted they say, but I must depend on a wish and a star as long as my heart doesn't know who you are..."
• Cricket is a very sleek and velvety-black pussy
• Levi has amazing dimples
• I wonder what part of the turkey processing process will be mine tomorrow?
• I wish (for the thousandth time) that I knew an instrument
• I sang "Pie Jesu" and hit the high note without a flaw today...it was a good feeling.
• The fall is almost over! :[
• Driving in a 15 passenger on skinny country roads without a speedometer is not as scary as it once was.
• My sewing machine is at the doctor!!
• And I hope to make a dress soon after it returns!
• Dickens is my literary hero.
• "It is a sword day! A red day ere the sun rises!" is stuck in my head
• I love the BBC [Masterpiece Theatre] Pollyanna
• How did Ginger Rogers dance in those shoes? 
• A couch-arm in lieu of a chiropractor...not so much.
• There are so many teeny countries in the world that I've never even heard of...and to think each one has its own history, culture, and customs. "I never have liked the notion that the world is round...makes me giddy."
• I want to set my hair in bandanna waves soon
• Christmas is hot on our heels
• And I've started making gifts. :)
• Our piano needs to be tuned
• Decaff coffee is good at night
• I love my family, despite (and perhaps because of) our idiosyncracies
• Provence, France, sounds like a nice place
• But Scotland sounds better
• I feel Spanish when I write my name like this: !Rachel :)
• "Sway me Now" by Dean Martin is imprinted on my musical memory this week.
• I can't wait for "Carol of the Bells" weather
• Winter nights, breath hanging white upon the air, stars just tiny pin-pricks in the velvet of the sky
• This is an exceptionally long random bullet points post and I know you are bored to death with it.

Thanks for enduring, folks! Have a nice night. :) ~Rachel

• 
  

A Birthday-ish Sort of Post. :)

Hey!
So, in case any of you followers didn't know, these 2 months of the summer (July and August) host more than 1/2 of our family's birthdays! Which means, a lot of celebrating, a lot of wrapping-of-presents, and a lot of cake! :D
Today I'd thought I'd show you how a normal birthday in our house works. :)
In the days previous to the birthday, Mom goes to the future birthday girl or boy and gets their preferences for the meals on their big day. Then there's the question: What kind of cake will it be? Mom is very kind and lenient in that area and allows us kids to pick whatever we want! :)

So "the" day has come. You wake up, realize it's already 8:30, and slightly panic that you slept in too late!---But then a delicious realization comes upon you that it actually is your birthday!! :) You cautiously proceed by going downstairs (making sure that the way is clear from all secrets) and look at a beautiful array on the table! Alot of times it's something like cinnamon rolls, fruit, sausage and one of our favorite drinks: Orange Julius!

(One of Leah's "birthday breakfasts" :)

Ahh....after a delightfully full tummy, you are told that you are totally off of chores and the day is your own to do anything your pretty little mind thinks of! We all enjoy this special treat of being completely free for an entire day. :) It's usually spent reading that book you've only had a few bits of time to spend on it, playing your instrument, catching up on writing to your dear friends, drawing, writing, etc. Meanwhile, the rest of your family has been covering for you in the daily schedule and preparing your birthday cake and dinner! :)
Now---before I go any further I need to tell you something:
Mom is a fabulous cake-maker.
She really is.
You know, icing and flowers are all pretty and nice most of the time....
But I absolutely adore the way my Mom makes ours.
Every birthday cake feels, unique, different, and even more special and creative than the last. :)
Let me show you:


(One of my personal favorites: A Candy Land cake! =)

(Benjamin's birthday is Dec. 21st, thus a Christmas Tree Cake!)

(Isn't this so cool?! The Bag of Skittles cake! (and see how the "corner" of the bag is ripped open with Skittles pouring out?!)

(Wow! I forgot how great this cake looked! It was my "Black Forest Cake" from a couple years back. :)(This is what Daniel chose for his cake a while back! :D)

(Mom also does great "Teddy Graham Beach Party" cakes!!)

(A Cat Cake....actually this was a hint to what Rachel's main present would turn out to be! :D)

(Haha! An interesting picture of Gracie, but it's the best one of the cake I could find. :) A birthday princesses' dream cake! =)

(An icecream cake Mom made for me last year! :) I don't really know what's up with all the different number candles! :P)


(And yet again, I have forgotten how fantasticly she did this one!:)

Okay! Well, anyhow, later that evening, all the local extended family comes over and you have a PARTY!!! =) Which includes opening presents, playing games, and eating your cake!
I hope you all enjoyed this post :)
~Sarah
p.s. there is another reason I thought to do this particular post......I'm really looking forward to my birthday in 3 days!!! :D

Some things I hadn't realized I miss. :)

Hello! Sarah here. :) As Mom is due to have our little brother any day now (!!!!!) I've been really thinking and noticing that there are some things that haven't been around the house for 3 years, that have now entered, due to this special soon-to-be occasion. For example:

Baby clothes. For the past years, the only place in the house you could find these would be in the girl's baby doll bin! We've been given and have collected a good selection of these, and actually....I got to run the first load of baby clothes in the laundry! :D

A Diaper Bag! Again, this has been out of our house and daily schedule for 3 years at least! While at Wal-Mart, Mom was looking at all the cute ones they have, for she received a gift card from a very kind friend, and needs a new one of these badly. :)

yep! This too, is totally absent from our daily routine, but in a very short time will come right back in!

..and what are these called?! ;) Oh, yeah. There's already a package of these residing here, in wait for the arrival. :)

Now, of course comes the main attraction. ;)

The baby itself! (oh, and just in case anyone's wondering, I did *not* take any of these pictures, and don't own the rights to them at all. Also, our babies are the cutest, chubbiest, smiliest, cutest, most adorable, little bundles you've every seen!)

Aww! Who doesn't love tiny,chubby, baby feet? :)<3

Oh, and you can't forget the sweet dream smiles! :D

Wow. It's been way too long since this house has heard the sound of a newborn crying their hearts out.

Don't they look really funny when the stretch their teensy mouth to let out a huge yawn?

Okay. So now you see everything I'm looking forward to when our little brother comes. :)

And as a quick update: Mom's due date is in exactly one week today. She is definitely feeling at the end, and most of us think he'll be coming some time this week! :) So, if ya'll would just keep Mom in prayer as she prepares for the delivery and that she'll be all rested. :)

Thanks!

~Sarah

What's a Bucket-List?

Hello Everyone! :) I thought I'd do a post concerning this topic, because it's been mentioned on our blog, and I know not everyone is familiar with the phrase. First of all, what is a bucket-list?

Bucket List: A list of things you want to do before you die. (aka "kick the bucket" :P)

I have not compiled one of these for myself yet, but I do know several things that would be on mine:

To never stop growing in and learning about my Lord! :)

To visit NY City and go see a Broadway show!!!!

To learn either French or German, and be able to translate, speak, and read either fluently.

To get a Great Dane puppy. (Now, when I say puppy, I mean puppy. Not a 9 month old dog, please. A cute, little, as young as I could get, puppy. :)

And to fall in love and marry a man after God's heart and have a family! :)

Do you have a bucket-list? If not, what would a few of your top things be?

As part of this post, I'd like to invite ya'll to enter a bucket-list giveaway held by Polka-Dot! Here's the link:

This looks like a really fun thing, and I hope ya'll enjoyed this post! :) Thanks!

~Sarah

"Cuz Their's No Blue Mondays In Your Sunday Clothes!"

(Or something along those lines! ;)

So, taking Miss Jo March's idea of a Saturday Morning Daybook, this will be a one-time Sunday evening.....nightbook? :P Anyway, enjoy it if it pleases you to read past that most incoherent sentence.

Date: June 26th, 2011

Starting time: 8:28 p.m.

Mood: content, pensive, dreamy, wistful

Outside my window: the remains of a sunset, the dusk creeping over the earth to cover it in a warm darkness

I'm thinking: I had an amazing afternoon with friends I hadn't realized I'd missed so woefully until they were here and I couldn't stop hugging them and smiling at them. *lump in throat* :' )

I'm currently reading: Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore--amazing book.

I'm listening to: Grace's bedtime c.d....classical music mixed with surprisingly realistic nature sounds. :) Very soothing and fitting my mood.

I'm wearing: a fifty's style cotton dress....courtesy of a dear friend, courtesy of a thrift store, courtesy of goodness knows where.

I'm looking forward to: My graduation....if I can stop worrying about my speech

I'm hoping: that I will get married someday. :) Preferably before I'm an "old maid". :D (Though I warrant not-quite-19 is a tad too young to start worrying :P)

Yesterday I: took everyone on a picnic, acted most unlike a heroine by fastening my hair under my chin like a beard, taking Leah's arm, and singing "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree" to her while Sarah filmed us.....generally had a silly, laughable time. :)

I'm hungry for: Hm....hungry wouldn't quite be the word....but I'd go for a Dairy Queen blizzard right about now.... ;)

Song stuck in my head: None currently, but earlier it was "You Can't Get a Man With A Gun" from Annie Get Your Gun. :D Very funny song!

I love: dearer than dear friends who are made all the more dear because you've been deprived of their company far too long.... Jane Eyre....dimples....heroes.....Broadway Musicals. :)

I loathe: Stepping on spilled sugar... tight waistbands...embarrassing moments....colds in summertime. :)

This week my goal is: Finish a present for a friend, finish writing my speech, stop worrying about Wisdom Teeth Surgeries (JULY 6TH!!!! :{ )

Quote of the week:

*Me, talking to Sarah's camera at the picnic when she said she'd put the video on the blog*

"You poor blogging people...you probably think we're.....loonies! You probably think we are all from the Crazy Barn....oh wait! Funny Farm!" *busts up laughing* :D

Finishing Time: 8:40 p.m.

Random Bullet Points Post!

Time for another of these popular posts! ;)

• I'm soooooo excited about the ball on Saturday! Especially because I have a brand new handmade-just-for-me Civil War dress to wear!!! =)

• As Mom only has 56 days left til her due date, and is at a doctor's appointment today, I've been thinking about what it will be like to have a baby in the house again. Diapers?? Naps?? Hearing an infant cry as a regular occurrence?? Highchairs, Pack-'n-Plays , and Sippy Cups?? =D FUN!!
  
• Almost exactly a year ago, Rachel and I had the privilege of meeting our first and only (so far) Bloggy friend, Miss Jo March! :)
• Bumble-bees have "abumdumums" according to our cousin, Michael. (I think he meant "abdomens" :D
• *sigh* The Horn Worms Return.... :(
• I got my first foreign mail or package today!! *squeal* And I love it! Thank you, Anne!
• I want to make bucket list sometime soon. (they sound fun!)
• Why can't either our computer or Blogger let me post some pictures on here???!!! :(
• I can't wait til this weekend for another reason: a visit from Abigail, Sam, BJ, and Anna!!
• Does anyone else think that *everything*'s being scheduled this Saturday?? I've been invited to 3 things!
  
• I want to do several posts that require pictures from this computer....but....they won't upload!
  
• Can anyone not love Broadway songs??!!!!!! *sigh*

• The Andrews Sisters' songs have planted themselves in our brains.....You stay in our house long enough, and you'll most likely hear one of these lines:
  

"Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen, Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen, please let me explain...."

or this one:

"Choo-choo to Broadway, foo Cincinnati, don't get icky with the one, two, three..

I like oysters, lobsters too,

I like my tasty butter fish, fooo
When I come home late at night
I get my favorite dish, fish."

• Much to Rachel's delight, squash are coming in by the laundry basket, which means plenty for our customers and extra! What we do? Make this great casserole!!!
• I can't wait until Rachel's Amazon.com order is delivered....namely the 1995 version of P&P!! :)
• The weather today!!!Can anyone say gorgeous? Seventy-three degrees feels like bliss after all those 98-100 days! +D

Alright! Hope that was worth your while! :)
-Sarah

Why We Girls Love Heroes :)

This post could alternately be titled "A Few Thoughts on What Makes a Man Great", (from a girl's perspective) or "How to be a Hero" if you're a guy and want to know. ;)
So I've been seriously thinking the past few days, "Why is it that all women love the heroes in the Jane Austen/ Charles Dickens novels?"
Just yesterday at a picnic Daniel looked on in amusement as my friend and I slightly ranted over our dear Mr. Thornton (Richard Armitage) being cast as Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit. Poor fellow. From a BBC hero to a dwarf. ;)
But in all seriousness, I have been taking a deeper look at what makes attracts us to these fictional men. I can assure you it is not because they are perfect men. Not at all. Mr. Thornton is first seen raving mad at a dangerously irresponsible mill-worker. But you learn to love the man's character as you come to understand his life so far and his vision for the future.

And contrary to popular belief, I do not love these characters solely because they are nice-looking. I have great interest in characters, because I love to write. So I look far deeper than outward appearances when I give my approval to someone, be he fictional or not. So back to the topic of this post. Why do we love a hero?
I will list the things I have thought of, and see if you agree with me.

• A hero is a gentleman. Believe me when I say that I prize this quality *very* highly among young men, or men of any age. Once a perfect stranger held the door of a restaurant open for a friend and I while we were still half-way across the parking lot. He waited till we were all the way through to close it. We didn't know the fellow, we will never seen him again, and yet by standing there and treating us as if we were worth taking care of, he made my week. :) Think Mr. Knightley asking poor, slighted, Harriet Smith to dance after a very ungentlemanly character insults her...
• • 

• A hero is honourable. Think of all the great guys in the movies--they treat women with respect, purity, and honor. They would sooner lose their fortunes than their reputations. I think of Mr. Clennam of Little Dorrit who voluntarily goes to debtors prison because he will not run away from the bankruptcy he accidentally brought upon his business partner.

• A hero treats every woman with respect, not just his sweet-heart. This is one of the most endearing traits in a hero. I think of Mr. Knightley sitting in between Miss Bates and her mother appearing to be having just as much fun as if his seat-mate was Emma Woodhouse. It's easy for a guy to be on his best behavior when he is trying to win a woman's heart, but to be just as deferential and sweet to an old maid who talks your ear off? True character.
• A hero is a real man. None of your soft-handed, pussy-footed video-gamers, please. The hero sort is a hard worker, or at the very least educated and productive. He is never a time-waster and a good-for-nothing. :)
• A hero never selfishly pushes his own agenda, but wisely instructs the woman he loves because he loves her and cares for well-being. He'd never make a woman feel guilty for not marrying him, or convince her to do anything she didn't feel was right. I think of the scene in Bleak House where Dr. Woodcourt proposes to Esther Summerson. She refuses and he accepts that, but gently points out that he thinks she is headed in the wrong direction. You can tell he's not saying that for his own means, but because he is genuinely concerned about Esther's happiness. :)
• A hero has a side to him that can be hard for the heroine to accept. He shows her her own follies without masking it, in an effort to protect and urge her on to better things. :) Anyone wanna say "Gilbert Blythe"? ;)
• A hero can have made mistakes, but needs to have risen above them. Like poor Edward Ferrars- engaged to a girl for five years who was only after him for his money and soon ditches him for his rich brother. It all ended rather well for Edward, actually. :)
  
• A hero makes sacrifices for others, even if it means he loses everything he is himself. And this is the last and best. Every fictional hero's sacrifice brings a glow to our hearts and tears to our eyes, and yet it is but a vague shadowy copy of what our Lord Jesus did for us. His wooing and winning of His errant people, His sacrifice for us is the greatest romance, the greatest novel, the greatest ending of all time. :)

So I hope everyone enjoyed this post! :) I merely pointed these things out so that we as girls could think about the things that really make a man what he is, and so that any young men who chance to read this could have an idea of why we girls swoon over heroes so often. :) And so as not to seem like I'm preaching to the guys out there, everyone stay tuned for the sister-post, "How Can We Become Heroines" :) -Rachel

Random Bullet Points Post

Inspired by Abigail over at Tweety Tweets, I decided to do a "Random Bullet Points" blog post. The idea of this is to simply give an overview of some (generally) unrelated things. So here we go

I am thinking.....

• Is Daniel suffering from a Black Widow spider bite, or an MSG allergy?
• What can I do to ease his discomfort? :/
• About what a blessed time we had with Mrs. Traver and her 11 kids during their stay with us while the hurricane passed over their area.
• I need to write some letters
• About the unexpected happy little blessing Dad gave me in taking me out to lunch "just because" and not making me drive there! :D
• That Paul in the Bible, and Charles Dickens' both use very long sentences sometimes, but use them in a very effective way. Not sure that is a wise comparison, since the Lord spoke through Paul, and not Dickens... :/ The main point was, famous authors can use run-on sentences! :)
• There was no inheritance under that table Abigail! :[
• Autumn is coming fast!
• I want to get some quail to raise, because their eggs are SO adorable, (and they themselves are too) and they sell for 14 dollars a dozen!!! :O
• Bleak House is turning out to be a page-turner! :)
• Dad is out bringing home pizza for dinner
• We should not have stayed up till 2 a.m. with Mrs. Traver talking, covering all topics from very strange "granola" goat-sellers to the Parental Rights Amendment
• Gracie is not a baby anymore :'(
• I am ready for a dance so I can wear my Scottish dress!
• God is so marvelously good to me
• and I don't deserve it!
• But Christ loves me, and died for me!
• Amazing Love, how can it be, that Thou my God would die for me? :) -Rachel

A Few Thoughts on My Husband.

Got your attenion, didn't I?
If there is one bad thing to be said about BBC dramas, I think it would have to be that they tend to leave us feeling a tad discontent. Not any big discontent, but a little twinge of, "Oh dear. Are there really any Mr. Darcys out there?" I am guilty of such thoughts now and again, as are most girls. At the same time, I feel that most of the men in those movies have qualities worth keeping in mind for a future husband. The younger girls and I had just finished "North and South", and were discussing the main male character, Mr. Thornton.
"I wonder if there are really any men out there like him?" Leah mused. I laughed and replied, "Why don't you pray for your future husband that he will have some of the qualities you admire in Mr. Thornton?"
Leah looked at me in a shocked way. "Praying for someone you don't know right now?..."
I tried to explain the thinking of my proposition. I pray so often for my future husband, even though it is more than likely that I have never met him! Leah then asked me a question I have asked myself: "What if you don't get married? You would have been praying for no one!"
Believe it or not, I have thought of this question. And the answer I came up with is this: Perhaps I won't get married. But most people do get married, and chances are, I will. So would I give up the years I can be praying for my "Mr. Thornton", just on the outside chance he doesn't exist? I don't think so. Maybe I will be praying for a non-existing personage. But I feel that somewhere out there, the Lord is preparing a man for me, and I will not stand idly by hugging a weak "what if?". In Proverbs 31 it says that "she does him good, not harm all the days of her life." (emphasis mine) All the days include right now. And while I cannot very well be a help-meet to him in many ways, I can act as his right hand gal by being a prayer-warrior. Girls, it really helps battle discontent to pray for your future husband! Try it! It is amazing how much easier it becomes to wait. Don't worry about the "what ifs". As long as you understand that true fulfillment and contentment are found in Jesus, than pray as often as you want for your "someday" man! :) Here are some verses I found that apply:
Romans 12:12 "...rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer...." I rejoice in the hope of having a husband someday. I will be patient in the times it is very hard to wait, and I will continue steadfastly in praying for him!

Psalms 139:16 "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned fr me, when as yet there were none of them." God has a plan for me! It may include marriage, it may not! But He really does have it all written down! A great comfort!

Proverbs 15:29 "The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous." What can I say, but He is listening, and He does want to hear my heart? :)

Colossians 4:2 "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving..."
So I am! :) I don't know about you girls, but someday, I have a feeling that my "Mr. Thornton" will be blessed to know that for many years, his wife has prayed for his safekeeping, his character, his well-being, and his relationship with the Lord. That's just about the best wedding gift I'll ever be able to hand to my beloved husband someday! :) -Rachel

Ken Ham's "The State of The Nation"

Last night Sarah, Daniel, and I were priviliged to be able to watch Ken Ham's D.V.D. "The State of the Nation" with a few fellow Gen-J members. It was a GREAT talk. As usual, Ken Ham did not mince words, and said thing like they were. I'm telling you, I LOVE frank people! :) Basically, the idea of the d.v.d was to take a look at America, and try to explain where things are going wrong, and what we can do about them. Here are some of the main points that stuck out to me:

1. We as Christians need to stop saying the reason we are against certain issues is because "they are wrong", "the founding fathers....", "well, traditionally," "we shouldn't...." and other weak excuses. Those terms are merely matters of opinion to the World. There is no absolute in that. No. We need to clearly tell others that the reason we are against abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriages, and other issues, are because they are against God's Word. When you take God's word out of the picture, then you have virtually come to a duel and laid down your sword in preparation to face an enemy who is fully armed and prepared for war.

2. Generally in these days, when someone talks about science, they are no longer speaking about science as a study of experiments and documentation to try to figure out the natural world. They are speaking of "science", but truly meaning "evolution, and millions of years". That is why people always suggest that science and religion don't mix. If you take away all the politically correct terms shadowing it, what you come up with is, "atheism and Christianity" do not mix. And that is entirely true. But people, we need to say it how it is without sugar coating it.

3. Everyone has a religion. You cannot be "non-religious" because religion is a system of beliefs, and whether your system of beliefs is the One True "religion", or some little idol, or "nothing", you are still believing something.

4. Yet another word is being twisted to mean more than it seems in this culture. And that word is "religion". When they say that they want to take "religion" out of the schools, that is code word for "Christianity". I could carry around a pocket idol of Buddha all day long, or wear a little red dot on my forehead, but if I pray in the name of Jesus Christ in any public sort of place, I could very well cause a riot! :/ In one part of the d.v.d., it showed an atheist professor at a school, mocking Jesus in the name of "science". In one part, he was talking about how stars exploded and made us, and then he said, "Forget Jesus! The stars died for you!" and the whole room errupted in laughter and applause. It almost made me cry seeing how blasphemous that class room was. There is another clip he used on the d.v.d. that was a GAP commerical from this past Christmas that really states the attitude of our culture currently: "You 86 the rules, you do what just feels right. You do whatever you "Wannakuh", and to all a cheery night!" (Or something like that.) So the main part of the d.v.d came down to this: Are we living our lives on God's Word, or Man's word? The whole problem in today's society, is that the attitude is "Forget Jesus", and "do whatever you Wannakuh!". We must not be ashamed of the gospel, and we must use God's word as the double-edged sword it is.

5. There is also a movement called "I am not ashamed", that is sponsoring billboards such as the one up at the top of this post. You can get to that website here.

The d.v.d was very convicting and sobering, and I suggest you all watch it if you are given the chance! It was really great, and I'd watch it again if I could! :) -Rachel

Big Life Questions! ;)

These are some things that I sometimes wonder about:

If a teacher taught, why can't a preacher have praught?

Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?

What was the best thing before sliced bread?

Is it wrong to go inside a store through an exit door? (I do it all the time)

If big dogs have little dogs, and fish have little fishes,
Then why can't sinks have little sinks instead of dirty dishes?

Who named the pine-apple? It is not made of pine, or apple!

Will you really be federally prosecuted if you cut the tags off of your mattress? How would they know?

What ever happened to that letter I purposely left in the magazine on the plane? Did anyone ever read it?

If I made a time-capsule, or a ten-year letter, would I have the fortitude never to read it till the appointed time? (Wait. I may have written one and stuck it in my hopechest....I can't remember! :D)

Will anyone ever find my detailed journals when I am dead and gone and treasure them as I would someone else's from the 1800's or something?

Are the floor plans to government buildings as available as Ben Gates and Riley Poole make them seem in National Treasure? Was all that made up?

-Rachel ;)

CEO, Chickens, and an Essay

I am now a CEO. Of sorts. By this afternoon, I, Rachel, will be the...mother of quite a nest of baby chicks. I bought them. Leah will take care of them. Come October we will sell the eggs to our landscape customers, and we will split the difference. Sound good? I hope so! Leah had the enthusiasm and likes chickens, and I had the money and a nice picture of some earnings in my head, so between the two of us, we will have a little business. I wonder how it will work out? My part sounds almost too easy, but she is out there with Sarah who already takes care of our family chickens so it'll be fine. There has been an awful lot of talk around and what the measure of a good book or movie is. Funny enough, I had to write a paper on the book side of it for our literature-based unit study a couple of weeks ago. Here it is as I wrote it:
In 1868 John Ruskin said, "Life being very short, and the quiet hours of it few, we ought to waste none of them in reading valueless books." I believe that one of the main questions you should ask yourself when reading a book, is whether or not there is anything to be taken from it, and applied in your own life. Some books are, for obvious reasons, wrong to erad, containing things that are contrary to God's principles. Stay far from such books, for, though they may be entertaining now, it is not worth the poisoning of your mind to gain a few hours of selfish enjoyment. There are others books, not harmful in any way, but presenting life in very unrealistic scenarios. When evaluating this sort of book, it is more of a question of "better" or "best". The best sort of book one can read, is a work that inspires us to higher thoughts, to purer ideals, and ever points our imaginations to Christ's standards. C.S. Lewis sums up well the measure of a worthwhile book, (fiction particularly) when he said, "No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally, (and often far more) worth reading at the age of fifty...the only imaginative works we ought to grow out of are those which it would have been better not to have read at all." But the ultimate measure of our standards as Christians can be found in Philippians 4- "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things."

So, what do you think? I know this is a subject that many people disagree on, and I do think that various people have varying convictions about it, but these are my thoughts! -Rachel

Several Random Things

Bonjour! You know, I wonder, if in other countries there is a greeting that is considered all "American". Probably boring old "Hello." or, if they've been reading this blog: "Hey guys!" Another thing- when I type "Hey guys!" I inevitably first say "Hey gusy". Who is Gusy? It sounds like the name of a goose to me. Aw! Now I want a goose named Gussy. Two "S"s because it looks tidier! (Now that that is out of the way...)
Do any of you all go by different names than your own? Whenever I write anything, or like on my Amazon wishlist, I go by Josie Inpen. (My Girls' Gazette pen name, remember, is Josephine Ava Inkpen) Then, whenever I do anything with herbs, I am Auld Mary. (The name of a Scottish "yarb-woman" in a Little House book) So I order all my seeds and catalogs and things of that sort by that name. It amuses me to do so, but it sort of creeps Sarah out! :)
Just to let you know now, this wasn't intended to be a post of just one topic. It is a catch-all-thoughts-I've-been-thinking sort of post. So here's another-
I never want to write something that people sit down in a boring class and disect for symbolizm. It really irritates me to do that. Although, I would like to write something that had no hidden meaning, but that someone dissected and listen to what they thought they found! :) Anyway, I've gotta skitter upstairs to get into gardening clothes, and then ho-hum out we go! :) -Rachel

A Quick Thought

Hi Everybody! Sorry I couldn't write sooner:) Okay, this is a passage in Scripture that, especially the first section, a lot of people are quite familiar with. But I don't know if ya'll have really looked at the second section.
Jeremiah 29:11-
"For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive........."
Here is yet another place in the Bible where God is making a promise to his people. The second part of this passage had never really caught my attention until recently. Well, that's it, and I hope that this was an encouragement today!!!
I'll try to write something more interesting soon!
-Sarah

Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas Eve-Eve! :)

Hello to everyone this day: Christmas Eve Eve! (As Eloise would say) Wow! We have had such a busy December! Daniel and I, after working, stayed out Christmas shopping until 10:30! He did all the buying, including dinner (well, Dad payed for dinner) All my shopping is done. Actually, I made almost everything. The point is, even if it wasn't all done I haven't a dime to my name. I am in debt to Daniel for his birthday present! Isn't that awful!?! So I enjoyed just tagging along and giving advice, counseling Daniel as he went about with a 'craft store" headache, (he automatically gets one if we go into any crowded store full of smells.) and generally making myself useful. But I must confess- I felt terribly naughty. Pra'aps Santa might mark me off his list;) because when we were in Best Buy, I took advantage of their model computers with the super fast internet, and looked at the blogs and all the videos on them that our computer lately won't show. If I had really been looking for a computer to buy it I wouldn't have felt so bad. But anyhow, when a store lady was glancing my way, I hurried to finish posting a comment on Abigail's blog, and that is why it is all misspelled! :)
I was rather a mess last night. I almost stepped on a man who was crouched on the floor behind me looking at something on a low shelf. I really would have squashed him if he hadn't said, "Watch out! I crept up on you hon!" (I really can't stand it when people who have no clue who I am called me "hon". It creeps me out!)
But we got home and stayed up too late talking with Mama and Sarah. (Dad was still out shopping.) I have two random things now. The first is a question I posed to Daniel while in the car yesterday. Because I am already 17, would I say I am in my eighteenth year of life? And the next is, all the ladies I know but one who have been pregnant this year have delivered at least 3 weeks early! -Rachel

Blind As A Bat! ;)

Hello People! I am Rachel, and right now I am, loosely speaking, blind as a bat. You see, I wear contacts. So it has not seemed important to own a pair of glasses. Up till now when I am in my second month of a one-month pair of contacts that is my last and "onliest" pair till we order more. (Which we shall hopefully do today!) This morning when I woke up I tried to put one in my left eye, and it immediately started stinging and my eye started turning red. Uh-Oh. Then I couldn't get it out! All the stories of contacts suctioning to the eyeball that my friends have so readily cheered me with flooded my mind, and I became more and more clumsy trying to take the contact out. (And it is no easy thing since eyes and your last, worn, pair of contacts are very precious and delicate things indeed!) When the five-minute mark had almost passed, I finally said aloud, "Oh Lord, help me!" and soon after out blinked that ferlie contact. I love knowing that I can pray at any time, about anything even so small as a contact and He will listen! So just pray for me that these contacts last until the new ones are ordered and come. This is a new experience. Typing out a blog post and squinting at it trying to make sure everything makes since and is spelled right. Yay! I did it! Huzzah! Oh! And I actually left a comment on a blog and typed the "handicap" word correctly! Goodie!