Whoops.....

I've noticed that I've abandoned my fellow bloggers for te holidays. My apoligies. I've had a busy week, so I haven't had much time. Christmas was fun, I got lots of CD's (The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Tempatations), I got some books, and my family got a Wii which is super fun. I had Christmas with my immediate family, then the same day we went to my aunts house to have Christmas with my extened family on my father's side. Then the day after Christmas, we drove to Michigan, to visit Mother's family. We are kind of hoping for some snow, but none has come yet... I'm still in MI currently, and haven't had much Internet access, which explains my abscense. Hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas, and Lord willing you'll have a great New Year also!

AO

yes

I got the poll to work, so please vote!!!

AO


Merry Christmas!

My Christmas Plans...

So, if any of you are wondering what I'm doing for Christmas, I'm first going to be at my house, with my family, and we'll open our personal gifts, the we drive over to an island where my wonderful aunt lives, eat lunch, have present rippings (yes, it can get ugly) eat lunch, walk on the beach, sit around, watch TV(mainly my uncle's do this...;/), and pretty much whatever one feels like. So that will be exciting. The day after Christmas, my fam and I are driving to Michigan, to visit more family and friends. Busy week for me.... I'd love to know what y'all are doing, so start commeting! Merry Christmas!

AO

A blog button!!!!

So, one of my bestest friends (Southern Commander) helped me to make a blog button, so now, if you like my blog enough, you have put a picture (which is also a link) on your blog's sidebar!! My button is at the bottom of the sidebar. Comment with opinions!!

AO

Going, going, gone!

Wow, its hard to believe that its already Christmas '08. It was weird, how this year zoomed by. It was the first year that did that for me. But I am getting old and feeble (as most of you know....). I've always thought it fun to watch people. See their clothes, the way they walk, they're hair, how they react around other people... But whats even more entertaining and sometimes even saddening, is how much people today have changed Christmas to mean something other than what it was originally meant to be. Which is, of course, the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. If I were an alien from outer space, who had never seend humans before, I definately would rather him not see most of us at Christmas time. Why? Because, on Black Friday, people are so self-centered, that they trampled and killed a salesman opening doors. KILLED! I am not kidding. Most Americans can not get it into their heads, that other people are on the same level of worth that they are. It makes me want to cry. Another reason for the "aliens" not to see us, is becuase with the current economy, some parents are afraid to tell their children about the terrible, falling economy, so they will spend lots of money to get ther kid everything he'she wants, so they won't know. That obviously will lead to debt, and even worse economy. The kids should know; someday they will have to deal with these economic problems, and its so much better to know how they were started by listeneing and paying attention, not by reading a history book to find out. We Christians really need to keep our heads in the right place. There is so much that we could fall to, but we shouldn't. We need God to help us stay strong in our faith, even through the hard times. God, through his love for us, gave us His only son, to die for our sins(John 3:16). Today, read the Christmas story, right from the source. You can never read it too often. The Christmas Story

Idea.........

So. I was thinking about making a Christian teen blog with encouraging notes and whatever and then asking some of my good friends to help post on it. If any of you have suggestions (or anything) please give your comments!!!

AO

Modesty Survey!!!!!!

Dear Fellow Bloggers,

TheRebelution.com has launched the results of their massive Modesty Survey! Over 1,600 Christian guys have answered questions on everything from glitter lotion and lip gloss to swimsuits and skirt slits! It's everything girls have ever wanted to ask guys about modesty, but were afraid to ask! For guys, it's really interesting to see what other Christian guys think!

Most importantly, the survey is presented as a resource to help Christian girls (and guys), not a list of legalistic rules, and it is accompanied by the Modesty Survey Petition (which tons of guys have signed) which encourage young women to focus on the heart, not the hemline, to honor their parents, etc.

The results were released on St. Valentine's Day as a gift from 1,600 Christian guys to all Christian girls -- and I can't think of a better one! Now the survey is being endorsed by people like Shaunti Feldhahn ("For Women Only") Nancy Leigh DeMoss (Revive Our Hearts), CJ Mahaney (Sovereign Grace Ministries) and Shannon Ethridge ("Every Woman's Battle")!

Go check it out: http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/

But also make sure you spread the word to all your friends. We want as many Christian girls (and guys) as possible to see this, so forward this email on!

Your (Excited) Friend,
Abster ♥

P.S. Guys, they are still accepting signatures for the Modesty Survey Petition, so this is an opportunity for you to still share your voice on the topic of modesty!

New Background

I have changed the blog picture yet again, so please give your input!

AO

Edited Pics

A friend of mine wanted to see some more of my edited pictures, so here they are! The first is the original, the rest are edited. Click on the to make them bigger. Enjoy!









AO

Yipee!

I've changed the Christmas thing, so it looks cool! Let me know what you think.

AO

Edited Pics :)

Well, I've jsut recently gotten an account on Picnik, the wonderful photo editing site. Here are two of my latest creations (or should I say, re-creations). The first one, was done by my super duper little sister, the other two, done by yours truly. Enjoy!

"You'll Shoot your eye out!"

Well, those of you who have seen the beloved classic, "A Christmas Story", will know where I got the title of this post from. Its actually nowhere near "beloved classic" on my list, but now is not the time for movie criticism (one of my hidden talents). I'm actually posting to tell you about the wonderful, pleasing to the eye, picture now posted behind the blog title. I know it looks dreadful, and its a pain to look at, but I'll be changing it soon. So, just another Christmas Challenge while its up, post a comment saying how long you can stare at the picture without blinking. Have fun!

AO

Words to Remember

"If I have seen further [than certain other men] it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." –Isaac Newton

“Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.” –C.S. Lewis

"I know the difference between giving advice and taking orders. You've had my advice, and now its the time for orders." -Trumpkin the Dwarf, Prince Caspian

AO

Last night :)

Last night, my Church had a Fall Festival! It was going to be outdoors, but it was really, really, really, really, really, really, really, cold for South Carolina. They did have the s'mores and the hayride outdoors though. But inside, the hired a Caller, and so I learned to Square Dance! It is really hard to remember what the terms mean, and where to go, and which way is left and right...(unfortunately, I still struggle with that) But Square Dancing was a lot of fun, and there was BBQ which was absolutely delicious. Being someone born and raised in the South, I've been pretty much raised on BBQ. Back to the topic, after I ate, I pretty much danced the rest of the time there. I also should win the award for most hands touched in one day, because I probably touched a gazillion hands last night, and I'm personally not at all fond of touching other peoples hands. So, that was pretty much my whole evening!

AO

P.S
I think I might look into Square Dancing lessons, so if you've ever had more experience than I, do tell!

I found this....

Hello! I found this on my online classes blog, and thought "you know, this is pretty awesome", so here ya go!

1. YOUR REAL NAME:
You know, I'm not really feeling like telling you right now, so deal with it. :)

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (first 3 letters of real name plus "izzle")
Abiizzle
3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color and favorite animal)
Skybluedogg (2 g's on purpose :D )
4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (your middle name and the street you live on)
Leigh Poole
5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 2 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)
Owab
6. YOUR SUPERHERO NAME: (color of your shirt, favorite candy or chocolate)
GreenCHOCOLATE!
7. YOUR JAPANESE NAME: (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, first 2 letters of your middle name, last 2 letters of your first name)
i personally feel that this is making fun of Japanese names, so i'm purposely skipping it. :)
8. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (both parents middle names)
Lee Anna
9. YOUR GOTH NAME: (black and the name of one of your pets)
this is just nonsense....

Anyway, I'm gonna tag Southern Commander, sir.iain (if he wants), and ֆlick Mysterζ. And if I didn't tag you but you want to do it, feel free to do so!

AO

A Pumpkin thingy...

I was tagged, so I guess I now have to put it on my blog. So here ya go:

A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"

The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin." God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

This was passed on to me by another pumpkin. Now it's your turn to pass it to other pumpkins. I liked this enough to send it to all the pumpkins in my patch!!

And I'm not gonna tag anyone, because I don't really think its worthy to be passed on, though it makes a good point. :)

AO

I'm tagged.....

So, my friend Southern Commander decided to tag me. So here are the rules:

* Go to your sixth picture folder then pick your sixth picture.


* Pray that you remember the details.


* Post it on your blog.


* Tag 5 others, leave a comment to let them know they’ve been tagged.

Here's the pic:



This is one of my Abstracts...Cool isn't it?
I'm tagging sir.iain, and I would tag more, but they don't get on their computers much, so it'd be a waste. Anyway, talk to y'all later!
AO

Blog Award!

Well, I was given the Million Dollar Friend Award!! I didn't deserve it though... But my BFF Southern Commander apparently thought I deserved it, so here I am, with an Award. Many thanks to Southern Commander for it!! I think that I just might pass it on to sir.iain now, who has been such a helpful and wonderful friend, even though I barely know him. Also I'll give it my other near and dear friend care, who has been such an awesome friend through the years.


Anyway, hope everyone out there in cyberspace is having a truly wonderful day!
AO

The Gruesome Tooth Story

WARNING: Long post ahead. I would try and fix it, but I'm too lazy. :)


Well, it all happened on Thursday. I had this baby tooth which had no big tooth under it to come in, so it would have had to be pulled anyway. But along with that, the tooth was ankleosed, which means it was attached to my jaw bone, and was sinking lower, and lower into my gums. So it was level with my gum-line when I got it pulled. When I got to the dentist's office, they gave me shots in the gum (which i really don't mind, except i saw the needle this time...) and soon the right side of my mouth was numb. After that, they went it and tried to get a little more working space (since it was level with the gum-line). Then the dentist got some sort of tool and grabbed my tooth and started moving it back and forth. He then said "Now, you might hear a little crack" and so I heard a few little pops, and was thinking to myself "Oh, this isn't that bad", I heard the deafening crack of my tooth. Seriously, it was pretty gross even to hear. But anyway, I thought they got the tooth out and it was over, but they wanted to X-Ray it to make sure there weren't any fragments left, because if there were, it could cause in infection. Well, there were still some of the roots left in there, so they dived back in, this time with a drill. Oh, I hate those drills. It feels weird firstly, but then it flings something all in your mouth and over your face(I don't know if it was tooth or water...). Then there's the smell. It was horrible, plus the smell was a taste in my mouth(yuck), so I just had to live with it. Well, after he grabbed the last shard of tooth out, he was going to play it safe and X-Ray it one more time. Unfortunately, there was still a tiny little piece left. So out came the drill, and the plier thingy. I won't go into detail about the drill again, but I must say that there was a lot of blood. Blood, with whatever the drill was flinging around, does NOT taste good. Don't ever try it if you can help it. Anyway, Finally, they got out the little piece, and since he was sure that it was the only piece left, he didn't X-Ray it again. Then the assistant came back with an ice pack that I was supposed to hold on my cheek to reduce swelling, and they stuffed a wad of gauze in there so it would slow the bleeding. So by now, I was looking like I just got beat up really bad. As I walked into the waiting room to leave, one of my friends was sitting there (waiting for his appointment). Now, having a friend see me in this state, was the last thing I wanted to happen, but it did. I could barely talk also (the gauze caused this), so it was hard to talk and explain what happened. So now I'm feeling almost back to normal, my tooth is still sore sometimes so I can't and don't chew on that side of my mouth. But yesterday morning, I was SO hungry because I had been eating liquid things, and we happened to be having bacon and eggs. (FYI, I have braces). I was anxious to eat a lot of bacon, but I ended up popping off one of my brackets. We called the Orthodontist, and he came into the office on a Saturday, to cut the wire. So I'm still recovering from an exciting weekend. *GASP*, I think I'm finally done with my story, so you are now allowed to go about your merry lives.


AO

*darn it*

Well, I can't seem to get the poll on my blog to work, hence you shall post a comment, giving me your answer about my gruesome tooth story!

AO

:(

Wow! I really am slacking on my posting, sorry everyone. (its not like anyone ever reads my junk anyway...) Anyway, I would really like to create a play list, since there are some AWESOME songs that I'd like y'all to hear. But I need my dear Father's permission before I do, and he's been pretty busy, so..... But I'll try to get it up soon! I'm WAY into the oldies, so you'll get lots of 50's-70's music on it. :) I just absolutely love old music!!!!!! I'd go berserk without them! I apologize for being random. That's just the way I am. Oh, and if you're wondering what I've been up to, I can tell you a really gruesome story about getting my tooth pulled! I'll make a poll, because some of you of the "weaker stomach" types might have a hard time. Well, I'd better scoot, Cheerio!

AO

So........

Hello everyone! Sorry that I haven't posted in a while, I've been busy with school (you know how that can be...). But I'm catching up.....kind of........ Anyway, enough of that. I got to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and it was EXCELLENT!!! Usually with movies, when they make multiple sequels and all, the latest ones are terrible, but this one was not. If you loved the older Indy movies, then you'll be very happy with the latest! They had a great cast, including Harrison Ford who is one of the best actors ever. It also had a great storyline and plot, which pretty much makes the movie. They really just don't make movies like this anymore, so it was great for me to see that there are still some good movies left in the filmakers today. So, if you haven't seen it, and you loved the other Indy movies, then you definately need to see this one.

AO

New Picture

Hey y'all! What do you think of the new picture? I was trying to make it a change-able background, but it didn't go over to well, but I'm still going to try and fix it, so keep checking back!
AO

Poll Results

There was a total of 18 votes on the favorite background, and Bubbles wins! Here are the numbers:

Funky: 2 vote (11%)
Bubbles: 12 votes (66%)
Same Ol': 4 votes (22%)

I am in the process of finding another image to replace the Funky, so be patient!

AO

Reader Participation!

So. How are the blog-readers doing? I've talked enough about me, let's hear what's up with you! Comment with your recent happenings.

AO

Monkey Kick-Off

If you're looking for an addicting game, here is one. I just kicked the ball, and it turned out to be a long kick, so here I am challenging you. Post a challenge link in your comment if you can beat my score. Have fun!!!

Monkey Kick-Off/Abster's challenge


AO

The Fair

If you've ever been someplace where you smell cinnamon rolls, elephant ears, funnel cakes, pizza, soda, hot dogs, hamburgers, and deep-fried pickles, then I am most positive that you were at a fair. I had the privilege of going to the fair in my town twice, once with my family, and once with a friend. I really liked the rides where you laid down on your stomach and flew around, that was awesome. And of course you have to do the Ferris Wheel first to scope out the park, and decide what to do first. More of my favorite rides are the swings that are so much fun, and the bench-like things that you can ride in the air across the fairground. We also got to pet the animals, and eat. I love eating, but thankfully I'm not fat. Anyway, I was noticing how the fair brings such an odd assortment of people together in one place. Its like the candy assortment you can buy at bulk candy stores, with good candy and bad candy, except its with people. It also brings out the best, and worst in people's personalities. You get to see the true person at work at the fair because there are so many different surroundings that your patience most of all, gets tested with your friends, your family, and the ride workers too. Anyhow, I'm sure you're getting bored by my long, long post, so I'll let you go about your merry way. As I always say, "Live now, post later."!

AO

Post....

I wrote this article for another blog, and I thought it was good enough to suggest to you. :) So here you go!
AO

Picture

Here is a picture of a Seagull that I got, and the most amazing thing about it in my opinion is its about eye-level. Awesome, isn't it?
AO

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

If you know how to spell Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious , post a comment! And be honest!!!


AO

We Moved!! (the widget)

By the way: I moved the Fireproof widget to the bottom of the page, because it was getting annoying to see that instead of the latest post (you know how much i love reading my posts).

AO

Random post!!!!!

Hello everyone! I have no ideas about what I should post. My brain is empty. I apologize for this inconvenience on your part. Maybe I can eventually think of something worth telling you. So be patient!

AO

Fireproof

I saw Fireproof yesterday, and it is a MUST SEE!!!!!!! From the same people who created Facing the Giants and Flywheel, Fireproof is yet another excellent movie that you absolutely must see. If you haven't seen it, watch it. Even if you have seen it, watch it again, and again, and again.

Abster Out.

Answering machine greetings......

If you ever want a new greeting on your answering machine, you should use one of these:

"Hello? ...Hello? ...Hellooo? I'm sorry, you're gonna have to speak
up, I can't hear you... That's 'cuz I'm not home! Leave a message.
BEEP."

Hi. Now you say something.

Hi! I can't answer the phone right now. Bob, that's my pet parakeet, just swallowed a cherry bomb. It wasn't lit, but I've got to get him to the bathroom. Uh-oh! (Sound of a paper bag exploding.)

(Like Barney the purple dinosaur):
I'll call you, cause you called me. We're the ______ family. So leave your
name and number at the tone. Sorry that we're not at home.

Enjoy!!!
Abster Out.

An explanation for my quote obsession, in a quote!!

"It is good for an uneducated man to read books of quotations...The quotations, when engraved upon the memory, give you good thoughts. They also make you anxious to read the authors and look for more." -Winston Churchill


Abster Out.

Square of Opposition

I take Logic online, and I have been having a blast! But anyway, we have been learning about the Square of Opposition. If you don't know what that is, oh well, it would take too long for me to tell you. But if you do know, then here is one that I made for a contest. And it won!!!

Enjoy!
Abster Out.

Another pic

I took this picture a while ago, but it has really good resolution, and it look great against the brownish background. I am pretty sure that it is a Camellia.

Abster Out.

Yay!! More quotes!

"All who wander are not lost." -J.R.R.Tolkien

"Worry is like rocking in a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but gets you nowhere." -Anonymous

"A lie gets half way around the world before the truth has time to get its pants on." -Winston Churchill

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." -Sherlock Holmes

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them." -Mark Twain

The Sidebar!

Hello everyone!! I just wanted to say that you should check out the sidebar, for good quotes, Bible verses, and probably a lot more! I love quotes(as many of you know) so there are probably going to be a lot of them!!

Winston Churchill quote

"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down to us. Pigs treat us as equals." -Winston Churchill

Qoutes to remember.....

Hey everyone! Here are some quotes that I found on the internet(where you find everything these days...) !

"Never eat more than you can lift." -Miss Piggy

"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." - Mark Twain

"A Hippie is is someone who looks like Tarzan, walks like Jane and smells like Cheetah." -Ronald Reagan


Anyway, hope you enjoyed them, because there will be a lot more to come!
Abster Out.

Background changer!!!

Hello people out there in the world doing apparently not much if you're reading this! (Whew, I need a breath) Much thanks to sir.iain , I have been able to put a background changer thing up, and that is WAY cool. So comment with your thoughts about it! And by the way, you can click reload to change it back to its normal color.
Abster Out.

Albert Einstein Quote

Just for your information, I absolutely LOVE quotes. My uncle sent this one to me yesterday, and I though it was pretty good. So here you go!

"Intellectual growth should commence
at birth and cease only at death."
~Albert Einstein

Ouch!!! :(

Well, today I got a flu shot in my left arm. It didn't hurt much then (thanks to a thick coating of numbing spray) but its starting to now. But, at least I won't get influenza in my left arm.
Abster Out.

Suggestions, Ideas, thoughts, whatever...

If you have any ideas for posts, thoughts on posts, or suggestions for posts, please comment with those ideas. I would really appreciate them!
Abster Out.

Just Thinking...

I was thinking, (yes I was in fact thinking), about LOL, which stands for Laughing Out Loud. You know, if i was truly 'laughing out loud', I think it would be physically impossible for me to type, while laughing. I think people should use LOTI. That of course stands for 'laughing on the inside'. Or, GOL, giggling out loud. But anyway, I'll let you get back to your dreary lives, but comment with your opinion!
Abster Out.

Learn From the Old

Have you ever thought about what you could learn from a senior citizen? Well, there are lots of things to learn! The first thing is wisdom, next is history, and last but not least, hobbies.
Being alive for a number of years can be beneficial. Wisdom is only one of many benefits of growing old. You can learn many things from a person who has been through life. One of the priceless wisdom bits could be encouragement for school or church.
You can also learn about history through the years from seniors. Don’t forget that they have seen things and people change, so they are pretty much “eye-witnesses.”
People back then used to have more hobbies than they do now. You could learn cooking, sewing or knitting from your grandmother. Woodworking, fishing or even games could be taught to you by your grandfather.
So, now do you think you should go learn something new from a senior? They could give you wisdom, history from a number of years, and hobbies they enjoyed while still young. Finishing off the story, remember that they were once like you, and you will be like them, so don’t forget about our amazing senior citizens.


Just an end note: As all people, we are getting older, and hopefully more mature, and we should be able to recognize someone in need of assistance. If you see someone having trouble getting up stairs, crossing a street, even holding a door, would be a good way to demonstrate the Lord's work in our lives. Anyway, hope you enjoyed my article!
Abster Out.

Renovating...

Just for your information, I have been trying to improve the appearance of our blog. Feel free to comment, but in the mean while, I am trying to make our blog more pleasing to the eye. Abster Out.

Long, Laborious Post

Hello!
Well. don't want to keep you too long.
Abster Out.

school starting...

Well, I haven't posted in a while, but I am now. I am excited about doing some online classes this year. They are sounding very fun but challenging and that's what I like. Well, I think I have a long enough post. Abster Out.

Cool Flower Pic

Hey!
We have some zinnias (flowers) in our yard and I wanted to see what you peeps thought of the pictures I took. Click on the pic to make it bigger! Post a comment with your opinion! Abster Out.

Utah!

We are back from Utah! It was wonderful and I suggest going there. Abster Out.

Just joking! I will tell you all about it! But just a note of caution: those of you who are slow readers, read this when you have about an hour worth of free time, faster readers, about 30 minutes of time.
Well, the first day (Friday, June 6th), we flew in which took nearly the whole day. Then we ate supper and went to bed (we also played numerous games of air hockey).(Don't worry, I get into more detail as I go on).
The next day (Saturday) we went to Antelope Island which is and island in the middle of the Great Salt Lake. On the island, we saw three American Bison (or buffalo as some call it) and some antelope. Then my family decided "Hey, let's go for a hike!". So when my family says lets do something, we do it. Anyway, we decided to hike to the highest point on the island, Frary's Peak. We started out hiking and it seemed a little hard, but I hadn't hiked much, so my leg's weren't that prepared. About halfway up, we had probably already passed two or three "fake peaks" half of the group was getting tired and decided to turn back. Well, the other half (which included me, of course) kept hiking though our water started running low. Finally, we made it to the second highest point and two of the group thought they'd stop there and let the rest of the people go on. The last four people (still including me) started the hike to the top, which turned out to be pretty steep and rocky and if you looked over the edge, it went straight down and the path was only four-five feet wide. We persevered and finally we made it to the top! It was kind of hard to decide if the hike was worth it, but looking back at the great pictures I got of Salt Lake City, I think it was. I had a more motivation on the hike down and was very glad to get to the bottom. But at the bottom, the sign that we should have read before the hike said, 'This is a strenuous hike with difficult terrain, recommended for experienced hikers only." If only we had read that before, we might have had more water. Oh well...
Moving on, Sunday, we had a trail ride (on horses) and had a wonderful view of Park City, UT. After that, we went back to the giant house and relaxed.
Monday, we swam in a crater. Yes we actually did swim in a crater! we went to the Olympic Park which held the 2002 Winter Olympics. There, they had the X-Treme zip-line, the longest steepest zip-line in the US (if not the world) and the Ultra zip-line which was shorter and slower. They also had the Alpine slide in which you get on a little cart thing where you control the speed with a little lever. The slide was metal and it was extremely fun! I also loved the X-Treme zip-line! Then the park also had the US Olympic Bobsled track. Bobsledding is similar to luge and the skeleton. I was too young to do this, but my mother and two uncles were and after a forty-five minute training session thing, they did it and reached 66.6 mph. On a little car thing! That's cool! After that, we went back and rested.
Tuesday, we drove to Moab, UT, the desert and went to an orientation for our rafting trip which was the next day. After that, we went to Arches National Park and hiked up to the Delicate Arch. It was so windy up there that hats were blowing off and I had to sit on the ground to keep from blowing away (aka being off balance). We also saw some petroglyph's on the way down. That was a nice hike but we went right to sleep when we got back to the hotel .
Wednesday, we got up too early for me, to eat breakfast and head on to the expedition center. After that, we got on the bus and drove a few hours to the drop-off place which was in Colorado. After the boats were in and we had one more chance to use a nice bathroom. We started off and my dad and I got to kayak on a "ducky" for the whole day. We had lunch and the continued on the the campsite. Once we got to the campsite, we did a fire line to set up tables, chairs etc. and they set up the groover. You may think it sound pleasant, but it actually is a container with a toilet lid which is for #2 and they had a bucket for #1. They did have toilet paper but it still wasn't the most pleasant experience. We went on a hike at the campsite led by a guide and we saw a collared lizard which is a very colorful lizard. That was a treat for us and the guide since they are so rare. After the hike, we had supper which was steak, mashed potatoes, and salad. Seriously! We did have that while we were camping!
Thursday, we woke up and had breakfast, packed tents and sleeping bags up then headed off. We didn't kayak today, but we got to ride along and that was fun. After lunch is when we really did the whitewater. We went up to class four (if you know anything about that) and it was awesome! A wonderful first whitewater experience for me and my family. We got to the take out place and had a bus ride back into Moab. Overall, it was a very nice trip!
Friday, we had to get up early yet again and a bus picked us up to go canyoneering. This included hiking, and rappelling (a way of getting down cliffs). This was very fun and I am looking forward to going rappelling again. We did a 90 ft. rappel and then we did an 120 ft. rappel. Both were fun! After this, we got in the car and drove back to Salt Lake City and spent the night there.
Saturday, we get on the plane and fly, fly fly. We get home very late, and go to bed even later.

Today, now that we are back in our house with laundry done and our dog who I missed a whole bunch, life is starting to get normal. Though I must say that I will never eat another peanut again in my whole entire life!
Abster Out. (finally)

Update from Utah!

Hi everybody reading this bLog! We are currently in Provo, Utah after yesterday being a day of exploring airports and watching Fool's Gold (which while on the subject, I would not recommend watching this movie) so it is nice to be "relaxing" now. We are now planning to go to Antelope Island, which is in the Salt Lake. It snowed this morning, though it melted before it hit the ground, it still was interesting to see. But now the ground is all wet. The house that we rented to stay in for a few days, has 7 rooms (wow!) and a game room which includes air hockey, foosball, and a huge screen TV! It is the hot spot for the cousins, but so far we only have girl cousins, the boys are coming later today, so it will definitely get a lot wilder around here. But anyway, whenever I get to a computer and have the time, I will try to post some more info about Utah, pictures too! Abster Out.

carol's corner

If you have ever taken time to look at our Fellow Bloggers list, then you might notice a new one called carol's corner. This blog was started by my friend and it really is quite entertaining. Carol's corner has fun and interesting stuff, it is pretty much a conglomeration of facts and games. You really should take a look sometime, because you won't be sorry! Abster Out.

Liven Up Your Life

Card games are a forgotten way to have fun now with TV's and computers, but that doesn't mean they have lost their fun. The First game, Animals, is very quick paced, and it definitely exercises your brain trying to remember names. The second game, Spoons, is fun also and you do have to have good reflexes for this one. Anyway, here are the directions:
Animals-Players go around the table turning over their top card and placing it face up in their own discard pile. When a player turns up a card that matches one on another pile, the two pile owners race to say each other's animal name three times. The first to do so gets the other's discard pile. Play continues until someone has won all the cards. VARIATIONS: Players make the animal's sound instead of calling its name. Each player chooses an animal name to play under. The longer the name, the better (think hippopotamus, rhinoceros and so on). The cards are all dealt and placed facedown in piles in front of each player.
Spoons-The object is to collect four cards of one kind (four twos, four kings and so on) and not to be the person left without a spoon. To begin, place the spoons (one fewer than the number of players) in the center of the table within grabbing reach of all players. Each player is dealt four cards. The dealer keeps the deck. The dealer picks a card from the deck and then discards one card from his hand, sliding it facedown to the player to his left. That player takes it, then picks one card from his hand and passes it to his left. The player left without a spoon has lost the round. If you like to keep score, that player is given an S. As players spell S-P-O-O-N-S, they are out. The player left at the end is the winner. Play continues until one player has four of a kind, at which time he takes a spoon from the pile. He may steal the spoon surreptitiously, continuing to pass cards until someone else notices. Or he may grab his spoon, creating a mad rush for spoons at the table. Each player in turn does the same, as quickly as possible. Each person should have four cards in his hand at all times. The player to the right of the dealer places discarded cards in a pile to his left to be used by the dealer when the original deck is used up.

Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the games and don't forget to check out later posts for more interesting tid-bits and more funny stuff. Abster Out.

Masters or Staff?

Rush Limbaugh said “Dogs have masters. Cats have staff”; if you don’t agree or do (though you might need more reasons) than these reasons will help. The first is dogs obey commands, the second is cats don’t do what you want them to. Last but not least, dogs do amazing things!

Have you ever seen a cat sit or rollover? Dogs have masters and they serve them, so they gladly obey you. Would you obey your staff at work if they told you to do something you weren’t in favor of? No! That’s how cats feel.

If you tried to train a cat to do something useful or funny, don’t since it is simply not going to happen. Cat’s run on their own secret schedule and it would be pitiful if you tried to interrupt it!

Cats never save lives like dogs. Dogs also can do agility, which is very amazing. Though cat owners must have heard Rush Limbaugh state that “dogs have master. Cats have staff”, and decided to rebel against that. Now they have cat agility, which I must say is nearly as boring on TV as golf is.

Don’t embarrass yourselves in front of the world cat lovers, because cats do not want listen to you! Hopefully you have accepted that dogs obey commands, cats do not want to listen to you, and dogs do amazing things. Next time you think about giving a cat a command, think about the janitor at your office telling you to get back to work.

Fireproof: The Movie

Hello Everyone out there in the world (or whoever is reading this)! I just thought I would keep you non-informed people informed about an upcoming movie called Fireproof. It stars Kirk Cameron and is produced by the same people who made Facing the Giants and Flywheel. View the trailer here. I must admit that I cannot write as good a review on Fireproof as my Uncle can on his blog, Basin and Towel since he has actually been able to see the movie, so I would suggest going there to read that post and all other posts which are of course worth reading since he is my uncle. Anyway, I am hoping to keep uninformed people informed and if you still need informing, please feel free to post a comment. Abster Out.

Working Hard vs. Being Lazy

Working Hard vs. Being Lazy

“Doing hard things is important to growing up”, is a saying that should be kept in your head at all times. Working hard may seem worthless at the moment, but it isn’t really after a while. Here are three points supporting the phrase, some things are hard yet necessary to learn, what the rewards are for working hard and not working hard, and oppositions that should be fixed.

The first point is somethings are hard yet necessary to learn, like tying your shoes or reading. You need to learn them in order to move on in life. You may say that school is hard, but if you don’t learn anything, you most likely won’t be able to find a job, no job means no money and that means no food or clothing. Chores are also something that needs to be learned because your house needs to be straight!

If someone gave you a choice between perseverance and immaturity, you would probably pick perseverance. Working hard gives you perseverance, and not working hard gives you immaturity. Somethings may be long but not hard, and that is where perseverance comes in.

When you have a chore (or chores), you become accustomed to working before play. People who don’t have chores, think that playing is a free luxury, until they grow up. That can give you a completely different impression of life. So, you have found that immaturity come from not working hard.

Ignorance, laziness and unpreparedness all come from not working hard. You might say, “I can just watch TV to learn stuff”, but everything that comes on TV is not always true. Or you might say “my parents do the chores and other housework, so I don’t have to. The culture and my generation is centered around entertainment. To fit in I have fun only”, but that doesn’t mean we have to do what the culture does AKA not work. Entertainment should be on the bottom of our to-do list.

Our culture doesn’t like to see young people who work hard. “Doing hard things is important to growing up” should still be in your head, so should the points that were just given to you. Something are had yet necessary to learn, perseverance from working hard and immaturity from not, and oppositions. There are things that need hard work that you need for later, though you may not consider them important now.

New Movies!

Prince Caspian is coming out in theaters in 4 days! I don't know about you, but I am definitely going to see the first showing of it! I really enjoy The Chronicles of Narnia and the books are absolutely worthwhile! The last movie (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) stayed very close to the book except for a few minor changes and hopefully Prince Caspian will be the same. If you want anymore information on it, plus a very cool countdown clock, click here.

I am also a big Indiana Jones fan, and I'm really excited about the new one, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull which is coming out in 10 days. Sometimes the Indy movies are unpredictable, but I hope that this one will be worth my time and money if I decide to see it in theaters.

Anyway, I would highly encourage you to see (or read) Prince Caspian, and if I see it in theaters, I might be able to post a review of it here!

softball

Abby,

I was trying to post pictures of Nicole's softball game but I failed. I have so much to learn about blogging. It was good seeing you and Chloe. Love ya

I sent the pictures to your email. Please share with your family.

Uncle

And here is the rest of it.

Thoughts on Psalm 13 from Doug Wilson

"In the language of the old proverb, troubles arrive on horseback but depart on foot. This is a psalm offered up in the midst of troubles at the point of despair, and it gives us a pattern or example to follow in similar circumstances....""How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? . . ."

The psalm divides naturally into three parts. The first is the lament made before God, charging Him with having neglected his own servant (vv. 1-2). The second part is the prayer itself, seeking deliverance still(vv. 3-4). The third portion is the faithful expression of confidence and joy (vv. 5-6).

How long will this continue? We have repetition in this psalm, but it is not a vain repetition. Four times David asks how long God will continue to leave his servant in the midst of affliction. Just as there is no resurrection without a cross, so there is no song of faith at the end of this psalm without the lament at the beginning. This is not impiety or faithlessness. Even the lament that God does not see him is offered up on the faithful assumption that God sees.

This is no contradiction because the psalmist wants the comfort and deliverance of intervening action, not the comfort of theological platitudes. How long will God leave him here alone with the counsel of his own thoughts and plans? He knows the theology of deliverance. But what he needs is the deliverance itself.

And so we come to an argument God loves. The lament had included the problem that his enemies were continuing to exult over him (v. 2). The petition is offered—"God must lighten my eyes, saving me from death. God, listen to this. If you do not listen, then my enemy will say that he has won." The Philistines took Samson, their great enemy, and made him grind their grain. In just the same way, the psalmist takes his adversaries and makes their wicked behavior his central argument in the prayer. In this prayer, they grind for David. God loves this argument because He hates few things more than the insolent way the wicked treat His people. This is one of the things believers today need to learn how to do.

The result is trust, joy and music. The psalm concludes with David’s great faith exhibited. In verse 5, that faith is expressed clearly. God is merciful, and David trusts Him. David knows that he will be able to rejoice in the salvation that God will bring to him. As a result, David will sing before the Lord because He has dealt with him so bountifully.

How does all this apply to us? The book of Job tells us that man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. Consequently, learning to apply the truths of this psalm is one of the most important lessons we can ever learn.

First note that this is a psalm. This was not given to us in the psalter so that we could watch what David did. We are required to do what David did, sing what David sang. The apostle Paul tells us to address one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, and he most definitely was including this one. The psalms are a corporate possession, and all God’s children are required to work their way through these things. But in our false piety, we shrink back from the language of the first two verses, wondering what will keep us from a wrong kind of complaining spirit against God. The answer is that the rest of the psalm will provide this protection, as well as the rest of the psalms. By doing this, you learn to express what you otherwise would not. Learning all the psalms in faith is the first step in emotional discipleship.

The phrase "I will sing" can be taken both as a vow, and as a cry of faith. As a vow, David is promising to sing God’s praises if God delivers him. As a cry of faith, it is a statement in the present that he will be delivered in the future, and so he will obviously be singing God’s praise. It is possible to grunt your thanksgiving, but do you want to be limited that way? Learning all the psalms in faith is essential in giving that faith a richer vocabulary.

Third, affliction is one of God's prized instruments in fashioning us into the kind of people He intends us to be. God does all things well, and the longer the silver spends in the furnace, the more we may conclude that more dross had to be removed. The saints of God over the years have learned this truth countless times, and have expressed it in many glorious ways. Samuel Rutherford said that when he was in the cellar of affliction, he would look for the Lord’s choicest wines. It is better to be praying in the belly of the fish like Jonah than to be sleeping in the ship like Jonah. John Trapp said that a man riding to his coronation will not think much of a rainy day. Spurgeon said that the Father’s wagons rumble most heavily when they are bringing us the heaviest gold of grace. Understanding the world in faith prevents murmuring. Learning all the psalms in faith keeps the heart humble and obedient during affliction.

Fourth, faith settles us. When we are in perplexity because of our trials, our heart is like the sea in a strong wind. Like the waves, the counsels and thoughts that we have go up and down, up and down. Faith settles our hearts because faith can see the long-term result. The result of today’s affliction may have no result in the circumstance of today. The rain God sent in February may have had the harvest of August in mind. If a fruit tree is beaten on the trunk with a baseball bat, it releases a plant hormone called ethylene, which produces a flowering and fruitful result the following season. Learning all the psalms in faith puts your feet on the ground and prevents short-term thinking.

And so last, count it all joy. James tells us that when we encounter trials, we are to reckon it as a joy and privilege (Jas. 1:2-5). Why are we to do this? Because, James says, trials bring patience and patience bring maturity. If we lack wisdom concerning this, then we can ask God to teach us in our trials. We are to glory in our tribulations because the end of the matter is that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:3-5). The greater the trial, the greater the joy. Like Paul and Silas in prison, we want an articulate joy. Learning all the psalms in faith is a wonderful way to keep a joyful heart from exploding."
http://www.dougwils.com/index.asp?Action=Anchor&CategoryID=1&BlogID=372

A Man Consumed With Love For God

Have you heard about Jonathan Edwards before? If you haven’t, he was a theologian of the First Great Awakening. Jonathan Edwards was brilliant, but his brilliance didn’t appear out of nowhere. He had to have education, years of working at his job definitely helped, and his legacy shows the lasting effects of his ministry.
Born in 1703 in East Windsor, Connecticut, Edwards grew up in a Godly family. Jonathan Edwards was also very smart. So smart, that he entered Yale before he was thirteen and graduated when he was 17, in 1727. That was pretty young! After he graduated, Edwards decided to become a minister.
During Edwards’ career, the church was in a state of deadness. Edwards, being the pastor of a Congregationalists Church in Northampton, Mass., had to preach and try to fix that deadness. In 1734, he was preaching on the justification of faith, and even he was surprised in how many converts there were. This awakening caused a change in the church, and the town. He was a pretty powerful preacher.
Even after Jonathan Edwards’ death, he left behind 25,000 to 50,000 people out of 300,000 people as new members in the church. He also left his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. Throughout his life, Jonathan Edwards preached to and encouraged many people. The town he left felt the presence of God.

Jonathan Edwards was a man consumed with love for God. He grew up very smart and his career was intense. All of that work he has done for the Lord makes one great legacy. The book, “The Church In History”, says that, “…Jonathan Edwards was the outstanding intellectual figure in Colonial America, and one of the greatest minds America has ever produced” (Kuiper, 1964, 345). By Abby Owens

Happy Birthday!

The 22nd of April is my uncle's birthday so I thought I would put a photo on here for him. He is a very nice person, and this photo really shows it! :) Well anyway, I hope that he has a wonderful birthday and enjoys this pic!

Amazing Horses

My friend sent me this amazing video of a French man and his horses that do really amazing tricks. If you enjoyed it as much as I did, which was a lot, please leave a comment!

Spring is coming, and it's the time of year to raise Monarch butterflies! This website, has instructions on planting milkweed, the Monarchs favorite plant, raising the caterpillars, and letting the butterfly go. It really is an amazing experience.

This is just a test to see what I can do with photo's on here. Like my photography?

The bLog in Your Own Eye

If you still might be racking your brain for the reason of the name of this blog, stop racking and turn to Matthew 7:3. If you still don't get it, just read the whole Bible!

The Golden Rule

Matt 7:12 (ESV) "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

This is an active command - "do" good things, not a passive suggestion to "not do" bad things.

New Hobby

I've finally found a competition I think I can win. Even if I don't win, it will be fun trying.

Take a look here: http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/

Throw away all my razors and get the miracle grow ready.

Hi

This is Abster, I'm my dad's eldest daughter. The Owens family is an exciting family so I hope you enjoy our exciting posts. Well, that finishes up my long and descriptive post!

Hello

Greetings, on behalf of the Owens family, welcome to our humble piece of the electronic cloud that is the internet. We are simple folk, we like to eat, read and sleep. We go to Church at Eastbridge Presbyterian Church http://www.eastbridge.org where Rick is an elder. More to follow ....