So, after last night's load of homework, I got to thinking. I thought about my schedule, the teachers I have this year, what I can expect from each class, and how I plan to manage it.
And then I got depressed. I realized that with Mr. Parry teaching both Bible 11 and English 11, I can expect a lot of time-consuming but altogether dull assignments that are going to eat up my study halls. Then, I realized that having two classes with Mrs. Hillman is going to mean two hours of homework, just from her. Trig is freely admitted to be the hardest math class taught at WCS, and I am not a math person, not to mention Physics, which I've had to miss two days in a row because of volleyball physicals. (I had to get two shots and have blood drawn because they think I might be anemic.) And then, I realized I'm going to have to study harder than ever to keep my grade in Spanish III up.
And then...I got more depressed. Because I thought about next year.
I will have Bible 12 with Mrs. Hillman, which will mean lots of in-depth boring homework assignments that take hours in and of themselves. I will have Calculus with Mrs. Hillman, which will mean having to do extra credit to keep my grade point average up in math. I will have Chemistry with Mrs. Hillman, which will mean a ton of memorization of things I hope I will never have to use in the practical world. I will have Biology II with Mr. Gregory, which although that means I will have an incredible teacher, it also means memorizing all the bones in the human body as well as in-depth dissection. I will have Civics with Mr. Gregory, which will mean memorizing all of the presidents, their parties, the states they're from, and how long they were president for. And I will have Creative Writing with Miss Perkins, which will undoubtedly be my favorite class, but which will add many more assignments to my work load.
And THEN I got even more depressed. Because I thought of all the other things I'm involved in: volunteering every Saturday, Fair Maidens every 2nd and 4th Saturday, worship team, youth group, volleyball, student council...I'm probably leaving something out, too. Plus, my mom wants me to get a job.
AND THEN...I realized I was being stupid and selfish. God has promised in His word not to give us more than we can handle. If it's in His will for me to take all these classes, be a leader in my community, church, and school, and to be the member of the volleyball team who means we can actually play, He'll help me through it. And why should I worry about next year on the second day of school this year? I need to have my eyes on the path ahead of me, not on the bridge where God will hold my hand as I pass over the rapids. It's not going to be easy, but I've been reassured: with His help (and only with His help), I'll get through. And I'll love where He takes me because of it.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Some Pictures.
This was a typical scene during vacation. I loved getting behind the camera and getting those fun shots, but now I can't find the pen drive where I put the pictures! And I usually don't lose things, so it's driving me crazy!
This is from my birthday. You can see how friendly he is. :-)
I just found some pictures I thought I'd share before I forget! This is little Enoch, before he became an outside cat. He's a lot bigger now, but this is such a cute picture of him.Sister-Time, First Days, Good Times, and Stressed Minds
A good deal of things have happened since I last posted. (Isn't that always how it is?) But I'm going to try to keep this short. No promises, though: I write novels. : )
This weekend held the tell-tale signs that the school year was about to start: Jamie was going back to college. My mom had to drive her there, since all her things would only fit in the van, and only my parents can legally drive it. I had been roped (okay, not roped. I just can't say no.) into dogsitting again this weekend, so it looked like Rosey was going to be left alone by herself for the whole day. My mom just wasn't comfortable leaving her all alone in our big, empty house, so she came with me and helped me dogsit. Oh, and what a blessing that was! They had someone who actually likes dogs (as of right now, she wants to be a dog trainer) to jump on! She also had to come to work (volunteering) with me Saturday morning. Mrs. Haynes lives very close so we decided to walk. But as we were on our way, maybe half a mile left to go, this guy leans his head out a car window and shouts: "I love you! I love you...so much!" Oh, we got a kick out of that! That's not something I'm going to forget for awhile! Rosey was actually very helpful at the shop, and we walked back to the house at around 2:30. We then went to see the Dark Knight (which was incredible, but I wouldn't recommend it for very young kids), and ordered a pizza. It was altogether a nice sister-bonding time weekend.
Sunday was...well, Sunday. : ) Rosey and I walked to the church (which is also very close to the Haynes's house), and enjoyed a very deep message about anger from Pastor Wayne. The worship team led us in some very powerful songs, but it was strange for me, not being on it: I'm back on this week, though. *sigh of relief* I have two days out of the week that keep me going: Sundays and Wednesdays, and both of them because of CCF.
I also had a very pleasant surprise on Sunday: Kelsey called me! I hardly ever talk on the phone (I mean I will, but you have to call me first if you want a good conversation.), so I was startled but extremely pleased. The more I talk to Kelsey, the more I absolutely adore her. She's such a God-honoring, purehearted girl, and she always challenges me to be a better person and a better Christian.
Meli, Lauren, and I met before Youth Group to discuss options for fundraisers and events, and we have some pretty good ideas. Generation is going to be such a blessing in the lives of the teenagers that attend it, let me tell you! Thanks for good fellowship, good ideas, and good ice cream at King Kone, girls!
At Generation, it was one of those unwinding nights. We didn't have a lesson: we made some progress on the comercial and played a few games. Youth Group is as hyper as I get (unless I'm given Mountain Dew, but we won't go there), so it's always nice to let loose just a little bit. I know I still some uptight most of the time, but it does make me feel a whole lot younger to be with you guys...even if I do almost have an aneurism playing spoons. Ugh, one of these days I will extract my revenge on Spencer!
And today, Monday was the beginning of my double life. School. Sometimes, it really does feel that way. I have one set of people and schedules at school, and then an entirely different set at home and church, and I love them both. But I'll tell you what, I took one look at my Trig, Spanish III, and Physics books and moaned: it's going to mean a whole lot of in depth homework that I don't always understand. It's the first day and I really had trouble in Trig! Okay, granted, I haven't used distance or midpoint formula since last year, so I can have a little leeway on getting back into the swing of things for that, but it was very VERY frustrating. And time consuming. But after Mrs. Hillman explains the obvious and preventable error (which I always seem to make and can't figure out what I've done wrong), it'll all click into place in my brain.
Well, I'd better get to bed so I can give my poor confused mind a rest.
This weekend held the tell-tale signs that the school year was about to start: Jamie was going back to college. My mom had to drive her there, since all her things would only fit in the van, and only my parents can legally drive it. I had been roped (okay, not roped. I just can't say no.) into dogsitting again this weekend, so it looked like Rosey was going to be left alone by herself for the whole day. My mom just wasn't comfortable leaving her all alone in our big, empty house, so she came with me and helped me dogsit. Oh, and what a blessing that was! They had someone who actually likes dogs (as of right now, she wants to be a dog trainer) to jump on! She also had to come to work (volunteering) with me Saturday morning. Mrs. Haynes lives very close so we decided to walk. But as we were on our way, maybe half a mile left to go, this guy leans his head out a car window and shouts: "I love you! I love you...so much!" Oh, we got a kick out of that! That's not something I'm going to forget for awhile! Rosey was actually very helpful at the shop, and we walked back to the house at around 2:30. We then went to see the Dark Knight (which was incredible, but I wouldn't recommend it for very young kids), and ordered a pizza. It was altogether a nice sister-bonding time weekend.
Sunday was...well, Sunday. : ) Rosey and I walked to the church (which is also very close to the Haynes's house), and enjoyed a very deep message about anger from Pastor Wayne. The worship team led us in some very powerful songs, but it was strange for me, not being on it: I'm back on this week, though. *sigh of relief* I have two days out of the week that keep me going: Sundays and Wednesdays, and both of them because of CCF.
I also had a very pleasant surprise on Sunday: Kelsey called me! I hardly ever talk on the phone (I mean I will, but you have to call me first if you want a good conversation.), so I was startled but extremely pleased. The more I talk to Kelsey, the more I absolutely adore her. She's such a God-honoring, purehearted girl, and she always challenges me to be a better person and a better Christian.
Meli, Lauren, and I met before Youth Group to discuss options for fundraisers and events, and we have some pretty good ideas. Generation is going to be such a blessing in the lives of the teenagers that attend it, let me tell you! Thanks for good fellowship, good ideas, and good ice cream at King Kone, girls!
At Generation, it was one of those unwinding nights. We didn't have a lesson: we made some progress on the comercial and played a few games. Youth Group is as hyper as I get (unless I'm given Mountain Dew, but we won't go there), so it's always nice to let loose just a little bit. I know I still some uptight most of the time, but it does make me feel a whole lot younger to be with you guys...even if I do almost have an aneurism playing spoons. Ugh, one of these days I will extract my revenge on Spencer!
And today, Monday was the beginning of my double life. School. Sometimes, it really does feel that way. I have one set of people and schedules at school, and then an entirely different set at home and church, and I love them both. But I'll tell you what, I took one look at my Trig, Spanish III, and Physics books and moaned: it's going to mean a whole lot of in depth homework that I don't always understand. It's the first day and I really had trouble in Trig! Okay, granted, I haven't used distance or midpoint formula since last year, so I can have a little leeway on getting back into the swing of things for that, but it was very VERY frustrating. And time consuming. But after Mrs. Hillman explains the obvious and preventable error (which I always seem to make and can't figure out what I've done wrong), it'll all click into place in my brain.
Well, I'd better get to bed so I can give my poor confused mind a rest.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Generation 8/17/08
Well, tonight was really bittersweet. Being Sunday, Youth Group was tonight, and there were many fun things about it, but also one huge disappointment.
The disappointment is because Generation will no longer be doing the Truth Project. I was really challenged by Dr. Tackett and I enjoyed the fresh, Christ-centered worldview he offered. It was helping me to grow as a daughter of God, and I'm saddened that I won't be able to go any further with it. My schedule during the school year is too hectic for me to continue with it, no matter what night they choose.
There were many good things about tonight, though. First and foremost, Kelsey was there! She is such a sweet, God-honoring girl, and it lifts my heart every time I see her. And don't worry Kelsey/Chelsea: we'll get Mr. Rogers straightened out about your name. : )
Aaron also brought a friend named Theresa. She was a very nice, gentle-spirited girl who seemed to enjoy Generation and who genuinely seemed to care about God. I hope we'll be able to see her again.
Starting tonight, Mrs. Rogers decided that Generation will be focusing more on prayer. So, at the very beginning (after we were all done with Taco Bell), we paired up and went outside to take prayer requests from each other and pray. (And for you concerned parents, it was guys with guys; girls with girls.) It was a wonderful idea because not only were we strengthened and blessed by praying for each other, but we also learned about one another. I, for instance, discovered things I had in common with Theresa that I would never have known if we hadn't taken each other's prayer requests. Understanding each other certainly helps us to know what to pray for.
Generation is also starting a new project. We will be interviewing different people from the church, seeking wisdom and advice. The Bible says that those older and more experienced are to instruct the younger generation, and we're really taking that to heart. And don't worry, those of you who will be interviewed (yes, some of you reading this blog will most likely be interviewed): it's going to be video-recorded. Pressure's off. : ) I think it will be a great way for Generation to prepare ourselves for our futures, so that we can avoid the mistakes others may have made when they were our age. It will also strengthen our faith to learn how God has worked in other people's lives: it will be an awesome testimony to His faithfulness and love.
Generation also has a new blog: www.generationccf.blogspot.com (Thank you, Hanna, for setting that up. You've done an awesome job, and we all missed you tonight.) If you get a chance, check it out. Leave some comments! : )
Alright, well, I'd better get to bed. It's past 11, and it's been clinically proven that the sleep you get before midnight is the most important. Good night, and God bless!
The disappointment is because Generation will no longer be doing the Truth Project. I was really challenged by Dr. Tackett and I enjoyed the fresh, Christ-centered worldview he offered. It was helping me to grow as a daughter of God, and I'm saddened that I won't be able to go any further with it. My schedule during the school year is too hectic for me to continue with it, no matter what night they choose.
There were many good things about tonight, though. First and foremost, Kelsey was there! She is such a sweet, God-honoring girl, and it lifts my heart every time I see her. And don't worry Kelsey/Chelsea: we'll get Mr. Rogers straightened out about your name. : )
Aaron also brought a friend named Theresa. She was a very nice, gentle-spirited girl who seemed to enjoy Generation and who genuinely seemed to care about God. I hope we'll be able to see her again.
Starting tonight, Mrs. Rogers decided that Generation will be focusing more on prayer. So, at the very beginning (after we were all done with Taco Bell), we paired up and went outside to take prayer requests from each other and pray. (And for you concerned parents, it was guys with guys; girls with girls.) It was a wonderful idea because not only were we strengthened and blessed by praying for each other, but we also learned about one another. I, for instance, discovered things I had in common with Theresa that I would never have known if we hadn't taken each other's prayer requests. Understanding each other certainly helps us to know what to pray for.
Generation is also starting a new project. We will be interviewing different people from the church, seeking wisdom and advice. The Bible says that those older and more experienced are to instruct the younger generation, and we're really taking that to heart. And don't worry, those of you who will be interviewed (yes, some of you reading this blog will most likely be interviewed): it's going to be video-recorded. Pressure's off. : ) I think it will be a great way for Generation to prepare ourselves for our futures, so that we can avoid the mistakes others may have made when they were our age. It will also strengthen our faith to learn how God has worked in other people's lives: it will be an awesome testimony to His faithfulness and love.
Generation also has a new blog: www.generationccf.blogspot.com (Thank you, Hanna, for setting that up. You've done an awesome job, and we all missed you tonight.) If you get a chance, check it out. Leave some comments! : )
Alright, well, I'd better get to bed. It's past 11, and it's been clinically proven that the sleep you get before midnight is the most important. Good night, and God bless!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Vacation is Over
Well, we got back from vacation yesterday evening at about 9:30. After being on the road for a week and a half, it was nice to be back home. It also feels good to have time to get on the computer! We'd been keeping pretty busy on our road trip. I'm going to try to organize this by the places we stopped and their highlights, but it's probably going to be kind-of long.
1. Cincinnati, Ohio
The day we arrived, we went to the Cincinnati Zoo, which was a nice change for me from the Cleveland Zoo. The Cleveland Zoo is bigger, but there are pros and cons to both zoos (like sharks for the Cleveland and Manatees & Penguins for the Cincinnati).
The second day we went to the Creation museum, which is always incredible. They'd added a few very intricate exhibits to the area dedicated to Noah and the Flood since my first visit, which was a nice surprise. There was a speaker there whose presentation was called "Why Can't a Day Mean a Day?" Rosey didn't care for it (actually, I think she daydreamed through most of it) and my dad didn't even bother to go in with us, but it cleared up some things for me about Theistic Evolution vs. Six-Day Creationism. I took notes, of course, and I plan to go through them soon.
2. Gatlinburg, Tennessee
We technically stayed in Sevierville, but Gatlinburg was the intended destination. The entire area was the worst tourist trap I'd ever seen! All the factory outlet malls, restaurants (mostly pancake houses for some reason), hotels, Dolly Parton attractions, miniature golf courses, and trolleys quickly became overwhelming.
Our first night here, we took a suggestion from Rosey: blacklight mini golf. Rosey and I had done it before with our volleyball team (this was when I was still statiscian), but it a whole new experience for Mom and Dad and we all enjoyed it.
The second day we went to the place that was the whole reason we were there: Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. It had caught my attention when I was browsing through the internet because of their 13-foot sharks. I'm absolutely fascinated by sharks (if I didn't love books more, I would love to become a shark research biologist), so I wanted to go immediately. I was disappointed, though: the large sharks turned out to be only sand tigers (the shark which is most commonly kept in aquariums because of its placid nature), but the trip was still rewarding. I've got lots of pictures, so I'll try to post some.
Our third and final day there, we went to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We took a hike to see Laurel Falls (gorgeous: lots of pictures) and on the way back, we saw a black bear with three cubs! My dad was convinced Rosey and I were going to be eaten (even though the bear was 30 feet away and we had two park rangers with loaded guns with us), so we left before I got to get a very good picture.
3. Boone, North Carolina
We decided not to do anything too big our first day here, so just had some great seafood and Rosey went swimming. (She went swimming wherever there was a pool, and the only place there wasn't one was Cincinnati.) We stayed one night in a Holiday Inn and two in a Fairfield Inn here. (This'll come into play later.)
We spent the next day checking out the area, touring some of the attractions (including Grandfather Mountain and the Blowing Rock) and got lots of souvenirs and pictures. The driving was the only bad part: my dad went so fast through the windy roads that I lost any sense of equilibrium. At the Blowing Rock (named so because of the winds that blow vertically, causing snow and light objects to defy gravity), there was a very good Bluegrass band which enjoyed listening to. There other surprises here, such as a butterfly who held still for photo after photo and a blue-tailed salamander, that made it one of the most fun trips of the vacation.
That night, back at the new hotel, Rosey again decided to go swimming. Unlike the other hotels, this pool was indoor, and there was so much chlorine in it you could smell it from the lobby. My mom had to buy eyewash for Rosey because her eyes burned and watered so bad. Needless to say, she didn't swim there again.
The next day, we drove to Asheville intending to visit Biltmore Manor (the largest house in America...more like a castle, really), but found that it was too expensive and spent some time in the gift shop, instead. My dad bought Rosey and me each a beautiful music box for $75 each. I felt like it was a little too much, but they were so pretty I didn't protest being spoiled for very long.
4. Huntington, West Virginia
We stayed at my Uncle Kenny's house for two nights to visit my dad's family. It was great to see me second cousin Amanda, who's about my age, and her friend Lauren, who might as well be family. We didn't get to hang out like we did the last time I went down to West Virginia, but we did get to sit down and catch up. We also got to see my Uncle Buck, who has unfortunately been having some health issues, and who had a very large part in raising my dad.
On the way back home, we stopped to visit my Uncle Pete, who lives in Ravenswood, WV. My dad has a lot of siblings, but Uncle Pete is the only younger one still alive. You can tell they're my dad's brothers because they all have the same blue-gray eyes, as well as the same nose.
It was great to finally get back home after all that, but of course, there were surprises waiting. The first was that the kitchen faucet had been broken while we were away. By broken, I mean snapped completely off. My dad's fixing it right now, but it was certainly unexpected. The second was that Enoch had been relieving himself on my mom's towels. He's now permanently an outdoor cat because of that, but he seems to be doing alright. We've been giving him lots of love and attention, so he's getting along fine. And he grew so much! The third wasn't much compared to the other two: just a dead housefly on my bedroom floor that I looked at and thought "How did that happen?"
So that was it for my vacation. I have lots of things to catch up on around the house (it's actually taken me an hour and a half to write this because I have to keep getting up to do things) so I'll see most of you Sunday. God bless!
- Becca
1. Cincinnati, Ohio
The day we arrived, we went to the Cincinnati Zoo, which was a nice change for me from the Cleveland Zoo. The Cleveland Zoo is bigger, but there are pros and cons to both zoos (like sharks for the Cleveland and Manatees & Penguins for the Cincinnati).
The second day we went to the Creation museum, which is always incredible. They'd added a few very intricate exhibits to the area dedicated to Noah and the Flood since my first visit, which was a nice surprise. There was a speaker there whose presentation was called "Why Can't a Day Mean a Day?" Rosey didn't care for it (actually, I think she daydreamed through most of it) and my dad didn't even bother to go in with us, but it cleared up some things for me about Theistic Evolution vs. Six-Day Creationism. I took notes, of course, and I plan to go through them soon.
2. Gatlinburg, Tennessee
We technically stayed in Sevierville, but Gatlinburg was the intended destination. The entire area was the worst tourist trap I'd ever seen! All the factory outlet malls, restaurants (mostly pancake houses for some reason), hotels, Dolly Parton attractions, miniature golf courses, and trolleys quickly became overwhelming.
Our first night here, we took a suggestion from Rosey: blacklight mini golf. Rosey and I had done it before with our volleyball team (this was when I was still statiscian), but it a whole new experience for Mom and Dad and we all enjoyed it.
The second day we went to the place that was the whole reason we were there: Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. It had caught my attention when I was browsing through the internet because of their 13-foot sharks. I'm absolutely fascinated by sharks (if I didn't love books more, I would love to become a shark research biologist), so I wanted to go immediately. I was disappointed, though: the large sharks turned out to be only sand tigers (the shark which is most commonly kept in aquariums because of its placid nature), but the trip was still rewarding. I've got lots of pictures, so I'll try to post some.
Our third and final day there, we went to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We took a hike to see Laurel Falls (gorgeous: lots of pictures) and on the way back, we saw a black bear with three cubs! My dad was convinced Rosey and I were going to be eaten (even though the bear was 30 feet away and we had two park rangers with loaded guns with us), so we left before I got to get a very good picture.
3. Boone, North Carolina
We decided not to do anything too big our first day here, so just had some great seafood and Rosey went swimming. (She went swimming wherever there was a pool, and the only place there wasn't one was Cincinnati.) We stayed one night in a Holiday Inn and two in a Fairfield Inn here. (This'll come into play later.)
We spent the next day checking out the area, touring some of the attractions (including Grandfather Mountain and the Blowing Rock) and got lots of souvenirs and pictures. The driving was the only bad part: my dad went so fast through the windy roads that I lost any sense of equilibrium. At the Blowing Rock (named so because of the winds that blow vertically, causing snow and light objects to defy gravity), there was a very good Bluegrass band which enjoyed listening to. There other surprises here, such as a butterfly who held still for photo after photo and a blue-tailed salamander, that made it one of the most fun trips of the vacation.
That night, back at the new hotel, Rosey again decided to go swimming. Unlike the other hotels, this pool was indoor, and there was so much chlorine in it you could smell it from the lobby. My mom had to buy eyewash for Rosey because her eyes burned and watered so bad. Needless to say, she didn't swim there again.
The next day, we drove to Asheville intending to visit Biltmore Manor (the largest house in America...more like a castle, really), but found that it was too expensive and spent some time in the gift shop, instead. My dad bought Rosey and me each a beautiful music box for $75 each. I felt like it was a little too much, but they were so pretty I didn't protest being spoiled for very long.
4. Huntington, West Virginia
We stayed at my Uncle Kenny's house for two nights to visit my dad's family. It was great to see me second cousin Amanda, who's about my age, and her friend Lauren, who might as well be family. We didn't get to hang out like we did the last time I went down to West Virginia, but we did get to sit down and catch up. We also got to see my Uncle Buck, who has unfortunately been having some health issues, and who had a very large part in raising my dad.
On the way back home, we stopped to visit my Uncle Pete, who lives in Ravenswood, WV. My dad has a lot of siblings, but Uncle Pete is the only younger one still alive. You can tell they're my dad's brothers because they all have the same blue-gray eyes, as well as the same nose.
It was great to finally get back home after all that, but of course, there were surprises waiting. The first was that the kitchen faucet had been broken while we were away. By broken, I mean snapped completely off. My dad's fixing it right now, but it was certainly unexpected. The second was that Enoch had been relieving himself on my mom's towels. He's now permanently an outdoor cat because of that, but he seems to be doing alright. We've been giving him lots of love and attention, so he's getting along fine. And he grew so much! The third wasn't much compared to the other two: just a dead housefly on my bedroom floor that I looked at and thought "How did that happen?"
So that was it for my vacation. I have lots of things to catch up on around the house (it's actually taken me an hour and a half to write this because I have to keep getting up to do things) so I'll see most of you Sunday. God bless!
- Becca
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