School Shooting

Please be in prayer for the victims and families of the shooting at the Connecticut elementary school. 26 people are dead, including 20 elementary-school-aged children. It seems unbelievable that anyone could do something like this... please pray!

You can read detailed articles about what happened here and here.

"Klarabelle"

I'm thankful for...

LIFE!!!, a family who loves me, a Savior who cares for me, friends who understand me (most of the time!) and love me (most of the time!?), a cozy home, three insane pet mice, my blogging / e-mail friends (uh, YOU!!! YOU, the person reading this!), good books, funky socks, milk chocolate, God's love letter to His people (the Bible), the color turquoise, Diet Dr. Pepper, Broadway musicals, JESUS, a guitar that smells nice, a ukulele named Frances, Sydney Carton {a book character}, good movies, silly inside jokes, and the Eiffel Tower. 

{Eeps! It's my birthday today... let's just say I am OLD now!!! ;) By the way, sorry for so many posts in a row... I guess I just like to talk. teehee}

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Klarabelle"

Um...Life?

Ahh, life. It can be crazy...and beautiful too. Sometimes crazy and unexpected things happen, but at least as Christians, we can rest in the hope that everything that happens to us is allowed by God for a reason, even if we don't always understand what that reason is.

I came down with a bad sore throat on Thursday which ended up with the cancellation (and rescheduling :)) of some birthday plans for the weekend. Today - Monday - I'm still recovering but feeling much better. :) It was an awful sore throat and I'm glad it is leaving! I also had a fever (temperature at 102!?) and chills (freezing! then hot! then back to freezing!) but on the plus side, I got to...

- eat ice cream for breakfast (mwahahaha...)
- watch Lord of the Rings with my mom :)
- help Mom put up the Christmas tree - before my birthday (Nov 21st)! That's gotta be a "first" for my family!

Okay, those things were really fun. I actually would've preferred to stay heathy, but oh well, those are the, uh, fun? parts of being sick.

Otherwise, not a lot has been happening with me except rediscovering my love of reading after posting this. I finished the books from the library several days ago and today have been reading Alice in Wonderland. No, I've never read it before! So far I can say, it is an extremely strange, but quite fun, read! It's very interesting to see where the moviemakers for the latest Alice in Wonderland movie received their inspiration.

A Thanksgiving post coming soon! (Lordwilling!)

Happy Thanksgiving {in advance}!

"Klarabelle"

Not My Job

God's been teaching me a lot lately. Though it hasn't all been "fun", I'm so excited for what He's got around the corner for me. I know that even if it's tough, He'll be with me, holding my hand. :)

Recently God has been teaching me not to be judgmental. I'm one of those people who loves to point out other's wrongs, generally using scripture, too. I either do it because...

A. I feel like it is my place to correct them in love
B. Just to joke around

Though Option B sounds pretty nasty, I found myself doing it all the time, and I found myself actually hurting people I loved because of my own pride. I didn't use to think I was prideful. I mean, I wasn't strutting around like Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. But if pride was what caused Lucifer to fall, it sounds pretty serious. And why should I be exempt from such a corrupting and common sin? I may not be Gaston, but I'm not the framed and hand-painted version of humility, either. I realized this when my judgments started hurting people, and I couldn't accept correction.

I'm a deeply flawed person. I'm not a mass-murderer or a bank robber, but I sure am an unworthy sinner. What right do I have to point accusing fingers at my brothers and sisters in Christ?

I was very encouraged by Talia's post Log in My Eye. I know, it's an older post but I get inspiration and it's a long time until said inspiration is published. :p

Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you. This post is titled "Not My Job" because God didn't put ms on earth to judge others. Judging is God's job. Yes, sometimes God uses us to help others grow closer to Him, but let's wait for His nudging before start our gentle reproving. Take the plank out of your own eye; otherwise you're a pretty poor ophthalmologist, trying to remove a speck from another's eye.

"Klarabelle"

P.S. Praying for the victims of the "Superstorm" Sandy! (is that the right term? :)) Looks scary...so glad there are rescuers out there, helping those in need!
P.P.S. Doing anything for Halloween? Lordwilling, I'm passing out candy and gospel tracts to the kiddos that come to the door. :) It's so cute, some of the kids get really excited when they see that I've put a "book" into their treat bag!
P.P.P.S. NanoWriMo starting soon! Best wishes for ya'll! (You can check out my thoughts on NanoWriMo at my writing blog here)
P.P.P.P.S. I wanna post some writer's confessions on my writing blog. E-mail me or comment below with your submissions? (What's a writer's confession? It can be funny or serious...but generally funny. Like, "I find  myself in love with my own book characters. Frequently." Okay, so that one's awkward. So send me your submissions so I don't have to post that one! lol)
P.P.P.P.P.S. Have a blessed day! :)

Just Another Type-and-Publish Post (with random photographs)

Hello!

Images won't show up on my computer screen... they have disappeared! I'm hoping a reboot of the computer will help, but until then, I can't comment on your blogs (from this computer) if you have a "Prove you're not a robot" because the computer won't show me the image!!! lol

Anywaywhoo, the other day I posted on my writing blog... And I thought I'd tell you the full version of that story. :p There's probably a story (albeit a boring one) behind every one of my blog posts, but this one's actually pretty interesting. Well, I think so.

After looking through the blogosphere I became extremely inspired to post something wordy on my writing blog. So I did. It took longer than I thought it would, so when I'd finished I decided to go to bed. I realized I didn't have my water bottle, so after a few moments of mental debate, decided to go and grab a glass of water. I'm one of those people who turns on all the lights, so after grabbing my glass of water I turned off the lights as I walked back to my room. So then I turned out the lights in my room and tried to go to sleep. Then my phone lit up, which meant I either missed a call or got a text (I usually have my phone on silent, so I don't know the difference). I thought my parents might possibly have texted me to see if I was ok (after hearing me grab the glass of water), which was actually a really strange idea, but it was 10:30ish at night, so I'll use that as my excuse. My phone battery was dying, so I turned it off and then tried to go to sleep (or I might've been listening to music...probably that, actually). Then I realized I was still wearing makeup, so I had to turn on all the lights (well, my room + bathroom) and remove said makeup. Then I turned off all the lights and got back in bed. Aaand... then I decided I wanted a drink so I grabbed the glass, but it got stuck to the coaster and spilled. So then - well, you know what I'm gonna say next, right? I turned on "all" the lights to grab a towel and clean it up. After that, I think I actually went to sleep. But, there you go, that's the full story of what happened after I posted on my writing blog. :p 

In case that was completely boring (it's better when told in person), here are some photographs for you. I learned how to use some photo-editing websites, so I messed around with some photos!

And you'll probably notice...I really like turquoise. :D

Yes, this is the same chandelier that I mentioned here!

My mom suggested putting this candle holder in it.

I have this photo as my profile photo at the moment.

I couldn't remember which font / photo editing site I used for the lettering I used then! :p

A sneak peak of the new decor for my dresser

(Mostly thrift store finds :))

Emma! and Pride and Prejudice.

Except, I can't see them. They "look" invisible to me. :p So, hopefully they show up on your computer. Otherwise, it will be very strange. Anyway, I'm not exactly a photographer but I do like to have fun with the camera! :)

I titled this a "Type-and-Publish" because it meant it wasn't one I'd just grabbed out of drafts and published. But, I actually ended up copy-pasting the photos I had saved in drafts...so... never mind. :p

"Klarabelle"

P.S. Thanks for all your sweet comments on my Smashbook post! I'll try and post pics of my Smashbook once I actually...start...uh, using it. : ) At the moment I'm just searching for inspirational pictures and printing them off. :D

P.P.S. Happy birthday, Riversbend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope your day was spectacular!!!!!! : ) 

Hello!

Hello! It's me.

Well, of course it's me. Who else would it be? (haha, that rhymes. Why aren't you laughing, too?)

I thought I should actually post a candid post on here, instead of publishing one of the many posts I have saved in drafts. :p So here I am!

I guess I'm going through one of those non-blogging phases. Or maybe it's just called "high school". Or perhaps I'm being lazy. Either or, I thought I should actually talk to you today. So, how are you? How's life? Anything exciting happen to you since school started? Are you ready for winter? Or are you excited for fall? Are you wearing boots yet? <--- pick a question to answer. Or, answer all 6! :P

And, one more question...

What would you like me to blog about? I know I did a poll concerning this a while ago...but here are the list of stuff I have saved in drafts (or stored away in my mind, ready to leap out onto the keys)...what would you like me to publish / write?

- A Christian movie review
- A secular movie review
- Friendship
- My insanity...
- My last post about the Hunger Games (I know, you're thinking, "ANOTHER ONE!!!???")
- How to figure out the worldview of a movie / song/ book / _______ (fill in the blank)
- You pick! Comment below and tell me what specific thing YOU would like me to post about!

And, so you aren't completely bored with this post, I'll include something which has been a title, a Bible verse, and a few words sitting in drafts for months. It's a short sequel to my blog post, Sorry, that Word is BANNED!!! (Banned - one of those words that looks ridiculous after you stare at it too long). Anyway, here's a mini blog post for you. :)

A Word that Should Not Be Banned

In James chapter 4, we read...

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 

(emphasis added)

In our society where we plan what we're going to do, where we call our friends and organize outings, where we have school from Monday-Friday (although with exceptions!), where Christmas is always on December 25th...  it's strange to think about not knowing what will happen to us tomorrow. But it's true. We have no idea. And although to our finite minds, our lives seem long (and when we're bored for a couple hours, our lives almost seem unending!). Also, when we are young, our lives seem to stretch on forever in front of us, and we may be tempted to think we have time to do it...tomorrow.

But honestly, we don't know what will happen to us tomorrow. Though we shouldn't run around biting off our nails in fear of the potentially-horrendous TOMORROW, we also shouldn't be boasting of our plans. Though the Bible doesn't say planning per say is wrong, it does say that saying we will do such-and-such is wrong. Instead, James tells us we should say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." That's why some people say, "If God wills" or "Lordwilling". 

I'm trying to get more in the habit of saying "Lordwilling". It puts the focus on God and not our finite plans. I encourage you to work on adding "Lordwilling" to your frequently-used-words list, too! :) 

{end}

Don't forget to tell me what YOU want me to post about! :) And if you feel so inclined, let me know how you are doing today and what's new. :) 

Thanks for reading!

"Klarabelle" 

First day of school!

:)

As a disclaimer, this photo was not actually taken during school...but it WAS taken on the first day of school (i.e. today, August 15, 2012). I was actually waiting while my mom got her haircut. I forgot to bring my journal or a book, so I read most of the kid's books in the waiting area. :) However if I remember correctly, Hop on Pop was one of the first books I ever read...so I thought it was fitting. :)

If you did want to know how the first day of school went, however, it went fine! :) I still don't enjoy math, but I am slightly encouraged about chemistry. My chemistry teacher is cool. He talked about wigs. My chemistry teacher

My teacher for nearly everything else...

Meet my mom! :) Although she's undergone a number of nicknames (and taken them all very well) she's generally "Mom" and I love her so much! (Don't worry, I love my dad too). I'm so glad she's my teacher. I love being homeschooled (but not trying to brag, or make anyone who is not homeschooled feel bad)! I told my guitar teacher I started school today, and he asked if I liked my teachers. I'm like, "Yep."

Random fact: Today I walked out on the deck and a splinter decided to live in my foot. Although I am trying to evict it, my unwelcome boarder is still in my skin. I apologise if that was TMI. :D

When are you all starting school?

"Klarabelle"

I've been awarded!

I received some awards! Thanks so much girls! I'm putting them all in the same post. I hope that's okay.

Firstly, I received this award from Katie at Slipping Through My Fingers! Thanks Katie! :)

I am supposed to choose 5 blogs to receive the award. Okay...I love all your blogs, so this is hard...
1. Thinking. Dreaming. Doing.
2. Living the Life of a Teenage Girl
3. *Writings of a Passionate Girl*
4. Saved By Grace
5. Love of a Lifetime
Sorry if I didn't tag your blog in here! I love all your blogs, they're all great!

And I'm s'posed to post the rules. Here they are...

1. Put a link to who gave you the award
2. Put the award on your post
3. Choose 5 blogs to receive the award
4. Let them know you awarded them
5. Make sure to post this set of rules in your post

Heidi and Kara nomiated me for the Leibster award! Thanks girls!

What is a Liebster Award? Well, the word liebster is German literally meaning dearest or favorite. The award recognizes new and upcoming bloggers with less than 200 followers who deserve some kind of recognition and support for their contribution.

The rules...
1) Each person must list 11 things about themselves.
2) Answer the 11 questions that the tagger has set for you PLUS you MUSTcreate 11 questions of your own for the 11 people you will nominate with this award.
3) Choose up to 11 bloggers linking them to your post.
4) Go to their page and inform them of the nomination.
5) Absolutely NO tag backs.
6) Remember to ONLY tag bloggers with less than 200 followers

Okay, 11 things.
1. I am listening to a musical at the moment - The Scarlet Pimperel
2. I love cheese crackers
3. I have two pet mice
4. I should finish the crayon art that is lying in the storage room
5. I went to the grocery store
6. I like bright colors
7. I am getting tired of talking about myself
8. I am kind of tired right now
9. I am typing
10. I didn't realise it was so hard to say 11 things
11. I'm done now

Now, answering Kara's 11 questions...
1. Paris, or England :)
2. A printer
3. Almost a year ago
4. Grass and trees
5. Ooh, that's hard. Although I love all your blogs, I would probably have to say Talia at Girlz of God.
6. Probably going on the "Two-week trip" when I was 5 (I think) and calling myself "Miss Coody". My parents were the students and I was the teacher...
7. Do I have to say? :) Okay, how 'bout when I made a joke at a wedding only meant for two people to hear...then everyone heard it and laughed! That was very awkward!
8. FaceBook. I don't have a Pinterest account, so I can't really compare, though.
9. The Bible:)
10. I got to meet Anthony Horowitz, an author, while I was in the hospital, and the prime minister of England several years ago, as part of Dreams Come True's 20th anniversary!!! :) That was so neat!
11. No.

Now, 11 questions from Heidi...(well, the answers to the said questions)
1. Yes :)
2. Yes, Lordwilling
3. Lived in? Two.
4. Homeschool my whole life so far:)
5. Almost a year.
6. Josh Groban and musicals
7. Paris
8. Yes I am! :) Praise the Lord!
9. That's hard... Either The Chronicles of Narnia, Horatio Hornblower, Les Miserables or something I forgot all about... (I have a lot of fave movies)
10. See number 7 of pervious list :D
11. Does England count?

Oh I forgot to ask for 11 questions!
1. Why did you start blogging?
2. Do you like head phones or ear buds better?
3. Do you play an instrument?
4. Are you learning a foreign language?
5. Do you enjoy math?
6. Do you like singing?
7. What are you looking at right now?
8. Do you drink out of a cup, the faucet, a disposable water bottle, an aluminum water bottle, a plastic water bottle, or something else (if so, what?)?
9. Do you keep a journal?
10. Would you wear purple glasses?
11. Would you make a paper mache hot air balloon?

That was fun. :D

Thanks girls! :)

Okay, nominating people...
1. Slipping Through My Fingers

2. Thinking. Dreaming. Doing.

3. *Writings of a Passionate Girl*

4. Living the Life of a Teenage Girl

5. Anyone who wants to do it :) I think a bunch of people have already been nominated for this one, so that's why I'm stopping. Doing all these awards at once is confusing, I can't keep track of who's won what! :) Maybe organization isn't such a great idea...just kidding :)

Then Kara awarded me again! Thanks dear!

"Here is what the sunshine award means, "bloggers who positively and creatively

inspire others in the blogosphere." Of course all awards have rules for awarding people. Rules below. (Please read with care if you have been awarded)"

First, the nominee must

thank the blogger that nominated her and link back to

her blog. Next she must nominate ten bloggers for the

award, and let them know. Then, she must answer a

list of ten questions and post to her blog. Finally, the

Sunshine Award button must be posted on the blog

Okay, ten questions...I guess I have to make them up.

1. What number comes after 1? 2
2. What number comes after 35? 36
3. Why do you keep talking about numbers when you don't like math? Yo no se
4. Why did you just speak Spanish? I don't know
4. What does "Yo no se" mean? I don't know.
5. Why did you write "4" twice? It was an accident.
6. Why don't you know what "Yo no se" means? I don't know.
7. Then what does it mean? I don't know.
8. Are you confused? No.
9. Why not? I don't know.
10. Why don't you know? I don't know.

All I can say is, that's what happens when I have a conversation with myself. :)

I'd like to nominate...

For the Sunshine Award...
1. *Writings of a Passionate Girl*
2. Being a God Girl
3. Encouragement For Everyday Struggles

Anyway, I put all these awards in one post. I'm not trying to show off or anything, I'm just trying to be efficient... :p Thanks to everyone who awarded me!

"Klarabelle"

Chick-fil-A Ramblings

Chik-fil-A is a restaurant owned and founded by a Christian Baptist. The restaurant does not open on Sunday, so their employees can go to church. Dan Cathy, the chief executive of Chick-fil-A recently took a stand against gay rights and it has been a hotly debated and discussed topic since. Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day was on Wednesday all over America. FaceBook has also exploded with people's opinions whether or not to support his restaurant.

There is not a Chick-fil-A where I live (though I did eat at it once when I was in another state!) so I couldn't go to one for the appreciation day, but after seeing some of the posts on FaceBook, I did kind of want to share my thoughts and answers to some of what I've read. Read on at your own peril. :p

Ok, I'm going to paraphrase some portions of the FaceBook statuses I've seen.

"Isn't supporting Chick-fil-A JUST because of their beliefs just as shallow as condemning them?"
To that, my answer is: Do you read good books? Is that the same as abstaining from reading bad (i.e. poorly written or immoral) books?

"I don't care if they support gay rights or not, a company will only receive my business if I need their product."
The Bible does stand very strongly against gay rights (more about that in a few paragraphs), even in an increasingly pro-homosexual society, because the Bible doesn't change. Should we change our beliefs to fit the society? Last I remembered, we were told not to conform to the world. Gay marriage is a HUGE topic in today's society. Most people are afraid to stand against the flow. So I do think think it's good to support people when they stand on what the Bible says.

"If you are a believer, don't judge others whether or not they choose to go to Chick-fil-A."
I agree, I've been working on trying not to judge others...

After all, it is a country where free speech is allowed. Right?

We have the freedom to support and the freedom to boycott, but there is an increasing opposition against those who stand on the Bible. Mr. Dan Cathy should be free to share his opinions gay marriage without being attacked in the media. I almost think the whole support / boycott wouldn't be happening if people's beliefs were really respected. If people were really tolerant of Christians, we could politely debate about a subject and discuss things civilly. The world ells Christians to be tolerant, but few are tolerant to us! (and for the record, Jesus wasn't very tolerant either.) I think the hatred in response to Mr. Cathy's comment is very disturbing. (For one example amongst many, I read here that gay-rights supporters are planning a kissing protest against Chick-fil-A).

Yes, God IS love. He loves us. But He doesn't love our sin and He does not tolerate it. Through the blood of Jesus He forgives, but He is still the Judge. Our loving God today is the same God who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness (check out Genesis 19!). God is the Judge. You can't take the "love" part of God and say, "It's okay, you can sin! You can do whatever you want! Don't worry, God loves you!" God is a God of Love and a Judge but He loved us so much that He provided a way for our sins to be forgiven, and that way was Jesus' perfect blood shed for us. And after we have been cleansed and forgiven, should we keep on sinning? No! "How shall we who died to sin live any longer to it?" - Romans 6:2 (check out Romans 6:1-3!) Although God loves us, He does not accept our sin. He provided a way for us to have a relationship with Him, but there is only ONE WAY.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Jesus is the One Way. Jesus is the truth. And that's why the world hates us so much (though the world hated Jesus first - John 15:18). Satan doesn't want people to accept Jesus. He doesn't want people to turn from their wicked ways and be cleansed in the blood of the Lamb. He wants them to keep on sinning, and continue putting their faith in their own version of God...a loving God who accepts and does not condemn. However, that's not our God. Humans cannot change God because one of His attributes makes them uncomfortable.

While the thoughts / responses concerning Chick-fil-A may be my own, the following words are not.

Romans 1:26-27, 32...

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;[...]Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Well, I guess that's all for today.
"Klarabelle"

By the way, I announced the winners of the giveaway! Check it out here. :)


All scripture portions taken from NKJV unless otherwise noted.

Sorry, that word is BANNED!!!

*post delayed due to interest in pro-life ppsts*

A few months ago, my dad banned the word "exactly" in our house.  Everyone was saying it - someone would comment about something, and the other person would reply in agreement using the form of a rather overused word: exactly!  Dad grew tired of hearing the word thrown around every day, so he banned it.  Now if Mom and I accidentally say "exactly", the other one stares and says, "YOU SAID THE WORD!"

The word "exactly" used to flow of our tongues without a thought.  But now because of my awareness of the word, I notice whenever anyone says it.  The word doesn't disappear into conversation anymore, it sticks out like - well, pardon the pun, but like a SORE THUMB!  Those aren't cool, are they!?

I personally think there is one other word that need to be BANNED.  Well, bad words of course!  But there is one more that I could think of... and it is....  *drumroll*

"Races", in reference to groups of people.

I actually want to cringe every time I hear this word.  Why?

Let's go back to Genesis.

God created man in Hies likeness and image - this is what gives humans their intrinsic worth, this is why the sanctity of life exists.  God created us in His image to praise, serve and glorify Him.  God continued to love humankind, even after Adam and Eve sinned and had to be cast out of the Garden of Eden.  Note: so far, we haven't come upon the word "races".  Continuing on, let's skip to the Tower of Babel.  People had disobeyed God by not spreading out over the earth, and wanted to make a name for themselves instead.  But God mercifully confused their language causing them to move away and inhabit different areas. Then, there are genealogies, lots and lots of genealogies.  But God never announces that different "races" popped up.  There are only humans, aka people, aka God's creations.

So, uhhh, why groups of people look similar then?  Like, why do most Asians have darker skin, black hair and almond-shaped eyes?  Why do...?  etc.  Well, God separated the people at the Tower of Babel by family groups. As they spread out to different parts of the earth, some genetic traits became more dominate.  For example, a dark-skinned person might survive in Africa because his skin color protected him from the sun, whereas a lighter-skinned person might not survive.  That is why there are groups of people who look similar and all live in the same country.  Go figure.  There is no reason to assume that different people groups are different "races".

The phrase "people groups" is a better alternative for "races" because the idea of "races" actually comes from evolution, which actually claims that dark-skinned people are less-human than fair-skinned Europeans, because they were further down on the evolutionary chain, closer to the apes.  Whaaaaa....?  No way!  If we're going to judge people on amount of melanin in their skin, then we might as well decide blondes, brunettes and redheads are all separate races!

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:35, "The first Adam became a living being" and the "Last Adam became a life-giving spirit."  All humans, no matter what they look like, came from the first Adam, the first human being God created.  The "last Adam" is Jesus, who died in our place so we would not have to be separated from God forever.  Jesus died for all humankind, not a bunch of different "races".

No matter if someone looks different we should always try and reach them with the gospel.  The insecure girl who wears odd clothing in hopes to be attractive to others...she needs Jesus.  The guy trying to be like everyone else - guess what, he needs Jesus too!  The people in China need Jesus.  The people in Africa need Jesus.  So do the men and women in Europe, America and everywhere else.  We all need Jesus.  Differences shouldn't stand in our way when we are spreading the good news.  Jesus loves all people and Jesus certainly wasn't prejudiced (check out John 4:1-42).

For more information, check out Answers in Genesis' podcast "Races - The Term Should Be Abandoned!" or the article "Are There Really Different Races?" for a longer and better explanation.  :)

Don't forget to pray for the victims and people involved in the Colorado shooting (see last post).  Also if you haven't entered my giveaway you have until July 31st! 

"Klarabelle"

25+ Follower Giveaway

*Giveaway now closed.  Thank you to all who entered and sponsored!*

TWENTY-SIX FOLLOWERS!!!???  Wow!  I just wanna say thanks, you guys are amazing!

A couple months ago I decided that  I would do a, "Not Quite 20 Followers" Giveaway.  But then I peeked at my blogometer (I don't think it's called that...never mind) and I saw 21 followers, then 22, then 23!  Now 26?  Thanks so much!  (I also now have 8 followers on my other blog, For the Good of the Book and my original goal was 5 :)).

So here we go!  Thanks to my amazing sponsors, a giveaway!
*drumroll*

1) Talia from Girlz of God is sponsoring a FULL BLOG DESIGN!!!  Yayyy!  Thanks Tal! 


2) Kara L. is sponsoring an item up to $3 from her shop etsy shop, West Virginia Creations!  Thanks Kara!  


(Here are pictures of just a few of Kara's amazing creations!) 

3) An amazing Christian shirt from Angelica!  It says, "Describe God's love" and it has different words which describe it.  Then certain letters from the words are circled and the circled letters spell out Relentless.  So neat!

3) Miracle is sponsoring a really neat Christian t-shirt...this one's purple! Here's a pic of the back... It says, "If anyone is in Christ" with a pic of a cocoon...

"he is a new Creation" with the reference, a cross and a gorgeous butterfly! 

4) Lena is sponsoring a really cute bracelet....

How to enter the giveaway:


~ (MUST) follow this blog :) - 1 entry


~ Put my blog button on your blog - 3 entries {please include a link}

~ Blog, FaceBook, e-mail or otherwise notify people about this giveaway - 2 entries

~ Sponsor something - 3 entries (if you would like to sponsor something and have not done so yet, contact me asap and I will add your item to this post! :))


+ Follow Talia's blog, Girlz of God - 2 entries


+ Follow Kara L's blog, Saved by Grace and be sure to check out her etsy shop, West Virginia Creations - 2 entries


+ Follow Angelica's blog, Thinking. Dreaming. Doing. - 2 entries


+ Follow Miracle's blog, Living the Life of a Teenage Girl - 2 entries


+ Follow Lena's blog, Love of a Lifetime - 2 entries


You cannot pick which prizes you want to enter for, but if win a prize you cannot accept (i.e. a blog design when you don't have a blog) then I will redraw the winner.


Well all, that's 13 possible entries!  Eeeek!  So...

Please leave a separate comment saying what you did for each entry.  Also, please leave some way for me to contact you in every comment, like a blog address, e-mail, etc.


Giveaway ends July 31, winners to be announced August 3 Lordwilling!  


Thanks so much to all my sponsors for making this giveaway possible.  

Happy entering to all!!! :)

"Klarabelle"

Oh and P.S. ...happy July fourth.  :)  May your day be filled with family, fun, cool stuff, possibly fireworks and most of all - Jesus!!!

And...we redid my room!

At least, part of it!

Because of the amount of furniture and the size of the room, we couldn't rearrange any of the furniture.  BUT, we changed the bedspread (aka the large purple thing) to match the epic quilt my friend's mom made me.  This is a very special quilt.  My mom saved the clothes I was wearing the night of my cardiac arrest, even though the ER people had to cut up the jeans and shirt.  Mrs. K, a family friend made this special quilt for me using some pieces of the jeans and shirt, i.e. the denim parts are the jeans, and there is a purple part that was the shirt I wore, but I'm not sure if it's showing in this pic.

A close-up of those photos...  a subtle Paris / London theme :) .....

And a picture of trees and a bird! :) .......

I moved the Josephus props and other miscellania onto my dresser...  

The bookshelf still needs some work......

New Board of Epicness........

Little table in the corner... and I finally got an iPod speaker!  It changes color! :)

And...one of my pet mice, just for kicks.  :)  

("Just for KICKS"?  What kind of crazy expression is that, anyway?)

So there 'tis!  :)

{About the giveaway: Coming soon!  Giveaway starts July 1, 2012 Lordwilling!}

"Klarabelle"

Back to Earth

So...I'm back!!!

In case you were wondering, I disappeared from internet connection for about 5 days.  I was at camp, learning how to teach 5-Day Clubs!  I had an amazing time learning how to teach kids about God, share the gospel, and also establishing / continuing some wonderful friendships.  :)  I can't wait to teach my first 5-Day Club - TOMORROW!!!  :)

So, I'm back to earth and I've hit the ground...not necessarily running, but I've landed safely and without too much embarrassment (in the cabin, I chose the bunk nearest the bathroom because I'm one of those people who will run into everything if possible...).  And I'm back on the internet world, catching up with my comments and e-mails and coolness like that.  :)

~ several days later ~

Okay, apparently I never posted the above post.  Fail!

ANYWAY...  news time!

1. Emma redesigned my blog as a "prize" I won from Talia's giveaway a couple months ago!  Thanks so much Emma!  I absolutely love the new blog layout!  Check out Emma's blog here.  She's amazing!

2. (not in any order of importance, I just like to number things, even though I don't like math) LiveAction posted a new video about the sex-selection abortions: what will abortions say when a woman wants to have an abortion based solely on the baby's gender?  Find out here (it's Part 3).

3. For any of you doing school in the summer, hop in the boat with me, and we'll have a party!  (If you're not doing school in the summer, you're still "cool", don't worry)  In other words, I'll be doing some school this summer.  But it's all good.

4. I did my first melty crayon art!

There it is!  Ta-da!  :)

I wanted to have the words "Choose life" cut out of the wax, but I decided to wait until I was a little more experienced with the melting, so I added the words on with puffy paint.  The puffy paint shriveled up though, and didn't stay puffy...  but I'm still excited!  I'm hoping to do another crayon art that says, "Cherish love" soon.

If you want to try out some melted crayon art, Talia has an excellent tutorial on her blog here.

Well, that's all the news I have for now...

Except one more thing...  ~ GIVEAWAY COMING SOON!  You guys blew me away with 24 followers (but don't worry, after you blew me off the face of the earth, I floated back).  If anyone would like to donate something to the giveaway, let me know asap!  Otherwise, you will have to make do with my cool (or lame) prizes.  :)

So what can we do to help?

I think it's amazing how God will use mere human beings to help Him in his work.  To me that's like a father allowing his little child, unskilled and clumsy, but willing, to help him with a monstrous task.

When I posted about the lost baby girls, I had no idea God would actually use my unworthy post to tell others (more than I expected) about abortion.  

Talia posted that we must do something on her blog, Girlz of God.

Writings of a Passionate Girl encourages us to Join the Challenge and gives steps about how to do so.

Abortion is awful, and as Talia points out in capital letters, abortion is WRONG.  But what can we do to help?

1. For the past couple years, I volunteered at the local Crisis Pregnancy Center with my friend.  We sorted donated clothes and diapers or rearranged clothing racks.  Our efforts might seem small, but helping the CPC did matter, because we were helping an organization that influences women who are considering abortions.  CPC's save many lives because they encourage women to keep their babies instead of aborting, and offer counseling, classes and help for the mothers.

2. Our local CPC gets a LOT of baby clothes donations, but they certainly don't waste them!  If there's anything we can't use (i.e. too big or something we can't find a match for) they donate it to another organization.  So, one way you could help is picking up nice baby clothes at Good Will, thrift stores or garage sales to donate.

3. Another way to raise awareness is by sharing the 180 Movie on your blog.  If you haven't seen the 180 Movie yet, I encourage you to.  It is a half hour film that compares abortion with the Nazi holocaust.  It is a little graphic, so I would suggest watching it with a parent.

4. You can also blog about abortion.

5. Like Writings of a Passionate Girl suggests, you can share the "Abortion Will Kill 120,000 Babies Today" gadget on your blog.  As I said before, it is sobering and sad, but just because something is not all hugs and smiles does not mean we should never address it.  

6. Live Action has free pro-life photos that you can share on your FaceBook, Twitter or blog.  I think one is graphic but most simply feature a short line about abortion and others simply celebrate life.  Check them out here.

7. You can get pro-life updates from Life News.  Check it out here.

8. If you have a big (or even a small) birthday party, you can ask your guests to bring a small monetary donation, a pack of diapers or baby wipes, or baby clothes that you can donate to your local crisis pregnancy center.

9. Lastly, one of the strongest and most powerful things we can do to help the children is to PRAY.  To me it seems like our country is really going down.  Sometimes I think there will not be another Christian revival.  But we don't know what God's plan is.  I know He cares about the missing girls and the millions of babies who have been aborted.  So even though we don't know if there will be another awakening or not, we can certainly pray.  

I agree with Talia that we certainly need to DO SOMETHING.  I would love to see other bloggers joining in the challenge or doing something like Talia.  Do you have anything to add to my list, or something to say?  Please comment and let me know.

Life is precious...

"Klarabelle"

P.S. I updated my previous post, Lost: Baby Girls.  I wrote in purple writing so you can easily see what has been added.  Thank you for all your passion and love for these unborn children.

Lost: Baby Girls

100 million women are missing worldwide1.

It sounds like a horror story or a scary movie.  But it's true.  Where are they?  Where have they gone?

In China, women want to have boys.  One reason is because traditionally, the boys grow up to take care of their parents, whereas the girls marry and live with their husbands (therefore not being able to take care of their own parents).  Since there is a one-child policy in China, many mothers understandably prefer boys and hope to have boys instead of girls.  Therefore there are many women who chose to have abortions if they find out they are going to have a girl.  This is called sex selection or gendercide.  Therefore, the balance of boy-girl in China is thrown off because there are more boys being born than girls.  There are 160 million women missing from Asia.

Okay, so that's just China and India, you might think.  (WARNING: GROSS In India, doctors have fed aborted girls to dogs to hide the fact sex-selected abortions.  You can read the full article here {UPDATE: My mom pointed out that India may have a law against sex-selected abortions, i.e. why people are trying to hide them.  I haven't had a chance to research this yet, so just bear that in mind.}).  Okay, it's safe to read now.  :) China and India and other countries like that prefer girls over boys, and that's...well that's just...them. 

Unfortunately, that's not quite true.  

Today, there is sex-selection abortion in the United States.

Live Action, a pro-life group has gone undercover to see if Planned Parenthood will condemn or condone gendercide.  You can see the video and read an article about it here.  There is a second video which you can view here.

Recently in America, democrats in the House of Representatives defeated the bill which would've banned sex-selection abortions.  (You can read Life News' article about it here.)  To me it seems shocking that a country trying to eliminate sexism would allow mothers to kill their babies simply because of their gender.  Most of the babies being killed are girls.  Doesn't Planned Parenthood claim to be all about "women's rights"?  Yet what about those baby girls being ripped out of the womb?  Don't they have any rights?  

{Update: My dad told me there are some more details in this and you can read about it here.  Rep. Trent Franks, the Arizona Republican, is quoted in the article saying, "I am confident this is not the end, but merely an opening salvo in ensuring the words, 'It's a girl' are no longer a death sentence..."}

Going back to the abortion issue, I guess it all goes back to morality.  What is right and what is wrong?  "Right" and "wrong" are not relative.  God has already set the standards.  Humans with sin natures are often uninterested in God's standards.  But because humans have chosen to go their own way, 100 million girls are missing.  Everyday in America alone, about 3,700 babies will be aborted3.  Randomly, it seems ironic that India would go to gruesome means to hide their sex-selection abortions, while America does not go to any means to hide theirs.   

I would like to encourage you to check out Protect Our Girls, a project of Live Action, and sign the petition there.  

Also, I found this gadget on Talia's blog that shows how many babies have been aborted just in the short period of time you have had this website open on your computer.  It is very sobering and if you have a blog and are willing to put the gadget on your blog, that would be wonderful.

I know abortion is not a "light" issue, but I believe that we have a duty to protect the defenseless (Psalm 82:3-4 - "afflicted and needy"?  I think so).  For those who have not yet gained a voice, we need to be their voice and to stand out against the murder.

{Update} Just found this pic on Live Action's FaceBook page.  My point exactly, except in photograph form...

"Klarabelle"

1 Gendercide: The systematic killing of girls June 2012 Protect Our Girls

2 Mara Hvistendahl. June 2012 Where Have All the Girls Gone?

3 Christian Patriots for Life June 2012 How many babies...?