Christmas in Hawaii

I wrote the majority of this on Friday (the 26th) but then our power went out... Which is a different story. Anyway, sorry it took so long to finish. =)

Our Christmas was WONDERFUL! I really wasn't sure what it would be like, I mean, it wasn't snowing, there wasn't snow... it wasn't even cold! And those to me used to be some of the most important aspects of the Christmas "ambiance". It was amazing to me though, watching God quietly tell me all throughout the Christmas season, "It's about ME. Focus on me." Thankfully I listened to his advice and had one of the most memorable Christmas yet.

It really is all about Him, and the fact that he came as a little baby in order to be able to say, "You suffer? I suffered. And I suffered out of love for you." Is mind blowing. He understands it all. There is nothing on this earth that we can tell him that will take Him by surprise or not be comprehendible to Him. What an amazing God. I seriously can't wait to bow down at his feet someday.

What a privilege and honor it will be,
To live in holy eternity,
With the Christ who lived on earth and died on a tree,

Out of his love for a sinner like me.

How empty Christmas would be if it weren't for Him! The very thought of it gives my heart great joy.

As far as that picture, representing my Christmas... It was taken from our new hammock, with my new camera! =D Very exciting... Seriously though, at that moment, it felt like life could hardly get any better.

Haha, minus a husband and kids, but I suppose I need to wait patiently for that for a couple years. =P

The weather really was gorgeous! It couldn't have been prettier actually. Funny too how much i loved it, considering it was the exact opposite of my ideal winter wonderland. Isn't God good to give us variety in life? And even more so, to use that variety to teach and train us? I hope you had as marvelous a Christmas as I did!

Caroline Ann

Bye Bye Puppy!

So, for those of you who don't know.... We had to give our precious little puppy back last Thursday night!

She had some small aggression issues, but they were slowly getting worse, despite all we were doing to prevent them.

My parents were really concerned that she would seriously bite one of us or a neighbor someday and we'd have to put her down.

She had come such a long way, but not quite far enough. Last Wednesday night she bit me. My body language was not threatening her, but she was resource guarding her leash, and when it got stuck under a door and I tried to retrieve it for her, she snapped at me. It broke the skin. Not horribly, but enough that it could really be a problem in the future.

Sorta the last straw.

Our family doesn't quit things when we start them very easily. We don't just give up when things don't work out. So this was a hard decision based on that factor as well. Not just the fact that we love our, used to be, puppy, and she'd really become a part of the family!

My mom even loved her, she doesn't even like dogs!

The above is quite a statement, it may be a once in a lifetime thing people, so feel privilege to have seen it. ; )

We were grateful though, because the lady, Mrs. Abbot, who we bought Indee from REALLY wanted her back...

Like, asked for her back, type of wanted her back.

So she does have a happy home... And she won't attack any little children since she will spend the rest of her days with her parents (Mrs. Abbot's dogs) running around the living room, and being allowed to act almost anyway she pleases.

Haha, our "joke" is that Indee thinks she went to summer camp (It really was more equivalent to boot camp actually) and came back home.

As sad as the ordeal was... We did meet Mrs. Ness! And I have not a clue what we would do without her in our lives! =D Just yesterday I had the privilege to go bake Christmas goodies with her. That woman really amazes me... I will love her forever! And Mrs. Ness, if you read this, never forget that!

Well, you now all know the sad tail (haha) of our dog. Whether it will be our only dog I know not, but I do know that whether it be a dog or a family member, HE gives and takes away, and because of HIM, my heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be your name!

Caroline Ann

The Race is On!

I feel really bad... My poor blog sorely needs to be updated. I just haven't had the time though! You would think December would be a great month for blogging. Not so this year anyway...

This time in exactly three weeks I will be in Thailand! I can hardly believe it's almost here. I'm REALLY excited, I can hardly stand it. Well, hold on a sec, I can wait, 'cause I do have this one little thing... SCHOOL.

I've been bogged down in school, to say the very least. It's been tough. I am very well organized, so that will help immensely, but still, organization doesn't eliminate the amount of work to be done. I get Christmas day off! Woohoo! But that's really my only school free day. Fun huh?

Never the less, I am choosing to have a good attitude and trying to enjoy the time of year. I mean, it only comes around once, so school or not, you might as well!

H0wever, if you could lift me up in prayer... I really can't think of a time when I've had more school. I know God will use this as a teaching opportunity though!

The race is on though, the countdown has started, I have a lot of school, and I am feeling the pressure! So, here are a couple things that you could pray for:

1) I would be extremely efficent (like more efficent then I have ever been would help!) and choose to concentrate and not let my mind get distracted.

2) That despite the work, I will find time to enjoy Christ and the celebration of His birth!

3) That I would have really good bible times. (Heh, and that I would also have them amidst everything) Please pray that the Lord will draw me into His word... I so desperately need it!

4) That not only would I work really hard, but that I would get good grades. Especially since the majority of my work is for semester finals.

I know you guys are all really busy, but if you've read this. THANK YOU! I will try my best to keep you updated.

Caroline Ann

Made to Worship

Sorry, I'm a little behind on blogging...

I started to write this on Saturday and then never finished...

I had my piano recital last Friday night, and though not perfect, it was lovely. =)

Five weeks or so ago my piano teacher decided it was time to start preparing for my Christmas recital. She gave me two music options... An short easy piece and a long, hard piece. If you know me well, you'll know I didn't even glance and the easy piece. I guess I'm sort of a go-getter, not to mention perfectionist. But that's another post...

So anyway, I took the piece section by section and quickly learned most of it. Except this one little section that had five flats... Somehow I just couldn't play it. I messed with that part of the piece in a couple different keys and finally settled on asking my teacher if I could play it in D, since that was what the rest of my piece was in anyway. She agreed and so the plan was that I would play the whole piece for her, next lesson (which was just a couple days before my recital...). Of course on that very important lesson, my piano books got left at home... Which I think I've only done ONE other time in my whole history of taking piano lessons. Nice timing, huh?

I continued to practice all week and got really nervous since my teacher hadn't even heard the whole thing yet. And one night as I was somewhat tired and stumbling through the piece, God started whispering in my ear. He reminded me that this piece wasn't about me, it was about him. And you think I would have remembered that considering I was playing a version of Away in the Manger (it's the prettiest arrangement I've ever heard, sorta modernised but BEAUTIFUL). After that, when I was playing for Jesus, it sounded completely different.

So the night of the recital came, and I was all ready, or so I thought I was...
We arrived early so that I could play for my teacher at least once before I played, since of course she hadn't heard the whole piece.
I sat down at the piano, way to confident in my self may I add, and I botched up the whole piece. I made mistakes every other note at least.... It sounded terrible. Yeah... sort of a rough start.

After being gently reminded by my mother God helped me put my focus back on Him, and after that, the night was wonderful. =) Including my piano piece.

Though it is so easy to forget, God made us to worship him, and Friday night was definitely a cool reminder for me. Especially with the Christmas season we're in right now, it's so easy to forget what it is all truly about... Even it it's something like buying gifts for others. It seems like such a good thing to do, because people will appreciate what we have done. But Christmas is not about what we have done, but what He has done. May God bless you abundantly as you worship Him this Christmas season!

Caroline Ann

Mommy's little Elves

Hehe, we're revving up to celebrate in Hawaii, how 'bout you?

Caroline Ann




Comment and let me know if you want to see the other ones! (There are different themes)

Ants

Have you ever seen a swarm of ants pour out of your electrical socket? If you haven't... Let me just tell you, it's DISGUSTING. Unbelievably disgusting...
We were eating lunch (Taco Bell! Yummy!) on Sunday at our dining room table when my dad all the sudden says, "Yuck, ants!" And we all look in the direction he is pointing and see hundreds of little black ants all over our wall near the electrical socket. I didn't take a picture, because I really didn't want to make your skin crawl like mine does every time I think about it.

It made me start thinking though... Shouldn't I be just as repulsed (well, more actually) at my sin? I mean, it can't look any different to God then those ants do to me! And just like the ants, sin likes to creep into our hearts where we don't even realize it until it's a huge problem.

So I started examining my own heart on Sunday and God has already shown me several big things! It's sort of humbling that he used ants to get my attention. =\ Nevertheless, I'm still grateful... Despite the bugs in my bed.

Oh yeah... They are all over the house, so if you could pray we can resolve the problem quickly... That would be great!

Caroline Ann

Bird Killers

Did you know my family has a knack for killing wild birds? This past summer we found two baby birds... Both of them died. One because he was seriously sick, and the other, I think we just killed him.

Today of all days, Jefferson runs into the kitchen with the huge bird in his hands... "Mom look, I saved this bird from Zach's cat!"

Of course I couldn't just sit there and let it die so I had taken care of it all morning and early afternoon. He went from looking mostly dead to very alive. I think the thing had gone into shock due to the cat, but a little Gatorade (Gatorade has electrolytes) fixed that. =) We had a teeny tiny cage we had put him in, which was fine since he hadn't been moving to much. Melanee Kate and her friend Katie had apparently gotten him out later this afternoon and he had tried to fly away but didn't have quite enough strength. From the looks of it, he killed himself trying to escape his cage.

What a nice way to end my Thanksgiving! You have to understand that I really do love birds... Probably even more then dogs. (I mean I do love MY dog more then birds... but in general) And all our birds seem to have sad endings. Matthew flew away, Mark we gave away upon moving to Hawaii, (So Mark didn't die, but we still didn't get to keep him) Trooper died... John died... And now this one died (I refused to name it for fear it would die).

And honestly, I can't really think of any spiritual application to this right now, so if you can, please comment and let me know!

How about a little comic relief to end my sad tale? I was near the end of writing this, and Wyatt comes in my room and says, "Caroline, look! Watch! I've been working on this all day!" And proceeds to walk on his hands and feet like a chimpanzee making monkey noises... With great enthusiasm might I add.

Oh, and as far as the rest of my day... It was awesome. Dinner was amazing!! (Yes, Mexican food CAN be a successful Thanksgiving meal.) And Aunt Melly, we didn't have strawberry surprise for dessert. ;)

Caroline Ann

Thanksgiving Tease

Sorry, I know I haven't updated in a while... But there is a reason for this. I have been doing nothing but school and unplanned things all week!

This week is actually supposed to be Thanksgiving break, but I am affectionately calling it, Thanksgiving Tease. Since I am going to Thailand I have a whole bunch of school I am trying to get ahead on, therefore I have a lot on my plate... And since this Thailand thing was sort of last minute... you could say not having a Thanksgiving break was sort of unplanned. And therefore, I feel teased. Because I THOUGHT that I would have a whole, lovely week off after this long fall of school. But no, no reason for that. So yeah, I haven't a really completely school free day since August, but does it matter? No!

Ok so it does... a little bit. And I have been slightly frustrated about it this week. (Not horribly, but I really needed the break I'm not getting.) So please pray for me. On top of it all, I have had a nasty headache today. Today being the one day I didn't have anywhere to go. =(

I am grateful though, because despite the stressful amount of schoolwork that my tired brain is expected to accomplish, I will be sitting down with my family and friends tomorrow to enjoy a huge Mexican meal (for those of you who didn't know we don't have turkey on Thanksgiving... surprise!). And I won't have to worry about where the next meal will come from either. (Haha, leftovers, yeah?) And I have clean water which to drink. And as far as school =\ I can be grateful that I live in a country where getting a good education is entirely possible.

It can be so easy to thank God for the big things and take for granted the basic things in our lives (such as school and running water) that so many people don't even have access to.

So tomorrow, as you're are waiting for the blessing to be said so you can dig into your steaming plate of turkey... Thank Him for the clothes your wearing, and the chair you have to sit on.

Caroline Ann

Posting Comments

There have been several people asking how to post comments, so I thought I would post a little tutorial for future reference. =)

Alrighty, so most people probably already know this, but I'll include it anyway.

1) In order to comment, first you have to click on the "comments" link such as I have circled below.

This will result in a small page like the one below popping up.

2) Unless you have a google account, make sure you have "Anonymous" selected (or name/url).
Then you should be able to post your comment with no problem. =)

Hope this helps! And thanks to all of you who have tried to comment. =)

Caroline Ann

A Peanut Butter Day

So I'm sure you are thinking, "A what day?" But let me explain.

You know, today just wasn't much fun... I got a terrible night's sleep, I have a little bit of this sickness that's been going on around our house (it's actually the neighbor's sickness, but Kate caught it from them) and I just have not felt good.

Of course no matter how I feel, school must go on. But it really hasn't. I have a bunch of reading that I had to do (which I LOVE) but with the nasty headache I've toted around today (plus my eyes tend to hurt when my head does) that has been a very slow and laborious process. Fun, right? Plus I have a lot of Math which I am now slightly behind on. (That's the tip of the iceberg) and it all adds up really quickly.

So yeah, today has been stressful, frustrating, and painful. So I resorted to peanut butter.

Now in order to understand the significance of that, you must understand that I really don't like peanut butter. I hate the way it smells, I hate the way it sticks to the roof of your mouth... I don't really like the taste. Overall, it's just gross! (Although I do loves Reese's peanut butter cups... hehe.) So RARELY do I ever have it.

But of course today, I did... A whole huge spoonful! Today was a peanut butter day. In other words, my day was (like peanut butter) really bad, so bad in fact that I was tired enough for peanut butter to sound good.

I am very grateful though, that despite my day, God was with me the whole time, He didn't just leave me admist my stress. =) You know that verse, "And surely I am with you always even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) I was thinking about that today, and it really did bring comfort to my heart. And somehow, through the mess of the day, I started thinking of it this way, "And surely I am with you always, even on your peanut butter days." (I know I'm weird).

So, if you are having a bad day... Just remember, there is someone who loves you immensely and who will always be with you, no matter what. =)

Caroline Ann

P.S.
For those of you who are with me on not liking peanut butter... Don't worry, I brushed my teeth right after. I think peanut butter breath is just about as bad as the real stuff!

The stupid things we do

If you needed a little bit of humour to brighten your day... Well, I suppose you'll enjoy this.

We ALL do stupid things sometimes. I'm sure you've had those instances where you look back and think, "WHY in the world did I do that?? What was I thinking?" It's so easy to make a spur of the moment decision and find yourself stuck soon after that.

So anyway, a week or so ago, my sister and I were talking about our dog. And her kennel.... And before I knew it Kate was announcing that there was no way I could fit in that silly cage, no matter what I did. Well... I'm sure you can probably guess the rest.

Let's just say, that my sister, being the good sister that she is, decided that it would be a good idea to lock me in there for a while. (Of course Wyatt wanted to ship me off to the National Zoo in hopes of some extra spending money, so it's all relative, right?) And then, to entertain herself further, took pictures so she'd have proof. (And who would have guessed, so that I'd have a blog post!)

And as I sat there, feeling slightly cramped (only SLIGHTLY mind you) I started thinking about spiritual applications to this. I mean, might as well, I didn't have anything else to do except pose for the camera (which obviously wasn't exactly possible considering my, em, unique circumstances.)

There are SO many things in life, that we know we probably really shouldn't do. But it doesn't seem like it's going to really make a difference whether we do them or not, so of course, against our better judgement (or lack thereof) we do them. And before we know it... we find ourselves, em, stuck, or perhaps locked in the situation. And not only are we stuck, but we aren't very comfortable either. Then of course we start regretting our bad decision but time cannot be erased now can it? And even when we do get ourselves out of the situation, there will forever be some sort of mark made on our memory.


So, the next time you are debating on doing something slightly stupid... Remember me in the dog cage. ;) (Actually, I will say this little analogy has helped me from doing things much stupider than climbing in a dog kennel)

I suppose it's only fair to show you a picture since you already know the story. =P

Thanks for loving me despite my stupidity!

Caroline Ann

Thailand Bound

So, I just noticed tonight that my posts from Sunday and yesterday never got published, sorry about that!

Anyway, I have needed to write this for almost two weeks but it had to wait. My mother and I are going to Thailand! My school, The Potters School, takes two annual mission trips each year. One to Thailand, and one to Honduras. This is my third year with TPS, and I finally get to go! I am terribly excited I must admit. =D We will leave January 9th and get back on the 20th.

(Below is a description of the trip, though I didn't actually write it, I just copied it from our information.)

During that week, missionary families from about 15 countries in Asia will gather for an annual conference to help them strengthen their families and disciple their children even as they serve in remote locations. Last year, over 350 missionaries (adults and kids) participated in the conference, and this year it will be larger. Our team will provide family discipleship seminars for adults and youth; plan, execute, and oversee the teen and children's program, including teaching Bible classes and related activities that teach the Gospel to the younger kids; and lead worship for the entire conference.

For many missionary families, this is their only chance during the year to receive strength directly from the greater body of Christ, or even to worship in a larger group of believers. Participating families often say that these annual family discipleship conferences are vital to helping them remain in remote assignments where they must raise their kids in challenging conditions without the support many of us take for granted. Our service will literally help keep God’s workers in the field.

Our service and ministry will continue after the conference ends, when our team travels to the mountains for a few days to experience the local Thai culture and minister to the native people. Our entire stay in the mountains is an opportunity to build relationships with Thai people, with highlights that include teaching English at a Thai elementary school and hiking to a remote tribal village of the “Karen” people (refugees of Burma) to spend the day with the families and teach the children.

So, as you may be able to see... I am stoked! And can hardly wait to see how God will use all this in my life (because I know he most definitely will!) Several things that I would love you to be praying for...

1) For all the schoolwork that I have to get done ahead of time... Especially since I will be doing a lot of it during Christmas break and that I would be able to stay focused on Jesus during this special season!

2) Please pray that God will draw our team close together, quickly! The majority of us will have never met each other.

3) For my sweet siblings as they will be by themselves doing school (so we hope). Yeah, actually that is HUGE... PLEASE, PLEASE, (can I stress this enough?) keep them in your prayers!

Thank you so much, I am really grateful that I have such a neat group of people who can and will pray for me! God bless!

Caroline Ann

Oh say can you Sing?

God is so amazing... If I do say so myself. And He has blessed our family so abundantly! This past Friday my dad was promoted to Colonel. =) It was a fairly small ceremony but there were a couple things that did really make it special.

One, that God has brought my father this far in his career. And my daddy will be the first one to tell you, (well, technically, my mom would... Because she talks more, but the point still stands.)that God doesn't need Him. God is completely sovereign and in control, and it's His life, not my dads. And I, being his daughter, am so grateful to have a father who knows this.

Two, I do have to say, we had a spectacular cake! I wish I could have saved a piece for you all, but I don't think it would have kept well being mailed across the ocean and all. But it was SO beautiful, and even more yummy!!! (Although I don't really want to contemplate even for a second how many calories it contained.)

And three, my siblings and I had the honor so sing the National Anthem at my fathers ceremony. It brought great joy to my heart!

And this brings me to the title of the post... Oh say can you sing? Well, if you know my mother very well, you know she loves to sing, and you know she sets a high standard. So, we sang the song in three parts. =P It was A LOT of work! We practiced for weeks, and weeks... and a couple more weeks. It wasn't until the last couple days that it really came together! Also, if you know our family that well, you will know that when my mom is trying to do anything with us, the four of us have this pact you see, and that someone ALWAYS has to be disobeying. Ok, well, the first part... we don't really have a pact... But the second part... Yeah, I'm thinking it's good that you weren't sitting in our living room during those practices. But the reason I say this is that I am so grateful for the persistence and perseverance of my mother... Because she by far, worked harder than any of us!

So, to wrap this up, I just want to thank BOTH of my parents, for all they do for this family, and for our great country.

Caroline Ann

Mrs. Ness

So I really do have to apologize to all of y'all who keep checking my blog only to find nothing new. I have been EXTREMELY (should I make that bigger?) busy! So, I will "try" to give you a short update and then over the next week or so give you more detailed blog posts on the past two weeks... Actually I have a whole blog archive in my head, I just never transferred it to here! Sorry 'bout that.

First of all, I want to say thank you for all of those who have been reading this... I feel so blessed! And I am extremely proud of my grandfather for reading the whole thing! =D (Oh course you've finally gotten caught up and I'm about to write a whole bunch more for you to read.) Ooh, and thanks to everyone who has posted comments as well! =)

So, what have I been doing the past two weeks or so? Well, as you know, we have a dog. But of course we didn't get a stupid dog... We got us a smart dog! Yeah! And not only is she smart but she thinks she is smart, or should I say smart"er" then us! Sooo, we have a women (Mrs. Ness) who has been helping us with our little terror. (Haha, maybe that's why they call them terriers... back then they just didn't have consistent spelling and it stuck.)

So, we have really gotten to know this amazing woman. She loves the Lord very much, and we love her! And this past week (well it's been a little more than that now) she and her husband had to move from the old housing on base, to the new housing on base. Along with the rest of their street. And so since she has a two year old, Brendon (and he's quite a cutie may I add) I have been helping her move. =) I have also watched her friends two year old and have a story or two about him that I will probably share later...

And I have to say, I think helping her move last week was probably the best and most enjoyable thing I've done since we have lived here! (And we live in Hawaii... lol.) It was such a blessing to me to get to be around her all week. Mrs. Ness is one of the most amazing women I will ever meet and she really ministered to my heart!

And I think it just proves how much the Lord meant when he said that when we bless others, he will bless us as well! (Luke 6:38) There is nothing else I can think of that I would have rather done last week. =)

And now I'm back to posting at regular intervals, for now anyway. ;)

And though there is a bunch of other stuff I could say in this, I think I will leave it at that and let you know more in other posts...

Go be a blessing to someone today!


Caroline Ann

God Bless America

Today we have a new president elect. I have to say, in many ways I am devastated and am at a loss for words.

However, though Obama was not who I was praying would be elected by any means, I know that God is in control. He knew this would be the outcome, He isn't surprised by this. And in that I can rejoice.

I pray though for all the future unborn babies who's lives are now at stake. For out of all the issues that Obama stands for, that I do not agree with, that is the biggest by far.

I also pray for Mrs. Obama and the girls as they will have to get very creative in order to spend time with the the nations new president. May God bless their family in mighty ways.

And I pray for Barrack Obama himself, may God use him to lead our nation in the direction HE sees fit. Obama is just a man, but I serve a God who is the creator of men. May God bless America!

Caroline Ann

Heart Rolling

I have to say... this post is long over due. I should have written it a week ago.

As small children, we all learn certain things very quickly. Like how to say, "NO!" or, "Mine!". And somehow, the majority of us could throw expert temper tantrums without even one lesson! Now I say that lightly, but in reality, it really isn't all that funny. That rebellious heart that we are born with is a product of our sinful and corrupt nature.

Another thing that could fall into the "sinful children's acts of rebellion" is eye rolling. You know, when we don't like something, our eyes seem to want to just roll from one side of our face to the other. This body langauge saying to the recipient of the eye roll, "I don't care what you are saying, and it's stupid. So if you could like, leave me alone that be great." (Or something to that effect.)

Now as we get older, the eye rolling gradually decreases, often because we find it just gives the other person a whole new thing to correct us on. And so we often don't do it. However, the heart issue is STILL there. We may not roll our eyes, but that same old sin is still there.

And so I am finding myself, (this is another of the things that God has shown me in the past week.) heart rolling. Which is only eye rolling on a greater, less visible scale. And because it is less visible, I don't get in trouble for it, because nobody knows. I can think as many disrespectful things as I want and have an extremely disrespectful attitude and not get in trouble for it! Which of course only encourages my sinful heart to do it again. Now of course my heart isn't really "rolling" but if it could... I am ashamed to say it probably would. Wouldn't that be fun to explain to the doctor in the ER, "You see Doc, my heart was being disrespectful to my mother, and it just rolled right over!"

So, all that said, this is something that I am specifically going to be working on in the next couple weeks. So... when you see a little child roll his eyes... You can think of me.

Caroline Ann

Mother, please forgive me for all the times my heart as been disrespectful towards you this week!

My Mothers Daughter

My mother and I are being told more and more now days how much we look alike. In fact we get "you must be sisters" comments quite often. I don't really think about it because well, I live with her, and I am me, and she is she. (I know that is very poor grammar, but I couldn't help myself... It rhymed!) However, I was looking at this picture today (which was taken yesterday by Melanee Kate who is becoming quite the photographer.) and was like WHOA! It just all the sudden hit me. It made me so grateful that I have a mother who I want to look like! Not just on the outside, but more importantly on the inside! My mother has one of the most beautiful hearts I have ever seen. She isn't perfect, but she strives daily to glorify and honor God in all she says and does. Thank you mom for being such a godly example! My prayer is that not only would I continue to look more like you, but that my actions and thoughts would be an echo of yours. You are truly a Proverbs 31 woman!

Caroline Ann

My Sign

My very own sign! Neat huh? =) I have another blog post or so that is just waiting to come out, but I thought I would give you some time to digest my parable before posting another serious entry. =)

I did read an awesome bible verse this morning in my bible time though which I just have to share with you! It was so encouraging to me, especially with how crazy this week has been.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

Caroline Ann

P.S.
So I did kinda photoshop the sign... lol. But it turned out pretty good.

The faith of a child

The other day I was looking through a couple old papers and such of mine, and came upon a couple of the very first songs I had ever written. The chorus of one really caught my eye. It goes as follows...

I'll trust you Lord in all your ways,
Even when I've had a hard day.
You'll always be by my side.
I'll love you Lord with all my heart,
As you have me from the very start.
Jesus, you're my God.

The words are simple, yet they ring so true.
I need to trust the Lord, because he will always be with me, no matter what I do. And he has loved me even before this world began... Shouldn't that inspire me to love the Lord with all my heart, soul and strength?

And yet so many days it doesn't.

And not because of HIM. Because of ME. I want to do things on my own. I think I can do things on my own. "I do not need a sovereign and all powerful God to help me." I tell myself. Going through life isn't THAT big of a deal. Oh but it is. There are times that I can get along ok. But there is something missing. Because God did not intend for us to live life "ok". He wants us to live life to it's fullest! He has an AMAZING plan for our lives, we just need to ask Him to help us.

As I was pondering this, a certain analogy formed in my mind. It's like a master builder who owns a piece of land, on which he wants to build a house for his child. This land has amazing potential, and the builder can hardly wait to take his time to build this house, because of how much he loves his child. He gathers all his materials on the work site and starts slowly, carefully building the foundation. The child watches the father eagerly and is quite happy and content. As the child starts looking at the bricks however, he thinks to himself, "Hmm, I could do this just as easily." And so, off to the side starts to build his own little playhouse. Now as the child is using the materials, the builder has to stop his work. He asks the child to be patient and trust him, let him do the building. But the child ignores him and keeps on working. After a while, a structure, somewhat resembling a shack, has been built. The builder reasons with his child, saying that he has much better in store for him. However, the child is content and says that he is much happier living in his shack, no need for the house. The child continues to grow and is somewhat happy but never fully satisfied. However, he won't allow himself to think about the house that could have been his. And when his father calls (which is often) and the child happens to answer, he assures the father that he is quite happy as he is. And so he lives, lying to himself that he is fine, even when the rain leaks in, and the bugs won't stay away. And all this time, the master builder still wants to build this amazing house for his child.

This probably sums up my life really well. I want to build my own life and heart, and no matter what problems arise, stick with it. But God has shown me that he has amazing plans in store for my life! I need to trust in Him and wait, watching as my life and heart grow into what God has meant for them to be.

It seems so easy when you are younger to fully trust God, simply because he is God. But as things change you want to do them on your own. But it always works far better the other way.

Jesus says in the bible, "Let the little children come unto me, and do not forbid them, for such is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 19:14)

And even tonight, this verse struck me. I need to strive towards having the faith of a child. The faith of one who trusts her father, simply because he is her father. Though it it isn't an easy task, I have a master builder to help me.

I pray that God will continue to work in you, as he is in me.

Caroline Ann

P.S.
I am planning and working on putting that chorus into a song, I will post it when I am done.

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No more braces!

Man, I am SO tired tonight, so this will probably be short.
I got my braces off today though! Yay! It's very surreal to think about two years having already passed by. Times really does fly, and it takes you with it. It seriously does seem like yesterday I was sucking on mashed potatoes for thanksgiving! (I got my braces right before... which turned out to be really bad timing.) And now here I am, living in Hawaii, with my braces off. It's pretty crazy.

God was good, it was quite a painful and uncomfortable process... unlike what everyone else told me, but oh well. The orthodontist gave me a bottle of sparkling cider after the whole ordeal. (Instead of candy.) Of course my siblings wanted to drink it all as soon as I stepped in the door, but I'm saving it and it's currently stashed safely away in the refrigerator. (Last time I checked anyway.) Lol, he also gave me pretty balloons. =) Of course one out of three survived the first two hours of me being home. But so is life with the Thomas troops.

The appointment with the dentist went really well too. (for the two peg teeth I have that need verniers put on them.) Although the dentists social awareness around teenage girls was about five... lol, no, I take that back, two. Let me give you a short version of the appointment (I will include all interesting parts anyway, I will say that in general he was ok, and I think he'll do a good job.)
"Wow! You have really, REALLY, little teeth, I'm so sorry. Don't worry, it'll be ok as time goes on..."
"Well, I actually have always loved my teeth being small, it's sorta unique! Though I do know they are tiny."
"So you want verniers put on so your teeth don't look ugly?"
"Um, yes sir..." (Wow buddy, you better be glad I'm not feeling emotional.)
"Yes, I will make you beautiful!"
"Ook." (You do that...)
"Of course you do have a "gummy" smile, but time should fix that..."
"Mmmm, ok sir."
"You know, we don't really have to put these on at your age, but it will give you confidence about yourself."
"Well actually I find my confidence in Jesus!" (I say this very cheerfully and politely.)
(It was his turn to be surprised to say the least...) *Dead Silence for a moment* "In other words, you are cocky as heck."
My mother and I shake our heads in unison and sweetly say,"Noo..."

So yes, that was the dentist. He was pretty nice though. And he got some credit back for saying that my teeth were "delicate". But still, lol, I don't know how he ever wooed his wife.

All that said though, my teeth look SOO much better, and once the dentist finishes them, they'll look even better. So I'm pretty excited. And even more, I am very grateful that I do find my selfworth in Christ alone. =)

Caroline Ann



P.S.
Here are before and after pictures. =)

What kind of big sister am I?

Over the summer I have really tried to build better relationships with my siblings, and it's come a long way. Recently, in the past couple weeks or so, I've been more focused on trying to make them feel loved. I'm finding it doesn't take grand schemes and huge surprises (though I'm sure those are nice too.) the little things in life count for a lot.
Anyway, so I'd really been thinking about this the past couple weeks and have tried really hard to do things like, listen to Kate when she wants to tell me about some book she is reading, or movie she watched. Or complement Wyatt on something he's done really well. I'm finding it's gone a long way.
Just a couple minutes ago, I walked past Wyatt (who was laying in the hallway reading, since Jefferson was sleeping in their room.) into the bathroom to brush my teeth. So there I am leaning forward staring at my teeth and reflection in the mirror (don't you stare at your teeth before you brush them?) when I start thinking about this whole loving your siblings thing. And the more I start thinking about it, I start thinking about Wyatt reading all by himself in our lonely little hallway, when Kate and I have a nice warm, inviting and clean (yes, I did finish cleaning it yesterday after I wrote my blog post) room to read in together.
Something seemed wrong with this... So, I stop staring at my teeth, and walk into the hallway and invite Wyatt to read with us. His eyes sorta sparkle for half a second, and then he looks at me and it like, "well, umm...". And so I go into my room and explain the situation to Kate, and then tell Wyatt Kate doesn't mind him coming and reading either. He half sticks his head in the door and then says, "Ok, what's the catch?"
WHAT KIND OF BIG SISTER AM I?? My very own little brother thinks there is a CATCH to reading in my room. Of course I know that the idea didn't pop into his head by chance... Someone must have set a trend that made him think that... (Though I can't imagine who that could possibly be.)
Anyway, I will be continuing to work on showing love to my brother specifically this week. I've come a long way, but I have a lot to learn...

Caroline Ann

The Bigger Picture

Mmmm, it's raining outside. That always puts me in the mood to write. If it were possible to dance with the weather, you'd find me waltzing with the storm clouds. *sighs deliciously*

Anyway... I've been meaning to post this picture... Lovely isn't it? My sweet siblings bought and picked those flowers out for me all by themselves! (I've had viral meningitis all week.) Could a big sister be more loved?

And then of course I had to take a picture of them later that night because one, I needed a picture, and two, I couldn't sleep! And just in case you are wondering, the object beside the flowers is a thermometer.

Artistically, I thought it turned out pretty well. The central focus is on the roses, but then you also have my bed in the background, and the thermometer, which pretty much symbolizes my past week.

The only problem with the picture, is it looks way too peaceful, and calm, and neat. It's missing the haggard looking girl with huge circles under her eyes, and all the medication and other such junk that had practically glued itself to my bedside table until I swept it off to take the picture.

But that "problem" made me start thinking. How often, when I come before God whether in prayer or in my bible time, do I try to show God a small picture of my heart, much like that one, and try to explain that my relationship with Him is fine, when it really is not. "Well Lord, look, we have these nice flowers, and the bed, though not made up looks ok, right? And oh yeah, uh, the thermometer, that's just a small trifle, nothing to worry about." When that is only just part of it, if you looked at the whole room, you'd see how unmade the bed truly was, and all the things that should be beside the thermometer, and the girl herself... the biggest issue of all.

I am so grateful though for the things that the Lord is doing in my life, and I am so grateful that He sent His son to help clean up the "bigger picture" in my life! I did my best to explain this analogy that God impressed upon my heart, I hope it made sense to you!

Well, the rain has stopped, and I do have a room to straighten, so I need to wrap this up. Have a great Lord's day tomorrow!

Caroline Ann

To blog, or not to blog?

That is the question I kept asking myself almost unconsciously. As you may tell, I decided in favor of the former, and so am writing this entry.

Now I give you fair warning, I may not update very much. If at all. I have never been much for writing in a journal or diary, or blogging for that matter. So my past history is certainly not in this poor internet spaces favor. However, I often imagine the kinds of stories and musings I would put in a blog, most very fantastic and rather interesting thoughts. But again, it may be nye impossible. We shall soon see.

And as far as the blog title, I do suppose you might be wondering about that. Well, the name comes from several factors. One being that the blog title, "my view of the world" was already taken, and I wanted something that somewhat portrayed that. And two, my father calls me a princess, and my best friend calls me a queen, therefore I choose the word castle since it seemed to "royal." =) In short, the title simply reflects my view of the goings and comings of those far and near from me. If this doesn't make sense to you, well, I suppose it really doesn't matter.

I pray this finds you well.

Caroline Ann