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Thursday, August 28, 2008

Gregorian Chants & The New Indoor!

Sooo... Kimberly and I were the first ones to take our horses into the new indoor arena! The pic is of the indoor. I had to take pictures of the first hoofprint [Chase], walk [Chase], trot [Chase], canter [Dakota], bite of grass [Dakota], and lunge [Dakota] of the indoor arena. It is PURTYFUL! =] The lights should be in the arena soon!!! ^_^ Excitement!

Oh, and... if you ever need to get to sleep... listen to Gregorian Chants. My Art and Music Appreciation course is covering Medieval music, and Gregorian Chants are Medieval... They make me sleepy. I've almost nodded off about 5 times now, just listening to my listening exercises & examples. It doesn't really help that I can't always understand the words, so its mainly a capella "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaooooooooooooooouuuuuuhhhhhhhh aaaaaaaa oooooooooooooooo" in some very calming voices, and its very soothing. Just so you know.

I'm also going with Sawyer and his mom to the American Theraputic Riding Center in Sand Springs. They're gonna give me a small tour so I can check it out and see if I want to volunteer. I think I'd have to commit for about 12 weeks. But, my dad's been wanting me to do some sort of service-y thing, and I feel that this is an amazing nonprofit charity thing. Plus, it is awesome physical therapy that these kids get. The walking motion of the horse actually simulates the walking motion of humans. So, after riding for 30 minutes twice a week or whatever, these kids that couldn't walk actually are able to improve their walking ability, and yeah...

Oh! I forgot to tell you guys about my Bath & Body Works shopping spree. They had a buy 3, get 2 free sale. So bought 3 body creams and got 2 free. ^_^ I got Sensual Amber [FAVORITE scent of the moment!], Rainkissed leaves, sea island cotton, Midnight Pomegranite, and Mango Mandarin. The last two I'm gonna give to my mom for her birthday coming up. I also got her a little aromatherapy thing that you roll onto your wrists and then smell to get the effect. Actually, I got two. Her's is "Sound Sleep" [lavender], and mine is "Mental Clarity" [rosemary] for better concentration. I also got her Mandarin Lime aromatherapy lotion and a sugar scrub. We also went to Ulta and I got some Biolage mousse & color protecting shampoo [for my new cinnamon highlights!], though my normal shampoo is Redken [Color Extend]. Ooh, we also got some FUNN facemask stuff. They had $2 individual 5 minute facemasks. I haven't tried them out yet but they look FUN! =] My mom also got us a peel-off mask to share, which is why I mentioned it in my post below. haha.

And I'm sure if I said anything else of what we bought it would get rather boring. So, 'Till next post, God Bless!
Tina

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Place of Faith

Last night I was listening to a Mark Gungor podcast. It was his “How to Pray” series that he’d been preaching on Sunday mornings. Lately that’s how I’ve been getting to sleep, listening to Mark Gungor preach. He was talking about celebrating the answer to your prayers before you get them. “Choose to be happy when things are bad or good.” We need to be constantly in a place of praise, a place of celebration, a place of loving God. It’s called a place of faith. God notices when we have joy in the answer to our prayers even before he answers them. And so, I felt like I needed to find a way to apply this to my own life.
I need to be already thanking God that everything will work out with Dakota in the end. I need to be celebrating the fact that this problem is fixable, that we didn’t catch it too late. In fact, I should be thanking God that we caught it so early, surgery isn’t needed. I need to be in a place of faith.
By the way… have any of you ever tried to eat with a peel-off face mask on? Yeah. Its kind of hard. Haha. Sorry, random. =] Oh, and if you're wondering about the picture... its me with the tiara I made at the Barnes & Noble Breaking Dawn release party. ^_^ Heehee. I'm special. I know.

Thank you, God, for already resolving this lameness issue!
Tina

Monday, August 25, 2008

First ORU Class..

So... I had 4 students tonight. $20. Its pretty good, but if everyone had showed up that was supposed to I would have gotten $25. Although, I must admit, $20 an hour is awesome pay. I just need to figure out how to get more students so I can get two hours worth of work on Monday nights now. Last semester it was a bad night if I only got $20.


However, I am EXCITED about my students! Two are already trotting on their own. One of those two [Rachel] has ridden her whole life and the other [Amber] took this course last semester. The big challange with Amber is that she's hearing impaired. She needs to lipread. So, if I need to get her attention in a hurry that's kind of bad. But if she can improve a bunch I'm going to be so thrilled. Its a challange. The third girl [Annalise] has ridden several times and has some STRONG legs! That's good. And the fourth girl [Angelina] had never even touched a horse, but she isn't afraid of them. I stuck her on Teddy and she was perfect.

I have a great blend of experienced riders and total beginners. It makes it nice. As you can tell, I am now in a better mood than when I was writing my last post. ^_^

'Till next post, God bless!
Tina

Florida, Come Back to Me [A Whiny Post with Unreasonable Complaints]

I.... miss Florida. So many problems were just nonexistant in Florida. But, I guess that is what happens on vacation. You get breaks from problems and stress so you can recharge. Problem 1 - Dakota is still lame. While I missed him terribly in the week that I was gone, I didn't have to worry about the quality of my horse's life now that he's been lame for forever [my trainer actually said we might as well put him down if we don't figure out the lameness issue. He's not rideable or sellable. ACK!] Problem 2 - Stressing over getting into college. While my mom didn't go, my dad just happened to graduate twice [using scholarships both times, I think - he had two totally unrelated majors. A Math major *shudder* and a Theology major.] and I'm expected to have perfect grades to get scholarships into the college I want to go to. Mr. Accountant kind of overlooked starting a college fund for me when I was little, so its pretty much sell my horse or get scholarships. Quite possibly sell my horse AND get scholarships. I think I'm just going to try to get into ORU. It isn't even all the way across town, its where my dad went, it's Christian, and its a good all-around school... Ack. I have to take ACTs this year, being a junior. At least I had a nice talk with Jamie about tips and stuff. Apparently they don't change the test for a whole year, they just rearrange the questions, so if I take it several times and get my score sheet back I'll have a much better chance of scoring better. Comforting to know. Problem 3 - Dealing with the real world in general. I'd much rather just live in my room with daily trips to the library and barn. I can have human contact at the library and barn. And at home. Well, I'd also go to church on Sundays and Wednesdays. And possibly shows. IF MY HORSE EVER GETS BETTER!!! Problem 4 - I have too many problems that don't mean anything. I mean.... there's dying children in Africa and I'm feeling guilty because instead of sponsoring one of them or whatever I'm spending tons of money on a lame horse. [Lame as in... not sound. Not lame as in, cool or uncool. He's totally cool. Just lame. haha. Sorry.] Actually, feeling guilty would be my Problem 5 - Of course, I've had this conversation with my mother. I'm pretty good about not letting OTHER PEOPLE put me on a guilt trip. I don't give in to peer pressure. [Usually. My church's bishop totally used peer pressure on me to get me to join the choir. Then he ambushed me several times.] However, I'm quite good at putting myself on a guilt trip. I have a very active conscience, which I guess is a good thing. But I get rather annoyed with it sometimes.


Sorry, this is a whiny post. Good news: My dad is going to compare costs between Dr. White in Sallisaw, and Dr. Bullock who would come to us. I told dad if we went to Dr. White I would pay for the x-rays myself [they're only 60 bucks] but I don't know how expensive Bullock is. He's Jamie's and Kimberly's vet, and Jamie says he's really good at a reasonable price, so I'm thinking he's going to be my vet too from now on if we use him for these x-rays. Jamie says he's really good with lame horses. He might be a keeper. ^_^


Top 10 Spookey Things - A horse's point of view
10. Blowing Paper:"At any moment it could whip up into our faces, covering our noses. We could suffocate. And don't try to tell us you'd do CPR."
9. Barking Dogs:"What? You've never read Steven King's CUJO?"
8. Puddles of Water:"Quicksand."
7. Trash Cans:"They've been known to swallow horses and transport them into another dimension."
6. Babies and Li'l Kids:"Long lost tribe of horse-eating pygmies."
5. Plaid Horse Blankets:"Hey, when was the last time you wore plaid? It adds 100 lbs."
4. Ropes and Hoses on the Ground:"Dreaded North American Trail Snakes."
3. Ponies:"Cute, cleaver, hardy. They want to take over the world."
2. Windy Days:"Two Words: impending tornado."
1. Carts and Wagons:"Look. You put a human on our backs, we can always buck them off. But hitching a horse to a wheeled object? It's just not right."

Haha. Good mood is halfway back now. I actually had a list of a good 10 or so problems, but I shortened it so as not to seem bratty. ;) My last three days haven't been the greatest, to put it lightly. But anyways! My favorites are 3, 2, and 6. Haha. Although, my awesome [yet still lame] horse luffs ponies [he's turned out with 2 lil' old men ponies], isn't scared of windy days, and luffs children and all forms of attention. Unless it involves a curry comb.


Tina

Friday, August 22, 2008

Oh, the Irony!

Haha. Sorry, the pic is really funny to horse-literate people. :P Its a joke about backyard breeders, kinda like the LOLCATZ pics. ANYWAYS.

I was in Mardels today, and they had t-shirts for sale for $5. So naturally, I looked through them. Normally, I have to get size smalls. Normally, smalls are either all bought up, or they didn't stock smalls to begin with.


Not Mardels. The one shirt I wanted the most was a junior's t-shirt, so I needed a large. Ironically... THE ONLY SIZE THEY HAD WAS A SMALL. Yep. If they had been normal shirts instead of juniors, I would have been thrilled. But, just my luck, I couldn't have fit in that shirt for $500.

All I Need to Know in Life I Learned From My Horse
1. When in doubt, run far, far away.
2. You can never have too many treats.
3. Passing gas in public is nothing to be ashamed of.
4. New shoes are an absolute necessity every 6 weeks.
5. Ignore cues. They're just a prompt to do more work.
6. Everyone loves a good, wet, slobbery kiss.
7. Never run when you can jog. Never jog when you can walk. And never walk when you can stand still.
8. Heaven is eating for at least 10 hours a day... and then sleeping the rest.
10. Eat plenty of roughage.
11. Great legs and a nice rear will get you anywhere. Big, brown eyes help too.
12. When you want your way, stomp hard on the nearest foot.
13. In times of crisis, take a poop.
14. Act dumb when faced with a task you don't want to do.
15. Follow the herd. That way, you can't be singled out to take the blame.
16. A swift kick in the butt will get anyone's attention.
17. Love those who love you back, especially if they have something good to eat.

=] Until next post, God Bless!
Tina

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Good Mood!

Oh, wow. A good ride [or two] will always do amazing things for my mood. I was actually getting slightly depressed not being able to do anything with Dakota while he was injured. I pretty much turned into a recluse at the barn because I couldn't do anything.
Today I got to ride Truck AND Dakota. =] Man, Dakota was a workout. Dressage, baby! haha. His walk was horrendus until about 45 minutes of work on it. Now he can stretch his nose to his toes [haha! Intentional rhyme. =P] for about three strides at a time, and he's reaching and getting off his forehand while being forward at the same time! w00t!
I've probably lost 95% of you completely by now, so I'll stop. ^_^ heehee. Tina

Friday, August 15, 2008

Going out on a limb...

Okay. First off, I will say that is my cousin's horse Silver. [full name Silver Dollar.] We were on my grandpa's farm in Missouri [Taneyville] where he has the yummiest mulberry [sp?] trees ever. And Silver makes a GREAT ladder for reaching the ripe ones near the top of the tree. Although, I think Dakota would make a better one, as he is at least a hand taller. Sorry Shaina, loyalty to my baby over yours. ;) But I will say he's very cute. Even with the dilapidated old house in the background that our great grandparents apparently lived in at some point.

Okay. On to the point of my post. I am going out on a big, big limb. I'm going to show you guys something that I am very nervous about. My writing. Now, not this sort of writing, my blogging... something different. My creative writing. I've always been rather self-conscious about sharing my written art with people I know. Total and complete strangers are fine, of course, but people I know make me extremely nervous for some reason. Don't ask why.

Now, I'm completely fine with sharing my photography [especially when it is of one of our favorite musical family members!] with people. [See above picture! ^_^] But my writing... that is something different.

I AM working on it though! I'm writing a story that I'm having a close friend look at. =] Asking her to do some proofreading for me was a big step. But Jamie is just one person. I figured that the Haygood MB people, and everyone else who reads my blog, would be a great start to find more people that I actually know to read my stuff. After all... you guys already read my ramblings, so reading my concentrated efforts shouldn't be too much of a stretch, should it?

Now... I should warn you now... I am a sucker for romance. I read it, and I write it. [Try going to http://www.steeplehill.com ... BEST source for all your Christian romance wants/needs. ^_^ I have a WHOLE bookshelf full of those babies.. Though I also buy many of them for 50 cents at the library.] So, if you don't like romance, I don't suggest you read what I am about to show you. haha.


http://www.fictionpress.com/~dappleddakota. That is my Fictionpress account. All my stories are on there.. well, my one short story and several poems. The funny poems you guys have seen because of Mike's little contest awhile back... And the Expectations poem was on my blog. It is really just the fiction that I have problems sharing with people. So, read them and tell me what you think. In comments on blogger [right here], and in reviews on FP.


So, I'm going to close my eyes and press the "publish post" button... here goes nothing!
*deep breath*
Tina

Thursday, August 14, 2008

HECK YES! [Nerd Moment!]

I have FINALLY found Dr. Walter Veith's PODCAST! Heck yes!!! Okay.
Now.... on your mark, get set, GO TO iTUNES AND SUBSCRIBE! haha. Only if you want to, of course. He is my favorite scientist, apologist, and professor ever! I love watching his lectures, I love listening to them, and I love learning from him! The British accent makes him very easy to listen to as well. I love British accents! =] This podcast is a podcast of his Genesis Conflict lecture. He also has a book named The Genesis Conflict. I almost got to read it, because I ordered it off of amazon... but my Dad hadn't updated the shipping address since he changed offices, so it went to the wrong place then the order was cancelled, so... [Note to self: Re-order Genesis Conflict!]


How to find it:
Search in iTunes for: Genesis Conflict; Walter Veith
Name of Podcast: Genesis Conflict by Walter Veith
Best episodes: ALL OF THEM! Though, they are kind of long, so I will give you my favorites:
  • 2. A Universal Flood [surprise, surprise... my favorite subject!]
  • 6. Creation to Restoration
  • 3. Bones in Stones [ICE AGE discussion! ^_^]
  • There are also Creation Week discussions and fossil record discussions, and the first lecture is absolutely amazing; its about the earth in space.

    'Til next post, God bless!
    Tina

    Monday, August 11, 2008

    Half-Blood Prince Trailer! - Gambon Redeeming Himself?

    Haha. Sorry, this will be a whole Harry Potter post. And, I must admit, this "Book Dumbledore vs Movie Dumbledore" picture had to have been my favorite one since GOF. Richard Harris, may he rest in peace, was ALWAYS my favorite Dumbledore. He pretty much embodied the character for me. Michael Gambon made me cringe and want to throw things at the screen. A bit dramatic, I know, but still. I never really liked him. Anyway....

    HALF-BLOOD PRINCE TRAILER!!! It was awesome. =]
    I loved how they focused on the young Tom Riddle. His voice was creepily perfect... The little boy sounds absolutely dead until he talks about making bad things happen to people he doesn't like.. CHILLS! ^_^ Awesome, awesome chills! And he looks like he is enjoying the wardrobe that was being destroyed by flames...

    Ooh... and the frames flashing back and forth between young Tom & Voldemort? Fantastic!! I thought Ginny looked like she was sort of standing in the middle of a swamp when she lost her wand. It makes me wonder what scene it is.

    I PROMISE, I saw the trailer before now. I actually watched it on the MSN leak like 45 minutes before it was supposed to come out. It is so much better in the big screen version. I heard they are playing it in front of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2!!! KATE, if you're reading this... we are SO going to see that, and we're going to be early, so we can catch the trailer on the REALLY BIG SCREEN! ^_^ *** I am just typing this all up because I've been busy lately, and I was just listening to MuggleCast, and they are discussing the trailer in depth. Like, a LOT of depth. haha.

    I think Michael Gambon will redeem himself in this movie! At first, I was going to clap with the others who said they were going to cheer when Gambon died... [Clarifying: Sad that Dumbledore the character died, glad that Gambon isn't acting for awhile longer.] But after I've seen this... I can totally tell Gambon has actually read the book now [because he hadn't read any of Jo's work, at all, for GOF & I don't know about OotP] and he just seems more Dumbledore-ish now. Haha. His voice was different [if you listen to MuggleCast.. I agree with Andrew. Haha. It was NOT just the "echo," I think he sounds different too!], and he seems [yes, just from this little bitty teaser trailer] just... better. Not as intense, but at the same time wise. He seems to have more depth to the character. Yes, I do realize that I have been REALLY hard on Gambon. But a man who doesn't read the book that the movie he's doing is based off of deserves to have people be really harsh about his acting. Yes, I also realize that Gambon did not write the script, therefore he had lines given to him that weren't his fault... but come on... Can you really see Harris yelling at Harry about putting his name in the Goblet of Fire? No matter who wrote the script? Exactly. Thank you. haha.


    I want November to be here! This movie is going to be awesome! [Wow, it wasn't too long ago that Kate's finger was broken and Kimberly and I went to the midnight premier of OotP without her.. Kate will be with us this time, though! yay!]

    Give me YOUR thoughts on the teaser trailer!!! ^_^ I want to hear them!



    "Did you know, sir? Then."
    "Did I know that I had just met the most dangerous dark wizard of all time?
    No."

    Friday, August 8, 2008

    Must-Hear Podcasts!

    Soo... everyone who has iTunes, listen up! =] Literally, and figuratively I guess. haha. I have some AMAZING podcasts you simply must listen to. I don't know if you watch the Jim Bakker Show, but I sometimes do. You should try to catch that if you can. ^_^ I especially love it when they have Mark Gungor [father to Michael Gungor, of the Michael Gungor Band... who wrote the song "Friend of God."] on the show. I love listening to his "couples sermons" because he definately has women pegged! He has a church called "Celebration Church." He is very smart, and definately entertaining to listen to. If you are looking for some extra sermons to listen to... look up "Mark Gungor" on iTunes! My favorite sermons of his [that I've been listening to as I get ready of a morning, or as I'm falling asleep] are these:

  • Tough, Confidant, Respectful Women [a must-hear for you ladies! very entertaining as well]

  • Following God's Path

  • The Bucket List [this one is rather convicting towards the end =) ]

  • Sell Out to Jesus or Selling Jesus Out [& if you listen to this one... tell me if you're a member of the Crazy Club too! =] You'll know what I'm talking about! haha.]

    And he almost literally has MILLIONS of sermons to choose from. A [I think] 15-part study of Acts, and millions of other Sunday morning or Wednesday evening sermons. Great, great, great.

    Dr. Walter Veith's GODCasting.tv podcast. Sadly, he only has one podcast. It is rather long, I know. I also know I've made posts about Walter Veith before. He is my scientific hero! The title of this podcast is Stand Up for Jesus.

    Joel Osteen has a podcast as well. My mom absolutely loves him. I have a few issues with him personally. HOWEVER - if you need a good "pick me up," listen to one of his sermons. [I personally like a good convicting sermon every now and then, and one that challenges me... so far I haven't heard one from Joel yet. But I do like to listen to him when I'm not feeling the best. ^_^] Some of my favorites of his:

  • Don't Lose Your Joy

  • You Have Been Pre-Programmed for Victory

    Creation Studies Institute's Creation Studies podcast. I don't know about you, but I LOVE this stuff. This is pretty much just an Apologetics podcast. They also have pretty much a MILLION podcasts as well... Choose the subjects you're interested in! The great thing is... these are only a few minutes long!!!] Here's my favorites:

  • Evidence from the Flood [one of my all-time favorite subjects!]

  • Evidence from the Earth

  • Irreducible Complexivity [sorry if I didn't spell that right]

  • DNA in the Psalms

    Till my next post, God bless! =]

    Tina
    P.S. - Of course, the best podcast of all... you guys already watch, so that is why I didn't add it to my list. ;) The Haygoods Podcast, of course!!! ^_^

  • Thursday, August 7, 2008

    Some Changes & Updates!

    Some updates.....
    *New eye candy! [Kellen Lutz - see picture ^_^]
    *Music player MUSIC updated, and PLAYER moved to more conveinent location [in case, for some reason, you want to turn it off or pick another song.]
    *Some new posts... without comments! =]
    *One or two more new links to "me on the internet." [in case you have trouble searching for dappleddakota. ;) haha]
    *The heat is killing me when I go outside. =[ Just thought I'd throw that in there, haha.

    YAY! Short! *pats self on back*

    Tina

    Wednesday, August 6, 2008

    What People Will Go Through...

    Wow. Haha. I was reading yesterday on the Chronicle of the Horse forum and was browsing through the replies to "Funny, Mean, or a Combination of Both Quotes." Right now I am still laughing at the funny ones, but marveling [sp??] at the mean ones. People were talking about some clinicians calling them fat, stupid, and horrible riders. An especially infamous clinician [He is hunter jumper or something, I can't imagine an eventing clinician being this harsh - loyal to my sport. ^_^] He is a BNT... Big Name Trainer. There were several stories people were telling that I wasn't sure whether to cringe or laugh at. His name is George Morris... I'll just say GM.
    One girl was sitting on her horse, listening to GM, and she yawned. He THREW DIRT IN HER MOUTH, and said, "Are you yawning while I am talking? You aren't a good enough rider to yawn. I can yawn, because I am better than you [big name rider here] can yawn, because she can ride better than you. You, not so much."
    *cough* Yeah. I would have left, no matter how much money I'd paid... I didn't pay to be abused, I paid to be instructed....
    Another girl was sitting on her horse listening to GM, and she looked down on her shirt and picked something off of it [a fuzzball or piece of hay or something] and GM MADE HER GET OFF HER HORSE AND ROLL IN THE DIRT because she was cleaner than her horse, and still picking things off her shirt. Don't ask me how he made her. I am a very quiet person when around people I don't know, which would include clinicians. But I would have been like... "No. You're being paid big money to teach me how to ride, not to tell me to roll in the mud."

    One time GM made someone mad [though this time it was really a legitimate complaint that GM had... don't wanna go through the whole story] and the guy was like, "That is so rude! You're just being mean!" And... GM turns to the clinic auditors and deadpans: "But that's what I'm known for, isn't it?" and continued on with the clinic/lesson. hahaha. THAT one made me laugh. =P Because that time the guy deserved it. The other ones, not so much.


    All this to say... I admire Jim Graham a lot more now. He yelled at me a TON at his clinic [so much so that my trainer's daughter asked me if I was nervous, then asked me why I hadn't been, because "He yelled at you... A LOT!" Of course, I got to tell her about my scary Russian coach for my figure skating power classes about five years back... I learned to take yelling early on, I guess. ;) haha.] but he would always say a little bit later, "You know I'm not mad at you, right?" Course, he DID get mad at me once... "GET YOUR HORSE IN THE BLOODY WATER!" were his EXACT words, I believe.... haha. But then he was like, "Okay, THAT time I was mad... but that's in the past now. Now I'm just yelling because I feel like it, not because I'm still mad at you." ^_^ Yeah... I'm going to stick with my nice, if a bit gruff, eventing clinicians that my trainer knows. I still want to ride with Laurena Bell...

    And I know I've lost most of you by now, so I'll stop. =] haha.
    Tina

    Tuesday, August 5, 2008

    My Prayer

    Lord,

    Thank you for all the blessings you have given me. Thank you for my loving parents, my home, and my animals. Thank you for my many friends, whether I see them in person or we talk over the internet. I thank you for my health and my intelligence.
    Forgive me for my mistakes. I know I don't deserve it, but if your grace was all you ever gave me, it would be enough.
    I pray that every day I will walk in Your path. Please help me to not stray from it. Please show me Your purpose for my life. I also pray that I will always know the difference between presumption and faith, and can act on my faith instead of presumption. I want to make a difference in this world for you. As I walk down hallways I want to see people saved and healed. When I pray for believers and nonbelievers alike, I want to see those prayers answered so I can be a witness for You.
    You are an awesome God. Let me hear your voice to guide me throughout the day.




    I was just thinking earlier... During my 'quiet times' I often forget what I should be praying for. Of course, I don't speak like this - I'm better at writing than speaking, so this probably sounds awful formal. Notice the absence of "amen..." I consciously left that out, to hopefully remind myself to "pray without ceasing" during the day.
    And I don't by any means want to tell you how to pray your prayers... but I just want to explain the first paragraph of mine, and my reasons for it. My old youth pastor had a sermon one time on how to pray, since so many people seem slightly confused about it. Of course, there is nothing wrong with any kind of prayer, but... yeah. [Kind of lost the tail end of that sentence, there. Forgot where I was going with it. So much for writing better than speaking! haha.] He talked about the quickest way to feel God's presence. Well... what he said, was thanking God was one of the fastest ways he would ever feel the Lord's presence when he was praying. [Prayers don't have to be formulas... but I've experienced this myself... it does work!] He said that if you can't think of what to be thankful for... just find anything. Thank Him for your big toe, for your eye color, for being able to breathe. And then, asking for forgiveness [my tiny paragraph is rather vague there, because it changes from prayer to prayer] is the best way to bring down further walls between yourself and God. I don't want to preach on my little blog, so I'll stop there. =]

    God bless!
    Tina

    Sunday, August 3, 2008

    Jokes & Arlington

    Okay. I know I haven't been posting at all lately. So, I'm going to give you two cute little jokes I've heard at church from the past few weeks, and put up the video I finally made of my Arlington Cemetary pictures.

    This first joke was in a skit that some of the kids did one sunday morning. One boy got stuck in a box, labeled "SIN." Various other children walked by, trying to help him get out. One of the kids said this:
    "You're in sin!
    Sin is of the devil.
    Take off the "D" and you've got EVIL. The devil & sin are evil.
    Take off the "E" and you've got VIL. Sin is vil. [He pronounced it "vile."]
    Take off the "V" and you've got IL. You make me ill! [haha. For being stuck in the box.]
    Take off the "I" and you've got L. IF YOU STAY IN SIN YOU'RE GOING TO L!!!!

    hahaha. So that kid walks off & the boy still stuck in the box says, "Great. Now, I'm stuck in a box, getting bored, and I'm going to L."


    Hopefully that got a chuckle out of some of you. And this next one isn't really a joke, but its cute and really powerful when you think of it. "Out of the mouths of babes," they say...

    A little girl looked at her mom after church one day. She said, "Mommy, the pastor's sermon was really confusing today." The mom looked at her child and asked,
    "What was confusing?"
    "The pastor said that God is much bigger than we are. Is that true?"
    "Yes."
    "He also said that God lives inside us. Is that true, too?"
    "Yes, sweetie, it is."
    "Well, if he is bigger than us, but lives inside of us................. wouldn't he show through?"


    Ahh. Sometimes kids are a lot smarter than the rest of us.

    Until my next post, God bless!! Tina