Currently Watching Gone with the Wind By Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, Thomas Mitchell, Barbara O'Neil, Evelyn Keyes, Ann Rutherford, George Reeves, Fred Crane, Hattie McDaniel, Oscar Polk, Butterfly McQueen, Victor Jory, Everett Brown, Howard C. Hickman, Alicia Rhett, Rand Brooks, Carroll Nye, Marcella Martin see related

I've found that if you put a picture in your post, more people read it.

I just wanted to say "hi" to the lot of you!

Life's pretty busy, hang in there.

Beautiful Snow

Currently Reading DragonQuest: A Novel By Donita K. Paul see related

Sigh of Contentment

I had such a nice weekend! Mom and I headed to Aurora Illinois along with Kaylyn and her mom for a min-vacation! At first I was thinking " Who's ever heard of Aurora Illinois? Why not find some nice place that doesn't require 4-5 hours of driving?"

But all that changed when I saw the bed and breakfast we were staying at! It was this beautiful home built in the 1850s. The yard sported tall shade trees and a garden with a fountain. Inside it was decorated victorian/ Pride and Predjudice style, which I LOVE. My only regret was that I was not wearing a long flowing dress. The best way to describe it would be as "breathtakingly charming." We had a great time visiting a sunken garden, shopping at the local mall (there was an H&M by the way) and trying out fun spa products. Ahhh!

Well, then I came home and did my devotions, so here's kind of a subject change (wonder who I learned that from?): 

Psalm 100

"SHOUT FOR JOY TO THE LORD, WORSHIP THE LORD WITH GLADNESS; COME BEFORE HIM WITH JOYFUL SONGS. KNOW THAT THE LORD IS GOD, IT IS HE WHO MADE US, AND WE ARE HIS; WE ARE HIS PEOPLE, THE SHEEP OF HIS PASTURE. ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING, AND HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE; GIVE THANKS TO HIM AND PRAISE HIS NAME. FOR THE LORD IS GOOD AND HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER; HIS FAITHFULNESS ENDURES FOR ALL GENERATIONS."

Think about that! Sometimes life can seem like one big homework assignment, so many things to worry about, so many temptations to resist and choices to make! We get bogged down in the daily reutien of trying to make the grade. (Sorry about the analogy, we won't talk about school anymore, ok?)

But just look at these verses! SHOUT to the Lord! Not half hardedly mutter "thanks for all the stuff You do" but SHOUT! Give a concentrated outpoor of thankfulness and love. Maybe the shout is a result of the wonderful emotions after you've wittnessed a mirical, or maybe you shout for God's joy in the midst of tradgedy. Shouting is anything but boring.

See you in the morning (tomorrow being Sunday)! Sweet dreams!

Hi again! First of all, please see my previous entry.

Anyway, here I am, still at Yosemite, and it is AMAZING! I'm sad that today was our last day visiting the park. We've seen sequoia trees that made me feel the size of a chipmunk, and Mountain landscapes so huge and still that they don't even seem real. I have to keep reminding myself that these are actual peeks, not just a painting on some immense canvas. When I get home, everything is goign to seem really small!! We hiked the Mist Trail today, it winds around huge, moss covered boulders along a steep mountainside. I was so proud of myself as I sweated and puffed up there, I felt like a real hiker! I'm glad none of you wilderness backpacking types (you know who you are!) were there, because you would have breezed up there and totally wrecked my moment. The veiw was the best part by far, absolutely stunning. A rocky stream flowing between two cliffs. It was GREAT in the real sense of the word.

     I think my favorite part, however has been the waterfalls. Yosemite falls especially. You can climb across the granite boulders untill you are almost in the huge cascade itself. Water flowing over the huge, pollished stones made tons of miniature waterfalls and pools of cold green. Huge cliffs surrounded the basin, I was right at the foot of the mountains. It was honestly one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in my life. I was completely caught up in it all. The water was cold and invigorating. I just wanted to get closer and closer to the falls, to know more and see more of that amazing beauty. I did get pretty close! right up to a small waterfall that was running off the big one. I could have stayed there for hours just taking it all in.

     It was a simple but powerful picture for me. I want to be caught up in God like that. When you're just focused on scrambling, crawling, and climbing closer to something so wonderful, you don't care about how ridiculous you may look, you don't dwell on your own faults, you don't mind stubbing your toe. The thought of that great thing has pushed thoughts of yourself right out of your mind. The climb isn't a grim assention towards an unnachievable goal, but a wide-eyed, joyful journey towards the glory you KNOW has been promised you.

     Ah, if only I always felt like that. I dwell on all the little things that make life complicated. I need to rejoice every day in the wonderful promise I have in Jesus!

     I would love to post pictures, but that will have to wait. See you all soon!