Sparrow Rescue and A Trip To The Ocean

Yesterday while my friend and I were preparing lunch,
the children came in yelling,
"A bird is stuck! It's trying to get out of the birdfeeder
but it can't! Come see!"
We followed them outside and they pointed to
the neighbor's yard where there was a sparrow
with its head stuck inside of the feeder.

I climbed over into their yard and
looked inside to see that its head was shoved
all the way in and bent under a metal piece.
There was blood on his side where he was cut
(just a little) from the metal.
I took the top off and gently pushed its head over
so that I could easily slide out its body.
It scared me a bit, because if he tried to resist
or I pushed too hard, it could have really hurt (or killed itself).

But in a few minutes of working with it,
I pulled him out, safe and sound.
He stayed on the ground and rested for a while.
It was so neat to rescue it!
And birds are much softer than they even look!


Today, the Lord gave us a beautiful blue sky
and a wonderful cool breeze.
And we decided to go to the ocean to enjoy it.
Before we moved here, we used to do a lot of 'beachschooling',
which I posted about on my previous blog,
and I have missed the beach.
So I was glad to go!
We went to Subway and picked up some food
to eat at the park across from the ocean.



Afterwards, we headed across the road to the ocean...



My friends were eager to get me to the water,
so that we could walk and get our 'feetsies' wet.





Poor Carolynne wasn't very comfortable with the strong waves,
so I went out with her and she enjoyed it.



As we looked out on the horizon,
we spied 2 battleships way out there.



We didn't intend on getting very wet,
but when one person 'falls' in, another usually follows. :o)
So we all ended up getting completely soaked.
It was a lot of fun in spite of the fact
salt water kept getting in my mouth and nose.

All of us


Beth


Will

My friend and I enjoyed finding the big waves
and then diving into them ...







Carolynne was quite satisfied with staying on
the shore and just getting her feet wet.



The moms had a blast as well.



And I thought I'd share this photo because we all thought
it looked like we were about to go down a waterfall...


It was a wonderful day and now I'm completely exhausted.
Oh, backtracking to one more unusual thing about yesterday:
As I made the lasagna for supper,
I used a bag of sauce in the fridge that I thought was leftover.
Well, as it turned out, it was really pizza sauce. :o)
It didn't make much of a difference in taste, though!
And we all had a good laugh!

I hope everyone's having a great week,
and I'll try to get around to responding to some
comments tomorrow or the day after.

Our Camping Trip...

Thursday, we got up and packed to go
family camping at a KOA campsite.
We had so much fun as we stayed in our one room cottege.
Just 2 sets of bunkbeds, a small 2 person table,
tiny fridge, stove and sink, and a tiny bathroom.
When we arrived, we sat around in the cottage
while it rained a little...



Then we all walked down to the pier.
I like this photo of me and my precious siblings...



Afterwards, we went to the playground.
Mom and Will played some tetherball...



And Dad and I (being huge on chess!) cracked up at
and really enjoyed the large game of chess they had...



After playing around for a while, we got hungry.
We grilled some delicious hot dogs and brats outside...



We also had some potatoes, zucchini and squash.
It was wonderful eating outside as a family...



After cleaning up and a few other things,
I invited Will to play a game of chess with me
while Mom and Dad started the bonfire...



We, then, headed back and made some smores...





Afterwards, we sat on the porch and sang songs
while I played my guitar...



The next morning, I woke up early and sat outside on
the swing on our porch and had an hour of enjoying
the country morning and quiet time with my True Love.
Oh, I really enjoyed it!
Later in the day, we all went fishing...



We left at 12 and then ate at a 'Cow Cafe'.
We had a wonderful time as a family.

This morning we got up at 4 and took Dad
to the airport to go back to Iraq.
We had a wonderful time with him here.
Thank you all for your prayers for my dad in Iraq.
I hope you all have a great weekend!


p.s. You can check out Mom's post for more photos!

Adventures In Chemistry...

Oh, yes!
As I'm finishing up this year of Chemistry,
I've been really busy in 'my lab'(a.k.a~ the kitchen).
I thought I'd share a few of my experiments.

This one was doing an acid/base titration...

Titration is the process of slowly reacting a
base of unknown concentration
with an acid of known concentration (or vice versa)
until just enough acid has been added
to react with all the base.
This will determine concentration
of the unknown base. (or acid)

I used ammonia (a base) with some water
and used boiled red cabbage water as my indicator...







The ammonia solution turned green
indicating that it was a base.
I, then, took vinegar (an acid) and
added just enough so that it neutralized the base.
Meaning that if I added just one more drop of vinegar,
the solution would be an acid...


In doing this, the solution turned pink.
(I then calculated the concentraion of our ammonia,
which was 2.4 M.)

Yesterday I did lots of temperature effects on
the solubility of solids and gases.
My personal favorite was the 'Investigation of a
Solute That Releases Heat When Dissolved'.
I put lye into my beaker...



Then I slowly added room temperature water
until the water was about 1 centimeter above the lye...



The reaction?
A huge 'poof'!
And all of the sudden the water started boiling!
The reason is because when lye is dissolved,
it releases heat.
I could go into much more details like why and how,
and what exact reaction took place, but I would have
to fill up a whole page on my blog explaining. ;)
And you just might get a little bored. ;o)

Either way, I had lots of fun!

I hope everyone's having a great week.
I've been very busy, and I'm about to go
grocery shopping with my dad:)
We went on a daddy/daughter date Monday;
went to the mall, Walgreens, and a chinese restuarant.
I'm so glad he's home!

Reserved For One; Keeping Pure

While waiting for our Heavenly Father to bring His best,
we should be 'reserved' for God's chosen husband for us.
Just think of how special it would be if you saved
your whole heart for your future husband!
And in order to give your whole heart later,
it's important to protect it now!

Being 'reserved' for one means not only physical,
but also emotional purity.
This requires carefully guarding our hearts, emotions,
minds, words, thoughts, and eyes.
It includes guarding our eyes from those "fun" romantic glances,
keeping our hearts from being poured out until the right time,
and taking captive thoughts that want to run wild with fantasies and dreams.

We only get one "first"; that will be very special
if we save them for the right time.
A list in the book I've read by Sarah Mally really gets me thinking:
• 1st expression of interest
• 1st words of affection and love
• 1st gift given / received
• 1st romantic look into his eyes
• 1st trip together
• 1st special song, place, event, or memory
• 1st ring
• 1st dinner date
• 1st personal letter expressing emotions
• 1st "I love you"
• 1st piece of your heart given
• 1st serious or ongoing correspondence with a young man
• 1st special affectionate nicknames or actions
• 1st kiss

A great couple things to provoke thoughts!
The point isn't merely trying to avoid the worst,
but to desire to achieve the best.
Purity is destroyed by the premature use of "1st times",
which is very serious.

I remember one night, a while ago,
we had a few various flavors of ice cream in the freezer.
Well, Mom, Dad, and I tend to like to stay up and
have fun after the younger ones go to bed.
Now this particular night, Mom and Dad were eating a
delicious looking bowl of ice cream each.
"Well," I thought to myself.
"I guess I can have a small bowl too."
So I got myself a "small" bowl and enjoyed every bit,
ignoring the fact that I'm lactose intolerant.
The ice cream was great, but after a few minutes,
got that really bad stomach ache!
So I spent the rest of the night shivering with pain,
laying sleepless in bed.
This actually happens quite often...
I'll see ice cream and get some,
knowing that I'll get a horrible stomach ache.
Yes, the ice cream is good,
but it sure isn't worth the pain later.

That reminds me of how sometimes we see something
that may look 'good' or 'fun',
but we don't look ahead to see how it will affect us in the future.
Like with purity, many people want to do
something to have the fun now,
even knowing that it will effect them later.
Sad that we sometimes give up so much for so little.

And the devil does like to throw the big lie
in our face that "I'm the only one", or
"Purity is impossible, after all, we're in the 21st century."
But it can be done!
God always gives us the the power and strength to do what He comands.
And there are others who have been devoted to God.
Others go through the same temptations and hardships you do.
Just remember:
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." ~ Phil. 4:13

"For this is the will of God, even unto your sanctification,
that ye should abstain from fornification-
that every one of you should know how to posses his
vessel in sanctification and honor." 1 Thess. 4:3-4

Studies For Young Maidens

Yesterday was our pizza Friday
and we had some friends over to enjoy the evening with.
My friend and I sat to play a few games of chess,
as I was helping her learn the 'how-to's'...



We also decided to begin a Bible study together.
The book we're using now is "Personal Help For Girls".
We have both read it before, but we were younger.
Now we're reading it together and
striving to change in areas where we need to.
The Lord definately 'pointed some things out'
to both of us last night as we took turns
reading through 3 chapters...





We had great discussions and prayer time as well.
We've decided to help, encourage, and disciple one another
as we strive to be the young maidens God created us to be.

Choice Corn Chowder

I was flipping through my cookbook,
looking for some delicious, fast, easy,
and plain meals, and I came across 'corn chowder'.
It sounded good so I tried it.
It was very delicious and, now, I plan to make it a lot!


Choice Corn Chowder

10-oz package of frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup cubed potato
1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
1/3 cup water
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 3/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp margarine or butter
2 Tbsp flour

In a large saucepan combine frozen corn, potato,
onion, water, bouillon granules, and pepper.
Bring to boiling; reduce heat.





Cover and simmer about 10 minutes or till corn
and potatoes are just tender, stirring occaisionally.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the milk and butter.
Combine the remaining milk and flour.
Stir milk-flour mixture into corn mixture.
Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.
Makes 4-6 side-dish servings.




Recipe adapted from 'Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook'

It's a great meal that can be made different everytime.
Try it with bacon, ham cubes, your favorite seasonings,
and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Personally, though, I'm a bit of a 'plain Jane'. ;)
I loved it just the way it was.

If you decide to try it, tell me what you think!

Dad's Home!!!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.
We've been really busy with VBS at church.
It was a great week...
I worked with the 2s, 3s, & 4 year olds,
did registration, and was in the puppet ministry.

Thursday, some friends took us to VBS
and mom left to go to the airport to pick up dad!
We've been planning on him coming home for some time now
and it was so exciting to have that day actually here!
The younger children didn't know he was even coming,
so it was a nice surprise for them when he walked in
with mom to pick us up from VBS.
It was such a wonderful reunion...





He's only going to be here for a little while,
but I know I'm going to enjoy every minute!
He also brought us some gifts.
Mine was a porcelain doll from Germany...



It was so wonderful eating as a family again!



Today, he and I went grocery shopping together.
It was a great father/daughter time!
I'm so thankful that he was able to come home!

Dreams Must Die

I find it interesting
that the Lord
has given almost
every young lady
the desire
to be married.
This is a good desire -
a God-given desire.


All the same, marriage is not our ultimate goal.
A husband is not what will make us happy,
and marriage is not what will bring fulfilment in life.

Even young girls of today seem to think that
a boyfriend is what will make them happy.
That a boyfriend will fill the 'missing spot' in their
lives that we so often feel, too.
When we have these unfulfilled longings in our lives,
we often look in the wrong places for help.
Thus, we can spend our entire lives attempting
to have our desires met...
But we'll never be rid of that 'something missing'.
Jesus is the only One who can fill that void in our hearts.
It's sad, but God's thinking and the world's are completely opposite.

As single young ladies, it's important to realize
that a husband won't make us happy.
Nor is marriage a right that God is "suppose" to give us.
It's a gift.
Our purpose in marriage must not be to get, but rather to give.
And while we're on earth, we'll always experience unfulfilled longings.
God intends for these 'longings' to draw us to Himself.
He knows that He's the only One who can satisfy
and complete our hearts.
I find it amazing how patient God is, to wait for us to turn to Him.
He never gives up because of His love for us.
He wants us to know and experience the reality that He is enough.

And surrender is a daily part of the Christian life.
Jesus said to ..."pick up your cross and follow me."
Every day it is important to crucify our dreams and desires,
so that His will and His best will be done.
The Lord will quickly ask us to surrender any possesion, friendship,
interest, career, or dream that begins to take priority.
Sometimes He gives them back, sometimes He doesn't.
His will is infinately better than our dreams.

I like what Sarah Mally says in her book that read:
"If you were asked to die for your faith,
would you be willing to lay your life down?...
I assumed most of us would say we'd be willing to die for Christ,
but it's sad that we're not so willing to live for Christ, ...
Oftimes we're quick to say we'll surrender in the big things...
but when it comes to the little, daily things,
like surrendering friendships, forgiving a neighbor,
or giving up what we want to do in order to serve others,
we're not so ready to submit."

So true.
If the Lord asks us to sacrifice our best to Him,
if He asks us to wait when it seems that every
other girl at church has a boyfriend,
if He asks us never to be married... are we willing?
Any sacrifice to the Lord is not a loss, but a gain.
After all, we are not our own.
We've been bought with a price.


"For whosoever will save His life shall lose it:
and whosoever shall lose His life for My sake shall find it."
Matthew 16:25

Friend Moments and It Must Run in the Family...

We all inherit different traits from our parents.
Some traits are more obvious than others,
like, perhaps, what I've inherited from mine
that was displayed yesterday afternoon...




The silliness just keeps passing through generations! ha ha
These were actually suckers.
They were yummy and we had fun eating them!


Yesterday I also finished another puzzle.



It reminded my mom and I of my brother, Will.
He feels the Lord may be calling him
to be a preacher when he grows up.
There will be many times we hear him 'preaching' to his
invisible congregation in his room.
It's so cute.


While I was working on the puzzle last night
Mom came in and reminded me of how
I have, indeed, inherited the 'generational silliness' ...











Ha ha. I love you, mom!
I love how you add 'animation' to our lives and my blog! :)

Today we went blitzing around the church's
neighborhood to invite people to VBS.
After that, we ate lunch and headed back to the church.
There, we puppeteers practiced for VBS
and I practiced a duet with the assistant pastor's wife.
We sure have been keeping busy!

I hope you all have a great weekend.