Cruelty in the form of a test

That test? Yeah. You know the one I'm talking about.
The A. C. T.

Why is it so cruel? For one thing, they make you get there at 8 am. Which means leaving at like, 7:30. Which means getting up before 7. Ew.
Got to Akron U. Went to Zook Hall where we were supposed to go to sign in. Was directed into a lecture hall. Sat down. Was directed to another hall... Leigh Hall, I believe. That was around 8 am. And we filled out the information on the first page of the test booklet and whatnot. Then the first section, the English test (45 minutes). Which I think I did well on. Then the Math test (60 minutes). Which I didn't do as well on, I don't think. I didn't quite finish. But it was okay. Then we had a short 10 minute break. Juuust long enough to go to the bathroom and eat a REALLY quick snack. Right outside the room. Because you're not "allowed to eat or drink in the 'testing center.'" Lame, right?
So I shoved my last two fruit snacks (strawberry and peach (which are my favorite!)) into my mouth and headed back into the room. Then it was the Reading test (35 minutes). Which was okay. Then the Science Reasoning test (35 minutes). Which wasn't great. But it was OKayyy. Then a short... kinda break. They gathered our test booklets. And then handed out the writing booklets. Then it was ESSAY time (30 minutes). And that went really well. In my opinion. But I'm looking forward to getting my scores and whatnot. February 28th. So now I just wait.

The rest of my day was chillaxing. We talked to Hannah for quite a bit, which was fun! And I watched some more of The Biggest Loser. Always inspiring.

We ate dinner around 7 (beef stew... yum!). And now we're watching Stardust. Which is actually a really good movie! I'm likin' it! (not "lovin'" as in McDonalds. Likin'. haha).

Alrighty. I'm going to eat my PIE. I would tell y'all what kind, but it would probably make you jealous ;) If you really want to know, leave me a comment.
I'm going to eat my pie and keep watching my movie!
Later people,

NIPTO, Day 363

Haayy (is for horses!).

I took a practice ACT. That I would very much like to forget. Thenn the Karen girls came over. And we ate lunch, played spoons a bit, went sledding. I love sledding. It's so much fun! Then I came in and helped Mom&Eh Ler with a couple of math problems.
We watched Coraline soon after that and then Skyped with Hannah for a bit. And by a bit I mean 30 minutes. Or 40. And then everyone left. Then I made brownies and did dishes. And listened to The Civil Wars. Then Mom&Dad got home and we at dinner (grilled cheese with left over Donotos pizza). Now we're watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. WEIRD. Strange strange movie.
But it seems good... so far.

NIPTO? Yeahhh.

2 Timothy 1:1-5

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

Paul was an apostle (who wrote the last letter to Timothy. This is his second letter to Timothy). He was keeping with the promise of life, that is to say, Jesus, in writing this.

 ² To Timothy, my dear son:

   Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul's letters to fellow brothers/sisters in Christ always seem to start with grace, mercy, and peace from God. When reading this we need to be filled with grace, mercy, and peace. And that'll come from God.

 ³ I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. ⁴ Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.


When Paul would remember Timothy, he would thank God. God was who he served. And who his ancestors served. And he could thank God for Timothy with a clear conscience. Paul wanted to see Timothy so he could be joyful. Seeing/being with other brothers and sisters is cause for great joy.




⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.


When praying for Timothy, Paul would remember his faith. The faith that Timothy's grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice. Paul was convinced/persuaded that Timothy had that faith as well.




Good stuff.
I'm going to sign off and keep watching this... strange movie. 
We're doing music in the morning and after Church is our Soup-er Bowl Sunday... and after that is the 620. Tomorrow should be a busy day. After all that stuff is the actual Super Bowl... during which I'll do homework (I'll try to finish my homework before the game starts) and watch commercials. 
Yup.
I'm OUT.
Peace.

NIPTO, Day 356

Wow. Today was... short. I've been awake for less than 12 hours. I started my day at 11 o'clock. After 11 hours of sleep. I ate breakfast and then Dad and I worked on almost all of the ACT stuff. I went up to my room and listened to some music and wrote a little bit... then I came down stairs and "surfed the 'net" for a while. Mom and Dad got home from their walk, and Mom asked if I wanted to go see a movie. And I said "yes, I would like to see a movie." But it wasn't that simple. But Dad and I ended up going to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 3-D. It was good. I love that movie. Especially the end. And there is one quote (by Reepicheep) that is one of my favorites. And I'll share it with you now :) "We have nothing if not belief." Yeah. I like that one. After the movie I took a shower and then we ate dinner and watched Fame, which I throughly enjoyed. And I just spent too much time watching Big Bang Theory clips on YouTube. So funny!

NIPTO! 1 Timothy 5:1-10 ¹ Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

This addresses how we're supposed to address others. An older man should be treated as if he were your father. Younger men should be treated as brothers. Older women should be treated as your mother and younger women as sisters. Good rules to go by.

 ³ Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.

This is all about widows and how they're to be treated. Widows who are truly in need should be given proper recognition. If a widow has family, they should put "their religion" into practice and take care of her. That's what is pleasing to God and is what he wants.

⁵ The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. ⁶ But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.

A widow who has no family should put her hope in God and should ask him day and night for his help.

A widow who lives for pleasure isn't truly alive, even if she's alive.

⁷ Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. ⁸ Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

These were to be given to the people as instructions so that they wouldn't be to blame. Anyone who doesn't help and provide for their relatives, especially those in their own household has denied their faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Harsh. But not really. If you don't take care of your family, how can you be expected to take care of anyone else that's considered "family"? 

That's all for tonight. Church in the morning and WinterJam in the afternoon/evening! Should be a blast! (I'm pumped to see David Crowder*Band in concert! 's gonna be fantastic! :)

G'night!

NIPTO, Day 341

Hola!

Today's been school, babysitting, dinner, cleaning up, trying to figure out what's wrong with "my" computer (not Mom's!), and now watching Benny & Joon! It's sooooooo good! So funny. But the Jack-In-The-Box is creepy. But I love Joon and Sam. They're cute.

That's all about today. Tomorrow I'm going to Youth Leadership at BK's house and then we're going to see Uncle Randy, Aunt Mary Jo, Kata, and Troy :) So that should be fun. I'll try to take lots of pictures.

NIPTO.
Haggai 2:1-9
 In the second year of King Darius, ¹ on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:

God spoke to Haggai again. On the 21st day of the 7th month.



² “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, ³ ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?


God told Haggai to speak to the governor and high priest and the people who were left. He told him to ask them who was left who saw the original temple. God told him to ask what they thought of it.




 ⁴ But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the LORD Almighty. ⁵ ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’


God told them to be strong and to work. He was with them, therefore they had no reason to fear. 




 ⁶ “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. ⁷ I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty.

God told them what he was going to do: he was going to shake the heavens and the earth. He was going to shake the nations. "And what is desired by all nations will come." What that means, I have no idea. But God was going to fill his house with glory.


⁸ ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty. ⁹ ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”

God claimed the gold and silver. He told them that the glory of this new temple would be even greater than the last. And there he would grant peace. Peace was pretty big to those people, I'm guessing. I'm just guessing. 




And now I'm going to go to bed or something. I have to get up and leave at 9:30... booo Brandon boo. hah.
So goodnight (or good morning to Kate, if she reads this when she wakes up in France... hahah :)

Movie Marathon Conversation Collage

The ridiculous ramblings sayings that are taken out of context from our Johnny Depp movie marathon! [Tuesday night&Wednesday]. Enjoy! (I'm posting this on facebook too... :)


... short people are awkward and weird.

"I speak broken punnish" is even funnier than "I speak punnish"!

Helicopters are aerodynamically weird. They shouldn't be able to fly.

They have pre-dug holes!

Is this an inter-racial relationship because your socks are colored?

I don't care about anything.

We would have a lot more purple and orange in the world. I'll tell you that!

Jesus is a cop-out for anything. Except squirrels.

You think he's not listening until he is.

I just happened. Oh man.

I'd really rather that Jesus was not your feet.

It's like two people with braces kissing. They figure it out.

I don't like Hollywood. No one gets shot!

It would take off and take your pants with it!

Our dad is an estrogen-hardy man.

The brown one was beautiful. Why does he need a grey one?

It's a Twix commercial!

Her dress is like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants!

It's Hannah Yackley!

As if there's a thing as lawful seduction?

Nooo! Why?!?! So she's a witch! (I have this written down, but have NO recollection of what it was about...)

She went off with the government censorship guy!

"I think that's proper for 'dead.'" "Oh! So that means you're available?"

You can run and tell that, homeboy!

Oh my gosh they took the back of the house off!

They were dead the whole time?!

He's snoring. *bursts of giggles*

It's like there's a tiny man being strangled in your freezer.

I had to literally remove him!

NIPTO, Day 310

Today has been another lazy "snow day" of sorts.
I "technically" got a 2 hour delay. I just started school about 2 hours late. But that's my 2 hour delay when everyone else gets a snow day. Home-schooling FTW (for the win).

Urban Vision and dance were both canceled. Thanks to all that snow.

So I did school. Ate lunch and watched Project Runway. Did more school. Took a shower. Did a mini spa day. Ate dinner. Read Lucky Magazine. And now I'm watching Alice in Wonderland. And formulating a blog post that has been in the making for a very long time.

And now, NIPTO.

Philippians 3:7-11
⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.


As my sister would say: Bam. Whatever was a gain... he considered a loss. Why? For the sake of Christ. That, my friends, is intense. 




⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.


What is more? Everything is a loss because of the worth of knowing Christ. That's how big it is to know Christ. Everything is worth losing to know this person. And Paul did lose everything. He thought that the things he had lost were garbage compared to what he would gain: Christ. And he wouldn't just gain Jesus Christ, he would gain righteousness that comes from God through faith. Whoa. That do be super intense. 
I'm American. I don't like giving things up. But it's more than comfort. Comfort is almost a bad thing. Being pushed out of your comfort zone is a good thing. It might seem like you're losing a ton of things and you're not in your "good" place, but this could be leading to a better place. 
Who knows... (Just wait. It gets even better!)




¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.




Paul wanted to know Christ. He wanted to know the power of the resurrection. He wanted to participate in Jesus' suffering. He wanted to die to somehow get that resurrection. That miracle that Jesus offers. 
Whew.
Wow.
Yeah.
Lots to think about.




For now, sleep. Tomorrow is school (Lord willing and the snow don't rise!), class, lunch at Mariachi Loco's with my Spanish class and then Mom's class. Sooooo yup. Tomorrow's going to be back into the swing of things after two completely empty days! 
Time to rest up.
G'night!

NIPTO, Day 307

Hai.
I'm tired.
And me writing this just got pushed back an hour or so. Soooooo. It'll be short.ish. I promise.ish.

Today: Youth Leadership meeting at Brandon's house. That was 10-1. After that, I ate some lunch and did some website stuff (for live620.com), played guitar a little bit, turned the oven on to bake some lasagna, played guitar some more, realized the house smelled like gas/Sculpy and called Mom. (The plastic wrap (that the instructions say to leave on!) was melting. Yaaaay. Yeah. That didn't smell good. But then I went to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader with Julia, Joy, Joy's sister-in-law, Carrie, Julia's friend, Mr. Sharrock, and Gabe. 'twas brilliant! But the 3-D was kind of lame... It's not really a 3-D movie. But it was a good movie. Then I came home and ate some of the afore-mentioned lasagna. And some cheesecake. And listened to the adults from church talk about random stuff.
Then people left. Annnd I started to write this. And then Jay&Ang came over for a while. And now it's very late. And that was my day!

NIPTO.
Philippians 2:19-24
¹⁹ I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.


Yeah! We finally know that Paul is writing this! Timothy was kind of a go-between... I think. Don't take my word for it. But it seems like he wanted to send Timothy to them because that was how he got his information about them? I don't know. I'm super tired. This is going to be pretttty lame. 




²⁰ I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. ²¹ For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.


Timothy was unique. He genuinely cared for other people. He looked out for other people. He wasn't concerned with what was going on with him. He looked out for the interests of others. Timothy also proved himself. He served with Paul in sharing the gospel. 




²³ I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. ²⁴ And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.


So. Paul hoped to send him to them soon. As soon as he saw how things were going for him. And he was confident that he would come to them soon. He was confident in the Lord. I think we're not very confident sometimes. But we have to know that God always has our best interests at heart.






And now, I peace out (girl-scout) to go catch some shut-eye before I have to get up in seven hours..... yaaaaaaaay. (I love doing music at church. I love doing music at church. I love doing music at church!)
G'night all!

NIPTO, Day 300

Three. Hundred. Days. Of. Blogging. For realz. Wow.
Only a couple of months left until I hit a year. Wow.wow.wow.wow.

So. Yesterday. Carrie came over. We ate dinner, played Bananagrams, got into our PJs and watched That Thing You Do (HEY GUYS! Was that our fan? tee hee hee), and Newsies. It was the first time I'd seen Newsies and it was really good! I loved the music from it :)

Then we went to bed. Because it was almost midnight. And we were tired. So then we got up in the morning, ate Monkey Break, and then Katie and Hannah and Dad got home and Mrs. Jones got to our house all at the same time. Soooo Carrie left and then the stories from Chicago began. (Kate and Dad went to Chicago so that Katie could go to the French Consulate to get her visa for her going to France in the spring semester.)
So we sat around for a while... and then we split up to do our various things. I drove Katie (and Dad) to the BMV so Kate could get her license renewed, and then we got home... goofed around on the piano for a while, went on a walk, played Set, watched an episode of Chuck, watched The Story of Stuff, ate dinner, watched Katie and Hannah open presents, talked to Meme for a while, watched another episode of Chuck, got ice cream pie, and then watched another episode of Chuck. And now Katie and Hannah are watching another episode of Chuck and I'm half watching it. But I'm also blogging.
So. Yes. NIPTO.

Philippians 1:12-14
¹² Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.


Paul and Timothy both were imprisoned for what they believed and taught. 
They both wrote this. But I'm thinking this is Paul writing... but whoever wrote it is put aside. 
What happened to this guy helped to advance the gospel. 
He used the worst situations to his advantage. To God's advantage. 




¹³ As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. ¹⁴ And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.


Because of how he behaved and reacted to his situation, it was obvious that he wasn't in chains for himself/something he had done. He was there for God. And because of his chains, people were becoming more confidant. They were less fearful about sharing the gospel. And that, my friends, is awesome!




A'ight. I'm going to finish watching this episode of Chuck and then go to bed! Church in the mornin'!
Adios my readers!

NIPTO, Day 295

Hola!

I'm tired. Getting out of bed today was rough. Not gonna lie.

But today has been goood. :)
Went to school. Took some pictures of Carrie during lunch. Went to classes. Came home. Played guitar for a while. Listened to Dave Ramsey for a while. And then Kaytee and I went to see Tangled.
Tangled might just be my new favorite Disney Princess movie. Rapunzel is.... awesome. And Zachary Levi plays Flynn Ryder/Eugene Fitzherbert. And I love Zachary Levi. Yup yup. I just downloaded the soundtrack. Because it's awesome. =]


Then I came home and ate dinner and watched The Office and now I'm watching Chuck. Annd I still love Zachary Levi! :)


NIPTO.
Ruth 4:1-12
¹ Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

 ² Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. ³ Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. ⁴ I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.”

   “I will redeem it,” he said.

So. Boaz. Guardian-redeemer. 

Boaz went to the "real" guardian-redeemer of Naomi's family in a public place, the town gate, and asked/told him to sit down. Boaz brought 10 of the elders there and told them to sit down. They did. Then he told them the situation: Naomi's selling land. And he thought he should let them know. Because Boaz would redeem the land if the other guardian-redeemer wouldn't. But the guardian-redeemer said he would redeem the land.

 ⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”

 ⁶ At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”

Then Boaz threw a wrench in the deal: when he buys the land, he also gets Ruth. The man said he couldn't do it. He couldn't do it because it would put his land in danger. So he told him to redeem it. (yaaaaay! haha)

 ⁷ (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)

 ⁸ So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.

I think that's an interesting... cultural... ritual thing. Remove a shoe to finalize a transaction. 

 ⁹ Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”

Boaz announced to the elders and people that they were witnesses that he bought all the property that belonged to Elimelek, Kilion, and Mahlon. And that he got Ruth along with that. That's what they witnessed. 

 ¹¹ Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. ¹² Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

They acknowledged that they were witnesses. Then they kind of "dedicated" Ruth. They asked God to make her like Rachel and Leah, who were wonderful women. That she would have "prestigious" offspring. 

And. That. Is. All. For. Tonight. I'm going to go listen to the Tangled soundtrack and go to bed. 
G'night all!