Throw Down Your Heart

Bela Fleck is a internationally known banjo player. His music is brilliantly fantastic! This past year he finished working on a project that took the banjo back to Africa. In the project, he played with famous musicians of traditional African instruments. Paired with Sascha Paladino, they created a film sharing the history of the banjo and its African roots. Here is a fun site that has the trailer, screening, and music clips from the project:
http://www.throwdownyourheart.com/

Psalm 46

This is an old myspace background I made in photoshop. I found it today while cleaning stuff out of my computer...hope you enjoy!

Delicacy of Life

As I passed through my room today, I paused to look at the board of pictures and writings that I have acquired through the years. A small green sheet caught my eye today. That slip of paper contains a poem that my cousin Ben wrote some years ago.

Life is as delicate as a flower.
It blossoms in the daylight
And spreads love as it opens its petals.
Love is as beautiful as a butterfly.
It is a cocoon that is only opened by the love
God gives us,
And it spreads its wings to share with the world.
The butterfly will meet the flower
And the world's life is filled with love.

This poem always strikes me with its simplicity. There is also a bit of irony in the words. Ben died when a car struck him. His life was as delicate as a flower. He was a fun kid, who always had simple wisdom hidden beneath a sarcastic comment.
I vividly remember going to devil's log slide in the UP and being too scared to go down with everyone. He simply told me that I would never really want to go down because it wasn't really that neat. I got upset and decided I had to see for myself. With all my fear, I went down...and surprise, I had fun. He smiled and just chuckled. Yeah...that was my cousin Ben.

Climbing wall dorm in Netherlands

Whoever came up with this had a brilliant idea! You should check this out...
http://lolanewyork.com/articles/climbing-wall-dorm--may-13-2009

Think Spring!

Yesterday I took my camera for a walk through our yard. I just wanted to play with some of the settings on the camera and enjoy the beautiful glory of God in his nature.

Deep thoughts

"All things are possible to him who believes, they are less difficult to him who hopes, they are more easy to him who loves and still more easy to him who perseveres in the practice of these three virtues." Brother Lawrence

RIIINNNGGG!!!

This is the way I feel about my parents phone somedays...and they wonder why I never answer when I am home :)

Thanks God!

Lately, I have found that life feels a bit overwhelming. Tonight I was reminded of the need to remember the things in life that I am thankful for. So here is a list:

Thanks God for:

* your glory and hugeness
* the students I work with
* foursquare
* the warmth of the sun
* great friends
* amazing parents
* warm blankets and a bed
* a good education
* Macaroni and cheese for dinner
* Trinidadian sandals
* the fluffy seeds of dandelions
* sleep
* your presence
* feet to run with
* my financial issues
* trust
* GRACE
* new books
* Good Earth tea
* the night sky
* fresh air
* ferns unfurling
* giggling
* board games

Contemplations of Education

I appreciate the manner in which Calvin addresses educational downfalls and failures. Oh how true!

1952 Cocktail Dress Project

Note from my Dove chocolate: The most enjoyable experiences are often free.

For my sister's wedding I decided to make my bridesmaid dress. Their were only two specifications that my sister gave for the dress: first, it must be black and second, it must be tea-length. I immediately decided that I wanted a 1950's style dress, with a swing style skirt. After much searching, I realized it was difficult to find a vintage dress on a budget. It came time to make my own dress. Here is the pattern I decided on:






Last week I began to cut and put together the pieces of the dress. Overall, it seems to be the most technical pattern I have ever sewn. (Actually, if I had to admit, I have never really sewn from a pattern in a bag. So, this is my first. It feels a bit like reading a foreign language) For sewing I am using my handy friend the sea foam green sewing machine out of the basement.


So, here is to begininng this project hoping for a good ending! At the moment I am working on basting together the lining and skirt. (For all of these pictures I used my Canon XSI Digital)

A Pirate's Life for Me...

As a kid I always imagined what it would be like to be a pirate. It was a bit of fantasy because my envisionment of pirate life was fairly mild. There were no lost limbs or hanging gallows in my imagined version, just adventures, sun, island scenes, and a few fights to spruce the day up.

Growing older has not changed my extreme fascination with pirates. Actually, I discover I am even more curious as to the lives pirates lived. Today I was reading about Blackbeard who enjoyed a reign of terror from 1716-1718. He fought viciously with six pistols slung across hi chest and smoking hemp cords twisted in his hair. As terrifying as he was, he fell in love with a woman. This woman had gave her ring to another pirate. Enraged, Blackbeard attacked the rival's ship and hacked off his finger. As a gift, Blackbeard sent the ring, still attached to the finger to the woman! The woman fainted and later died of grief. What a way to woo a woman! Not sure he had quite the right strategy!

Today I pondered what my weapons of choice would be as a pirate. One thick sword may be a bit long and cumbersome for someone of my stature. So, instead I would choose two short, light swords that I could use to attack and defend with a sword in each hand. I would also carry a cutlass and a small dagger, with a small pistol stowed in my waistband.

Isaiah 40:12-31

Who has scooped up the ocean in his two hands, or measured the sky between his thumb and little finger,Who has put all the earth's dirt in one of his baskets, weighed each mountain and hill?Who could ever have told God what to do or taught him his business?What expert would he have gone to for advice, what school would he attend to learn justice?What god do you suppose might have taught him what he knows, showed him how things work?Why, the nations are but a drop in a bucket, a mere smudge on a window.Watch him sweep up the islands like so much dust off the floor!There aren't enough trees in Lebanon nor enough animals in those vast forests to furnish adequate fuel and offerings for his worship.All the nations add up to simply nothing before him— less than nothing is more like it. A minus.
So who even comes close to being like God? To whom or what can you compare him?Some no-god idol? Ridiculous! It's made in a workshop, cast in bronze,Given a thin veneer of gold, and draped with silver filigree.Or, perhaps someone will select a fine wood— olive wood, say—that won't rot,Then hire a woodcarver to make a no-god, giving special care to its base so it won't tip over!
Have you not been paying attention? Have you not been listening?Haven't you heard these stories all your life? Don't you understand the foundation of all things?God sits high above the round ball of earth. The people look like mere ants.He stretches out the skies like a canvas— yes, like a tent canvas to live under.He ignores what all the princes say and do. The rulers of the earth count for nothing.Princes and rulers don't amount to much. Like seeds barely rooted, just sprouted,They shrivel when God blows on them. Like flecks of chaff, they're gone with the wind.
"So—who is like me? Who holds a candle to me?" says The Holy.Look at the night skies: Who do you think made all this?Who marches this army of stars out each night, counts them off, calls each by name—so magnificent! so powerful!— and never overlooks a single one?
Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying,"God has lost track of me. He doesn't care what happens to me"?Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts.For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall.But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles,They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.