Quote

"He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves, and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper." - Edmund Burke

A new blog!

I have marvelous news. As my cousins have been in town, we have pulled old TV show scripts of ours out of the filing cabinet, and decided to remake them. As we made them, we began to fall in love with the idea of making a blog to post our videos on; ergo, we now have a blog. I highly encourage you to follow it, you won't regret it! :)

http://otrnewsonline.blogspot.com/

I hope you like it!

Happy New Year!

AO

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas all! I hope it's wonderful!

I must say though, I'm very disappointed that none of you believe in Santa Claus. Oh well. :)


AO

Carol's Corner

Please check out my friends blog when you get the chance. She's hilarious, and awesome, but forgets about her blog sometimes... Anyway, hopefully I can persuade her to post a little more. ;)

http://chkcorner.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

AO

Question to consider-

Here is a question that you should answer for me in a comment. Do you believe in Santa Claus? If yes, why? If no, why not? Don't be shy now. :) I won't tell my view until there are at least a few comments. Comment away...


AO

....And to all a good night

Well, as Christmas is only 2 days away, people all over the world are in the last minute rush of the holidays. I, for one, have gotten almost all of my Christmas shopping done, and I am ready to chill out(literally, and non-it's freezing here). My Grandma, Aunt, Uncle, and two cousins are coming down from MI for Christmas tonight, and I am very excited. :) They are marvelous people.
Tomorrow, we are having a Christmas brunch, for our neighbors. Most of our neighbors are retired folk, and are home at Christmas time, so we have hosted a Christmas Eve brunch for a few years now. There is nothing like some good old fashioned Christmas jollification!

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, we must not forget the reason for Christmas; the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus. What an amazing story it is- in fact, go read it yourself.

I will try to post pictures of family or something like that over the holidays-but don't become mad if I don't. ;) So. May God bless you all this season, and have a very, merry Christmas!

AO

On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer and Vixen, on Comet, on Cupid, on Donder* and Blitzen!

*FYI his name is really Donder, not Donner. Go look at the book('Twas the Night Before Christmas).

Escusa me

Please excuse the blog's appearance; I am trying to fiddle and create a new look. But I don't have time for one, long, get-it-all-done sitting, so it may look disheveled when you visit. :)


AO


FYI, the title is in Spanish. I do in fact, know how to spell.

Oh joy.

Yippee, another tag. Enjoy!

Six Names you go By:

Abby

Abigail

Abster

Abs

Abba-dabba(thanks for this one Uncle Jack ) :)

Three things you are wearing today:

Jeans

Pale green t-shirt, with an awesome neon orange sweatshirt.

pink fuzzy socks :)

Three things you want very badly Right now:

To have my homework assignments magicaly disapear

To catch up on lost sleep for a week or so then wake up on Christmas morning.

To have another brownie

Three things you did Last Night/Yesterday:

Watched The Polar Express

Watched It's a Wonderful Life

Ate pizza :)

Two things you ate today:

BBQ and brownies

Two People you last Talked to on the Phone:

Dad and Mom.

Two Things you are going to do Today/Tomorrow:

Finish that homework

set my brain a-spinning again tomorrow

Your Three Favorite Beverages:

Water

Southern Sweet Tea

Coke




And, I don't think I will tag anyone, (yet again), but feel free to tag yourself. :)



AO

God Leads Us Beside Still Waters and ....

There are times when God leads us beside still waters and times when He leads us through the valley of the shadow of death (see Psalm 23). After my recent surgery, I need to make sure I communicate clearly that God doesn't love me more now than He did in the summer of 2008. I just had surgery in November 2009 where God led me beside still waters and my road was easy. In the summer of 2008, I had surgery that was not easy. I had a time in the valley of the shadow of death, but even there He was with me and comforted me and was working out His purposes in my life and in my family. He loves me now as He loved me last year. He is working out His will for me in different ways - some easy and some hard. God abounds in love and faithfulness (Psalm 86:1) towards His children. Are you one of His children? Do you love Him? If you love Him, keep His commands (John 14:15).

Oh the joys of being tagged....

I was tagged by Karis, so here goes:

1) Do you like sugar cookies?

A: Eh, they're ok, I enjoy chocolate better.

2) Do you like a LOT of lights on your Christmas tree, or just a few?

A: Just a few white ones is perfect

3) Do you prefer a real tree, or an artificial tree?

A: I prefer real trees, but we've had fake ones for a few years now...:(

4) What's your favorite Christmas carol?

A:Most of them are wonderful. I don't need to pick a favorite. :)

5) Do you like egg-nog, or boiled custard?

A: What in the world is boiled custard? I do not know, I do like eggnog though. :)

6) Do you want a lot of snow for Christmas, or just enough to sled in?

A: Well, wishing for snow down here is like wishing for your house to turn upside down and nothing gets broken inside of it, but if it were possible, yes i would love snow, but just enough to sled in.

7) What's your favorite part of the Christmas story?

A: That God gave his only son to die for our sins.

8) What's your favorite Christmas movie?

A: Hm. Christmas Vacation, White Christmas or Holiday Inn.

9) If you could spend $1,000,000, what would you buy?

A: well, i'd pay off any dept i owed, then buy an awesome sports car. I don't know if i really would buy the car, and I'll probably never find out. :)

10) What is your favorite name(s) of Jesus?

A: All of em.

And I've decided not to tag anyone....but if you want to tag yourself, feel free to do so.


AO

Butterflies and Bells

I love this picture. Viceroy butterflies are so gorgeous. FYI, this is a Viceroy, not a Monarch. Viceroy's have thinner black vertical stripes on their wings as well as a horizontal line across the bottom. Monarchs have fewer bold black vertical stripes, and no horizontal stripes. This is one of my pet peeves, especially because I see signs for a Monarch Development Inc. but they have a Viceroy on the sign. They obviously didn't do research before creating their logo.







Now this bell is a bell on the column at my Aunt's farm house, and it shows pure Southern taste. The bell, for calling everyone for dinner, and WELCOME on the top, where you know you are not going to be stared down by the barrel of a shotgun. :) You might though, at her farm, if you hope to shoot game on her property, she doesn't want any of that. :) I hope you all have a marvelous day!


AO

Big

Big (adjective regarding size)
Bulky, burly, capacious, chock-ful, whopper, walloping, immense, massive.

Big (adjective regarding importance)
Eminent, momentous, prime, paramount.



Well, not that many alternate words, but the few are commendable. Any word suggestions you have and would like me to do the research on just add it in your comment. ;) Next word will be 'delay'.


AO

Fun

Well, recently (since my discovery of jollification), I have taken an interest in words, and using words that aren't used much. So, every now and then I'll be posting about a certain word, and give some alternate terms you can use. But, if I do this, you all are supposed to actually make use of what you learn, because if you don't, I'm blogging for nothing(and you're wasting you're time).

Today's word:

Fun (adjective)
Amusing, boisterous, convivial, lively, merry, pleasant

Fun (noun)
Buffoonery, escapade, festivity, frolic, gaiety, jocularity, merriment, merrymaking, mirth, tomfoolery


AO

PS: Check out the 'Good Reads' box in the sidebar

Sweet or bitter words?

"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them." - Andy Rooney

did you just say 'party'? shame on you

The US in particular has a very small, pitiful vocabulary that they use daily. One of my teachers this year has inspired me to expand mine, and so here I am ready to help expand yours as well.

Last night, as my family and I were planning for a party, we were trying to think of some word to use instead of party, since it is a word that is used way too much. As I looked in the thesaurus, I came across this wonderful new word, jollification. Have you ever heard it used? Nope, probably not. At least I haven't. All the more reason to use it. Dictionary.com describes jollification as jolly merrymaking and jolly festivity. Now, I encourage you to use this word whenever you have a chance. There are so many wonderful words out there, so why just use a few boring ones?


AO

Check this out

I was reading in a WORLD magazine this morning a review about a singer/songwriter from Texas. So, I went to her website and listened to some of her music; she has a great voice. Her name is BettySoo. I would encourage you to check out her blog and listen to some of her music. I'm sure you won't regret it! :)


AO

Old Tom says...

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson


AO

I'm......just........

And the last word that fits in the title can be found after you read this wonderful post on another blog: Femina Reformed Blogs


AO

You've gotta love the Fair

I went to the Coastal Carolina Fair yesterday afternoon. The fair is wonderful; all the different sights, sounds, smells, etc.. It truly is amazing all the types of people that come to the fair. :) Anyway, as for rides, my friend and I did the Pharaohs Fury (a boat shaped thing like a swing that goes really really high and makes your stomach fly into your head) twice, and it's....OK. :P We also did the Cliff Hanger ride, where you lay down on your stomach and fly around in circles at different angles. That ride is one of my favorites. We of course did the Sky Ride a gazillion times, and we did the Merry-go-Round as well. If you go to the fair, you have to do the merry-go-round, it's a classic. We did the Swings, and I was brave and did the Swing Tower, which is just like normal swings, except it goes up really high and bounces every now and then (i hope that was on purpose....). We did the Bumper Cars too. And I think that's all the rides we did..... if there were more, I'll tell eventually.
I also had my first Funnel Cake, and those things are delicious! I ate most of it, then my friend decided I had enough and took it from me (of course semi-jokingly, I still ate a few more bites after she took it). :) So yes, Funnel Cakes are great, but you need someone to share it since there so sweet and filling. So yep, that's about all we did. OH, and we did the House of Mirrors too, and my friend almost left me behind, but I still made my way out. :D
If you decide to go to the Fair this year, try (if possible) to go at night time, because it is sooo pretty at night.

AO

If you live in the Charleston area....

You are invited to a free concert! :) Nathan Clark George, a Christian folk artist, will be at Eastbridge Presbyterian Church (located on Highway 17) on Sunday, November 8. The concert will be at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. If you want to come for the concert, feel free to visit the church for the regular service at 10:30 am, and just hang around in Mt. Pleasant till 3. Though the concert is free, there will be a love offering if you wish to donate(and no doubt it will be very appreciated). Here is a video about Nathan Clark George:


I hope to see you there!


AO

Note to Bloggers: If you know lots of people in the area, don't hesitate to invite them to the concert! ;)

Words from Abe

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." - Abraham Lincoln


AO

Henry Ford says...

"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do."- Henry Ford



AO

Not for people afraid of bugs

This is a picture (I took) of a very fascinating bug that we saw at a park. I don't know what kind it is, but doesn't it just look awesome?

St. Augustine

I've been reading St. Augustine's Confessions for one of my classes, and I have discovered what a wonderful book it is (at least up till Book X, I didn't read beyond that). If you have not read it, you need to read it ASAP. It is fairly lengthy, but it is clear and understandable. It truly is amazing how God works in us and brings us to Himself, and this is a good story with a clear before and after pictures. And while I'm on the subject, I'll give you a good quote by St. Augustine.

"For Thou hast commanded that an irregulated should be its own punishment." ~St. Augustine


AO

And so it begins

We're officially jumping into the complicated process of packing and moving. We're planning to move on Saturday, but we're not sure whether or not we can do it. :) Lord willing we'll get everything packed and ready to move down the street (yep, down the street) by Saturday. Prayers would be especially appreciated! We have lots of stuff to pack-


AO

a good quote...

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength"~Corrie Ten Boom

The Problem of Sin

I have recently been reading St. Augustines Confessions for school, and he talks in it about whether sin is a substance and how and why things become corrupted. Anyway, my teacher gave us in intersting link to a video regarding the Problem of Sin. Enjoy-


AO

kindness

"You can never do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

On Rain and Rainbows...

It rained today. Rain is such an amazing event, if you truly dig in and think about it. It just reminds you how creative God is. I love watching thunder storms, and hurricanes; they are so powerful and amazing. I love how, during a bad thunder storm, the sky is completely covered in gray clouds, and its dark outside. But I also love it when the sun is shining, but it's raining as well. At the rare occurrences of this, you usually see rainbows, which are another sign of God's power, and truth. Remember Noah and the Flood? Anyway, I saw a complete rainbow today, and there was even another one right above it, and I had never seen two rainbows in the sky at once before. Is that not awe-some?

AO

Out of the ol' archives...

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since [then] Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.” –C.S. Lewis

Ponder This....

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

The Mezquita de Córdoba

The Mezquita de Córdoba, or Mosque of Cordoba, is a mosque in Córdoba, Spain. It was used for Muslim prayer and worship of their gods, during the time when Spain was under rule of the Muslims. The Mosque took over 200 years to build, from 784-987. In 1236 Spain rejoined Christendom. Later the Christians consecrated the Mosque, dedicated it to Mary, mother of Jesus, and used it for Christian worship. Now you can still go to Córdoba, Spain and see the magnificent Mezquita de Córdoba.

thomans edison said...

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison

Snail

A picture of a snail I took:

picture

The Owens Family-

=)

"Many people have too much will power. It's won't power they lack." - John Shedd

guess what...

"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see." - Neil Postman

quote

"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power." - Washington Irving

Don't Try This at Your Home

Here is a nice picture of a snake I caught in a neighbor's yard. I'm no herpetologist, but I think it is a king cobra. They are known to inhabit these parts, and that makes my catching one all the more spectacular. I'm sure you will agree.

And, in case you were wondering, this is not part of any religious ceremony (as far as you know).

My Dream Car

I'm almost positive that not of you have ever had someone tell you that their dream car was an old one. Well, now you have. My dream car is either the 1958, or 1960 Ford Edsel. Aaaaaand, here is a picture of the '60's make. =)

Half-Blood Prince

Well, I just got back from seeing "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", and I must say, it was AWESOME! :) I probably could say it was the best Harry Potter movie yet. Great acting, and though they changed the storyline a little, it was pretty much the same. I am really looking forward to the next two movies now, but it'll be sad when they're over. :( Anyway, everyone reading this (which is probably nobody) have a great weekend! =P

AO

...

just a little WAKE UP alarm because you fell asleep reading the previous post. ;)


AO

I'm getting old....: (

'Tis the sad truth. I've always heard elder people saying how life went so fast, but to me life crawled by slower than a slug, but then when I hit 10 or so, life started pressing on the gas. I'm so thankful that there is something to look forward to after this life, that will be greater than anything humanly imaginable. God is good.
Well summer has started, and I'm already halfway through it with not much accomplished (common story, isn't it). I did have the privilege of doing a volleyball camp which was super fun, though my arms and legs hurt like crazy afterward. But as they say, "no pain, no gain". I tried to finish up the reading that needed finishing up, didn't get all of it done, but my wonderful mother gave me a break so now I'm thoroughly enjoying reading Dandelion Fire, the sequel to 100 Cupboards, and both are great books.
I also got the chance to go on a missions trip with my whole family and a group from church which was wonderful. We went to Cherokee, NC to an Indian reservation and we helped at a Senior Center, and a Youth Center, and both were great experiences. We also went to Lancaster, PA for a get together for the students of online classes, so I got to meet some of my classmates, and we had a lot of activities, which barely allowed for time to breath the whole weekend. But I met lots of nice people. :)
Here in SC though, I've just been "chill-axing" as one of my best friends calls it. I got to go to the beach with some friends, which was awesome, I've been playing some tennis in the scorching heat of SC, got to go see the movie Up, which I must say was a masterpiece film, especially when you look at what else is in theaters at the moment. I really want to see Night at the Museum 2, and the Harry Potter movie when it comes out. Yes, I'm a Harry Potter fan, and I find no shame in that. =D
I've been doing a lot of thinking about the goal for my education. There are so many things out there, it gets to be overwhelming! I've settled with being a janitor. KIDDING!
I really have no idea right now, but I don't plan on getting a cubicle job (a job at which I "live" in a cubicle). A lawyer is sounding interesting, but so is architecture, and maybe even some sort of clothing business. I don't know.....
Well, I need to get a shower. I know you were just asking yourself, 'I wonder if shes gonna take a shower....hm....'. Now you know.
I have a joke for you:
What has a bottom on its top?
While you're thinking, I'm gonna introduce you to a reformed Christian rapper, Shai Linne. He's amazing. Buy some of his stuff. And the answer to the joke is, your legs! I know, simply hilarious. :)
Well, I've wasted more than enough of your time, but I can truthfully admit that its not my fault you've been sitting at your computer reading some girls monotonous writing, you chose to do it. Anyway, I'll write later....maybe.....

AO

Quote

"A true friend is one who likes you despite your achievements." - Arnold Bennett

Elf and hobbit names

a friend of mine has this thing where you can find out your elven and or hobbit name. :) so here are mine:

Elf: Celebriän Uruviel Lúinwë

Hobbit: Orangeblossom Tighfield of Tookbank


AO

yay!

Well, I got my Logic exam done Monday, but that grade hasn't come back yet... And I got both of my Omnibus exams done yesterday. For my Primary one (which i thought i would fail), i got a 98%!!! i'm so happy!!! but whats even better, is for my Secondary one, i got a 100%!!!!!! i think thats the only 100 i've gotten in that class, which is awesome too. :-D Now i just have lots of reading, but that won't be too bad. i am going to PA next week, then in 3 or 4 weeks i'm going on a Mission trip to an indian tribe in Cherokee NC, which will be fun. Anyway, i think i'm gonna have a hot summer, probably go to the beach some, go to a few movies (i hope) and finish up some other school. i hope everyone else out there has a great summer too!

AO

update

OK, Quick post.....
Been studying for exams, sleeping, eating, doing double dutch, studying more, reading a lot, being on the computer (more than i should be), not playing tennis as much as i would like, going on a missions trip next month, going to PA for a get-together, riding bikes, contra dancin', and more, but i really need to study, because i might flunk of i don't. :-/ and they're all 3 due on Wednesday, its monday, and i haven't done any yet. :( anyway, i'll post when my life calms down(if it does....)

AO

p.s

i've turned comment moderation OFF, since i don't get on much, and post via e-mail, so be careful what ya comment! :-D

AO

Birthdays, dancing, and lots of reading

Sorry that I haven't posted in forever.... I've been busy, and tired. Lets see where to start; well Thursday was my birthday, and I'm 14 now. :) I got a new digital camera, and I must say that it is a pretty darn nice camera. :-D I also got some candy, and Napoleon Dynamite, which is one of my all-time favorite movies. So I had a great birthday. Friday, I had a piano recital, and I am not a fan of piano recitals at all. Moving on, Friday night we (my fam. and i) went to a Contra Dance thing that was in our neighborhood, and that was an interesting, yet really fun experience. You get to dance with pretty much everyone there (usually its pleasant, sometimes not so much....) but that was fun, and I got asked to dance by this guy who was nice, and knew how to dance which helped me out since I didn't. So by the time that dance was over, I was doin' pretty good, but I learned that when you're spinning, you need to look your partner in the eye, so you don't get dizzy(which could get a little awkward). Anyway, i found out theres a Contra Dance club that meets in our neighborhood, on a few Friday nights a month, so my fam is thinkin' we should go back sometime. :-D Saturday, we did some yard work, watched The Waltons (a really awesome old show), ate food, etc..... Sunday(today), I went to church, and after church we had a lunch to raise money for the missions trip that we are going on in the summer to Cherokee, NC, which I think is gonna be awesome! Anyway, i need to go, and read, because i don't want to flunk my classes...And, I have testing Mon. Tues. and Wed., so that should be exciting (nah, jk). I'll try to post when I get the chance to, but ya know, my life is moving at the speed of light right now (well, it feels like it).......;-)

AO

New Picture

Also, let me know what you think of the new picture I put up. It is of the hull of the USS Yorktown, that I took, and it just happened to be at the right time, so its looking directly at the front. :)

AO

Ball Crew, and other insundry things....

I just finished ball crewing for the Family Circle Cup, and pro womens tennis tournament that takes place very colse to me. :) Anyway, I worked on the first Saturday it started, skipped Sun. and Mon., and then worked from Saturday to the end of the tournament. It was fun, I got to see some of my friends who have done it in previous years, and I got to meet some new people too. I'm really tired now, and have a sunburn on my face, but other than that, I'm recovering well. I've started reading a book called The Eagle of the Ninth, which is pretty interesting. I also had my Double Dutch competition on Saturday; I didn't do so great, but my sister (Seagray) and her team, got third place, and will be going to the Sate competition, so I'm happy for her. Well..I'm gonna go read another blog, so I'll update some more later. ;-)

AO

an early birthday present!

Well, my parents decided to buy me a quilt that I had been wanting for a while, and I got it yesterday as an early birthday present! It is the awesome-est quilt EVER! Also pictured are two of my stuffed animals, Danny Dog (left), and Puckin(the monkey, on the right, and i think when i originally got him, that his name was supposed to be Pumpkin, but was changed to Puckin somehow...)

recent happenings...

Well, this week is spring break from my online classes, so no homework for those, but I have a LOT of reading to catch up on, and I don't mean 2 or 3 books, but maybe 7 or 8. :( I have a very strong case of procrastination, and I'm still trying to find a remedy.
Let's see, today I went to the doctor (just a check-up) and they decided to stab me to get a blood sample (aka fingerprick, but i'm calling it by its true name). After we went to the doctors, we got breakfast at Chick-fil-A (at around 9:30am, which is waaaay past my breakfast time), then we went to Krispy-Kreme and bought 2 dozen donuts, and I at all but one bite of one chocolate cake donut, and then I felt sick because of it. So now I have decided to not eat anymore donuts(lets see how long i last =D).
I've also seen a video reminiscing the 60's, which I found very entertaining. :) I love the 60's, and the 70's, and the 50's, and the 40's.... But anyway, I like mainly music and fashion from those era's. I like the Monkees most of all, they're awesome(and i have their TV show!!!) but I also like other artists and bands. The Beatles are pretty good, and I'm a fan of their music-not them.As for fashion, the 50's are the best. :) Here are a few pictures of dresses that I have patterns to make(some I don't have patterns for, but like anyway), so tell me what you think: wrap dress - dress w/ belt - and i can't find any more at the moment...
That's pretty much it, I'm hoping on writing some more soon....but I need to be healed from my procrastination-itis before I can. :)

AO

Aeneid Quote

"Men, get a move on! Are you made of lead to be so late and slow? The rest are busy carrying plunder from the fires and towers. Are you just landed from the ships?"
~Androgeos in The Aeneid

On Abortion...

I wrote this paper for one of my classes, enjoy!

Abortion is a hot topic among Christians and non-Christians today, but in an argument as to whether abortion is murder or not, it all comes down to this one question: is a fetus a human being? If you answer “yes”, you must be able to say why. There are three main categories of arguments why a fetus is a human being, Biblical proof, proof in science, and common sense.

Let us start with Biblical proof. The story of Mary and Elizabeth is a great one to use as an example, and it is found in Luke 1:39-45. “³⁹In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, ⁴⁰and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, ⁴²and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."(Luke 1:39-45, ESV). Here, we see Mary going to visit her cousin, who was pregnant with John the Baptist. John was able to sense that Mary was pregnant with Jesus, who was his King, whom he was sent to prepare for, and he leapt in his mother’s womb. This “fetus” was not an unresponsive something-or-other, but a human, who can hear, and has senses.

There is also scientific evidence that a fetus is a human being. First, this “blob of cells”, has DNA. Now DNA is a “code” that each human has, and it is not the same for anyone else in the whole world. Since the fetus has its own DNA, it is not part of its mother, but a separate person, being carried and protected by the mother while it grows. As the baby grows, it has a heartbeat, and human characteristics. An example of this from the Bible, is in Genesis 25:22 which says, “The children struggled together within her…”. Rebekah was pregnant with Jacob and Esau, and they were already showing signs of being able to think (which means they had brains), and tell their bodies what to do. So even though they are still in the womb, they have the ability to think.

Common sense is knowledge that is not very common anymore, especially on the topic of abortion. If you do not know whether or not a fetus is a human, why would you even take the chance? It is not smart, and it is not logical. If you need a real life example to show you, listen to this one. You and your friend Bob went out for a hunt one day. You were in the woods and you stopped to tie your shoe. Bob kept walking and he went far enough away so that he could not see you, and he wasn’t aware of your absence. You happened to be behind a bush, and as you were getting up from tying your shoe, Bob think there is some wild game in the bush, so he gets ready to shoot. Pause the scene for a moment, should Bob shoot or not? Well, the answer for anyone would be “NO!”, but that is with your life on the line. If you were to reverse the story, it would still be “NO!” for an answer, because then Bob’s life would then be on the line. But if you put a tiny fetus, in its mother’s womb, and you have no idea whether it is a human or not, why should you take the chance!? If it turns out to be a human, you have just committed murder, and that is a chance that no one should take, yet people still do. They take the chance with the unborn, yet not with the adults. Now, let us take a moment to define common sense: “Common Sense: sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like”. Another definition is: “normal native intelligence”. So do you now think this is common sense to kill a fetus without knowing whether or not it is a human being?

Now we have evidence from the Bible, science, and practicality. The Bible has numerous places where it is shown that the babies, which people call fetuses, react to different surroundings. In science, we know that the baby has DNA, and will, as it develops, have a heartbeat, and brain. Then with practicality, we know that we should not take the chance of killing a human, if we aren’t sure what it is. No matter what non-Christians say, we can look unto Jesus, and the Bible, and conclude in saying, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28,ESV).

hey

well, i haven't posted in forever.... but here's a post for ya'. i've been up to school, and tennis, and Double Dutch, so i'm stayin' busy. :) hm.... not much else to say... oh well.....

AO

Locked In...

I went to my first ever lock-in with my Youth Group on Friday night/Saturday morning. It was pretty awesome, so I'll just go through all that happened. :)
First, at about 7pm, we started at a pizza restaurant called "CiCi's", which was already crowded before the 20-something people from youth group got there.... We had an interesting assortment of pizza, e.g. barbecue-ish pizza, macaroni and cheese pizza, and some normal pizza. Plus, the manager there was really nice to give us all free sodas, which helped me to stay awake. After we spent about an hour-and-a-half there, we packed up, and headed across town to Frankie's Fun Park (like a Blackbeard's Cove, if you don't know what that is, oh well). There, we had little cards with $5 worth of arcade money, and a pass to do 5 activities. I spent all of my arcade money and got a cool orange click-pen. :) I also did mini-golf once, and the Go-Carts twice. The go-carts were AWESOME!!!!! :-D After that, around 11:30-ish, we headed back across town to Velocity Sports Performance, which is like a gym on steroids. :) It had about 40-yards of football field (indoors), a basketball/volleyball/dodgeball court a miniature track, and a little weight lifting place that was off-limits. PLUS, we had snack galore. I hit the volleyball for a little while, played a little football (if catching and throwing counts as football...) and then played an actual volleyball game which was awesome. At about 4am(Saturday), I personally was getting a little tired, but I stayed up, and played Taboo with some friends. Now, if you've never played Tabbo at 4 in the morning, you should try it, it's HILARIOUS!!!! Around 5:30-ish, we started Prince Caspian (the movie), which I was unfortunately reminded how much I disliked it. After too much of that, about 7am, my dad and I headed home, and once I arrived, took a shower, and hopped in bed, and slept till 2:30pm. :) That was my Friday/Saturday, then today, (Sunday), I went to a play of "To Kill A Mockingbird", which was really good. Now, I sit here typing away, when I should be in bed, but I'm not, and I just ate some Jalapeno/Chedar chips, which kinda made my stomach hurt, so, I guess I'll post later. :)

AO

Coraline

I wrote this for a different blog, but I thought it'd be put to good use here as well:

I went to see the movie Coraline Saturday. The movie has gotten very good ratings from the critics, but the movie itself is TERRIBLE, so don't waste your money to see it! The storyline seemed as if the person who wrote it took a nightmare they had as a child, and added an ending that seemed to be a good one. I saw that it was made from a children's Horror book. I don't know what kind of sane kid would want to read a book that scares his pants off, but oh well.... I just thought i'd let people know!

BTW, here's a complete review from a Christian movie review site that's pretty reliable: http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a0004491.cfm

AO

Music!

This topic has been on my mind a lot lately. I'm not quite sure why, but, oh well, it is now. My parents are the best parents I could ever have, and, with my "love" of new and old music, have introduced me to many bands from years past that are really quite inspiring. Christian artists like Larry Norman, Keith Green, and bands such as The Wall Bros. Band, have wonderful, Christian lyrics. If you listen, you can tell the words really have a meaning. One reason why I love older music, is because it has a meaning(with modern music, people have run out of ideas for songs). I will be talking mainly about Christian rock (since that is what has been on my mind). I look at bands and artists today e.g. Switchfoot, TobyMac, Third Day etc., and the tunes are catchy, but its the words that nag at me. Do the words have a good, strong, Christian meaning? Teens who listen to this music, would probably say "yes" without thinking about it, because the band is known for being Christian. This time, think a little deeper. How did that music get popular in the first place? Why do people listen to it? One theory, is that Christian parents who want their children listening to good things, not bad words, bad references, etc., say, "Oh, now there's a band who claim to be Christians, so I guess this is better for little (child's name) than other pop stuff", but really, there are much better things that teens could be listening to on their iPod/Mp3. Anyhow, if you truly want good, Christian themed lyrics, plus some great music, go for older music! I can tell you, every song I've heard by Larry Norman, is a five-star song, with great lyrics. Same for Keith Green and The Wall Bros. Band. But, those aren't the only bands/artists with great songs, there are plenty that I haven't heard. Those are just some,"favorites". :) Henceforth (oo, fun word), I have nothing against modern music, even I listen to it (and its pretty good), and I'm just making a point that there is better music out there, when you want it.
AO

Warm Welcome

Well, today I'm happy. 1st, because I understood when my teacher was talking about Socrates and eschatology, 2nd, because one of my BESTEST friends joined the blogging community! Her name is Karis, and she's awesome! So check out her blog, if ya want, and tell her hey, or welcome, or bla bla, or whatever you feel like, as long as its nice. ;-) I guess i'll be seein ya........

AO

yay!

Well, I finsihed my exams, 3 to be exact. :) I got 95% on two of them, and 98% on the other (which happens to be logic!). So yeah, I'm happy!! I have a paper due next Monday, but oh well. I also started double dutch, which is jumping rope with two ropes spinning, instead of just one. That's been pretty fun. Plus I started playing tennis again, so I'm trying to get back in shape...... And, I shadowed our vet(erinarian) today. She makes house calls instead of having an office, so that was pretty interesting. Well......that's pretty much all that has happened in the last few weeks. I read a book called The 13th Reality, and it was interesting (i probably already told you that, but oh well...). Then I started another book called Leven Thumps, which I like so far, but haven't had time to read it for a while..... Plus, just talking to a friend a few seconds ago, I invented my own emoticon!!! Yay me! here it is: " I just used a " quotation thingy, and underlined and made it bold, so there you have it! Pretty awesome, right? Well, if I keep typing, it'll probably get more and more boring, so I'll stop. :) Talk to whoever on this wonderful planet is reading this later!
AO

Cross

I took this picture in my church, and edited it a smidge, so let me know what you think of it!

crab

So, on that super duper field trip, I took a picture of a crab, edited it, and now it looks pretty darn awesome! Tell me whatcha think!!

Victory!!!!....almost...

Well, I have just finished reading 719 pages of an ancient history book, 'Herodotus: The Histories'. I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo glad to have that done with!!!!! But...........now I have exams. Yippee. So I have 3 exams to do in one week, plus studying, because my past week or so has been reading Herodotus. :/ As my entertainment redading, I'm reading a book called 'The 13th Reality' by James Dashner, and its pretty good so far. You should check it out. ;-D I also went on a fieldtrip. Actually, it was the BEST FIELDTRIP EVER!!!!!!!!!!! No kidding. We went to a state park (or something like that....) and it had remnants of an old plantation, including a rice field, an old house, and an old rice mill which was really cool. Well, that's an update on me.... I'll post when I have complete victory (aka when I finish exams.....).

AO

Edited pic comparison...

Hello.........................
I took a picture of Southern Commander at a birthday party once upon a time, and I decided to take it, edit, make it better, and it worked! The first pic is the original, the second, the wonderful masterpiece. :)




One noticeable difference that I'm very proud of, is that her right eye is squinty in the original, and in the edited one, i was able to stretch it, and then put a white dot to show the reflection, or "sparkle" :). Comment with opinions!!!

AO

Happy Birthday!

Well, I'm going to let EVERYONE know that today, the ninth of January, is our beloved Seagray's BIRTHDAY! She's my younger sister, and I want to wish her the Happiest birthday on Earth!!! Today is also our beloved Southern Commander's BIRTHDAY!!!!! So, lets wish them both a wonderfully happy birthday today! If you think these two are as awesome as I do, copy this post to your blog, so everyone in the blogging community can wish them a Happy Birthday!!

Exams.... :-/

Well, this year in my Omnibus class, I've been reading stuff like Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah, etc., but I also have been reading The Odyssey (by Homer), The Histories (by Herodotus), Aeschulus (by ....?) and others; and I'm in middle school. So I've had a big reading load, and I'm still not done with it all. Plus I have 3 exams coming up in two weeks, which I need to do some major studying for. :( But I'll try to remember you folks here, readers of The bLog in Your Own Eye, so don't worry. Once I've passed exams, I'm going to try to start the Christian teen blog, since I have some friends who might want to help with it. Suggestions, comments, tips, anything are welcome on starting a new blog!

Record Pic

Okay, I am a vinyl record freak, so I took a picture of one, and edited it. And if I might say so myself, it looks pretty awesome!

Pictures from Michigan

Here are the pictures(btw, comment with your favorite pic):


This row of tree's is in my Grandma's backyard, and this is a great picture of them!


This was at the place we were sledding at, and I think it is a really great picture!


This is the famed hill that we sledded on.

Me, before or after sledding, I can't remember....


Me, shoveling snow! Yeah, I thought the shovel was too small too.....
NOTE: None of my pictures are edited unless otherwise noted. :)

Trip to Michigan!

Well, I got back around misnight last night from Michigan, and I had a blast! We got to hang out with cousins, visit with family, play the Wii, meet some cute, nice and absolutely lovable dogs, and more! It snowed for us, so we were able to go sledding! The first run, I went down with my younger cousin, and it was lots of fun. The rest, I can't remember.... I do remember that I was going down the hill with my othe cousin, and we were headed for a tree. She was in front, and she yelled tree, and rolled out of the sled. Smart move. I was still thinking, "Okay, a tree, what do I do when I hit a....." splat. I hit the tree. But thankfully the sled turned a little so that I hit the tree with the broad side, and I wasn't hurt too much. Next run, I was going down the hill by myself, and I was at the bottom but still moving quickly, and my sled turned around backwards, and flipped over. But it was fun. My toes got frozen, despite the fact that I had 4 layers of socks on..... And my hat kept falling off....Also, I tried to use a saucer sled, and the hill I was going down had a series of small ones on it. so I went over the first big one, and then my sled just kind of stopped, and tipped over, with me in it. Anyway, I'm going to post some pictures for you, but the broweser I'm using is terrible for pictures.....
AO